Work Text:
“That’s the last of them,” he said as he kicked the door closed behind him, setting the last cardboard box on the ground and stepping away from it. Elliot’s eyes scanned over the living room as he evaluated how few boxes he’d been able to pack his new life away in.
Gone were the days of the humble home filled with unnecessary trinkets and yard sale furniture. The bare white walls of his new apartment were a stark contrast to the cozy confines of his former New York home that held the memories of every school award and sports trophy along chipped wooden shelving. He figured it was at least a steep improvement over where he’d been living the past several months.
“El.”
He snapped out of his own head, glancing up to see the woman standing by the counter in his new kitchen. He couldn’t mutter out a word, still being hounded by the thoughts in his mind.
“El, it’s a clean slate.”
His eyes refocused, watching her intently as her figure came closer, approaching him with gentle footsteps. Olivia’s brunette hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, practically begging for him to release it and run his hands through her locks. Her loose, grey hoodie reminded him of his own. Maybe it was his own? He may have to give her shit over that one day. Her black leggings and running shoes finished off her outfit, perfect for the steps they’d been making as they carried boxes up three flights of stairs.
He looked into her brown eyes, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he examined her before him. A nod pulled gently at his head, hearing her words with meaning.
“This isn’t forever, you know? This doesn’t have to be your forever home. It is, however, a clean slate; the fresh start you’ve been needing.”
Elliot slid his hand down to hers in a moment of confidence, grabbing hold of her delicate fingertips and giving a deliberate nod. “You’re right,” he responded confidently. She was always right. He knew that.
She smiled at his touch, looking up at him as she watched his worries melt away. Olivia grazed her thumb across his fingertips, letting him drop them from hers. “So do you want help unpacking, or would you prefer to do that yourself?”
He glanced around at the boxes and scattered furniture, his eyes landing on the couch placed in the center of the living room that faced the entrance of the apartment. It wasn’t a large space, but it was enough to do the trick. He’d decided to jump on the opportunity for a three-bedroom pad, hoping it would make his home more appealing to family for the time being. Eli was still living with his sister as he finished the school year, something he felt was important for his son after such a difficult semester. He wanted his apartment to be safe and welcoming when his son returned. The third bedroom would eventually become a guest bedroom, one he hoped would be filled by company who actually wanted to spend time around him.
He refocused his attention on Olivia, realizing he’d become distracted by the thoughts clouding his mind again. “How about we order dinner? Takeout?”
An easy ‘yes’ from her and a half hour later, the pair sat on his couch in the center of the bare living room, joking as they used cardboard boxes as a makeshift coffee table.
Digging into their Chinese takeout containers, they laughed over small talk and stories of good times.
After kicking off her shoes, Olivia had found herself curled up on his sofa with her legs tucked beneath her. The lo mein she’d ordered was about as good as to be expected from takeout, but it did the trick. She watched as her friend had settled into his new normal, a comfort level she’d been eager to see from him in the months he’d been back. Elliot fumbled with his food, dropping a piece of chicken from the container, right onto the center of his cloth couch. The moment resulted in a barking laugh from both as they sought out paper towels and cleaner in order to avoid having a sticky stain holding a spicy stench for all of eternity.
“And that’s why I told you to go with the leather one,” Olivia commented, pointing to the remnants of the blob of sauce that now resided in the material of the center couch cushion.
Elliot shook his head jokingly, returning to the final bites of his food. “At least it has character now. Better than the rest of the place.”
She tilted her head, watching him slip back into his thoughts. “I’ve told you about when I had to move, you know.”
Elliot nodded, recalling their nearly four-hour discussion regarding the decade of her life that he had missed.
“I did that with someone and it still took time. In fact, I think I’d have preferred being on my own. Yeah, it was nice having someone when I was going through that, but I also wish I had my own space during that time. It wasn’t until I was single and Noah entered my life that I really turned it into my own. You can make this a home for yourself and for Eli. Do what feels right. If one day you want to move on from here, you know I’ll be here to help you carry your boxes.”
Elliot’s eyes watched her closely, his lips tugging into a smile as he listened to her words with full intent. “I want to make this work,” he said. “I want to have this fresh start.” He looked her over, watching her hand flick through her messy bun as she leaned against the back cushions on the sofa. He softened, absorbing her presence, “I want you to be here, too. I want you to feel comfortable here.”
The ease of his gaze gave her butterflies as she watched him mimic her position from his side of the couch. She couldn’t come up with words to spit out, making him suddenly feel exposed in wanting her to be present in his home.
“I– I mean,” he muttered.
They’d never crossed a line. The invisible line remained untouched. Yet somehow, he still couldn’t fight the feeling of wanting her to be in his home, eating food from his fridge, watching trash TV with him on his couch, and watching their sons play video games together. He didn’t need her there 24/7. He just needed her there. There in whatever capacity she could be there for him.
Olivia shook her head, stopping him from the spiral he was about to go down. “I want to be here. I want to spend time with you. I’m thankful you want me here. I’ve been on my own with Noah for a long time now.”
