A little bit of set up.

Shopping bag in tow, I sit in my car outside the grocery store and scroll through spootify, finding a good song to listen to on the 5 minute drive, I like to curate my journeys no matter the length, what can I say.
"Are you home? I'm outside your apartment building."

"Coming home now! I'll be there in a bit, did you leave class early?"
"Uh huhhh, tbf the class was over it was just collab time and I'm too much of a genius for that hehe"
"I'll wait for you inside, it's cold."
"GET YOUR LICENSE SO YOU DON'T NEED THE BUS."
"don't be silly, I'll never do that ;)"

I Turn the engine over and start the long grueling drive from the grocery store back to my apartment building (5 minutes by the way.)
The automatic doors open, one hand in my pocket, the other carrying the shopping bag, I step inside and I see Vi leaning on the reception desk.

"No, Oh my god! She's literally the worst!" Vi's pleasant voice echoes through the empty lobby.
Vi's delighted voice accompanied by Heidi's sweet giggling.
"Told you, you two would get along." Heidi looks up and a slight blush fills her cheeks as she smiles at me "Hey, Erik."

Vi's eyebrow arches as her eyes quickly swap between me and Heidi, she grins "Heidi is a fuckin genius by the way!"
Heidi blushes intensely as she averts her gaze, she shyly whispers "Nooo, I just like to read..."
"She's doing a PhD in financial engineering!"
I look at her in shock "Jesus fucking Christ."
Vi laughs and grabs my arm "That's what I said!"

Heidi looks up and I see it again, her shoulders stiffen and her face drops before she averts her gaze again, Vi meanwhile links her arm through mine and addresses Heidi "It was really nice to meet you, I'll text you and we can hang out properly!" Vi drags me away and I wave to Heidi as we head inside the elevator.

Vi helps me unload the shopping bag and we get to cooking the stir fry, she leans against the kitchen countertop and scrolls through her phone as we let the prawns cook slowly on the stove, the kettle starting to bubble as the water inside heats up. "She totally has a thing for you." I push around the prawn and watch it carefully, not wanting it to get rubbery. "Who?"
"Heidi."
I scoff "Definitely not."
I see her shake her head out of the corner of my eye "She does, her voice literally gets girlier and she stiffened up when I touched you."
I take a risk, I lower the flame and step towards Vi, I lightly grab her chin and angle her face towards me, she holds an indignant pout for less than a second, a smile creeping through "You Jealous?" She rolls her eyes and wraps her fingers around my arm "You wish, don't burn my prawns." I look over worriedly, I let go of her and flip them around. "I mean she's hot right?" I shrug as I turn the fire off, I remove the prawns from the pan and into a bowl "Yeah she is, doesn't compare at all to you though." She laughs as she pours the oiling water into a pot, she adds the noodles to the water. She laughs and pinches my arm "Simp."

"Mhhhhhhm Fuck that's so fucking good!" Mouth sounds and the sounds of slurping fill the room "God I love it so fucking much." I can't help but laugh, I let my fork sit in the bowl and I rub my eyes, Vi looks over, her mouth full of noodles and prawn, "Wherf? (What?)" I shake my head and tap her arm, laughing hard. She shrugs and goes back to eating her noodles.

With the dishes stacked in the sink, Vi's lies long ways on the couch, my hands rub her feet as she wiggles them with satisfaction. True Blood playing on the TV. "Are you excited for your labs this weekend? You leave in two days right? Come back on Monday morning?" "Mhmmm, I'm so excited." I smile and laugh softly at her flat tone. "I still have to find someone to stay with as well, Matt and Ellie offered me a bed and Ed and Max said they have a bed I can use." She sighs deeply. "Do you have a preference?" I ask her curiously. "Eh. Both of them kind of the same shit." She side eyes me grudgingly but jovially "Matt and Ellie are dating and Ed and Max both have girlfriends." I put my hands up innocently "I didn't say anything!" She rolls her eyes but a small smirk graces her face "I'll see whoever has the better airbnb and make my decision like that." The TV continues to chatter in the background, a comfortable, familiar silence fills the room around us.

"Ooh baby! Did I tell you about the model gig?" I look over at Vi's face, squished adorably against the pillow. "No? What gig?" She adjusts herself so she's on her back, she looks at me, a wide, beaming smile lighting up her face. "Well, I submitted some photos to an agency and they called me earlier today to ask if I wanted to come in and try some outfits!" I clap on her shin and grin, happy for her "Holy shit! That's so good! Congrats, oh my god!" She wiggles her toes excitedly and bites her lip in glee"I know!! How good! I'm going to the studio next Friday!" She exhales almost in relief "I've wanted to do this for sooooo long, I'm really going to like, go all the way and fully commit to this!" I rub her leg and grin "I'm so proud of you!"

An inquisitive looks passes over her face before a small smirk. She lightly presses her heel into my crotch, like flipping a switch I immediately start to get excited "Want to help me celebrate?"