Chapter Text
Natalie walked up the dormitory stairs, a bag on her shoulder, and a suitcase in her hand. Even though her baggage was heavy, she had no problem moving around with it.
She didn't think she'd ever been here, at the prestigious Apex University. She had no plans to leave her father's workshop anytime soon, yet here she was, beginning her bachelor's in electrical engineering. This was his dying wish - even though she had always been a talented engineer and her knowledge was enough to run the family workshop, if she got the papers to prove her knowledge and skill, her opportunities would be infinite.
She couldn't argue with him. She didn't want to, anyway. He was a smart and loving man, he wanted her to succeed in life and she'd honor his wishes. Their home felt empty now and, surprisingly, she was excited to live with someone again.
Stopping in front of the door marked on her handy map, she looked up at the paper stuck right in the middle: Natalie Paquette, Renee Blasey. Suddenly, the anxiety waiting at the pit of her stomach hit her with all its might. She was going to live with a complete stranger for the first time in her life. There were so many things that could go wrong. Her people skills weren't great and she was fully aware of it. Should she wave? Shake hands? Maybe she should try to be funny, start off with a pun?
Grabbing onto the handle, she pushed the door with a bit too much strength.
"Hi! I'm Natalie, nice to…"
She looked around the room. It was empty, with white walls and some furniture: a couple of dressers across from each other, desks and beds on the opposite side of the room, a mini-fridge and an old microwave on top of it.
Natalie blushed and waddled inside, praying that nobody saw her greet an empty room. She dropped her luggage and sat on the bed closer to the door, then unzipped her bag.
"Oh, Nessie…" she said, pulling the plush dinosaur out and placing it next to the pillow. "Wish me luck, I will certainly need it…"
* * *
Natalie was already nearly done with unpacking her bags. Her books have been neatly stacked on top of the desk across from her bed, next to the trusty laptop decorated with a bunch of silly stickers, and a framed picture of her father. She propped a whiteboard against the wall, colorful sticky notes, and a cup full of pens and pencils sitting right next to it. A hefty toolbox has been tucked between the desk’s legs. She changed her bedsheets to ones with a cartoonish lightning pattern and put her toiletries in the claustrophobically small bathroom - at least it was clean, there was a toilet, a shower, a sink, and a cabinet with a mirror right above it. There was just very little space, enough for one person at most.
As she was folding her clothes and putting them into the dresser, the one between the beds, the door swung open. Natalie immediately perked up and her eyes fell on a woman in a dark scarf, an unzipped light jacket, and baggy pants. Her hair was black, tied up in a messy bun. She had a piercing in her nose and a few more in her ears. A huge backpack was making her slouch, and she dragged her duffle bag behind her.
"Oh, let me help you with your bag," the blonde stood up quickly and picked the heavy baggage without flinching. "I've already picked out my bed and desk, and I started unpacking my clothes into one of the dressers, I hope that's fine with you? I mean, I'm okay with switching!"
The woman raised her eyebrow in silence. Only now did Natalie realize that what she assumed was makeup were, in fact, dark circles under the newcomer's eyes.
"Sorry, you're probably tired…" She put the bag on one of her shoulders and extended her hand, a bright smile on her face. "I'm Natalie Paquette, electrical engineering faculty. Nice to meet you!"
"Renee Blasey," the woman shook the hand. "Fine arts."
She stepped deeper into the room, threw her backpack next to the bed, and fell facedown into the unprepared bed.
"Are… Are you okay?" Natalie stepped closer and put the bag down next to the backpack.
"Mhm."
"Listen, if you want you could lie down in my bed, it's freshly made. If you could change to something… less traveled and take your shoes off first," she offered. "And if you'd like to take a quick shower, you could use my stuff! I packed an extra towel, it's somewhere…"
"Why?" Renee interrupted, still in the same position, her voice muffled by the pillow.
"You just look very tired. And that's fine! You can take care of unpacking tomorrow. I could help you with that, I'm nearly done with my stuff anyway."
"I meant," Renee turned her head to the side. Wattson didn't notice it before, but the woman's eyes were pale blue and very intense. "Why are you being so nice? I'm a complete stranger. And you just offered me to sleep in your bed."
Natalie blushed and her eyes went wide.
"I didn't mean it like that! I'll sleep in the other bed, of course," she said, gesturing wildly. "We'll be roommates for a while, I just wanted to start it off on the right foot. My papa always told me that kindness goes far when meeting new people."
After a long pause of awkward silence, Renee finally sat up on the edge of the bed and took her old sneakers off, then she slipped them under the bed.
"I can sleep on a bed like this. It doesn't bother me. But thank you," there was a very faint smile on her face. She dug up a pair of shorts and a tank top from the backpack, then disappeared inside the bathroom.
While Renee was taking a shower, Natalie pulled out her spare sheets and put them over the other bed. She hoped she wasn't overstepping. She had a hard time trying to figure people out - she couldn't tell if she made a good first impression or if her new roommate hated her already.
She heard the click of the lock and the bathroom door opened.
"Do you have a hairdryer by chance?"
"I do not, sorry," she ran her fingers through her own short, fluffy hair. "I don't use one often, I let my hair dry on its own…"
"Ah, shit. That's fine. I'll just tie it up."
Natalie watched as Renee emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was long. Really long. Down-her-back long. She also noticed that her arms were quite muscular.
"Wow," she said under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing! I mean," she stumbled over her words, her eyes looking for anything else in the room that they could focus on. "Your hair. It's very long."
"Yeah, I guess it is," Renee said slowly.
"A-Also I made your bed, I hope you don't mind. You can use my sheets for now if you'd like. I'm sorry, I know you told me not to, but…"
"Natalie, right?" She asked, tying her hair up in a towel.
The blonde nodded.
"Calm down. You're fine. I'd rather you left my shit to myself, but I appreciate your help. Really. Now, please, stop talking."
Natalie watched the woman fall onto her bed again, then curl up into a small ball, facing the wall.
"Goodnight," she whispered, then turned the lights off.