WINDFLOWER ~ an imallexx fanfic

caught sight of her

~Alex meets his new neighbors: Sammy and his live-in girlfriend Y/N~

It was a warm and late afternoon.

There was a short break in the clouds and the sunlight streamed through to bounce off his sunglasses, as he walked the pavement basking in the chemical smell of suncream.

It was a warm and late afternoon – teetering on hot.

Alex wore his white Gucci button-up, which was fantastic for not attracting heat, but terrible for his appearance as the wet spots under his arms were noticeable. Not knowing for sure but feeling how attention-grabbing the stains were, had him holding his brain hostage in a sort of self-conscious prison. With each street he walked closer to his apartment building, he quickened his pace and rolled his shoulders back. Adjusting – so that the cloth might peel off from his skin without him having to directly pinch it out from his armpits.
Alex did not like being sweaty – but who did?

Despite how he might have felt about crowds or said crowds looking at him, he more often than not enjoyed the loudness of his expensive shirts, his california twink shorts, even his odd hair colours (if applicable). What these preferences said for his personality was anyone's guess.

Maybe he was secure enough in his identity to enjoy things that are deemed as classically feminine. Maybe he was making a statement on the gender binary, or the expectations of traditional masculinity.

Maybe he had stared into the darkness inside long enough that he could not bear having to see it outside as well. Or maybe he liked pink – thought it complimented his cool skin tone or his lip colour.

Which it did.

One street from the apartment building, Alex picked up his feet and sped up. He reached the front entrance. Panting, his hand went for the door handle and – WHAM!

Alex grasped at his nose, which had connected first with the glass of the door as it swung out. There was no red on his hands as he drew them back to check, but there was a general throbbing (in time with his heightened heartbeat) radiating out from the middle of his face.

From above him, a man asked, "Shit, you alright there?"
His voice was rich like a slice of peanut butter cheesecake and drizzled in a chocolate sauce of genuine concern. While he spoke, the man dropped the large cardboard box he was holding – it hit the ground like it weighed well over seven stone – and sidestepped out from the other side of the door.

"No. Yeah. Fuck, give me a moment."

"I could get you an icepack or something, maybe?" The man held his hand out in the air at an odd distance from Alex left shoulder, hesitant it seemed to touch him.

"It's fine." His eyes spotted the hand, then the discarded box. It was wrapped tight in tape, across the top was written STORAGE in permanent marker. Alex gestured to the apartment building and asked, "You moving-out?"

"Moving-in actually, I just brought the wrong box in by accident. Maybe one of these days I'll learn to read." He bent over and picked the box up, keeping a white-knuckle hold on it.

"Well, I'm Alex. 205"

"Sam. 305." (a floor above) "Everyone calls me Sammy."

How to describe Sammy. Picture an elk – a blond elk. A majestic beast for sure. Picture that and then make it stand on its hind legs and also be a person. He had a naturally muscular build and an evident dedication to a workout regimen – not too intense like three or four times a week.

Everything about him appeared likeable; charming. Certainly, it was his voice. But it was also the goofy smile, how he carried himself ~the confidence~ and how he held a comfortable amount of eye contact.