Unlikely Pair (DXR)

Chapter 5: Trust Is Given, Respect Is Earned

Y/N bought their snack, still conversating with April at the register. Y/N figured they'd wait for April to finish her shift, and they could talk some more into the night. "I'll be over here when your shift is over!" Y/N calls over to April. A couple of short hours had passed, and April finally clocked out for the evening. "Thanks for waiting, whew what a day!" April says as she stretches her arms above her head. They begin to walk towards Y/N's apartment. April didn't need to be home, so Y/N offered for her to stay the night since it's closer to her job. "I mean if you want, it's not a big place but my couch folds out into a bed." Y/N admits shyly. April laughs and gives Y/N a playful shoulder bump. "Don't sweat it, it's nice having a normal friend." As they walked down the empty street sidewalk, April stopped in her tracks in front of a random building. "Huh? What are you doing?" Y/N tilted their head confused looking at April. April just as confused pointed at the building she stood in front of. "Isn't this your building? This is where we dropped you off last time." April questioned. Y/N's face dropped, they rubbed the back of their neck nervously and said guiltily, "Actually I live two more blocks up this way, I may have lied, since I didn't know you guys. Safety first, right? Heh." April stared at Y/N, then the building and back to Y/N. She simply chuckles and slightly shakes her head back and forth, smiling. "No, I totally get it, smart move." They continued their walk up the street the last two blocks. Going up several flights of stairs, Y/N unlocks their door and holds the door open for April. "Locals first." Y/N chuckles pretending to bow to royalty. April laughs and does a curtsey; she takes a look around as she walks through the door.

There is little no furniture besides a futon couch, a nightstand with two drawers, and a laptop on a small desk. It was surrounded by random scraps of gadgets and gizmos. The layout of the apartment is simple, basic, and very open. The kitchen, living room, and bedroom are all connected with no walls to separate them. The bathroom is off to the left next to a door, which turns out to be a decent sized closet. The wooden floor is creaky and obviously very worn, while the walls have old stripped off wallpaper that expose the old brick beneath it, clearly needing a touch-up. The kitchen counter as some paper plates that are obviously used, and a few plastic soda bottles lay next to the futon. "S-Sorry if the place is a mess, I wasn't expecting company tonight. Let me clean up real fast, and we can watch something on my laptop if you'd like." Y/N said casually as they started to pick up the little bit of trash that's here and there throughout the apartment. April just stands in the doorway, her eyes wide, and mouth hung open, Y/N takes the small family photo from the counter and places it in the dresser behind a pair of shorts. After a few minutes Y/N finally notices that April hasn't moved and starts to get nervous. "L-Look, I-I know it's not much but-oof!" April runs into Y/N, slamming them into a tight embrace, tears slowly falling down her cheeks.  Y/N gets the air knocked out of them, trying to process what just happened. Y/N stands ridged. Very uncomfortable with the sudden physical contact but Y/N let her hug them regardless. It almost felt nice.

A feeling they were unfamiliar with, clearing their throat, Y/N asks, "Ahem, umm... Are you... okay?" They awkwardly pat her back, April pushes Y/N out by the shoulders, holding them just arm's length away. With watery eyes, April stares deep into Y/N's, seeming to contemplate what she needs to say. After what feels like an eternity, April takes a deep breath, letting go of Y/N, wiping her eyes and placing her hands on her hips. "So, you really are out on your own, huh?" She finally asks. Y/N looks down solemnly, holding onto their arm, and they nod silently. This makes Aprils heart ache. She sighs and crosses her arms, "We need to get you some more stuff friend." April states. Y/N stares at her dumbfounded, "But I have all the basics I'd need to live. Food, Water, Shelter, and my laptop what more could I ask for?" April signs placing her palm on her face. "You and Donnie are so much alike its almost frustrating." Y/N's ears perked up, but they cough to clear the air. "A-Anyway, would you like any ramen? I have chicken and pork flavors." April shrugs and goes to sit on the futon, "Whatever you make is fine with me, at least it's not pizza."

Late into the night, Y/N and April talk about their favorite shows and what hobbies they are interested in. As they laugh and enjoy each other's company Y/N remembers something April had said earlier that night. "So, why do you think Donnie and I are similar?" Y/N asks nonchalantly sipping on their Ramen broth. April chugs hers and with a satisfied sigh wiping her mouth she replies, "Because you both have a purple hoodie and are emotionally distant towards others." Y/N's cheeks flush, slightly embarrassed. April gets an idea and jumps off the futon scaring Y/N, "Hey! why don't you come with me somewhere really quick?" Y/N clutching their chest calming their nerves stares at April. "But it's like three in the morning?" They say looking at their phone. "I know, I know, but trust me you'll want to see this." April smiles and grabs her tennis shoes slipping them on standing by the door ready to go. "Ugh, alright fine I trust you, for now." Y/N sighs chuckling grabbing their boots.

April leads them down an alley not too far from where Y/N had seen those Foot Clan leaders, anxious Y/N starts to scratch their inner forearm. "So, where exactly are we going?" Y/N questions, their head on a swivel keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. "That my dear, is a secret! Don't worry it's nowhere bad." April claims as she struggles to open a manhole cover. Y/N raises an eyebrow, "Riiiiiiight...." They sigh and help April; they quickly slip down into the sewer tunnel. April closes the cover above them just before jumping down. "Alright this way, watch your step it can get slippery." April takes off down the dark tunnel, Y/N struggles to see and places a hand against the slimy sewer wall. They gag hard several times, trying not throw up. after a few short steps Y/N hears what sounds like music and people conversating.

(Hey! Vyn here, Please vote ⭐️ if you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to comment your thoughts/opinions down below! I'd love to hear from you, the reader! I want to continue to learn ASL myself, hopefully I can soon!)