Memories of Us (Murphamy)

When I First Saw You

    Now this is how you spend a Saturday. Mom out of town, a cat next to you, a good show on and some strawberry soda. I don't strike many as a Buffy the Vampire Slayer kind of guy, but most people don't know me at all. It is one of my guilty pleasures, don't get me wrong, it's a great show but it also holds my first crush. Spike. It's barely two in the afternoon and I'm already starting my fifth episode of the day.
I sip my soda as I watch the previously on, of course I know what happened because I just watched it but I don't want to miss any of the theme song. I hear that first not and I just bolt up moving slowly until the build up when- Oh shit. Red soda soaks into my white shirt, the carpet, and the cat.
"Sorry Runt." I shrug apologetically but he doesn't care. He shakes a little before walking down the hall of the apartment to clean in privacy. "Good idea." Cleaning that is. I make my way to the kitchen and set  my cup into the sink.
"Lets see what we have here to clean." I open the cabinet under the sink and pull out some different cleaning chemicals and a roll of paper towels. Heading back to the stain I sigh watching it slowly expand out and down in the carpet. Chemical after chemical into the carpet but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. Even with all the red coming up on the paper towels the stain holds it's ground, This task calls for a professional.
Knock knock. "Ms. Aurora?" I wait outside my neighbor's door for a response. If she isn't home Octavia might be and anyone would have more of a clue for what to do than me. I wait a few seconds before knocking again, "Hello? Are you home?" Dumb question, if she were home she would've answered the stupid door. Defeated I turn to walk back across the hall to my tiny apartment considering the options and ways to get out of this.
"Hello?" The door behind me swings open. I turn and see a young man in the doorway, "Holy shit! What is on your shirt?" I look down at the suspicious red stain.
"Oh, that's strawberry soda." he nods.
"Well," he opens the door a bit more, "Can I help you with something?"
I nod, "Um, yea." I step over, "I'm kind of confused, I thought the Blakes lived here." I hope I haven't gone crazy, could there be a thing as too much Buffy?
The man in the doorway extends his hand, "Bellamy Blake."
I look at his hand and back to him, "Is Aurora home?" He laughs.
"My mom isn't currently home," So he's the adult son that never comes back, "and she will probably be out for a while, shopping with Octavia, is there anything I can help you with?"
I look down at my stain of shame again, "Well, I spilled some soda-"
"I can see." He adds.
"-and I can't get the stain out of the carpet, which I would really like to do before my mom gets back from her work trip. I figured Aurora or Octavia could help."
"Well, lucky for you I answered the door. I'll be right back." He closes the door as he disappears into the apartment. I stand for a few minutes waiting, am I supposed to wait? Will he think it's weird if he opens the door and I'm still standing here? He didn't really say anything so I don't know. After a bit of debating in my head I come to the decision to stay just as he opens the door with some cleaning products. "You ready?" The walk back to my apartment is only about 3 seconds, all I have to do is turn and open the door.
"C'mon in." I gesture him in keeping Runt from running out the open door with my foot, "I really don't want to be rude but hurry up a little, have an escape artist here." He makes one long stride in and I let the door fall shut behind him.
"Oh my goodness. You have a cat!" He leans down and drops the carpet cleaner to pet Runt.
"Umm, so, the stain is just in here." He looks up from the cat nodding. It's not really a different room, just a small divider wall between the entrance and the rest of the house. "I tried some things to get it out but I don't think I did anything."
He stands next to me on the carpet, "What show?" He nods towards the tv where Buffy continues to play. I just stare shocked.
"You don't know Buffy?" He shakes his head, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Oh, I'm sorry-" he turns back towards the door.
"I was kidding!" He stops and chuckles.
"Of course." He leans down to the stain and does some spraying with the bottle in his hand and dabs it with paper towels between sprays. "I think your issue was rubbing."
'Huh?"
"Rubbing in the cleaner instead of dabbing, like this." He shows me his technique again. A few minutes later the only sign of the stain is the wet spot in the carpet from cleaning it. "Perfect." He stands up, "You want your shirt cleaned?"
"Oh, I think I'm going to keep it like this."
"Whatever you say, I never caught your name?"
"My name is Murphy. Well actually my name is John but I go by Murphy."
"Well John that goes by Murphy. It was very nice to meet you."
"Thank you for your help with the stain and everything." He smiles and grabs his bottle to leave. As I watch him exit I just smile to myself. I wonder if he's smiling too.