You meet your neighbor again

You walk upstairs to your apartment, tired. You want nothing else but fall on your bed and sleep in your quiet room. However, you hear someone whistling. You look up and see your new neighbor in front of his apartment, looking for a key to it. He's dressed the same as in the morning, except he now had headphones resting on his shoulders. Except for his whistling you could also faintly hear the music coming from them.

'Hey, Jane!' he says cheerfully, noticing you.

'Hi, Josh,' you greet him and pass him.

'Tiring day at work?' Josh asks.

'Yep,' you answers. You're not in a mood for a conversation. You quickly enter your apartment and sigh heavily. Why did you have to get such a cheerful neighbor?

***

For the next days you keep bumping into your neighbor. It annoys you, as he's always cheerful and keeps listening to that blasted music while his headphones are on his shoulders, meaning you're to listen to it as well. At first, you try to ignore it. But then you start to complain about him to your co-workers, which seems to amuse them for some reason.

One day he knocks on your door. At 21 o'clock. You're already in your pajamas. Luckily it's the one with long sleeves and long trousers. But still. Hello, can you see the time?

'Josh,' you say, forcing to sound nice. 'How can I help you... at this hour?'

'Yeah, I'm sorry,' he says sheepishly. 'I know it's late. But I promised to bake cookies for a friend's daughter. He also called at the last moment and I agreed at first, but... I'm out of flour. And the closest shops are already closed. You don't happen to have some, do you?'

'... Let me check,' you say and move to the side. 'Come in.'

Josh beams at you and enters your apartment. He follows you to the kitchen and looks around while you check how much flour you have.

'You have a nice kitchen,' he says.

'I like to cook and bake,' you say dismissively and pass him your flour. 'Here you go.'

'Thanks!' Josh says with a grin, taking the flour from you. 'You're very nice. Really.'

For some reason that makes you smile. You start wondering about it but are distracted by the music coming from his headphones. To your surprise it's not annoying this time. In fact, you like it.

'I'll go, then,' Josh says and turns to the front door. 'Thanks again.'

'Wait!' you blurt out. You frown. Why did you stop him? Josh turns, looking at you quizzically.

'That music... what is it?' you ask after a moment.

'Oh, that?' Josh asks, touching his headphones. 'Uh, it's actually my mix. I like to put sounds together in a free time. You like it?'

'Yeah,' you answer before you can stop yourself. 'It's very... relaxing. Something I lack these days.'

'Well, in that case, why don't you listen to it tonight while falling asleep?' Josh asks, taking off his headphones. 'Call it paying back for allowing me to borrow your flour at this hour.'

He hands you the headphones and his iPod. You take it hesitantly. But before you can give it back, Josh is already out of your apartment. You shrug and go to your bedroom. You get into your bed and warily put the headphones on.

It's different to have the music flow right into your ears. But to your surprise you find yourself relaxing. Soon enough you're asleep, the music still playing in your ears...