Dear Starboy Fan rewrite (neighborhood AU)

Page 1

A sweet tone of a musical voice buzzed throughout the bedroom. Tom pushed the window open with lazy effort, letting breeze from the autumn air flow into his room which was musty and flooded by a stench of depression. A white moving van stood idly outside and Tom's eyes absently glossed over the vehicle. The familiar pleasant noise was a result of Tom wearing headphones, tapping his fingers delightfully against the rough jeans on his legs, and his feet tapping against the cotton checkered black and white duvet cover. He was attempting at his school work yet again, inevitably getting distracted from his task, getting himself lost within the tune inside his ears. The song grabbed him by its grace and he danced with a beautiful woman in his daydreams. A mysterious figure in red, covered their face in a hood. He imagined the touch of a love that could not be mistaken. Her feet moved in every direction, managing to make him feel like falling yet feel so secure all together. His arms were pulled and pushed until he finally caught the hang of it, as the two swung around and fell together in the music. Along with the lyrics, he hummed and sang to himself.

"Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind-" he began.

"Careful creature made friends with time..." A mysterious quiet voice continued, far from Tom's own vocal chords.

Every muscle of his tensed as he jumped at the sudden singing coming from his window.

There sat a feline, a jet black furry cat whose hairs glowed in the low orange sunlight from behind her. The cat stared curiously at Tom, her eyes locking with his.

Tom hurried from his bed, shocked. He furrowed his eyebrows, locking his eyes with the animal.

"Did you..." Tom blinked before shaking his head and laughing. "I was just gonna ask you if you fucking sang to me!"

The cat flinched as the laughter from behind stung her surprisingly. At that moment Tom sat up completely and darted his night black eyes across the room before he watched as a ginger haired boy cackled theatrically, holding his stomach. He sat on the window sill across from his, a couple feet separating the two of their bodies. His smile made him blush with embarrassment that he wished he never said anything. Tom remembers his father telling him about the new neighbors moving in, and he had brushed it off, figured it would be more of a pain than anything.

Maybe he should have made a mental note about it to avoid this mess of an experience, he thought as he caught eye contact.

"Heh... Did you truly believe that the cat sang to you?"

"No, I was joking! Maybe you need to catch up on social cues."

"Maybe you need to catch up on physics," The boy slurred in a scandinavian accent, before turning his shoulders and jumping into his room from sitting on his window sill. He peered into Tom, and he finally took in the realization of the boy's most intriguing feature, his remarkable strange eyes. Heterochromia, the term was. But that was not the strange part.His left eye was a muddy red, and a cooled-color grey for his right. Something seemingly impossible, but here he was standing before someone just like that. He wanted to compliment the pretty-appearing boy, but he bit his tongue to avoid the awkwardness that only comes from a guy complimenting another. He had thought the new neighbors would be old people who he would have to put up with across his room, but now it is some kid seemingly around his age, which could easily become a blessing or a curse.

"Touche." Tom said quietly, and stubbornly. "You're really something, aren't you?" The foreign voice teased.

"What do you mean?" He spat.

"I mean that cats do not speak, silly! Where do you think that voice came from?"

Tom knew it was him, but did not want to give him the satisfaction, so he stared as crickets could be distinguished.

The newcomer sighed. "It was none other than yours truly." He bowed, and Tom loosened up.

"I guess you have a nice voice. Try out for something maybe."

"Thank you. You too, kittyboy."

Tom sneered at the sudden childish nickname, offended.

"It's fitting. Don't worry, it won't stick." He winked and smiled.

Tom looked at what he was wearing, which was an odd choice, but thought through, put-together outfit. Which proceeded to make Tom remember he was in a badly stained grey hoodie he had tugged on earlier and torn up jeans, the laces of his hoodie being obliterated from his chewing habit. It was a favorite of his, but he swore to never wear it in front of someone unless he wanted to be ashamed for years to come. Especially not in front of his neighbor, who was not there just this morning. The house had been vacant for about half a year, and something told Tom he would be seeing this new person around often. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not wearing the best apparel ever."

"Didn't even notice. Don't point things out like that unless you want people to notice." He gave a gentle smile that relieved Thomas of some of the anxiety on his shoulders.

"Can I ask where are you from? You have a thick accent."

"Ah, Norway. We have just moved." The 'we' sounded exactly like a 'vee', which proved Tom's point further. Either way, He was impressed. "You have quite a vocabulary for a fresh, out of the box immigrant."

"I never have heard of the term," he shot back. "But thank you."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen, for my birthday was just in the last week."

"Happy late birthday. Mine was in April."

"But hi kittyboy, I'm your new neighbor. Hope to be your friend, or pal, comrade, possible love interest, companion..."

Tom hesitated when he let out his hand, but took it to be polite. His hands were ice cold, and he withdrew after a second too long for his introverted boundaries. He took off his headphones and put them resting on his neck, rubbing his hands from the sudden freeze.

"Well don't expect any midnight voyages with me, or any friendship at all. I like to be by myself."

"Aw man, I so thought that you were the type to rebel with me."

"Actually," Tom said,searching back on his bed for his homework, picking it up, "I'm pretty interested in my future, thanks."

"That sheet is empty!"

"Wh- hey," Tom choked, "No way you can see that from over there."

"Nope, I can't. But you just thought a cat was singing a minute ago. No way you're the type to be able to focus on school with those headphones on."