Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Shinigami cringed at the sight of the bags under his eyes, quickly ducking his head to wash his face once more. The freezing water did wonders with shocking his senses awake after the excruciating 15-hour flight. Lifting up his hoodie to dry off his face, Shinigami tossed his bag over his shoulder, giving himself one last check over in the mirror before grabbing his suitcase and heading out of the washroom.
The airport in Sendai was more lively and filled with chatter, mainly because it was the middle of the day in Japan. Yawning tiredly, Shinigami began to make his way to the baggage claim, trying his best to ignore the sideway glances and stares from all those around him. With his mix blood, his mother from Japan while his father was born and raised in the US, Shinigami had quite unique facial features.
He looked foreign compared to those who were full Japanese, but anyone who could see straight could tell that he wasn't completely caucasian. Shinigami was blessed with his mother's gorgeous sapphire-colored eyes and a flawless complexion, inheriting only his father's built bone structure and naturally silky hair. Another thing he got from his father was his height.
6'7 in stature, 205 centimetres to be precise.
His height came with many advantages and disadvantages, but after hitting his growth spurt at 13, he quickly grew used to it and the staring that followed. Still, constantly having that feeling that someone's eyes were on him was unnerving, making so that in public he was never relaxed.
After claiming his two large suitcases, throwing both of them onto a trolly, Shinigami headed out to find a taxi that didn't take long with his 'birds-eye' view. Handing over the address the male sat back and turned his music back on, gazing out the window as the long drive began.
'I've been sitting for so long...when I drop everything off I'll go for a run...'
- - -
'You...have to be kidding me...' Staring at the broken elevator sign with a look do dispair, Shinigami let out a strained sigh as a vein popped in his forehead out of annoyance. 'Goddammit...' Figuring that he might as well not wallow around he picked up one of his giant suitcases along with his smaller one, moving those up one flight of stairs before going back down to the lobby to get his other case.
He kept on repeating this process until finally reaching the 8th floor, panting and covered in a sheen of sweat. Fumbling with the keys as his slightly red and sore hands shook, the male had to use his body to push against the door for it to open all the way. A cloud of dust instantly shot out at him causing him to start coughing, waving his other hand to try and get rid of the dust clouds.
'I thought auntie was cleaning this place??...' Hauling all the suitcases inside Shinigami locked the door, turning to the light switch. He flicked it on, relieved that the lights at least were turning on without fail. 'I did pay the rent before coming just in case...' Keeping his shoes on since practically everything in the room was covered in a thick layer of dust, memories of growing up began to flood into the now 16-year-old's mind.
He could almost hear the way his mother used to laugh whenever five-year-old Shinigami used to run around the apartment butt naked after his bathes. Her joy-filled smile that was etched into the back of his mind filled his body with nostalgic feelings. A fond smile found it's way onto his lips, his body loosened up and relaxed. However, that was quick to change back to his usual tense figure when his eyes landed back on the suitcases.
The small carry of suitcase to be exact.
'There's still so much work to be done...' Taking his phone out of his pocket the male called up a local cleaning lady who he used to know before moving. Back then the woman was only 30, so she should still be around the area since he specifically remembered her saying how she hated moving around.
His suspicions were correct when the call went through after the second ring.
"Moshi Moshi." The smile from before reappeared on the boy's faces at the sound of the woman's rough voice. She always was a thick-skinned woman with the heart of a bull.
"Auntie, it's me." There was silence, before the sound of things crashing on the other line. It sounded like a shelf covered in metal buckets had fallen over, along with a string of curses in Russian. "Are you-," The call was ended, a breathy chuckle escaping Shinigami's mouth. Stuffing his phone back into his pocket the male decided to move the suitcases and his backpack away front the front door and into the dining area.
Not even five minutes after the phone call the sound of keys jingling outside was heard. The door was unlocked and practically knocked down as the beefy woman stormed inside, her red eyes instantly focusing on Shinigami who looked like a deer caught in a pair of headlights.
"Мой мальчик! (My Boy!)," Misha Melvin pulled the taller male into a bone-crushing hug, easily lifting him a couple of inches off the floor. Wrapping his arms around the shorter woman Shinigami smiled back, feeling at home even though he was starting to lose feeling in his lower half. After swinging the poor boy around (who was respectful enough not to complain), Misha set him back on his feet, stepping back to get a full look at how tall he's grown. "My! You were shorter than me before you moved!"
