TAKE ME IN

[liam]

Looking back, Liam figured he could at least thank his parents for teaching him to pack so well. And so quickly. In the frenzy following the essential eviction from his home, he'd even remembered to grab his DS. He was playing it now, pressing the little buttons only slightly harder than usual, going through the familiar motions of the game. To any passer-by, he would have appeared entirely engrossed in this activity; in reality, he was still trying to come to terms with his situation: kicked out, parents off to Denmark, driving - driving - all the way from Idaho to the east coast, a tattered map and scribbled address his only hope for a new start. Sure, he had other friends - closer friends - but there was only one person in the world he felt he could turn to right now, and she happened to live in freaking New Jersey. However, as far as he was concerned, it had been worth the days of non-stop driving, living off of gas station sandwiches and sleeping in his car at various Wal Mart parking lots across the country. Partly because he missed her, but mostly, he told himself, because she would actually put up with him. She was probably his best friend... not that he would ever, ever tell her that. Though he might consider being kind enough to inform her that store-bought cupcakes were nothing compared to her delicious creations.

So he waited. Hunched over his DS, having parked his car neatly between an old pickup truck and a shiny blue mini, a duffle bag sat on the ground beside him. Sooner or later, she would have to come back, and all it would take to secure his place in her life would be a wounded demeanor and a brave smile. Then, he could find a job, and meet some more people, and bayve even consider applying to the conveniently located college. And, one day, he would get his own place and let her return to her excessively boring life. Perhaps visit his parents in Denmark at some point, more for the free accomodation than any real familial attachment. Provided they even tried to keep in touch..

Feeling a cramp begin to form in his neck, Liam straightened his bck, glancing around quickly before getting back to his game. She wasn't here yet. But she would be. Good old reliable Mika.

[mika]

Being the new girl in town wasn't all what Mika had hoped it'd be. The boys weren't what she saw on television, which was good. They weren't all souped up italian stereotypes and the city was under control, to say the least. She had her fun, meeting guys and maybe sleeping with one or two, but nothing huge and nothing slutty. Mika was at the point in her brain where she decided to stop playing around and start focusing on work. Either it was at her job at Starbucks or in school, Mika had to stay focused. She had woken up that morning, glad she wasn't working until later. So what does she do? She baked cupcakes. Why not? She had a little bit of frosting left over from her last batch (which she had made for her class). While the cupcakes baked she did her last bits of studying for her finals and then pulled the cupcakes out, put the home made frosting on them and then went off to work. A ten hour shift. Not only that but she needed milk and eggs and to be honest maybe something she didn't have to cook for dinner. With her hands full of paper bags, Mika shuffled quickly to her car, put the bags in the back and was on her way back to her apartment.

The drive home got her thinking about her old home. She'd usually have her grandma with her in the passengers seat to talk to. And Liam. She missed him. She often found herself making a few too many cupcakes and would sadly have to throw them out... She frowned at the thought. Mika had some sort of love for cupcakes, and she had a hard time throwing out her creations. Back in Idaho Mika would always turn to Liam to clean up the rest of her baking.

Pulling into the parking lot, Mika noticed a car that looked familiar. Only for a brief moment. She didn't think about checking the license plate to see if it was Idaho or not. She parked in her favorite spot, suddenly feeling upset about living on the second floor of the apartments. With a bit of a sigh she shrugged it off, pulling out all of her groceries in one hand. The brown bags crackled and blocked her vision, taking up all of the space in her arms. She was glad the day was over. As she scurried down the sidewalk, she took a second glance at the car she thought looked familiar, only to catch sight of a shockingly familiar person. She froze, her eyes and nose just barely poking over the brown bags. It took a few seconds of staring before realizing it really was Liam. Even then she felt it necessary to ask, "Um... Liam?" Her eyes showed blatant confusion.

