[Closed]

[yokunaru]

who: Yuuri & Noctis
what: An accidental meeting! And bonding over food.
when: 6/2
where: Community Housing
warnings: None so far!


[While it's fairly normal to run into a familiar face or two while living in the community housing, the sight that greets Yuuri when he steps into the elevator makes him pause. Noctis, his mind supplies helpfully, when he tries to remember the guy's name.]

Ah... it's good to see you again. [The politeness drilled into him kicks in as the elevator door closes behind him. In the tiny space, though, there's no ignoring what had caught his attention in the first place.] That's a lot of fish. Are you planning to cook for a lot of people tonight?

Comments

[heavyhead]

[There are times in the life of a young fishing enthusiast when one does not necessarily disdain company, but could do without it. Standing in a small elevator holding a bunch of fish is kind of one of those times. Noctis blinks in muted surprise when Yuuri steps on, like... this isn't a public elevator...

He's still adjusting to living in a building where people actually talk to him casually. Aaaa...]

Uh— Actually, I'm not that good at cooking. [He's just holding fish???? No, there's a purpose for these, probably.]

[yokunaru]

[Why do you have so much fish then???? A mystery indeed.]

Um. [Yuuri says, eloquently. His confused gaze flicks between Noctis' face and the fish he's carrying with him.] Then...what are you planning to do with all of those?

[Surely if he meant to sell them, he would've simply brought them to the market?]

[heavyhead]

[He loves fish?? Let him live, Yuuri.]

I was gonna see if someone else would cook them. [This is a normal thing to do. Note that he doesn't say he's confirmed someone else will cook them... He doesn't even know if his Target Chef is even home right now. This plan was great from the start.]

[yokunaru]

[Ah, yes, that makes a bit more sense.]

Oh, you mean one of your friends? [Suddenly catching the odd phrasing, Yuuri cocks his head slightly as he looks at Noctis' catch again.] Wait, you mean you're not sure if they're going to cook them for you?

[heavyhead]

Yeah. [Come on, Yuuri, there's nothing weird about this at all. Noctis genuinely considers leaving it at just "yeah," but remembers that people like having full conversations just in time.]

I mean- he usually does, I just didn't ask today. Or check if he's home.

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri can't help but grin a little.] Your friend's going to have some surprise whenever he sees you.

[Right then, there's a ding as they reach the seventh floor and the elevator doors slide open. The conversation probably would have ended there, if Yuuri had not realized they were both stepping out at the same time.]

Oh, I guess we're on the same floor. Which apartment are you in?

[heavyhead]

I like to keep him on his toes.

[Or he's literally not going to be home, but well, Noctis will cross that bridge when he comes to it. He has the same realization as they step out of the elevator together, although his comes with the sudden embarrassment that he's lived down the hall from this guy this whole time and never noticed. Is this... possible?? He is a terrible neighbor, him and his fish.]

Oh, uh- I'm down the hall. With Eichi. [Thanks to Eichi's phone videos he knows they know each other, but like, that's a weird thing to just say... So he'll wait.]

[yokunaru]

You're rooming with Eichi? [Wow, how is it that they've never run into each other? Yuuri's honestly kind of impressed and baffled at the same time.]

I live just two doors down--I'm in apartment number two. [By now he's gotten over the shock and is starting to look a little amused.] Ah, Eichi visits us pretty often. You could come along next time if you want.

[heavyhead]

[Maybe some people are usually asleep or playing mobile games instead of going out... Maybe. Noct chooses to expertly not address how he's been here for a month and no one noticed, yes, good-]

Us...? [More neighbors he's never met, ah...] I dunno, Eichi's my roommate, we're not... [He gestures with his free hand, a wiggle that's somehow meant to convey they're not super duper close, but it's just a wiggle in the end.]

[yokunaru]

Oh--yes, "us". My fiance's here in the city, too. He's the one I'm sharing the apartment with right now.

[As they walk down the hallway, Yuuri reaches into his pocket and fishes (heh) for his apartment keys.]

Do you and Eichi not get along?

[heavyhead]

Oh. Uh, congrats. You're lucky. [Yuuri just went up like 10 points for being adult enough to live with his fiance... Good job.

The apartment door Noctis stops to knock on is obviously not his, since he's knocking, but while he waits—] We hang out sometimes, but we're not best friends or anything.

[He shrugs; he doesn't dislike Eichi, but visiting Eichi's Friends with him seems like a bit much for their social link. Also no one is going to answer this door, but he won't realize that for a minute or so.]

[yokunaru]

Thanks. [He gives Noctis a bright smile in return, noticeably different from the polite ones he'd been wearing earlier. It's pretty obvious just from that alone, that he feels like he is lucky, just like Noctis said.]

I guess that's what happens when your roommates are randomly chosen. I didn't really get along with the roommate I had in my first year of university. [Thankfully, Phichit had come along not too long after that. Yuuri pauses in his doorway, watching Noctis stand out there.] Maybe Eichi's not there right now... what happened to your own key?

[heavyhead]

I've never had a roommate before this. Not a permanent one... [LIving in a tent with your Only Three Friends is pretty different from living with a complete stranger in marginally nicer digs, in every respect. He knocks on the door again, harder this time, frowning when there is still no response. Ugh!!]

This isn't— my cooking friend's not home.

I can read orz

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri steps back into the hallway and sure enough, he's not standing in front of Eichi's apartment door.]

Oh...your friend? [A frown crosses his face now.] Do you think he'll be back any time soon?

we'll pretend yuuri was too busy thinking about his married life

[heavyhead]

[Truly, this is the most inconvenient thing Ignis Scientia has ever done in Noct's whole life: not been home to cook for him. He sighs... at the door, then pulls out his phone to see if there are any texts about why this tragedy has befallen him.]

Probably not, with his fifty jobs.

sounds about right tbh

[yokunaru]

F-fifty... [Probably an exaggeration, but if the friend has multiple jobs, that's still impressive.]

Hmm. [Yuuri taps at his cheek with a soft hum.] I'm guessing you're worried about the fish--do you have a big enough ice chest to keep them fresh?

[heavyhead]

[So maybe it's more like 3... Still.]

Like a cooler? Nope. [There's the literal freezer, but that's not the best place to throw rather large fresh fish. He did not think this through.]

[yokunaru]

[So no one to cook the fish, and no place to put them until the friend gets home. Yuuri can see what the option would be, but he pauses and considers it first.

If he's a little resigned when he pushes the door open wider, he's hiding it well behind his small, polite smile.]

I know how to cook. If you don't mind sharing some of it with Viktor and I, I could make something with the fish that you could take home with you.

[He's only asking because he doesn't want to have to cook so many meals all at once.]

[heavyhead]

[Fact: Noctis could and would eat all of this fish by himself, no problem.

Fact 2: That's so gross of him, so maybe, maybe he can seriously consider this offer to have a near-stranger cook him dinner. He looks down at his fish as if weighing his options, then shrugs.]

Sure, I guess. I owe you one. [Feel free to use him for a fetch quest anytime.]