#hbd nerd

So on their first day, before they’ve even unloaded the few things they’d driven up with rather than putting in the moving trucks, Laila tangles her fingers in Alvarez’s, and they run up the stairs giggling like they’ll never stop.

“God, it’s cold out. I vote we just get the mattress and leave everything else until tomorrow,” Laila says, aiming a grin at Alvarez and tugging her from room to room as though they’ve never seen the place before. It’s bare wood and unfurnished, but the sheer fact that they had the keys to let it on makes the dim light sneaking its way past drawn curtains beautiful.

“You’ve lived in California for too long,” Alvarez tuts, pulling Laila to a stop for just long enough to open curtains in every room they pass. (She’d do this in every room at college too - everything looks better in natural light, Lails.) “You don’t know the meaning of the word ‘cold’.”

Laila rolls her eyes but doesn’t reply, ignoring the long-worn discussion in favour of running her free hand along white walls. “We did it,” she whispers reverently.

“Not yet,” Alvarez says. “We definitely need to get our bags and mattress up here before we start rewarding ourselves.”

“Killjoy,” Laila says, pulling a face.

“You say that now, but you have no idea of the rewards I have planned,” Alvarez says, a smile as bright as the sun gracing her face.

“There she is,” Laila mutters with a soft smile, pinching the cheek where Alvarez’s one dimple shows up. “Oh, so it wouldn’t be the bottle of champagne you so sneakily stuck in your backpack at the last minute?”

“Okay, so maybe you do have an idea…” Alvarez says, her grin unwavering. “You need to stop ruining all of my cute surprises.”

“I’m nosy,” Laila shrugs. “It’s a flaw, but I’ve learned to embrace even my worst parts.”

“Hush, you perfect creature,” Alvarez says. “Let’s grab the things.”

“You just flatter me to get me to use my perfect biceps,” Laila groans, but lets Alvarez pull her back down four flights of stairs easily.

“Yup,” Alvarez agrees cheerfully. “I’m the brains, you’re the brawns.”

“Oh, really?” Laila asks. “Because I seem to remember the small matter of our degrees…” Both of them had graduated just a month prior, with respectable grades, but Laila’s dedication and passion for her chosen subject had given her the slightest edge over Alvarez’s effortless achievements.

“Nope, those are irrelevant now. Done. Gone.” Alvarez claps her hands.

“Um, I don’t think so,” Laila says. “I packed mine to put above our bed. It’s my best achievement.”

“Aw, dang. I’d planned to put both of our degrees together above the toilet.” Alvarez pulls a mockingly concerned face at her girlfriend.

“You can flush your disappointment, but I am rubbing that degree in everyone’s faces forever. I’m putting it as my Facebook header. I’m gonna text the picture to Ash every day until he admits that I’m forever superior to him.”

“Well, I hope you have a picture of it ready to go, because the real thing isn’t gonna last very long… sorry, babe.”

“If you shred my degree, I will shave your head while you sleep,” Laila says, smile still on her face and voice dripping sugar.

“You could maybe do half of it. Give me a cool undercut. I’d wake up because you could do some irreversible damage.” Alvarez pauses for half a second. “Probably.”

Laila laughs, the sound echoing through the stairwell. “Not a chance, girl. You sleep like the dead. These beautiful locks are being sold on the black market so I can buy an exact replica of my degree.”

“Come on, you wouldn’t even donate the hair? Where’s that Trojan heart?” Alvarez gives her a beseeching look, walking backwards out of the block’s door.

“Shredded, along with my degree. You’re erasing my Trojan identity,” Laila says, clutching a hand dramatically to her chest.

“Sure, babe,” Alvarez says. “Put some of that energy into moving our shit upstairs, yeah?”

“Fine, but I get the first taste of champagne,” Laila warns, opening the back of their car slowly so as not to disturb the few bags on top of a double mattress.

“Sure, as long as it’s-”

“Straight from the bottle. No negotiations.”

“I was gonna say not from the bottle, because that’s super gross. I bought it!” Alvarez whines.

“What are you worried about? My spit? Because newsflash, girlfriend, you get plenty of my germs already.”

“Ugh,” Alvarez pulls a face. “No thanks.”

“No?” Laila asks, turning back from the car to Alvarez and taking a few steps to place her hands on Alvarez’s waist.

“Nope,” Alvarez agrees, brushing a stray bit of hair back behind Laila’s ear.

“No kisses?” Laila clarifies, closing the distance between them in one last step that puts her thoroughly in Alvarez’s personal space. Alvarez doesn’t move away.

“Nope, they’re completely gross.”

Laila presses a gentle kiss to Alvarez’s jaw, knowing her girlfriend’s weaknesses after all these years. “Really, totally gross?”

“Absolutely,” Alvarez continues to agree, though Laila hears her breathing hitch, just slightly, the same as always. Laila smiles against Alvarez’s warm, dark skin.

“Just…” Laila says, softly, before meeting Alvarez in a soft, chaste kiss, “disgusting, right?”

“Totally,” Alvarez says on a sigh.

“Oh, well,” Laila says, pulling herself in a swift movement. “Can’t say I didn’t try. I’ll respect your decision, though, of course…”

“Shut up,” Alvarez laughs, grabbing Laila’s hand and pulling her back to place a kiss on her nose. “You’re a beautiful idiot.”

“Well, that’s not what my degree says…”

“Oh my god,” Alvarez drops her hand. “Okay, yeah, please go back to unpacking and just… stop talking.”

“Harsh.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m just like… not sure living together is gonna work out? It’s all so sudden, you know, and I just don’t feel like I know who you are… you’re just so mean,” Alvarez says, brushing her nose against Laila’s.

“Sure, babe,” Laila responds, and kisses her again.

After they pull apart, Alvarez says, “Okay, I suppose that was alright.”

“Yes!” Laila crows, pumping her fists in the air. “Champagne from the bottle for Laila!”

“That is not-”

“Just let me have this,” Laila says. “I’m unpacking now and I’m not listening anymore.”

Alvarez sighs. “Fine, whatever, you win.”

“As always.”