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Liam Murphy

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[liam]

Somewhere along the way, Liam became immersed in his game again, finding that focusing on winning was much easier than all that ridiculous thinking he'd been doing earlier. Who needed parents, anyway? Who needed a home? Besides, he'd officially received the car in the deal, so whatever. The old house had been to big for just one person in the first place. Plus, his job sucked. Speaking of his job, he couldn't actually recall informing his employer of his sudden move. He frowned, furrowing his brow. He should probably text them later, explain that he was now in New Jersey. After making a mental note of this, he went back to his DS, playing furiously in order to drown out the more responsible side of his mind which had been trying to take over. He could get new work easy, with or without a reference from his last job. Besides, why was he even thinking about this? He wasn't supposed to be an adult - he could just as easily bum around, live off of Mika's charity.

At this point, Liam was so focused on playing his game and trying not to think too much, he didn't even notice Mika struggling her way toward him until she was practically on top of him. Figuratively speaking, of course. He jumped at the sound of his name, glancing up quickly before returning his gaze to the little screen in his hands. "Oh, hey." Cool, calm, collected, casual. As if his sudden presence were perfectly normal. He hit a few buttons on his DS, then ended the game, sliding the device into a pocket on his duffel bag before standing up and brushing himself off. "What's up? Need help with those bags?" He figured that, when requiring something as serious as a place to live, it would be best to act in a polite manner. At least until she said yes. He reached for one of her many groceries, meeting her eyes briefly before turning to look up at her building. "This place seems legit."

[mika]

A bit taken back, Mika couldn't speak right away. It really was Liam. Though his presence shouldn't have surprised her. He was the type to do something like this. Show up at your doorstep (or parking lot in this case) uninvited. No phone call, no heads up. There was definitely probably a valid reason for this, right? But this was Liam. Knowing him this could just be because he didn't want to be in Idaho anymore. She couldn't complain though. Liam was her best friend. He was her only friend back home, and he really helps her with fixing her cupcakes. He made her laugh and she learned a lot from him through the years. It had only been... what? A month since Mika had left her own home in order to finish her high school education here and start on college. She still wasn't sure on what she wanted to be. A nurse? Maybe own her own bakery? She lay awake many nights thinking these very things over, wondering and considering the possibilities of things she could become by just starting college.

As he approached her, she couldn't help but smile. Her eyes stared up at him but her chin still tucked down behind the paper bags. She did miss him very much, and never seemed to get around to calling everyone. Not even her grandma. Who she missed very much, too. Mika missed everything about her old hometown. The old people, the bakery, her grandma, the neighborhood, the sewing fairs. The way Liam greeted her. So casual, so light hearted. Nothing was wrong in his eyes. That was definitely something Mika admired of her friend. He was always laid back, calm. Though it had never crossed her mind he might just be too stupid to take things serious. Those thoughts were much too mean for Mika to think up. His offer to take a bag was a bit of a relief. "Oh, yes please." Her eyes looked down at the bags. One bag for just the bread, two bags for the butter and eggs and one hand holding the milk. Not to mention her other hand holding her backpack. Which both were becoming very difficult to hold. A sense of urgency showed in her walk as she scuffled toward the stairs, looking over to Liam. "Hey... Um... Liam..." She laughed a little, as if she felt stupid for asking this. "What... Are you doing here? I mean... In New Jersey?" Her eyes switched back to watch the steps as she slowly made her way up, failing to see past the bags.

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Liam Murphy

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[liam]

Mika seemed a bit surprised, which didn't really phase Liam in the slightest. After all, she didn't understand the inner workings of his highly spontaneous mind, and therefore could not be expected to anticipate his arrival. He turned momentarily, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder, catching her eye as he straightened up. At least she was smiling. Then again, that was Mika for you - all smiles until you insulted her, which would usually result in things going downhill pretty quickly. Briefly, Liam wondered how long it would be before he managed to offend her in some way, but he returned her grin with the usual mischievous smirk, selecting the lightest-looking bag of groceries. Bread, apparently. Carbs. It would be gone by morning.

