Katherine strut up the walkway leading to the slightly lopsided brick house she called home whilst at Brakebills. While no Hampton’s beach getaway, she felt at special fondness stir in her chest at the sight of the white pillars and trick front door. Her luggage levitated in her wake as she climbed the few steps up to the porch, and she let it settle at her heels for a moment. With a tense movement of her right hand, she focused on a key that usually sat at the top of the doorframe and guided it through the gap underneath the door, neatly into her hand. A second later she was standing in the foyer, the key back in its original place, and the Broadway-esque TADA sign lit up in a cheering welcome.
Oh, it was good to be back.
While she had spent the better part of the last few weeks of last semester in the Physical Cottage (and more nights at the Healer’s House than freshman dorms, probably), it was now officially her place of residence. Katherine had every intention of selecting her preferred room and decorating it to her heart’s content. It was the main reason she’d abandoned her summer adventures before it was truly necessary to come a few days prior to start of term.
The feeling of home continued to warm her until she was in the upstairs hallway. She stopped dead in front of an open doorway, let her suitcases pop against the floors once more, and felt an enormous grin overtake her features as one of her favorite people turned around. Katherine barreled into him with a fast and tight embrace, rocking his weight backwards with the force. “Marcel!” She half-laughed his name, so excited to be there and see him again.
The hug was brief, but full of affection. “I know it’s impossible but I swear you look taller.” He always did loom over her, despite the boost her heels gave. She barely glanced around his room before flouncing on his bed. “This semester is going to kick ass. I can feel it. And I claim that room, right there.” She pointed straight across the hall to an empty bedroom. It was large enough to fit two, easily, but Katherine was not known for her ability to share. Her suitcases followed her directions inside from the short distance. “I can’t believe we went the whole summer without seeing each other,” She complained. His plans to come up to Long Island had fallen through, as had hers to make a trip to New Orleans. “Ridiculous. I bet you missed me so much you couldn’t even get it up.” Teasing, of course, and it felt so right.
Damn it was good to be back. Marcel made sure to be the first one in the house so he could get dibs on the SECOND biggest room there. This year he’d have a walk in closet and plenty of space for his king sized bed. It sure as hell beat the shoebox on the top level of the house he was living in last semester.
He was just hanging a Bourbon Street sign on his wall when Katherine joined the party. For such a small person that hug she gave was powerful, nearly knocking him back on his ass. “Good to see you too Katherine.” He chuckled through the embrace. It’d been too long.
“You know I missed you. Even saved that room across the hall for you to make up for not coming out to Long Island. Thought you might appreciate the extra space.” Marcel did feel guilty about letting plans fall through like he did. But when he connected with fiery blonde TWINS in Amsterdam, he couldn’t just LEAVE before the fun was up. Katherine would understand.
“Not gonna lie, it was a struggle not seeing that face all summer, not sure how I managed. ---- Though, let’s not get wild and insult my performance.” He teased, making his way over to the mini bar beside his bed. His room wouldn’t be true to its New Orleans theme if he didn’t have booze on standby. “What were you up to all summer? Raising hell I bet.”
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