"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

"I've already worn your clothes enough over the past few days!"

"Well I don't see you jumping to go out and buy new clothes, so unless you want to wear dirty clothes, this is pretty much your only choice."

Having wanted to clothe himself after sleeping in the same set of clothes for the past few days with one of the only outfits that was his own in the apartment, Onodera was caught by Takano before he could get out of the shared bed.

Takano claimed that he would be doing laundry today, and attempted to coax the brunet into wearing something out of his wardrobe again. Suffice to say, it wasn't going very well.

It took lots of convincing to get Onodera to put on one of his shirts and an old pair of shorts that went no further than his knees. However, as luck would have it, rain started coming down after they ate their breakfast and started said laundry.

"I guess we won't be able to dry the clothes outside. We're probably going to have to hang them in the bathroom for a few hours." Takano sat next to Onodera on his couch with two mugs of coffee in hand.

"You should've checked the weather report before starting anything." Onodera grumbled as he accepted the mug. He downed nearly half the drink in one go. "The clothes are going to be all wrinkly."

"Then can I count on you to iron out all the wrinkles? Or do you always wear all those sweaters and cardigans to hide how wrinkled your own clothes are?" He took a sip out of his own mug. "I doubt you even know how to use an iron. Do you even have one?" Onodera only averted his eyes and took another sip from his coffee. "I thought so. I'll have to show you then."

"I'm sure I could figure it out myself!" He placed his cup down on the table and turned on the television. "And it's not like I can help that I was raised in a house where outside of academics they didn't have me do much for myself."

"You've been living on your own for at least two years now though, right?" Takano crossed his arms over his chest. "You should at least know something as basic as that. Then again, you don't even know how to cook for yourself, so I'm not all that surprised."

A sudden cry on the television brought their attention forward.

"Release!" A blue eyed brunette pulled out a key hooked onto a necklace and it expanded into a staff.

"Sadhouse always comes through when it comes to animation. Sensei was so glad when she got approved for another anime." Takano watched the familiar scene come to life with color and movement. "I was never into this when it was airing when we were kids, but I think I get the charm these days."

"Ah, I did find her work charming when I was going through our catalogue months ago, but now it just seems like more of the same. Ume goes about her life, a card appears, she doesn't know how to capture it, then she does. In the end, the characters have followings and the series brings back a lot of old viewers, so it's not too big of an issue for sales or ratings."

"...Quite the analysis from a noob like yourself."

"I have been around for a year now." Onodera crossed his arms over his chest, feeling somewhat triumphant. "Besides, you don't need to be in this business to catch onto something being repetitive."

"It's a proven formula."

"That's not what you seem to be thinking when you're screaming into the phone about how you're gonna break down her door if she doesn't make it more exciting and get everything turned in on time."

"What can I say? Sometimes you have to light a fire under someone's ass to get a finished product in. It doesn't matter if she's some girls' manga legend or not."

"If you say so," Onodera sank back into his seat, settling in for the remainder of the episode. "You know, this isn't what I imagined for myself when I quit my old job… sitting in an apartment with another adult man on a Sunday morning watching an anime meant for school girls."

"Well if life were predictable, what fun would that be?" Takano placed his own mug on the table beside Onodera's. "I'm sure you didn't expect to meet me again. And I'm even more sure you didn't expect to be rooming with me for at least two weeks. Might as well just move in and get it over with before it comes up and surprises you, too. A love confession would be nice too, but that might be a bit too much to ask for."

"I wouldn't count on it." Onodera grit his teeth. "Right when the landlord's plane lands on Japanese soil, I'm getting this sorted out. I'd hate to be a burden to my oh-so hospitable boss."

"You're not a burden," He placed a hand on Onodera's thigh. "I like when you're here. I get lonely."

"T-then get a cat or something." He swatted the hand away. "You've gotten by fine without having me around."

"Hm." He stretched his arm up and around Onodera's shoulder instead. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Nevermind then!" He got up and chugged down the rest of the coffee before stomping off to the kitchen sink.

"Wash the cup!" Takano called from the comfort of the couch. "I don't want stuff drying onto the glass. You can get away with that in your apartment, but not mine!"

"Aren't I around to keep you from feeling lonely?" He let the faucet run and got some dish soap from the counter anyways. "I didn't ask for the coffee anyways."

"Put an apron on while you're at it! I don't want you getting my clothes wet!" Takano's choice of words weren't the best, he thought to himself as Onodera whipped his head around while the mug was still filling with water.

