Two Doms

Now that I had achieved my one goal I didn't feel like going back to my dorm. The idea of seeing Nick's smug face smirking down at me was just too irritating.

Instead, I killed as much time as I could wandering around the mall. I really wasn't impressed. I was used to boutiques, and this place had an actual Walmart. I almost considered actually going in, before I came to my senses and decided that it was time to return to campus.

By the time I got back, the sun was beginning to set. As I walked back along the cracked path to the dorms, the light filtered through the leaves of the looming oak trees above. Patterns of orange light danced along the ground and against the walls of the red brick buildings. I felt warm and cozy, cloistered away from the world. I wanted to hold onto the moment somehow — the intricate shapes made by sunlight seeping through the canopy, the way the oak trees hunched over the buildings like protective parents. Somehow I didn't think a photo from my phone camera would capture the way it made me feel.

That feeling disappeared when I opened the door of my dorm room. Nick wasn't in sight, but I could hear the shower going from the en suite.

He was showering! In my room! Without asking permission!

"Hey!" I yelled.

No answer. That entitled dick! I put my bag down and pulled off my shoes as fast as I could. Nick had already dumped his dirty, beaten-up sneakers right in the spot next to the door that I had already clearly claimed, so I kicked them out of the way, then stormed up to the bathroom door.

"Hey!" I yelled again. I banged the heel of my hand against the door, so I wouldn't risk bruising my knuckles, "What are you doing?"

The water stopped.

"What?" called Nick's voice.

"What are you doing?" I snapped.

There was a brief pause. I pictured Nick's face, screwed up in confusion.

"Taking a shower?" he said.

"You didn't ask if you could use my shower!" I said.

There was another pause. I glared at the door, hoping that Nick could somehow sense it from the other side.

The water started up again.

"Hey!" I yelled. I banged my palm against the door again, "Hey! Stop!"

He didn't stop, or even respond to me. And now my hand was starting to hurt. Out of spite, I gave the door a kick, and stubbed my toe.

"Oww!" I squealed.

The water stopped.

"What?" said Nick.

"Nothing!" I snapped, "I just wanted to—"

The water started again. I threw up my hands in frustration and walked away.

I had other stuff to do, anyway. First thing was to put on my new pillowcase. It was harder to do than I expected. It wasn't the first time I had changed my own pillowcase, obviously. I mean, sure, maybe I was a little sheltered, but I wasn't totally useless. I had changed my own pillowcase tons of times. I couldn't actually think of a time, at the moment. It was definitely more of a Luisa job. But I had done it before. Definitely. You just had to, sort of, cram the pillow in there, and then shake it, and then... 

Okay, sometimes the pillowcase ended up a bit crooked. That happened to everyone. I glanced at the door. No sign from Nick. Good. I really didn't need him to see me struggling with a freaking pillow.

I eventually managed to wrestle it into shape, and let out a sigh of relief. I placed it carefully back on my bed, and tossed the packaging in the little trash can under my desk. I felt kind of proud. I was independent now.

I decided to keep the momentum going. I had more Luisa jobs I could do! First off was putting away my clothes. I went to the dresser and opened the top drawer.

It was full of Nick's clothes. So was the second drawer.

"Nick!" I yelled.

The shower stopped. 

"Nick!" I said again.

"Give me a fucking second, alright?" Nick called out from the bathroom. 

I dumped my clothes on top of the dresser and sat down on the couch with a huff. Nick had already made it up as his bed, and his pillow was sitting right next to me. I pushed it onto the floor.

After a moment, the bathroom door opened. I opened my mouth, ready to yell at him, but the words died on my lips. Nick was naked except for a towel wrapped around his waist. His mid-length black hair was damp and tousled, and his whole upper body was gleaming with moisture. My eyes traced a path past his pecs, down the lean musculature of his abs, to the defined V-line leading beneath his towel, towards his—

"I don't wear it in the shower," said Nick.

I jumped and snapped my head up guiltily, "I wasn't looking!"

"Sure you weren't," he went to the dresser and started looking through the top drawer. The top drawer he had claimed without my permission, "And stop calling me Nick. You're Nick."

