Silence || H2OVanoss

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Jonathan rubbed his eyes, stretching his arms above his head. He blinked a few times, squinting at the light that had crept in through a crack in his curtains. Rolling out of bed, he made his way about his apartment, getting ready to go to work.

He jumped in the shower at 7:30, washing himself and waiting for that voice. The one that filtered through from the apartment next door and graced his ears each and every morning before work since he'd moved in a month ago. It was a low voice but so soulful it brought tears to his eyes and made him wish he'd been blessed with such a lovely voice. He wasn't the worst singer but he never dared to sing over the melodies that floated through to him when he was showering. It was always when he'd hop into the shower, as though his neighbour knew his morning routine.

Jonathan had seen who he thought to be the voice's owner because he lived next door to him. Sometimes he'd return home and see a tall Asian man rush out, shooting him a quick smile. He'd never paid as much attention to his face as he did his voice. Today he was gently singing a song Jonathan hadn't heard before but nevertheless, he still closed his eyes and listened.

No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes
I'm scared
I've never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes

He sang with such honesty that Jonathan's eyes pricked and he allowed the beautiful sounds to reverberate in his little bathroom and through his body, warming him from head to toe. He finished showering when the singing stopped and grabbed his phone before making his way out to get to work.

******************

When he got back, Jonathan was exhausted. The shift at the coffee shop had been a tiring one, Jonathan having to serve customer after customer until their faces blurred into one and his mood inevitably deteriorated. He'd closed up and dragged his feet home, aching all over. All he needed was some sleep and so he made his way to his apartment and flopped into bed, ready to dream the exhaustion away.

The next morning Jonathan awoke and immediately felt something was wrong. He didn't know what, but he felt a pit in his stomach and worry in his chest. He brushed the feelings aside, confused, and continued with his morning.

Getting into the shower, Jonathan let the water flow over his face and again waited for that voice. But it never came. He frowned, disappointed yet worried. It was the first morning before work he'd gone without hearing that soothing voice and it unsettled him more than he'd care to admit, so much so that his coworker and friend Tyler noticed.

"Earth to Jon! Oi fucktard, I'm talking to you." Tyler's loud voice snapped Jonathan out of his daze. "What's wrong with you today? You look like shit." Despite his apparent carelessness, Jonathan knew it was Tyler's way of asking if he was okay.

He let out a small laugh. "I'm fine," he forced out. He looked to Tyler, gauging his reaction. Tyler's arms folded themselves and his left eyebrow jerked up, clearly unconvinced.

"Jon, I think you forget that I know you."

Jonathan sighed, accepting defeat because he knew how stubborn Tyler could be. "It's stupid, man. I'm worried about my neighbour, who I don't even know, and I have no proper reason to even be concerned. I don't know him, I don't know his name and I've never exchanged a word with him. It's fucking stupid."

Tyler looked at him with understanding eyes. "Jonathan, it doesn't matter if you don't know the guy. If you're concerned there's a good reason to be. Even though you've never spoken to him before, you should still ask if he's okay. You never know, you might make a new friend. Of course," he added with a flick of his non-existent flowing locks,"He wouldn't be as good a friend as I am but it wouldn't hurt to have one more, would it? Now get out of here, go check on your neighbour, I'll cover you. See you on Monday, stupid."

Jonathan chuckled at his words, his mood lifting slightly. "Thanks Tyler. You always have my back." He shot him a grateful smile.

"I know! I always tell you how great I am and finally you feel the same way!"