Chapter Text
*
"It's your turn." Richard chuckled as soon as the words fell from his lips. "Hadley, I know you're awake. You’re a terrible impostor."
Hadley's eyes remained tightly closed, her breaths never swaying. "Still asleep."
"Hadley." That certain sigh grew warm on her shoulder blade as he wrapped his arms around her tighter, drawing her in so closely that her spine nearly fused to his chest.
"Richard." Her tone mimicked his in the worst way, to which he could only rolled his eyes. She always had a way of performing something so irritating that only made him want her even more.
"Someone has to put the kettle on." He pressed his lips to her bare shoulder, his kisses accelerating as he moved towards the nape of her neck.
She moaned softly. "Don't they make automatic ones?"
"We've been here for a year, Hadley, and we have had this conversation almost every single morning."
"As soon as one of us gets out of this warm and ever so inviting bed, we're going to start complaining about how cold it is, which will lead to the conversation about turning up the thermostat, which will lead to the conversation about me preferring to stay cool when I sleep, which will lead to the conversation about you suggesting to put a fan in the room, which will lead to the conversation about who will come in and install it,"
"Okay, okay." Richard laughed. "I get it. Or, you know, we have been here a year now... so... maybe we can start looking for a bigger place?"
She sighed heavily and turned onto her back. "You mean you don't want to stay in this tiny two bedroom apartment for the rest of our lives?"
"Uh, no. I'm pretty sure this place is the size of your old master suite in Austin." He gave her an encouraging smile. "I know you've been busy writing, which I am so proud of, but this place is cramped. I think we'd both enjoy a little more space, don't you think?"
“Space.” She rolled her eyes at the word. “We’re in New York, Richard, where space is only at a premium.”
He chuckled. “I think we can manage. Now, come, we can both get up. How about, you start the shower and I’ll get the kettle going?”
She scrunched her nose at him. “How can you make something so tedious sound so sexy?”
“It’s because I’m British, we can make just about anything sound sexy.” An eyebrow rose suggestively. “As in, get your arse in the shower before I have to throw you in myself.”
*
"So, you seriously want me to go out in this dreadful weather to look for new apartments?" Hadley brought the steaming mug of tea to her lips and carefully took a sip.
Richard laughed. "Hadley, I don't know if you realize this or not, but there's this thing called the internet, and you can look things up on it. Like, oh, I don't know, New York City real estate,"
She took the nearest item of convenience - this time it happened to be a one third written manuscript of her newest novel - and chucked it at his head. "Don't get cute, Richard. It's too early for that."
"I'm serious, Hadley. You can go through the places, see what you like, see what you don't like." He picked up the document from the floor with a chuckle and placed it back on the kitchen table. "And, if you're that adamant about not going out in this god forsaken weather, I'll go look at the ones you like and if I feel like you'd enjoy them, then you can come out and look. Does that sound like a better idea?"
She nodded her head intently. “Now those are terms I can agree to.”
*
"Just look at this one,"
Hadley grumbled to herself as she listened to Richard's excited pleas advancing down the hallway. "Ugh, Richard, I'm right in the middle of something." She continued typing against the MacBook keyboard quickly, her gaze never breaking from the screen in front of her.
"Like I said, just look at it," Richard slid next to her on the bed, his laptop grasped firmly in his hands. "I'll wait, though," He added quickly after she threw him a sideways glance.
"I just need to finish this thought..." She smacked his head away from her screen before hastily returning her fingers to the keyboard. “You know that I hate it when you do that.”
Richard sighed. “I know, I’m sorry, I’m just curious as to what this is about exactly.” As she began to open her mouth, he quickly spat, “Other than saying, it’s a murder mystery.” He chuckled as she quickly closed her lips. “That’s what I thought.”
She rolled her eyes as she saved the document quickly and shut the computer. “Alright, Richard, I,” Her eyes grew wide as he shoved the computer in front of her face. "Ohhh, those floors..."
He smiled widely. "See? I knew you’d love it."
“Is it weird that I’m mildly attracted to the floors? I mean, just look at them. Gorgeous, and original…”
He chuckled. “Your weirdness never ceases to amaze me, love. But, that’s why I brought it to you, I just had a certain feeling.”
“How many bedrooms?” She began clicking through the rest of the photos.
“Two. Quite spacious, too. There’s a study off the kitchen and the living room is big enough to put a desk in it for one of us, if needed.”
She chuckled. “Look at you, planning this out before we've even had the chance to look at it.”
He nodded his head. “Exactly,” He pointed to multiple photos and exclaimed, “I can plan taking you here, and here, and here, and there, oh, and especially there…”
*