Disclaimer: I own nothing but a warped imagination and a strange sense of humour
A/N: Sometimes my brain gets kind of excited...that kind of happened here
Love Your Neighbour
"Klaus, it's time." Stefan states towards his friend. By the look on Klaus' face anyone would have thought Stefan had just spoke in a sincere voice worthy of a horror film and was referring to Klaus' allowing him to eat his brains. However, that certainly isn't the case.
"Nope, nope, nope!" Klaus replies in a rather childish fashion, folding his arms and pouting at his friend from the sofa.
"Klaus, you've lived in this apartment for two years, it's about time you got to know your neighbours." Stefan sighs, not removing his eyes from Klaus.
"I don't want to get to know the old cat lady. I borrowed some milk from her last week and let's just say it didn't taste how milk should. Also, she pinches my bum when we're alone in the elevator. From that I think I can safely say I know her well enough."
"I'm not talking about the old cat lady, I'm talking about the neighbour, or neighbours who live that way." Stefan informs him, pointing in the direction of Klaus' bedroom to signal to the neighbouring apartment which contains the neighbour whom Klaus hasn't bothered trying to get to know.
"I don't even know who lives there, probably just another old cat lady, or maybe even some weird bearded biker who enjoys wearing arseless chaps." He states, picking at a thread on his jeans.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Exactly as it sounds. I don't know who lives there. Gender, hair colour, height, all a mystery to me and I'll be glad if it remains that way."
"You've never seen them?" Klaus shakes his head. "Not even going in or coming out of the apartment?" again Klaus shakes his head, his nostrils flaring slightly. He sneezes. "For all you know they could be dead or something."
"More reason not to attempt to get to know them. I'm not feeling the zombie vibe this situation's giving off." Klaus answered sarcastically, unfolding his arms and making himself more comfortable.
Stefan sighs. Klaus, this really isn't cool. I mean, think about it this way – one day you seriously need help a—" he's in the middle of 'setting the scene', when Klaus interrupts.
"—What kind of help? Am I dying? Being chased by an axe wielding psychopathic serial killer?" he asks, eyes wide and lighting up like an excited child.
"Wha?—No, it doesn't matter what kind of help, just something really, really serious." Stefan informs him. Klaus' face drops, "and imagine there's no one around except for the person living there…who are you going to turn too?"
"It doesn't sound very serious," Klaus pouts. "I'd just give you a call, you're always around…like right now, around, even when I'm not entirely sure I want you to be." Stefan's mouth drops open. "Besides, it's not like that would ever happen. The old cat lady's always here too, I'm sure she'd love to help me no matter what. I look like a toyboy she used to have apparently."
"Klaus, you're going round there now whether you like it or not." Stefan says in an authoritative manner, his hands made into fists and resting on his hips like some form of superhero.
Klaus snickers before smirking. "What exactly are you going to do? Make me?" he mocks, chuckling to himself.
"Actually yes." Stefan states, grabs hold of Klaus t-shirt and pulls him up from the sofa. Stefan tightens his grip around Klaus' chest as he drags him kicking from the apartment. "Klaus, stop struggling, you're going to look like an idiot if they open the door to see a grown man acting like a child in front of them."
"Yeah and it will be all your fault." He replied, folding his arms. "You can pay my fees when I get committed to a mental asylum." He informs him, stopping his loosing struggle and pouting at his apartment as he's pulled from it, heels dragging across the floor as Stefan huffs and continues to drag him. He's soon stood in front of the door marked '3C', Stefan blocking his escape as he raises his knuckles to the door.
+Knock, Knock+
There's noise from inside the apartment, shuffling getting closer to the door, followed closely by the sound of a lock and chain being undone. The small noise echo's down the long hallway. Stefan hears Klaus gulp nervously. Seconds pass by like hours and the door opens slightly. A young blonde girls stands in the gap dressed in jeans and a spaghetti strap white top. The two men gawp.
"Um hey, can I help you?" she asks, looking between the two of them for an explanation as to why two strange men are knocking on her door, one of them looking particularly nervous and shifty.
