Chapter Text
In the underground basement of the brick-laid Brooklyn apartment, John works on getting the batteries right for his new handmade keyboard set. He got all of the keys from the lobby upstairs, scattered under the bench where one of the pianos was stolen by some thief who was bored with his time.
John remembers seeing someone specifically pass by through the elevator door as he was kneeling, as he tried to subtly brush the keys into his hand without looking suspicious - a man wearing a light green bomber jacket. He had a black, trim haircut that falls down softly at the side of his forehead. Vastly different, John thinks, from his long and messy brown hair that awkwardly parts in the middle. The man has black, square-rimmed glasses that frame his round and oval head.
John has never seen someone like him enter the building before, or maybe he’s just been working in his laboratory for too long. All of the other residents he has seen before are settled down, staying here for their retirement or starting a family with their spouse. The man doesn’t look like he is familiar with the apartment, in fact, he looks out of place. Too new and too curious-looking to live in a downtrodden apartment like this. John notices a guitar case slung over his right shoulder, hovering over his back. He must be a musician. Or, at the very least, he plays music as a hobby. Charming, John observes.
It isn’t long before the man realizes he’s being stared at. He glances at John, who widens his eyes like a deer in headlights, and waves at him before he goes out the door.
He didn’t have anyone walk with him, John observes, so he must not be with anyone. Or maybe he’s being too quick to judge. The man is obviously attractive enough to gain attention from people. John thinks quietly to himself, that he’d prefer if he was available. He can’t believe he’s even thinking about something so trivial as a one-time attraction. He needs to put his full attention towards his work.
Is this what everyone else calls ‘love at first sight’? God, he hopes not.
When John returns back to the lab, he notices that his heart is beating faster than before, and he keeps fidgeting with the screw driver instead of putting in the screws. He puts his head between his hands and groans in frustration.