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THE TWOyoung adults sat across from each other on Rory's couch, Luke found himself curled up in George's lap, Rory having to explain where her cat's name from, only to find George utterly confused due to his lack of Star Wars knowledge.
"One day, I'll have to force you to watch A New Hope," Rory sighed, leaning back on the cushions.
"Really?" George asked, raising his eyebrows. Rory's face instantly went scarlet and she averted her eyes.
"Don't read into it like that! I'm going to change the subject and ask you your question while being unoriginal at the same time. Favourite movie, English boy."
"English boy?" George questioned with a playful smirk.
"Just answer the question," Rory sighed.
"Harry Potter, no doubt," George answered. "I love them all."
"Very cool," Rory hummed.
"Okay, mystery girl, are you a morning or night person?"
Rory thought for a moment, her face slightly scrunched with pondering.
"It's not just a black and white answer," Rory said carefully, "I can fall asleep easily but once I make it past midnight, I could be up till four if I felt like it. I just like sleep."
George and Rory quickly fell into a routine of asking each other questions, the two young adults getting to know each other with each new fact they shared. George loved each little fact Rory shared and the way her eyes shone when she shared something that excited her or made her think about her answer.
"Okay, what do you do for a living? I know it's personal, so you don't have to answer," Rory said, her soft voice laced with careful kindness. As the question hit George's ears, it finally occurred to him that Rory did not know him as a social media personality but simply as her new neighbour.
"Well, uh-"
"Seriously, you don't have to answer," Rory cut in. George laughed warmly, "No, it's fine. It's just not your regular office job. I'm, well, I stream and upload videos on YouTube."
Rory's meadow eyes widened with excitement.
"No way! Okay, that's cool! Is my neighbour famous?"
George took out his phone and pulled up his sub count on YouTube, silently handing the device to Rory. Her eyes widened further, her jaw-dropping. George awkwardly scratched the back of his head with a weak smile.
"Holy- wow. And I just work in retail."
"You—you're okay with it?" George asked tentatively. Rory handed back his phone and gave him a confused look.
"Uh, yeah. That's insane, in the best way. That's super cool, George." She said pleasantly. George's eyes lit up with her positive response, "Well, that's great!"
"Luke, we have a famous neighbour!" Rory cooed. George laughed heartily, "I suppose."
Before they knew it, Rory and George had reached their twentieth question. George had insisted Rory ask two in a row, so he could ask the last one.
"Where's a place that you've always wanted to go?" Rory asked, yawning. George didn't hesitate, his answer ready to go.
"America. Specifically Texas and Florida."
"Really? Why those two?" Rory asked. George brushed off the fact that what she asked was an extra question and answered.
"My two best friends, Cl- er Dream and Sapnap are from those states. We have a YouTube channel together and we've known each other for years. They're great friends," George sighed fondly.
"That's so sweet!" Rory said gently. "I hope you guys meet soon."
"Me too," George confessed. "But this isn't about me anymore, it's my last question for you."
Rory perked up, straightening her posture.
"Okay, mystery girl. What's your—"
Before George could finish his question, the lights in Rory's apartment flickered before turning out completely, plunging Luke, Rory and George into mild darkness. A bit of light revealed itself through the sheer curtains but the sun was setting rapidly.
"Guess the power went out," George remarked, pointing out the obvious. Luke scampered off and hid under the couch from the scare, Rory standing up.
"I'll go find some candles," Rory offered. Before she could step past George, her head collided with his, not knowing he had stood up as well.
"Ow!"
"We need to stop bumping into each other, literally," George joked, gingerly massaging his forehead. Rory laughed as she rubbed her head, the sound echoing through the dark apartment, George's heart fluttering.
"I'll be right back," Rory chuckled, navigating her way to the kitchen and rummaging through drawers, in search of candles and candlesticks. Once she had found them, with a lighter, she carried the items back to the coffee table and knelt down, placing the candles in their respective holders before lighting them. George didn't realize at first that they were different pastel colours, light and delicate hues that decorated the table. He could only see the blue candles properly and he made a mental note that the blue ones were his favourite.
Rory placed the lighter on the table and flopped back next to George with a sigh.
"Alright," Rory said tiredly, "What's my question?"
"Oh! Right, well- I've been wanting to know for a while, but you don't have to answer. I just gotta know, what is your name, mystery girl?"
Rory looked over at George, her clever green eyes glazed over with candlelight, the burning flame reflecting in her spring-themed irises. His eyes connected with hers and she smiled bashfully, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, shifting her bangs so they couldn't cover her eyes. She took in a slow breath, filling her lungs with warm scented air, the smell of tulips overrunning her senses.
"Rory."
Her voice was quiet and gentle but he heard every word loud and clear.
"My name is Rory," she said, dropping her gaze, the smile still evident on her pink lips. George replayed her saying that over and over in his mind, beaming at his neighbour.