Shinigami looked over the woman, glad to see that she hadn't changed that much in all the years he was away. She still had the same old buzz cut which showed off the gigantic scar running along her scalp from the successful tumour surgery. Her arms were buff and packed with muscle, which was in contrast to her round stomach which jiggled when she would laugh. Even with the way she looked being the total opposite of what Japan's standards of beauty were, Shinigami found her to be the most beautiful. Second to his mother of course, but still above everyone else.
"Maybe you're shrinking auntie~," Instantly Shinigami received a punch to the stomach which made him double over and cough. Smiling at the boy who tried his best to regain his breath, Misha walked back out the door, dragging inside all of her cleaning equipment.
"Now, get get! Go adventure or whatever you hormonal teenagers do!" Rolling his eyes, Shinigami didn't dare to argue. Instead, he nodded, grabbing his wallet along with his phone, headphones, and keys.
Before he left he poked his head back into the apartment. "...Milk bread?"
"Of course!" Ducking before he could get hit by the flying bottle of cleaner, Shinigami stumbled out of the apartment, slamming the door closed behind him.
The sudden slam of the door caused the other teenager on the same floor to jump, whirling around only to lock eyes with Shinigami who was leaning against his door. The two looked at one another with shocked expressions before the taller out of the two relaxed.
"Sorry about that, didn't scare you too much did I?" The other shook his head, turning around fully to face who he guessed to be his neighbour. Wait, neighbour...that apartment...it belongs to...
His olive-brown eyes widened significantly from their usual bored look, tearing up just the slightest. There was no way he was mistaken with who was before him. From the way, his messy dark cocoa hair swooped in front of his captivating eyes. After all, Ushijima had never met anyone else with such beautiful sapphire eyes as his.
"Shi...Shini?" Hearing that voice sparked many emotions within Shinigami who gasped lightly, his eyes widened as they filled with realization at who was standing before him. After he was forced to move, he had lost contact with his childhood best friend and neighbour and had totally forgotten about him after a couple of years.
But now, everything was coming back to him.
Without responding, Shinigami stumbled forward, pulling Ushijima into a hug which the latter gladly accepted. Both tightly held the other in their arms, refusing to let go as a few tears were shed from both sides. Burying his face into Shinigami's collarbone, Ushijima sniffled, his hands gripping and balling up the material on the back of the taller's hoodie.
Shinigami had to bend down at an awkward angle due to the height difference, but he didn't mind one bit. Grinning into Ushijima's shoulder as his body trembled from the happy sobs that left his body, soon his knees grew weak, forcing the duo to slide down onto the ground, still refusing to let go of each other.
Backing up only a little, Shinigami brought up a hand, cupping Ushijima's cheek as he used his thumb to wipe away the tears as they escaped his eyes. Leaning into his touch the older of the two found himself grinning back, blurry vision improving.
"Y-You don't know how happy I am to see you again..." Not even bothered that he was getting his pants dirty, Shinigami wiped his face dry before pulling Ushijima back into a hug, but this time it was more gentle and less needy. Melting into him, Ushijima brought a hand up, running his lanky fingers through the other's soft and silky hair.
'So soft...' Closing his eyes he leaned into Shinigami, the grin on his lips falling into a content smile. 'Warm...'
Eventually, Shinigami pulled back, standing up before pulling Ushijima up to his feet as well. Calming down from the exciting reunion, the two stared at one another, taking a minute to really process the fact that they were meeting once more.
"I have to buy some groceries, wanna tag along?" Ushijima instantly nodded causing Shinigami to chuckle lightly. 'He's like a giant puppy!...'
The two conversed and caught up with one another about almost everything that had happened in the years since Shinigami moved away. Ushijima talked about getting into Shiratorizawa and everything he did on the volleyball team. Including how he was picked to be on the 19 and under team to represent Japan at nationals.
'Honestly, I'm not surprised, but who would have thought that we both would go play in the same sport...' Shinigami loved to watch the passion that sparked in Ushijima's eyes when he spoke enthusiastically about his team and how they were the best in the entire prefecture. 'Heh, is he trying to impress me?'
"What about you?" With his hands stuffed into his hoodie pocket, Shinigami turned his gaze from the male at his left to the sky above them.
"I also started to play volleyball after settling down in America." Ushijima's eyes widened with delight, but he almost stopped walking when he saw the flash of fear cross his friend's face. "Last year my team was so close to going to Nationals, but we blew it in the finals." The practiced lie came out smoothly, and yet Ushijima was still able to pick up that something wasn't right. Deciding not to pry too much into Shinigami's business, Ushijima kept his mouth shut as the two entered the grocery store.
