Lucas woke up to music.
Not loud.
Not intrusive.
Just enough to exist.
It bled faintly through the wall, steady and unbothered, like whoever was playing it didn't care if anyone else heard—but also didn't mind if they did.
Lucas stared at the ceiling for a second.
"…Alright," he muttered.
He rolled over.
2:00 AM.
Right.
The system.
As if on cue—
[Daily Pull Available]
Lucas let out a quiet breath and sat up.
"Let's get this over with."
He pressed it.
The spin started.
Bright symbols blurred.
Slowed.
Stopped.
[Reward Acquired]
Pocket Lint (Common)
Lucas blinked.
"…You're kidding."
He held up the tiny clump between his fingers.
No glow. No effect. No hidden meaning.
Just—
Lint.
He stared at it for a long second.
Then dropped it.
"Yeah," he muttered. "That tracks."
The screen disappeared.
Silence returned.
Then—
The music again.
Lucas looked at the wall.
Knock. Knock.
The music stopped.
A second later—
Knock. Knock.
Lucas smirked.
"Alright."
He grabbed a shirt, pulled it on, and stepped outside.
---
Jane was already on the porch.
Cigarette in hand.
Barefoot.
She glanced at him like this was normal.
"You knock like that often?" she asked.
Lucas leaned against the railing. "Only when someone wakes me up."
Jane took a drag. "You're welcome."
"That wasn't a thank you."
"Sounded like one."
Lucas shook his head slightly. "You always up at two in the morning?"
Jane shrugged. "Sometimes."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you get."
Lucas smirked faintly.
Fair.
She glanced at him. "You just wake up or you always look like that?"
Lucas looked down at himself. "Like what?"
"Like you lost a fight with sleep."
"That's because I did."
Jane laughed quietly.
"Rough night?"
Lucas leaned back slightly. "Got something useless."
Jane raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Lucas shook his head. "Yeah."
She didn't press.
---
They stood there in the quiet.
Street empty.
Air cool.
No pressure.
Jane broke it.
"You eat?"
Lucas glanced at her. "That your go-to question?"
"It works."
"Yeah. I eat."
"Cool. There's a place nearby."
"That good?"
Jane made a face. "It's not terrible."
"That's not convincing."
"It's not supposed to be."
Lucas nodded once.
"…Alright."
---
They walked separately.
Met at the sidewalk.
Jane glanced at him. "You move fast."
"Had to."
"Running from something?"
Lucas looked ahead. "Maybe."
Jane nodded like that was enough.
"Good."
"You keep saying that."
"Because people lie."
Lucas smirked slightly. "Yeah."
"They do."
---
They sat across from each other.
Menus ignored.
"So," Jane said, "you just show up, move in, and start knocking on walls."
Lucas shrugged. "Efficient."
"Annoying."
"Also efficient."
Jane smiled faintly.
"What do you do?" she asked.
Lucas leaned back. "Depends who's asking."
"I am."
"Then I don't have a consistent answer."
Jane nodded. "Thought so."
"That obvious?"
"You don't sound stable."
"That's rude."
"It's accurate."
Lucas smirked.
"…Fair."
---
Back at the duplex—
They stopped outside their doors.
Separate.
Same moment.
Jane looked at him. "Try not to be a bad neighbor."
Lucas shrugged. "No promises."
"Figures."
She stepped inside.
Lucas did the same.
---
Later—
Everything snapped back.
---
Jesse paced.
Walter stood still.
Lucas leaned against the car.
"This isn't enough," Walter said.
Jesse groaned. "We just started!"
"And already there is demand."
"That's a good thing!"
"It is a dangerous thing."
Lucas muttered, "Both."
Walter nodded slightly.
"Exactly."
Jesse pointed between them. "Why are you both like this?"
Lucas shrugged. "Because he's right."
Walter continued, "We cannot afford inconsistency."
Jesse sighed. "So what—more cooks?"
Walter looked at him.
"Yes."
Jesse nodded slowly. "Yeah. Okay."
Lucas looked at Walter. "Same setup?"
Walter shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"Better."
Jesse frowned. "Better how?"
Walter didn't answer immediately.
Lucas watched him.
That hesitation—
That mattered.
"We do this properly," Walter said.
Lucas exhaled quietly.
"Yeah," he muttered.
"That's what I was worried about."
---
That night—
Lucas sat on his bed.
The room was quiet.
No music this time.
Just the faint hum of the city outside and the occasional creak of the building settling.
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
New place.
New neighbor.
Same problems.
His mind drifted—
Jesse.
Walter.
Everything speeding up whether he wanted it to or not.
Then—
Knock.
Soft.
Through the wall.
Lucas smirked slightly.
Knock.
He tapped back once.
A pause.
Then silence again.
Comfortable this time.
Not empty.
Not tense.
Just… there.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah," he muttered.
"This works."
And for the first time in a while—
Nothing felt like it was about to explode.