Beastly Roommates

"Nope! Turns out she's a minotaur." His head jerked back in surprise.

"Really? But there aren't any clans around here." He glanced back and forth as if thinking. "How old is she?"

"I'm not sure, mid-twenties maybe. She's nice though."

"Female usually are, from what I hear. It's the bulls you need to watch out for." He scratched behind his ear thoughtfully. "It sounds like she must have run away. If that's the case, don't get involved if her clan comes looking for her. You'll only get hurt, maybe even killed." I groaned.

"Great... it's not like I have other options though. The clock's ticking!"

"I know. Good luck." I checked the time.

"Thanks. I think we both gotta get going though."

"Goodbye, David. Let me know when you're moving and I'll help." I grinned.

"Thanks, Reylund!" With that he took off, and after getting in my truck so did I.

I arrived at work and was just getting settled in when the trailer door opened.

"Yo, big man!" I chuckled at Tom's greeting.

"Hey Tom, wassup."

"Just another day in paradise!" He joked. "So, how'd it go on Friday?"

"Pretty good, I think. She said she'd call me in a few days. If she says yes then I'll be moving in soon.

"Alright!" He leered at me for a moment. "So... is she cute?" I coughed out a laugh.

"Maybe, if you're into horns and hooves."

"Huh...?"

"She's a minotaur." I said with a chuckle.

"Oh... I see," he relied soberly.

"Funny enough, it's same one that was at the bar the other day." Tom recoiled in surprise.

"No way!"

"Yep. She's quiet and kind of sweet. I think she'd be a good roommate."

"I guess that's what matters most." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, I just thought I'd see how it went, but I've got a bunch of stuff to get done."

"I know you do. Get back to work!" I teased and he laughed on the way out.

A couple hours later I was about to head to lunch when my phone rang. The display said it was Ruth. I took a deep breath then answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, David?"

"Hi, Ruth." I heard her sigh through the phone.

"I've decided to accept your offer to share living expenses in return for living space." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, you're saying I can move in and be your roommate?" I asked, wanting to make sure I understood her correctly.

"That is correct."

"Great!" I exclaimed. "So... how long before I can move in?" Ruth went silent. I figured that this couldn't be easy for her, so I patiently waited.

"Does three weeks work for you? It will be the beginning of the month so we won't have to worry about splitting a partial month's rent." I quickly did some figuring in my head. Three weeks would give me time to pack and would only leave a little over two weeks before I had to leave my duplex. I grinned.

"Perfect!" I exclaimed. "How does Saturday sound?"

"That would be fine."

"Great. See you in three weeks!"

"I will see you then." I pulled the phone away from my ear, but then I heard Ruth's voice calling out, "David, wait!"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"... Thank you for the pie," she said in a voice that sounded almost a little shy and I grinned. "It was delicious." I pumped my fist into the air.

"You're welcome!" I replied while trying to keep my voice even and polite.

"Goodbye." She then hung up.

"Woo Hoo!" I whooped before leaving to find Tom.

I found him a minute later instructing one of the apprentices about something involving lighting controllers.

"Yo, Sparky!" I called out.

"Sup," he answered.

"Looks like I'm moving on Saturday, three weeks from now!"

"Friggin sweet!"

"Yeah, I know right! If this fell through I'd have been sleeping on your couch!"

"Dude, you know I've barely got enough room for myself in the place!" We shared a laugh. "I'll put it on my calendar. You pack and I'll help load up!"

"Thanks bud," I said with a grin.

I went back to the trailer, pulled out my phone, and sent a message to my sister.

'Looks like I'm moving on Saturday, three weeks from now.'

I went back to my work and a minute later got reply from Jill.

'That's great! I'll be there!'

I chuckled in relief at first , then my jaw dropped and now that it was actually happening I was extremely nervous. I was going to have a roommate who was a woman, and a minotaur... and I didn't know the first thing about living with either! I took a deep breath and told myself everything would be ok and I'd figure it out. I gulped and hoped I was right.

Chapter 8

"Quit pacing, everything's going to be fine," reassured Sara. I looked over at her sitting in my chair. It was much to large for her and she looked a little silly in it, but David's imminent arrival had me far too nervous to laugh. I stopped pacing, but it wasn't because I calmed down at all. My ears twitched at the low rumble of a truck motor approaching, a rare sound in this neighborhood.

