Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Imogen Temult was new to the city, a typical small town girl in the big city. She’d come here looking for a change of scenery, open fields get boring after 21 years. Her parents were secretly hoping this change would get her out of her shell, she wasn’t really fond of people, preferring to be alone or with her horse Flora back home. Standing in the middle of her mostly empty apartment, surrounded only by boxes, she takes a deep breath to release some tension. Her parents had just finished getting the last of her things off the moving truck and had bid her goodbye, knowing she needed to do this step on her own. 

“Well Vi, guess we better get settled, huh?” she says to her small, black cat who currently resides on top of one of the many boxes in the living room. She is met with a small meow

“I know, I miss home too, but we’ll figure it out,” Imogen gently rustles some of Violet's fur before beginning to unpack. 

It's a slow process, Imogen making sure everything is in the right place, organizing so everything feels right so she’s got some form of normalcy. She makes sure to leave room in the kitchen and the living room, she’ll have to find a roommate at some point, as much as she’d dread sharing her space with anyone other than Violet. Eventually, all the boxes are unpacked and Imogen has things the way she wants, shades of green and lavender dotting the walls and as she makes this place home. The sun is setting now, the hues of red and purple dance across the floor of the apartment, the view of the city backlit by the sunset is beautiful. Sure she misses the sunsets in the open air of the farm but the lights of city remind her of the stars. 

She settles into bed for the night, cuddling Violet while she calls her mother, letting her know she’s okay and knowing her parents got home safely. Her mother makes her promise to explore a little, get to know the city instead of isolating herself. She agrees, mentioning a few places around the city she’s looking forward to seeing. They say goodnight, both aware of the late hour, and the long day they’ve both had. After hanging up, Imogen turns off the lights and snuggles Violet, hoping to get a good night's sleep in this new place. 

~ ~ ~

The sounds of cars honking startled Imogen from her slumber, she groans, rolling over and covering her head with her pillow. Resigning to being awake much earlier than she would have liked, Imogen sits up, slumping forward slightly as she stretches her still tired body in an attempt to wake up. She stares out of her window, watching people walk to wherever they’re going, taking in the atmosphere of her new block… from a distance. Violet jumps on the bed, nuzzling Imogen’s knee before hopping into her lap and promptly falling back asleep, purring loudly.

“Gods do I envy you right now, but no, I gotta be a responsible adult.” She huffs, gently moving Violet to nuzzle into her covers before getting off her bed, wrapping her arms around her body as the chill of the apartment air envelopes her. 

She pulls on a discarded sweater she’d thrown on the floor the day before, the lingering smell of home brings her a small amount of comfort. Violet brushes up against her, meowing and looking up at her with golden eyes. Imogen picks her up, giving her scritches as Violet nuzzles into her chest. 

“We’re going to get your food now Vi, don’t worry” She says softly. Violet just meows back at her. 

Imogen pads over to the kitchen, letting Violet roam the still bare countertops while she searches the boxes for Violet’s food. After fixing Violet’s food, Imogen looks for something to make for herself, eventually settling on toast with peanut butter and granola. Truthfully, it’s the only thing she has out right now. 

“Note to self, get groceries asap, roommate scouting can come later. At least you’re getting properly fed Vi, right?” Imogen says, looking down at her cat who looks at her blankly. (She’s a cat Imogen, she doesn’t truly understand what you’re saying dear). 

Imogen continues roaming about her mostly empty apartment, moving boxes around and unpacking a few, changing the place of things as she goes until it looks just right. After 3 hours of piddling around, she practically falls onto the couch, her head hitting the arm of the couch harder than she intended. For a moment she enjoys the relative silence of the space around her, the sound of the air conditioning and the cars on the street several stories below fill the air. A ding from her computer startles her out of her momentary reprieve. 

Imogen rolls over, reaching toward the coffee table to grab her laptop, placing it on her stomach as she’s not in the mood to fully sit up at the moment. Opening her laptop, she is met with several message notifications in her email: 5 New Messages From: Laudna B. Unfortunately for her, she has to sit up to fully read said messages, cursing the layout of her laptop notifications. Reluctantly, she sits up full, pulling her legs closer to her as she reads through these messages 

Imogen, 

Hi, My Name is Laudna, I am new to the city and am looking for a roommate. I saw your ad online and was wondering if you wanted to chat about that? 

Thanks, 

 Launda 

Hello Again, 

I didn’t ask whether you wanted to do it online or in person, sorry about that. Either works for me, just let me know 

Thanks, 

Laudna 

Omg so sorry, 

I’m sorry to keep messaging you, uhm do you even like coffee? Is that too forward? I promise I’m not a creep. Uhm, that’s all. 

Thanks, 

Laudna

Hi. Sorry, seriously, 

Uhm maybe I was too excited, if you found another roommate that’s totally cool, uhm hope to hear from you soon, sorry if these were too much from a stranger

Thanks, 

 Laudna

Okay last one for real, 

Just forget I sent these, I’m a rambler. Best of luck with your roommate search

Thanks (sorry again),

Laudna 

Imogen reads and rereads these messages over and over, this Laudna girl seems quite nice, Imogen feels bad for not answering sooner but she appreciates the excitement from this woman. She smiles to herself before typing up her own response, how to come across professional? friendly? over email, Imogen isn’t that great with tone over text, but then again, who is?

Hi Laudna, 

No worries about the multiple messages, I’m not great at responding so the reminders were lovely. Uhm, yeah we can definitely get coffee, do you have a preference of time/place? I don’t really know any places around here but if you do, I’d love to hear your recommendations. 

Best,

Imogen Temult

Putting her laptop back on the coffee table, Imogen lays back down, covering her eyes with her arms to try and get some amount of rest, knowing she’ll have to go out later in the day to run some errands. Before she can really get any amount of rest her computer pings again, groaning again, she rolls to face the table to wake the screen up. One New Messages From: Laudna B. She perks up a little, unsure why she feels warm, but sits up fully this time to answer this message. She smiles as she reads it. 

Hi Imogen !

Uhm I do know a nice place close to your listed address if you want to check it out. I’m free this weekend, any time works for me so just let me know when you’re free. It’s called “Tasha’s Tearoom,” and it’s small, quiet, kind of a hole in the wall if that’s the vibe you're looking for. 

Thanks, 

Laudna 

Imogen quickly looks up this cafe, it's just like Laudna described, it looks relatively small, not particularly overwhelming in terms of size and decor. She appreciates the muted, earthy tones that fill the space. Hopefully it’s quiet. She opens her thread with Laudna once more, gaining the confidence to actually say yes to plans for once in her life. 

Hi Laudna, 

I checked out the place… I mean I looked it up on Google, and it looks lovely. I am also free all weekend, my job is work from home so whenever is fine. Does lunch around like, one on Saturday sound okay? 

Best, 

Imogen Temult 

She exhales, realizing she’d forgotten to breathe while she typed, suddenly nervous at the upcoming interaction. She fidgets anxiously while she waits for Laudna’s message. She decides to pace to kill time and perhaps ease her anxiety, surprised she hasn’t burned a path in the floor. After what feels like ages (its only been 30 minutes, she just needs an Xanax), a ping comes from her computer. Imogen rushes back to the couch, somehow managing to not trip over the rug or her own feet. Waking her computer screen up, she sees One New Message From: Laudna B, and she berates herself mentally for the butterflies she feels in her stomach at that alone. 

Hi Imogen!

Oh that’s lovely, mine isn’t remote but the hours are flexible so I can take off whenever. One sounds perfect and we should miss the majority of the lunch rush. I look forward to it!

Thanks, 

Laudna

Imogen feels her heart race, holy shit she just made plans with someone AND it’s a woman, she may fall out. Slumping back against her couch she tries to even her breathe, a smile creeping across her face. Once her heart settles, she messages back. 

Hi Laudna, 

Sounds great, I look forward to it. See you then!

Best, 

Imogen

“Holy shit what did I just agree to? What if she’s awful? I mean surely she isn’t, she seems so lovely. But what if she hates me? What if I'm too much for her? How would you be too much, you’re just going to be roommates? Gods Gen, get a grip.” She says aloud to herself, trying to push down the rising panic in her chest. 

Violet meows from around her ankles again, Imogen smiles and picks her up, cuddling her close to her chest, the black cat nuzzling in her neck and purring. The gentle sound calms Imogen, who is still pacing her living room. Her laptop ding again and Imogen walks much calmer this time, deciding its probably better for her heart not to get rambunctious. Once again, One New Message: Laudna B. 

Hi Imogen, 

See you! :))

Thanks, 

Laudna

She smiles again, shooting a quick smiley face back, effectively ending the conversation for the day. Her hands hover over the keyboard before she opens her calendar and adds the date? meeting? whatever this is, to her calendar. 6 days, 6 days to prepare, she can do this. Yeah! She can fucking do this! Now that the date has been added, she shuts her computer. She’ll pick back up on her work tomorrow, today has taken enough of her energy.

Chapter Text

6 days later

Imogen wakes to a cold nose pressing against her cheek, the soft sound of purring calms her, as Violet has climbed up onto her bed to snuggle with her. Opening her eyes  and groaning softly as the morning sun peeks through her curtains, Imogen reaches to pet Violet and brings her closer. She adjusts her sleeping position so Violet can cuddle close to her. 

“Let’s just stay like this all day, how does that sound?” Imogen asks groggily

Violet purrs in response, nuzzling closer into Imogen’s chest. Imogen glances at the clock beside her bed, seeing that it’s already 9:45, she resigns to getting out from under her cocoon of blankets and starting her day. She knows her meeting with Laudna isn’t until 1 so she’s got a few more hours, but if she’s being honest she needs to start getting ready now so she doesn’t panic before she ever gets there (because she’s just that awesome). 

Padding to the kitchen, the soft scuffle of Violet’s paws behind her, Imogen looks in her mostly empty fridge to see what she can use to make her breakfast, having put of getting groceries yet again, all she has left after a week is what she’s sure is expired yogurt and few handfuls of granola. Sighing, she fixes Violet’s kibble and looks on her phone for the nearest breakfast place that delivers. Lucky for her Tasha’s Tearoom is both, which gives her a chance to scout out the menu before lunch and see what she likes based on breakfast. Some of the anxiety in her chest eases, maybe this won’t be as hard as she thinks. Deciding on green tea and a muffin, she settles on the couch and waits for her food, Violet eating happily nearby. 

15-20 minutes later there is a knock at her door and a ding from her phone, the notification confirming her food has been delivered. Looking out through the peephole, she makes sure the delivery person has left, not really up for any more human interaction than necessary, before opening the door and taking her food inside. Settling back down on the couch, Violet leaping into her lap once more, Imogen sips her tea slowly, enjoying the pleasant mix of tastes between the tea and her lemon muffin. 

Imogen looks at her clock again and sees that it is now 11, she should probably start getting ready so she doesn’t panic about running late. She checks the weather at least 7 times while she rummages through her closet, trying to find something comfortable but still stylish but also suitable for the weather (she’s stressed about making a good first impression, she needn’t worry). It’s not particularly hot or cold, its a nice spring day and after stressing for 30 minutes, she settles on a blue skater skirt and a white, mesh long sleeve shirt with a white button up corset plus her favorite, beat to shit Converse. She pulls half of her hair back into a bun, leaving some of it down since her waves look nice today. To finish it off she clips a yellow ribbon to the loosely tied bun. 

Starting at her reflection, she looks over her outfit, making sure it all looks nice and not too fancy or too casual. She huffs, looking at that time, 12 on the dot. She has an hour but really only has 30 minutes before she needs to leave so she has time to walk and get settled and make sure she’s early because gods forbid she show up late. Imogen Temult has never been late in her life (she’s far too anxious for that). Deciding she doesn’t want to fuss with makeup too much right now, she settles for light purple eyeshadow to make her eyes pop and a simple winged liner. She does this every day, it’s like muscle memory for her at this point. Finally finished with everything, she plops down on her couch, 15 minutes to calm herself and prepare for the pending social interaction. 

“Vi, momma’s gonna go out for a little bit okay? I’ll be back soon, don’t worry, but you’re gonna have to hold down the fort for me. Think you can handle that?” She says lovingly to her cat, who currently rests on the arm of the couch. 

Violet looks up at her, cocking her head before meowing, as if to answer, and leaping down to Imogen’s lap. 

“Oh, you know I love you but now is not the time for cuddles sweet girl, you shed too much and I can’t have cat hair all over me,” she jokingly scolds, lightly scritching Violet’s head. 

An alarm blares from beside her, startling her slightly as she forgot she’d set an alarm for 12:30 so she’d leave on time. Gently taking Violet from off of her lap, Imogen grabs her phone, keys, and her bag, checking to make sure her wallet, ear plugs, and medicine are all in there before she leaves. She gives the apartment a quick once over from the door before she leaves, triple checking that the door is locked behind her. 

~ ~ ~

Imogen stands outside of Tasha’s Tearoom, checking Google Maps for like, the 10th time to make sure the cafe is actually real (she’s paranoid about being wrong, can you tell?). As predicted, she is about 15 minutes early and is in a blissful waiting period, knowing she’s at her destination and perhaps has a few minutes to collect herself before she has to be “on” for the social interaction. She steps inside and takes note of the space, what tables and couches are open, how long the line is and how many people are there. It’s busy, but not exceedingly so, there’s maybe 7 people in line and few others already seated. She takes a seat on one of the couches, claiming the spot ahead of time so she and Laudna don’t have to stress, well… so that she doesn’t have to stress. Once she’s settled, she sends a message to Launda. 

Hey Laudna, 

I made it to the cafe a little early, I’m just sitting, uhm… no rush if you’re still on your way. I saved us a spot too. Can’t wait!

Best, 

Imogen

Hi Imogen!

I’m glad you made it okay! I’ll be there in a few minutes. Relax a little if you need to. See you soon! :)) 

Thanks, 

Laudna 

Imogen smiles at her phone, the warm feeling she felt a few days ago fills her once more. She shivers, the feeling overwhelming but not unwelcome. Soon enough, the bells on the door ding as another patron enters. Imogen sees a tall, lanky woman with long dark hair and dark clothes, a short sleeve black shirt tucked into a long black skirt and a flower printed corset. A small bag hangs from her shoulder and a braided leather leash attached to her wrist, a fierce, black dog at the end. Gods, she’s beautiful. Imogen thinks to herself. Imogen doesn’t realize she’s staring until the woman meets her gaze, a wide smile painted across her face as she makes her way over to Imogen. Holy fuck that’s Laudna?! Shit. Be normal Gen, don’t fall in love with the woman that might be your roommate. 

Imogen shakes her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind as she stands to shake Laudna’s hand.

“Hi! I’m Laudna, though I’m sure you figured that out. It’s nice to meet you,” Laudna says with a smile, shaking Imogen’s hand. 

“H-Hi, uhm yeah. It’s nice to meet you,” Imogen responds shyly, shaking Laudna’s hand for longer than she probably should, enthralled with how beautiful this woman is. 

She’s shaken from her thoughts once more when a wet nose nudges her knee. She pulls back slightly, the sudden contact startling her a bit. 

“Oh goodness, I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about him. This is Anubis, my service dog. He’s a sweetheart I promise, he’s just making sure you’re alright.” Laudna rambles, trying to reassure Imogen. 

“Oh no, he’s fine, don't worry. He just startled me is all, I love animals,” Imogen assures, smiling a bit for the first time. “Can I ask questions about him?”

“Of course! He’s a pharaoh hound, the sweetest little guy around. I have a condition called POTS. Long story short I have a tendency to get dizzy, occasionally pass out, and my heart with act up from time to time. He’s here to help me in those instances. Laudna explains, her face lighting up as she does so. 

Imogen feels her heart flutter, seeing Laudna get excited talking about her dog. Oh Gen you are done for. You’ve known her for 5 seconds, get it the hell together. She doesn’t realize she's starting, totally lost in thought until she feels a hand on her shoulder and the sound of her name pierces her mind. She blinks, her eyes focusing back on Laudna, who stares back at her, a small smile creeping across her face. 

“Everything okay? I lost you for a moment,” Laudna says softly, trying to keep the shake out of her voice. 

“Oh yeah, I’m alright, just processing everything,” Imogen replies, offering Laudna a smile as reassurance. 

“You’re alright darling, I can ramble a bit when I’m excited so I apologize for that,” She replies, her voice steadier than before. 

“No need to apologize dear, you do you,” Imogen assures, suddenly shy at the interaction. 

The pair stand by the couch of this cafe, smiling at each other awkwardly for what seems like an eternity. The baristas sneak looks at them occasionally, smiling to each other as the two women stand awkwardly around each other. Eventually the pair move to stand in line, occasionally chatting with one another to pass the time. 

As they stand in line, Imogen becomes acutely aware of the noise level within the cafe. There aren’t a lot of people thankfully, but various conversations add up. It’s just people talking, Imogen can handle that, so if her hands start shaking a bit she pointedly ignores them. What she can’t ignore, the closer they get to the counter, is the sounds of the machines, the grinding of coffee beans, the clattering of porcelain, and the buzz of the fridges and the espresso machines pierce her mind despite her attempt to ignore them. The sound drowns out any conversation she’s having with Laudna. No, not right now, please. It’s just a little noise, keep it together for a few more minutes and you’ll be fine. Just order and you put your earbuds back in. She has it under control, at least she thinks she does, but she doesn’t. She’s picking at the skin around her nails furiously, unaware of the pain she’s causing herself, she’s not aware of her rapid heart beat or the shaky breaths she’s taking, Imogen is trapped in her own mind, trying to stay calm. A loud ringing attacks her ears, it’s disorienting and she’s struggling to stay grounded. Her vision blurs and she’s trapped in her head, unable to react to anything around her. Until, a cold hand presses to her temples and another wraps around her shoulder, holding her steady. She feels something solid beneath her and is aware enough to know that she’s sitting. The hand presses against her temple again and she feels her knees come up to her chest, something coming underneath them to hold them up. 

The ringing dissipates after a while, and her vision clears, the sound of her name being called pulls her from her mind. She feels the cold against her temple once more and her eyes snap forward, Laudna’s face coming into focus in front of her, worry and concern painted clearly across her face. She tries to stand, but Laudna’s hand on her shoulder gently pushes her back against the counter. She’s slowly making sense of everything; she’s on the floor of the cafe, sitting against the counter, Anubis is under the legs, staring at her intently, and Laudna is in front of her, talking to her and making a point to keep physical contact with her. 

“Laudna, what happened, why am I on the floor?” She asks quietly, her voice betraying her as she tries to speak. 

“I think you had a panic attack darling, but you’re coming out of it now. Are you alright?” Laudna asks, worry evident in her voice. 

“I’m sorry, uhm yeah I’m okay, I just got overwhelmed. Thank you for helping,” Imogen says shyly, hiding her face, embarrassed that this happened in their first meeting. What did you expect Imogen, you willingly went into a public space. Just try and hold it together alright. 

“That’s alright darling, you can’t control that. Would it be better if we went somewhere else, maybe some place quieter or are you okay to continue here?” Laudna offers, wanting to make Imogen as comfortable as she can right now. 

“No I’m okay here, I’m sorry you had to deal with that, just let me get my bag and I’ll be okay. We can stay here,” She responds rapidly, trying to placate Laudna incase she gets upset with her (she won’t be). 

“Take your time, I don’t mind it, I promise. Besides, it’s not like I haven’t had moments like this myself. Please don’t apologize for being human, we all have our issues, it’s okay Imogen,” she assures softly, squeezing Imogen’s shoulder to affirm that. 

Imogen looks at her, analyzing her features for any deception and what she finds instead is admiration, Laudna's eyes filled with worry but not the pity Imogen had expected to find. Tears well in her eyes at Laudna’s words and she ducks her head to avoid the woman seeing her cry. She takes a few deep breaths before she feels okay to stand. At the sign of her wanting to move, Laudna steps back to give her room, offering a hand out to her as Anubis moves to stand beside her, both watching her carefully as she takes Laudna’s hand and stands, legs still shaking but not enough to dissuade her from standing. She wobbles slightly and Laudna is there in an instant, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist as she is guided back to the couch. Launda sits next to her, rubbing her back gently while Anubis rests his head on her knees, keeping her from shaking them too much. Eventually the ringing in her ears subsides and Imogen can process the space around her fully. She turns to look at Launda, whose eyes are full of concern, the hand rubbing her back still present which Imogen is silently thankful for. 

“I’m really sorry you had to see all of that but thank you for helping me,” Imogen says quietly, dropping Launda’s gaze to stare at her hands. 

“Hey don’t worry about that darling, I’m glad I was here to help. Do you want to talk about what happened?” Laudna asks softly as to not startle Imogen. 

Imogen looks back up at her and smiles, Laudna does the same. She takes her hand off Imogen’s back and reaches to take her hand, squeezing it gently to keep the other woman grounded. 

“I-uh, yeah… sorry. I get a bit overwhelmed with crowds and noises and just sound in general. I don’t really go out much so this was out of my comfort zone and normally I do okay but for some reason it just got to be too much and I just- I’m sorry,” She rambles, wringing her hands together. 

“It’s alright Imogen, if it makes you feel better I don’t normally go out in public either, I’m worried something will happen but that’s why I have Anubis. He helped too today, he’s intuitive like that. You have nothing to be sorry for though, I know it probably doesn’t feel good but I would never judge you for it,” Laudna says earnestly, squeezing Imogen’s hand tightly. 