Stefan is quick to answer, realising Klaus seems to have lost his ability to speak. He smirks towards his friend knowingly before turning back to the girl. "Um yeah, sorry to bother you, it's just we wanted too, well actually no, he's your neighbour and I thought – well no, he thought it would be a good idea for him to come and introduce himself since you're neighbours and all."
"Oh, right. You're the guy who watches Love Actually every single night?" she asks, pointing towards Klaus who only manages to nod, blush and swallow loudly. She smirks. "Well if that's the case you can come in, you want some coffee or something?" she asks, turning away from them and walking into the apartment, leaving the door wide open.
Stefan looks to Klaus who looks like he's about to run, but before he has a chance Stefan mouths a 'oh no you don't' and shoves him into the apartment, closing the door behind them. "Yes please." Stefan answers, hoping he didn't notice the delay.
"What about you?" she turns to Klaus who's gawping slightly.
"Uh, wha?" he shakes his head. "Um yeah, coffee, thanks." He mutters. Stefan snorts, resisting the urge to laugh as Klaus blushes ever so slightly.
"So, I'm Stefan, this is Klaus." Stefan says, nudging Klaus in the side.
"I'm Caroline." she introduces, turning away from the coffee machine to flash them a smile. "Is he a partial mute or something?" she asks Stefan, peering peculiarly at Klaus as he stares at the floor.
"No, he's just kind of shy when it comes to new people." Stefan lies. Klaus is many things, but shy certainly isn't one of them, even in the face of new people. Klaus however is known to be sort of shy when it comes to people he finds extremely attractive.
"Figures. He obviously isn't mute from the way he blasts out Queen's 'Don't stop me now' in the shower most mornings." She gives a coy smile. Klaus' mouth opens wider in shock. "Hey, walls are thin, but good music taste." She remarks, putting the steaming coffee into mugs. "You can sit down y'know." She points to the large white leather sofa.
They sit down, Klaus looking around the apartment. It's just a typical apartment – not much stuff lying around, the theme being minimal. There's no sign of anything personal, the only pictures being abstract paintings and posters over the walls. As he looks around he wonders if Caroline is single. There's nothing of a giveaway, nothing to single a man's been in the apartment, but then again no one would know if they looked around his apartment. I mean, it's not like she's going to have a huge sign above the TV saying 'I'm single in case you were wondering.'
Klaus chuckles silently at the thought and mentally cursing himself for jumping the gun. He barely knows the girl, for all he knows she could be a total bitch or even gay.
"So, what is it that you do, Klaus?" Caroline asks as she hands Klaus his coffee before sitting down on one of the large white armchairs.
Klaus struggles to speak for a moment, but quickly shakes his head and clears the other thoughts from his head. "I work at Walters Book store, you might of heard of it?" he says, making as much conversation as possible in fear of the room going silent. That way his thoughts could run wild…again.
"Yeah I've heard of it, opposite The Grill, right?" she asks, taking a sip of her coffee. Klaus nods. "And what do you do, Stefan?"
Stefan shifts uncomfortably in his seat as Klaus lets out a snorting laugh into his cup before giggling rather girlishly. Stefan shoots him a glare before clearing his throat. "I work in a florists." He admits, shifting once more as Klaus continues to chuckle away quietly.
Caroline bites down on her lip, resisting the urge to laugh. "That's, nice." She offers an answer before taking another sip of her coffee.
Before long the three of them are laughing away, even Stefan who has to admit it's funny that a rather butch guy like himself would ever work in a florists.
"Before you ask, I'm straight, I just happen to be a big fan of flower arranging. Besides, I'm happily engaged, unlike poor single little Klaus here" He taunts, pinching Klaus cheek before, taking another drink of his coffee.
Klaus' laughing stops as he turns beetroot red and takes a sudden interest in the wooden floor. He raises his eyes to look at Caroline who's smirking at him curiously. Klaus can't place the look and in all honesty, he doesn't want too. All he wants is for the ground to open up and swallow him whole, spitting him out somewhere far away from Stefan and Caroline. He leans to the side and gives Stefan a harsh elbow in the ribs.
