Based on a AU I found: "my stupid cat sneaked out on the balcony and into your open window and he has this habit of destroying furniture and pissing everywhere so i followed him inside and you came home earlier than i expected and found me in the middle of your living room but i swear i'm not a burglar"

Enjoy :) x

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I knew it would happen. I knew that if I left my window open while I was out, he would get out. I knew it, but I still did it. And now, it was nearing 1am and I had just walked into my apartment to see his collar snagged on the window pane. And by him, I mean my cat. Mittens. You probably laugh at the fact that Beca Mitchell named her cat Mittens, but it is what it is.

I dropped my bag, which was probably a bad idea as it had my Macbook in it, and ran to the window. Poking my head out, I was faced with what I had assumed; my next-door neighbour had left her window open too, and undoubtably, Mittens had gone through it and was now in her house probably undertaking her usual habit of pissing everywhere. If you thought it was just male dogs that did that, you're wrong. I had no choice but to follow him. I eyed the balcony in front of me. It barely looked stable enough to hold a cat, yet alone a human. A cool breeze.. or maybe fear, sent a shudder up my spine. But there was no way I was leaving my neighbour to find Mittens in her apartment.

My neighbour is… clearly audible, let's say. I assumed she was German, as I would often hear some recognisable German swear words coming from next door, usually followed by a sentence I couldn't understand very well. She seemed like an angry person, or maybe just… loud.

I had learnt a little bit of German, after my father had remarried to a German women who, contradicting many stereotypes, was rather lovely.

But back to the present.

I was now on my hands and knees, half way across the not even 1m wide balcony, grasping onto it for my dear life. After what seemed like forever, I made it to the next window, and practically fell inside. It was pitch black, so I had no choice but to make my first goal to find a light switch, then find Mittens. I'm glad it was dark, as I probably looked like quite a fool fumbling about with my hands out in front of me like a zombie, looking for a switch or lamp. I lost count of how many times I walked into possibly the same sofa over and over again, or stood on something on the floor. And then, I found a lamp. I almost cried of joy. Sad, I know. I switched it on and squinted at the harsh light that greeted me. Rubbing my eyes, I took a few steps foreword. The apartment was surprisingly… nice. The walls were a dull, dark red, and the furniture seemed to be themed mostly gold and brown. It seemed quite antique; nothing like I had expected. It was rather cosy though, with the dull light from the lamp nicely lighting the area. I almost forgot what I was doing in there, when I heard a scratching coming from under the sofa, causing me to snap out of my entranced state.

"Mittens!" I whispered, running over to the sofa and dropping to my knees.

I stuck my head underneath, with my butt right in the air behind me. It was quite an unflattering angle, and I was glad the room was so dimly lit. I couldn't see Mittens under the sofa, which was quite confusing as I swear I had heard him under there. I pulled my head out from underneath the sofa and stood back up. Suddenly, I heard a click, and the front door burst open. I was greeted with a wide-eyed woman, of whom I was (rightly) terrified of. She wore tall, dark heels, black leather pants and a black buttoned up shirt to match, with a fishnet top underneath.

We made direct eye contact, and I blurted out, "I'm not a robber!"

That was the first thing I managed to say. Real smart, Beca, like she's going to believe that.

"Wer zum Teufel bist du! Warum bits du in meinem Zimmer?" The woman demanded, slamming the door shut behind her and taking a step towards me. I instantly took a step back, raising my hands up in defence.

"I…I'm your neighbour, my cat… came in through your window, I had to come and get him…" I started. "He has a habit of… peeing on stuff…" I trailed off.

The tall woman, who I was just noticing now she had stepped into the light was breathtakingly beautiful, glared at me. I tried my best to look innocent, which wasn't easy in this situation.

"How ironic that a little Maus chases the big cat." She remarked, smirking. "Should it not be…how do you say…" she started, seemly not being able to think of the word.

"Wie heißt das word das ich meine?" she muttered to herself, scratching her head.

"Reversed?" I suggested, instantly regretting that I even said anything.

"Ah yes, reversed." She continued, taking another step towards me. I would've taken a step back if it weren't for the sofa being behind me.

"Okay, well I'll just be going now, wouldn't want to interrupt your beauty sleep.. not that you need it! My God, I mean, you're gorgeous, I mean what?" I didn't know what I was saying, I was too nervous. I suddenly noticed that we were but a step apart, and I was confused where to look; up at her and strain my neck, or straight foreword, which meant looking right at her-…

"Thank you, little Maus. But you needn't leave yet… not without your cat."

She looked to her left, nodding. Following her glance, I noticed Mittens, leg propped and supposedly marking his territory on the side of a dresser.

"Mittens!" I shouted, finding my voice again. I ran over to the dresser, and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"I'm so sorry, I'll pay for a new one, or a cleaner.. or… I'm sorry!" I spluttered, dragging Mittens away from the dresser, which now had a nice stain on the side of it.

The women laughed, holding up her hand.

"No need," she started, pointing behind me.

I turned around to see a tabby cat sitting on the floor behind me. It rubbed itself against my leg, purring.

"My cat goes there all the time, I think your cat noticed that too."

She laughed, walking over to the window and closing it.

"I won't have you risking life and limb out there again, at least not before you allow me to take you on a date."

I was glad I had learnt German, as it made me feel quite confident.

"Ich würde gerne. Du bist sehr schön" I admitted, smiling. "My name is Beca."

TRANSLATIONS:

"Wer zum Teufel bist du! Warum bits du in meinem Zimmer?"

Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my room!

"Wie heißt das word das ich meine?"

What is the word I mean?

"Ich würde gerne. Du bist sehr schön"

I would love to. You are very beautiful.