Chapter Text
Semi heaved the last of his belongings over his shoulder and then started his way up the stairs leading to his room for the next year at least.
“205...205…” Semi muttered under his breath, looking at each door’s carefully written out numbers. It didn’t take much longer before he did find the room he was looking for. Semi put his hand on the knob to open the door, only for it to swing open by itself to reveal his favorite red head (they had claimed the titled whether Semi wanted to give it or not).
Semi promptly pulled the door closed again for a few seconds of respite.
He had been wondering who his other two roommates would be. The chances were slim that it would be someone he knew. Much less Tendou. Tendou, of course, didn’t give him much time for his revere and opened the door again, using their long lanky arms to envelope Semi in a hug.
“Semi!” They exclaimed with far too much energy for a day full of moving boxes around. “What a coincidence!”
Whatever Semi tried to reply was lost in Tendou’s shirt, but it was probably not nice.
The hug lasted for only a few more seconds before they let Semi go so that he could fill his lungs with oxygen as a hug from Tendou usually ended with a lack of air in his lungs although Semi was just a few inches shorter.
“First Wakatoshi, and now you. And thanks to you being here me forgetting to pack any salt is all solved!”
Semi kicked Tendou in reply before saying. “Ushijima too?”
“Uh-huh,” Tenou replied, opening the door once again. “He’s unloading all of his self help books that he’s collected through the years--well from the team. I still think the most important one was the one for understanding memes. Do you know he sent me a message with a kaomoji the other day? I was so touched.” They said, wiping a fake tear from their eye.
Tendou had continued to chatter on but Semi decided to tune them out except for when he needed to find out where his living space was going to be. So Tendou paused in their retelling of some weird thing that happened to them yesterday that they forgot to text Semi about to tell him where this stuff went.
This was going to be a long year and Semi was already preparing the message for the memorial service that would no doubt take place before the end of it… Whether it would be his or Tendou’s was up for grabs.
****
Semi jiggled the key in the lock. He didn't understand why it didn't want to turn and it was too late for this. The pepper haired boy let his head thump against the door loudly.
“God damn it just open.” Semi grumbled his eyes burning with how tired he was. He'd been up all night writing a paper in the library- the only quiet place since he started rooming with his old teammates- and all he wanted to do now was fall into bed. Just as he was about to give up and go sleep in the lounge or something the door opened and Semi lost balance and fell face first into the arms of the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen on the other side.
“Careful,” he said steadily and god he had a beautiful voice too, Semi must have fallen asleep because people this breathtaking just didn't exist in real life, “Ah, you're from next door.”
“Shit.” Was the only response he could form in his brain dead state. Well that explained why his key didn't work.
“Are you okay?” His neighbor was frowning at him in concern. Wasn't surprising, Semi was sure he looked like shit. His eyes were probably a little bloodshot from exhaustion, he had almost permanent shadows under his eyes from Tendou keeping him up late (he didn't think his friend meant to disturb him, but they were not a quiet existence), his hair felt gross, his skin felt gross though he was technically clean from a shower that morning.
“Just- paper. Really tired. Sorry for waking you.” Semi mumbled. He would be mortified normally but he was was truly only processing this partially at the moment.
“Don't worry, I was up anyway: I have trouble ever falling asleep before 3 or 3:30.” The man assured him.
“Oh, well, sorry anyway. I'll go to my room now.” Semi blinked rapidly. Being wide awake at night? Semi had to admit he was… Well not exactly a morning person either… And afternoons he tended to be napish… He was just “always tired” person.
“That…. Might not be a great idea right now.” His neighbor said hesitantly.
“Huh?” Said Semi intelligently.
“Your roommate” The other expanded, “Pretty sure he has his boyfriend over? They've been loud. Kenma looked like he might go over and murder them.”
“They,” Semi replied automatically, more out of reflex at this point than conscious action. He was distracted by the fact of the matter that this meant that Suga was over. They were probably playing monopoly and cheating. Things could get intense with those two and Semi didn't want to get caught in that war. Normally he'd get Ushijima to say something (nothing turned Suga’s mom mode on faster than Ushi’s childlike innocence concerning whatever meme Tendou had just showed him) but he was away at a game, “I guess I'll go sleep in the lounge.”
