[C] In Case of an Emergency...

Ciro pressed the ground floor button to his apartment's elevator then stretched his arms above his head, patiently waiting as it went down.

It was early morning and he was prepared to head off to the rink. Wearing tight-fitting (and designer) sportswear and a large duffle bag slung over his shoulder, stuffed with his skates and spare clothing for after.

He had a hard day training ahead of him to perfect his routine for the next competition. The silver medal from the world cup still a sore memory. There were just a couple of points between himself and the gold medalist.

But he wouldn't let himself be knocked down by it. He had his few days of moping about. Now it was the more reason to push himself and prove himself - even if the competition wasn't was big.

Maddox hated life this morning.

He'd spent the night out with Willow, which always made a good time and a horrible day afterwards. He'd slumped back to his apartment at four am, and toppled onto his couch, refusing to move.

Until he'd been woken up nice and fucking early the next morning. He'd attempt to fall back asleep, but the problem had persisted until he forced himself off the couch.

He'd made a dash for the kitchen to find coffee, and despaired when he realised he didn't have any left.

A brisk shower had woken him up a little, but now, hanging out of his ass, grumpy and suffering from a terrible need, Maddox waited for the elevator to reach his floor.

He was decked out simple, in dark jeans, a black shirt and heavy boots. His hands were stuffed into the large pockets of a designer leather jacket, and dark sunglasses were perched on his nose.

His feet thumped against the metal flooring of the elevator when it opened to him, and he slumped against the wall with a little grunt, pulling his hand out of his pocket for long enough to give the guy already standing in the elevator a little wave.

He was in a shitty mood, but he was rarely too unfriendly with the people he lived with.

"Morning," Ciro said cheerily at the small wave.

His eyes lingered on the unfamiliar man. He hadn't seen him around here before. Taking in his clothes and his hungover look he wondered if he was even a resident here at all.

He knew Siena on this floor got the other resident's tongues wagging with her wild nights out and the number of guys she brought home. Maybe he was one of hers.

He paid no more mind to it and faced the door, humming the tune he will no doubt be listening to all day.

Then he felt the elevator stop. The doors didn't slide open. It didn't keep doing down. It didn't even just start going back up. It just... stopped.

Ciro frowned and button mashed the control panel in hopes of getting it moving again. It didn't.

"I think it broke?" He said, unhelpfully, to the hungover man.

His head tipped in a nod in return to the far too cheery greeting.

He kept his head down, his fingers pattering uselessly against his leather-clad arm, until he felt the elevator stop.

"Why today?" he grunted, pushing his damp hair out of his face. "You got a phone on you?"

"Yeah, I do."

He took off his shoulder bag and dug around in its side pockets. He only pulled out an old wrapper. Frown deepening he bit his lower lip.

"I definitely had it on me this morning..."

He patted down his own pockets before dropping the duffle bag on the floor and opening the main compartment, frantically searching through it.

"It must be here somewhere. I never leave my apartment without my phone," he insisted, checking the smaller compartments again. They were as empty as the first time round.

Eyebrows brought together he gave the other man a horrified look of what do we do now?

Maddox's lips parted in disbelief when a thorough search-through of his bag.

He usually had his phone on him, but it had died some time during the night and was sat on his kitchen counter, charging. He didnt think he'd need it just for running out and getting some coffee.

He was never going to leave his phone at home again.

"Let's hope there's someone in security around right now," he sighed as he pushed the emergency button on the elevator.

Nothing.

Fucking A.

"Make yourself comfortable. We'll be here until someone decides to call in."

"What? No. I am meant to meet my coach today."

He also tried the emergency button, holding it. Then took frantically pressing it. There was still nothing.

He let out a disbelieved whine and sunk to the floor, hugging his knees.

"Maybe someone will want to use the lifts soon and notice it's not working," he said, hopefully. Mostly to himself.

Maddox dropped to the floor, making himself comfortable with one leg bent. He rested an arm on the upturned knee.

"It's the asscrack of dawn. No sane person is up at this hour."

He estimated that it'd probably be an hour before people decided to start moving from their nice warn bed cocoons. That was usually when he left the house, at least.

