This is a request for Kasi-nee-chan. Thanks for the idea hon! Rated T.

The air conditioner gave a pitiful choked noise followed by the quiet rumbling of the engine dying out. It was only his second day living in the new apartment complex but Ivan's patience was already thin.

It had all started with the packing process. Thanks to help from one of his friends, his favorite vase had not survived the move. Next he had arrived without a copy of his keys only to find the building's Super was out sick. Which made it necessary to make several phone calls so that he could track down a copy of the key.

He was certain he had heat stroke after so many trips up flights of stairs to pile his boxes into his new living room. The weather report had said it would be a comfortable day. The meteorologist had smiled on television and promised a cool breeze before the summer heat set in. Liar.

He did not like to think he was a irritable sort but there was no air conditioning now. It was the last straw. His eye twitched as he grabbed his phone and dialed the main office.

"Braginsky in unit J4. Air conditioning broken. Fix it quickly," he said icily, leaving the message and hanging up.

He headed into the bathroom to try and cool off with a nice cold shower. After that he cleaned up a bit before turning in for the night.

The next morning he woke up, his head pounding as he groaned and rolled over. It took him several minutes to realize that it wasn't his head but a rhythmic sound of a boom box playing thumping beats that was pulsing in is skull.

Wonderful he thought sitting up with a sour expression. His first day and already he had to contend with noisy neighbors. As he stumbled out of bed he wondered what sound system could make it sound as if the music was coming from his own living room? Later he would retaliate with Tchaikovsky.

"Coffee. The coffee," he said in a sleep roughened voice as he got up, shuffling into his living room. When he turned into the kitchen he came face to face with a small woman who shrieked while he skidded back against the opposite wall and gasped.

She wore a blue bandana, and a tank top and cutaway shorts with several tattoos on her bare firm arms. He barely noticed that her blue eyes were wide and she seemed just as startled as he.

"J-just take whatever you want! I won't call the cops!" Ivan insisted wildly looking for something he could defend himself with.

"Christ you scared the shit out of me!" she said accusingly as she folded her arms, emphasizing her sizable breasts. "I'm the maintenance crew chowder head. I knocked but ya'll didn't answer so I let myself in."

He stared at her dumbly, looking past her into the living room where he saw a box of tools and step stool next to the ruins of the air conditioning unit.

"Oh," he said feeling foolish as he looked down with a blush. Thank god he'd worn a t-shirt and boxers to bed.

She grinned up at him and shrugged.

"I like getting an early start. Keeps the residents happier that way," she confided before walking back into the living room to do her work. "I should be done before lunch Mr. Braginsky. Heh is that Russian?"

"Yes it is," he replied calming down as he shakily searched for coffee grounds.

"That's cool. Not a bad accent either," she said over her shoulder before staring at the machine in front of her. "The bad news is she's dead Jim."

When Ivan only blinked and gave her a peculiar look she cleared her throat.

"Right no Star Trek jokes. This baby's good and busted. So I'm going to get you a brand spanking new unit okay?" she said giving him a thumb's up which he returned with a small smile.

"Thank you that was would wonderful."

"No worries sugar," she said with a grin before collecting her things and heading out. "I'll be back so don't freak out when you see this pretty mug back in your living room."

"I will do my best," he said dryly, running a hand through his hair.

XX

He sighed in relief, letting the cool air whip his hair and face on full blast. The air conditioner was a godsend on the scorching July day. True to her word the maintenance woman had completed her work well before lunch time and then left with a smile and a wave. She'd chattered on about the building, giving him tips as a new resident about getting around in the complex, neighbors to avoid, tricks to make use of the small space in the flat. He'd barely been able to get a word in edgewise as she talked but now that the temperature was under control he was not bothered by it.

Nor was he bothered by the way she looked working. He might have peeked at her muscles flexing while she fixed his problem and the way her shorts rode up a little on her thighs. And there had been a few times when he had been sure she must have been flirting with him. But no, she must have just been doing her best to welcome him to the building.

Ah well. Perhaps he would have a chance to see her around. Her and her cute thick thighs.

XX

He had been about to complete his first home cooked meal in the new dwelling. A favorite of his, stir fried orange beef with rice. But the soy sauce he had been so certain he had packed was absent.

Sucking up his shyness he decided to meet some of his neighbors by inquiring if they had any sauce he could borrow. Was that not what neighbors did?

He walked out and heading to the unit at the end of the corridor and hesitated before knocking briskly.

The door opened to reveal none other than his first visitor, the lady who had saved him from a muggy apartment.

"Hey there sugar," the maintenance lady said with a friendly smile. My but she looked so different from before he thought blushing a little.

Her hair hung in soft curls that were restrained by clips and a matching red sundress gave her a softness despite the ink fully visible on her arms.

"Is the air conditioner doing the job?" she asked politely until he remembered himself and nodded.

"Yes thank you! But I was just making dinner and I-"

"Aww you inviting me into your swinging bachelor pad for a meal?" she inquired with a wink.

"Ah…" he began to correct her when he found himself once again flustered by those beautiful baby blue eyes of hers. "Yes. There is plenty for two."

"Swell. I was going to order some pizza but this sounds like a much tastier offer," she admitted eyeing him up and down.

"Th-there is just one small problem. I was wondering do you have any soy sauce I could borrow for what I am cooking?"

"Huh I don't know," she said nibbling on her lip before turning and heading into her apartment.

He could not help looking inside. It was tiny and painted a sunny yellow color with a love seat. He spotted some laundry hanging up on a makeshift clothesline hanging across the living room also. He cleared his throat when he saw some lacey lingerie and decided it was best to keep his eyes in the hallway for now.

"Oh wait I think I have some packets from the last time I got Chinese takeout!" she called triumphantly as she stepped out of her kitchen.

"This should be enough," he nodded as she held up three packets and slipped her feet into a pair of heels.

"I'm Amelia by the way," she told him, nearly eye level in her red shoes as he smiled.

"That is pretty. Like you," he said daring to flirt with her as she grinned back. "Call me Ivan."

XX

"This is good," she repeated for what was probably the tenth time. After each bite she couldn't seem to believe how yummy it was.

"I am glad you like it," Ivan said with a smile as she topped off her wine and refilled his glass. "The secret is orange juice. It gives the sauce its sweetness."

"Who would have thought that stuff was good for something besides getting some vitamin c in the mornings huh?" she said shaking her head. "Thanks for having me over. Especially what with me inviting myself and all."

When he started to protest she just laughed.

"It's okay. I know you came over to borrow the sauce," she said looking at him over the table with a smile. "I may be blonde but I'm not stupid."

"Then next time I will invite you over even when I do not need anything fixed or borrowed," he replied lifting his glass of wine.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," she chuckled before clinking her glass against his.

"You have made me feel very welcome," he admitted shyly before taking a sip of wine.

"Just wait til we get to dessert sugar."