A/N: Rogers contemplates the change that Tilly brought into his home and his life.
Home Makeover
The TV was on when he walked into his apartment. It was clearly a documentary on sea life if the scientific facts about starfish he could hear were any indication. He wasn't surprised by that. Tilly had been thrilled by the prospect of being able to watch TV and she'd quickly fallen in love with documentaries. She loved to watch about everything from wildlife to travel guides. He hadn't expected her to be awake though. He'd gotten caught up at work and he'd thought he wouldn't catch her awake.
He stepped into the living room to find her asleep on the couch, a book lying open on her chest. She must have been reading, using the TV for background noise. As if one thing was not quite enough to occupy her mind. She was always busying herself with something and looking for something to do - be it read, draw or cook. Her new job at the Rollin' Bayou had inspired her to try her hand at cooking. Her first few attempts had resulted in utter chaos that had transformed the kitchen into a war zone but she was getting better at it. She even cooked him dinner sometimes when she got home first. She'd said it was the least she could do to show her gratitude for him letting her stay with him.
He debated whether he should wake her so that she could relocate to the more comfortable bed in her room or let her sleep. She must have been really tired to fall asleep while reading and he knew sometimes she had trouble sleeping so he decided to let her be. He didn't want to wake her only for her to be unable to fall back asleep. He went to fetch a blanket though. Even though the apartment was warm, it was still winter. He didn't want her to catch a cold.
He pulled the book out of her loose grip, careful not to wake her, and covered her with the blanket. She seemed peaceful and that was a nice change from the anxious, worried Tilly he had first met. The stable home and job as well as her newfound connection with Margot seemed to ground her and helped her integrate into the community of the Heights. She was no longer a thief and a street rat, no longer invisible, and that seemed to bring her great comfort. And it brought him comfort too, knowing that she was safe and happy.
He put the book on the coffee table and looked at the chessboard that they'd left there. Since they did not always have the opportunity to play, they kept the board there and made a move at a time. The other would see it and make their own move in response. That way they could still play even when they didn't really have the time.
He took a good look at the chessboard to see if he could figure out Tilly's strategy. Sometimes her moves looked illogical but turned out to be brilliant. That seemed to be the case now because he couldn't figure out what she was trying to do. He did see an opportunity to capture one of her pawns with his knight but it seemed too obvious to be anything but a bait. He decided to play along however, interested in what she had in mind.
He tried to get closer to the board to make his move but tripped over something. He barely managed to keep his balance and looked at Tilly to see if the thud he'd caused hadn't woken her. There didn't seem to be a change in her even breathing and peaceful expression so he redirected his attention back to the thing he'd tripped over. Turned out there'd been a pile of books on the ground that he hadn't noticed before. Tilly had the habit of pulling out a handful of books from his shelves and then leaving them strewn all over the apartment. And when she did put them back, she never put them in their respectful places, causing the chaos to transfer to the shelves too. He had to rearrange them every few days to bring some order in them.
He shook his head and picked up the books, leaving them in a neat pile on the coffee table, next to the chessboard where Tilly would spot them immediately. He moved his knight and then headed to the kitchen island to grab something to eat. He saw a packet waiting for him on the table. He picked up the note that was sitting next to it.
"Look what hopped all the way here from Sabine's foodtruck"
He smiled at the little bunny she'd drawn at the end of the sentence instead of a full stop. He opened the packet of beignets and took a bite from one. It was not the most standard dinner but it it sure as hell tasted divine. And Tilly was not the most conventional of roommates but she filled the apartment with warmth and made it feel like a home again after the many sleepless cold nights he'd spent in fruitless attempts to find Eloise Gardener. Tilly's tangible presence–from the painting she'd given him to hang in his bedroom to the little origami boat she'd made him–filled the apartment with life and he rather liked the transformation.