Won't You Be My Neighbour? [Andrei]

[Deleted]

This was it, this was the end of her resolve. She had held on for 3 months, that was something she could be proud of. No one could foresee her pulling that muscle and Vesna knew she needed to ease it pronto before the show tonight. Just as she went to see her neighbour Toris he was rushing off to work so there went that idea. There was Astrit, but it would be weird tracking down a thirteen year old for this kind of a favour, it was just entirely inappropriate. That left her one hope, but it was a long shot.

She needed to ask her next door neighbour to use his shower.

Well, she couldn't go over there empty handed. If she needed something she had to give something in return after all. There wasn't much she had, Vesna wasn't quite sure what type of person her neighbour was. Giving him a knick knack of sorts wasn't such a great gift if you didn't like that sort of thing. Food was a much better idea! After a quick look through her pantry in fridge she realized she didn't really have anything. Beans, tomatoes, a little bit of beef.. Balkan Bean soup? Her neighbour seemed Eastern European to her so maybe he would like the recipe as much as she did! There wasn't much else she could make.

For an hour or so Vesna went about cooking the soup, going off memory of what her Baba had taught her as a girl. This wasn't so hard, it was an easier recipe she had learned. She tasted it every now and then, to be sure it tasted well. When she deemed it ready enough she searched through her cabinets until she found a nice ceramic pot with a lid to put the soup in. Even if he didn't let her shower there it was good of her to go over there with a gift every once and awhile to show that she was a good neighbour. The nice Portuguese woman across from her did the same thing to her after all.

Vesna packed her shower items and a towel in her backpack just in case. Maybe the soup would really impress him. With a big smile she left her apartment and knocked on the door next to hers, hoping that he was home.

When times are hard we’ll smile and say we’re not afraid of anything

LAIKA OF BTN!

[Deleted]

He ruffled his hair with a towel, trying to dry it as best he could. Nothing beats taking a hot shower on a typical London day, or any day anywhere in general. The Moldovan shot a glance at his cat; The feline was happily curled up in the shirt he was supposed to be wearing. Ah, well, it's not like he can catch a cold from being indoors. At least he hoped he couldn't.

He was a bit surprised when he heard a knock at the door. He wasn't expecting it, that much he knew. Nicoleta was supposed to be out, surely she couldn't be stopping by. Besides, if she wasn't out and about she was probably back at her place sleeping. He sighed softly, pausing whatever was on the television. He wasn't paying much attention to it anyway, but from what he could tell it was a sports channel of some sort. He got up off his couch, stretching slightly. Now that he thought about it, he should probably go and see what he could actually afford to buy at the grocery store. Not now, of course, but maybe in a little while. "...Shit, uh, just a moment!" he said, remembering about the knock. It better not be one of those religious folks trying to convert the heathens. He already "politely closed" the door enough times in their face, when will they take no for an answer?

He made his way over to the door, opening it with ease. He stared at the woman in front of him, not exactly recognizing her right away. One thing was for sure, she wasn't a certain Romanian. "...Can I help you?" he asked, putting a polite smile on his face. He couldn't exactly be rude to whoever this lady was. From what he can recall, she was probably his neighbor. Even more so a reason to put up the nice act for the time being.

He couldn't help but wonder why now of all times she decided to come over. He wasn't complaining, he enjoyed being left alone, but clearly she either wanted something from him or just realized he was living there. Hopefully she wasn't as dense as people get. If she was, well, may God, for once, give him the patience needed to deal with her. Even if it was the case, he knew that no deity would do anything just because he would have to "learn to deal with it himself". Andrei crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame, his attention turning to what the other was holding. Oh, she better not be trying to sell him something. That was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

[Deleted]

Well.. this is certainly unexpected, she thought, as her neighbour opened the door to great her shirtless. Dripping wet and shirtless. And he wasn't that bad looking. Okay, that was selling him short, he was great looking. How didn't she notice before? Oh yeah, he always had his hood up, and was wearing a shirt. Wow, she was pretty lucky, this building was full of cute guys! Wasn't this supposed to be a bad neighbourhood? Focus Vesna, she came over here on a mission after all, and she really didn't have time to be delaying right now.

