There's a Light On in Chicago (Patrick Stump)

Chapter Two

As infrequently as she used it to get around Chicago, Sloane did have a car.  It was jam-packed full of clothes and memories.  She was prepared to buy the rest of everything she needed, but for now, an air mattress would have to work— at least until the building's elevator was up and running again.

Patrick was sitting on the front steps of the building as she pulled up, the door propped open to let the fall breeze waft into the stuffy lobby. This neighborhood was among one of the safest she could afford in the city, just a few blocks south of Wrigley Field.  She'd never been much of a sports fanatic, but maybe living so close to the stadium could change her mind.  Sloane rolled down the window as he stood to greet her. "Pete says he's sorry, but he had to go into work. I'll help you bring your things up," he says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his torn skinny jeans. Sloane pops open the hatchback and they begin taking as much as they could carry without toppling over. Within 4 trips up and down the stairs, Sloane was officially their roommate.

Patrick pops off the top of a beer bottle and hands it to Sloane, holding his out to clink against hers. When the necks of the bottles touch, they smile, and bring the beer to their lips. The outside of the bottle was covered in frost, and it made Sloane thirsty just looking at it.  As soon as the liquid hit the tip of her tongue, she closed her eyes and took a big gulp.

"You're sure this is all?" He asks, looking at the dozen boxes in her room.

She silently counts the boxes and shrugs "yeah, that's all".

Patrick smiles. "So, where's your bed?"

"Oh, well I'm going to wait until they fix the elevator to get real furniture."

Patrick bursts into laughter. "That will never happen. Trust me, we've lived here for years, and it's been broken even longer than that. We've become pros at moving things up and down those stairs."

Sloane groans and tosses her head back. "That's so much work, though!"

"What are you going to do, then? Sleep on the floor? You don't even have a mattress."

Sloane digs through three boxes before finding the one that has the air mattress inside of it. "I've already got it covered."

Patrick fights a smile and puts his head in his hands. "You know, I would offer my bed to sleep in, but that'd probably be crossing a line".

He didn't know where that even came from. That's something Pete would have said, not Patrick. Before he could even think to blush, she nudged him and grabbed his beer, chugging it and placing the empty bottle next to the one she'd finished off. He raised his eyebrows at her, speechless and slightly impressed.

"Come on, help or get out of the way," she said with a wink, rolling out the bed to be pressed against the wall that their rooms share.

They spent hours unpacking and getting to know each other, bonding more than he's bonded with any of his other roommates besides Pete. It didn't help that she was attractive. He made an agreement with Pete, though, and he was going to stick to that.

Sloane unpacked everything but her clothes, leaving that for later, when she's alone.  Patrick showed her the space they made in the bathroom for her things, as well as the cupboards and refrigerator space they cleared for her.

"Pete and I usually share our food, and you're welcome to whatever we have, but we totally understand if you want to keep everything separate."

She plopped onto the couch, sinking into the cushions with a groan.  All of her muscles ached.  As she rubbed the back of her neck, she noticed Patrick staring at her from the opposite side of the couch.  As soon as she smiled, he shifted his eyes to the tv. 

"Let's take a break.  Wanna watch something, maybe order some food?"

She nods eagerly.  "Pizza?"

Patrick picks up his cellphone and starts dialing the number because, by now, he knows it by heart.  "You can never go wrong with pizza".