Chapter Text
5up recently moved into this apartment, but he’s still not used to the way his blanket gets tugged just enough for him to get cold, causing him to wake up shivering.
This night was no different, as he woke up freezing due to the winter temperatures and the fact his blanket was tugged out beneath him.
Sometimes the visitor did worse and hid all his tea, but when he actually got annoyed about it, they would reappear on the counter sprawled out into a message, usually a sorry, or something.
5up decided he wouldn’t go back to sleep anyway as he had a lobby soon, but when he stepped into the living room, the ghost of his apartment was glowing and so terrifyingly real, not just something he made up to complain about. He gasped, causing the ghost to look in his direction. The last thing 5up saw was the ghost charging toward him, softening his landing.
When he woke up, he realized there was a hand brushing through his hair, another on his arm. He was laying on this ghost’s surprisingly solid leg, who didn’t seem to be killing him or trying to harm him anytime soon. His breath hitched, causing the ghost to freeze and take his hand out of his hair.
“Hey,” He said, voice like a whisper on the wind, and 5up soon realized that this was the first time he was speaking, ever. 5up couldn’t bring himself to respond with a dry mouth, still in shock that the ghost roommate he jokingly thought about was real. He opened his eyes to meet the ghost’s. He didn’t look like a spirit, with his brown curls, soft skin and pretty eyes, but 5up still knew this couldn’t be a human.
“You- you’re-” 5up began, stuttering in a panic.
“Yeah. I’m dead.” He sighed dramatically, 5up raising an eyebrow.
“And you’re not gonna.. kill me?” He asked, still somewhat scared from earlier.
The ghost raised an eyebrow.
“Why would I do that? I’d rather have some company, you seem nice.” He said softly. 5up relaxed a bit, but the ghost made a nauseous expression and moved 5up off his leg, causing him to look up at him as he turned back into a transparent figure, hardly visible. He slowly realized that the ghost had manifested to make sure he wasn’t hurt and to soften his landing. It was kind of endearing.
When he looked back up, the translucent figure was floating toward his kitchen and making him some tea, he smiled slightly as he realized it was his favourite tea, a bag he’d gotten from somewhere in Europe which he now regularly ordered. 5up followed, stopping to watch him attempt to make the tea, which he did pretty well actually.
“Do you have a name?” 5up asked, sitting down on the counter. It looked up at him and giggled softly, grabbing the pot of sugar beside him and spelling out a word. S-T-E-V-E-N, it read. He quickly smudged the N, which 5up assumed meant he’d rather be called Steve.
“Alright Steve. I’m 5up.” He smiled slightly. He felt the cold touch of the ghost meet his leg, possibly a greeting, or acceptance. 5up now feels at ease inside his home, knowing his ghostly companion is friendly and not trying to kill him.
When he drinks the tea, it’s sweeter than usual, but perfect, almost as if Steve did something to it to make it like that. 5up decides not to question it but sips on it instead.
“Thank you,” He smiled, basically feeling Steve's pride in the presence around him.
When he lays that night, the cold is more of a comfort than ever, reassuring him that he has a friend, not a danger.
The next day, 5up has a stream, which was ironically enough, Demonology, a ghost hunting game.
Now that he knows Steve better, he doesn't wake him up too early, instead he wakes him up basically just on time to join the lobby for the ghost game, a cup of tea already prepared by his nightstand.
5up mentally notes to thank him when he sees the spirit next.
He checked the DM from Hafu, confirming he was joining the lobby with her, Koji and Apollo.
When he got into the Discord VC, he could feel the presence of Steve not far from him, but now he welcomes in, allowing the form of him to sit on him, the cold welcomed like the first breeze of summer. It's a little odd, since he weighs nothing but still is definitely there on his lap, running a finger across his face, the cold touch lingering long after Steve's removed his finger from his face.
He begins his stream, thankful he doesn't use facecam, since he probably looks ridiculous, blushing from the movement of a cold finger along his face, of all things.
