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Gaipa opens the balcony door of his apartment. His mom wouldn't stop nagging because Gaipa never replied to the hiring letters.
'Mae! I don't want to go to the concrete jungle, come on! Don't make me go pleseeee'
he whined a lot but his mother wasn't having it. So there Gaipa was, joining a 'Job' that 'helped him utilize his knowledge'.
" Three years, and if you don't want to continue, come back to sell chicken with me." and it was finalised. He didn't have the heart to go against his mother anyways.
Gaipa stretches and looks around. Old habits die hard. he is once again up too early. The lazy city is still under sleep spell. He looks over to the balcony next to his as he heard the glass door sliding. 'Whoa, dude's alive afterall?'
He cranes his neck to take a good look at the hesitant silhouette of a man, maybe even wish for a good day in the process. a hesitant shadow slowly steps out, first a hand holding a cup, a bedsheet or duvet bunched around his torso. The guy sipped a steaming hot drink and turned around. Gaipa flashed a huge smile and nearly shouted a "GOOD MORNING NEIGHBOUR!!"
The reply came in a form of a wide eyed panicking mess of limbs trying to scramble back in the cave he emerged from, colliding headfirst with the glass door then proceeded to spill the drink over himself and cursing a whisper yelled "Fuck!" before disappearing, sliding his door and draping the darkest drapes in existence with a loud slam.
Gaipa stood frozen for a good five minutes before he frowned, "What the actual fuck-"
Probably it was his own mistake for greeting the most problematic neighbour in the area.
Well, Gaipa isn't sure exactly what happened, because the guy always looked calm and collected. Kept to himself, quiet but rather pleasant.
This was about six months ago. Almost about four months ago, the apartment next to him never shut up. Two men always shouted and threw shades at each other. The walls didn't help with privacy when two loud voices screamed hell. It always ended up with someone storming out, Closing the door with a loud bang. And then it was dead silent other than the faint sobs that was barely audible.
Gaipa felt bad for listening but even when he tried to work or busy himself, the voices were too loud to ignore.
About three months ago, The apartment adjacent to Gaipa's kept getting quieter and quieter. Only occasional delivery dude ringing the bell indicated the person living next door was not dead yet. About a month ago, even that stopped.
Gaipa saw his neighbour about six times in last four months. Once jogging early in the morning, twice with heavy braces. Once completely drunk exasperatedly trying to unlock his door, once sobbing quietly in front of his own door, knees to chest, head tucked in. And when his cat made the neighbours door Her own little scratch post.
In Gaipa's defence, he was trying to open the door to his apartment with groceries in hand. And his beloved daughter (a whole cat) Montow decided to scratch the apartment next door.
His neighbour only slightly cracked his door out of curiosity. He took a peek at the cat making huge round eyes at him and the furiously apologizing Cat-dad before slamming his door closed without a single response.
Gaipa would make a face and comment "rude" but Montow scratching someone else's door was embarrassing enough. He swore the neighbour was actually not annoyed. Even his eyes glittered at the sight of Montow but then again, that was his Kitty's charms.
Call Gaipa nosy, he was actually very worried about his neighbours rollercoaster life. He even thought about checking up on his neighbour against his better judgement. His whiny baby cat was the only hindrance, probably for the best. City people probably won't appreciate a stranger turning up at their door asking if they are okay.
Montow is now three months old, he got the kitten back from his mom's last month, who has a strong pull towards the neighbour's door, much to his embarrassment. That is why he ordered the scratch post for Montow, which should be delivered at time today.
Gaipa's train of thoughts ran free as he arranged breakfast for himself and Montow.
The ball of fluff was hanging off of his sweatpants, meowing like a brat.
"What do you want, you little trouble? I am already getting you breakfast" He playfully scolds.
The whiny fluffball meowed from where she was clinging to Gaipa. Gaipa sighed as he plated their breakfast, clearly distracted. Montow didn't like that. Gaipa picker her up and set her on the couch.
The kitten has issues with people, which Gaipa didn't blame her for. He had some coworkers over and Montow hissed at every single of them, even scratched the literal sweetest girl in Team. Gaipa apologized profusely, taking mental notes of not having people over until his cat grew up a little and stopped scratching
everything in sight. A sudden shrill sound of calling bell broke his trance. "Coming! One moment!"
He turned to Montow, "Stay here."
