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Sept 17, 2019 4:43:32 GMT
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Post by Trix on Jul 13, 2017 20:22:31 GMT
The Boy Next Door Usually after pulling a night shift, Nicholas would be found dead to the world until the late afternoon or early evening. He wasn't necessarily cut out for the overnight hours, but he had been pulling the short stick recently. He didn't know what was different about today, but he'd gotten up just after noon. He'd worked out, eaten, done a load of his own laundry all in a timely manner. While being productive was all fine and dandy, he'd really just been happy to be up early enough to catch up on some of the shows he was severely behind on. Layla was always trying to spoil things for him and now she wasn't going to!
He'd been just in the middle of a heightened plot line, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward in anticipation of what would happen next. As if on cue, there was a knock on his door that shot him into the air, landing like a cat on all fours. He caught himself and looked around just to be sure there wasn't anyone in the apartment. He never knew when Emma was lurking around corners ready to catch him on camera acting like an idiot. Nick cleared his throat and the knock came again, putting him back on track as to what he was supposed to be doing. He rubbed the back of his neck on his way to the door. As he opened it, he noted that he was only wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top, but the most embarrassing part...were his Minion socks.
Nick looked up at the person before him and his eyes widened fractionally, "Uh, hi. Can I help you with something?" Of course he knew who she was. Uh. Of course. It was his...uh...it was Emma's...hm. She opened her mouth and it clicked, his neighbor! "Shoot, did Max invade your yard again? I'm still trying to teach him boundaries, but he just, he really likes your yard. I think it's the flowery smell or like the well-kept grass or something." And he was rambling. "Sorry. Uh what did you need?" # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Jul 29, 2017 6:17:55 GMT
"Arya?" She dropped the spoon she had been holding into the bowl of cereal before trekking her way over to find her kitten. The scratching she heard made her frown deepen and she tried the bathroom door. "What the-" she started when she found that it was locked.
Not a second after, she heard things being knocked down and she smacked her forehead. "Arya, relax! Don't-" before she could finish her sentence, she heard glass shattering and she sighed. "Oh God."
In her panic, she almost forgot that her neighbour was a cop. Cops helped with things like this, don't they?
Without a second thought to the fact that she was still in her embarrassingly pink and frilly tank top and Stitch pajama bottoms (who has time to shower and change on a day off?), Halley quickly crossed over to his apartment door and knocked.
The ridiculously good looking cop neighbour of hers opened the door in what looked to also be his pajamas and for a moment, she froze. "Uh." She blinked before shaking her head when he made the assumption that his beautiful dog had ruined her yard again. "Nope! I haven't seen Max since the last time he ate my hydrangeas." She chuckled before remembering why she was there in the first place.
"No...uh...Arya somehow got stuck in the bathroom and I'm pretty sure she knocked over my bottle of perfume and I don't have the key to the bathroom. I know you're off duty and all but uh...could you do your honor bound duty to serve and protect?" She gave him a sheepish grin.
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Post by Trix on Jul 30, 2017 23:44:34 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nick looked at her, completely relieved when he noted her pajama pants. Then again, she was a girl and he was a cop, he coughed. Wincing at the memory of Max wrecking her flowers, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He was glad that Max hadn't done anything wrong, especially as the pup laid on Nicholas' bed, lounging in front of the window fan. The idea of not having the dog on the furniture had been very short-lived, as Nick was a total pushover and sucker when it came to puppies, kids, his best friend and pretty girls like the one who stood in front of him.
She explained her dilemma and Nick's eyebrows pulled together as he listened. While he wasn't great with cats or the rescuing of them (that was a firefighter's thing obviously) he couldn't very well say no. Day off or not, she'd appealed to his sense of duty and the cute way she grinned sealed his fate. Nick gave her a quick smile before reaching for his shoes that were laying beside the door and pulling them on. "Sure! Not a problem," He glanced over his shoulder and gave a short nod when he decided his puppy would likely be fine for a few minutes while he was next door.
"Be good Maxxie!" He called out before gesturing for her to lead the way and closing his door behind him.
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Post by Nu on Jul 31, 2017 0:04:00 GMT
Holding her breath and wincing a little, waiting for what she usually thought would be rejection, Halley released her breath and her grin widened when he smiled. "Oh thank God." She gave out a small nervous laughter and peeked over Nick's shoulder to look at his puppy.
"I mean he could come? I can take care of him while you deal with Arya." She offered. "It's the least I can do."
Not to mention her love for puppies, especially Max (or maybe it was his owner, who knows these things?) drove her to offer her help. Max and Arya got along well too, so they could keep each other company while she had him in her apartment.
Biting her lip from laughing out loud at her thoughts, Halley looked at Nick with wide eyes.
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Post by Trix on Sept 6, 2017 2:42:03 GMT
The Boy Next Door Just before the door clicked shut, he paused and looked back at his pup. The eyes always got him, true to their name of 'puppy dog eyes' Max knew how to pull Nick's strings. And if she didn't mind, well, he preferred not to part with his beloved dog. "If you're sure..." He hesitated for a moment before opening the door wide enough for Max to slip out. Nick had spent so much time with Max since he broke down and bought the pup that he'd trained him well enough not to need a leash. However the pup still had some selective hearing it seemed.
