Chapter Text
As Cindy stares blankly at her computer screen, the letters of the document in front of her begin to blur together, fading in and out like they are half there, half not. Her brain is dimly aware that she's on the precipice of falling asleep.
Instantly, she sits up in her chair, rubbing her eyes a little harder than she needs to.
These notes are going to be the death of her. They needed to be done by tomorrow morning at eight. Sure, she could've woken up obscenely early to do it, but she had told herself staying up late would be easier.
She's regretting that decision now. She types another word or two and is disgusted with herself when she somehow manages to misspell two words in a row. She shoves her computer away from her.
Coffee. Coffee will help.
She extracts herself from the chair with a groan. Her body protests the movement, and she sighs.
"Stop being a little bitch," she tells her bones.
Cindy shivers as she walks through the halls. She should recheck the thermostat, which often went haywire in the middle of the night, shifting between stifling hot and freezing cold. No matter how many times they fixed it, it always seemed to go out of whack again. They'd even replaced the device itself, but it was as if the house was possessed, and the new one had started doing the same thing.
She'd suggested that they rip the entire system out and put in one that Jimmy designed, but Jimmy said the landlord probably wouldn't appreciate him doing that. There had been an argument about it in which very heated words had been exchanged, and nothing had been done.
She'd have to bring it up again.
Thankfully, the temporary fix is extremely uncomplicated, so she takes a brief detour into the basement to reset it. The space itself is unfinished, damp, and she really hates it, so she does what she came to do, then hurries back upstairs. She soon continues on her way toward the kitchen, and as she turns the corner, she spots a light on at the end of the hallway.
She looks at her phone. It's almost two in the morning.
When Cindy walks into the room, her eyes instantly lock onto Jimmy, who is hunched over his computer at their small table. His notes are spread out all around him, on every available surface. It looks rather silly, considering it's only big enough for a few plates. For a moment, she feels a little guilty, but then she scolds herself, because she's the one who won the right to the office for the evening.
"Hello," she says.
He looks up from his computer; his eyes are dark, and he looks as tired as she feels. "Hello."
She walks past him to grab the coffeepot, filling it up with water. "From the looks of it, your work is going about as well as mine."
"I don't know why the client insists I get these to them by the end of the week. I told them it would take a month, but they completely ignored me."
"You still agreed," she says.
"I did," he says with a sigh.
She puts a filter in the coffee maker, filling it with her favorite dark roast ground coffee. "By the way, the thermostat went out again."
"Hm," he says noncomitally.
"Jimmy," she says as she starts the machine.
"Put it on the list," he says as his fingers move over his keyboard.
"You could just-"
"Cindy. Not now, please."
"Why not?"
"It's obscenely early in the morning. Neither of us is thinking straight. I have a deadline, and so do you."
"You can't ignore this! It's only going to keep happening. I told you I would help you, but you keep putting it off!"
"Cindy!" He snaps. "I don't want to do it, and that is all I have to say about it, okay?"
There's a beat as the house falls silent except for the sound of the coffee slowly dripping into the pot and Goddard snoring.
"Sorry," Jimmy's voice is quiet, but sincere. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I know our landlord doesn't give a shit about us, so I could probably do whatever the hell I want, but I don't want to get on his bad side. It's cowardly, I admit it. But I want to get out of here, and if we need him for a recommendation…" He trails off.
"I get it," she says, and she genuinely does.
"It's frustrating because I never used to care about this stuff."
"Being an adult sucks." She pauses and then laughs. "But I'd argue that since you have almost set the house on fire several times, the damage is already done."
He finally looks up from his computer, his lips twisting sardonically. "I have not."
"Liar."
He rolls his eyes, but his face softens a little as he gets up from the chair and walks over to get himself a cup of coffee.
They both came to appreciate black coffee in their college days, and neither of them had ever really stopped drinking it since then. It was something they always bonded over, the easy caffeine fix in the wee hours of the morning when you were half asleep.
Jimmy pours himself a cup, then comes to stand beside her. He's standing close enough that their shoulders are touching.
Cindy yawns, and in that moment, she can't help but find it a little sad that while the world is asleep, the members of the Neutron-Vortex household are drinking coffee to try to stay awake.
"Jimmy?"
"Hm?"
"Maybe we should go to bed," she says softly.
He turns toward her, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Bed, hmm?"
"You can't be serious. I meant to go to sleep, you dolt."
"Dolt. That's a good one." He grins down at her.
"I'm tired, my insult game is off point," she argues. "Besides, weren't we fighting two seconds ago?"
"That's our way, isn't it?"
Then he leans down and kisses her; it's a soft, sweet thing. His lips are slightly chapped, and his breath is bitter from the coffee, but he is warm and familiar. He feels like home.
Jimmy pulls away slightly, then presses his forehead against hers. "You're right, though. We should go to bed."
"Okay. I'm going to go turn out the lights in the office."
"By the way, next time you are not winning rock, paper, scissors."
"Shut up, Neutron."
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