This one is another human AU, and a coffee shop fic.

John Smith was really quite graceful. His long, lean frame was practically made for good balance and smooth movements. Should have been a dancer, he'd often been told. His skilled hands were steady and sure, and his mind sharp and clear.

But to see him on his first day at the coffee shop, you'd never believe it. He fumbled the cups, dropped the roasted beans, messed up the machines, forgot the customers' orders, and generally made a fool out of himself. He spent more time re-stacking the cups than actually filling them with coffee.

Most of the customers were patient with him because they recognized him as new, and it was Christmas, after all. Everyone is kinder on Christmas, especially to those who have to work on the holiday. But all of that changed when the ginger woman walked in. She was the picture of beauty with her curvy body and flowing locks, and John found that his eyes wouldn't stay on his work while she was in the shop. She wore a lovely, low-cut blue top and black jeans, and her full hips swayed slightly as she walked. She was also rather well-endowed, and John found himself fighting a blush when that particular realization crossed his mind.

The woman noticed him looking, and the corners of her lips turned up in the barest hint of a smile. John lit up. She was looking at him! He grinned at her and gave a cheerful nod.

"Is my coffee going to be ready today?" an impatient young woman asked, and John snapped back to reality. He needed to fill the cup in his hands. But what was it that she wanted again? A latte. He carefully went through the steps, following the directions slowly so as not to make a mistake and embarrass himself in front of the cute ginger woman.

"Here's your latte," John said, as he held the cup out for the young woman to take. He was supposed to write her name on the cup, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. Hopefully she wouldn't complain. "Have a nice day."

"Latte? I didn't order a latte! I said I wanted a black coffee. Are you dense or what?" She rolled her eyes dramatically and reached to push the cup away from her, knocking it out of John's hand and spilling it everywhere. Some of the steaming hot liquid splashed onto his left wrist.

"Ouch!" John cried, as a searing pain ran up his arm. He shook his arm as he made a break for the sink, ignoring the spilled latte and the complaining woman. He ran his wrist under the cold tap as tears filled his eyes. Could this day possibly get any worse?

And then his boss, Tom, came over and quietly asked him to leave for making one too many mistakes on his first day, and John wished that he had never challenged the day to get worse.

He hung up his apron and gathered his meager belongings before he trudged to the door. The ginger woman was still there, waiting for her own order, and he cast her one last longing glance as he left.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard the door open behind him, the little bells on the knob jingling again.

"Hey, are you okay?" a woman's voice called.

He turned around and came face-to-face with the ginger woman. "Fine, yeah," he said, softly.

"No, really. You're hurt." She held out her hand, and without thinking, John offered her his wrist. She inspected it gently, being careful not to touch any of the raw burns.

"You should probably have someone look at it for you," she said, her voice soft and concerned. "It looks pretty bad. You don't want it to get infected."

John shrugged. "It's only first degree, like a sunburn. I'll put some cream on it when I get home."

"Well, if you're sure," she agreed, but John sensed her reluctance and wanted to put her mind at ease.

"I'm pretty sure, but I'll ask one of my professors to look at it just to make sure."

"Your professors?"

"Yeah. I'm a medical student," he shuffled awkwardly. His wrist was really hurting, and he needed to get going. He had wanted to flirt with her earlier, but now all he could do was wonder how he would pay his rent next month with no income. He had barely scraped through December after the bookshop he used to work at closed. Who might be willing to hire him on Christmas Day? What shops were even open? He began making a list in his head.

"Oh! I guess you really do know what you're talking about then, don't you?" The ginger woman blushed and released his hand. "I'm sorry. I was just worried about you."

John managed a small smile, not wanting her to feel bad. "No, really, thank you for caring."

"It's just, what happened was horrible. You were hurt. Tom should have thrown that woman out instead of you. She was incredibly rude, and it's only your first day, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. First and last all in the same day. That was a new record for him.

