Chapter Text
Let me run with you tonight
I’ll take you on a moonlight ride
There’s someone I used to see
But she don’t give a damn for me
“Of all the songs that could be playing in the bar, it just had to be this one,” you said to yourself. Why is it that when you come to the bar, it’s either sad songs or love songs that are playing? You figured that “Imagine” by John Lennon wasn’t exactly a drinking song, so there was the answer. Bossman’s been giving you a tough time for the past month, and school was no better. You had assignments due left and right, and it became a mountain of mayhem around you. You had to remind yourself that you deserve to take this break.
But let me get to the point, let’s roll another joint
And turn the radio loud, I’m too alone to be proud
And you don’t know how it feels
You don’t know how it feels to be me
At this rate, you couldn’t tell what burned worse: the break-up text from your now ex-boyfriend, or the three shots of tequila you just took. “Son of a bitch couldn’t have picked a worse time to pull this shit,” you said while throwing another shot back. You decided that you’d switch to water so that you wouldn’t get sick. “I mean, it’s not like he deserved to be with me anyway, but still.”
Just then, you heard the bell on the door ring, and a few people in a tiny cluster walked in. You thought it was weird that they all came inside together, but then split up all at once. One guy out of the little crowd started walking towards the bar. Oh wow, he’s a tall drink of water. Thank god, you could still control what you say aloud. How embarrassing would it have been to be that girl at the bar? “Excuse me, miss?”
Oh shit. “Would you mind if I sit here? My friends are kind of doing their own thing, and you looked like you could use some company,” the mystery man said. You just shyly nodded your head, scooting your bar stool over just enough so that he wouldn’t bump into you. “Tom Petty, huh? Man, he was such a fucking legend.” Dude, he’s fucking speaking to you, say something!
“Oh uh, yes. It is quite a shame, but we’ll always have the music.” Really? Is that really the best you could come up with? He ordered himself a water, and turned to face you. “My name is Dan, by the way. My friends call me Danny.” Dan held his hand out for you to shake. Carefully, you did, trying not to appear as buzzed as you really were. You introduced yourself, and gave him your best smile. “Nice to meet you, Dan.”
People come, people go
Some grow young, some grow cold
I woke up in between
A memory and a dream
“So, I hate to be that guy, but what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” he giggled, patiently waiting for you to answer. You giggled too, slightly reluctant to tell him why you were there. You didn’t really have anything to gain from telling him, but did you really have anything to lose? “It’s okay, really, if you don’t want to tell me. We can talk about whatever you want instead?"
This was the first time in a while that anyone had been the least bit kind to you. For a long time, it felt like the entire world was against you. You put on a brave face, and thought of where you wanted to start. “Well, this would probably bore the hell out of you, but I’m getting a bunch of shit from my boss lately. College is working on giving me an ulcer. And, I am newly single on top of all that.” Dan didn’t seem bored by you at all. He listened to you like he was hearing music for the first time. “Quite the opposite of boring, if you ask me. I would tell you I’m sorry, but that douche bag probably didn’t deserve you anyway.”
You giggled at the accent that peeked through in his voice. He had to be from Jersey. You thought it was adorable, so you just had to pick on him for it. “Could you say that last part again, please?” He smiled, catching on to your little bit of fun. He repeated what he said, only with a tiny chuckle on the end. “I’ve never had a girl like the way I talk before. That’s really sweet of you.”
So, let’s get to the point, let’s roll another joint
Let’s head on down the road, there’s somewhere I gotta go
And you don’t know how it feels
You don’t know how it feels to be me
You could hear Dan humming along to Mr. Petty, and it sounded good. You and Dan started getting to know the little things about each other. Where each of you worked, what your families were like, your biggest heartbreaks… everything, really. “Wow Dan, you’ve really done it all, huh? I can’t wait to quit my fucking job, man.” He laughed and assured you that you would get there in good time. “Ya know, it’s getting a bit crowded in here. Would you, uh… want to go on a little walk with me?” You asked him about his friends, but he reassured you that they would be fine. Their names were Arin, Suzy, Ross, and Barry. From what you knew, they seemed like nice people. So, you agreed and paid for your drinks.
“I actually live nearby, so if it’s cool with you, could we go this way?” Dan knew he would feel much better with you having someone to walk home with, so of course he said yes. What kind of man lets a woman walk home alone after leaving a bar anyway? Shit’s dangerous, ya know? “So, um, could I ask you something?” Dan nodded his head, waiting for the crosswalk to say you guys could start walking. “You told me that you are famous on YouTube, so like, do you ever feel like you don’t trust anyone?”
“You mean like, do I feel like people are using me because of my popularity? Yeah, sometimes. The worst is actually wondering if girls genuinely like me for who I am, and not the guy I am on YouTube.” His answer actually upsets you. Sure, you two just met not that long ago, but you knew you liked him before he even told you about the channel. Honestly, you were afraid of even developing feelings for Dan after he had told you this. You didn’t want him to think of you that way, always questioning himself. Doubting himself.
“Did that answer your question?” Shit, you hadn’t realized that you were silent this whole time. You looked over to him on the sidewalk, trying your best to give him an encouraging smile. “Dan, I’m sure that someone out there. Hell, any girl should consider herself lucky to be with you.” It was a bold statement, and you could blame the tequila later, but for now you definitely meant it. He smiled, shaking his head. “You’re awfully sweet for a girl who hated men two hours ago.” This made you laugh, and just slightly embarrassed. He wasn’t entirely wrong though, was he? Ugh, you’ve got it so bad already.
You made it back to your apartment building unscathed. “Would you like to come up? I mean, you don’t have to if you want to get back to your friends.” He smiled, following you up the stairs. “If they ask, I’ll just tell them I went on one of my little adventures. They’re used to me kind of wandering off anyway.” You smiled, fumbling with your keys for a moment. “You have a nice pad, by the way.”
“Oh, thank you! Please, make yourself at home. I’ll make some tea or something.” Dan looked through your small movie collection. He gasped when he saw that you had all the Lord of the Rings movies. “I fucking love Lord of the Rings, man! Do you mind?” You let him pop in the first disk, and the movie played quietly in your living room. You brought Dan a mug filled with hot tea, and you both sat down on your couch. Are we really just hanging out right now?