It’s been a tiring day. Your brain is a bit fried because you overworked it trying to get past a writing block. You wrap up work and come out into the living room to find your partner cooking dinner. The absolute sweetheart. He’s been insistent on taking over more of the housework so you can regulate your typically chaotic schedule and work without distractions. You give him a hug and flop down on the sofa. 

You’ve barely closed your eyes to rest for a few minutes when a plate of steak (already cut into thin strips, of course) and fries appears in front of you. Your heart glows warm in appreciation. You thank him happily and dig in. The X-Files theme hums away, and you both complain about the show, swearing to stop with the next episode. 

A companionable silence falls as you both finish dinner and scroll away on your phones next to each other. A ping alerts you of the chores you haven’t completed for the day. You grumble, but it’d be better to just get it done and over with now than later. You stretch and get to work. Run the dishwasher. Done. Clean the countertops. Done. Throw away the trash. Done. Organize your desk drawer. Oh, this is one you’ve been avoiding for a while. 

The inside of your desk drawer looks worse than a trashcan at this point. Stuffed with wires and push pins and markers and sticky notes and pens and receipts and chapstick and letters that you should shred and … a half empty bottle of sanitizer? You sigh and stare at them, not wanting to sort through everything. 

Your gaze shifts to the shadows on your desk. The overhead light is a bit far away, which is not exactly ideal for a workspace. You push the desk a bit forward, hoping that makes it better. But no, it’s not the best. You swivel around on your chair and look at the room, taking in the general shape and size of things. You call out to your partner who has just started on his chores. 

Do you think we could … you start, and he interrupts with a no. But he laughs. He knows you well enough. 

Okay, what is it? How do you want to set up this room now?

You smile sheepishly and point to everything that’s wrong, or slightly inconvenient, to be perfectly honest. Your partner nods thoughtfully and looks around. The two of you debate various configurations. It’s a familiar, comforting conversation. In the two years you’ve been living together, he’s come to understand and support and be enthusiastic of your frequent requests for reorganising rooms on a whim. He’s primarily worried that if he doesn’t help you out, you’ll try to do everything on your own and end up breaking your ankle. Which, to be fair, is a very likely possibility given your clumsiness. 

You finally suggest a layout that could work. Measure twice, your partner insists. He’s right, of course. No point in doing all the heavy lifting only to find out you’re 10 cm short. That has happened before. Twice, in fact. You measure. And again. It works.

Can we do it now? You are, as usual, keen to get started. The idea has taken shape in your head, and you need it to be real immediately. 

Tomorrow? I’m a bit tired. 

Oh. I can’t do tomorrow. I have to be at the book fair. 

He sees your face fall. Let’s do it now then. 

You look at him doubtfully. I could do it on my own. It’s not going to be that hard. Why don’t you rest?

He rolls his eyes. Let me get some water, and I should be good. 

Are you sure?

Yes, I’m sure. Let’s do it. 

You clap your hands excitedly. Room reorgs inevitably cheer you up. The brain fog has long disappeared.  

---

An exhausting forty-five minutes later, you both survey the room.

It definitely looks more organised now.

You nod and agree. You can’t believe you didn’t think of this five months ago. You sit at your desk in the new spot and open the window. A cool breeze flows in tickling the hairs at the back of your neck, and you smile, satisfied. 

Okay, I’m going to play Genshin for the rest of the night. You’ll put away the books on your own time? 

You nod and then hug him tight. 

Thank you, you mumble against him. I love you.

You love the room, which feels brand new now. The layout looks perfect. You feel accomplished. You silence the ping of unfinished chores. 

The desk drawers can wait another day.