He leans back against his seat, peering over the lip of the files that he was currently reading through. A cup of coffee was cradled in his hands, its warmth coursing through his body, and he spies a glance away from his work to find her buried in a pile of reference material.

Setting his mug down beside his computer, he glances over the countertop to see her busily scribbling away on a notebook. "What's going on? I'm pretty sure that's a fuck ton of work."

With a blink, she glances up from her work, giving him a strained smile. "Exams week."

Ah. That would do it. "Well shit."

"Not going to help?"

"What could I do?" He replies with a shrug, "I've graduated years ago. And it's not like what I know could apply to what you're currently reviewing. Sorry to tell you this, but I'm not gonna be of any help."

She huffs. "Typical."

"Well, if her majesty wants some music played, then I don't see why not." He drawls, only to pause when she does nod at his request. "Wait, shit. Seriously?"

"I'd just put on some earphones and listen to the songs on my phone, but I... forgot it at home." He rolled his eyes, preparing to crack a joke at her expense, only to see the stiff expression on her face. Wisely, he decided to just shelve the matter and let her talk, "So yeah, some songs would be appreciated."

"Don't make fun of my taste." He chides her, already fishing his phone out of his pockets and browsing through the list. "I'm serious."

"You know you're just digging yourself a deeper hole, right? Because if you think it's weird, then that's just setting some stellar expectations."

"I could just not do it." He snaps back, watching as her expression shifts into an odd expression. It stays that way for a few seconds, an uncomfortable bout of silence hanging in the air before he pokes her forehead. "Oi, what's wrong?"

"Ah... It's, it's nothing." He gives her a flat glare, and she coughs into her hand. "Nothing, it's just, speaking of weird things, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure..." He trails off, taking a sip of his coffee. "Depends on what that favor is, though."

"Can I..." Her face morphs into something ugly, tapping the end of her pen against the countertop. "Look, I assure you it's nothing weird. It's probably only for a few days, and I'm going to keep myself scarce as much as possible, but–"

He sighs. "Just be out with it."

Her face shifts, looking like she has a bout of constipation, before she eventually grits out the words. "... Can I stay here until my exams end?"

The silence in the air was so strong that you could hear a pin drop. She shuffles in her seat, a hand already moving to cover her face. "Ugh, forget it. It's just that– I can't focus at night and the neighbors are always fucking noisy and I still need to go to cram some of this stuff with some of my other classmates and–"

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"Bring your own toiletries."

"Bwuh?" She gawks at him, only to find him headfirst into a countertop, a cup of coffee held in his hands. She blinks at the sight for a few seconds, before the incredulity catches up. "I– are you serious?"

"You can stay." He mumbles into the wood. "I'll clear out the extra room that Jay uses whenever he sleeps here – you can crash there. Just, I– look, when I said bring your own toiletries, I mean it. The last time Jay forgot his toiletries in the bathroom, I had a fucking heart attack when his wife came to pick him up and saw the extra toothbrush and the hair products and–"

"She thought you had someone?" She asks, and he lets out an aggrieved sigh. No doubt that she was right on the money for that, then. "You don't look like the type. No offense."

"Offense fully taken." He snaps, glaring at her from the tabletop. An idle part of her noted his flushed cheeks, only to be hammered back into nonexistence by the more hysterical part of her mind. "Not like I fully agree with you, but still."

She opened her mouth to disagree, only to shake her head at the last second and zip her mouth shut. "Anything else that I need to take care of?"

"Uh..." His brows cross, staring at his fingers before his eyes flicker back towards her. "Bring your own toiletries, don't touch the coffee maker... I think that's it."

"The coffee maker." She drawls, her gaze flicking towards the door to his office. "You're serious."

"Everyone thinks it's easy to brew a cup with that damn thing, so no." He grumbles. "You're not going to touch it, because there's no way in hell that I'm going to go to that cafe over the curb just to get a fucking cup of coffee."

She frowns. "You know I work there, right?"

"And I stand by my words." He huffs, glaring at her for a few more seconds before letting out a sigh. "... Anyway, get back to studying for your exam week. I'll call Jay for now to tell him to go sleep back at home if he gets on another one of his drinking binges. Not that he'll like it, but one of these days, he has to suck it up."

She nods along, her brows furrowed as she returns back to her work. It didn't take long for her concentration to stray, until she eventually decides to pack things up for the day and get back to her apartment. Her apartment full of noisy neighbors that were annoying at the best of times.

... It'd be nice, to study in peace and quiet for the coming days.