coffee shop soundtrack
summary: Phil’s late to a YouTube meeting when he literally runs into Dan Howell, the most beautiful man he’s ever met in his life. Dan plays piano outside a coffee shop and Phil’s determined to win his affections however possible. word count: 2084 warnings: anxiety, depression (for, like, a sentence), swearing, your teeth will melt that’s how fluffy this is
MONDAY
“Excuse me, pardon me, excuse me!” Phil yelled as he made his way through the crowd. People swore at him as he weaved through them but he almost didn’t care because he was late for a meeting and he’s pretty sure Martyn would fire him if they weren’t related.
Martyn had been telling him for weeks how important this meeting was for his channel and he had remembered, honestly, except he set his alarm when he was in Florida with his mum and did the math wrong and when he woke up he had ten minutes to get to a building that was fifteen minutes away.
He took a deep breath. Jesus, why couldn’t that Uber would pull up closer?
Unfortunately, even at the best of times Phil was a little bit clumsy. Not paying attention, he ran face first into someone going the other way. Papers went flying as the both of them fell to the floor.
Phil gasped. “Oh my god!” he exclaimed. He quickly gathered the papers from the sidewalk and put them in a half-assed pile. “I am so sorry, oh my god.”
“Maybe watch where you’re going next time, yeah?” came the voice from the person Phil bumped into. Phil stood and reached his hand out to the other person, looking at him for the first time. His heart stopped.
He was probably the most gorgeous person Phil had ever seen in his entire life. He was tall, in all black, legs for miles and skinny jeans that showed that off. He had deep brown eyes, a gorgeous face, full lips, brown, curly hair. He took Phil’s hand and stood, fixing his hair when he was standing.
He gave Phil a weird look. “Are you gonna give me my music back or-”
“Oh!” Phil exclaimed, handing the pile back. It was sheet music. The boy straightened the pile. “I-I’m Phil,” he said to the boy. “Sorry fo-”
He was interrupted by the sound of his phone buzzing. Shit, Martyn. The meeting. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” he apologized. He gave the boy an apologetic smile before he booked it the rest of the way to the office building.
Martyn was waiting for him with crossed arms in the doorway. He looked oddly like their mum.
“Martyn-” Phil started, but his brother held up his hand.
“Don’t need the excuse right now, Phil.” Martyn answered. He took Phil’s hand and dragged him into the elevator.
Phil leaned against the wall across from the glass of the elevator and took a deep breath. From here, London looked absolutely beautiful, buzzing with life and people. Across the street was a coffee shop and a piano outside where up-and-coming musicians usually played.
Phil watched as the same curly haired boy from before walked past and sat at the piano, setting up his music. Phil gasped loudly enough to pull Martyn from whatever he was looking at on his phone.
“What?” Martyn asked. He turned to look behind him. “What’s wrong, Phil?”
“Who’s that?” Phil pointed to the boy playing piano. “That guy on the piano, the curly haired one, who is he?”
Martyn rolled his eyes. “Daniel Howell or something, I dunno. He’s a pretentious musician.” The door opened and Martyn stepped out. Phil stayed for a second, transfixed by the boy. Daniel.
Martyn sighed. “Come on, Phil, we’re already late!”
With one last longing glance at the boy on the piano, Phil walked into the meeting.
TUESDAY
The events of the day before had been all but forgotten by the time Tuesday morning rolled around. The meeting had gone great, his brand hadn’t fired him and replaced him with another YouTuber with swoopy black hair. In fact, he and Martyn had learned that he was on his way to his most productive YouTube year ever, so, score.
Martyn had gone back to Phil’s flat and the two of them drank themselves into a coma in celebration. So coffee was the only thing on Phil’s mind Tuesday morning.
As he walked up the coffee shop, he could hear someone singing. He stood back a little when he saw the same curly haired boy from before on the piano, singing with his eyes closed. Daniel was clearly swept up in the music, paid no mind to the people putting money in his tip jar.
“Must be love on the brain,” Daniel sang, his voice ringing down the street. “That’s got me feelin’ this way.”
Phil stood back, transfixed, as he watched Daniel play. As the final notes of the song rang out, he spoke without even intending to. “That was really good.”
Daniel jumped as if he hadn’t been aware anyone was watching him. He turned to Phil and laughed a little bit. “Are you just stalking me, mate?”
Phil blushed bright red at that. “No, no!” he assured Daniel. “No, I was just going to get a cup of coffee and-” he motioned to the coffee shop. “-uh, I heard you playing and, uh, you’re really-” he ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry. This is creepy right? I’m gonna stop.”
Daniel laughed, the sound making Phil smile a little bit. “I’m just messing with you,” Daniel assured him. He smiled at Phil. “You got a name, stranger?”
“Phil,” Phil said quickly. “Lester. Philip Lester. Hi.”
“Hi,” Daniel said with a little chuckle. “I’m Dan Howell.”
“I know,” Phil answered. When Dan raised an eyebrow, he rushed to explain himself. “I mean, like. My brother told me that you’re a musician. I’m not some kind of creepy stalker, I swear.”
Dan laughed again. “I like you, Phil Lester. You’re funny.”
Phil smiled back at him. He leaned against the piano and asked, “so can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
Dan gave him an indulgent little smile in return. “I would, he started, “but I’m really supposed to be working right now.”
“Oh!” Phil backed off of the piano like he’d been burned. “I’m sorry!”
“It’s fine,” Dan said with another chuckle.
Phil waved at him lamely as he walked into the coffee shop, the sounds of Dan playing flowing through the door.
WEDNESDAY
“I’ve got it bad, Lou,” Phil said to Louise, sitting in a booth in the coffee shop that afternoon. Dan was playing outside but Phil was making a conscious effort not to look at him. After all, he didn’t want to be the creepy guy who was stalking dan at his place of work. He wasn’t that desperate.
