House of Nerds (Hon)

Part 2 of chapter 1

The air in the cramped living room crackled with tension.

Jimmy and Tle, their faces etched with desperation, launched into a frantic plea.

"Aunt Jane, please! There has to be another way,I... I don't think I can handle living with Ohm. It'll be too awkward." Jimmy begged, his voice laced with a hint of panic. "

Tle chimed in, his usual cool demeanor cracking under the pressure. "And FirstOne... he's a great guy, but we work together! This is going to be a disaster for my career. People will talk."

But Aunt Jane remained unmoved, her expression firm.

She had made up her mind, and nothing they said would change it. "Your personal issues don't pay for anything!" she declared, her voice leaving no room for argument.

"I need that money, and this is the only way you're going to get it to me on time."

She turned to her two "tenants," her voice softening slightly. "Ohm, FirstOne, I'm counting on you two to make this work. The payment is due."

Reluctantly, Jimmy and Tle reached into their pockets, handing over the money they had managed to scrape together.

Each bill felt like a piece of their soul being torn away.

FirstOne, who had been radiating sunshine just moments before, now wore a visible pout.

The bubbly, cute persona had vanished, replaced by a sulky demeanor.

He tossed the money onto the table with a disgruntled sigh.

Ohm, on the other hand, remained unfazed, his face a mask of indifference.

But beneath the surface, Jimmy could sense a simmering tension.

Ohm's eyes, usually warm and inviting, were now fixed on him, delivering silent, deadly stares that sent a shiver down his spine.

This was going to be more complicated than he had ever imagined.

The forced cohabitation had begun, and the battlefield was set.

The tension in the room thickened to a near palpable level.

The silence was broken only by the ticking of a grandfather clock in the hallway, each tick amplifying the awkwardness of the situation.

Aunt Jane, oblivious or perhaps deliberately ignoring the simmering undercurrents, clapped her hands together once more. "Alright then! Now that that's settled, let's get you boys settled in! Ohm, your room is big enough to squeeze in a cot, yes?"

Ohm merely nodded, his gaze still locked on Jimmy, a silent promise of what was to come.

"FirstOne, I'm sure you can make room for Tle's equipment. He's very tidy, aren't you, Tle?" Aunt Jane gave Tle a pointed look, daring him to disagree.

Tle managed a weak smile, his mind already racing with the logistics of sharing a space with the man he had turned down.

"Now, now, no need to look so glum! This is going to be a wonderful experience for everyone. Think of it as... a bonding opportunity!" Aunt Jane continued,

Jimmy and Tle exchanged a look of disbelief.

Bonding?

With their exes?

This was a recipe for disaster.

"I'll leave you all to get acquainted," Aunt Jane said, patting them each on the shoulder.

"And Ohm, FirstOne, don't forget to be good hosts. These boys have been through a lot."

She mockingly said likely warned them

With that, she bustled out of the room, leaving Jimmy and Tle alone with the two men who held their hearts and their futures in their hands.

The silence stretched on, heavy and suffocating.

Jimmy knew he had to break it, but the words caught in his throat.

Finally, Ohm spoke, his voice low and laced with an unreadable emotion.

"Well, Jimmy,Welcome back." he said, his eyes never leaving Jimmy's.

The words hung in the air, a loaded invitation to a past that Jimmy wasn't sure he was ready to revisit.

The game, it seemed, had officially begun.

"Alright, Tle! Welcome to my humble abode!Come on, come on! Let me show you around!" he exclaimed, gesturing theatrically towards a door adorned with fairy lights and polaroid photos.

He grabbed Tle's arm, pulling him towards the room with an enthusiasm that was both endearing and slightly overwhelming.

Tle, still reeling from the awkwardness of the situation, allowed himself to be led.

The room was a reflection of FirstOne's personality.

Bright, cheerful, and slightly chaotic.

