Pleased to meet you... again

Seven

It was almost 1pm on the Saturday when Xander got back to the room.

Casey was in the kitchen cleaning. The blonde looked up. The soccer player was in yesterday's clothes. She felt her heart heat and her gut churn. "Eventually."

"Yeah I spent the night with a friend." The brunette hardly looked up feeling a little embarrassed by the confession.

"Oh, a friend eh? Do tell." She tried to sound happier than she felt.

"Nothing much to tell." Xander said as they headed to their room.

Casey followed and leaned against the door frame. "I've got time this afternoon if you want to go over the economics stuff."

"No you're good. I'll be fine." Xander turned their back while they put items away.

"Okay." Cassie was confused by the change in her roommate. Everything had been good yesterday morning and now they were being all arsey. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little tired."

"Okay then. I'll let you sleep." The blonde moved away from the door feeling a bit hurt and very confused.

As they closed the door Xander spent a moment with their back leaning against it. While they ran their hands over their face and through their hair. The night with Ainsley had been a good distraction. Between the quiz and the time they'd spent in bed.

But they were home now with a very real realisation. They wanted the woman they shared a room with. A woman with a boyfriend, a woman who saw them as a project. A woman who'd never feel for them the way they wished. It had only been just over a week, college was going to be hell.

They both separately decided in their own minds the best thing to do was avoid each other, and just get on with their lives.

Things carried on for the next almost two months with a weird tension. The roommates communicated politely but neither was particularly friendly anymore. They just shared a space. They shopped on thier own cooked and cleaned on their own and very rarely found themselves sharing the common areas at the same time.

Xander got a job in a cafe one evening, one morning and most of a Saturday. They couldn't believe how quickly they mastered the barista training. The extra money made it easier but they knew they couldn't afford to go home for thanksgiving and Christmas so they picked the festive season and resigned themself for the fact they'd be on their own for a few days.

They watched and listened as the others were all getting ready to head home. Ainsley had offered. But they didn't feel comfortable with idea of meeting a fuck buddies family. In fact the brunette had decided that it probably was time to stop messing around with the captain. In between the sex they'd actually become pretty friendly. There was no romantic love between them but it was getting weirder for Xander sleeping with a friend.

At the flat Casey was packing a bag when Xander came home from having that exact chat with the redhead. Turned out they as always were on the same page.

"When are you flying home?" The blonde asked as she looked up from checking the zip on her hold-all.

"I'm not."

"Right, won't it take forever to get to Missouri any other way?"

"Yeah, I'm staying here."

"Oh, right." The blonde went back into her bedroom.

Xander went to theirs. They emptied their bed of books and laptop and settled at their desk. It was going to be really quiet around campus for the week. They switched the computer on as they heard a quiet rattle at the door. They sighed, "yeah."

The door opened and Cassie stood at the entrance. "I just spoke with my mom and we'd be delighted if you would join us."

"Thanks. But I'm okay honestly."

"What did I do?"

"What do you mean?"

"What did I do to you that made you not want to spend time with me anymore."

Xander looked at the desk for a moment. It seemed like so long ago, "you wanted to fix me. I thought you accepted me and it turns out you were just looking for a project. Well I don't want or need you to fix me because I'm not broken and I don't need your pity invite for thanksgiving."

"I have no idea where you got that idea." Casey shook her head.

"I heard you and your lawyer mates."

"I don't know what you think you heard, but I never ever thought about fixing you. In fact I thought you were pretty perfect. But em nevermind. That's what you think of me." Casey turned and closed the door. She was upset and angry that Xander thought she was so shallow.

Casey sat for a moment on the edge of her bed while the anger abated. She ran through things in her head trying to piece back together when she'd noticed the change in Xan. She figured it was the second weekend they were here when her flatmate didn't come home. Her friends had been pretty rude. She must have heard some of the conversation. Casey decided the best way forward was to write a note.

She left the paper on the breakfast bar before heading home. She'd let Xander decide.

The soccer player heard the exterior door close. They sat a moment before finding their chest warm and the tears welling. They weren't even sure why they were crying, they missed home. They knew the next few days would be lonely, maybe it was because they'd held onto something they thought to be real and they couldn't anymore: she thought I was pretty perfect and I treated her like an ass. Yeah Xander thought to themselves she is perfect too, well except for Hunt the Cunt.

They wiped their eyes and decided to call their mom.

It was late evening before they left their room in search of food. After the call home they found themself napping at the computer and moved over to bed for a proper sleep. They'd had another weird dream about being in a castle somewhere as a knight or warrior who was related to the king of Scotland. Casey was there but not as a princess as expected but as a cook or servant girl. They'd meet in secret and walk along the stone beach stealing kisses. But then Hunter arrived and tried to kill them both. Succeeding with Casey.

Xander wandered through to the kitchen in just a vest and boxers. They knew they had the place to themselves. Cup noodles it was. They boiled the kettle and sat down seeing a folded piece of paper with their name.

Xan,

I'd never want to change you. Well maybe now into someone who likes me again.

The offer stands if you want to join us for thanksgiving even for a few days.

The note ended with the blonde's cell number. And a smiley face.

The soccer player smiled. They we're definitely going to spend a few days with Casey.