To onlookers, a simple glance would make you believe they’d know each other for years, perhaps even dating. Fearne, one of the baristas, watched the pair with a smirk on her face, unbeknownst to the two women, Fearne and her co-worker Deanna started a betting pool, just to see if anything happened between the two of them. 

Imogen smiles at Laudna again and squeezes her hand back, grateful for her kindness. She feels the weight of Anubis’ head on her knees and turns to face him, the hound watching her intently. Imogen raises her other hand cautiously, pauses to look at Laudna who nods, and then gives him some scritches on the top of his head, the hound’s attentiveness dropping slightly as he nuzzles her palm. 

“He’s a really sweet dog, give him extra treats for his hard work today,” Imogen says, giggling softly.

“I will, he’s a good worker so he was happy to help,” Laudna responds, smiling at Imogen becoming more friendly. 

“Would you want to come over to my place next week, just to look around and stuff and see if it fits for you?” Imogen offers suddenly. 

“Oh-uh yeah, just let me know what times works for you and I’ll be there,” Launda says, caught off guard slightly. 

“Great, I’ll message you later. Uhm, I do have a cat, is that going to be a problem?” She asks nervously. 

“Oh no, not at all. Anubis gets along great with all kinds of animals, are you sure you’re alright? We can stay here a little longer and chat if you want,” Laudna offers.

“Yeah yeah I’m fine, I just need to get home and do some work is all. Really, I enjoyed meeting you and I look forward to seeing you again, maybe without the panic attack this time,” Imogen says, giving Laudna a genuine smile before standing gathering her things. 

“Alright, get there safe okay? I’ll see you next week, it was really great meeting you as well,” Laudna says, smiling softly as she watches Imogen leave. 

Laudna doesn’t quite realize she’s been staring until someone new steps into her field of vision. Shaking her head she looks up and is met with a knowing smile from the barista, Fearne she notes, reading her name tag. Fearne holds out a teacup and saucer for her, Launda forgetting she’d asked for some while helping Imogen. Fearne sets the cup down on the coffee table and winks at Laudna before she heads back behind the counter. What was that for? Does she know me? Did she do something to my tea? Is she flirting with me? Laudna’s mind races with thoughts as she stares at the teacup. Anubis moves between her legs and looks up at her intently, sensing some stress coming from her. She smiles and scratches his head. 

“I’m alright buddy, just curious. I’ll go ask for a to-go cup and we’ll finish you’re walk. How does that sound, buddy?” She talks animatedly to the hound, whose tails wags excitedly at the prospect of a walk. 

She chuckles, gathering her things and bringing the cup up the counter, asking Fearne for a to-go cup instead. Fearne does so graciously, offering another wink and a knowing smile as she hands her the cup. Bewildered, Launda thanks hers and leaves the cafe, Anubis at her side, still watching her. She runs her time with Imogen over in her head and smiles to herself, happy to have made a friend and excited to see her again next week.

Chapter Text

At Imogen’s apartment

Throwing her bag on the floor and kicking her shoes off, Imogen practically throws herself onto her couch, exhausted from the ordeal and wanting nothing but peace and quiet for a little while. She covers her eyes with her arm, the other reaching down to pet Violet who jumped on her and settled quickly, purring softly against Imogen’s chest. Her phone rings, breaking the peaceful silence. Imogen groans, turning slowly on the couch to grab her phone. It’s a message from Laudna. Imogen shoots up, any sign of sleepiness gone as her heart pounds in her chest. Why are you freaking out, she’s just texting you.. You’ve done that before. Get a grip Temult. Taking a deep breathe, she opens Laudna’s message

Hey Imogen, I just wanted you to know I got home okay. I hope you did as well and that you’re feeling a little better. I look forward to seeing you- the apartment next week? :)) 

Imogen smiles at her phone, the formality between them has gone and she’s happy they can talk more casually. She stares at her phone, reading and rereading the message over and over, trying to think of a response that doesn’t come across too crazy. 

Hey Launda, I’m glad you got home okay, I did as well. I meant to message you, I just slumped on the couch lol. I look forward to seeing you too ;) 

She hits send and promptly throws her phone, not hard but enough to not look at it for a while. A winky face? A WINKY FACE?! ARE YOU MENTAL? Well yes, you’re having an argument in your head right now over a text message. That’s a conversation for later. Imogen shakes her head, her mind picking on her nervousness about a single text message. She picks up her phone, thankfully it’s not cracked, and sets it back on the coffee table. Rather than stew over it and wait for Laudna to message her, she turns on the tv, clicking through channels until she finds something to watch. She settled on a nature documentary, letting her mind take a break and enjoy the beauty of the scenes of nature. She gets lost in the tv, suddenly very enraptured in learning about underwater sea life, handing on to every word of the narrator, the accent soothing her tired mind. She’s so locked in that when her phone rings again, she jumps, startled by the noise. Reaching for her phone she sees another message from Launda, her body gets warm and her stomach twists, a smile creeping across her face. 

Well, I hope you’re feeling better. Would it be okay to stop by on Wednesday? It’s okay if not, we can wait until later in the week if that works better for you, I just realized I had a half day at work and thought I’d ask. Sorry, I’m rambling. Uhm, take care of yourself and message me when you feel up for it, no rush. <3

Imogen’s face flushes at the heart, a simple emoticon has her turning to a flustered puddle of gayness (surprise, this bitch is gay as hell). Gay panic aside, Imogen pulls herself together enough to message Laudna back, re-typing it a billion times because her hands won’t stop shaking. 

I am, thank you again for your kindness earlier, it was really helpful. As for Wednesday, feel free, just let me know what time. I’m still doing work from home so I can take off whenever. See you <3. 

Once again, she hits send and sends her phone flying, shaking her head and standing up, pacing her living room as her heart races. She started it with the heart, she’s just being friendly, get it the fuck together. Y’all barely know each other, what if she's straight, what if she’s a slob, what if she hates the apartment? Don’t go getting attached, just slow down and see how the next meeting goes. She’s just your potential roommate. Relax. Imogen’s mentally chastises herself, having an internal argument with herself over her reaction to this thread with Laudna. Eventually she calms down enough to stop pacing and goes back to sitting, trying to focus on the documentary again. She is unfortunately unlucky, her mind races with the possibilities of how their meeting will go. An hour passes with no new message from Launda, and after looking at the time, Imogen assumes she’s busy with dinner. She then realizes she should probably eat, her panic earlier prevented her from getting any food at the cafe. Realizing she once again forgot to get groceries, Imogen makes another note to get food the following day, calling in to get Chinese delivered instead. 

Once she has her food, Imogen lets herself relax, sinking into the sofa, Violet purring contentedly on her lap as Imogen eats, intermittently paying attention to the documentary, but truthfully she couldn’t tell you what it’s about, her mind racing with thoughts she’s trying her hardest to ignore. Once again her phone rings, another notification from Laudna. Imogen damn near chokes on her chicken and rice as panic fills her body once more (is it panic or is it just her getting nervous because a pretty girl texted her, we will never know). Reading the message, a blush covers Imogen’s cheeks, the heat of her nervousness making her sweat. 

It was no trouble darling, do stop apologizing, it’s quite alright. Besides, I think Anubis misses you, so you’ve certainly won us both over. For Wednesday, if it’s alright with you, I can be there by 1 and we can maybe eat lunch or something? Whatever works better for you, I’m excited to see the apartment and you of course. Let me know, and do take care of yourself dear <3

Gods damn it I cannot be this flustered. She’s so kind, oh my gods. Fuck. Okay, get it together. Imogen once again stares at her phone for what feels like an eternity before typing out her reply. She’s so excited and nervous that her brain is going a million miles a minute. Thankfully, she manages a reply without making a fool of herself (she has yet to make a fool of herself but let’s face it, Miss Temult has some self-esteem issues.)

Tell Anubis I miss him too, I’m glad to hear that I’ve got his approval, hopefully you both can earn Violet’s, though I’m sure it won’t be much trouble. 1 works just fine for me, we can order in from wherever once you get here. I’m excited for you to see it and to see you. Take care of yourself as well, see you Wednesday <3 

Gently setting her phone down, Imogen lets herself relax, the plan having been established eases some of her anxiety. Finishing her meal and cleaning things up, having no new messages from Launda, Imogen happily turns off her phone and gets ready for bed, thankful for a relatively relaxing evening. Closing her bedroom curtains and ensuring all the lights are off and the door is locked, Imogen settles into bed, snuggling Violet close and quickly falling asleep, thankful for a dreamless night. 

~ ~ ~

Wednesday

Laudna sits at her desk, mindlessly tapping her pen against the desk, watching the clock like a hawk. 10:00, she sighs, she has two more hours before she can leave and 3 before she gets to see Imogen  the apartment. She finished her work an hour ago, why she is still here is beyond her. Anubis sits under her desk, watching his owner intently as she taps her pens and fiddles with the cuffs on her ears. A head pops up and watches her over the barrier of her cubicle. She looks up and sees Prism watching her. 

“Hi Prism, did you need something?” She asks 

“No, just wondering why you're still here… you only tap when you have nothing to do so why don’t you just leave?” The younger woman asks curiously.

“I don’t know, I figured since we’re already getting a half day, I may as well stay. Besides, I got up early, I’d have just stayed home if I was only going to be here for 2 hours,” Laudna explains. 

“Fair enough. Got any exciting plans today?” Prisms asking, resting her head on her arms. 

“Maybe… we may never know dear,” Laudna says with a mischievous smile and a wink, knowing her vagueness will lead to questions. 

“Oh you sneaky lady, tell me everything? What have you gotten yourself into?” Prism asks brightly, her head disappearing from the barrier before she reappears in Laudna’s cubicle, having dragged her chair over so they can chat. 

“Just apartment hunting… with a friend,” She says, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. 

“A friend? The same friend from the coffee shop?” She asks, poking lightly at Laudna’s shoulder. 

“Maybe… alright enough with the poking!” Launda says, batting Prism’s hand away.

Prism narrows her eyes, trying to read her friend carefully. She knows Laudna doesn’t get out much so the prospect of a new person in her life is exciting. She continues to stare, Laudna having pointedly turned back to her work in an attempt to stop the barrage of questions. 

“Would you stop staring? I’ve got work to do,” Launda says, knowing they both know she’s lying.

“You and I both know that’s not true, now spill,” Prism replies, scooting even closer to Laudna. 

“I’m just going to her apartment to take a look around and see if it’s a place I can live in. That’s all,” She says, sighing and letting her head fall to her hands, hoping they hide her nervousness. 

“Mhm, alright. I’ll leave alone for now but don’t expect to be totally off the hook. I’ll have more questions for you tomorrow,” Prism says with a wink, moving back to her own desk, leaving Launda with her thoughts once more. 

Laudna leans back in her chair, closing her eyes, praying for time to pass quicker. Sighing, she clicks around on her computer, deciding to look for restaurants near Imogen’s apartment to get an idea of what they could have for lunch. Thankfully there are several, but she figures Imogen would know which ones are better and files them away for later when she can ask her about them. Glancing at the clock again, 11:00, she wants to scream. Resting her head on her desk, she lets out a groan, gaining the attention of Anubis and Prism. The young hound perks up, resting his head on Laudna’s lap, waiting for a sign to get to work (there is none, she’s just frustrated). Prism’s head pops over the barrier once again, looking at her friend with concern. 

“Laudie, just go, you’re bored out of your mind sitting here. Take a walk, get ready, just go,” Prism encourages. 

“But-,” Laudna tries to challenge. 

“Ah, not buts, go. I expect all the juicy details tomorrow,” Prism says, cutting off the retort she knew was coming. 

“Fine,” Laudna says, rolling her eyes at Prism before gathering her things. 

“Good. Till tomorrow, spooky girl! Bye bye Ani!” Prism says as Laudna and Anubis leave, the young hound perks up at the nickname but remains focused on Laudna. 

Laudna and Anubis walk to the subway, which is thankfully not too far of a walk from her workplace. Stepping on, she’s glad she left when she did, knowing the lunch rush would likely leave her standing for the entire commute. Luckily, the subway car is relatively empty and she finds a seat close to the doors. Anubis tucks himself under her legs and they both wait patiently for the train to reach her stop. After walking the even shorter distance from the subway entrance to the door to her apartment complex, Laudna is back in the quiet solitude of her tiny studio apartment. She sets her things down and begins getting ready for lunch with Imogen later. 

~ ~ ~

At Imogen’s Apartment

The young woman moves around her space frantically, cleaning and dusting every surface she can find to make sure there is not the slightest speck of dirt or dust visible in the entire place (which would be impossible seeing as she’s only been here for like… a week, 2 weeks at most). Violet watches her, perched on the back of the couch. As she cleans, Imogen talks aloud to herself. 

“Okay so everything is clean, but also you should probably go back over everything again and make sure. Did you take out the trash? Is the bathroom clean? Did you even check the other room at all, what if it’s a horrible mess? Will she even care? What if she hates cats?” She rambles nervously, her accent getting thicker the more she goes. 

Stopping suddenly, her heart racing after all the running around, she starts crying (mind you, she is in a tank top and shorts, hair tied back haphazardly, rubber gloves up to her elbows with a broom in her hand, crying hysterically in the middle of her living room). Luckily she was the wherewithal to sit down on the floor, which causes Violet to hop down from her cat towers and nuzzle into her lap. The gentle purring of her cat calms Imogen enough to where she’s no longer hyperventilating and she just sits there in silence, collecting herself enough to stand up and finish cleaning, less frantic then she was mere moments before. She slumps face down on the couch after she finishes checking her phone for the time, it’s 12:30 and she doesn’t see a message from Launda. Seeing as they have a half hour til they were supposed to meet, Imogen sends a quick text just to confirm, more for her own anxiety than anything else. 

Hey Laud, just wanna make sure we’re still good for today. Also, there’s some nice places to eat around here that deliver, is there anything you’re in the mood for? 

Laudna responds fairly quickly, and Imogen feels her stomach flip, with excitement and not nervousness for once and that surprised her. 

We are! I’m actually leaving my apartment right now, I’ll be there shortly. I noticed a Chinese place that seems good so just order whatever if you’re okay with that, I’m good with anything. See you soon! <3

Okay great! Travel safe and let me know when you get here, I’ll buzz you up. Chinese sounds good, I usually get orange chicken so I’ll order extra. See you soon! <3

Imogen smiles, relieved that she wasn’t getting ghosted and that Laudna allows her some amount of choice, not that she knows Imogen struggles with control, the gesture is still endearing to her. She calls the Chinese place, surprising the woman working there by adding an extra order of orange chicken and rice. Imogen orders enough that they recognize her number and yet, they’ve never once exchanged names. With the food ordered and set to be delivered around the time Laudna gets there, Imogen paces the living, trying to keep her mind off of how nervous she is. 

~ ~ ~

On the Street

Laudna quickly answers Imogen’s text, letting her know she’s on her way before focusing back on the map on her phone, making sure she’s walking in the right direction. Imogen’s message flashes across her screen soon after and she feels her heart flutter, that’s new… don’t read too much into it just yet, she’s just being a nice person, Laund convinces herself of that… for now. Anubis nudges her as they turn down the next street, sensing the change in her heart. Laudna slows, knowing he’s just doing his job, and guides them away from the middle of the sidewalk. 

“I’m alright buddy, just a little nervous is all. You’re being such a good boy though Ani, good job at checking up on me. Am I okay to keep going?” She praises him, the young hound still learning how to do his job. 

Anubis wags his tail excitedly at the praise, looking up at Laudna before circling her, checking up on her like he was trained to do. Sensing nothing alarming, he sits at her side in a heel, signaling that she is good to go. She praises him again and they continue their walk. They arrive outside Imogen’s building soon after and Laudna sends her a message to buzz her up. 

Hey! We just got here, which number do I need to buzz to get to you? 

She waits patiently for Imogen’s response, pressing herself against the building wall so she doesn’t look too out of place and to be out of the way in case other people come down the sidewalk. Her phone buzzes with Imogen’s message and she moves to the gate/door. 

Hit 33 and I’ll let you up. Be careful though, the gate swings out and it loves to hit unsuspecting visitors ;)

Gotcha, thanks for the heads up. 

Laudna scans the directory for 33, hitting the button and waiting for Imogen’s buzz, stepping out of the way of the gate. Surely enough, the gate opens rather unceremoniously and Laudna is grateful for Imogen’s heads up for she surely would have been knocked on her ass if she hadn’t. Carefully, she makes her way into the building and navigates her way to the elevators, hitting the button for the third floor, Anubis moving between her legs to be out of the way (and because he doesn’t really like elevators). The doors open and Laudna makes her way to Imogen’s apartment, checking an irrational amount of times to make sure she’s at the right place. Standing outside the apartment, Laudna lets Imogen know she’s there before she knocks. 

~ ~ ~ 

Literally the other side of the door at Imogen’s apartment

Imogen’s phone pings again and she sees it’s Laudna letting her know she’s at the door. Thankful to the other woman for not knocking, Imogen likes the message to let her know she’s seen it, not feeling the need to send anything back seeing as she’s about to open the door. Triple checking that everything is clean and nothing is out of place, Imogen takes a deep breath and raises a shaking hand to open the door to her apartment, revealing an equally nervous Launda on the other side. 

“Hi,” the pair say at the same time, both staring at the other lost in the moment, unaware that the other is just as lost. After a moment too long of starting, Imogen clears her throat and gestures for Laudna to step inside, stepping to the side so she and Anubis can enter. Shutting the door behind them, Imogen keeps her back turned, taking a deep breath to hopefully calm her nerves (it doesn’t help). 

“So, lunch should be here shortly, uhm, feel free to take a look around. That door leads to your room and bathroom and this is obviously the kitchen and the living room as you can see. My room is down that way and there’s a balcony attached to the living room,” Imogen explains, hoping the waiver in her voice isn’t too noticeable. 

Laudna smiles at her and Imogen feels like she’s ascended. Laudna takes her time looking around, dropping Anubis’ leash so he can explore as well, though the young pup stays attentive at her side. Imogen doesn’t follow, giving Laudna the space to explore, but she watches her, taking in everything she can while she has the chance. Violet nudges her ankles, meowing up at her, breaking Imogen’s prolonged gaze at Laudna. She picks her up, the cat nuzzling into her shoulder, purring softly. Laudna reappears, Anubis at her side. 

“Imogen, darling this is such a lovely place, thank you for letting me take a look. I think Anubis likes it too, he enjoyed the new view from the window,” She says happily, smiling at the scene in front of her, noting that Imogen seems calmer with Violet in her arms. 

“Oh good, I’m glad you like it and I’m more than happy to have you over, if we’re going to live together I figured you’d want to see the space first,” She smiles back, her shoulders sagging slightly in relief that Laudna might actually want to live here. 

They stare at each other smiling for longer than is probably normal but neither wants to break whatever tension is in the air. A knock at the doors cuts that, startling them both slightly. Imogen ducks her head, blushing slightly before opening the door, revealing a young man patiently waiting with a bag of food in his hands. Imogen sets Violet down before she pays him, blocking out Laudna’s protests behind her, before taking the food and thanking him. Shutting the door, Imogen turns back to Laudna, before moving to the kitchen to set out the food for them. Violet hops up on the counter beside her, suddenly very clingy. 

“Dear, you didn’t have to pay for that, you’ve already opened your home to me,” Laudna protests, feeling bad that Imogen has already done so much for her. 

“I don’t mind Laudna, really it’s not a big deal. Now hush and let’s eat,” She jokingly scolds, assuring Laudna it’s not a problem. 

After dividing out the food for them both, Imogen moves to the couch, gesturing for Laudna to follow. Laudna hesitates for a moment before sitting next to her, Anubis tucked under her legs while Violet settles in Imogen’s lap. They go back and forth, talking and eating and just overall getting more comfortable with each other. It feels like they’d been friends for ages and both women are secretly grateful that they got on so well. Soon their plates are empty and they’re sinking into the couch, enjoying each other’s company. Imogen sits up suddenly, as is an idea popped in her head just as quickly. 

“Oh Laudna! There’s one more thing we have to do, I know it’s late but this will seal the deal,” Imogen says quickly. 

“What darling? Is everything okay?” Laudna asks, slightly alarmed as the sudden change in energy. 

“Oh yes, everything is fine, I just remember that we have to make sure Violet and Anubis get along okay. It would be horrible to get this far and have them hate each other,” Imogen replies, shaking her head a bit. 

“Oh! Yes yes, you’re quite right. I’m sure they’ll be fine but yes it’s a good idea to make sure,” Laudna says, happy its not something major, “Ani, up!” She says to the dog curled under legs, 

Quickly, Anubis is up and sitting with his head resting on her knee. She gives him a few scritches as praise and holds his collar (he’s well behaved but she wants to be cautious). Once they’re settled, she looks at Imogen and smiles, cueing her that they’re good to continue. Imogen smiles back, scooping Violet up off her lap and standing, rounding the coffee table so she’s standing in front of Laudna. She kneels, now eye level with Anuibs who is watching her intently, looking to Laudna for guidance. Imogen extends her arms slightly, bringing Violet closer to Anubis while still holding her securely in her arms. A few moments pass, the two pets sizing each other up before Violet reaches out with her paw, tapping Anubis on the nose. The hound responded by licking his nose and catching her paw with his tongue. Seeing as there was no antagonism, Imogen sets Violet down and Laudna follows by releasing Anubis’ collar. Stepping away and allowing the pets to explore each other, Imogen moves to sit neck to Laudna again, the pair watching the interaction closely.