"Good morning chat," He hums contentedly.
5up watches the flow of chat go by at a steady pace- not too fast, but not very slow either. He smiles, the familiarity of it all grounding and reminding him why he enjoys streaming.
He unmutes and undeafens to hear Hafu explaining what their plan was, pairs always. 5up got stuck with Apollo, which was fine by him.
Steve's hand is gradually getting more visible and becoming real as it runs through 5up's curls, just enough to be a distraction but without being fully annoying.
If he was really angry at Steve for interrupting his stream, he would've muted to his stream and friends and would tell him to buzz off and allow him to stream, but he found he really wanted the spirit to be around, to stay with him, to show off his beauty and his grins that made butterflies start flying like a flock of birds migrating for the winter.
Instead he and Apollo searched the house, 5up with the thermometer, finding the ghost room quickly.
"In the laundry room!" 5up announces to the discord call.
Hafu peers into the laundry room with the video camera, dropping it.
"There are no ghost orbs here," She announces, yet keeping it in front of the room. Five drops the laser projector from his inventory, turning it on before dropping it causing Koji to screech as the ghost appeared right in front of him. 5up giggled and circled the evidence laser projector.
"You try experiencing that, 5up!" Koji protests, causing 5up to grin, a secret only Steve can see. In response, the fingers in his hair turn fully into hands. He looks behind him to see Steve manifested, a small yet fond smile creeping on his pale features. The manifestation lifts him and sits in his chair, placing him down firmly in his lap. It causes 5up's mind to blank, only really aware of what was happening behind the screen.
"-up! Are you listening?" Hafu demands. He turns his attention back to Hafu, only to have Steve's arms wrap around his waist. He's definitely smiling more than ever, face flushed red, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Not really, sorry. Repeat that?" He admitted, not really conveying an emotion into his tone. Hafu groans.
"I was saying I'm gonna start a hunt. Get to the closet or outside." She repeated, a twinge of fond annoyance in her tone. 5up quickly complies, heading outside so he wasn't a bother while they evidence-gathered. He deafened and muted, turning to Steve's human-seeming face. He stared into the empty pools of his eyes, his own softening at the sight.
"Hi," Steve says shyly, this being very off for him, usually he was very loud and obnoxious, but in an intoxicating way, where he wanted to be exposed to the chaos this ghost unleashed upon his apartment. 5up reaches his hand up to stroke his cheek, feeling the pale yet painfully cold skin against his fingertips. Steve blinks at him, affection obvious in his eyes as he watched 5up gently rub his thumb against his skin. Steve grabs 5up's hand with his own, grasping it tightly so that he couldn't escape it unless he really wanted to (he didn't), but not tight enough to hurt. Their eyes were burning into each other's, 5up reaching his finger up to trace the ghostly lips with his finger, silently asking for permission.
Steve beats him to it, pulling him by the collar of his sweater to meet his cold yet soft lips, 5up wrapping his arms around his neck. Steve tangled his free hand back into 5up's hair, a pleased hum making its way from 5up's mouth to Steve's, where they stay interlocked for a little longer, pulling away since the alive one had to breathe.
He tucks his head into the crook of his neck, the ghost running a protective hand across his side. Once he has half a mind to turn back to his computer, he undeafens to hear nothing but chaos- the ghost is mid-hunt, and Apollo died, apparently, since he was muted and 5up could see his name on the board listed as deceased.
"Well, guess I missed a lot," 5up chuckles, too far from his mic to be loud enough as he wants, but he also doesn't want to leave the ghost's arms. Steve seems to catch on to this and moves the chair back in, so that 5up is able speak more clearly into the microphone.
"5up! What in the world were you doing?" Koji exclaimed, chaos dying down as they both hid in the closet.
