Summary: There is an apartment above Joe that always has parties, and the music is always too loud. But he hasn't got the heart to tell the mystery person to turn it down, because he might just be in love with them and doesn't even know it.
WARNINGS: SWEARING, THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT AGES IN THIS, MENTIONS OF SEX, DAN AND PHIL HAVE A CHILD IN THIS, IF YOU HATE PARENT!PHAN (idk why you would tbh) THEN YEAH.
Yes. I did use a song title from High School Musical. Judge me.

There had always been that apartment above that played obnoxiously loud music. Every night once in a while, what seemed like hundreds of people would file in and jump and dance and sing. And it got right on Joe's nerves, but he never said anything about it or complained. He just assumed that they were young, and it would stop after a week. But it never did. Constantly the person above him is having parties, and Joe doesn't have to courage to go and tell them to stop.

The fact that he had probably never met the annoying person made Joe not feel so offended that he never got invited. The couple across him always got invited, and they always asked Joe to look after their son, Dil, for a few hours. Joe would always accept happily though, he loved Dil to bits. He was the funniest six year old Joe had met. And Dan and Phil were great neighbours too, as Joe was gay as well. They were like his role-models.

And right now, Joe was knocking on Dan and Phil's door wanting answers for the person above him. He couldn't help not knowing who it is, they intrigued him. So Dan and Phil must know who it is, as they've been invited so many times.

Phil opened the door with a big smile on his face, "Ah, Joe!" He said warmly. "How are you? Is everything alright?"
Joe smiled back, nodding slowly. "Yeah I was just- actually, can I come in?" He asked. Phil nodded, opening the door even more to let him in.
"Sure! Make yourself at home, you know where everything is."

Joe thanked him, and walked in. He wiped his shoes on the little door mat they had, and took off his shoes and put them by the umbrella rack. Inside it were three umbrellas. One was completely black, the other was rainbow coloured and the last one had Thomas the Tank Engine all over it.
Not surprising at all, Joe thought to himself.

Dil ran in, "Joe!" He yelled, jumping onto Joe. Joe giggled and hugged him. Dan walked in straight after him.
"Oh, hello!" Dan grinned. "What are you doing here? I was just about to take Dil out to the shops. Isn't that right Phil, after you broke all the plates?"
Joe looked at them in confusion. "Broke all the plates? How the hell did you do that?"
Phil shrugged his shoulders a little, "I don't even know, Joe. I was making tea last night and I dropped them. We didn't have any time to go to the shops last night, so we had to eat off plastic Mr Men plates."

"Hey it's not my fault I'm clumsy!" Phil whined. "You love me really, don't deny it."
Dan's cheeks went slightly red, "Yeah I do. Whatever. I wouldn't marry you and have a kid with you if I didn't love you, would I?"
Joe sighed, he wished he had a relationship just like they did.

"Well," Joe started, deciding to get to the point why he was here and not get all sad that he was alone. "Basically you know the apartment above mine that always has those parties?"
"Oh yeah, I know. Caspar, he's your age. Actually Joe, he's single too. You might want to go and say hello if you know what I mean." Dan said with a wink.
Phil groaned, "Dan, don't even."

Joe looked over at Phil, "Yeah." He glared playfully at Dan. "Don't even." Phil laughed a bit, before walking over to Dil, who was sat on the floor. Phil started to help Dil put on his shoes and coat, and he could see out of the corner of his eye Dan looking at him with love in his eyes. Heart-Eyes Howell he called it.

Dan walked up to Joe, "Just go and talk to him, Joe. And come back down here once you have, I want to hear all about you and your new boy." Dan whispered, which made Joe roll his eyes. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go and buy new plates; don't we Phil?"

Joe smiled at them both, before slipping on his shoes and walking out. "Thank you guys so much, I'm going to speak to him tonight."
And with that, Joe walked back into his apartment. Figuring out what the hell he was going to say to this 'Caspar' guy who always held the stupid loud parties that he never got invited to.

