Landon

The elevator dinged as it's doors opened with a sigh of age and use, revealing a long, dimly lit hallways dotted with doors and apartment numbers. I took a few steps as I fumbled for my phone to double check the number before I went barelling into the wrong home.

I found myself at the doorstep of 223 on the 4th floor of the apartments just down the street of mine. It was funny to thing we had worked together for years now and had never run into each other. I'm fact, Landon and I had never even spoken outside of work other than the occasional work related text. Now here I stood outside his home, two iced coffees tucked in one arm, and a bag of junk food hanging from the other.

At first I had wondered why he texted me at such a late hour asking for a few bucks for a pack of cigarettes, but I figured I hadn't been the first he asked, just the first one to answer. I didn't really feel wired about coming to his place like I thought I would when I first set out, standing here now I was just ready to go inside. But after knocking a few times and still no answer I started to feel a little unsure.

We barely knew each other, sure we were friends but work friends we're different, and we have never even hung out before. He had only asked for money for cigarettes, but after talking we decided to hand out for a bit. Both of us in similar situations and feeling down and out lately I figured it would be nice to talk to someone who could relate to how I was feeling. Was it stupid for me to be here, should I leave? I knocked again and distantly I heard him calling from inside, hesitantly I checked the door and cracked it open.

"Back here!"

I could hear the laugh in his voice as it drifted from the back of the apartment, and after a few steps inside the smell of weed hit me like a wall. I shook my head and followed his voice to the bedroom and even further to the master bathroom where I found him sitting fully clothed in the empty garden tub.

"That bad, huh?"

He just smiled up at me with no shame. One of the best boyish smiles around paired with a slight dimple of the right side and I couldn't help but smile back. No matter how depressed he said he was he never lost that smile for long, he was always in a good, upbeat mood and it was one of the things I envied most about him.

He switched the burning joint to his other hand and held the free one out to me, "Join me, princess." He smiled again as he laughed.

I took the had with a shake of my head and stepped into the tub, sinking down to sit opposite of him with our legs overlapping each other. He offered me the joint but I shook my head, countering his offer with one of the iceed coffee that he happily took.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you're here," He sighed and took a long pull from the straw before continuing, "I just wanted a few bucks, but this coffee and your company is really what I needed."

"I didn't have anything else going on, and honestly I didn't want to spend another night at home alone." I shrugged at my own honesty.

"Why you think I take all the late shifts I can get." The smile left his face as he stared into his lap, his blue eyes shadowed with something close to sorrow. "I'm almost tired of trying, ya know?"

Those deep saphaire eyes met mine and though he didn't elaborate I gave a small nod, knowing all too well how he was feeling. It had been months since my last ex left unannounced and Even longer since Landon and his last girlfriend had broken up. Both of seeming to always find other who didn't care about us or the relationship, all the failed attempts at love had been wearing on me just as it had him. It was hard to keep fighting when everyone you tried to care about kept kicking you when you were down. At a useless attempt to comfot I gave a small smile that he returned as his usual boyish and carefree demeanor returned.

We spent the next couple hours switching between light conversation and picking songs to play on our phones. I felt more carefree than I had in a while, even if some of it was to blame on the contact night I had gotten from the lack of ventilation in the small room. Something I hadn't noticed until Landon went to prop his feet on the side of his tub and kicked the faucet knob and drenching us with water. We laughed after the initial shock and after a moment he plugged the drain and adjusted the temperature, neither of us said anything until we were sitting to our chests in warm water and broke out into a fit of laughter.

"I don't understand why anyone would leave you, this is the most fun I have had in a while." His words were laced with honest joy as he continued to laugh. I stopped laughing, the thought sobering me up.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to ruin the moment." He sat up straighter and a look passed over his face as he lost himself in a moment of thought.

