Work Text:
Dani’s new apartment building was great. She had just moved in three weeks ago and had nothing bad to say. The rent was decent, the common spaces were clean, her living room had huge windows that provided great natural lighting, and the amenities were well kept.
Everything was going splendidly, except for one small problem.
A tall, gorgeous, dark haired with pink highlights, smile that rivaled the sun, girl named Megan.
It started the day Dani moved in.
The day wasn’t particularly gloomy, but the arduous chore of moving made it feel like the clouds had shifted in front of the sun.
Her and her best friend Sophia had done what felt like a thousand trips up the elevator to the 7th floor with all her possessions loaded onto carts. They had finally reached the last three boxes so Dani decided to make the trip by herself, leaving her friend in charge of getting a head start in unpacking the apartment. If she trusted anyone’s judgement on where things should go, it was Sophia's.
The elevator ride droned on, the old thing shaking every few moments as her and her trinkets made their way up. Dani could feel the ache in her lower back starting up from the countless trips. She was so thankful that her bigger furniture had been delivered the day before because she could not fathom having to move all that on top of everything they did today. She was so close to at least having everything out of the rental truck so at least she could take all the time in the world to fully unpack.
She was jolted from her trance as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. She stepped out and nearly stumbled right back in as she hit something with force. Dani quickly lowered her arms, trying to peek around the boxes and do damage control, silently hoping that it was a poorly positioned plant or table and not one of her new neighbours.
The pile of boxes was too high to look properly, but looking down at the floor she quickly realized she was not so lucky as a pair of running shoes came into view.
“Oh shit, I am so sorry,” she started, immediately moving to set the stacks of cardboard down to properly meet this neighbour and rectify this horrible start.
“No, no, I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” the kind neighbour responded. Dani immediately noticed the warmth and almost melodic tone to her voice.
With boxes on the floor and finally nothing to obstruct her view, the Latina finally was able to straighten and turn around with her hand out to shake. “I’m Daniela, nice to meet-“
Any words she had ever known evacuated her brain at the sight in front of her. Her new neighbour was the most gorgeous woman she had ever had the privilege of laying her eyes on. The first thing she noticed was her eyes. They were huge. A warm honey brown that was entirely captivating and must have some sort of hypnotic effect. The woman’s whole face was flawless. Hair pulled up in a high ponytail, pink wisps escaping at the sides and framing her soft features. Dani was not exactly subtle in her staring as her eyes raked down the woman’s body, taking in the matching leggings and a sports bra that highlighted and accentuated her curves, the navy blue a delicious contrast against pale skin.
As Daniela’s gaze made its way back up to the woman’s face, she quickly realized her mouth had been agape for way too long to be considered socially appropriate. “…you, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Daniela, you can call me Dani.”
“I think you said that already,” the woman giggled and Dani was convinced she could die happy simply bearing witness to that smile despite the fact that her cheeks were definitely flushed bright red.
“It’s nice to meet you Dani, I’m Megan.”
Megan. A pretty name for an even prettier person.
“You’re gorgeous…” it comes out as a half-whisper, and fuck, Dani really needs to learn to think before she speaks. “I mean- your hair is really pretty, you have eyes… fuck.” She says it in such a rush, cheeks having gone full tomato as she internally facepalms. First day in a new apartment building and she already makes a fool of herself in front of her new neighbour. Her very pretty new neighbour.
Megan’s face flushes in response to the awkward stuttered compliments. Her eyes widened in sort of shock, hands immediately coming up to fidget with the hem of her leggings. “I, uh, thank you…” she says softly, making brief eye contact before focusing on her fingers.
Before she gets the chance to say anything else, Dani starts to gather her boxes back into her arms. “I am so, so sorry again, for uh all of this, but especially for running into you.” It comes out quickly, mortification creeping into the edges of her voice as she focuses her eye contact on the brown cardboard, evidently less terrifying than the warm brown eyes of the woman she humiliated herself in front of.
“It’s okay, I wouldn’t mind at all if it happened again.” After a pause, Megan let out a barely audible groan, footsteps echoing through the hallway as she quickly said bye and scampered away and down the stairs.
The clank of the stairwell door closing reverberated through the walls as Dani knocked her new apartment door with her foot. It quickly swung open, Sophia immediately grabbing the top box from the stack and ushered her inside.
“Girl, it was one load of boxes. What took you so long?” Sophia set the box down on the sliver of space left on the counter, guiding her friend through the maze of boxes to the empty spot in the living room.
Dani set the stack down and immediately leaned her whole weight against the wall, her hands covering her face as she let out a groan. “I’m a disaster.”
“Yes, and forks are found in the kitchen,” the Filipina joked, kneeling down to start unpacking. “What’d you do this time?”
”I humiliated myself in front of the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Level of one to ten, how bad are we talking?” Sophia moved around the room to put things away, leaving her friend to her position against the wall.
”Level I fully walked into her and then told her ‘you have eyes’” Dani groaned again, sinking down to the floor.
