Over the next two weeks, Mark and Grant met a few more times at the PT facility but they never seemed to run into each other at their apartment complex again.

That is until one morning…
When Grant found Mark sleeping in the hallway.

Thankfully, this time Mark was at least wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt.

Their apartment building was shaped like a laid down T, with the elevator and stairs at the base of the T, and their apartments nearby.

Grant never had a reason to step into the perpendicular hallway at the back of their floor until that morning.

“Mark?” Grant said, stopping in his tracks as he spotted Mark in the corner, behind a plant with his knees tucked in and his head against the wall.

Mark startled, waking with a jump, eyes looking from side to side before settling on Grant.

“Morning,” Mark said as if the scenario were no big deal.

“Morning,” Grant said.

He waited for an explanation, but Mark just grinned at him.

“What are you doing here Mark?”

“What are you doing here?” Mark quickly countered.

“Mrs. Reynolds is gone for the week,” Grant said, pointing at the apartment door next to the plant. “She asked me to walk her dog in the mornings.”

“Oh…” Mark said, scooting away from the door. “Been here less than a month and you already know our neighbors better than me…”

“I made the rounds when I moved in.” Grant said, he looked at Mark for a moment then added, “knocked on your door but no one answered.”

Mark stared at him, “You made the rounds?”

“Yeah.”

Mark narrowed his eyes. “Of introducing yourself? To everyone who lives here?”

“That’s what that implies, yes.”

“So, what you knocked on everyone's door and said, hi I’m Mr. Rogers, your new friendly neighbor, I just moved in and wanted to introduce myself?”

Grant crossed his arms. “Is there a point you’re trying to make? Or do you just like over-explaining things?”

“No, no, sorry, I just…” Mark paused, smiling lightly before continuing, “I wish I’d answered the door.”

Grant nodded and pulled out a set of keys, turning towards Mrs. Reynolds’ door.

He paused before putting in the key and turned towards Mark again, still sitting there on the floor next to the plant.

“I almost taped some popcorn to your door,” Grant said.

“What?”

“I bought popcorn,” he winced as he said it, “was going to tape them to everyone’s doors with a note that said, Just popping by to introduce myself, Grant Rogers, your new neighbor, 442!”

Mark grinned wide. “I would have liked some popcorn.”

“I talked myself out of it, settled on just knocking… I still have the box of popcorn at my place. You can have some if you want.”

Mark nodded, “um, yeah sure, thanks.”

Grant reached for the door again but paused, “how long have you lived here?”

“About a year.”

Grant was about to say something else but was interrupted by a dog whimpering and clawing on the other side of the door.

“I think you’ve teased him long enough,” Mark said with a smirk, “time for your walk.”

Grant nodded and opened the door, careful as he stepped inside to not let the dog out.

He came out less than a minute later, a small shaggy dog leading the way. It instantly bounded towards Mark- who was still sitting on the floor next to the plant- and started licking his face.

“Ryan,” Grant said, trying to get the dog off Mark.

“She named her dog Ryan?” Mark said in between chuckles as the dog nipped at his face.

“Yeah… Mark,” Grant said, voice turning more serious, “you said you used to hide out in my apartment, right?”

“That makes it sound bad,” Mark said, focusing his attention on Ryan the dog, giving it all the pets and scratches he could.

“Since then, what have you been doing? This?” Grant said, eyeing the plant wearily.

“Well, you don’t have to say it like that,” Mark said, glancing up at Grant before patting the plant’s pot, “I like my one on one time with Miss Planty.”

Grant sighed and looked at Ryan, who had happily settled on Mark’s lap.

“Wanna walk him with me?”

“Um," Mark said, checking his watch as he guided Ryan off him and stood up, "sure…”