Chapter Text
There was a mouse living on the floor beneath him.
Seemed fitting really, little mouse scurrying under his feet. Mason didn’t pay him much mind, just caught the scent of him here and there. The mouse had the sense to hide from him so he never actually saw him.
Until last night.
The asshole across the way was screaming at his girlfriend again. Mason heard him as he came home from work and rolled his eyes as he unlocked his door. They did this every other day, it seemed. Mason had always ignored it and did so again, going into his apartment and shutting the door.
He was just flipping his television on when he smelled the Mauzhertz. Surprised, he set the remote down and sat up, looking in the direction of his door. Then he heard knocking but it was across the way. Little mouse was knocking on the door of the screaming couple. How oddly brave of the little thing.
The screaming stopped, Mason heard the door swing open and curious, he stood and made his way to his own door. He didn’t open it, only cocked his head and tried to listen.
“Uhm, I-I just wanted to see if everything was all right.”
“It’s fine, Marty. You should go.”
The woman, sounding worried and shaken. Marty was it? Marty the mouse.
“Who the fuck is at the door?” Big booming voice of the asshole and then the sound of a scuffle.
“Lenny, please!” The woman begging again and then the soft startled squeaks from the mouse.
Mason opened his door and was utterly surprised by that. It hadn’t been a conscious decision but oh well. The three people in the hall were staring at him so he stepped smoothly out of his apartment.
“Is there a problem?” he asked cooly, eying the man in distaste. The girlfriend had her hands on his chest, like she was attempting to block him from the Mauzhertz. The mouse was huddled against the far wall but the fact that he hadn’t already gone scurrying away was surprising.
Lenny turned his glare at him but Mason just returned a stony stare and it didn’t take long at all before the man dropped his eyes.
“Don’t give a fuck.” Lenny muttered before disappearing back into his apartment, leaving Mason with the woman and the mouse. She turned to him, makeup smeared and face splotchy from tears.
“Thank you.” she said, attempting a weak smile. “He only gets like this when he’s drunk, really. Thank you too, Marty.”
The last said to the mouse who was slowly peeling himself away from the wall. He wasn’t meeting any of their eyes, head hunched low.
“It was nothing.” he mumbled and then scurried away, darting past Mason and down the hall. Mason watched him leave, feeling a little amused by the whole thing. Funny mouse, trying to be brave.
The woman was talking to him.
“Thank you again,” she was saying. “I’m sorry we make so much noise.”
He waved a hand.
“Don’t worry about it.” He glanced back down the hall where the mouse had gone. “Marty help you a lot?”
The woman’s smile was genuine as she answered.
“Marty? Oh yes. He lives right under us, so I guess he hears it all. He’s such a sweetheart, you know?”
She paused a moment and then blurted out,
“I’m Natalie by the way. It feels so strange, we’ve been neighbors for months but I’ve never introduced myself.”
Mason took out his wallet, plucked out one of his cards and handed it to her.
“Mason Snyder. You ever need anything, my number is on the card.”
Then he went back into his apartment, putting the little Mauzhertz out of his head.
*
In the morning, he saw Natalie as she was getting into her car. She smiled at him and gave a little wave that he returned. The scent of the Mauzhertz lingered in the air, already gone for the day Mason figured. He slid into the front seat of his car, ran his hands around the steering wheel before starting the engine.
Work was boring. The same thing over and over. People injured, wanting money. Most were assholes but a few here and there were actually as hurt as they said they were. Mason always found it a little refreshing, these people who told the truth and seemed utterly bewildered that they lived in a world where that wasn’t always rewarded.
Mason always worked just a little bit harder on those cases. He tried to win all his cases, of course, and usually did but the truth-tellers… Well, he liked to give a helping hand whenever he could. Mason was a Lausenschlange; a snake in the grass. Lying was his nature, the milk he’d grown up on and quite frankly he was a little charmed by the few honest souls he’d come across.
Of course, he was also willing to help those who lied and cheated. If they did both well enough, who cared if it wasn’t the truth? A win was a win and if the person who lost was too stupid to see the lie, that was on them.
That was how the world worked, after all.
It was only as he was driving home that he wondered about the Mauzhertz. He supposed it was a little odd that they had lived in the same building for so long. A Mauzhertz and a Lausenschlange didn’t really cohabitate in any way shape or form. If any other Creature came along they’d probably wonder what was going on.
Mason hadn’t really thought about it, truth be told. But it was strange that the mouse hadn’t moved out as soon as he moved in. Marty had been there first, he recalled, though at the time he hadn’t paid much attention. Why would he? Mice were such simple little Creatures. Barely worth a thought.
When he reached his door, the apartment across for his was silent, no yelling or shouting or sounds of things being thrown. Either Lenny and Natalie weren’t home, or they were actually getting along for once.
They were quiet all night, whatever the reason was; no need for a mouse to investigate. Mason told himself he wasn’t disappointed and went to bed.
*
The next morning he was just getting into his car, various other neighbors doing the same when the Mauzhertz came barreling out of the building. He ran straight to Mason, half in half out of his seat.
“I-I wanted to thank you.” the mouse stuttered, obviously terrified but standing his ground. He was darting looks over at the other people in the garage. Reassuring himself that Mason couldn’t do a thing to him if there were witnesses. “For helping Natalie.”
Mason pulled out of his car and while the mouse flinched, he didn’t run. Mason leaned against his car, lifted his hands and spread them wide.
“What I’m here for.” he said, with a charming snake smile. Marty just squeaked and scurried over to a beige car getting in and zooming out of the garage. Mason watched him go, still smiling. Funny little thing, all right.