Chapter Text
(Phil POV)
I have always been quite a clumsy person. Ever since I can remember really.
When I would try to pick my books after class I'd trip on the chair, as unbelievable as it sounded. I don't think people in my school would've believed it if they hadn't seen it every day.
But if anything people always found it funny or endearing. I've heard girls call it 'cute', and guys call it 'funny'.
It never bothered me, no one ever bothered me, I never bothered them.
Simple, I was always the cute guy that tripped over thin air and talked too much for his own good.
I've never had a single harmful bone I'm my body. Head to toe and back.
But it's not like I was popular, I was just there. I had my friends, my happiness, a nice reputation, and absolutely nothing bad ever happened to me! (If you didn't count the constant tripping of course.)
Then I went to college, pretty much the same thing. In was a nice guy, I tripped, I talked and I matured. At least I liked to think so.
Okay, maybe not really, I was rather childish. But I matured on the outside.
I became what everyone preferred to as 'handsome'. I didn't really think about it. Everyone was beautiful or handsome anyways so it wasn't anything special.
Not everyone thought so apparently.
I got multiple confessions from guys and girl alike and not. It felt bad turning many down, and disappointing them on dates if I actually accepted.
I just sucked at dating, the thought of trying to romantically seduce someone with my personality was Terrifying. I would chicken out because I didn't like the person a lot. I would splutter nonsense after getting nervous because I liked the person a lot. I would flip the plates accidentally because they were a bit more straightforward with their flirting methods. The list, as you can see could go on.
I , of course, never let it take me down. I was too cheerful, optimistic, happy or a saint , as people liked to say.
I loved cats, but was allergic. I hated cheese, but was kinda lactose intolerant. I loved plants and stuffed them around the house.
And the last is I was extremely friendly. Which is what was exactly bugging me now, because it wasn't working!
The reason was, honestly, my new roommate. He wasn't cocky, a douche, an asshole, a murderer, a bully, nor was he stupidly oblivious about the world around him.
He was simply, not there. Not in the literal sense of course. More of a 'I never leave my room except when I've got to eat' sort of absent. The bathroom, if you're wondering, I've never seen him enter it. Logically I know he has to go there, but it's the fact that I never see him go that irks me.
Not that I'm some sort of pervert that watches people... do their daily... routine. Its more like it feels like I never actually have a roommate!
My guess is he goes to the toilet while I'm at work and showers late at night when I'm asleep.
Ugh, what am I even thinking about?
Actually, I really do want to befriend him. Let's be honest, I befriend everyone that smiles my way.
My own thoughts are conflicting me, I should really just go and get a coffee. I could make my own, but the apartment felt really gloomy. I didn't like that.
Ill just go down to the café, Louise is working at it currently. I could have a nice chat with her. God did I need some friendly smiles!
With those thoughts in my head I immediately rose from my bed, sheets tangling my legs like flies in a web.
Which why I wasn't surprised when I toppled to the ground with a harsh thud. I let out a groan of pain emphasizing my current conflicting pain. Dan, was probably used to this by now, seeing as our rooms we're literally next to each other.
I wondered if he cared. Did he though? When I fell of the bed, did he look over at the wall separating our rooms and thought "I hope he's fine"
Or did he scoff annoyingly at how clumsy I am , probably waking up all the neighbours with how much mess I was making.
I didn't want to jump to conclusions, even though some malevolent quiet voice in my head told me it was the latter. He just seemed so unapproachable and cold, with an indifferent demeanor around him.
Which was the exact reason he had gotten himself a reputation in this short week he's been living here.
The entire building thought of him as "the asshole", "the heartless bastard" and similar. The truth was as much as I wanted to defend him, seeing as he was my roommate, I just couldn't find an arguable argument.
This still hadn't stopped my efforts though, I tried befriending him, and still am, in the best ways I can.
And that was why I was knocking on his doors as I was preparing to leave for the cafe.
"Dan?" I asked uncertainly. Not quite knowing if he was awake yet or not. His sleeping schedule was the the worst. I didn't want to wake him up, but still wanted to talk to him if he was awake.
"Hm?" Came a distracted hum from the inside. Success! He actually answered. This was obviously improvement. He mostly ignored me.
"Oh, well I'm going down the road to this cafe, and I was wondering if you wanted something? I tried saying as cheerfully as I could. I didn't want to ruin the perfect way he actually answered.
I clung to my keys in concentration waiting to see if he was going to answer back.
Maybe I had been too persistent, maybe I should just give him some space.
But I was already giving him that, he wasn't reacting. So I should be persistent. No, what if that irritates him? Maybe-
"No, you can go." The indifferent, a bit cold, but steady voice that answered might've discouraged some people, but not me. This was, believe it or not, progress. Answering, was the first thing, and answering more than one thing was another beautiful thing too.
I felt a bit bad, how could a person be so cold all the time? Don't they need a bit of warmness? Well, there was no need to think about it now, I should probably get to the cafe before it gets to crowdy.
"Okie - Dokie! See you later Dan!" I answered cheerfully. I couldn't wait to get him out that shell of his.
I just refused to accept people could be this indifferent to everything. On the inside, he had to be a wonderful person.
He had to be.
"Bye." Came a meek voice reminding of how he had been the day I met him. All flustered and shy, refusing to look me in the eye after that one stare.
Wonderful, I repeated in my head.
He's got to be wonderful.