daisydanyul

I’m so fucking late, he thinks. Dan hurries down the street, fingers firm against his laptop bag and charger. His feet were flying beneath him, skipping over the stones as he scurried down the boardwalk. He couldn’t be late, he just couldn’t. Not after he begged and sent in all of his most impressive works to every firm in London. He hadn’t expected a reply, with his lack of experience he hadn’t even expected his resume to be looked over, but it had. And by one of the most credible firms too. So Dan couldn’t be late… he’d have to beat this traffic. Even if it meant, pushing a few slowpokes out of his way here and there.

A low buzz came from Dan’s pocket, so as he ran down the boardwalk, he fished out his phone. Not even bothering to check who it was. It was probably his mum or maybe Chris wondering where the hell he is right now. After all, it was Chris who landed him this interview, this one in a lifetime opportunity. Dan was pretty sure he snuck in Dan’s resume amongst the actually qualified interns. They had been friends for years, ever since Dan was transferred to Chris’ administrative law class.

Dan fumbled with his phone, almost dropping his laptop bag, but managing to keep it all together. He couldn’t afford a broken screen, he could barely afford his share of the rent. If he missed another month, Chris and Louise might consider asking him to move out. Chances are they wouldn’t (in respect for their friendship), but Dan never knew where he stood in their eyes. Oh god, he needed this internship.

“Hey.”

“Oh my god, Dan!” Louise. Of course, it was Louise. Who else would call him this early, nearing 9 am, with such a perky and lively tone? Didn’t she know, Dan was busy having a mental breakdown?

“Yep, everything alright?”

There was a pause, a break in Louise’s usual rambling. And then…

“I found you someone.” Her voice was low and soft in Dan’s ear. “He’s of an odd sort, but in a charming way. Nice eyes. Nice hair. You’d suit him quite well… Actually, he’s quite a nerd. Likes words? Or was it languages? Gosh, it’s left me, but really, Dan. He’s a nice-”

“Thanks,” Dan chimed in. His feet were still barely hitting the street as he skipped past the waves of people. “But no. I’m not looking for anything Lou. Not now.” He hoped his voice didn’t show his irritation, there was just so much going on right now. He wanted to worry about nailing this interview before nailing some bloke. Nice eyes or not.

Louise, however, wasn’t budging.

“But you haven’t… gotten it,” she started, “in a while.”

“Lou!” Dan interjected. His cheeks had grown red and warm and he hoped it’d calm before his interview. “My… personal… life has nothing to do with you.” Dan’s voice came out squeaky and embarrassed, the opposite of what he was going for. When Louise got like this, he needed to be firm and decisive. Not flustered like some experimenting teen.

“Oh, Dan… but he’s so-”

Dan didn’t want to cut her off, but he was nearing the firm. It’s tall glass windows loomed over him and for a moment, he felt small. His pace quickened just as a broad arm swept just past his bag causing him to stumble forward just as-

“Hey! Watch it!” Dan shrieked. Papers were everywhere, as some guy’s shoulder had decided to collide with Dan’s. People murmured around them, but Dan paid little attention. He found it tough when there was a growing coffee stain in the middle of his shirt. And a hot one at that. The coffee soiled his shirt, making it cling to his chest itchily. The smell was overwhelming to Dan who had just left a coffee shop a few blocks back in his rush. The stranger wore an exasperated expression as he looked over his spilled coffee and pages, eyes raking up to Dan in an are you kidding me sort of way.

“Excuse me,” the stranger quipped. His eyes were wide as he looked at the busy road around him. Scattered with… sketches? Dan closed his eyes. Maybe if he didn’t look, he wouldn’t have to see his phone shattered a few feet from this stranger’s foot. A foot that was currently standing on Dan’s most up to date resume and test scores. They weren’t that impressive anyways, he thought.

A zephyr swept pass Dan and the stranger. It was light, but it was enough to blow the guy’s hair away from his face; away from his eyes; wide and blue. Dan stared, his curiosity betraying him. Where could a guy with eyes like that, be rushing to get to, with sketches like those?

“Excuse me.” The stranger repeated, obviously ticked off. “I have somewhere to be, so if you’d be so kind as to remove yourself from off of my transcripts… I could get going.” Dan was gestured to the sketches and pile of papers surrounding them. They littered the street around them like dust; some even sweeping past Dan’s head and into the bustle and hustle of London’s streets. Dan prayed that guy brought a hard drive.

“I really do have places to be,” the guy scoffed. His quiff had fallen quite a bit, since the collision. A few dark strands rested against his forehead, and for a second Dan wondered if it was naturally raven black or the product of drug-store dye. The contrast with the stranger’s pale skin was just so daunting.

“As if you didn’t bump into me?” Dan bit back. There was no point in hiding his irritation. “Maybe if you watched where you were going…”

“Maybe if you paid more attention to the people around you, instead of chatting to your buddies, you’d realize-”

Dan threw his head back. That’s exactly what he had been trying to do when this broad-shouldered bat showed up and shoved him to the pavement. Dan opened his mouth, fully prepared to serve up some sass when-

“Shit!” The stranger straightened up, running his free hand through his hair as he stared blankly at his watch. “Shit, it’s gone.”

The bustle of people around them picked up again. Dan lowered himself to grab his phone, the stranger doing the same but grabbing his abundance of paper instead. They were no longer glaring at each other, Dan realized. Mr. Raven Hair had been too busy silently cursing to himself to pay attention to Dan, whose shirt, by the way, had dried enough to the point where the coffee stain was beginning to seriously stick to his flesh.

The stranger glared as Dan swept his sketches? To the side. There was a brief second Dan thought one of them might hiss at the other and… yeah. Dan was still pissed; he didn’t care where this asshole so desperately needed to go.

“Listen,” Dan started. “I was just in a bit of a rush-”

“And you didn’t bother looking at where you were going. And now I’ve missed my bus and lost half of my transcript. Not to mention my coffee-”

“You mean the reason my chest is sticky and burning.”

The stranger’s stare weakened as he looked over Dan’s now soiled button down. There was no question there. Dan and the stranger both knew that’d cause more problems for Dan than the other guy. He might be out of coffee, but Dan would have to deal with the smell of sticky caffeinated sugar all day.

“I’m sorry about that- but only that.” The stranger clarified; his level of asshole-ness considerably lowered. “Here,” he handed Dan one of the pages of his torn transcript and began to walk away, “That has my info on it. Just email me the cost of your shirt and I’ll pay you back.”

Dan just grumbled back a “sure,” as he watched the swells of people swallow up the stranger; raven hair, blue eyes, and all. The stranger who ruined his nicest shirt and made him late on the worst possible day. Dan stood there stunned. There was a chorus of people bumping into him now, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.