"No problem," he gave her a nod, not even that disappointed in himself for making such a kind gesture. As Mika shuffled toward the door, Liam leaped easily up the stairs, turning to watch her struggle with an amused expression. He was actually quite excited about the whole prospect of living with her, provided she was willing to let it happen. Liam supposed he would have to mention it to her sooner, rather than later. Fortunately, she presented him with the perfect opportunity, finally putting the fact that his presence wasn't exactly normal into words. "Yeah?" he answered, when she said his name with a questioning tone. He raised an innocent eyebrow, though he knew what was next. "Oh, you know, I figured it was time to give the east coast some attention," he joked, waiting somewhat impatiently for her to complete her climb. "But really, I figured it was time to move out. Well, my parents did... they're selling the house," he laughed, shaking his head, "settling in Denmark, of all places. I always figured they'd pick the Mediterranean, or France. But whatever." He took a step back, closer to the entrance. "Anyway, obviously I couldn't stay in Idaho any more... it was crazy boring there once you left. But Dad let me have the car. I thought it'd be cool if I came and crashed with you for a while, you know? If you've got space." Brave-faced admission of previous events complete. Initiate solution to living problem, he thought gleefully.

[mika]

After struggling up the steps, Mika then came to the realization she would have to somehow unlock the door. While listening to Liam, she managed to put three bags in one arm, her backpack on the ground at her feet and the milk still slipping in her fingers. On top of that, her feet ached for standing for ten hours, she was tired and she smelled of coffee grounds. Listening to Liam's explanation, she frowned. "Oh.. I'm so sorry they sold the house..." And to be honest she was sad. Her grandmother knew his parents, and they were friends. And now her grandmother was more alone than ever. But that was selfish thinking. Now Liam had nowhere to go. "So... you drove here? All by yourself? Where did you sleep?" After finally getting the door open, she pushed her backpack in with her foot and walked to the counter. At his suggestion to live here, Mika looked over at him. It took a minute for her to think it through but soon enough she had a big smile spread across her face.

"You mean.. You want to live with me?" She turned to face him fully and held her hands together, up against her chest as if she was really touched. "Yes, of course you can live here! I mean... I might need a little help with the bills if I'm going to be cooking for two, but I would love to have you here!" She couldn't help but wrap her arms around him and rest her chin on his shoulder. "I can't believe you came all the way here to move in with me!" She laughed, hugging him tighter for a few more seconds before letting go. "There is an extra bedroom, I've been using it for storage. But I can probably just put that stuff in my room and you can have that one." She bounced back and forth on her heels in excitement, smiling up at him. "How long have you been waiting outside? Are you hungry?" The questions flooded out as she thought them up, pulling her hair tie out of her hair and letting her locks drop down her shoulders.

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Liam Murphy

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[liam]

Liam had to admit, he was quite impressed at the fact that Mika hadn't dropped anything while opening the door. He probably could have been of more help, but really, it was fun to watch her conquer gravity. "It's fine," he brushed off her obscure apology, wondering why she felt sorry about something which had nothing to do with her. Then again, it was just one of those things people said. One of those things that really didn't make much sense when you stopped to think about them which, aside from Liam, people rarely did. He quickly forgot about this small annoyance when Mika asked about his journey. "Well," he began, following her into her apartment, basically. I mean, I had my tunes and my map, and I met some pretty cool people along the way. Mostly hippies and gas station dudes, but they were all right." He grinned. Being on the road was great, because he could put up with most people for the short amount of time spent with them. This resulted in a lot of friendships he might have avoided under different circumstances, and made him feel somewhat accomplished. "And I slept in the car. Why use my money on a hotel room when I've got good old Lottie?" He glanced casually around Mika's home, setting the bread on a table and dropping his bag to the floor. "Oh, I named the car Lottie, by the way. Do you think it suits her?"