"It's just one m-" In turning so drastically, his hand jerked upward and the handle of the cup escaped his grasp. It flew into the air and water managed to spill on his head all the way down to the hem of the shirt he had borrowed. He just barely caught the slick glass before it hit the floor.

"You... good over there?" He somehow managed to hold himself together despite the intense urge to break out into laughter.

"I'm fine!" He placed the mug under the faucet and allowed it to fill again, rinsing it out a few times. When he went to grab a dish cloth, Takano took the mug from him to dry it himself.

"I'd prefer if you didn't break my things while you're here." He swiped the cloth along the smooth ceramic cup and placed it on the counter to dry. "Though I also have to say it's pretty hilarious to watch you stumble around like that."

"You know, I…" Onodera nearly went off on a tangent about how he didn't need to stand here and take this and how he was about to go back to his own apartment, but that just wasn't the case. "I… I'm sorry."

"Woah, you sure fizzled out fast." Takano swiped a hand over Onodera's wet mop of hair and ruffled it. "Maybe it's cause you spilled water up here."

"..." He only blushed, not having a rebuttal for that.

"Anyways," Large hands were suddenly under and up Onodera's shirt, tugging it up to his chest. "I'll lend you another shirt, so let's get this off."

"Fine." He held his arms up and Takano slipped it off of him, not missing the opportunity to brush his thumbs against his nipples. Onodera held back the urge to yell at him. "...Sorry for spilling water on your shirt."

"It's fine, don't worry." He patted him on the back and moved them towards his bedroom. "I'm going to have to ask for some compensation though."

"Eh?"

Takano only tapped his cheek with his index finger.

"...?" Onodera just stared at him blankly, not quite taking the hint.

"Kiss me."

A blush broke out across his face. "...I rather run around shirtless all day."

Takano clicked his tongue. "What a tease. Seriously though, I don't want you to be cold all day. Come on. Just a kiss on my cheek. Like how'd you get really close to my face during high school when you thought I was asleep. Just a little closer." He tapped his cheek again.

"I…! I never…"' He mulled over it for a bit and yeah, maybe he did, but that didn't matter right now! "Ugh…"

"I'll stand here and guard my closet all day." Takano leaned against the door, arms crossed over his chest.

"I'll be fine." Onodera mirrored him, looking a bit less convincing with the way he shivered at a drop of water that slid down his back.

"I guess you'll be fine with me ogling you all day then."

"Y-you do that every day."

Takano sighed. "Is it so hard to give me a peck on the cheek? I don't think it should be too embarrassing considering you've put your mouth on my-"

"Fine! I'll do it! Just…" He placed his head in his hands, heat radiating from his face. "I need a bit to prepare myself."

"..." Takano stared at Onodera, somewhat surprised, but more content than anything else.

After a few minutes of standing around in the dimly lit room, Onodera finally worked himself up to the point where he could look at his temporary roommate. Taking a few steps forward, he turned his head upward and stood slightly on his tiptoes. His breath tickled the hairs on Takano's face.

Before he could manage to make contact, Onodera was shoved onto the bed. He opened his mouth to protest this, cause that had taken quite a bit of mental preparation, but a tongue entered his mouth and he couldn't speak.

Pulling back, Takano took in the blushing mess that he had created.

"Sorry." He leaned forward again, lips inching closer and closer to Onodera's ear. "You were being too cute."

"I was going to do it if you didn't do that!" Onodera flinched when he felt a tongue at the area where his neck met the underside of his chin and hands wandering along his chest. "T-Takano-san."

"I don't think you'll need a shirt anymore." Takano tugged at the shorts he had lent him earlier. "Or pants, for that matter."

From the hallway, the washer began to sound off to inform them it was done.

Seeing an opportunity to escape, Onodera began squirming out from under Takano. "Takano-san, let's get the laundry before-"

The jingle was swiftly followed by a sharp crackle of thunder from outside.

Takano began pulling down the shorts, ignoring him. "We're gonna have to iron everything either way, so what's the difference?"

"Onodera, I let you nap long enough. Get up." Takano yanked the light summer covers off of him.

"Mm?" Onodera looked at him tiredly. After a few seconds of his situation sinking in, he was reaching for the clothes he had been lent in a hurried panic. "S-sorry! I was still pretty tired, I guess! Hahaha…"

"I don't understand how you can pass out like that whenever I get you off. How do you even function as a guy?"

"That's none of your concern!" He pulled boxers and shorts back on and paused up at the lack of shirt again.

