The knock came just as Adrian placed the last chip in his mouth.
Knock knock.
He froze, the quiet comfort of his apartment broken by the intrusion. Brows furrowed, he stood, brushed the crumbs from his shirt, and walked to the door. He opened it without expression.
Standing outside was a red-haired young woman—cheerful, bright-eyed, and carrying a small gift box in one hand and a large tote bag slung over her shoulder. Her smile on her freckled face could have lit an entire Discord server.
"Hi! I'm Elara. Just moved in next door. Thought I'd bring some cookies!"
Adrian stared at her, expression flat.
"...Huh. Thanks."
He took the box and turned back inside to place the cookies on the dining table. Elara, undeterred by the lack of invitation, followed him in and made herself comfortable on the couch.
"You live alone? Oh, you're one of those people who works from home, aren't you? Wow, that's awesome. Relying solely on your own skills like that? Respect, bro!"
