It's a Bad Idea, Right?
Despite Percy's promise of good behaviour, the first night did not go as planned. She tried to keep her mess-making to a minimum, but her usual bubbly and somewhat chaotic nature inevitably took over.
Andromeda came back from her shift at the café to find her apartment in a state of disarray. Percy had tried to cook dinner, but the kitchen was a disaster zone. Pots and pans were piled high in the sink, ingredients spilled across the countertops, and there was a faint smell of something burnt.
Standing in the doorway, with her arms crossed, Andromeda raised an eyebrow at the sight.
"I thought you said you'd behave," she said, her voice neutral but her eyes sparkling with mild amusement.
“I ‘mm.” Percy mumbled, a wooden spoon held between her teeth as her hands were full.
Andromeda sighed, rolling her eyes. “Sure.”
She turned away to hang up her coat before returning to the kitchen. As much as she wished the mess she had just seen would disappear in the ten seconds she looked away, it had not.
Percy seemed deeply involved in what Andromeda assumed was a recipe, with a rather puzzled look plastered on her face.
With a soft sigh, Andromeda thought it best to leave her be, and slipped away to her room.
✯
The two day stay turned into three, then four. Percy never seemed in a hurry to leave. Every time the subject came up, she'd find some reason to justify her extended stay.
During this time, the two women formed an unlikely rhythm between them. There were small gestures, too. A cup of coffee prepared just how Andromeda liked it waiting for her in the mornings, a flower picked from the park and placed in a vase, a note with a silly joke or drawing left on the bedside table.
It was subtle, but the change was there. So much that Mama Cy had even brought it up at work, innocently enquiring as to why Percy hadn't been back to her house for so long now.
For her part, Andromeda pretended not to notice the little things Percy did for her. She accepted the coffee and the flowers with a simple 'thank you' and ignored the little notes. But they touched her more than she cared to admit.
In private, she found herself watching Percy more closely, noticing how the girl's eyes would light up when she spoke, or the way her hair seemed to glow in the sunlight. She quickly brushed these thoughts away, reminding herself that Percy was just a friend. Nothing more.
She'd probably have to skip town soon enough so she really didn't have the options to be making connections. Just meant more loose ends for her parents to track her through.
Yet, the undeniable truth was that Percy's presence brought a sense of warmth to her life. Her carefree spirit and penchant for chaos seemed to balance out Andromeda's more serious nature. The apartment was livelier with Percy around, filled with the light of her laughter and the humdrum of her conversations.
While part of her knew it was stupid, a part of her was growing attached to the idea of having Percy around, even if just for a little longer.
✯
One Saturday morning, as Percy made breakfast (after being cleared for service by Andromeda) and Andromeda sipped her coffee, the issue finally came to a head.
"Perce," Andromeda said after a long moment of silence. "You've stayed here for longer than two nights, you know.”
Percy, who was busy flipping pancakes in the kitchen, stopped what she was doing and looked up. Her usual carefree expression was replaced with a look of mild worry.
"Yeah, I know," she said, her voice quieter than usual.
"What about Mama Cy's," Andromeda continued, keeping her tone neutral. "I'm sure she's wondering where you are.”
"I'm a grown woman, Lauri," Percy said, her tone slightly defensive. "Mama Cy doesn't keep tabs on me." She turned back to the stove, continuing to make breakfast.
But Andromeda could see the way Percy's shoulders tensed ever so subtly, the slight downturn of her lips. It was clear that the thought of leaving made her uncomfortable.
"I know you're a grown woman, Percy," Andromeda said gently. "But still, you can't stay here forever." She hesitated for a moment, then added, "You'll get bored of me eventually."
She meant it as a lighthearted joke, trying to ease some of the tension. But secretly, she wondered if that was true. Would she actually get bored of Percy's presence, or were these feelings more complicated than she cared to admit?
Percy laughed softly, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Get bored of you? Unlikely," she said, still focused on the pancakes. "You're surprisingly good company, Lauri."
There was a long pause, as if Percy was debating something internally. Then she spoke again. "What if I paid rent?" she asked suddenly.
Andromeda paused for a moment. "You want to stay?"
Percy placed the last pancake onto a plate and turned around, carrying it to the table. "Yeah," she said, sitting down across from Andromeda. "I like living with you. It's... nice. Comfortable."
There was a strange vulnerability in her eyes that Andromeda wasn't used to seeing. It made her heart clench unexpectedly.
