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Roommate-of-the-year award went to Ren Amamiya, clearly. Goro let him move in for convenience: his apartment had a gas leak, they’d be fixing the building for a week, and Ren figured the only person who didn’t have a roommate between his friends was Goro, so of course the logical course of action for Ren was to move in with him, if only for a little time.
Goro allowed it, of course, because what kind of friend would he be if he didn’t? Only to keep up the appearance that he’s a good friend, nothing personal, of course.
“I come home pretty late, so, I have only one request for you. Don’t make a mess. It’s tiring to clean.”
Ren had a stupid smirk on his face, and for a moment, Goro feared that letting the most chaotic-yet-enigmatic person he’s ever met move in would result in nothing but a mistake. Ren nodded. “You got my word, chief.”
“I will hold you to it.”
“What hour is ‘pretty late’? Ten?”
“Maybe twelve,” Goro replied. “Don’t wait up.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Goro grabs his suitcase, holding Ren’s stare for a while. “Why am I letting you move in, again?”
“Because you’re in love with me?”
“Very mature.”
“Clearly.”
He doesn't let himself break into laughter, if only to ensure he was walking out with the higher ground in the small argument. Finally, when he closes the door, a few chuckles get out of him. Living with Ren Amamiya? Probably not as bad as it sounded.
Who knows? Maybe it’d be good to come home to someone for a change.
It was a lot different than he was used to. Goro steps back to his apartment with the feeling that maybe Ren did not keep his word at all and had currently trashed the entire place. Maybe now he would learn how he really was underneath the cool looks and calm but cheeky behavior, and maybe Goro’s weird attraction for him would die down if he found out he was terribly messy.
Of course he’s not. It’s almost pathetically humiliating to step into his house and find out his interest in Ren Amamiya was still, in fact, intact. He tries to not make a sound now, simply out of respect, in case his roommate might be asleep, which seemed to be the case. There’s no one waiting for him awake, it’s both relieving and only a bit disappointing. He shakes it off, darting for the bathroom and starting to remove his make-up and clothes.
Ten minutes later, he steps back outside, heading for the kitchen and that’s when he finds it. There’s a plate of curry on the table, and underneath the plate, a small note that says ‘heat it up before you eat it!’. It’s a good thing he discovered it by himself, because had Ren had handed it to him in person he would’ve been too speechless to actually say something coherent, let alone smart-sounding.
He’s such a lovable idiot. Goro wants to punch his pretty face.
He puts the food to heat up and decides to inspect his apartment one more time, just in case Ren had truly wrecked something without him knowing. Once he steps into the lounge, he’s met with Ren himself passed out on the sofa, glasses still on, phone resting on his chest.
Goro, as the great and amazing roommate he is, steps forward, chuckling to himself. Couldn’t he just go to his room? Goro had the decency to clean it for him before he arrived, and this is how he decides to repay him? Sleeping on the couch?
Ren sleeps like a rock. Goro knows, had Ren attempted this on him, he would have woken up immediately. He’s a light sleeper, too aware of his surroundings at night to ever be a heavy sleeper like Ren. It doesn’t surprise him, either: he’s ridden the bus with him before, has gone to studying in cafés, and witnessed Ren falling asleep in each place like it’s the easiest thing in the world. He’s deeply jealous of that ability of his, but right now, after he’s done some food for him, he can say that it’s endearing.
Goro slides off the glasses from his face, grabs the phone, and puts them on the table.
Taking the glasses off messed up his hair slightly, exposing his forehead just slightly. It’s… a really pretty sight. Ren never has his hair up, only shows his curls down, so this is… a really nice sight. He almost wishes Ren was awake to get a better look.
Impulsively, Goro leans in and presses a small kiss to his forehead.
Thank God he was asleep and didn’t feel anything. Goro touches his own lips—where did that come from? It was the forehead, wasn’t it? He had never seen it, so he just… acted accordingly. Yes. That had been it, clearly!
He gives Ren one more disconcerted look, only to relax when he finds him still deeply asleep. Maybe he should take a page out of his book and go to sleep, too.
First: curry.
(After a few bites of curry, Goro has to slow down to truly appreciate the food and make it last longer.
It tastes amazing. He’s not one to make himself the fanciest dinners—he’s not one to make dinner, ever—but this felt straight out of the warmest home he could have ever imagined. Where did Ren learn to cook like this? And how? Truly, had he been awake right now, Goro would have kissed him out of pure joy.
Maybe it is a good thing that he doesn’t wait up for him.)
The very next day, Goro steps outside his room already dressed up, while he looks at Ren dragging himself out of the sofa with his hair messy as ever, blinking at Goro.
“G’mornin’. Curry? Liked it?”
Goro can’t help but laugh. “I believe you asked me if I enjoyed the curry. Yes, I fully did. You have quite the skill for cooking.”
Ren smiles, sleepy and soft. It’s awful.