He marched to the door, "how may I he..." He abruptly shut up when he spotted none other than his caveman neighbour standing in the door way. Looking like an absolute ghost. Walking, stripped off of bandage mummy. A zombie even.
His eyes lines by dark circles, growing beard of God knows how many days of not being shaved. A wrinkled worn out tshirt and sweatpants on. Eyes flat out looking like a orb of matte black. Gaipa couldn't help but scan the man in front. He spotted a faint red patch of irritated skin on the man's left arm, probably a trace of the morning commotion.
"Your package delivered at wrong address-"
"Does it hurt?"
The man blinked. So did Gaipa.
Soon a flushed red Gaipa was searching for words and the man in front was stuttering.
"Oh yes um package..."
"It d.. doesn't hurt"
"Um.. still, wait for me here..." Gaipa disappeared in his condo.
"Hey uh.." the man at the door tried to speak which ofcourse fell into deaf ears.
Soon he emerged with a burn soothing gel in hand. "Oh the package, I'm so sorry" he awkwardly recived the cardboard box and secured a firm grip on the disheveled looking man's wrist.
"It'll help with the burn” Gaipa declared before applying a layer of the cooling gel on the burn. The moment he looked up with a smile, a loud high pitched meow from his unattended kitten rattled both of them.
"I'm coming baby, just a moment!" He turned to the guy who stood there looking completely caught off guard getting his wound treated at his neighbour's door way.
"Hi" he laughs nervously and there was a thin smile line on the other person as well.
"Hi" he echoed hollowly.
"I'm sorry for this morning, didn't mean to startle you." Gaipa apologized.
"Oh it's fine..I'm sorry too. Oh..Good morning to you too." He scratched the back of his head.
"I'm Gaipa by the way."
"Alan-" ,the guy, Alan replied with a small smile and immediately got interrupted by Montow.
"I'm sorry about that" Gaipa laughed.
"I think your cat is missing you, I am taking up her deserved attention as it seems" Alan gives a shy smile and Gaipa kind of melts?
"Do you perhaps wanna come in and meet her?" He blurts and Alan's eyes widen, "Does she like meeting people?"
"Oh she loves it!" Gaipa shoots a blinding smile and Alan laughs.
"Then... I actually can't come in right now. Does evening sound good?"
Gaipa nods, "yeahh sure, it's Sunday anyways, no plans whatsoever!"
"Then" Alan awkwardly looks at the floor, "evening it is."
"Evening it is" Gaipa repeats with a smile.
"See you then.." Alan took a step back.
Gaipa nods enthusiastically, as Alan turns around with a nod.
"Looking forward!" He half yells, when Alan unlocks his door and looks up with a faint smile. Gaipa recoiled back in his apartment. Now that the awkward rush of adrenaline subsided, he facepalmed.
"Ughhhhh why did I say that!!!" He whisper yells. Stomping inside he watches Montow licking her paws. He crouched down in front of her, "Hey baby, the super troubled neighbour is coming to visit you... Please pleaseeee" he puts his hands together, "please save my face and act like you like to meet people? Please???" He begged and Montow just looked at him with uninterested eyes and jumped off of couch and walked away, leaving Gaipa to whine and pout on his own.
It was sharp 6 PM when Alan knocked on Gaipa's door. He doesn't need to know but the Cat-dad was already pacing around. He almost zoomed to the door and unlocked, "Heyyy I was just thinking about-"
His words died in their track as he blinked stupidly as if didn't identify the man standing at his doorway, smiling.
No, really. Who was this man?
Crisped beige shirt, few top buttons popped open, tucked in coffee brown Gurkha pants. Clean shaven, combed and gelled Hair, polished dress shoes. Smelling like aftershave lotion and lavender body mist.
"Alan.." he spoke stupidly. The man nods, "That would be me".
Gaipa gaped like a goldfish for few seconds before he blurted out,
"You are just meeting my cat... Not my mom!"
He laughed before pausing, realising what he said, "wait I.. I did not mean to say that, what I meant is-" he hurried and Alan laughed softly, "don't worry about it, oh, this is something little for her" he stretches then box he was holding towards Gaipa.
"You didn't have to!" He rushes, feeling embarrassed.
"I wanted to" Alan replied.
Gaipa hesitantly accepts the gift after a few minutes of persuasion.
"Come in please" he steps aside, making room.
The man enters after taking his shoes and socks off, dusting some nonexistent dirt from his shirt and taking a deep breath, He sighed, "Do I look okay?"