Violet rubs up against Anubis, much like she does Imogen and settles at his feet, meowing contentedly. Imogen smiles at Laudna, happy that their companions got along as well as they both did. Eventually, Anubis and Violet are playing with each other around the apartment while Imogen and Laudna watch, chatting occasionally. Glancing at her watch, Laudna lets out a resigned sigh, realizing how late it is and resigning the having break up this lovely moment so she and Anubis can get home at a decent time. 

“Something wrong?” Imogen asks, brow furrowed as she looks at Laudna.

“No, it’s just late and while we need to get back, I really don’t want to leave… is that weird?” Laudna responds, chuckling nervously. 

“Not weird at all darlin’. If y’all need to leave that’s alright, as much as I wish you didn’t. Besides, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of you both fairly soon, am I right?” Imogen reassures, winking at Laudna as she stands, taking their plates to the kitchen. 

“Yes, I believe you are. We can talk more about the logistics later but yes, I would like to move in with you, if you’re alright with that,” Laudna says with a smile. 

“It’s quite alright with me, but we can talk more later. You just focus on getting back safely. Please, travel safe, and let me know when you’re back, alright?” Imogen urges, a bit of worry creeping into her voice. 

“I will, I look forward to talking to you more, and not just about moving in,” Laudna says with a wink as well. 

Imogen’s eyes go slightly wide, a blush creeping across her face. Thankfully, Laudna had already turned back to the living, calling Anubis back to her before gathering her things. Once the young hound is securely at her side, she moves to the door, turning back to thank Imogen for the lovely evening. Imogen surprises Laudna, and herself to be honest, and wraps her in a hug. Launda gets over the shock and hugs her back tightly, a warm feeling spreading through both women, neither wanting to let go. Reluctantly, the break apart, shy smiles are shared between the two before Laudna takes her leave, Imogen staring at her from the open door way as she leaves, Laudna turning to wave one last time before disappearing down the hallway. Closing the door, Imogen slides down it and sits on the floor, back resting against it as Violet hops into her lap. A feeling of bliss washes over her, any anxiety she had about having Laudna over has dissipated, knowing that Laudna actually wants to live with her feels like she’s used up a lifetime’s worth of luck (it’s not luck, she’s just deeply insecure). 

Standing to clean the rest of the dishes, Imogen leans against the door for a second longer before moving back to the kitchen to clean and dispose of things. Setting the dishes to dry and throwing away empty take-out containers, Imogen gives the kitchen a once over to ensure that everything has been taken care of. Her phone pings, and as expected it’s a message from Laudna. 

Hey, we made it back okay. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your evening, we miss you already <3  Attachement.jpeg   

Imogen smiles at the message and the accompanying photo, Laudna and Anubis cuddled on Laudna’s couch. She likes the photos and responds in kind. 

Glad you made it back okay and are relaxing a bit. We miss you both too <3 Attatchment.jpeg  

She sends a photo back, a simple selfie of her and Violet, hitting send before setting her phone on the counter and moving around the apartment, doing her personal closing shift (lol) of the space before getting ready for bed. Changing into a tank top and shorts, Imogen brushes her hair and teeth, and sets things out for herself for the following evening before settling into bed. Checking one last time for any messages before bed, she sees Laudna’s name again. 

Guess we’ll have to see each again soon, you know before I move in and stuff. Can’t be missing each other too much. We’ll talk, goodnight dear <3  

Imogen smiles again, a warmth spreading through her before she responds in kind. 

Guess we should. Sleep well, we’ll talk more tomorrow. Goodnight love <3

Staring at the message a moment longer, Imogen exits the chat and plugs in her phone, setting an alarm for the morning and setting her phone aside. Turning her bedside lamp off and snuggling under the cover, Violet cuddles in her arms, Imogen falls asleep with a smile on her face and for the first time in a long time, has a dreamless night.

Chapter Text

Move In Day - Laudna’s Old Apartment

Laudna looks around her mostly empty apartment, boxes and bins scattered around the tiny space, moving pads lining the space from her doorway to the open concept area. All her big furniture has been loaded into a small Uhaul, the remaining boxes to join them momentarily. Her soon to be ex-neighbors, Ashton and Orym, offered to help her move her things, saving her the hassle of finding a moving company. She hears them chatting from the hallway, making their way back for the final few trips. 

“There’s just a few more boxes, thank you both for doing this for me,” Laudna says genuinely. 

“Anytime Laud, we will miss you… and your baking” Orym replies. 

“Don’t worry, there’s a pie in y’all’s oven waiting for you dear, as a thank you for helping me” Laudna says with a smile. 

Orym offers her a kind smile before heading to load the remaining boxes on his dolly, Ashton splitting them up evenly so that they can make this the last trip. He and Ashton leave, leaving Laudna alone in her now fully empty apartment. She looks around, making sure she truly has everything packed, the small things tucked into her bag. She unhooks her keys from her carabiner, triple checking that she’s got everything. Once she’s sure she’s not leaving anything behind, she takes hold of Anubis’ leash and they walk out of the apartment for the last time. Laudna locks the door, making sure it’s secure and moves to the elevator and then the landlord’s office to return her keys. Zhudanna is a kind woman and thanks her for her time and for being such a lovely tennant, wishing her well as Laudna waves goodbye, stepping out onto the street to meet Ashton and Orym again. The three of them ensure everything is secure before packing into the front of the truck and driving to Imogen’s apartment. 

~ ~ ~

Move In Day - Imogen’s Apartment

Imogen finds herself frantically cleaning again, making sure everything is perfect for Laudna’s arrival. She knows Laudna is bringing her own furniture and is more than happy to make room for it all, not wanting Laudna to worry about storage or anything. Her phone dings with what she knows is a message from Laudna. 

Hi darling! Everything is packed and we’re on the way over. I’ve got help with me to hopefully make this smooth. Do you need anything before we get there? 

Imogen smiles, sending her own message back, trying to contain her excitement at the prospect of Laudna, who she may or may not have a crush on (she does, she’s in denial), is actually coming to live with her (does it count as being a Uhaul lesbian if you do it before you’re dating?). 

Travel safely! I can lunch order for all of us, just lmk what y’all want. Before you object, it’s no trouble, I’m happy to do it. See you soon <3

Setting her phone down, with notably less anxiety about how she texts, Imogen goes back to making sure everything is ready for Laudna. She props open all the doors she thinks she’ll need access to and moves her ottomans and chairs out of the way as well, to make sure no one trips. Violet, being the darling that she is, has remained perched atop her cat tower, watching Imogen move throughout the apartment. Imogen praises her, giving her scritches and talking to her sweetly, hoping she stays calm once there are more people in the space. Her phone rings, an incoming phone call from Launda. This is new, I hope she’s okay, Imogen thinks to herself before answering. 

“Hey Imogen, so sorry to call, but I figured it would be easier than like… typing everything out. Uhm, food wise anything is good, we could do Chinese again, I think Ashton and Orym would be okay with that… They said yes, so feel free to get whatever you wish darling. And please, let me at least pay you back for it, okay?” Launda says, yelling slightly to be heard over the air in the truck. 

“Hi! No worries, it’s good to hear your voice Shit! Why did you say that! Uhm, okay yeah, Chinese sounds good. I’ll get a few extra orders of chicken, anything else you’ve got a craving for? No worries if not and as for paying me back, you don’t have to, it's fine but if it will make you feel better, then I’ll let you.” Imogen says back, cursing herself slightly. 

“Chicken and rice sounds perfect, I can’t think of anything else craving wise but I like your suggestions. We will be there in like… 10 minutes, I’ll text you when we get there. See you soon darling!” Launda replies

“Okay, please be careful. See you soon!” Imogen says before hanging up. 

She smiles at her phone for a while (she’s a dork) before loading the delivery app and ordering a few extras of her usual. She paces around the apartment while she waits for Laudna’s text, her nerves getting the best of her even though they really shouldn’t. Soon enough there’s a text on her phone and buzz from her apartment. 

Hi darling, we’ve arrived and parked. I’m buzzing you in like… 5 seconds. See you soon ! 

Hi ! I just got it, I’ll buzz you in. See you !

True to her word, Imogen answers the buzz and waits patiently for Laudna and her friends to meet her. This feels like the longest 5 minutes of her entire life. A knock at her door brings a smile to her face, for the first time ever (whipped-mogen temult if you will, this woman is down bad). Opening the door she is greeted with Laudna’s beautiful smile looking back at her, dark eyes meet hers and the world melts away. A cough shakes them both, a short, lean man standing next to Laudna smirks knowingly before elbowing Launda in her side. 

“Oh yes, sorry Imogen. This is Orym and his roommate Ashton, they’re helping me with the move.” Laudna say with a nervous shake in her voice, her cheeks darkening with a slight blush

“Hello to you both, thank you for helping Launda with all of this, I’ve tried to move things to make it easier. Uhm… I’ve ordered lunch for us all… uh please, come in and suss things out and then we can get started, yes?” Imogen responds with the same nervousness, obvious in the fidgeting of her hands,  and steps aside awkwardly to let the tree of them in.

The three of them stand awkwardly in the middle of the space, Imogen taking a second shutting the door to collect herself again (she’s a pining, nervous wreck) before turning to them with a wide smile. Ashton has already started pacing the living room, measuring and mapping things to get an idea of stuff while Orym watches from the side, Laudna just… stands in the middle of the kitchen unsure of what to do. Imogen places a hand on her shoulder and offers her a small smile, effectively shaking her from her thoughts. She offers a smile back before moving to what will be her new room, and walking the space, seemingly mapping things out in her head. 

“Hey Ash? Are you done with the living room? I want to get a start on this so I don’t keep you both here all day,” She calls from the room. 

“Yeah, all good. Let’s get a move on Spooks,” They call back, the sound of a tape measure closing follows soon after. 

“Perfect. Uhm, Imogen? Would you like to come down and help or would it be easier to stay here?” Laudna asks, quieter than her previous question.

“Oh, uh… either is fine, whichever would make it easier for you all,” Imogen answers, beaming once again at Launda. 

“Come join us, if it’s alright with you…” Laudna says, hesitating a little bit at the end.

“Darlin’ you don’t have to worry about it, I’m more than happy to help. Let’s do this!” She affirms, a rush of excitement filling her before she rushes to the door. 

Laudna beams and blush creeps across her face once more, Ashton trying (and failing) to cover a chuckle with a cough. Laudna glares at him before following Imogen out, the purple haired woman practically shaking with excitement while she waits for the others. The four of them plus Anubis pile into the elevator, Imogen making them wait when they exit, disappearing into the landlord’s office before returning a few moments later with a triumphant smile on her face and a large keyring in her hand. 

“Sorry, I had to ask if we could use the service elevator to move stuff so it wouldn’t take ages. Luckily Mr. Ariks likes me well enough that it wasn’t any trouble,” Imogen beams proudly. 

“Oh! Thank you for doing that Imogen, that was really kind of you,” Laudna thanked her quietly, suddenly very shy around her, like the two of the switched personalities. 

“It’s no trouble Laudna, really. Let me help, okay? I don’t mind,” Imogen reassures her with a smile and a gentle squeeze of her shoulder. 

Laudna smiles back before following Imogen outside, Ashton and Orym close behind. Imogen shows them how to get to the service elevator and they start unloading boxes. Imogen takes a few on her own, grunting slightly when they’re placed in her arms before adjusting so the weight is distributed properly. Orym loads up the dollies for him and Ashton before passing Laudna one of her lighter boxes. Well, he tries to give her a box but she is distracted, staring at Imogen… more specifically Imogen’s arms, her muscles showing clearly under the strain of the boxes she’s carrying. Orym follows her eyeline and chuckles softly to himself. He loads the last box on his dolly and moves in front of her, nudging the tall woman slightly to get her to look at him. Laudna shakes her head and looks at him, clearly startled by his sudden appearance in front of her. He smiles at her before passing her a small box of yarn, something light for her to carry. She smiles back, taking the box from him and following the others to the elevator to make their first trip up. Orym notices Laudna’s gaze is fixed on the floor, mostly on Anubis, after that. 

As they exit, a delivery man waits outside Imogen’s apartment. She quickly sets the boxes down and smiles at him, apologizing for keeping him waiting, tipping him more than she should. She thanks him and turns to hold the door open for the others, plastic bags hanging from her arms as she ushers them inside. Closing the door behind her, Imogen moves to set the food on the counter before going to grab her previous stack of boxes. Once those have found a temporary home in the middle of her living room, she moves back to the kitchen,  taking a few of the containers out to make sure everything was there. 

“It feels too early to break for food since we just got started, but I can pop these in the oven to keep them warm. Couple more trips and then break? Does that sound okay?” Imogen asks rapidly, hoping she’s being a good host. 

Laudna just stares at her, unable to answer, another wave of nervousness washing over her. Orym notices, and clears his throat before answering for her. 

“Uh yeah, that sounds like a good plan… right Laudna?” Orym answers, turning to Laudna to snap her out of her head. 

She startles again, blinking rapidly as her eyes dart between Orym and Imogen, Imogen smiling at her softly as concern crosses her face for a moment. 

“Oh yeah, sorry. That sounds great Imogen, thank you,” Launda answers, nervousness evident in her voice but a smile washes the concern off Imogen’s face momentarily. Taking a second, Laudna speaks again, “Actually, would it be alright if I stayed here? I’m not sure I’ll be of much help lifting things and I could keep an eye on the food, make sure nothing gets burnt or something,” rambling to try to cover for herself. 

“Of course! Make yourself comfortable, it’s no trouble at all,” Imogen answers genuinely.

“Okay, thank you,” Launda replies, ducking her head and moving to Imogen’s couch, Anubis resting his head on her bouncing knees. 

Imogen watches her, concern filling her once more. She looks to Orym, who just shrugs but offers her a small smile, the same concern evident on his face as well. Ashton watches all of this, unsure of what to do before clearing their throat and motioning to the door, hinting that they should probably keep some momentum going if they want to be done before the evening. Imogen and Orym shake themselves, moving to the door to follow Ashton, assuring Launda they’ll be back soon before they leave. 

The lock clicks and Laudna puts her head in her hand, breathing heavily. Darling, surely you must know this is all a lie. You’re being such a burden already by not helping. Must you bother every person in your life? The voice of Delilah, an ex of hers, creeps into her head which causes her to curl even further into herself.  Anubis nudges between her legs, his wet nose poking Laudna hands to try to get her to sit up so she can breathe better. She knows he’s just doing his job, but the kindness behind the gesture makes her cry, tears burning tracks down her face. Anubis is now sitting properly between her legs, Laudna having dropped her hands to give him space. He licks away her tears and it tickles, making her smile. She scratches his head and nuzzles into him, his presence calming her. She breathes deeply, collecting herself and wiping the remaining tears from her face, determined to keep a brave face for when Imogen returns. Why do you need to be brave? You’re just nervous about the move and she makes you feel safe, but also she’s so beautiful and kind. You can’t fall for her because if you do, you’ll mess things up like you always do. No. Imogen is off limits. She berates herself internally before she stands to move to the kitchen, taking out food containers and placing them in the oven and turning it to warm so the food will still be edible when they’re ready. 

As she closes the oven, the door opens once more, the others shuffling in, boxes piled high on dollies and Imogen carrying more than she should if the redness of her arms is any indication. Laudna takes a deep breath and smiles widely in an attempt to hide the fact that she had been crying. Luckily, Imogen and Ashton are too busy arguing over where to put things for “efficiency” that they don’t notice. Orym does, alway the perceptive once, seeing her cheek glistening with hastily wiped away tear tracks and a slight redness to her eyes. He looks at her with a sympathetic smile but doesn’t press her, for that she is grateful. 

Imogen and Ashton are still arguing, Violet jumps down from her perch to circle Imogen’s leg, the small cat trying to act intimidating to the much larger individual in front of her favorite person. Imogen picks her up, gesticulating wildly as she continues to argue with Ashton. Laudna laughs softly, a real smile on her face as she watches from the side. After a while though it cuts into their move-in time and Laudna decides a break for food would be helpful, Sure, it’s a bit early but maybe some food will quell any more arguments about the placement of bins and boxes. 

“Hey you two, at fun as this is to watch, let’s take a break for food and pick up after before you two tear each other’s heads off,” She says with a small chuckle

“Yeah I guess you’re right, sorry Laudna. They were insisting on making a path with boxes instead of just stacking them against the wall and it was just- I’m sorry,” Imogen apologizes, setting Violet down and brushing her hair from her face before leaving the room to get the food set out for everyone. 

Laudna watches her go, her eyes trailing her the entire way. Ashton snorts and shakes their head, nudging her slightly before he leaves the room as well. 

“What was that for?” Launda whisper yells after him

“Just, tone it down a little Spooks, Anubis isn’t the only one here with puppy eyes,” They say as if it’s obvious. 

Laudna flushes and her eyes go wide. Shit. If they noticed, surely Imogen did. Reign it in. She chastices again, shaking her head before making her way to the kitchen as well, all the food has been set up buffet style. Imogen sets out several mismatched plates and gestures for everyone to dig in. She looks up at Laudna, whose face is still flustered and cocks her head to the side curiously. 

“Everything okay Laudna? You look flushed… are you feeling okay?” Imogen asks, looking down at Anubis to see if there was any change in the dog to indicate that Laudna wasn’t well. 

“Yeah, I’m alright darling, don’t worry,” She says, trying her best to reassure her. 

Anubis does look at her intently for a few moments but decides she’s alright. Imogen watches and settles once she sees the dogs settling, the young woman surprisingly already intune with Laudna, having only known her for a few days. 

Once everyone has gotten their food, they all sit on the floor in the middle space between the kitchen and the living room. They talk for a while, getting to know each other, mostly Imogen, a little better, while they let the food settle before moving back into lifting all the heavy stuff. Laudna watches her with a smile, seeing how calm Imogen is with these new people in her life is a direct contrast from how she was when the two of them met only a but a few days ago. Laudna finds her presence alluring, drawn in by the slight southern drawl that only deepers the more excited Imogen gets, the freckles that dot her face evidence of her time on the farm back home, the way her eyes shine when she’s happy, and the strength she exudes in her body language that can only be from years of proving herself as more than just a little girl, at least that’s what Laudna imagines it to be as she stares at the woman, caught in the net that is Imogen Temult. She has fully zoned out of the conversation and isn’t aware of that until the purple eyes she’s quickly come to adore are staring back at her, a light flush to her freckled cheeks as she meets Laudna’s gaze. 

Laudna continues to stare, now more out of fear of being caught than admiration. Once again, Orym nudges her gently to shake her from her reverie, Laudna shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, a blush creeping across her face as well. Imogen smiles at her shyly, but Laudna misses it, having averted her gaze to the floor once more to avoid any potential confrontation at her mistake (there isn’t going to be one, she’s just paranoid). See my dear, already causing problems. My my, it seems I didn’t do what I needed to when I had you. Some lessons take longer to learn it seems. Oh but you mustn’t tell anyone, you’re already too much Laudna dear, the voice hisses in her head once more. She thought she’d gotten rid of her, worked through enough of her problems to be alright but it seems she was wrong. Sensing some tension, Ashton and Orym clear their throats and offer to take the trash from lunch before getting back to work, leaving the two women alone as smoothly as smoothly as they can. Imogen mouths a “thank you” to Orym as he gets up, the shorter man nodding back to her with an encouraging smile. Imogen hesitates, seeing Laudna almost fold in on herself as she sits frozen on the floor, long black hair shielding her face as her arms have now wrapped tightly around the neck of Anubis, the young hound nuzzling into her chest, both for comfort and to protect her from whatever she fears. Imogen watches him closer, looking for signs of aggression as she moves closer to Laudna, slowly sliding over so she doesn’t startle either party. 

“Laudna? Is it okay if I touch you? It’ll just be on your shoulder, but it’s okay if you don’t want me to,” Imogen asks softly, raising a shaking hand to Laudna’s shoulder, waiting for confirmation before making contact. 

A few silent moments pass before Laudna’s arms relax from around Anubis’ neck, one hand brushing hair from her face so she can peek at Imogen but still keep her face hidden. She is expecting to be met with anger, red hot fury directed towards her but is instead met with Imogen’s face full of concern, a hand held out to her, and the faint presence of tears in the woman’s eyes. Launda sits up a little straight and brushes more of the hair from her face before responding. 

“Yes, you can touch me,” She says back quietly 

“Okay… tell me if it’s too much okay?” Imogen asks again, moving close enough to Laudna to place a warm hand on her shoulder, rubbing her thumb over the exposed bone, like a mother would to soothe a child. 

Launda practically melts into the touch, her shoulders slumping as the tension leaves her body. She feels Imogen move to situate herself and almost in tandem, Laudna lets her body fall into Imogen’s chest, the exhaustion of the day and her own mind taking over. Imogen wraps her arms around Laudna, running her hands gently up and down her arms to soothe her, rocking slightly to calm whatever is hurting her friend. Anubis curls into Imogen’s side, his head resting on her leg so he’s touching both women. It’s a moment of respite and Imogen is shocked at how much she enjoys the domesticity of it all. 

Ashton and Orym have finished cleaning up the trash and putting dishes away, the two of them now watching the two women from the kitchen, Deciding they should give them space, the two of them leave to get more of Laudna’s things. Imogen sees them leave and wants to get up, but a nod from Orym tells her it’s okay if she stays. Still though, she feels bad having them do all the work and she wants to help, but she doesn’t want to leave Laudna. She gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze and starts to move Laudna upright, gently. 

