summary: In film and television, a meet-cute is a scene in which the two meet for the first time in a cute and wholesome way and fall in love instantly. Let's just say... that doesn't happen for Dan or Phil.
word count: 1.4k
warnings: none
genre: idk yet... slowburn?
ao3
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.
I didn’t think honestly anytime soon I’d be leaving. This was my safespace and a way for me to just have a break from the real world but anymore it’s not.
Being here for two years, really was the best time in my life. I’ve made so many great friends, met my best friend and just didn’t have to be someone I wasn’t. But that’s over now.
I had an opinion, that wasn’t received well by others and I’m sorry. I should have known it would get me hate, and laughed at basically. I should have kept it to myself, but I didn’t. So for that I’m sorry. If I hurt anyone I’m sorry. I should have been more cautious with what I said, but I wasn’t. And I take responsibility for that.
I don’t think being on this site anymore is a good idea. It’s not at least for me. So I’m leaving. I’m more than likely going to quit being an admin on the PRB, even though I absolutely love being apart of the team. I’m gonna leave this blog, and all my fanfics up, in case someone for some reason wants to read them again. I don’t know if I’ll continue writing after my PRB fic goes up. Who knows. I don’t know if I’ll ever come back honestly. Maybe I will in time, who knows.
Dan and Phil have been my role models for two years now. I can’t ever thank them enough for helping me. They helped me realize that I’ve always been okay, it just took me a while to realize that. I can never repay them for what they did for me honestly. I wish I could.
I hope anyone that reads this is happy. And they have a good day, or a better tomorrow. You all deserve at least that.
Alex shouldn’t have to leave for expressing her opinion. We’re better than this! You have a friend in me, Alex. And I hope, in time, you find Tumblr can be your safespace again. We love you.
This month, we have a slightly shorter magazine with some highlights that include an in depth review of Phil’s Merch, a prediction of what the future might hold, and also a look back on the American and Canadian Leg of Interactive Introverts!
Do you think k you'll be updating back seat bingo soon
I haven’t?! I thought I posted the ending chapter but I guess I haven’t. I use multiple writing softwares so sometimes I get them mixed up. I guess I’ll do it sometime tomorrow.
mmk i’ve got v few followers but i’m hoping this helps at least one person so here I go.
Apple is coming out with something called ““Apple screentime” which will basically allow your parents to see what apps you use when and set restrictions and shit for when you can use what apps. If you are in a situation where you have apps or social media’s or really anything you don’t/can’t have your parents know about DELETE THAT SHIT before September 1st when this comes out. This works through the ““family sharing” shit on your iCloud account so if you can either leave your “family” or use a different Apple ID or something.
If you can’t do that, I personally access Tumblr and discord and YouTube and everything else through my laptop and the Pinterest web browser (yes that’s a thing) so if that’s an option for any of you out there join me.
This may sound hella dumb to some people but like my parents would LOSE THEIR SHIT and ground me if they knew I had tumblr or really anything and that’s the only thing keeping me alive tbh so just be safe out there kiddos.
"Pass the salt, dad." Two hands reach for the salt. :)))))
“Pass the salt, dad.”
At the same time, both Dan and Phil reached for the salt, and 8 year old Jackson Howell-Lester looked between them, tilting his head adorably at the confused and stubborn look his fathers were sharing.
Dan huffed, “Phil, he meant me, I’m daddy.” He tried to take the salt shaker from Phil’s hand, but his husband held it tight.
“He said dad, not daddy.” Phil maintained, “Which means he could mean either of us.”
It was the first time Jackson had addressed either of them as dad, instead of daddy or papa, so the two were at an impasse of who their son was actually talking to.
They both looked at each other stubbornly, then at Jackson.
Their son promptly shoved a forkful of food into his mouth after a long moment.
titsay
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yousharknotpass
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