𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙶𝙴𝚃 𝙷𝙴𝚁࿐ ྂ ᴊᴇꜰꜰ ʙᴜᴄᴋʟᴇʏ

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ɴɪɴᴇ

"IM STILL PAYING RENT AND I DON'T EVEN LIVE THERE, REALLY."

Jeff trailed Polly around her apartment as she carried her laundry to her washer, sleep in her eyes and hair still messy from from tossing in her sheets. He had way too much energy for seven-thirty in the morning. He was trying to get rid of Polly's hesitance about him officially moving in with her. She wouldn't really mind it, but Polly did value her alone time- and Jeff was pretty much jobless, other than his gigs.

So he would always be there. Even when she wanted to watch her shows that had characters he would often impersonate, or when she wanted to take a long, uninterrupted bath. Jeff was a calm person, in some aspects. But he regularly would play odd-tempo songs until the strings of his guitar nearly broke off, or in moments like these when his words couldn't keep up with his thoughts.

"I mean, think about it. Brookes barely ever in New York anyways." Jeff paused as Polly began to walk upstairs, on her way to her small dark room. "I'm good to have around. I sing. I'll even dance for you." Polly was still silent but turned her back so he wouldn't see her face that crinkled into a smile as she dipped photos in the developer. Really, she just wanted to see how long Jeff would talk. She heard an over-dramatic sigh from behind her, and couldn't keep her laughter contained, but he took no notice of the slight quiver of her body as she giggled.

Jeff walked up behind her, looking at the photos she turned over in the chemicals, his nose wrinkling slightly. "I like them." He complimented.

"You can't see them yet," Polly replied, hanging the pictures to dry.

"Well, I know I'll like them."

At his words, Polly couldn't contain her soft laughter. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, still laughing. "You just want me to say yes."

Jeff looked defeated. "So you're saying no?"

"I didn't say anything." She replied calmly, looking up at him.

"So yes?" She left the room, disappearing down the hallway and back down the stairs. "Polly?"

Polly poured herself a cup of coffee. "Jeff," she said back. "I made up my mind like ten minutes ago." She took a slow drink, warming her hands around the mug. She looked at him, he was still expecting an actual answer. "Yes."

He kissed her first enthusiastically before running out the front door. He bid a quick, 'thank you,' and was gone, on his way to pick up his belongings Polly supposed. Which was only a large duffel of clothes and inexplicable trinkets as Jeff regularly left his guitars and records at Polly's apartment. He'd get his other random things later.

For the fifteen minutes he was gone, it gave Polly a moment to think about their time in Syracuse. The lunch with Mabel she could think about forever, but instead she tried to push it out of her mind, knowing she would never find peace about anything to do with that woman. Her father, on the other hand, had stressed that he wanted to see her more, at least have weekly phone calls.

The weekly phone call she'd forgotten about. Shit, she thought, rushing to her phone. She punched the numbers in hastily, the phone barely ringing before it was picked up.

"Polly!" She could hear the smile in her father's voice, putting one on her face as well.

"Dad." She started, knowing that she didn't want to talk about it when Jeff came back. "I need advice, I think." As she said those words, she felt like she was a teen again.

"Go on," Floyd said, awaiting her words.

"Well, I guess I just want your opinion." She pursed her lips, not knowing how he would react to what she decided on. "So, Jeff is gonna live with me. Officially."

There was silence for a few seconds. "I think that's great."

"You do?" she asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

"I do." He paused. "When you were here I didn't really want to ask you anything about, I guess, the future. You twos future." Polly was quiet, awaiting more from him. "I really like him, Polly. I think you have something you should hold on to, something special." He didn't want to scare his daughter with anything serious, like marriage or the question if he would ever have grandkids, so he stuck with that one, vague statement.

Jeff had come back, happily setting his bag down in his new home, though he had basically lived there for two, almost three years, save for the gaps that he was in California or they were in an odd time of their relationship.

Polly bid her dad a quick goodbye, kissing Jeff before he fell into an energized rant about being 'roomies.' After that, he sat on her blue sofa and grabbed the old yellow Tele, showing her new songs he was working on. Nothing would change it seemed, now they just had the official title, and phase in their relationship of living together.

It was scary, but refreshing all at once to start a new chapter of life together. As a thank you for Polly finally saying yes to his proposal, Jeff cooked them both breakfast, vowing to do it as often as he could, but Polly knew by the next morning he'd still be asleep as she went off to work.

On her way to work, she passed Cornelia Street Cafe. She didn't actually have to go that way whatsoever and could probably save herself a bit of time by going the regular way, but she couldn't resist the memories going by the cafe brought. It was her first job in the city, the place where she'd met Brooke, where she'd met Jeff.

She recalled not really being able to tell what she felt about him. He'd first showed up severely underdressed for the New York winter and barely had said any words to her. But later on, he proclaimed his love for both Bob Dylan and Zeppelin, showing his undeniable talent and his eccentricities.

Soon, he had gotten her inexplicably hooked, in a way that was scary for Polly. But, she was beyond grateful that then she had been brave enough to trust the funny, guitar-playing man. She had trusted him enough to fall in love, and no matter how they ended up, broken or together, complicated or not, she would never trade the years of being so stupidly in love.

So, she walked past Cornelia Street Cafe as a bittersweet reminder of her relationship's beginnings, of how far she had come since getting that waitressing job. It was funny how something as simple as a cafe in lower Manhattan meant so many different things to her, how only the sight of it represented an entire phase in her life. One day, she would probably walk past the Columbia building and think the exact same thing.

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a/n

hi u guys I haven't done a note in forever how is everyone and what are thoughts on the story??!

also, after chap 30 it'll be part 3 sooo a lil more interesting  🤞🤞