✧ as uninterested as he tried to seem in the first few months when you moved in across from him he secretly found you presence very endearing. he enjoyed your wreaths and door decor; he thought they added life to the otherwise dull building.
✧ even though he had never spoken to you directly he knew exactly who you were & he knew you weren’t from around the area. (which he assumed is why you never felt the need to lock your door when you would leave)
✧ surprisingly he was the first to speak and break the streak of nods and tight lipped smiles. he caught you locking your door as he was coming up the stairs, grumbling “might wanna grab an umbrella.” before he disappeared into his own apartment not even staying long enough to get a response out of you.
✧ after that it was you who did all the talking, your first means of doing so being you thanking him. “hey, hey! thank you for the heads up last week i uh got you this.” you pull the umbrella from your tote extending it towards him. he looks at it then at you back at it then at you again making you shift awkwardly. “i just assumed you didnt have one seeing as to how you were all soaked.” again silence and an unreadable stare. “well alright never-“ he finally grabs the umbrella grunting a “thanks” before continuing down the stairs.
✧ it was safe to say the gesture softened him slightly, so when you finally found a couch at the thrift and needed help moving it he was a bit more willing to let you use his van and even aid in getting it up the stairs making for the start of a very complicated friendship.
✧ when he heard the knock on his door his fight or flight immediately kicked in- grabbing a gun he had under his table.
✧ after seeing it was you nervously chewing on your nails through the peephole he sighed placing the weapon in his waist band before slowing opening the door. he greeted you with nothing more than a cocked eyebrow.
✧ you rambled on muttering a string of ”im sorry’s” and “i really dont mean to be a bother.” before you could finally request aid in getting your sofa up the stairs. “if not the moving company said they could id just rather not spend $50 for something thatll take all of 5 minutes and cost two times as much as the couch.” you sigh.
✧ he stood the brooding and silent (what you deemed to be his default setting) before he finally spoke. “how far is it?”
✧ to say you were surprised when he said he would not only help you get it up the stairs but pick it up from the store as well would be an understatement.
✧ he was very adamant about getting out to make sure that the workers were careful loading the old loveseat into the van whether to not damage the van or the loveseat you didnt know but you watched out of the rearview window as he stood supervising.
✧ he didnt let you even touch it once you made it back to the apartment, glaring when you tried to grab the end to help pull it out of the back. “just go open the door will ya, i got it.”
✧ “its fine here- i can manage getting it in!” you say waiting in front of your door cash in hand, “i cant thank you enough for this. here.” he rolled his eyes couch still in his hands. “how about i put it inside while you go get the cushions.”
✧ needless to say he didnt take the cash he took gratification in the form of sneaking a few protein bars from your pantry (again) and disappearing wordlessly back into his apartment.
