Chapter Text
It was raining— pouring, actually. Gray skies, depression, the works. Inside a particular second-floor apartment, however, things were anything but; Marina and Levi’s off-campus apartment was as cozy and warm as things could be granted the weather. It seemed every miserable aspect of the storm was countered by something nice: the overhead lights were off, just a warm floor lamp glowing in the corner, enough to throw light across the tiny living room. The walls hummed faintly with radiator heat, hissing in an uneven, overworked way commonplace of old building mechanics.
Marina was curled in her usual spot on the couch, one leg tucked under the other, hoodie bunched around her elbows, fingers tapping speedily at her laptop’s keyboard. Code scrolled across her screen like occult incantations. She’d been like that for almost an hour now, earbuds in but only one side actually playing music, the other just there to discourage conversation. Her socks were mismatched again (stars on one, blank on the other) and there was a forgotten mug of tea steaming on the coffee table in front of her. It was still half-full and starting to skin over given the amount of cream (a fuckton) and sugar she put into it.
Levi was an arm’s reach away, slouched on the carpet with a worn textbook cracked open across his lap. He occasionally hummed in agreement when he underlined something he absolutely didn’t understand. Every few minutes, he'd reach up to adjust the Bluetooth speaker behind him, fiddling with the volume so the “lo-fi beats playlist” hit just right. They’d been looping the same playlist for two days. Neither of them cared.
It was cozy as it was perfect.
Then a knock came at 10:42 PM. Three times. Then again, faster. Then once more, followed by a wet thud like someone had leaned on the door too hard and possibly collapsed.
Levi glanced up first. “Expecting someone?”
Marina popped out her earbuds. “No.” She then pushed herself to her feet with a huff, carefully stepped over two tangled charging cables, and unlocked the door.
And there he was.
Henryk. Sopping wet. Hair plastered to his forehead much like a taxidermy project. One shoe missing. He had a garbage bag slung over one shoulder. He looked like someone who had just survived a bus crash after escaping a dentention center.
He grinned. “Hey! I brought soup!”
Marina looked back at Levi with widened eyes. Levi gave her the same look before he got up and tried to look somewhat like a bodyguard for his girlfriend.
“Um…”
Henryk blinked a couple times. “What’s wrong?”
The two students gave each other a painfully cringed look. Marina was the first to break the ice: “So, um, remind us who you are again? I mean, you look familiar— from the train, right?”
Henryk's face didn’t wince what-so-ever. He kept his posture, soaked like a wet cat who’d convinced himself he was a lion, and beamed. “Yeah! Yeah, the train! And the soup— remember? When we got stuck and I cooked for everyone? I did the thing with the aioli? You said it was ‘edible’.” He nodded enthusiastically while pointing to Marina, water dripping off the tip of his nose. “Also, I loaned Levi a phone charger at that student union meetup with the free sushi. You remember, right, Levi?”
Levi hesitated just a second too long. “...Sure. Yeah. Totally.” Pause. “Wait, that was you? ”
Henryk didn’t seem to notice the whiplash. “And now, here we are! Serendipity, right? Life has a weird way of circling back. I was in the neighborhood. Kinda. Ish. My housing situation’s gone a little sideways— long story, honestly, it involves kombucha and a restraining order I think is technically expired— whatever, I figured I’d crash with you guys for a night or two. Just until I dry off. Whichever comes first. We’re friends, right?”
Marina blinked. Twice. Thrice. “So. You got on a bus. In a storm. With soup. And just came over to our address?”
“Exactly.”
“...”
“...”
“Don’t worry— I’m super low-maintenance. Couch is fine. Floor is fine. I once slept on a pile of printer paper.”
Levi glanced over at his girlfriend. “Maybe we could let him—”
“You’re dripping on our rug ,” she deadpanned, and it came out so flat Levi had to cough to keep from laughing. He stepped forward, slipping into peacemaker mode before the moment caught fire.
“Uh. Marina, babe— maybe we should just talk for a second?” he murmured, putting a gentle hand on her elbow.
Marina didn’t take her eyes off Henryk, who had now removed his (only) shoe before examining it for structural damage. “Oh, yeah,” she muttered. “We’re absolutely going to talk.”
She turned, hand tightening on Levi’s wrist, and yanked him down the hallway toward the bedroom, muttering a sharp, “Excuse us,” over her shoulder.
Levi let out a tiny squeak as she yanked him into the bedroom. Her fingers felt like handcuffs around his forearm. The door shut with a very audible click (not quite a slam, but not far off either). Outside, they could hear Henryk shifting and groaning like a walrus settling into a beanbag chair.
Marina paced once in a circle, then stopped. Planted both hands on her hips.
“Levi.”
“Um, yeah?”
“I’m going to ask a question, and I’d like your answer to it.”
“...Okay.”
“Are you ready for my question?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, here’s my question: What the fuck?”
Levi flinched. “I— it’s just— he sounded really down and— I mean… he brought soup.”
Marina stared at him with a deadpan look.
“ Soup .”
Levi winced again. He rubbed the back of his neck, the classic Levi maneuver when his brain tried to stall for time. “I mean, I get it,” he said, holding up his hands like that might shield him. “It’s weird. It’s very weird. But… he’s having a hard time, Marina. You saw him.”
“That’s not a reason to let him into our home. ” She huffed. “We barely know the guy and you’re ready to take him in like a stray dog!”
Fuck. Levi knew this tone. This was gonna be tricky. He moved toward her like she was a live wire. “I know. I know . But we’ve both had shitty nights, haven’t we?” He paused. “He looks like that.”
Marina squinted at him. “Did you just say ‘we’ve all been there’ about a man who showed up uninvited to our home during a storm with soup and one shoe? ”
Levi hesitated. “...Yes.”
She groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed like gravity had finally claimed her. “Levi. This is how horror movies start. I swear to God we’re gonna wake up and he’ll duct-taped the fridge to the ceiling.”
Levi sat gently beside her with his hands folded. “It’s just for one night,” he said, quietly. “Just tonight. Let him dry off, sleep on the couch, and tomorrow I’ll personally make sure he leaves.”
Marina rolled her head toward him with a brow raised.
“I’m just saying,” Levi said, shrugging helplessly, “he might be annoying, but he’s harmless! Remember when he commented on Abella’s butt and got shit for it? He stopped after that!”
She stared at him. Just long enough for him to start worrying.
“We’ve only known him for six hours collectively.”
Levi gave her the puppy dog look.
Marina kept the stare, but then dropped it: “If he steals my oat milk, I will break his thumbs.”
Levi exhaled with visible relief. “Noted. Thumb protection detail, engaged.”
Marina got up instantly and started walking toward their new guest. She did so in such a quick manner, Levi barely had time to catch up. By the time she reached the blonde, Levi was right behind her.
“ One night.” She pointed to his chest. “Couch only. You breathe weird near my desk, I will sacrifice you to the Old Gods.”
Henryk beamed. “That’s fair.” He didn’t know who the Old Gods were, but it was probably better not to ask. “I’ll be here just for the night. You won’t even notice I’m here!”
That was three and a half months ago. And yes, they noticed him.