“Hey, the others went to get more stuff and they might need my help. I can stay if you need me to though… are you alright?” Imogen asks in a hushed tone, not wanting to startle Laudna. 

“Oh. Uhm, yeah it’s alright. I’m sorry I kept you all, this makes the day even longer now. I’m sorry.” Laudna apologizes, her voice much quieter and small. 

“It’s alright darlin’, and I don’t think they mind staying longer to help. They care about you.” Imogen reassures, running small circles on Laudna’s back. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a pain or take up too much time with all this.” Laudna replies, still hiding within herself. 

“Laudna, I promise it’s alright. Let’s get you up off the floor and onto something more comfortable. Are you okay getting to the couch?” Imogen asks, switching gears slightly. 

“Uh, yeah. I should be okay,” She answers with a little more confidence, moving slowly to sit back down on the couch, Anubis watching her every move just in case. 

“Alright. Just rest and relax for a bit alright, I’m sure all of this moving and whatever else if going on is a lot for you so feel free to lay down and relax for a little while okay? Me and the others have it covered okay?” Imogen says sweetly, concerned for her friend. 

“If you’re sure it’s alright…” Laudna says, turning her eyes down to look at her lap. 

“I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t okay with it, I promise,” She says with a reassuring smile. She turns to look at Anubis, “You make sure she rests, alright baby boy?” She says, ruffling the fur on his head before moving to leave the apartment, giving Laudna one last smile before she leaves to meet the others downstairs. 

What have you gotten yourself into? She’s letting you into her home, a week after meeting you and you’re already acting foolish. Keep it together alright? Laudna is lost in thought, overthinking everything and berating herself over every last interaction. She needs to just act normal, push any feelings for Imogen away and just try to live in the same space with someone without messing it up. She can do that… right? Yeah, she is capable of being “normal,” besides Imogen is just being kind to her, best not to get her hopes up. She knows she’ll just fuck it up somewhere down the line anyways so she’s going to do her best to delay that outcome as long as she can. It’s nice living closer to her work and in a better area, but still, she’s not entirely sure this is going to last… it never does. Resigning herself to rest, Laudna sinks into Imogen’s couch, Anubis’ head on her stomach providing a comforting weight as she traces her fingers across her own arms to lull herself to sleep. She doesn’t hear the others return or Imogen praising Anubis, sleep taking her fully into a whimsical dreamland. The others let her sleep, quietly moving around the apartment to get all the boxes settled, figuring she’d be the best one to unpack everything once it had all been moved in. 

Orym quietly places the last of the boxes in the living room, careful not to wake Laudna as he gingerly moves past her. He looks at her resting peacefully, the lines of tension no longer as harsh across her face as she sleeps. Imogen’s laugh draws his gaze, seeing his new friend lightly punch Ashton’s shoulder, laughing he’s sure, at a really shitty joke. He’s happy Launda found someone to stay with that cares for her, maybe more than she realizes given what he’s picked up on, but that isn’t his place to meddle. Deciding his and Ashton’s duties have been fulfilled, Orym moves to the kitchen to retrieve his roommate, the two of them still had to drop off the truck before going home and they were burning daylight as it is. Imogen thanks them both as they leave, insisting they take some leftover take out to eat later, figuring they’d both be too tired to cook. Imogen walks them out, knowing she has to return the keyring back to Mr. Ariks, it made sense. They exchange numbers before getting in the truck and pulling away, Imogen waving them off as they leave. She runs inside to return the keys, the older man smiling warmly at her as she thanks him for letting her borrow them. She was always a lovely tenant. Imogen makes her way back up stairs and goes to enter her apartment only to realize she’d forgotten her keys. Idiot. She thinks to herself as her head falls loudly against the door. 

It’s late, she doesn’t want to bother Mr. Ariks anymore tonight and she'd rather not make another trip downstairs. Launda was sound asleep on the other side of the door and Imogen really didn’t want to wake her, but she’d also prefer to not sleep on the floor outside her apartment. Dejectedly, she raps her knuckles against the door three times, listening for movement. She hears the tip tap of dog paws on the hardwood and hopes that means Anubis has brought Launda with him. Thankfully, he is a good boy and Imogen hears the sound of the locks unclicking, the door swinging open not too long after that to reveal a slightly disheveled looking Laudna. 

“What are you doing outside? Are you okay? What happened?’ Launda asked rapidly, concern sobering her up rather quickly. 

“Nothin’ is wrong Launda. We just finished unloading stuff and Orym and Ashton needed to leave so I walked them out, but I forgot my keys. Did you sleep okay?” Imogen chuckles as she steps into her   their apartment and locks the door behind her. 

“I did, thank you for letting me rest. I’m sorry I wasn’t more helpful today.” She answers sadly. 

“Enough of that, it’s alright. We had it covered and you needed rest. If it makes you feel any better, there are loads of boxes that still need to be unpacked.” She says with a wink. 

Laudna smiles at that and Imogen is happy, hopefully it keeps any more of that pesky guilt away for the rest of the evening.  

“Okay, but maybe just a little bit, leave the rest for tomorrow maybe? If that’s alright with you of course…” Laudna responds quietly 

“Whatever you’re comfortable with Laudna, it’s your apartment too now, okay?” Imogen assures her, piddling around the kitchen as she makes Violet’s dinner. 

It’s a little too late for either woman to eat a proper dinner, but Imogen had already missed princess Violet’s dinner time so she hurries to prepare her cat’s meal, wishing to avoid a feisty cat for the night. Imogen chuckles to herself, seeing the cabinet stocked with cans of wet food and a bag of kibble, meanwhile she still hasn’t gotten groceries (take out is just easier and less stressful for her) for herself. Take Laudna with you tomorrow, maybe a buddy will make it a little easier. How domestic. NO! She’s a Friend. Don’t overwhelm her right out of the gate Mog, you Just met her practically. Chill. She shakes her head, standing to bring Violet her food only to find her resting on the lower part of her tower, staring curiously at Anubis. She playfully bats his face, not with claws, more just testing the waters. He, the sweetheart that he is, takes it, his tongue sticking out to catch her paw. To Imogen’s surprise, she lets him. Violet, like her momma, was not particularly fond of new people, or in this case, animals. It was endearing to know that she got along with Laudna’s boy as well as Imogen did with Laudna herself. She lets them play for a bit before calling Violet for dinner. 

“Pspspsps, come on Vi, dinner time!” She calls. 

Black ears perk up, no longer focused on the dog in front of her. She skitters off her tower and sits at Imogen’s feet. Imogen “releases” her and she feeds happily. 

“Hey Laud? Does Anubis need a place to eat, like… separate from Vi?” Imogen calls to her companion? roommate?

“Oh uh, probably? He can eat in my room if that’s okay” She answers

“Yeah, that’s okay. Again, this is your space too.” Imogen assures her once more. 

“Alright, thanks!” she responds. 

Imogen watches Laudna move gracefully about the space, carefully placing her things so as to not disturb Imogen’s, making a space for her alongside Imogen. It makes her smile. Laudna practically floats as she moves noiselessly around the apartment, the only sounds being the clack of Ani’s nails and the jingle of his collar as he follows her closely. Normally Imogen would hate it but somehow, it’s like her ears and mind know that these noises are safe. However, something else cuts through the silence, something musical… Laudna was humming! Imogen stares at her, she’s almost angelic in the way she moves while humming a rather haunting but beautiful tune. Tears prick Imogen’s eyes, there’s something calming about the song, as unfamiliar as it is it calms the buzzing in Imogen’s mind and she feels… almost safe. She wants to ask the name but can’t bring herself to break through the spell she’s willingly under, happy to stare as Laudna dances around their newly shared space, in her old haunting little world. She is so caught up in watching Laudna and admiring her is a blissful state, she doesn’t realize that Laudna has now turned to face her and sees the adoration very present in her eyes, the feeling mixing with the tears in her eyes. Before she knows it, Imogen feels cold hands lace through her own and Laudna pulls her towards her. She smiles, a blush creeping across her pale skin under Imogen’s gaze. Shaken, Imogen only now realized that Laudna is holding her in a dancer’s pose, still singing, but not moving until she’s sure that Imogen is aware. Imogen blinks back tears and gives a watery giggle, swaying slowly with Laudna in the middle of their living room, Laudna still humming softly, the sound reverberating through Imogen. 

In this moment nothing else exists besides the two of them, the sounds of Laudna’s voice block out the noise of the city below. This is the closest either of them had gotten with each other, invading the other’s space, but in a welcome manner. They sway slowly, taking in the shared space and holding one another’s gaze. Imogen’s eyes scan across the details of Laudna’s face, seeing them up close for the first time and doing her best to memorize it all. Launda does the same, watching the way Imogen’s eyes brighten as she sings or how her cheeks flush when Laudna squeezes her hand. For a moment, nothing else matters and Imogen’s mind is full of the woman in front of her. She leans in almost imperceptibly and she catches Laudna doing the same. Her eyes start to flutter closed until… 

“Meow” 

Violet had brushed up against Imogen’s ankle and the lack of attention she was getting was quite frustrating. Letting her presence be known, the pair break apart, startled but the sudden intrusion. Imogen drops Laudna’s hand almost instantly, the lack of warmth disappoints her. Imogen kneels down to pick up Violet, hoping to hide the now furious blushes on her face. Laudna watches her, a bit embarrassed by everything that just happened, too nervous to do anything but stay frozen in place.

“Sorry about that, I guess she felt a little left out. Would you like any help unpacking or maybe some food, I just realized how late it was.” Imogen asks, fidgeting with her hands nervously, trying to avoid making the moment more awkward than it already is. 

“Some food would be lovely darling and I think I can finish unpacking tomorrow… if that’s okay with you” Launda replies, equally sheepish. 

“Thankfully there’s leftovers from earlier seeing as I’ve neglected going grocery shopping so we’ll have to go tackle that tomorrow… if you want to come with. And seriously, you’re more than welcome to unpack more tonight if you want, you live here too now” Imogen answers more confidently, the moment seemingly forgotten… or at least ignored for both of their sakes. 

“Leftover sounds lovely darling and I will take you up on groceries tomorrow, I kind of cleared out all my perishables. Thank you, seriously… for trusting me in your space,” She rambles, smiles nervously at Imogen. 

“Oh it’s no problem Laud, really. It’s nice to have someone here, especially someone so kind.” She answers back, equally as nervous. 

The tension hangs in the air, neither woman choosing to break it, preferring to just let it simmer while their food heats up. Laudna watches Imogen, unknowingly in a similar fashion to how Imogen had watched her; her eyes following the woman as she moves gracefully around the kitchen, grabbing plates and forks for the two of them. Laudna relaxes, seeing no reason to keep the tension in her body if there is none visible in Imogen’s. You are safe here, with her, she reminds herself in an attempt to ease her nervousness. A huff pulls her back to herself once more and she looks down to see Anubis resting his head on her thighs, the young pup looking up at her with an expression she cannot place. 

“Oh I wish you could talk little one, what secrets lie behind your eyes I wonder” She coos at him, petting his head gently. 

Imogen laughs softly at the pair, admiring the bond between them as she carries over her and Laudna’s dinner. Laudna looks up at her, a small smile that actually meets her eyes this time. She scooches over, Anubis following suit, to give Imogen room beside her on the couch. Imogen smiles back at her, setting the food on the coffee table before pulling it closer and settling in beside Laudna. 

“Wanna watch somethin’?” Imogen asks, picking up the remote from the coffee table.

“Whatever you want to watch darling, I don’t mind,” Laudna says with a smile. 

Imogen chuckles, turning the TV on and flipping through the channels. She turns back to Laudna. 

“I want to watch something you pick, gives me a chance to learn more about you…if that’s okay” Imogen says with confidence before faltering at the end. 

Laudna beams are her, eyes tracing the lines of the younger woman’s face. She sighs and takes the remote from Imogen’s slightly shaking, outstretched hand. 

“Fine. But no making fun, okay?” Laudna says a little sheepishly. 

“I promise, I would never,” Imogen smiles at her, taking Laudna’s hand in her and brushing her thumb over the top of it reassuringly. 

Laudna’s breath hitches slightly at the gesture, Imogen’s touch burning a warmth into her skin she’s only ever felt after stepping into the sun during a cold day. It tingles, the feeling passing up her arm as Imogen has yet to let go. Laudna clears her throat and turns to face the TV, hoping she moves quick enough to block Imogen’s view of her face as a blush furiously makes its way across her cheeks. She focuses on clicking through channels praying she finds something soon as the silence and tension in the room is likely to make her explode. She settles on a show that seems to cover historical mysteries and uncovering hidden secrets. 

“Is this alright? It probably seems a bit boring, I can change it if-” Laudna starts, nervous for Imogen’s reaction. 

She’s cut off by Imogen squeezing her hand tightly, drawing Laudna’s attention away from the TV and back to Imogen. 

“It’s alright. It actually looks interestin’, I mean if you like it, it must be,” Imogen reassures, glancing away as she finishes. 

“I- Okay… If you get bored though, tell me and we can change it, okay?” Laudna placates unnecessarily.
“I won’t, but I’ll tell you if I do, I promise,” Imogen reassures once more, squeezing Laudna’s hand again before turning to watch the show. 

Laudna stares at her for a moment, in awe of the woman’s profound amount of kindness, something Laudna is not generally offered from others. She blinks, taking in the sight of the woman in front of her before turning back to face the TV as the pair eat their food in a surprisingly comforting silence. The sound of forks clinking against ceramic mixes with the muted sounds of the street below them and the narrator on the TV, the ambience of it all is oddly comforting. As they each finish, dishes are placed on the coffee table as they both settle further into the couch, finally able to relax. It’s endearingly domestic, Laudna’s leg laying across Imogen’s lap with a blanket thrown haphazardly over the both of them. Even Anubis and Violet have found comfort in each other, the cat snuggled into the young hound who is curled on the floor under Launda’s head. 

Launda watches the show with rapt attention, eyes wide as she takes it all in. Imogen watches her quietly, smiling at the change in her demeanor. She watches as Laudna absorbs what’s being said, a wide smile across her face, hands tucked under her chin as she clings to the narrator’s words. She watches her a second more, taking in her beauty in a new form, a relaxed form. She’s in awe of how quickly Launda took a hold on her, the kindness of a single person changing her entire life in but a few days. Something flutters like butterflies within her, a feeling she knows she needs to push down. She tears her gaze away from Laudna, trying to act as cool as she can, turning her focus back to the TV. It’s a useless effort, her mind swirls with images of the pair on various dates, Laudna’s hand held tightly in her own, the vision of Laudna’s eyes gazing tearily back at her though the context is unclear. Imogen’s face heats, she cannot be thinking about Laudna like that. She blinks the vision’s away, desperately trying to focus her mind on the TV. 

It’s a futile effort, Imogen once again getting lost in her thoughts only to be shaken by yet another familiar sound. It’s soft, barely audible, but Imogen catches it… the soft whistle of a snore. She glances over at Launda to see the young woman laying limply on the edge of the couch, one hand still tucked under her chin while the other grazes Anubis’ head. Imogen takes another moment to stare, I can’t get in trouble this time, no one else can see me and besides, she looks so cute like this… peaceful even… it’s nice. She’s nice. For once, Imogen allows her racing thoughts to guide her, turning to face Laudna to see her more clearly, observing the hauntingly slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathes, her shoulders slumping lower and lower each time as if each breath releases the tension in her body. She takes in all of Laudna’s features that she can see, the slope of her nose, the light fluttering her of her eye, the brief glimpse of smile as she is dreaming of something good… or at least Imogen hopes so. Deciding she should probably stop starting… watching someone sleep like that is a bit odd when you barely know them (yes this is an author’s dig at edward cullen). 

She stands, carefully moving Laudna’s legs off her lap before placing them gently back on the couch. She moves quietly, cautiously taking their dishes from dinner to the sink, deciding she’ll get to that tomorrow. She glances back at Laudna, catching a slight shiver coming from the sleeping woman. A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth, once again admiring her peacefulness for but a moment, before moving to tuck the blanket tighter around her sleeping form. Before she can stop herself, Imogen presses a kiss to Laudna’s forehead, before she moves away. You absolute idiot, what are you doing! You don’t even know her that well and you’re acting all domestic already? Gods, maybe the uhaul lesbian thing is true. Get it together Temult. She berates herself internally and sighs before making her move to leave the room. 

“Goodnight Laudna.” She whispers, making sure she hadn’t woken her before moving to her room. 

Anubis opens his eyes to watch her but makes no sign of following. Violet however, sensing her person leaving her proximity leaps up and tip-taps her way into Imogen’s room. Imogen takes one final glance at Laudna before closing the door to her room to get ready for bed. Routine finished, Imogen snuggles into the blankets on her bed, Violet curing into her tightly, the purring of the cat in her arms calming her. Sleep soon takes her, her body resting peacefully and dreamless for the first night in as long as she can remember. Perhaps this is the start of something truly wonderful. 

Chapter Text

The morning after move in - Imogen and Laudna’s apartment 

Laudna wakes in the dead of night, something cold and wet nudging her cheek. She opens her eyes to see Anubis, the young hound pressing his snout against her cheek to wake her, something he has done before but never this early. She also notices the blanket tucked tightly around her, which confuses her at first as that is not how she remembered leaving it. Though, that confusion is quickly swallowed by butterflies and a feeling she can’t quite name as she realizes that it was Imogen’s doing, the younger woman showing her such care and kindness despite not really knowing her that well just yet. It’s a feeling Laudna is not used to feeling and that shakes her, but excites her at the same time; the prospect of the new and unknown washing away any fear or uncertainty she still carries. Her moment of admiration is quickly shattered as Anubis paws at her and whines. Laudna sits up quickly and checks the time on her phone to see that it is now 4:30 in the morning. She is familiar with this routine and tries to gather shoes and leash before Anubis decides Imogen’s gorgeous rug is his potty station. Somehow it had slipped her mind that the change of location would likely disrupt his routine as much as it would hers, the hound used to using the grass pad Laudna had kept on her old balcony but had thrown out in the move in favor of the small dog area in Imogen’s building. 

“Just a little longer dearheart, I have to find Imogen’s keys so we don’t get locked out,” she whisper-yells, searching around in the dark for Imogen’s key ring. 

She gives herself 2 minutes to find them but turns up empty handed. She would have looked longer but Anubis was pacing near the door and if she didn’t hurry, well… her attempt to not wake Imogen would be for naught. Sighing, knowing she’ll have trouble getting back in, Laudna grabs her phone, hooks a leash to Anubis’ harness and quickly makes her way to the elevator. Thankfully, the hound remembers his brief potty training and does not make a mess of the elevator either. The enclosed dog area is graciously near the elevators and the second they make it through the doors into the grassy area, Laudna unleashes Anubis to let him do his business and run around for a bit. She’s content to watch him play, the silence of the early morning mixes with the sound of paws on grass. She gets lost in it, the slight chill of the still night time breeze is oddly comforting and she relaxes into it, letting it wash over her and put her mind and body at ease. The sound of a door opening startles her, having been used to the silence and not expecting anyone else to be awake at this ungodly hour.  

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you, no one else is usually awake right now,” the figure calls out, dressed in what Laudna can partially make out as sweats and leather jacket. 

“Oh no you’re okay, I was just heading in,” Laudna says nervously, something about the person setting her nerves on edge. 

That feeling is only confirmed by Anubis’ low growl from beside her (which isn’t uncharacteristic of him, he reads people pretty well and acts accordingly), the hound sensing worry from her. Thank the gods for him, hopefully they’ll leave us alone. Laudna grabs his collar, not wanting to re-latch his leash right now. The individual chuckles before pulling a lighter from their pocket and lighting the cigarette that had magically appeared. 

“Some guard dog you got there… want one?” They ask, holding their pack out to her with a smirk. 

“Uhm no… I don’t smoke and we were just leaving,” She says a little more firmly, side stepping them with Anubis at her side. 

“See you around,” they call after her. 

She thanks whatever higher power was there that they didn’t need a key to get back in and walks hastily to the elevator, Anubis practically glued to her side. The doors close and she slides down the wall, Anubis tucking under her legs as she tries to steady her breath, knowing fully well a panic attack would only make her flare up. Luckily Imogen lives on a higher floor so she has a little time to collect herself before having to stand, her knees cracking at the effort, before making her way to Imog- her and Imogen’s door. She checks her phone to see it’s nearly 5:45 now. She can’t just knock and hope Imogen is awake and she really didn’t want to burden her by waking her up after their first night together. IN THE APARTMENT TOGETHER, NOT LIKE… TOGETHER TOGETHER. Sighing, she checks the Tearoom’s hours and decides an extra walk for an early snack wouldn’t hurt anymore, especially since she will likely crash when she gets back. 

“Ani… wanna go for a walk?” She whispers, smiling as his ears perk up, “Okay let’s go!”

They retrace their step to the elevator and make it outside with little fuss. Knowing Tasha’s is only a few blocks away and that they have some time, Laudna let’s Anubis lead, the hound sniffing away at every plant, trash bin, and stray pedestrian they come across. She doesn’t always do this but she knows it's good for him and he’s still a puppy and should be allowed some fun. They arrive at Tasha's Tearoom after a little bit, the walk doing good to reduce the remnants of Laudna’s nerves and she’s glad. They step inside and she smiles, remembering how this very place kicked off the new and welcomed change in her life. A light “good morning” is thrown her way and she looks up, greeted by the warm smile of Deanna, whom she’d met the same day. She smiles back. 