Gaipa was this, this close to roll his eyes, "Alan, you look more than okay. And she's a cat with next to no fashion sense, please relax" he couldn't help the slight eye roll before leading the way.
"Montow, my princess, someone is here to meet you!" He calls and the kitten marches out from Gaipa's bedroom, curious.
"She's the absolute cutest" Alan whispered before crouching down, gently stretching his palm forward. Letting the kitten do her inspection by sniffing and licking.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Montow." Alan mumbled with a pleasant smile on his lips.
Gaipa could only pray to God so that the little trouble doesn't scratch his oddly *cough* attractive*cough* neighbour.
To his relief, the heavens above seems to have listened to his prayers as Montow after a lot of sniffing and licking, pushed her head in Alan's large palm, rubbing her fur.
Soon Alan was fully seated on floor, with a lap full of cat. Smiling and giggling.
Gaipa who actually cleaned his couch and brushed off all the furnitures, was feeling a bit dejected watching Alan taking a seat on floor but he couldn't stop himself from joining in. He also sat down in front of Alan.
He couldn't stop watching his human-hater cat was purring on a stranger's lap.
Also he was having hard time processing that the man from morning and the man right now, were the same person.
"you know he doesn't really purr usually" Gaipa states and Alan looks up, with the biggest pair of shiny round eyes, "No way" he gasped as he cradled the cat on his chest, letting her make biscuits.
"Is.. is she scratching you?" Gaipa asks nervously, 'Montow you silly cat!'
"Nope, she's making biscuits" Alan laughs, softly petting her.
"Let's look at what we got our princess.." he sheepishly stared at Gaipa, "is it okay if I call her Princess?"
"Oh it's absolutely alright" Gaipa flashes the biggest smile ever, genuinely happy the cave-living Neanderthal of a neighbour turning a happy giggle handsome man.
He is so gay.
No scope of complaints.
Gaipa pushed the box at Alan, "give it to her yourself". They laughed as both of them struggled to open the box.
Gaipa pulls out the softest fuzzy blanket from the box, "wow.. this is so soft..." He muttered in wonder, "I might steal it from Montow it's soooo soft!" His eyes shined and Alan felt as if his breath caught behind his throat.
"Or me.." he blurted out and Gaipa blinked, once again.
"I mean, I have a similar fuzzy blanket, it's very soft haha.." Alan cringed at how awkward it sounded, "So like.. You can totally steal it from me... Wait I meant.."
At a loss of words, Alan averted his gaze, focusing back on Montow, hoping for the pretty red on his cheeks to go away. Gaipa himself could help the tiny hint of blush on his own cheeks.
"If the blanket is really soft, I might just steal it!" He tried to lighten up the ambience, clearly not missing the tiny shy smile from Alan. Montow's yawning broke their silly little bubble and before they could control it, both of them yawned like domino effect. Immediately bursting out in giggles.
"Um.." Gaipa starts and Alan looks up, "hmm?"
"I'm sorry I lied to you, not intentionally I swear!" He blurts, "she doesn't really like meeting people. She even scratched some of my colleagues. I was nervous how she'd react to you."
Alan looked down with a smile, "I don't mind. I raised few wild cats in my teen years." He mumbled, holding Montow gently against his chest.
"Erm... I think she might fall asleep."
Gaipa springs up, "oh.. I totally lost track. It's her dinner time" the wall clock displayed 9:09pm. Alan stood up, still holding the kitten.
"Want to feed her with me?" Gaipa offers and Alan nods in tiny.
"Good! I will prepare her food."
Soon both men were feeding the little feline, who made very unsatisfied meow after a while. Refusing to take another bite.
"This is one of her few problems, she doesn't want to eat at all." Gaipa knows he's whining but he couldn't control it.
Alan frowns, "she faces more problems?"
"Mhmm" Gaipa sets the halt eaten wet food aside, "let's keep those discussion for next time. I really really hope you'd stay for dinner. Please, it's a request." Gaipa looked down, a smile on his lips.
"Well, I can't possibly reject the King's request. Please take care of me" Alan laughed softly and Gaipa felt blood rushing to his cheeks.
"I hope I called Princess's dad by right title" he added.
Which sounded like a tease. Gaipa bit his lip, "I'll.. um.. make dinner. She's your responsibility for the time being" he rushes towards kitchen.