Sophia cackled, “you have eyes? Damn, and I thought you would be smoother than that.” She let out an even more boisterous laugh as another groan of misery echoed through the apartment. “Babe, it’s okay. Just hope you won’t have to see her again and you’ll forget it ever happened.”
But that was wishful thinking. Dani saw her, without fail, at least 4 times a week.
Megan was a problem.
A gorgeous, incredibly kind problem.
It was mostly small things. Morning hallway encounters when Dani was on her way to work became a staple.
The first time it happened was three days after their first (literal) run in.
———
It had been one of those mornings where the world seemed to have something out for Dani’s skin. She had slept through her alarm, stubbed her toe unnecessarily hard on the corner of her dresser, ran out of avocado so she couldn’t make her hyperfixation avocado toast, and on top of it all, the hot water for her shower wasn’t working, leaving Dani groggy, cranky, and cold.
All in all, bad morning to be rushing out the door and be faced with your gorgeous neighbour who you made a fool of yourself in front of.
Dani’s first gut reaction was to walk right back into her apartment and give up for the day. But once again, the universe had other plans, startling out of her grogginess to the sound of her name from the other end of the hallway.
“Dani! Hi!” Megan called, sending her a small wave as she made her way towards the centre of the hall.
There was no avoiding it. She had to suck it up and confront her flirting fails at 7:30 in the morning or else she would seem like a massive dick, and even though she’d rather crawl into a hole and never see the light of day again at the thought of confronting Megan so soon, the Latina was not about to make enemies on her floor during her first week.
“Megan, hi!” Dani cringed at the way her voice rose an octave, crossing her fingers that the other woman wouldn’t be able to see through the artificial cheer she’s plastered on.
As she made her way towards the elevator, Dani was granted a few moments to once again take in the sight of her neighbour in front of her. If she was colour blind, the curly haired woman may have thought she was having déjà vu. Megan was clad in the same leggings and sports bra combo, this time a pale pink that matched the faded ends of her hair. Headphones were hung around her neck, the faint sound of escaping bass filling the air.
If they had never seen each other again, it was entirely possible that Dani could convince herself that the whole first experience had been a figment of her imagination. It wouldn’t be that improbable to believe that a woman that pretty would only be able to be conceptualized in her mind. But seeing her again, soft curves and defined muscle out on display, she was undeniably real and has cemented herself as a hallway crush.
Megan gave her a soft smile as she approached, reaching out to press the down button on the wall. “How’re you settling in so far?”
“Good, yeah, still unpacking mostly.” She nodded slightly, not really knowing what else to say as she smooths over the nonexistent wrinkles on her dress shirt and blazer.
The two of them stood in front of the elevator, both sort of nodding along and waiting for the other to carry the conversation.
Dani breaks first, her conscience spilling out in the form of word vomit. “I’m so sorry again for calling you gorgeous like that, not that I don't think you’re gorgeous- you definitely are- but I didn’t mean…” she sighed, “I’m gonna stop talking again.”
Megan quickly averts her eyes, a hand subconsciously finding its way to the ends of her ponytail. “You don’t need to apologize, it’s okay,” and under her breath she added, “it was really cute.”
“Can we just start over?” the Latina asks, holding out her hand to shake. “I’m Dani, I just moved in down the hall.”
The pink haired girl smiled fondly, shaking the outstretched hand as they both stepped into the elevator. “I’m Megan, nice to meet you!” After a moment she added, “are you heading to work?”
”I work at one of the law firms downtown, I’m currently attempting to not be late. Are you going to workout?”
“Yeah, sort of. I run a couple times a week. I try for 4 days but it doesn’t always work out.”
The elevator doors slide open to the lobby, both women stepping out towards the exit. As they start to go their separate ways, Megan calls out “I’ll see you around Dani” and flashes her a big smile, full whisker dimples on display.
God, this woman was going to be the death of her.
———
It became sort of routine. Dani would leave her house in the mornings and there was a 50/50 chance she would see Megan in the hall. They would make small talk before parting their separate ways in the lobby, and each time Dani fell slightly harder.
———
Two weeks after moving in, Dani was really in the mood to bake cookies.
She quickly surveyed her kitchen before heading to work, noting that she was out of sugar which was a crucial element of her beloved cookies. Theoretically she could stop at the store after work, but that extra effort made her baking hopes slowly fizzle away. Her black pencil skirt creaked as she stood up and made her way into the hall.
Dani’s day immediately got a little brighter at the sight of Megan already waiting for the elevator. As she approached and they started to make small talk, her cookie craving seemed to make her grow a pair and ask for a tiny neighbourly favour.
“Megan, do you by any chance have like 2 cups of sugar I could borrow?” She rushed out the ask, only half looking at the other girl. “I was planning on making cookies but I’m out and they’d be kinda gross without it.”
They stepped into the lobby, Megan reaching up to adjust her ponytail. “Of course! I can leave some at your door for you?”
