Complicated.

9:

Still dressed in what she wore to bed, a wifebeater and boxer-briefs, Ashley padded barefoot into the kitchen, heading over to the refrigerator despite the shock of the cold tile, which after two years she should be used to but wasn't. As she peered into the refrigerator, she left one hand on the doorhandle, keeping it from closing on her. The toes of her left foot were tucked under right for warmth. Moments later, she switched, warming the toes on her other foot.

Not finding anything good in the fridge, she decided on a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and reached for the carton of milk. Corey walked in as she was pulling out a box of Froot Loops from the pantry. "Hey, morning," she said softly to the blond.

"Morning." Corey smiled and moved around her roommate to get to the coffee pot, where she refilled the mug she had carried into the kitchen. "I made coffee if you want to make yourself a cup."

"Oh, thanks. I think I'll wait till I finish eating before I have one." Ashley opened the flap on the cereal box and poured the colorful, fruity-flavored rings into the bowl she had placed on the counter. After adding milk and a spoon, she picked the bowl up and carried it over to the table. Corey joined her a moment later, taking the chair opposite from her.

The blond pulled a leg up onto the chair, sitting with her knee against her chest, foot on the seat. "Spencer said you guys had a good time yesterday," she said, lifting the coffee cup to her lips, "at the café."

"Yeah, it was nice." Ashley picked up her spoon and scooped as much cereal onto it as she could before shoving it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, with the back of her hand covering her mouth as she stared at Corey. She swallowed. "I didn't expect it to go as well as it did."

Corey ran her tongue across her lips, licking away the remnants of coffee, and set her mug down in front of her. "Why not?"

"I don't know. I wasn't sure how it would be seeing them, spending time with them again." Ashley sighed and dropped her eyes to her bowl of cereal. She moved her spoon around in it, patting the Froot Loops down into the milk. "I just wasn't sure."

"I understand; a lot of time has passed."

"Right. That's it. A lot of time has passed. I wasn't sure how much has changed, how much they've changed, and I was just worried and scared about how it would go. But I really had no reason to be. Aiden and Spencer, they're great. Always have been." Corey simply nodded, and Ashley went back to eating. She finished her cereal and took the bowl over to the sink, then turned and leaned back against the counter. "Are we, uh, are we cool?"

Corey's eyebrows scrunched together. She put the foot that she had resting in her seat on the floor and faced the brunette more, getting ready for 'the talk.' The one she had been waiting for all week long. "What do you mean?" she asked, wanting the brunette to clarify.

Ashley closed her right hand around her left wrist and began a nervous, back and forth twisting motion. She kept her head lifted, eyes on the blond at the table. "I feel like I've made a shitty impression this week. You're still new to the apartment, and I should be welcoming you and getting to know you better, but instead I've been avoiding you."

"Hey, look, it's okay." Corey stood and moved toward the smaller woman. "Don't worry about it. I understand." She stopped at the other side of the island counter and set her coffee cup down on top of it. "If I found out my new roommate was my ex's current girlfriend, I'd probably be a little withdrawn, too," she said, smiling slightly.

Ashley tried to smile as well, but couldn't get the corners of her mouth to lift. She sighed. "I, I hope you don't think that the reason I've been keeping my distance is because I still have feelings for Spencer or anything, because that's not the case at all." Not wanting to look at the other woman anymore, she shifted her stare to the letter magnets on the refrigerator door, searching for little words in the colorful cluster. "Seeing her again was a shock, and I just needed some time alone, to gather my thoughts, get used to the situation." She licked her lips and looked down at her hands. "But, really, I'm over her. Completely."

Corey noticed that Ashley couldn't quite meet her gaze while she spoke, but not wanting to read too much into it, she nodded and said, "Ash, it's okay. I didn't think you still had any feelings for her."

"So," the brunette lifted her eyes, "we're cool?"

"Yeah, we're cool."

A slow, relieved sigh passed through Ashley's lips. She smiled. "I think I've had my share of serious discussions today." She pushed off of the counter and grabbed a clean coffee cup from the dish drain. "For once, I've gotten them out of the way at the start of it, which feels really good. I should be able to get through the rest of the day with ease." She rolled her eyes and added, "Hopefully."

Smiling, Corey walked over and stood next to the bartender. "How about we make a deal? If we ever get in another uncomfortable situation or whatever, we agree to talk it out first, instead of avoiding the issue or each other for days and days. Deal?"

"Sounds good." Ashley sipped her coffee, then nodded. "Deal."

Corey smiled at the brunette. "I know we haven't spent a whole lot of time together, but I like you. I enjoy your company, and I really like living here with you and Jen. I just wanted you to know that."

Ashley cradled her cup against her stomach. "Good, because if you didn't like me, you'd probably hate me. It's one or the other with me, there's no in-between."

"How could anyone hate you? You're a fun, witty, beautiful girl."

"Are you flirting with me?" the older woman asked, smirking.

"No, I'm merely speaking the truth." Corey grinned, and moved to put her empty mug in the sink. "So, no more weirdness?" she asked as she turned back around. "Everything's good between us?"

"Yes. We're good."

"Do you want to go play that video game? You know the James Bond one I claimed to have never heard of and kicked your ass playing a few nights back?"

Ashley narrowed her eyes. "You've played that game before? You little bitch!" She went to slap Corey on the arm but the blond was quick to dodge her striking hand and began backing out of the kitchen.

"I'll go easy on ya this time!" With that, Corey disappeared.

"I don't know if I want to play with a cheater!" Ashley hollered to the blond, but went out and joined her for a game anyway.

- - -