"I guess I'm just really pissed off about it. I've spent so much time with a broken great and hurting over people who don't care as much as I do and I hate it," He slapped his hand over his great in emphasis, clutching his shirt as he continued, "at first I just empathized with you. I hate feeling this way, and now that I know you a little better, I have even more that you have to feel that way too."

His eyes were filled with heat as he finished And I couldn't help but state. He had always been handsome, with just enough boyish charm to keep his looks from being intimidating. I had always known he was attractive, was reminded of it a few months ago when he chopped off his shoulder length brown hair. A cut that forced you to notice the perfect angles of his face, his deep blue eyes and the curve of his lips. Saying he wasn't attractive was a lie, but sitting across from him now I noticed it in a different way.

He took in a big heaving breath and tried to shake away his anger, "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm having a really good time, and it sucks knowing no one else has appreciated that enough."

"Yeah, me too."

It was a lame reply but all I could think about in the moment was how dry my mouth was, and how warm I felt in the cooling water. Sitting there with him starting at me, a small smile returning to his lips, feeling all his attention zero in on me had my heart racing. I squrmied, sending water lapping against our skin and the sides of the tub. I told myself I was over reacting, not having any male attention in far too long was making me jumpy. l found myself having to clear my throat twice before I could speak.

"I'm having a great time too, and I get what you mean. We must just have a terrible taste and are attracted to jerks because I can't see why anyone wouldn't stick around for more nights like this."

He returned my words with another award winning smile, my face flushing with the attention as I squirmed again, squeezing my thighs together trying to hush my body's reaction to him. I shook myself trying to dispell my sudden reaction to him and he took that as a sign, reaching through my legs to pull the plug.

"I guess the water is getting cold." He sat the plug on the side of the tub and we sat in silence as the water drained, standing as the last bit started to spiral down the hole.

"I'm soaking wet." He let out a bark of laughter as I spoke, it was a stupidly obvious observation but it was only then that I realized I didn't have anything to wear.

"I have some clothes for you." He continued to laugh at me as he stepped out of the tub, intending to grab us some clothes but noticing the large puddle of water accumulating at his feet.

"Your going to soak the carpet if you go out there like that."

Without a thought he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. The wet fabric sticking to his skin as I watched blatantly as the lean muscles of his stomach and chest were revealed. Water dripping down his takes skin as he peeled the shirt over head head and arms, tossing it to the corner before moving to the button of his jeans.

"Don't watch!" He teased at me laughing.

I whipped my whole body around, my heart pounding from watching him and getting caught. Taking deep breaths to calm myself I waited for him to finish undressing, only turning back around after he dried and covered himself with a towel. He watching me as I slowly turn back, with a smile that said he was still laughing at me before excusing himself to get dressed and grab me dry clothes. When he came back he was dressed only in a pair of black gym shorts and I had to force myself to stare at the pile of clothes he handed me as he moved around the room. Grabbing two towels from the cabinet he laid one out on the wet floor and the other he set on the counter for me before stopping to lean against the door frame.

"Want to watch a movie, I can pick something out while your changing?"

I only nodded, still not meeting his gaze, and thankfully he left and closed the door behind him. I was mentally cursing myself as I stood in the tub and pulled off my jeans and t-shirt. It had been bad enough getting caught staring, but now all I could think about was him undressing, or sitting in the same room as him without his shirt on. My hands shook slightly as I removed the clasp of my bra and hung it over the faucet to dry and did the same with my panties. Once naked I stepped out of the tub and onto the towel to dry myself off, the thought of leaving the bathroom with out getting dressed passed through my mind several times. But I had never been brave enough to do something that bold, not to mention that Landon had never shown any signs of mutual attraction. I knew it was my hormones raging from loneliness rising up at exactly the wrong moment. With that thought I pulled on the borrowed sweatpants and t-shirt and tried not to think about how they smelled like him before exiting the bathroom with a sigh.

I sat on the edge of his bed while he stood in front of the tv with the remote as he waited for the DVD to load. I threw myself backwards onto the comforter and held my hands over my face, feeling a bit dizzy and not quite as sober as I thought I was.

