Quick A/N: I'm just going to consider Inukashi a girl in narrative terms. Because I don't care.
First week of college, always a rush.
However, Nezumi had his eye set on this one particular university, and he'd done enough studying as well as quite a bit of snooping with the held of an inside resource, to know what's lurking around the corner. He'd known every club and every teacher, the high points, low points, and the in-between's. He was set.
Now for the hardest part; Meeting the roommate.
He slipped into the dormitory, systematically avoiding eye contact, and made his way up to his room, alone.
He'd already crept in and out, dragging his belongings up and down the halls, which weren't all that many, really. In total, he'd taken three boxes. One box specifically made to carry clothes, a second for toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, etc. The third held his precious, precious books.
He would have loved to carry the rest of his collection, but apparently there was a limit as to what his car was able to carry..Not that he wasn't perfectly capable of making second trips over breaks.
Oh! He almost forgot.
One box he'd kept under his arm, three holes poked in the top, held his also precious, three little rats.
..Hopefully his roommate wouldn't mind.
Well, nonetheless, he was prepared.
He'd organized a mental list of questions he'd be sure to ask once he confronted his roommate. Once all questions were honestly answered, he'd then decide whether or not he'd keep or kick whoever it was to the curve.
Though, he supposed he wasn't too picky, so the latter was less likely to happen unless this person was absolutely unbearable in any sense.
He'd managed to state he didn't care in regards toward gender, and he held no specific qualifications. He typically was quite laid back, unless you stepped on his toes...then and only then will he snap, and if you're lucky, leave you with a scrape or a bruise here and there.
Fortunately, he'd left his pocket knife at home.
"Nezumi!"
A head peered through an open door, eyeing the contents.
"Inukashi?", he sighed, "What is it?"
"That's a nice way to greet a friend.", she huffed.
..Was it a she? Nezumi couldn't quite tell, he'd never really cared.
"What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to meet your roommate. I'm dying to know who you're stuck with for the next semester."
"What's it to you?", he smirked, "Don't tell me you're jealous."
"In your dreams. I'm just here to torture you."
"Yeah, well you're gonna have a long wait. You're not gonna piss me off that easily..By the way, sorry to burst your bubble, but I haven't met him yet."
"Him? So you know it's going to be a he?"
He shrugged, "If it is, I don't care. If it's a girl, I don't care either. I'm not even sure what you are, and I'm still your friend, aren't I?"
"You're just lucky my cousin goes here! If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't know a damn thing about this school. Then I bet you'd be stuck in one of those..other schools!"
He clapped mockingly, "Lovely vocabulary..It's about as complex as a chimpanzee's."
With a final huff, Inukashi stuck her tongue out and shut the door, leaving Nezumi alone.
Squeak.
With his rats.
He waited, and waited, and waited for what felt like forever, which was, in reality, an hour or two until his roommate finally decided to make an appearance.
Even so, it was a very brief conversation. Which, on some level, aggravated him.
The boy pushed through the door, in a rush.
He held a stack of two boxes, and a jacket thrown over the top. He threw the boxes carelessly on top of the nearest bed, which luckily, was not Nezumi's. He barely turned to greet the boy, as he apparently hadn't noticed there was anyone else in the room.
"Yo.", Nezumi lazily called, laid back on the bed, flipping through a book.
"Oh, hello.", he waved almost just as lazily, slipping his coat on.
"Name?"
"S-Shion.", he huffed as if he was out of breath.
..Now that he took a closer look, his cheeks did look rather flushed. But, that might have just been the snow. It was a little chilly outside..
Aside from the flush faced, he didn't look too odd. His hair was a rough, dull color, which parted in all sorts of different directions, and his eyes were the same brown hue.
"So..You're my roommate?"
He nodded hastily, "I guess so. Sorry, I have to go, I have allot of stuff to do."
Before either could say another word, he darted out the door.
And, much to Nezumi's surprise, he hadn't seen the twerp the rest of that day, or the day following.
"Inukashi."
She passed Nezumi down the hall, stopping for a brief moment to respond.
"What is it?"
"What can you tell me about Shion?", he asked in a low whisper, "Have you ever heard of him?"
She thought for a moment, "Can't say I have. Maybe I need a reminder.."
She gestured toward his pocket, the very same that just so happened to hold his wallet.
"You owe me.", he scowled, "I got you out of rooming with that pervert downstairs, and you said you would repay me. Now, I can always tell him the truth, and explain that I'm not and never will be your boyfriend-"
"I haven't heard of him!", she flushed at the memory, "I don't know anything about him. Alright? Ask my cousin, he might know something."
"He just graduated, how the hell am I supposed to ask him?"
She blinked in surprise as if the thought had just occurred to her, "Oh, I guess you're right..Looks like you're on your own then, Nezumi. Don't worry, I'm sure he's nothing to sneeze at."
"For your sake, you'd better hope your right."
She rolled her eyes, walking away.
Oddly enough, he hadn't seen the kid at school, either. Apparently he'd called in sick or absent due to a personal emergency, or something or the other. All he knew was that whenever Shion's name was called on roll, or the student list, an official looking man, most likely a teacher, or staff would show up and break the news to whomever professor, and he or she would simply skip the name.
Now that was odd.
Down the hallway, he'd come across a rather intriguing sight.
"Hello!", a girl dressed in what appeared to be a cheerleaders uniform had called out, beckoning him.
He cocked his head, "Isn't it a little early in the year for cheerleaders?"
"We're not cheerleaders.", she chuckled, "We consider ourselves a part of leadership..Although they haven't really been recruited yet. We're just eager, you could say."
"..Right.", he nodded, not wanting nor caring enough to disagree, "Did you need me?"
