Broken Bulbs (Original Fiction)
May. 26th, 2021 03:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Broken Bulbs
Fandom: ??
Pairing: Mia + Peyton
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 859
Summary: Mia’s trying to remove a broken lightbulb from her outside light when a stranger offers to help.
Author’s Note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. One of my prompts was The Broken Lights and well, this is what I came up with. Hahaha.
She stretched onto her tiptoes, one hand balanced against the side of the house, praying that she didn’t fall off the ladder and break her head open. God only knew, the HOA would likely try and fine her for staining the drive with blood and bits of brain matter.
Snorting, she shook the thought out of her head and went back to carefully removing the bits of broken glass from the light fixture. Something she had been warned about after some stupid kids threw rocks at her garage a week ago. It pissed her off that the community cameras had caught the kids dead to rights and yet she was the one getting fine warnings for not having replaced the lights yet.
Sometimes, she really hated her husband for going off and dying on her like he did. Jerk was at least a foot taller than she was. These things were so much easier for him, but unfortunately, she didn’t have him to badger into it any longer.
“Do you need some help with that,” a voice asked, nearly startling her off the ladder. “Easy there,” he said, one strong hand catching her before she could tumble onto the driveway for a second time that morning.
Grabbing hold of the top of the ladder, she looked at him, sighing with relief. “Thank you, you startled me.”
“I can see,” he said. “Sorry for sneaking up on you, but I was walking by and saw you struggling. Guessing you were the victim of those little brats?”
“I was,” she said, nodding. “I can get the bulbs in by myself, but getting the old, shattered ones out have been a challenge.”
He waved her off the ladder. “Climb on down and let me see if I can get it out for you.”
“Sure,” she said, carefully stepping down the rungs and moving to the side. “I’m Mia.”
He smiled at her and she felt her heart flutter a bit at the way the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Peyton,” he said, extending a hand.
She took it and gave it a shake. Grinning, she said, “Like Manning?”
He rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”
“Sorry,” she said. “My husband was a fan of both Eli and Peyton.”
“You have a husband,” he asked. “Why isn’t he out here doing this for you then?”
“Ah, well, the lazy ass up and died on me to get out of it,” she joked. Seeing the odd look on Peyton’s face, she felt bad for making such a joke. “I’m kidding, he’d been sick for a while, lost him six months ago.”
“Oh,” Peyton said, relief evident on his face. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” she said, meaning it. “So, yeah, I definitely appreciate your help.”
Without another word, he climbed the ladder and pulled a pair of work gloves out of his back pocket. “Construction,” he said by way of explanation. “I always seem to have a pair shoved in a pocket somewhere.”
Lucky for him he did, because it made getting the shards of broken lightbulb out of the light fixture much easier. Once he’d cleaned it out, Peyton held out his hand, wriggling his fingers at her. Smiling, she slapped the bulb into his open palm like he was a doctor asking for a scalpel. With a few quick twists, he had it in and was making his way down the ladder.
Mia felt the loss of his company already. While she was miles and miles from wanting to engage in a relationship with anyone, he seemed like the kind of guy she’d like to get to know. “Thank you again,” she said, not knowing what else to say.
“No problem,” he said. Peyton reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Always happy to help. And if you ever need anything else – whether it’s the HOA being a bunch of pricks or anything else – give me a call.” He handed her a business card. “See you around?”
She nodded dumbly. He waved and headed back towards the sidewalk. Glancing at the card, she noticed that he not only worked construction, but owned his own company. Looking back at Peyton, her eyes were drawn to his easy gait and how comfortable he seemed in his own skin. Cool, comfortable, casual… everything she liked in a man.
On a whim, she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and sent him a text, so that she’d have him in her phone and, on the off chance he had meant more than what he’d let on by giving her his card, he’d have her number too.
Thanks for the help, Peyton.
His response was almost immediate. Hopefully it won’t be the last time we meet, Mia.
She squeezed her phone and held it to her chest. It had been a long, long time since she’d been excited over any man. So why now? Shaking off the thought, she took a picture of the newly replaced bulb and headed inside to respond to her nagging HOA. And to wonder how long it’d be before she could find a reason to call her mysterious and handsome neighbor.
