Cohabitation

Cohabitation

© Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All characters depicted are 18 years and over.

Laura sat at her mirrored makeup table brushing her long auburn hair. She was mostly doing it by feel since tears were welling up in her eyes. She was desperately trying not to cry and mostly failing as her tears began to run down her cheeks. It was one thing to loose her boyfriend when she went off to college, it was another to be forced to live with a boy she barely knew!

She wondered how her parents could do this to her. She kept running the earlier discussion with them over and over in her mind. They kept telling her this was necessary since they were short of funds to send her to college with her two older sisters already in college. Money was desperately short and sharing an apartment with another person would at least keep expenses reasonable. Paul, their neighbor down the street, was also starting the same college as her in the fall. Her parents had come up with a deal that would save both sets of parents money and she was now being forced to accept the situation.

The problem was that she barely knew Paul. Yes, he lived down the street and they went to the same schools, but they ran in different social circles and she barely had any contact with him during all that time. She felt like she was being forced into marriage with a young man she did not even know. Worse, he was a male! Rooming with a male she barely knew was the worst thing she could think of. What was he like? Could she trust him? Could she bring a boyfriend into their shared apartment? Was he a slob, a drinker, or a drug user? Was he a hidden sex fiend, or even gay? All these, and more questions ran through her head at warp speed raising her level of sadness.

What was she going to do?

==========

As he lay in bed, Paul was also running some of the same questions through his mind. What had his parents gotten him into? The last thing he wanted was to be forced to live with a female. He had never had much luck with girls on the dating front and was extremely hesitant about living with one, especially one he barely knew.

At least the accommodations were acceptable. His parents had told him the apartment was a two bedroom, two bath with a large living room, kitchen and dining room. The kitchen had all the appliances you could ask for and the apartment was wired to the complex high speed Internet connection. But the roommate situation was not exactly what he had envisioned for his college experience.

He just could not figure a way out of this situation. There was just no way he could talk his parents out of this with the money they claimed they would be saving. He finally came to the conclusion that he needed help, and the only person who could help him was the other stakeholder, Laura. He got up from his bed and turned on his laptop. He had Laura's email address somewhere. When he found it he composed a note proposing they meet this Saturday for lunch to discuss his, and possibly her, misgivings about the whole situation. He felt a little better after he sent the note. At least he might be able to sleep tonight.

==========

Laura received the note from Paul the next morning. Her eyes were still a little red from crying last night. She was actually a little surprised that he had contacted her. She read the note and was surprised even more by the content and tone of the note. It seems he had the same fears that she did and was not at all pleased about the whole situation.

She reread the note again and felt a little better. At least he had the decency to admit his fears and propose to meet her to discuss them. Since she had nothing planned for lunch on Saturday she accepted his offer. She also stated that she had almost the same fears that he had. Laura felt a little better when she returned the reply to Paul's note.

Maybe they could figure a way out of this together.

==========

At noon on Saturday Paul drove his car down to Laura's house. He went to the front door, rang the doorbell, and waited for someone to answer. Laura's mother answered the door.

"Hello, Paul. Here to pick up Laura?"

"Yes."

Just then Laura appeared just behind her mother.

"There you are. You guys have a good time."

Laura came out and he escorted her to his car. Once they were both inside Laura started the conversation as Paul pulled away from her house.

"I appreciate you wanting to talk with me. I guess it is obvious that neither of us is thrilled with this situation."

"You can say that again. Where do you want to go for lunch?"

"Oh, anyplace is okay as long as we have someplace to talk."

"How about Theo's? They have great burgers and then we can go to the park and find a picnic table."

"Great."

They were mostly silent until they arrived at the park with their lunch. They found a picnic table away from everyone. It was a fine June day and and they both enjoyed being outside. Laura was also pleased it was public as she was a little nervous. Once they started eating the conversation really started.

"Do you think there is any way out of the situation for us?" Paul asked.

"I've been running it over and over and I don't see any easy way out. My parents seem dead set on making this happen."

"Mine, too. It's like they are throwing us together without asking us how we feel about it. I kind of feel like it's some kind of arranged marriage."

"I know! I feel the same way. I mean, we are a male and female and putting us together like this just feels really strange. We barely know each other!"

The discussion continued like that through their meal without any real progress being made. They kept running over the same points multiple times. Laura suddenly realized this and changed the direction of the discussion.

"Well this is getting us nowhere. We need to come up with a plan." Laura said.

"I know. I thought about changing colleges on them, but it's too late for that. I thought about trying to find a roommate myself, but I have no idea how to do that without actually being there. I contacted some of my buddies but they are all attending other schools. After that, I ran out of ideas."

"Yeah, I tried a few ideas myself with no luck at all."

Paul hesitated before speaking again. "So are we stuck with our parent's plan?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think we are. At least for the first year. Maybe by then the situation will change."

"Well, if we are, I guess we need to get to know each other a little so we are not at each others throat once we move in together."

"Yeah, I know so little about you I don't even know what questions I should be asking."

