Hey Neighbor Pt 11
sorry this took a while to get out. And I hope this is long enough but not excessively. feedback is so appreciated. love you :) Word count: 2.5k Warnings: language, drugs a SA references, mentions of gun.
“Thanks for taking me out. I had a great time.” You say once outside the restaurant. “Maybe we can do it again sometimes?”
Connor helps you put on your coat, the night becoming chilly in the 2 hours you spent enjoying wine and delicious food. “Of course.”
You hadn’t expected to actually be asked on a date with him. And so quickly. But once your phone chimed with a message from him asking if you would like to grab dinner, you couldn’t contain your excitement. The restaurant was more high-end than you were used to—dim lighting, a wine list, and exotic foods with names you couldn’t pronounce.
The date had gone great, though you struggled to find out much about Connor.
I just moved here.
No, no family.
I’m an independent contractor.
I like all music.
He seemed more interested in learning more about you. You feel like you went through your whole biography—which was a problem you had. The moment a man seemed interested, you went all in, saying things too quickly or delving into too much detail. So sue me? I’ve been single for too long! So what if i may talk a bit too much.
The topic later turned to talk of your grandmother. Though they weren’t the usual questions a regular person might ask. His were more…precise. Blunt
What all did she leave you within the will?
How much money did you inherit?
Any family heirlooms left behind?
Luckily, you kept that pretty close to the chest. Not doling out much except that you have moved into her home.
Now, the two of you stand on the sidewalk facing each other. “Whenever you're free, just let me know” He steps forward, pulling your jacket closer around your neck against the wind. It was a sweet gesture.
“Yeah,” you squeak, looking up at him. The moment is both exciting and scary. Is he going to make a move to kiss you? Should you go for it?
You catch him looking at your lips and think—to hell with it. You lean forward, closing your eyes. He does the same. Yes! You cheer to yourself
But before your lips can meet, he suddenly pulls away, clearing his throat. “Sorry, just—a lot of people around.”
You look around. No more than 5 people walk around. All of them lost in their own lives, not paying any attention to you. Heartdropping and suddenly humiliated, the moment turns awkward.
“Yeah, you're right,” you try to act nonchalant.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, your phone chimes alerting you that your Uber has arrived. Thank fuck. You stare out the window as you're driven home.
~
The glow from the laptop is the only light illuminating the room.
“Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
“Of course.”
The video feed is distorted. The camera is not quite centered but enough for Toji to make out the 2 figures it is aimed at—you and Connor…or Dmitri. The person, whom Toji acquired through Shiu, pretends to be on his phone while the camera hidden within his watch is pointed in y/n and Dmitri’s direction.
The feed goes silent as the two of you shuffle awkwardly. Toji’s eyes grow wide and he moves closer to the screen as he sees you lean forward, preparing to kiss him.
“Sorry, just—alot of people around.”
Toji releases the breath he was holding. The video may not be the best quality but there was no denying the slump of your shoulders. He can imagine the confused look on your face; he had seen before. It was cute how your brow furrowed and a slight pout crept into your lips. As happy as he was that you hadn’t kissed this sleazy dick, he knew that you’d still feel hurt. Knowing you were hurt, regardless of the cause, sparked a flame of anger deep in Toji’s chest.
The feed showed you then getting into a Uber. Looking at his watch he assumed you’d be home in about 15 minutes. Tonight he would—
A knock at the door shakes his thoughts. He opens it to reveal his guest is the hacker from earlier holding a stack of folders.
“Uhm, here’s a printed copy of the information I gathered today.” He hands them over.
“Great, now go,” Toji closes the door in his face. He couldn’t risk being held up by his nerd talk. The folders contained, as promised, multiple government documents of Demetri Solokolov including mug shots, court testimonies, international IDs, and passports under different names. A part of him feels guilty for dropping this massive amount of information on you, but he would feel more guilty if something happened to you.
~
You thank your driver and exit the car. The streetlights glow overhead and illuminate your humiliating walk to your porch. Your cheeks burned with the embarrassment of being rejected. Luckily, no one was around to see you—-
“Hey, neighbor,” you hear from behind you. Turning, you see Toji leaning on his porch railing.