"Okay, don't get all defensive on me." Stefan chuckles, placing his mug down on the table. "Well I better be going, I've got some flowers to arrange. I'll leave you neighbours too it." Before Klaus can object Stefan nods and smiles towards Caroline before walking towards the door of the apartment, making sure to mouth a 'go for it' to Klaus, only succeeding in making him blush further. Stefan leaves, shutting the door behind him and leaving the two neighbours in silence.
"So," Caroline starts but Klaus interrupts.
"Sorry about that, he's always doing or saying something embarrassing, I'll be going." He goes to get up but stops as Caroline gets up from the chair and sits next to him.
"There's no need to leave. I was just going to ask how long you've lived here?"
"Around two years." Klaus answers quietly, unable to meet Caroline's gaze. "Yourself?"
"Around three years." Klaus nods. "I don't remember seeing you moving in. I convinced myself you were some 40 year old, old-school rocker type guy who drove a moped. I must admit with the whole Love Actually thing did give me my doubts." She commented with a small chuckle, sipping her coffee again.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I would have introduced myself earlier, it's just I borrowed some milk from my other neighbour, the old lady and it tasted…well not how milk should taste. I convinced myself you were just another old lady who would have strange tasting milk. Either that or a bearded biker with arseless chaps." He admitted. Caroline chuckled, shaking her head from side to side.
"Good excuse. The last time I checked I don't have a beard, or wear assless chaps and I certainly wasn't an old lady and judging from the way you're hugging that mug, my milk doesn't taste funky." She laughed, pointing towards Klaus' hands which were wrapped tightly round the warm mug. "I know the old lady you're on about, I swear she touched by butt one time when we were in the elevator."
"She does that to me." Klaus shuddered.
"Aw, I thought I was special and her only one." She said sarcastically, a fake pout on her lips. Klaus laughed, no longer feeling as uneasy and embarrassed as he was before. "See, I'm not that uncomfortable to be around." Caroline smiles as Klaus finally meets her eyes.
Klaus looks at Caroline's eyes for the first time. They're a greeny blue colour, strands of her black hair hanging forward and brushing against her lashes every time she blinks. He snaps out of his trance, realising he's been staring for maybe a little too long. "Uh, sorry, I'm going to go now." He mutters, placing his cup down rather clumsily on the table.
Before he has a chance to get up Caroline's moved forward and pressed her lips against his. Klaus takes a few moments to realise what's going on, but as he feels her tongue brush lightly over his lips he smiles and gives in to the kiss.
8 months later…
Things are going great. Klaus' finally stopped being a nervous stuttering idiot and is lay comfortably on his sofa with Caroline watching Love Actually
"Weird isn't it. A few weeks ago you were thinking I was a weird cat lady with strange tasting milk or some bearded biker dressed in buttless chaps." Caroline says outloud. "Who'd have thought we'd end up like this?"
"I think Stefan had an idea. He's a sly one."
"Ah yes, Florence Flowerman." Caroline snorts before they burst into laughter. Stefan's no longer referred to as Stefan by the two of them. Much to his dismay, the combined minds of Caroline and Klaus thought up his new nickname and decided to publicly announce it to him in the middle of the mall. Stefan refused to speak to either of them for a good 2 hours before they won him over with a chocolate chip muffin.
"I'm glad he did though. If it wasn't for him you wouldn't have ever come to see me, I'd be sat all alone listening to you singing through the wall, all the while you'd be just through the wall watching Love Actually on your own for the millionth time and blasting out your rather out of tune rendition of Don't Stop Me Now at uncool hours of the morning." Caroline mocks. Klaus looks up to her and fakes a glare, only to have the end of his nose kissed, causing him to smile.
"Well you know what they say, you've got to love your neighbour." Klaus smirks, pulling Caroline on top of him and kissing her deeply.
Caroline pulls back, gasping for breath and feeling light headed. "Y'know, when they save love your neighbour, I don't think they mean literally."
"I don't hear you complaining." Klaus grins, pulling Caroline up from the sofa and leading her into his room. "Now show me how much you love your neighbour." He growls before shutting the door behind them.
The End.
Thanks for reading!
