Chapter Text
Huffing up the outdoor staircase to her apartment, Abby is abruptly met with Lee leaning against the brick exterior beside her door. There are a few large paper shopping bags filled with stuff, and a nicer duffel bag slung over their shoulder.
Abby fumbles with her own belongings to locate her key.
They haven’t said a word to her, so she remains quiet as well, at least until she manages to get her door open.
“Here we are.” She utters awkwardly.
Lee steps in after her. They drop their duffel, then backtrack to pull in the rest of their bags. This has to be one of the most surreal moments of her life.
“Also, hi. If you give me a few minutes I can tidy my stuff up a bit and give you some room to put your things.”
“This is everything.” Lee states.
Peeking down at their various bags, Abby tries to appear as nonchalant about this whole thing as possible.
“O-of course! No problem.” Abby knows she’s fumbling. To be fair, this is a weird situation for anyone to be put into.
Her apartment layout is simple enough. The entry way is technically a combination of her living area, kitchen, and weird awkward extra space that should probably be used for dining, but she uses as her desk/office space. You have to pass the kitchen to get to the short hall that leads into her bedroom and bathroom.
Unfortunately for her, she had not thought that through.
Whatever.
This person needed a place and she was here to provide one!
It probably doesn’t help that this is their first sober interaction.
“Okay. I’ll, uhm, show you around?” Abby means for it to be a statement, but it comes out as a question.
“If that’s what you want to do.”
Fuck, when’s the last time she cleaned her room?
Despite herself, old habits die hard. Even living on her own, Abby still upholds her Dad’s distrust of outside shoes entering into the lived parts of one's home.
“Sorry, this sucks for me to ask this of you, and this is not me being anal,” it is a little, “...but could you leave your shoes at the door?”
Abby makes a show of taking off her own gross, dirt crusted exploring boots, and drops them on the cheap mat she stores her outside shoes on. Lee watches her as she does, taking their own worn sneakers off, and sets them by her boots. Stepping over their big bags, Lee ventures onto the carpeted area of her apartment.
“Any other demands?”
“Not that I can think of. Follow me.”
So she shows them around her place. Lee spends the longest amount of time scoping the bathroom out.
Walking out of the bathroom, Abby’s bedroom has a generous amount of space. Assuming Lee would even want to sleep in here. She doesn’t have a lot of furniture. Abby always felt like it would be a waste. She’s never really home anyway.
Awkwardly, Abby shoves her twin bed, sat atop a low metal frame that she’d taken from her parents house when she first moved out, and pushes it to the far wall so Lee can have space to set up in here. If they so wish.
“You don’t have a lot of stuff.” Lee observes, their hands stuffed into their oversized hoodies front pocket.
“I’m not here all that much. Would rather put the money to other things.” Shrugging, Abby blows a stream of air up to her forehead to get a loose strand out of her face.
Lee nods along, so Abby decides to show them the last area, the kitchen.
“I think I have more kitchen stuff than you do.” They comment, opening up cupboards, and peeking into the fridge.
“I’ve never been much for cooking.”
Leaning against the counter, between the refrigerator and the stove, Lee crosses their arms over their chest.
“Will this work?” Abby checks, because she’s got no clue what Lee is thinking.
“I don’t really have a choice, now do I?”
Kind of rude to say to someone who’s offering. She’ll cut them some slack because she’s sure their situation must majorly suck if they have to take her offer at the last minute.
Unsure where this interaction should go, Abby chooses instead to vacate it.
“I just got back from an outdoor thing. I’m going to take a shower. If you want to put your stuff away while I do?”
“You’re sure about this?” Lee questions, fiddling with a cuticle on their thumb.
“Yeah? Do you not want me to be?”
“I’m going to literally sleep on the floor in your bedroom. You’re okay with that?”
“I’ve slept in a few hostels before. This is light work.” Abby reassures lamely, slinking awkwardly out of the kitchenette area. In the hall that leads to the bedroom, she adds an after thought. “Give a shout if you need anything?”
“You’re not worried I’m going to steal all your shit?”
“Are you?”
Turning their head left, then right, Lee finally kind of smiles. It’s not a full grin or ear to ear, but it’s something. “Maybe. If there was stuff to steal.”
“Ha, ha.” Rolling her eyes, Abby finally makes her way to her room. Going into the closet between the bedroom and the bathroom, she grabs some comfortable clothes and locks herself in the bathroom.
–
Hair damp, and cheeks rosy, Abby cautiously steps out into the shared living space. Immediately, there is a change. A few feet separates her bed from Lee’s sleeping bag, and their Legend of Zelda pillow.
Roaming from her room to the kitchen-office-living room space, she’s greeted by Lee’s sock-covered feet hanging lazily over the edge of her thrifted loveseat. Abby watches as they stare blankly at the small glowing TV, sitting atop a crappy, shaky table she found near a dumpster a few months ago.
Now that she’s got someone here, she’s kind of realizing how pathetic her place probably looks.
