"I need to go sleep."
Rai's voice came out flat, already heavy with drowsiness as he leaned back against the couch, blinking slowly. Whatever energy he'd had earlier was long gone. The room felt dull now, too familiar, too repetitive and Zade's presence, as usual, wasn't helping.
If anything, it made it worse, like how it is always.
"So?"
Rai's eye twitched.
He turned his head slowly, fixing Zade with a long, unimpressed stare.
"Well," Rai started, his tone dragging with irritation, "some drunk asshole didn't want me to leave earlier. And now I want to leave. So am I permitted, asshole?"
Zade chuckled, low and amused, like he'd just been handed entertainment for the night.
"Of course," he said lazily, reaching for another can. "My darling is always permitted."
The sharp click of the can opening made Rai frown instantly.
"Stop drinking, Zade. That's enough."
Zade barely glanced at him, taking a slow sip like the warning meant nothing.
"I can still drink," he replied casually. "So I will. You shouldn't worry so much."
Rai scoffed, already pushing himself to his feet.
"I'm not worried about you," he snapped. "I just don't want to wake up to a disaster in the living room. You ruin the night enough, I'm not letting you ruin my morning too."
"No worries," Zade said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll clean up after myself."
Rai let out a dry, humorless laugh.
"Yeah? That's a lie. I already know I'm going to find you passed out on that stupid couch, smelling worse than a wet dog, with cans everywhere." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Don't you have work tomorrow?"
"I don't," Zade replied easily, then tilted his head slightly, a smirk forming. "Are you worried about me, darling?"
"Stop calling me that, bastard, and no, I'm not worried about you." Rai dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm worried about myself. God… whatever."
He shot Zade one last glare before turning and heading straight to his room, shutting the door behind him with a firm click.
The silence that followed felt immediate.
Relieving.
Rai exhaled, leaning back against the door for a moment before wrinkling his nose slightly. He lifted his shirt collar, sniffing.
"…Ugh."
Beer.
Of course.
He grimaced, tossing himself onto the bed without bothering to change. He hated that smell. Hated everything about it. It clung, stubborn and sour, like Zade himself.
Maybe he'd just had a long day.
Too long.
Dealing with that old man earlier… and then Zade on top of it…
Rai stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Mister Grey," he muttered under his breath, the name tasting unpleasant. The man's smug introduction replayed in his mind, and Rai couldn't help but scoff.
"Yeah… real fitting. Gray personality too."
And then,
Zade.
Zade fucking Grey.
Rai groaned, dragging a pillow over his face.
A walking headache.
Maybe that was it.
Maybe he was just more irritated than usual today.
Yeah… that had to be it.
Still,
A small, bitter thought lingered.
He didn't care about being disliked. Not really. If anything, it made things easier.
But being compared?
Misjudged?
That part stung.
Even if he pretended it didn't.
"Whatever…"
He turned onto his side, pulling the blanket halfway over himself.
They were both messed up in their own ways anyway.
Maybe that's why it worked.
They thrived on getting under each other's skin.
'It's late… I should sleep-'
Knock! Knock!
Rai jolted upright instantly, heart jumping as the sudden noise shattered the quiet.
"What the hell, Zade?!" he snapped, already irritated again. "Are you trying to break the door?!"
Another knock.
Louder.
More aggressive.
Rai groaned loudly, dragging himself out of bed and stomping toward the door.
"All right, I'm coming-!"
He yanked it open and immediately froze as something was shoved straight toward his face.
A phone.
He blinked.
"What?"
"Your number," Zade said bluntly. "Give me your number."
Rai stared at him for a second.
Then,
"No."
Zade sighed dramatically, like dealing with a stubborn child.
"Well, darling, I don't want your number either," he said, words slurring just slightly. "But it's good to have it. We live together. Communication and all that. Common sense, right, Mr. Perfect?"
Rai opened his mouth to argue, and then got smacked lightly in the face with the phone.
"…Seriously?"
He rubbed his nose, glaring, before snatching the device from Zade's hand. Without another word, he quickly typed in his number and shoved it back at him, this time with a bit more care.
Yeah.
He was nice like that.
"Save mine too," Zade added.
"Just call me," Rai replied flatly. "I'll save it later."
Zade blinked.
"Oh. Didn't think of that."
"…Clearly."
Rai placed a hand on the door, already pushing it shut.
"Now can you move? I want to sleep."
Zade didn't move.
"I'm bored," he said instead.
"So am I," Rai shot back. "Difference is, I'm going to sleep. You should try it. Go."
Zade's lips curled slightly.
"Why are you telling me to go? Ask me to come."
Rai frowned.
"…Come where?"
That grin widened, just enough to set off alarms in Rai's head.
"You're not coming anywhere near here," Rai said immediately, pushing his hand off the door and shutting it firmly in his face.
Click.
Silence again.
"…Yeah," Rai muttered to himself as he walked back to bed. "Definitely not happening."
Well, that's not at all what Zade wanted either. Rai misunderstood. Because Zade was just thinking of something way worse Rai wouldn't be able to handle knowing.
Of course, Zade was a dirty minded bastard...
Rai, not so bothered after the sound of Zade's fading footsteps, closed his eyes as he laid comfortably in his bed.
This time, sleep came quickly.
Deep.
Heavy.
Today had been exhausting.
Too many things.
Too many disruptions.
He preferred routine.
Predictability.
Control.
New things made him feel off-balance, awkward, even. And he hated that feeling more than anything.
He needed to feel steady.
Confident.
In control of himself.
That mattered.
More than people.
More than anything, really.
Maybe that made him selfish.
Maybe he was self centered.
But there was no one around to say anything to him.
No one was important enough to make him doubt himsef anyway.
So it didn't matter.
He'd been alone this long.
He knew how to handle things.
Life was tough.
And, he had survived so far...
'Haa… tomorrow will be-'
Ring-Ring-
Rai's eyes snapped open slightly, irritation flashing immediately.
His phone.
A message.
He could ignore it.
He should ignore it.
But-
He reached for it anyway.
Of course.
He already fucking knew it.
Good night, darling.
Rai stared at the screen for a few seconds, expression flat.
He didn't have to reply.
He really didn't.
But something in him...
That small, petty part...
Refused to let it go.
His fingers moved before he could stop them.
Not a good night for you, Bastard. And, stop darlinging me!
He hit send.
Then immediately silenced the phone, tossing it aside like it had personally offended him.
"…Idiot."
He turned over, pulling the blanket up again, forcing his eyes shut.
'Bastard better not make my next day shitty too.'