Tbs Smutts

more than just neighbors

But it was only when you accidentally dropped a plant pot on your foot that you got any type of proper attention.

"Fuck!" You screeched, hopping back a little. A frown settled on your face as you realized the plant you'd spent half an hour repotting was now laying on the ground, the soil everywhere. Your favorite ceramic pot was shattered too, shards of the painted pottery littering your balcony floor. Your foot didn't even hurt - your main source of pain was the destruction of your plant pot.

"Hey, are you okay?"

You froze. Glancing up slowly, you met the gaze of your neighbor, his brown eyes swimming in concern. "Oh, uh, yeah!" You answered, trying not to think that this was the first time you'd ever talked from balcony to balcony.

"Are you sure?" He was standing up now, leaning against the metal railing of his balcony and peering over into yours. The gap of a few meters meant he was too far to reach, but you could practically feel the worry radiating off him. "Do you need any help?"

You sighed quietly. Looking at the mess around you, you realized you did need something. With a resolved smile, you looked back and squinted your eyes. "Do you have a spare plant pot?"

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He came over with three pots and made you pick your favorite. Though you tried to insist on paying him back, he waved you off with a smile and promised he had a backlog of twenty pots hidden away in his flat, and the sooner he could start getting rid of them, the better. In payment, you offered him some of your fresh lemonade, and you ended up sitting outside on your balcony together, the floor freshly swept, and the plant standing proudly in its new pot.

"So..." You began, pausing to take a tentative sip of your lemonade. Conversation whilst you'd been dealing with the plant had gone well, much to your relief. You'd chatted about the weather, gardening, and both recalled times of complete clumsiness. Now though, the tone felt different. "How's your day going?"

Thomas cracked a smile. From where he was reclining on your other lounger with a pair of golden sunglasses pulled over his eyes, he took a sip of lemonade. "It's going well, thank you. Got some gardening done this morning, caught up with some emails... I'd planned on going out to this new coffee shop for lunch, but I've ended up here instead."

You found yourself frowning. "Oh, shit, sorry," you said, suddenly overwhelmed with guilt for occupying his time. "You can go if you-"

"No, no," he interrupted, his grin widening. "I've been uh, I've been meaning to talk to you actually." His face shifted, growing in confidence.

You released a loose chuckle before answering, some of the tension in your shoulders lessening. "Really?" You asked, brushing your teeth over your lower lip. "What about?"

He shrugged, then much to your surprise, his expression shifted to one of anxiousness. "Do you want to go to that café with me? I've heard it's really nice." He paused, nervously gnawing on his lower lip. "Only if you're free. And if you want to. No- No worries if not."

You found yourself nodding, a different type of excitement filling you. "Yeah," you agreed. "I'd love to."

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You didn't get back to your apartment building until 5 pm, and even when you did, it was Thomas' apartment you decided to enter instead of your own.

The coffee shop had been brilliant. Not only was it cute and quaint, decorated with fairy lights and bunting, but the small table you'd sat at with Thomas had provided a brilliant afternoon. Once you'd gotten past the slightly awkward just-met-you-but-I've-been-trying-to-rile-you-up-for-months situation, you'd fallen into very comfortable conversation. You couldn't remember the last time you'd laughed so much, Thomas' sharp witty humor having caused you to descend into frequent peals of laughter, your sides aching from all the shaking. You'd had a great time, and you'd managed to learn more about your elusive neighbor in the process.