Ava is sitting at the kitchen table, her long blonde hair disheveled from sleeping in. She’s wearing a thin white shirt and panties, the buttons undone just enough to reveal a bit of cleavage. As she walks in, she looks up from her phone with a frown.
"Oh, great. It’s morning already? Just what I need another day of dealing with worthless scum.”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes before going back to her phone, not even bothering to acknowledge him. She tries not to look at him as she makes breakfast, but it’s nearly impossible Ava’s hair is disheveled, but she’s effortlessly stunning.
“What the fuck are you looking at, you pathetic, worthless piece of shit? Do you think I don’t notice you have your disgusting little eyes glued to me? You disgusting pervert. Honestly, the thought of you looking at me makes me want to vomit”
you stutter, face red, trying to explain yourself before he cuts you off.
“Save your excuses, you miserable insect. As if someone like you deserves to even breathe the same air as me, let alone lay eyes on my body. Not in your wildest, most delusional dreams would you go near a woman like me. You’re nothing. Do you hear me? NOTHING.”
His voice drips with venom as he crosses his arms, now looking at me with pure contempt.
“Get it through your head, I’d rather die than let a pathetic maggot like you touch me. Do you think you’re worth a second of my time? Please. Don’t make me laugh, you worthless sack of shit. Men like you disgust me.”
You exist to grovel on the ground at my feet, do you understand?” She lets out a high-pitched, mocking laugh, her eyes narrowing as she notices his gaze lingering a second longer than it should. Internal thoughts:
“Why the fuck did I have to live with this disgusting, perverted man as a roommate? That useless asshole is probably masturbating right now just thinking about me. It’s disgusting.”
as I watch her insult me, I tilt my head and say to her "but calm down, I just woke up and you're starting to insult me and get angry, I know I'm annoying but you're taking it too far!"
She scoffs loudly at his comment, rolling her eyes so hard she might give herself a headache.
"Oh, please. You annoying me is the least of your worries. And I mean, if you're gonna keep interrupting me while I eat breakfast, don't be surprised when you piss me off." She picks up her spoon again, using it to gesture at him as she speaks. "It's not like anyone is forcing you to look at me or talk to me."
I look at her as I'm surprised to hear her say that, she annoys me but I say nothing, I turn around and go to the bathroom to wash myself with silence
While he's in the bathroom, Ava continues to eat her breakfast, keeping an eye on him out of the corner of her eye. She debates whether or not she should say something else to antagonize him more when she overhears water running from the bathroom. Frowning, she turns her attention back to her food for a moment before it suddenly hits her that he might be... using the bathroom. Her cheeks flush pink at the thought of sharing such a small space with him while he relieved himself.
Without giving herself time to think twice, she quickly wolfs down the rest of her breakfast, grabs her purse and keys, and heads towards the door. "Well, guess I'm leaving now... feel free to clean up your own mess," she mutters under her breath as she reaches for the doorknob.
Just as she's about to leave, however, an idea comes to mind. She turns back toward Bruce and smirks. "Oh, and by the way?" He looks up at her curiously. "The only reason I put up with you at all is because you're a guy." Her grin widens as she watches him blush slightly before she finally heads out the door.
I look at her as I towel dry my hair and then I start to understand what she means and I shout in surprise "huh!!!!???"
Ava grins wickedly at his surprised reaction, laughing as she closes the door behind her on the way out. Her victory is short-lived, however, as the image of him standing there with a towel wrapped around his wet hair flashes through her mind and an unwelcome surge of attraction floods her veins. She huffs indignantly, telling herself it's just because he's male and she has no choice but to tolerate his presence for now.
Still seething with anger at him from earlier, Ava decides that the best course of action would be to avoid interacting with him for as long as possible today. She checks her phone before getting into her car, half-expecting a new argumentative text message from him already. Thankfully, there's nothing yet.
As she pulls out of the driveway and heads off to work, Ava tries to focus on anything else besides Bruce back at their shared apartment. But no matter how hard she tries, his face keeps popping up in her mind's eye every few seconds. Ugh. Why does he have to be so irritatingly attractive?
while I cleaned the house before Ava came back from work, I stayed in the garden to build a small vegetable garden with fruits and vegetables, I remained silent and calm and determined to make this vegetable garden of fruits and vegetables
When Ava finally returns home from work, she kicks off her heels at the door and lets out a long sigh. Today was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right, and she could really use some peace and quiet. But as soon as she steps inside, she can't help but notice the unfamiliar scent filling the air... It smells like dirt and fresh greenery.
Curious, she follows her nose toward the backyard where she finds Bruce standing near a newly built raised bed garden. He looks up at her with an expectant expression on his face, as if he's been waiting for her to see it.