“You’re the absolute best, thank you so much!”
When Dani returned from work later that evening, a small ziplock bag filled with sugar was resting on her doorknob. She didn’t see the note Megan had written in purple sharpie until she was standing in her kitchen, full ingredient spread laid out on the counter in front of her.
All it said was “for your cookies” with a small heart, but it was still enough to make Dani’s pulse jump at the thought of her hallway crush taking the extra time to write that for her.
Once her chocolate chip cookies were baked and cooled, she found the nicest plastic plate in her cupboard and stacked about 8 cookies on it. Was it almost half the batch? Sure, but Megan deserved it.
Dani covered the plate in tinfoil and pulled out a sharpie. If Megan could be sweet and write something, she could too. It’s only a matter of figuring out what to write that wouldn’t be too weird.
She tried googling “cookie related pick up lines” but none of them really worked.
“Are you a cookie? Because I'm crumbling for you.” Too forward.
“Are you Santa? Cause I’m ready for all that milk in my cookie.” First of all, its nowhere near Christmas, second, no.
“Do you have cookies? I wouldn’t mind your milk all over my face.” And that was her cue to close google because she was not trying to scare Megan off like that.
She ended up deciding on a simple “for you” with a little heart, hoping that it matches the original sugar note enough to not be weird while still being genuine.
The finished plate of cookies sat on her counter for what must have been an hour as Dani used cleaning the kitchen as an excuse to not go deliver it. But finally, she scooped up the plate and made her way into the hall. As she reached Megan’s door she took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the encounter she’s about to have.
This is Megan’s home. They’d only ever talked in the hallway, not even having exchanged numbers. It felt weirdly intimate to knock on her door even though she supposes it’s the neighbourly thing to do.
Dani stood there contemplating her decisions for what felt like 5 minutes before she chickened out, placing the plate on the floor and walking back to her apartment.
The fresh cookies when she got back to her apartment were a nice distraction from the thoughts of what if she just knocked bouncing around her head.
So far Megan was consistent.
They always saw each other in the hallway, only ever in the morning, she was always on her way to work, and Megan was always on her way to run.
The idea of seeing her outside of their exact same stolen few minutes in the morning made Dani’s heart race from excitement and fear. She didn’t know if she would be able to handle seeing her little crush in any other way.
———
One morning there was a blip, a slight inconsistency.
It was a morning that felt like moving through molasses. Everything was slow, the mood was sluggish, and no amount of bubblegum pop blasting through her speakers could wake Dani up. She was moving on autopilot, munching on a four cheese bagel as she waited for the elevator to open. Her eyes were half lidded, still unwilling to commit to being awake despite the impending workday ahead.
The ding of the elevator sounded, doors sliding open, and as Dani took a step forward she was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder.
It was Megan. Which was weird, they always left at the same time so why was she coming back onto their floor?
Her running attire on as per usual, but instead of the pre-run jitters coursing through her veins, the post-run glow was in its place. Her face was flushed a light red, baby hairs plastered to her forehead, pink strands frizzed and escaping the confines of her ponytail.
The image of Megan covered in a light sheen of sweat from exertion was enough for Dani’s eyes to finally open fully, her brain blue screening as her jaw dropped slightly.
“Whoa, don’t want you to run into me again,” the pink haired girl laughed softly as she guided Dani back by her shoulder and stepped out of the elevator. Her face flushed beyond the red from her run as she took in the sight of the flustered woman in front of her. “I- uh, are you okay?” She asked, becoming hyper aware of the contact and dropping her hand from the other's shoulder.
Dani seemed to do a full system reboot, shaking her head quickly as she willed herself to focus. “Yeah! Yeah, uh I’m good, just peachy.”
Just peachy? Just peachy??
That was her cue to leave and gay panic in solitary confinement.
But because the universe hates her, just as Dani went to step away from Megan and into the elevator, the doors finished sliding shut, the numbers already starting to tick down to pick up others on their way to work.
It was almost comical how they just kept getting pushed together. Sure, the stairs were an option, but a small part of Dani’s brain wasn’t mad at getting a few extra minutes with her neighbour.
“Thanks for the cookies by the way, I saved the last one for my post run treat today.” Megan beamed at her, genuine appreciation laced between her words.
“Oh it was no problem. It’s only fair you got some considering you were an essential part in their creation.” Dani smiled back, “I can be your personal baker.”
She immediately flushed red, taking a bite of her bagel to at least have something to do instead of wallow in the potential connotations of her words.
A matching blush adorned Megan’s cheeks as she looked between her hands and Dani’s face a couple times before starting to speak. “I uh- I was wondering if maybe-”
An obnoxious ding interrupted her, the elevator doors opening and Dani glanced at the space. She did really need to get going to work. “Sorry, bye Megan,” she offered a small smile as she stepped inside, lifting her hand in a slight wave as the doors slid shut.
