Disclaimer: (for the following chapters as well) I do not own RENT, nor am I making money out of writing this story.

A/N: Hey you lovely people!
I have only ever seen the Rent-movie, not the show, so that's what this is based on.

Rated T because our bohemians are potty-mouths. And so am I, and this is my story, therefore: T!

Enjoy! And please, please review!!

Italics are thoughts

Chapter 1

February 6th, 1991, 10pm EST

New York City's most awkward and uncomfortable couple had finally broken up.

Although Mimi Marquez had gotten much better during a two week stay in hospital, her relationship with Roger Davis had not survived the past months, Roger's flight to Santa Fe and Mimi's affair with Benny Coffin. Things had not been helped by the fact that Benny had to pay for Mimi's hospital bill.

It had not been a nasty break-up; there were no tantrums and tears involved. That's what their relationship had been like. The end of it had been very calm and controlled. They had decided that they would be better off apart, but that they would remain friends. Mimi would not give up the drugs for Roger; he would not just let her use. So Mimi had moved back to Nevada to be with her family and Roger once more holed himself up in the loft and moped.

Mark Cohen didn't really know what to do with his friend.

He had the whole tragic Mimi-Roger-story on film and you could see the relationship going downhill. Mark was certain that Roger was secretly glad it was over. But hell would freeze over before he'd admit it, of course!

Mimi's apartment stayed empty for almost two months, before a new tenant moved in. It was a girl, about twenty years old. She had strawberry-blonde hair, very pale skin, brown eyes, was very short and somewhere between slender and chubby.

Her clothes looked like they had seen better days and her hair, though long, was always bound in some haphazard fashion.

Mark had seen her a few times on the stairs, but had never spoken to her. They had only exchanged quick smiles, but she seemed friendly enough. Therefore, in the Cohen-book, she was listed as "potential buddy".

A week after she'd moved in, he suggested to Roger, "Why don't we go downstairs and, I dunno, introduce ourselves?"

His roommate gave a noncommittal grunt. Mark nudged him.

"Rog, you really need to get out of this apartment. You've been lying on this couch all day!"

"So? It's comfy!" Roger sighed at the look on Mark's face. "Fine, we'll say hello. I've never even seen this chic. She pretty?"

Mark knocked on the door and they heard shuffling from inside the apartment. Then the door opened a fraction and she peered out at them.

"Hello?"

She had a pleasant voice, low and husky.

"Hi, uh… We just wanted to welcome you into the neighbourhood. We live upstairs; I'm Mark Cohen, this is…"

"Roger Davis," Roger introduced himself.

The girl opened the door a little wider and shook both their hands.

"I'm Leni Hollis. You wanna come in? For some tea or something?"

Roger exchanged a quick glance with Mark. This was no city kid, that much was obvious. They accepted the invitation.

The first thing Roger noticed when he walked into the apartment was that Leni was obviously somewhat better off than Mimi had been. Her furniture was quite beaten down, but, unlike Mimi's, it looked pre-dumpster.

The two men sat down on the green couch, which squeaked in protest.

Leni bustled around the small stove and prepared tea.

She came back with three mugs and shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry, no milk or sugar."

"That's fine." Like they ever had milk or sugar.

They took their cups. There was a moment of silence.

"I hope you don't do this often," Roger said suddenly. "Inviting random strangers into your apartment, I mean. That's usually not a clever idea in New York."

"Yeah, I know," Leni replied. She shrugged and smiled. "I'm glad you came by, though. Now I know where to find two strong men who'd defend me if I'm in trouble, right?"

She laughed as Mark flexed his invisible muscles and Roger patted him on the back so hard he almost fell over.

"Yeah," Roger said jokingly, "as you can see, we're practically martial artists!"

Mark sipped some more tea and managed not to make a face. It was quite horrible.

"A bunch of us are meeting at the Life Café tonight," Roger said. "Do you want to come? I mean, if you're new here and don't know so many people…"

"Yeah," Mark added, "you'll meet some of the more colourful folks here in Alphabet City, but they're all friendly."

Leni was surprised, but delighted.

"I'd love to!"

They talked for a while longer, before Mark and Roger excused themselves to head back upstairs.

Leni saw them to the door and leaned against the doorframe.

"The girl that lived here before…" she said suddenly and made Roger turn around, "you guys used to be friends, right?"

Roger smiled. "How did you know?"

"Because you're trying to make friends with me. It's typical behaviour. Either you hate the person who replaces your friend or you try to see the good in them."

He crossed his arms and cocked his head, and gave her his best "oh really?"-look.

She just stared back at him, a little smirk playing around her lips.

He just laughed a little and uncrossed his arms again. "Yeah, you're right. Mimi… used to be our friend."

"So…"

Mark flopped down onto the couch, a bowl of cereal on his knees, while Roger took his AZT.

"What do you think of her?"

Roger shrugged. He took of his leather jacket and tossed it on the couch next to Mark.

"She's nice. Wonder what brought her to this shithole."

"May'e we'll fin' ou' t'nigh," Mark mumbled through a mouthful of Captain Crunch. He swallowed. "I was surprised you invited her, actually. I don't mind, really, but you haven't been very sociable lately."

Roger picked up his guitar and struck a few random notes.

"She's nice, she's new here and she's alone. That's all!"

Mark smirked at him.

"Yeah, and the fact that she was blatantly flirting with you hasn't got anything to do with it."

"Mark, please. I'm not looking for a girlfriend. Besides, I doubt she'd be interested in a guy who's dirt broke, about ten years older than her and HIV positive."
"Oh, and here we go again," Mark groaned. "You know, it would be perfectly alright for you to date healthy women!"

"Yeah, right. And when things actually get a little hotter I tell her, 'Sorry honey, but you don't really want to literally fuck with death!'"

"Use protection."

"That's not one hundred percent safe."

"Nothing is!"

Roger rolled his eyes. "How about abstinence?"

"Why don't you just become a fucking monk, Roger?"

They laughed at the pun, the tension lifting.

"Besides," Roger added, again strumming random notes, "she's not my type."

"Yeah, you don't like cute blondes with freckles and a great… personality…"

"Shut up!"

… to be continued

REVIEW!!!