"Well I'm pretty much an average guy. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. I've dated a few girls without much success because they seem to think I'm boring. I like playing some sports like racquetball, tennis, and a few others. I'm not much into team sports. My major is computer science with a minor in math so I guess I am somewhat of a nerd. What about you?"

"My major is business admin. I have no idea what I am going to do with it when I graduate. I also don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. I just broke up with my current boyfriend since he will be attending another college and neither of us thought a long distance relationship was feasible. I like soccer but I'm not passionate about it."

"Oh, I also read science fiction a lot." Paul said. "And I don't usually play video games but I have one or two on my computer that I sometimes fool around with."

"I'm not much into computer games either. I do like to cook, but doing it everyday gets pretty boring real quick."

"I can see that. I have a few things I like to cook but I'm not great at it."

"I also like to read. My tastes are pretty varied and no one genre keeps me occupied."

They were both silent for a few minutes. Laura broke the silence again.

"Do you think we can do this for at least a year?" she asked.

Paul sighed. "I don't know. Maybe. As long as we each let the other have their private space."

"Yeah, that's a must. What other restrictions do you have."

"Well, I have no idea how the dating thing will work. If you or I can have a person sleep over for instance."

"Good question. As long as the other doesn't interfere, I think we could work that out. On another question, what about cleaning and washing clothes? Should it be a shared task or and individual one?"

"Definitely a shared task. We just need to set up a day and time when it should be done. And a date with someone is not an excuse to get out of a shared task."

"I think I can agree with that."

They kept at it for the next half hour. They eventually decided to call it a day and return home. Paul dropped her off at her house and returned home.

==========

Laura went to her room when she returned. She laid on her bed thinking about her lunch with Paul. He was not a bad guy at all. He seemed forthright and appeared to answer her questions truthfully. For the first time she saw a glimmer of hope that this situation might not be as bad as she first thought.

Paul seemed like a really nice person. He was tall, approaching six feet, had sandy colored hair that he wore to a reasonable length, and he was rather well built which was evident through his t-shirt. And those blue eyes held her attention throughout their discussion.

But the thing she liked most was that he was easy to talk with. They had no conversation trouble and even their silences did not seem unbearable. He could compromise easily and even propose solutions to problems without seeming overbearing.

This whole thing might work after all.

==========

At the same time, Paul was thinking about Laura. She really was a pretty girl with a really good head on her shoulders. He also found it easy to talk to her, they seemed to have a rapport that was never there with his past girlfriends. They agreed with each other easily and were able to find solutions to problems.

He loved her long auburn hair as he was partial to that hair color. She was tall for a girl, had beautiful brown eyes, a smile that could light up a room, and a body that begged to be looked at. But most of all he liked talking with her. She was interesting, intelligent, passionate, and funny when it suited her. He was starting to think of her as a potential roommate.

And that was something worth thinking about.

==========

The next week both sets of parents sprang something new on Paul and Laura. The lease agreement on the apartment would start August 1. And they wanted to move the kids in ASAP after that date so they could get used to living with each other before classes started. Also, freshman orientation started on August 10 giving the kids a little over a week to get adjusted to their new living conditions.

As it was already the middle of June and that left very little time for Paul and Laura to get to know each other. The result was that they began to spend more time at each others home. With the time pressure mounting, they asked their parents to get a floor plan of the apartment so they could figure out what was feasible to take with them. Laura's parents sent an email to the apartment complex and soon a reply was made with a floor plan attachment.

Taking some quick measurements it appeared all the furniture they could take for their bedrooms was their beds, dressers, and desks. Their saving grace was that closet space seemed generous. Both rooms were just about the same size but one room had a double size closet and Paul proved generous by giving that room to Laura.

As for the living room Paul's parents were buying a couch and having it delivered on August 3. Laura's parent's took care of the dining room with a four person table and chairs to be delivered the same day.

==========

On a Saturday afternoon in the middle of July, Paul was with Laura in her bedroom discussing kitchen and possible meals with her. As that discussion wound down Laura changed the subject.

"Paul, I want to thank you for being such a nice guy about all this. I know it's been hard for you, just as it has for me. You've been great about everything and I just want you to know I appreciate it."

Paul started to blush a little. "Thanks. You've been just as nice. So much so that I am no longer worried about having you as a roommate."

"I'm not worried either. We can make this work, I know it now."

Laura put her hand on Paul's and smiled at him. Paul thought that was the most intimate thing they had done so far. In all that time they had never held hands or touched each other.

As they looked at each other Paul worked up his courage and asked Laura, "Laura, would you like to go out to the movies with me next weekend?"

Laura was somewhat surprised by his question. But the more she thought about it the more she found that it might be a fun thing to do with him.

"I'd love to, Paul."

He was almost as surprised by her response as she was to his question.

"Great. We can make plans this week to figure out what we want to see."

They continued their discussion about living together. One of Laura's concerns was that she did not have a car. After talking it over they decided to coordinate their class schedules as much as possible so that Laura could ride with Paul to and from their classes. The apartment complex was only about three blocks from the campus but the campus was really large. This made walking in inclement weather problematic. Some compromises were going to be have to be made during bad weather.