“Thas’ good.” He yawns, shakes his head, and finally composes himself. “I assumed you would be too tired to cook dinner for yourself, and I wanted to look like an ideal roommate by making you food.”
“You did gain some ‘ideal roommate’ points with that.”
“Are you keeping a score on me?”
“Effectively, yes.”
“Then let me score more points.” Ren gestures at the breakfast table. “Sit down, I’ll make you coffee.”
“Ah, you don’t have to, truly. I buy one on my way to the TV station.”
Ren scrunches up his nose. “Awful. Store-bought? Mine will be superior. Wait and see. Don’t you want to have breakfast with me?”
Goro doesn’t want to admit to anything he’ll regret—he already regretted last night, and truth be told, he’s only five percent sure he won’t kiss Ren after he gives him coffee. He settles on smiling knowingly at him, and Ren seems to get it, which is good enough already.
Speaking of—Ren truly must not have felt the kiss, which is great. Goro isn’t going to do that ever again. It was a heat of the moment thing.
Goro Akechi is a liar.
After a very good day of shopping with Ren, they both get home, ready to fill up Goro’s fridge again. It’s weird, because Ren insisted to buy more food, like he’d be permanently living there and not just for a week. It’s been three days and Ren already acts like he owns the place with him, and Goro, honestly, doesn’t know if he’s going to be able to keep this up normally.
Ren just keeps leaving him food every night and Goro can’t help but repay him with a kiss on his forehead each time. It’s awful, he knows, but there is just something so sweet about the action… even worse when Ren revealed he sleeps on the sofa just in case he’ll be awake to see him coming back. It’s impossible not to.
“Now we have enough food to last us for a week,” Ren announces, happy. “I’ve done so much today. I have earned a good nap.”
Goro pauses, staring back at him. “Weren’t we going to play Mario Kart? Are you really that scared of losing?”
“I am no longer sleepy. Don’t hold back.”
“For you? Never.”
Of course it’s fun to play with Ren. When is it not? It’s almost too good to be living with him, too easy and comfortable for it to be real. Somehow, it is, and it’s unsettling to think about him going back to his apartment after the gas leak gets fixed. Goro is an adult, damn it, he will act like it.
With a deep satisfactory smile, he watches as Ren comes out in fourth place, while Goro takes the wonderful first place with little to not effort. Attempt after attempt, Ren gives up, and Goro relaxes all the way until the end of the race, extremely happy.
“Hey, Goro?”
Goro smugly grins at him after taking the first place on Mario Kart. “Yes?”
“Screw you.”
The laugh that spills out of him is too genuine to cover it up at all. Goro continues, “I’m frankly disappointed with you. As we are rivals, I expected us to always be at the same level. Guess I am outsmarting you, after all. It was only a matter of time.”
Ren throws a cushion to his face. “Shut up. I’m going to sleep.”
“You sure seem to take a lot of naps there,” Goro says, cautiously. “Do you not like your bed?”
“There is just something about sleeping here,” Ren is already lying down as he explains. “It’s very peaceful and good for my back.”
“Of course you’d be the only person to think sleeping on a sofa is good for your back.”
Ren takes out his glasses, and it’s almost sad that he does it himself, when Goro is so used to taking them off and making sure they rest on the table. He lets him sleep anyway, he has homework to catch up and projects to do. This was truly the perfect time.
It’s just… his mind wanders to Ren napping on the sofa. He is going to throw the sofa away, if only so he doesn’t have to see Ren napping anymore. He’s going to throw Ren away with the sofa while he’s at it, actually.
He passes by Ren when he goes to the kitchen and stops briefly, completely fast asleep. It’s gotten slightly colder these days, he must be a little cold…
Goro Akechi is a big, giant idiot carrying a blanket and putting it over his roommate, not without lightly kissing his forehead again. The week needs to end now.
Eventually, Ren wakes up again, well rested and with the blanket still on him, smiling. “Thank you. This made me sleep better.”
“I did not want to carry with the guilt of knowing you got sick because I didn’t give you a blanket, although I will admit I did think of simply not bringing one to you, so you could face your mistakes in person.”
Ren shakes his head. “You’re a dick. I’m going to do homework now, if you need me. Want to have ramen as dinner? I make a really good broth.”
“Oh? Sounds good with me. I appreciate your determination into getting me to taste your every single plate before the week runs out.”
“How else are you gonna fall in love with me if not for my perfect plates?” Ren sighs. “See you later.”
Ren retrieves to his room, dragging his blanket, and looking only slightly cute.
The week could not end any faster.
There is no way it’s not that damn sofa’s fault. What about it makes Ren so sleepy? Why was he taking a nap again? Did he just never sleep and this was his only time to do so? Or…
Was he just pretending to sleep?
