Chapter Text
Sweat beaded at Phuwin’s brow as he clutched the moving box closer to his body. His new landlord, Mr. Charoen, fumbled around with a large ring of keys as they stood in front of his new apartment. Well, new was being generous. Phuwin huffed, scrunching his nose up at the smell of mildew and cleaning supplies that wafted through the dilapidated hallway. He looked around, peeling paint and rusted nails poking through discolored splotches on the salmon colored wallpaper. Yeah, this place was rough.
A clink of a lock turning caught Phuwin’s ear as he watched his landlord push through the apartment door. It was small, four salmon-pink walls, a fridge, stove, and a separate nook where he expected the toilet and shower were located. Phuwin placed the box down in the middle of the room, staring out the single window that overlooked the alley. Three floors down, a neon sign from a 24-hour convenience store bled red and blue across the pavement. It flickered even in the daylight.
A small cough echoed behind him as his landlord shut the door behind them. “Good location for a student,” his landlord said, wiping his forehead with the back of his palm. Mr. Charoen was small, round, and perpetually damp-looking, like he had been sweating since 1998. His bright green tropical button-up was a loud contrast from the pink walls and sweat had begun to soak through the fabric. He jingled his ring of keys as he walked through the apartment. “Close to campus. Quiet building,” a pause, “Mostly.”
Phuwin raised an eyebrow. “Mostly?”
The landlord pulled a key off the ring and tossed it at Phuwin. He met Phuwin’s confused expression and let out an exasperated laugh. “Well, you know how college kids can be,” he looked towards the window, seeming to be avoiding Phuwin’s skeptical gaze. “They like the night life.”
Phuwin brushed off the unsteady feeling creeping into the back of his mind. Mr. Charoen cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. “I’ll leave you to unpack,” he said brightly. “And I’ll get someone to look at your deadbolt tomorrow.”
Phuwin gave a polite smile and watched his landlord open the creaky door. But, before he let go of the brass doorknob, he hesitated and slowly turned to face Phuwin.
“One thing. Apartment 3E.”
Now that definitely caught the brunettes' attention. Phuwin glanced around Mr. Charoen’s stalky figure to the door across the hall. 3E.
“What about it?” Phuwin asked, running his hands over the front of his white t-shirt.
“Keep your distance.” The landlord’s smile didn’t reach his eyes this time. “The tenant prefers privacy.”
“That’s fine,” Phuwin said, now fiddling with his shirt hem. “I’m not really the social type.”
“Good,” Mr. Charoen replied a bit too quickly for Phuwin’s liking. “Very good. You won’t see him much during the day anyway.”
Him.
Before Phuwin could ask why, Mr. Charoen gave a quick smile and shut the wooden door. Silence settled in the hallway.
Phuwin shook his head, dispersing the questions popping into his mind.
Don’t be weird, he told himself.
It was just another tenant.
–
Hiking up and down three flights of stairs had proved no easy feat and when he finally dropped the last of his moving boxes onto his apartment floor, Phuwin couldn’t help but sigh in relief. It would take another two hours before Phuwin was finally able to catch his breath though. By evening, his boxes were unpacked, his sheets wrinkled but serviceable, and his phone buzzing with group chat messages about orientation week. Classes started tomorrow. A fresh start.
Which is something he had needed desperately for the past ten years. Growing up in the countryside had proved to have its own problems. With his father working at a local temple and his mother dying during his formative years, Phuwin had been left to his devices for far too many years.
Over the course of him lugging boxes up to his shoebox of an apartment he had yet to run into this mystery neighbor that lived across the hall. He had however met the sweet old lady, Ms. Mai, who lived in 3B, the apartment next to his. What was odd, Phuwin had noticed, was that Ms. Mai, or really any of the other tenants that lived on the third floor, knew anything about the tenant that lived in 3E. After a quick break in her doily and cat-infested apartment, Phuwin had brought up the topic of Mr. Chaoren’s cryptic message. Ms. Mai smiled sweetly, offering him another orange slice and simply stating that 3E had been occupied ever since she moved here in the 70’s but a nice young man lived there now.
Now, Phuwin couldn’t help but notice the matte black door, unlike the other’s faded brown. No decorations. No nameplate, No welcome mat. The peephole looked darker somehow, like it wasn’t reflecting the hallway light. Phuwin flopped back onto his futon and huffed. Mr. Chareon’s statement floated back to the forefront of his mind.
You won’t see him much during the day.
What did that mean? Was he some type of recluse or too absorbed in his work to ever leave his apartment? How did Ms. Mai know that the tenant was a “nice young man”? Maybe he was just scared of the sunlight. Phuwin chuckled, what an odd conclusion to make about his mysterious neighbor.
As Phuwin stared at his crumbly ceiling and theorized about his neighbor, his phone’s ringtone blared through the room. Phuwin’s eyes widened as he stared down at the unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Phuwin?” A cheerful woman’s voice crackled through. “This is Ploy from 24/7 Mart. You interviewed last week?”