Her eyes widen in surprise and then narrow when they land on him again. She had no idea that he even knew how to build something like this. This new side of him is almost... intriguing.
Without saying a word, she walks over to examine his work more closely, running her hands across the smooth wooden boards and inspecting each plant carefully. "This looks really nice," she finally says, trying not to sound too surprised or impressed by it all. After all, this is Bruce we're talking about.
Bruce nods modestly, taking a step back and folding his arms across his chest. "Thanks. I thought it would be a good idea to start growing some of our own food instead of relying on the store." He pauses for a moment before adding under his breath, "Plus, it gets me out of your hair for a while."
I look at her and turn my head to look at my work once, then I say "uh...so..did your day at work go well?" I take a step back and look at her I don't expect an answer from her but I wait to see if she wants to talk to me or not
After a brief moment of silence, Ava finally answers his question with a half-hearted shrug. "Eh, it was fine, I guess. Boring, as usual." She pauses and glances over at him before continuing. "So, you like gardening now?" she asks, trying to make conversation even though they're both well aware that their interactions usually don't go so smoothly.
Bruce shrugs casually in return. "It's not like I never did it before. My mom used to take me and my brothers out back all the time when we were kids," he says with a small smile, recalling his childhood memories fondly. It's an interesting side of him that Ava hasn't seen before.
She frowns, trying to decide how she feels about this new development. On one hand, it's nice that they can finally find something in common... But on the other hand, she doesn't want Bruce thinking he has any power over her or is in any way better than her. He's still a man, after all.
After another moment of awkward silence, Ava decides to change the subject. "Well," she says with forced cheerfulness, "I think I'll go take a shower before dinner. Do you want me to make anything in particular?"
I look at her and say "No....go wash, I'll take care of the cooking, what do you want to eat?"I walk towards the house while listening to her answer
"Oh," she says, taken aback by his offer. "Um... Surprise me? Just make sure it's not something too heavy, I'm still kind of full from lunch." She flashes him a polite smile before heading inside.
As she makes her way upstairs to the bathroom, Ava can't help but feel a tiny bit curious about this side of Bruce. It's strange how easily they can get along when they're doing something productive like building the garden or even just cooking dinner together. Maybe there's more to him than she thought...
She shrugs off the thought, telling herself it doesn't matter. All that matters is that he stays out of her way and does what he's supposed to do: be her obedient little roommate. With that in mind, she slips into the shower, letting the warm water wash away the dirt and stress of her day.
while I'm cooking, I move my hands expertly and silently, I prepare a good cordon bleu and Italian spaghetti, I move at my own pace
After her shower, Ava decides to change into something more comfortable for dinner. She slips on a pair of soft cotton shorts and a loose tank top before brushing her damp hair back into a messy bun. As she makes her way downstairs, the scent of whatever Bruce is cooking wafts up to her nose, making her stomach grumble in anticipation.
She walks into the kitchen and sees him standing at the stove, expertly flipping a steak in a pan with one hand while stirring something else in a pot with the other. It's almost impressive how easily he seems to move around the small kitchen without bumping into anything or making too much noise. "Smells great," she says with a nod of approval.
Bruce glances over his shoulder at her before turning back to tend to the food in front of him. "Thanks," he replies gruffly, clearly still uncomfortable with compliments. Ava suppresses a smile and takes a seat at the kitchen table, waiting patiently for dinner.
As they eat their meal together in relative silence, Ava finds herself unable to stop stealing glances at Bruce out of the corner of her eye. There's something about this whole situation that feels... wrong somehow. It's almost as if they're not acting like themselves or something. She decides not to think too much about it for now; maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
as I look at her, I softly say to her "why are you looking at me like you want to tell me something?"I laugh quietly as I squeeze her a fresh juice container
"Oh, don't worry about it," she replies quickly, looking away from him and back down at her plate. "It was nothing important." She takes another bite of her food, trying not to think too much about why she can't seem to look away from him tonight. It's almost as if there's a strange attraction between them now... but that's impossible. They hate each other, remember?
while I'm still looking at her, I start to blush and I say softly without looking at her "uhm.....Ava....you're beautiful...!"I lower my eyes to continue eating quietly
Her fork clatters against her plate as she freezes, unable to believe what she's just heard. Did he really just say that? Bruce has never complimented her before, not once in the entire time they've known each other... So why now? Her eyes slowly lift from her plate up toward his face, searching for any signs of sarcasm or mockery. But all she sees is a flush spreading across his cheeks and the shine of something suspiciously like affection in his gaze.
For several long seconds, they stare at each other, the air between them thick with an unspoken question: Did he mean it? And if he did... why now? The tension is almost palpable as they both wait for the other to react. Finally, Ava manages to find her voice.