It was later on in the day when Joe decided it was about time to go and talk to Caspar and tell him to turn down the music every time he had a party. After sitting around, watching the TV all day and figuring out what to say; he was currently walking up the stairs to Caspar's apartment. He knocked on the door which he assumed was his, waiting for a few moments, hoping that he wasn't some strong guy who would beat him up.

But then Caspar opened the door, and it felt like Joe had been slapped in the face.

It was Caspar, his ex. The one who he had spent years with, the one who he loved to death but had to break up with him as he was moving to South Africa.
The one.
He looked different now, Joe hadn't seen him in a few years. He was with Caspar from when he was seventeen to twenty-one. Now being twenty-four, Caspar had aged a lot and looked fantastic.
And Joe? Well he looked like a mess because he didn't get ready for his ex who looked fantastic because he didn't know it would be his ex.

"Um, can I help you?" Caspar said, smiling awkwardly. Joe's small smile dropped completely.
He didn't recognise Joe.
"Yes, yes you can. Uhh, are you Caspar?" He stumbled over his words, thinking about what to say. He already knew that this was Caspar, but he didn't want to seem like a creepy man.

Caspar nodded, "Yes that's me."
Joe took this as his opportunity to continue. "Well, it seems like you've been having parties; a lot. And I was wondering maybe if you could turn down the music a little when you have them, I'm not telling you to stop them completely! Just...a little quieter." Joe rambled. Caspar's eyes widened suddenly, and Joe thought he might have said something wrong.
"Joe?" Joe's heart could have just stopped.

Joe paused immediately. "Yeah. Hi Caspar, long time no see."
Caspar blinked in disbelief, "Wow. You look different. How are you?"
"I'm good, how are you?" Joe replied. Silence. Caspar looked down at the floor.

This is awkward, Joe thought to himself.

"You know what Joe, I'm a little busy right now. How about you come round tonight? We can catch up, there won't be a party tonight. I promise. Just you and me, like old times."
Joe looked up at him, "Yeah, yeah I would like that."
Caspar gave Joe his number, and as Joe walked back down the stairs he heard Caspar yell, "I will turn down the music by the way!"

-

"What the hell do I wear?!" Joe asked Dan and Phil while rummaging thorough his wardrobe. Dan and Phil sat down Joe's bed, with Dil sat on Dan's lap playing a game in Dan's phone. "Do I go causal?"
Phil stood up, and picked out a t-shirt. "This one." He told Joe, shoving it to Joe's chest. He looked through Joe's wardrobe again, picked out some jeans at shoved them at Joe's chest as well. "This one also. Now go and get changed. You've already had a shower, right?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Good. We will be right here if you need us." Phil told him, pointing to Dan and Dil. "Now go. Come back to us when your completely ready so we can see your final outfit." Phil said, shooing him off.
Phil sat down next to Dan, who put his hand on his heart. "They grow up so fast." Dan joked.

Joe came back in five minutes later. He had done his hair and everything else, "I'm ready to go." Joe said. Phil smiled and nodded in approval; and Dan did the same.
"You know, I would make a comment about how hot you are looking but Dan here gets extremely jealous and I don't want you to go on your date with a broken nose."

Dan pouted, "I don't get that jealous." He moaned.
Joe scoffed, "Really? I remember that time when we were all in McDonald's and a man asked Phil for his number not knowing that he was taken and you flipped your shit."
They all hummed. "He had it coming." Dan said. "He was checking out my man."

Dan and Phil left his apartment because it was time for Joe to go up and he was very nervous. He hadn't had a proper conversation with him in ages. The last time he had a conversation with him was at the airport when Caspar was leaving for South Africa, but even that wasn't a proper conversation; it was just kisses and tears.