“Hello, I'm your neighbour. We've met before, but I'm Vesna in case you've forgotten. You're.. Alexei, right? I think that was it..” Oh, she really hoped she wasn't getting his name wrong, that would be a bit embarrassing. Vesna knew it sounded something like that, maybe it was just Alex? “I brought you some soup. It's Balkan Bean soup, I hope you like it! I don't really have anything in my fridge right now so this was the best I could do!”

Oh wow this was awkward! She normally didn't feel awkward but here she was, bringing food to her good looking neighbour who was shirtless and look at those abs! Hers were nothing compared to his. Jealous was putting it mildly, he must have worked out so hard for those. “Wow, the definition you have is amazing! What kind of work out do you do? Can I touch them? I'm just a little bit jealous of you right now.” There was a bit of awkwardness to her laugh, but she didn't think he would notice.

There she went, getting off track again. How many times did she have to remind herself that she came here with a purpose? Time was ticking away and she would have to be at practice in a few hours. If she didn't get this muscle eased out she wouldn't be able to perform and that was good money she would be losing. If he said no here she would have to trek on down to the rec centre and use the change room shower.

“Sorry, I actually came here with a request. My hot water has been down for awhile and I really need to take a hot shower or bath to fix a pulled muscle. I was wondering if I could use yours. I know it's kind of weird since we never talk but I was really hoping I could impose on you this one time.” Vesna looked up at him pleadingly, holding out the container as a peace offering.

When times are hard we’ll smile and say we’re not afraid of anything

LAIKA OF BTN!

[Deleted]

Well, that was close enough as she was going to get to his name. At least he didn't have to make one up if she already knew him by one. "Yeah, I am. Nice to see you, Vesna," he said, looking at the container she held. Balkan Bean soup, huh? Well, she didn't seem like the sort of girl to try to poison her neighbors, but looks can be deceiving. He was curious as to why she felt the need to state she didn't have much food stocked up in the first place. He wasn't complaining, he was grateful to have something to eat besides ramen cups and frozen goods.

He blinked in confusion as he returned his gaze to hers. She wanted to...touch his abs? Well, he wasn't really sure how to respond to that. It was a first, though whether he should allow her or not was an interesting enough decision to make. As for the work out, well, he couldn't exactly be a lawless without being fit. Sure, he was just a conman, but there are times he needed muscles some way or another to get the job done. Usually its needed to distract women, but as long as he did what he needed to do and got paid, he wouldn't complain.

"Ah, well, a little bit of everything, I guess? And sure...?" he responded. He didn't see any harm in allowing her to touch his abs, she did ask permission first after all. The whole situation was just strange, he even doubted that it could get any stranger than it already was. Who asks their neighbor, the one barely bothered to talk to, to touch them? Apparently Vesna did, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. One thing was obvious, she wasn't exactly what one would call "normal".

That statement only proved to be true when she asked to use his shower. Well, today turned out to be an eventful day already. "...Let me get this straight. You came over here, to a neighbor you've never spoken to, to ask if you could go into my place just so you could use a shower? Even when you're very aware of how bad this neighborhood is supposed to be? You do know there are men who would take advantage of this if they were in my place, right?" he asked, slightly unable to believe that was really the situation. Well, his assumption things wouldn't get stranger just went down the drain.

He looked at the soup she held out, then back to her. Andrei sighed and took the container from her, opening the door to allow her in. "...Bathroom is down that way. Just don't take too long," he said, motioning to his left. He couldn't pass up the free food, and he couldn't just take it and not help her out. She did go three months with nothing but cold water, so she at least deserved one hot shower, right?

[Deleted]

Without hesitation Vesna reached up and poked his abs with her fingering, 'oooo'ing at how hard they were. A little bit of everything? That certainly wasn't helpful to her. Not that she wanted super good looking abs like his, maybe just to tone her core up a little. A stronger core meant more control of her moves, which might have helped her not pull this muscle in her shoulder. Speaking of muscles, these were fantastic, and she moved from poking to stroking them. After a little bit of that she pulled her hand away, not wanting to overstep any boundaries. Maybe she could ogle them at a later date.