Clothes were scattered on the floor, posters of his favorite bands plastered the walls, and a rainbow-colored dreamcatcher hung from the ceiling.

It was a far cry from Tle's own minimalist aesthetic.

"Sorry for the mess, I wasn't exactly expecting company." FirstOne said, his cheeks flushing slightly.

He gestured towards a small corner of the room. "I figured you could set up your equipment here. It's not much space, but it's the best I can do."

Tle surveyed the room, trying to suppress a sigh.

Sharing this tiny space with the relentlessly cheerful FirstOne was going to be a challenge.

But he knew he had no choice.

"Thanks, FirstOne,I appreciate it." he said, forcing a smile.

FirstOne's grin widened.

"No problem! I'm actually really excited to have you here, Tle. It's going to be so much fun!"

He winked, then launched into a flurry of questions about Tle's photography, his favorite bands, and his opinions on the latest fashion trends.

Tle found himself drawn in by FirstOne's infectious energy, a small spark of hope flickering amidst the chaos.

Maybe, just maybe, this forced cohabitation wouldn't be so bad after all.

Or maybe, he was just delusional.

The atmosphere in Ohm's room was a stark contrast to the bright, chaotic energy emanating from FirstOne's.

As Jimmy hesitantly followed Ohm into the dimly lit space, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

The room was small and sparsely furnished, but it was undeniably Ohm's.

The walls were painted a deep indigo, and the air was thick with the scent of sandalwood incense.

But it was the display on the wall that caught Jimmy's attention.

Polaroid pictures, dozens of them, were strung across the wall with fairy lights, their soft glow illuminating the images.

They were all of Jimmy and Ohm, captured during their happier times: laughing on the beach, sharing ice cream cones, posing for silly selfies.

Cute stickers, carefully chosen, adorned the edges of each photo.

It was a visual testament to their love, a time capsule of their shared memories.

Jimmy's heart ached at the sight.

He had tried so hard to erase those memories, to move on from the pain of their breakup.

But here they were, staring back at him, a constant reminder of what he had lost.

He glanced at Ohm, expecting to see a flicker of embarrassment or discomfort.

But Ohm's expression was unreadable.

He didn't seem to mind that Jimmy was seeing them, that he was forced to confront the ghosts of their past.

"This is where you'll be sleeping," Ohm said, his voice flat, gesturing towards a small cot squeezed into a corner of the room.

Jimmy swallowed, his throat tight.

The cot looked uncomfortable and cramped, but it was better than nothing.

"Thanks," he mumbled, his eyes still glued to the pictures on the wall.

Ohm turned away, busying himself with rearranging a stack of art supplies on his desk.

He didn't say anything else, didn't offer any explanation for the display of their past.

He simply left Jimmy to grapple with the memories, to face the uncomfortable truth that, for Ohm, their love story wasn't quite over yet.

The weight of the past pressed down on Jimmy, suffocating him in the small space.

He quickly finished setting up his meager belongings, the cot feeling more like a prison cell than a bed.

The urge to escape Ohm's room, to escape the memories that clung to every corner, was overwhelming.

He muttered a hurried "I'm done," and practically bolted for the door, his heart pounding in his chest.

He needed air, he needed distraction, he needed to get away from the intensity of Ohm's silent scrutiny.

As he stumbled into the living room, he found Tle already waiting, his face a mixture of relief and anticipation.

"Ready to get out of here?" Tle asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I just got a text from Latte. He's at his usual spot, and I think we both need a stiff drink." Jimmy said too

Jimmy didn't hesitate to lend the his hand offering Tle to go ahead.

"Lead the way."

He knew that running away from his problems wasn't a long-term solution, but for tonight, it was exactly what he needed.

The familiar comfort of Latte's bar, the easy banter with his friends, was a welcome respite from the awkwardness and tension of Aunt Jane's apartment.

He and Tle could at least forget about their forced cohabitation with Ohm and FirstOne, even if just for a few precious hours.