DEUS, DONA MIHI PATIENTIAM!/ God, give me patience!
Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property by the writers of The Vampire Diaries and CW. No copyright infringement is intended. Only the plot belongs to me.
Author: TLC
Rating: PG/ High Teen
Word count: 1,806
Prompt: "My neighbour has a really squeaky bed and my bedroom is right below theirs" (AU/AH)
Bonnie loved New York – sure it was loud, dirty and really you couldn't walk out on the streets without a Taser or a pepper spray but it had life. Something that Mystic Falls never did for her. She didn't even mind that people were rude and that the chance of finding a cab was on the same level of trying to catch a unicorn. And even against the odds, Bonnie was happy living in her apartment complex in Hell's kitchen. Only a three storey stone building with six separate units. She actually got along with most of her neighbours – the Korean family of five on the first floor that constantly tried to convince her to go to church with them; Maria across the hall that worked at the mechanics down the street and even Mrs Craven (the landlord) that had the apartment next to the Yeong's who always liked to snoop through her mail when she wasn't home.
But the guy that had recently rented out the apartment above hers – she did not like. At all. Three weeks here and Bonnie's only seen him twice and she could admit that the guy was really cute yet even a puppy dipped in fluffy bunnies wouldn't be cute enough for her to forgive for making her lie awake at night unable to sleep cause of his ridiculously squeaky bed.
It sounded as if a mouse was being squeezed like a stress ball.
If that wasn't bad enough, apparently the ceiling to floor barrier wasn't thick enough to block out the incessant moans and 'oh god!s' that came from his bedroom.
Thanks to the revolving door of women that came from upstairs, Bonnie knew the guy's name – Kol. Three letters, one syllable, easy to scream – she couldn't miss that.
After the first time, Bonnie had let it go. She didn't want to be the stick in the mud neighbour that complained about the noise level constantly and wore headphones around her own home but she was in her sophomore year of college working her way to journalism school. Bonnie was up at all hours reading, studying, writing – basically just trying to keep up the with the white collar ivy-league students and Kol and his 'guests' disrupting what little sleep she can get was going to drive her insane.
So Bonnie did let it go… for about a week. After six sleepless nights filled with the repetitive bounce of rusty springs and the nauseating sex noises, Bonnie threw herself out of bed and stormed up to Kol's apartment.
Her hands were clenched into a fist as she banged against his apartment door, for a moment the squeaking stops (thank fuck) and Bonnie took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"I'm busy! Whoever you are!" Kol yelled from inside and she rolled her eyes with an exhausted sigh.
"It's your downstairs neighbour!" She shouted back – a little louder than necessary, "Please come to the door!"
There's some shuffling and Kol and his 'guest' talked in muffled tones before he came to the door. It swung open to reveal Kol in a pair of boxers with a disgruntled look on his face.
"What?" He grunted, Bonnie resolutely focused her eyes to his face because wow, are those abs photo-shopped?
"Um," She mumbled then shook her head clear, "I'm Bonnie – your neighbour. Hi, nice to meet you – blah, blah, blah," She carried on in a deadpanned tone, waving a hand in the air and she saw his lips twitch for a second, "Anyways can you please try to keep it down? Or at least bang it out on something quieter because it's 3:45 in the morning and I've got an important lecture at eight."
"Wait – you can hear me, us from your place?" He asked her, surprised and Bonnie mentally curses the heaven because of course he had to have an accent.
"Yep, with excruciating clarity." She said with an obvious grimace.
Kol gasped in what she could venture in sarcasm as he clutched his chest, "I feel so violated."
She glared up at him, her mouth tipping downwards, "Seriously?"
Kol snorted. "Lighten up, darling. This is New York; you should be used to hearing disturbing sounds at all hours."
"Well I'm not so if you would be so kind…" She almost pleaded.
"Sure…" Kol agreed then gives her a filthy grin, "After tonight. Right now I have something to finish."
She screwed up her face in disgust but before she could protest he shuts the door in her face.
"Asshole," Bonnie muttered under her breath as she walked back down to her place, stopping in place when she heard the springs of a bed screeched in protest. "Oh, come on!" Bonnie groaned to the ceiling.
# # #
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The next time she ran into Kol was in the laundry room a few days later, she was sitting on a washing machine waiting for her load in the dryer to finish when he jogged into the room with a basket.
"Hey," He greeted, "Its Bonnie right?"
She nodded yes but didn't bother to say anything. Out of the corner of her eyes, she sees Kol wince as he puts his clothes in one of the washing machines beside her. He pours in a cap full of disinfectant into the load then feeds some change into the meter to turn it on.
