Work Text:
Ajax doesn't know exactly why he's standing in front of this very door right now. It's almost 3am, the air is cool and everything around him is dark, except for the street lights that flicker in and out of existence as it struggles through unchanged bulbs. He brings his hand up, a fist forming, then knocks.
He's not expecting anything, really. It's late at night and he'd much rather go to sleep, especially since he still has things to do tomorrow. Everything is impulsive—his mind working like a sudden bomb to satisfy a need that itches his brain.
He rings the doorbell and knocks once more. Numerous thoughts go through his mind, a struggle of 'I should leave' to 'he's probably asleep or not home'.
But then, the door opens.
All thoughts go out the room as he sees a slightly haggard, messy-haired Diluc Ragnvindr in front of him. His neighbor.
He wore a knitted sweater, looser than the print shirt underneath and a pair of wrinkled pajama pants. There are bags under his eyes, his lips dry and in his free hand is a pen (that he probably forgot to drop before answering the door).
"Hi."
"Do you need anything at this late?" Diluc asks and suddenly, guilt falls atop Ajax's head—his stomach dipping as he forces out a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck while he speaks.
"Can… do you wanna go to 7/11?"
.
.
"Sorry, what?"
Ajax reiterates. "Do you want to go to 7/11?"
"At this time?" Diluc asks, his tone slightly annoyed but it wasn't as aggressive as how he usually is.
Ajax awaits an answer as they stare at each other for some time—a few seconds, maybe even more but never reaching five minutes.
"Okay." Diluc says and Ajax's face lights up. "I'll just get my jacket, and probably change pants, since you clearly look more presentable than me."
The ginger looks at himself. A pair of converse, ripped jeans and a large hoodie that's only tucked at the front? That's presentable?
Minutes later, Diluc comes out. His hair is fixed, wearing a jacket instead of his sweater and a pair of neat pants.
"My car, or—"
"Your car."
Ajax nods, leading the seemingly overworked guy to his side of the fence and loading in. The fresh smell of air-conditioning strikes them, lingering up their nostrils, but Ajax didn't want that today. Instead, he rolls down the windows, turns off the AC and drives.
Diluc sat right next to him in complete silence. Slightly awkward, sure, but who was he to do anything when he called the guy out just to go to 7/11? Not like he can complain, though—he's expecting that Diluc would complain or probably nag him, but nothing ever comes. He just sits there in silence—the air brushing past his locks so prettily.
Ajax should really focus on driving, but it was just around the corner, outside their subdivision. He quickly parks and turns off the engine.
And, another moment of silence between them—a thick tension forming as the keys cling and clash against each other, only to be tucked away inside Ajax's pockets.
The door opens and they're hit with the cold breeze of the night—hours before dawn. Ajax could feel goosebumps rise, shakily sighing. He notices that even Diluc is affected by the cold, rubbing his hands and blowing warm air into it before pocketing them both.
"You good?"
"A bit cold."
Chimes ring as they enter the store. The bored clerk never leaves his magazine as he continues to read through, allowing the two guys to roam around to look for food.
"You want anything?" Ajax asks, and Diluc shakes his head.
"If you're buying something then, maybe."
Ajax hums.
He proceeds to the counter and requests for two orders for each item; two steamed pork buns, and two slurpees—one Cherry and the other Blueberry Lemonade.
The person behind the counter lazily stands, taking a cup and filling it with the slurpees, and while those are loading in—he carefully takes two steamed buns out and places them in individual paper packaging. When the slurpees were done, he cups both of them each and hands the full order to his customers. Ajax smiles, paying before taking them and leaving with Diluc.
"What is this?" Diluc asks, a slight look of disgust as he stares at the slush before him.
"A slurpee. It's really good. I bought two flavors, which do you want?"
"They look the same."
Ajax pressed his lips thin, shrugging. He sits down on the side of an elevated pavement and Diluc follows beside him with a slight huff.
"Maybe the Cherry one." Diluc mutters and Ajax happily hands him the lighter red drink, then the steamed bun.
The place was quiet—only the wind to be heard, the rustling of trees and whatever vibrations could be heard from the store behind them. There were streetlights that flickered on and off, definitely in need of replacements. Only one car parked at the place—theirs.
Within the silent tension between them, Ajax starts slurping, catching Diluc's attention. They make eye contact momentarily, Ajax focusing on the expression Diluc made. It looked questioning, confused but also—endearment.
"What?"
"Nothing." He shrugged.
He's seen Diluc out of his house. He's seen him at the lawn, gardening or sending out someone as they leave but, most of the time he's at home, behind his doors that's shut tight, working his nights away. Ajax doesn't know what he does for a living. He just knows that the man's probably loaded and this is some rare opportunity to take.
