Work Text:
Monday
It’s half past midnight, and Dan can’t sleep. His heart won’t stop racing and he’s a bundle of anxiety because he has a paper due tomorrow morning at ten am and his roommate forced him to stop writing it for the night, despite the fact that he only had a few pages left to go. But he’s been working himself rampant all weekend and his oh-so caring roommate insisted that he needed to get some sleep; that he can always finish it tomorrow morning at the library.
But Dan just can’t stop thinking about it, because this paper is worth a quarter of his grade and it has to be perfect if he wants to pass the course for the semester - his grade is already teetering on the edge as it is. He can’t afford to fuck this up, and oh god what if he does fuck this up? What if his paper is really shit? What if he fails? Then he’ll have to repeat the course and his GPA will be destroyed and how will he explain this to his parents, oh god, how the fuck is he meant to get eight hours of sleep when he can’t shut his brain up because it’s fucking finals week for god’s sake.
It doesn’t take long for him to decide that he is not going to fall asleep any time soon and instead of lying in bed on the brink of an anxiety attack, he decides to throw on his overpriced uni sweatshirt, grab his laptop, and head over to the 24 hour coffee shop on campus. Might as well finish this stupid life ruining paper if he isn’t going to get any sleep because of it.
(Upon leaving, Dan realizes that he left his dorm without wearing shoes, and as he goes back to find them he decides that he may or may not be a bit sleep deprived. Finals week can suck a dick).
He hasn’t been to this coffee shop much - mostly because he’s such a little shit of a hipster that he only drinks Starbucks - but it’s open all night and he knows he’s going to need a shitload of caffeine in his system if he’s going to finish this paper.
The shop is practically dead when he enters - he assumes everyone is either asleep or in the library studying their asses off - and the only person inside is the black haired barista leaning on the countertop, doing something on his phone - Dan assumes he’s playing a game, what with the way he keeps swearing under his breath and clenching his free hand into a fist, probably to resist the urge to throw his phone at the wall. He clears his throat softly, catching his attention, and the barista immediately pockets his phone and smiles at him; not one of those phony customer service smiles, but a genuine smile that reaches his eyes (and what pretty eyes he has, Dan has never seen eyes so blue before). “Hi, how can I help you?”
“The largest cup of coffee you can offer,” Dan tells him as he sits down at a table, setting his laptop up before him. “No scratch that, just bring me the whole pot and all of your creamer. And a straw.”
The barista smirks a little. “Gonna be a long night, is it?” he asks, going to make Dan some coffee.
“You have no idea,” Dan replies, rubbing his eyes as he waits for his laptop to boot up.
“Let me guess, finals week?” the barista boy asks and Dan visibly shudders at his words. He nods in understanding, “Been there, done that,” he says. “I sympathize though.”
“Thanks,” Dan says, typing in his password and opening his Google Doc of Doom which contains the contents of his Paper of Fuck-My-Life.
“So what’s your major?” the barista asks, and Dan is half tempted to put in his headphones because he doesn’t have time to engage in small talk, his academic future is on the line. But at the same time, he doesn’t want to be rude and this barista - Phil, he notices it says on his nametag - is just trying to be nice; he’s also distracting Dan from the terrible mental breakdown that he feels is coming so he decides to humor him.
“Law,” Dan says with a grimace. “Also known as the major with final exams and papers literally every day of this fucking week. My first is this paper due tomorrow morning, and I’m still not finished with it.”
Phil gives him a sympathetic look. “It’ll be okay,” he says. “I’ll be here until eight in the morning - that’s when my shift ends - and I can supply you with all of the coffee you’ll need.”
“I’m holding you to that,” Dan says and he focuses his attention to his numerous Google Doc tabs he has open, hoping to get this damn paper finished in a reasonable time - or at least before five in the morning - and he groans loudly. “I hate finals week.”
“Keep your head up; you can get through it,” Phil tells him and he appears by his side with a large cup of coffee, topped with whipped cream and some sort of dizzled on sauce. “It’s my specialty - a Creme Brulée Latte. This’ll no doubt get you through those last few pages.”
Dan smiles at him and goes to take a sip, muttering “Jesus Christ, that is hot,” as he does so but he can’t deny that it’s one of the most delicious drinks he’s ever had, even better than Starbucks. “Thank you,” he says to Phil.
“I’ll be ready to make another if you need me to,” Phil says.