"You know what, let's go back in there and I'll talk to Tom on your behalf. I stop in at least once a day, so maybe if I threaten to find a new coffee shop, he'll listen to reason."

"No, no, no, I can't ask you to do that," John insisted, shaking his head. "I'm horrible at making coffee and the other drinks. I've done nothing but mess everything up since I set foot in that place. I'm like a clumsy tornado."

"But it was only your first day-" She paused. "What's your name, by the way?"

"John Smith."

"I'm Donna Noble. Anyway, it was only your first day, and no one is perfect. You need time to learn. I'm surprised Tom had you making drinks anyway. He usually starts people out on dish duty or the cleaning crew before he lets them make anything. There's a whole menu and steps for each drink that you have to memorize first, not to mention learning how to use the machines."

John rubbed the back of his neck. "That actually might have been my fault. I'm usually quite good at everything. I told him where I go to school and shared my IQ report. He thought I could handle jumping right in. Bit of a genius, me," he admitted, and blushed when he realized how terribly arrogant that sounded. Why hadn't he realized it before he opened his mouth?

Donna gently shoved his shoulder. "Oh, come off it. So what if you're a genius? That has nothing to do with making coffee."

"Yeah," he breathed, his shoulders sinking. He may also have mentioned his fantastic memory and aptitude with mechanical devices, but he had been trying his hardest to get hired.

"Come on," she said, and reached for his hand again. "It's at least worth a try, don't you think? You only need to stand there and look sad, like you're doing now. I'll do the rest."

"Why do you want to help me?" he asked, as he gave her his hand. Luckily it was the un-burnt right one. Her hand fit perfectly in his, and her skin was warm and soft against his. A deep sense of comfort welled up within him at the simple gesture.

Donna shrugged. "Well, it's Christmas. And you seem far too nice to be out of your job. I noticed you as soon as I walked in, you know. You had this big smile on your face, and I thought, I would like to be smiled at like that every time I come in to get my coffee."

John ducked his head as his cheeks warmed. "Really? 'Cause I noticed you too. I thought, I hope she's a regular so I can see her everyday."

Donna laughed. "Well, come on, let's go get you your job back so we can go back to smiling and hoping."

John let himself be led back into the shop, and stood quietly while Donna chatted with Tom. She was really quite convincing as she argued on his behalf, and finally, Tom agreed to let him come back as a dishwasher.

"Go home, rest, and take care of that burn," Tom said. "We'll see you tomorrow at nine."

"There's that smile," Donna said, as she followed him out of the shop.

He turned to face her and launched himself at her for a hug, almost giddy with relief and gratitude. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he cried.

Donna hugged him back. "You're welcome. It was nothing, really."

He pulled away to look at her. "Are you kidding? It was everything! I was going to have to go job-hunting this afternoon, but now… Oh, thank you! You're brilliant!"

Donna shook her head, but happily accepted another of his big hugs. "I'm glad I could help," she said.

John knew it was time to say goodbye, but he didn't want to just yet. He rocked back on his heels. "I've still got a job, thanks to you. That means I can spend a bit of my money taking you out to lunch as a way to say thank you. If you want to go, that is…"

"I'd love to go to lunch with you," she said. "But I'd be more than happy to pay my own way."

John wanted to argue, but he got the feeling that he would never win an argument against Donna. So instead, he just nodded. "At least let me drive," he insisted.

"You did actually pass your driver's license test, right? You didn't just wow your examiner with your big brain?"

"Oi! I'll have you know that I'm a very good driver." He sniffed dramatically. "I've never got so much as a speeding ticket."

"Well, all right. If you're sure." She began walking with him as he led her to his blue sedan. "It's a date."

John liked the sound of that! They smiled at each other and as he opened the passenger door and gestured for Donna to get in. Somehow, the day had gone from awful to wonderful, and all he could do was grin like a loon as he set off on his first date with Donna Noble.