Prompt 319: Make a list of the 10 Best Reasons to Share a Room with Your Best Friend.

Daichi turned up to him one day and asked him to be his roommate. Really. That was the reason Hibiki was here right now. Because, why not? They were both young adults, they were fresh out of high school, preparing to college... It would be a lot cheaper to pay only half a bill instead of a whole bill. So, when offered to room with Daichi, Hibiki said yes.

I mean, look: they would pay half of what they would need to pay living on their own. There would always be someone awake before them, so the coffee machine would probably be running already when the later awoke. And, okay, maybe the clothes thrown around weren't the best part, but at least when he couldn't get a time to wash his clothes, he could always just ask Daichi to leave them on the laundry downstairs when he went to put his own to wash. It was pretty good. Hibiki could even forgive the t-shirt that made its way into his bedroom that one day when Daichi got home drunk.

Besides, living with someone meant Hibiki was never alone. If there was something he hated, it was feeling lonely. It was like an empty ache on his chest, and he totally hated it. Rooming with Daichi, there was always someone there when he needed it. A snore in the air. A music thumping loudly behind closed doors. A laugh, the whispers of his voice talking on the phone. Someone to answer him when he wanted to talk.

Also, it meant there was someone to call back when he called he was home. Maybe it was a consequence of his not-so-happy family, but Hibiki really liked having someone around to receive him home after a long day out studying, or a day where he had to work.

And the meals! It was incredible to have someone with him, laughing at his jokes, thanking him for cooking. Hibiki liked to cook, and he was pretty good at it (he had to be, after having to cook for himself for some ten years now), but there was no joy in cooking for just oneself. Having someone to taste his food... That was a new thing. That was a nice new thing.

When winter rolled around, Hibiki found another great thing on having a roommate: heating! He arrived home, chilled to the bones, shivering inside his coat and scarf, and met... Heaven. Heavenly heaven. He could not hold back his moan, or the way he basically melted down on the place. Except, of course, there was a chilly wind coming from his back, so he rushed to close the door and melt down on the couch instead.

Heavenly heater! Daichi was an angel, turning the heater on before he arrived. Good gods. If this was Heaven... He mewled, and took place under his covers that were already waiting on the couch from where he had forgotten them this morning. Today had been his day of making coffee, and he could not part from his covers before strictly necessary. Now, he was hiding under them, because there was no way in Hell he would take any more cold.

Belatedly, he remembered he had not called out to Daichi to let him know he had arrived. So he did it now, basking up on the joy of hearing the lazy "Welcome back" that echoed from inside the rooms. Really. Why did they wait so long before rooming up?

Another vantage of rooming was one he discovered on a very bad day. Very bad day indeed. He had been worked to his bones by Yamato (he decided to skip college and just enter JPs, as Yamato had been bothering him. It had seemed like a good idea then. He shivered from thinking about it now; Yamato was a fierce boss. Too fierce, sometimes. It was no wonder everyone decided to take their problems to him instead. At least he didn't yell at them unless absolutely necessary), and could not make it to his bed before crashing down and falling asleep.

When he woke up, however, he was tucked in on his bed, covers pulled up to his chest as he liked, without any of his outer clothes. Dear Daichi. If he kept this up, Hibiki would end up marrying him!

Of course, he had to make up for it by putting Daichi on his own bed when he got home exhausted as well, but. Well. Why not? It was only fair.

When Daichi started dating Io, Hibiki was afraid he would be kicked out. Then he realized that, as his best and oldest friend, Hibiki was priority. So, instead of being kicked out so Daichi could have some time with Io (maybe even rooming up with her), Daichi made sure to include him on some of their time together.

Hibiki never felt as warm. It was embarrassing. He could not hide his blush, or his smile. He was just... It was just so... Daichi. Hibiki made sure to give the new couple some time alone, just to be sure. He could not bear the thought of being responsible for their possible break up.

Which ended up leading to his own date, in the end. Because, as he tried to give Daichi and Io some time and space, he ended up sleeping on JPs quarters quite a few times, and spending a lot more time with Yamato than he expected. Not that he didn't like Yamato; he was actually quite fond of him. Yamato was really nice, even if not a very normal kid. And now that Hibiki remembered their week (and Yamato as well), they had quite a lot to talk about.

Even so, it was quite a surprise when Yamato kissed him and he realized he didn't mind. Telling Daichi that he was dating his boss, however... Was quite a fearful moment. He was scared Daichi would leave him because of it. He had never even told him he was interested in men, let alone Yamato, who Daichi always thought to be scary (sometimes, Hibiki agreed with him). And then, Daichi surprised him quite a lot as well. He smiled and told him, "Oh, I was expecting something like this already. When are you bringing him home?" and Hibiki almost cried.

He did cry, later, when Daichi wasn't staring at him like that anymore. He... Had a home. For the first time ever, he had a home. Here, with his best friend, he had a home. It wasn't expected to be a permanent home; he would probably move out someday. Maybe go live with Yamato, if they were still together then. But... Even so, for this time being... Hibiki had a home.

A home where he was waited, loved, expected. Where people laughed with him, where people ate his food and complimented it. Where people said "welcome back", and "I'm home". Where he wasn't an extra wheel, despite the fact Daichi had a girlfriend. Where he was accepted for who he was.

Hibiki never thought he shouldn't have accepted to room with Daichi. But he was never so sure as right then that he had made the right choice rooming with Daichi.

End Notes:

If you're curious, the 10 things are as follow:

1: Bills.

2: Coffee.

3: Laundry.

4: Company.

5: "I'm home"/"Welcome back".

6: Meals.

7: Heater (A/C as well, I suppose).

8: Being led to bed.

9: Not being traded by a lover.

10: Being accepted/having a family.