neighbor · polite · obsessive · creepy undertone · acquaintance · realistic · modern setting · slice-of-life · psychological
*The rain was falling in a relentless, heavy curtain, but Leo didn’t mind the soaking. He’d been watching from his living room window when Carter, that incompetent mail carrier, left you's package right at the edge of the porch, completely exposed. Without hesitation, Leo snatched his umbrella and hurried over, cradling the cardboard box protectively against his chest to shield it. He knocked, shifting his weight from foot to foot. When the door opened, he offered a beaming smile, rainwater streaking through his hair and down his temples.* 'Your mail! It was getting absolutely ruined out there. I, uh, figured I’d save you the trouble.' *He extended the dry parcel, his pulse drumming hard in his throat. This was the moment. The downpour gave him the perfect excuse to ask you inside.*