As Told By A Sim

2 - love starts with a bang?

a/n this takes place 2 years prior to the previous chapter
p.s. apologies for the delay!

Bang

Lexi had just gotten back home from grocery shopping, her mood light and peachy as she couldn't stop thinking about how moving into this town was the first step towards accomplishing her dream of becoming a movie director, but as she neared her front door, keys jingling in her right hand as she tried to adjust her grip on the grocery bags in the left one, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang from across the street.

Peering at her new neighbour's house, Lexi was nowhere near surprised at the sight of smoke coming out of the windows.

A young man exited the house in a coughing fit, bending down and resting his hands on his knees as he took deep breaths of fresh air.

Should I head over? She contemplated silently, her eyebrows furrowing in worry.

Lexi inspected the man quietly, she didn't get a chance to meet her new neighbour ever since he had moved in next door a couple of days ago.

He looked about her age, with dirty blonde hair shining under the sun's glare, a light beard covering his jawline, along with a moustache. Height-wise, although he was bent down, Lexi could tell he wouldn't exceed her much.

Not too bad of a neighbour, Lexi thought to herself, her mouth turning into a small involuntary smile as the man started pounding on his chest, as if to get the smoke out. A bit on the clumsy side, it seems.

It wasn't until the man straightened up that Lexi's senses finally kicked in. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts and setting her grocery bags on the ground, Lexi cautiously crossed the road to the man's house.

"Everything alright here?" Lexi cleared her throat as she neared the man, turning to the house's windows which were currently coughing out cole black smoke, before diverting her gaze back to the man.

Startled, the man turned towards her in surprise, clearly not expecting anyone to have seen his little mishap.

"I was making my way to my house when I heard a loud bang." Pointing her thumb back to her place, Lexi felt the need to explain as she took in the stunned man's features.

His eyes, she inwardly mused.

"Uh," He swallowed, "I-No..-I mean, yes, yes! All's good, um, thanks."

His stuttering, slight blush tinting his cheeks out of embarrassment, and the general vibe of innocence he gave off, all were highly amusing in Lexi's eyes. Being raised in a family full of boys, she has not even once come across one half as uncoordinated or awkward as the man before her. And that alone was enough to stretch a grin across her face.

"I'm glad," she hummed, thoroughly enjoying the scene in front of her as the man started scratching the back of his neck, her wide grin still intact. "Well, if you ever need anything, I'm a knock away."

Turning around to face her house across the street, she began walking towards it and off his lawn, before she was brought to a halt by his voice.

"Would you- Would you like a hand with your stuff?"

The man was pointing at her grocery bags sat at her door step.

"Sure, why not?" Lexi accepted his offer, before adding, "I'm Lexi, by the way."

The fact that it took the man a couple of seconds to realise it was his turn for an introduction had Lexi's eyes dancing with laughter as she tried to stifle a giggle threatening to burst out.

"Len," He responded hastily, "I'm Len-Lennart."

Giving him a slight nod, Lexi, once again, turned on her heels, making her way towards her house, this time with Lennart close behind.

"Home, sweet home." Lexi said, happiness gracing her tone, more to herself than to Lennart as she unlocked her house and lead them both inside.

"What happened back there? If you don't mind me asking," She inquired, her attention mostly on the groceries she was setting into place than on the question she had just asked.

"An-A small cooking accident. That doesn't happen often, though." Lennart was very dismissive about the topic, almost ashamed of an unfortunate cooking incident that, if was caused by Lexi, would have probably meant nothing more than just another cooking mishap to be added to the never ending list of them.

"Small, huh? Didn't seem quite that to me," Lexi sing-sang mischievously, before adding on second thought, "Wait, you cook?"

He didn't strike me as the cooking type, momentarily distracted from the groceries, Lexi imagined Lennart in an apron, stirring up some batter in a bowl. Huh, it does suit him, somehow.

Casting a sideway glance at her while placing the cereal box in the left cupboard as Lexi instructed, Lennart replied with a lopsided grin, one that's brightened with his passion for what he does.

"I do, yeah, and I'd like to think it's something I'm fairly good at."

Catching the confidence in his tone, Lexi went along with him, wanting anything but for him to lose it once again.

"Is that so? That blown up kitchen says otherwise to me." Lexi smirked playfully, getting back to the groceries at hand.

"Things like that happen to the best of us." He replied rather calmly, muttering under his breath what sounded suspiciously like 'It wasn't the entire kitchen'.

Lexi only hummed back, appearing unconvinced while intentionally provoking him, with a new sense of mischief within her.

"But, if you want solid proof, then I'm willing to cook you anything of your desire, right now, right here." Lennart's blue orbs sparkled, his gaze shifting towards Lexi's as he accepted her silent challenge.

She was very hungry, truth be told, and with her lack of knowledge in the cooking department, she definitely wouldn't mind a meal cooked for her by a handsome neighbour, right then, right there.

With a smile too wide for her face, Lexi didn't hesitate to take him up on his offer, giddily conveying to him her most desired dish at the moment.

"Bacon and eggs!"

a/n next update at 20 votes