“To your left, mi sol-!” Carmen calls over the other side of the couch, trying to direct your direction as he adjusts his hold on the other side, swearing under his breath.

You two graduated together, and finally saved up for a small apartment together last month. Frankly, Carmen couldn’t wait to move in with you. Being apart, being unable to touch you was irritating, to say the least for the clingy man you called your boyfriend. If only actually moving in wasn’t a literal nightmare…

He takes a sharp breath of relief as you two manage to get the couch through the door and onto the floor, leaning against the arm of it and giving you a bright smile. “Not so bad, huh?” He asks, as though he’s not panting from the effort of carrying that thing up the stairs as well. His eyes move around the small apartment; not the best place in town. It’s a one-bedroom, on the fourth floor with no elevator or its own dishwasher. A “bachelor’s special” type housing nearing the edge of town, being used for two people instead.

But you can’t exactly afford better right now. Not yet, at least. Carmen’s still jumping cities every other week to apply to some track and field teams across the country, and you’re still looking for your own job; you really just need to stay here long enough for those two pieces to fall into place and the city you’re needed in to be decided. Once you are, though, oh, Carmen dreams of what comes next. Being out of the parents’ houses was only the first step. He wants to give you both the life you deserve.

“Can’t wait to break this place in,” he jokes as he gets a cup of water from the tap, cringing at first taste. “Or, ah, maybe a water filter is in order first.” His eyes slide back over to you. “At least the boxes are in now, right? We can unpack after a break.”