A/N: So, this story may turn out a little longer than I had originally planned. We're a few chapters in and nothing has really happened yet. At least, nothing I had planned to happen has happened. But nobody's going to be upset if this ends up 20+ chapters, right?

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned Kaoru and Ryou, or at the very least knew where they lived so I could watch all the awkwardness.

"Well, here we are. This is my building."

Kaoru halted and stared upwards, taking in the entire apartment complex. "Wow, Ryou. You must be lucky to live here."

Ryou snorted. He knew his apartment building was nothing special. It was just a gray building with several stories of uniform-size apartments. It wasn't a rundown piece of crap, but it wasn't nearly as spectacular as Kaoru made it seem.

He eyed Kaoru. He was still staring upwards, his eyes wide with wonder. It was the same expression he had worn when Ryou had pointed out the GranTokyo Towers and the Imperial Palace along the way. Ryou sighed. Kaoru really needed to get out more often.

"Well? Are you going to stand there all day staring or are you going to come inside?"

Kaoru snapped out of his reverie. "Yes, please," he said meekly. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. "It's getting a little cold out here."

Of course Kaoru was cold. He probably weighed as much as a grade-school kid.

Ryou sighed. "I'll make you some soup."

Kaoru followed him obediently into the lobby, but began trailing behind, distracted by the row of mail slots, or maybe the sad little tree in the corner. Ryou grabbed his hand and yanked him in the direction of the elevator. "I live on the eighth floor," he explained. "Stick with me or you're going to get lost."

Kaoru was still holding onto his hand in the elevator. As it started up, he made a surprised squeak and bumped against Ryou. "Sorry," he said quietly.

"You really, really do need to get out more often," Ryou said. "When was the last time you've been in an elevator?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Maybe three or four years ago? I think it was in a department store." He frowned. "Yes, I remember. Two girls were following me around, asking if they could come into the dressing room with me." His face reddened. "I think that was the last time I went shopping on my own. Mother does all the shopping now."

"Shit," Ryou said. "We're not all assholes like that."

Kaoru smiled. "No, you're right. You've been so wonderful to me. Thank you." He reached out slowly, his long delicate fingers brushing against Ryou's cheek.

Ryou froze. There was nothing forcing him to remain in place as Kaoru stepped closer, his palm now cupping his cheek, gently caressing him the way Endrance would. His face was hot, his palm was sweaty, and his stomach tightened painfully. But he just couldn't move.

"I want you to understand how grateful I am to have met you," Kaoru murmured.

And Ryou was grateful when the elevator pinged as it reached the eighth floor. He coughed and slipped out of Kaoru's grasp, setting a brisk pace towards his apartment. He didn't even look back to see if Kaoru was following him. He unlocked the door to his apartment, kicked it open and headed straight into the kitchen to start making the soup.

He cringed at the sound of the front door creaking shut and then Kaoru's quiet footsteps across the linoleum floor behind him.

"Ryou?" Kaoru asked quietly. "Are you mad at me?"

Ryou's hands tightened around the soup pan as he felt Kaoru's gentle touch against his shoulder. "No, no. I'm not mad. I'm perfectly fine."

"What's wrong? Have I said something?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just want to get started on this soup."

"Alright," Kaoru said. He didn't sound entirely convinced, but to Ryou's relief, he dropped his hand and took a step back.

Ryou worked to bring himself back under control. It was just soup. Just pouring the can of soup into a pan and heating it up on the stove. He could do this, even with Kaoru right behind him, watching him as he worked.

He shuddered and looked over his shoulder. Kaoru was examining the portrait of his family he had hung on the wall, running delicate fingers over the frame. "You look so young," Kaoru murmured.

"Well, I was fourteen in that one. That was before I started high school or anything."

"It's a beautiful picture. You all look so happy." Kaoru shifted, adjusting the backpack on his shoulders.

"Just toss your shit on the couch," Ryou said. He gestured to the living room with the spoon. "The soup will be ready in just a few minutes. Go explore the living room or something."

That was all it took for Kaoru to wander off and give him a few minutes to finish stirring the soup. Ryou's living room wasn't very big. There was room for a couch, a TV, and a tiny bookcase crammed full of school books and gaming magazines. But since Kaoru wanted to know all about him, he was probably poring over every single magazine.

Ryou was beginning to feel a little better about having Kaoru over. He didn't mind Kaoru looking through his magazines. If Kaoru just hung out on his couch reading, it meant he wasn't hovering over him. And when he wasn't hovering, Ryou could almost pretend he was just a normal friend, not someone who was obsessed with him. At the moment, he didn't care if Kaoru was enjoying the thought of touching something he had touched. What mattered was that Kaoru was entertaining himself instead of making awkward comments and being weirdly touchy-feely.

Ryou ladled out soup into two bowls and set it out on the table. He hadn't really wanted a table, as he ate most of his meals in his room at the computer. But now he was grateful for the little table and two chairs he had shoved into the corner of the kitchen.

"Come on, Kaoru. It's ready."

"A table for two. How romantic."

And the awkwardness was back.

Ryou scowled. "Just eat your soup." He hoped that once Kaoru had something to eat and was feeling warmer, he wouldn't be so clingy.

Kaoru slowly sank down into his chair. "Thank you, Ryou. It looks delicious."

Ryou wolfed down a few bites before he looked up and noticed that Kaoru was tentatively stirring his soup as if he expected a wild beast to leap out. "What's the matter? You don't like chicken noodle?"

