It all started when the two young men agreed to be roommates. Joe, a tall man with short brown hair. JonJon, an Asian man of similar height, with black hair tossed to the side. Their ideas on politics and science in general thought to be a humorous clash of opinions. Their amusement in games shared as though they were kin. It seemed to be practically a match made in heaven.

The two were friendly, but distant, despite JonJon's discontent. However, that quickly changed.

Joe drags his feet sluggishly through the doorway. He practically throws his belongings onto his bed, plopping down with a thump. Glancing across the room, JonJon seems to be frantically scanning his notes and searching for something online. Joe shrugs this off as a rather typical behavior before an exam. Normally, he'd ask JonJon about his search, but today isn't a good day. Joe flops back down on the bed, not bothering to slink over to his computer and load up his most recent game. No, today is simply one of those days. Joe lets out a heavy sigh and closes his eyes.

This grabs JonJon's attention, absorbed as he was, as his eyes dart to the practically lifeless Joe. "Everything alright?" JonJon asks with slight concern, raising his eyebrows at his roommate.

Joe gives a small utterance of a reply, but doesn't speak any more than that. It is almost as though he expected that through a grumble JonJon would acquire full clarity of the situation. Of course, this is not the case. In fact the grumble merely made JonJon worry more.

"Let me know if you need anything," JonJon adds a little more passively, eyeing the oaf once more before slipping back into his studies. He knows that when Joe gets in one of his moods, he's better off left alone.

Joe, however, had other alternatives. The man pushes himself up with his palms, almost as a quick reflex to an invisible movement. "JonJon," Joe calls rather loudly from across the room. "Let's get something to eat."

"Go ahead, I'll be here," JonJon replies in his usual passive tone. Joe generally goes out to eat alone, so he didn't take notice of the exact phrasing of the sentence. Why would today be any different? The sun rises and sets in the same direction and Joe always goes out to eat alone. Why would things be any different when there's no reason to change?

Joe shakes his head in a rather obnoxiously noticeable way. JonJon doesn't glance up. "No," Joe replies hoarsely, almost as though his words were caught in his throat, "come with me."

Now that the phrasing turned so direct, JonJon pushes his chair back and gives a look at Joe somewhere between confused and startled. His expression lightens to a smirk and a chuckle erupts from his chest. "Joe, what are you talking about?" JonJon laughs, still not taking the man seriously.

"Really, let's go. I'm going to the bathroom. Be ready in what, five or ten?" Joe asks as he pushes himself to his feet and makes his way across the room.

JonJon's smile seems to evaporate off of his face. "Joe? What's wrong?" Not only is it weird for Joe to ask something like this, but he worded it as though he expected JonJon to change clothing for something like a quick sub. What's with that? JonJon's brows furrow as his eyes trace Joe's figure leaving the room. Ignoring the questions piling up against his brain, JonJon slips out of his chair, away from his studies, and changes into something decent. Why am I even doing this? Why do I care? JonJon lets out a shrill yelp as Joe barges back into the room.

"Ready?" Joe practically demands, snatching his coat and wallet.

JonJon nods and follows Joe out their room door and down the hall. Joe swings open the door to the dorm and introduces the two to a flash of the cold night air. JonJon is given a harsh reminder that he forgot his coat back in the room. Trying to conceal his shiver, JonJon folds his arms across his chest. He bites down on his lower lip and follows Joe in silence. To his luck, Joe begins the conversation.

"So today I found out—you know the exam I've been talking about all week?" Joe turns his head back to JonJon until given a reassuring nod. "Yeah, well turns out it isn't until next week. I was freaking out for nothing. It's stupid."

JonJon liked hearing Joe talk, even when he was frustrated—much less so when Joe did really strange things. Regardless, Joe had a unique and mildly annoying animatedness to his character that pleased JonJon to hear it accompanied by words. He nods and gives a bemused smile at the back of Joe's head. Although Joe typically expected a more empathetic response, JonJon feels oddly quiet today.

Joe continues to make boisterous statements about his courses and the ridiculousness of his exams among other things, until the two arrive at a quaint barbeque place.

Letting out a sigh of relief, JonJon can't help but feel strangely disappointed in having not arrived at a rather upscale establishment. Why do I even care? JonJon quickly shakes his head, catching Joe's attention.

"Are you okay? If you didn't want to eat, you could've said no," Joe responds almost immediately.

"No, I'm fine," JonJon reassures.

Joe and JonJon enter the tiny restaurant and take a booth near the back. In fact, it was the only booth in the entire restaurant that had anything wrong with it.

Apparently the ceiling was leaking since yesterday's rain, and a small bucket was place in the center of one of the seats. Joe and JonJon would be forced to sit together, much to JonJon's supposed discontent. The two are seated and a young petite waitress comes to the table. She asks the two if they'd rather change seats, to which Joe insists (rather stubbornly) that they are both happy where they are sitting.

JonJon gives the waitress an uncomfortable glance, feeling a blush race against his cheeks. She saw them sitting together. She must think we're dating or something. The blush on JonJon's face reddens at the thought. Looking up, JonJon notices the waitress had gone. He turns to Joe, who gives a wave of his hand.

"I ordered us both a beer, if that's okay with you," Joe says with ease.

Why isn't he nervous? JonJon glances warily at Joe's smug face.

Within minutes the waitress comes out with the beers. She sets them down in front of the pair. "Anything I can get you two to eat?" she asks pleasantly, a nice melody in her mannerisms.

Again, Joe answers for the both of them. JonJon, however, is more preoccupied about Joe's hand, which rests calmly on his leg. He stares at Joe's face in a horror-stricken state. Joe only returns the expression with a warm smile. There's something devious and unsettling about the curve of his lips.

JonJon takes a breath. His heart racing as he feels Joe's fingers play with the corners of his shorts. Gulping, JonJon stares anxiously at Joe, desperately trying to contemplate his next move.

Joe simply returns a mischievous smile.