Work Text:
The shower wouldn’t drain.
As they stood in ankle deep, soapy, scummy water, they groaned and swatted off the faucet. When they climbed out and dried themself off, they watched the water sit mockingly in the tub.
How annoying.
And it would only get worse if they didn’t do anything about it.
Fortunately, they had heard through the grapevine that the neighbor worked for a local, family-owned, plumbing company. As they dressed and sorted out their outfit, they debated whether to visit in-person or call the company directly, but it was Friday morning. Maybe he was busy, or not even home, and he probably didn’t work on weekends.
It was when the drain gurgled and some strange liquid began flowing slowly upward into the water that the situation seemed to escalate.
Nope, this seemed like an emergency enough to at least try and see what the plumber neighbor could do. They could always offer payment under the table for his help to avoid taxes on his business.
Puttering over to the neighbor’s door, they checked for a sign of him being home. Other than the porch light still being on in the early morning sun, he must have parked his truck in the garage. They knocked three times, praying that it wasn’t too early to say hello.
“I’m comin’! Hold your horses!”
They swung on the balls of their feet and stepped back, nervous. It had been ages since the last time they spoke beyond basic greetings while heading to work, but they’d always been friendly. It certainly helped that he was a handsome man—hard-working and always willing to lend a hand with the yard when it seemed they needed some extra help. They even swore they’d occasionally catch him glancing over when they were at their sweatiest in the summer heat.
Not that they minded one bit, but they swore that was something that happened.
They did, for a fact, know he was single…
The door sprung open, revealing a shirtless, tan man no older than his mid-thirties. He stretched his arms high above his head before pulling a white t-shirt over his toned chest. They had to admit, they couldn’t quite avert their eyes from his abs at first, but didn’t want to seem like they were gawking. That would be rude, especially when all they wanted was help with their bathroom.
“Hey, it’s you,” he said, brushing invisible lint off his shoulder. “Been a while. Whaddaya need?”
They took in a deep breath. “Hey, Mammon, can I ask you a favor?” they began, deciding to cut straight to the point.
“Yeah, sure, what’s up? Need a cup of sugar or some eggs or somethin’? I haven’t grocery shopped in a while though, so ya might be outta luck.”
“Not that. My shower’s busted. Gross stuff is coming up the drain too,” they said, sighing. “Do you think you can take a look sometime today and let me know how serious it is? I don’t know if I need an emergency plumber or if it can wait.”
He paused, his jaw a bit slack. “Ya want me to check your shower?” he asked, seeming surprised. “In your house? What’s goin’ on with it?”
“Do you have time to look?” they asked. “I mean, if you’re busy, it’s fine. I’ll call tomorrow and—“
“Don’t call tomorrow! They ain’t gonna get you an appointment until next week,” he exclaimed. He leaned back to check a clock in the entryway, then turned back to them. “I-I’ll just come over now. Lemme get on some boots and gloves. I’ll be right out.”
The door closed before they could respond, and there they were waiting in total silence for what felt like hours. Behind the wall, they could hear him scurrying around, cursing at lost items, and finally lunging toward the door. It slammed open with a panting Mammon on the other side, his face red, a tool bag in his right hand.
“All right,” he said with a decisive nod. “Show me what’s wrong.”
They led him into their house and to the main bathroom, where Mammon immediately entered the shower stall.
“Uh…Should I leave you to it?” they asked, halfway out the door. “You don’t have to do much. I just want an idea of whether it’s an emergency or—“
“Nah, I’ll take care of it for ya,” he said, looking down into the pipe with a small flashlight. “I’ll let ya know soon how bad it is and if I need some crew to help out, but gettin’ an idea shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”
They fidgeted for a moment before a thought popped into their head. “If you hang around for a while,” they said, “I’ll bake some cookies for you.”
“You don’t have to do that. That’s a lotta work.”
“No, I want to,” they said with a smile. “You don’t have to leave right away, do you?”
“First real job ain’t until ten o’clock. I got time for ya.” A stark contrast of heat seemed to raise into his face. “I-I mean, it’s not like I wanna inconvenience ya or anything. Just tryin’ to be neighborly, ya know?”
“I’ll start now. You’re more than welcome to stay until they’re done. We can share them.”
They could have sworn a deeper blush creeped over his cheeks at the offer. “W-well, guess I can’t turn down somethin’ nice like that.”
They hurried back to the kitchen to gather supplies and begin mixing, hurriedly reading directions off the back of the chocolate chip bag. They’d turn out fine as long as they followed the directions exactly. Despite measuring perfect scoops, they worried about their process. Did Mammon like chocolate chip cookies? Was he diabetic? Would it be okay to spend effort freezing them before baking to make sure they puffed up just right? But they didn’t have much time to do that, so a basic recipe would have to do.
Why were they so nervous? He was just a neighbor!
…A handsome, single neighbor…
But still, just a neighbor. He worked for them, and all they could do was respect his professionalism and pay his worth.
Several minutes later, Mammon walked inside and sat heavily at the dining table, his tool bag on the floor beside him. “It ain’t much. Looks worse than it is,” he said. “Nothin’ serious. I’ll call the boys in tomorrow and get it all sorted for ya.”
“Will you?” they asked, hopeful as they dotted cookie mix onto a lined baking tray. “That would be amazing. Thank you. What’s the cost for today?”
Mammon waved his hand in the air as if to say it didn’t matter.
“Let me pay you with something more than cookies.”
He shrugged. “Ain’t a big deal. It only took a few minutes to diagnose, and we’re neighbors, right? It’s the least I can do for ya.”
“Cookies aren’t enough to repay you for helping me,” they pushed, sliding the tray into the oven and turning to shoot a stern look toward him. “What’s the estimate for everything? The business needs to pay the crew at least. I have cash too, or I can run to the bank.”
Though a definite stark blush seared his cheeks and his gaze turned away, Mammon spoke with an easy confidence. “Well…How ‘bout a date?” he asked, pursing his lips slightly.
Their eyes widened. “A date?” they asked. “You’re serious?”
“Sorry. Slipped out.” He backtracked instantly. “Forget I said anything. Didn’t mean to make this all awkward.”
But they weren’t going to allow that. “No, really, a date?” they clarified. When he gave a single, shy nod, they grinned. “I’d love to!”
“Ya would?” he asked, shocked. Then, he grinned in return, his confidence flooding back to his features. “I-I mean, of course ya would! I’m a pretty great guy. Who wouldn’t wanna go on a date with me?”
Laughing, they checked on the half-baked cookies, finding them just now melting into puddles to crisp. “I want to,” they said. “You seem like fun. I’d love to get to know you better.”
He chuckled, but the expression on his face showed just a hint of relief. “Yeah,” he said. “Same here.”
“So…maybe tomorrow?” they asked. “I mean, if you’re not busy.”
“I’m definitely not too busy!” he said loudly before hushing himself by ducking into his shoulders. “I-I mean, I gotta full schedule of stuff, ya know, but I can fit ya in for dinner around five o’clock.”
They nodded. “Perfect.”
He nodded too. “Okay. Good.”
Little did they know, if they could see his heart, it was beating through his chest. Finally—finally!—he got up the guts to ask them out.
And he’d make sure it was the best damn date it could ever be.