“Good morning to you as well, Fearne here as well?” Laudna asks, stepping up to the bar to go over the menu. 

Deanna studies her, not a regular just yet but a familiar face she hopes to see more often. 

“I’m surprised you remembered us both, but no she’s not here yet, far too early for her.” She responds with a smile. 

“You were both very kind in helping Imogen with everything, the least I could do is remember who you are,” She says brightly

“Yes I supposed that’s true…How is she by the way?” Deanna asks, a glint of mischief in her eyes. 

Launda flushes slightly and prays Deanna doesn’t notice. 

“She’s alright, we finished moving my stuff last night and she’s been really lovely through the whole process,” Laudna beams. 

“Already moved in huh? Y’all move pretty quick,” Deanna teases. 

Laudna’s eyes go wide and the subtle flush deepens to a dark red. 

“Oh uh, no. Not like that. Uhm, she was just offering me her extra room, as a new friend, just a friendly gesture, that’s all,” She rambles nervously. 

“I’m just teasing you, y’all just looked so cute together I couldn’t resist. Now, enough hazing… what can I get you for hun?” Deanna interjects, reaching over the counter to take Laudna’s trembling hand. 

This calms her and the reminder that she came in here for something distracts her for a moment as she goes back to scanning the menu. The warmth of Deanna’s hand is comforting. 

“Uhm, I’ll take a black tea with some honey and uhm…” Laudna starts, her brows furrowing as she scans the list of teas. 

“Can’t figure out what she wants?” Deanna asks, the glint returning to her eyes. 

“Yeah, I don’t want to get it wrong and ruin her morning but she didn’t really get a chance to order anything the last time and I just-” Launda rambles again, stopped but a poorly suppressed chuckle from Deanna, who is scrolling on the cafe’s computer. 

“It’s Temult right?” Laudna nods her head in response, “Well, she’s ordered from here before and got a green tea, so we can go with that if you want to play it safe,” Deanna prompts. 

“Yeah let’s do that… did she order anything else?” Laudna asks, wanting to make this morning perfect for Imogen, as a thank you. 

“Looks like she got a blueberry muffin which we luckily have ready this morning, wanna do that too?”

“Yes please, thank you for helping me… again,” Laudna says with a shy smile. 

“Anytime, and I mean that, I hope to see more of you and that handsome pup you’ve got, okay?” Deanna says, seriousness creeping into her voice. 

“You got it, if every morning is like this one, I’m sure you will,” She responds. 

Deanna goes to ring her up before getting her order done, the shorter woman smiling to herself, practically buzzing with excitement of the update she has for Fearne later. Unbeknownst to the new roommates, Deanna and Fearne have had a bet going on between them since the first day Imogen and Laudna met. Sure it might be a little creepy but they gotta pass the time at a mostly empty cafe somehow. Laudna sits and waits, happy to take in the relatively quiet interior of the cafe, the only sounds are the occasional clink of metal and porcelain and the low hum of the various machines. She checks her phone again, it’s a little after six and there’s no new messages from Imogen so she’s likely still asleep. Wish that was me, thank the gods I don’t have to go into work today, talk about dead girl walking. She giggles at her own joke and proceeds to scroll a bit until Deanna calls her order out. She stands slowly, Anubis hovering near her side just in case as she walks over to the counter to retrieve her drinks and the bakery bag. 

“I threw in a little something extra for you hun, and don’t protest because I can tell you’re the type to do that. It’s nothing, besides, you’re the first customer today, let me start your morning as well as you’ve started mine, alright?” Deanna says firmly, slipping slightly into a southern drawl as she does so. 

“I- You didn’t have to do that… but I can see that fighting you is a bad idea so I’m just gonna go… Thank you Deanna. I hope to see you again soon,” She says with a smile, the other woman’s firmness shutting down any fight she had. 

She tosses some bills into the tip jar, takes her things and carefully walks out the cafe, taking extra care not to drop anything. It’s a bit precarious, holding a leash, two drinks, and a paper bag but manages. She’s nearly at her new apartment building when her phone buzzes. Groaning, unable to really grab it, she shifts to the edge of the sidewalk, away from the street and sets her things down. Anubis stands next to her, guarding her while she grabs her phone. 

One Missed Call: Imogen <3

Shit. What if she’s mad at me for leaving. What if she thinks I hate it there. Fuck fuck fuck. Laudna screams internally, her heart thudding against her chest. Anubis nudges her, moving to stand between her legs so she can hold him. His heart beats much slower and the rhythm calms her enough to focus again. 

“Good job buddy, I’m okay now.”

He looks at her curiously but goes back to standing guard. Taking a deep breath, Laudna clicks the notification to call Imogen back and braces for the worst. She picks up after the second ring. 

“Hey Laudna, everything okay?” 

“Yeah, sorry I missed your call, I was walking Anubis and my hands were full” 

“That’s okay hun, I was just calling to see if you were okay, it’s early and you weren’t here so I got nervous” 

“Oh uhm, yeah I’m okay. I’m actually on my way up so I’ll see you shortly”

“Well that’s good, I’ll see you soon then I guess” 

“Yeah, uhm… see you in a bit”

“Okay, bye love” 

And the call ends. Laudna stares at her phone. Imogen didn’t seem angry, maybe she is waiting till you get back to be back, take it out on you where you can’t really leave. No. Stop it. Imogen is sweet, she’s not like Her. Just breathe.  Laudna takes a few breaths before bending down to pick up the drinks, making sure everything is balanced properly so nothing spills. Just as she has it all situated a voice calls out to her. 

“Oh hey, need any help with that?” 

The same voice from earlier that morning. Laudna freezes and looks up in the direction of the voice. The sun having risen makes it easier for her to make out the figure, still in sweats and a leather jacket, but she can make out their face more clearly now. Their hair is dark, cut short and styled out of their eyes. Their eyes are equally as dark, piercing in an unnerving way, much like the smile they’re flashing her as they move closer to her. Anubis situates himself between her and the figure. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you or your little guy” They said, keeping their distance. 

“It’s alright, he’s just responding to my reaction and I appreciate the offer but I’ve got it,” She responds with a small smile. 

“You sure? Looks like you got your hands full,” they tease

“I appreciate that, but I’ve said no. Now if you’ll excuse me,” She says before cautiously pushing past them to get to the gate.

No worries, have a good day, new girl!” They shout after her. 

She doesn’t respond and hopes this person gets the cue that she doesn’t want to talk. She’s sure they don’t mean her any harm but given Anubis’ reaction she’d prefer to play it safe for now. She buzzes since she doesn’t have a key yet and prays Imogen buzzes back quickly, still feeling the figure’s eyes on her. Thankfully Imogen does and, after sidestepping the gate, she rushes inside, the clang of the gate closing behind her lets her shoulders relax. Taking a breath, she steps into the elevator and makes her way back to her and Imogen’s apartment. She directs Anubis to “knock” since she can’t get her hands free, the young hound doing an excellent job at a fairly new task. Imogen opens the door and Laudna thinks she may have forgotten to breathe for a moment. She smiles at her and feels her face flush. Imogen, seemingly caught in her own daydream, smiles back and steps aside to let Launda in so she can set her things down. 

“G’mornin’ Laudna, missed you this morning,” Imogen says, her accent slipping in the early morning. 

Laudna freezes, the hoarseness of Imogen’s voice in the morning is… attractive? Laudna doesn’t know how to qualify it other than it makes her stomach flip and the blush on her face gets worse. 

“I’m sorry darling, this little guy is used to a schedule and I think the move disrupted that. We got a little sidetracked, I hope you don’t mind,” Laudna replies, unpacking their breakfast. 

“Not at all hun, I just hope you didn’t have too much trouble getting back in, Mr. Ariks hasn’t given me your keys yet,” She says as she moves to the kitchen counter. 

“Oh, not at all… I tried to find your keys but I didn’t want to wake you up. Thankfully getting in and out wasn’t too bad. I also picked up breakfast, uhm well I guess you could see that… is that okay?” Laudna rambles, her voice dying off towards the end. 

“Laudna. I promise it’s alright. Really, I don’t mind and I appreciate the gesture, it’s very sweet of you. As for my keys, if you need them before you get yours, they’re in the bowl by the door. Now stop worryin’ and let’s eat, yeah?” Imogen reassures, rubbing Laudna’s shoulder to further her point. 

Laudna smiles shyly at her, ducking her head to hide her face while Imogen fetches them some plates. Gods, she’s so kind and sweet and omg I do not deserve her at all. AS A FRIEND. Get it together. Hearing the clatter of porcelain, Laudna looks back up and sees Imogen looking at her, a soft smile on her face as offers a plate to Laudna. 

“Alright, what did you get us this mornin’?” Imogen asks. 

“Uhm, tea for both of us, black for me and green for you and two blueberry muffins,” Laudna responds with a shy smile 

Imogen eyes get wide and she stares at Launda in shock. She knows your order? How does she know that? Is she just that good ? Omg what is going on. A soft “Imogen?” shakes her from her momentary panic and she shakes herself. 

“Sorry. Uhm how did you know that was my order?” She asks

“Oh. Deanna remembered you ordered from there before and told me… I’m sorry that was too forward. I should have called. That was so creepy, I’m so sorry,” Laudna starts rambling, her hands start to shake as well. 

“Hey hey, it’s okay, I was just surprised. I’m not upset with you okay? It caught me off guard but I’m not upset I promise. I appreciate you wanting to make sure you got something I would like, that’s really sweet of you,” Imogen reassures again, taking Laudna’s shaking hands into her to help calm her. 

Laudna looks at her warily, unsure if Imogen is telling her the truth. She’s used to the ‘I’m not mad but I’m actually mad and won’t tell you’ ruse. Concern floods Imogen’s face as she sees the conflict in Laudna’s eyes. 

“Laudna, I know we’ve only recently met but I promise you, I would never lie to you, okay? I’m not upset with you. Now stop your worryin’ and let's eat the muffins before they get cold, alright? You’re okay, I promise,” She smiles and squeezes Launda’s hand tightly. 

Laudna smiles softly back at her, feeling tears well in her eyes at the young woman’s kindness. She wipes her eyes before the tears fall and squeezes Imogen’s hand back. 

“Thank you. I’m sorry about my reaction, thank you for helping,” She says softly, reaching to unwrap her muffin. 

“Of course Laudna, anytime love,” Imogen responds, a little muddled, her mouth partially full of muffin. 

Laudna giggles at her, Imogen’s cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk in the cutest way. Imogen joins her, the tension now dissipated as giggles turn to belly laughs as the pair are left hysterical in their kitchen. 

~ ~ ~

Same Day - Afternoon - Imogen and Laudna’s Apartment

After breakfast, the ladies had gone to their rooms, Imogen had some things to work on before her job officially started and Laudna still needed to unpack something and get fully settled. The low hum of her music drifted through the apartment and Imogen smiled, hearing the muffled tones from her room as she typed out some emails she rather not have to. Having checked off most of her to-do list for the day, knowing the rest couldn’t be done until she got responses back, she let her mind wander. She saw visions of her and Laudna out together, going to museums and the park, walking Anubis, getting dinner together, and just enjoying each other’s company. Gods she’s so lovely I could just kiss her. Her mind creates the image and she damn near falls from her seat. 

“Alright, enough of that for now.” She says to herself. Her stomach grumbles and after checking the time to see it had been several hours since she and Laudna had eaten, she decides she should probably get lunch. You need to get groceries too so actually do that today. 

She shuts off her laptop and leaves her room, catching Launda dancing around in the living, lost in her own little world. Gods she’s so beautiful, she thinks to herself. She watches for a little while longer, wanting to savor this moment for as long as she can. Anubis spots her, his attention mostly on his “mom” to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself, but he hears his new friend and glances over at her, tail wagging at her presence. She holds her finger up to shush him, not wanting to startle Laudna as she moves into the space, patting his head as he moves closer before going to the kitchen to take stock of what she needs and to feed Violet. Luckily, there’s still a few cans of wet food and half a bag of dry food for her, it’s Imogen that needs the food. She pulls one of the cans from her cabinet and dishes it out for Violet, who has already made her way to the kitchen, rubbing up against Imogen’s ankles as she waits. Imogen sets her dish down and goes to wash the can out before putting it in the recycling and rewashing her hands. Laudna is aware of her presence now and simply watches her. 

“Good afternoon darling, everything going okay?” Laudna asks, moving to lean against the kitchen counter, facing Imogen. 

“Quite, most of my work is done for today, how are things for you,” She asks, cringing internally (she loathes small talk). 

“They’re just lovely, I think I’m about as settled as I can be, which is good because I start work again and it would suck to still be surrounded by boxes” she says happily. 

“That’s great! Oh, uhm so I’m, I mean we are out of food… are you up for going for a grocery run?” She asks quietly, suddenly nervous. 

Laudna reaches over the counter to take Imogen’s hands in hers, already intune with the young woman’s fairly evident anxiety. She rubs her thumbs gently across the tops of Imogen’s hands as she speaks. 

“Of course darling, it’ll be fun. Let me make a list and change and then we can go, yeah?” Laudna replies, offering another smile in the hopes of easing some of what is bothering Imogen. 

She is given a smile back. Satisfied, she squeezes Imogen’s hands before flitting off to her room. Imogen just stares, caught in the web of her kindness. She’s in awe of the woman, no one has ever been so… at ease with her before and it makes Imogen’s already complicated feelings about Laudna that much more complicated. Violet brushes up against her legs, snapping her from her reverie. She picks her up, the young cat nuzzling into her and purring, a comfort for Imogen. Figuring she should probably make a list as well, Imogen carries Violet to her room and gets started. 

Imogen’s list is simple, sticking to the things she normally buys, not much change in her needs outside of maybe some tea to share with Laudna so they don’t go broke at Tasha’s. She checks the weekly ad of the store near her building for any deals and marks what fits with her list. Satisfied, she stands in front of her dresser debating what to wear. It’s just a grocery run, so probably something comfortable. She scans her clothes dozens of times before settling on baggy cargos, a cropped tank and button down, the familiarity of it will be an added comfort while she’s in public. She fixes her hair, pulling it back enough to not be in her face and stares at herself in the mirror, double and triple checking that everything looks okay. Content with her choices, she grabs her phones, list, headphones, and wallet, giving Violet some extra scritches before she goes to meet Laudna in the main area. 

~ ~ ~

Laudna is less… calm about this than Imogen is (and that is saying something). She’s pacing around her room nervously, Anubis watching her intently as he senses her heart rate spike. He jumps up, stepping in front to nose at her knee, the woman stopping to acknowledge his alert. She waits for a second one for confirmation and sure enough he noses at her again. She scratches his head and gives him praise before sitting down, letting him do his job until her heart rate is back to normal. She checks her watch after a few minutes and is assured she’s safe to stand. Slowly, she gets up and goes back to thinking about her list, sitting on the bed this time, Anubis’ head resting on her legs. She has a few recipes she wants to try and adds those ingredients to the list. It took her longer than she thought to make a list because a knock at her door startled her. 

“Laudna? Everything okay?” Imogen calls, her voice muffled through the door. 

“Yeah, just making sure I’ve got everything,” Laudna replies, the shakiness of her voice betraying her. 

“Take your time, I’ll be in the living room when you’re ready,” Imogen calls back. 

Laudna smiles, thankful for Imogen not pushing even if she's unaware of Laudna's inner turmoil. Going grocery shopping really shouldn’t spook her this much. She’s not even sure why she’s so worked up, maybe it’s being a new place that has her rattled. Oh but darling no, what if you mess up in front of Imogen. What if something happens while you’re out and she doesn’t want you to stay here anymore. That would be such a tragedy wouldn’t it Laudna? Laudna tries to shut the voice out, to remind herself that she’s in a safe place now, but it keeps clawing at her mind for attention. She moves to the ground a little too quickly and knocks the back of her shoulder on her bed frame. It’s sharp pain but not enough to signal that anything broke, likely just badly bruised. She stiffles a yelp, not wanting to alarm Imogen. She pulls her legs against her chest and hugs them tightly, hiding her face in her knees as she breathes heavily. Anubis nudges her with his nose to get her to sit up and paws at her hands to get to her to open up so she can breathe better. He sits between her legs, letting her hold him close, like he had done several times before. Eventually her breathing evens out and she releases her hold on his neck. She stays seated for a little while longer. Before she gets the chance to stand up, Imogen knocks on her door again, more frantic than before. 

“Laudna? Are you sure you’re alright?” She calls out again, concern lacing her voice. 

Laudna doesn’t trust her voice this time. She directs Anubis to get the door, the hound cautiously stepping away before pawing at the door handle to open it for Imogen. The door pushes open slowly, Imogen peeking her head in to see Anubi at the door and Laudna huddled against her bed. She gives Anubis some pets before moving slowly towards Laudna, ensuring she doesn’t startle her. 

“Laudna?” She whispers

“Hey” Laudna replies softly

“You okay?” Imogen asks, knowing the answer anyway

“Oh yeah, I’m fine,” She says unconvincingly, a watery smile giving her away if the tear tracks and red-rimmed eyes hadn’t already. 

“Mhm, sure you are, what happened hm?” She asks, softly still as she moves closer to Laudna, crouching down beside her, their shoulders touching. 

“Just a moment of panic is all, I’m okay I promise,” She says, her voice still shaky

Imogen’s brow furrows, her eyes searching Laudna’s, trying to discern whether she is being honest. She is met with fearful eyes, but honest ones nonetheless. She sighs, before standing up and moving in front of Laudna, arms outstretched. Laudna looks up at her curiously, a raise brow from Imogen is all it takes for Laudna to slump in resignation that she wasn’t getting out of this easily. She places her hands into Imogen’s, who holds them tightly and gently pulls her to standing. There’s a pause, ensuring that Laudna is stable on her feet before she’s pulled into what some would consider a bone crushing hug. Imogen’s arms are wrapped tightly around her waist. The shock of the gesture wears off soon enough and Laudna sinks into her embrace, her arms wrapped equally as tight around Imogen’ shoulders, her head falling resting in the crook of Imogen’s neck. It’s an intimate display but neither one is thinking about that right now, they are simply enjoying the moment. Laudna feels safe and secure here and for the first time, that thought doesn’t cause her to panic. The tension melts from her shoulders as she melts further into Imogen’s embrace, the younger woman smiling against her shoulder. Just as quickly however, the moment is broken by a cold nose nudging Laudna again. She reluctantly pulls back and looks down to see Anubis alerting again. Imogen gets the message and lets go, both missing the warms as their arms fall away. Laudna sighs and sits down, checking her heart rate before praising the hound. Imogen just watches her, taking her in like its the first times she really seen her. Laudna feels her watching and makes a valiant effort not to look at her, knowing she’d be betrayed by a blush. A few minutes pass and Laudna again feels safe enough to stand. She runs a hand through her hair before picking up her list again. 

“I take it this is what caused the panic?” Imogen asks 

“Uh, yeah. I didn’t want to forget anything and couldn’t remember all of what I needed,” She lies, not ready to share that part of her life yet. If Imogen suspects, she doesn’t say anything. 

“Would it help to talk it out, just to double check?” Imogen offers 

“Yes actually, that would be really helpful,” Laudna says cheerfully

“Great, let’s get started then,” Imogen says with a smile. 

Over the next half hour or so, they go back and forth on what Laudna may or may not need until she’s satisfied with the list. Imogen leaves to give her privacy to get changed and thankfully picking an outfit took less time than making the list did. She decided on a multicolored patchwork skirt and cropped green tank, something light to keep her from overheating but still enough to cover her.  She grabs her tote bag, wallet, and list, Anubis not far behind her. She meets Imogen in the living room, the younger woman jumping up with a smile, as if going shopping was the most exciting thing for her today. She watches Imogen dig around for some bags and a small cart before turning to face her again with a wide smile. 

“You ready to go?” Imogen asks 

“Uh, yeah. Let’s go,” Laudna responds, still staring at Imogen. 

Imogen claps her hands together and pulls the door open, holding it for Laudna and Anubis before she follows, double checking the lock before walking beside them to the elevator. 

~ ~ ~ 

Later - At the Grocery Store

Thankfully, the grocery store is a short walk and metro ride from Imogen’s building, neither woman was really up for a long walk today. The universe seemed to be on their side as the store was largely empty, just a few shoppers here and there. Imogen has her headphones on, nothing playing so she and Laudna can still talk, but still muffled enough to block out most of the outside noise. She grabs a buggy, falling in line behind Laudna and Anubis, who stays on the outside of Laudna. She allows herself to stare, not having to worry about being caught. Imogen just takes her in, still in awe of just how beautiful she is. You gonna make a move Temult or are you too chicken? No seriously, you’re such a dork, surely staring and blushi’ at the woman ain’t doin’ you any good, right? Do somethin’ before you make a fool of yourself, alright? Oh how she enjoyed these talks with her conscience (said with a large amount of sarcasm). She huffs, annoyed at herself, the sound catching Laudna’s attention. She glances at Imogen, her brows furrowed as she tilts her head, a “you okay?” like gesture.  Imogen gets the messages and smiles, a small shake to her head is all it takes for Laudna to nod, smile, and turn back to look at the shelves. Imogen smiles to herself at their already smooth wordless communication. She remembers she had food to buy and joins Laudna at scanning the shelves. 

