This Years Love

Based on the song "This Years Love" by David Gray

Summary: Stu Bennett's necessity to be on the road constantly resulted in him having to get a roommate. That's how he met Nicole. She was perfect, always paying the bills, cooking, cleaning. He knew he never had to worry about anything while he was away. They form a casual friendship, but the more time the two spend together, the stronger their relationship grows. What happens when Stu finds himself falling for her? Will she reciprocate the sentiment? Or will he have to live in a house with a woman he will never be with?

Stu Bennett walked into the house he had been sharing with his roommate. He had been gone for twenty-two straight days, hence why he had a roommate. Whenever he came home, there was always plenty of food, the place was always clean. The bills always got paid on time. It made for a much easier life at home.

"Nic," he called out. There was no response. He had shared a house with Nicole Moretti for the past four months. He didn't know her very well, but she was always very sweet and more importantly, she was a really good cook.

Stu made his way up the stairs and down the hallway. "Nicole," he called out again.

"Stu?" he voice asked. Within moments, her bedroom door opened, and the brunette appeared before him. A smiled formed across her face. "Hey. How are you?" she greeted.

"I'm alright. Tired. Hungry. How are you?"

"I'm good. I wasn't really sure what time you were coming home, so I made Penne a la Vodka last night. It's in the fridge. If you're hungry, I can heat up a bowl for you," she offered.

"Oh my God. Do you know how amazing you are?" he asked. "I mean, I can get myself a bowl and all, but seriously."

Nicole laughed. "It's just good." Stu walked over and pulled the woman into a hug.

"You don't understand. I've only been eating bloody fast food. Nothing home cooked at all. That's all I've been wanting," he explained.

The two pulled apart. "Aw. Well, you can always make requests," she told him.

"You're seriously the greatest woman on earth. How has everything been here?" Stu asked her.

"Good," she replied with a nod. "Nothing to report."

"No news is good news."

"How have your shows been?" she asked him, shifting her weight onto her left foot.

"Not too bad," he replied. "But it'll definitely be nice to be off for the next few days."

"That should be fun. It'll be nice to have someone here. It's been so quiet sine you left."

Stu furrowed his brow. "Where's the boyfriend been?" he questioned, curiously.

Nicole's eyes quickly darted down to the floor. "Oh…um…we broke up," she told him. "About three weeks ago, actually." Her eyes slowly made their way to meet with Stu's.

"Oh. I'm so sorry," he apologized. "Obviously, he's an idiot."

Nicole shrugged. "Actually, I broke up with him…" Stu raised his eyebrows. "Because he was cheating on me."

"Like I said, he's a bloody moron," Stu confirmed.

"Yeah…"

"How about we go out to dinner tonight? Not as a date or anything. Just to celebrate you being free from that wanker," he invited with a grin, wanting to cheer her up.

"Aren't you tired? I don't want to make you go out," she replied, shaking her head slightly.

"Well, now, I'm insisting that you let me take you out for dinner. We can catch up. Come on," he insisted.

A smile crept onto Nicole's lips. "Alright," she agreed. "And we can celebrate you coming home."

"Perfect."

"Okay. Do you need help with your bags or anything?" she asked. "I can do your laundry if you'd like."

Stu smiled. "You're my roommate, not my slave."

She shrugged. "Well, you've had a long day. I have no problem helping you out."

He shook his head. "You're a real sweetheart."

"Thanks."