♡Strange Neighbors To Strange Lovers♡

Chapter 3: Old memories, New dreams

                         3rd person pov
As Travis finished his call he stared at the chubby masked man in front of him. Sal squinted his eyes as he flashed a smile, thanking the blonde for the album again. As Travis walked in he closed the door behind him. They both sat back down on the floor discussing bands when Sal remembered the question he planned on asking Travis.

"What was that song? The one from your ringtone?", he pondered. "It's Void by sanitys fall, an old friend showed it to me. He lived around here back when he was in high school I think. I was home schooled and only came here to visit my mother." Sal's eyes widened and shimmered as he heard the band. "DUDE I FUCKING LOVE-I mean I like sanitys fall too", Sal felt his face heat up in embarrassment for blurting out like that. God his new neighbor probably thinks he's so stupid. Travis continued the conversation as to make Sal not feel so embarrassed for his outburst. They were soon interrupted by a loud banging on Travis' door. Sal felt something rise in his throat. He knew it was Ash. He wanted to believe he was overreacting but he knew it was her. Travis stood up looking puzzled and began walking to the door. Out of instinct to avoid an argument he darted into travis' kitchen and made it seem as if he was just look around. He walked into it just enough to be out of sight from the door.

Travis opened the door and stared at what looked back at him. A tall slender woman with mid length brown hair and greenish hazel eyes. She crossed her arms over her purple sweater and dress pants. She must be back from a job to be dressed so formal, travis thought to himself. Something about her seemed so familiar."Hello ma'am? Why were you knocking on my door?" The woman quickly softened her expression and looked Travis up and down, taking in his long blonde curls, dark complexion with splattered freckles and his dimples. "Weren't you that homeschooled Christian boy that Larry talked to? Travis phelps?" The woman asked with her voice as smooth as honey. Travis thought her quick demeanor change was odd but he ignored it. "Uhm who are you? How do you know Larry?" He said in a gentle way staring into her eyes trying to seem polite. "We were friends in highschool before I moved to New Jersey, then back here with my husband. Speaking of which I came by to look for him. Only the lord knows where that bitch ran off to." Travis seemed to find it odd she was cursing at the name of her husband. "The only person here is my neighbor Sal-", the second those words rolled off his tongue he realized this must be the woman whose married to Sal, ash.

Ash walked into the apartment and saw her husband in the kitchen, looking around. She greeted him with a firm tug on his hair. "I thought I told you to stay at home, and here you are just hanging around with some random person, you couldn't even make plans to spend time with your own wife could you?", her words came off harsh and cold. Sal stuttered put a response, "I-I just wanted t-to help o-our new neighbor honey! He was h-havin trouble moving!" "Mhm sure he was." Ash let her grip off of Sals hair and went to yank his hand. "Sorry about him we'll be leaving now travis", she said through gritted teeth. Travis watched the woman yank the small man into the apartment near his and slam the door. He thought this was strange but shrugged it off as non of his business and went to unpacking his stuff. His attention was quickly riderected to muffled arguing. He pressed his ear against the wall and listened gently.

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY HERE!"
"i-i am so sorry honey I j-just-" the words were interrupted bye a harsh slap. "Just stay down there and look pathetic like you always do. God can't you go one day without being a little bitch?" Travis moved away from the wall and just tried to brush it off.

Hours later he chose to get in bed and try to sleep, but the effort was useless, all he could do was toss and turn. He couldn't stop thinking about the situation he heard. The intensity of the argument and the slap. That cold hard slap. He couldn't shake it. Eventually he drifted off to sleep thanks to some rain sounds he put on.

"Travyyy", whined the blue haired man. "get upppppp." Travis turned over trying to keep his eyes closed and go back to his slumber. "WAKE UP. GRAB YOUR BRUSH AND PUT ON A LITTLE MAKEUP" Sal yelled, jumping on the blonde's bed. Travis turned over to the man and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. "Good morning to you too asshole", he said with a giggle. "Babe I love sleeping as much as the next person but I also like money. And you have a job to go to!" Travis sat up and smiled warmly at his lover and rubbed his eyes. But when he opened them, Sal wasn't there. It was a dream.

Travis snapped back to reality and glanced at his clock. 9:47 am. As his senses came to him he started to realize the oddity of his dream. Sal was a stranger had met yesterday that was married for Christ sake. Travis stood up and checked his phone, realizing he was off, courtesy a text from his boss. The blonde still got dressed and brushed his hair for the day, his mind Sal on the dream he had. The thought of it simply being a dream brought him sadness, which he quickly shook off as he slipped on his shoes and walked into his kitchen. He  glanced at the counter realizing that Sal had left the CD there. He slipped it into his pocket and stepped outside his door and walked to his neighbors apartment. Taking a deep breath in, he knocked on the door.