“You know I have a name.” You bark, not wanting to deal with him and his dumb quips.
“I know,” he walks down the steps towards you. “Just fun seeing you get all sassy with me.”
“What’s that?” you gesture to the thick folder he's carrying.
He shrugs, “My lines, been practicing all day.”
You roll your eyes and continue walking up to your door, unlocking it and stomping inside. “I’m not really in the mood to deal with your shit, neighbor .”
Toji stands at the threshold. The streetlights cast his enormous form in shadow. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, i said I don’t want to deal with you,” you toe off your shoes.
“Yeah?” he goads, a little smirk ticking his lip up.
“Yeah!”
He leans against the doorway, “Then why’d you leave the door open?”
Damn he’s good. You consciously/subconsciously left it open. No you didn’t want to deal with him, yet…you wanted him around. Why? Who the fuck knows.
“You want me to leave you alone? Come slam the door in my face?” He drops the folder on the table beside the front door and braces his arms against the top of the door frame. His shirt rides up, his pale skin stark against the tight black shirt he’s wearing. “Show me that sass.”
You slump, giving up. “Toji, please. I’ve had a bad evening. I’m going to bed.”
“What happened?”
“Like you care?” you snap, tears of frustration lining your eyes.
Toji must notice and drops his arms to his side, narrowing his eyes. “Yeah, i do.”
You wave him off with your hand. “Whatever.”
“No whatever, tell me, y’n.”
You look up at the ceiling as if looking for what to do. Confide? Lie? But lying never seems to work with Toji so you give him the truth.
“Fine. I had a bad date.”
“Date huh?”
“Yes a date. I’m not a nun.” you fight back. “I do have a life.”
“So what happened? He stand you up?” Toji goes on, still standing at the threshold of your front door.
You groan in frustration, “Look, it just didn’t go how I wanted ok?”
“You didn’t hook up,” he says bluntly.
“NO!” you screech. “That was even on my mind!”
“Ok, fine” he chuckles. After a beat, he says, “Well maybe it was for the best, then.”
You scoff. He’s seriously trying to throw platitudes at you. “Whatever.”
“He was no good for you. Fuck him.” Toji says nonchanlatly.
Now his lack of emotion was pissing you off. This time you snap. “How the fuck do you know? You don’t even know him! How do you know what's good for me and what isn’t.”
“And you know him so well already?” Toji finally steps into your house, now he is in your space.
“Yes,” you bluff.
Toji retrieves the folder he had thrown on the table, stomping towards you. “Yeah you know he’s a hired gun with ties to some of the worst crime lords in the country? Or that he’s involved in multiple trafficking rings? Both human and drug?”
You move around the dining room table to put space between you. You don’t know if you're scared because of what he’s saying or the menacing way he’s stalking towards you.
He slams down the folder on the table. “Oh, and I’m guessing you know he’s been accused of sexual assault, rape, blackmail? But you must’ve looked past that right?”
“You looked him up? How did you even know his name, you fucking psycho?” you shout and your eyes are the size of saucers as you flip through the folder laid in front of you. Indeed, pictures of Connor—though on these papers there are multiple names associated with him— some mug shots, passport photos, driver's licenses, even CCTV footage. The handsome face you were used to seeing was nowhere to be seen. Now, you stared at a man with dead eyes that held nothing but contempt and evil in them.
“That—” Toji blinks, dumbfounded. “I just gave you a list of shit this fuckers done and your mad at me? I’m the psycho?”
“Yeah”
“For looking out for you?”
You turn away, unable to face him any longer. The anger you now felt at both Toji and Connor–Dmetri, John, Frank, whoever the fuck he was—is threatening to crush you into a million pieces.
After a full minute of silence, Toji realizes you aren’t going to say anything else. “Fine.” He turns on his heel and everything in you wants to tell him to stay, but the lump in your throat prohibits you.