Kol moved to leave but Bonnie finally spoke up, "You know there's a standard rule to not leave your clothes unattended in the machines, right?"
He spun on his feet to look back at her, "Like anyone cares, everyone does it." He answered and to himself he scoffed, "Probably not you right? You seem like a rule follower."
Bonnie clenches her jaw, annoyed, "I'm just making sure you're aware."
He smiled thinly, "I'm aware. Thanks."
They stared at each other with narrowed eyes for a few seconds before Kol finally left, rolling his eyes. Ten minutes late the dryer slows down and Bonnie gets her clothes out. As she leaves she looked at the machine Kol's clothes were in contemplation, coming up with the idea that she'd probably regret later.
Well, he told her to lighten up – right?"
# # #
# #
#
She's watching a documentary on wolves in North America when there's shockingly loud knocking at her door; Bonnie peered into the peephole and found Kol standing in front looking angry and impatient. She can't help but smile to herself though as she opened up,
"Yes?" She teased.
"You left my clothes on the roof." Kol spat out through gritted teeth, shoulders stiff and hunched while his fists were clenched.
"Do you have proof?" She pointed out, smirking proudly.
Kol whined in frustration then howled, "You left my wet clothes on the roof!"
Bonnie pulled her lips back to muffle her chuckles, glancing away when he glared at the motion, "Are expecting a confession of some kind or…?"
"What the hell – Bonnie?"
"Did I or did I not told you the rules for the laundry room?" She argued and his face scrunched up at her tone, "And FYI Kol playing music while you're 'entertaining' does not deafen the sound of the ratchet excuse for a bed."
He laughed, haughtily, "Perhaps you should invest in an effective pair of earmuffs, darling."
"I shouldn't have to wear earmuff in my own apartment!"
"And I shouldn't have to be concerned about my nosey downstairs neighbour when I shagging the perky redhead from Starbucks!"
"You're disgusting and this isn't over." Bonnie screeched and took extreme pleasure in slamming the door in his face.
"I certainly hope not!" He called after her.
# # #
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#
She was going to kill Kol.
There was going to be blood and screaming and it was going to be more than a little psychologically traumatising.
Another four sleepless nights, another four nights where Bonnie stared up at the ceiling wondering if she could set his bed on fire from sheer willpower alone and another four nights that she trolled on Amazon for some noise cancelling ear phones.
Her eyebrow twitched, as she listened to Kol exaggeratedly moaned, his bed bouncing from the act.
Screw the headphones, Bonnie huffed.
She had something else in mind.
Besides murder.
# # #
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#
Bonnie groaned as she heard Kol's voice outside of her apartment calling for her. She should've expected this, when she went through with the idea to inform Mrs Craven about Kol's loud night time activities. To be honest though she kind of hoped that he would take an avoidance approach to her now, so she wouldn't have to look at his stupidly handsome face.
Why did the asshole have to be so pretty?
With an exhausted sigh Bonnie opened up her door, and Kol was leaning against the doorway beam with his arms behind his back looking strangely amused.
"You called?" She huffed, crossing her arms defensively.
He clicks his tongue against his teeth making a 'tsk' sound, "Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie – you little tattle-tail."
"It was either that or me storming through your place with an axe and bleach."
Kol's eyebrows arched swiftly in response, "Well I should thank you for your merciful solution."
"Whatever." Bonnie rolled her eyes, and gripped onto the door handle, "Are we done?"
"No, actually I came with a white flag or the delicious treat equivalent of one," He paused and one of his arms moved in front of her with a chocolate cupcake in his hand. "It's from the bakery down the block that Maria said that you liked to go to."
"You talked to Maria about me?"
"She offered some unwanted advice which I took anyways." Kol told her with a cheeky grin.
Bonnie unwillingly smiled back at him, "Huh? Okay – um – thanks Kol. I guess we're even?"
"Not yet."
She frowned, shocked, "Excuse m-"
Her words was stifled when his mouth fell on hers and she inhaled something bracing, minty and oh. The kiss was soft and her eyes flutter close at how gentle it felt before she sunk into him. Her palm (the one that didn't hold the cupcake) stretched up and settled on his broad chest, while his arms curved around her waist. She was already panting by the time he slowly pulled away from the kiss, leaning down and pressing his forehead on hers as he cupped her ass. Bonnie blushed with a yelp.
"Now we're even." He murmured pinching her right cheek then hopping away when Bonnie swatted at his shoulder.
"Get lost Kol!" She growled.
Laughing, Kol shouted, "Enjoy the cupcake – cupcake!"
"Oh my god." She shook her head, baffled and closed the door behind her. Bonnie took a bite out of the dessert, licking at the frosting.
Good cupcake, she mused, And good kisser.
