Chapter Text
“Just use the company –suggested housing” they said.
“It’ll be great and cheap!” they said.
And now, in his first job out of university, Sakaeguchi Yuuto was stuck with a roommate. But not just any roommate. One that looked to have his face permanently contorted into a state of displeasure. When his mother used to say “Don’t frown, your face will get stuck like that!” this is the type of person she was afraid he would look like. He supposed his new roommate’s face might not have been as bad as that though—it varied in the amount of disgust sometimes. Some distaste at seeing the non-perishables left in the pantry from the people that lived there previously. Irritation at the fridge needing a good scrub. Exasperation at the shower knob needing to be turned just right so that it wouldn’t drip.
Yuuto wanted to know who thought it would be a good idea to have two young professionals moving into the same apartment at the same time—just so he could have a friendly chat with them, maybe tell them what an idiot he thought they were. Boxes were everywhere, some half unpacked, some completely unpacked and just taking up space, some with their contents strewn across the floor and multiple surfaces…it looked like a disaster area and felt like no headway was being made into making their new place livable. The two men hadn’t even properly had a conversation yet. Yuuto would be sharing a bathroom with this guy for the forseeable future and he knew almost nothing beyond his name and age.
Abe Takaya was his name. Around his age, a bit younger. Must like coffee based on the quality of the machine he pulled from one of the boxes. At the very least, they had separate rooms so Yuuto could escape that nearly palpable displeasure radiating from his new roommate. He didn’t think he had that much stuff when he was packing it all. Now that he had to unpack and rearrange without Wakako and Yukihiro’s help, it seemed to take forever. After 8 hours of work, both of them emerged from their respective rooms and flopped down on the too-squishy-couch (a hand-me-down from Wakako). Most of the common areas were straightened up, appliances, books and movies all stored properly. Just a good sweep of the floor was needed.
A loud rumbling sound snapped Yuuto out of his mental checklisting. His own stomach was protesting this long foray in organization. Come to think of it, he did skip lunch in favor of moving his furniture just-so. It was time to grab something to eat. The kitchen was empty of anything he wanted. He sighed and stood up.
“I’m heading to the conbini. Want me to pick you up anything?” he asked as he put his shoes on in the entranceway.
“No. Thanks. I’ve got more to clean up,” he replied with a distasteful glance back at his room. This was the most direct interaction the two have had all day.
With a small shrug, Yuuto turned and walked out into the chill of the evening. The neighborhood wasn’t so bad at least—well-lit and decently clean. He had been told the area was popular amongst young professionals. At some point he would have to explore, maybe hit up a few of the local bars and restaurants to meet people. He never wanted to be one of those people that had no friends outside of work.
The conbini was only about a half a mile up the street. The cold was just starting to settle into his skin when he reached it. He picked out a couple of different types of breads in case his new roommate changed his mind and to keep himself supplied over the next couple of days while he straightened everything out in his new place. Yuuto walked a little slower on his way back to the apartment, taking note of the different businesses within walking distance. A bookshop, a bakery, a couple of bars, a ramen restaurant…yeah despite his less-than-ideal roommate, the location didn’t seem bad. At least he could get out of the apartment if he wanted or needed. He climbed up the stairs and tried to turn the knob, surprised that it was locked. By the time he fumbled the key into the keyhole, he was shivering, wondering where the hell his new roommate went to have locked the door behind him.
“Abe—“ What honorific did he use for his new roommate? They hadn’t talked much. “-san”? Seemed too polite. “-kun” was probably appropriate. They were around the same age after all, not to mention both starting in the company at the same time. Ah well. “—kun!” he finished shouting out into the apartment as he removed his shoes and rubbed his arms to quicken his de-thawing. He walked further into the common area, no sign of life until he heard (heavy) footsteps coming from the direction of the bedrooms and bathroom. Yuuto turned to hang his key up on a small hook inside the kitchen and a “You don’t have to shout—I’m home,” was muttered across the room.
“Then why did you...lock...” Yuuto turned around to find Abe standing there in sweatpants and little else. He rubbed at his damp hair with the towel around his neck, eyebrow cocked in question. It took another couple of seconds to realize he had been staring openly at his new roommate (and the sharp edges of his biceps, pectorals, eyes sweeping up and over the hollows of his collarbones), who was now expecting him to finish the question he started what felt like ages ago. Yuuto blinked a couple of times and turned away to hide the creeping flush that spread up his neck to his cheeks.
“I uh, didn’t realize you were going to take a shower. I was just wondering why the door was locked. And now I know. I bought a couple different kinds of breads at the store and—“ Oh god he was starting to babble, why the hell did he feel so nervous suddenly? Why couldn’t he get his mouth to stop? “—and you’re welcome to them if you want. There’s a few places—“ He was putting his spoils away into the pantry, desperately trying not to look back at the other. Why was he half-naked and why did Yuuto want to keep looking at him like that? “—that could be interesting and maybe we could check them out sometime.”
Abe was quiet for a few seconds. When Yuuto couldn't find anything else to mess around with in the pantry, he slowly backed away and turned towards his roommate wondering when it got so warm in the apartment.
"Sure," he replied nonchalantly, shrugging a bare shoulder and turning back to his room, leaving Yuuto standing awkwardly in the kitchen loosening his collar.
What in the hell was that?
He quickly retired to his own room and shut the door behind him, reminding himself of what a bad attitude the other guy seemed to have to try to calm himself down. That's right—this didn't mean anything. Just because his roommate was attractive didn’t mean Yuuto was attracted to him. Right. It meant nothing. Yuuto was just surprised to see his new roommate shirtless. That was all.
He went to work re-organizing his newly organized clothing drawers for the rest of the evening.