Chapter Text
“Uuuuugh,” Hunter groaned, the blue glow of the computer screen reflecting off his face, his eyes straining to focus on the text. He had finally secured a stable job in a nearby city, and had been spending the past week and a half trying to find an apartment to live in, one that was noticeably closer than Darius’ place. The problem was, every place he looked at was more than he could afford on his own, and it was driving him insane. Darius had stated he was more than willing to help, but Hunter knew that there was only so much he could ask for before it would cause problems for his guardian financially, and rent for an apartment would be one of those things. Moving away from the computer, Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking through his options.
Maybe Luz will have an idea. Wouldn’t hurt to ask. Hunter thought to himself, grabbing his phone. It rang for a second before he heard an energetic voice on the other end. “Yooo, What's up big man?” Luz asked.
“UUUUUGH!” was the only sound that answered, as Hunter took a short moment before trying to articulate his feelings. “I'm trying to find an apartment, and it's stressing me out, Luz!”
“Ough, I see. Is it a situation where there aren’t any near where you need, or they all cost too much?” Luz asked.
Hunter took a second, before stating with certainty, “It's the cost. It's more than I can even cover on my own, unless I feel like not eating.”
“Yeah, I’d rather you not do that, it was bad enough when we were in school and that was happening. Are you ok with having a Roommate?”
Hunter thought for a moment, weighing his options. There wasn’t much to weigh. “I wouldn’t be opposed to it, I just don’t know anyone who would be willing to move in with me for it. You and Amity are moving in together yourselves, and Vee is off at College. Not a huge list of options there.”
“I do have a friend I work with who is trying to move to the same city, and she’s facing the same problem. Maybe you two could help eachother out?” Luz said.
“Wouldn’t hurt, I guess. I'd like to meet her beforehand though, if that's alright,” Hunter requested.
“I don't think that would be a problem. Just let me know when you're available, we'll figure something out. Take care dude,” Luz said, before ending the call.
—
Willow had just woken up before her phone buzzed with a notification. The background of her phone lit up, a picture of her and Gus doing a goofy pose from a trend a year back. It always made her smile, but she was more interested in the message. Upon opening her phone, she saw Luz had sent her a text, with a random question. How would you feel about having a roommate?
That wasn't the first thing she'd see in the morning, but she knew if Luz was messaging her about it, then it was probably a serious question. “I don't, mind them. Just, as long, as they aren't, rude,” she said slowly, typing it out on her screen. Hitting send, Willow started to get ready for the day. She didn't have to work, but she had been wanting to get out for the past couple of days, and was wanting to take a walk if the weather was nice.
The weather had finally begun to cool down, and there was a more consistent breeze throughout the day, leading Willow to choose a light dress and jacket combo, with some leggings in case it got brisk. She heard her phone buzz again, with a new message from Luz. I think I might have someone who you could live with. You free in like 3 hours?
Willow was shocked for a moment, but then decided it made sense. Luz had a tendency to find exactly what people were needing, and it always seemed to be at the most strange times. She quickly sent off a message to confirm she would be available, before making her way downstairs to the kitchen. She began to pour herself a bowl of cereal before she heard one of her dads making their way down the hall. “Good morning pumpkin, sleep well?” her dad, Gilbert, asked, as he started to brew a pot of coffee.
“I'd say so. Luz texted me earlier, trying to help with the apartment situation. She had an idea for helping with that specifically, so I’m meeting up with her in a couple hours.”
“What's her idea?” Gilbert said, preping a bagel as he talked.
“I think she's going to be introducing me to someone who is in a similar situation, and see if we could share an apartment.” Willow said, pouring almond milk into her bowl.
Gilbert stood there, taking in what his daughter had said. He knew that Harvery would have been a lot more worried about the situation, but he trusted his daughter to make her own decisions. She had been through enough situations to know what best to do, and Luz was always nice whenever he happened to run into her. If that girl trusted someone enough to recommend them sharing a living space with his daughter, then he felt it only fair to allow Willow the chance to make that decision herself. “Just be smart, like I know you are. Have a good time sweetheart,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead before leaving to the living room himself.
—
Luz was anxious. Very, very anxious, and for good reason. Hunter had been her friend since the 7th grade, and had been through so much in that time. The number of Fights and Anxiety attacks they had helped each through, they were nearly inseparable at times. So not only introducing him to one of her other friends, but one that she had been with through a similar number of events within a fraction of the time was a point of worry.
They're both incredibly kind people, so there's nothing to worry about Noceda, she said to herself, calming her nerves momentarily. She saw Willow walking down the sidewalk, and she quickly made her way over.
“Heya Wills! Glad you could make it, Hunter should be here soon, hopefully,” Luz said.
Suddenly, her phone began to buzz. Answering it, Hunter’s voice was heard over the speaker. “Yo, Luz, I’m almost there. Any landmarks for me?” His voice bouncing on the other side of the phone. “Yeah, past the chess area away from the fountain. You can’t miss us,” Luz said, looking around as she spoke. “Cool, be there shortly,” Hunter said before ending the call.
Luz began to slink into her seat, a sigh of relief washing over her. Willow placed a hand on her shoulder, before saying “His voice is nice. I’m excited to meet him,” her signature smile on her face.
Hunter came around the corner about five minutes later, wearing a loose flannel over a print t-shirt, a pair of jeans with half a dozen different patches, and a bright red cap. A thin smile was across his face, which grew into a grin when he saw Luz. For a moment, Lus thought she saw a small sparkle in his eyes when he saw Willow, but he quickly ran over, and she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary after. “Hey, sorry for making you wait. Darius tried to make me change outfits, so I had to go out the back door,” Hunter said, to which Luz nodded knowingly. Turning to Willow, Hunter extended his hand, introducing himself, his more social side showing.
The three of them talked for a long while, talking about places they were interested in living at, finding the places that crossed over, and seeing prices. They cracked jokes as time passed, and got to learn each other's personalities even just that little bit. Eventually, they agreed to check out an apartment near where they both had jobs lined up, and exchanged numbers. “I’m free this weekend to go check it out, if that works with you?” Hunter asked. Willow smiled, agreeing to meet up that weekend. Luz felt a wave of relief wash over her, as she made her way back home to her partner, excited to share the events of the day with her.