Sugar Across The Hall | J. H.

V.

♫- Sunset With You, Back In Time

She's lucky to be alive, had the blow been any closer to her head...

"Come on Grey," you whisper, pulling your robe tighter around you as you lean forward on your couch and stare at the tv. "Wake up."
The chilling sound of the heart monitor is the only sound in the hospital room, save for the buzz of fluorescent lighting.

And just like that, the screen goes dark.

"What the..." You reach for the remote, but stop halfway once you realize that the air conditioning has also stopped whirring. A fleeting look to the kitchen tells you that the fridge is also silent, and you hear a high pitched shriek from your upstairs neighbor.

Suddenly, you're really glad you already washed your hair tonight.

A few moments later you peek your head out the apartment door, relieved to find several neighbors down your hall conversing with one another, each with whatever flashlights they had nearby.

"I wonder if it's just this building..." you wonder aloud, and in a flash the door across from you swings open, a panicked Joshua jumping out of his apartment in a blue button-down shirt and tan sweatpants. Upon seeing you, his facial features relax, glad to see you're okay.
"Do you want to save battery?" He asks, gesturing to the truck load of wax cylinders in his arms. "I have emergency candles."
"Sure! My apartment has a lot of windows so we won't have to light them right away too."

We? Joshua stands perplexed, watching as you turn back into your apartment, leaving the door wide open for him to follow through. He was just going to give you however many candles you wanted, but you're right; there's no point in using twice as many candles separately. Nor is he going to pass up a chance to hang out with you.

"What were you doing when the power went out?" He asks, closing your door behind him and setting his delivery on the kitchen counter.
"Watching Grey's Anatomy," you sigh, examining your freshly painted white nails. Joshua knew that; it was Thursday after all. "What about you?"

"I got so lucky, I just finished baking-"
"Baking what?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," he jokes, tilting his head at you as he perches on a bar stool. You jut out your lower lip, creasing your eyebrow at his antics.
"But Joshieee," you whine, clasping your hands together as you step towards him, who is already thoroughly amused. "We can't open the fridges and we'll starve to death if you don't share-"
"Do you like white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?"
"Not usually," you pout, then tuck your hair behind your ear and bat your eyelashes at him. "But if you're the one baking them..."

He runs to his apartment just fast enough so you don't see the pink dusting his cheeks.

‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧

"Consider my mind changed," you cheer, halfway into your third cookie as you fall back into the couch, watching Joshua light another match. One by one, he lights candles around the room, creating a cozy atmosphere that you find you quite like.

"What should we do to pass the time?"
Joshua blows out the match, pondering only for a second before turning to face you.
"How long have you lived here?"
You scrunch your eyebrows, trying to remember the exact day in September that you called this apartment your new home.
"Five? No- six weeks," you reply, holding up six fingers to him as he sits down across from you on the couch.
"And we're friends, right?"
"Oh god, I hope so," you whisper, and the way he smiles at you reaffirms your sentiment.

"Well then, as your friend, I'm telling you that I don't know nearly enough about you."

You shift on the couch, mirroring his position and resting your arm against the back cushions.
"Well...what do you want to know?"
"Do you still have that strawberry soju in your fridge?" He says suddenly, eyes sparkling in mischief.
"Yes?"
"Then I know a way we could make this more fun." He gets up to retrieve the alcohol, coming back with two green tinted bottles and handing you one. "We're gonna be here for a while, might as well make the most of it."