I sure am a BeChloe fan, but we have to admit, I kind of created a new OTP out of Chloe and Stan when I wrote Poison & Wine. Because Beca got her in the end of the story, some hearts got heartbroken, and so I decided to write a one-shot/songfic for all the Sloe fans out there because you, guys, were part of its success as well and you deserve your 'own happy ending' :) I know this is not my best work but I've always wanted to write something about a pantomime which makes this story really special to me. Enjoy! :)


PANTOMIME

I don't know how it started but out of the blue, I thought I was still living my life the way I usually did until I noticed that somehow you turned into someone special, as if you're the very reason why some sort of a supreme being made me exist in this universe. I don't know where and when it started, but I know for sure that the inevitable has already happened. Have you ever heard that song When You Say Nothing At All? Okay, so what if it makes me sound so gay? I'm telling you it's a fact and it's exactly what just happened to us.

It's amazing how you
Can speak right to my heart.
Without saying a word
You can light up the dark.
Try as I may, I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing.

I remember that day you moved into the apartment unit next to mine. Normally, I'm good with first meetings, but then I guess I was too mesmerized by your immaculate beauty. Do you know how hypnotizing those bright blue eyes can be? Or how intoxicating is your ginger hair? What about that smile you usually wear on your pinkish lips, do you know how enchanted they can be? I decided then that I should help you settle down, but every other guy in the apartment building were already at your door to render their service in exchange of a glimpse of your bewitching essence. So, though a little upset, I went back to my unit and played video games all day instead.

It wasn't until a month after that when we shared an elevator ride that I had my first one-on-one encounter with you. However, that so called one-on-one encounter with you meant a brief exchange of small shy smiles followed by an incredibly awkward silence and stealing nervous glances which ended up with me immediately storming out of the elevator as soon as it opened up at the third floor even though we both were going to the sixth floor, but of course you didn't know that yet. Well, it was my desperate attempt to get away from you because I feared that I might embarrass myself even more. And if I did, you could have had the impression that I was such a freak. That scared me to death.

But then I easily regretted my previous action because the second time you saw me was when I accidentally locked myself out of the apartment unit with only my favorite pair of Batman boxers on. I saw your eyebrows furrowed in confusion because first, I was almost nude and second, you thought I lived on the third floor. You made a slow nod to yourself at the realization that the 'freaky guy in the elevator' is in fact the 'freaky guy next door'. You probably thought I was starting to stalk you. Man, you have no idea how many 'fuck' I mentally screamed to myself during that pivotal moment. Fortunately, I guess you could say, you let your eyes dropped down to my abs then pursed your lips together. I figured then that I might have amused you somehow because you gave me this one charming grin and casually walked into your unit. Since that instant, I swore I would regularly work out for the rest of my life.

The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me.
There's a truth in your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me.
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall.
You say it best when you say nothing at all.

There are exactly three grocery stores near the apartment and for some weird world conspiracy, I found you shopping on the same store I shop. When you were wearing that white AC/DC shirt, denim shorts, and dark blue Chuck Taylor sneakers, I couldn't help but quietly follow you everywhere. For some reason, you turned around and I met your eyes. By the look on your face, I know you recognized me but you didn't say a word so I pulled my cart with me and went on to the next rack. But that didn't stop me from stalking you. Yes, this time I was well aware that I was really stalking you already. I tiptoed and tried to search for you everywhere hoping to find you again until my stupid cart bumped into another which turned out to be yours. I met your eyes once again. And that's when I realized that my cart is fully empty. So I hastily grabbed on to the nearest grocery items and dropped them to my cart. You were eyeing me in suspicion and I wondered why. God, I was dropping packs of sanitary napkin into my cart! My jaw just dropped down on the floor and I didn't bother to pick it up. How the hell should I recover from such embarrassment? But I bravely looked back at you and you had this apologetic expression on your face along with this amused smirk on your lips before moving on to whatever's next in your grocery list.

All day long I can hear
People talking out loud (oooh).
But when you hold me near (you hold me near)
You drown out the crowd (the crowd, the crowd)
Try as they may, they can never define
What's been said between your heart and mine.

