Your Ginger Housemate (Jerome Valeska X Reader)

2

You'd just gotten back to your apartment from grocery shopping. Usually, you'd be able to walk back home in a considerably short amount of time. However, this week was different. This week - and most likely for many weeks to come - you were catering for an extra person. A person with an enormous appetite! The load had more than doubled, making the walk home so much harder. A shame the intimidating freeloader couldn't lend a hand.

As you arrived at the apartment, you paused at the front door. Although Jerome been here for a week and a half, it still gave you a shock each time you saw the ginger in your apartment. You'd warmed up to each other in a considerably short amount of time. After your initial fear of him had all but depleted, you realised he wasn't going to do anything to harm you... intentionally anyway. If anything, Jerome seemed to enjoy the company. He'd still frighten you, especially when he would just turn up at your doorway. You wouldn't know how long he was there for exactly, but you guessed it had been awhile. He seemed to be able to walk around making no noise at all and always make it his mission to scare you as frequently as possible. That usually included coming up behind you and saying something as simple as "Boo," in your ear, his chin practically brushing against your shoulder. The man had no sense of personal space. It, of course, would cause you to jump and usually yelp in fright. You'd turn around and glare at him which would simply cause him to cackle even louder. You'd then have to tell him to shut up otherwise the neighbours would hear. It wouldn't do much. He'd cover his mouth but just burst out into a fit of giggles. Either way, he had made your life much more... interesting.

After the effort of unlocking the door and opening it with your foot, you walked into your little fantasy world - that's what you liked to call it anyway... A fantasy world which had been completely trashed! Jerome sat in the middle of the room clearly too busy to care you had come home.

"What the hell Valeska?! I leave you for two hours, and this is what I come back too? What is all this junk? It's only 6:30 for God's sake!"

The dining room table, chairs, the lounge, television, bookshelf, and lamps had all been pushed against the walls, leaving a large space full of duffel bags. Their contents spilt across the floor.

Jerome looked up with an irritated smile, tilting his head to the side. "Uh, 'this junk,', is my stuff. And I would appreciate, y/n, if you kindly did not touch anything just yet. Thank you... didja' get that stuff I asked for?"

He looked down as he asked the question, seemingly too busy to care if you needed assistance. His mood swings almost gave you whiplash. He just went from amused to serious in a split second!

Shaking your head, you attempted to step over everything, but it was precarious. The shopping bags caused you to almost topple onto a pile of what you would class as junk and with a huff, you hauled the bags onto the kitchen counter before turning to confront Jerome. He was smiling! He must have been amused by your less-than-graceful trip across the room. Now, you were mad. "Yes, I did. But I don't understand why you'd need the stain remover -"

"Heavy stain remover right?" He enquired without even glancing in your direction.

You continued in a heartbeat, "Ugh, yes. All those different steel polishes and a packet of rags. You didn't even bother to give a hand, but you watched? You're ridiculous! Where'd you even get all this stuff?"

Jerome begrudgingly looked up, obviously irritated. "Here and there... what? Don't think I wouldn't have made stashes around the place? I wasn't letting the stupid Feds chuck all my stuff... again." At that, he rolled his eyes, shook his head and continued. He was acting as if you were the one with issues!

"What're you doing anyway? And what's with all the bags? Don't give me a half ass answer either. You live under my roof, I wanna' know what you've dragged under it," you demanded