Chapter Text
It was about 3PM when you got a call from your neighbor.
“Hey Arthur, what’s up? Need me to watch Isaac again?”
You heard his deep sigh. “Yeah, I’m sorry I’m always askin’ you.”
“Don’t worry about it, you always give me a fair rate, and I like Isaac.”
“Thanks, darlin’.”
“Anytime.”
You ended the call and smiled to yourself. You loved it when his drawl came out and he called you ‘darlin’. It was a little off-putting at first when you had met him a year ago as he was moving into the apartment next door. You had thought he had those cowboy vibes, which you found out later was pretty close to reality; he grew up in the midwest on a farm, until he moved here with his fiancée, Mary, who left him for a hedge fund manager about a year ago. The kid happened by accident with a previous girlfriend, Eliza. They were still friends, but they knew they had different ideas for their lives, so they split their time with Isaac, and Arthur had the kid for one week every month. But while Isaac was around, you noted that Arthur was happier, kinder, and softer than he was during the rest of the month. You could tell that he loved being a dad, and when Isaac was back with his mother, Arthur seemed a bit lonely.
You had learned much more about him over the past year. He was a mechanic, working at a nearby shop, but he often worked late. You didn’t know why his boss wouldn’t have someone else pick up the slack, but Arthur would always mumble something about doing the job right and not making anyone else stay late. You admired that work ethic and that dedication to his company, but you wondered if people were taking advantage of him.
As you two had gotten to know each other, you discovered he shared your penchant for watching horror movies late at night, stuffing your faces full of tater tots when the option was available, and drawing random things that piqued your interest. Short greetings on your shared balcony became deep conversations late into the night, and as the two of you became closer, you realized a couple weeks ago that you had fallen for your cowboy neighbor.
Of course, you didn’t think anything would come of your crush. Dating a neighbor was bad, because if things went south, you still lived next to him; you would still see him almost everyday. And he hadn’t shown any specific affection towards you.
But the occasional brush of his hand against your arm, or when he lightly touched the small of your back as he let you go up the stairs first, always made your heart beat a little faster.
You saved your files and packed up your laptop; you were lucky enough to work from home on Thursdays and Fridays, given that you could do your job from anywhere, once you had your directions. Your boss would call you occasionally, but for the most part, you were free to just reply to emails and respond to helpdesk tickets at your leisure, as long as you logged in your 8 hours of work.
Carrying your laptop bag, you left your apartment and went to Arthur’s, opening it up with the spare key he had given you. It was a relatively clean but sparse space; Isaac’s toys in one corner with his little play table and chair being the only brightly colorful things anywhere. Arthur’s furniture was worn and had chips in the wood here and there, but the overall aesthetic reflected a natural, rustic style that you appreciated. No paisley here, just simple blacks, browns, and dark reds in all of his furnishings.
You set yourself down on the couch and pulled out your laptop, just as the door opened. A child’s voice called out your name, and you smiled. Isaac came bursting in and leapt on the couch, giving you a big hug.
“Hi there, big guy! You’re getting quite tall,” you said to him, poking his nose playfully.
“Daddy says I’m gonna be as tall as a giraffe one day!” he said excitedly.
“I’m not sure about a giraffe, but you’ll be close,” you replied with a grin as you patted him on the head. He ran off to put his little backpack down near his table and started playing with his toys.
“I can’t tell ya how much I appreciate this,” Arthur said as he stepped into your view. His eyes glanced down at what you were wearing for a split second before coming to rest on your face. You had on your lounge shorts and a spaghetti strap top, the kind of top that had a built-in bra, but it was thin enough that your nipples were a little visible. It was summer and you hated running the AC in your apartment if you could help it; money was tight, and you were still paying off your college loan, even after all this time. In your haste to help out Arthur, you had forgotten to change. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen you milling around on the balcony in shorts and tank top before, watering your plants. But actually being in his apartment with this little clothing on seemed… inappropriate.
Arthur stayed silent for a moment before finally saying, “I’ll be back around 8.”
“So see you at 9, then,” you said in a jesting tone, hoping he’d get over your state of dress.
He smiled at you wryly. “Yeah, probably.” Then he turned to Isaac. “You gonna behave, son?”
“Of course!”
“Good. See you later,” he said to both of you as he went back to work.
You left your laptop on the couch and decided to play with Isaac. It was much more fun than working the last two hours of your day. Besides, you could work after you put Isaac to bed for the night.
***
When 9PM rolled around, you stretched your legs and put your laptop away. After dinner and getting Isaac to sleep around 7PM, you had gotten all your work done, and with it being Friday night, you could relax. You didn’t have any plans for tonight anyway; all your friends were busy with their own work or their significant others. Sighing, you lay back on the couch and pulled out your phone to read.
The door finally opened at 9:30PM.