Story Compilations: "So this is Love?"

Thomas Barnard & Daniel Williams

Thomas tried to smother out the sound of his surroundings with his headphones. Normally the noise of the bustling city and pitter patter of rain would have put him into a serene state, give him a light thrum in his veins that could only be described as 'being alive'.

But not today. Today was a waste of a good weekend, he was stuck at Starbucks writing some essay for science class, stranded by the storm outside, and surrounded by too touchy feely couples on Valentine's Day.

He supposes his day could be worse. He could be outside said storm soaking wet instead of doing whatever he's doing now.

"Barnard?" someone asked him, voice obviously male, he would have missed it over the sound of his music if the voice wasn't familiar.

He turned to face the person and instantly regretted even leaving his apartment, wishing he'd stayed and made himself instant coffee instead. Of all the people who was in that particular Starbucks it had to be Daniel Williams, it wasn't that they hated each other, it was just that they didn't like eachother. He felt his face form into a scowl, mirroring the look on the other's face and he briefly wonders how he missed the tone his last name was said in.

"Jesus, of course you'd be dateless on Valentine's day," he taunts him.

"Fuck off, Williams, I don't see you doing any better," he says through gritted teeth, trying to get back to his essay, the faster he finished it the faster he's have a good reason to leave.

"My date's already done, but from the looks of it you chose that," he says making a vague gesture at his laptop, "Over the small chance to get laid," he finished in flat tone.

Thomas subconsciously brings his device closer to himself. He glares up at the man, hoping he doesn't look as embarrassed as he feels.

When he makes no move to respond to his taunts, Daniel smirks triumphantly, before making a move to leave the coffee shop.

"See you around, Thomas," his name drawls out of Daniel, Thomas tries not to grimace at the way his name was said, as if it were one of the filthiest curses out there.

And he left, walking outside to the raging storm.

-

Thomas, after another hour and a half of undisturbed work, finally left the coffee shop. The rain hadn't stopped but the wind had already died down. He hails a cab but another hand reaches for the handle too.

"What-?" he whips his hand away and tries to look at the person without getting water in his eyes, and then just feels himself getting frustrated, "Williams, let fucking go, I hailed the cab," he demands.

"What's wrong with you? I called the cab," Daniel answers back, holding up his cell phone whilst getting inside the cab.

Thomas wanted to argue with him, but deep down he knew it was a losing battle. His shirt was soaking through, it was starting to get freezing and last time he checked, his bag wasn't waterproof.

"look, it's raining and I'm getting soaked," he gulps, "but I know for a fact that we both live in the same apartment building, so I don't see any problem if we just share the goddamn cab."

Daniel makes a face, somewhere between pity and remorse, he could hear the desperation in his voice, he knew that he could have just left Thomas there, outside of Starbucks and shivering cold to wait for another cab, but he also knew that would be too much of a douchebag move.

"Motherfuck- fine whatever," he says, moving away to the other side, "get inside the fucking cab."

He takes note of how Thomas practically scrambled to get in, cradling his backpack as to protect it from the downpour. He gets droplets of water all over the cab and he's pressing too close to Daniel, who can already feel the side of his pants getting uncomfortably damp.