Moving In
Alex slowly walked into the house where she would be spending her next three months, it was a nice sized house, especially for someone who worked at a zoo. Tobin noticed Alex’s confused visage and spoke up.
“It was a gift from my grandma to my parents.” Tobin started, padding her way across the marble tiled foyer. Alex followed in silent expectation, waiting on Tobin to continue her story.
“My parents decided to move and all of my other siblings are married and what’s not, and they couldn’t part with such a meaningful place, so here I am, a guardian of the gate I guess.” Tobin finished leading Alex up a flight of stairs to where she assumed would be her room.
“So um, there’s three bedrooms.” Tobin started, walking down a wide corridor which was filled with natural light coming in from the windows which allowed persons inside to look upon the beautiful yard surrounding the house.
“But, one is filled with some of my parents’ things, and the other is sort of like my storage room, and it doesn’t have a bed.” Tobin said, uncomfortably staring at Alex. Alex put two and two together quickly and blushed at the thought of the inevitable.
“So we have to share a bed?” Alex got to the point quickly.
“Either that or either you or I can sleep on the couch in the living room, it’s not that comfortable of a couch though, I’m warning you.”
Alex did her best to hide her irritation, to no avail though, and Tobin quickly changed the subject.
“I made us dinner.”
**
Despite Tobin being possibly the most annoying being on the planet to Alex, she was one hell of a cook, making the possibly the best pasta Alex had ever tasted. They didn’t talk much over dinner, awkwardly sitting across from each other at the dinner table, sneaking uncertain glances at each other every now and then, busying themselves instead with stuffing their faces.
“So, are you okay?” Tobin asked shyly, playing idly with her pasta.
“What kind of question is that?”
“Are you okay? Is like everything okay ... here, do you have a problem with anything? Besides me of course.” Tobin deadpanned, and Alex almost felt a twinge of guilt hit her.
“Um well, I’m here with someone who I honestly don’t like, in her house, being forced to live with her for three months” Alex started but was interrupted by Tobin.
“First of all how can you not like me if you don’t even know me and second of all, no one forced you to come here, you agreed all on you own.”
Alex was lost for words at Tobin’s bluntness, she didn’t know the woman was capable of being in any other state than the laid back one Alex always saw her in.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so …” Tobin didn’t finish her sentence, instead opting to leave the table, taking her plate, and Alex’s empty one with her.
“If you’re still hungry, help yourself to anything in the kitchen, this is your home now too.” Tobin said, not daring to make eye contact with Alex.
**
Tobin disappeared after their heated exchange, to her room Alex presumed, she hadn’t really familiarized herself with the house yet, and Tobin’s room seemed to be the logical answer. Alex didn’t go looking for Tobin either, figuring it would be better to leave the woman alone.
Replaying their conversation over in her head, Tobin was right, Alex didn’t even know Tobin, which meant that she had no plausible reason to actually hate her, but Alex still wasn’t inclined to go and try be buddy buddy with Tobin, her stubborn nature again wouldn’t allow such a thing.
Switching on the television inside of the living room, Alex pulled out her phone and began to talk to Kelley.
Alex: Just had a heated exchange with the wifey, I’m sure she hates me now.
Kel: Well I’m sure you’d like that, or am I sensing a bit of guilt J
Alex: No way, well maybe a bit, but ugh, she’s annoying
Kel: Tobin is literally so cool, you just need to get to know her, she’s a total sweetheart
There it was again, the replaying notion of actually getting to know Tobin, they were going to spend three months together, maybe Alex should but her stubbornness on the back burner and actually try to have some sort of friendship with the woman.
Alex: Hmmm, I’ll sleep on it.
**
Alex woke up a few hours later, thoroughly uncomfortable, Tobin was right, the couch definitely wasn’t the ideal place to sleep. She was about to get up and check her phone for the time when she realized she was covered in a blanket and someone had put a pillow under her head.
Alex was touched by this gesture, and couldn’t stop the smile that rose from her lips as she wrapped herself tighter into the duvet. It was into the early hours of the morning and Alex definitely wouldn’t be sleeping on that couch anymore, so before the strong willed side of her brain activated again, Alex made her way up the steps, and found herself at the door of Tobin’s room.
Quietly she opened the door, making her way silently across the cool wood of the floor. Tobin’s even breathing indicated that she was still sleeping, and Alex could make out some of her features in the dim light that the early hours of the morning brought; Tobin looked at peace, like she always looked, but there was something distinctly beautiful about the way Tobin lightly gripped onto the sheets as her stray hairs rest wildly about her face.
Alex quietly slid into the bed next to Tobin and before she knew it, she was joining Tobin in the dream realm.
**
The actual morning came soon after and Alex’s eyes fluttered open to find herself under the watchful and amused gaze of Tobin Heath.
“Good Morning.”