And there he was. Of course in fucking boxers, almost like he was making fun of me.
I have been watching him since he moved two months ago to the building across the street. He called my attention just because of his smile. I felt instant love, but of course i wasn't thinking of sweet destiny and love just because of that smile. I mean, it's pretty common to smile to your paid employee because he is helping in your moving.
I have been working at the moving company for 5 years now. It was a well paid job and it also help me to keep my muscles on check. The last thing was probably the main reason which make the job worth it, because since the dojo closed i wasn't working out as much as i would like to.
Anyway, one day my supervisor told me that they were called to help someone move to an apartment in front of mine's and asked me if i was available. I didn't think it twice. The fact that i could finish the work quickly and then be at me home earlier was very tempting.
So here i was, in the seat next to our company's driver and good friend, Franky, going to my neighbour building. Franky was a pretty cool man, always talking about what's new in mechanical and technological world and how he was making this awesome robot or something like that. I have always wonder why he was in a job like this one but i never asked.
"Annnnd, we have arrived." He said "Building 5, apartment 6C. Hey, isn't it literally in front of yours?"
He was right. I lived in the floor 6 apartment B which had a window that pointed to the windows of the apartment 6C of that building. Now i was getting a little scared. The last owner of the 6C was an old woman, or i least i thought it was till i realize they were a drag queen, and let me tell you, drag queens parties are wild and something you don't want to see.
"Ugh. I hope they are not like the previous ones" I said worried. Franky laughed.
"I promise they are not" he told me "I'm pretty sure you will like them"
"I hope so"
Franky had seen them when he went to their house to get the boxes and then, half the way to their new apartment, he went to get me from another moving I was helping. He had strange taste in people but considering his girlfriend, and how beautiful and friendly she is, I trusted his word.
He parked the truck near the corner leaving a space behind it, probably for our employer's car. I adjusted my bandana, the necessary to keep my hair out of my face. I grabbed my globes and my security belt and got off the truck. I put them on and approached the back of the truck were Franky and our other co-workers were already deciding what to bring up first.
"If we take this boxes now, we can then take the sofa which will be the most time consuming of all. Also, we should probably leave the smallest and fragile things to the owners" I suggested as I looked to some boxes that had lots of "Fragile" wrote on them.
"Yeah, good idea" Franky said.
"Speaking of them, do you know where they are?" I asked him
"Yup, the lady is up stairs, waiting for us. The guy had something to do, but he will be probably be here in some minutes"
Huh. So a couple.
"Cool. Let's get this started"
I got a big box with the label "Clothes N n1" which was pretty heavy and went inside the building. I saw an old man who was sitting at a small desk in the building hall. He looked up from his newspaper and smiled at me.
"Good morning Zoro. Going to the 6C?"
"Hey Jimbe, yeah. Pretty up this time" I replied while walking to the elevator. I have already met him years ago, first because...well I don't have a good sense of direction sober (or at least that is what everybody around me says), so you can image how it is when i'm drunk. And taking in consideration that both of the apartment buildings look like...apartment buildings is easy to mistake them as i usually do. Secondly, because I helped the 3A, 4C and 4D to move.
I got in the elevator, waited for another co-worker to get in and pressed the corresponding button. When we reached the floor, I already knew which way we had to go since the distribution of the floors were all the same.
"Wrong side bro" My co-worker said from behind.
Or maybe I didn't.
We knocked the door of the apartment and waited. A few seconds later, the door opened and a ginger girl received us with a smile.
"You are finally here." She opened the door wide open "You can put those boxes over there. But be carefull or I will charge you for everything you break, and more"
I raised my eyebrows in surprise and entered. Yup the apartment was just like i saw from mine only that less colorful and glittery and more white and empty. I placed the box near the big window and looked outside. Hmm, maybe I should close my curtains from now on, because you can clearly see my living room. Well, at least i didn't had a window in my bedroom as this apartment has.
I went downstairs, and got to the truck. A blue car was now parked behind it so i assumed the other owner was here.
Great, more hands, less work.
I went inside the truck and got the last box that was preventing to get the sofa off.I only read the "fragile" label it had on, but i had no idea what was in it but considering we were all leaving the boxes anywhere the apartment, it didn't matter. Since it was a medium size box and i had to reserve my arms energy to the large furniture,i decided to carry it on my right shoulder.