"That must be him," announced Sara when the motor stopped outside.

Knock knock

I could have swore that my heart stopped and I stared at the door.

"Well, are you going answer it?" I glared at Sara for a moment before I slowly approached the front entrance. My tail flicked anxiously as I opened the door.

"Hi, Ruth," greeted David, who was standing in the doorway.

"Hello..." I replied absently, though I wasn't looking at him. Instead I was looking at the gathering of people behind him. "Who are all these people? I asked quietly.

"They offered to help me move," he answered with a grin before gesturing to a tall (for a human) woman with long dark hair and eyes that looked similar to David's. "This is my sister Jill, my neighbor Reylund..."

"Former neighbor at this point, I think." Interrupted a gray-lupine with a throaty growl. The fur on the back of my neck stood up from some form of primal fear of the apex predator. I took a deep breath to calm down and told myself that I was being ridiculous.

"I guess you're right, former neighbor," laughed David, thankfully oblivious to my unease. He a gestured to the remaining person, a short, but thick blond human male. "And you might remember Tom from the almost bar-fight." I was still too preoccupied with getting over having a lupine at my apartment to pay much attention, but at a glance he did look familiar.

"Hi, I'm Sara! A friend of Ruth's," chirped Sara from behind me, snapping me out of it.

"Yes, welcome." I turned down to address David directly. "I'm glad that you were able to get help." He grinned.

"Yeah, they're good people." He turned to his friends and family. "Well, I guess we should get started!" The group headed toward a small moving van and a truck that was parked nearby.

"It's going to be fine, I promise," whispered Sara."

"I hope so..." I replied quietly.

They started by bringing in furniture and boxes that went in the bedroom, and that wasn't too bad, even though I involuntarily shuddered every time Reylund passed by. However, it wasn't long before they were done with that and were moving on...

"So... is it ok if we put the couch here?" Asked David hesitantly, pointing along the wall in the front room.

"That would be fine," I replied, even though my stomachs knotted while saying it.

"And the TV on the other side?" I nodded, and he grinned. "Thanks!" He looked very happy about it, and that may have been the only thing keeping me from screaming in frustration.

For the next couple hours they kept at it, and my heart sank further with everything that was introduced to any of the common areas. To his credit, David asked my permission for the placement of nearly every new item, but in my haze I absently agreed to most everything. The couch and TV were first, then a couple end tables, then they moved on to the kitchen. Several small appliances now adorned the counters that before had mostly been bare. It wasn't long before I didn't even recognize my apartment anymore. I felt like I wanted to cry.

When they were done, David approached me. "We've got to take the van back, but I'll be back afterwards," he explained before turning to his friends and sister. "Thank you so much for helping today," he said with a grin. "You guys really made this a lot easier."

"No problem bud," laughed Tom.

The group started heading out but Reylund stayed behind.

"I'll be there in a minute," he called out before turning to approach me. I gulped.

"I'm sure this arrangement isn't ideal for you, but David's a good man. He was a good neighbor and we're going to miss having him next door. I expect he will be a good roommate." I simply nodded stiffly. "You also don't have to be afraid of me." He turned and started walking away.

"How do you know I'm afraid?" He looked halfway around to where I could see his profile and tapped his nose.

"Fear has a scent... David may seem confident, but he's been giving off the same scent all day." He turned back away and was about to leave.

"Wait!" I called out.

"Yes?" The lupine turned around.

"David walked out before I could give him this." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a key. He held his hand out, and after several seconds of hesitation I dropped it in his palm.

"I'll make sure he gets it." Without another word he left.

"Is it just me or was that weird," chirped Sara once he was gone. In the commotion I'd almost forgotten that she was there.

"Yes, it was strange."

"Alrighty! It also sounds like David is a little nervous about this whole thing too." I sighed.

"I suppose so."

"At least he brought a comfy couch!" I turned just in time to watch her sprawl across the entire length of the sofa.

"I'll probably prefer my chair." I sighed again. "I appreciate you staying while they were here, but you can go now if you would like."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. I need to get used to being alone around David around sooner or later anyway."

