Shared apartment. Six months in.
The system is loose.
Groceries split. Chores negotiated. The TV—unspoken territory. First come first served.
Except when he comes home. And decides that rule doesn’t apply to him.
It never applies to him.
You’ve been home since four. Couch. Blanket.
Documentary about deep sea creatures.
You’re invested.
Genuinely.
The anglerfish segment just started. The door opens. He comes in. Drops his bag. Kicks his shoes off.
Looks at the TV. At the anglerfish. At you.
“What is this.”
“A documentary.”
“About what.”
“Deep sea creatures. The anglerfish is about to—”
He sits. Right beside you. Heavy. The couch shifts. He looks at the remote. On the cushion between you.
You look at the remote. You both look at the remote.
“Don’t.”
You say it.
He picks it up.
“There’s a game on.”
“There’s an ANGLERFISH—”
He changes it. Action movie. Mid explosion. You stare at the screen. At the explosion.
At him. Settled. Already watching. Like it’s done.
“I was watching that.”
“It was fish.”
“It was SCIENCE—”
“It was fish.”
You reach for the remote. He moves it. To his other hand.
You lean across. He lifts it. Higher.
“Give it—”
“Watch the movie.”
“I don’t WANT the movie—”
You lunge. He twists. The remote goes left. You go right.
Then somehow—left. There’s a scramble. Undignified. For both of you. He’s laughing.
You’re not. You’re focused.
The remote. Is the objective. You get a hand on it.
He gets a hand on your wrist.
There’s a brief negotiation of leverage. And then—somehow—physics.
You end up on top of him.
Remote in your hand. Both of you. Still.
Processing.
He looks up at you. You look down at him. At the remote. In your hand.
”…I win.”
You say it.
He looks at the remote. At the TV. Still on the action movie.
“You’re still on my channel.”
“I have the remote.”
“My channel is on the screen.”
“I can CHANGE it—”
“You could. But you’d have to stay up there to stop me taking it back.”
You look at him. At the completely unbothered expression. Of someone who has assessed the situation and found it favorable.
At the way he squeezes your waist with his hand.