These Four Thin Walls

Prologue

Nora tried to focus on the task at hand: buttering the toasted bread. Or checking for the fourth time if the coffee was ready. Or making sure they still had enough protein bars so Tommy wouldn't throw a tantrum about the box being half empty. Lucky for him, Nora was a thoughtful roommate and bought a new one on her last supply run.
Anything to keep her mind busy and distracted from the unholy, loud moans coming from Riley's room. It's not even 9am.
She was debating knocking on her door and tell them to be more quiet, but that would be awkward, at least to Nora. She didn't have the heart to do that. She also thought about making a smoothie and for once be glad for the loud roaring of the machine. One annoying sound could minimize the other. But Tommy didn't deserve to be woken up like that.
It didn't matter though, because the boy was already making his way out of his room with an expression on his face that would be a warning to anyone looking at him to not dare say good morning.

"Good morning!"

Nora took two mugs out of the cabinet and filled them with the freshly brewed coffee, setting one of them on the kitchenette counter for Tommy.

"Who are you trying to fool?" the boy asked, sitting on a stool and wrapping his hands around the steaming mug.

"Myself. It's either staying positive or going insane."

"Is it that bad of an idea to evict her?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

Nora gave him a non-serious stern look.

"Positive."

"I'll evict myself then."

"As if you could find some other affordable place and two other great roommates."

Tommy pointed his index finger in the girl's face.

"That's not very positive."

"Just drink your coffee."

Nora turned back to the cabinet.

"Are there any prot-" the sentence got interrupted by a protein bar flying across the kitchenette straight into Tommy's chest.

"Don't get too used to it."

"You're right, ain't no better roommate out there than you."

With no such care as to try not to spill the mug of coffee, Tommy reached over the counter and gently pulled Nora by the back of her neck to kiss her forehead.

"Do you hear that?" the girl asked, stopping Tommy mid second kiss.

"What?"

"Nothing." she looked at him, hopeful, "It stopped. They're done."

"Thank fuck." he said, before completing his interrupted action and kissing her forehead again.

Both then grabbed their mugs and sipped on the hot liquid while falling into a comfortable silence, not just between them, but all over the apartment, with the only annoying sound now being the package of Tommy's protein bar being ripped apart. As he took a bite, he payed attention to Nora.
Her long, wavy brown hair, though tamed under a bun, was still wild, with curls sticking out from the messy ball sitting on the top of her head. She had remains of mascara on the tips of her lashes, not noticeable at first sight, but Tommy was used to trying to memorize every detail about her, so it stood out. The sleeves of her dark gray oversized jumper nearly covered the whole length of her hands but he could still make out stains of acrylic paint, some more faded than others, all over her skin. A sign she had probably stayed up all night painting. Again. 

"Did you get any sleep?" Tommy asked.

"Tried to." Nora stared pointedly at the boy to try and make him believe her, "I swear I did this time. But there was someone going on a coitus marathon across the hall and if I was going to stay awake at least I would make my time useful."