Fandom: ??
Pairing: Mia + Peyton
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 859
Summary: Mia’s trying to remove a broken lightbulb from her outside light when a stranger offers to help.
Author’s Note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. One of my prompts was The Broken Lights and well, this is what I came up with. Hahaha.
She stretched onto her tiptoes, one hand balanced against the side of the house, praying that she didn’t fall off the ladder and break her head open. God only knew, the HOA would likely try and fine her for staining the drive with blood and bits of brain matter.
Snorting, she shook the thought out of her head and went back to carefully removing the bits of broken glass from the light fixture. Something she had been warned about after some stupid kids threw rocks at her garage a week ago. It pissed her off that the community cameras had caught the kids dead to rights and yet she was the one getting fine warnings for not having replaced the lights yet.
Sometimes, she really hated her husband for going off and dying on her like he did. Jerk was at least a foot taller than she was. These things were so much easier for him, but unfortunately, she didn’t have him to badger into it any longer.
“Do you need some help with that,” a voice asked, nearly startling her off the ladder. “Easy there,” he said, one strong hand catching her before she could tumble onto the driveway for a second time that morning.
Grabbing hold of the top of the ladder, she looked at him, sighing with relief. “Thank you, you startled me.”
“I can see,” he said. “Sorry for sneaking up on you, but I was walking by and saw you struggling. Guessing you were the victim of those little brats?”
“I was,” she said, nodding. “I can get the bulbs in by myself, but getting the old, shattered ones out have been a challenge.”
He waved her off the ladder. “Climb on down and let me see if I can get it out for you.”
“Sure,” she said, carefully stepping down the rungs and moving to the side. “I’m Mia.”
He smiled at her and she felt her heart flutter a bit at the way the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Peyton,” he said, extending a hand.
She took it and gave it a shake. Grinning, she said, “Like Manning?”
He rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”
“Sorry,” she said. “My husband was a fan of both Eli and Peyton.”
“You have a husband,” he asked. “Why isn’t he out here doing this for you then?”
“Ah, well, the lazy ass up and died on me to get out of it,” she joked. Seeing the odd look on Peyton’s face, she felt bad for making such a joke. “I’m kidding, he’d been sick for a while, lost him six months ago.”
“Oh,” Peyton said, relief evident on his face. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” she said, meaning it. “So, yeah, I definitely appreciate your help.”
Without another word, he climbed the ladder and pulled a pair of work gloves out of his back pocket. “Construction,” he said by way of explanation. “I always seem to have a pair shoved in a pocket somewhere.”
Lucky for him he did, because it made getting the shards of broken lightbulb out of the light fixture much easier. Once he’d cleaned it out, Peyton held out his hand, wriggling his fingers at her. Smiling, she slapped the bulb into his open palm like he was a doctor asking for a scalpel. With a few quick twists, he had it in and was making his way down the ladder.
Mia felt the loss of his company already. While she was miles and miles from wanting to engage in a relationship with anyone, he seemed like the kind of guy she’d like to get to know. “Thank you again,” she said, not knowing what else to say.
“No problem,” he said. Peyton reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Always happy to help. And if you ever need anything else – whether it’s the HOA being a bunch of pricks or anything else – give me a call.” He handed her a business card. “See you around?”
She nodded dumbly. He waved and headed back towards the sidewalk. Glancing at the card, she noticed that he not only worked construction, but owned his own company. Looking back at Peyton, her eyes were drawn to his easy gait and how comfortable he seemed in his own skin. Cool, comfortable, casual… everything she liked in a man.
On a whim, she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and sent him a text, so that she’d have him in her phone and, on the off chance he had meant more than what he’d let on by giving her his card, he’d have her number too.
Thanks for the help, Peyton.
His response was almost immediate. Hopefully it won’t be the last time we meet, Mia.
She squeezed her phone and held it to her chest. It had been a long, long time since she’d been excited over any man. So why now? Shaking off the thought, she took a picture of the newly replaced bulb and headed inside to respond to her nagging HOA. And to wonder how long it’d be before she could find a reason to call her mysterious and handsome neighbor.