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 Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:12 am
“Yes, very much so.” To the point that people at work knew something was wrong if she didn’t walk in with a Disney character mug in hand. Each one set the tone of her mood for the day; Tigger meant all was well, Grumpy from Snow White meant approach with caution, while the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland meant well… nobody really knew what they would get when she used that one.
Melody moved her cup toward him and once filled she pulled it back and just enjoyed the aroma. “I don’t think I could function without it.” Decaf in the evening just so she could eventually sleep but come morning, bring on the caffeine.
“Thank you,” she looked up at Harvey and smiled.
This moment felt so nostalgic. The two of them at the dining table after pulling multiple all-nighters the previous week in preparation for finals to just sit there, coffee held between their hands just staring at the wood grains in a daze. One of the few moments there was absolute peace in the house.
“Honestly, if you’re willing and able to do $1,000 you could have both rooms.” The other offer she received was a significant low-ball, borderline insulting; but Harvey’s was one she could definitely work with and not have to fret about finding another roommate.
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:13 am
He couldn’t help but smile at that. “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” he echoed the sentiment she said earlier as he set the coffee pot down onto a hot pad he kept on the table for exactly this reason. Like her, he found he was glad to learn that there were certain things about her that had stayed the same since their days in college. They’d spent many a sleepless night at their dining table back then, working to get whatever projects they had to get done for their classes.
For a moment he wondered what exactly had changed, besides perhaps their day to day business. Obviously they were not both working so there was no way that would stay the same, but what about other habits and tendencies. Clearly she still loved coffee but did she still drink way too much of it? Was she still a perfectionist? And because of that wind up procrastinating on a bunch of other things? Was she still a night owl? Did she still let the sink fill up and only get to the dishes closer to the end of the day?
The questions ran through his brain, reminding him again of some of their better days.
“No problem,” he said before taking a sip, though his brows raised slightly when she said she’d give him both rooms. “I wouldn’t say ‘no’ to that,” and then he was about to say something more, but then instead followed with, “Nope. Won’t even let you second guess that. Where do I sign? And how soon can I move in?”
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:13 am
“Second guess what?” She asked with a raised brow. Tried to hide her smirk behind the cup of coffee and nearly burnt her lip from nearly laughing into it. Still, once the cup was set back on the table she made no move to produce the papers. “Won’t let me second guess you moving in?”
“Why?” Skepticism etched her voice as she tilted her head to the side. “You haven’t picked up any bad habits have you?” Smoking… drugs… she doubted both of them; Harvey was too smart to get addicted to such things. Save for caffeine, it was a life blood to both of them and was what helped them make it to tomorrow on those stressfully exhausting days.
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:14 am
He didn’t need to see the smirk to know that she was wearing one. After all this time he could still tell when she found something amusing, and he couldn’t help but smirk in turn as he took a careful sip from his coffee. “That price for two rooms is too good to pass up,” he said, setting the mug down as he slowly turned that thought around for a second. It was so tempting to jab right back at her as another thought crossed his mind, but he’d be on the losing end if whatever he said made her change her mind.
So he bit his tongue.
“No bad habits, I promise. Unless you count overworking or living as a shut-in for too many days at a time.” Harvey pointed at his face, which was currently on the paler side than was normal for him. He had no real reason to be outside much as far as he was concerned. His daughter was off on a trip with her mom for the summer, traveling and visiting her mom’s family all along the way. It was good for her to meet them, of course, but the summer-long trip did make him miss her quite a bit. Phone and video calls just weren’t the same…
A sigh slipped past his lips as he moved to take another sip of coffee. “Anyway, I’m mostly the same. Just a little older, a little more stressed.”
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:14 am
“I can tell,” her gaze wandered over to the side of his head. “I can see a few grey hairs peeking out.” Melody chuckled at the lie but ran with it. “Careful, Harvey. Your age is starting to show.” Teased with an airy laugh and she felt the weight in the room lift more than a little.