"So…" Ajax starts. "Why were you awake?"
"Work." An almost instant answer, as if he's been readying himself to say that. Expected.
"I see."
"You?"
"Work." That was a slight lie. There was nothing else left for him to do. The company he worked for doesn't usually have night shifts and more often than not, he'd spend his night drinking or mingling with others but today was not that night. In general, he was tired.
Diluc hums, taking a bite. The sky wasn't even that pretty but they looked up almost at the same time. There were no stars. It's cloudy and cold. They breathed steadily, a cloud of cold air forming.
Then, "You got anything eventful in your life?"
"No, not really." Diluc scoffs, swirling around the drink in hand, only to find that it does not actually swirl the way he wants it to. "My brother has more of that, not me."
"Your brother? I rarely see him."
"That's because he's rarely home." Diluc pauses, taking a sip from his drink. "He's usually with his boyfriend"
"Oh."
.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Diluc looked at him, squinting. "Normally a person would ask me if I have a girlfriend."
"Do you?"
"No."
"Do you want one?"
"A girlfriend?"
"Would it matter?"
"For some, yes."
Silence.
They eat as they pause, the sounds of slurping off the straw filling the space. There was nothing like coldness against one's tongue and that's exactly what was happening.
"What do you like more though?"
At this, Diluc stops to think. A hand rubs his chin as cogs seem to turn, his eyebrows knitting together while his eyes narrowed. "Haven't thought about it"
Ajax hums. He's not surprised. The guy looks more loaded than he thinks that he is. It was almost funny how he could even handle a whole garden by himself but still have work, enough that Ajax barely sees him go out. Or, maybe he's just not the guy to invite people or go out. Now that could be possible, especially with the way even his brother is rarely home. But then again, his brother has a lover so what else would be a good reason to swing by when they probably lived together? "Not even a type? Or… anything?"
Diluc looked at him, amused. An eyebrow flicking upwards while a smirk dances around his lips. Ajax felt his heart stammer. "Why are you so interested? Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Nope. Single since college."
Right. After that one relationship, he hasn't actually been with anyone. He's been asking people out but never actually dating them. Or rather, it only ends with one night then never again. Sometimes he wonders if he's the problem.
"So, why do you ask?"
"It's good convo! Loosen up a bit." Ajax says, blowing warmth to his hands, rubbing them together before turning to see a pouting Diluc. It was as rare as it gets to see such an expression from such a stoic and seemingly uptight man.
"You sound like my coworkers."
"Is that bad?"
"No...?" His tone curled upwards. Cute.
"Unsure?"
Diluc sighs, straightens his back, then slouches once more. He holds his halfway finished slurpee in one hand, twisting it until the liquids inside slosh messily into a whirl. "They tell me to loosen up." He brings the straw to his lips. "Apparently, I act too stiff."
Ajax laughs and Diluc glares. "It's fine. I think they just want you to have some more fun."
"—with all my work? I doubt I could have that." It was obvious with the tone that he was grumpy, slightly irritated, as if he were directing that anger towards his cup and the paper wrapping in his other hand—crumpling it so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Ajax sighs. "So, what about now?"
"Sorry, what? What do you mean now?"
Ajax gestures, his hands pointing at where they are sitting, then at the store behind them. "This. Is it fun?"
Diluc stares, then pauses to think, leaning back. He takes a look at the crushed paper in his hands and smiles. "Yeah," he says with a sigh. "It's fun."
For some reason, that makes Ajax's heart throb, especially after he notices the slight tug on his lips, a genuine smile as he looks at the granite—his slurpee almost gone. For some reason, Ajax's heart doubled over with the way Diluc looked so calm and almost untouchable, so close yet so far away.
Without such warning and amidst his daydreaming, the sounds of aggressive slurping filled his ears and he sees Diluc drinking down the rest of his slurpee—its contents draining out way too fast for comfort. "Diluc if you do that you'll—
"Agh—!"
"—get a brain freeze…"
Diluc clutched his head, bowing as he shut his eyes closed. Ice seemed to crawl up from the inside as his head pounded against his skull. Ajax tried looking for a way to help it ease out but it passes quicker than he thought it would and Diluc ends up laughing at himself.
Then, he looks at Ajax who scored such a confused yet worried look. "Do you have a type?"
"No." You.
Diluc relaxes, staring at the empty cup in front of him and sighs. "Maybe you'll find one soon."
Ajax goes back to his seat, leaning back with the empty cups beside them as they gazed up to the same sky, and same set of clouds.
What an awful day to go out. Not one star in sight but, they stayed like that until dawn came and they went back home.