“Trust me, I will,” Dan replies, and he picks up the cup for another sip - even though the drink is still hot as fuck, it’s so good. As he puts it down, he notices ‘CBL no sugar (because you’re sweet enough already)’ written on it, and Dan groans loudly. “That was a terrible, terrible, pun,” he tells Phil but it made him smile a lot, maybe even blush a little.
Phil’s face flushes red just slightly but he chuckles and says, “Well, it was the best I could do, seeing as I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Dan,” he tells him with a smile.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Dan,” Phil tells him. “I’ll leave you to your paper - good luck.”
“Thanks, I’ll need it,” Dan says, but he’s already feeling so much better than when he first came into the coffee shop - though he isn’t sure if it’s because of his Creme Brulée Latte or because of Phil.
Tuesday
Dan is shaken awake a few hours later, and he wakes up with a stiff neck and a terrible bout of confusion when he realizes he’s lying in a booth at the coffee shop he apparently never left last night. “Morning sleeping beauty,” Phil tells him with a teasing smirk on his face.
“What…” is all Dan can mumble, because he truly has no idea what the hell is going on.
“You finished your paper at around three in the morning,” Phil explains. “And you were going to go back to your dorm after you ‘lied down for a minute’ but then you ended up falling asleep, and you looked so exhausted that I didn’t have the heart to wake you.” Dan blinks in response; he feels like he should at least say thank you, but he’s already so out of it he can barely process what Phil is telling him. “It’s almost eight in the morning now,” Phil continues. “I don’t know when your class stars, but if you hurry you shouldn’t be late. Oh, and I laid out a little bit of a breakfast for you, because you shouldn’t take a final on an empty stomach.” Phil doesn’t meet Dan’s eyes as he says this and his face is almost permanently red, and Dan has butterflies in his stomach.
“Thank you,” he finally manages to say, and Phil mumbles, “That’s okay,” before excusing himself to head home, seeing as his shift is just about over now, and Dan just smiles because this is the absolute sweetest thing anyone has ever done for him - and someone who barely knows him at that. He looks out of the window, watching as Phil leaves the coffee shop, and he decides that he’s definitely going to come back tonight.
As he gathers his things together, he sees a fresh cup of coffee, a donut, and a napkin with a note written on it on the table in front of him. ‘I proofread your paper for you, and even though I don’t know anything about law, I thought it was really good! I’m sure your professor will like it a latte :) - Phil’
* * *
It’s midnight once again when Dan finds himself back at the coffee shop once again, and just like last night, Phil is leaning against the countertop yet again. “Hey, you,” Phil says to him when he notices Dan has walked inside.
“Hey.” Dan takes a seat at the counter. “Thanks again for this morning, that was really nice of you. The pun on my napkin, however, that was horrible.”
“I’m starting to think you have a problem with puns, Dan,” Phil says.
“Just yours,” Dan teases and Phil laughs, and when he laughs his tongue pokes out a little and it’s the cutest thing Dan’s ever seen.
“Keep making fun of my puns and you won’t be getting any coffee tonight,” Phil tries to sound threatening but he’s still laughing and Dan can’t taken him the slightest bit seriously.
“Take pity on me,” Dan says. “I have another final tomorrow, I need to cram my ass off.”
“Sounds like an allnighter,” Phil muses. “And I know just what you’ll need; a Gingerbread Latte.”
Wednesday
It’s the third night in a row that Dan goes to the coffee shop, but it feels like so much longer than only three days. It feels like he’s been going here for as long as he can remember, it feels like home.
But despite how at home he feels at the coffee shop, and despite how comfortable and relaxed and happy he feels here, it doesn’t take away from the fact that finals week is kicking his ass and he’s been on the verge of breaking down and crying for days now. He’s never been this stressed before and he almost can’t breathe with all of the pressure that’s being put on him, and he hates it, he hates it so much.
Phil, however, is just what he needs to make it through the rest of the week. Because he listens while Dan rants on and on about how much he hates law, and how badly he hates finals, and how stressed and unhappy he is. Phil listens to him, and that’s what he really needed because he just has so much built up and he’s been feeling like exploding up until tonight. Phil lets him bitch and moan, and he doesn’t flinch when Dan throws his notebook at the wall, and he helps him pick up all of his papers that scatter on the floor. He supplies Dan with seasonally appropriate beverages and ridiculously corny puns, and he just makes Dan smile so much. Phil is just a good person, and even though he’s only known him for a few days, the two of them have such a connection that it feels as though they’ve known each other for such a long time.
Dan stays at the coffee shop from midnight until eight in the morning, the entirety of Phil’s shift, because being with Phil takes the edge off and he’s the only thing in the world, currently, that doesn’t make him feel like shit.
