Roommates: chapter 1 — 1950
Pairing: Shoko Ieiri x reader
Synopsis: ‘And they were roommates’ is something you’ve heard so many times, you’ve lost count of how many people began to assume that you and Shoko were secretly together under the guise of being purely friends, as if two women can’t live together without having to be with each other romantically, there’s no way you’d ever be with Shoko romantically but to Shoko that’s all she ever dreams about. Being with you, kissing you and so much more.
Content warning: wlw, reader experiences comphet (compulsory heterosexuality), reader is highkey inlove with Shoko, ‘and they were roommates’ trope, heavy angst, miscommunication, inability to confess, swearing, fighting, implication of nanami x reader, reader and shoko live together, shoko just being jealous, not apart of the canon timeline, jealousy from Shoko, Nanami slander.
credit: art- @/verazpberry & divider- @/bhavihelps
A/N: I wasn’t exactly proud of this chapter because I wanted to reach 4k words on this fanfic but unfortunately I couldn’t get to that point, but I’m too excited for this book because it’s the start of my many many fanfics and work. I hope you guys enjoy.
Your earliest memories of Shoko were you and her playing as a married couple within the walls of your home, away from the eyes of others that were not your parents but even then, your parents didn’t really see it as more than play, it’s what children do anyways. They play pretend and make belief with one another, living out their fantasies with one another.
This fantasy would play out from your younger years, only to come true in your high school years but you were not married but rather just roommates while in the Technical College in Tokyo before living together in your 20’s. It was better this way, you were comfortable with each other, you have experienced each other in ways no one else has. You are so close so why drop this fantasy of living with one another when you are adults.
When you met Shoko, you had been the one to reach out to her. On that field in middle school when you approached her and her friend group, you had quickly fit right in with them, and you would quickly fall for Shoko’s charm. You were doomed from the start, the second your eyes were set on her smile, you were drawn in and her charismatic personality that would draw in boys and girls alike, her wits and attitude were the beginning and end of you.
At first you had tried to live far from everyone when you had come to realise how draining the city could truly was but you had moved back later after a couple of months of being deprived of her presence. You had turned to live with her in general, she would welcome with the warmest arms that she could. Insisting you make the place your home in anyway that you had wanted to and so you did, and there was no compliant when you made the apartment warmer than before.
Now you walk through that warmth that you have created, the faint steps of your feet, is all that is heard as you approach, the bathroom, before you gently knocked on the door of the bathroom, “Shoko, you’ve been in there for an hour!” You yelled as you tried to open the door only for it be barely budge, “I’m coming,” she lowly responded, you could hardly hear it if you weren’t paying attention to her voice as the door made a soft sound to indicate that the door was unlocked, you immediately push the door open to see Shoko brushing her hair, “You know the bathroom isn’t going to runaway, you could’ve been patient,” she said attempting to tie her hair up, you stood in-front of the door watching her struggle for a bit before she finally tied her hair up.
There’s a certain calm in the air as you begin to brush your teeth. Shoko continues you look at herself in the mirror, you’re staring at her whenever you look up to stare in the mirror, she’s captivating in the morning as the sun hits through the windows, casting this blurring light over her before she sighs, “what are your plans for today?” She finally breaks the silence as he stands behind you, and despite the lack of contact you still feel the warmth of her body against your own, you took a deep breath in before spitting the toothpaste, “There’s no plans for today, but I am thinking of studying a bit. I just feel incredibly behind on my studies, Kento sent me the pages from the lecture I missed,” you told her half heartedly as you looked at her in the mirror as she shook her head, “Nanami?” She responded in that peeved tone of hers that makes your stomach uncomfortably churn, “Cmon, Sho,” you frowned as you gruffly placed your toothbrush on the sink, “We’ve spoken about this, if you have a problem with Kenny then I beg you to tell me what it is!”
“I do not have a problem. He surely is a great guy that I trust, there is nothing to complain about from my side, but I am just irked that you would choose him. There is surely other people who are not as pompous as he is.” She countered, there’s this sharp sarcasm laced on every word, it’s an annoying thing that makes your skin crawl, “He is not pompous. Infact his incredibly humble and down to earth, you would know if you had actually given him a chance at diner rather than entirely skipping the diner. I was hurt by that Sho… I really was.” You voice had a hint of a forlorn attitude in your voice, Shoko cannot even think to counter that in the moment, not when you are upset with her.
“I went over to study with a friend; I will tell you next time. “ she just finalized, clearly accepting defeat by your hands. You hated when Shoko acted like this, this bitter person who cannot seem to be happy for you, she would not dare to give Nanami a chance. She has never met him yet in her mind Nanami is this evil man who is only with you as a way to break your spirit like some sort of dementor, there’s no winning when she’s become increasingly stubborn as time goes on and as your relationship with Nanami develop further.