“They're very nice, you should be very proud of your abs. You worked hard so you look great!” This was kind of like a tv show, where the girl meets a cute neighbour. Maybe he could even fix her plumbing for her!? Not that she had any money to pay him, perhaps her would take a grilled cheese as payment?

Vesna listened to him intently after she asked her request. Bad neighbourhood, take advantage of her, what was he talking about? All her neighbours were nothing but nice to her. And Alexei seemed nice as well. “Oh, I'm not worried at all really, this neighbourhood isn't so bad. And I'm sure you wouldn't take advantage of me, you're a nice guy!” Vesna smiled sweetly at him, trusting her gut on this one. And if he did she'd just spray shampoo into his eyes and run away, problem solved!

When he took the container from her and said yes, she instantly grinned and hugged him tightly. Oh, she was taller than him, it was kind of cute. She was taller than Toris too but he always got weird around her hugs. Oh well, no time to dwell on that, she was finally getting a hot shower! Oh this was the best day! “Thank you so much Alexei, I really appreciate it! I'll be really quick so I'm out of your hair. Eat the soup while I'm in there and tell me how you like it!” Oh she was just so happy! Quickly she leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading towards what she assumed was the bathroom. “Blagodaram Alexei, you really saved the day today!”

Once she reached the bathroom and closed the door, Vesna started the shower up and undressed. In and out, it would be rude of her to spend all day in his shower, racking up his bills. Once she got into the shower and finally felt hot water for the first time in what seemed like forever she sighed in bliss. “This is the best!” She yelled happily, scrubbing some shampoo into her hair.

When times are hard we’ll smile and say we’re not afraid of anything

LAIKA OF BTN!

[Deleted]

Andrei found it a bit strange to have simply let her touch his abs, especially since he wasn't expecting her to feel them so...thoroughly. He just kept silent while she did it, since talking might make everything a bit uncomfortable. Well, having her touch him in such a way was uncomfortable in the first place, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. At least she stopped at one point and didn't insist on continuing to touch him. That was when he would have draw the line. Gratefully, it didn't have to come to that.

He wasn't sure why he ranted, but he did, and her response to it was a bit...naive, in a way. She's been lucky so far to meet "nice" people. "Ah, well, just be a bit more careful, alright?" he sighed. She seemed like a kind person, so if anything he should he kind in return, right? Besides, he wasn't going to take advantage of her.

He was snapped out of his train of thought when she kissed his cheek. He was a bit confused, but decided to think of it as nothing. Besides, she already was heading towards the restroom. He closed the door, making sure to lock it, then went to the kitchen. She did say to eat the soup while she was busy, and the Moldovan was more than happy to do so. "This better be worth it," he said under his breath, making his way to the couch after he found a spoon.

He sat down and pressed play on his remote, the TV coming to life once more, letting the sound of the sports match fill up the silence of the room. He couldn't help but crack a smile when he could hear Vesna exclaiming about the shower. Ah, good think Nicoleta wasn't here or she might think differently of his kindness. Now that he thought about it, it might be best to not tell her. He didn't want to find out what would happen if she knew.

He sighed and took off the cover of the container he held. Well, the soup did smell delicious. His cat woke up and lazily walked over, wanting a closer sniff at the contents. He sighed and let her do as she pleased, since she didn't like to not get her way.

[Deleted]

At one point she started crying in the shower, so happy to feel hot water. This was the best day ever, nothing could compete with it right now. Could she just live in this bathroom and never leave? To her that sounded like the greatest idea ever. Once she was finished with washing her hair and body she moved on to trying to ease the muscle in her shoulder. It was rough going, since it was so stiff and she had to bite her lip at one point so she wouldn't yell but it started to feel better to the point she knew she could perform tonight and be alright. If she could get a hot bath after the show it would help but she wasn't going to push her luck.

Shit, she wasn't in there too long was she? Quickly she got out and toweled off, he wasn't going to get mad was he? Once she got her hair somewhat dry everything went back into her backpack and she ran her brush through her hair. Should she cut some of it off? Nah, she liked it being so long, it made her look more feminine after all. When that was done she put her clothes back on and came out of the bathroom, sighing with happiness. Vesna felt ten times better than she did earlier, now she felt the soup was hardly enough to show her thanks.