"Oi you, green hair man" a voice shout behind me just as i was entering the building. I turned around "Be careful with that. It is an important box"
The man talking to me was blond, tall and thin. Wait, let me give you a more detailed description. He was blond, hot, tall and hot. He wasn't looking at me directly but rather to the box i was carrying, with worried eyes.
"Oh, sorry.I didn't know that." I said ad i got the box down to my arms in a quick motion.
"Careful, careful!" He said as he took the box from me. "Sorry but i will prefer if i bring this one up myself"
"Sure" I smiled, trying not to insult him. My boss told me to suppress my wrath while working or I was going to be fired. But man, did he think I was horrible at my work and wasn't careful enough? I know how to fucking handle a box without breaking it!
Still looking at the box, he assent with his head and turned around to get in the elevator. Just as he was leaving i read the word "Kitchen utensils" in it.
Great, another hot weirdo in the neighborhood.
The rest of the things, apart from the sofa, were pretty easy to move. I avoided any kind of kitchen box, so i could maintain my angriness controlled. Somehow i didn't cross ways with the blond guy, probably because i went down using the stairs instead of using the elevator. It was only when we unloaded all the truck that I talked to him again.
"That's all" I told him. Usually i was like 'the boss' in this team, mainly because Franky was a little awkward with people...or made them feel awkward? One of the two.
"Oh" he said. "That was very quickly"
"Yeah, it only took us..." I checked my phone "...an hour and a half. Hmm. Very slow considering the few things you had"
"We are planning to remodel some of the rooms, so we thought it was better if we brought only the necessary for this days"
"Hmm k" I said,not very interested in this conversation
"Anyway" he said. He grabbed my shoulder and look into my eyes "Thank you so much."
And he smiled. That smile made him four hundred times more handsome and the only thing that was preventing me from taking him to my home was the fact that he had a girlfriend. And maybe, also my self-control.
"Good job everybody, thank you!" He shouted to everyone. He went to the driver's seat where Franky was waiting with a clipboard and paperwork for the blonde to sign. I took the opportunity to leave.
"Bye gang, see you tomorrow" I told everybody. Took my bag i previously got from the truck and crossed the street and in less than five minutes I was at my home.
I took a shower and then i layed on bed naked. As I was staring at the ceiling, my eyes begun to close but before I decided to rest, i sat my alarm clock to one hour from now so that i didn't oversleep.
One annoying music later, i was in my living room, playing with the strings of my guitar, not really listening to the tv. It was one of those evenings where I didn't have anything to do. I thought about going back to sleep but i didn't want to fuck up my sleeping schedule just because i was bored. Not again at least.
I left my guitar on the sofa and reach to pick my phone that was on the coffee table with the idea of checking instagram for the 3rd time in less than a hour but the group chat icon changed my plan.
The group chat had at least 60 messages (which was pretty common) and although i was bored, i was not going to read everything. I only read the last few messages.
Frank: "So then, next saturday at 9 in the new place? -20.31
Boy in the hat:"Yeah!" -20.31
Robs: "Sure" -20.34
Noisy: "Probably, i will confirm later in the week, maybe i will bring Kaya" -20.34
Frank: "No prob, Zoro?" -20.35
Robs: "He's not online" -20.36
Frank: "Oh, i'll ask him later then" -20.36
Boy in the hat: "Wait. He is on now!" -20.41
Me: "sup group. What have you been talking about?" -20.42
Noisy: "Couldn't you just take the time to read all the messages? Is not like they disappear" -20.42
Me: "nah,too many" -20.42
Robs: "Well there is a new bar nearby our house and we were planning on checking it next saturday, you in?" -20.43
Me: " Sure. Tho i'll probably be for a few hours, i have work on Sunday" -
Frank: "Damn i have work too. But well, i can always return early" -20.44
Boy in the hat: "It's okay, it's just too see us, it's been a while! ○(▪○)" -20.45
Noisy: "Yeah. Hey zoro you can ask your neighbour too, it's always cool to see her" -20.46
Me: "Sure, i will ask her" -20.47
Frank: "Hmm, the new ginger one? Wink wink" -20.48
Me: "da fuq franky" -20.49
Frank: "jk bro, tho i saw you checking her" -20.50
Me: "no, i was just looking to the eyes of my client"-20.51
Noisy: "wait wait what are even talking about?" -20.51
Me: "work" -20.52
Robs: "Franky and Zoro had to move a couple to the apartment across zoro's" -20.53
Frank: "yeah and he was checking her out"-20.53
Me: "first of all, i was not. And secondly i preffer the pretty blond guy, thank you very much." -20.54
Frank: "damn i bet Rob you were going for the girl this time." -20.54
Me: "can you not make my love life into a way-to-pass-my-time-with-my-lover plz?" -20.56
Me:" also, i'm pretty sure they are together." -20.56
Frank: "you think so?"- 20.57
I looked to my left, to my window. I stand up from the couch and opened the curtain a little bit just to see if i can figure out if my new neighbour-across-the-street were together or not. Luckily, their curtains were opened and i could see inside of their apartment.