"We're having freshman sign a get well soon card for a fellow student. It's a really unfortunate case."
"Unfortunate case? How so? Is he dying?", he inwardly chuckled, trying his best to sound polite.
"Well..", she hesitated, glancing back at the others before pulling him closer, lowering her voice, "We're really not supposed to talk about it..It's supposed to fall under the confidentiality category, but I'm sure it's alright. You're Nezumi, right? His roommate?"
"..How do you know my name?"
"Inukashi told us."
"If you're talking about Shion, then yes, he was supposed to be my roommate but I've only ever met him once. Never seen him after that."
"That's a shame.", she sighed, "He's a really sweet boy.."
Nezumi shrugged, "What is it you're trying to sign again? A get well soon card? Is he sick?"
"You could say that. Apparently, Shion was subjected to a deadly disease and it took hold sooner than he'd expected..Actually, he was unaware of ever getting infected. But, rumor has it that if the disease isn't treated soon enough, you're likely to die within twenty four hours of catching it. Isn't that tragic?"
He nodded, "So that's where he's been? Fighting off this weird disease? All on the first week?"
She nodded back, "I've heard that only a handful of people have ever survived..but word is, Shion's in the hospital right now, recovering!"
"Really?"
"That's right! As a reward for being such a trooper, we've decided to show our support by giving him a little welcome back gift.
"..Does anyone really know Shion?"
"..Not many. I think..Ah, that's right, Safu! His childhood friend knows him well enough, but as far as I know she enrolled in an entirely different university, halfway across the world!"
"Right.."
"So, are you gonna sign?"
He thought for a moment, "...You know what, I think I'll just give him a present once he gets back. That'll probably mean a little more. I'll be living with him, either way."
"Be careful with that!", she warned in a quiet tone, "You never know if he's contagious. If he shows any signs of relapsing..even the slightest sign of a cold, or a fever, if he even sneezes-!"
"I think I'll be fine."
"If you say so.", she shrugged as she waved him off, "Bye, Nezumi!"
He lazily waved goodbye, hardly sparing her a second glance.
Nezumi was in the middle of one of his favorite books, a classic, when the door opened.
The rats squeaked a bit in excitement, earning an irritated hush.
"I heard you were out sick all-"
Hastily, the boy ran to the bathroom and shut the door, locking it tightly.
Curiously, Nezumi stood and waited outside, sitting himself down on Shion's bed.
"..Something wrong?"
"N-Nothing!", the voice he barely recognized called, "I'm fine! I'm just..I want to shower."
He shrugged, "It's all yours."
So, he waited thirty..nearly forty five minutes before growing just a bit impatient.
"Shion.", he knocked, "Shion, are you alright in there?"
"F-Fine!", the voice called, "I'm fine! I'm..drying off."
"You've been in there over half an hour. Your body's gonna shrivel up and die if you don't come out soon."
"Thank..Thank you for your..concern.."
"..You don't sound alright, Shion."
"I'm fine."
"Don't say you're fine while you're hiding in the bathroom. It doesn't make sense."
"No, really!", he insisted, "..I..I don't know your name."
"Nezumi."
"Nezumi..Doesn't that mean..?"
"Rat? It does. Suiting name, if I do say so myself."
"...Do you like rats?"
He nodded, though Shion couldn't possibly see that, "I have three of my own. You don't mind?"
"I..I don't mind. I love animals."
"Well, as long as you don't have any dogs, I'm fine with whatever you decided to room with."
"Oh..I don't have any pets of my own."
Nezumi shrugged, "Well, if we're done changing the subject, why don't you tell me why you're hiding?"
"Why I'm..Why I'm hiding?"
He said nothing, waiting patiently with one hand on the door.
"...It's fine. You don't have to worry.."
"Shion, don't give me that-"
"No, I mean..I've already asked the headmaster. It's possible to transfer dormitories..If you have a problem with your roommate, you can move..I checked. You don't have to worry, if you want me to leave, I can-"
"What the hell are you talking about? Does this have something to do with the disease?"
Shion said nothing, confirming his suspicions.
"So..You're worried about being contagious? Is that it?"
Neither said a word. Impatiently, Nezumi picked the bathroom lock and shoved his way inside, before Shion was able to hide again.
"N-Nezumi!", he squeaked, covering his body which was wrapped comfortably in bandages, save for a healthy portion of skin above the shoulders. His neck was covered, however.
Then and only then did Nezumi realize the true depth in which this kid had been forced to endure.
Apparently, the side affects of the disease were fairly visible, and didn't take long to claim its victim. Shion's hair had changed entirely, the previously dull shade of brown now replaced with a vibrant white. His eyes were now a blood red, mimicking the finest red wine. To top it all off, a scar that perfectly matched a red snake, coiled up and around his body, up to the side of his face.
"So that's what happened.."
"You..You're not..scared?"
"Scared?", he chuckled, "Why would I be scared? You're not contagious. You're a survivor."
"Thank..Thank you..", he blushed slightly.
Now, whether it was the rush of seeing his roommate's newest form, or the fact he was enjoying his reaction, he wasn't sure. All he knew was, he found himself drawing in, closer and closer, until he met Shion in front of the mirror.
He tucked a hand underneath the boy's chin, gently lifting his face, "Now, in my opinion, your body really is beautiful, contagious or not."
Needless to say, Shion was a bright red, face flushed and all.
Though that wasn't enough, Nezumi decided, as he gently pressed his lips against his roommates, before quickly, but smoothly retreating. And just like that, he walked out, shut the door, and carried on as if nothing happened.
A/N:
I barely remember writing this. What's happening to me. Expect a part two. Probably.