My Neighbor's Friend

The Day We Met

I look around the lawn. It's pretty neat and clean. The house has been empty for years, so that's actually quite surprising. Did Hange clean it up in the morning? As far as I remember, they're not the kind of person to pay attention to things like 'mowing lawns'. Well, maybe they've changed. Who knows? But why's that other guy not sitting on the grass? I try peeking at his face. But he's looking away from me, at Hange. So I can't really make out how he looks either.

After standing there for a couple of minutes, I realize my actions are probably similar to a stalker's. So, I stop spying (I wasn't... well, maybe a little) and decide to call out to my crazy ass neighbor.

"Hange!"

Both of them stop talking and Hange turns their head right and left until finally noticing me at the gate. They look almost the same as before, just older. Dark brown hair tied into a messy ponytail, topaz eyes framed by square, thick-rimmed glasses glinting with wickedness, lips curled into a shit-eating grin. Wearing the usual grey V-neck t-shirt and black trousers. They bounce up on their feet and start waving at me frantically.

"Hey! Snotball!!"

Oh no!

'Snotball' is apparently a nickname Hange invented for me while babysitting. Because, according to them, my real name is 'kinda boring' and also because they claim to have spent most of our time together wiping the snot from my nose.

In my defense, I loved the rain. Not my fault that I ended up catching a cold every fucking time.

I see the friend quirk an eyebrow at the nickname, and turn his head to look at the person it belongs to. Our eyes meet.

And I die.

Well, not literally. But if there was a way to kill somebody by the intensity of one's gaze, I'd definitely be dead. Because fucking hell! I have neverseen a guy so damn hot! Not your normal hot, the 'I'll-become-gay-for-you' kind of hot. And the fact that I'm already gay doesn't help the situation at all. I let my eyes roam over him. Pale skin, sharp nose, high cheekbones, thin lips. Ready to kiss... or bite. I don't mind either.

Whoa! I did not just say that.

His eyes are like molten silver, burning me inside out. His hair, his goddamn soft as silk raven hair, is parted in the middle and trimmed in the back. Some of the strands hang loosely in front of his eyes, swaying with the slightest breeze. And I want nothing more than to run my fingers through them, to see if they're truly as soft as they look. But the look in his eyes is enough to let me know that I'll probably end up dead if I try.

I don't even notice when Hange comes up to me, not until they suddenly shove their face in my view. I yelp and back away.

Wow Eren! Very smooth!

They notice what (or who) got me distracted, then look back at me. And... is that a smirk?

I take another step back. Cautiously.

But then Hange pulls me into a hug and all my breath is knocked out. I struggle to get out of their death grip, and when I'm almost sure I'm gonna die from suffocation, they let me go. I stagger backwards, hands on my knees and panting.

I look up to see my newly harbored crush standing beside my neighbor. But as I straighten myself, I find my eyes looking down to meet his.

Is he... shorter than me?