Once she was finally in the privacy of her own car, Dani’s forehead dropped onto her steering wheel with an undignified thunk. She really needed to figure her shit out and either ask Megan out or get over her silly crush because the image of her warm smile and sweat covered abs was going to ruin her life.
———
That Friday evening, the sun started to dip behind the horizon leaving Dani’s living room painted in a golden hue. She had taken the afternoon off work to go to a doctor's appointment and decided she would make the most of her evening by taking time to truly unwind.
As soon as she got home the first order of business was getting out of her usual business casual attire. She changed into an oversized band tee she had thrifted and cut the neckline to fit off the shoulder, as well as her softest pajama pants patterned with black and white illustrations of Winnie the Pooh and piglet.
Second order of business was a quick reset. The bluetooth speaker got flicked on, rap, 2010s pop, and reggaeton uplifting the space. Dani pulled her hair up into a messy bun and flitted between rooms, straightening the living room, clearing the doom piles off the kitchen table, and clearing the morning’s dishes from the sink.
Third and final order of business was to relax. She became well acquainted with her couch- affectionately named the time machine by her close friends for it’s coziness pulling you in and making time a construct. The couch lived up to its name today, Dani’s book tumbling out of her hands as she submitted to the comfort and fell asleep.
About an hour later, the Latina woke up groggy and in a different dimension, lines from the pillows indented across her face. When her brain started to finally catch up to her consciousness, the first thing she noticed was the growling in her stomach. It had been hours since she consumed anything of nutritional value and her body was screaming for it.
Dani had meal prepped last weekend, a pasta and chicken dish waiting patiently in the fridge to be eaten for the third time this week. She probably could get over herself and be a responsible adult by eating the remainder of the food she already had, but today was a rest day and she really wanted a burrito. It didn’t take much groveling to convince herself to open up Uber Eats on her phone and order a huge burrito that will undoubtedly satisfy the craving.
With her food set to arrive in 25 minutes, Dani flopped back onto the couch, plenty of time to wallow on her favourite topic as of recent— Megan.
Each time she left her apartment, a spark of anxiety and thrill coursed through her veins at the potential of seeing the pink haired girl again. Dani couldn’t help but want to get closer to her, learn about her hobbies, brush the stubborn pink tendrils behind her ear when they escaped her hairdo. It felt like she was constantly toeing the line, wanting to be more than casual neighbour acquaintances even if that meant simply being friends and repressing her desire to kiss those plump lips until her whisker dimples made an appearance.
One of these days she would have to grow a pair and at least ask for her number. It would be nice to get coffee together, and selfishly she’s dying to see Megan out of the confines of the apartment building.
The question she kept coming back to was would Megan even want to see her outside of their hallway encounters? It seemed like all of Dani’s brain cells melted out of her ears whenever they saw each other and she couldn’t help but worry that her awkwardness would be a huge hindrance in the potential of anything moving forward.
What if seeing her was the worst part of Megan’s day? What if while Dani was hoping they’d see each other every day, the pink haired girl was hoping the opposite?
Before she could spiral further, her phone dinged, letting her know the driver was 5 minutes away. Dani reluctantly dragged herself off the couch, not bothering to change out of her comfy clothes before grabbing her phone and keys and towards her front door. It wasn’t like she was going to see anyone important in the 5 minutes it would take to collect her burrito, she thought as she toed on some slides and unlocked the door.
As she’s waiting for the elevator to open, she’s vaguely aware of the sounds of a door opening, the jangle of keys, and rustling of clothes filling the air. It’s only when the door slams and a small “oh shit” is heard that Dani’s head swivels towards the noise, her jaw dropping open at the sight.
There at the other end of the hall is Megan. But not the Megan she’s used to seeing. Her sports bra and leggings combo has been exchanged for a pair of cream slacks, a white scoop neck top, and a brown blazer. The pink and black hair usually slicked back was hanging in loose waves across her shoulders and down her back and Dani could not help the urge to run her fingers through it and see if it was as soft as it looked.
Looking down at her Winnie the Pooh pajama pants, the Latina’s brain was screaming at her to make a run for her own apartment- fuck the burrito waiting in the lobby. Her body seemed to have entered a freeze state though, feet cemented to the ground as she made direct eye contact with the girl across the hall.
Megan seems to pause, eyes widening as her gaze falls on Dani’s form waiting in the middle of the hallway. After a moment she seems to recollect her bearings, smoothing down her blazer unconsciously as she calls out a slightly strangled, “Dani, hi..!”
Dani’s glad her jaw had the decency to snap shut as the other woman approached, but unluckily her eyes did not have that same courtesy and raked across her figure, admiring the way the slacks hugged her curves before landing on the low cut of her top.
The elevator doors slid open and they both stepped in, Dani trying her best to not seem like she’s ogling (even though she totally is).
“I feel like we swapped,” Megan started, either not noticing or choosing to not pay attention to the fact that Dani has been shell shocked into silence. “You’re always the one dressed up.”
