You love those boring instrumentals Who: Lita and Torrie. Where: Their shared homestead. What: Two miserable, injured roommates bond over their war wounds and begrudgingly help each other out. When: 10/4/19, morning.
You've got a bad sense of humor A little rough around the edges You’re kinda soft in the middle You love those boring instrumentals You got it wrong but I like you You’re kinda rough but I like you We get along and I love you
“Torrie!”
Lita called from her bedroom to her roommate, who she knew for a fact was awake. She’d heard Torrie curse about something or other a few minutes ago so there was no pretending like she hadn't heard Lita.
“Torrrrrrie, my feet are cold. I need socks. The fuzzy ones. Torrie? Torrie!”
Even though Lita wasn't technically on bed rest anymore she was on light duty, which meant no unnecessary movement if she could help it. Sure, Torrie was laid up as well but that didn't mean she couldn't help a sister out. Besides, Lita was far too comfortable in her cocoon of pillows and blankets to be bothered to shuffle the distance between her bed and her chest of drawers.
Torrie had been cursing because simple things like putting on a pair of jeans by herself was a goddamn act of god these days. Why the fuck hadn't anyone created a pamphlet of helpful ways to dress yourself while stuck in an arm sling? She would read the shit out of that. She had all morning to figure it out though, since she’d moved her music classes to the afternoon until further notice. Or until it didn't take her an hour and a half just to get dressed.
“Call your boyfriend!” Torrie hollered back to Lita, her skinny jeans still dangling from one ankle. “I’m sure he’d be real fucking happy to come get those damn fuzzy ones for you.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Lita shot back automatically. Lita figured the familiar and oft-stated declaration had about as much effect on Torrie’s perception of her and Nick’s relationship as it ever did (which was to say none) but she said it anyway. She was right, though; if Nick was here he would get the socks for her and he’d put them on her feet for her. Not only because he was sweet like that but also because she couldn't actually bend over all the way to put them on herself. But that fact was that Nick wasn't there and anytime she tried to cover up her icy tootsies with her blanket her middle screamed in protest. Lita knew she sounded like a brat yelling for Torrie wait on her literally hand and foot but she’s rather sound like a bitch than ask for help.
Torrie was making some weird noises over there, though. Her curiosity got the best of her and figuring that her feet couldn't get any colder investigating the situation, Lita very slowly and very carefully heaved herself out of bed. She stopped by her sock drawer and picked out the pair she’d been thinking about and with them in hand hobbled over to Torrie’s bedroom. The door was cracked so Lita pushed it open.
“I like this look you got going on here,” Lita said with a smirk as she stood in the doorway. She draped her arm across her aching torso as she watched Torrie struggle with her pants. “You’re going to pick up a lot of new music students with this new no-pants look.”
Scowling at the intrusion, Torrie muttered, “Fuck you.” Lita grinned even harder. But how close she was to defeat was clear in the way her shoulders slumped and in the storminess of her expression. “I should just wear fucking dresses.” Too bad there weren't that many dresses in her wardrobe, and the ones that were definitely were not appropriate for a teaching atmosphere. It was the jeans or nothing, and she didn't actually hate her job, so it looked like swallowing some pride was her only option.
Except she spent a few more moments trying to get both legs of her jeans up to her thighs, rather unsuccessfully, before she admitted true defeated and propped a hand on one hip. “Are you just going to stand there and admire my fucking legs or can you help me out?” she asked, which took more effort than any other sentence she could have said, and certainly more than all the amateur contorting she’d just been doing.
“I’m deciding,” Lita said, baiting her because she could. As soon as she walked into the room and saw Torrie needed her Lita knew she was going to help her roommate out. Still, it wouldn't be the two of them if Lita didn't mess with her a little bit. If the situation was reversed, which it actually was in a way, she wouldn't expect anything less from Torrie. No sad sack stories, no helpless requests, no feeling weak or weird or pathetic or pitied.
“If you do I’ll put your damn socks on for you, since you won’t call your man.”
