All Was Golden In the Sky (Phan AU)

Chapter 3

"When the moon found the sun, he looked like he was barely hanging on; but her eyes saved his life, in the middle of summer..."

***

The rest of the day was quite busy. Dan's manager, Marienne, taught him how to trim, water, and arrange the flowers. Next, he was ushered over to the coffee counter, which held the coffee pots, an espresso machine, a plethora of syrups, assorted teas, and a mini fridge with cream and milk.

"I know this is quite a lot to take in on your first day," Marienne apologized. "but you'll get the idea of how this place runs in no time." She held a thumbs up, and Dan held two up in response, with the addition of a nervous smirk.

When he called her "ma'am", she had insisted that he just address her as Marie. Dan was relieved by how friendly this boss was. The last one he had worked for was mundane and could honestly care less about his employees. Back in Berkshire...

There were too many things he didn't want to remember about his past, and the last few years were certainly one of those things. A bittersweet flavour filled his throat, and coated his tongue. It tasted of unripe cherries. He winced, shrugging his shoulders forward, trying his best to block out the pain that filled his thoughts.

***

Phil entered the shop, striding over to the coffee counter. Dan was occupied with a customer, so he slipped his hands into his jean pockets. He glanced up at the brunette's face. Coincidentally, his fingers found a thread inside one of the pockets and began to pull at it.

"Good afternoon," a voice appeared out of the blue, startling Phil out of his daze. "Is there anything I can interest you in?"

"Y-yeah, sorry about that," the taller boy stammered. "I'll have..." He glanced at the board above Dan's head and bit his bottom lip tentatively. "Ah- an iced Kona blend, please. Black."

"Gotcha," Dan smirked, forming a wide dimple on his cheek. Then the boy ran a hand through his wavy locks, which reminded Phil of the sun, untamed and simply gorgeous. He felt his face flush.

'Dammit, why does this boy have to be so pretty?!'

Dan spoke up. "Are you on lunch break?"

"Hm? Oh, er, yeh. You?" Phil almost facepalmed. 'Of course he's not on lunch break. He's serving you, you nerd.'

"Almost, actually. Ah, I was thinking of just heading next door for a sandwich." He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Would you like to join me? I mean..," the boy shuffled his feet and handed Phil his drink. "If you haven't eaten already, that is." He ran a hand through his hair again, ruffling the top uncertainly. Phil was absolutely certain his face was red, and it was too late to hide it. Instead, he tipped his head to the side so that his hair covered one eye and his right temple.

'Some sense of security, at least..,' he thought.

"N-no that sounds terrific," was Phil's bashful response. He smiled and looked back at Dan, suddenly feeling a sense of calmness wash over him. Dan laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling up, and that charming dimple forming again.

"Alright then, I'm off in five minutes."