The building Matt drives them to is on the better (relatively speaking) end of Elson Avenue, a six story brick block of cheap apartments. He seems relatively confident leaving the Lambretta on the street, but runs a cable lock through the wheels. The stairwell is apathetically cared for, occasionally lit, and relatively dirty. Finally they reach the fifth floor. Matt's flat is Number 513, though the three is missing, only evidenced by the lack of wood stain where the number would be. Matt unlocks both the door and the deadbolt (different keys), and pushes the door open. He reaches around to turn the lights on, then gestures for Bernie to go on in.

Bernie grins and heads through first, walking to about the center of the room and turning around to survey it. "Wow," she exclaims, "...it's big!" She heads over to the kitchenette, leaning in to look it over, and then turns and scurries over to the other doorways, peering into each.

Matt snorts. "Well, it seems big /now/...it's empty."

"Well, we c'n fix that," comes Bernie's voice from one of the bedrooms, before she comes back halfway out and leans against the doorframe, "th' empty part, I mean. But I bet it'll still feel pretty big." She eyes the living room light fixture thoughtfully, though not for long, as lights that are on are rarely pleasant to stare at.

Matt leans against the wall separating the kitchenette from the bathroom, his eyes following Bernie as she explores. "S'pose so. Oi don't 'ave that much stuff, really. Most everyfing is in the duffel in my room. And me scooter."

Bernie opens the coat closet. Three of the hangers fall down. She laughs a little, and picks them back up, putting them back on the rack. "Places attract stuff. It's onea those lawsa nature, y'know? For every action there is an equal an' opposite reaction, matter cannot be created or destroyed, places attract stuff. Live here long enough an' prolly you'll get forced out by stuff. Ever seen those apartments on th' news when they find some really old person dead, an' the entire place's fulla stuff 'cept th' chair they sat in t' watch TV?"

Matt laughs. "Oh, aye. An' shows on th' telly. First purchase oi fink will be a decent bed. Or maybe joost matresses. Frames are expensive, an' now Oi 'ave a mortgage."

Bernie nods, closing the closet again, or at least trying several times. She gives up and leans against the door, which does at least have the effect of closing it temporarily. "My parents bought a new mattress couple years 'go, an' th' frame came with it... I mean, it's jus', like, this li'l dinky metal rectangle with wheels, but still, frame. An' I read th' paper; somewhere's always havin' a sale on mattress an' boxspring sets, seems like."

Matt nods toward the closet. "Sorry 'bout that. It doesn't catch some'ow. Oi was goin' ta try ta fix it sometime."

Bernie steps away from the closet, turning to watch the door edge open again. "'s not that bad. Coats usually don't get too modest 'bout havin' th' door shut anyhow." She grins, and heads back over to the kitchenette, actually going inside now and looking at the various major appliances.

Matt shrugs, clearly not all /that/ worried about the closet door. "I fought about tryin' a seconds shop for a mattress, but Oi can stand the floor for a while, too. If a mattress and box is three yards, it'll take me two weeks ta earn it."

Bernie comes back out, and leans against the wall just outside the kitchen. "I approve," she declares, with a quick movement of her head to indicate the apartment at large. "People don't seem t' sell used mattresses that much..." She pauses, thinking, "Oh, hey, but I r'member once, I saw an ad in the paper for a rent-to-own place that was selling old mattresses, so maybe thassa thought, yeah?"

Matt shrugs. "Oi've slept on the floor in th' attic o' the Farmhouse fer a couple a weeks, can't see 'ow it'd 'urt 'ere. Then-" he smiles "-a /real/ bed, a big one. And groceries, and pots 'n' pans. Hmm. This could set me back a bit."

"Groceries do. I know how t' shop pretty cheap, but then you gotta kinda trade off on healthy..." Bernie shrugs slightly, "...pots an' pans, 'f y' don't care how shiny they are, you c'n get them all over in th' thrift stores. Also sometimes even new ones at th' 98 cent stores. An' sorta more expensive at th' supermarket, or, like, Wal-Mart."