After popping the Big Roommate Question, Liam watched his friend carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. There was a slim, almost minuscule chance that she would refuse him. However, as soon as the smile split her face, he found himself relaxing substantially. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Out of all the people Liam had ever placed his faith in, Mika was the only one who always managed to pull through, and she'd proven herself worthwhile yet again. In fact, he was so pleased, he decided to put off annoying her too much until tomorrow, simply returning her hug. "Yeah, I'll find a job in the next couple of weeks! This is going to be so awesome, I can't wait." As she continued, he chuckled, squeezing her playfully. Though it was all he could do to keep from scoffing at her words, he realized they were true. He had driven all the way down here just to live with her. He had his reasons, of course, but at the same time it was actually an odd course of action. "Well, I couldn't think of anything better to do," he pointed out, though he didn't quite managed to conceal the happiness in his voice. Hopefully she wouldn't get used to this thankful, polite side of him.

Upon his release, Liam stepped back, grinning widely in spite of himself. "So this is it, huh?" he asked, gesturing to their surroundings. His eyebrows shot up when she mentioned the spare bedroom, and he looked around. "Really? Where is it?" If it meant he would get to sleep in a bed without actually paying for it, Liam was prepared to help her move her stuff out of the room. His room, he reminded himself. "That'd be so sweet. Got any cupcakes?" Cupcakes and a bed were all it would take to make him feel at home here, and he hadn't even given himself a complete tour of his new residence. "Oh, I was only out there for about forty five minutes, an hour, I dunno," he shrugged, exaggerating but playing it off like it was no big deal. Hopefully she would take pity on him. "Like I said, cupcakes would be nice.. just like old times. Or anything, really." He glanced at the bread, already picturing it sitting comfortably in his stomach.

[mika]

As Mika listened, or tried, she nodded, tilting her head a little and smiling up at him. For the most part she couldn't quite keep up with what he said. Whether it was her brains topping to think "what's a lottie?" or she was thinking "how do you know your car is a boy or a girl?" so all she could do was nod at Liam, hoping he wouldn't catch that she was a little lost. "You slept in your car?" With a displeased look on her face, she sighed a little. "How long did it take to drive up here?" Had Mika known he was driving up here she probably would have taken a few days off to drive down and meet him half way so he wasn't alone. And so she could have made him stay at a hotel. Car seats could be comfortable, but not for sleeping.

His mention of getting a job instantly sent relief through her. She wouldn't have to ask him to do that. Thank god. "This is going to be awesome. And since it's almost Summer, I'm almost out of school!" With a big smile, Mika sought through the possible things Liam and she could do. With a nod, answering his question on her apartment being "it", she looked around with him. "Yep... It's not the biggest but I like to think it's comfortable..." With her hands on her hips, she looked over her apartment one more time. She was now glad she had cleaned this morning. "Oh right." Once again a smile returned to her lips and she waved him over to follow her. She crossed the apartment and opened one of the doors. It had a few boxes in it, a bed frame, a bulky old TV, and in the corner was a small table with a sewing machine on it with an unfinished blanket. Flicking the light switch, the light was a bit dull. But for the most part the room was nicely cleaned, the carpet was vacuumed and there was no blinds over the one window. "Um I don't have a mattress yet... But..." Before she spoke the thought things through. Mika knew she was tired, and wouldn't want to go driving around to find a bunch of things for Liams new room. She half yawned and half sighed. "Well if you want you can sleep in my bed tonight... I don't have to work tomorrow so I was probably going to sleep on my couch anyway..." She took a few steps into the room. There was a closet and another door which led straight into the only full bathroom in the apartment. Mika's room had a half bathroom.

