72 - Next Door Neighbors

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Xingqiu was two seconds away from screaming his head off for the fact that his front door was jammed.

That's right, the new house that he'd bought months ago and was now finally moving into - had a stuck door, and his only hope would be to go to his neighbor and ask them for help.

He groaned and dropped the few boxes he was holding, honesty doubting anyone would steal them in the two seconds he walked away, going up to his neighbor's door before he staying with his knuckles resting on the wood.

"It's fine, it's fine. New house, new me. No stupid exes or silly crushes - time to be serious. I can be serious. I'm an adult. Adults are supposed to be serious." Xingqiu whispered to himself before knocking gently a few times.

He prayed for a split second that someone wouldn't come to the door before he heard the thump thump thump of someone walking towards the door inside the house.

"This is fine, this is fine. You can compose yourself. You're going to say that You need help with the door, they'll help you hopefully, and that's be it's. That's not that hard." Xingqiu reassured himself before the door opened and his jaw dropped.

"Hi there. Can I help you?" A man with light blue hair asked him.

Xingqiu felt his cheeks instantly flush and his heart beat faster, and he angrily told himself to calm down in his head.

"I told myself I wouldn't be getting into anything romance related. Did my neighbor really have to be this good looking?!" He chastised himself.

"Uh...you okay?"

"Y-yes! Absolutely! I just needed your help with something." Xingqiu smiled while rolling his eyes away from his arms. The other man was wearing jeans and a sleeve-less black turtleneck, showing off his I-workout-a-lot arms.

"Oh? What is it?" He asked, leaning his arm farther up the door frame and making Xingqiu loose his composure with every passing second.

"My uh-my door's stuck." Xingqiu managed to say, pointing next door.

"Oh, I see. You're the one moving in then, right?" The guy asked, leading the way to Xingqiu's residence while he followed like a lost puppy.

"Yeah, I am."

"That's cool." He nodded before placing a hand on the handle and forcing it open. Xingqiu just stared in awe at how easily he could open it as well as how nicely his back was framed in the shirt. "Is it just you? Or do you have a wife or kids too?"

"N-no! I'm not married. Actually, I don't even have a partner at all, or kids." Xingqiu told him. Even though he'd promised himself he wouldn't fall for anyone, he felt the need to tell him he was single.

"That's alright. I guess that makes two of us." The other guy laughed before breaking into a contagious smile.

Oh god his smile.

Xingqiu wanted nothing more than to keep the conversation going and maybe even ask if he was doing anything later, but knew that he'd be breaking his promise to himself.

"I guess so. Thanks for helping me." Xingqiu nodded.

"Anytime! If you need me for anything else, I'll be right next door." He smiled before leaving Xingqiu on his own front yard.

Xingqiu brought all of his things inside (which would have taken a lot less longer if he'd asked for more help, but whatever) before sighing a laying face down on the couch.

"It's for my own good. I don't need to be hurt again..."

-

Chongyun waved goodbye to the new guy and immediately after closing his door behind him he sank to the ground and covered his face.

"I should have asked him for his name! Would that have been weird though? Ugh, I don't know...he might not even be gay."

Chongyun's dog ran up to him and sat in front of him, waiting for him to pet her.

"We'll figure it out, right?" he asked her while he pet her. "Yeah, we will."

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Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

Written: April 17th, 2023

Finished/Published: June 2nd, 2023

(Word Count: 692)

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