A/N: This is the first of a two parter. I've had part 1 on my computer for several weeks now...now to finish part 2.
"Welcome back, Nerd!" Holly was engulfed in a hug she knew was only reserved for her. "Are you ready to start your journey to officially becoming Doc?" She was exhausted from her day of travel to get to school. It started out fantastic, waking up early to get to her flight, which ended up being delayed causing her to miss her connecting flight and then her luggage had somehow ended up in the customer service baggage claim of a different carrier. All she could think about during the entire taxicab ride was climbing into bed and sleeping. That was, until she was caught in the hug by her best friend Gail. For someone who despised hugs, Gail really did give the best ones.
"Thanks, Gail." She returned the gesture before flopping on her bed. "Ugh. You would not believe the day I have just had. I'm so glad we decided to move in a week early so I can shake off the events and focus on the school year." Holly brought her arm up to cover her eyes and could feel the weight of another person lying down on the bed next to her.
Gail shifted her position so she was on her side and propping up her head on her hand. Theirs was one of those friendships that most people deemed doomed from the start. Holly was two years older than Gail, soft around the edges where Gail was hard, studious and athletic while Gail sort-of tried and couldn't be trusted to swing a bat but they complemented each other and were soon inseparable. "Hey, we could just order in and watch some cheesy rom-com. We don't have go out tonight." The blonde could see the exhaustion on her friend's face and thought she may have fallen asleep in the few moments since she had lain down on the bed.
"Thasounssoaweome." The tired Holly inhaled deeply before abruptly sitting up. "But first, I need to shower off the airplane smell." She slowly pushed herself upright, fumbled around her suitcase, and headed to the bathroom. Just as she got to the door, she turned around, and said, "Thanks. It really is great to be back where we can hang out in person and not just through technology," before shutting the door and the sounds of water running could be heard.
Gail just flopped back onto the bed and groaned. While she too was glad that they could now hang in person as well, it also meant that another semester of school was starting and this time they would both be a lot busier, she agreed to do a research project and Holly was starting med school. But before the semester started they still had another week of just lazing around and enjoying each other's company.
They were just taking stock of the beverages they had for the night when the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of their sustenance. Gail ran to the door first and paid before Holly could grab her wallet from her room where she had dropped all of her stuff upon arrival. The blonde walked into the kitchen holding up their dinner, grabbed the bottle of tequila, and made her way to the living room to start digging in. Rolling her eyes, Holly grabbed the bottle of Jack, two shot glasses and followed. When she got to the living room Gail had already claimed half the couch and some fried rice.
"So, what's it going to be tonight Blondie?" They did this once a week and it was looking like this was going to continue into the semester. A tradition Holly was perfectly okay with.
"Well, Nerd. I was thinking of watching a classic Meg Ryan, Sleepless in Seattle."
"Ooh. Very nice. You know, that was one of those movies that my Dad would always turn on when I was a kid."
"Your Dad? Mr. Stewart? The guy who basically built your childhood home on his own and goes for week-long camping trips? That guy?" Holly laughed at her friend's description of her Dad. Her roommate wasn't too far off.
"Yes, that guy. He has a soft spot for rom-coms for whatever reason. You don't want to know how often we watched movies like While You Were Sleeping and You've Got Mail when I was a kid." Her Dad was a man of many contradictions.
"Huh. I never would have guessed. Well, I haven't seen this in years so don't ruin it for me." It wasn't long before the food was gone and they were settled into their movie watching positions. Holly with her legs stretched out and propped up on a pillow on the coffee table and Gail laying down, her head in Holly's lap. Holly was engrossed in the movie, this was her favorite of the movies and she could quote it in its entirety. The med student thought her friend was watching the movie as well until her friend's voice broke the relative silence of the room.
"Do you know this entire movie by heart?" Gail's voice was one of wonder.
"What?" Holly was thrown off by the sudden question.
"You move your lips whenever Meg speaks. Sometimes you even whisper along with the dialogue." She could see the confusion, evident in the way Holly's brow furrowed and then recognition in the way her lips quirked up into that side smile.
"Ha, I do actually. I told you, we watched this movie a lot when I growing up. This one was my favorite." She hadn't realized what she was doing. They continued watched the movie like that, until it finished and Holly noticed then the rhythmic breathing of her roommate. Gail's face looked so peaceful that she couldn't bring herself the wake her up and instead simply turned off the TV and DVD player and settled in for the night.
They spent the nights of the following week in much the same fashion. During the day Holly would prepare for school and Gail would sort-of prepare for school. At night they'd either order in or make some food and watch a movie together, sometimes spending the night on the couch together and other times talking well into the wee hours of the night before retiring to their respective bedrooms, both of them knowing and dreading the day school started when they wouldn't be able to see the other as often.
"You ready for tomorrow?" They were in Gail's room, Holly getting ahead in her studies and Gail making up her semester study playlist, but mostly looking at how tense Holly seemed to look about her first class.
"Hm?" As expected, the nerdy brunette was engrossed in her textbook so Gail gently poked her ribs with her toe.
"Are you ready for tomorrow? You look like you're already studying pretty hard and the semester hasn't even technically begun." Holly grabbed her foot and started tickling it. She knew exactly where Gail's ticklish spots were.
"Oh yeah? Not hard enough that I don't have time for you!"
"Stop. Stop it." She could barely get the words out she was laughing so hard. And as always, Holly stopped when she asked. Gail was laying down on her bed trying to catch her breath and Holly flopped down next to her. They just laid there enjoying the other's company until Gail turned to look at Holly but there was something different this time. Her stomach was doing flips and her skin tingled at how close they were to each other. Sure she couldn't wait to see her friend or hear her voice over the summer but butterflies in her stomach? That was new. And then Holly turned to look back at her. Holly with those soft and open brown eyes. Holly who was her shoulder to cry on when everything went belly up with Nick last year. Holly who cried on her shoulder when Colleen broke up with her because she couldn't stand that Holly studied so much. Her Holly. And she realized in that moment, that she wanted to kiss Holly.
"Gail?"
"Huh? What?"
"I thought I lost you for a second there. Where were you?" Holly was looking at Gail, studying her face like she already knew the answer and it was written in the contours of her prickly friend's face. There was no reason for her to think that Holly would want to date her, they were complete opposites after all. And as her other friends often pointed out, the mere existence of their friendship was a mystery.
"Oh. I was just, you know, thinking." She turned her head to face the ceiling and audibly inhaled and exhaled. When had this happened? Was she okay with it? Why was she not freaking out about it? Did she need to? No, she was okay with it. What should she do about it?
"Hey. What are you thinking about?" Holly placed her hand over Gail's and gave a gentle squeeze. "You look like you're trying to figure something out."
Gail chuckled softly, her best friend had no idea how accurate she was with that statement. "Just thinking." And she was, just thinking. But what should her next actions be?