Geez I haven’t gotten around to writing lately. Sorry, I haven’t had time to get my thoughts down. Been busy with homework. Also, all the essays I have written this past week are getting more and more ridiculous. So I’m sure you’ll notice a change in my writing.

This was what she needed for an hour or so. Just to lay in the tub, listen to soothing music, and drink some wine. The bubbles were were perfectly formed around her form, her head against the towel placed on the edge of the tub.

“Ah…” whispered Kira, arms on both sides of the tub, and closed her eyes. She was drifting into a light slumber, which she knew was dangerous because there was always a chance of drowning in her sleep, her eyes begged for just a minute of sleep. Maybe two.

Knock knock.

“Oh so close.” she whispered, reaching over to shut the water off. “Not now Ben.”

There was no one else in the house. James and Tom were both working tonight, leaving the whole house just to the two of them. It didn’t please either of them, of course, because it meant Ben would have alone time with her. But they needed the money and begrudgingly left for their shifts.

 ”All I’m going to do is brush my teeth.” in came Ben, hand covering his eyes, walking towards the sink. 

“Ben!” she sunk lower into the tub, beneath the bubbles.

His outstretched hand hit the glass above the sink. “Ow.” He faced her, eyes still covered “This is what happens when we only have one bathroom and four people.” 

“Yeah. Okay. But how are you going to know which toothbrush is yours?” 

His mouth twisted into a frown as he faced forward “You’re right….” he opened the cabinet door to reveal just how much stuff the men used. Really all Kira used were in her room. She learned her lesson in feminine items in there. She really didn’t need to see James throwing tampons at Tom and Ben again.

The only thing in there she owned was a purple toothbrush. It was different than the others; Tom’s being green, James’ being blue, and Ben’s being t he standard white. Even then she wasn’t so sure about keeping it there among the rest of them.

Kira squinted to look at Ben quickly open his eyes and pluck his out, immediately closing his eyes when he had the toothpaste as well.

“It must suck having a female roommate.” Kira cupped some bubbles and blew it his way. 

“I wouldn’t say that…” 

She laughed when he tried squirting some toothpaste onto the toothbrush, completely letting a large amount of it fall into the sink. 

“There are actually positive changes for having a female roommate.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The place smells better. Thanks for encouraging me to cook, now the place always makes me hungry with its leftover smells from the previous night. Though I need to remind myself-” he started brushing his teeth “to separate some for myself before letting you lot go at it.” he said between strokes.

“Hey Ben?” she sat up after watching him finish up his night routine. 

“Yes?”

“Care to join me?”

Ben spit out the water he was rinsing his mouth with. It sprayed all over the mirror, dripping off its edges. “Did I hear that right?” he asked closing his eyes harder, completely looking the other way.

“Well I figure since I’m going to be in there for a while might as well ask you. Tom and James have both done it - though I never asked, they just dove right in.” She muttered. It took some time getting used to, them just getting in whenever they see fit. But after a few minutes of taunts and jokes, she was used to having someone completely naked right across from her. Though with Tom it was harder to position due to his long legs and the size of the tub.

“Ah yes, they have told me of their little adventure.” 

“There is no sex involved.” Kira assured Ben with a roll of her eyes.

Ben wiped his hands on his pajama bottoms.

“…Sure. Why not.”

“Great. Now you can read from this book, make me fall asleep, and keep an eye on me so I don’t drown.” she chuckled, handing him the book.

“I’ve been looking for this book!” Ben huffed.

“Didn’t know it was yours.” She meekly shrugged.

He opened it to the first page and pointed to the top right corner “It says Benedict Cumberbatch.”

She smiled in hopes it would make him happy. It did.

Ben shook his head, a small smile attempting to make itself into a smirk, and took off his shirt.

“N’aw sweetie, I forgot my ones in my wallet.”

He laughed nervously and motioned for her to close her eyes.

“Shy are we now?” she smirked, covering them, and waited.

After feeling the rise of water push against her body, she uncovered them. The lights from the candles in the room barely showing Ben’s blushing face. At least with Ben she could bestow some confidence upon him. He was more shy than she was. So there was no way to feel embarrassed around him. Even if he didn’t realize how handsome he was, he always turned down her compliments with a ‘yeah right’.

“All I planned to do was brush my teeth and go to sleep,” Ben cracked the book open “Now I’m in the tub…with you…reading a book…”

Kira scooped some more bubbles and blew it at him. “Now get reading.”

He sighed, adjusting his sight to the light and began to read, “The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out the flies. The American and the girl with him sat a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went to Madrid…”

Across from him, Kira finally drifted into sleep. Her head fell to the side, cheek digging into the towel.

