A small inconvenience
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The afternoon sun was at its peak as it illuminated the bustling hallways of the dorms, while in apartment 405 Aether was still processing the whirlwind of events from earlier that morning. He had barely begun to settle in when Thoma approached him with an apologetic smile.
“Aether, before you get too comfortable, there is… a small inconvenience,” Thoma began, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
Aether arched an eyebrow in question. “What do you mean by inconvenience?”
Thoma hesitated, his usual cheerful demeanor faltering slightly. “Well, you see, a few weeks ago… Itto had a small accident. He was moving some furniture and, uh… let’s just say your assigned room has been out of commission ever since. The maintenance team is working on it, but they estimate it will take at least a week or two to get everything fixed.”
Aether blinked, processing the information. He let out a silent sigh, but kept his expression neutral. “So, what am I supposed to do until then?”
Thoma’s shy smile returned. “That’s what we came to find out. Come on, let’s all get together and talk about it.”
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In the living room of the Apartment 405 buzzed with energy as Thoma, Itto, Kazuha, Xiao, and Aether sat around the table. Itto looked particularly unbothered, his grin wide as ever.
“Hey, no hard feelings, right?” Itto said, nudging Aether’s shoulder. “I mean, how was I supposed to know the wall couldn’t handle a little ‘Arataki Special’ action?”
Xiao rolled his eyes. “Maybe because common sense should’ve told you not to slam furniture into walls?”
Itto waved a dismissive hand. “Details, details.”
“Perhaps we could take turns hosting him. It would distribute the inconvenience evenly.”kazuha says
“Or,” Xiao interjected sharply, “we could just decide now and avoid the hassle of constant moving.”
Aether sighed. “Look, I’m not trying to cause trouble. I can sleep on the couch if that makes things easier.”
Thoma shook his head firmly. “No way. You deserve a proper bed, especially after everything we’ve put you through already. We’ll figure something out.”
After much debate, the group decided to draw lots to determine who would share their room with Aether. When the short stick ended up in Xiao’s hand, the Anemo student’s expression remained impassive, but there was a faint glimmer of something softer in his eyes.
“Fine,” Xiao said simply, his tone neutral but steady. “He can stay with me.”
Aether’s gaze lingered on Xiao for a moment, a flicker of unspoken understanding passing between them. “Thanks,” Aether replied, his tone light yet sincere.
Thoma beamed. “Great! See? Problem solved.”
Itto leaned back with a grin. “Man, this is gonna be fun. Aether and Xiao as roommates? Can’t wait to see how this turns out.”
Xiao shot him a glare that could freeze a Pyro Slime, but he said nothing more. Instead, he stood and gestured for Aether to follow him.
In xiao's room
Xiao’s room was as minimalist as Aether expected—a small bed, a desk with neatly arranged books, and a single plant by the window. The atmosphere was cool, almost stark, a sharp contrast to the warmth of Aether’s usual surroundings.
“We’ll share the bed,” Xiao said bluntly, catching Aether slightly off guard. “There’s no point in either of us sleeping on the floor.”
Aether blinked but nodded. “If you’re okay with it, I don’t mind. It’s not like this is the first time, anyway.”
Xiao’s expression softened imperceptibly. “True. You always managed to steal the blanket, though.”
Aether chuckled. “You never complained back then.”
“Because it wasn’t worth arguing over,” Xiao replied, though there was a faint warmth in his voice.
As Aether placed his bag down, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “You know, this brings back memories. We used to do this all the time when we were kids.”
Xiao glanced at him briefly. “That was different.”
“Not really,” Aether countered, his tone light. “It’s still just us sharing a space. Though back then, you were the one who insisted I stay over.”
Xiao’s lips twitched, a faint smirk threatening to appear before he masked it. “Don’t make it weird. Get some rest; you’ll need it.”
Despite Xiao’s brusque words, Aether felt a small sense of comfort in the familiarity of their dynamic. As they settled into the quiet of the room, the unspoken connection between them remained—a fragile yet steady thread tying them together, even as they worked to keep the truth hidden from the world.