for you, the world

[2] (2021)

[16 years later]

Georges fingers nervously tapped on the table, his eyes desperately looking around the restaurant, he let out an exhale checking his watch once more. Flynn was already forty minutes late, usually George would've just gone home by now as his patience was long gone yet he was too desperate to fix a breaking engagement, so desperate to get his partner to feel the way he did when they'd first got together, shared laughter and hands slipped together. It had been a while since George had felt that kind of love, Flynn was always wrapped up in 'work' so he said, George knew that wasn't true, he knew Flynn spent his nights wrapped up in-between sheets with his assistant Felix. George was just so desperate to be loved; he ignored it, despite it being months since he made the realisation.

That evening, George put on his best suit, dressing his best for the dinner they'd had reserved for months. He sighed, checking his watch again. still no sign of Flynn. He looked around the room, elegant couples sharing smiles amongst each-other, clinking glasses and love-filled eyes. it was somewhat painful, almost like a taunt how smitten they were whilst he was most likely being stood up by his fiancé.

He had a relatively good life; George himself was working as a lawyer in London having graduated law school a few years back; he'd met Flynn at a bar near his university on his watering shift whilst he was still at university himself. George now was living somewhat well off, a stable income and a well sized apartment; his fiancé was rich and was one of the top lawyers in the UK alongside George himself, his phone buzzed and he glanced how , his hand idly picking it up and distracting him from his thoughts.

{Flynn: george, i dont think we should be together anymore.}

Georges heart dropped, there was no way after four years he was being dumped over text.

{George: You're joking? Right?}

{Flynn: No, George, I'm serious, i don't want to be with you anymore.}

{George: But you proposed, we've been engaged for a year and a half Flynn.}

{Flynn: I know, im sorry.}

George gulped, tugging on his shirt collar, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as his heart rate began to increase. He took a deep breath in, attempting to grasp the situation.

{George; But you're not, are you}

{This sender has blocked you}

"Wow." George sighed, he didn't even have the decency to hear George out. George always knew Flynn wasn't great, he was terrible at communication and awfully uptight, the guy had come from a wealthy family in Yorkshire so really it wasn't that much of a surprise that he had the attitude of a pig. Yet when a rich, attractive boy with a northern accent showed interest in George when he was waitering at a bar near UCL, George couldn't help fall quick. Never in his life had somebody shown interest in him, let alone somebody like Flynn, so it was easy to ignore how badly Flynn treated him.

George stood, grabbing his blazer from the corner of the chair and pulling it over his arms and walking to the exit of the establishment. He'd never been so thankful that he decidedly to live separately to Flynn, at least he wouldn't have to deal with the whole awkward 'living with your ex' scenario. He didn't have any family to turn to, neither many friends, growing up in care would do that the closest he had were conservative assholes at his firm that he couldn't stand. He pushed the door open, groaning at how rain fell at a painfully fast rate. "Why me," he wiped at his eyes stepping out in to the rain, shuddering at how the rain began to trickle through his hair and down his neck seeping into the white of his shirt.

His eyes travelled to the road where the hum of cars began to flow, seeing a flash of red drive past, the number catching his eye, his bus. "Fuck- me- stupid prick-" he ran waving his arms towards the bus stop, "stop! Jesus fuckin- stop! Wait-" he yelled, his legs shaking as he ran through the rain. Just as he reached the bus stop, the bus took off, "YOU WANKER!" He yelled out, falling against the bus stop seat and running a hand through his hair, panting from the sudden exercise.

"Late night drivers kinda don't give a shit," an unfamiliar voice chuckled, a foreign accent. "You could be infront of the bus and it still wouldn't stop." The voice continued, George let out a light chuckle at the comment.

"Yeah-" George let out a smile, wiping the rain from his forehead, thankful to be under cover from the bus stop. "It's like they know when someone's having a bad day, they just like to drive off and make it worse." George said, looking out and listening in to the gentle hum of passing cars. Headlights causing the road to glisten, sparkles of rain showing with every passing car.

"you having a bad day?" The man spoke again, this time George looked up, a male of similar age sat before him, a hooked nose and almond eyes with deep green pupils, his hair was surprisingly dry yet george couldn't tell the exact colour of it due to the poor lighting of the street, a grey zip up hoodie over a black shirt and tight dark jeans.

"I guess you could say that,"

"you wanna talk about it? Get it off your chest?"

"ive just met you, I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear about my troubles." George chuckled once again running a hand through his hair.

"well, a good way to pass time whilst we wait-" the man pulled out his phone checking something before swiftly putting it way, "thirty two minutes until my next bus."

"Touché," George cleared his throat, "my fiancé just dumped me over text after four years."

"Jeez," he sucked a breath between his teeth, "that sucks."

"Yeah, i guess," George paused, "I mean, he was kind of shagging his assistant so I should of seen it coming."

"shagging?" The man questioned, American accent becoming more clear.

"oh- yeah- like- having sex with?" George smiled at the man.

"sorry, just not used to all this English lingo."

"you're not from here, are you?"

The man shook his head, a smile blooming on his lips, "nope, come here last year trying to find an old friend."

"London's a big place, had any luck?"

"nope, I've come to learn that. But yeah- no luck so far." The man chuckled, it was sweet, soft and lighthearted. A sound with an eerie sense of familiarity, but he passed it off as he had been watching way too many American sit coms these days.

"Sorry you've had no luck, hopefully they come along."

"with any luck." The mans voice quieted down, "child hood best friend, my friends at home said it's stupid but I dunno-" he chuckled once more, " I 'spose I'm too optimistic for my own good."

The sound of an engine pulling in, George looked up seeing his bus had arrived.

"this is my bus," he stood with a smile.

"oh right, it was nice speaking to you bus boy." The man smiled giving a short wave as George got into the bus pulling out his Oyster card.

"goodbye stranger." George returned the wave stepping further into the bus and taking a seat as the bus doors closed and took off, he looked out of the window to see the stranger giving him a warm smile and a wave as he slowly faded into the distance.