#tmg2

Bob doesn’t stand for baby on board as his new team thought. He grew up on a ranch and learned how to fix things early on. That translated into him fixing anything that needed fixing even when he went through the Naval aviation academy. If a table was wobbly, the next day it wasn’t. The sink was leaking, it suddenly was fixed a few hours later. He was like a handyman ghost. His past team members finally caught on to his stealth fixing and dubbed him Bob the Builder. The nickname made him feel bashful because he wasn’t looking to be praised for the work he did, he just wanted to help anyone he could. 

After the Dagger squad became a permanent fixture in Fighter Town, Bob purchased a home close enough to the base that it was an easy commute and was still close to the beach. He loved waking up to the sounds of waves crashing on the beach and smelling the saltiness of the sea. Another thing he liked about his new home, which he was shy to admit, was his neighbor. He caught glimpses of them in the morning when he went on his morning run and they were headed to work. He would also spot them after work when he sat on the back porch to watch the sunset over the water. He hadn’t worked up the nerve to talk to them yet. He gave them a small nod and smile every them they crossed paths.

Bob’s love language was acts of service so when he noticed that part of the small fence that separated his neighbor's yard from Bob’s was broken he spent a weeknight fixing it while his neighbor was out for the evening. It started off with little things like that. Much to his chagrin, he was caught by his enchanting neighbor when he was working on building flower boxes for his neighbor's blossoming garden. He was going to drop them off at their front door and run away like usual. He felt slightly creepy about how he was acting but his nerves still prevented him from reaching out and introducing himself. As he went to put the flower boxes on the front porch the door opened and Bob jumped, the flower boxes clattering onto the porch. Bob was a deer in the headlights, eyes wide and mouth formed into an ‘o’. 

“Uh- I- uhh.” Bob sputtered as he tried to find words to say. 

“Good morning, my garden gnome,”

  His neighbor was smiling at him with a mischievous glint in their eyes. 

“G-good morning, I’m so sorry. I noticed that your flower boxes were no longer working for your garden and I was making myself a pair so I thought I would make you a couple too. Now I realize that probably comes off as creepy.” 

Bob rambled needless in front of his neighbor who was smiling at him. 

“I was wondering who was sneaking into my garden and making it look better than I ever could. I thought maybe it was a water sprite, maybe a smart seagull or a garden gnome.” They regarded him with a bright smile that lit up their eyes. 

“I’m relieved that it was you in my garden and not anything other mischievous creature.”

Bob was stunned. Not only was his neighbor stunning in the morning light, but was full of an internal light that warmed Bob’s heart. He immediately nicknamed them Sunshine in his head. Bob tried to collect himself to form a coherent sentence.

“I’m Bob, not a fairy, spirit, or otherwise. At least as for as I know.” 

Bob chuckled, the sound filling the air and making his neighbors smile even brighter. 

“It’s nice to meet you Bob.” 

His neighbor stuck out their hand and introduced themselves. Bob grasped their hand with a grin and a flushed face. The flower boxes were forgotten on the porch until his foot nudged one of the boxes. He did even realize that he was gravitating closer to his neighbor. He let go of their hand and picked up the flower boxes. 

“It’s really thoughtful of you to make extra flower boxes for me. I’ve been meaning to buy new ones but life has been a bit busy for me.”

They took the flower boxes into their arms and started to turn towards the door to their beach home. 

“Do you want to come in for coffee and help me set up the boxes?” 

“I would like that a lot.”