They'll probably never see each other again. Once the power comes back, they will return to their own lives, go their separate ways, and Kaoru will probably never think of him again.
Eli and Kaoru get stuck in an elevator (and will absolutely meet again).
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It was raining for the fourth consecutive day. Some big storm was supposed to hit soon. It'd probably hit over the weekend. Shit like that always happened on the weekend, when the power went out and you just had to sit there in the dark with no internet, no air conditioning, and no boiling water to enjoy the simple happiness of instant noodles while your phone was slowly running out of battery. Yep, Kaoru felt almost psychic imagining what his Saturday night would look like: miserable and lonely. His neighbors had returned from their honeymoon yesterday, which meant Kaoru didn't even have the excuse to switch his one-bedroom scenery for his neighbors' and get some fresh air walking their dog. People always called you crazy when you're walking alone in the pouring rain, but with a dog, it was perfectly acceptable.
Kaoru woke up feeling more pent up than usual on this day, he had a headache, probably from the lack of sleep he got the previous night due to the load of extra work his supervisor Kaza had given him. He got dressed into his usual work clothes, dress pants and a cheap white shirt and did his usual morning routine then made a quick coffee and headed out the door.
Kaoru sighed. Pressed the stop button on the bus. The need to rest his head against the window was strong but the smear of something white and sticky on the glass stopped him. He'd just have to wait until he was sitting in his office where he could smash his head against the keyboard and count the minutes until the end of the day.
The entrance to the building might as well have come with an iron gate. Dark and looming grey clouds, people scurrying with their black umbrellas to get inside.
His own umbrella had broken a while ago and Kaoru kept forgetting to buy a new one. He'd have to get one after work today. The hood of his black raincoat kept flying back down as he fought his way against the strong gusts of wind to the entrance.
Kaoru pulled the door open. It felt unbearably heavy. He sighed again.
Quick footsteps splashed in the puddles behind him. Kaoru , sheltered by the roof now, patiently waited and held the door open for the person rushing his way. He'd take every opportunity to avoid his cubicle for a few extra seconds.
"Thank you," the man behind him said, loud and jolly.
How anyone could be this happy and energetic this early in the morning was completely lost to Kaoru. That man was probably the type to take the stairs.
Kaoru, confident in his analysis, walked past the security guards and pressed the up button on the elevator, excited to be in a small enclosed space all by himself. Maybe the elevator would break down. Then he could just sit here all day and go home, not having to do any work.
Footsteps followed him into the elevator. Fuck. The man stopped and stood next to him. Kaoru kept his gaze down at his own feet, hoping to avoid the twenty-second elevator chit-chat with the other man.
He was tall. A hint of cologne made Kaoru roll his eyes.
Kaoru pressed the button to the second floor. He woud use the bathroom or something and then take the stairs up to the tenth floor where his actual office was located. He hated elevator chit-chat, especially on a rainy Friday morning.
"Oh, you work in IT?" The man's voice hit Kaoru with full force. Unfairly attractive but annoyingly cheerful. Awaking parts in him that otherwise would have been perfectly fine with spending the entire day asleep.
Kaoru nodded. So the IT department was located on the second floor. Interesting. (He didn't work in IT just to make that clear)
The door closed.
Kaoru, in turn, closed his eyes. A headache was sprinting with spiked tyres across his forehead. He couldn't wait to log on to his computer and immediately leave again to make a coffee.
The elevator began to lift.
Then something stuttered.
The light flickered.
The elevator shook slightly.
Everything went dark for a split second before emergency lights flicked on.
"Guess we're stuck," the man announced, the happy tone in his voice not faltering. The spoken words came as another surprise to Kaoru, he really didn't want to have to speak to him. He was keeping his eyes away from the man on purpose now, knowing that someone with a voice like that surely could not live up to the mental image Kaoru had already formed.
Quick and decisive, the man pressed the emergency button to report their status. If it had just been Kaoru in the elevator, he probably would've waited a good few minutes before calling in maintenance.
"The whole grid has lost power. It might be a while til we get you out of there," the operator informed them through crackling speakers.
Kaoru dropped his backpack on the floor then slid down the wall and sat on the floor, low-key wondering if all this was his own fault.
Be careful of what you wish for and all that.
"Sooooooo," the man said turning his attention back to Kaoru. "Watcha wanna do to pass the time?"
"Sleep."
"Let's play a game."
"I don't want to."
"Please?"
Kaoru slowly looked to his left and, for the first time, took in the person sharing this elevator with him. He'd been wrong about his assumptions: The man's physical appearance matched the attractiveness of his voice. It was almost unfair. He hated it.
They were about the same height; it was easy to make eye contact and get lost in the striking blue. A ridiculously contagious smile. Flawless teeth. Smooth, pale skin. Brown, fluffy hair. A jaw so sharp it was impossible to not notice.
Kaoru quickly averted his gaze to stop himself . Tired, brown eyes travelled lower to take in the rest of the man's physique.
Kaoru quickly came to the conclusion that the light blue buttoned-up shirt had to be tailored-fit. No way in hell could a shirt look so softwhile covering those broad shoulders at the same time. The sleeves seemed too loose, yet brought out the toned biceps and the ridiculous thick forearm. And the chest - Kaoru found his eye twitching at the though, he already hated this guy. There was no way he wasn't an obnoxious little shit. Kaoru's eyes averted to the man's lower half, he didn't notice what he was doing until the man spoke again.
"We could do that too, if you want."
Kaoru blushed. Unsure if what the man had insinuated was what Kaoru was thinking but still. He needed to get a fucking grip on himself, what was he thinking?
"What's your name?"
"Kaoru."
He stopped the last name from falling from his lips at the last second. The lie that he works in IT made him reluctant to share his full name. The last thing Kaoru needed was for the guy to find his email address and start messaging Kaoru about IT issues or freak out at him for lying.
A wider smile appeared on the man's face.
"I'm Eli."