"I can pay rent, and do chores, and be a model roommate," Percy continued, her voice growing more earnest. "You won't even know I'm here. Just... don't ask me to leave, alright?”
"Perce...I don't know…”
"Please, Lauri," Percy pleaded, leaning forward slightly. The look in her eyes was almost desperate, like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline. "I'll be so good, I promise. I won't make a mess, I'll do my own laundry, I'll even stop singing in the shower if you want. Just let me stay, please.”
Andromeda looked at Percy, feeling her defenses crumbling under the girl's pleading look. It's a terrible idea, she thought. I should say no. I'm leaving town soon anyway, I can't get attached…
But then Percy reached across the table, covering Andromeda's hand with her own.
"Please," she repeated, her voice low and husky. The touch was electric, sending a shiver down Andromeda's spine.
And suddenly, without a conscious thought, Andromeda found herself leaning forward.
"Alright," she murmured, the word slipping out before she could stop it.
Their faces were now inches apart. Percy's breaths were warm against Andromeda's skin, making her feel a tingle she hadn't felt in years. She could smell the faint scent of Percy's perfume and feel the heat radiating off her skin.
For a long moment, they stayed like that, neither of them daring to move.
Andromeda cleared her throat. I can't do this.
“Um well,” She shifted back. “We should get going or we'll be late for our shift.”
It took Percy a minute to reboot after that close call. “Yes! Work! Of course!” She blurted out before scrambling away to gather her things.
Once Percy scrambled away, Andromeda let out a heavy sigh. shit.
They walked to Mama Cy’s in an awkward silence, clocking in for their shift and getting to work. The cons of a small cafe was there was little space to hide from each other.
“Heya, my lovely.” Mama Cy greeted Andromeda with a warm smile as she swung around the banister from the spiral staircase.
“Mornin’ Cynthia.” Andromeda replied in kind.
Cynthia sauntered down into the cafe, walking over to the worktop Andromeda was behind. “What's up, Duck?”
“Nothing.”
“Lauren, I'll have none of that.” Cy scolded, well her equivalent of scolding, nothing like what Andy was used to. “Out with it.”
Andromeda continued to keep busy, cleaning up some mugs left from last night. “It’s nothing, really.”
Mama Cy stared at her for a few moments before admitting defeat. “Well, if it's ever not nothing, remember, I'm here.”
Andromeda offered her a soft smile as she walked off.
Percy, who had been watching the exchange from a nearby corner, seemed to be unusually quiet. Her eyes kept darting nervously over to Andromeda, as if trying to discern her mood or thoughts.
The tension between the two was almost palpable. As they continued their work, there was an unspoken agreement to avoid any further talk about Percy's living situation. However, the underlying tension remained beneath the surface.
Every glance across the counter or brushing of hands was charged with the weight of unsaid words and emotions.
Percy was uncharacteristically quiet, her usual cheerfulness replaced with a subtle anxiety. As they worked, Mama Cy could sense the underlying tension, her sharp eyes darting between the two girls. She was old enough to recognise unspoken attraction when she saw it, but she wisely chose to keep her observations to herself.
The day dragged on slowly, the unspoken tension growing tauter with every passing hour. Percy was quieter than usual and Andromeda was unusually serious and distracted. The usual banter and easy laughter were gone, replaced by a silence that was almost stifling.
Finally, the clock ticked towards the end of their shift. The sun was starting to set, casting the cafe in a warm, golden light. Mama Cy made her usual rounds, preparing for closing time.
"Alright, girls," Mama Cy called, emerging from the back with a large bag of trash in her hands. "Finish up and head off. It's been a long day and you two look wiped."
Andromeda glanced over at Percy, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. She could see the turmoil in Percy's eyes, a mirror of her own. The moment hung heavy in the air like a stormcloud on the brink of a downpour.
They finished up their tasks in silence. Percy was uncharacteristically slow, taking her time to ensure everything was in order. She seemed unwilling to leave. Andromeda, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to escape the stifling tension.
Once they were done, the two girls stood awkwardly in the middle of the now-deserted cafe. The silence was palpable, filled only with the distant ticking of a clock.
Percy, usually so loquacious, was unusually quiet. She seemed unsure how to break the silence, her eyes darting around the room.
“We should probably get going,” Andromeda broke the silence. “It'll be dark soon.”
A flash of surprise ran across Percy’s face. "Yeah, let's go home."