Oh, he was watching some sports and hey! He was eating her soup, that was good!! Vesna took a seat next to him, smiling happily at him. “Thank you so much Alexei, I feel so much better now! Oh! What a pretty kitty you have! Hello pretty kitty, can I pet her?” Not every pet liked to be touched so she wanted to double check with him first. “How is the soup, do you like it? I haven't made that particular recipe in quite awhile, so I'm a bit worried. It tasted fine to me, so I hope it is pleasing to your tastes as well.”

Vesna looked at the tv and grinned. “Oh, do you like football? It's one of my favourites. Hey, hey, did you know we play in the park across the street? My team is missing a guy right now, you should come play with us if you play! We're doing a tournament right now, the winning team gets £100, so basically we just win a bunch of beers.”

When times are hard we’ll smile and say we’re not afraid of anything

LAIKA OF BTN!

[Deleted]

Sighing softly, he finally bothered to give his pet a few scratches under her chin. Purring happily, the cat just curled up besides him. Well, at least she wasn't trying to get on his head this time. It happened a few times before, and he sure didn't enjoy the scratches left behind. They were a pain to deal with, that much he cares to remember.

He looked down at the soup. Well, he couldn't exactly let it get cold. Watching the football match, he sat there eating the gift the Macedonian had given him. It was pretty good, that he had to admit. Ah, perhaps she can bring more by at some later date? He sure hoped so, from what he can tell she was great at cooking. He wouldn't mind her stopping by and giving him something every now and then.

He nearly jumped when he heard Vesna's voice. She was done already? Huh, he didn't notice. She seemed to be in the same mood as before, if not a bit happier. "Hm? It's nothing, really. Glad I could help... Yeah, you can pet her. Yes, the soup is good, thanks," he replied to all of the questions in turn. Man, she sure was chatty. Was there any end to her words? Apparently not, she just seemed to keep going. How was it she never ran out of things to say?

"...Oh, no, I don't play. Very sorry about that," he said, setting the container down on the coffee table and standing to his feet. He never was one to play any sort of sport. He had other interests that didn't include running around outside and nearly passing out due to heat. "I would help if I could," he added, heading over to the kitchen to get something to drink. "I can assume you enjoyed the shower?" he asked, trying to change the subject. He opened the fridge, scanning for something that didn't require having to be poured into a cup. He grabbed a can of soda, taking a mental note to buy more beer when he had the chance.

[Deleted]

Given the okay, Vesna turned her attention to the cat, petting its soft fur with a smile. It was cute, but not as cute as her Dragan. He liked the soup, that made her feel really good. This was nice, she hadn't hung out with anyone in awhile, everyone seemed so busy lately, including herself. She felt a little more comfortable, so she set her bag on the floor and curled up into the couch a bit. His couch was so much softer than her own, Vesna just wanted to sleep on it. What time was it? Probably too late to nap, she didn't want to be groggy for the performance tonight. It would just make her body more stiff anyways.

“Your cat is cute, I have a dog, but you've probably already heard him.” Not that Dragan was a very yappy dog, he just had a deep bark when he did decide to talk to her. Petting the cat was kind of comforting, and she started to calm down. Vesna realized she was talking too much, she sometimes did that when she was nervous or overly excited. There was no need to bombard him with words, she didn't want to scare her new friend off.

“That's okay if you don't play, you can always join if you feel like it. I'm glad you like the soup as well. I can always make you other stuff, if I ever find money for food.” Vesna laughed a little, somehow she always ran out of money before she was able to go grocery shopping, even if she made a shopping plan for the month. The money just seemed to escape her. She always found something to eat, or just forget to in general with her busy schedule. There was usually snacks in the staff room that she brought home too. She wasn't quite in dire straits yet!

Suddenly she realized that he might be expecting her to leave. She already got what she came for, he might be waiting for her to go home now. “Oh, forgive me, I did not mean to overstay my welcome, how rude of me.” Reluctantly she got up, the couch's softness calling her back. “I forgot that not everyone has the same schedule as me, I hope I didn't keep you from anything.”