Once they were done with dinner, Alan suggested trying to feed Montow once again, who in fact didn't leave Alan's lap throughout.
After they were satisfied with the amount of food the kitten ate, they were back on living room couch.
"I think I should put her to sleep." Gaipa laughed softly, trying to pick the kitten from Alan's chest who only whined and snuggled up to Alan more.
"It's fine, if she wants to sleep like this, let her be. Once she's asleep, you can take her back."
'Now how do I tell you she doesn't sleep for more than 30 minutes' Gaipa nodded nonetheless, "Alright, should I put a movie on for you?"
"Eh? Nope. But if you have any playlist of classical music, do put it on." He stands up, "let's go".
"Huh? Where?" Gaipa blinks at the man who laughs, "kitchen, let's do the dishes together."
Gaipa gasped, "Impossible! How can I make my guest work! This is impossible!"
Alan shook his head, "I insist, please. Consider this as a small thank you from me?"
"Thank you for what?"
"I'll tell you while we wash the dishes. Do you perhaps have a hoodie lying around?" Gaipa brings his hoodie which Alan put on in opposite manner, gently putting Montow, who's yawning every now and then, inside the hood. The kitten cozied up as Gaipa played a Mozart playlist on his phone.
"Does she have Trouble sleeping?" Alan asks as he dried the plates and other utensils.
Gaipa sighed, "Yes, she does." Their voice quiet, not to wake up the kitten in process. "I don't know if it's insomnia or not, I was thinking about taking her to Vet asap."
Alan nodded.
"lavender mist helps with calming their nerves, and classical music" Alan mumbled, staring at the sleeping fluffball with fond eyes. His own eyes drooping. They washed and placed the dried utensils on rack
"Alan," Gaipa calls, looking at his hands.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you for today." He speaks, voice hushed.
Alan paused midway from putting the kitten on the fuzz blanket.
"Actually," he put the kitten on the blanket who snuggled up and continued sleeping, "I need to thank you and Montow."
Gaipa was trying not to look at the clock, Afraid the time might run out faster.
"Why is that?" He bit his lips, eyes casted downwards.
"It must be nothing foreign that I was.. am going through a rough time. Last time I got out of my apartment was about a month ago." He pauses, "let alone taking care of myself. Which is something I am absolutely not proud of but... It is what it is." He looked at his hand, "Call me stupid but I was truly devastated after getting dumped by my ex-boyfriend. Without any explanation. He moved on before the closure."
"Hey," Gaipa stepped forward, "It's okay, you don't have to roam in that memory."
Alan laughed, "Don't worry, it doesn't matter to me anymore. The.. well, the push towards getting better was Montow and I.. uh, wanted to do something... After a long while."
"I don't know if I can explain it. After the initial shock, I was kind of on autopilot. But today I really wanted to move. So I did." He paused for a second, "The good morning did help by the way, even though the burn was a pain in ass" He chuckled and Gaipa swore if this incident gets mentioned again, he might ask mother Earth to swallow him. "Which was also a positive thing. The physical hurt helped the shell of numbness to dissipate. So, thank you. Honestly."
Alan was standing close, closer than Gaipa would mark as safe.
He looked up. 'Big mistake', his mind supplied as he sunk in those huge honey eyes, "I'm... " He swallows, eyes shamelessly dropping to Alan's full lips and back to his eyes, "I'm glad... I was w.." he shut up, holding Alan's piercing gaze.
"We ran out of topics for next time." Alan whispers, as if a louder voice would break the little reality that felt like dream.
"Maybe we should just sit in silence next time" Gaipa replied in same hushed voice.
"Next time, then?" Alan's eyes had a voice of quiet pleading in them.
"Next time." Gaipa confirms, still nervous. Heart thrumming in his rib cage,eyes holding the firm staring contest.
"I'm trying really hard not to kiss you" Alan stepped closer, barely few inches of air between them.
"Then you probably shouldn't try so hard." This time Gaipa took a step forward as well.
"Can I kiss you?" Alan's eyes flickered within Gaipa's.
"Yes.. please" he replied with equal want.
Alan steps closer. Their chests almost touching. Gaipa didn't look away for even a second. He feels himself going rigid for a moment as Alan's arms slip around his waist.
"Is this okay?"
Gaipa nods, "yeah...", Letting his own hands creep up Alan's chest, circling his neck, "is this?"
"Perfect" Alan breaths before leaning in, pausing midway, right before Gaipa stands on his tiptoes, pressing his lips against Alan's.