"Books, Oi can splurge a /little/," Matt admits. "I've got about two fouand left after the down payment on this place. Oi'd prefer new pots, Oi fink." He smiles, though appreciating her thrift.

Bernie grins, and shrugs again, "Don't blame ya. Though, they do clean 'em an' all, so it's not -that- bad, but yeah..." She looks about, "..so 'side from th' bed, an' food-related items, whatcha plan t' do with it all?"

Matt scratches his head. "well, Megan and oi talked once about me 'elpin' train cubs, so Oi guess Oi'll do up the ovver room for guests: maybe bunk beds. In 'ere? A table, ta eat off of, and some chairs, a sofa, maybe a TV."

Bernie nods, considering that, and grins. "Sounds homey..."

Matt grins. "Oi certainly /hope/ so...It /is/ my homey."

"Point," Bernie grants. She looks around the place again, then at Matt, "...still gonna be 'round th' Farmhouse though? 'cause, otherwise I'm gonna be forced t' come bug you here a lot, y'know. I'd miss you."

"The way /you/ foight?" Matt teases. "Prob'ly." Beat. "Still, Oi'm sure oi'll be out there, if Oi'm trainin' cubs. Not keepin' 'em /'ere/ any longer than absolutely necessary."

Bernie sticks her tongue out at Matt, and then grins, glancing toward her boots. "Never know, you might like 'em..."

Matt blushes a little and can't help but glance toward the bedroom for a second. "Oh, Oi'm sure Oi'll like 'em. But the lease says 'No Pets.'"

Bernie laughs, and pushes a curl back behind her ear. It actually stays there... for almost half a minute. "...cute."

Matt brings himself a little closer, and adds more softly: "Some Oi like a great deal more than others, oi assure you."

Bernie glances sidelong at Matt, and half-smiles. "Yeah? ...me too. Funny how that works..." she replies quietly.

"You're welcome to stay..."Matt offers. "The rooms 'bout the same as the farmhouse, though we'd 'ave ta go out fer breakfast. Hey, you 'ave plans tomorrow? We could go shoppin'."

Bernie smiles completely. "...well, now I do. Sounds good 't me, yeah. We c'n get some stuff, an' see how much your bed'd cost, an' all that jazz..." She nods, and pushes off the wall, standing up straight. "...Thanks."

Matt nods. "Hopin' you'd say that. Oi've no experience in 'ousewares." He escorts her into the bedroom, offering her a place for her backpack next to the pile of covers, and sits down to set the alarm clock.

Bernie sets the backpack down, and does her uncharacteristically graceful drop into sitting crosslegged on the floor before uncrossing her legs and leaning forward a little to unlace her boots. "Y'know," she remarks, looking around the room, "...I think this's bigger than my an' my sisters' room at home. Though it's hard t' tell without anythin' much in it."

Matt assesses and nods in agreement. "Oi was finking about a queen-sized mattress."

"That oughta be nice an' roomy," Bernie remarks, setting her boots neatly together beside her backpack, as usual. "Really good size for jumpin' on, too." She pauses, "...not that you're gonna jump on it, but hey, 'f you were, it is."

Matt kicks off his own boots like he owns the place, which for the first time in his life, he does. His shirt follows, onto the pile of laundry in the closet. "Good ta know it could handle the...exercise."

Bernie takes her jacket off, laying it atop the backpack, and then pauses, glancing down at her clothing and debating for a moment. "...well, that's mostly up t't he springs, but 'least you aren't likely t' fall off."

Matt leaves his jeans on, but pulls off his socks, going barefoot on the short pile carpeting. He cuts the lights, leaving the lights in the kitchenette on to keep the flat from pitch blackness. In the near-dark, he returns to the blankets, and burrows a space for himself next to Bernie.

Bernie does close to the reverse; the trousers end up joining the jacket, but the sweater remains. That handled, she scootches down into the blankets, curling up comfortably within them.

Matt puts an arm around Bernie and does his best to fall asleep to the night sounds of his new home.