He chewed a little more on his lip before straightening.

"There is that little old lady on the bottom floor that gets up at God knows what time for her early morning swim! She will be back soon! Maybe-" he stopped himself talking, already realising the flaw.

"She lives on the bottom floor," he groaned, hitting his head on the glass wall.

There was no reason for her to use the lift.

"Nice try," came the sarcastic reply.

Maddox had resigned himself pretty well to sitting here, without coffee or hope, for an hour or two.

His coffee better be the best coffee he's ever tasted.

Ciro ignored the sarcasm and straightened out his legs with a sigh. The reality of the situation sank past the stage of panic and through to resignment.

"I'm Ciro," he said, after a span of silence.

Might as well get to know the guy he will spend an unforeseeable amount of time with before they could be saved.

"I'm on the top floor - the studio apartment."

He raised a finger up.

"Maddox," he replied.

He pressed the back of his head against the cool glass.

"Just moved into 11-B last month." He'd settled in pretty well so far. Not that he spent much time in his apartment to begin with. He spent too much time out and about.

"Oh, I didn't think you lived here," he said bluntly, fine eyebrows raised in surprise.

Dark eyes flickered up and down at Maddox's appearance again.

"I've been here for about a year now," he went on, "although I haven't been around much these past few months - probably why we haven't bumped into each other sooner!"

Maddox arched a brow under his dark sunglasses. Well fuck him and his opinions. His clothing cost wore than his fucking car. This jacket was proper Italian leather, and these jeans weren't fucking cheap either.

"Yeah, that must be it."

It had nothing to do with the fact that Ciro actually thought leaving the house at this time in the morning was a good thing, while Maddox himself was only out this early for a dire emergency.

Ciro tapped his trainers together as he hummed, not realising the offence he caused.

"Do you like it here?" He asked, nudging more conversation out of Maddox.

"Besides the judgy rich snobs? Yeah, it's great."

Please let someone suddenly become an early morning health nut that wanted to go for a run, but didn't want to use stairs.

Please.

Ciro stopped tapping his feet.

"Huh, I wouldn't say that. I think everyone here is lovely. Old, but lovely."

Rich? Yes. Snobs? No. At least, he didn't think so.

"Have you met Siena yet?"

He thought they were lovely because they were cut from the same cloth. He'd given him a once over and assumed just as everyone else had done here.

"Yupp."

He'd met her the first night. Nosy as fuck, but nice enough.

"That's great! The three of us are the youngest ones here. Everyone else is, like, over forty."

His eyes light up with an idea and he clapped his hands together.

"Maybe we should all get together sometime for a few drinks? I mean our schedules can be pretty hectic but I will have a little more free time soon!"

He beamed at Maddox as if they were chatting over lunch and it wasn't early in the morning and they were stuck in an elevator.

"Kid, she'd eat you alive if you went drinking with her."

She'd eaten him alive the first night he'd arrived. Granted, he had enjoyed every minute of it, and they'd fucked a couple more times since then.

But this kid seemed so bright and cheery. He couldn't imagine her sticking her claws in him.

Ciro cocked his head to the side.

"But I already have?"

Granted, he couldn't remember much of it - or any of it for that matter. He remembered drinking shot after shot at this club with her. Then a bunch of her friends came along and invited them to a boat party... and that was about it. He found himself on a bench in the marina the next day.

"Why would she eat me alive?"

"You're kidding? How old are you?"

Cute, young Asian kid like that? Hell, he'd eat him alive given half a chance. There was no way Sienna hadn't if they'd already gone out drinking together.

The only way it wouldn't happen is if the kid was underaged, but he certainly didn't look fourteen.

"Twenty-two," he said. His fine brows knitted together in confusion over Maddox's surprise.

"And how old are you?" He asked, out of curiosity. Seemed a little unfair for the other man to know his age and for him to not know his. Although he would peg him to be in his late twenties.

Twenty two.

How did Sienna not get hold of him?

"Twenty nine." Maddox gave a loud yawn and ruffled his hair again. It was almost dry now.

"One more year and you'll be an old man," he teased, watching the other man yawn.

"Long night?" He asked.