Ok. That sounded creepy and made me sound like a stalker.
Anyway, they were both on their couch, still with some boxes around them watching something on the tv. Although i couldn't see the tv itself, I could tell because their faces lit up in different colors in the dark of their apartment. They were technically cuddling, like he had his arm around her and she was pressing her cheek on his chest. She suddenly stood up and gave him a kiss on his check, said something and left the room.
I look at my phone.
Me: "yeah, pretty sure." 21.00
Next morning I woke up at 7 am. I did my daily routine which consists in going to the bathroom, then take a nice breakfast and finish it with some push-ups to have my arms ready for the day. All of them only wearing my piyama trousers.
I stood up from doing my push ups, grabed the towel i left on the coffee table before, and wiped the sweat of my body. I was wiping my face when i looked outside to something that caught my attention.
My new neighbour was looking straight at me. He had his cup halfway to his mouth and although i couldn't his face very clear i think he had his eyes wide opened. I looked behind me and realised he probably saw me while I was working out. Huh, good to him. I was thinking of closing the curtain but my apartment would have been too dark, so luckily my spectator decided to drink a sip of his cup still looking at me, and then turn around as if nothing had happened.
After that...well, encounter? I realised what did mean that we were neighbours.
In the following weeks, i saw him plenty of times in the grocery store, alone or with his girlfriend. We usually took the same bus too, though i made everything so i didn't get spoted.
I also couldn't avoid seeing him a lot of times cooking in deep concentration in his apartment and be happy when something workout. He makes this weird dance that makes me laugh everytime. Oh, and talking about dancing, he is always dancing. And sings aloud, and i'm thankfull i don't hear him because i'm pretty sure i would be deaf.
"You know you sound like a stalker, don't you?"
My neighbour looked at me with and eyebrow erased. She came to have the monthly lunch we always have and after she asked me how was work i had to tell her about our new-across-street neighbour.
"Hmm. A little?" I replied
"I haven't seen you interesed in a man like this since...Mihawk?"
"AW C'MON" I shouted "I never saw Mihawk like that. Don't make me sick"
"You said something like he was your daddy..."
"That i saw him like a dad, Wyron please" i said horrified.
She laughed.
"I know, i know, i was just messing with you"
"You want to talk about love interests, huh? How about you and your new girl then?"
"Ugh" she said grabing her face "i don't even know where to start"
"That bad?"
"No, but she gives me weird signals. For example one day she is flirting with me and the next day she is treating me like a bro. I mean, whatever, if she doesn't want to be with me in a romantic way it doesn't bother me, she is free to choose what she wants, but the other day she invited me to her parents house? Like wtf"
I looked at her. She was looking at me confused, tho if someone looked at her wouldn't said that. She always had this "poker-face" eyes that were difficult to desipher in the beggining but after some years it became easier. She was actually a very expressive person. But it was intriguing to see hee like that. She never got too into a relationship like this to be confused and not so chill like she used to.
"Maybe she is as confused as you? Or is her way of showing interest?"
"I don't know man. Humans are so complicated"
"Tell me about it." I said.
"But hey, your story is more interesting than mine. Do you think i can see him from here?"
"I don't know. Wanna try?"
She smile and got her blue hair out of her face. Without saying anything, she climb out of my kitchen stool and went tip toeing to the windown. She moved the curtain and look straight to the next building.
"Oh damn, what a view" she said with a whistle.
Curious, i climbed out of the stool too and went next to her.
And there he was. Of course in his fucking boxers.
"Oh my god, he is making fun of me"
"Sure Mr. Center of the world"
I rolled my eyes.
"Cmon, who streches in his boxers? And faces their ass to a wide open window knowing his neirghbour can see them?"
"And what a great ass. If you don't bang him, i will"
"He has a girlfriend."
"Lucky for me then" she looked at me and winked "You know i'm kidding. Well if you feel as he is making fun of you, then why don't you say something to him?"
"And be embarrased for life? No thanks."
