"Small Beginnings"

Surroundings

"Please tell me that was the last of it. Please," pleaded Kate, whilst setting down a burdensome box alongside several others.

"Actually, I think there's still a few more," replied Neal sarcastically with a growing smirk across his face, as he placed another box firmly on the floor. She playfully slapped him on the arm.

The couple gazed around at their new surroundings. The truth was inevitable; the place was pretty rough around the edges. Paint was peeling off the walls, and it just reeked of mildew. The apartment did have potential, however it was definitely a "fixer-upper." But not that they had the finances to do that - or at least at the moment, they didn't. Of course, they both had in mind that in time they'd set aside some money to spruce it up a bit.

Their place wasn't all that spacious. It consisted of the kitchen and living room (which were conjoined), a small bathroom off the living room, and a modest-sized bedroom. Just enough for two to live comfortably - or three uncomfortably.

They sat down on the couch in exasperation after all that work. Six floors they had to carry that thing, as it wouldn't fit in the elevator. Neal shifted closer towards Kate, and put his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest.

"Let's not do that again," Kate said. Neal smiled as in agreement.

Although their background wasn't exactly heartening - what with boxes strew everywhere and the fact the place wasn't "magnificent" to begin with - the atmosphere of the two of them together was precisely that, soothing and comforting.

After a few moments like this together on the couch, Neal suddenly sprang up with an idea forming in his head. Just perfect...

"I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?," she asked him.

"I won't be long," he answered, only to reiterate what he had previously said.

In a short moment, Neal was out the door, down the six flights of stairs, and had come in contact with the bustling city that lay just outside - perhaps this being if only one upside to living in Manhattan. He walked down the street and along the avenue, joining the many other New Yorkers going in their own separate directions. Though many people in this city hated the fact that it was so crowded, Neal took pleasure in it. He enjoyed observing people - who looked like they couldn't give a care about the world, who looked as if they owned the world.

Finally arriving at the store he was looking for, Neal stepped inside and approached the worker at the cashier.

"What can I help you with, sir?," asked the eager salesman.

"What can you recommend for a special evening?"

...

With the brown paper bag in hand, Neal slowly closed the apartment door behind him. It smelt like... febreeze? Kate must have sprayed it around the apartment to freshen things up. Well that's one problem out of the way, he thought to himself. Neal walked towards the couch, placed the bag on the coffee table, and sat down next to her. Without saying anything to her, he took the items out of the bag, revealing a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Is that a Bordeaux? Honey, that's an expensive bottle of wine--," Kate began, but Neal interrupted her before she could even finish.

While pouring two glasses of the wine, he told her, "It's a special occasion," but it was obvious that answer would not suffice. Kate began to open her mouth as if to say something, but again, Neal cut her off. "Consider it a promise - a promise that things will get better. I know right now things aren't at its best, but I'm going to fix that. I swear." That answer seemed to do the trick, as when he handed her the glass of costly wine, she graciously accepted.

Kate took a sip. I guess there's a reason it's so pricey.

And suddenly through the thin walls of their apartment, music was heard. It was Miles Davis's "So What." Kate closed her eyes and her head fell back in discontentment. Great, just great. It sounds like elevator music, she thought. At the same time, she felt Neal get up off the couch. Kate opened her eyes to find a hand extended out in front of her.

"Might I have this dance?," Neal asked, with that charming aura of his.

And with his beautiful, bright, blue eyes and devilish smile, Neal was impossible to resist. She took his hand while smiling immensely, and they gently glided around their living room. For a short moment, their worries bled out. It was as if it were a fairy tale, but they suddenly had skipped to the happily ever after, completely bypassing the root of the problem. The music had long since stopped, but neither had noticed nor cared. It was a moment of bliss not wanting to fade to grey.

They stopped. And Kate starred into Neal's deep-set blue eyes, as he leaned in to gently kiss her. He tasted just as perfect as he had looked.

Both sat down on the couch, resuming their positions from earlier - his arm wrapped around her shoulder, and her head pressed against his chest. Only this time, they had their expensive wine, so they could pretend to be a rich couple, staring at a wall of nothingness.

Eh, so what do you think? I know, I know, SHORT. I hate it when it's short too. But this is just the introduction. (If I continue with this) I'll try to make the other chapters longer, however that isn't exactly my forte.
I'd love to hear what you think, whether you thought it was crap or awesome.

--Cynosist.