it's too cold for you here (so now and let me hold)

pairing: kenny omega x reader

plot: he looks likes a jock poster child at first glance. bulging muscles and broad shoulders. who knew all it took for you to muster up the courage to talk to each other is a thunderstorm and a power outage?

genre: fluff

warning: the tiniest bit of swearing because aha it's me writing it.

word count: 3.1k

author's note: this can be read platonically or with a romantic undertone. there's some tension felt throughout the fic, in one scene specifically, not including the end, but in my opinion it's not much. if you do think this isn't platonic, let me know so i can edit this author's note.

votes, likes, and reblogs appreciated!

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you always found your roommate intimidating. he was tall and big. plus, you heard from your best friend that he got into your university because of a sports scholarship, that you did not doubt. it was obvious, ever since the first time you met him.

it was an unusually warm day, taking in the fact that it wasn't even remotely close to summer. if you had to guess, it was probably about in the high thirties, maybe even low forties. you weren't exactly sure. all you knew in actuality was that it was hot. really hot. unbearably hot.

it would have been a perfect day, if you were going out to spend more than a few hours at the beach, that is. but no, this was the day you were moving in to your university's dorm so this was bad. very bad. not to mention uncomfortable. the cotton material of your t-shirt kept on clinging on to your body, and your hair to the nape of your neck. still, you were thankful because at least it wasn't raining or heavily snowing. those were worse, way worse. right now, the only thing being ruined was you and any excitement you had for moving in day - if you had any at all - at the very least, your stuff were okay, unharmed, dry, and working.

you huffed, panting and trying to catch your breath when you stopped in front of the door to your dorm, dropping the heavy box after what felt like a lifetime. thankfully, this was the last box. the rest have already been dropped off by you a few minutes prior and back then, it seemed like your roommate wasn't there yet. there was no sign of another person. now, some time has passed because you were lugging up a box that weighted almost half your body weight -- maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but it sure felt like it. to make things worse, the elevator stopped working because a group of genius freshmen decided to ride it along with all their things. to no one's surprise, the lift broke, unable to support all the weight. you knew that because of the whispers around the halls, as well as the glares thrown to a number of people who looked about eighteen to nineteen years old.

to an extent, you felt bad for them. the school year has barely started and they already had a reputation. already had classmates hating them. but then again, they kind of deserved it.

with a final wipe of your forehead with your sleeve, you reached out to the doorknob and twisted it, pushing to open the door. you wished your roommate wasn't there yet. you know that you weren't looking too good right now, all red in the face - probably, but hopefully not, a minor sunburn on your cheeks - sweaty, and maybe just a tiny bit stinky. you took a mental note to take a shower after you're done dragging the box to your room. you're not even gonna wait until you're done unpacking everything.

luck wasn't on your side because there he was in all his glory, looking like he was sculpted by the gods with the utmost care and patience. the opposite of you.

he was just lounging around in the living room, scrolling on his phone and drinking something green and healthy-looking. from where you were at the doorway, you spotted something that looked like little bits of leaves in the glass he drank from. a healthy shake of sorts, perhaps? you couldn't focus too much on that though, he didn't spot you immediately. his arms, those biceps flexed as he reached the glass to his lips, pink and plump and flat out pretty. his tongue flicked out to lick at the liquid he was not able to catch inside his mouth.

you gulped, finally snapping out of your trance and putting a stop at your ogling. it was then your eyes met, rising from their initial position at the exact same time. his were blue and intense and made you shiver. the fact that he didn't speak much didn't help your nerves. he only greeted you with a slight nod of his head - if you weren't staring at him, you would have missed it - "you must be my roommate. my name's kenny."

nothing about that changed at all, even though it's been quite a few months you two were assigned by the university's faculty to be roommates. he was quiet, only speaking when he had to or when with his friends. or when he's sitting down crossed legged on the carpet, playing some video game. usually it was final fantasy, but it seemed like he enjoyed all of it. outside of those times, he didn't utter a peep unless he had to.

all in all, he was a good roommate, definitely could've been better - you would be lying if you said you didn't want to befriend the man - but definitely could have been worse -- someone in your class was stuck with an annoying roommate who did nothing but pull pranks on him. one time he walked in class, sat down on his usual seat next to you. his messy, wavy hair that was a light brown color was streaked with white. sticky and had an odd smell to it. when you glanced at him, he only shook his head and muttered "don't even ask."