You watch him storm to the front door, pausing, then turn to you. “I’m going out of town tomorrow. I’ll be gone for 3 weeks.” He reaches into his pocket and lays a scrap of paper on the entrance table. “Here’s a number. Call it if you need it or something—happens.”
Again you don’t respond because now the thought of Toji not being next door while a known killer can easily access you makes you uneasy.
“Please be careful, y/n” Toji closes the door, leaving you to stand there while a million emotions flood around you. Hate, anger, fear, shame. How could you so easily have fallen into the trap of going out with a man who was pure evil? Killer, rapist, stalker.
An hour later, after many tears and many lock checks, you finally crash on your bed, curling around your cat to feel some semblance of comfort~
~
The sound of a car door closing snaps you awake. You slept lightly anyway, any noise startling you. Climbing out of bed on weak limbs and going to the bathroom. Quickly, you brush your teeth and rush to the door, throwing it open. The clothes from last night were now wrinkled on your body since you hadn’t bothered to take them off.
A black sedan sits outside Toji house with its trunk open. A man—the man you had seen before–lighting a cigarette while Toji loads his suitcase. You refuse to leave on the note you did last night. Throwing open the door you march to the vehicle, intent to say—well you didn’t know what to say. Perhaps you just wanted to see him again.
“Ah, miss y/n. How are you dear?” The man says, cigarette dangling out of his mouth. “Forgive me for being late but my condolences on Mrs. Ruth. She was an extraordinary woman.”
Once again, you are too stunned to speak. How the fuck did he know your grandmother. You stare at the man, trying to match his face to someone you might know from days past. Nothing.
He narrows his eyes at you, assessing you, before smiling. “My, you look just like her.”
I’ll deal with this later. You shake your head, ignoring him, and walk closer to toji. “Hey.”
Now, it appears he’s ignoring you. Not even looking at you as he continues loading his things into the car.
“Be careful,” you repeat the words he gave you last night.
Still avoiding you, Toji unzips the luggage bag now loaded in the trunk. He reaches behind him and pulls out—
“Fuck,” you stumble back as he pulls the handgun from his waistband.
He flips the safety on and removes the magazine, the glint of the loaded bullets shines brightly in the morning sun. The two pieces are placed in the luggage before he re-zips it. All the while you stand, mouth hanging open. How could he so brazenly pull a gun out?
Toji slams the trunk closer and steps by you as if you were nothing but a tree to maneuver around. He opens the passenger door and folds his large body in. Shiu tips his head at you with a simple goodbye before getting behind the wheel. He starts the engine and you realize then that Toji isn’t going to give you the time a day to say goodbye or whatever you wanted to say.
Dipping your head, you walk back towards your house. The sound of the engine still idling at your back when you get to the bottom of your steps.
“y/n”
You turn at his voice, your heart kicking up. Toji has gotten out of the car, gripping the door in his hand. His mouth is set firm. You both stare at each other a beat.
The next few moments happen in such a blur you can’t register what is happening. Toji rounds the car door and walks briskly to you, cupping your face and kissing you harshly.
The heat of his mouth is intoxicating. As if sweet venom is laced on his lips, paralyzing you to the spot. Like a drug, you knew, in that moment, that you’ll forever be chasing the high of his kiss.
He pulls away sharply, still holding your face in his large calloused hands. His eyes are filled with lust and almost something like angst as he stares into your widening eyes.
“A real man will kiss you. No matter who’s looking.” He pushes something against your stomach and without looking you take it from his hands.
With that he turns and marches back to the car, closing the door. The moment is over and you watch the vehicle drive past and up the road.
You look down at the item he placed in your hand.
An envelope. With the script you could find on every birthday card, Christmas tag, and celebratory letter you had. The familiar slant and flourish of the writing make your knees weak as you trace the ink with your hand.
il mio agnellino
~
Toji eyes your shirking form in the passenger side mirror. A million things wanted to say still buzzing in his head.
“At least she will finally know.” Shiu breaks the silence.
“Yeah,” he replies, watching you sliding your thumb into the envelope and prying it open. “She will.”