It was Friday and Dan was going to do it. He had worked up enough guts to ask his one friend to go out for coffee after class. If he got rejected, what would be the issue? It's not like it would be the first time he had been turned down. And it wasn't like he was asking him out. It was just for a friendly cup of coffee, two friends and a Starbucks. Maybe the time would end up being less talking or drinking coffee and more homework or notes being scattered about the table.
Dan hoped they could do something partly normal. Talk about hobbies and not class or the test that were putting stress on Dan. He crossed his fingers, praying this would turn out well, that it would actually turn out at all.
He slid into his seat that Friday, only having a moment to say a small hello to Phil before a loud voice started up from the front. Notes were being taken, but nothing was registering. They were all just random words floating around the room, a word hitting him here and there, an occasional, "any questions?"
When the class finally ended, he was glad. Dan snapped out of his day dreaming haze and back to reality. He tries to put his things away, glancing to Phil who was standing to leave.
"Hey Phil, uh..." He stopped and waited a moment for Phil to turn towards him.
There was a small smile of curiosity across Phil's face as he looked down at the other boy who was struggling to fit everything in his bag.
"Um, I was wondering if you wanted to go get coffee or something?" Dan paused, "b-because we don't do a lot together and I think you're a pretty cool guy." Dan forced a small on his face, hiding his nervousness far below. He shoved the rest of his stuff in his bag, standing up to face Phil.
"Sure! Want to meet at the library after all our classes and go from there?"
Dan nodded and smiled to the other boy. "Yeah, I'll see you then."
Phil said a quick goodbye and left, leaving Dan standing in the almost empty room. He mentally high fived himself and congratulated him on the not too awful talking he did.
Dan pulled himself together and left the classroom, heading towards another long lecture.
Dan was done at four, so was Phil. It had came up in murmuring that Dan did about how he wanted it "to be four already," so he could go home. Phil must have remembered his soft words, even though Dan knew him complaining was one of the most annoying things.
But now he was stalking around the entrance of the library waiting on Phil. He had been there less than five minutes when he thought that maybe Phil was going to bail on him. That he probably had better things to do than hang out with Dan.
A moment after the thoughts had passed through his head, Phil appeared at the other side of the hall. Dan began to walk towards him to meet in the middle.
"Hey," Phil greeted him with a bright smile.
"Hello," Dan stopped in front of him, "want to just go to Starbucks since it's close?" Dan didn't really feel like walking any further than a few minutes away because of the cold air that still lingered outside.
Phil just nodded and they started down the hall to the exit, walking side by side.
They stepped outside into the winter air. It froze the tip of their noses and chilled the ends of their fingers before they could be slipped into pockets. Dan shivered and beside him Phil did the same. Dan moved his hands quickly to zip the rest of his coat up, helping guard him from more of the winter air.
"Maybe walking out in this weather wasn't such a brilliant idea." Phil spoke from beside Dan. Hands down deep in his pockets as his shivered in the cold.
Dan couldn't help but chuckle softly, out of all the days he had asked Phil to do something with him, it had to be one of the coldest of the year... and they had to be outside to go to where Dan wanted to go.
"Yeah, maybe we should have just went to my apartment, it's plenty warm and only a few minutes walk away." Dan told Phil, glancing to his side at the other boy.
Phil nodded in agreement, "maybe next time?"
Dan almost stopped walking. Did Phil really want to hang out with him more? They hadn't even finished this small outing yet, how did Phil know that Dan wasn't some kind of crazy lunatic outside of class? Yeah, they had went out once before but that had been months ago.
Dan smiled to himself in delight, maybe he would gain a new best friend today.
They were both glad to walk into the Starbucks and it be toasty warm. It smelled of strong coffee and different sugary sweets.
Dan took in the warmth, along with the heavenly aromas. He shifted out of his heavy coat and draped it over his arm out of the fear of now being too hot. Phil followed.
Both ordering the same thing and swiftly collecting their orders, they shuffled to an empty seat. Dan placed his bag and coat in the corner against the wall, sliding in after his stuff.
"So," Dan started when they were both settled into their sets. "How's the rest of your classes been?"
He silently cursed himself for the first thing that he brought up be about school, even after he told himself that he wanted to get away from any conversations about school.
"Not how I would like them, that's for sure." Phil told him lifting his drink to his lips. "How about yours?"
Dan thought for a moment, leaning against the table that sat in front of him. "could be better." He paused, "wish I had you there to talk to."
Phil just smiled at him, "I wish I had you with me too. I hate that we only talk in one class."
Dan nodded in agreement before taking a sip from his drink, leaning back into his seat.
"You're really are a nice guy. We should hang out more," Phil continued. "Doing this every once and a while could be fun."
