New Neighbor

[on_ur_left]

It started with scuffles and faint thumping through the walls. It was a nice apartment, but Steve had pretty good hearing (understatement, that), and he knew the apartment beside his was empty, so it was—

Unusual.

Curious.

No one had ever blamed Steve of not being curious. The opposite had been said plenty of times, though, along with the requisite saying about cats.

Steve swept his pencil along his paper a couple more times, lips pursed, until there was an almost-audible-to-normal-ears thunk from the hallway.

Okay, he had to know. Setting his sketchbook and pencil down on the coffee table, Steve stood, absently brushing his hands down his legs to smooth out any wrinkles - despite currently wearing his 'around home' jogging pants, which didn't really do wrinkles. Force of habit.

Moving over to the door, he hesitated. Was it really any of his business? He'd lived in the 21st century for almost 2 years now, he understood that things were different. People kept to themselves more; yeah, you might greet your neighbor if you saw them, know them by name, but you didn't really stick your nose in anybody's business, unless they invited you to, first.

Still. He could go over and see if they needed help, whatever was going on.

Slowly, Steve pulled his door open, then stuck just his head out, before moving until half his body was out in the hall - if he was spotted, he didn't want to look like some disapproving asshole.

Comments

[theycalledmeacurse]

This had not gone at all according to plan. After spending a few years finding her footing in her new existence, living in various places and trying different professions, she'd somehow ended up with a position in DC, a good-paying job and a connection to get a space in a building that she would never be able to afford without the aforementioned job. Everything had fallen into place beautifully...

Until moving day arrived. A blustery fall day with a stormy morning that had jammed the roads, the van had gotten behind schedule, and in the end they'd arrived just in time to quickly unload before rushing off to another client on a very tight schedule. It was only because of how panicked the two men had looked that she'd agreed to the whole arrangement, which unfortunately left her with teetering piles of labeled boxed in her new living room and a whole heap of them piled up in the hallway outside her front door as well.

Those wayward boxes are what must have caught her neighbors attention, she thought to herself when the door opened and a stranger appeared. Clad in jeans, sneakers and a worn green hoodie, her hair pulled back in a now very messy ponytail, she looked a bit sheepish when she shot him an apologetic smile.

"I'm so sorry for the mess, sugar, I'll get it all-- contained as quick as I can, I promise." To prove her point, she grabs yet another box and heaves it into her arms.