//countryhuman stories\\

HkPip (college au) 2

HK took his hand in hers when she found him, pulling him towards one of the cafés not too far away.

"So, how has your day been so far? Are you still talking to that boy... um... Denmark?" She hummed.

"Den..."

Pip had to think for a second, pulling himself away from his silent chant of 'please don't let my hand be sweaty please don't let my hand be sweaty' to actually register her question. "Yeah! Yeah. He's nice. He can be a bit of a handful at times, but hanging out with him is better than hanging out with my roommates." He was seriously considering moving in with Den at this point.

"That's intriguing." She commented, raising her eyebrows as she walked into the café. "Doesn't Denmark have an infamous title for... you know." She waved her hand a little. "Not that I mind, or course. I'm just curious as to how you two got talking."

"Well, aside from his... habits... he's a pretty okay guy. We were paired together for a project a while ago, and we just... started hanging out after that, I guess." Pip shrugged. "It helps that we're both interested in some of the same stuff too."

She hummed and nodded, sitting down at a table as she pulled out the menu from in the middle. "That's good. You work quite frequently now, I've noticed. Don't you take breaks?"

"I... I work whenever I can." He sat opposite of her, leaning on the table and looking around at the other people in the cafe. "Everything just keeps getting so expensive, it's hard to keep up."

She nodded in acknowledgement, setting the menu down and lacing her fingers together, resting her hands on top of the table as she straightened her back after placing her bag down beside her. "If you're open to a job position, my father is looking for an employee at one of the flower shops he owns. It pays fairly well."

That was a lie. Her father wasn't looking for any more staff, but she knew Pip was an exceptional worker, and with the wages he was getting paid she felt horrible for him. She knew she could guarantee him a position if she negotiated with her father.

"Oh, really?" Pip straightened his posture as well. "That would... that would be great, I don't like having to work at fast food places. It's all so stressful, and people are so rude..." He trailed off in thought. "Um... where's the shop located?"

"Not far from the library, around a ten minute walk." She tilted her head, pitying him. She hadn't been to a fast food place in so long. Her parents never allowed her near one, and the only time she went was when she was with her step-father. Even then, he wasn't a keen man on fast food. "All you have to do is some trimming and taking care of all the plants. It's fairly labour intensive, but it's very casual. I'm sure your empathy would work wonders. I was never good with the plants." she offered a small smile.

Pip's cheeks warmed as he fiddled with his fingers. "I'm sure you're great with plants, some are just really... temperamental. I dunno. Are you sure it'd be okay for me to work there? I don't really have much experience with plants..."

He could barely believe she was offering him a job. She did so much for him, and what did he give in return? Nothing.

"I could teach you the basics. It's not hard, and there's a guidebook in the work area in case you forget." She hummed. "It's not a difficult job, you just need to be patient and like plants, I suppose."

"Well, in that case, could you send me the application form sometime?" He smiled sheepishly. "I look at job sites pretty regularly, so this position must've just opened up."

HK could feel her heart soften.

"No need for an application," she said, waving her hand a bit as she shrugged. "I'll just inform my father. He'll accept you. I'll make sure you get the position."