(Of course he doesn’t tell him that; he just insists that his coffee making skills are keeping him around).
Thursday
The bulk of Dan’s finals are coming to a close, but he’s not out of the woods yet and once again, he’s holded up at the coffee shop, another Christmas themed drink in his hand and his textbooks spread out along the countertop. He’s thankful that he seems to be the only person who comes here so late at night because he can monopolize most of the table tops with his shit. And because he gets Phil all to himself.
“Have I mentioned that I give zero fucks about this nine page paper?” Dan asks Phil as he types as fast as his fingers will allow him, which is certainly faster than his brain can process what the hell he’s trying to type.
“You might’ve mentioned it once or twice,” Phil says, leaning across the counter to take a peek at Dan’s laptop. “Or a hundred times since you got here.”
“Sorry,” Dan mutters. “I’m probably annoying you.”
“Not at all,” Phil reassures him, and he places a comforting hand on Dan’s arm, which stops him from writing for a moment. And he looks over at Phil and when the two of them lock eyes, his heart nearly stops because wow. He isn’t sure if it’s the intensity of his eyes or if they’re actually having a moment right now, but wow. Just… wow. “There is no other way that I’d want to spend my week than help you get through finals week in one piece,” Phil adds and he hasn’t broken eye contact yet, and yeah, they’re having a moment. This is happening.
“I - thank you,” Dan stutters, and he finally looks away because there is only so much a heart can take, and he still has about three more pages to write. “Really, thank you. It means a lot that you’ve been there for me this week.”
“Anything for you,” Phil says with a wink, and he finally turns away, probably going to make Dan another drink - which Dan is thankful, because he’s blushing like mad right now and he can’t take another moment of Phil being so… amazing.
Wordlessly, Phil places another drink in front of him and Dan sees that Phil has written on the napkin beneath his cup of coffee, ‘I can feel something brewing between us’
Friday
As soon as he walks inside, Dan collapses into his usual chair at the coffee shop, dropping his head down on the table top. He closes his eyes briefly but then forces them open because he could literally fall asleep right here if he tried and he really needs to get back to his dorm, but he wanted to see Phil one more time today.
“You alright?” Phil’s voice alerts him to his senses and Dan forces himself to sit up, despite his body screaming at him to go home and get some sleep.
“I’m so tired, it’s not even funny anymore,” Dan tells him, stifling a yawn. “But the good news is I took my last final this morning, I’m officially free for the semester.”
Phil’s lips stretch into a wide smile. “Congrats!” he says, placing a hand on Dan’s shoulder. And then he adds, “I’m really proud of you,” and it feels like Dan’s insides are being twisted by Phil’s words and he isn’t sure if it’s because he hasn’t heard anyone tell him that they’re proud of him for the past three months or if it’s because the words are coming from his favorite barista that he probably, definitely has a little crush on. “We have to celebrate,” Phil decides and then he turns on his heel heading back behind the counter. “What’s your drink of choice tonight? Pumpkin Spice Latte? Gingerbread Latte?”
“I hate to put a damper on the party, but how about some tea?” Dan asks and he gingerly gets up from his chair to take a seat at the counter. “I plan on celebrating by going to my dorm and sleeping for a month.”
Phil chuckles a bit. “Tea it is,” he says, and then he goes to make Dan’s drink. A silence falls over the two of them before Phil speaks up, “So is this the last I’m going to see of you?”
Dan licks his lips as he considers the question; surely, he doesn’t want this to be the last time he sees Phil. He really enjoys his company and Phil is so sweet to him; despite the fact that they had just met a few days ago, Phil was there for him this entire week when he felt like breaking down completely, which is more than he can say about his most of his friends. And there’s just something about Phil, something that sets him apart from everyone else Dan knows, something that makes him… special. And Dan definitely do not want this to be the last he sees of him. “No, I think I’ll definitely be back,” he tells him with a coy smirk. “But only if you promise me another Creme Brulée Latte,” he adds a moment later because he wants to come off as cool, not clingy.
Phil chuckles again. “That can be arranged,” he says and he writes something on the front of Dan’s cup of tea before handing it to him and saying, “Sweet dreams, Dan.”
The brunet takes that as his cue to leave, and he exits the coffee shop with drink in hand - and it is then that he notices his name wasn’t written on the cup, but a phone number instead. Phil’s phone number. With ‘caramel me maybe? xx’ written beneath it.
Dan looks back at the coffee shop and smiles. This definitely is not the last Phil is going to see of him; not by a longshot.