Klaus stared down at his bandaged hands and forced a smile.
"Like I've been hit by a truck," he chuckled. "Within 30 minutes of being in this City, I end up in a hospital. My head hurts, my hands hurt, my-"
Klaus shook his head and looked back up at the doctor, "I'm exhausted."
Dr. Smith rested a hand on his shoulder, holding that same smile. "It's okay, moving on can be hard for some," he said, his words carrying more meaning than one.
"Especially when you're cracked on the back of the head with a water bottle. Rare case though."
Both Klaus and Dr. Smith turned their head toward Cleo.
Her smile faltered ever so slightly.
"Too early?" she asked.
"Just a bit," Klaus responded with a wry smile.
They shared a soft laugh, and the atmosphere in the room grew lighter.
"So, Mr. Silas, in the ambulance, we found a small cut on the back of your head." Dr. Smith informed. Klaus nodded, giving him the go-ahead. "Thankfully, there was no need for stitches—you can thank your hair for that," he gestured towards Klaus's locs.
Klaus smiled and thanked him for the compliment.
"Other than that, we also patched up the minor cuts on your palm," his tone dipped down to a caring one. "Whatever you're going through, son. Be strong and be patient. You should never harm yourself, no matter the case."
His eyes met Klaus's with a firm yet gentle intensity.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again, Doc," Klaus replied, a bit of guilt in his voice. Though he didn't know Dr. Smith personally, he could tell he was a great man from those few minutes.
"Attaboy," Dr. Smith smiled. "Now, other than those two minor injuries, you should be fine. Our tests came back negative for any concussions or related injuries."
"Just make sure you drink plenty of water and take it easy for a week or two," he added.
"Thanks, I'll make sure to do just that."
Dr. Smith nodded, "You're clothes are on the chair over there, you're free to leave whenever."
"Though I doubt you'd want to go with all these wires hanging off your body," he chuckled.
Moments later, Klaus took off the hospital gown and put on his former attire.
His head throbbed with every heartbeat, but it was manageable for now. What really bothered him was his palms, not the dull ache in them, just the fact that he harmed himself over someone like Elaine in the first place.
"Speaking of the airport," he turned towards Cleo, but as he looked at her, his voice hitched in his throat once again.
Cleo was slightly taller than most women, standing at 5'8 "—just one inch shorter than Klaus. And now that she stood up, her curves were on full display.
She wore a blood-red blouse that hugged her chest tightly, pushing the fabric to its limits, and was tucked into a tan, short pencil skirt that gracefully accentuated the curves of her hips. With every simple movement, her skirt rode up her thighs, providing access to the world beneath.
Klaus's eyes lingered on her breast for a moment too long, but he couldn't get enough. The allure of her beautiful curves made all the problems of Elaine vanish, even if only temporarily.
"What was that about the airport, BoJack?" Cleo tilted her head with a smirk, snapping Klaus out of his trance.
Klaus cleared his throat. "My suitcases, were they left at the airport?"
Cleo didn't speak; instead, her eyes narrowed into a squint, making Klaus feel exposed under her gaze.
"Alright, alright," Klaus said. His eyes flickered toward hers before shifting back to literally anywhere else. "It won't happen again. Now, can you please stop staring at me like that?"
Her smile broadened, revealing her pearly whites.
"I brought them with me; they're still in my trunk," she replied. "Say, there wouldn't happen to be any bodies in those suitcases, right? Just trying to lift one made me work up a sweat." Klaus smiled at the irony; it was pretty heavy for him, too, so he could understand where she was coming from.
"No bodies," he chuckled. "Just a bunch of books I couldn't bear to leave behind."
"Good, I'd hate for you to get arrested right after being discharged," she sighed in relief. "Besides, we've just started to get to know each other. Can't have you bailing on me yet," she giggled.
Klaus stared at her for a moment, awed and in disbelief. "Was that jail humor?"
She met his gaze, "Maybe~"
"Anyways, I say we start heading out," she chimed. "I may have nothing to do today, but staying in a hospital all day is not on my bucket list."
"Agreed."
Klaus quickly gathered his belongings and swung his backpack over his shoulder—the dormant ache in his palm spiked with the sudden motion. A stifled grunt escaped his lips, but he shook it off.
The two made their way to the door. Cleo chose to walk ahead, knowing the direction to the parking lot.
They reached the door, and Cleo abruptly stopped.
Klaus, surprised by her sudden stop, barely managed not to press against her backside.
"And I don't dislike the stares," She quipped, her lips curling into a sultry smirk. "Just have them in moderation."
She continued forward, sliding the door open and walking into the empty corridors. Klaus, on the other hand, stood there, stunned and flustered as her words bounced around through his head.
'Moderation, huh.' A smile crept onto his lips as he watched Cleo turn a corner. "Wait for me," he yelled, trying to suppress his smile.
In an empty corner of his brain, a youthful voice materialized.