Before he could even ask again for a shirt, Takano couldn't help himself from a bit of teasing. "I'd say it's my concern when I have sex with you pretty much every few days at this point."

"That doesn't...ugh!" He grabbed a tuft of his own hair in frustration. "You're just taking advantage of the situation! If we weren't neighbors none of this would be happening!"

Takano's sighed and walked over to his wardrobe. He pulled out one of his seemingly endless supply of black t-shirts and tossed it onto the bed and sat down next to Onodera.

"Is it really so bad to be my neighbor?" At the sudden question, Onodera seemed to have briefly gotten lost in the shirt, arms getting tangled up.

"It's not like it's the worst thing ever, but I just feel like it leaves me with no time to myself." The words were muffled into the fabric, but got across regardless. "You come over whenever you want and force yourself if you have to. I'd come to you if I really wanted to...spend time together."

"Onodera, I can't take you seriously like this." He tugged the shirt down so that his head would pop out and his arms followed suit. "So do you want to spend time together with me sometimes?"

"I-I…" His face was aflame with blush, and he seemed to want to burrow his head right back into the shirt again. "...nn."

"It's a simple yes or no question, Ritsu. You can nod or shake your head if you have to."

Onodera only stiffened even more, hands balling up into fists on his lap. He opened his mouth and let out a shaky breath before finally mustering up a single word. "S-sometimes."

"Is there anything I can do to make that sometimes a little more frequent?" Takano was inching in again, and Onodera kept scooting away.

"Personal space for one thing." Takano leaned back, ceasing that looming danger look he would get at times. "Even in public sometimes you get a little too close or touchy. Especially kissing at work! What if somebody saw?"

"Then we explain to them that we're dating and if they spread rumors-"

"And another thing! We're not…" He caught the look on Takano's face and decided that maybe it would be a better idea to not finish that thought.

"We're not what? Why did you stop? By any chance has your opinion on our relationship status changed recently?" He began to draw in close again, and Onodera felt his heart jump.

"No, it hasn't. We're…," His voice fell to a mumble. "cohabitating is all."

"That's how you see it, huh?" Takano gave him a peck on the cheek and stood up from the bed. He held out his hand to Onodera. "Come on, I'll show you how to iron clothes."

"Don't press down so hard you're going to- God, Onodera-"

Onodera yanked back the iron in his hand from the dark grey shirt, a bit worried to see what was under it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's a dark shirt though, so hopefully it won't be too notica-" He blanched at the horribly burnt shape on the shirt. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I'll buy you another shirt."

"No, no, I should've expected you had never touched an iron in your life. I should've given you a few more examples. Come on, there's 3 more of the exact same shirt." He threw the ruined shirt across the room and replaced it with a very similar one on the ironing board. He got behind Onodera and had his hand over the one holding the iron. "We can do it together."

"I'm not your girlfriend, you aren't a ghost, and this isn't pottery. I'd appreciate if you gave me a bit more space."

"I wouldn't do anything like that while you have an iron in your hand. I prefer to keep my skin unburnt." He looped his arms around Onodera's hips and rested his chin on his shoulder. "If you don't want my help I'll just watch."

"..." Onodera simply looked back to the task at hand, ignoring the arms wrapped around his waist.

Another few close calls later, they had a stack of only slightly wrinkled shirts. Takano had removed himself to focus on folding. That was clearly a job for him.

"...What about the pants?"

"Those were hard to find at the right length, so I think I'll handle that."

Despite having all clothes in his possession clean, Onodera ended up wearing some of Takano's tighter clothes to work the following day.

It didn't go unnoticed.

"Ricchan, your clothing choices have been a bit different lately." Kisa looked at the darker, somewhat baggy clothing. "Are you going for a fashion change or something?"

Takano, who had been leaning forward to look over a manuscript, peeked over the frame of his glasses to watch the exchange.

"Kisa-san, I don't know what you're talking about, haha." That awkward laugh added on at the end said otherwise.

Takano found himself considering helping Onodera out. But he couldn't help but want to know where this would go.

"Oh, I know! It almost looks like…" His voice fell to a whisper, but the blush that bloomed on Onodera's cheeks told him all he needed to know. Only he was allowed to tease the newbie like that.

"Would you two quit yammering on about clothes and get to work?"

"Yes sir!"

This was sitting on my Google Drive forever, sorry for not uploading sooner! Hopefully I'll be more motivated to write since I got a new laptop.

Anyways, this was kinda fillerish, but to get to cuter things it can't be too fast.