Holding the basket, Ushijima followed Shinigami around as he picked up all the things he would need for at least a week of living. The shorter male instantly noticed the whispers and hushed conversations of some of the other people in the store. He didn't know why but an uncomfortable feeling bubbled up in his chest at the sight of girls ogling at Shinigami's handsome features.
'Am I sick?...'
"Hello~? Anything in there?" Realizing his name was being called, Ushijima glanced up at Shinigami who gave him a curious look. He was quick to notice how close their faces were to one another, quickly snapping his head in the other direction.
Noticing that Ushijima's face was starting to turn a lovely shade of red, Shinigami smirked, backing off just the slightest. 'It's too early to start teasing him~,' Grabbing the last of the things on his mental list to buy, Shinigami headed for the checkout, grabbing Ushijima's free hand to drag him along.
Ushijima stared at the larger hand wrapped around his, shocked by how warm and comforting it felt. However, that warmth quickly disappeared when Shinigami began to scan all the items, packing them into bags with the help of one of the attendants who worked there. The girl was obviously flirting, trying her best to get as close to Shinigami as she could.
"Wow~ You must be so strong to be able to carry all this!~" Practically pressing her chest into Shinigami who was starting to get annoyed by her presence, the blonde-haired female batted her long (fake) lashes up at him. Before Ushijima could intervene, the words that left Shinigami's mouth shocked him and the girl.
With an almost sickeningly seductive smirk on his lips, Shinigami wrapped an arm around Ushijima's shoulder, pulling him close to him in one swift movement. Their bodies were flush against each other like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly with one another.
"Sorry sweetheart, but I'm not into girls." The girl's jaw was dropped slightly, an embarrassed blush covering her cheeks. Luckily for her Shinigami hadn't said what he said very loudly, so she was spared only a little embarrassment. She stuttered out an apology before excusing herself for a break.
Once she was gone Shinigami released his arm around Ushijima, turning to his friend who looked just as embarrassed as the girl. He hated that he actually really enjoyed watching the girl rush off, relieved that the handsome male who he got to call his friend chose him over her. She was truly attractive, with a shapely body and facial features. So for him to be chosen above her, it made him feel...good.
"Sorry about that," Nodding since he didn't trust his voice at that moment, Ushijima helped to carry half the bags, quickly walking out of the store with Shinigami hot on his trail.
The walk back to their apartment building was a silent one, but not uncomfortable. Occasionally Ushijima would glance over at Shinigami only to find him in deep thought, something that happened a lot even when he was just five. The way his eyebrows would scrunch up was a dead giveaway.
"Wait." Stopping, Ushijima set down one of the bags before turning to Shinigami who still had his eyebrows slightly scrunched up. Bringing a hand up Ushijima used his thumb to massage between Shinigami's eyebrows. "Stop doing that, you'll get wrinkles." Instantly he burst out laughed, nodding at his friend who quickly picked up the bag so they could continue heading home.
"Thanks for helping me bring all this home Toshi," The familiar nickname made Ushijima get a bubbly feeling in his chest.
"N-No problem..." While Ushijima began to mentally scold himself for stuttering, Shinigami quickly placed the bags inside his apartment before turning back to his friend. With a small fond smile on his face, he bent down, once more hugging the shorter male before pulling back.
"See you around," With that farewell Shinigami stepped into his apartment, locking the door behind him.
The scent of cleaner instantly reached his nose, shocked to see that both all the dust and Auntie Misha was gone. There was a note on the desk explaining how she had to leave early due to an appointment and that she would return tomorrow morning to finish the rest. Smiling at how clean the apartment was, Shinigami began to unpack all the groceries into the kitchen, leaving the milk bread where Auntie would find it tomorrow.
Once that was finished the now exhausted male stumbled into his old bedroom. The room was empty except for the suitcases lined up along the wall and the futon neatly placed on the floor. Changing into a pair of boxers Shinigami flopped down on the temporary bed, checking the list of things he had to do on his phone.
'Bills are done. Cleaning...practically done. Groceries check...ah,' The male narrowed his eyes at what he had typed down. 'School...I still have to enroll...' Setting an alarm before switching his phone off, Shinigami stared up at the ceiling which still had the glue on glow in the dark stars from his childhood. 'Maybe I should go to Karasuno. That is the school mum went do growing up...and it's not too far away. I'll be entering the school late, and in the second year, I believe? Man, the school system here sure is weird...'
Pulling up the covers Shinigami's gaze moved from the stars on the ceiling to the small suitcase in the room.
"Goodnight Eddie..."