he wasn't around in the dorm a lot. you didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. you didn't know what course he took and you guessed it was a light one because every time you were walking around campus, from room to room to the canteen to the library to another room, he was in the gym. you wondered if he even studied, or if he did, was he actually pursuing a degree, or just wants experience with the sports he played so he could do it professionally.  kenny left early to go on his daily morning jog, and went back late at night. most of the time, you were already asleep by the time he got back, except for whenever it was exam season or if you were staying up to do a project. then you always saw him walking through the door. it seemed like he came from practice, sweaty and hair disheveled.

he kept to himself, never made indecent remarks or comments to you though the first night you stayed in the dorm, you forgot you weren't in the desired privacy of your house anymore and wore a pair of short shorts to bed. you only noticed when you heard him choke on his water when he got to the bedroom. that night, he slept on his side, never once facing you, or your back.

but the thing you liked the most about kenny? he never brought a girl home -- or to the dorm, to be more accurate. he had the looks for it, certainly, and being a jock, the first time you saw him, you assumed you had to buy a pair of heavy duty earplugs. thankfully not, now you can spend all that money on cheap instant ramen. you didn't know if that was because he took them to their dorm, or because he simply wasn't interested, regardless of his reasoning, you were grateful.

this meant that most of the time, most of the time, it wasn't noisy in your dorm. especially in the bedroom of your dorm. a lot of the time, all that could be heard was rapid typing on a keyboard and that often came from you when you have extra homework or if you had exams coming up. one day, you mustered up all the courage to go talk to your bulky, six foot something roommate to go ask him about it, if it bothers him and keeps him from sleep. he did nothing but shake his head. "don't worry about it. it's kind of relaxing, actually."

today was a different day though. it was noisy, very noisy. but the noise didn't come from you or him. instead, it came from all directions. from the windows next to your bed, to the windows next to his, even on the roof of the building. heavy droplets of rain smashing down on the ground. for you, someone who had a fear of thunderstorms, that was bad enough already, but thunderstorms wouldn't be complete if there was an absence of, well, thunder. it boomed, every crash made you quiver in your blanket and snuggle further into it in fear. the lightning didn't help at all, the sudden flash of light that could be spotted on your window made you jump even laying down and close your eyes tightly.

it's already pretty late into the night, kenny was already sleeping - "practice is canceled because of the rain" he told you when you looked at him with a curious glance. it wasn't everyday he came back at five thirty in the afternoon.

despite that, the fact it was god knows what time - you could've checked your alarm clock, but there was a flash of lightning again, accompanied by an especially loud clap of thunder and you were quivering under the thick blanket covering you, paralyzed in fear.

it was annoying, being so scared of something as childish as thunderstorms, but you couldn't help it. the loud sounds and suddenness of everything simply shook you to the core every single time it happened. it wasn't even the possibility of flooding that scared you, it was the concept of a thunderstorm. plain and simple.

after some time, you were able to adjust to it. the thunder, although still present and surprising, had mellowed down some, you found that lightning wasn't so scary, as long as you closed your eyes and you won't actually see it, you pushed the sound of raindrops seemingly knocking on your window by pleasant thoughts in your head: how you would spend your next lazy day, no projects, no presentations, no exams, no responsibilities. it led you to a blissful train of thought, taking you from cloud nine and back -- to reality.

because you couldn't stay in cloud nine forever, couldn't you?

apparently the thunderstorm wasn't over. the worst part wasn't even done yet. it still had something up it's sleeves, though it's been roughly nine hours since it has started. the rain picked right back up, and so did the lightning and thunder. to make it worse, the lights were now out as well.

everything was so loud that kenny, previously sleeping, snoring, dreaming kenny groaned awake. he blinked in time with a lightning strike -- that was the only reason you knew he was awake, the one source of light in the pitch black night sky. and now it was gone. you couldn't even see your hand if it was in front of your face. "you okay?" unbeknownst to you, he was looking around the room. unable to see anything, he frowned and cursed under his breath. sure, he may not be scared of this, but he found it as an inconvenience nonetheless. he sure did take his ability to see for granted every now and then.

"uh, yeah. kinda. why?" was your curt response. your brain shortcircuited caused by the fear and something akin to adrenaline rushing in your veins. it was an uncomfortable feeling, you could feel your heart and every little lub, dub it let out and your hands are shaking much more than how they were earlier.

"you screamed." he stated, walking out of the room. you recognized it because you heard his footsteps getting farther and farther. you screaming wasn't something you noticed you did though. it was only when he mentioned it that you feel the scratchiness of your throat. it made you cough. you yelled loudly, it seemed. when you heard his footsteps in the room again, all you could do was apologize.