At the end of the day, she doesn’t really care. Her retirement accounts are being fed with every paycheck, her rent’s paid, she eats, and with the leftover she can do her hobbies.
Broaching conversation, Abby opens with, “anything good on?”
“Absolutely not.” Lee responds, not looking away from the screen.
Attempting to appear casual in her own home, Abby wanders over to the fridge. Reaching in, she grabs a can of beer. Hesitating, after she’s shut the fridge, she ends up re-opening it and pulls out a second can.
Pretending she’s an ounce confident in this decision, she then makes her way to the loveseat Lee’s currently taking up.
Standing in front of their view, Abby shakes a can in their face.
“Beer?”
“I won’t say no.”
She doesn’t miss the way Lee’s gaze drags from her hand, up to her face. Shifting upward, they make room for Abby on the small couch.
“You hungry?”
“I’m whatever.” Lee clips nonchalantly. Almost as if Abby hadn’t seen the way their body perked up at the mention of food, or heard the way their stomach growled when she showed them the bathroom earlier.
“Let me rephrase. I forgot to eat dinner. Would you eat pizza if I ordered some?”
Cracking their can open, Lee speaks up, “I won’t say no, if you’re offerin’.”
“Cool, because I’m offering.” Pulling her phone out of her lounge shorts she navigates to her food apps and begins an order.
“I’ll, uh, get some food tomorrow. I work next to a grocery store. Ya need anything?”
“No, I’m alright.” Abby answers, distracted by toppings.
“Really now? You forget I’ve seen the contents of your cupboards and fridge?”
That comment gets her to look up from her phone, her temper mildly flaring. “Do we have a problem?”
Lee’s features scrunch up. “Nope. Forget it.”
Fuck. She’s messing this up already.
Fixing her tone, she pauses her order. “Sorry. I just don’t like being judged for how I live. I come from a family of micro-managers, and I really don’t need the nit-picking.”
“All good. I get it.” The calm response surprises her. Standing up, Lee stretches their limbs. Since she can’t help herself, she watches, her eyes drifting to the stretch of stomach above where Lee’s pants rest on their hips.
Making sure she appears like she wasn’t ogling, Abby asks, “is pepperoni okay?”
“Sounds good. Mind if I use the shower?”
“Go for it. Towels are under the sink.”
Nodding once, Lee treks back to the bathroom, beer can in tow. When they are out of sight, Abby tosses her glasses to the side, pulls her knees up, and drops her head. Angling her neck to the side, she finishes out the order, and groans about what an awful start this is.
–
An hour after she’s ordered pizza, it arrives at her door with the knock of a frazzled delivery driver. Lee just so happens to emerge from their shower, right as Abby’s setting the box out on the kitchen counter.
Biting her tongue to keep the comment about the length of their shower at bay, Abby shakes her head. They aren’t close enough for Lee to understand her sense of humor yet. Fishing a couple paper plates that she’s saved from other fast food deliveries, Abby silently hands one to Lee who’s standing beside her.
“Sweet.”
“How was the shower?”
“Your hot water lasts a lot longer than the one at my old place.”
Abby observes as Lee stacks a hefty three slices onto their plate. In the back of her mind she’s noticing things about them that suggest their situation may have been more difficult than they’re letting on. Maybe that’s by design on Lee’s part, but it does make her sentimental, and more empathetic to their situation.
And maybe that is exactly what Lee doesn’t want by being restrictive with their information.
There was also the fact that this is only their third meeting. So yeah, Lee’s probably not about to trauma dump on her. Abby makes a mental note not to trauma dump on them either. She’s been known to overshare at times. Most times it blows up in her face later.
“You sure pepperoni is okay? If you ever have any preferences, you’ve got to let me know.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Lee returns snidely, in the middle of a big bite as they make their way back to the loveseat.
“Rude.” Abby trails after with two solid slices on her plate.
“Sorry, sorry, too much. But no, pepperoni is preferred, so don’t sweat.”
“You seem way more comfortable than I would expect you to be.”
Lee kind of flinches at her observation, but recovers quickly, digging into their second slice. “I’ve moved around a lot. I’m used to being in one place one night, and a different the next.”
Nodding along, Abby’s attention catches on to a late night re-run of George Lopez. The conversation fizzles out as the two zone into the show, both tired.
–
After finishing their late night pizza, Abby had informed Lee that she has an early start tomorrow for work and was heading off to bed.
She must have been knocked out by the time Lee made it to their sleeping bag. Lee’s snoring when she manages to slide her alarm off her phone. Frozen in place in her bed, Abby allows herself to peek down at Lee on the floor a short distance away from her. They’re still soundly sleeping.
As quietly as possible, she lifts her covers and half fixes her bed, then steps around their spread out legs to get to the bathroom.
Standing against the shut bathroom door, Abby allows herself a quick pat on the back for giving Lee somewhere to sleep safely. She was nervous about how she’d feel about letting them into her place the morning after, but now, brushing her teeth, she feels less anxious about the arrangement than she had the night prior.
