Work Text:
Ricky watches Matthew scurry inside his room for the nth time with his food and a huge pitcher of water. His eyes squint suspiciously, watching the older immediately shutting the door.
It's been a few weeks since Matthew's been acting weirdly and while the others haven't noticed, Ricky is his roommate and it's easy for him to catch up on what has changed.
He's been trying to think of things that have made Matthew act so differently hence a checklist was made:
1.) Matthew is making an experiment inside his room.
It's kind of odd though especially since Matthew is very open with his experiments whether it's edible or just straight up unappetizing. So this one is crossed out.
2.) Matthew is doing vices.
Drugs? Cigarettes maybe? But Matthew is the personification of health and fitness and one thing he always takes care of is his body. Doing drugs would put him to jail and industry and internet cancellation for the rest of his life and he knows Matthew wouldn't risk his career over that.
Cigarettes also affect one's health pretty fast and Matthew is quite conscious of what he takes.
Alcohol however, he does drink, but sneaking liquor at least 3 times in his room? Definitely not the case. Plus, they don't even have stocks of beer and soju anymore. This one is also off the list.
3.) Matthew is hiding someone in his room.
A convicted criminal? Ricky doesn’t think Matthew would be associated with one. A fling? A lover? A one-night stand? I mean, it's not like they're not allowed to date but it doesn't really say they're also allowed to date? But idols are humans too that crave intimacy in all ways whether it's romantic or physical. The thought, however, makes Ricky sour beyond words.
There's only one way for Ricky to find out and that is... to snoop into Matthew's room.
Matthew, for the first time in months, decided to go to the gym to work out—giving Ricky leeway to find out what his roommate has been hiding in his room.
Despite having no security cameras nor a Matthew-shaped figure in sight, Ricky tiptoes like an amateur spy, afraid of making any suspicious noise that might alert Matthew's senses (which doesn't make sense since he's meters away from them). His hand reached the doorknob, twisting it carefully, and so he took a peep. Slowly, he pushed the door open, making a minimal creaking noise—Ricky winces.
As his vision drinks in Matthew's room, he tries to find anything odd that answers his suspicions. His collection of anime figures and pokemon cards remain hefty, standing tall and proud, arranged in an array of colors. His bed is neat, a huge Thewnini plushie sitting at the corner. Dumbbells are also properly placed on the side of his desk. His computer setup seems normal. The bed... what if there was a person under there?
Ricky's eyes squint as he crouches down, ready to reveal the maybe mysterious person Matthew is hiding under his bed when something jumps onto his back, surprising Ricky and having him fall onto his butt on the floor. He felt claws gripping at the back of his shirt and he was holding back from cursing but internally praying to the gods that his Louis Vuitton dress shirt isn't punched with holes.
The sharp grip on his back loosened and he heard a thump land beside him. Ricky caught the sight of a cat whose fur is white—brown on the ears, tail, and legs. It peered at Ricky with curious eyes, sniffing at his foot. Ricky sighs, feeling relieved that Matthew wasn't doing vices nor was he hiding a person but a cat.
A cat? Seriously...
His hand reached up to the cat, letting it sniff his hand—in an instant, it warmed up to Ricky as it snuggled against Ricky's palm and he smiled, happily petting at the soft feline. Ricky was too preoccupied; he didn't notice the creaking of the door opening, revealing a sweaty (and hot-looking) Matthew fresh from the gym.
" Eng? Ricky?"
Ricky jolts up like he has been caught red-handed. He let out an awkward laugh, his hand still petting the cat as he tried looking at anything but Matthew (he fails by the way because his roommate looks like a glazed donut).
"Mashu! Um, hi?"
"What are you doing in my room, dude?"
"Oh, you know, just... wandering around and lost my way here."
"Ricky." Matthew taunts, although non threatening, an eyebrow raised.
"Fine." Ricky grunts. And so he tells Matthew everything, from how he found him suspicious of suddenly being in his room looking like he was trying to hide something to how he had a list of suspicions on why he was acting that way, making Matthew let out a hearty laugh at how ridiculous (endearingly) he finds Ricky.
"Seriously bro?" Matthew breathes out, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Don't make fun of me!" Ricky sulks. Matthew just laughed and laughed until he had his fill. He then made his way to the feline that was sitting in the corner of his room, cleaning itself. Matthew picked it up and smothered it in kisses. The furball had its paws on Matthew's cheek, wanting him to stop by biting his chin but changed its mind by licking the mark—seemingly giving its owner kisses back.
"This is my cat, Gia. Gia, meet Ricky."
Gia and Ricky have a stare off before the feline jumps off from his owner's arms and sits onto Ricky's lap, purring in satisfaction.
"He's cute," Ricky says as he scratches Gia's chin, "I don't get why you would suddenly get a cat though. You look like a dog person."
"I've come to grow fond of cats. It's been kind of lonely for me too. Gia has been the perfect roomie."
"And I'm not?" Ricky jokingly questions. "I'm a cat too."
Matthew breaks out into a teasing grin, causing the younger to roll his eyes while heat crept up into his ears from embarrassment.
"Jealous?" Matthew wiggles his eyebrows. "Shut up." Ricky grunts. Matthew laughs out loud, crouching down to Ricky to pet his hair, his hand slides down to caress his cheek as Matthew gazes at him with adoration. "I'm just kidding, Ricky." And with that, he leans in, sealing his lips with Ricky's.
The younger gasps at the soft sensation pressed against his lips, Matthew sweetly nips at his lips as his tongue made its entrance to Ricky's mouth, tasting the tart flavor of strawberry his roommate probably devoured a few hours ago. Ricky sighs, allowing Matthew to explore every crevice of his mouth, his hand gripping tightly at his shoulder. Matthew pecks at his lips one, two more times, before peppering his face in kisses, causing Ricky to break in a fit of giggles.
"Don't get jealous of Gia," Matthew says, leaning his forehead on Ricky's, "You'll always be my favorite roommate."
Ricky lets out a shy smile before peering at Gia who remained seated in his lap purring steadily.
Maybe having another roommate isn't so bad if he's this cute.