"I'm not being prim, it's just shocking that he goes home every night, I mean almost every night, with another girl. That's just... too much!" Liz raises her hands and motions a mocking shocked expression. For two years she's been living in the university apartments, Fitzwilliam Darcy, or Darcy, never fails to bring home a girl. "It's just... I was once in the elevator with him and a girl... she was so close to kneeling at him." She eyes her sisters to stress her point on how much a womanizer her neighbor is.

"Your door is right in front of THE Fitzwilliam Darcy, you should be thankful!" Jane says.

"Yeah Lizzy! Besides, it's not like he's gonna barge into your room all sexy because he wants you already!" Meg chimes in and laughs loudly at what she just said. "'Elizabeth, I want you and it took me so long to realize it'" she adds a little monologue to rub it in.

Lizzy isn't exactly the Darcy type, or so the campus calls the girls Darcy has been with. He likes tall, blonde girls with boobs to match and fill their awfully tight dresses and Lizzy is neither in any of those categories. She's a brunette and grateful to be; her long, wavy brown hair is the envy of many girls in campus though.

Fitzwilliam Darcy came from a very rich family. His grandfather was a senator, almost made a bid for presidency while his grandmother privately owns half of the collection of the university museum. His parents are both doctors who are very successful and famous in their fields. It isn't because his parents want Darcy to become a doctor and continue their family legacy in the medical field that he's studying medicine but Darcy just felt like studying it to prove a point that he's smart. And he really is but somehow Lizzy thinks that despite his academic credentials, Fitzwilliam Darcy is still a class A jock.

Elizabeth Bennet is dubbed as the school's most intelligent girl but with a hard attitude that comes along with it. "Your intelligence comes with a price, it seems people in school call you the bossiest bitch of the university" her thesis mentor once said. "Yeah well, I have to work myself to death to get to where I am so, perfectionism is a tool to achieve, professor."

"I don't even understand why he's staying at the university apartments, he can build a house beside the school if he so wills, you know!" Lizzy drinks her coffee and jots down something in a small notebook.

"His family practically owns half the campus, including the Darcy Hall where you are living." Kitty replies.

"It's Darcy Hall, not For Fitzwilliam Darcy Hall. Sister, why do you defend him?" Liz continues to write on her small notebook and doesn't even glance at her sisters.

"Girls love being brought to D-1200 you know." Meg sets her sights on the cupcakes and starts to eat them.

"Yeah and the girl living in D-1201 hears their animal noises and can't even manage to read a word in peace."

"Look, Lizzy," Jane takes her sister's hand to try and comfort her, just like what she's been doing for the past two years, "ignore William and just go about your tasks. What's the point of fighting his presence till the very end?"

"Sister, I know you mean well, but... and... ok, fine, " she removes her hand from Jane's clasp," that's enough for the day. Besides, I've always spoiled our time together complaining about some jock."

"Jock." Lydia mocks Liz's codename.

"Well, we are leaving and we'll see you in two weeks. Okay?" Jane and the rest hug Liz and they stand to leave her alone in the coffee shop. She's been too busy writing her thesis that she spends most of her days stooping at her little notebook than look at her sisters who are about to leave. "I love you all, bye."

It is almost 11 o'clock and Liz decides to call it a day and leave the coffee shop. It's only about a 15 minute walk to the apartments that's why she stays there even until late night.

She spots Darcy with a new girl entering the building and sighs heavily at another elevator encounter that she has to endure. She slows down her walk to buy time and hope that the couple would have already taken the trip up to the 12th floor ahead of her.

"Hey girly. Lizzy." Darcy greets her, saying her name after a hiccup.

"Drunk as skunk." she whispers to herself.

"Going up?" He looks at her, eyeing her from head to toe.

"No, to hell. With you to deliver me." she thinks to herself. "Where else, William Darcy, where else." she shows him a mock smile and side eyes the blond girl wrapping herself like a snake around Darcy.

"This is... uhm... Liz." Darcy introduces the girl to Liz. "Liz and Liz, what do you know? I'm surrounded by two Lizzies!" Darcy laughs loudly at the coincidence finding it a very funny experience.

"Hi there!" the blonde girl extends a hand at Liz to shake her hand.

"Hi, Liz." she smiles at her and takes the proffered hand.

The elevator's door opens and the trio step inside and awkwardly wait for it to open again.

"Are you a med student, too?" the blonde Liz asks her to shake off the ensuing awkwardness.

"Nope. Art." she smiles at the blonde. She tucks her hair behind her ears before looking at her reflection on the elevator door. "Not a Darcy type, never will be. Thank god."

"Thank god for what?" Darcy interrupts her thoughts.

Liz gasps and thinks that Darcy might've heard what she just said, "thank god..." she looks up for a quick inspiration to lie and sees that they're almost there, "that we're almost here. See?"

The elevator door opens and Liz hurries out of the elevator to leave Darcy and blonde Liz behind. She walks fast to her door but fumbles in her bag trying to find her keys. "Oh lord, come on, show me my keys. Keys, show yourself." Liz mutters to herself, panicking to find her keys fast. "Aha!" she exclaims as she finds them.