He let out a sigh of relief, nodding as he glanced around at the stack of boxes surrounding them. The thought of unpacking suddenly overwhelmed him.
“He’s at a friend’s for the night. If there’s anything you need help with here, I’m able to assist,” Olivia commented. “I’ve become pretty good with a drill, too.”
Elliot let out a chuckle as he watched her toss her food container into the trash bag they’d thrown on the floor in front of them. The thought of her chipping away at setting up decor and furniture throughout her own home made him smile. “I’ve got an IKEA TV stand to put together if you’re up for it,” he said, challenging her.
“Unpacking a box of nick-nacks would have been too easy, wouldn’t it?”
He laughed as he climbed off the couch, padding over to the cardboard package that rested against the wall. “You done one of these? Kathleen said they’re a pain.”
She nodded as she pushed herself up from the cushions, heading for the labeled box she’d placed on his kitchen counter, “Sure have. I’ll go find the box full of liquor and we’ll get started.”
Elliot shook his head with laughter, turning to lay out the box, knowing the endeavor they were about to embark on.
–
“I don’t think we’re doing this right,” he grumbled, unfolding the large, crinkled paper of directions, tilting his head to examine the diagrams. “I think we did the first shelf wrong.”
“Oh, give me those!” Olivia reached for her reading glasses he’d stolen off the top of her head, yanking them off of his face before sliding them over her nose and into place. Both shared laughs for days over their mutual lack of eyesight, yet she was far less stubborn about getting glasses that allowed her to read without squinting or holding the material two inches from her face.
“El, you’ve got the diagram upside down.”
He snatched the glasses back, holding the paper up against the light in order to review her findings. “I knew I should have just picked something up from beside a dumpster on the street.”
Olivia laughed, clicking the next few pieces into place. A yawn left her as she crawled back onto the couch, holding one of the TV stand legs together in order to fasten it.
“Don’t do that,” Elliot said through a yawn, fighting the contagious action. He settled down next to her on the couch, watching as her motions slowed. He glanced at the clock on the microwave, seeing it was after midnight. Time had slipped away from them, neither caring as all they had was one another for the night. Her energy was spent. He could tell it in her eyes as she curled her body tighter, placing the piece from the unfinished furniture down by her legs.
He watched her, wanting to suggest that he take her on home for the night, but also knowing she’d slap a quick “I just need a quick nap” response back at him. He’d heard that plenty of times back in the day.
Elliot continued to work as he took the piece from beside her, letting her rest as her eyes had slipped closed. She’d wound herself up tight into a ball on the couch, her head resting on the arm of it with her body curled up against it. He couldn’t refrain from glancing repeatedly as she fell into a soft snooze, dragging his own exhaustion to the surface.
His new mattress he’d ordered was still vacuum-packed into the shipping box and the bed frame was still packed away in a cardboard box. He glanced at the couch, realizing that’s where he’d planned to crash, but didn’t want to disrupt her rest. He knew with pretty good certainty she’d be up in ten minutes begging to finish their project anyways.
–
The sun rose to suddenly beam through his uncovered windows as morning arrived quicker than ever.
Elliot blinked his eyes open, adjusting his eyes to the light that covered the open space. He bent his neck gently, fixing the tightness from his awkward sleeping position. His arm felt heavy as he glanced down, seeing the woman next to him had managed to roll against his side at some point in their slumber. Her chocolate locks had fallen from the confines of their bun and splayed out over his arm. God, he wanted to run his fingers through the length of her hair. He wanted to feel how silky it truly was. She was still clearly asleep, her body trusting him as it curled up against him.
His opposite hand reached slowly, brushing a loose lock away from her face.
He’d slept near her on several occasions in the racks, never letting himself think much of it. He never dared to watch her chest rise and fall with every breath. Never, he swore to himself.
“Quit watching me sleep, you creep.”
He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, seeing her eyes looking up at him as his fingertip dragged against her hair. His heart pounded, certainly strong enough for her to feel against him.
“I –”
Olivia let out a subtle laugh, a soft smile appearing on her lips.
“You know, I woke up to finish the TV stand and you’d fallen asleep. When have I ever passed out for the night without finishing what I was working on? You should know better,” she shot back at him. “Then I got cold and I wasn’t about to dig for a blanket. 98.6 degrees of body heat was the next best thing I could find.”
Elliot adjusted, letting her rest against his chest as he looked down at her, overwhelmed by everything about her. He laughed with the grin of a man in love on his face.
She was everything to him.
“I’m glad you stayed, Liv.” His voice was softer, deeper. His arm tightened around her shoulder, holding her close. He knew if her usual instincts took over, she’d pull back and jump up. His heart fluttered when she didn’t bail, instead curling closer to him and allowing him to provide her with the comfort they’d been craving from one another so often lately.
He’d questioned how he would ever make the bare walls of a third-story walk-up feel like home. It wasn’t the frivolous decor. It wasn’t a piece of furniture with complex directions. It wasn’t a rich color of paint on the walls. He realized in that moment that his home was right beneath his arm, right where he needed her to be.
No directions needed.