"That's true," she replied. "You two are going to be spending a lot of time together. Just make sure to let me know if he's really as much of a catch as it seems like he is!" She added with a giggle.

"But you've already got a boyfriend..." I murmured.

"I'm not talking about for me!" She teased while leering at me. I snorted at her ridiculous insinuation.

"That's not even funny to joke about," I retorted flatly.

"Meh, you're no fun! Besides I'm just teasing," she retorted while poking my side playfully. I swatted her hand away and she smirked at me. "He's kinda handsome though, and really tall!" Her face fell. "That scar's pretty ugly though. It must have hurt..." she added quietly. Her sudden shift in tone caught me off guard.

"I'm sure it did," I replied absently.

"Well, I'm headed home. Good luck!"

"Thanks," I murmured. My tail flitted anxiously as she was walked out the door.

After everyone was gone I picked a book I'd been reading off of my nightstand, then sat down in my front room chair. Unfortunately, I couldn't focus. Every few seconds I found myself looking up at how different the room was. After attempting to read the same paragraph for her fourth time I'd had enough. I knew I was going to have to get used to the way things were, but I just didn't feel like it yet! I went to the bedroom and laid down. I took a moment to appreciate that at least I my bedroom was unchanged and was finally able to start reading.

A few hours later, it was early evening and the sound of movement came from the front room. I figured it was David and I hoped he was going to be quiet enough that I could ignore him.

Knock knock

I sighed in dismay and got up. I opened the door slightly and saw David through the crack. He was looking down and rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"Hello?" I said through the gap in the door.

"Hi," he answered, having looked up. "Umm... can we talk for a minute?" I opened the door a little wider.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"Well, umm..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just that I'm sure that taking on a roommate wasn't something you wanted to do. Heck, I thought I was done with roommates when I got past my early twenties..." he bit his lip nervously while I waited for him to continue. "Anyway I guess I just wanted to say that even though we were both kinda forced into this, that doesn't mean it has to be a bad thing." My ears perked up a little. "Sure, we don't know each other very well, but so far I really like you and I hope we can be friends... as well as roommates." His words may not have dispelled all my anxiety, but I certainly felt a little bit of relief.

"I think I would like that," I replied.

"Cool." He said with a slight grin. "I've got to get unpacked though, so I'm gonna go now." He started to turn around, but stopped. "Oh, one more thing." He fished an envelope out of his back pocket and handed it to me. "Here you go. It's the first month's rent." He left for his room and In a couple minutes I could hear the sound of cardboard boxes being opened.

I opened the envelope and saw that he paid me in cash. Him being punctual on the money was very much appreciated, as would would having a few hundred extra dollars a month. After putting it in my nightstand drawer I changed into my nightgown and continued reading my book until it was time to go to sleep.

Chapter 9

I had just gotten to work and was getting settled in when the job trailer door opened.

"Heyooo!" Shouted Tom.

"Hey, what are you doing back?" I asked teasingly. It had been two weeks since the move and the following Monday his company put another foreman in charge of finishing this job. "I thought you'd moved onto bigger and better things!"

"Bigger maybe, but definitely not better!" I laughed. "We're waiting on other trades at my job so I'm here the day." I nodded. "So, how things are going at the new place." At the mention of my living situation my face fell.

"They're going, I guess," I grunted.

"Not getting along with Ruth?"

"We haven't really talked much since I moved in."

"Yikes, I'll take that as a yes..."

"It's not so much about not getting along. It's more like I can't shake the feeling that I'm invading her space. Heck, I haven't even touched a video game because I know that she likes her evenings quiet."

"I guess that's nice of you, but what have you been doing then?"

"A lot of reading..." I replied with a chuckle and Tom sighed.

"It's not just her apartment anymore, it's both of yours. You're not staying there for free. You need to make things a little more normal for you! Boot up a game tonight or pop in a movie!" I sighed.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Of course I am. Anyway, I'm gonna go get some work done. Later!"

"Later."

By the end of the day I resolved to take Tom's suggestion, but planned on trying to be considerate about it. When I got back to the apartment Ruth was already home and working on a new crochet project, but it was too early to tell what it was going to be.

