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Living with Noli was a nightmare.
Not because he was messy or loud—God. If only. But because the man was nearly invisible. Not in a literal sense, but figuratively. Earning him the title of the so-called “Ghost Student.”
The only traces of another being living with him were the refrigerator restocks, and the faint smell of cold linen that practically oozed out of the bathroom after he showered.
And the steam that clung to the cold ceramic tiles of the floor, seeping into his nostrils like a silent invitation. As well as the slightly damp toothbrush still left in the cup, a small, silent signal: used.
Don’t get him wrong—Noli was probably the best possible roommate he could’ve gotten.
But being the best has its cons, too.
Like his obsessive fans, who nearly swamped him with their parasocial questions.
Being the forefront of attention was never something he’d thought he would have to consider when dorming with Noli. Nor did he enjoy this sort of publicity—especially not at his own expense.
He was far more used to subtlety.
Playing his role in the background, letting the chaos bloom in his wake. Without ever having to be traced or credited for his actions.
So for that balance to be completely disrupted—thrusted into the public eye without any time to process, bound to the weights of societal perception, rumor, and attention—
It was all unbearable.
He hated Noli.
He despised the Ghost Student.
And he wanted nothing more than to rid himself of his roommate.
—Or so he thought.
Only a week had passed since they’d started rooming together, and he hadn’t expected the man to be so… considerate.
Not only of the space they equally shared, but of him, too.
He cooked meals far better than his lazy store-bought instant noodles. He made sure he was hydrated. He even reminded him to take his medication.
And on the nights he’d overwork himself and fall asleep headfirst on his keyboard, Noli would make sure he was warm.
It reminded him of his mother—a figure who had loomed largely throughout his life.
The only issue he claimed to have with Noli…
…was the ache in his chest that flared violently whenever he was around.
“You’re distracted,” John deadpanned. His fingers tapping on the wooden table with an annoyingly fast rhythm.
7n7 didn’t respond—seemingly more occupied with solving the errors in his code than unpacking whatever emotional malware was wreaking havoc in his chest.
“I know you can hear me, 7,” John pressed. “You’ve been tapping on the same key for two minutes.”
7n7 let out a loud, guttural sigh and let his head thud pitifully against his laptop.
“Is it your roommate again?” John asked, tilting his head.
“No.” He snapped. “I told you—I hate him.”
“Do you?” John lifted a brow. “He’s practically a mother hen to you.”
He laughed into his cup of tea, taking a much-needed swig to ease his throat.
“He’s nothing of the sort!”
“He feeds you.”
“Does your roommate not feed you?” 7n7 grimaced.
“I don’t need them to.”
“You’re making me seem like a child, John.”
“Fine. Maybe not ‘mother hen’ material.”
“Glad we can come to an agreement.” 7n7 smirked, finally bringing his own cup of tea to his lips.
“Maybe he’s more ‘housewife’ material.”
John could only watch as he spiraled.
A series of “No, he’s not!” and “That’s—!” tumbled out in panicked succession, followed by his favorite line of all:
“Why would you say that?!”
It was the plight of a man roped up in the vines of pure denial.
John just shrugged and sipped his tea like it was none of his business.
(It clearly was. He was the man’s friend, after all.)
But he’d play it off for now.
“But what do I know?” he added.
“You sound like you know a lot, given the way you’re talking right now.” 7n7 gritted, glaring over the rim of his cup.
“Do I know a lot?” John grinned at his scowling face blooming within the chaos he unfurled.
“If you keep this up, you won't be able to know anything.” 7n7 snapped.
John could only nod. Not wanting to face the otherworldly wrath of the hacker before him.
Hell, the man had keylogged his Steam account once. Just to prove a point.
The night was beginning to dawn on the two of them, with John taking his much needed departure and heading to his room.
Leaving 7n7 to swiftly rush back to his own dormitory.
He was left with nothing but his thoughts, accompanied by the droplets of rain striking the ground as he swiftly pushed the key into the door, turning the knob in a slow, careful manner.
The dorm was exactly as he remembered, with hardly anything out of place.
Not a single trace of the infamous Ghost Student.
He slipped himself free of his footwear, and promptly made his way over to the couch. The cold flooring sent a quiet jolt through his system.
It was nice to have such a quiet, yet respectful roommate. Unlike a certain someone he knew.
Referring to Noli with such a domestic title stirred something within him however. He was unsure as to what it was exactly, but he could only assume it was discomfort.
Noli isn’t a “malewife.”
Or at the very least not his.
He was his roommate, and he had no interest in pursuing him romantically. Or pursuing anyone for that matter.
Time and time again, his partners have done nothing but go against the boundaries he set.
Whether it be a lack of communication on their end, nonconsensual touching, or just brushing off his discomfort like it was an inconvenience.
It was clear to him that the dating scene wasn’t built for him, and he was okay with that.
What he wasn't okay with was his best friend insinuating him and his roommate are anything but platonic.
It had only been a few minutes since they parted ways at the cafe,and John was already sending him Pride Month instagram reels, which consisted of mainly gay men aggressively making out.
Followed up immediately with another text that read:
“You and Noli.”
7n7’s face only got increasingly more red with each video he sent.
He should've been working on his code.
He was already neck deep in the debugging process, he had to commit tonight or else he’d never get it done.
A door creak broke him out of his train of thought, he didn’t look back, well aware of who was standing behind him. .
“Watcha [watchin] there?” He spoke in a slurred tone.
His voice had a glitchy tone to it, almost as if it was hard for the man to speak.
“Nothing of your concern Noli!” 7n7 barked.
Noli laughed, finding his sudden panic to be thrilling in a way.
“Why are you up anyway..”
He could hear Noli grin from behind him. “I don't see why it should [concern] you.”
“You think you're clever.” 7n7 griped.
“Im well [aware] of that.”
He stood abruptly, charging towards his room. Stopping once he felt that slender hand grasp his arm.
“What is it, Noli?” He turned towards him, sporting a very unamused look.
“I was going to ask if you wanted a [snack].”
“Feeding you is the [only] way to keep you from self [destructing], it seems.” Noli added.
“I'm not that bad..”
“Is falling asleep at your desktop [good]?”
A pause from the other man said everything he needed to know.
“I’ll go fix you [something], don't work yourself too hard, [handsome].”
Before 7n7 could even dwell on the.. suggestive nickname, Noli was bolting into the kitchen.
He thought nothing of it, and tried steering his focus toward the assignment.
But no matter his efforts, that horrendous pet name worked its way into his mind like an unwanted guest that overstayed their welcome.
It gnawed at his mental uncontrollably. It was pure insanity.
He didn't understand, Noli wasn’t flirting with him, right? He just found him amusing, probably pitied him to an extent.
Yeah, pity.
He was much more trouble than he was worth..
A mug sliding next to his hand threw him out of his haze, the warm, marble cup touching the tips of his fingers.
A soft smile wedged itself on his face, noticing the tea was earl gray. Just how he liked it.
“You didn't have to do this for me, Noli.”
“I did it because I wanted to.”
Pity.
“Because you matter to me, 7. If only you could [see] that.
..What?
Before he could comment, Noli turned on his heel and sauntered off into the hallway. Leaving 7n7 to nothing but his thoughts, that same mind numbing ache coming back in his chest.
He needed to finish his code, Noli was just being nice. Yeah, just being nice. His hospitality is nothing more of a courtesy and definitely not Noli coming onto him at all.
With shaky fingers he grabbed the cup, noticing the plate of neatly wrapped heart shaped tea sandwiches next to it.
He tried not to short circuit.