Eyeing the pile of boxes shoved up against the far wall of his room, Rory took a moment to close his eyes and breathe deeply. He was the one, after all, who’d wanted to take a few days to visit family and help get his littlest cousin settled into her own new room.

Not that he’d been allowed to actually see said room in person due to the school not wanting boys in the dorms, but Nami had been sweet enough to send pictures and ask his advice when she could.

Regardless, he thought as he yanked his train of thought back onto the rails forcibly, he was running late and the rest of the guys probably wouldn’t appreciate him wasting more time getting himself settled. He was already having a hard enough time imagining Aleksey’s reaction to the movers bringing in his boxes and furniture.

“Well,” he muttered, “at least they got the furniture where I wanted it.”

That was one thing he wouldn’t have to bother the others about. He was extremely aware of his own maknae status and didn’t want to do or say anything that might result in Vasily’s scary-as-hell mother singling him out for reprimands. The mere thought of that was enough to make him shiver with dread. And really appreciate his own mother by comparison. Which had been noted and taken full advantage of. Once he got through some of his boxes of belongings, he’s open up the care packages Cherry had shipped and distribute them accordingly. In fact, he’d put those particular boxes on the bed for now. They’d be safe there and he’d have to remember to video the guys opening their packages so Omma could see and enjoy.

He loved doing things to make Omma smile. And he suspected his bandmates were on the fastrack to loving her just as much. It was hard to refuse being wholeheartedly gathered in as adopted sons when she spent so much time trying to spoil them all silly or worrying if they’d be warm enough in Destiny City once cooler weather hit. Not that it could be worse than New York, but well. She worried.

Growling a little at himself, Rory once again pulled his thoughts back and made himself focus on the boxes. The many, many boxes that he needed to get unpacked and put away by the time he crashed out for the night. And the only way it would happen was if he’d just stop dicking around and do it. But! He couldn’t do the job properly without something playing in the background. Taking his phone from his pocket, he pulled up a playlist of energetic pop and cranked up the volume. Soon enough, empty boxes were beginning to pile in the hallway and his room was starting to look like, well, him. Hell, he even had his own bathroom which was amazing given he would be sharing a house with four other guys. He hadn’t really snooped yet, so he had no idea if they all had their own or not, but given that it was not his mother who was covering this and he doubted that Vasily would be willing to share… Chances were good they all had their own. Which meant decorating! Or at least being able to put things exactly how he liked.

Which… okay. Mental note to buy sheets and towels, he thought. He had some, but he wanted options. And there was no reason not to enjoy this, though he wouldn’t be going crazy. Just buying something better than the Walmart Sandpaper s**t he currently possessed. But the more he put away and organized, the happier he got. The fact that his linen cupboard, bathroom and closets were all inside of his room meant he could be fairly self sufficient. And the windows! Even the house he’d grown up in hadn’t had this many windows! Amazing.

Squaring away his bathroom, he finally nodded in satisfaction. It would do for now. His room was mostly the way he liked it, though he could see areas when an extra shelf would be helpful. But oh, he was going to need some things to really make this place home. Hangers, blackout curtains, maybe some pictures, extra pillows… But he could worry about that later. At the moment, he was aware that it was getting late and he could hear voices coming from downstairs. With a start, he realized that the light coming through his windows wasn’t as strong as earlier. Had he really spent all day in here? Apparently so, but at least he’d finished unpacking.

Working quickly, before he could fully realize how tired and sore he was, he broke down the boxes in the hall and leaned them against the wall to wait until he could take them down to the recycling. And even that could wait a little longer. The care packages sent by his mother still sat upon his now made bed and were practically calling to him. Ripping into them, he grinned and began laughing. Then, box in hand, he thundered down the stairs, calling out to his housemantes.

“Oy! Presents from mum! Come and get ‘em!”

Quote:
inside the box are various treats and goodies all lovingly handpicked by Cherry along with a note in small, prim handwriting that reads:

Happy Moving In Day, or perhaps it should be Week, my darling boys! Aleksey, please remember to not be too hard on yourself! Vasily, make sure he remembers to eat and let me know what you think of the whiskey marmalade! I haven’t tried my hand at it since I was a child. Rory, behave and don’t vex Aleksey too badly. Emil, stay safe and remember to take your jacket when you go out!

Gifts included in the box:
Aleksey - Roasted Pistachios and Almonds, homemade Zucchini bread and dried apples from her family’s farm
Vasily - Jam sampler and one very large jar of homemade Whiskey Marmalade and homemade thumbprint cookies
Emil - SCA approve foam Dagger for his LARPs (Rory told her about it) and a cloak clasp. She doesn’t get it but she will 1000% support


Word Count = 874