Dan took in a breath, thanking God that Phil wanted to be here. He had a great fear that the only reason Phil had joined him was because he felt bad and didn't want to hurt Dan's feelings.
"Yeah, I don't get out much for other than Uni." He took a quick drink of his warm coffee, sliding the cup back into the middle of the table, still holding it tight with both hands. "Don't have anyone to actually go out with," he finished.
Phil nodded, "I have my friend PJ, but we never do anything. He is always out at some party with his other friends, that's not really my type of thing."
He leaned against the tabletop as he spoke, watching as Dan messed with the edge of his cup. They were quiet for a moment, both sitting in silence, watching out the window to Dan's right, continuing to sip on warm coffees. Dan finally spoke, snapping Phil's attention back to him.
"You know, we don't really know a lot about each other," Dan told him. "I mean, like unless you are some super stalker?"
Phil grinned but shook his head. "Not that I know of. Okay, so what is your favorite animal?"
"Oh my God, I was expecting some questions about adult stuff, not animals. But I'll take questions like this any day." He stopped, thinking. "Llamas... definitely llamas."
Phil laughed at him with a wide smile. "Mine would have to be lions, but llamas are cool too."
"Favorite band?" Dan asked.
"Muse."
"Wait, really?" Dan was sure he had a look of disbelief on his face. No one he had ever met in real life liked the same band he did.
"I love Muse!" He beamed, "wow, I honestly didn't think we would have anything in common."
They continued on with their questions, going through a few more until their coffees' began to get cold and they drank the rest down.
Dan glanced at the time on his phone, then back to Phil who was doing the same.
"Um, maybe we should be going, it's going to get colder as the sun goes down." Dan didn't have to walk far, but he was almost 100% sure Phil lived on the other side of campus which was a good 15 minute walk.
Walking 15 minutes home on a windy winter night was not a fun thing to do. Dan knew that from experience. There had been plenty of walks home as the sun set and the temperature dropped in high school. No one was able to pick him up from whatever after school activity he was doing that day, so he would walk.
They stood up together, collecting their things and slipping in their coats before heading towards the door. Dan had stopped Phil from opening the door out into the cold air.
"You live on the other side of campus, right?" Dan asked even though he was sure it was a 'yes'.
"Yeah... why?" Phil arched a brow, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"How long does it take to walk there, 15-20 minutes?"
"About 20 minutes."
"Since it's so far away and it's like Antartica out there, and it could start snowing at moment, would you like to stay over at my flat?" Dan asked, putting his hands in his pockets as well, rocking back and forth on his heels.
"No, no, that's alright. I don't want to invade." Phil told him with a small, thankful, smile.
"You wouldn't be, I promise, Dan erged. "It's not like I have family there to bother, it's just me."
There was a moment where Phil was thinking and they stood in silence. Dan wished that Phil would just believe him that it would be no trouble. It was Friday as well. Dan had no where to go the following day, but he didn't know what Phil's plans were. From the conversation they just had, Dan bet he wasn't doing anything. But who knows?
"You sure I won't be bothering you?"
"Cross my heart," Dan smiled, motioning his finger over his chest creating an 'x'.
Phil laughed quietly at his childish promise.
"Fine." He gave in, "but I'm leaving once it's as it will get in the morning."
Dan moved from in front of Phil so they could walk out the door. Phil pushed the door open, holding it for Dan as he walked out. They walked side by side down the almost empty sidewalk and began to talk again.
"You can stay however long. You could even move in if you wanted too," Dan joked. "I honestly don't care. It gets a little lonely sometimes though."
Phil nodded, "I know what you mean. The guy I room with is never there. I don't mind having my own room, but it gets boring not having anyone to talk to."
They walked in silence the rest of the way which only ended up being a few more minutes. When they arrived at Dan's flat, he lead them to the elevator and up to the fourth floor. There was a small hall that led from the elevator to two flats, one on each side of the hall. They were fairly large and with the building that held them being small, each floor could only hold two apartments.
Dan pulled the key from his pocket, unlocking the door and swinging it open. He walked inside, Phil following behind. Dan hung his coat up by the door, Phil sliding his off and doing the same.
"I'm so glad it's warm in here." Dan let out a sigh.
Both their cheeks were wind burnt, bright red, and their noses and fingers still tingled from the brisk winter air.
Yes, this is a really cheesy chapter, I'm aware. I think it is still kinda cute. I try not to say I don't really like a chapter then post it anyway, but I honesty don't care for this one. It is more of a filler leading up to something. *wink wink* *nudge nudge* Also please excuse any of my silly typos, I never had anyone read over it. (I really hope I'm not going to ruin this story with my horrible writing. I love my idea for it, but my writing is going to kill it.)