"Sorry I got you high."

I moved my hands and opened my eyes to see him looking back at me over his shoulder. I shrugged and pulled myself up right as he adjusted the volume before turning to join me.

"It's okay I don't mind, but I'm not going to drive for a while so your stuck with me." I teased as he sat down beside me.

"No complaints here, it's already late so you can spend the night if your worried about it."

He turned and crawled up the bed as the movie started and I followed him as he half sat leaning against the headboard. I on the other hand pulled up the blankets and buried myself beneath their fluffy warmth, his laughter surrounding me and I made myself comfortable. I watchee the beginning of the action movie with him before the weight of my eyes lids got too heavy and drifted shut. The warmth and comfort of his bed pulling me to a blissful light sleep.

I woke an hour later to the sudden silence as the movie ended and I listened to him turn out the lights and sink into the bed beside me. Instinctively I turn to face him as I woke, myehs brushing against his as we met in the middle of the bed. My eyes met his as he sunk into the pillows and blankets next to me. I found myself wanting to say something, apologize for falling asleep, ask how the movie was but all I was able to do was meet his gaze as we watched each other. The silence stretching on between us but not uncomfortably so. Finally a movement broke the spell as he lifted his hand from the blankets to brush against my cheek as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. That one small touch bringing a breath from my lips as my heart pounded loud enough I swore he could hear it.

In the next moment he was above me, a hand pushing into the pillow beside me head as he held himself up, staring down at me as he seemed to surround me. I expected him move but he held himself still as he seemed to take the moment in before moving towards me a fraction and stopping himself.

"Can I kiss you?" His eyes darted to my lips as he asked but he forced himself to meet my eyes again as he waited for my answer.

I stopped myself for saying yes right away. Because he was showing more respect I had even gotten by asking permission I forced myself to give him a thoughtful answer. We worker together, we're good friends, and both of us were lonely. I didn't know if this would mean anything more than us having a good night together, but as I started up at him I realized I was okay with that and I gave him the barest of nods.

He moved slowly as he leaned down to kiss me, his lips brushing mine gently before pressing against mind. His hand moved to cup the side of my face, moving lower to curl around the side of my neck and he deepened the kiss. My breath hitched and my chest heaved as he tightened his grip and his to togune swept into my mouth. My head dizzy as we kissed, heat building at my core as I reached my hands to cling to him as I desperately wish to close the distance he held between our bodies.

He expertly moved as we kissed to place himself fully above me. I slipped my hands under his shirt and traced my way up his stomach and chest, breaking away from his lips long enough to pull off his shirt. Resuming me journey across his skin as his mouth pressed to mine again. He moved above me, pressing himself to me core as he broke the kiss, trailing his lips down my jaw and neck. I was suddenly aware that I wasn't wearing a bra or panties as he pressed himself harder against me, one hand moving to the hem of my shirt. I gasped as his hand fell over my skin, his fingers spread as he moved his palm up my side and ribs, the contact making me arch against his touch.

I felt myself melting, turning into fevered need from each touch. A frenzy of shallow breath and desire as he gently bit at my lower lip as I moved my hips against the hardness of him. Just then he finally moved his hand, his thumb brushing over my n****e and pulling another moan from my lips as I arched my whole body into him.

In that moment any shred of control I had broke and I gave myself over to him. We spent the rest of the night as a mass of labored breaths and needy hands as we gave and took pleasures. When we finally broke from each other panting and covered with sweat the sun was starting to peak through the curtains. With a content sigh he pulled me to his chest and hung is arm over my waist, and the sleep that pulled at me earlier in the night swept me under again.

Author's Note

I am finishing this in the middle of the night and stupidly posting before editing. This has been a scene that's gone through my head for a while but has no place to fit in anything I'm currently writing so I'm leaving it here to hopefully be enjoyed.