Kaoru traced the edge of the bowl with his spoon. "How can I dislike something you have so kindly prepared for me?"

Ryou sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. This was just like giving gifts to Endrance. Endrance had always thanked him for everything, no matter how small or useless the item was. It had been hard at first to figure out what he really enjoyed and what he merely tolerated, just because it came from Haseo. But over time he had recognized the subtle clues when Endrance's enthusiasm had seemed less than genuine. So now he could tell that Kaoru wasn't at all fond of the soup. He just wasn't willing to admit it.

"If you don't like chicken noodle, I can make you something else."

"No, no. This is fine." Kaoru lifted up a small lump of chicken to his mouth and then gingerly lowered it back to the bowl. He met Ryou's eyes with a sheepish smile. "This has nothing to do with your cooking, Ryou."

"It's just instant soup. I didn't make it."

"Oh." Kaoru gently pushed the bowl into the middle of the table. Ryou dumped the contents into his own bowl. He was planning on having seconds anyway.

Ryou took another bite of soup before he saw Kaoru watching him and remembered his manners. "So, what can I get for you instead?"

"I'm not that hungry," Kaoru said. "Please don't burden yourself."

Ryou ignored him and got up to rummage through the pantry. "There's clam chowder and minestrone. And I think I have some leftover beef udon in the fridge."

"Maybe just a cup of tea. If that's not too much bother."

Ryou put his hands on his hips and tried to look menacing. "I'm not letting you starve yourself because you don't want me to make you a simple bowl of soup. Pick something."

Kaoru fidgeted with his hands in his lap. "I don't really eat meat."

"Fuck, Kaoru. Why didn't you say so?"

Kaoru looked down. "I've done nothing but upset you this entire time. It's because I'm weak, isn't it?"

"Kaoru, I-"

"It's so much easier online when you don't have to worry about people staring at you and laughing at you because you say all the wrong things." He reached his hand across the table and placed it over Ryou's. "I want to wrap my arms around you to convince myself that you're real, that you're not a dream or illusion, that I'm not still inside the World. Endrance has many friends, but I can't remember the last time anyone wanted to be friends with Kaoru."

Kaoru looked like he was about to cry and Ryou suddenly felt sorry for being so annoyed with him. He squeezed Kaoru's hand. "You're not weak, okay? You've gone way outside of your comfort zone and if you were weak, you wouldn't bother trying. What you are is, well, a little weird."

"Only a little?"

Ryou squinted at him. Kaoru's eyes had stopped watering and he was putting on a brave face.

"Well, most people don't declare their undying devotion for someone they've just met."

"We didn't just meet. I met you a month ago at the arena, although then I was too blind to see you for how wonderful you were."

"That's the point. We've known each other's characters. But we don't really know each other."

"You're Haseo. That's all I need to know."

Ryou gritted his teeth. "Fine, whatever. I don't care that you like me. But can you try to be less weird about it? I don't want you all over me."

"I understand, Ryou."

"Good. Now, if you don't eat meat….I think I have some tofu in the fridge, and maybe some leftover noodles."

"Don't cook a big meal just for me. I don't eat much anyway."

"Well, you're going to eat something. You're a stick anyway and if you don't eat, you're going to waste away into nothing."

"You're concerned about me?" Kaoru sounded touched.

"Of course I'm concerned!" Ryou fought to keep his face from getting hot. "I mean, as a friend. I just don't want to see you getting sick. So, yes, I'm concerned about your health. I'm allowed to worry about you, okay?"

"I'd like that," Kaoru said, his mouth curving into a dreamy smile.

Ryou was afraid Kaoru was reading too much into it. But then, he had said too much, tried to clarify because he was afraid he was giving him the wrong idea. He hated how flustered he was around him. He was the one with the social life, and he was being just as awkward as Kaoru.

He was spared further musings as classical music began filtering in from the living room. "What the hell?"

Kaoru trailed after him as he marched into the living room and began digging under the couch cushions. Maybe his mother had accidentally left her cell phone the last time she had been over to check how he was settling into his apartment.

Kaoru reached into his backpack. "I think my phone is ringing." Kaoru held it in his palm, staring at it in wonder as if it were a foreign object he had just discovered.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer it?"

"I don't know who would possibly be calling me."

"You're not meeting up with Saku later, are you?"

Kaoru shuddered. "No, never. I only have eyes for you."

Ryou gritted his teeth. "You're being weird again."

"Sorry." Kaoru gingerly opened the phone and glanced at the display. "Oh, it's Mother."

"You didn't tell her you'd be going out?" Kaoru's mother was probably having a heart attack, thinking her son had been kidnapped or something. She'd probably never guess that he had voluntarily left the house after a year without leaving his room.

Kaoru frowned. "I'm sure I left her a note." But he pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello? Mother? Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine. No, I wasn't planning on staying long." He looked questioningly at Ryou. "Oh, that sounds serious. Yes, Mother. I'll find out."

He snapped the phone closed and held it in his palm for a brief moment without saying anything.

"Well? What did she say?"

Kaoru rubbed his shoulder. "You don't have to let me stay if you don't want to, but I'm afraid I won't be able to get back home tonight. There's been an accident along the train route and service has been suspended for at least a few hours. It's already late and it would be easier to stay here, but if you would rather, I can try and find a hotel room."

Ryou sighed. "Don't bother. You can crash here for the night."

"Thank you, Ryou. I'm so glad."

"Whatever. No big deal. Now, about what you're going to eat for dinner…"