Chapter Text
Dr. Ryland Grace loved field trip days. Once a year, Grover Cleveland Middle took a trip to the San Francisco Natural History Museum. Grace knew the place like the back of his hand, and his classes always got the most parents signing up to chaperone- it was so nice to see so many moms taking interest in their children’s science education! He swears sometimes they ask him more questions than the kids do…
Anyways, Grace was ready for another great trip this year. He wakes up to a foggy Friday morning with an extra spring in his step, puts on one of his fun ties, patterned with dinosaur bones, finds his matching dinosaur bone socks (he always matches his tie and his socks, the kids love it… or at least that's the reason he tells himself) and bikes to his usual diner for breakfast.
He always finishes eating with plenty of time to spare, preferring to get to school a good forty minutes early, grabs a second coffee to go (the waitress knows that he likes it practically white with cream and sugar), and walks out the door-
And right into what feels like a brick wall. He drops his coffee, thankfully it only splashes on his shoes. And the shoes of the wall (man) he so politely crashed into.
As Grace’s brain catches up to what’s happening he takes in the appearance of the stranger in front of him. Black hair, black eyes, black hoodie, black slacks, black shoes. White coffee. He stumbles out a string of apologies as he crouches to pick up the now empty cup.
He looks up at the stranger again. Black hair, black eyes, black stubble, strong cheekbones, strong jaw, black eyes…
He tries to stand but suddenly his legs feel like jelly beneath him. He is NOT going to fall on his ass in front of this very handsome stranger, he’s embarrassed himself enough already.
He falls on his ass. And scolds himself internally for using that word.
The handsome stranger reaches out a hand. A big hand. A big rough hand connected to a big arm that pulls him up with no effort at all.
What has gotten into him???
Grace stands there like an idiot as the man grumbles out something he can’t understand and walks around him, into the diner. With a sigh Grace brushes himself off and grabs his bike. He should go back in and apologize again but he’s already running late and clearly the guy wanted nothing to do with him. What a great start to the morning.
——
Simon hated field trip days. Working as a security guard at the natural history museum wasn’t bad. He’d worked enough graveyard shifts in sketchy locations to know that as far as security jobs go, this one was pretty cushy.
It was usually decently calm and quiet, but the museum was occasionally descended upon by school groups that filled the halls with screaming and greasy fingerprints and oh so much chewing gum.
Simon hadn’t slept well. He often didn’t sleep well, between his nightmares and the lumpy mattress in his drafty apartment. He rolled out of bed and was greeted with several concerning sounds from his neck and spine. He gave a few scratches and a scoop of food to Felicia, the stray cat who’d wandered into his apartment and decided not to leave. Sometimes he felt like it was her apartment more than his, not that he minded the company.
He threw on his uniform, a long sleeve shirt under his polo to cover the scars twisting up his left arm and a hoodie on top- he’d learned that it was best not to look too much like a security guard when he was off the clock.
Simon took off for work, choosing as always to ignore the concerning sounds coming from his truck. Actually, he remembers, they had several school groups coming in that day. He needed to take a detour for a coffee if he wanted any chance at making it through the morning.
He pulled up to the diner, knowing he had just enough time to run in and out and still make it to work on time. As he approached the door, a tall blonde man came bustling out and… ran straight into him. The blonde dropped his coffee, splashing it over both of them.
Shit. Simon felt his anger bubbling up, then quickly tried to force it down. No, he tells himself, this is his fault. He shouldn’t have been standing there like a dumbass and now this guy who looked like he definitely had more important places to be was stumbling all over himself to apologize.
The man dropped down in front of Simon to pick up his discarded cup and… Simon’s brain short circuits. His anger melts away and he sees blue. Blue blue blue eyes, like the sky or the ocean or some shit. The kind people write poems about. Looking up at him.
Pull yourself together Simon, it’s too early in the damn morning for this.
The man falls backwards as he tries to stand up again. Fuck, that’s probably Simon’s fault too somehow. He reaches out a hand and the blonde stranger stares at it for a second. Did he do something else wrong? Is it the scars? Is it- the other man takes Simon’s hand. Simon yanks him up. Despite being taller than Simon the blonde pops up like he weighs nothing at all.
Simon stumbles out an apology that ends up sounding more like a grunt and goes inside. He’s tempted to replace the man’s drink but when he looks out the window the stranger is already two blocks away, biking like his life depends on it. Simon smacks himself internally. Just his luck.