The Latina’s arms immediately crossed over her body, becoming acutely aware of her lack of makeup and cozy attire.
Sensing her discomfort, Megan immediately backpedaled, words tripping over themselves. “Not that it’s a bad thing! You look really soft, it’s cute.”
The colour on Dani’s cheeks could have rivaled a tomato, her mouth opening to respond before an undignified squeak escapes as the elevator jolts to a stop.
They both simultaneously glanced up at the floor marker, it only reading 5, not L like it should be when they stopped at the lobby.
After a moment of the doors not sliding open or any more downwards movement, the two women looked at each other, Megan reaching over to press the lobby button once again in hopes that maybe the elevator just needed an extra push to get them moving again.
The whole elevator jolts once more before settling in the same position.
“Oh my god,” Megan mutters under her breath as she turns away from the panel of buttons to face Dani, “we’re stuck in the elevator!”
Now, Dani knows she’s tired. But she must be more tired than she thought because there’s no way her neighbour is smiling right now. “…what do you mean we’re stuck?”
The pink haired girl is bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looks around the small space. “We really are stuck!” She reaches forward and presses the call button, waiting for someone to respond.
As Megan is busy chatting with the person from the elevator company, Dani spins in a slow circle trying to catch up with the reality she’s found herself in, the previous tomato colour on her cheeks fading to a sickly pale.
She’s stuck in the elevator.
She’s stuck in the elevator in her pajamas.
She’s stuck in the elevator in her pajamas with her (incredibly well dressed) crush.
She’s stuck in the elevator in her pajamas with her (incredibly well dressed) crush and her burrito is now sitting lonely in the lobby.
Fuck.
It was supposed to be a relaxing evening. Just her, her burrito, and shitty reality tv reruns on the tv. But instead she was trapped, the small space feeling even smaller as the minutes ticked by. The walls warped in her vision, tilting inwards, Dani suddenly feeling both too big and too small for her surroundings.
“Okay I’m going to try and reboot it from here, give me a few moments.” The tinny, speaker garbled voice of the operator filled the small space, Megan’s eyes were wide with glee as she diverted her focus back to the other woman. “Did you hear that? They can restart it remotely, that’s so cool!”
“Uh huh, yeah…” Dani’s hands started to shake, her bones feeling like they were vibrating in her skin.
All of a sudden the lights went out and Dani let out a short scream, hands reaching out and grabbing Megan’s arm without conscious thought. Her grip is tight, chest rising and falling quickly, not fully registering the warm hand settling on her back.
The lights turn back on after a few moments and Dani’s grip barely loosens. Her eyes are wide and assessing the space frantically, landing on Megan’s face etched with concern. She becomes accurately aware of the lack of space and multiple points of contact between them, quickly dropping her death grip and taking a step back.
“It looks like that didn’t work,” the tinny voice fills the air once again. “I have someone coming your way to see what they can do.”
“How long will it take for someone to get here?” Dani’s voice rose slightly, panic tearing at the edges of her voice.
“It’ll be 20-30 minutes.”
”Okay… okay okay,” the Latina mumbled, backing towards the wall.
Megan rocked on her heels, clearly trying to figure out what the best way to approach the situation was. After a few moments she hesitantly said, “we’re stuck in an elevator though, that’s cool, right?”
That shocks Dani out of her brain, immediately looking at the woman like she’s spontaneously grown three heads.
“I’ve always wanted to get stuck in an elevator. Side quest, y’know?”
Dani let out a deep groan, sliding down the wall and burying her face in her knees. “You jinxed me with your crazy elevator wishes.”
That got a soft smile out of Megan, words slipping out on instinct. “I’m happy it’s you I’m stuck with.” She immediately realizes what she said and tries to backpedal. “Uh I mean, well I could’ve been stuck in here with Jim, so uh yeah, that would’ve been uncomfortable.” Her eyes are wandering, refusing to stay focused on anything longer than a second. “You’re much prettier- I mean nicer! You’re much nicer. Yeah I’m gonna shut up now.” The groan that escaped her mouth is an almost exact mimic of the one Dani let out moments ago as she sits down on the opposite side of the elevator.
The space between them goes silent, heavy with their stolen glances and an undercurrent of Dani’s growing anxiety. Her fingers clenched rhythmically around the soft fabric of her pajama pants, mind so focused on not letting the panic escalate and waiting out the 20 minutes that Megan’s slight confession went over her head. She tried her best to focus on her breathing, taking out her phone and refreshing her email to have something to do.
30 minutes pass by agonizingly slow. At some point the initial excitement wore off, Megan opting to scroll through TikTok rather than make a fool of herself by attempting to talk again.
Finally, the intercom starts back up again. “Our technician just let me know that she wasn’t able to reset the elevator. Unfortunately you’re stopped between floors so opening the door and having you crawl out isn’t a possibility. I have already called the fire department and they will be on their way shortly.”