"Afternoon, David," she greeted politely, glancing up for just a moment.

"Hi, Ruth," I replied. I took off my boots then stood awkwardly until she noticed my lingering.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, looking back up.

"N-no. I'm just going to take a shower," I stammered.

"Oh... Enjoy the shower," she replied, understandably confused with my behavior.

I headed for my room to grab a change of clothes, mentally kicking myself on the way for chickening out! It was starting to get frustrating, but it wasn't like I could blame her for my own lack of nerve either! With a sigh I grabbed a pair of athletic pants and a t-shirt and went to the bathroom.

After getting cleaned up I saw that Ruth had left the front room and was eating a large salad in the dining area. Salad, fruit, and beans were all she seemed to eat, though she did say she had some major dietary restrictions when I was first looking at the apartment.

I put a potato in the microwave and started pan frying up a large slab of salmon that I'd bought at the store as a treat for myself. Before long my dinner was ready and I made my way to the table.

"Hi," I greeted after plopping down in a chair.

"Hello," greeted Ruth in return before she eyed my plate.

"Umm... do you like salmon?" I asked awkwardly.

"I don't think I can eat it."

"Oh, ok." I was confused.

"I just admire that you can cook. No one ever taught me."

"Got it!" I said with a chuckle, now understanding her food choices a little better, regardless of her limits. I grinned, having just thought of an idea that might prompt a bit of normalcy between us. "So... let's say I made enough for both of us, would you be interested in eating it." Ruth's ears perked up. It was actually kind of cute.

"If it was something I am able to eat, then I would very much be interested."

"I know a recipe for a corn and potato chowder that makes way too much for one person," I offered. "It's got no meat in it either." Her eyes brightened up and her tail could be heard swishing beneath the table.

"That sounds delicious."

"It's got cream in it though, that ok?"

"Yes, cream is fine."

"Great!" I grinned, hoping that this would help break through some of the ice.

She finished eating first and went into the front room after cleaning up. I followed shortly and packed up my leftovers for lunch, and also headed to the front room. I took a deep breath as this was the moment of truth.

"So..." I began awkwardly and Ruth looked up from her yarn. "Do you... do you mind if I play a game?" I stammered out as I pointed at the TV. She just stared at me, her inhuman features making it hard me to get any sort of read on her.

"That would be fine." She said shortly. I was pretty sure that she would have preferred that I didn't, but I needed some normalcy too and it was technically permission!

I ended up selecting a vintage RPG. Since it didn't have any voice overs I could keep the volume low as a compromise and still not miss much of anything. The fact that it was also my favorite game was a nice bonus.

I booted up the system and started a new game, thinking that was fitting for a new apartment. A couple minutes later the opening cinematic played out across the screen. A woman and what appeared to be her daughter were in a boat that was being tossed about by a storm. During the cutscene I glanced at Ruth a couple times to see if she reacted in any way, but she didn't.

About a half hour into the game, during a slower scene during an otherwise rather comical heist, Ruth spoke up for the first time since I'd started.

"So, the Princess actually wanted to be kidnapped?" Startled, I glanced back to see that she was actually watching me play!

"Yeah, that's right."

"But why?" I smirked.

"I suppose you're just going to have to watch and find out," I teased.

"Oh, ok," she replied and lowered her crochet stuff. I turned back to my game, and with a wide grin I finished the opening sequence!

Chapter 10

"So you're telling me that you're actually enjoying watching him play games?" Squeaked Sara incredulously.

"He's only played the one so far," I clarified. "Sometime he's just running around and that's not very interesting, but the story is really quite good. So yes, I have been enjoying watching."

"Ok, whatever floats your boat," she said with a laugh. "Anything else new that I should know about!?"

"He's making dinner tonight. Some sort of soup." Her jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it. If it's as good as the pie he made it should be wonderful."

"Wow. If I was single, I'd be putting the moves on him at this point!" It was my turn to laugh.

"Hey, Sara," called out Jenny, "you might want to get to work before the manager sees you!"

"She's right," I agreed. "I'm going home now."

"Bye, Ruth."

A bus ride and short walk later and I'd made it home. The moment I opened the door I was hit with a delicious aroma.