❝ he has saved me
from everything that is
not here. ❞
Sparks fly unexpectedly as Rayan and Elijah navigate the labyrinth of their shared apartment complex, uncovering a chemistry that defies the ordinary.
-mindless behavior au. raylijah. & f...
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"Are you sure this is right, sir?" Elijah questioned, his eyebrows raised as the man began to pull his belongings out of the U-Haul. The place he'd followed the man to looked completely different from what had been advertised.
"Que?" The man grunted. Elijah frowned when he realized the man didn't understand English. He bit his lip as he paused for a moment, failing to remember a few words from his high school curriculum.
"Umm...esto es...el derecho... área?" He said slowly, unsure if he'd even said the right thing. He looked around the neighborhood, scrunching his nose up in distaste at the various rodents scurrying along the sidewalk and ignorant children chasing after them.
"Esto es lo que usted me dio. Buena suerte." The man shrugged after pressing his lips together and frowning. Elijah nodded, though he failed to understand.
"Thanks." He said half heartedly and started to grab as many boxes as he could. People began to watch from a distance but none offered to help the confused man. As he headed towards his building, he was met with an old woman. She'd came walking out with a wide grin; he noticed how her cardigan practically swallowed her.
"Oh, you must be Elijah Johnson." The woman said loudly.
"Yes," He forced a smile, still struggling to hold the boxes.
"We spoke on the phone earlier about your apartment. I'm Bertha." She picked up a few boxes and walked after Elijah. "We should try to get them all. These people would steal an old shoe if it's left out too long." She grumbled. Elijah's eyes widened at the joke as he scurried after the fast walking woman.
"This isn't the picture that was advertised." His jaw went slack as he walked up the stairs, bypassing the broken elevator. He cringed as he was forced to step over a man who'd been sleeping at the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh, that was when they first built it." She tittered, carefully walking up the creaking stairs. Elijah pondered on how much jail time he'd get for pushing the liar of a woman down those flight of stairs.
"Excuse me?"
"The site wouldn't let me put any updated pictures up—she's a little aged now but she's holding up. Just needed to get this one off my hands and rent it out." She explained, offering him a look of sympathy. After setting the boxes down, she unlocked the door. Bertha then pushed open the door to apartment 34B and pushed the boxes in. Elijah ambled into the old, 600 square ft apartment—immediately noticing how the once white walls were now cracked and yellow-like, and the once shiny wood floor appeared to be grey and old.
"Wait what?" He set the boxes down and turned after Bertha who'd been in the hallway. He followed her eyes that were narrowed in the direction of a man who seemed to be strolling down the hallway. Bertha glared at the boy and he sent her a teasing smirk. Elijah couldn't contain his obvious attraction towards him. His hair was crinkled—a black, heavy mass of coils that stopped just above his hips. The man wore an oversized sleeveless top, exposing his tattoos that started from his neck, trailing down his side and covering his left arm. His grey sweats hung a bit low, exposing his print and black briefs. Elijah nearly drooled.
"Old bitch." The man grumbled, stopping at the door right infront of Elijah's apartment. 36B. He didn't linger for too long—the man unlocked the door and went inside, making sure to slam the door behind him. He was thankful the man left because the tension was thick enough to be sliced by a butter knife.
"Who was that?" He questioned quietly, turning to the woman who'd been clearly upset by the man's presence.