As a night shower haver, Abby does her skin care, a light dusting of concealer and mascara and brushes out her hair before stepping into her closet, and getting her work clothes on. Coming out of the closet, Abby’s greeted by Lee tossing and turning.
“Mnngh, what time is it?” They murmur into their pillow.
“Almost seven thirty.”
Freezing, Lee bolts up from the ground and starts digging around one of their leftover paper bags, fumbling with what appears like clothes.
“Is the bathroom free?” Lee questions frantically.
“Yeah. I’m making coffee for the road. Want one?”
“Oh my god. Fuck yes.” Lee mumbles as they close the bathroom door after themself.
Leaving a note with her spare key, and a to-go coffee on the counter, Abby begins her short, two block trek to the bus stop.
The bus is behind schedule today. Go figure.
From her periphery she hears running feet heading towards her. Looking to her left, she sees none other than Lee, in what looks like their uniform from the other day. Huffing and puffing, Lee rears back when they notice Abby.
Awkwardly, Lee stands near her, catching their breath.“You t-take the bus too?” Some of the coffee they’d been running with spills out of the cup lid.
“Don’t have a car, and I’m not paying to Uber everywhere. You?”
“Something like that.”
Abby’s having a harder time trying to figure out if Lee’s being vague on purpose, or if there is truth to their vagueness.
The screeching of city bus brakes alerts the two of them. They get on and naturally sit together.
“How late do you work today?” Abby broaches.
“Depends. My cut off is 6, but I might be able to get some overtime if there’s an overflow of deliveries.”
“Do you want the overtime? Most people I know are avoiding it like the plague.”
Moving their pointer finger and thumb together Lee explains, “more moo-lah. Which if you haven’t noticed, I'm kind of in need of.”
Nodding along, Abby looks out the window beside her. “Understandable.”
“Which reminds me, when I get my paycheck next week I’ll get you that rent money.”
“Sure thing.” Taking a sip of her own coffee, Abby tacks on belatedly. “Actually, you can pay me next month. I’m sure you want to probably get other stuff with this paycheck, and it’s almost the end of September anyway. So, let’s just start rent in October? Cool with you?”
Lee blinks at her a few times. “Are you like some weird angel?”
“If anything I might steal some of your groceries. So, no. Not an angel.”
The bus brakes for another stop. Listening to the announcement, she picks up that she needs to get off in two stops.
“Oh no, the lady who saved me from being homeless might take some of my garbage snacks, whatever will I do?” Lee questions dramatically, the noticeable beginning of a real smile obvious at the corners of their mouth.
The bus jostles back into traffic. The two go quiet, both taking a minute to check their phones. Peeking out the corner of her eye, she sees Lee tapping at their cracked screen.
“Doesn’t that hurt?”
“I’m used to it, and it still works.”
Turning her attention back to the promotional email from her favorite local casino, they’re apparently having a deal this weekend on drinks. Abby makes a mental note to arrange a visit.
Her stop is called.
“This is me.” Abby voices, adjusting her work tote on her shoulder, and holding her coffee with a stronger grip.
“Me too.” Lee answers, stuffing their phone into their navy work pants pocket.
Disembarking when the bus officially stops, the two end up walking in the same direction. Abby can’t tell what Lee’s uniform shirt is, since they’re wearing an oversized crewneck sweatshirt over the collared shirt trying to peek out. She wracks her mind, trying to recall what mail services operate out of this part of town.
The walk from the bus stop to work is about five minutes.
“Before we part,” Abby begins, fixing her ever annoying tote bag straps, even as they continue in the same direction, “did you grab the spare key I left out?”
Lifting their plain navy hat, Lee mutters a curse.
“Well, I’ll probably beat you back anyway, so I guess don’t worry about it. Just make sure you grab it tonight.” She conveys, a little on edge that they are still going in the same direction.
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“You have my number if there’s an issue.” Abby says, her eyes catching on her work building ahead.
The two are quiet as they navigate around other passerby’s, ultimately ending up in front of the same grocery complex building.
“No way.” Lee remarks, stopping in place, they place their free hand on their jutted hip.
“Yeah. I think I just realized too.”
“We really should have probably figured this out beforehand, maybe.” Abby comments, darting her eyes from the warehouse, to the grocery store next to it, to the two story business office beside the grocery store.
“Eh, to be fair, neither of us were really giving alert and conversational morning vibes.”
“Says you.” She tosses back. “Well, I’m in the main office. Are you heading to the warehouse?”
“You got it.”
Making her way in the opposite direction, Abby stops in her tracks when Lee shouts out to her.
“Hey.”
Keeping her body forward, she waits.
“Thanks for the coffee. And, like, for all the rest.”
Smiling to herself, she waves behind her, then tugs open the heavy swinging glass door. She’s going to have to be careful she doesn’t end up overstepping and falling for them, or something stupid like that. Despite the fact they’ve flirted heavily twice, and, for the time being, are living together.