Darcy and blonde Liz took their time walking to their door, as if he was giving her time to go in peace. As she was about to enter the door, Darcy arrives at his and catches Liz by saying "your hair smells like oranges, Lizzy" before she slams her door at him.

"Charlie!" Liz calls Charles Bingley as she steps out her apartment finding Charles standing in front of Darcy's door. The two greet each other hugging and asking how the other has been.

"I see you're walking into the lion's den, huh?" she nods at the door and smiles at Charles.

"Don't call him that, Liz. How's your... uhm... sisters?"

"I saw Jane a couple of days ago, why do you ask?"

"Your sisters, Lizzy." Charles smiles at her.

"They're very good. You know, Jane will come see me again in about two weeks."

"Sister-time, I see."

"And probably other than that" she lightly pushes Charles as she is enjoying seeing him blush. Charles has been crushing on Jane but never had the guts to ask her out. Always a hello but that's it.

"Going out?" he asks Liz as he knocks again at Darcy's door.

"Yes. Feeding the lion?"

"He's my best friend, Liz. I don't understand why you can't stand him." the door opens with Darcy emerging with disheveled hair and only his PJ bottoms on.

"Morning friends, come in Charles." he eyes Liz for a moment before greeting her, "Liz." and smiles a big goofy smile before turning and going back inside his apartment.

"Took you so long. Say hi to the parents for him, will ya?" Charles gives Liz another hug.

"I still can't understand how you can stand him Charlie, and I will extend the hello to my parents and a hug to Jane. And the sisters." Liz winks at Charles and walks towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

"If only her sister lives with her, Charlie, you would've come here more often." Darcy talks to Charles while looking for edible stuff inside his fridge, "help yourself here." he offers his entire fridge to his best friend as he takes out a box of juice and drinks from it.

"Do you hate her Wills?" Charles asks Darcy while pouring milk and cereals in a bowl.

"She hated me first."

"Really? I thought you hated her first."

"The mystery of who first hated who, then."

"Look, two years of being neighbors and your hatred grows by the day. Honestly, the more you hate..." he puts down his spoon to watch Darcy.

"The more your arteries will clog." He laughs at his joke loudly and Charles can only snort at Darcy.

"I need to get a permission to see the private collection, sir." Lizzy looks at her professor with distraught at the hopelessness of her situation. She intends to write a series of essays from the Williams Museum as her thesis but she's quite a few works short because the curator of the museum won't allow her to look at the private works.

"You don't know why you can't see them?" her professors ask her sarcastically.

"Okay, because they're private. But you can write me a letter asking to let me enter the gates of heaven. Please, sir." she drops her bag beside her professor's desk and takes a seat at the chair in front of it.

"Ask your neighbor, his grandmother owns it."

"Wow. I'd rather drop out of school 27 essays short than to ask a favor from him."

"Or you can restart your thesis from scratch so as not to be near your worst enemy." her mentor removes his eyeglasses and rest his arms on the desk.

"I'll defer for a term then. I'll just... I'll work to pay for my extended fees if I have to." she picks up her bag and starts to leave.

"Don't do anything foolish, Elizabeth Bennet, you're my star student!" he calls out after her.

Liz walks to the Med building hoping to find Charles there and instead ask the favor from him. She reasons that if he's Darcy's long time friend, grandmother Darcy will make an exception for him, and her - hopefully.

She finds Charlie walking out of the building and calls out to him. Darcy emerges from the building and calls out to Charles, too.

"Liz" Charles waves at her. "Wills" he looks back at Darcy.

"Friends." Darcy greets the two. "Hello neighbor, what are you doing here?"

"I have to talk to Charlie. You attend your classes now, huh?" she looks at Darcy with her eyes squinting to block out the glaring sun.

"That is correct. You've come a long way to chat with Charlie, Elizabeth."

"Spare me the small talk, William. I'm having a terrible week." she tuts at Darcy.

"Easy Lizzy, I'm not picking up a fight." Darcy pats Charles' shoulder and starts to leave the two behind.

"Cruelty is your specialty when it comes to Wills, Liz." Charles begins at her as they walk away from the building.

"He bends reason itself, Charlie. Anyway, I need a big favor. I know you're friends with Darcy and practically the entire family. I need to see just 27 private pieces from the Williams Museum for my thesis." she looks directly at Charles and holds both his hand to drive in the importance of her favor.

"Ask Darcy!" Charles exclaims at Liz.

"Might as well push me towards a fast car, Charlie."

"Look, Liz, I know you don't like the way Wills goes about his ways. But if you're 27 essays away from graduation, you have to lower your pride and ask him, nicely of course, and you'll be on your way."

Liz sighs as she realizes that asking for Charles' help is a lost cause. "Why are you his friend?" Liz opens the door of the coffee shop near the apartment and they walk inside.