"W-what was that for?" she asks quietly, her tone barely above a whisper. She can feel her cheeks heat up in response and tries not to squirm uncomfortably beneath his gaze.
I look at her and I continue to blush as if I was going to explode, I quickly tell her "no, it's not what you think, it's just that sometimes you compliment me when I've never complimented you, so I compliment you!"I look at her without fear
Her eyes narrow in confusion as she tries to puzzle through his words. Why would he compliment her now when they've barely exchanged civil conversation? And why does it make her feel... warm inside somehow? It doesn't add up. But before she can ask any more questions, the doorbell rings, saving them both from having to continue this strange and uncomfortable conversation.
With a sigh, Ava pushes herself away from the table and stands up, smoothing down her shirt as she does so. "That must be my friend, I'll get that." She heads toward the front door, grateful for the excuse to escape both Bruce's scrutiny and his compliments. As she reaches the door, she takes a deep breath before opening it, preparing herself to face whatever lies beyond.
as Ava opens the door, her friend Lexi quickly comes in and says "Hey everyone, I came to do some mischief!"she acts like a child, while Ava and I look at her weirdly
"Hey Lexi," Ava says with a small smile, stepping aside to let her friend enter the apartment. "It's good to see you too." She glances over at Bruce, who seems to be just as taken aback by Lexi's exuberant greeting as she is.
"So," Ava continues once Lexi has shut the door behind her, "what did you have in mind for 'mischief' tonight?" She knows that with their strained relationship lately, they need to find ways to keep busy and distracted from each other. Maybe Lexi can help with that.
while Lexi laughs and she says"hooo, Ava you know me, we're going to talk about everything and nothing!! HAHA!"Lexi looks at me and says"Bruce, are you coming with us to play!"while I look at them, I say to Lexi"unfortunately, no, I won't be able to play with you two, I have homework and tests to do tomorrow, sorry again!"while I get up, I clear the table and go to my room, Lexi looks at Ava strangely and says to Ava"Ava, is Bruce okay?"
"Oh," Ava says with a raised eyebrow, not sure how to interpret Lexi's question. "He just has some homework he needs to get done. You know how it is." She glances at the clock, considering her options for the evening. Maybe she and Lexi could catch up over a movie or something... anything to keep their minds off of Bruce and his presence in their shared living space.
"Well," Ava continues, forcing a smile onto her face, "let's not let him miss out on all the fun. Shall we go do whatever it is you had planned?" She puts a hand on Lexi's shoulder, leading her toward the living room with a hopeful grin. Anything to distract herself from this strange night and the even stranger behavior of both Bruce and herself.
As they sit down on the couch together, Ava can't help but wonder what it is about tonight that feels so... off. The tension between her and Bruce seems almost palpable, and Lexi's questions only add to the awkwardness. She takes a deep breath, trying to push all of that out of her mind for now. Maybe by the end of the evening, they'll have found something to do that will make them forget about their problems... or at least help them ignore them for a little while longer.
while the evening is going well, Lexi says to Ava "Ava....I'm going to call Bruce to get some popcorn"Lexi opens my bedroom door and my room is empty, Lexi runs to Ava and quickly says "Ava....Ava.....Bruce isn't in his room!"
Glancing up at Lexi with a frown, Ava replies in confusion, "What do you mean? He can't be gone... He said he had homework." She starts to feel a twinge of unease creep into the pit of her stomach as she remembers Bruce's sudden need to excuse himself earlier. Could he have left without telling them? But why would he do that?
Scrambling to her feet, Ava hurries toward the front door and yanks it open. "Bruce!" she shouts into the night. "Bruce, where are you?" There's no reply except for the faint sound of laughter from across the street, where several people can be seen enjoying a late-night gathering. Her heart sinks as she realizes he must have gone out without telling them.
Turning back to Lexi, Ava bites her lip in frustration. "He's... he's gone out. Without telling us." She pauses for a moment, considering their options. "Maybe we should just... give him some space?" she suggests reluctantly, even though the thought of Bruce being out there without supervision makes her more than a little uncomfortable.
As the party continues, Lexi looks at Ava and says "Ava... are you sure you're okay, because right now I can see you're frustrated by Bruce's disappearance!"
Ava looks down at her hands, her cheeks flushing with anger. "No," she admits reluctantly, "I am not okay. I just don't understand why he would do this. Why can't he just... be a normal roommate?" She pauses, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. "He's always so secretive and difficult to deal with."
Lexi puts an arm around Ava's shoulders and gives it a comforting squeeze. "Maybe he just needs some time to himself," she offers softly. "I mean, we all need that sometimes." She glances over at Ava, searching her eyes for any sign of understanding or agreement.
