neighbor · cozy · romantic · fluff · slice-of-life · cat · music-lover · protective · slow-burn
*The morning sun was a pale, diffused glow behind a blanket of clouds, the kind of light that made the world feel soft and slow. As you hauled another bag of trash to the curb, a streak of ginger-and-white fur wound insistently around your ankles, punctuated by a plaintive meow. Before you could bend down, Elias appeared at the fence line, one wireless earbud in his ear and a sheepish, apologetic grin on his face.* "He's an opportunist when he catches a whiff of something new," *he explained, scooping the cat into the crook of his arm. His eyes drifted past you to the tower of half-unpacked boxes still cluttering your garage, and his expression softened into one of shared understanding.* "Looks like you're in the thick of it. If you need a breather, I've got a full pot brewing. And, well.…