They had tried to keep in contact, but Joe's phone reset randomly and he lost all of his contacts. And Caspar never texted him, and to Joe that was all he needed to know. If he never wanted to be the first one to text, then they wouldn't text at all. And from that they haven't spoken since.

Joe walked up the stairs and hesitantly knocked on Caspar's door, it took a few moments but Caspar soon opened the door. And boy, did he look great. Joe's mouth dropped open slightly, but he slammed it shut. He had so much to say, so many thoughts, so many things he wanted to tell him but all nothing seemed to come out.

"Hi." He whispered.
"Hello." Caspar beamed. "Come on in."

Joe stepped inside and took off his shoes, but Caspar stopped him. "There's no need to take off your shoes, Joe. I wouldn't bother, just keep them on."
They both stepped inside, secretly stealing glances at each other once in a while. It was tense, being apart for so long gave them so much to talk about and catch up on.
They sat down on the sofa, smiling brightly at each other.

"So, how were things after I left?" Caspar asked, leaning forward. Joe shrugged.
"Alright I guess," He replied. "I moved to London after a month, and got an apartment somewhere else. But then I had to move because of my job, moved here to the other side of London and now I'm here." Caspar nodded in understanding, showing that he was listening.
"I missed you." Caspar blurted out taking Joe by surprise.

But Joe had no sympathy, no need to go and kiss Caspar and make up for lost time. Instead those three words boiled up anger in his stomach, and he felt like he could explode.
"Really? Then why did you never text or call?" He said harshly. Caspar blinked in shock, before his eyes burned with intense anger.
"No. Why did you never text or call? I waited ages." Caspar shouted. "I waited to long for you." He spat.

"Because my phone randomly reset, and I lost all my contacts and stuff. Nobody had your number, I was waiting for you to text so I could get your number again. You never did." Joe told him, his voice slowly growing quieter at the end.
Caspar's face softened, "I got a new phone, I texted you to tell you my new number but I might have got the wrong number..."
"So it was both of our faults then?" Joe said. "Wait, how do I know you aren't lying?"
Caspar shook his head, "I'm not. Are you?"
"No."

"Did you find someone in South Africa? Are you with someone now?" Joe questioned, dreading the answer. Caspar shook his head no.
"I never did. I always meant to, to like, get over you and stuff. I was with someone for a month but it didn't work out. I was over you when I came back here, but seeing your face has bought up loads of emotions that I can't quite explain..."
Joe sighed, "I feel the same."
They both looked at each other, and they knew.

The night seemed to fly past fast after those serious new minutes. Filled with laughter and jokes, it was all successful. And at the end Joe was disappointed to leave and Caspar was disappointed to see him go. And when Caspar kissed him on the cheek, Joe felt like flying.
And he ran downstairs, went into his apartment and jumped straight into bed. He was so happy about all that had happened today. And he couldn't wait to tell Dan, Dil and Phil about it; and mostly he couldn't wait to see Caspar again.

-

It was the next day and Joe was still buzzing about the events that happened last night. He got some cereal, and sat in front of the TV for a bit. After he had his shower and got changed, Joe walked over to Dan and Phil's apartment. He knocked on the door, and Dan opened.
"Dan! Dan!" Joe said excitedly. "I went round to Caspar's last night and it was amazing!"
"Did you have sex with him?" Dan asked, smirking.
"No. You are so dirty minded, there are more to things than sex." Joe laughed.

Phil walked towards them, his face in confusion. "I really don't want to know what you guys are talking about." Dan smirked at Joe and wiggled his eyebrows. "Joe come on in, we will get a coffee and talk about last night. Tell us everything. Every detail." Phil told him.
They all sat down around the table and Joe told them all about last night, and in the middle of speaking he got a text from Caspar. He excused himself, and looked at the text.

And he doesn't think he's ever smiled more.

Come round to mine tonight? We can watch a few movies. And I promise, next time I have a party you are invited and I will turn down the music.
Lots of love, Caspar xox

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