"You said you don't have a skeleton key or anything for the apartment to get in?" He was back in cop mode as he closed his door and followed her. If she didn't have a key, he could try to shimmy it open, perhaps the lock was stuck halfway. Or he could pick the lock. What he was worried about was if the lock couldn't be picked and he'd have to unhinge the door and rehinge it after, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
Nicholas rubbed the back of his neck as he waited to enter her home, feeling a little awkward despite them having been neighbors for a little while. He didn't know her as well as he might have liked though, especially to be welcomed into her home, even if he was a police officer. "You don't have any curling irons or straighteners she can knock down and burn herself or anything like that, do you?" Nick wanted to be ready if she could have harmed herself to rush to the vet's office.
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Post by Nu on Sept 10, 2017 9:28:44 GMT
When he paused at the door, Halley unlocked it and ushered him and Max in.
Upon entering, Nick would be accosted by the colour blue. Every shade of blue imaginable peppered through the modest three room apartment. Having moved in a year ago, it was still sparsely furnished with one couch, a mounted TV and a bookcase in the living room, it kind of looked bare.
But her kitchen was another matter. Because of the size of the apartment, she had doubled the dining area and the kitchen with a compromise of a black marble island. With a dark blue and black mosaic backsplash, her cabinets and counters contrasted only in shade and held a number appliances and spice racks. Cookbooks were neatly arranged in one corner while the other was filled with a knife block, a kitchen paper roll and a bowl of fruit. Most notable were the hanging pots and pans just above the island and the chrome two door fridge that was dotted with notes, pictures and postcards.
Hearing Arya's cries, Halley rushed to the toilet door. "Mama's here, baby. With the nice cop next door. He's gonna help you out, okay?" She reassured her kitten before realising that Arya probably didn't understand a word she was saying. She frowned slightly before turning to Nick, her eyes widening at the thought that she did have both.
"I do. Oh God. I mean they're really high up on the wall, I don't think she can reach it but oh God, she could have knocked it over somehow. She's really jumpy like she can jump really high to catch mosquitoes and stuff." She paused and took a quick breath. "I'm sorry, I'm panicking." She squeaked.
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Post by Trix on Sept 10, 2017 19:32:01 GMT
The Boy Next Door His eyes sort of widened when he walked in, while blue was a great color, he'd never seen so much of it in one place before. Except maybe an aquarium. He scanned the room that he walked into, just absorbing information about her when he watched her rush to the door of what he guessed was the bathroom. Max followed after her and sat down at the door wiggling his butt. He pawed at the door and let out a whine. Nick placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort, "Don't worry, she sounds mildly distressed, if she were hurt, she'd not be making any sound or she'd be wailing. I promise, I'm sure she's just fine. Why don't you take Max and sit on the couch, yeah? I'll get her out." Nick gave his best reassuring smile.
Once her and Max were out of the way, he assessed the door. Looking through the key hole, he searched to see if the lock had jammed. And sure enough, he noted that the lock was caught halfway. "Do you have any tools? A screwdriver perhaps?" He glanced back at her finally. If he could just get a screwdriver through the keyhole he could probably push the lock back. Which would be a lot faster than trying to remove the whole door.
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Post by Nu on Sept 10, 2017 21:54:43 GMT
The hand on her shoulder surprised her but instinctively, she held on to it, squeezed it tight without really thinking about it. "Okay. I...I can do that." She said with furrowed eyebrows before running her fingers through Max's fur. "Come on buddy, let your daddy do his thing. I'll get you some water." She tugged gently at Max's collar and proceeded to the kitchen where she filled a small bowl with water, placing it at the foot of the couch she was going to sit on.
She watched as Nick inspected the door, trying hard not to laugh at his socks. She placed her hands over her face and a smile burst on her face before she composed herself. It wasn't until she asked for a screwdriver that she looked at Nick again, just as he was looking at her. She nodded and jumped off the couch in search of her toolbox in the kitchen.
Grabbing it from under her sink, she went over to Nick and placed it by his feet. "Do you need me to do anything?" She asked.
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Post by Trix on Sept 11, 2017 4:41:08 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nicholas found himself smiling when she squeezed his hand. He was glad that he could offer her some kind of comfort, or that his dog could anyway. Max followed her happily and Nick focused on his assessment. He glanced back at her once or twice, almost feeling the way that she was judging his sock apparel, but he was quick to look away. He supposed he couldn't blame her for judging him. The socks were not meant to be seen outside of his home.
Halley placed the toolbox beside Nick and he reached back to grab a skinny screwdriver that he could stick through the keyhole. When she asked what she could do, he paused and looked back at her. "Ya know what, just kind of be ready. I imagine she'll be rushing out of there the moment the door opens." He gave her a quick smile before turning back to the door. He wedged the screwdriver into the keyhole and wiggled it back and forth, trying not to create a bigger problem by breaking the screwdriver. With one final wiggle, he heard the latch click back and he opened the door.
As he'd guessed, the kitten darted out.