Living with Shoko in the big city of Tokyo had been amazing but you had hoped that Shoko would one day whisk you away and back to the country side, far from the loud buzzing of the city of Tokyo but it was hard for that desire to come true when Shoko had this attachment to the people here, from Suguru to Satoru and Utahime. They have some from of grip on her that she’d refuse to even attempt to break free from. She could spend her late hours smoking on the balcony of the apartment, endlessly complaining about the fact that she has this deep distain for the people in the city and how she’d love to runaway from this place to countryside with you, and get a cat that’ll live within the walls of your home. You wouldn’t have to worry about the anxiety and every growing stress that the city life would produce for you, you could have your own garden to take care of together but you knew better than to believe Shoko’s rants by now. She lives for the high the city produces for her, she’s experiences withdrawal symptoms the second she couldn’t see the tall buildings and sees more grass than gravel. Even for the few months you were far from the city, the idea of Shoko leaving the city didn’t seem to please her, despite you already establishing a home for yourself there and spot perfectly carved out for her. She wouldn’t even visit.
Shoko doesn’t seem to understand that she’s a victim of topophilia, she genuinely thinks that she can leave whenever she wants but you can see right through that mindset. You feel ready to give it all up the second she says she wants to give up the city but when you stare at her as she leaves the bathroom, the chances of that happening seem to go to zero, though you do catch a whiff of that perfume that would later be tainted with the smell of cigarettes.
You deeply breathe before following the scent — well before following her, you have always followed her. You leave the bathroom and stalk behind her as she picks up her coat swiftly, and it on the rack by the door before turning to you, and she stares like always. She lingers on your lips before she slowly meets your eyes and you reciprocate the contact, your eyes settling comfortably on her face. Taking in everything that seems to stand out on her face. Her eyebags, pale skin, her mole that rests just below her left eye, it really makes her features stand out more than they would on a regular person but Shoko isn’t regular person, not to you anyway.
“I’m sorry, I really am… about missing that dinner with Nanami. I was an asshole.” She approached you slowly, her eyes staring attentively at you as she cupped your face, cradling your face gently in her hands as if you were made of glass, “I was a dick. I can’t imagine how much that meant to you in the moment, it was selfish. I don’t want you to think I’m unsupportive, pretty girl,” she murmured in a desperate tone as she leaned in, closing whatever face that was created between you and her. You couldn’t help it when your lips parted, agape in utter shock, “I want you to know that I’m genuinely sorry, it was my mistake, I don’t mean to be so selfish,” she finalized, before resting her forehead on yours, and you swallowed hard, at the proximity before you let out a shaking sigh.
“I just really want you to meet him.” You murmured as croaked on the last part,
“He couldn’t possibly be this impressive.”
“What could be so special about him anyway? He is a man who works a nine to five, there’s nothing impressive about those type of guys.”
“He is a great guy, I swear—“
“He couldn’t be better than me,” she blurts up and the room begins to fall into utter silence before she decides to go into the kitchen, “should I make you tea?” She asks you as if she didn’t just say that, the kettle turning on.
“Yeah but what do you mean by that?” You asked her as you said following her into the kitchen, “I’m rather confused,” you added. “I actually have to go through my notes, I’m clocking into the clinic tonight,” she says, skillfully dodging your question but you’re getting frustrated, “Shoko! I’m asking you a question?” You added, “You can invite this guy over, on Friday.” She says pouring the hot water from the kettle before the kettle could whistle, she pushes the tea across the counter to infront of you, “what?” You said with furrow eyebrows, as she shook her head and began to walk away, “you’ll meet him?” You responded genuinely not believing her as you grabbed her arm from across the table, “answer me,” you demanded and she turned your head to you so quick it made your head spin, “what’s your problem?” She immediately asked you, “my problem? I asked you a question why did you think you’re better than Kento, you asked her frustrated by her dense act, “cut the shit, I’m not in the mood for you to be acting dense,” you said firmly.
“Please do tell me more.”
“You’re so dense you can’t even tell that I’m better than him for you.”
You scoffed at the claim before rolling your eyes, Shoko couldn’t help but get frustrated at your attitude She didn’t even understand why she was getting frustrated, it wasn’t about the dinner or about you, it was Kento. He wasn’t she wanted for you, she wanted the best for you. She doesn’t want some regular miserable guy by your side, she wanted you to be with someone extraordinary, far beyond a man that was a regular civilian. She’s internally pleading for you to understand that what’s best is right in front of you, it’s always been right infront of you but you couldn’t seem to see that like she did, when you cried about boys and when she showed you things that you’d have never known before. She thought you’d see that men weren’t what you need, they’d never satisfy you and the idea that maybe she was wrong and you indeed could get satisfaction from a man brought about more fear than it did reassurance.
She wants you to realize that all you’ve ever needed from a man, was what you truly wanted from her.
taglist: @love4amelia , @bruwnetty