#shadow box

——————

Simon

It takes him a long time to warm up to you as his roommate. He’s normally in his room because he likes it and because he doesn’t want to cause unnecessary conversation with someone he doesn’t know.

But he’s all warmed up now, toasty enough to annoy you.

He’s come home from deployment a few days ago and you figure it’d be nice to have a homecooked meal. So, you start to make dinner, a quick pasta and some oven baked bread.

The smell would be enough to drag him out of his den had it not been for the fact that he just couldn’t get enough of looking at you. All the time.

“Smells good.” He comments entirely too close to your back as you stir the sauce.

“Aw, thank you.” You say cheerily, turning to give him a slight smile.

You feel him take a step back before it goes completely slightly and you start to feel a little weird. Simon always makes a bit of noise when he’s home so that he doesn’t scare you, so what was going on?

Before you can even turn your head, you feel a gust of wind through your hair. It stuns you for a moment before it happens again and again.

You turn to him, eyeing him like a madman. But he doesn’t stop, he keeps his eyes on the target and continues, feet shuffling under him with the utmost precision and confidence.

You raise the spatula to him and he stumbles back, hands still up in the offensive motion.

“Put it down.” He says gruffly.

“Put your hands down.” You challenge.

You two stare at each other for a long moment before he relents, muttering something about being bullied in his own home.

Kyle

He’s been on your heels since you joined his team, always following you around and inquiring about what you’re doing, going to do, and what you want to do.

It’s not annoying as the others think, you love answering his questions and inquiring about his own life. The banter that often follows is even better.

The only thing you can’t stand is when he’s jumping around in your face, out of breath and fist coming way to close to your nose.

“So,” a puff of air. “What are you doing today?” He asks, jumping to the left, shadow elbowing your face before stepping back and throwing a punch that just barely reaches your face.

“Beating up my friend Kyle.” You state blankly, eyeing him.

“Oh, wow. That’s crazy, didn’t know you had— huff— another friend named Kyle.” He says, smile on his face as he ducks a punch you didn’t throw before going back to throwing more punches.

“I don’t.”

It doesn’t register for another five punches and one duck before he backs away, chest heaving.

You raise your hand rub your headache away before he lets out the girliest scream you’ve ever heard.