Squad X (a Nuzi Story)

(mini-chapter)Moving in....?

(NORA POV)

So, here's what no one tells you about relationships: the big moments aren't always flashy. Sometimes, they just sort of happen. Like when you're sitting on a couch that isn't even yours, in an apartment that doesn't belong to either of you, eating takeout from a box.

That's where I found myself with Xavier, of course, right in the middle of one of these non-flashy big moments, and I was only half-aware of it.

The night had started like any other. We'd wrapped up another training session with C9DF, both of us exhausted but too stubborn to admit it, and ended up at his place, as usual. His apartment was cozy, in a way that felt lived-in but not messy. A contrast to my own chaotic 'still unpacking' disaster.

He was sprawled out on the couch, legs stretched across the cushions like he owned the place (he did), while I balanced a box of noodles on my lap, flipping through channels on the TV. I don't even know what I was looking for—anything that wasn't a terrible rom-com or the news, basically.

Xavier was watching me, I could feel it, but I didn't say anything at first. I'd gotten used to it—him looking at me like that. Like he was trying to figure me out. Like he knew I had all these walls up but was patient enough to wait me out.

"How's your lo mein?" he asked, and I knew there was something under the surface of that question. He wasn't just making small talk.

I shrugged. "Fine. Too much sauce. Probably not gonna finish it."

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze still locked on me. "You never finish your takeout."

"I know," I said, stuffing another forkful in my mouth as if to make a point. "What's your deal?"

"My deal?"

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He was sitting up now, arms resting on his knees, looking all serious. I hated it when he did that—the look. It always meant we were about to have one of those talks.

"Spit it out, Xavier. You've had that 'I'm about to get emotional' face on for the last ten minutes."

He let out a small laugh. "Okay, okay. I was just... thinking."

"Well, that's dangerous," I deadpanned, leaning back into the cushions.

"I'm serious, Nora." His voice softened, and I turned to face him. He was looking at me the way he does when he's about to say something that'll throw me off my game. "I've been thinking about... us."

My stomach did a little flip, the kind I wasn't proud of. But I kept my cool—because that's what I do. "Oh God, don't tell me you want to 'define the relationship' or something. You know how I feel about—"

"It's not that," he cut in, leaning forward, his gaze steady. "I was thinking we should... move in together."

For a split second, I thought I'd misheard him. I blinked. Twice. "You what now?"

He smiled, but there was a nervous edge to it. "You heard me. Move in. Together."

I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out at first. My brain short-circuited. "You... want to live together. Like, in the same apartment. You and me. In one place."

"That's generally what moving in means, yeah."

My first instinct was to make a joke, deflect, turn this into something that wasn't serious. That's how I handled everything that felt too real, too close. But this? This was different. This wasn't a joke. Xavier wasn't playing around, and the way he was looking at me told me he wasn't going to let me dodge this conversation.

I put my takeout box on the coffee table, suddenly feeling like I needed both hands to hold myself together. "Why now? Why ask me this now?"

He shrugged, but it wasn't a casual thing. I could tell he'd thought about this for a while. "We've been together for a bit. Well, sort of together." He gave me a knowing smile. "I mean, it's not like we don't spend most of our time at each other's places anyway. Feels like the next step."

"Next step?" I echoed, trying to wrap my head around it. "Like, cohabitating. The domestic life. Fighting over who does the dishes and sharing a bathroom?"

"Yeah," he said, his smile turning softer, almost amused. "Something like that."

I stared at him, half-expecting to wake up from some weird dream. But no, this was real. This was Xavier, asking me to move in with him like it was the most normal thing in the world.

And here's the thing: I wasn't opposed to it. Not really. But the idea of it freaked me out. It was such a... commitment. Such a thing. And me? I wasn't exactly known for my commitment skills.

"Look," I said, trying to sound like I had a handle on this. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just... we've got a good thing going, right? Why mess with that?"

His smile didn't waver. "We'd still have a good thing going. It'd just be under one roof. No more back-and-forth between places, no more trying to figure out whose turn it is to buy food. It's practical."

"Ah, yes. The romance of practicality," I quipped, but I couldn't hide the little grin tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Xavier laughed. "I'm serious, Nora."

"Yeah, I know you are," I said, biting my lip. "And that's what scares me."

He reached out, gently taking my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in that soothing way he does. "What's so scary about it?"

I looked down at our hands, intertwined like it was the most natural thing in the world. And maybe that was it. Maybe that's what was so scary—the fact that it was so natural. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just used to things being... complicated."

His voice softened again. "This doesn't have to be complicated. It's just you and me. Same as it's always been. We just share a closet now."

"Ugh," I groaned. "Sharing a closet with you sounds like a nightmare."

He chuckled, leaning in a little closer. "Think of it as a challenge. You like those, right?"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Okay, fine. But if we're doing this, I get the bigger side of the closet."

"Deal."

"And no neon signs."

"Deal."

"And I'm not cleaning up after you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Now, that one we'll have to negotiate."

I smirked. "Figures."

For a moment, we just sat there, letting the idea settle between us. It wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be. Actually, it felt... right.

"So, we're really doing this?" I asked, still a little incredulous.

Xavier nodded. "Yeah. We're really doing this."

And just like that, the non-flashy, quiet, big moment happened. We didn't need a dramatic proposal or some grand gesture. We just needed each other, sitting on that old couch, in an apartment that wasn't ours—yet.

But it would be.

And that was enough.