“Anything interesting up there?” Imogen starts, trying not be awkward

“Unless you have a preference on your soup, not particularly. Though I guess getting groceries is rather mundane in the grand scheme of things, but we all have to eat don’t we?” Laudna replies, her focus still on the cans in front of them. 

She misses the way Imogen looks at her, fully enraptured with what she’s saying. Just as quickly, Imogen blinks her eyes rapidly and pretends to be concentrated on soup cans. 

“Uh yeah, really mundane. I for one enjoy a classic chicken noodle or tomato soup with grilled cheese, but I supposed everyone has their preference,” She responds, trying again (and kind of failing) to not come off too awkward. 

“Mm, chicken noodle is a classic. I take it both remind you of home?” Laudna asks curiously, turning to face Imogen (to look down at her really, but, semantics). 

“Yeah actually, my mom used to make the best tomato soup. She’d make it for dad and I after we’d come in from bein’ out with the horses on the really cold days.” Imogen says with a smile. 

It’s Laudna’s turn to stare, watching intently at the way Imogen’s face lights up when she talks about her home. A pang pulls in her chest, the desire of having a nice place to call home, to have roots, bubbling to the surface. She pushes it down, not wanting to bring down the moment. Before responding, she reaches for a few cans of tomato soup and places them in the cart. Imogen looks at her, her expression unreadable. 

“What? Dear, you simply can’t rave about your mother’s soup and expect me not to want to make it. If you remember what else goes in it, we’ll make it,” Laudna says nonchalantly (she is panicking internally). 

“Oh I just- I mean, it’s just soup, we don’t have to make it,” Imogen says softly, flustered by the gesture. 

“Maybe, but it’s important to you, so we’re making it,” Launda says firmly

“You don't-” she starts, but promptly stops seeing the look Laudna is giving her, “Okay, I guess we’re making soup,” she says instead. 

Laudna smiles, satisfied with the answers before getting a few more things from the aisle that were on her list. They weave through the aisles for the next hour or so, checking off items from their lists and chatting about anything that comes to mind. It was nice, getting to know each better, even if they looked like life-long friends to an outsider. Laudna surprises herself, making it through most of the trip without incident. Given the morning she had, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d make it but an hour in and felt fine. She could feel Imogen hovering though, the younger woman seemingly already in tune with her. Her body warms at the thought of someone caring for her, a real person and not just Anubis. She glances at Imogen, who is focused on the list infront of her, chewing on the nail of thumb as she glances from the list to the shelves and back. Laudna smiles, admiring the woman in front of her. Gods, she’s so cute like this, her brow furrowed and focused. I could just ki- NO. Stop. She’s off limits, remember. Just be normal okay? She clears her throat, to shake herself. Imogen turns to her, slight concern evident. She goes to reassure her but is cut-off by a familiar voice. 

“Hey new girl, funny seeing you here,” the figure calls out. 

Laudna freezes, reaching for Imogen’s hand before she can think about it. Imogen takes it simply and squeezes. Laudna lets it ground her before she turns to voice. 

“You know, someone might think you’re stalking me, bumping into each other this many times,” Laudna starts lightly. 

“Good to know I’m not, just in the neighborhood I suppose,” They say with a smirk, “I’m Dusk by the way,” their hand outstretched to the pair. 

Laudna smiles tightly, unsure of how to follow. 

“I’m Imogen, Laudna’s roommate. How is it you two know each other?” Imogen takes over, holding tightly to Laudna’s hand and shaking Dusk’s with the other. 

She tries to not let her jealousy shine through, her “childish” tendencies not needed right now. 

“We met this morning, hate to see a pretty girl alone,” they say, the smirk still present

Imogen’s hand tightens, a rush of anger floods her system, her smile faltering. 

“I was taking Anubis out and it was early. They bumped into me again when I came back with our breakfast. We don’t really know each other, technically,” Laudna mediates, wary of Dusk’s demeanor and sensing unease in Imogen. 

Anubis moves to stand in front of them, forcing distance between the ladies and Dusk, still wary of the figure and sensing the unease in both women. 

“I see that guard dog of yours is still working hard,” They say, seemingly not phased by the hound’s outward demeanor. 

“Not a guard dog, just protective and not fond of strangers. It was nice seeing you again but we really should be going, right Imogen?” Laudna responds with a tight smile, squeezing Imogen’s hand, hoping she got the message. 

“Oh yes, lots to buy. I guess we’ll see you around some other time,” Imogen says, pulling Laudna slightly back to their cart. 

Dusk reaches out and grabs Laudna’s arm, not forcefully, but the gesture is enough for both women to turn and face them with matching expression of ‘who the fuck do you think you are’ (which Dusk gets a kick out of if the smirk on their face is anything of note). 

“For you, new girl… in case you need anything… or anyone,” Dusk says with a wink, writing their number on her hand before walking away. 

Both women stand in silence, shocked by the interaction, though filled with largely different emotions. Imogen is seething internally, her jealousy creeping closer and closer to the top. Laudna, on the other hand, is flushed (from shock and a bit of embarrassment), staring wide-eyed at the string of numbers on her hand. 

“Well that was bold,” Imogen scoffs, chewing at her lips angrily

“Yeah. Uhm darling, have we got everything? I’m not feeling well suddenly,” Laudna says, her eyes still glued to the numbers on her hand. 

Imogen’s anger grows, not at Laudna but at how this person acted. She shoves it away, focusing instead on whether they had everything (they didn’t but she wasn’t going to tell Laudna that). 

“Yeah, we’re good love, just need to check out and we’re free to go,” She says softly, lightly taking Laudna’s hand again. 

Laudna just nods and Imogen doesn’t push despite how much she wants to. They walk to the front slowly, Imogen keeping an eye out for a place for Laudna to sit while she checks out. 

“Launda, if you need to rest at all there’s a bench up front, it’s just a little ways from the checkout,” Imogen suggests, hoping Laudna would meet her eyes again. 

Laudna goes to respond but is stopped by Anubis’ bumping his nose against her thigh. She can feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest, hoping it was just adrenaline but seeing as it wasn’t stopping and she could feel sweat beginning to gather at her brow, she knew she needed to sit. She praised Anubis and gave him a scritch on the head before responding to Imogen, who had been watching her intently. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I should sit. Let’s go Ani,” Laudna replies, still distracted but present enough to glance at Imogen before walking off. 

Imogen watches her the whole way, making sure she’s seated before turning her attention to check out. She’s still in her eye-line for the most part should anything happen (which she hopes it doesn’t). Just scan everything and pay, I don’t wanna leave her alone for too long. Oh wow Temult, real possessive of you huh. She can take care of yourself, I mean she had before you met her so just, take it down a notch. But what if that Dusk person shows up again, what if- Alright stop, she’s not yours just scan the groceries and go home. Imogen is rather aggressively scanning her items, the conversation in her head not really helping to calm her down. Nevertheless, she pays and puts her bags into her roller cart and walks as calmly as she can to the front to meet up with Laudna again. Thankfully, she seems to be doing a little better; talking animatedly to Anubis. 

“Hey, ready to go?” She says softly, moving to stand within Laudna’s view. 

Laudna looks up at her and smiles, seemingly back to “normal,” a gleam in her eyes that almost brings Imogen to tears, though she’s not entirely sure why. 

“Ready if you are, let’s go darling,” The airy lilt to her voice returned as well, as she stands and links her arms with Imogen’s. 

They walk back to the metro, light conversation between, neither one really wanting to talk about what happened at the store. Laudna tries not to stare at the numbers scrawled on her skin, an outline of red around them from the roughness of the pen. Oh come on now darling, what’s the harm in another friend? I’m sure they mean well. The voices taunts in her head. Laudna shakes her head to clear it out, trying to focus back on Imogen. She looks up and sees concern flash across her face briefly. Laudna gives her a smile, small and it doesn’t meet her eyes but it’s enough to soften the worry lines that cross Imogen’s forehead. Soon enough, they reach their stop and make the short walk back to their apartment, linked arm and arm. 

It’s late afternoon once they're back home and they move around each other in a peaceful silence, outside of Laudna’s low humming. They’re just enjoying each other’s company as they put away their groceries. Laudna is still aware of the paper in her pocket and the worry of keeping it from Imogen wells inside her. She isn’t aware how evident it is until she feels a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turns to see Imogen looking at her with concern, and she hates that she continues to be the reason for that. 

“Are you alright Laudna? If today was too much I can put the rest away if you need some time to get off your feet,” Imogen offers, her voice laced with worry. 

Laudna nearly melts right then and there, Imogen’s concern and care for her is still new but she’s thankful that someone is looking out for her, even if she’s not quite used to people worrying about it. She doesn’t answer immediately, but she knows she’s been given an easy out and she takes it. 

“I’m alright, but you’re right. It’s been a long day and I should get off my feet for a bit. Thank you for offering to put the rest away. If you need anything, I’ll be in my room,” She answers, her voice coming out in a foreign tone, almost disconnected from herself. 

If Imogen catches the lie she doesn’t say anything, she just nods and rubs her thumb across Laudna’s shoulder as the other woman ducks her head and walks to her room, Anubis close on her heels. The hound whines, forcing a pause in both women. Laudna sees him staring at Imogen and figures she’s okay enough to let him “off duty.” She gives him a nod and a small smile to Imogen before turning away. The door shuts and Launda sinks to the floor, her back resting against the door. What am I doing. Why am I lying to Imogen, she cares about me. NO. She’s off-limits and you need to distance yourself from her if you want to keep your place here. She’s been so welcoming, she doesn’t need your baggage. She sighs and lifts her hand, staring at the string of numbers scrawled across her pale skin, the redness having thankfully faded. She stares at it for several minutes, she’s not sure how long. She shouldn’t do this, something felt off about Dusk, but maybe they would take her mind off Imogen, keep her from doing something even more stupid. She hesitates, half expecting a knock at the door from Imogen asking to talk. She listens, hears shuffling but after a while it goes silent and the knock doesn’t come. She ignores the irrational voice that tries to fill her head and types the number into her phone before she can stop herself. She sends a text, a simple “Hey, it’s Launda. The new girl” and locks her phone. She stands again, without issue for once and turns the handle on her door, opening it quietly. She looks out at the kitchen to find it empty, the groceries put away and Imogen nowhere to be seen. She turns towards her room and catches a glimpse of purple hair disappearing behind the door, the lock clicking as the door shuts. She wants to call out to her but her voice is caught in her throat. She makes a step to leave her room and head towards Imogen’s but her phone dings. She’ll curse herself for it later but she turns and shuts her own door, moving deeper into her room to sit on her bed as she looks at her phone. A message from ‘Dusk (neighbor)’ staring back at her. 

~ ~ ~

On the other side of the door, Imogen stares at the door, battling with herself about whether to bust through and ask Laudna for the truth and respecting the silent boundary Launda has put up. Anubis pads over to her, nudging her with his knows like he usually does when Laudna isn’t feeling well. She gives him a couple scritches to satisfy him and eventually he’s satisfied, leaving her side to lay by Laudna’s door, though his eyes still track Imogen. She wants to cry, overwhelmed with everything from today and the worry she carries about Launda. She can’t. She shoves it down, taking a few deep breaths before turning back to the remaining groceries that need to be put away. It’s not much but it’s a distraction for the time being. Soon enough she stands in the middle of the kitchen, in need of a new task so she doesn’t start crying on the floor. She’s not quite that lucky however and the moment she doesn’t have a focus, she feels the anxiety prickle at her skin and her breathing get erratic as she starts to overthink everything. Why is she pulling away, what did I do? Nothing, she said she’s tired its not your fault. But she seemed different. Well yeah Temult, she had a scary morning and then an even scarier afternoon. Just. It’s not you. Okay, yeah maybe. But what if it is? What then? She has enough awareness to go to her room and shut the door, taking a similar position to Laudna; slumped against the door. She hugs her knees to her chest, her lungs burning as she hyperventilates. She feels tears burn down the skin of her cheeks but she can’t make them stop. She bites back a sob, not wanting to alert Laudna, a hacking sounds escaping her instead. She digs her nails into her palm, a painful attempt to keep herself somewhat grounded amidst her silent sobs and pants. She bites her lip as she stiffles another sob, the taste of iron flooding her mouth as she breaks the skin. It’s enough to bring her back and eventually her breathing slows, the tears stop, and prickling subsides. The adrenaline has left her and she’s flooded with exhaustion, the tension leaving her body as she slumps forward to lay flat on the ground. The cold surface of the hardwood shocks her system again, grounding her even further as she waits for her senses to come back to normal. It settles and she’s left numb, laying on the cold ground. It’s not until Violet paws at her hands that she comes back to herself. 

“Hey sweet girl, I’m sorry for scaring you. C’mere” She scritches behind Violet’s ears before scooping her up and holding her close to her chest. 

Violet is a good cat, she nuzzles into Imogen, the small vibrations of her purrs calm Imogen like they always have. They sit like this for a while until Imogen needs to move. She feels the throbbing of a crying-induced headache coming and would really rather not deal with that on top of today. She sets Violet on her bed and strips, figuring a scalding shower would do her some good. 

Once she feels clean and her nervous system is a bit more regulated, she organizes her desk and gets her things ready for the start of the next week. She still has a few days before she officially starts work, but she would rather have it all ready now so she doesn’t worry about it at the last minute. She fiddles with other things around her room for a bit, just another task to take her mind off everything she’s feeling. The hungry grumble of her stomach lets her know she’s deflected for too long and should probably get something to eat. Logically she knows she should make her mom’s soup like they had talked about, seeing as Laudna went out of her way to get the food for it she doesn’t feel up for cooking that, not right now. It’s a good memory and she wants to save it for when she doesn’t feel like this. So, in true Temult fashion, she orders in. Not her and Laudna’s usual this time, she opts for pizza instead, unsure of what Laudna likes and ordering a small cheese just in case. She knows she should probably ask Laudna what she wants but she really doesn’t want to bother her and isn’t sure she’s composed enough to see her either. What happened to you, one person gives the girl their number and suddenly it’s all woe is me? Get it the fuck together Temult, you are an adult, its not the end of the world if your crush makes a friend and its not like she’s even yours to “claim” to begin with but thats toxic and you miss overthinker are not that kind of person (yes she is) so just, relax, okay? Nevertheless, she doesn’t ask and decides to place it safe, one cheese and one pepperoni. Soon enough, a knock at the door alerts to its arrival and after a rather hefty tip, Imogen takes the boxes inside and places them on the kitchen counter. She starts to call for Launda, wanting to fall into their quickly established routine of dinner and a “show” together but she stops herself. Her shoulders sink as she reminds herself that Laudna probably isn’t up for that and instead leaves a plate empty next to the two boxes of pizza. She makes her own plate and grabs a drink from the fridge to go with it. She moves to go back to her room but stops, sets her things down, and moves towards Laudna’s door. She raises her hand to knock but stops when she hears a giggle. A pang buries itself in her chest and she wants to walk away, but she’s stuck. After a moment she knocks. 

~ ~ ~

Laudna stares at Dusk’s message, it’s a simple, “Hi, nice to hear from you” but she can’t think of how to respond. Eventually she does and just acts normal, finding that Dusk is less intimidating over text. They chat lightly, clearing up the confusion from before and just making small talk. Laudna finds herself smiling at the phone and she stops herself abruptly. They’re just a new friend that’s all. She tells herself she could do with some more friends (you know, outside of her co-workers and her new roommate who she definitely doesn’t have a crush on). She finds herself even giggling at their messages. The first time she catches herself, but eventually just lets it happen, it feels nice to giggle. They talk for a while, just pinging back and forth, surface level things just to get to know each other and even agree to meet up for coffee the next day. Laudna just paces around her room on her phone, getting excited each time she sees the typing bubbles pop up. It’s an odd shift that Laudna didn’t foresee given how they were introduced but after getting to know them better she realizes they’re just not good with making new friends and tend to flirt as a way in. It is a sentiment she shares, kind of (she most definitely isn’t a flirt, she needs to know someone better before she can even begin to think of doing that). She doesn’t realize how much time has passed until she hears a knock at her door. She sits up, taking her eyes off her phone for the first time in probably hours and waiting for Imogen to say something. 

~ ~ ~

“Laudna?” Imogen calls softly through the door, trying to hide the tremble in her voice. 

“Yes Imogen?” She answers, moving to stand to answer the door, Anubis blocking her way until he senses that she feels steady. 

Imogen’s eyes well with tears as she notes the lack of ‘darling’ in Laudna’s response. She feels so stupid and is about to walk away to save herself the embarrassment. She stops before she can even move when she hears Laudna shuffling behind the door. She wipes her face and takes a deep breath to settle herself just as she sees the door begin to open. 

Laudna opens the door and sees Imogen standing nervously in front of her. She notes that she;s fidgeting with her hands and can see the puffiness around her eyes, hoping that that isn’t her fault. Imogen stares at her, her eyes a little wide like she wasn’t sure Laudna would open the door. 

“I- I ordered dinner but I wasn’t sure if you were up for talking just yet so I left it on the kitchen counter for when you’re ready. Sorry.” Imogen replies nervously, the tremble now evident as she speaks. 

She turns to walk away, to give Laudna space, when she feels a cold hand against her still warm skin. Laudna had taken her wrist gently to keep her from running and the tables have turned, it's Laudna who wears the concerned expression. 

“Are you alright Imogen?” She asks, not missing the way Imogen tenses.
“Yes I’m fine, just a long day like you said. Uhm, enjoy your dinner,” She answers, her eyes not meeting Laudna’s as she feels tears burn in her eyes again. 

Laudna releases her and Imogen grabs her own plate off the counter and practically runs back into her room. 

“Thank you!” Laudna calls after her but Imogen doesn’t acknowledge it. 

Laudna just stands in the threshold of her doorway shocked, the now deafening silence of the apartment overtaking her senses. She’s not entirely sure what happened but something is wrong and she doesn’t like it. She wants to fix whatever it is but Imogen is clearly not in a talking mood and Laudna respects that as much as it leaves an unsettled feeling within her. She goes to the kitchen, picks a few pieces of cheese out of the box and takes her plate back to her room as well, the break in her routine is unsettling her. She’s so used to watching something with Imogen and it’s only been a few days. The lack of that stings, burns a fire in her chest that she tries to push past and enjoy the food that Imogen had gotten for her. She hears her phone ping a few more times once she’s back in her room but she doesn’t feel like answering right now. Whatever she was lost in earlier is gone, the worry that has bloomed within her leaving little space for light chatter with an acquaintance. She eats her pizza in silence, cross-legged on the floor with Anuibs laying at her side, waiting for a stray piece of crust to come his way (and it does). She sits with him for a while once she’s done eating, not really doting on him or talking to him like she normally does, just enjoying his presence and her longest companion. When her hips start to ache she knows she sat for too long and it is probably a good time to put away her dishes before going to bed early, the exhaustion from the day making itself more known. She opens her door and sees Imogen in the kitchen, again. This time however she’s wearing headphones and washing her own dishes, after it seems, putting the remaining pieces of pizza in tupperware for later. Laudna just stares at her, letting herself for a moment before clearing her throat to alert Imogen to her presence before moving into the kitchen as well. Imogen jumps, it seems having seen Laudna in her periphery, and turns to face her fully, looking shocked. 

~ ~ ~

Imogen hears Laudna thank her as she disappears into her room. She knows she should reply but the tears are already streaming down her face and she just can’t bring herself to respond. Thankfully, she doesn’t have a full breakdown again but she’s still crying and feeling shaking, the throbbing in her temples returning with vengeance. She sits at her desk, her plate placed precariously on her knee as she pulls up something to watch on her laptop. She’s smart enough to not watch a nature documentary right now because that’s her and Laudna’s thing (and we all know she’d be sobbing into her pizza if she did). She settles on a random video essay, it’s interesting enough to kill time and take her mind off whatever this day turned into. Violet joins her, curling up in her lap while Imogen finishes her food. An hour or so passes before she decides she should put her dishes away and get ready for bed, ready for this day to end. Violet doesn’t protest when moves, hopping to the floor to rub against Imogen’s ankles as she walks to the kitchen. She stares at the sink; for someone who orders in a lot, she has a lot of dishes to clean. She sighs, runs back to her room to get headphones, and then gets started. She’s thankful she remembered to buy kitchen gloves ages ago because the feeling of wet food on pruney fingers is too much, especially today. The music calms her and gives her a focus other than the actual task. After a bit,  few plates are now drying and all she has left are her mugs. The hair on her neck stands up as she feels eyes on her, she glances to her periphery and catches Laudna’s form hovering at the end of the counter. She jumps, unaware that the other woman had entered the room. She turns to her, aware of her now, suddenly racing heartbeat. She speaks. 

~ ~ ~ 

“Hi,” She say quietly, muffled further by the running water

“Hi. Sorry to startle you,” Laudna says with a small smile, yet again not reaching her eyes. 

“It’s fine. I’m almost done, I’ll be out of your way in a minute,” Imogen responds, turning back to the dishes so she can leave. 

“I- Imogen. What’s wrong? Did I do something?” Laudna asks softly, fear evident in her voice. 

Imogen freezes. She didn’t prepare for this conversation, not tonight. Hell, she doesn’t even know herself what the problem is. She looks up at Laudna, eyes blinking quickly as she tries to find an answer. She catches the small movement forward from Laudna, can see the want to reach out brimming as her fingers fidget. She lets out a shaky breath. 

