and they were roommates (Birlap fanfic)

House Rules

What does one do when they get their heart broken and finds out they need to move out of their mold infested apartment all within 24 hours? 

I imagine something along the lines of calling your best friend while sobbing, begging him to come console you while also helping you move. 

"I don't know what to do, Brian. Where am I supposed to go?" I sniffle, sealing up a cardboard box with tape. 

"Too bad he-who-shall-not-be-named couldn't have broken up with you after you found a new place" he jokes. 

I pick up the nearest pillow and throw at him. He catches it and chuckles as he places it into the box in front of him. "I'm being serious. How am I supposed to find a place on such short notice?" 

"You know how I just moved," I nod slowly, waiting to see where he goes with this. "I'm pretty sure my old roommate is still looking for a new one. I could give him a call if you'd like." 

"Yes!" I practically scream. 

Brian pulls out his phone and presses the few buttons that determine whether or not I'll have to live in my car for the next few days. He pulls the phone up to his ear as I watch him impatiently. "It's ringing" he states and I try not to roll my eyes. 

A muffled voice picks up on the other end. "Hey man, how are you doing?" There's more mumbling, while Brian hums in acknowledgement. 

I've never been the patient kind, so the anticipation is already killing me. I tug on his arm, silently pleading him to get to the point. He takes the hint and bats me away with his free arm. 

"Are you still looking for a roommate?" he finally asks. "That's actually the reason I called. I have a good friend of mine who's looking for a place if your interested." 

I hold my breath, waiting for Brian to break the news. 

"Great, we'll be there in..." he checks his watch, "an hour." 

He hangs up and I just stare at him, frozen in place. I can't believe it was that simple. Brian waves his hand in front of my face. "Hello? Did you not just hear me? You have one hour to pack your shit. Chop chop." 

I snap out of whatever daze I was in. "Yes, right." I attack him in a hug, squeezing the life out of him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He stiffens before reciprocating. 

I spend the next hour shoving my stuff into boxes and then shoving said boxes into our cars. By the time we've arrived to Brian's old apartment building, I'm sweaty, tired, and my eyes are still red and puffy from crying. 

Brian get the doors unlocked with the keys he never managed to return, but it worked out because his old roommate had some errands to run. 

The apartment is surprisingly clean and well decorated, making it feel homey. There are two bedrooms and one bathroom. The living room and kitchen have a pretty decent amount of space. 

I start unpacking and settling into my new room, while Brian brings all the boxes up. 

By the time all my stuff is brought up, it's night. Everything catches up with me at once and I feel thoroughly exhausted. Brian heads home and leaves me the keys. 

I only manage to get through one more box before passing out on the couch. 

I wake up panicked. It take me a minute to remember everything and recognize my surroundings. Light shines in through the windows, illuminating the entire apartment. 

I hear a door creak and whip my head around to look. I see a figure caught in the doorway, seemingly pinned by my gaze. Our eyes meet and linger there. His surprised expression slowly melts into a small smile. "Hi, you must be (y/n). I'm Arny." 

I trail my gaze down his body. He's wearing a graphic t-shirt and grey sweatpants that look too good on him. I have to force myself to look back up his face. "Hi," I barely manage say. 

He rubs the back of his neck and grins sheepishly. "I meant to introduce myself yesterday, but you were already sleeping by the time I got back." 

I bury my face into the cushions to try and hide my embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on the couch."  

"No worries," he says, finally walking forward and sitting down next to you. "I'm just glad I got to meet you now." 

You're blush deepens. How could you already be blushing for a guy when you just got out of a relationship? I don't know, but the way Arny looks at me makes my heart flutter. He looks even better up close and somewhat familiar. 

"Were you able to move everything in?" he asks. 

"Uh yeah. Brian helped me, so we were able to get everything done last night." I reply, trying not to stare at his dark, curly hair that's tempting me to run my hands through. 

After a moment, he asks "Did you want to set some house rules?" 

"Sure, peaceful cohabitation is important." Why am I so nervous right now?  Maybe it's being in a new place or the proximity to my new handsome roommate. 

"Let's start off with the basics, like cleaning up after yourself and not blasting music in the middle of the night. That sound good?" 

"Yes and I would prefer if we let each other know when we are going to have company over, just as a courtesy." 

"Absolutely, although I'm more on the introverted side and don't have many people over to begin with." 

"Me too!" I say excitedly. It's hard to meet people my age who aren't social partiers. "Did you have anything else you wanted to add to the list?" 

"If it's alright with you, I've found it helpful to create a shared calendar so we can put our work schedules. I work from home so normally around those times I'll need the apartment to be quiet." 

"Of course. Here," I unlock my phone and hand it to him, "put in your phone number." 

He hesitantly picks up the phone and dials his number. "There you go." 

"Great! What do you do for work?" If I am going to be living with him, I minus well get to know him. 

"Oh um..." He shifts and  looks away. "I'm a streamer and I also post stuff on TikTok." 

Then it clicks. "No wonder you looked familiar!" I can't believe the person in front of me is the same person I've seen on online. Arny is much more personable than he shows. 

"Yeah" he shrugs.