Turning, she moved the side bag to her lap and pulled out the paperwork. “I’m sorry to be so formal about this. As much as I wish I could say to please move in, here’s the keys and the code to get in through the garage is xyz… Unfortunately, I’ve sat through too many horror stories to not take precautions.” Yes, they often pushed each other's buttons. But the two of them never really got into an actual fight, at least not one she could remember, and they parted ways on amicable terms which was the best-case scenario all things considered.
“If you’re free, you could come over tomorrow to do the walkthrough. Make notes of any damage or things I should have fixed before you move in.” The rooms had gone mostly untouched save for storage or a place for one of her brothers to crash from time to time. Theoretically, there shouldn’t be anything that needed updating. But he might find something that isn’t working quite right. “If everything looks ok you can move in whenever is most convenient for you.”
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:15 am
She was teasing, he could tell, but despite knowing that Harvey still had to actively resist flinging himself toward the nearest mirror just to check. He’d seen a few in recent years which he hastily covered up. There was still some pride in having a full head of jet black hair, at least for him. It showed in the slightest way his expression tightened for a fraction of a second before he lifted the mug to his lips for another sip for a happy, calming distraction.
After moving several times in the past two years alone he more than understood her need for formality, so he shook his head to dismiss her apology without interrupting her. With the paperwork laid out he set his mug down and pulled up close, carefully reading and taking it all in.
“I’m free tomorrow, yeah,” he said as he paused to turn to the second page. “Say around ten? We can do brunch once we’ve got the paperwork all done.”
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:15 am
“Brunch sounds like a good idea. There’s a Cafe near my house that serves amazing corned beef and hash or country fried steak if you’re craving something more hearty. Otherwise their cinnamon roll french toast is really good as well.” Most everything else was fairly standard but those stood out the most to her and were ordered fairly often when she decided to splurge on a meal.
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:16 am
“That sounds good,” he replied, though sort of absently as he was still looking through the paperwork. “Was that you remembering my favorite breakfast item or just pure luck?” he asked after a moment, baby pink eyes flickering to her for a moment before going back to the paperwork. He was in full concentration now, however his lips were turned up in the slightest of smiles. Once he finished a little while later, and it all looked alright to him, he filled out what portion needed filling out right then, signed on just one line for now, and handed her back the stack.
“Looks good to me. So...I’ll call you?”
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:16 am
Rather than answer his initial question, Melody simply smiled. Alluding to the fact she would neither deny or admit to remembering his tastes in food. Leave him to his own musings and worry about what small details he’d remembered about her. Probably more than he’d give himself credit for since she was a simple creature with simple needs and was generally pretty easy to get along with.
“Yeah, just give me a call when you’re on your way and I’ll make sure I’m ready.” Could have fresh coffee ready for him to return the favor from today.
Melody rose from her seat and carried her cup to the kitchen, rinsed it off in the sink then placed it in the top rack of the dishwasher. “I’m glad you reached out,” To that, she actually looked and sounded sincere. “Looking forward to tomorrow.”
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:17 am
Her non-answer, the simple smile that she’d given him in response, made him wonder what exactly it was meant to convey. Did she remember? Did she not? Did she mean to just keep him guessing? He lingered on it for a moment, then decided that he would likely learn exactly how much she did remember about him once they were roommates again. That thought, he found, was a rather comforting one, and so he let his unanswered question go in favor of sipping a bit more of his coffee.
“Alright, sounds good,” Harvey said, moving to stand as well. And he stretched, suddenly feeling calmer now than he’d been in months, and soon led her over to the door.
“I’m glad I reached out, too,” he said as he opened the door for her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
There was a friendly, familiar smile on his lips and, for a moment, he felt like they were back in college again. The memories didn’t feel like they happened a lifetime ago, and his old roommate, his longtime friend, didn’t feel quite so distant anymore. He looked and sounded genuinely happy at how this had turned out, and when he closed the door after her and flopped down onto the couch he pulled his phone out, poised to write a text. He paused though, for a moment, considering.
With a small shrug he seemed to come to a decision, so he quickly typed up a seemingly random string of letters and hit send.
fin.
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