"there we go," he muttered, not to you. with a flick of his finger, there was light in the room again: a battery-powered lamp that lit up his beautiful features, the hint of a smile on his face. "it's no problem," he turned to you. "i probably would have woken up regardless. just thought you were hurt or something." he shrugged, laying back on his bed, facing the off-white colored ceiling.

you nodded, swallowing as there was another clap of thunder. "i'm not. thank you." you followed his lead and laid back as well from your previous sitting position.

you were on your side, facing the window and not him. little did you know, he was facing you, eyes tracing over your figure. yes, the both of you didn't know each other very well, but kenny was perceptive of people's feelings. just from your voice alone, he knew there was something wrong with you. it was too high, too pitchy, too shaky. he figured there was no way you were actually okay, so he observed you, wanting to know if he was right or not. and he was, of course he was. he's too good at everything for his own good. he always was.

there was another boom from outside, the tiniest bit louder than the ones before. he didn't think of it as a big deal, but you were an entirely different story: shaking and taking deep breaths, as if trying to calm yourself down to no avail.

he knew he should help, that he had to help, but he didn't quite know how to approach it. not that it mattered, because now, you shifted on the mattress, facing him on your side. your eyes were shut tight, so much that kenny knew it most likely hurt. he spoke before his mind could comprehend it, take in the situation laid out in front of him. "hey," one word, oh so simple. it got you to open your eyes, focusing on his figure which slightly sat up in concern for you. "you sure you're okay?"

you bit your lip and looked away, unsure of what you wanted to say.

you're in university now. you live away from your parents and more or less able to fend for yourself. thunderstorms were supposed to be nothing, should be cakewalk. but it wasn't. it never was for you.

the denial was on the tip of your tongue. you're well aware you didn't have to lie to him. it was obvious enough that you weren't. he would know you're lying, so what's the use in doing so? but his voice interrupted you, softer than all of the times you've heard it before -- which wasn't much. "it's okay to be scared of thunderstorms, y'know?"

you looked at him as in disbelief. there was no sign of mocking in his face, nothing except sincerity. "it is scary." he shrugged. "it's loud and sudden. lightning strikes make you think there's something in your peripherals when it's just a jacket on a chair. it's unsettling. i don't want to assume anything. tell me to shut up if you wanna. i just wanted to say there's no shame in being afraid." he looked at you, blue eyes melting into yours.

"it's.. not my thing. like you said, it's loud and sudden and those two just.. do not mix." you shook your head, looking back down to your lap. you were seated on the edge of your bed now too, like he was.

a few seconds passed between you both, as if kenny was thinking about what he should say next, what would be appropriate. it was a bit awkward and you internally debated on laying back on your comfortable mattress that you could almost hear calling your name in a sweet lullaby and a promise of peace and quiet. you haven't slept at all and you were fighting with your eyelids which were desperately trying to move down and close. until kenny spoke.

"feel free to tell me to fuck off if this is crossing a boundary, but do you want to sleep in my bed with me?" there was a slight pink dusting in his cheeks when you stared at him. the suggestion, although not completely unwelcomed, was surprising. maybe even more suprising than the thunder that struck, making you flinch slightly. "no funny business, i promise. it's.. i don't know.. maybe it'll help?" yet again you didn't reply making him sigh with frustration directed at himself and open his mouth. "forget it. forget i said anythi-"

"sure."

your one word affirmation. despite not knowing each other for a long time, you decided that you trust him. you've been living with him for a long time and he hasn't, not once, acted suspicious or weird around you. hasn't tried anything on you. in fact, he was nice and considerate and often times, you found yourself thanking the university's random roommate sorting process.

it took him a few seconds to understand what you said. yes, he was the one to bring it up in the first place, he didn't think you would actually agree with it. he's glad though, and he hopes you'll be able to get some much deserved rest within the confines of his arms.

he scooted to the far side of his bed, his back to the wall because if not, there was no way you'd both fit in his tiny twin size bed, broad shoulders and all. well, that was his initial thought.

"this okay?" you asked, laying close to him. he only hummed at your question, not really minding. besides, there was still a lot of space between the two of you. neither of you even dared to cross that space, approximately five inches, maybe six? not until another clap of thunder rocked the building. this one actually made both of your windows whine loudly and you let out a whimper. then another one came, then another, then another. and the space between you two became smaller and smaller and smaller.

eventually you woke up chest-to-chest with the man, your head by his neck, his head on top of yours. his arms around you, surrounding you with nothing but him as if to protect you. your hand was on his chest and your legs were a mess, tangled with each other's.

you didn't know how to address it, you can't say you found yourself in a situation like this very often so you pretended to still be asleep and have him take charge when he wakes up. little did you know he had the exact same plan on his mind.