"You're Nick," I muttered. I had been so full of energy to cuss him out, but for some reason the way his back muscles were moving as he searched through the drawer was throwing me off, "And I know you don't wear it in the shower, by the way. Obviously. It's a towel."

Nick whirled around. A curl of dark hair flopped over his forehead. I bit my lip. Oh my god. Why was it so hard to stay focused?

"I meant my arm, you fucking idiot," he said.

Oh. That made more sense. Sure enough, his right arm was nude of its prosthetic hand. Instead his forearm ended at about half the normal length. I caught a glimpse of a rounded protrusion and a curved scar, but that part of his arm was down by his waist and it was hard to stop my eyes from slipping back to...

I looked up, "Why did you take the top two drawers in the dresser?"

Nick shrugged, "I'm taller. It's easier for me to reach."

I crossed my arms, "I'm not that short."

"You're pretty fucking short," Nick sneered.

I jumped up, "Listen, okay?  Don't think you can push me around just because you're bigger than me. You are a guest in my room, because I am actually incredibly generous.

If you do anything to piss me off again, I'm gonna call my father and get you kicked out."

"No you're not," Nick said coolly.

I blinked, "Um. Yes I am. We have really good lawyers."

NIck smirked and started walking towards me, "Yeah, I've been thinking about that. You kept threatening to sue Lucy, but you backed down really fucking quick."

I backed away a bit. Nick followed me, still with that cool, confident smirk on his stupid face.

"That's because I'm nice," I said.

"No you're not," he said, "You're a spoiled little bitch. I think you're used to throwing your dad's name around to get what you want, but you don't actually have the balls to back it up. You're more scared of him than anyone else is."

I backed up some more and bumped into the desk, "That's... that's not true."

"Yeah it is," said Nick, "You said you need to prove yourself here or you'll get pulled out. Calling your daddy for help on the first night? Not very impressive."

I looked down, ashamed.

"You can have the top drawer," I mumbled. I felt very stupid for making a big deal over it now.

Nick laughed, "No shit. I think I can do anything I want, and there's nothing you can do about it."

My heart was beating super fast. He was right. I couldn't call Father. He had already been reluctant to let me come here, and I knew that if I complained his first action would be to send Harry to bring me back home. Nick loomed over me. He was so tall. I shrank back even further. He put his hand down on the desk by my side. He had me trapped, literally and figuratively. He leaned in towards me.

"I want the bed," he said.

I gasped and smacked him in the chest. He reared back, more shocked than actually hurt.

"No!" I yelled, "You said I could have the bed!"

"Fuck!" said Nick, "What the hell?"

He took a couple of steps back. I lunged towards him, jabbing a finger up at his face.

"And don't think I forgot that you're here on a scholarship!" I said, "I think you'd lose that pretty freaking quick if the school board found out you were threatening your roommate!"

"Alright! Jesus!" Nick said, "I wasn't threatening you. I was telling you to stop threatening me!"

"Well!" I said. I stomped over to him and got right up in his face, or as close as I could reach, ready to really give him a piece of my mind.

Uh oh. Mistake. His eyes were somehow at super dark but also super shiny and bright all at the same time, and his eyebrows were furrowed, and his face was all creased up like I had somehow hurt his feelings. I faltered.

"Well... let's both agree not to threaten each other anymore," I said, "I'm keeping the bed. But you can keep the top drawer."

Nick sighed, "Fine."

"But don't go thinking that means you're in charge!" I snapped, "On top doesn't mean in charge."

Nick snorted, "Sure."

"It doesn't!"

"Alright!" he said, "Jesus. Deal."

"Deal," I said. I held out my hand for a handshake, the way Father had taught me. Nick gave me a look. After a moment I blushed furiously and held out my left hand instead. He took it. His hand almost dwarfed mine.

"This is fucking weird," he said as we separated, "You're a weird guy."

"It's called manners," I said.

Nick rolled his eyes, and brushed a stray lock of hair back behind his ear. A drop of water slid down his exposed chest. I blushed again.

"And put some freaking clothes on," I said.