Dani’s eyes widen, phone forgotten as her fingers dig into the flesh on her calves. “I just wanted my burrito and now I’m stuck in this stupid elevator.” Her breathing starts to grow slightly more erratic, eyes screwing shut trying to avoid the feeling of the walls creeping closer. Any attempts to ground herself were quickly failing, her heartbeat resembling a jackhammer echoing through her chest.
Seeing the panic escalate, Megan moves closer, kneeling in front of her with her hand a respectful distance away. “Hey, hey,” she starts, voice a soothing hush. “Dani, take a deep breath for me, just like this.” She slows her breathing down, exaggerating the inhale by puffing her chest and blowing out with force on the exhale. “In… and out… Can you do it with me?”
Megan does a couple cycles of exaggerated breaths to no avail. The woman in front of her was clearly too far in her head to register the world around her. Getting worried for her lack of oxygen intake between strangled breaths, the pink haired woman reaches out and pries her hand away from her calf and places it on her chest over the smooth fabric of her white flowy top. Megan holds the woman’s hand there, letting her other hand rest atop her knee.
“Can you feel my breaths? Just like this…” she resumes her exaggerated breathing, sighing in relief as Dani gasps out a couple breaths. “That’s good, you’re doing so good.”
Dani’s vision had gone unfocused, the harsh fluorescent lights streaking through the fuzziness. The weight of her hand on Megan's chest and Megan’s hand on her knee were the only things keeping her tethered to reality. She feared she would float away if she let go. The rhythm of the woman’s heartbeat stayed a consistent lub dub, her breathing deep and rhythmic. Her body followed the example, leaning into her touch as her lungs expanded and the fuzziness in her vision faded.
As her heartbeat slowed, Dani dropped her forehead, making connection with the top of Megan’s hand on her knee. She let herself revel in the comfort momentarily before her brain helpfully decided to inform her that she currently had her hand on her crush’s chest.
Yeah, totally normal, no freak out required.
Between the continuing low thrum of anxiety and the proximity to her crush, her stomach was tied in knots. Dani quickly pulled away her hand, cheeks flushing as she gave a shy smile she hoped conveyed gratitude. “Thank you. I’m sorry, I don’t really know how that happened.”
Megan smiled, moving from kneeling to sitting right beside her. “No need to apologize, I’m just glad I could help.”
“I didn’t even think I was claustrophobic,” Dani exclaimed exasperatedly. “But we’re just stuck floating here. What if we’re here for hours? What if the cables snap?! What if-“ she was starting to get worked up again, breathing quickening as her mind supplied the many possible worst case scenarios.
“Whoa,” Megan interrupted. “First of all, I promise we’re not just floating. Elevators are held up by multiple cord systems so we’ll be okay. Second, modern elevators are really smart and there are so many safety systems in place to prevent us from free falling even if something did break.” She starts a mini tangent on elevator safety mechanisms, how the tension between the cables, the emergency brakes, and the shaft stoppers were all there to keep them safe. “Yeah, all of that and the backup cables are all mechanisms purposely designed to prevent us from plummeting to the ground.” She ends her tangent, looking up and meeting Dani’s wide eyes. The tension in her arms is a pretty good indicator that despite her best intentions, the safety shpeal did not have its intended helpful effect.
“Sorry, probably not what you want to hear right now.”
“Yeah,” Dani winced in agreement. “I didn’t even think of the possibility of us falling to our deaths.”
Megan’s shoulders tensed, looking down in guilt. “Sorry, I was just trying to make sure you knew we were safe even though it’s scary.” She lifted her head, eyes meeting Dani’s in earnest. “It’s okay to be freaked out, but we will get through this together, I promise.”
Silence blankets the space for a few moments, a faint mechanical status the soundtrack to their existence. Dani was visibly trying to remain calm, her breaths keeping an exaggerated pace.
In a moment of boldness, Megan reaches out and grabs Dani’s hand. “Why don’t we play 20 questions? It could be a good distraction.”
The curly haired woman nods, looking intently at their joined hands but not finding it in herself to let go.
“Okay, uh, what’s your favourite food? We’ll start easy”
With barely any hesitation Dani responds, “ropa vieja. Especially when my mom makes it.” After a moment she adds, “although right now I really want my burrito which is waiting downstairs and is definitely going to be cold by the time we get out of here, and oh god, we’re going to be stuck here for so long Megan.” She was starting to get worked up again, her grip on the other’s hand tightening.
Megan’s eyes widened, “shoot, bad question, sorry.” Her thumb starts rubbing soothing circles on the back of the other woman’s hand unconsciously. “I can order you a new burrito though, I’m sure it won’t be super long now. Do you want to ask me a question?”
“Why is this the first time I’ve seen you in anything other than your running attire?” The question gets blurted out, having been top of mind since she laid her sights on the tailored outfit in the hall.
The pink haired girl smiles slightly. “I work from home pretty much all the time, they only need me to go in for meetings or really big problems. Today was my mandatory in-office meeting so I had to dress the part.” Her hand that wasn’t occupied smoothed down the side of her blazer before settling in her lap.
