The walk-up to your apartment was excruciatingly awkward.

And wet.

Unspoken grudges from previous years were squeezing your brain, and you were beginning to think it was something you should bring up.

"I'm going to go and get dry," you murmured to yourself after walking through the door.

Giyuu followed in behind you, closing the door softly.

He didn't say anything, just stood near the entrance, hands in his pockets, watching as you peeled off your soaked jacket and shoes.

You hesitated before heading towards your room, pausing just long enough to glance at him over your shoulder. "I won’t be long."

He gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable, and you disappeared into your room, closing the door behind you.

You emerged shortly, now dry and wrapped in a hoodie, the scent of warm broth filling the air as you carried the bag of food to the small table in your living space.

"You’re not gonna sit?" you asked, raising a brow.

He hesitated for a moment before finally making his way over, pulling out a chair across from you.

His hair was slightly damp and framed his face in a way that was oddly soft.

The dim glow of your apartment casting shadows across his features, he looked almost... approachable.

Almost.

You shook the thought away, focusing on your soup instead. The warmth seeped into your fingertips as you wrapped your hands around the container, taking a slow sip.

Though you soon found yourself zoning out.

"What are you thinking, L/n?"

You almost choked.

"I'm thinking about... a meeting I have with my supervisors tomorrow and my iron tablets."

Which wasn't entirely untrue.

He raised a brow.

"I'll write a reminder down on a post-it note and stick it on the fridge. That way you won't forget to take them."

"That's...actually quite thoughtful, thank you." You murmured.

"Are you surprised?"

"A little,"

He tilted his head to the side as if he were studying you.

"You assume too much, L/n,"

That definitely took you by surprise. "Really?"

Giyuu nodded slowly. "Yes."

"I don’t assume...I just make logical deductions based on prior experiences.”

His lips quirked, just barely. "That’s assuming."

You sighed.

Moments like this had you thinking that maybe you had been wrong about him.

Was now a good time to bring it up?

It seemed appropriate.

"Tomioka?"

"Yes, L/n?"

You swallowed.

"Do you ever think it's strange that we live together all things considered?"

His gaze didn’t waver. "No."

You blinked. "Seriously?"

He tilted his head slightly. "Is it strange to you?"

"Yes? Sometimes? I think? We never really got along? And you hated me -"

"I don't think I ever recalled hating you,"

"I do. There was the conference situation and then you were always so...distant? cold? It didn't exactly scream tolerance,"

Giyuu didn’t look away. "That doesn’t mean I hated you."

You stared at him, trying to make sense of his words. "Then what did it mean?"

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced toward the window, the rain still tapping softly against the glass. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter.

"I don’t always know how to say things the right way."

Your breath hitched slightly, caught off guard by the honesty in his tone. You weren't sure what to say to that.

"So... you didn't hate me?" You asked again, softer this time.

He exhaled through his nose, almost like he found your persistence amusing. "No, L/n. I didn’t hate you."

You were pretty sure your soul left your body.

"So, does that still apply now?"

He leaned back slightly in his chair as if mulling over your words.

“Do you want it to?” he asked quietly, his voice almost a whisper.

"I don't know?"

"Fair enough. There's no rush,"

You nodded and turned your attention back to the soup.

"Thank you for the soup again, by the way. I'll pay you back as soon as possible,"

"There's no need,"

"I feel like I owe you something."

"You don't owe me anything, L/n."

Oh my god.

His voice sounded so gentle all of a sudden.

You finished the soup before getting up to rinse the plastic container.

"I'm going to head to my room now, I think."

"One second,"

He turned around and began fiddling with the prescription bag on the counter before placing a glass of water and a single familiar pill in front of you.

"Right. Thank you," you mumbled before taking the pill in one fluid motion.

You said an awkward goodbye to each other before you made your way back to your respective rooms.

What the hell had just happened?

It was only November.

You had been roommates for about a month or so.

The wedding was in February.

The wedding was in February.

The wedding. Was. In. February.

Giyuu didn't hate you?

And he was speaking to you like a human being.

He bought you soup.

You were struggling to process it all.

So you had a nap.

It wasn't long.

Only thirty minutes or so.

Or so you thought.

Because when you woke up, the sun was beginning to set.

You rubbed your eyes and reached for your phone, squinting as you checked the time.

4:45pm.

You stretched before pushing yourself out of bed and slipping on the hoodie you'd had since high school.

