Always commanding the atmosphere, Arlecchino was a woman of grace. Upholding an air of confidence whilst keeping herself refined by her reserved demeanour. Very few managed to weasel past the concrete wall to her heart. It’s what launched her popularity, like a game to figure out what heart strings were needed to play a melody. Everyone trying to get in were placing their shape block in the wrong hole, trying to ram in until taking force by opening the lid to force it in.
All apart from her.
Maybe it was the blunt blade she cut into conversations with or the bashfulness when a small thing falls out of order. Whatever it was, she managed to melt her frigid heart.
The late evening really began to dawn in. Moon high in the sky with moonlight peaking through the confides of the window. Impatience grew harsh as her mind grew blanker with each simmering moment passing by. The gentle tap of fingers drumming against the surface drawing louder and louder.
“Stupid.. fuckin’.. maths— dammit!” Frustration begins to pile high, reaching climax as a thud disturbed the momental peace. Maths had never exactly been their forte, but this idiotic art assignment had just happened to be based on some conceptual art. Supposedly all particular shapes included in a composition of an art piece required some sort of complex equation to make up it’s form, the goal was to do the same with some nonsensical equations they’d also been expected to answer and to make an actual piece.
Normally, she would’ve sat searching for hours rather than bothering her roommate but knowing her well, Arlecchino surely would give in for her. A swift speed walk led her in front of her door, a melodic knock stemming from her knuckles as she alerts of her presence. “Arlecchino-Cappuccino~? I’m coming in!”
No flat warning came when the burst open the door. Startling the inhabitant as the woman quickly slid off her headphones. Stone-cold as normal, keen eyes would’ve picked up the subtle softening of her features. Expectant as her fingers drum against the rim of her laptop settled down on her thighs, her roommate’s energy never ceases to surprise.
Giving the pleasantry back as she greets her by name, an eyebrow corked at her sudden suck-up attitude. ”—Now, What can I help you with, my dearest roommate?”
”Welllllll— You know how you’re like.. really smart and miles better at maths than me?” Leaning against her doorway as her hands begin to fidget with one another, it’s no wonder why Arlecchino usually deals with all the rent for student accommodation. The graphics designer could say she was spoilt in that aspect.
Her deadpan expression only lasted for moments longer, a ghost of a smile gracing over her lips. It was obvious where her roommate was going with this, the way their expression pleaded with her was enough to decipher the issue at hand anyway.
”Send whatever it is my way. I’ll do it for you but you’ve got to stay when I do it.” A compromise. Answered immediately as she quickly retreats from the doorway, scurrying back to her room to pick up the remnants of paper she scattered earlier in frustration. Arlecchino on the other hand could only let out a soft giggle, imagining the chaos with the gentle bangs coming from down the hallway.
The metaphorical memory bubble was popped as soon as hurried footsteps make way back down the hallway, somehow the girl had just managed to dishevel her appearance whilst hunting for her paper. Setting foot into the darkly decorated room, her scuffles of her feet reminisce of the sleepless nights she came to Arlecchino about. Sitting down right at the woman’s side with dumping the paper on top of her laptop.
”Something to do with correlating numbers to the form of.. things? Or something..” Mind too limp to wrap around it, the heavy dusk of their remaining day really seemed to sink it’s teeth into them. Just as they’d been awake mere moments ago, the heavy weight of eye bags finally pull their eyes down. So suddenly leaning against her shoulder and with their head lulling onto the familiar warmth.
And it was far from unnoticed too. A scoff left Arlecchino’s lips as the realisation didn’t take long to sink in, she’s asleep. Damn workaholic. Despite being utterly carefree, she take the damn world head on through work.
”You really need to stop doing so much work..” Refined elegance retuned into a worried mother almost, the woman took this as a sign to call quits tonight. Closing down her laptop and shifting that alongside the rather heinously large paper stack onto the nightstand beside her bed. Her movements were careful, unwilling to disturb her now sleeping roommate.
Despite seemingly like the type to disregard, Arlecchino was an attentive woman. Calculating her every move as if the slightest of shifts could wake up the snoozing girl.
Settling her in to the velvet bed and dimming out the lights, Arlecchino could only stare back in a slight longing. Admiring her from the doorframe but only for a moment as work cannot wait. So much so for an unrealistic deadline, the business major was just too demanding.
”Goodnight.. Darling.” A sliver of affection laced her tone, lingering for moments longer before disappearing down the hallway.
.
.
.
By the next morning, she woke up in not her bed but presumably Arlecchino’s. Not recalling the exact moment she dozed but that didn’t matter. Sitting up against the headboard of the bed and eyes catching onto something settled upon the nightstand, her hand soon reaches out to latch to the sticky note placed atop of the stack of paper which was their homework, answers freshly inked upon the once empty paper.
’You fell asleep. Try not to overdo the workload today, all the math problems are solved too. -A’
Straight to the point, despite being complex and an enigma most of the time. She can’t help but appreciate such a simple act.
”I’ll try for you, Arle..”
.
.
.