“Done,” Lita said immediately, slowly shuffling toward Torrie. She hadn't imagined her morning would consist of her friend yelling at her to stop staring at her legs and help her get her pants on so she can put socks on your stupid, cold feet. Lita gingerly placed her socks on the bed and stood next to her friend, rubbing her mouth as she surveyed the situation. “You got one arm and I can’t bend over. If we can somehow get these suckers up to your knees, I can pull them up the rest of the way for you.”
Using her toes, Lita tried to arrange the jeans around Torrie’s feet. Torrie contorted as much as she could, grabbing the waistband of her jeans with one hand and pulling. Thank God there was nobody else around to see how ridiculous they looked. “You keep screwing up your shoulder up over and over again your arm is probably gonna fall off. It’s a medical fact. How’d you land on it again?”
Torrie hadn't really talked about what had happened at Walker’s with Lita. She wondered if she had talked about it with anybody. Lita knew it wasn't likely something her roommate would want to wax poetic about but maybe if she needled Torrie enough she'd annoy the story out of her.
“Some fucker with a zombie bite grabbed me while me and KC were trying to get out, I fell and he fell on me,” Torrie told her, muffled by the way she was bent to get the denim where they needed it. It was actually easier to talk about the Walker’s event than it was to concentrate on the fact that she was enough of an invalid to need her roommates help to get dressed. “The fall dislocated my shoulder. Guess I must have landed wrong. But my collarbone wouldn't have broken if the fucker hadn't fallen on me.”
Straightening back up, Torrie still had one hand firmly on the waistband of her jeans. “He smelled fucking terrible too. Like sauerkraut.” She made a face. Lita’s expression mirrored Torrie’s.
“KC smelled like sauerkraut or the guy with the bite?” Lita asked with a snort. It was a half serious question but when it came down to it, Lita was curious about this guy KC. Lita had heard Torrie mention KC upon occasion but she didn't know a whole lot about him. She didn't think they were banging or anything; Lita was fairly certain she would know if that were the case. Still, Lita hearing the man’s name enough to remember it was an indication he was important to Torrie in some way. Whether he was just a buddy or something else, time would tell.
Torrie had shimmied the jeans as far as she could with her one good arm so Lita stooped gingerly, grabbing the pants by the belt loops and drawing them up with as much force as her broken ribs would allow. The jeans, while completely unfashionable by Lita’s standards, were tight as hell so it was sort of slow going.
“I want to meet this friend of yours, but not if he smells like eastern European cooking.”
“KC smells fine,” Torrie responded between a series of annoyed little noises as she tried to help get her damn jeans where they should be. “It was the fucker with the zombie bite that smelled like the bottom of a garbage bin.” And she breathed a sigh of relief when finally, finally she was able to button and zip the jeans up. One more awkward thing out of the way.
“Even if KC did smell, he saved my ass so that gets a free pass on B.O. at least for a while.” Kevin always looked out for her, it felt like as much as her brother did. She tried not to take that for granted. Lita, on the other hand, made a face indicating that bad hygiene could never be excused under any circumstances, even ride-or-die friend situations, but since Torrie was pretty adamant on the issue and had assured her that was not the case, she let it slide. Appraising her wardrobe in the mirror, Torrie shrugged a little. She looked okay, but the sling was an eyesore, and was just going to keep being one until the doctors cleared her.
“He’s in quarantine right now, otherwise I’d introduce you.”
Moving away from the mirror, Torrie grabbed Lita’s socks off the bed and waved them in the air for a few seconds.
“Take a seat.” There were only so many awkward things she could do in one morning; it would be at least a little easier if Lita wasn't trying to stand and keep her balance while Torrie put her socks on for her. Lita nodded, and approached the bed. She carefully sat and stuck her icy foot up in the air as far as her tender torso would allow. At least Torrie wouldn't have to kneel in front of her to the stupidly simple task. Even though she just finished giving her roommate a hand didn't mean that needing someone to help put her socks on for her was any less cringe-worthy.