“Wait,” his neighbor said catching his hand as he turned. Semi stared dumbly at it in his sleepy state: there was no way he was holding hands with the hottest person he'd ever met, “Semi right? Iwaizumi has spoken highly of you in the past, so if you'd like you can sleep here for the night.”
On second thought? This guy was an angel.
“Are you sure?” Semi asked.
“Of course, it's just for the night and neither of my roommates will mind. Just, keep quiet.”
Semi nodded, grateful beyond measure for the simple kindness being shown by his neighbor. He doubted that he would even have the strength--or the energy for that matter--to do anything beyond the expected social politeness. And even the barest of niceties seemed beyond him when he was focusing more on putting one foot in front of the other and following behind...Akaashi...Semi thought, the name coming to him, or something similar to that anyways. He might have overheard it sometime, though he would ponder on that later.
Akaashi stopped in front of a couch, Semi stopping a few seconds after. “Here’s the couch,” He stated simply. “I’ll go get some blankets. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Semi nodded wearily, his eyes threatening to close as he gazed upon what might as well be heaven in his eyes, and put his bag down.
Akaashi walked away to get sheets and a pillow while Semi stayed standing where he was, not trusting himself to sit down since he was sure he’d never get back up if he did.
The only sounds while he stood there was the muffled, but gleeful cries, followed by screeches and groans coming from next door. It seemed that Suga and Tendou were indeed having a blast. He just wished they would have play their games when he was in class so they’d be done when he returned but knew it was a empty hope since they were both busy with their studies and Tendou spent long hours cursing out their sewing machine for not working properly when they had an assignment due the next day (they had named their sewing machine Hana-chan and told it frequently that it did not deserve such a cute name).
Semi was brought out of his thoughts when Akaashi had returned with and spread a non fitted sheet over the couch, tucking its edges behind the couch cushions so it would stay put, placing a pillow at one end, and a folded blanket at the other.
“Sorry we don’t have any extra toothbrushes,” Akaashi said softly. “Oikawa-san used our last one a few nights ago.”
Semi shook his head. “No, that’s fine. Having a couch to sleep on is enough for me. Thanks.”
Akaashi nodded and stepped away from the couch. “Well then, good night, Semi-san.”
Semi nodded and as soon as Akaashi retreated to his room, Semi dropped his bag, fell face forward on the couch and fell asleep, not even remembering to use the blanket before blissful darkness greeted him.
He woke up the next morning to the sound of the door closing. There blanket was tucked around him, although he didn’t remember covering himself with it in the first place.
Semi got up slowly, blearily blinking his eyes a few times. It took him a moment to remember where he was and why. Cautiously, he looked around. Akaashi was asleep on the opposing bunk bed, tufts of hair barely visible from below his blanket. Semi then turned his attention to the door to see who had come in. It was the small one with who had his roots growing in who had apparently just come in from taking a showing as he was rosy cheeked with a towel wrapped around his shoulders.
“Good morning,” Semi said once he had gotten closer. “Thank you for letting me use your couch…?”
“Kozume Kenma,” He replied. “Kenma’s fine. And you should thank Akaashi, but he doesn’t get up until at least eleven.”
“Ok. I’ll go then. Thanks, Kenma.”
Kenma hummed and placed his shower basket down on the ground near the couch Semi was sleeping on, before clambering up the ladder to the top bunk. Semi then got up from the couch, stretched, and then folded up the blanket and sheets, nicely placing them on top of the pillow he had used before leaving to go back into his own room.
It was no surprise that no one stirred when Semi quietly snuck into the room. Monopoly pieces were spread across the floor… as was Tendou. It appeared they must have rolled off the small bed sometime in the night. That or Suga had kicked them. It was a toss up, really. Semi gingerly stepped over his roommate and dropped his bag on the chair of his desk. Kicking off his shoes and shorts while he was at it, Semi clambered up the ladder to his bunk and rolled himself into soft, familiar smelling covers.
Just because he wasn’t quite comfortable sleeping in an unknown place with strangers didn’t mean he wasn’t completely wiped from his late night of paper writing. Akaashi had the right idea: 11am sounded like a much better time to be conscious.