Chapter Text
Cohabitation is the word that was most commonly used to express the living situation between America and Japan.
Alfred preferred to call Kiku his roommate. Kiku didn't argue, as he saw it futile to do so. Having known Alfred for years and years, one word came to mind when speaking of him-- stubborn, and remarkably so. It wasn't exactly a roommate situation, but he supposed, after a while, they were close enough to be considered such, as well as friends.
Kiku, however, would tell anyone else not to be roommates with Alfred. And perhaps it's for selfish reasons, yes, and perhaps it's because, over time, he had come to like Alfred a little bit too much to simply just surrender their cohabitation. But his caution also stemmed from the fact that not everybody is patient enough to deal with the kind of roommate Alfred is, and not everyone is willing to take the time to learn just how he functions in a home.
That being said, Kiku sat without whimsy on the couch in their living room, jamming buttons like it were a sport. The curtains were drawn, as it was far too sunny a day to leave them open, leaving the house, or at least that room, as dark as it could be. As far as Kiku was aware, his roommate was currently out of the house. Shopping for a family dinner, he had said, which would have made him mildly uncomfortable if Kiku weren't acquainted with Alfred's family. Quite the contrary, he was nearly too well acquainted with them. Regardless, it offered a moment of quiet for him, allowing him to indulge in a shared hobby without the excitement that he struggled to match.
That was until he heard a crash coming from the kitchen.
A deep sigh escaped him, though it was drowned out by a string of swears that got progressively more creative as they went on. The game was paused, and Kiku rose from his seat to assist Alfred in untangling himself from whatever kind of mess he may have gotten himself into. The sight he was greeted with once the kitchen lights were turned on was Alfred clinging tightly to his paper bags to not lose his groceries, sprawled out on the floor by the counter with a cheesy grin on his face as the two faced each other.
"Hey, Kiks!" Alfred greeted, shoving away his bag of goods so he could attempt to stand up. At least he manages to maintain a positive attitude, thought Kiku, as he bent down to assist Alfred off of the floor. The two stumbled slightly but were successful in getting the American back up onto his feet.
"Are you alright?" Kiku asked, bending over to retrieve Alfred's groceries for him. Alfred nodded as the bag was placed back into his arms. He moved to place it on the counter but ended up cursing again, jerking away from an unknown assailant, which turned out to be the cupboard below said counter.
"Agh! Rat bastard--" Alfred grumbled. He huffed, and turned, leaning against the marble counter to look at Kiku yet again. "Yeah! Yep! I'm totally good! Just couldn't see, and, uh, kinda tripped on one of your shoes!"
"Ah! I'm sorry!" Kiku glanced up at Alfred, grimacing slightly as he realized the consequences of his preference for the dark. Of course, it was merely laughed off cheerfully, fully dismissed.
"No problem, dude! Don't worry about it!" Alfred chuckled, shifting his position. However, it seemed he moved too far, as he ended up losing his balance and slipping off his feet right back onto the floor. "Ough-- son of a biscuit!"
"That is 3 times today already..." Kiku mumbled quietly, intending for it to be a personal comment, though realizing soon after Alfred probably heard him. Mildly concerning, but he supposed that it was to be expected. His roommate was several things, and among the list of things and descriptors, clumsy was near the top of that list, right beside attentive, annoying (but endearingly so, he must clarify), and, of course, stubborn. And stubborn Alfred continued to be, as he waved Kiku's attempt to help him back up away in favor of pushing up to his feet himself.
"I must've caught a bad luck bug off of Matt or something--" Alfred complained, rubbing his head. "Ain't doing me any favors."
"Don't blame your brother for your clumsiness, Alfred," Kiku noted, raising an eyebrow. He circled Alfred ever so slightly, an unfamiliar motion that caused an almost immediate reaction.
"What's the matter, Kiks?"
"Nothing. I was just making sure you are okay," He insisted. Alfred smiled, but that was just to ignore the fact that he was flustered by how much care Kiku was putting into watching out for him. It was a regular occurrence, of course, but the action was still one he very much so appreciated. "You already have a bruise forming on your knee. Try and be more careful."
"Aw man! That's what I get for wearing shorts!" Alfred groaned, slumping over. Kiku moved back to the living room to continue his game. Alfred bounded after him, just so he could beat him to the couch and plop down first. Kiku knew the implication, and sat down after him, leaning against his chest and allowing an arm to be wrapped around his shoulder as he settled in to continue the level he had abandoned. For once, between the two of them, it was silent. No complaints, no doting, not a word. Silence. It was comforting, though after a moment, it began to grow a bit off-putting. His first thought was perhaps Alfred had fallen asleep. But he typically snores, so it was put out quite quickly. He turned.
"Alfred?"
"Hm?" Alfred glanced down, his typical grin slithering across his face as he responded.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Kiku asked. It would make him feel better, no matter what answer he was given.
"Yep," Alfred assured him, ruffling up his hair as he did, to which Kiku ducked away, resisting the urge to smile as well. "Just taking some time with my best buddy!"
Kiku laughed. He didn't know how, and how it was because of something so small, but he laughed. He figured it was because of Alfred, and how infectious his laugh was. It was hard not to reciprocate that energy.
3 tallies were added to the list of ways Alfred could hurt himself in an afternoon, a list that had been growing since 1867, when he came to terms with just how unaware of his surroundings the man could be. But he also added a tally to a different list. A new list. The list of ways in which Alfred charmed him, and continued to make him consider his life was worth living. Kiku had no doubt that this would not be the first tally added to this list today.