The next few weeks passed in a blur of research meetings, deadlines, and late-night study sessions. You were drowning in work, barely managing to keep up with your own expectations, let alone your supervisor’s.

Giyuu remained...the usual.

You saw him around the apartment, sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes at his desk, sometimes heading to the gym, but your conversations were brief.

Civil, but distant.

Your friends kept you somewhat grounded. Mitsuri dragged you out for lunch when she sensed you were on the verge of burnout, Shinobu checked in with you between her own research, and Sanemi… well, Sanemi insulted you into taking care of yourself.

"Looking like a fucking corpse," he muttered one day when you ran into him on campus. "Eat something before you pass out."

Your other friends also did their best to support you.

But despite the chaos, one thought lingered at the back of your mind: you still hadn’t found a date for your sister’s wedding. And with each passing day, that four-month deadline felt a little too close for comfort.

You probably shouldn't have even lied to your family in the first place, but you panicked on the spot when it was brought up.

-

One late night, you were in the library, tired and lightheaded.

You rubbed your eyes, trying to focus on the text in front of you, but the words blurred together. The exhaustion was settling deep in your bones, making it harder to think.

Just as you leaned back in your chair, willing yourself to push through, a familiar voice broke through the silence.

"You look like you're about to pass out."

You blinked up and bit the inside of your cheek.

For some reason the sight of your roommate made you want to cry.

He tilted his head to the side, as if trying to read you.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a protein bar and laying on the desk.

He also placed a bottle of water on the table, before pulling out a chair for himself and sitting down next to you.

You stared at the protein bar, then at him. Your chest felt too tight, your thoughts too loud.

"I'm not hungry," you said, but your voice wavered.

Giyuu didn’t argue.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The library around you was silent, save for the faint rustling of pages and the soft hum of the overhead lights.

Then, without looking at you, he pushed the protein bar a little closer.

You blinked again.

"Look after yourself, L/n," he spoke, voice slightly husky.

That prompted you to speak.

"I don't know how."

He was quiet for a moment, but he didn’t seem surprised.

"Then let me help."

Your breath caught.

"What?"

"We're going home."

"Wait? What? No, I can't. Tomioka, I have work to do,"

"You can barely keep your eyes open," he said, standing up and gathering your things without waiting for your permission.

You reached out, trying to stop him, but your arms felt heavy. "I need to finish this," you muttered, but even you didn't sound convinced.

Giyuu glanced at you, unimpressed. "You won’t finish anything like this."

You scowled, but deep down, a small part of you felt...relieved.

Aware of the expression on your face, his eyes softened, almost unoticeably.

With a quiet sigh, you relented, closing your laptop and shoving your things into your bag and the moment you moved to stand, his hand hovered near your arm, like he was ready to steady you if needed.

"Here, let me carry your bag,"

You almost instinctively said no.

He was being so...gentle?

He wasn't meant to be gentle.

He didn't like you.

And you didn't like him.

You were in a subconscious truce for the sake of your living situation.

That's what you were telling yourself.

Still, you were too tired to argue, and so soon enough, you were dragging your feet out the library doors.

"This isn't the way to our apartment," you commented.

"We're getting pan-fried gyoza."

PAUSE.

REWIND.

"How the hell do you know that I like pan-fried gyoza?!"

"I've paid attention in previous years,"

"Okay..."

"It's basic observation," he pointed out.

"Right. Well, thanks, I guess,"

You shook your head as you approached a small kiosk.

Maybe you were just too tired to think straight.

"At least let me pay for them?" you explained.

"No."

He handed you the box.

"Eat."

You took them, almost reluctantly.

Thought the reluctance soon wore off because they tasted absolutely divine.

Giyuu gave a small nod. “You need to take better care of yourself.”

"Everyone keeps telling me that, but it's so much easier said than done,"

Woah there buckaroo 😨.

Where did that come from?

That's the kinda shit that stays in your notes app.

"Sorry...forget I said that," you muttered quietly.

"I won't."

Ugh.

"Are we going...home now?" you asked.

"If you want,"

As you walked home, it was quiet, but not in a bad way. The city lights flickered around you, the night air cool against your skin. For once, you weren’t thinking about your workload, or your sister’s wedding, or the fact that you’d lied to your entire family.

You thought about the present and going to sleep.

And the boy beside you who, against all odds, had been paying attention all along.

-

"Tomioka, I feel like we need to...talk? About where we stand? We've never gotten along, and we've been roommates for about a month now, and I'm...confused. What are the boundaries of our...roommate-ship?"

Is what you said to yourself internally after walking through the front door, trailing behind the man.

You zoned out and stared at the floor for a minute or so before Giyuu waved a hand in front of your face.

"Sorry I zoned out."

"You apologise too much,"

"I know," you grumbled, feeling a bit self-conscious. "It’s a habit."

He stared at you for a moment, his gaze softening just a little. "You don’t need to apologize all the time, you know. It’s... fine."

It was such a simple thing to say, but for some reason, it felt like a small weight had been lifted. You didn't expect it, but you appreciated it.

"Thanks," you said quietly, avoiding his gaze for a moment.

Giyuu just nodded and glanced away. "You’re welcome."

The silence hung for a moment, and you couldn’t help but feel the slight awkwardness that still lingered between you two. But something was different now. You couldn’t quite place it, but the tension seemed a little lighter.

"Well," you started, trying to fill the space, "I’m gonna head to bed. Goodnight,"

"Night L/n,"

-

a/n: rail me until my back BREAKS PLEASE