When times are hard we’ll smile and say we’re not afraid of anything

LAIKA OF BTN!

[Deleted]

Popping open the can of soda, he leaned against the small counter top. Damn, he really should have brought the soup over when he had the chance so he wouldn't have to make a trip back to the coffee table. It wouldn't be the first time he'd eaten while standing, but right now it was more standing and no eating. He didn't often have cash to get food, let alone move out of this dump. Well, at least for now he can tolerate it, so far the people-- er, person, he's met are nice from what he can tell. He didn't sense anything wrong with Vesna or any sort of malicious intent of any kind, just...niceness. It's hard to meet people like that nowadays, he knew that fairly well. Taking a sip from his drink, he walked over and picked up the bowl from the table before heading back into the kitchen. He couldn't ignore the soup any longer, it was calling out to him.

"Yeah, I think I've heard him a few times. What breed is he?" The question was asked half out of wanting to try to keep the conversation going and half out of being genuinely curious. He was a bit of a dog person, just as long as the dog he was dealing with was on the larger side of the scale, he wasn't entirely fond of small dogs. He could only assume that his neighbor's dog was indeed on the big side, since it did have a deep bark instead of the general high yap smaller dogs tended to have.

He fell silent, thinking about the whole soccer deal. Ah, might as well say he'll think about it in case he ends up wanting to do it, though whether or not he actually will was something he'll have to decide later. "Hm, I guess I'll join, though I make no promises. At times I tend to have a pretty busy schedule, but I'll see what I can do when I have free time." As for the soup, well it was the best thing he's had in quite a while. He was more than grateful for it, that much he'll admit...well, not aloud. She was nice enough to offer to make him more things, even if she seems to not be doing all that well in the financial department too. As tempting as the thought of being given free food, he decided it was best to say no. If the other didn't sound like she had a money problem, he would have accepted in a heartbeat. "Ah, no, I couldn't possibly ask for that. Thank you for the offer though." He mentally slammed his head into a wall for turning the chance to a free meal down.

It took him a few seconds to realize that Vesna was now standing. "Oh, no, it's fine, really. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for not being a good host. It's not often that I have any sort of  company. Besides, it's not like I was going to do anything anyways. Well, unless I was miraculously graced with a bit of cash then I can go and buy a few things, but that probably won't happen any time soon. It can't hurt to dream though, yeah?"

[Deleted]

Vesna returned to her seat and found herself once again petting the cat. Cats were nice after all, they had many barn cats at home. Although the mama cats could be a bit mean when they had their kittens. The question, Vesna, she reminded herself. “Dragan is a Šarplaninac. It's a Macedonian and Serbian breed. He's just a puppy now but when he's a big boy he'll be over 50 kilos. I hope he doesn't bother you when he does bark. He is usually good boy, but he is puppy after all. He gets excited.” If Dragan was bothering him, he would tell her, right? She didn't want to make bad relations with neighbours because her dog was too loud. “If he gets too loud just knock on the wall and I'll take him outside.” That seemed like a suitable solution, right?

The football answer made her pleased. “We're good team, we have not lost yet. You have to watch out for the team with the Albanian boys. They are horrible cheaters.” Damn those boys on the third floor, they always played dirty and sometimes they teased the boys at the park. “Little punks, that's what they are. They think they are so cool in their puma tracksuits.” Even though they were the same age she still ought to speak with their mothers and tell them that they were acting like hooligans.

There she went, getting herself worked up in front of her neighbour. That was no good. She did not want to leave bad impression. He didn't want her to cook for him though. That was a bit of a shame, she hated cooking for just herself. She never knew what to cook for just one person since she was used to cooking for her family of 20+ people. Cooking for one was pretty lonely.

“We should pool our money together and go grocery shopping. That way I could cook in bulk and we could eat better.” The suggestion was half serious, especially since they didn't know each other very well. It was a good idea though, pooling resources together to get better food. Eating soup all the time was probably not the healthiest. Despite the muscles he was on the lean side himself so he probably didn't eat very well either. It was none of her business though, they were just neighbours and would be no good to be too nosy or pushy.

When times are hard we’ll smile and say we’re not afraid of anything

LAIKA OF BTN!