› beat me outta me

dakota was the kind of girl who always tried to look on the bright side. however, she arrived at her apartment complex today with the expectation that all of her belongings would be in her own place. so, when the girl was told that everything she owned was placed into an apartment that she’d be sharing with a stranger, looking on the bright side became a bit harder. he was handed her keys and shared a tight-lipped smile with her landlord. she could’ve opted out, or scoured the city for different options, but it was hard enough to snag a spot in this complex. the thought of starting the process all over again was enough to propel her out of the leasing office and back onto the street. she glanced at the time on her phone as she took a few tentative steps on the sidewalk. as people sped by her, it made sense that it was nearly nine in the morning. everyone was off to work while dakota was off to get her coffee and unpack before she met her mystery roommate.

she crossed the street and ordered her drink before walking the short distance from the leasing office to the complex. when she entered, she did so slowly. it was still pretty early but she also knew nothing about this roommate of hers. for all she knew, they could’ve been as early of a riser as her. she peaked her head in first, glancing at the stacked boxes against the walls. nothing looked like it’d been touched yet. dakota let the door shut behind her, releasing the tension in her shoulders that she didn’t realize she had. once she’d started shuffling through the boxes, she spent most of the day unpacking her things. between shifting her boxes and rearranging her furniture in her bedroom, it was almost seven before dakota realized she hadn’t eaten all day. sweaty and exhausted, the blonde changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that wasn’t entire drenched with sweat. the girl pulled her hair into a messy bun before slipping out of her half-finished bedroom.

on her way out of the apartment, she flicked the lights back off and locked up. she walked the length of the street to the grocery store, entering quickly to pick up something to make. once she was back at the apartment complex, dakota swung her grocery bag from one hand to another. as she approached the apartment, she heard the soft sound of music playing. she turned the doorknob, pushing the door open slowly. with clammy palms, dakota slid inside the apartment and came into view of the brunette hanging out in the kitchen. “holy shit, hey.” she turned towards him, setting the grocery bag on the counter. taking a quick glance at the shot glasses, the blonde furrowed her brows. “are you celebrating how excited you are to be randomly paired with a roommate already?” she finally looked directly at the man, tilting her head up at him to catch his eye. “i’m dakota, by the way. the mysterious roommate in question.”

a soft presence suddenly joined him in their shoe box of an apartment, and tate had to admit that he was slightly taken aback. truth be told, with his luck, he was placing bets that he’d be bumping elbows with a man in his mid-40′s, nursing an only fan’s addiction and the inability to learn boundaries and personal space. “honestly? i needed a shot of courage,” tate grins, shyly and not as arrogant as usual, “i thought you might’ve been comin’ in here wielding an ax or something. you never know what you’ll get in this city.” he extends his hand out habitually for a shake while introducing himself, “i’m tate. i guess i’m your mysterious roommate in question.” he pulls back, still holding a welcoming smile on his face. not sure what to do with a few seconds of silence, his fingertips dance against the counter tops holding both their groceries, “so, there’s no real way to make this easy ... huh?” the rhetorical question came with one mission: to break any tension it could. calling the situation unconventional was kind at best, but after meeting dakota, you could say he was approaching the bind he was in with more with an open mindset. for him, this introduction almost felt sort of like a blind date, and he was about to try his damnedest to leave a good first impression, “so, dakota,” his english accent melted the words just enough where her name was still recognizable, “what brought you here desperate enough to share these seven hundred square feet with a complete stranger?” 

most of tate’s larger belongings, like his furniture and clothes, had already been delivered to the apartment and put up in their unit. the only thing left to bring was himself. before locking in for the night, tate made a stop at the local grocery store down the block from their complex to pick up something small to eat, and a bottle of of liquor. quite frankly, he thought he deserved it after the day he had. plus, his new mystery roommate might be feeling the same after a long day of moving. paper bag in tote, tate made his way back down the street and up the steps into his new home. keys messy in his right hand, he holds his breath while trying to to find the right one, unsure if someone else would be standing on the other side of the door. if he could choose any time to shake his nerves, it’d be now. hearing the lock give in, he slowly opens the door and peaks his eyes in through the small opening he had given himself. it was dark, so no one must’ve been there yet. feeling a bit more bold, tate flips the lights on and kicks off his shoes before heading into the kitchen and placing the paper bag on the counter. 

if tate was in a room, there was a good chance he was listening to music. that’s why he wasted no time packing away his record player and all time favorite LPs for moments like this. he kicks on one of his wings albums and digs through a few boxes before he finds the one labeled ‘ GLASSWARE ’. two shot glasses later and he’s making his way back to the kitchen, pouring both shots and wasting no time downing one and coating his throat with fire. now, all there was left to do was wait.