Kiss Me (Like You Wanna Be Loved)

Chapter One: Roomate Troubles

Akaashi Keiji hates his roommate.

He thinks, maybe, this was inevitable. And it's not necessarily his roommate's fault.

Keiji is simply the type of person who's ill-suited for the trials and traumas of trying to co-exist with another human in such a small space. Sharing a dorm room is a personal nightmare of his, one he's been suffering through for the last two months. He likes his privacy. He likes being alone.

He likes not waking up in the middle of the night to the sounds of said roommate fucking his girlfriend.

Not for the first time, Keiji wakes to the creaking of a mattress and the thumping of a headboard against the wall. He groans and presses his pillow around his head, trying to block it out. Then the breathy moaning starts and he wants to scream. He grabs for his phone on the nightstand and the screen lights up to display the time. It's nearly 4am. Surely they'll tire themselves out soon. Right?

Wrong. Several long insufferable minutes pass, and now slurping noises are echoing through the room, and he can't stand it anymore. He needs to get out of here.

He kicks off his blanket and climbs out of bed, throwing a futile glare at the thin curtain that divides the room in two. Keiji put it up in the first week to create some semblance of privacy, which his shameless roommate apparently has little desire for. He doesn't bother changing out of his pajama pants and oversized t-shirt, he simply throws on a jacket, grabs his phone and wallet, then shoves his feet into his shoes as he storms out.

He slams the door behind him as hard as he can to match his roommate's level of consideration. Unfortunately, knowing his roommate, Daishou won't feel an ounce of guilt. He'll probably think it's funny. He might even be doing this on purpose at this point, just to piss Keiji off and rile him up. The first time Keiji awoke in the middle of the night to the sounds of grunting and skin slapping together, he'd waited until morning to politely ask if they could please refrain from having sex while he was in the room, and Daishou had just laughed and suggested investing in earplugs.

So, perhaps Keiji hating roommates in general is a bit unfair, but hating this roommate in particular is absolutely warranted and entirely justified.

The night is relatively cool for June, and if Keiji weren't dead-tired the ten minute walk to the campus coffeeshop would actually be quite nice. Early Bird doesn't open to the public for another half hour, but his coworker lets him in anyways.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Konoha greets with a smirk. "What brings you here at this lovely hour?"

Keiji can only respond with a sleepy glare, and Konoha must realize the situation is dire, because his smirk fades and he gestures to the dining area. "Go sit down. I'll make you something strong."

Keiji drags himself over to his preferred booth in the corner and slumps down, resting his head on his folded arms. After a few minutes there's a shuffling sound as Konoha joins him.

"You know, I think you spend more time here off the clock than you do actually working your shifts," he comments, settling into the seat opposite Keiji. He slides the drink across the table. "Roommate problems again?"

Keiji grunts in acknowledgment and blearily lifts his head to take a sip, wincing at the potency. It tastes like eight shots of pure espresso and the bitterness burns his throat, but he relishes the feeling of caffeine hitting his bloodstream.

"I'm trying to decide if I want to kill him or myself," he muses, tapping a finger against the edge of the paper cup. "I think him. I'm fairly certain I can make it look like an accident."

"So, you're probably joking, but just to be sure-actually, wait, don't say anything. If I don't know I won't have to lie to the police."

"Does that mean you won't help me hide the body?"

Konoha snorts. "It's that bad, huh?"

"Yes," Keiji says firmly. "I can't deal with it anymore. They won't let me switch dorms-I've asked about twice a week since the start of term. And Daishou doesn't care that I'm miserable. I actually think he gets off on it."

"Ugh. Well, do you have to stay in the dorms? What about an off-campus apartment?"

"Of course, why didn't I think of that before," Keiji deadpans. "Your genius astounds me."

"Okay smart-ass, I'm trying to help here."

"I know," Keiji lets out a breath. "I'm sorry. But I can't afford something like that, not on my own. And it's not like I have anyone to room with. It's June-everyone has their living situation sorted by now."

"Hey, wait!" Konoha says, perking up a little. "I might actually know someone. His current roommate is dropping out and moving back home, so he's probably looking for a replacement. He lives in a two bedroom in that complex down the street."

Keiji tries not to get swept away by hope just yet. "Does he have a girlfriend he likes to fuck all day and night?"

"Not as far as I know. He always says he's too busy for a relationship."

"Doing what?" Keiji asks, hoping the answer is studying or meditating but knowing he's not that lucky.

Konoha hesitates.

"If he's the type to party and bring home random girls that's just as bad, you know," Keiji grumbles.

"No, no, that's not it. He's on the volleyball team-here on a sports scholarship, actually-so he keeps pretty busy with practices and games."

"Oh. Why did you hesitate?"

Konoha shrugs. "I was worried you might judge him for being a dumb jock."

"Well, of course I will, but that's not reason enough to automatically decline. Honestly I don't care what he does in his time away from the apartment, especially if there's a lot of it."

"I mean yeah, between class and practice I don't think he spends much time there."

"Hmm," Keiji says, considering. It almost sounds too good to be true. "Is he normal?"

Another hesitation. "He's... normal enough." Keiji raises his eyebrows and Konoha goes on. "Okay, he's kind of a weird one, but not in a bad way, I swear! He's a good guy. And his apartment is really nice."

Keiji sighs, closing his eyes. He hopes he's not going to regret this. "It literally cannot be worse than my current situation, so..."

Even with his eyes shut, Keiji can tell that Konoha is grinning as he says, "I'll give you his email."

From: AkaashiK@TOK.edu

To: BokutoK@TOK.edu

Hello, Bokuto-san. My name is Akaashi Keiji. My friend Konoha-san mentioned you may be seeking a roommate and gave me your email. Is the room still available?

From: BokutoK@TOK.edu

To: AkaashiK@TOK.edu

hey hey akaashi!!!! yes room is still available!!! do u wanna check it out?? when can you come by??

From: AkaashiK@TOK.edu

To: BokutoK@TOK.edu

Today, preferably. My last class ends at 2pm, I can come by afterwards if that's alright?

From: BokutoK@TOK.edu

To: AkaashiK@TOK.edu

yeah!!! i got practice at 4 so just stop by anytime before then!!! see you later!!!

Keiji stares at his phone as a follow-up message with the address comes in. He already feels exhausted by the sheer number of exclamation marks abused in just two emails, but he takes a deep breath and tells himself this will be fine.

After all, what's the worst that could happen?