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After a few pit stops, Cleo and Klaus arrived at the hospital's parking lot. She was holding a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, while he had an iced matcha green tea latte. They passed by several gift shops along the way, stopping at every other one, mainly to browse.
Cleo navigated through the parking lot, row by row, and Klaus trailed closely behind with short strides.
From time to time, Klaus's gaze would drift from her back down to the unsubtle curve of her hips. But his gaze would only linger for a short second before moving back up to the graceful flow of her curls.
"Finally," she said, breaking the silence.
She approached a red SUV, the Volkswagen logo clearly visible at the front. Her slim fingers reached into her pocket and pulled out her car keys—along with others. She unlocked the car and then tossed the keychain over to Klaus.
"You can put your backpack in the back seat."
Initially caught off guard, Klaus nodded, tossing his backpack in the back.
Opening the car door, the warm smell of vanilla entered his nostrils and escaped into the parking lot's air. He entered, shutting the door behind him with enough force to register.
Inside the car, everything was neatly kept, with no trash and little to no dirt.
"Nice car," he complimented. He pressed down on the brake and started the engine. "Push to start, huh?"
He smirked, earning him one back. "Nothing special," Cleo replied. "It's still being financed."
Klaus glanced at her with gentle confusion.
"Why you gotta point out the bad?" he asked sincerely. "You still bought it, right?"
"I mean, yeah, but-"
"That's all that really matters," Klaus interrupted, his voice warm and supportive. "Worry about the good because you have a really nice car."
Cleo's smirk widened into a genuine smile.
"You're right, let's worry about the good," she repeated.
"Alright, so where are we heading to?" Klaus asked. His hands gripped the wheel, and his foot rested on the brake, ready to shift gears.
A look of confusion replaced Cleo's face.
"Did you fly here without a place to stay?" she questioned. "Or was that linked to the people in the Jeep that drove off?"
And as if a light bulb switched on, her eyes flickered.
"Speaking of Jeep, why did he throw that water bottle at you, then drive off?" she asked, genuine concern plaguing her face.
Klaus laughed lightly.
"Let's take it one question at a time," he replied.
Cleo nodded her head like an obedient puppy, a stark contrast to her bold and flirtatious nature.
He shifted the car into drive before pulling out of the parking lot—the directions to an apartment complex on the car's GPS.
"To answer your first two questions, I didn't arrive here without a place to stay. I had already signed a digital lease for an apartment downtown beforehand," Klaus said, coming to a pause under a red light. "I was just uncertain about where you wanted to go. Also, I might have been naive, but my mother ain't raise no fool."
Cleo nodded in acknowledgment, snapping her fingers like he read a poem.
"And for your other question," Klaus paused momentarily. "It's a long story."
Cleo glanced at he car's GPS. There was still some time left before arriving at the apartment.
"We have time." She reclined her seat back and made herself comfortable. "But only fifteen minutes, so you can cut it short if you need to."
Klaus smiled.
For the next fifteen minutes, Klaus went into detail about his prior relationship with Elaine and the events leading up to the discovery at the airport.
Throughout the recap, Cleo's face often cycled through a multitude of emotions. She shifted from irritation to pity, then back again as if her feelings were on a never-ending roller coaster.
She would ask a few questions here and there, mainly out of curiosity, but nothing too personal. It was just her way of finding out more without crossing any lines.
Soon afterward, the car pulled into the apartment complex's parking lot. Klaus navigated the vehicle into a vacant spot near the door and shifted into park.
"And that's basically it." Klaus yawned. "Now I need a nap; I haven't had good shuteye since Colorado."
"Wait, so if I got this right: Elaine cheated on you and got you admitted as well?" Cleo asked with genuine confusion and disbelief.
"Basically," Klaus replied, already getting out of the car and moving towards the trunk.
Cleo followed him to the back in haste.
"Do you plan on reporting them to the police?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance, not at him but at the psychotic couple.
"I'm fine," Klaus smiled casually. "Honestly, I don't think it's worth the mess—not to mention the pounding headache I've got right now."
Cleo still looked contemplated.
"Look, think of it like this," he added. "If it weren't for them, we would've never met. We probably would've walked past each other. And if I had caught a glimpse of you, I'd likely take you in a bit longer."
Cleo smirked at the compliment, "Oh? Would you now?"
His hand slowly slid under the lip of the trunk, pressing a button that popped the trunk open. "Most definitely. Have you seen yourself in a mirror?" Klaus chuckled.
"Every day," she replied.
"Well then, you should understand what I'm getting at," he responded, pulling his suitcases down with some effort.
His palms pulsed under the pressure.
Cleo raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the side of the SUV. "When'd you become so slick-tongued?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.
Klaus was just as surprised as the words flowed naturally from his mouth—almost like he had always known how to do so.
On cue, a mechanical but sentient sound echoed in his ears.