"But tomorrow was can go and get you some blinds for the window and a new mattress. And if you want you can have that TV. You can have the table that the sewing machine is on. I could just put the sewing machine on the counter when I'm using it." By then she found she was rambling. With a little smile, Mika looked over at Liam. Hoping he was okay with everything. Though, for moving in unannounced, Mika was fairly prepared. Her grandma had given her more than she needed. Liam asking for cupcakes almost made her laugh out, but instead she smiled at him. "Of course I have cupcakes, Liam. I made some this morning. They're nothing fancy, of course..." She walked out of the spare bedroom and walked into the kitchen. "I was going to just make a grilled cheese for dinner... Do you want one?" She uncovered the cupcakes and placed them neatly on a plate, putting it in the center of the counter.

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Liam Murphy

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[liam]

Liam frowned slightly when Mika didn't answer his question about whether or not Lottie was a good car name, but her next question distracted him. He sighed, all but rolling his eyes as he was forced to back track. "Yes, I slept in my car. I'm not made of money, after all. Do you know how many toll roads there are between here and Idaho?" A scowl flashed across his face and he shook his head, but his expression soon cleared. "Anyway, it took about a week. I could've done it faster, but I wanted to stop and take in the sights along the way... it was like a little, personal, cross-country road trip!" he grinned, already enjoying the feeling of having someone to talk to whenever he felt like it. "I wasn't completely alone, if you're worrying about that," he continued, squinting a bit as he recalled the events of the past seven days, "I had lunch with a nice old lady in this little diner in Wyoming, and picked up some backpackers in Nebraska. They were with me for a few hours, but they wanted to hit up Missouri so we had to part ways before Lincoln. It was great, especially without my dad yelling at the map and my mom looking at her watch every five seconds to make sure I stayed on track." Liam stretched, obviously very pleased with himself. "I felt like a trucker. Oh, speaking of truckers, I had lunch with a bunch at one of their pit stops. They tell the most hilarious stories," he laughed, glancing down at his friend. To tell the truth, she probably wouldn't find those stories especially funny, but that was her problem.

Liam took note of the visible relief on Mika's face when he vowed to get a job. Lucky for her, he let it slide, still feeling incredibly grateful about having a home. A real home, not an empty, lifeless one. When she mentioned she was almost out of school, Liam's permanent grin became even wider, and he clapped his hands together. "Sweet, now I won't have to bum around all day with nothing to do! You need to give me a grand tour of Jacksonville, by the way." He crossed his arms over his chest as if this were some sort of challenge. "Also, do you have any hot friends?" This was more to be cheeky than anything, though he wouldn't actually mind a bit of action now that he thought about it. The downside to life on the road.

When she called her apartment comfortable, Liam nodded in agreement. "Close quarters, hey?" he wiggled his eyebrows, moving in further and eying the couch. She distracted him by leading him into the spare bedroom, and he followed, eager to begin planning a quick redecoration. It was exactly as a storage room should be, with subtle evidence of Mika's presence. He was a bit disappointed to find that there wasn't a mattress present, of course, but he hadn't really been expecting to stay in there before the clutter was moved, anyway. And something would have to be done about that light... Liam waited for Mika to finish her sentence, walking into the room and sliding his hand across a bedpost, then looking toward the window, wondering what his view would be like. As his companion spoke, he turned slightly, giving her his half-hearted attention. "Okay, sure," he agreed easily, attention drawn by her movement to the bathroom. "Oh, sweet!" he stepped over, looking inside, "I've never had an ensuite bathroom before. Do you have one, too?"

As Mika listed off the things that would have to be done, Liam nodded, not really listening. "Sounds good," he returned her smile, quite pleased with her welcoming nature. The world needed more like her, for people like him to walk all over. When she told him that she did, in fact, have cupcakes, Liam's eyes lit up. "Really? Seriously?!" he grabbed her in a giant hug before releasing her unceremoniously and barreling past her, heading for the kitchen. "You have no idea how much I've missed your cupcakes, and the neat little... decorations you put on them," he watched eagerly as she unwrapped the dessert, grabbing one off the plate and consuming it almost instantaneously. "Mmm." He chewed and swallowed, saying, "sounds good," to her offer of grilled cheese before shoveling another cupcake into his mouth.