Dani nodded along, a selfish thought nagging at the back of her mind that she wishes Megan would go into work more often so she could see even more of her in business casual. “What do you do for work?”
“Hey,” Megan said in mock offense, “it’s my turn to ask a question!” The Latina rolled her eyes good naturedly but gestured for her to continue with her free hand.
“What’s your go-to coffee order?”
They bounce easy questions back and forth for a little bit. Dani learns that Megan works in tech at a relatively large company downtown. Simple things like cats or dogs, favourite colour, favourite ice cream all get answered while they still remain connected by their hands. Dani’s grip had loosened over time, what started as a source of comfort from panic becoming a grounding tether to the bubble created around them.
“What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?”
“Yeesh, I’m not sure,” Megan responded, gazing off to the side as she truly thought of the answer. “Someone once told me they liked my dimples and that was really nice considering I kinda hated them as a kid.”
Dani’s free hand flew to her chest. “You hated them? They are so cute.” Then she adds on almost shyly, “it’s one of the best parts of my day when I see them.”
The afformentioned whisker dimples make an appearance, the tips of Megan’s ears turning red as she quickly moves the conversation along. “What’s your go-to dance move?”
The Latina beams, “I love salsa. Not really a specific move but I’m counting it cause it’s a lot of fun and I’ve been doing it pretty much since I could walk.” She takes a deep breath, deciding to be a tad bolder. “What do you look for in a partner?”
Megan’s thumb stilled momentarily from where it had been tracing patterns on Dani’s hand, the red from the tips of her ears spreading down her neck as she diverted eye contact. “Uh, someone kind, that’s attractive. Someone who is active so we can do things together. They’d like to go on adventures but also like to cuddle on the couch and watch movies.” Before Dani gets a chance to respond, the next question gets asked— more like blurted out.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Dani sucks in a breath, quickly shaking her head. “No, no boyfriend. My ex-girlfriend and I broke up a couple months ago.” Having averted her eyes, she misses the way the pink haired girl’s eyes light up slightly. “You?”
“I haven’t had a boyfriend since university," she responded. Almost as an afterthought she adds awkwardly, “I’m very bi though…if that matters…”
They make brief eye contact before looking away, gaze falling on their joint hands. Dani gives a soft squeeze which Megan returns before asking the next question quietly.
“Do you like when people are direct with their feelings?”
The Latina nods, looking the other woman in the eye as she responds, “yeah, I do.”
Megan visibly swallows, breaking eye contact as the next question “what’s your ideal first date” floats through the air. She takes a moment to think before responding, “something simple, nothing too fancy, but enough to show that they cared and put in effort.”
Their eyes meet once more, knees pressing together and their joint hands resting where they touch.
“Your turn,” Dani says softly, fearing if she spoke any louder the delicate thrum between them would shatter.
She watched as Megan’s eyes flitted down, then back up, her own tongue running over her lips unconsciously. The pink haired woman’s mouth opened and shut once, taking a deep breath before asking,
“Would you want to kiss me?”
Dani’s eyes drop to her lips, starting to lean in before the elevator jolts and her grip on Megan’s hands tighten once more.
The bubble of safety that had been created between them popped, the reality of the situation once again creeping up her spine.
Megan looked up at the ceiling in pure offence as the grate was moved, the faces of two firefighters peering down replacing it. She glanced back at Dani, squeezing her hand softly in an unspoken promise to continue their conversation later before pulling herself up to her feet and extending a hand out to the woman on the floor.
The one firefighter lowers himself into the elevator, two harnesses in hand. “Hi ladies, my name is Theo, my partner up there’s name is Brandy and we’re going to get you out of here.”
A bittersweet smile spreads across Dani’s face. Never did she think she would wish to be stuck in the elevator longer, but it seemed like cruel fate to have been interrupted right as she was given the chance to act on her multiple week long crush. ”How do we get out?” She asked.
Theo stood on the elevator floor, laying out the two harnesses on the ground. “We’re going to lift you out onto the next floor up. The rest of our team is waiting for you up there.” He motioned to the two leg holes formed by the straps and rope. “I’ll get you to step in there. It’s almost like a rock climbing or zip line harness.”
Both women stepped into their respective harnesses, hands finally separating. The fireman made quick work of fastening all the straps and buckles for both of them, testing that they were secure.
As Megan was getting hers adjusted, Dani looked up for the first time to see where they were about to go. She had a clear view of the inside of the elevator shaft, grey concrete walls and thick black cable, a tunnel that seemed to go on and on until it stretched into nothing. Her face pales at the sight. “…we’re going up there?”
“Yep,” Brandy called out from above. “We’ll get you hooked to the cable and lift you up.”
Dani’s breathing started to speed up once more, frantically looking around the space before landing on warm brown eyes.
