Chapter Text
“Wait so, what’s his name again?” Drew asks for the third time since he’s arrived.
“Ray Spiewack,” Paige repeats patiently, with a sweet, reassuring smile. “He might seem a little strange at first, but I promise, he’s a good guy. Plus, he needs a roommate,” she adds.
Drew is skeptical, but decides he should probably just meet the guy first. There is still one thing he’s worried about, though, so he turns to her to clarify. “And… he’s worked with Scorpion before?”
Paige opens her mouth slightly, seeming unsure about what to answer. “Well, not exactly… but he’s helped,” she assures him.
Drew doesn’t know what to think of that. The people Paige interacts with on a daily basis are people with very high IQs, and consequently very low EQs. He’s not sure he can handle living with someone like that. In his experience, he’s never done well with socially awkward people. But right now, he doesn’t have a lot of other options.
He’s still playing with his car keys in his fingers, considering whether or not to trust Paige’s judgement, when he notices that she is standing up, searching the room for her own set. Drew knows he has to make up his mind, because despite wanting to help him find a place to stay, Paige doesn’t really have a lot of time for him. She has to pick up Ralph at the garage soon, and while he wants to come with her to see their son, he also kind of needs to find a place to sleep.
“Come on, just come meet him,” Paige says finally, and Drew can’t really argue against that.
***
Ray lives in a five-story building. His apartment is on the fifth floor and there’s an elevator, but Drew only uses it because Paige is here; he’d rather take the stairs (something about keeping in shape, he says, which is important even if he’s no longer playing baseball).
“This is it. This is his apartment.” Paige declares as she drops Drew’s bags to the side. She briefly looks over her shoulder to smile at him, who’s face is still creased with worry, before she knocks.
They both jolt when they hear Ray’s muffled shouts through the door. “Just a minute!”
Paige pinches her lips and nods slightly, as if to say, yes, that’s Ray.
Drew looks away for only a second, observing the corridor’s flowery wallpaper. The next thing he knows, the door is flung wide open and they are greeted with a big smile from a man wearing nothing but a loud Hawaiian shirt, boxers and worn-out flip flops standing before them.
“Bonjour, amigos!”
Paige, determined to not let the atmosphere become awkward, immediately reaches forward to give Ray a welcome hug. “So good to see you, Ray!” she exclaims brightly.
He gladly hugs back tightly, “You too, Piper! Who’s your friend here?”
Paige had long ago stopped correcting Ray whenever he gets her name wrong, so she simply takes a sharp breath and gestures to Drew and replies, “This is the guy I told you about, who needs a place to stay.”
Drew didn’t think it was possible for Ray’s smile to get brighter, but it did. “Hey, buddy, come on in! I’ll show you around!” he says, patting Drew’s shoulder firmly, and Drew, not yet comfortable with this strange man he’s just met touching him, tightens his shoulders defensively. But he also doesn’t want to offend Ray just yet, so he refrains from brushing off the hand harshly and settles for moving away slowly with an awkward “Hi.”
Ray leads them in, and Drew follows, but stops when he realises Paige isn’t trailing behind anymore. Drew looks at her in a silent plea, because she always seems make these kinds of situations less tense, but Paige only replies with an apologetic expression, and calls out, “I have to go pick up Ralph now, so I’ll see you two later!”
“See ya, Paula!” Ray shouts back, effectively drowning out the strangled noise Drew makes. He then turns back to Drew eagerly. “So, do you wanna see your room?”
It couldn’t have been worse. Drew raises an eyebrow, wondering whether this guy is for real or not. Now he knows why he’s never looked for a roommate before. “You picked a room for me?” He asks but doesn’t really wants to know the answer. Probably because he already knows it. Ray stops in his tracks, turns around to face his new roomie, and frowns a little.
“Well it’s not a palace. There are two rooms; one’s mine, the other is yours, pal.”
Ray clasps his hands together with another bright smile, and he seems so excited about this whole thing, and he’s so kind and welcoming that Drew can only soften a little. He decides to follow Ray, and finds a decent bedroom with a decent cupboard and decent walls. The bed is even made.
It’s way better than what Drew had expected, though he isn’t really sure what he had had in mind. When he turns around, he realises Ray has left the room, and from where he stands, he notices the guy is getting his bags, so he runs out to help him.
“I got this, buddy.” Ray manages to say, his voice a little strained, because that’s a lie; these bags are so heavy and packed to the brim full of stuff that even Drew couldn’t lift them all at once alone. Ray’s persistence is admirable, though, and he manages to haul them into the room at last, and while it was a struggle, Drew is still slightly impressed. He helps Ray put them down carefully, like this is of great help, and Ray stands up straight once again, a huge grin on his face. Drew smiles back. First he’s being polite, but then he means it, and then it all becomes awkward again in less than a second.
“Oh, I forgot to ask,” Ray breaks the weighty silence and Drew’s infinitely thankful for that. “What’s your name?”
Drew considers the guy. He’s standing right in front of him and he had totally forgotten about Ray’s ridiculous outfit, with the bright colours and bare legs. He takes a deep breath and his eyes meet with Ray’s again.
“I’m Drew.” he says, extending his hand out for the man, who shakes it firmly after a few seconds staring at it.
“Ray.”
They both smile, one more brightly than the other, but they both mean it, and Drew nods in acknowledgement.
“I know,” Drew says, and now he’s thinking that maybe moving in with this guy won’t be such a disaster after all.