“For who?” Louise asked, smiling at Phil from over her cup of tea. They usually had a chat about whatever was happening that week, and Phil had called her that morning asking if she was free. He really needed to talk about his sudden, and unrelenting, crush on Dan the pianist.
“The guy playing piano right now,” Phil muttered.
Louise, with her superhuman mom hearing, gasped at the news. “Phil!” She squealed, leaning out of the booth to get a glance at Dan.
“Oh my god, don’t look!” Phil hissed under his breath.
Louise rolled her eyes and turned back to Phil. “You’re so dramatic,” she reprimanded. “Have you spoken to him?”
“Once,” Phil answered. He took a long sip from his coffee. “Or twice, rather.”
Louise squealed again. “Oo, tell me, tell me!”
Phil sighed. “So the first time I was late to a meeting across the street and ran face first into him-”
Louise scoffed. “Oh my god,” she laughed. “It’s like a bad romcom, innit?”
Phil narrowed his eyes at her. “It’s not funny. It’s tragically my life.” When Louise held her hands up in surrender, Phil continued. “Anyway. I think he thought I was a bit of an asshole and I was gonna apologize but I had a meeting that I was already late to so.”
“So,” Louise replied. When Phil didn’t continue, she urged him on. “Come on! What was the other time?”
“Yesterday,” Phil answered. “I was hungover so I needed a cup of coffee and I walked past and saw him playing. I was like ‘oh you’re good’ and we talked a little but I’m an idiot so I didn’t get his number.”
“Well duh!” Louise laughed. “The answer is obvious.” When Phil just raised an eyebrow at her, she continued. “You have to get his number!” Her lips turned up into a smirk. “Or get your number to him?”
Phil laughed darkly. “Easier said than done, Lou.”
THURSDAY
Phil laid in wait in the coffee shop, two cups in his hands, waiting for a pause in the music when he could go talk to Dan. It was a little creepy, but it was also Louise’s plan, and not a bad one at that. One of the cups was plain, the other had his name and number. He was going to go outside, give Dan the cup and walk away. If he was into Phil, Phil would get a text. If he wasn’t, Phil could die of shame.
Louise whacked his shoulder when he told her this part of the plan, but whatever.
The song came to a close and Phil walked out to the sound of scattered applause. Dan sat at the piano, scribbling on the music, thanking the people that put tips in his jar. He looked up in confusion when Phil put a cup of coffee on his piano. “For you,” Phil said gently.
Dan reached up and took it with an amused smile. “Thank you,” he answered. “That’s very kind.” He took a sip of the coffee but didn’t look at the cup.
Phil bit his lip. He hadn’t come up with anything else in the plan, and he certainly hadn’t accounted for this awkward lull of silence. “Well,” he said softly.
Dan laughed. “Well?” he questioned. Phil felt his knees turn to jelly. Dan’s laugh was beautiful and Phil wanted to keep hearing it more than anything.
“Well,” Phil said again. He stayed by the piano for a second. “Well, call me, if you wanna.”
With that, Phil walked away, just barely missing the “wait!” from Dan as he realized.
-
When Phil got home, he looked at his cup and realized it had his name and number. He had taken the wrong cup.
FRIDAY
Phil spent most of his day in bed, staring at the still full cup sitting on his dresser. He’s an idiot. A fucking idiot who will likely never have a boyfriend because god and the universe hates him.
A sharp knock at the door brought Phil out of his spiral. He sighed, paused the Buffy marathon he had been part way through. He stretches up, winces at the way his joints cracked. He sighed and waddled over to the door.
Martyn burst through before Phil could say hello. In lieu of a greeting, Martyn exclaimed, “Philip Michael Lester, if I wasn’t your brother, I’d quit. I hope you know that.”
“Nice to see you too,” Phil muttered under his breath. “How are you? Good? That’s good. I’ve been taking a depression nap because I ruined my chance to be with my soulmate and now I can nev-”
Martyn rolled his eyes, effectively shutting Phil up. He put his hand on his hip and glared at his younger brother. “You done?”
Phil shrugged. “I assume so.”
Martyn held out a piece of paper. When Phil just looked at it, Martyn asked, “well? You gonna take it?”
Phil took the piece of paper from Martyn’s outstretched hand and carefully unfolded it. He gasped as he read the shaky handwriting.
phil,
if you ever wanna do something (other than grab a cup of coffee, dear god) hmu
-dan.
“Wha-” Phil spluttered unhelpfully. “How?”
“Dan came to the office looking for you,” Martyn explained. “He said that he was waiting for you to make a move, and when you didn’t, he did it himself. Then they called me and I went in to get his number for you.” He sighed. “Jesus, Phil, are you actually ten? Can you not just ask a bloke out yourself?”
Suddenly, the full notion of what was actually happening hit. “Thank you!” Phil said quickly. He hugged his brother and then grabbed his phone. “Oh my god! I’m so happy. What should I say?”
Martyn rolled his eyes, but he looked fond. “Dunno,” he answered. “What would a cool guy say?”
Phil laughed. “Hell if I know,” he answered as he sent his first text.
TO DAN hey stranger.
FIN.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
hiii
this was written for @youtubeandsatan, who prompted this so long ago they probably don’t remember. i hope you love this!
this was super fun to write and i hope it was fun to read! if you liked this, please, please consider reblogging it! i hate to complain but my fics have been really suffering lately and reblogs really do help this blog to grow. thank you so much if you decide to share this fic!
if you’d like to read something else i’ve written, please check this list! if you’d like to follow me, i’d really love to be pals.
thank you all so much for supporting me. i love you all <3
-Seb