"Well then start thinking in other things than your neighbour. Get over him, you seem obsessed"
"No i don't" i thought about everything i said earlier "ok maybe i am"
"Bang some dude and forget about it"
I thought about it. It didn't sound like a bad idea,i mean i wasn't the type that did that but once in a while it didn't harm anybody.
After promising that she will be coming with us to a bar tomorow, Wyron left.
I grabed my phone. I had these dating apps that Wyron and Usopp made me dowload and i would be lying if I say i have never used them. Actually, some weeks ago, before the blond moved, i was talking with a dude. He told me he has just left a relationship and keep going on of how his ex was and yada yada. It makes this easier to be honest, we both didn't want anything but a one night stand.
Me: hey it's been a while.
Him: oh you. I thought you would never talked to me again
Me: sorry, i was busy
Him: haha it's okay. So what did remind you of me? Loneliness?
Me: haha maybe.
I wasn't laughing.
Me: wanna go somewhere? A bar?
Him: only if we finish the night in your house.
Me: deal.
This was exactly what i nedded.
I met him at the bar i that i have been last week with the gang. It was a nice place, pretty quiet and it had some booth where the light was dim, perfect for meeting a one night date. We had a few drinks and then we took it to my appartment. I was very carefull of who i brought to my apparment. He didn't see that bad and i didn't want to do the walk of shame the next day.
In the light of my home i realise how sickly my date looked like my neighbour. He was blond too, had this blue eyes and was skinny. I mean, i didn't do it in porpuse. I started talking to him before my neighbour moved, but deep in my conscience i knew that maybe i did pick him today because of that.
One drink brought another one and then he was in between my legs sucking me. I told myself, hypocritically, that since i was going to do this to forget about the blond next building, i was going to think about him all night. I know, pretty dumb, but in the end i would had feel like I had sex with him and maybe my obssesion would fadded.
He was on top of me in the couch, rocking his hips when i had an idea. I sat up,making him stop, and without separating I moved him to the window, so i was doing him from behing while he was completly exposed to the night sky.
"Kinky" he gasp with a laugh.
I thrust into him thinking of how i wanted to screw my neighbour. I look up and, oh man.
He was looking at us.
He had his hand in his curtain like he was closing them until he saw us. I thrust harder. Now we are making eye contact. Is funny how i can not see his face very clear but his stare was pircing into me. I grabed my date's hips harder, and raised my chin up. Like challenging him.
He looked behind him for a second and then looked at me again. He slowly let the curtain go, and with the same speed he started grabing what it looked like a pijama shirt. He passed his hand on the buttons and then started to unbotton them.
This was amazing.
I started to slow my thrusting. He finnished unbuttoning his shirt and he took it off in a very sexy way. He then started to stretch,just he did this afternoon, but this time he was touching himself gently. I bitted my lip as i began to thrust a little faster. He touched his face with his left hand and passed it on his torso teasingly. He stopped in his pijama bottom's waistline. He slowly turned around and with the same hand, he touched his ass. He stared right into my eyes, returned to the waistline and started to get it down.
"Ah, stop stop. I have to go to the bathroom if you don't want me to make a dissaster" My date gasp reminding me that i wasn't alone in my appartment.
I stopped arruply and let him go. He stand up straight and went to the bathroom. Still hard, i looked at my neighbour. He was now facing me. He opened his arms and lifted his shoulders, like he was saying "oh well", grabbed his curtains and closed them.
I stayed in the darkness of my appartment confused. Did i see right? He was teasing me? I wasn't sure, but what i did know was that either he was bisexual or a fucking asshole and that i wasn't going to be able to forget about him know.
Work next day was...something. I was able to carry all boxes but i couldn't brought them to the right places. I had to stand all jokes about my sense in direction because i couldn't deffend myself without telling them about my night. I went to Wyron's appartment in the evening, and we watched a movie before she went to get dressed for our night out.
Some minutes later, luckily, we where on our way to the bar. It was a bar that we used to go a lot, but the last few weeks it was closed due to reforms. So when we noticed it re-opened we decided that we had to go.
We went by foot since the bar was a few blocks away from our houses. Outside, in front of it, our friends where waiting for us. Luffy was talking to Usopp very exited about something. Franky was talking to Brook while he was grabbing his girlfriend by her waist. We walked to them.
"Sup group" Wyron said raising her hand.
"Oh Wyron, it's been a while since I saw you! You look so different" Robin said leaning on Franky, simulating a fifties' wife.
