Sotam Oneshots and Other Things

Oneshot Contest Part One (AAAAAHHHH)

Prompt: The main character goes out drinking with their friends. They're dared to kiss the first person they bump into, they do it. The next morning they woke up and see their picture; on the news. Who's the person they're kissing? The famous actor *name of second person*

Okay so I'm changing this up just a liiiiiiiitle bit so it fits what my brain has designed for me. Hopefully that's okay :)

Alsoooo it's an AU obviously so the characters are old enough to drink legally.

~~

Tam should've known better than to listen to Keefe and meet him and the rest of the boys down at the pub. He knew the moment he walked in he wasn't walking out sober. He wasn't planning on drinking a lot but... things happened. And with Keefe involved, things were bound to happen a lot quicker. It didn't take much for Tam to get drunk, and once he did, he was just gone. And by the time Keefe asked for a bill, Tam had his head in his arms on the table and was laughing hysterically about a joke- that wasn't even funny- that Keefe had told ten minutes ago.

"Hey," Keefe said, prodding Tam's shoulder as he and Dex stood up. "You can't stay here all night. Dex is going to drive you home, because obviously you're not going anywhere alone."

Tam stared at him blankly for a moment, then nodded, standing up with a lot of help from the table. Satisfied, Keefe turned to the door and he and Dex started to walk flawlessly towards it, until a stumbling Tam crashed into them both from behind. Keefe grabbed his arm, a smirk playing on his face as an idea came into his head. He would never miss a chance to humiliate Tam in public, and the opportunity had arose.

"Hey Tam, I've got a dare for you. I'm going to let go of you, and the first person you bump into you have to kiss. Deal?" He didn't wait for an answer before letting go, and he regretted it at the last second.

~~

Tam moaned as he opened his eyes the next morning. His mind was foggy and everything hurt. He rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out why he was out on the couch- and why he had fallen asleep in such a weird position. The memories of the night before trickled in. Tam buried his face in his hands. He told himself- over and over again- to stop going out with Keefe. Keefe meant trouble, and he didn't want to be involved in it. Thinking about Keefe reminded Tam of something else. Something he couldn't quite remember. Maybe he had told him to do something? Tam shrugged it off. He'd ask Dex later.

After a quick breakfast of frozen pancakes, Tam sat down on the couch again, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He seriously needed to get a job... but first Tumblr. Idly, he scrolled through popular posts. He never really saw anything interesting on Tumblr, but it took up time and took his mind off of finding a job. But today? Today was different. Because almost a few minutes into the search he came across a curious picture, posted by none other than Keefe Sencen.

Why am I kissing Sophie?

Tam's mind whirled as the lost memories from the night before came back to him.

The first person you bump into you have to kiss, deal?

He hated never hated Keefe more than right now.

Sophie Foster- famous public speaker inspiring change. She was all over the news, all the time. She had moved here from California in 2018, and she started making a difference within the year.

But she wasn't just known for her positive impact on the world, she was also known for her looks. Every boy who laid eyes on her never wanted to tear his eyes away. Dex was one of them. So was Keefe. And Fitz. Even that weirdo Tam went to high school with, Valin, was head over heels for her.

Tam was, too.

It's not like he'd had much of a chance with her to begin with, but now that he'd gotten drunk and kissed her? Tam shook his head. So much for slim chances.

But what was she doing down at the pub? From the pictures- which were everywhere- he could tell they were just outside. It looked like she was going in. Tam had figured that, being an activist, Sophie wouldn't dare go down to that part of the city, much less touch a drop of alcohol.

Tam shrugged it off, deciding maybe it was about time to search for some job openings.

~~

The coffee shop was a little too cutesy for Tam's liking, but it had good pay and it seemed easy enough. He had worked at a Dunkin for a while a few months back. This would be the same, right?

No. Not. At. All.

Unlike at the Dunkin, where people would stop in, ask for a doughnut and a coffee and leave, the people here expected conversation. Nobody told Tam this, he was forced  to learn it on his own when he was assigned to a table that an older lady had just sat down at. He wasn't used to the one-on-one interactions he had to do here, and he said awkwardly, "Um... so what can I get for you?"

"Just my usual, please."

"Ma'am, I'm new here. What's your usual?"

She looked up at him now and smiled. "Oh, so you are. You're a cutie, too. Just a raspberry scone and black coffee- no sugar."

Tam nodded and went to get her order. She reminded him of Dex's grandmother. When they were really little, he invited all of them over for her "award-winning apple pie". The thing turned out to be more burnt crust than apples. And she kept squishing Tam's cheeks. Needless to say, he never accepted another invitation to that house.

The rest of the morning went pretty much the same, and Tam did more talking to people that day than he usually did in a week. It left him exhausted. But 10:00 came around, and his shift was over.

He walked with his head down. He was tired and not paying attention, and for the second time in the craziest twenty-four hours of his life, Tam crashed into the one and only Sophie Foster.

"Oh! Uh- sorry, I uh-" He stammered, sticking a hand out to help her up.

She studied him closely, recognition dawning in her eyes. She got up on her own.

"You're that man who bumped into me last night!" she said, stepping away.

Tam dropped his hand to his side awkwardly. He looked down, blushing. "I- yeah. I am."

Realizing he wasn't drunk this time, Sophie stepped forward cautiously, noticing the uniform he was wearing.

"Do you work here?"

Tam smiled. "Yeah. Today was my first day. Why?"

She pursed her lips. "I work here, too."

Sophie? Sophie Foster? Worked at a little coffee shop like this?

"Huh," Tam said, lost in thought. "Well, I guess I look forward to seeing you at work." He was doing his best to be polite. Maybe his new job was already rubbing off on him. He made an awkward little wave goodbye, and then headed for his car.

"Wait!" Sophie called after him, running to catch up. "What's your name?"

"Tam."

"Well, Tam, I like you a lot better when you're not drunk. And I'm looking forward to seeing you at work, too."

And with that, she turned around and headed back for the coffee shop, leaving Tam standing starstruck next to his car.

Maybe they did have a chance.

~~

And that is that :)

Hope you liked it!