Oh My God, They Were Roommates

36 | Check Yes Juliet

Before Saturday could come, however, Tuesday had to end. As per Ray's disastrous sleep schedule, his days didn't end until two in the morning, which Sora was due to return from work. It was habit by then, and mostly coincidental, but things had changed. Specifically, Ray's outlook had changed.

He was back on his bullshit.

He didn't like to be alone and, sitting in the empty apartment solidified this fact. Perhaps it was the paranoia, or perhaps it was the way he used to crave having someone—anyone, really—to spend a night or two at his apartment. He would have been such an incredible host, he was sure of it, to whatever boyfriend he managed to snag in San Francisco.

In the midst of shutting the living room curtains, Ray paused. Boyfriend? he thought, frowning. Until yesterday, Sora had never been categorized as anything other than a roommate and a crush. A really, really powerful crush. So crushing, in fact, that Ray's heart could hardly take it.

He yanked the curtains shut and frowned, scratching at his hair. "What am I categorized in Sora's head? Am I categorized?" Ray wondered.

All of Sora's insistence that all of "this" was new to him didn't exactly put a word to it. Dating. Having a partner. What was "this" and why wouldn't Sora just say it?

"Am I supposed to say it?" he thought aloud, pacing the floor. It was too confusing and too much effort for his poor, overworked brain. All he wanted was to hug something other than a pillow and squeeze the life out of it—

A key turned in the front door lock. Ray jumped, startled, and habit had him lurching towards his bedroom door. He paused halfway up the steps, looking like Sasquatch on the run, when Sora stepped through the door.

"Welcome home!" Ray said, straightening, voice cracking.

Sora looked up from his shoes. He had seen the living room light on from the street, but it was so different from entering the space and feeling at once at peace with the world. Commuting late at night made him more than a little anxious, despite how routine it was by now. He had spent the entire bus ride thinking about how ready he was to pass the fuck out after a nice long shower.

He felt gross from work, sticky with sweat and hands textured from the pole lubricants. He tossed his duffle into the laundry room as Ray came to stand at the foyer archway, expectant, and the action reminded Sora of a puppy. Ray's doe eyes didn't exactly help the matter.

"I... have a question. For you," Ray said.

"Okay, I have to take a shower though—" he started just before Ray blurted out, "Wouldyouwanttosharearoomtonight?"

They stared at one another, speechless, until Ray seemed to realize what, exactly, he just blurted out. Sora's heart stammered in his aching chest at the realization that Ray really just asked that. On the same exact day they talked about boundaries, no less—granted, it was two in the morning the following day, but their days ran longer than the average person because of that.

In that regard, Sora considered himself lucky that he scored a roommate with an equally fucked up sleep schedule.

"I, um—let me think about it," Sora said, and the breath Ray was holding escaped him in a winded sigh. "I'm just really gross right now. From work. So..."

"R-Right! Yeah, take a shower," Ray said in a rush, ushering Sora to the bathroom.

Sora staggered into the bathroom and turned just as Ray shut the door. He nearly slapped his hand to his face but thought better of it and instead set to work warming up the shower and brushing his teeth.