That would be stupid, in all ways, but Goro kissing his forehead only when he’s napping on the sofa was equally stupid. Besides, it did not add up—Ren struck him as the type that would talk about something like a kiss, definitely, and then try to get Goro’s real feelings out, like he always does in more serious situations. It made even less sense for someone to pretend to sleep for that long, and it must be hard to keep it up—especially if you were as annoying as Ren is.
Yes. Definitely.
This time, Goro walks past him and grabs his suitcase, determined to go to work and not look back. It feels wrong, only a slightly bit. It’s so weird, it’s not like there is an unspoken rule that for every time Ren took a nap, Goro should kiss his forehead. Except, it sure as hell felt like the rule existed now.
“Slept awfully this afternoon,” Ren sighs when they’re having dinner. “It’s like something was missing.”
“Very interesting. I wonder what it was.”
“Mm.”
Goro focuses more on his food and chews up quicker.
Finally, when the week is up, Ren is oddly quiet during their breakfast. He’s usually talking back to Goro when he starts chatting, but right now, there must be something troubling him. The longer the quietness drags out, the more annoyed and worried Goro gets, so he takes matters on his hands.
“Speak up,” Goro says. “Something is wrong.”
“What are you, a detective?” Ren says back. Goro holds his stare. “We…”
“Yes?”
“We… well, you… you do know you can kiss me when I’m awake, right? Do I get uglier when I wake up, or…?”
Goro clears his throat. “Excuse me?”
It’s like reality falls apart as he knows it. He should’ve burned the couch when he had a chance. Now he’s being mocked, and humilliated, and all because he couldn’t hold back for a few moments.
“I don’t sleep that much,” Ren says. “I just want some kisses.”
Goro’s head is a perfect blank. Truly, that was not bad news, but the way they were broken down to him really was. He’s too mortified and horrified to look up now, because of course, of course he was just pretending to sleep. Maybe, had he stuck around more, he would have found out Ren tossing over on the sofa, maybe even giving up half in the act and getting up altogether. This was awful. The worst possible outcome.
Ren knocks on his head, softly. “Hello. I’m right here.”
“…I can tell.”
“Well, criminal? Any thoughts on your stolen kisses?”
“Are you mad? About that?”
Ren blinks at him, shocked. “You surprise me.”
“Hm?”
“You truly only hear what you want to hear. I said I want kisses.”
“I did hear that,” Goro defends, “It’s just…”
Ren lifts up his hair, exposing his forehead. “It’s right here.”
“Stop it.”
He complies, anyway, sighing. “My living time with you ends today and I get no kiss goodbye.”
Is Ren taking any of this seriously? He sounds fairly serious, but he always does, even when he’s joking. Goro knows him, can read him whenever he wants, but in romantic—if you could call this romantic — situations his grasp was truly lacking. There was not enough information to make an accurate deduction, other than perhaps, Ren liked him, too.
“So…” Goro starts, only sixty-percent sure of his new hyphotesis, “I can just kiss you?”
“Yeah. Wherever. Preferably on the lips, but if you like my forehead, sure.”
Leaning slightly across the table, Goro closes the distance between them, kissing him gently. Ren sighs, his hands coming up to his hair like he’s been dying to do this for ages, and Goro’s hypothesis is proven to be right. Goro breaks apart first, even after Ren chases after his lips again for a shorter kiss, and smiles.
“About the sofa thing…”
“I get it. I am simply irresistible when I sleep.”
“So full of yourself. Does it hurt you?”
“Learned from the best.” Ren kisses him so he doesn’t protest, but it doesn’t work. “Do I have to move out now or is it moving too fast if I just stay to live with you now?”
Goro frowns at him. “Definitely moving too fast.”
“We just lived together.”
“You’re skipping several steps of a relationship, Ren. Not much to enjoy after that.”
“I get it. You don’t want me here. You hate me.”
“Those are very correct statements.”
Ren rolls his eyes, but at least, he kisses him again.
And again when they’re packing away all of Ren’s stuff, and again when he’s at the doorstep.
It is a bit funny how backwards the situation is—Goro hasn’t been on relationships before, but it is possibly a common belief that you don’t kick out the guy you just started dating from your house. You’re supposed to make him stay. But here Goro is, doing the opposite—he needs the one day to calm down about being found out on his sofa-kisses mission.
“One last chance to beg me to stay,” Ren teases.
“I am telling you, it’s not like we are never seeing each other again after this.” Goro relents a little, though, “I will miss your food, though.”
“I’ll come by to cook as often as possible. Sounds good?”
“Wonderful, even.”
Why is neither of them moving, then? They both stand at the doorstep, not doing anything, and when they finally realize it, they break down laughing.
“I suppose…” Goro starts, “that you can leave at the end of the day.”
Ren has a mischievous glint on his eyes despite the passive face he’s wearing. It makes a chill run down Goro’s spine.
“We can make out on your sofa all day.”
“All day?”
“Unless you don’t want that?”
“Oh, no, I was simply shocked by the duration. By all means, lead the way.”
Ren takes his hand and happily slams the door behind them.