Chapter Text
“You’ve got to be joking.”
Anthony looked up at the shower head as it dripped a pitiful few drops onto his face. One day in this shitty new flat and the plumbing already didn’t work. He sighed heavily, starting to feel exposed, standing naked waiting for the water to turn on. Turning the knob back to its starting position, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.
He looked back at the man in the mirror. The reflection lifted a finger and traced the thick scar down his face, and then dropped to feel the matching scar on his shoulder. He pushed slightly on the raised tissue and took a sharp breath in. Yes, it still hurt. Blinking a couple of times, he turned and stepped out of the bathroom.
Pattering over to the couch, he sat down and crossed his legs. After briefly considering trying to go without a shower, the sweat dripping down his back encouraged him to consider otherwise. Without really thinking, Anthony found himself walking out the door of his flat and across the hall to the only other unit on the floor.
Knocking twice, he then stepped back to wait for an answer. Suddenly, he became very aware of himself and his distinct lack of clothes. What was he thinking?! It’s hardly decent to introduce yourself to a neighbor for the first time with no shirt or shoes on! Clutching the bath towel around his waist hastily, he whipped around to run back to his flat when he heard the neighbor’s door open behind him.
“Uh, hello?”
Anthony froze. Putting on a face of dignity, he turned around to face the man behind him.
The man was older than Anthony, but still fit. His hair, dark at the top and graying on the sides, was short and trim. His mustache and dress shirt (buttoned all the way to the top) reminded Anthony of the stuffy captains of his old command at Button House XI. He smiled at the memory before quickly tightening up and remembering himself.
“Hello! I’m so sorry, s- uh sir. I was going to ask if I could use your shower as mine’s gone kaput, as it were. But I’m, ha, standing here barely decent, much less for a first meeting,” Anthony gestured at his own flat door. His mind was shooting sirens off, telling him to make an exit and not stand there any longer, but he found himself at rapt attention to this stranger.
“You’re my new neighbor! Yes, I was wondering who might be the next victim of this sorry building, haha,” The man’s eyes crinkled, and Anthony felt at ease, strangely. Despite the stranger’s gaze never leaving Anthony’s, he couldn’t help but feel as though the man were looking a thousand meters away. He cleared his throat.
“Ahem, I’m Ca- uh Ted. Higgins.” he stuck out his hand.
White-knuckling the towel with his left hand, Anthony shook Ted’s. “Anthony, pleasure.”
The older man’s mouth stitched into a half-smile, and he cleared his throat again. “Well! Ahem, come in then!”
“Oh no, haha,” Anthony pulled away and started toward his door again. “I really must change before I enter your home-”
Ted waved his hand, “Nonsense, man, I’ve already seen you. Not that I’m looking!” Was he sweating? “Please, come in.”
In an effort to end this agonizing show of affairs, Anthony changed direction for the fourth time in the past five minutes and quickly entered Ted’s flat. Thankfully, it was nearly a carbon copy of the layout of his own place, so he was able to duck into the bathroom without too much to-do.
Closing the door behind him, a massive sigh tumbled out. Anthony leaned forward, his hands on the bathroom sink. His heart was racing and his cheeks tickling a warm pink. He looked up and made eye contact with the man in the mirror again.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he saw himself more in the man he met just a few moments ago than the man he saw in the reflection.