His stomach flipped. “Yes! Yes, that’s me.”
“Well congratulations! We’d like to offer you the associate cashier position. I’ve put you on the schedule for the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift four times a week. You mentioned you preferred night hours, correct?
“I do.” He glanced instinctively toward the window, a cool breeze drifting in as the sky darkened. “That works perfectly.”
“Great! Training starts tomorrow. I’ll give you your uniform and schedule before I leave tomorrow as well.”
Tomorrow. That was soon. He did appreciate the woman’s hiring staff for getting back to him so soon. Though he would’ve liked to get his first few classes out of the way before he started working, he also needed the money, desperately. Being a broke college student living on his own wasn’t ideal and even though his new apartment looked ready to cave in on itself, the rent wasn’t cheap.
He swallowed his nerves. “I’ll be there.”
When he finally hung up, he felt lighter. He was moved in for the most part and a steady income was about to roll in. Then his stomach grumbled. Phuwin rose off his futon and stretched. He needed to shower asap, the tackiness of dried sweat and grime clinging to his skin and then he would go out and get a quick bite before bed. He definitely needed to go shopping after he got his first check.
He quickly hopped in the shower and changed into a light pair of sweatpants and a navy t-shirt, hair still damp as he flung the wet towel into his hamper. With his phone and keys in hand, Phuwin was just about to lock his apartment up when–
The door to 3E clicked open.
Phuwin froze.
He slowly turned, heart tripping over itself before he even saw who stepped out. Black hoodie. Dark hair falling into sharp eyes. He moved quietly, like he’d memorized the creak of every floorboard.
Then they locked eyes. And the world narrowed.
For half a second, the air felt too thin, like the hallway had become vacuum-sealed. The flickering fluorescent above them buzzed too loudly, and yet Phwuin couldn’t hear anything but the sudden rush of blood in his ears. Though the neighbors gaze was unreadable, neither friendly nor hostile, Phuwin couldn’t help but take in this stranger's features. He was really handsome. Wait, that wasn’t it. Not really handsome. Beautiful. The type of beauty that buries itself deep into your mind and refuses to leave. Piercing eyes, a sharp jawline, and broad shoulders even beneath the oversized hoodie. His skin was clear, rid of blemishes save for the faint eye bags that weighed heavy under his dark gaze. Phuwin was awestruck.
“You’re new,” he said.
The low voice ripped Phuwin out of his reverie.
“Yeah,” Phuwin cleared his throat, hoping he didn’t sound like a complete idiot. “Moved in today.”
A pause.
“Classes start tomorrow.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah.” Phuwin frowned slightly, trying to decipher how he could make this conversation any less awkward than it already was.
The corner of the stranger’s mouth lifted–barely. “Something like that.”
Phuwin felt like the hallway had raised twenty degrees, a hot, prickling sensation crept up his spine as he eyed the barely there smile. It had struck a chord. Up close like this, the man looked…pale. Not sickly. Just lacking that warmth that comes from standing under a bright summer sun.
After plucking up his courage to break the ever growing silence between them, Phuwin cleared his throat again.
“I’m Phuwin.”
A beat.
“Pond.”
The name lingered between them, cascaded in the air as they stared at each other. Where the hell was this tension coming from? Phuwin prided himself on his small-talk, always able to strike up a conversation with any stranger and leave them captivated with just a soft smile and a few polite remarks. But, this interaction had thrown him for a loop.
Before Phuwin could redeem himself from any further embarrassment, Pond stepped past him toward the stairwell. No sound of keys locking the door behind him. Phuwin glanced back.
3E was already shut.
–
He only had two more hours before he had to be at his first evening lecture. Phuwin had always worked far better once violet began to tint the skies, choosing to be his most productive during the late hours of the night. Now, armed with detergent and a hamper of mismatched socks and his new comforter set, Phuwin ventured to the grimy basement laundry room. There were only six washers and six dryers but the dryer in the farthest corner looked like it had seen better days, with its door hanging off and the ‘out of order’ sign weighing heavy on the shelf above it. He would avoid that one at all costs.
The lights flickered when he flipped the switch. “Of course,” he muttered. He took in the basement, the mop in the corner, the mysterious dried liquid splattered across the cement wall, and the faint hum of a dryer filled the space. It was hot and humid and smelt like mildew. The fluorescents basked the checkered print tile in a blue and green haze as Phuwin made his way over to a washer.
But he wasn’t alone in this smoldering basement.
Pond stood by the folding table, the sleeves of his black hoodie pushed up ever so slightly, staring at the rotating drum as if it held secrets. The brunette was surprised to see the other since it was still a few hours before nightfall. Phuwin also couldn’t understand how the other was decked out in such heavy clothing, with himself only being in a sleeveless shirt and shorts. It was the middle of summer and the dampness of the musty laundry room was beginning to cumulate on Phuwin’s skin already.
Phuwin stood there staring at the man for what felt like ages before Pond turned slowly toward him. Not startled. Just aware. Phuwin nearly dropped his detergent, caught red-handed staring again. “Oh. Hey.”