Content with how quick he made her go sleep, Ben balanced the book in one hand and draped the other against the side of the tub. He continued to read for himself.

“Morning James.” Kira lifted her mug. “I made some good coffee.” she glanced at it and paid attention back to the tv.

“I’d rather go to sleep, tankyouverymuch.” James hoped over the couch, his head oh so coincidentally landing on her lap. He had perfected this move whenever she was in her usual spot on the couch. 

“Oh baby, rough night.” she mocked but ran her fingers through his hair.

He closed his eyes making a satisfied noise. “Do you know that there are guys younger than me getting laid?!” She settled into the cushion, ready for one of his rants. He always had the best stories from working the night shift at the store. “This guy, couldn’t be more than 16, walked up to my check out with a handful of condom boxes. Like we shared this awkward moment as I rung up all 6 boxes. SIX Kira,” He held up six fingers “Where is this guy getting laid? It’s just a reminder of how long it’s beeeeen.”

“Yes?” Ben poked his head out of his room. 

“No not you Ben.” James waved him away.

“Oh, okay.” he shrugged and closed the door.

“But it’s the weekend and maybe I’ll go to a club.” he touched her bathrobe “Are you not going out at all today?”

“Thinking about it. Had a great night that’s for sure.” She smirked behind her   cup. 

“Thought about me while you did it?”

“What?”

“Nothing.” he laughed. 

“Oh…oh!” she slapped his chest, careful none of her coffee spilled on him. “That’s none of your business and that’s not what I meant.”

“So then would it be out of line to tell you I think of you when I do it?”

“You may have forgotten I’m holding a cup of steaming hot coffee. But no,” she placed mug on the coffee table. “I’m flattered.”

“Good. It’s all with good intention. I’m just going to nap here…” He yawned and snuggled into her robe.

“Sure,” Kira muttered “It’s not like that sandwich was for me.”

Tom spit up the chewed up piece of sandwich back onto the plate. “Sorry.” he offered it back.

“No. I can make another one.” She laughed and pulled out two more slices of bread. 

“Sorry. It’s just a double shift always gets me going.” his legs were jumpy “I’ve  passed the need to sleep and have gone straight to a lot of energy.”

James gave his shoulder a pat as he walked by “Good. We’re going to need all that energy for tonight.”

“Oh I don’t know if I can make it that late. By then I’ll probably be dead asleep.”

“Girls, Tom.” James poured himself a glass of orange juice “Needy girls who need validation of their self esteem ripe for the picking.”

“I’m right here.” said Kira, twisting the bag closed. “And you’re an ass.”

He curled his arm around her shoulders “Only on the weekends, darling.” and kissed her.

“Are we on a kissing level now?” Tom eagerly jumped up and kissed her “Well it’s too late to answer because I kissed you oh might as well kiss you too,” he kissed James “So now no one will feel left out but oh what about Ben yes I should go kiss Ben.”

Kira and James stood laughing. There was only one other time Tom did a double shift and even then he acted the same way. 

They heard Ben yelling at him to get away and laughed even harder. The tall ginger ran behind Kira, using her as shield between he and Tom. “No more kissing Tom!”

“He-he kissed you?”Kira held onto her side “I can’t breathe!”

“It’s okay Ben, I think we’ve all gotten past that barrier between us.”

“I just really love you guys.” Tom grinned.

“We love you too Tom,” Kira wiped her tears away.

Tom grabbed and dipped Kira for another kiss, giving her a little spin when he lifted her back up. She held onto James wide eyed. “Okay maybe he should really go to sleep.”

“He has a point though.”

“What-” James interrupted her with a kiss. “Is everyone high tonight?”

“You’ve got the sleepless, the ass,” James smiled “And the knight. Even a knight deserves a kiss. Dontcha think?” he playfully elbowed Ben.

“Oh no, I think Tom’s kissing was enough for one night.”

“No no, James is right. You’ve been nice and didn’t let me die last night, so I think a kiss is what you deserve.” she pulled him down (he willingly followed her lead) and kissed him.

“WOO!” Tom clapped “Alright!”

“Sooo,” James smirked when they finally pulled away from one another “Who’s the best kisser?”

Kira grabbed her sandwich “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

The guys followed her all the way to her room “Aw come on, you can’t leave us hanging like this.” Tom pleaded

“Let’s just say…you’re all equal,” Kira slyly answered, winking in James’ direction, and closing the door. Behind it she heard his cheers and in-your-face taunts. She laughed and bit into her sandwich.