"Oh dear Robin, how lovely to see you!" Wyron anwsered in the same tone.
The conversation was heavily in sarcarm because they saw each other this morning. And the one before, and the other too. They worked together in an Antiques shop, Robin was the responsable for the books and documents section and Wyron for the weapory and armor section. They were a great duo.
"Hey guys" I said to Usopp and Luffy, leaving the other part of the group be. "Where's Kaya?" I asked Usopp
"She decided to stay last minute. She was feeling bad and wanted to sleep. I told her i could stay with her but she said i should come anyway. I'm pretty worried tho, she has been like this for a while."
"Did she went to a doctor?"
"Yeah, and he told her it was just a stomach bug. Although she looked suspicious but i don't know, maybe it was just a feeling i had."
I was trying not to scream. Kaya told me she was actually pregnant and asked me for advice of how she could surprise him. We shared some ideas so maybe she was planing to do something.
I shrugged.
"Relax. She is very open with you, don't try to investigate too into this"
"You're right."
We decided to cross the street and enter the bar. It wasn't the type of bar that you make a line, not at this hour anyway, so we didn't have to wait.
Inside you could already notice the difference of the before and after the reforms. Previously, the bar was extremely dark, having this mix of red and black in the walls, floor, tables, stools, everywhere. Now the red was replaced by a nice light grey and the black with a blueish grey. The cozy feeling was still there tho but it felt a little fancier.
"I hope their beer taste the same" I heard Franky scream through the music.
We picked a table and we did a little rock-papper-scissors to decide who was going to get the drinks. Of course the unlucky ones had to go.
"This is becoming a habit" Wyron said as we made our way to the bar. I have never seen that many people in this bar before, but maybe the new owners knew how to advirtise their bar in a successful way.
"Yes. I promise you tho, that our lucky is going to change one day and we will be the ones laughing"
"You always say the sa-oh god" She stopped walking "Look who is here"
I followed her gaze. I saw a pretty noticeable pink hair dancing nearby the dj.
"Ohh, isn't this like, the perfect opportunity?"
"For what? And i will be bothering her. She is having fun with her friends,and , and look at her! She is so beautifull "
"You are sooo deep into it. Go and try to talk to her, if she kicks you out, come back to the table and get drunk"
"Deal, wish me luck" She adjusted her ponytail and went where Bonnie was. I hoped everything worked well.
I arrived to the bar and asked the barman the drinks, and suddenly i realised, how i was going to get all the drinks to the table?
I looked behind me to the table. Everyone was talking enthusiastically to each other and i felt bad that i had to asked someone to come and help me.
"You know, you are pretty unfair" a voiced said to my left.
I followed the voice and i met my eyes with a pair of blue ones.
"Hmm" I smiled suprised. Next to me was my blonde nighbour. He was wearing a white t-shirt, black troussers and pair of fancy shoes. He was leanning on the bar table with his elbows, giving his back to the barman. "Unfair how?" I asked a little flirtatious surprinsing myself of how comfortable i was talking to him. I mean, i didn't even showed my surprise when i saw him!
"Well, we having flirting with each other for almost a month know..."
"Flirting? We have never talked before"
He looked at me rising his eyebrows.
"Flirting indirectly. You training your abs in front of your only big window, me streching "without noticing" you seeing me. And i was thinking you were playing the shy little boy because you tried to hide in the bus and in the grocery store,but then you fucked that guy right in front of me and boy, what the fuck. Really"
I was shocked. So he did notice everything i did, and he sounded like a stalker just like i did before.
"Well" i started " You really are something too. You have a girlfriend yet you were tempting me, do you enjoy seducing men and just to have fun?"
He looked me confused.
"Girlfriend?"
"The ginger girl?"
He started laughing at loud. I looked at him confused.
"Nami is just my friend. A dear friend. I don't swing her way and she half doesn't. I mean, look" He said pointing with his head to the right. I saw what he was seeing, the ginger girl dancing with Wyron and Bonnie in a very provocative way.
"So...you don't swing her way?" I said returning to him.
"I thought i made that very clear the other day"
"Cool."
The barman called me and i turned around.
"I need to asked for help. Do you want to come with us?" I asked
"I wish i could. But i will help you anyway,that 's my work"
"You work here?"
"I own this bar. I'm Sanji by the way, and i'll be your waiter tonight " he said starting to walk to my table with half of the drinks.
"Zoro" i said catching his pace."Your neighbour"
Nice job, stupid.