synopsis: after a couple weeks of missing his cute neighbor, Kafka takes it upon himself to check on you - and steps in to take care of you when it looks like you need it.
word count: 1.2k
notes & content warnings: neighbors to lovers, set a year or two before the story of kn8, reader works for the JKDF in an unspecified role, reader definitely is in the midst of a depressive episode,
read on ao3
He hasn’t seen his cute neighbor in a while.
Two weeks, actually. Not that he was counting — or anything else that might suggest something more than friendly might be felt for the newest addition to the apartment building.
You often said your work kept you busy, which was to be expected of anyone working for the JKDF, even in your capacity that didn’t involve combat. But he didn’t see or hear you coming or going when he was home; your paths weren’t crossing at the mailbox in the evenings nor in the mornings if he was running late. It was worrisome, but he wondered if he had the right to be worried?
You were just his neighbor and, while you’d had many conversations and a couple dinners together, he wasn’t sure that you would call him a friend. Would it be creepy if he knocked on your door when you weren’t expecting him? Would you accept a meal if he offered it, or be honest if he asked if you were okay? You didn’t owe him that honesty, nor did you have to explain yourself to him — he was just your neighbor…that you’d had sex with once.
But those concerns don’t stop him from picking up dinner for two on his way home. The worst case scenario, he tells himself, is that you deny the dinner and leave him to eat it alone on his couch. But even then he’d feel better having at least seen you, getting confirmation of life and reassurance that you were taking care of yourself. And if he didn’t get those reassurances, he’d figure out how to get himself inside so he could take care of you.
What he wasn’t expecting was for you to look so tired when you opened the door. Clad in what he knew were pajamas with your hair up in a messy bun, and he almost felt bad to have bothered you but was grateful that he had.
“Hey,” you mumble, leaning against the doorframe with a small smile.
“Hey,” he greets, a new awkwardness washing over him as you look up at him. “I haven’t seen you around, so I-I wanted to check on you. I brought dinner, if you’re interested.”
He sees the hesitation, his hand grips the handle of the bag tighter as he watches you glance over your shoulder as your fingers tap against the door.
“It’s really messy in here, and—“
“My place is messy too, so I don’t care about that.” He cuts you off, and your eyes widen in response. “I’d like to spend time with you, if you’ll have me.”
“You just can’t judge, alright? It’s been a long week.”
He’s much more relieved that you were letting him in than he could ever find the energy to judge the state of your home, but those are things that he can’t just tell you. Not right now, not when he was still just your neighbor.
Your small table is covered with various papers, so he sets the bag on the open spot on your coffee table before taking it upon himself to take a couple of the dirty cups from your table to put them in your sink and taking two clean ones from your cupboard to fill with water (you likely hadn’t been drinking enough).
“Big project?”
“You could say that,” you mumble, accepting the glass from him and taking a sip. “They forget I’m just one person sometimes.”
He understood the feeling, and he hated that this was something that you were dealing with. High stress and short deadlines weren’t fair, but there wasn’t much he could really do to assist with your work and he was able to accept that. However he could help out in your home, and makes his own plan to clean up while he ate dinner with you.
After you eat he gently encourages you to shower, with reassurance that you didn’t stink but he thought you might want to take some time to relax a bit, and he’s pleased when you agree with a comment about washing your hair. He doesn’t want to ask if you’ve left your apartment recently, the answer is evident in the mountain of takeout containers piled atop your overflowing trashcan. Your fridge is close to empty, save for a couple energy drinks and a half full carton of strawberries that was more mold than fruit. It’s likely you forgot they were there at the bottom of your fridge, and he’s happy to crush the hazardous fruit into the pile of takeout containers to tie your trash bag closed.
By the time you re-emerge wearing fresh pajamas, he’s managed to tidy up the trash and clean the dishes, with any laundry neatly piled up beside the coffee table (since it probably would’ve been weird for him to start your laundry for you).
“Oh, you did a lot,” you mumble, and he nods slowly as he steps away from your small kitchen. “You really didn’t have to—“
“I wanted to make sure you had a few less things to worry about.” He can’t tell if he’s making you feel better or worse, but he does notice the brush and comb that you fiddle with in your hands. “Do you need help?”
“Do you know how to braid?”
“I haven’t had to since I was a kid, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
He vaguely remembered braiding Mina’s hair for her when they were children, remembered her teaching him using a doll with long hair before letting him try on her hair with confidence he wouldn’t tie her hair in knots. Here he was now, sitting on your couch as you sat on the floor between his legs looking at your hair with the same intense concentration. His fingers would not be as nimble as they once were, but he’d be able to get this done for you because you’d asked him to.
“I need to go grocery shopping,” you comment as he finishes the left braid, and he nods his agreement. “I’ll have to make you dinner in return for being so nice to me all the time.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he comments, starting the second braid as you sigh. “Taking care of someone I care about isn’t something that requires repayment.”
