Chapter Text
Chi’s door closed followed by the click of the lock. She pocketed the key in her jeans and cracked her neck, heading to the kitchen with slow, lazy strides.
Bo drew in a breath as she shuffled down the hall. Her footfalls always came heavy, but no magic meant tired. Tired could mean irritable. Irritable could mean she’d shoot him down. Doubt nagged at the back of his mind as he poured coffee into two mugs before returning the pot to its warmer.
“Morning!” He chirped as she emerged from the hallway.
“Mn.” Her shortened greeting came more like a grunt. Her black, thoroughly tousled hair hung in a knot at her shoulder, tangled in a faded scrunchie. She gave a small yawn and plopped into a wooden chair at their small kitchen table. She was still in her clothes from yesterday.
“Didn’t sleep?” Bo picked up the mugs and moved to the table, offering her the one covered in glitter and rainbows. She used the mug to greet each sucky morning with aggressive cheer. Even though that philosophy only extended to the mug, not her own attitude.
She gave a shrug with another grunt as she took the mug and inhaled over its rim, scrunching her nose. Not enough sugar. “I slept. Kinda. Well, sorta, just not much.” Her eyes focused on the drink as her left foot idly bounced on the tile floor. She brought an index finger to the rim of the cup and tapped it over the liquid and like the ash of a cigarette, soft purple embers fell from it and into the brew. “Not that I need much,” she gave him a soft, tired smile as she sipped the now bearable beverage.
Bo pushed out an exaggerated sigh, “I wish you wouldn’t use magic in coffee.” He set his own cup down before detouring to turn on the kitchen radio. Quiet music accompanied them.
“Why not?” She shrugged, holding the cup to her lips with a cheeky grin, “I can stand to drink it now. It’s magic or all the sugar we have. Seems like the fiscal choice.”
He glared at her, though with no real menace, and sat in the other chair. He took a long, thoughtful sip of his coffee.
“So, what’s on the schedule today?” Chi only allowed for a single beat to pass, staring into her mug at the dull brown liquid.
“Uh, about that.” Bo took a breath nervously, he knew he’d have to talk about it before the day really began. Even if her definition of ‘morning’ is loose and he’d been up for a few hours already.
Her eyes lifted and fixed on him, narrow but not accusingly. Bo wasn’t the nervous type. Not around her, at least. She watched as his shoulders tensed, his posture curved to one side, his eyes glued to his coffee. He had on nicer clothes than usual, not that he had many not-nice clothes to begin with, but overly nice for just any Saturday morning. His red, button up shirt was likely ironed just that morning; complimented by black slacks. His puffy red hair sat mostly untamed, so he probably wasn’t done getting put together yet.
He shifted, almost squirming under her gaze, “I kind of invited someone over.” He could feel his cheeks warm under the scrutiny. Too late to back out.
With that, a light bulb went off for her. “Ooh,” a wicked smile slithered onto her, “I get it.”
He jolted, looking to her, “What?”
“You don’t need to beat around the bush if you want me to scram, ya know? Kind of unorthodox first thing in the morning, but I don’t judge.” Her grin bordered on smug as she tipped her mug back to gulp her drink.
“What! No! No, no, it’s not like that! And I wouldn’t call 11AM ‘first thing in the morning’, either!” Bo’s face visibly reddened, exasperated, “A friend at school is looking for a place to stay. I told him he could come take a look at our place, meet you, maybe take the third room if he’s interested?” The words pushed out all at once in a rush. His eyes fell to the floor, not sure how she’d react but not sure he wanted to know either.
Chi straightened in her chair and studied him with a careful expression. She tapped a finger on her mug, considering her options. Easing into a gentle smile, she gave a nod, “Okay, Bo. When did you tell him to be here?”
His eyes jerked to meet hers again, “Really?”
Laughter sputtered from her, “Yeah, really. What did you think I was going to say? I-” She paused a moment, considering his honest surprise, her smile sinking, “I’m . . . not that bad, am I?”
Bo reached out, placing a hand over hers as she clenched the mug tighter, “No. Sorry, I just- I made it out to be a bigger deal in my head. I know you worry, is all.” He gave a gentle squeeze and a smile, “I really think you’ll like him. He’s really cool and funny. And if you don’t like him, that’s okay too. I never promised anything.”
Her eyes sunk to their hands. Unsatisfied but unwilling to dwell, her voice perked up happily, “Okay. So, what time?”
Pulling his hand back, he checked his wrist watch, “I told him to be here in about an hour. He’s usually punctual for classes.”
With a nod, Chi got up from the table to place her mug in the sink. “Rad. What’s his name?”
“Decker.”
“Got it. Imma go change into something. . .,” she paused to survey her wrinkled, disheveled clothing, “cleaner.”
“How long have you been wearing that?” Bo raised an eyebrow at her, noticing the smudges that would likely become stains on her jeans and the tear in the shoulder of her t-shirt.
“Umm,” she pursed her lips and looked off at nothing with squinted eyes, straining for the memory. Or at least appearing to.
With an exaggerated sigh he rolled his eyes, knowing she wouldn’t supply an answer, “Never mind. Just go change. Maybe shower, too?”
She flashed him a large, toothy grin and headed back to her room, "You got it!" She stopped in the doorway and tilted her head to him, “Oh, what’s he know about me?”
“Um, your name, you live with me, you’re a smart-ass, the basics.” He chuckled into his coffee mug as she mimicked him in a whiny voice and left to change.