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Nikki jumped up in her bed, startled by the obnoxious noise. The fire alarm was blaring. Nikki rolled her eyes and pulled off the covers. Slipping on her boots, she left her apartment and made her way towards the tiny stair well that led outside. Numerous tenants surrounded her, everyone groggy and irritated. She silently began making her way down the stairs.
Moving to the east coast was always a dream for Nicole, having grown up as a Cali girl her entire life. She achieved her dream to move to New York City and work for Christian Louboutin . Her apartment complex was a hidden gem in Soho. The outside looked like a dump, but the inside was filled with artists, designers and the most eclectic group of people Nicole had ever met.
"Hello Nicole" Seth excitedly spoke, coming up behind her as they made their way down the stairs. The ray of fucking sunshine in a hallway of annoyed tenants.
"Hi Seth" Nikki spoke, not bothering to turn to look at him, focusing on making it down the stairs without falling on her ass. Turning around to look at Seth would be an absolute disaster. He was new to the apartment complex and dangerously handsome. He had moved in right next door to her and she had been pining after him ever since.
They had met several weeks prior, Nikki was coming home in the early morning from another successful fashion show. The elevator door opened and she was met with the most beautiful sight. The new neighbor had his door wide open, He was doing pull ups, in black shorts and sneakers. His chest covered with glistening sweat. She stepped out of the elevator, but never left his doorframe.
He dropped down off the bar, finally noticing the beautiful girl in his doorway.
"Oh hi, I'm so sorry, I'm waiting for the cable guy, who gives a window starting at 7am" He was rambling as he made his way towards her, but if she was honest she wasn't really listening, She was staring at his chest.
"I'm Seth Rollins, I just moved in." He extended his hand towards her
"Nikki Bella, I'm right next door" She shook his hand, smiling and pointing towards her door.
"You're up for work, awfully early" He commented, noticing how good her body looked in the red skin tight dress and sky high heels.
"Actually, I'm just coming home, I work in fashion and this week is one of the biggest of the year."
"Oh yeah, Fashion week right?"
"I'm very impressed you know that" Nikki commented
"My boss is going to a lot of the shows, I work for Daymond John and I help manage a bunch of the crossfit gyms around here. "
"Yes! I know him, he's coming to our event tonight. You certainly looked like you know what you're doing." Nikki laughed.
"Maybe I can give you a workout sometime" Seth thought but held his tongue. Smiling at her, Nikki noticed the slight blush in his cheeks
"Well it's time for me to take a quick powernap; I have to get back to the office in a few hours. It was nice meeting you, hope to see you around" Nikki waved as she made her way towards her door. Seth leaned out of the doorframe, his head popping out.
"See you around Nicole"
"Cute onesie" He commented. Although, he couldn't see it, he knew she was blushing at his comment. She had nothing to be embarrassed about, many people wore onesies, they were functional, not to mention warm. But somehow Seth seeing her like this made her mortified and he knew it.
Once she reached the bottom of the staircase she followed the line of other tenants to the cold busy streets.
"Fuck it's freezing" Seth said filing out of the building and standing next to Nicole. Nikki looked at him for the first time, standing in nothing but boxers and his bright white smile.
"It is the middle of the winter In New York, who sleeps in just their underwear?" Nikki asked him, her eyes raking across his abs. She noticed many of the other women, old and young, from the complex checking him out.
"Those of us who have heat" He laughed, he wrapped an arm around Nicole's shoulder pulling her in for a side hug.
Nicole went to pull away to look at him, but he pulled her closer.
"No you stay..you're warm" He commanded, He was easily a foot taller than her, so he wrapped his arms around her placing his chin on the top of her head.
"Your hands are like ice" Nikki grabbed them, intertwining their fingers and placing them in the pockets of her onesie. His hands pressing against her cloth covered thighs. He could feel the warmth radiating off her. It was as if she was in a trance, she suddenly realized how forward she was being.
"I'm so sorry" She fidgeted to unlock their hands but Seth's grip was firm.
"Don't be sorry Nicole, It's fucking freezing, and I appreciate the gesture"
She looked up at him and smiled. Her head pressed up against his bare chest. They stayed like that for a while, wrapped for warmth, in complete silence despite the deafening noise of fire trucks and irritated neighbors around them.
"It was nothing major folks, just a small kitchen fire, you're all free to return to your apartments" The loud voice of the firefighter stood on the steps in front of their building broke the silence.
Nikki pulled away from him, pulling out her phone to check the time 4:26am.
"So now that I've had my hands in your pocket, I feel as though it's time for us to go out. Maybe we can do breakfast? " Seth spoke.
"Oh I do this for all my neighbors" Nikki smirked.
"Hmm, that's a shame, I'm sure Mrs. Gretel from down the hall would love to go get a coffee with me?"
"She's like 90" Nikki laughed, watching as the older woman slowly made her way back into the lobby along with their other neighbors. They made their way up the three flights of stairs, laughing.
They stopped in front of Nikki's door
"So about that date Nicole?" Seth asked
"I think I'd like that, whenever you're free" Nikki answered.
"Well I'm free now, if you wanna catch an early breakfast."
"Well, you might want to consider pants..." Nikki looked
"No shirt?" Seth flirted back
"Oh absolutely no shirt" She touched his chest, he pressed her against her door.
"Maybe we should just have breakfast inside then because if I'm not wearing a shirt, there is definitely no reason for you to wear one."
"I do make fantastic pancakes" Nikki says, reaching behind her to open her apartment door, allowing Rollins to follow her inside.
"Lucky for me, pancakes are my favorite" Rollins laughs, closing the door to Nikki's apartment behind him.