It was when a letter from a certain Aubrey Posen got lost into my mail that I found out what your name is. Chloe Maeve Beale. I remember Maeve means 'intoxicating' which you perfectly are in a good way. I frantically searched for you on the internet and I found you on Twitter, but you were on private and that sucked. Now, the dilemma was how to give you the letter without you thinking furthermore that I was stalking you because that would make me level up from freaky to creepy neighbor which I couldn't really afford to be. So I decided to ask that Asian girl living in the unit across yours to give the letter to you personally. While she knocked on your door and waited for you to open up, I desperately watched through Lily's peephole. She gave you the letter and you smiled at her in gratitude. Then, I was smiling to myself as well. I saw you smile and all of a sudden, I felt like the happiest person in the world. You didn't know that but yeah, you always had that effect on me, Chloe Maeve Beale.

You had so much of that effect on me that when one night on my way home from work, I saw you sitting all by yourself at the front steps of the apartment building crying your eyes out, I felt like a part of me died as well. I stopped at my tracks and forced myself to come up with an idea to cheer you up. I'd let you cry on my shoulder but I doubted that you would actually do that to some guy you know nothing about except that he's your freaky stalking neighbor. In the spur of the moment, I recalled my little sister, you know, Beca, who as a child would automatically stop wailing when our mother starts to offer her chocolates and candies. So I turned my heel around and ran to the nearest candy store to buy all sorts of sweets available. When I came back to the apartment, I had an armful of chocolates and candies. I hesitated for a moment but eventually forced myself to walk towards you. You followed my every move with your watery eyes but I pretended like it didn't matter as I took a seat next to you. I grabbed a pack of Nerds and offered it to you. Gladly, you acquired it from me causing the tip of your fingers to brush against my skin. I felt sparks everywhere. But the glint of confusion still resided on your face, so I snacked on the gummy worms making sure I'd throw quick silent glances at you from time to time. Thankfully, the plan worked as I had hoped. The tears stopped from crawling out and you started laughing, apparently amused. Nevertheless, you caught me off guard when you held me by the wrist and poured pieces of Nerds into my open palm. I knew I looked too surprised when I turned to your eyes but you only threw a sly smile back at me. We shared how many packs of Nerds, Skittles, and M&M's that evening I just thought maybe, just maybe, we could share a lifetime together too.

The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me.
There's a truth in your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me.
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall.
You say it best when you say nothing at all.

Days, weeks, and months gradually past by and I realized, still, we haven't exchanged a single word. Amazingly, we were entangled in this bizarre real-life pantomime. Considering the social protocol I grew up with, I rationalized then that I wasn't supposed to feel in such a way that I couldn't live without you. I was not supposed to lie awake in my bed at past midnight and think about you. I was not supposed to knock on Lily's door almost every morning inquiring what you two talked about the night before. I wasn't supposed to be pretending that I just got home from work as I wait for you at my door while you drag yourself to your unit just so I could catch a glimpse of you for a good twenty seconds average (I counted). But I was doing all that. Fuck me, but I found myself falling for your charm. Fast.

So the next time we shared an elevator ride, I was so determined not to screw it up not like the way I did when you first met me. You entered the elevator and I pushed on the number 6 button which made you giggle a little bit because you probably had a flashback of our very first encounter in that same elevator. On the second floor, I smiled at you lovingly while you returned with your ever adorable cheeky version. On the third floor, we both chuckled on our own knowing how silly the two of us looked right then and there. On the fourth floor, you looked up to me and your eyes lingered on my face a little longer than a peek, so on the fifth floor, when I realized that it had to mean something, I turned to meet your bright blue eyes and simply froze in place. When we reached the sixth floor and we were supposed to head out to the hallway, I remember you closing the elevator door the instant it opened then I gently grabbed your face and kissed you on the lips. It was the first day of the rest of our lives and even up to this day that I'm about to ask you to marry me, I still believe it's the cutest pantomime story ever.

(You say it best when you say nothing at all.
You say it best when you say nothing at all.)


Next post will be my new series, I promise :)