The apartment was quiet, almost eerily so. You expected Giyuu to be in his room, maybe reading or working on something, but as you shuffled into the kitchen, he seemed to be tidying up.

His back was to you, sleeves pushed up as he carefully wiped down the counters.

You blinked, momentarily thrown off.

"Hi," you said, loud enough for only him to hear.

He turned to face you.

His expression was as neutral as ever, but there was something softer in his eyes when they met yours.

"Hi," he murmured back, his voice quieter than yours.

You shifted slightly, unsure of what to say next.

"The rain seems to have stopped," you finally settle with, glancing towards the window.

"Yeah," he replied, He followed your gaze to the window, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked outside.

"Yeah," he said, his tone still steady. " Still cold, though."

You nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling the chill in the air now that the warmth of the apartment surrounded you. There was an awkward silence between you two, the kind that was hard to ignore but somehow even harder to break and also slightly vulnerable.

"Are you going out?" he asked after a moment.

You hesitated, considering your plans for the evening. "I was thinking about it. Maybe just for a walk or something."

"Be careful," he added, his voice low.

You blinked, surprised by the shift in tone. "I will. Thanks."

He gave a small nod, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as if he was about to say more but stopped himself.

The tension seemed to settle around you both once again, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as before. Maybe it was the simple act of being aware of each other's presence, or maybe it was the hint of understanding that seemed to tug at your heartstrings.

-

You tunnel visioned to Mitsuri's apartment, that she so luckily had to herself.

It wasn’t that you wanted to avoid Giyuu, but there was something that pulled you toward the simplicity of being with someone who knew how to make things feel light again.

The walk wasn't long, and the leaves rhythimically crunched under your feet in the process.

As you neared the entrance to her building, you could see the soft glow of light from her window. You knocked twice, then waited. A few moments later, the door opened with a cheerful creak, and Mitsuri’s face appeared, beaming with warmth.

"Hey! You came!" she exclaimed, her voice like a warm hug. "I was starting to think I might have to come looking for you!"

You smiled, the tension in your chest loosening just a little. "I needed a break, you know?"

Mitsuri stepped aside, ushering you into the cosy flat. "Come in, come in. I made tea!" She closed the door behind you, and the smell of her homemade tea filled the air.

"I love you so much sometimes," you chuckled.

She grinned as you walked further into the apartment.

"It's so lucky that they didn't assign you a roommate." You said, propping yourself up on a stool.

"I know, right? It’s honestly the best thing that’s happened to me this semester. I can be as loud as I want and eat whatever I want without anyone judging me. Not to mention, I get to have you over whenever I want without the pressure of some stranger lurking around."

"I wander why they only gave some of us roommates," you pondered.

"I heard the number of post grad students is through the roof this year, and so are houses prices. More people are opting to live on campus because it's cheaper, and we're all already in debt, so..."

You nodded, taking in her words. “That makes sense. It’s rough out there. I guess they’re trying to make it work with the resources they have, but it’s still a mess.”

She pushed the tea towards you.

"Oh, before I forget...." she said, turning around and grabbing a plate. "I made cookies!"

"THANK YOU MA'AM," you exclaimed.

"YOU'RE WELCOMEEE," she exclaimed back. "Now tell me what's going on with you..."

-

"Y/n he DOESN'T hate you, you should be over the moon about this,"

"I know, it's just a lot to process. And there's another thing I'm slightly concerned about,"

"Yes?"

"He avoided subject about the conference situation,"

"Oh... that issue. I still remember I was so shocked when you told me about that."

"Yeah, it wasn't fun. And it was just...I don't even know how to explain it. Humiliating? Frustrating and out of character? He literally had barely said a word and then called me out in front of an entire panel of academics,"

"I can imagine must not have been fun..."

"EXACTLY. To be honest, it wasn't even overly malicious...it was more...clinical? But it was so bluntly delivered, and it came out of nowhere. Like he was dead silent one minute, and the next, he's pointing out how predictable my debate rebuttals are and how much they lack in depth."

"Oh babes, you're still really worked up over this, aren't you?"

"I just want closure."

"Maybe try asking him again when you next see him."

"Yeah," you sighed.

"I think I will."

-

a/n: why is the uk always so bloody rainy 🙁 also the freddos at my local corner shop are now 75p.

75P ITS OUTRAGEOUS.

anyways hope this was a good chapter ! 😛 I should be revising for my A Levels...