Title: The Morning That Changed Things
Fandom: LOST
Characters: Dan, Charlotte
Pairing(s): Dan/Charlotte
Prompt: #01 Beginnings
Rating: PG
Word Count: 508
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: ' maybe today could turn out to be much more interesting that he'd anticipated after all'
AN: Written for varietypack100 . Some would consider it au (I know I've got their ages way off, but...meh.) but I'm not one of them. :)
He's so distracted by his own thoughts that he isn't looking where he's going until he feels a sharp jolt of contact against his right side and hears a surprised "Oh," from next to him. He turns in time to see a very full folder fall to the floor, and a more than a dozen loose papers scatter around it. The woman he bumped into bends down to pick them up, and after a few seconds he realizes that he should help her. He grabs several of the sheets that she hasn't reached, and she smiles gratefully and takes them from him when they stand up. Looking at her properly, he realizes that she's beautiful: stunning red hair that's loose around her shoulders, with pale blue eyes and an amazing smile.
"Thanks," she says, slipping the papers inside her folder.
"Sorry. About knocking into you, that is…and your folder – is it all alright?" he stammers, cursing his inability to form normal sentences for the millionth time.
"Don't worry about it. I'm notoriously clumsy – I probably would have dropped it anyway, even without bumping into you." she tells him, giving him another warm smile. "I wasn't actually expecting to see anyone else here today, to be honest, being so close to Christmas and all. I'm Charlotte – I would try and shake your hand, but—" she looks pointedly at the bursting folder in her arms, "I'm not sure that's such a sensible idea." He chuckles and nods his head awkwardly.
"Daniel." he offers, not sure what else to say – not that it seems to matter, as she seems to be more than happy to do the talking.
"Nice to meet you, Daniel. What are you doing here then, if you don't mind me asking? You're the first person I've come across all day."
"Oh, I've been down in my lab…research and stuff…I don't really anything better to do." She raises and eyebrow,
"Are you a professor here?" she asks, shifting her weight to her other foot.
"Yes, I'm in the physics department."
"Wow, I'm surprised – the only other professors I've come across all seem to be well into their second century." He laughs again before replying,
"This is only my first year here." he says, and she nods, glancing around the empty corridor.
"Well, Professor Dan," she says teasingly, "I was just about to go and get a coffee from that place around the corner." she tells him, "You feel like joining me?"
"Umm…yeah, sure. That would be…nice." he mumbles, barely getting the words out, but she seems to hear him okay.
"Great." she says, giving him another dazzling smile, and he thinks that maybe today could turn out to be much more interesting that he'd anticipated after all.
Reviews are love. :)