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Post by Nu on Sept 11, 2017 5:07:42 GMT
Halley rushed to the kitchen and immediately got on all fours to coax Arya out from the space under the oven. "Arya baby, come on honey bun. It's mommy!" Unaware that she was showing her butt in Nick's direction, Halley had to stretch her hand under the oven and endure the bites coming from Arya. "Come on baby, it's okay! It's just me." She whined a little, out of pain and also out of fear Arya would trip a wire somehow.
She finally managed to grab Arya's neck and dragged the kitten out amidst growling protests. Once the kitten was out, Halley hugged her feline friend to her chest and breathed easy. "I am so sorry." She shook her head and stroked the kitten's fur.
Turning around, she smiled gratefully to Nick. "Thank you so much." She pulled herself up and approached Nick. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here." She shook her head, reaching a hand out to his shoulder for a squeeze. "Um...do you wanna have something to drink?" She asked.
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Post by Trix on Sept 11, 2017 15:12:42 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nick called Max over to him so that the pup remained out of the way while Halley did what she could to coax the kitten out from underneath the stove. He winced at the noises she made and held Max tighter as he whimpered and whined, ever the curious pup. Once she grabbed a hold of the kitten, Nick smiled and looked up at her when she approached. He released Max and stood up, "Hey, it was really no big deal. If you want I can replace that lock on the door, it seems a little sketchy. I wouldn't want you to be the one who gets stuck in there next time."
She squeezed his shoulder and he smiled wider. At her offer though, he paused and glanced back in the direction of the door. Nicholas knew that if he stayed and someone found out, he'd regret it later. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck, "I should uh, probably head back actually." And when the words left his mouth, he could feel his throat tightening and his stomach dropped. He didn't want to go, in fact, he'd have loved to stay and talk with her. It was a nice change of pace, talking to someone who wouldn't get mad at him over something small or someone who knew every ounce of dirt on him that she could find.
Nick frowned and bit the inside of his cheek again, "Actually, I don't have anything going on. If you don't mind, I'd love to." # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 11, 2017 19:02:52 GMT
But then he changed his mind and her hopes were inflated once more. Wow, she needed friends. And bad.
Ever since she moved here, it was a little hard finding people to connect with, despite how filled crowded this neighbourhood was. But Halley was a generally shy person and her anxieties usually stopped her from making the first move for anything. It most certainly hadn't stopped her from having Nick stay, which was something she wasn't quite used to.
"Okay, what's your poison?" She asked, moving to the kitchen. She looked down at Arya who had calmed down and she smiled. "Hi baby." She nuzzled the kitten who pushed against her nose before Halley put her down. She scampered off to where Max and started gnawing on his leg.
"I've got tea, coffee and orange juice." She called out over her shoulder.
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Post by Trix on Sept 11, 2017 23:39:46 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nicholas watched her expression fall and he was glad he quickly retracted his statement. The excitement in her voice was intoxicating and he found himself smiling wider than he thought was possible. It was cute the way her eyes got all squinty when she was excited and her smile was incredible. He found it hard to look away from her, but he managed to peel his eyes away to look at Max and contemplate what he wanted to drink.
When she tossed out the options, he kind of smiled. It was not surprising to him that the only options she had were all non-alcoholic. She didn't strike him as the type to drink frequently. Or at all maybe. Meanwhile he remembered that there was always beer in his mother's fridge growing up. Layla was definitely different from Halley though. "I'll take coffee, feed my caffeine addiction," He laughed and ruffled Max's fur. # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 12, 2017 2:11:50 GMT
Chuckling at Nick's answer, she nodded and poured a nice steaming mug of it before bringing it over to him. She went back to the kitchen to grab the bottle of cream and sugar shaker and set it on the coffee table.
"I've kind of got some leftover pizza from last night. I got in little late from work so I didn't have time to cook. Do you want a slice? I could warm it up and we could have lunch. Unless you have other plans?" She asked as she made tea for herself.
"Oh and about the door, sorry I got distracted," she laughed airily, wondering why she was being such a ditz around Nick. And then wondering why she was even asking herself that. "I'll just call a locksmith. I don't wanna bother you more than I already have."
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Post by Trix on Oct 2, 2017 14:41:53 GMT
The Boy Next Door Her offer of pizza made his face brighten and he sort of wished he could have controlled it better. To get as excited about pizza as he often did was embarrassing. But it was pizza! He gave her a smile and shook his head, "Nope, no plans here. I was pretty much just going to binge watch some Netflix with Max. He's a real DC nerd so we watch a lot of superhero shows." Easier to pawn off his obsessions on the dog rather than admit them himself. He glanced back down at his socks and quickly back up as to not draw attention to them.
"It's really no bother! But, eh, I'm only kind of handy. I wouldn't want to make something worse," Nick laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. With his luck, he'd find an even worse lock that no one could get into. Still, he liked to offer whatever services he could when he was given the chance to be helpful. Not that she was some kind of damsel in distress, but locksmiths had to be damn good otherwise things were kind of screwed.
Nick took a sip of coffee and placed the mug back down on the table, "So what do you do?" He couldn't say that he remembered much about her, though he was certain he should. # | @ | notes ulla |
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