“Nothing. Just a long day, like you said. Uhm, I'm gonna go to bed, just leave the plate there. I’ll get it tomorrow,” She says, casting her eyes away, knowing Laudna would catch the lie. 

“Imogen, please talk to me. Ever since we got back from the store it’s been weird, what did I do?” Laudna pleads, her voice breaking as tears fall from her eyes. 

Imogen freezes again, a pang in her chest nearly choking her. She’s hurt Laudna and she hates herself for it. She looks up again, her vision blurry as tears form in her eyes as well. 

“Not tonight Laudna, please. Just not tonight okay? I’m really tired,” Imogen answers, her voice shaking slightly, “We’ll talk tomorrow at breakfast, okay?” She hopes it’s enough, as she dries her hands and moves to exit the kitchen. 

“Oh, I’m gonna be with Dusk for breakfast, they invited me out to coffee. We can talk around lunch though,” Laudna offers, oblivious to the knife she just twisted. 

Imogen wants to throw up, the pang in her chest turns to fire and she wants to sob at the pain she feels. She bites her tongue to keep it down and nods. 

“Yeah, lunchtime.” She says, not turning to Laudna as she leaves the kitchen and goes back to her room, “Goodnight Laudna,” she says, looking back, teary eyed, before closing the door.

Laudna just watches her, even more confused and unsure how to figure out what was going on. She hears a loud sob come from Imogen's room and is stuck, frozen in place in the middle of their kitchen. Another sob snaps her back and she wants to run to Imogen but it’s clear she doesn’t want to talk. She goes back to her room, shutting the door and flopping on her bed, silent tears stream down her face. Whatever this was, it was her fault that Imogen was hurting and she would do everything in her power to fix it. She lays there, crying, her face smushed against her comforter until sleep takes. 

Chapter Text

The Next Day - Morning 

Laudna wakes to the feeling of something cold and wet pressing against her cheek. Her eyes flutter open, the light of the early morning causing her to squint until her eyes adjust. A blur of black fills her vision as Anubis continues to nudge her awake. She groans and buries and turns her face further into the covers. Anubis whines and she sighs, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She notes the puffiness from her crying session last night still remains. Anubis rests his head on her legs as they hang off the edge of the bed. She runs her nails through his fur as she sits in silence, letting her mind and body fully wake up. She’s reminded rather violently of the events of the previous night as the memories flood her mind. She has no time to react to any of it as the ding of her text tone breaks the silence. She asks Anubis to get it for her and after wiping off his slobber, she checks to see who is texting her. It’s Dusk. 

Dusk :) : Hey new girl, just checking that we’re still good for breakfast. 

Shit, Laudna thinks to herself, she forgot to set an alarm and it’s already 9:00, which isn’t too terribly late for breakfast, but she assumes her new acquaintance would have preferred something earlier. If they can give her a place to go, she’s sure she can be ready at a reasonable time to still consider it breakfast. 

New Girl ;) : Yes, sorry. I had a long night but I’m good to still meet this morning. Did you have a place in mind? 

She tosses her phone on the bed behind her and rubs her face again. She needs ice to get rid of this puffiness before she gets ready. She goes to stand, holding onto Anubis just in case before making her way to her door. She reaches for the doorknob, but stops herself, finding herself scared to leave in case she runs into Imogen again. Well that’s quite irrational don’t you think dear? You live together, you can’t avoid her forever. You pay to live here too, you have as much right to exist in the space as she does. Laudna shakes her head and presses an ear to the door, hearing nothing, she turns the nobs and cautiously walks to the kitchen. Imogen is nowhere to be seen but Laudna walks as quietly as she can as she grabs ice from the freezer and heads to her bathroom. 

She runs the ice over her skin, the chill that courses through her waking her further. She takes special care running it over her eyes, hoping to ease the puffiness. The ice melts soon enough and she pats her face dry, staring at the red splotches that pepper her face, bright red against the paleness of her skin. She knows trying to put on makeup right now would be futile and huffs, turning back to her bedroom to pick out her clothing in the meantime. She checks her phone and sees that Dusk has replied. 

Dusk :) : Tasha’s Teahouse is pretty close to us, how about we meet there in an hour. 

Laudna stares at the message. That was her and Imogen’s place. Well. Not really, but she knows Deanna would have something to say. Breakfast with a friend is fine, there is nothing for her to talk about. She types a quick response to Dusk to let them know that she agrees. Her focus is now on finding something to wear. She settles, after much debate, on a red and black skirt with a long sleep black button up, light enough that she won’t overheat but can still be covered. She adds a belt and her favorite pair of black boots and her signature necklaces, long ones to avoid being close to her neck. She checks the time and once again, has taken too long to decide and doesn’t have as much time as she would have liked. She goes back to her bathroom and quickly does her makeup; light concealer and some eyeliner, nothing crazy. She can’t be bothered to mess with her hair and settles for running a comb through it just to get the knots out. She gives herself a once over before gathering her wallet and phone as well as Anubis’ leash. She realizes again that she doesn’t have keys and will have to hope that Imogen is home when she comes back because waiting helplessly in the hallway is an interaction she’d rather avoid right now. She takes a deep breath and checks in with Anubis before she exits the apartment, locking one of the two locks as she leaves. 

~ ~ ~ 

Imogen had woken up much earlier than she would have wanted. She had a pounding headache, likely a mix of exhaustion and dehydration from all the tears she cried last night. Violet purrs against her chest, her darling feline laid with her all night, seemed unbothered by Imogen’s sudden waking. Imogen ran her fingers through Violet’s fur a few times before untangling her from her arms, careful not to disturb her. She runs her eyes, the sting of a night spent crying still present but she doesn’t care. She sits up, the covers falling away from around her. She hugs her legs to her chest, her head resting on knees as she replays the events of last night in her head. She recalls the haunted, almost broken look on Laudna’s face after Imogen left her staring in the kitchen. Fresh tears burn in her eyes, the sting of salt irritates her skin are the tears fall from her eyes, running down the previously dried tear tracks. She shakes her head, wiping the tears from her cheeks before getting out of bed, crossing the room to her closet. She needed to get out of the apartment. She rifles through her clothes and settles on an old sweatshirt, one that still carried the smell of home, a small comfort. She finds a comfortable pair of well worn jeans and slips them on followed by her beat up sneakers. Each item was old but acted like a safety blanket, the comfort of something familiar against her skin. She doesn’t bother with her hair much, quickly braiding it back, pulling a few hairs loose to frame her face. She doesn’t feel like makeup today either but applies enough to cover the redness of her eyes and to look somewhat put-together. Imogen puts on a necklace her parents gave her, another comfort item, before gathering her bag that holds all her work things (a simple notebook, some pens, and her laptop). She slips on her headphones and goes to the kitchen to get Violet some breakfast before she leaves to get her own. Once she is fed, Imogen kisses the top of her head, shuts her bedroom door and grabs her keys. It’s not until she’s walking out of the building that she realizes she didn’t leave Laudna a note that she had left. She knows she didn’t have to but seeing as Mr. Ariks still hadn’t given her a copy of the key, Imogen was the only one who could let her in if she decided to go out today, which, as Imogen’s mind so violently reminded her, she was. Fuck. Me. Either way this is gonna go horribly. Either I have to get back before she does or have the awkward meeting of her waiting outside our door until I get back. Surely I’ll be back before her, it’ll be fine. Imogen continues thinking to herself as she walks to Tasha’s, the early morning sun warms her just enough to feel the beginning of a season change but not enough to make her sweat. 

Soon enough, she comes to the front of the small teahouse. She can see a few people inside, thankful that the mid-morning crowd has yet to arrive. She sees the two women she met last time smile at her as she walks in, she smiles back and promptly looks away, missing the look the two women share at the sight of her alone. The taller of the two takes her order, Fearne, she sees as she reads her name tag. A rather beautiful woman with a mischievous glint in her eyes, disarming even. She speaks softly, Imogen guesses she recognized the tension she carried and was very thankful for her unspoken understanding. She orders something new, deciding on Earl Grey rather than her usual green tea and tags on a blueberry muffin. Fearne nods, smiling at her once again before she turns her attention to the next customer. Imogen moves to the end of the bar and watches Deanna make the drinks, she’s meticulous as she works, as if she’s putting a little bit of herself (theoretically) in each drink. She smiles at Imogen as well, but her brow creases as she takes her in. Imogen tries to cover, now aware that her typical mask has a few cracks. Deanna stares at her a moment longer before turning back to the drinks at her bar. Imogen watches her write something on her cup, a rather long something before filling it with tea and sliding it down the bar towards her. Imogen reaches for the cup, to see what has been written but Deanna shakes her head, a “not yet” looks across her face, as she gets a pastry back for the muffin. Soon enough, she hands Imogen the rest of her breakfast, lightly takes her hand so she can chat. 

“I’m not sure if you remember me, I’m Deanna, that’s Fearne, you came in a week or so ago with that tall friend of yours, Laudna, yes?” Deanna asks softly

“I did, yes. Though I’m not sure I made the best first impression,” Imogen answers, trying to ignore the sudden racing of her heart. 

“You two mesh well together, like you’ve known each other a long while,” Deanna pushes slightly, she has a bet to win after all. 

“Heh, yeah, you could say that,” Imogen responds, her smile faltering slightly as she drops her gaze to the counter

Deanna catches it, her brow creasing once more but it’s gone just as fast. Something happened, but she’s not familiar enough to pry any further. Imogen looks at her again and gives a small smile. 

“Uhm, is it alright if I do some work here for a bit?” She asks, changing the subject

“Oh yeah, here’s wifi password, stay as long as you like,” Deanna recovers quickly, smiling back at Imogen as she hands her a card with the password. 

Imogen nods and turns towards the couch she and Laudna first met at, setting out all of the things she needs to get settled and dive into work. Deanna watches her cautiously, ever the mother hen of her friend group. Imogen leans back, sinking slightly into the couch, as she props her heels on the coffee table in front of her. Her laptop rests across her thighs as she pulls up her todo list for work, each one matching a color in her spreadsheet. She pulls up her favorite playlist as well, the music calming her senses as she focuses on the work in front of her. Her fingers glide across her keyboard as she drafts new proposals and emails, occasionally sipping her tea as she goes. She’s focused on her work; she almost misses two familiar faces entering the teahouse. She thinks she’s hallucinating at first, the airy laugh she’s become endeared to pushing through the music in her headphones. She glances up, shocked to see Laudna arm in arm with Dusk, the pair laughing together as they walk towards the order line. She stares, a look of shock mixed with something else stuck to her features. Laudna, thankfully, doesn’t seem to notice her, which Imogen feels a small pang of hurt at but is otherwise glad she doesn’t have to engage in conversation, unsure what to say after whatever the hell last night was. She almost lets her body relax when she sees Anubis’ head turn towards her, the hound sensing her presence. She just watches, relaxing finally when he turns back to focus on Laudna. She was so locked in on the pair that she didn’t notice Fearne standing next to her, a steaming carafe in her hand. 

“Are you staring ‘cause you’re jealous,” She asks with a sly grin

“I- What- No! Just wasn’t expecting to see her today,” Imogen stutters, caught off-guard by the barista’s question.

“You know, if you were jealous, I could help you make her jealous back,” Fearne continues, her grin getting wider. 

Imogen just stares up at her, chewing on her lip as she seriously debates whether that’s a good idea. She sighs, shaking her head before offering her hand to Fearne. She almost regrets even considering it when she sees Fearne light up, mischief evident in her eyes. Fearne takes her hand and shakes it. 

“It’s a deal then, what did you have in mind Miss Temult?” Fearne asks, kissing Imogen’s hand before sitting mere inches from her on the couch, the carafe placed haphazardly on the coffee table. 

“I- This was your plan… Wait, how do you know my last name?” She asks, whisper shouting her alarm

“You order online dear, plus Deanna told me Laudna asked about your order the other day. I just saved that information for a rainy day,” Fearne replies with a grin, “As for my plan, you might have to be okay with a little physical contact which I can tell you’re wary about”

“You read people too well, that’s kinda scary but as long as you’re tame with it, I suppose it’s okay. Just, can you tell me before you do it?” Imogen asks, her voice suddenly shy. 

Fearne merely nods, squeezing Imogen’s hand in reassurance. Imogen hadn’t realized neither had let go and she liked the feeling of Fearne’s hand in hers. Taking Imogen’s relaxed posture into account, Fearne let go of her hand and raised her arm, asking silently if it was okay. Imogen considered it for a moment before nodding. Fearne smiled before putting her arm around Imogen’s shoulders, scooting closer to her as she did so. Imogen stiffened slightly before relaxing into Fearne. She adjusted her place on the couch as well, leaning into Fearne as she continued her work. From the bar, Deanna watched with a grin, locking eyes with Fearne as their plan was in full effect. She turned back to her register just as Dusk and Laudna came to the front to place their orders. 

~ ~ ~

“Hey there Laudna, good to see you again, and who is this?” Deanna asks. 

“Oh, this is Dusk,” Laudna says, gesturing to Dusk who lifts a hand in acknowledgement. 

“Nice to meet you, what can I get for y’all today? The usual, Laudna or something else?” Deanna asks, her eyes scanning Dusk cautiously. 

“Uhm yeah, black tea with honey for me is fine. I’m not sure what they want,”

“Black coffee with two sugars”

Deanna rings in the orders, flips the tablet around for payment, looking expectantly at Dusk. They stare back for a moment, Deanna raises her eyebrows and waits until it clicks in their head. 

“Don’t worry Laudna, I got it” They say with a wink

“Oh, thank you” Laudna responds shyly

Deanna schools her features before a look of disgust can cross it. Something was off about this new person and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She’d meddle if she had to, not that she minded that, it was one of her favorite things to do. After payment is made, she turns to make their drinks, occasionally watching them at the end of the bar, filing it all away for later. She signals to Fearne before she hands them their drinks, making the decision to meddle in the moment. 

“Here you are, Imogen is at y’alls spot already if you’d like to join her,” Deanna says with a smile. 

“Oh, Imogen’s here?” Laudna says surprised, her voice catching slightly in her throat. 

Laudna turns and sees Imogen sitting at the couch where they had their first conversation, leaning onto Fearne’s (?) shoulder as the pair talk animatedly. Imogen doesn’t seem to notice her, her attention focused on Fearne, who, much to Laudna’s surprise, has her arm around Imogen’s shoulder. She feels a tug in her chest at the scene before her but is quickly brought back by a squeeze on her arm. 

“Come with me Laudna, we can sit over here if they’re upsetting you,” Dusk suggests 

“Hmm? Oh yeah, sure,” Laudna says a bit dazed, following Dusk to the other side of the cafe. 

Deanna watches it all, unsure how to describe the situation, but it confirms her suspicions that something happened between the two, likely due to the arrival of this new person. She locks eyes with Fearne once more, the other woman nodding back at her before turning back to Imogen. Deanna goes back to the bar, watching both pairs from time to time, cataloging the things she notices as the day goes on. 

~ ~ ~

“So Imogen, still feeling okay with all this?” Fearne asks.

“Oh yeah I guess. I mean I don’t really like being vindictive, it's not like I had any claim on her I just thought-” She starts, stopping as the lump in her throat grows. 

Tears burn in her eyes and she ducks her head, pressing her palms roughly against her closed eyes, hoping to rid the tears from her eyes. 

“Imogen, are you alright?” Fearne asks 

“Not here, please not here,” Imogen rasps back, her face still hidden. 

“Okay, we can leave, Deanna won’t mind,” Fearne reassures

“Okay,” Imogen agrees

Did I really just agree to leaving with a stranger and either taking her back to my place or going back to her’s? What is wrong with me?

Imogen watches as Fearne grabs her cup and walks to Deanna behind the counter and then busies herself with gathering her things and packing her bag up to leave. She hears Laudna’s giggle from across the cafe and resists the urge to look up. She knows she just did the same thing with Fearne but she can’t stand the thought of seeing Laudna with someone else.  

Gods above Temult, possessive much? Having friends isn’t a crime, just ease up a bit. 

~ ~ ~

Fearne reaches the bar, cup and saucer in hand, nudging the small swinging door with her hip to pass through. Deanna looks up at her and winks before returning to her work. Fearne goes to the back and places the dishes by the dish pit. It’s early and there aren’t too many right now but she does feel bad for the extra work she’s giving the second shift. Nevertheless, the takes her apron off and gathers her things from her locker, shutting it just as Deanna joins her. 

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind but I’m gonna take Imogen home, she’s not feeling good about this and I don’t know if she has anyone else to talk to,” Fearne explains. 

“You going to hers or ours?” Deanna asks with a knowing grin. 

“Ours seemed like the better option knowing that those two live together,” Fearne offered. 

“Okay, I’ll see y’all when I wrap up here, Chet and Dorian will be here soon enough,” Deanna says. 

“See you soon,” Fearne says before kissing Deanna and heading back out to the front. 

“Don’t do anything crazy!” Deanna shouts after her, knowing her girlfriend is just what their new friend needed. 

~ ~ ~

Imogen hears the clack of Fearne’s heels just as she finishes packing her bag back up. She looks up and sees Fearne smiling down at her. She smiles back before turning back to her things, double and triple checking that she has everything. She stands and pats her pockets, keys, wallet, phone, check. She slings her bag over her shoulder and turns back to Fearne. 

“Ready to go?” The tall woman asks

“Yeah I’m pretty sure I got everything,” Imogen responds

“Great, let’s go!” Fearne says excitedly, looping her arm around Imogen’s

“Just to be clear, you’re not some crazy killer who is gonna kidnap me or anythin’ right?” Imogen asks as they walk out of the cafe. 

“Well it would be a bit odd if I was, but I promise I’m not. Pinky swear?” Fearne says earnestly, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to face Imogen, holding out her pinky. 

“Oh, you’re serious, okay yeah, why not,” Imogen says a bit flustered, nevertheless hooking her pinky with Fearne’s. 

“It’s settled then, I’m not a crazy killer and we’re just going to my place for girl talk,” Fearne says with a smile. 

Imogen doesn’t respond, content to just keep walking alongside her new… friend? Is that the right word? She doesn’t really know. What she does know is that Fearne is a lively woman and a nice change of pace after Imogen’s personal angst fest of the last 24 hours. They walk a few blocks – not quite to her and Laudna’s building but close enough – before reaching Fearne’s building. Fearne doesn’t make too much fuss, just leads her in and up to her apartment. The outside has a floral mat and a bunch of kitchy trinkets on shelves by her door. 

“Aren’t you worried someone will try to take these?” Imogen asks 

“They can if they want, no one ever has though,” Fearne replies with a wink before opening the door to her place. 

Imogen takes in the space around her; practically every wall is covered in tapestries or paintings. There are shelves with every manner of knick-knack, trinkets, and the occasional plushie. Beaded curtains hang in every doorway, the space warmly-illuminated by vintage Tiffany lamps and even a few salt lamps. The sweet and earthy smell of incense fills Imogen’s senses and calms her. Everything about Fearne’s home is grounding and welcoming. The clink of porcelain jolts her, turning to see Fearne moving about the kitchen, gathering what looks to be pastry of some sort. Imogen smiles sadly, remembering the nights she’d had with Laudna just like this. Fearne looks up and smiles for a moment before her brow furrows. She tilts her head in a silent question and Imogen just shakes her head and smiles back. Fearne nods in understanding. 

“You can make yourself at home, I’ll just be another moment and then we can chat” Fearne encourages. 

“Oh, uhm, okay… thanks” Imogen says softly before kicking off her shoes and settling on Fearne’s couch. 

Fearne joins her shortly, passing over a small plate with a warm croissant and a small bowl of jam. 

“Thank you Fearne,” 

“Of course”
“You know, it’s kinda funny”

“What is?”

“Just- I’m doing all the things my parents warned me about”

“Huh?”

“You know, goin’ home with a stranger and takin’ food from ‘em,” 

“Oh, well I already promised I’m not a killer” 

“No, I know, just think it’s silly is all” 

“It is a little silly… So, you wanna talk?” 

Imogen stares at her food, she does want to talk but she’s worried she’ll never stop. 

“Uhm yeah I suppose. I don’t know where to start”
“Just try the beginning” 

Imogen sighs and recounts the last several weeks; from Laudna answering her post about needing a roommate to her moving to Imogen falling head over heels for her but keeping to herself and then all of what happened yesterday. 

“And Laudna’s just- she’s just goin’ off with this new person like she didn’t even care that we had a fight! Sorry, that was loud I’m just- I don’t know why I’m so jealous. I mean, it’s not like we’re dating or anything. Dusk just rubs me the wrong way and it thought they bothered her too but I guess not” Imogen rambles, gesticulating wildly. 

Imogen lets herself breathe for a second, realizing she got a little worked up. Fearne brought her water at some point and she sipped it, clearing the dryness that suddenly settled in her throat. 

“Well, it sounds like you have feelings for her and, hey no don’t give me that look, just let me talk” Fearne started, chastising when Imogen made a move to protest. 

“Fine” Imogen says, slumping against the couch. 

“As I was saying, I think you might love her, maybe more than a friend would? Which is okay, but you have to talk to her about that instead of getting upset when she makes friends,” Fearne reasons. 

“I know I know, I just- what if I scare her away? If it gets awkward how can we live together? And I can’t make rent without a roommate and she’s perfect. No, I can’t say anything, it’ll ruin everything,” Imogen rambles, a bit panicked. 