==========

More planning and discussions happened throughout the next week, including plans for their date on Saturday. By the day of their date they only had a little over a week to finish their plans and get ready for the move to the apartment.

On Saturday evening Paul arrived at Laura's house to pick her up. They had decided on an informal date with dinner at a pizza place they both liked. Once they were seated they tried to keep the conversation away from the move and talk about anything else.

"So are you excited about attending college?" he asked Laura.

"Truthfully, it's been a roller coaster ride. I was really excited during the spring. Then this whole apartment situation came up and I was really down about college. But now, after meeting you and spending some time with you, I am excited again. What about you?"

"It's the same for me. If this works for both of us it will be great. And after thinking about it, I was not really looking forward to life in a dorm. I'm kind of a private person and living with a bunch of people tends to put stress on me. I know it's just me that applies the stress, but that is my reality."

"I can understand that. I guess I'm a little more outgoing than you are so dorm life was not a problem for me, except for perhaps the noise. Studying and sleep are really hard in a noisy environment."

"What about dating? I guess you were probably looking to get into the dating scene. How were you going to manage that living in a dorm?"

"Hummm. Are you talking about sex?"

Paul blushed. "I guess I am."

Laura smiled at him. "I had not worked that problem out yet. But living with you will make that a lot easier. I guess that is a bright point in this arrangement. But what about you? Are you looking to find a girlfriend?"

"Well, I hope so. I'm not that great with girls for the most part, except with you."

She smiled at him. "Thanks. You are a really nice guy, so I wouldn't worry too much. Girls are different in college than they are in high school. I don't think you will have any trouble at all attracting girls."

Just talking to Laura was giving Paul more confidence every day. Somehow she understood him and never put him down like other girls had done in high school. He really liked being with her. His only fear was that she might change once she got to college.

Laura was having a similar reaction to Paul. She liked being with him very much. He was easy to talk to and she did not mind revealing her opinions, and even some secrets, to him. She liked him.

Later they went to their movie. The theater was already dark when they arrived and they got seats in the center section. It was not all that crowded and there were empty seats all around them. The movie was a super hero flick, but even though it was enjoyable, the two of them were really more interested in each other. They kept looking at each other, their eyes doing all the communication necessary. Their hands found each other almost by themselves.

They were almost silent on their way home, each lost in their own thoughts. Somehow their relationship was changing for the better. What started out as an attempt to get to know each other had morphed into something more and they were still trying to figure out what that was. Paul parked in front of her house but did not get out. Both had their heads lowered as if they were afraid to look at each other.

"I hope you had a good time, Laura. I know I did."

Laura smiled without looking at him. "I did, too."

Paul started to get out of the car but Laura stopped him.

"I really had a great time, Paul. Thanks for being so nice to me. I do appreciate it." And then she kissed him quickly.

Paul was stunned. A kiss was the last thing he expected from her. It left him speechless. Laura smiled at and said "I will see you tomorrow." She opened her car door and ran to her door. When she got it open she turned back to him, still in his car, and waved goodbye with a smile on her face.

Paul just sat there for a minute in a state of surprise with his own smile on his face. When he was able to move he drove to his house.

==========

Laura lay on her bed later that night. What was happening to her? She was confused and excited at the same time. She was questioning everything she thought she knew about boys. She had always gone for boys that other girls wanted as a way to prove her desirability. But in reality that had mixed results. Sometimes the boys were good to her, sometimes not. This methodology obviously had its drawbacks.

But with Paul it was different. He was as nice to her as she could hope for. A little shy maybe, but that was attractive to her in a sense. His most attractive feature was his ability to speak the truth to her no matter what she asked him. And he was gentle to a fault.

When she thought about all his attractive features her heart beat a little faster. She had started to wonder what he looked like naked and especially about his cock. When she thought about these she sometimes masturbated. She had a healthy sexual appetite and usually masturbated at least three times a week, sometimes more. Lately Paul had become one of her fantasies during masturbation and as time passed he was almost her only fantasy.

Her fantasy became more vivid tonight as she imagined him undressing her and then mounting her on the bed. She imagined his cock pushing in an out of her pussy bringing her to enormous climaxes. As she got closer to her real orgasm she began to massage her breasts and pinching her nipples. She kept thinking about Paul fucking her until her climax rushed out of her. She moaned and tried to keep herself quiet while she let the passionate feelings wash over her.

As she came down from her high she suddenly realized that she had real feelings for Paul. Why else would he appear in her fantasies so often? This disturbed her a little. She was going to have to have a real talk with Paul to work this out in her head.

==========

Paul was also laying on his bed that same night. All his thoughts lay around the kiss she gave him at the end of their date. What was that all about? He was just trying to make it easier on the both of them by resolving any issues between them, but now it appeared that things had changed again. Instead of just getting along, things were moving in a different direction. Wait, no, that was not correct. Things were getting deeper between them.