"People think Wills only hangs out with me because we're both rich. But that's not the case." Charles pulls out a chair for Liz and they both sit. "I've known Wills since we're kids and he's like a big brother of some sort. He's the nicest guy at best, the most womanizing at his worst."

"I'm not authoring a femininity and propriety book here, Charlie, but are those girls even serious with William?"

"Truthfully no, they're all just romping about. But I've always known this, Liz, whoever will be Wills' first love will be the love if his life."

"Or will cost him his life because he can't stand being with a single girl even for two days." she clears her throat after realizing what Charles had just said, first love. "Wait, you mean he's never been seriously in love before?"

"Yes."

"That's... that's new." she looks at Charlie quizzically. "But I guess that's how he does it, nothing permanent. All friends, no girlfriends"

"No one has captured his attention and interest long enough, I'm saying."

"He thinks too highly of himself, of course nobody's gonna be good enough for him."

"You think highly of yourself, too." he smiles at Liz.

"No I don't!" she answers defensively. "... and, even if I do, it's not like I go around trying to score on the entire female population of the school. So, I can think highly of myself then because I happen to be upright." she reasons out with Charlie.

"Here's a secret Liz, and don't tell anyone. This womanizing reputation is just talk. He's never slept with any girl he brings in his room, he actually kicks them out. Of course no girl would talk about being kicked out by Wills so it kind of became a competition among the ladies that whoever gets, and really gets to be an item with Wills is the real winner of this game."

"I've heard of trophy wives but not a Darcy trophy."

"Well yes, " Charles chuckles, "but honestly, Liz, I've always known who the winner of this little, silly contest is. It has been two long years she's been keeping him on his toes, drives him crazy to be exact. Thanks to her, though, he's not wasting himself away being a total jock."

Liz laughs at the jock reference Charles made, "I've never met a med student who's a complete jock. I mean, how can you play around while trying to learn how to effectively save someone's life, right?"

"Well Lizzy, Wills is out of his league with what he's trying to accomplish."

"Then he has to stop being an idiot and concentrate on the important things."

"He is. He's really trying." Charles smiles at Lizzy.

"If I keep tabs on the girls he's been bringing in, or kicking out, I don't see how he's trying to achieve being a good student." Liz looks at Charles, raises her eyebrows that say, "I told you." and sips her coffee.

Charles can only laugh at Liz. They continue to chat and Liz sets up a date for Charles with her sister Jane when she arrives to visit her.

"I'm doing you a favor Charlie, you can only repay me with entrance to the Williams."

"I'll try Liz, but as Wills' best friend, I'll keep him in the loop on this one."

"Whatever you want to do Charlie, but I have to see the private collection."

Liz and Charles bid each other farewell and hug before going their separate ways.

On her way to home, Liz sees Darcy entering alone the university apartment. "Well this is a development," she mutters to herself.

"Hello, Ms. Bennett." Darcy greets Liz as they both stand in front of the elevator to wait.

"Hello, William." she icily greets him.

"How are you sisters?" he offers a smile to break the tension between them.

"Doing good. Yours?"

"Doing good, too." he puts his hands inside the pockets of his coat and starts to pace impatiently. Liz looks at Darcy annoyingly at his pacing. She watches him pace for a while before finally snapping.

"Will you stop going back and forth, William? You're making me dizzy just by watching you."

"Aha, so you like watching me." Darcy stops in front of her and playfully raises his eyebrows to irritate her.

"No." she eyes him with annoyance.

"Not picking up a fight, Lizzy." Darcy calmly replies at Liz's fury. He removes his hands from his pockets and faces her. "You know, I don't get it why you're so harsh towards me. Lizzy, I'm not doing anything to you."

"No you're not." she crosses her arms defensively.

"Then why pick up a fight with me?" he shrugs.

Liz rolls her eyes and exhales deeply, "because your cockiness annoys me. Who gave you the right to be cocky anyway? You think you'll be an urban legend with your girls huh?" She stops suddenly at her reply knowing that she has been hurtful and that Darcy is clearly offended by it.

"I'm not... well, Lizzy," Darcy pauses and lowers his voice, "if that's what you think then."

Liz steps back and almost apologizes to Darcy when she realizes that they've been standing too long in front of the elevator but it's not opening. "You didn't press the up button Wills!" she exclaims.

"What?"

"Oh lord." she realizes that she has to endure a little more awkwardness with Darcy and presses the up button. They wait a while before it opens and they journey up to the 12th floor in awkward silence. When they step out of the elevator, Darcy calls Liz.

"I heard from Charlie you need my help with the museum, if you want to, I mean if you... If you don't feel like you owe me anything, only..."

"Thanks, but I uhm... I've asked my mentor for help already."

"Oh, alright. My offer is still standing, if you consider it."

"Thanks." Liz unlocks her door and steps in her apartment without even throwing a glance back at Darcy.

Darcy waits for Liz to close her door before he opens his and looks back at her door again before he lightly pushes it to close.

*pardon my errors, I will try to clean this up soon along with an upload of the next chapter/s*