“I’m sorry but it seems like its already awkward and who said she didn’t have feelings for you?” Fearne prompts with a smirk. 

Imogen stares at her, eyes wide, her mouth open and closing rapidly like a fish out of water. 

“I- She doesn’t. We’re just friends and that’s all it’ll be,” Imogen responds firmly, a little bit resigned. 

“Whatever you say, just try to talk to her, okay?” Fearne pushes. 

“Okay, I’ll talk to her, just not together,” Imogen agrees. 

“Good enough. Now, finish your food and get home so you can rest,” Fearne says, moving to clear her own dishes. 

“You kickin’ me out?” Imogen teases

“Yes actually, Deanna will be home soon and we have… unfinished business” Fearne says with a wink. 

“Oh-kay, didn’t need to know that, but I hear you loud and clear. Thank you for the food and for talking to me, I owe you and Deanna,” Imogen says, bringing her plate and half eaten croissant to Fearne. 

“Oh it’s no trouble at all, anything for a friend and I do consider us friends now,” Fearne says happily. 

“Well, if y’all need anything, you just let me know, okay?” Imogen responds, putting her shoes back on.

“You got it,” Fearnes winks again 

“I mean it, here,” Imogen says, writing her phone number on a scrap of paper before turning to smile at Fearne once more, “You have fun with your lady” 

“Oh I plan to, get home safe,” Fearne says as Imogen waves from a partially closed door

“I will,” She responds, waving before shutting the door behind her. 

She feels like a small weight was lifted off her chest. She’s still a little torn up about Laudna but she’ll find a way to fix it. She makes her way out of Fearne’s building, nearly getting trampled by a hurriedly moving Deanna half-sprinting through the door to the apartment building. Deanna apologies in a hurry, clearly not clocking who she ran into. Imogen chuckles, watching her tap her foot impatiently by the elevator. Stepping out, she looks around to orient herself and looks up to see her own building closeby, a block or two at most. Well that’s lucky, friends that are close by for once. She makes her way back to her building and is greeted by Mr. Ariks, the older man peering over his paper as she walks in. 

“Hello Miss Temult,” He says with a smile 

“Hi Mr. Ariks” 

“I’ve got those keys for you, well for Miss Laudna, do see that she has them for me,” He says, handing over a small keyring with two keys identical to Imogen’s. 

“I will, thank you sir,” She says with a nod. 

He smiles before turning back to his reading. Imogen holds the keys close to her chest as she waits by the elevator. She was excited to give them to Laudna and have a chat. Y’all would have to be talking for that to happen. A pang of pain courses through her at that, she wasn’t even sure how to have a conversation with Laudna right now. What if she wants to leave, what if she moves in with Dusk, they do seem a bit cozied up, huh? Shut up, they’re just friends just like we are. It’s fine. She’s lost in thought, the ding of the elevator startling her before she steps in, watching the floors change on the short ride up to her place. Soon enough she’s moving from the elevator and to her apartment, hoping to have a little alone time. What she isn’t expecting is Laudna and Dusk giggling together outside. She really did not want to deal with this right now but she had no choice. She plasters a nice smile to her face and makes her way to the door. 

“Hi, sorry I forgot you don’t have a key… well didn't, uhm, here” She says nervously, handing Laudna her new key, not really looking at her. 

“Oh, it’s alright Imogen,” Laudna says softly

“Okay. I’ll be in my room, y’all have fun” She says a bit stilted, using her own key to get in and practically running to her room. 

She hears their muffled exchange as she gets unready. She’s more relieved than she should be hearing that Dusk isn’t staying. She didn’t really want to have to hide in her own home all day. She stares at herself in the mirror, notes the sadness that creeps across her features like it had been settled there for a while. How had everything flipped over in a matter of days, maybe she was crazy for taking in the first person to respond to her post. How had she miscalculated so badly? I mean come on Temult, when has anything good ever really been good? At least you have Fearne now, maybe you can be civil until your lease is up. She’s shaking now, berating herself as she stares into the depths of her soul. Her temples throb painfully and she finishes getting unready, not bothering to shower because standing in the hot water would probably just make her cry again. She remembers to take her meds before getting into bed, waiting for Violet to curl up against her before sinking into the mattress, hoping sleep would come quickly and without dreams. 

~ ~ ~

Laudna is trying to pay attention to whatever Dusk is saying, she swears she is, but she can’t stop glancing over at Imogen. She notes her relaxed posture, the way she brightens when she talks like she did with you and how much happier she seems to be. A bitter feeling settles in her chest, something new that she can’t name. She doesn’t like it, she should be happy for Imogen, happy that she is happy, because that’s what friends do. The bitterness pinches, a pang of pain courses through her as she watches Fearne clear their things and take Imogen’s arm in hers, leading her out of the cafe. She moved on really fast. Wait. Moved on? From what? It’s not like we were dating, she’s just hanging out with a friend, just like I am, that’s all. She faintly feels her skin prickle with heat, her heart beginning to thud against her chest. She feels Anubis nudge her lightly, she knows he’s alerting. She swallows, her throat suddenly dry. She needs something to drink so she stands, forgetting the arm Dusk has lazily draped over her shoulder. Anubis nudges her again, harder, as she stands, her legs shaking slightly. She falters slightly, grabbing the edge of the table haphazardly to balance. A hand grabs her shoulder and suddenly Dusk is in her field of vision. 

“Hey, you okay?” They ask, guiding her gently to the floor, Anubis tucking himself under her legs as she sits. 

The voice flows muffled through her ears, as if she’s stuck her head under water. She feels the faint vibration from her watch, her eyes flick down to the small screen, barely registering the 153 bpm that flashes red before the screen turns dark again. She inhales through her nose, resting her forehead against her knees, trying to calm her nervous system. She’s unsure if this is a flare or an anxiety attack, but she knows that she needs to calm down. She feels one of Dusk’s hands squeeze her shoulders, the other rubbing circles against her back and she resists the urge to pull away. She pulls her legs closer to her body, signaling Anubis to move from under them to instead stand between them, snout pressed against her chest as he gently nudges her to sit upright. She clings to him, the sound of his breathing oddly calming to her as she feels her body start to settle. She can feel Dusk behind her and opens her eyes to see Deanna crouched in front of her, a glass of water in her hands.

“Thank you” She says quietly, a still shaking hand reaching to take the glass from her

“Anytime dear” Deanna says with a soft smile, eyes flicking between Dusk and Laudna, “You gonna be okay?” 

“Oh yeah, I’ll finish this and then I should probably head home” Laudna replies

“Alright, well be careful and get back safe” Deanna says with another smile, patting Laudna on the knee before standing up and heading back behind the counter. 

Laudna stays seated until she finishes the glass of water. She checks her watch and sees her heart rate is relatively back to normal. She frees up her hands and makes a move to stand, gripping the table tightly just in case. She wiggles her legs when she sees spots cloud her vision but thankfully it seems the shakes have subsided. She turns back to where she and Dusk were sitting, gathering the few things she brought with her back into her bag. Dusk has picked up both of their trash and tossed it, moving to return the glass Deanna gave them before walking back to Laudna. Laudna calls Anubis to a heel, the young hound moving quickly to her side, his leash grasped loosely in his teeth. She reaches down slightly to take it from him, giving him a scritch on the head before standing back up. Dusk is back at her side, opposite of Anubis, arm outstretched as an offer. 

“Thank you but it’s better if I walk with just Anubis” She says firmly 

“Oh no problem, just want to be here if you need it” Dusk replies 

“I appreciate that, thank you” 

“Anytime new girl”

“I really wish you stop calling me that, you know my name” 

“Yeah but this is more fun” 

Something burns in Laudna’s chest, annoyance maybe, but she ignores it right now. She just wants to go home and rest, she can feel the lethargy beginning to settle in her bones. She pulls Anubis’ leash tight, the hound watching her closely as they make their way from the cafe to the street. Dusk and Laudna talk lightly on the short walk, nothing deeper than small talk really but Laudna supposes its better than awkward silence. She’s half focused on the conversation, her mind going back to seeing Imogen cozying up with Fearne and how giddy she seemed to be when they left together. She knows it's irrational, they’re both allowed to have friends but she can’t ignore the pang that settles in her chest. She tries to focus on what Dusk is saying as they continue to walk to their building. It’s not until they arrive outside her door that she remembers that she hadn’t been given keys yet. Shit. She knocks on the door and calls out for Imogen, hoping she’d beat them home but after about 5 minutes of no answer she gives up. Sure she could find Mr. Ariks but she knows he doesn’t usually stick around the building all day and she has no idea where to find him. 

“Well, I guess we’re stuck out here,” She says to Dusk, a shy chuckle escapes her. 

“There are worse places to be,” Dusk replies, leaning against the wall. 

The pair chat for a while outside the apartment, Dusk mostly cracks jokes while Laudna laughs, happy to have a distraction. She’s so lost in the laughter that she doesn’t hear Imogen approach them. Rather, she feels Anubis tug at his leash, which pulls her attention just as the other woman reaches the door. She catches sight of sadness and something more briefly crosses Imogen’s features before she plasters on a smile. 

“Hi, sorry I forgot you don’t have a key… well didn't, uhm, here” She says nervously, handing Laudna her new key, not really looking at her. 

“Oh, it’s alright Imogen,” Laudna says softly

“Okay. I’ll be in my room, y’all have fun” She says a bit stilted, using her own key to get in and practically running to her room. 

Laudna stands a bit stunned in the doorway, watching Imogen retreat. She doesn’t really get to dwell on it for too long before Dusk puts a hand on her shoulder. She shakes herself and steps in, turning to face Dusk as she hears them start to follow her in. 

“Oh uhm, thank you for dropping me off but I have some things I need to do” Laudna starts 

“Oh that’s okay, I can be quiet,” Dusk says with a smirk 

“Heh, yeah no I just need to be alone. I’ll text you, okay? Thank you for breakfast,” Laudna says quickly before shutting the apartment door, leaving Dusk a bit put off on the other side. 

Laudna locks the door and rests her forehead against the door. She drops Anubis’ leash in the process, startling him a bit. 

“Sorry buddy, let’s go relax okay?” 

He stares up at her and they walk to her room, Laudna flopping haphazardly onto her bed. She lets out a groan, frustrated with all the conflicting feelings she has buzzing within her. Anubis hops up and settles next to her. 

“Let’s get this off you and then we can cuddle”

She takes his leash and harness off, giving him some scritches while he shakes. She strips off her outwear and pulls her hair up before laying back on the bed. She doesn’t bother with the covers and doesn’t need to, seeing as Anubis lays across her torso and keeps her warm. The steady beat of his heart and the movement of his breathing calms Laudna. She lays there for a long time and almost sleeps but she hears Imogen in the kitchen and waits to see if she says anything (she doesn’t). Sleep won’t come so she reaches for her phone and calls Prism. Soon enough, the bubbly voice of her co-worker and friend picks up. 

“Hey Laudie! How was the move and stuff?”

“Hi dear, it went really well” Laudna curses the sadness that hangs in her tone

“Oh no, what it is?”

“Well, things went well and Imogen, she’s been so sweet I feel bad. I met another person who lives in the build, they lowkey stalked me I think but she’s really nice and asked me for coffee while Imogen and I were out getting groceries. It was fine, but Imogen was acting really strange afterwards and then today, I saw her at Tasha’s with one of the ladies that works there and they left together and I just- What if she hates me, what if I did something wrong? Everything is so awkward now, she won’t even look at me!” Laudna rambles. 

Prism’s chuckles make Laudna pause her panic. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing Laudie, just for someone who watches people like you do, you’re really fuckin’ oblivious”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You said Imogen started acting differently after Dusk came around?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Did you ever think about why?”

“Huh?”

“She’s jealous Laudna,”

“That’s funny, she has no reason to be, I mean it’s not like we’re dating or anything,”

“No, but you guys hit it off pretty quick right?”

“Yeah”

“And then suddenly someone else comes along and you’re just a friendly with them, which isn’t a bad thing don’t worry,”

“I was just being nice!” 

“I know that, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying she’s probably a little hurt that you bonded fast with her and then turned to someone else. I mean I don’t know her but you said she’s nervous with new people and suddenly she's buddy-ing up with someone she barely knows?”

“But we’re just friends,” 

“Uh huh, and you weren’t a little jealous that she left with the lady from the cafe were you?” 

“I- No- Maybe…that’s not the point, Prism.”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that. Whatever it is, you two need to talk it out or I’ll come over there and make you.” 

“Okay now I’m scared”

“Haha, you’d better be. Now stop being so nervous and just talk to her,”

“I will! I promise. Thanks for the help”
“Anytime Laudie. Hey, are you coming back next week?”

“Yeah I should be, most everything is settled here, except you know, the obvious”
“Right. Well, we can chat more about it then. Love you!”
“Okay, love you too!”

She hangs up and grabs a pillow, screaming her frustration into, startling Anubis slightly, the hound pawing at her until she gives him scritches. This was such a mess, it made her miss living alone but not enough to do anything rash. Prism was right, she needed to talk with Imogen. They were supposed to today, but Imogen was practically a ghost. Gods how have things gotten here? Seeing as she’d worked herself up and wasn’t likely to nap, the patted for Anubis to shift where he was laying so she could sit up, the hound leaping off the bed to stand in front of her, watching closely as she stood and made her way to the kitchen. She rummaged around in the fridge, gathering various fruits and washing them before cutting some up and making a light fruit salad. She took the bowl back to her room and sat cross-legged on her bed, staring out the window at the city below her. She’s shaken from her reverie by her phone buzzing. She assumes it’s just Dusk but her heart races when she sees it’s from Imogen. 

Imogen <3 : Hey, can we talk? 

~ ~ ~ 

Same Day - Late Afternoon - The Apartment

Imogen wakes up with a grumbling tummy, she hadn’t really eaten at breakfast and basically slept through lunch. She sits up and regrets that as her headache throbs aggressively against her temple. Gods, fuck me. I cannot win today. She reluctantly gets up and grabs her beds from her vanity, dumping out two. She finds her water bottle and takes them quickly, practically chugging her water afterwards. Her stomach grumbles again and sighs, she really doesn’t want to cook right now but she has groceries now so there’s no excuse. She rubs her hands down her face and moves slowly to the kitchen. Luckily it seems that Laudna is either holed up in her room or she left while Imogen was sleeping. Regardless, she gets to avoid any more awkward conversations for now. She opens the fridge and stares at it, as if willing for something good to show itself. She huffs and closes it, settling for toast since it’s easy. Some butter and jam seem to settle her stomach and she’s thankful for that. She wraps it in a paper towel and cleans her dishes up, moving back to her room and turning on her computer, settling in to get the rest of her work orientation done before next week starts. She’d tried not to put it off but she was…distracted. At least now she has a distraction. An hour or so passes and she faintly hears Laudna in the kitchen, likely making a lunch of her own. Imogen almost jumps out of her seat, but stops herself. As much as she wants to talk things out with her, she also isn’t sure if Laudna would want to. To be fair, they both agreed to talk today but now things just seemed too awkward. How had they managed to fuck up what was, for a little while, really amazing communication with one another. Jealousy you idiot, that’s what. She heard Laudna’s door shut and her head fell against her desk, a frustrated sound escaping her lips as she knocked her forehead against the wood. She sighed and looked up at her checklist for work, seeing she only had a few more lessons to do before Monday. She could do them later, she reasoned, and instead picked up her phone and opened the thread between her and Laudna. Her hands shake as her thumbs hover over the keys typing and retyping the same message over and over before settling on something simple. She holds her breath as she waits for Laudna’s response, the anxiety of seeing the text bubble appear and disappear is agonizing. She doesn’t want to talk you fucking idiot, you fucked it up. She sets her phone down and paces. It buzzes almost immediately and she’s frozen. She stares at it, the screen blank but her fate sealed beneath it. She lets out a breath as she opens the thread again. 

Laudna <3 : Sure, are you up for it right now? 

Sounds like Laudna and Imogen smiles briefly before replying back 

Imogen <3 : I am if you are. 

Laudna <3 : Great, is the living room okay? 

Imogen <3 : Works for me, give me 5?

Laudna <3 : Sure. 

Imogen is anxious again, she’s reminded of how their first conversation went and the familiarity that passed between them. Tone doesn’t transfer over text but she can feel the awkwardness radiating off the messages. Things had really gone to shit in a matter of days. They can fix it. Imogen rushes over to her vanity and runs a brush through her hair quickly, getting out the fuzz from her nap. Her makeup, as minimal as it was, is a mess and she wipes it off, not caring about the slight redness it leaves. She puts on her glasses and picks up Violet, holding her close as she goes to the living room. Naturally, Laudna is already there, Anubis tucked under legs and her posture uncomfortably straight as she sits on the couch, looking up with a small smile as Imogen enters the room. 

“Hi” 

“Hi” 

The tension breaks, the pair laughing as they speak in unison. The tension returns just as quickly as it left, the awkwardness sweeping the laughter up in its wake. They stare at each other, Imogen standing frozen in the middle of the room, Laudna picking at the skin around her nails. The silence is agonizing and Laudna finally breaks it. 

“So, you wanted to talk?” She prompts

“Yeah,” Imogen says, as if she’d forgotten why she was here. 

She pulled an ottoman towards her and sat down, Violet curling up in her lap, purring contently. Imogen tries to focus on that while she calms her nerves. 

“I just wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday. I was tired and the store was a lot. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you,” She says, breaking her gaze from Laudna’s.

There’s more she wants to say, to tell Laudna how she really feels but she’s not sure she can take more rejection, perceived or otherwise, right now. 

“Oh, yeah, uhm, that’s okay. Being out in public is a lot, its fine,” Laudna accepts. She’s keeping something from me, I want her to tell me, but what if I push and she runs, what if she doesn’t want to live with me anymore? 

She sees Imogen’s brow furrow and something painful cross her features before she nods and smiles softly, but tightly, back at her. 

“Was there anything else?” Laudna pushes, trying to keep her voice from shaking 

Imogen looks at her like a deer in headlights. Shit. Fuck. Balls. She knows. How does she know. Jesus fuck what have I done. 

“No,” She says a little too quickly, “Seems like you had fun with Dusk though, that’s nice. Anyways that was all.” 

Imogen gets up quickly and moves to her room, only to be stopped by Laudna practically shouting at her. 

“Like you did with Fearne?” Laudna says loudly, her tone aggravated. She hated yelling but she needed the two of them to work whatever the hell this was out. 

Imogen whips around, her eyes wide. She sets Violet down before stepping back towards the living room. 

“Oh what? Only you can make friends now?” She accuses. 

“Seemed like it was something more than that, you left with her pretty quickly,” Laudna spats 

“Oh yeah, because you didn’t move in with me a week after we met,” Imogen hisses 

“Yeah and we actually talked to each other before that, I didn’t just meet you once and follow you home like a dog,” Laudna throws back 

“How do you know we haven’t? You’ve been wrapped up with Dusk for two days,” Imogen shouts back, Dusk’s name like venom on her tongue. 

“Yeah well at least they talk to me, you’ve been running away from me since then,” 

“Well you seem to be doing just fine without me, so go, run to Dusk and tell them how horrible I am then,” 

“Fine, I will” 

With that, Laudna gets up, grabs Anubis’ harness, her phone, and her keys and walks out, the door slamming behind. Imogen stands stunned in the living room. The slam of the door echoing around her before silence settles over the space, it’s suffocating her. Tears burned in her eyes for the nth time, she stopped counting at this point. She falls to the ground, a sob escaping her throat as she claws at the carpet, letting all her pent up emotions out at once. She bangs her fists against the ground, screaming as she does so, the somatic release is cathartic. She’ll apologize to the people below her later. She’s not sure how much time passes, but her body is exhausted and her eyes hurt. The silence consumes her once more and she knows she can’t stay her, at least not tonight. She gets up slowly, her body screaming at her as she moves. She picks up Violet again, realizing her outburst probably frightened her. She holds her close, the soft purring is soothing and part of her calms at the sound. She makes it back to her room and grabs her phone again, calling Fearne as she flops down on her bed. 

“Hey sugarplum” Fearne voice echoes through the phone

“Hey” Her voice hoarse from the screaming. 

“Oh Imogen are you okay?” 

“No” Imogen chokes out

“Oh honey what happened?”

“Laudna and I fought, I told her to go and run to Dusk and she left” 

Tears brim in her eyes again as her voice shakes. 

“I’m sorry dear, are you by yourself right now?”

“Yeah, can I come over?” 

“Of course!” 

“Okay, can I bring my cat?”

“Any Temult is welcome with us hon, come on over” 

“Okay” 

“Are you okay to walk alone? I know it’s not far, but in this state… I mean,” 

“I don’t know”

“I’ll come get you, don’t worry” 

“Thanks Fearne, you’re the best”

“Anytime Imogen, I’ll have Deanna make us tea”

“Thank you” 

They hang up and Imogen sends the building address to Fearne. She lets out a sigh and sits up, going back to her vanity to make herself somewhat presentable, laughing to herself at how many times she’s done this in 48 hours. She packs a bag, just some clothes and comfort items plus food for Violet, throwing her phone and keys in before cradling Violet against her once more and heading out the door. She stops, her hand on the front door. Regardless of what just happened, she knows Laudna is a worrier. She runs back to her room and quickly scribbles a note. She leaves it on the kitchen counter, flipping off the lights before leaving. 

Hey, I don’t know when you’ll be back but I’m at Fearne’s. Be back soon

• Imogen