"I got a food delivery," He lies quickly, but he can see the narrow of Hafu's eyes- the look that tells him that they will be discussing this after stream. He sighs and opens the door, coming in with the flowerpot, dropping it in front of the room. He watches them closely until jumping slightly as a hunt starts, running to the closet and sighing in relief. Steve is still running a hand across his side, and it ironically stops him from panicking- apparently, real ghosts were fine with 5up, but a virtual one scared the shit out of him.
Once the hunt ended and he left the closet, he noticed the flowers were wilted. He checked his journal, realizing he has only one evidence, laser projector.
"There's wither. Is there any other evidence?" 5up asks the two alive.
"Freezing temperatures." Hafu answers, then goes quiet, probably circling things in her journal.
"It's a Dullahan!" They all shout at the same time, then all laugh as they go back. Apollo unmutes.
"Fucking finally," He sighs.
After 2 hours, they've played so many rounds, quitting after the most infuriating round against a Demon- unable to gather much information because of hunts so often.
5up quickly ends his stream and looks at Steve, who's smiling as well, looking so fond of him, causing him to blush.
"You're cute, little guy." Steve says simply, bringing a hand up to play with his curls, the other holding him on the chair. He sprawls his legs out sideways to rest with Steve. He faintly can hear Hafu's voice calling his name, so he turns her up and listens.
"Yeah?" He answers skeptically.
"So, what were you actually doing? Fucking liar." She scorns, but it's playful.
5up freezes. It's not like he can exactly say 'yeah, I have a ghost in my house and I fucking lo- like him.' He thinks it over, because what is he really supposed to say in this situation?
"I- was.. um.." He begins intelligently, because he still has no idea and trips over his words like a child on pavement.
"He was helping me with something," Steve interjects, nonchalance in his tone. 5up drops his jaw at him, Hafu, Koji and Apollo taking a similar expression.
5up blinks, deciding Steve can answer any questions they had, laying tiredly on the manifestation's shoulder, gradually getting warmer due to his presence occupying every inch of Steve's body.
"And who are you?" Apollo sputters after a moment. Steve shrugs at him.
"Steve. 5up's roommate," He answers vaguely and solemnly, pausing before roommate. Technically it's true, but 5up hates that word for them, he wished he could be more with Steve, but the brunette is dead and 5up is alive, which really fucking sucks.
Apparently, Steve can sense his distress as he strokes right on his cheek, the perfect amount of touch in the perfect spot. Hell, everything about moments with him were perfect and cold, just how he would be every day now.
They don't question anymore, but he doubts Hafu will let it go, since he told her he has no roommates. He sighs when the call ends, leaning into Steve, not wanting to leave. The cold of his skin is just right against 5up's sweater, and 5up wonders if this is what sweater weather feels like. If he could, he would have this permanently. Day after day. So he sinks deeper into Steve's embrace, allowing himself to be picked up and kissed on the forehead then taken back to his bed.
"Sleep well, little guy," Steve smiles before climbing in next to him. 5up would like to stay like this forever, never have to leave.
"Steve?" He mumbles sleepily. In response, he gets a hand cupping his face.
"Yeah?" Steve answers, humming gently and waiting for 5up to continue.
"When I die, will I become a ghost too?" He whispered curiously. Steve blinked, considering this.
"I think so, yeah. Usually you can choose, but I kinda got linked with the place since I died here." He mumbled wistfully, gazing around the apartment. 5up's curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to ask how he died.
"What happened?" He whispered, leaning his forehead in close.
Steve freezes, causing every hold on him to get colder. It's an odd but not unwelcome feeling, since he knows it's Steve's hands, Steve's forehead causing his chills.
"Killer broke in, got me." He croaks, voice dropping low and sad. 5up kisses him, the noise leaving as he'd intended. He holds the manifestation tightly, hopefully comfortingly. He's pretty sure it works when he sighs in relief and holds 5up tightly. He's drowsy and starting to fall asleep, moving his head to the crook of his neck to rest.