Not a Fan (Wilbur Soot)

Neighbors to Friends

"I got it." Wilbur said with a light smile. Although these conditions were far more awkward than he would've liked their next encounter to have been, he was completely swooned by the way her long, wet eyelashes clung to her eyelids as she stared up at him, similarly to how they did the very first time they bumped into each other. 

"You didn't have to." Her voice was quiet and tender. Wilbur had been thinking about this moment since they met. To have a conversation with her, to know her name, for her to know his. Wilbur looked around her face, the way she looked so alluring in the warm toned lights of their building. 

"You're Niki's friend, Wilbur, right?" She asked. Her tensed forehead and furrowed brows were clear indicators that his staring had been noticed. He couldn't help himself though. He felt like he was talking to a ghost- two ghosts actually. The ghost of 'not a fan' and the ghost of his disappearing neighbor, who coincidentally happened to be the same girl. 

"Yeah, she called me right after you streamed with her." Wilbur answered. He knew the response was a bit random but he couldn't fight off his curiosity of if Rori would acknowledge what she had done on the stream. He continued to look over her, not intentionally checking her out, just trying to take a mental image of this interaction before she found a way to disappear again. 

"Um, how did you know where I live?" She asked. Even when upset, her voice still danced across every word. Now that Wilbur knew how Rori sounded when she sang, it was like every sentence she spoke was a symphony. It wasn't until he processed the question that he stepped back, realizing how intimidating this situation must be for her- practically a stranger showing up at her door, looming over her, watching her every move. 

"Oh, I didn't- I mean, I guessed- but I didn't know I was right until you answered the door." Wilbur stuttered, trying his best to show that his presence was something he never wanted her to interpret as threatening. Rori continued to stare at him, slowly uncrossing her arms to reach for her door. Wilbur could nearly envision the door slamming in his face when he realized he had yet to announce he was the noisy neighbor she had such a distain for. 

"Oh- god, that came out wrong. I'm 608B! This is my apartment right here, see?" Wilbur fumbled with his keys to show her his apartment door unlock as he twisted them, looking back to her with a hesitant smile. This was not going the way he wanted. 

"What?" She asked, stepping into the hallway as if she needed to confirm with her own eyes that his key, in fact, did unlock the door. As Rori stepped closer to examine the door, Wilbur could smell the faint scent of roses waft up from her freshly shampooed hair. He wondered if the floral perfume he smelled in the grocery store was actually her hair all along. 

"Yeah, this is me." Wilbur confirmed. He begged his eyes to look away, to stop staring at her as she walked backwards until she met her doorway. He knew she was probably becoming increasingly uncomfortable around him, not that he could blame her, with how things were going. He wasn't sure if her eyes were wandering because of the uncomfortable encounter or if there was a bug flying around him. She only seemed to make eye contact for brief moments whenever he spoke. 

"So you're chocolate chip guy, Niki's friend, and my neighbor?" Rori questioned. 

"Guilty." Wilbur admitted, trying to hide his smile. Knowing that she had made a nickname for him the same way he had done for her was endearing in a way. He knew the conversation could naturally end here, but he was determined to keep it going, to not let this moment slip him by.

"Sorry about all the noise by the way. I didn't realize how thin our walls are. Oh, and my friends- I think you met one- they'll be gone soon. They're just here for a few days. I promise I'll do better at keeping them quiet." Wilbur tried to lighten the mood by bringing his hand to his chest in a dramatic, almost ceremonious, way. His attempt was feeble as a slightly evident wince momentarily passed Rori's face.