i don't know how long i just stood there, staring at the door. the brass numbers were drilled on crookedly, the 6 holding onto just one screw. i hated having to fix lights - they were always crackling and like, exploding.

what light should explode? is that even safe? what does the government have to say about this. i would like to know.

i finally knocked on her door, the urgent rapping of my knuckles against the wood echoing down the hallway. just saying, i definitely did not try to see in through the peephole - haha, what creep would do such a thing?

"who is it?"

"huang zitao. i'm here to fix your light." like a boss. because i am the boss.

because i'm the only repairman.

"oh! come in!" it was muffled, but i'm pretty sure she said it. her voice sounded like honey; sweet and heavy. i turned the knob and pushed the door open, the delectable smell of warm pizza greeting me. my mouth watered at the welcoming smell, eyes glazing over.

yikes. i now realized that i forgot to eat dinner. it's alright, i'll get some after finishing this pesky light.

the flat looked like all other flats - a kitchen right when you walk in, a dining room when you walk through. the kitchen and living room were separated by a short wall, and the flat was nothing short of messy - pop cans littered the floor, two empty pizza boxes were stacked near the door, and i counted roughly 14 empty packages of kraft dinner lined up against a wall.

i had never been anywhere so inviting.

the tv was on, the vibrant colours flashing off of my face. suddenly, a figure popped up from behind the couch, cheeks full and tomato sauce smeared over her cheeks. i held back a screech, holding my bottom lip with my teeth tightly, surprised that i hadn't drawn any blood yet.

her dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail at the crown of her head, and i could clearly make out various shades of blue and green mixed in. she was wearing a hoodie and very baggy sweatpants, a box of pizza on her lap. her eyes were wide and curious, giving her an innocent and cute look.

i had never seen a more beautiful sight.

everything seemed to slow down as our gazes met, her eyes dreamily closing and opening. she wiped her lip with her thumb before licking the pizza sauce off of it (which was rather attractive), tucking a hair behind her ear afterwards. the colours softened and a warm yellow glow replaced our current setting, making my cheeks flush slightly.

a soft melody filled my ears, a harp strumming ever so romantically in the background, a breeze blowing through my hair dramatically. her plump lips moved, and i sighed contentedly when i heard, "i love you, huang zitao. will you be my husband and bear my children?"

i was pulled out of my daydream when she angrily snapped at me, hand on hip and pizza box long forgotten. "hey! stay with me! i don't need you zoning out while on the job!"

i blushed rather bashfully, my ears turning a dark shade of pink. "right, sorry." i regretted wearing this crappy old sweater, but i could only hope that the bags under my eyes weren't as visible as they used to be. i need a good first impression.

"as i was saying before you blanked out on me, the light is above the dining table. i'm really not sure what happened, it just popped and wouldn't turn back on, even after i changed the bulb." she tiredly informed me, examining her nails. "let me know if you need anything else, zitao." by now she was standing, arms crossed and foot rhythmically tapping against the tiled floor.

a first name basis, already? we are meant to be. she will be the mother of my children, of all the little zitaos. it will be amazing - we'll own a nice house, i'll teach the kids how to do martial arts, and we'll be a hella badass family. a very cute badass family.

i finally decided to take a look at the damage done, carefully strolling through her kitchen, my toolbox clutched in one hand. i could feel her eyes on me, watching my every move, which made me kinda nervous, to be honest.

i checked her out - i mean it, i checked it out. i think the wiring for the fixture got loose; nothing huang zitao couldn't fix.

and as i looked back at her and saw her smiling so preciously, one thought slammed into me head-on, my mouth falling agape and eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

holy shit, i'm in love.