This will switch to first person point of view later on but these first couple will be third person so I can get in some background info. :) Thank you for reading ~gum wrapper.


Dan Howell has never seriously looked for his soulmate. Some people don't, but at his age a lot of people have started looking because who is nineteen and doesn't want to look for their soulmate. His soul color is a very deep navy blue.

He stares down at the little swatch of blue on his left arm every week or so he. It looks like someone has taken a paintbrush and marked him but everyone knows it's permanent and everyone knows it'll change color once you find the one. Dan hasn't found any color light enough to look nice next to his dull color and he doesn't know if he wants it to change color anyway. He's grown attached to the soothing navy.

Last year a girl had tried to convince him that her deep green was right for him but he could only see the color as repulsive. He turned her down politely as he knew how to.

But today, on this burning August Saturday, Dan has found his first interest in soulmates.

A man, maybe three or four years older than him, is sipping Starbucks while working intently on his laptop. Every single time he moves to grab his cup, his sleeve reveals the paint stripe. It's bright, maybe neon, practically glowing, yellow which must mean he hasn't found his soulmate because the color would be diluted with another color. Dan cannot help but wonder if it would match his own gloomy hue even more if he got closer. He's pretty sure that it matches nicely from afar but that just might be wishful thinking on his part.

Dan tries to not stare at the attractive young man as he stands in line. He almost forgets his order and has to repeat it to the cashier twice, but overall that's actually better than normal.

The cashier has a light sky blue on his left wrist but Dan isn't interested in another light color. His eyes are locked on the vibrant soul sitting at the table in the far right corner of the shop.

However he notices that quite a few people are also enraptured by this man. Dan is determined to be the only one to get his attention. Dan's hands shake as he takes his drink, and tries to look nonchalant as he sits down close to the boy of interest.

A girl sits down next to the boy. She flirts and he tries not to feel jealous but he definitely saw him first. Dan may or may not eavesdrop on her attempt.

"Hey there."

The boy doesn't even look up. His dark hair almost matches Dan's soul color. It's fixed in a fringe of sorts and it's kinda cute on him.

"I think we'd be a nice mix," she tries out a classic pick-up line.

He seems to notice her. He pulls out an earbud.

"Hello?" His voice. His accent. He isn't from this part of England. His accent is so strong and he pronounces words far less clearly than any of Dan's family (or most people in this part of England). "Do you need something?"

"Just your number."

There's an awkward pause. "Are you trying to ask me out?"

She nods, clearly feeling self conscious now that he's had to point that out.

"I don't... you'll have to look elsewhere. I don't think my color is what you're looking for. Dandelion yellow doesn't match bright red very well does it?"

The man definitely does not have dandelion as his shade of yellow. It's far too blinding and pure to be the color of a weed.

She shakes her head. "No, but you're hot."

"I think you should look for a blue. Light, almost the color of a summer sky. A pretty lavender could come from that. The cashier, he's been staring at you since you ordered and is blue I think."

And then she gets up and leaves, her face bright red; the same shade as her paint swatch. She listens though and goes to try her luck with the cashier.

The earbud goes back in so Dan takes another sip of his drink and waits. Nobody else tries to approach this beautiful out-of-towner.

Dan buys another coffee after finishing the first. He isn't even halfway done the paper he needs to do for his last final in two weeks. As he turns around at the register after getting the second drink, and he smacks into another human.

"Fuck, you alright?" He says this at the same time as another voice says: "I'm so sorry!"

Dan's stomach does an odd thing where it falls to his knees as if he's been told his grandmother died and he suddenly feels as if his legs might give way with all the adrenaline he's filled with as he looks straight up into the face of the yellow-souled angel.

It's him.

They speak together again:

"I'm okay."

"It's okay."

Dan looks down at the floor. Of course he'd do this!

"Hey, let me buy you another to make up for that," the man points to the spilled coffee on the floor.

"O-oh, no. There's no need."

"Yes! Let me make it right, come on." He leads him back to the counter. Dan agrees because like he could say anything else. He absolutely can't miss this opportunity to talk to the man and make every single person in here jealous.

After the man pays for another coffee he invites Dan to sit with him.

"What have you been doing over here for an hour?" Dan asks. "I've been working on a paper but… you seem to be having much more focus than anyone working on a paper could."

"Oh, I've been editing a video... I kinda put things on YouTube." There's a rather faint blush there Dan notes. Is the yellow soul embarrassed?

"Oh, cool! I've always wanted to do that." Dan smiles. "I may be a smidge addicted to YouTube, Just a smidge."

"We should do a video together then! To get you started. Here, I'll give you my number. My name's Phil by the way."

"I'm Dan."

Dan smiles again, a smaller, more self-aware smile, and gives his phone to Phil. When he gets it back his eyes land on the time and he can't help but feel the disappointment that runs through his body. He stands up and Phil's eyes look almost as disappointed as Dan feels.

"I'll give you a ring sometime though yeah?" Phil's eyes almost literally sparkle as he smiles at Dan.

That night, Dan forgets to look for a color change.