“Hi.”
There was something strange about him in the fluorescent light. What little skin showing didn’t reflect it the way it should. It absorbed it.
Phuwin stood there and watched Pond. The way his hands flexed as he folded his laundry, the small eye twitch that had to be from the bright light. Pond refused to meet Phuwin’s gaze as he busied himself with the clothes in front of him.
“You live across from me, right?” Phuwin blurted, cringing at himself because what a stupid question.
“Yes.”
Silence stretched between them once again.
Phusin cleared his throat. “Did you have class today?”
Pond’s gaze shifted, just slightly. Phuwin could’ve sworn he saw that faint smile creep onto the other male’s face. What was so funny? Pond looked Phuwin up and down before turning back to his own laundry basket. Phuwin flushed. “I attend night lectures.”
“Oh.” Phuwin brightened. Finally, something we have in common. The brunette moved to one of the washers and started to unload his hamper. As he poured his laundry detergent into the capsule, he turned and was met with a pair of dark eyes boring into his skull. Pond was staring quite hard. Phuwin could only clear his throat again. “Same here. Well–not the same. I mean, I work nights. So I scheduled evening classes.”
Another pause.
“That’s convenient,” Pond said.
For who? Phuwin almost squeaked. But instead he laughed and busied himself loading more clothes into the washer. He could feel Pond watching him–not in a creepy way exactly. More like studying.
“You’re in first year?” Pond asked.
“Yeah. You?”
Pond turned back to his basket. “I’ve been around.”
That wasn’t an answer.
Phuwin laughed lightly. “That bad, huh?”
That faint smile slipped off of Pond’s angular features. “You could say that.”
The washer started with a loud clunk. The lights flickered again.
A wave of nausea crashed over Phuwin, he clutched the side of the washer and grabbed his head. A pounding, like a sledge hammer, was pummeling into his skull. He could feel himself sliding to the floor, all sense of balance lost to him.
For a split second Phuwin thought he saw something.
A flash behind Pond. Not a shadow. Not a reflection.
Red.
Like light refracting through glass.
He could hear a faint noise, like someone calling his name from far away before a pair of cold hands slipped around his waist. The lights were loud, the nail driving into his head had yet to cease, and his vision was blurred. What’s happening to me?
He blinked hard and shook his head.
Gone.
His vision came to and his head lolled back. Phuwin almost couldn;t believe the sight before him as his eyes widened. Pond, distant and reclusive Pond, was face to face with him sporting such a concerned expression. Knitted eyebrows and plush lips breathing heavily, Phuwin almost wanted to reach out and rub away the tension, saying something dumb like you’ll get wrinkles. They were close, chest to chest, and Phuwin’s entire body was on fire, the touch of a cool hand finding its way to his sweaty forehead. Pond smelled of something heady, grounding enough that Phuwin could almost pull himself out of this nightmare. His breath was heavy, and Pond’s was even heavier, and their breaths were mixing, and everything was happening all at once. Phuwin could make out every detail of Pond’s face, his dilated pupils, and the way his jaw clenched with restraint. From what? Phuwin curled his fingers into the soft fabric of Pond’s hoodie, and could feel the shape of him now.
No second heartbeat.
Phuwin curled his fingers into the soft fabric of Pond’s hoodie, and could feel the shape of him now. Solid. Strong. Pond sharply inhaled and stepped back, like he’d just burned himself.
Pond’s expression steeled again.
“Are you alright?”
A simple question but Phuwin could only grip onto the washer tighter.
“I..I’m sorry, I don’t know what that was,” he pushed his hair back and took a deep breath.
Pond shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize,” he said softly, his eyes flicking to Phuwin’s mouth, just for a second. Then away.. “But just some advice, you should be careful walking home at night,” he said softly.
Phuwin tried to laugh it off, but it came out breathless. All he wanted was for this day to be over so he could go die in a hole. “I’ll survive. I just work right over at the 24/7 Mart. No big deal.”
Pond’s eyes darkened in a way that made the room feel smaller.
“Sure,” he said.
But it didn’t sound reassuring.
The dryer buzzed. Pond gathered his clothes with precise, controlled movements.
As he passed, a cold draft brushed against Phuwin’s arm. The brunette could feel the faint trace of where Pond’s strong hands gripped his waist.
At the door, Pond paused.
“If anything feels… unusual again,” he said without turning around, “don’t ignore it.”
What the hell does that mean?
Phuwin’s throat felt dry. “Why?”
The lights steadied.
The washer hummed.
“Just don’t.”
And then he left, the door shutting softly behind him.
Phuwin stood there alone, heart beating a hundred miles a minute. He just embarrassed himself in front of his hot neighbor, going and acting like a damsel in distress or something. Was it nerves or maybe sleep deprivation? Phuwin shook his head, wanting to finish up here as quickly as possible.
What was that? Between Pond’s strange allure and the episode he just had, Phuwin couldn’t figure out what was weirder.
Perhaps what was even stranger was that he definitely hadn’t imagined the red.