“Hey,” Megan started. “Take a deep breath for me, that’s it.” She took a step towards the trembling girl, rubbing her hand up and down her back in a soothing pattern. “We’re going to be perfectly safe, these guys do this all the time.”
Theo shot them a thumbs up before finishing hooking up their cables.
”Just think, you’ll get your burrito at the end of this and it’ll all be worth it.”
Dani laughs weakly, “I think my burrito has probably been stolen by now.”
The pink haired woman smiles, squeezing their joint hands once more. “Even so, we’ll finally be out of here. You go first, okay?”
Theo repositioned the wires, hooking Dani’s harness to the mechanism before flashing a thumbs up to the firefighter above them. As Brandy was shouting “all good!” to the remainder of the crew on solid ground, Megan reached out and squeezed Dani’s hand one last time.
A yelp sliced through the space as Dani’s feet got lifted off the ground, her eyes immediately closing as she death gripped onto the cable she was told she could touch.
Megan’s voice echoed through the elevator shaft, yelling out words of encouragement as she made her ascent.
What felt like eons later, she felt a hand on her waist and her feet hit the plush carpet of the 6th floor hallway. The firefighter at the top helped her get out of the harness and she let out a massive sigh of relief.
“Dani, this is so cool! You can see the elevator’s motor!” Megan’s voice shouted from below. The Latina hesitantly peered down into the open abyss, met with the view of her crush waving wildly at her as she’s hoisted through the air.
Megan rejoins her on solid ground and without second thought Dani flings her arms around her neck in a hug. The pink haired woman froze momentarily before her brain caught up and brought her arms to encircle the smaller woman’s waist.
After a few moments of being lost in the jasmine and coconut scent of her hair, Dani realizes what she did and backs away quickly, diverting her gaze to her feet.
They quickly thank the firefighters before making their way to the stairwell.
“Let’s go get you your burrito.”
The descent to the lobby is relatively quick, the almost kiss hanging over both of their heads like a fog.
They stop by the mailroom first so Megan can collect the mail she forgot to grab on her way in from work before heading to the food drop off spot. Sure enough, Dani’s burrito was long gone, someone’s groceries being the only thing left behind.
Her face drops, a frown etched on their face as they make the climb up to the 7th floor, refusing to trust the elevator.
“After all that and I don’t even get my burrito,” the Latina sighs.
“I did say I would order you a replacement so we can do that when we get upstairs,” Megan starts, coming to a stop on the stairs and looking down at the junk mail in her hands almost bashfully. “Or, I was about to cook dinner… would you maybe want to join me?”
Dani had paused as well, a shy smile and light flush spreading across her face. “I-uh, sure, yeah, I’d love to.” The answer is immediately worth it when she gets a big smile with full whisker dimples in response as they start walking again. “Let me go change first though. I’m not sure my Winnie the Pooh pants are appropriate attire,”
“No, don’t change. You look beautiful.”
The rest of their climb is spent in relative silence, slightly laboured breathing and the clunk of their steps filling the air.
Once they reach the top, Dani heads right down the hallway coming face to face with Megan’s door once again. Instead of chickening out this time, she takes a deep breath and follows inside.
They both toe their shoes off at the entryway, Megan immediately rushing around and trying to tidy quickly. “I’m so sorry, excuse the mess,” she said as she shed her blazer on a barstool and headed into the kitchen.
Dani stood back and watched, her heart once again a jackhammer between her ribs, this time out of a good anxiety rather than fear. As she watched the confidence in which Megan moved through the kitchen, her hair once again in a ponytail revealing the curve of her neck, the way her lips moved as if she was saying the instructions to herself under her breath, all of it made her want to take the jump.
“Megan?” She asked, walking towards the kitchen and stopping right in front of her. “Can we continue our questions game?”
The pink haired girl was focused on sautéing the vegetables in the pan, stirring carefully before fully removing the pan from the heat. She turned her whole body to give Dani her undivided attention. “Yeah, of course,” she murmured, the fragile air building once more.
“Would you want to kiss me?”
Dani perfectly echoes the question she was asked 30 minutes earlier, tentatively resting her hand on the other woman’s waist.
With nothing but the faint residual cracking of the vegetables in the pan filling the air, Megan stepped closer so their hips were flush, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek.
“I would love to.”
Their lips met in the middle, a slow, sweet, tentative press. They separate momentarily before joining again once more, getting bolder as they went on.
Dani’s arms travel from her waist to on her shoulders, fingers tangling in the soft waves. Megan keeps one hand on her cheek, the other on her waist, both drawing maddeningly slow circles that were driving the Latina crazy.
Their tongues danced together, exploring the landscape of their mouths. Megan tasted sweet, the faint flavor of the sauce covering the vegetables flooding her senses.
As they pulled away, their foreheads stayed pressed against one another, chests rising and falling steadily in their shared space.
Dani was the one to break the silence, fingers tracing lazy patterns at the base of Megan’s scalp as she murmured,
“For the record, I’m glad it was you I was trapped with too.”