The pipes leaked.
Raven saw the drips from his cupboard underneath his sink. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Thank goodness I didn't unpack anything under there yet," Raven said with a shake of his head. He heard a meow and saw his grey tabby saunter over. At the sight of the small pool forming under the sink, the cat walked over and started to lick up the water.
"Damnit, Gravy, no," Raven said, moving the meowing cat from the water. "I don't know where that water has been."
Raven sighed and put the cat down by his food bowl. He grabbed a can of food and that stopped Gravy from moving anywhere near the puddle.
"Okay, one emergency down," Raven said, turning back to the puddle. "One to go."
He opened the cupboard doors. More water flowed out. Raven chuckled.
"And I just had to leave my tools in storage."
Gravy meowed. Raven turned, his long, black hair falling in his eyes. He smiled, the apartment light reflecting off his lip ring. "Yeah, I know. Still."
He got to his feet. Walked over and collected the bucket he used to mop the floors the other day. He placed it under the sink and grabbed his cell phone.
"Time to call someone to fix these leaks."
***
A knock at the door made Gravy jump and run. Raven walked to the door and nodded at Gravy.
"If they came this quick I may--"
He stopped as he opened the door.
There, stood a woman. A young woman. Maybe nineteen. Blonde hair. Skinny frame. Wearing a work belt that hung off her slender waist and threatened to fall to her knees. She carried a toolbox that looked like it weighed as much as she did.
She looked more like a model playing a repairperson than a real one.
"Name's Lucy," she said in a thick southern accent, walking inside. "You uh, Crow or something?"
"Raven. Parents were wannabe mystics," Raven said, closing the door behind her. "And you are the maintenance person?"
"Niece of," Lucy said, whistling at the bucket underneath the sink. "My uncle's out drunk. So I figured I would come and help him out."
Raven raised an eyebrow of concern, looking at Gravy. Gravy meowed.
"Cute cat," Lucy said, squatting in front of the sink. Raven tried not to notice the very firm ass of Lucy in the jean shorts.
"So, the maintenance man here, your Uncle..."
"Aw, he's not so bad. Most of the time. He just won at the slots the other day and partied a little too hard. He's a good man."
"And you---you know what you're doing?"
Lucy rolled her eyes and took out a wrench. "Nah, I just picked up all these heavy tools today and thought I'd fuck around in a cute guy's apartment. See what I can break."
Raven chuckled. "Okay, okay, I give. I didn't mean what I said."
"Then say what you mean, Mister. I learned under my Uncle for years. Probably can fix this stuff better than he can," Lucy said, leaning down under the pipe. "Ah. Yeah, I can fix this."
Raven watched the spitfire of a woman work. Something dragged across his mind. A half-smile appeared on his lips. Gravy shot him a knowing, disapproving look.
"Cute guy, hmm."
Lucy chuckled. "Quick on the pickup, aren't you? If you haven't noticed, this city isn't that large. Someone of your look doesn't usually last long here."
"My look?"
"The whole goth thing."
"It's not really goth, more--"
"I like the lip ring."
Raven touched the lip ring. "Oh. Well, thank you."
"You wanna fuck after this?"
Gravy meowed and left the room. Raven choked on his saliva. "Excuse me?"
"I'll clean up. What? You're cute, I know you're staring at my ass. Why not?"
Raven said a silent prayer of gratitude to the cosmic energy above. "I'm not staring at your ass."
Lucy shook her ass, drawing his attention. "You sure are now."
"You are straight-forward."
"Ain't got time to be anything but," Lucy said, reaching in and grabbing a few more tools. "In life, you take a chance."
Raven sat against the cupboards and slid down, sitting beside Lucy. "I like your attitude."
"Why did you move to a small city like this?"
"I wanted a change of pace."
"That gothic lifestyle getting boring?"