“I’m assuming that from your cavalier tone he’s immune?” Lita ventured. Torrie nodded quickly; she hadn't intended to make it sound like she didn't care. It was obvious to everyone and to themselves that Lita and Torrie had next to nothing in common. They had no similar hobbies or interests, save for judging people and complaining about the same things. Still, their relationship clicked in some strange stretch of kismet but since they had only rekindled their friendship fairly recently, Lita didn't know a whole hell of a lot about what Torrie did or who she hung with when she left the house. They had been living together for weeks now; might be time to remedy that.
“You should invite him over when he’s got his clean bill of health,” Lita said, wiggling her toes in Torrie’s direction.
Giving Lita only a look in response, Torrie kneeled and separated the pair of socks from each other before she put one on and then the other for her roommate. They did look comfortable, like they probably kept the majority of the cold from the floor from seeping into the soles of her feet.
“Oh, you want a real introduction with a warning ahead of time?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “I assumed I could just let him in one morning, so you could meet him when you’re least expecting it. You know, when you’re going for your morning coffee or some shit.” Torrie stood back up, somewhat clumsily as she tried to keep her balance, then settled into the chair she had in one corner of her room.
Lita eased herself up into a sitting position in Torrie’s bed. She settled against the pillows, raising a single, perfect eyebrow as her only rejoinder as to the reason why KC would be in their house in time for breakfast.
“We’re not fucking,” she clarified before Lita had the opportunity to make that jump.
“I didn't say you were,” Lita replied with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smirk, wiggling her toes into Torrie’s sheets. They were still a bit chilly, despite the fluffiness of her socks. “Funny your mind went there, though. Screwing or no, bring him over when he’s released. A guy that puts up with your cranky ass as much as I do is someone I want to meet.”
Torrie scowled at Lita’s smirk, and at her statement. At everything, actually. She thought she might have made things worse by trying to clarify what her relationship with KC wasn't. Maybe it would have been better just letting Lita believe whatever she wanted. It’s not like it mattered.
Lita stretched, wincing a little as her middle protested. She punched a pillow into a more comfortable shape and tucked it under her head, settling in. She was in no rush to leave Torrie’s bed once her roommate had fulfilled her part of the clothes exchange bargain.
“I think your mattress is more comfortable than mine.” Lita yawned. She probably had time to sneak in a nap before she started her shortened afternoon shift later.
“No. Get your ass out of my bed,” Torrie responded. She’d watched Lita settle in like a hawk watching their prey, and now she had the feeling that she should have stopped her. Kicked her ass out as soon as she’d finished with her roommate's socks. “If you stay here that means Nick will be in my space, and that’s not going to happen. I swear to god…” Except there wasn't a real threat she could follow through with. Lita was injured, she was injured, it’s not like she could make her move.
“Goddammit.” She folded her good arm over her sling, but it really failed to convey her annoyance. “You fucking suck, Singh. Was this your plan all along? Fucking bogart my bed while I’m off working my ass off? Evil fucking genius.”
“Evil fucking genius is my middle name,” Lita replied, preening for a moment. When it sunk in what Torrie thought she’d do while she was gone, what sort of roommate she assumed Lita was, Lita frowned and rolled her eyes. “But no, that wasn't my plan. Do you honestly think I’m such a bitch that I’d let Nick come in here and hang out just because I’m feeling too comfortable to move? Come on, Tor. I like to mess with you but I’m not that cruel...or gross. Now, you can either help me up or shut up and lay next to me until you go to work because either way I’m not getting up without your help.”
Torrie continued to scowl with her arms crossed pathetically, considering her options. “I've never had a roommate before,” she admitted finally, with an added eye roll for effect. Of course she didn't think Lita would have gone that far, but even having Nick hang out would have been weird. Checking the time on her bedside table, she realized that if she left she’d be really early, and getting her jeans on had been exhausting; if she climbed back into bed there was nothing anyone could say about it.
“Move your ass over,” she commanded before she crawled into the space not occupied by Lita. “I’m not going to fucking cuddle with you.” She smirked, making a joke of it. Lita probably wouldn't cuddle anyway with her injuries.
“Well thank God for that,” Lita replied with a grin, though she did stick her still cold toes under Torrie’s leg. Somehow, she felt warmer already.