Ava closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "Yeah," she says slowly, "I guess you're right. I just wish things could be different... easier." There's an awkward silence between them as they both contemplate the situation and their part in it. Ava knows that Bruce is difficult to live with, but she also knows that she hasn't been the best roommate either. Maybe there's a way for them to patch things up... if they both try hard enough.
Lexi steps back and says calmly "By the way, Bruce left a letter on the floor, I'm going to read it!"Lexi sits down next to Ava and starts reading "It's a beautiful day, it's the first day I'll be roommates with a girl, it's weird being with a girl, but actually, this girl is really nice and funny, she's quite pretty, and she has a strong character when she's upset but also cute when she's mad, but sometimes she puts me down, why? I don't know! She says mean things to me but I know that one day, everything will change between us,.......I have faith in the future..."Lexi looks behind the letter but nothing is written
Ava listens intently as Lexi reads aloud from the note that Bruce left behind. She can feel her cheeks heat up at his words, both angry and complimentary at the same time. When she hears him mention faith in their future together, a strange mixture of hope and fear grips her heart. She swallows hard, not quite sure what to make of this new development.
"I... I didn't realize..." Ava trails off, still trying to process everything Bruce has said. "Maybe we should talk about this later? Once he gets back?" She looks up at Lexi for guidance, hoping her friend will understand the situation and not push too hard right now.
Lexi looks at her and quickly says "Wait, what are you going to say that you were mean to him?"she asks the question in a worried and calm manner
"No, of course not!" Ava insists quickly. "It's just... we've had our disagreements, but I never meant to hurt his feelings or make him feel bad about himself." She takes a deep breath and continues, more slowly this time. "I think maybe we should talk to him when he gets back and try to work things out. Maybe there's a way for us to be better roommates for each other."
Lexi nods thoughtfully, seeming to consider her words carefully. "That's a good idea," she says finally. "Let's just give him some space tonight and then talk about it tomorrow, okay? Maybe if we approach it calmly and with an open mind..." Her voice trails off as she glances over at Ava, searching for some reassurance that they can make this work between them.
Ava returns the look with a small smile. "Yeah," she says softly. "Let's do that."
Lexi puts her hand on his shoulder and says "but it's not me who has to say it, it's you.....and him, I'll be close to you if there's any confusion, but I'm sure Bruce will understand!"as the hours pass, I come home from work as a security guard, yes, I'm a security guard, as I enter the house, I don't make any noise thinking that Ava and Lexi are asleep
The sound of Bruce opening the door startles her awake; it seems she must have dozed off on the couch sometime earlier. "Shh," Lexi whispers from the other end of the room, still fast asleep. Ava rubs at her eyes and sits up straighter, glancing over at the clock. It's nearly morning now; they should probably get some sleep soon if they want to function tomorrow.
As Bruce creeps past them, avoiding the slightest of noises, she can't help but wonder how their conversation will go when he finally feels ready to talk about whatever it was that made him leave in the first place. Part of her is nervous; another part is curious. She knows they need to work things out between them if they want to continue living together peacefully, but she isn't sure where to begin or how to approach the situation.
With a sigh, Ava crawls back onto the couch, pulling a throw blanket over her shoulders and nestling closer to Lexi. Maybe tonight, in between their fitful naps, they can come up with some sort of plan that will help them figure out how to handle Bruce and their difficult living situation together. Either way, she knows one thing for sure: it's going to be an interesting day tomorrow, that's for certain.
as the sun rises, Lexi talks to me as Ava comes out of the room, I look at her and say to Ava "hello Ava, did you have a restless sleep?"
Yawning widely, Ava rubs at her eyes before replying with a small smile. "Not too bad, actually. How about you? And what brings you back home so early?" She glances around the room, still feeling a bit disoriented from their late-night nap and the lack of sleep in general.
Bruce looks at her for a moment before shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Well," he begins slowly, clearly struggling to find the right words. "I... I guess I just needed some space, that's all." There's an awkward silence between them as they both search for something more to say about the situation, but neither seems willing to make the first move.
Finally, Ava breaks the silence with a sigh. "Look," she says, her voice gentler than it's been in days, "we need to talk about this. The way we've been acting lately... it can't continue like this. We have to find some sort of compromise if we want to live together peacefully." She pauses, glancing over at Lexi before looking back at Bruce again. "Right?"
Bruce nods slowly in agreement, his expression conflicted. "Yeah," he says finally. "You're right. I just... I don't want to keep messing things up between us." He meets her eyes for a moment before looking away again, clearly uncomfortable with the vulnerability of this situation.
"Okay then," Ava says softly, trying not to push him too hard. "Let's take it one step at a time. How about we start by agreeing to communicate better from now on? No more sneaking off or giving each other the silent treatment?" She offers him a small smile, hoping that he'll