They pull back before diving in with more vigor. Gaipa's fingers tangled in Alan's now slightly messy hair and Alan's firm grip on Gaipa's hips.
No sure who trespassed first, but soon both of them got tangled in a messy kiss, hot tongues moving languidly against each other.
Quiet obscene wet sounds filled the living room. Alan tapped the side of Gaipa's thigh before lifting him up, setting him on a cabinet top, standing between his legs. Gaipa gasped, trying to pull Alan closer which the man showed no opposition against. Alan let Gaipa hook his legs behind his waist, diving in for another kiss even before they could catch their breath, almost knocking over the things next to them.
Alan pulled back with a very audible pop, both their swollen lips glimmering with saliva, "We should stop" Alan speaks after resting his forehead against Gaipa, closing his eyes. He eventually pulled away, only to face Gaipa staring at him with dazed eyes, "we should?"
"Mhm.." he nods, "or we will wake Montow up..."
"If she wakes up, would you stay to help me put her back to sleep?" Gaipa speaks, breathless.
"Next time" Alan echoes, "I really need to go and join my office tomorrow,"
"Then next time?" The expectant eyes sparkled in the dim off-white light.
"Next time", Alan assured.
Gaipa raised his hand and wiped the slight reminiscent of their shared moment on Alan's lips, pressing a soft chaste kiss instead.
"You should go.." He mumbled, Alan stared at Gaipa, "I should."
"Go, have fun at office tomorrow..."
He stepped back as he helped Gaipa slide off of the furniture as quietly as possible.
Alan almost tiptoed to the sleeping kitten on couch, bending down to press a light kiss on the kitten's head.
"Ask your dad to call me right way if you miss me too much" his hushed monologue didn't go unheard, he placed his business card on table.
Soon Gaipa was unwillingly holding the door open, almost standing in Alan's way before he moved away, letting Alan leave.
"I'll... See you around?"
Alan laughs, "soon you'll pay a priest to chase me away.."
Gaipa chuckled, "I'm poor, guess I have to live with a handsome ghost clinging to my back then".
Both of them shared a quiet laughter before saying good night to each other at lease seven more times before Alan finally got in his own apartment.
He got this. He looked at his now very tidy apartment that he spend the entire morning and noon cleaning, the folded fresh laundry inside his closet, the trays of junk he ordered for days out away in trash, kitchen spotless, entire condo wiped clean, his jogging fit lying on a chair, cleaned running shoes.
He got this. He smiled at his slightly disheveled state.
Gaipa closes the door and slid down against it, feeling a million emotions at once.
1. "Omg I made my caveman neighbour to come out and transform into an Actually *cough* very handsome*cough* human being".
2. "Shit I literally asked if he wants to come in to visit my cat!? Isn't that how younger youngsters ask for sex these days????! What the heck did I do!"
3. "Apparently Montow likes Mozart and lavender mist. Can't blame her."
4. "Holy shit I kissed my strikingly stunning Neighbour!!!!!! Wait no. Holy shit my strikingly stunning Neighbour just KISSED ME!"
He could feel his cheeks flaming. He patted both cheeks hard, only adding color to the red hue.
"Okay cupid," he throws at his kitten, "if you weren't sleeping at this moment, i would've SQUISHED you so consider yourself lucky. Also, thank you." He did a wai, before crouching down on floor,his face behind his palms,
5. "I threatened to steal his fuzzy blanket"
He couldn't decide either to just laugh at himself or cry. He whimpered in embarrassment instead.
He picked up the business card from the coffee table, a bit disheartened after being offered Alan's work contact. But to his delight, the card owner scratched printed contact and wrote his personal number in neat handwriting.
An embarassing squealing was punched out from back of his throat which Gaipa is glad, no one heard.
'Next time' came in a form of a Friday night, when Gaipa completely pretended how an extra pair of hands would be so helpful in installing the scratchpost for Montow.
Well okay, he lied. But Alan agreed to come over, so, that's a win.And if they sneaked behind Montow's back, kissing each other breathless... Then that would be completely their own business and nobody else's.
Even if the innocent kissing escalated more than a Hennessey Venom would, considering the fact that Gaipa wakes up in Alan's bed all too often and Alan moves in with Gaipa to 'save expenses' about a year later.
Excuses, excuses. But hey, at least they got each other. At least it is nice.
~Ths End(?)~