“Y-you care about me?”
“You think I cleaned your apartment because I don’t?” You tilt your head back to look at him, and he manages to tie the hair tie in place as you do without missing a beat and meeting your gaze with a smile. “This might be too forward while you’re going through a moment, but you’re more than just a neighbor to me and I like spending time with you a lot.”
“Kafka,” you whisper, staying still as he leans down to the best of his ability to get closer to you. “You mean it?”
Would he be here if he didn’t? Not to this extent but he’s flattered that you’d think he would go to such great lengths for just any neighbor.
“So much that I want to go grocery shopping with you in the morning.”
"So much that you want to stay the night?"
"So much that I'll stay until you tell me to go away."
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“And you think I care when it means I get to see you?” He was not going to admit that her collection of cluttered paperwork, books, and video games was significantly cleaner than the apartment he’d left behind for their dinner date — that could wait until later. “Besides, can’t waste time looking around when I could be lookin’ at you.”
Once more yet again @fittsysart knocked it out of the park with the mystery lexkafka comm, my indecisive self will always appreciate being able to send maybe 6 words total and get a masterpiece in return.
Once again again again @fittsysart made ya girl look so cute with my fave five! Thank you for entertaining my shenanigans (and drawing aventurine lmao) 💛
“Do you think there’s a universe where we aren’t together?”
“Probably, since there are probably a lot of alternate universes out there.” It’s a simple answer, but not one he enjoys hearing. “But let’s focus on this one, since we are together here.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He nods, carefully twirling her hair around one of his fingers. “This one is definitely my favorite out of all of them.”
Sososososososo excited about these lil chibis I was able to commission from @fittsysart! Truly a joy to work with and handled my little heart with care 💛
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how about carrots and laundry softener for lexkafka? ૮₍ ˃ ᵕ ˂ ₎ა
yes yes of course we're happy to share! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
carrots ✦ what is your ideal romantic getaway?
This answer differs due to varying interests. For ME I think going out to the countryside and just existing away from our careers is romantic enough - nothing special just us being together and enjoying the sight of empty fields and starry skies not impacted by urban light pollution. Kafka wants to go to Disneyland and feed each other around the world (Paris would be the ideal destination because Paris is the city of love or whatever)
laundry softener ✦ what turns them on the most? what turns you on the most?
He's most turned on when I'm frustrated. The little bursts of irritation that come out in deep sighs and little grunts that make him want to fuck the agitation out of me (plus he thinks its hot when I look over my glasses at him when he says my name). I'm most turned on by his hands - they're much bigger than mine and I can truly just stare at them while he does anything and imagine where they should be instead (inside me)
helloooo, how about first glass and skin to skin, for any of your selfships? 🤭
Hiii Bas!
first glass — how did you two first meet, and what was the dynamic like? feel free to chat about whichever AU/verse you prefer (if any)!
I’ve talked a lot about the produce department meet-mid so I think it’s time to talk about lexkafka a bit!
We’re neighbors, I move into his building and in typical Lex fashion am making a lot of noise at too early in the morning while trying really really hard to be quiet and not make my new neighbors hate me before I’m even fully moved in. Also in typical Lex fashion, I’m doing it alone because I didn’t want to bother any of my friends that early in the morning. He steps in to help, half awake and not very alert but we get all my heavy stuff in so it doesn’t have to sit in the moving truck until a more respectable time to have people help you move in. It’s a very neighborly relationship complete with “do you have a cup of sugar?” and “I accidentally made/ordered too much, so here you go” complete with awkward eye contact that lingers a bit too long and unintentional staring when we see each other in the wild until about six months in when I invite him over for dinner, which then it turns into him coming over for dinner once a week and also taking me out to dinner once a week. But we’re just neighbors…that might’ve had a tipsy hookup three months into knowing one another
skin to skin — sensuality is in the subtle details, which non-erogenous part of you do you think turns your f/o on the most? likewise, which non-erogenous part of theirs gets you hot and heavy? (e.g., hands, shoulders, anywhere but nether regions and chest)
I think Barou is very into my legs. I have some pretty strong legs, complete with thick thighs that he very much enjoys getting to rest his head of or lay in between them.
I'm so into hands, arms, and shoulders it's pathetic! All of my f/os have either broad shoulders or large hands and on top of that if I can just watch their back as they're doing anything like folding laundry or putting away groceries and see how their muscles will move with their movements and I'm a go(o)ner.
“How many Christmas songs can you fit ‘Kaiju’ into?”
“You wanna find out?”
Once AGAIN I was blessed by @fittsysart getting the LexKafka vibe ✨just right✨ in her mystery flash. Huge thank you to her for this as it has truly brought a lot of joy to my holiday season 💛
