Author's Note:

Hey! Welcome to my one-shots book. This wasn't going to be a thing for a little while longer, but something came up *cough cough* and its up now. I'm happy to start this as a side project while working on other *cough cough* main projects.

I have a handful of other ideas, only one or two that will actually be published, so if y'all have any requests, just message me with them. I'll write just about anything except for smut.

ONE LAST THING! This is for wyattschufter partially because she's my everything, and partially because its her birthday.

-

loosely based off of Mitch's tweet: @/scotthoying passed each other on our morning strolls, how are we so cute

however, slight au where they don't know each other

-

I woke up early Sunday morning and instinctively stretched out in the king sized bed. I slowly sat up in the bed then looked around my somewhat dark room. As much as I would have like to stay in my room for awhile and mope around about what was going outside, I forced myself to get up and get ready for the day.

I had only lived in Los Angeles for a few months, and my mornings were one of the few things that had finally had a routine.

I always woke up alone, which I had grown quite used to. I gave myself a minute or two to wake up, then hopped into the shower. After that was done, I got dressed, put on makeup, then headed out for the day.

As routine as my mornings were, they weren't always this way. They only grew to be after I got my apartment, my job, then found the best route to and from the two places.

However, once I was ready this morning, I took extra time to stare out the windows. Even half an hour later it was still somewhat dark, the light hidden by clouds in the sky. Rain gently hit the window, but I didn't debate on whether or not to go out. I walked through my apartment one last time, grabbing a light jacket and a wallet.

The last thing I took before leaving was my umbrella, knowing I would need it. The rain splattered windows throughout my apartment were all the proof necessary. I then took my time walking down the stairs, postponing the inevitable walk through the cold and wet. I walked through the first floor of the apartment complex before walking through the front door. I looked up and down the sidewalk, before cautiously opening the umbrella and walking onto the concrete.

Rainy days like this made me wish I wasn't stuck walking. But, I had to live somewhat frugally, as I had just moved here and had just gotten a job. That meant no car for me. As much as I longed to have another one, I lived far enough into the city to be able to see the traffic first hand. Soon after I moved here, I also realized that I lived far enough into the city where I could walk to the places I needed to go. This brought on the start of my morning strolls.

They were always early, 6:30 in the morning to be exact. Even though I was lucky to get my job fairly quickly, the downside in the beginning was the early hours. I used to love sleeping in most mornings, but 6 soon became a normal, regular time.

I learned not to mind the early mornings. In fact, the few block walk to the coffee shop, then to my work was one I typically enjoyed. The early mornings usually gave me a beautiful sunrise to stare at. Even though there were the occasional clouds, they distorted the reds and yellows, creating something equally as gorgeous.

Today was a bit different, the occasional rumble of thunder reminding me of that. The clouds were thick in the sky, and it was just barely light enough that the street lights weren't on.

This day was also a bit different in the sense that it was a Sunday, and the shop I worked at was closed. But routine had me up anyways. I planned on staying at Starbucks for awhile before deciding how to spend the rest of the daylight today. If it had been nice, I probably would have sat outside all day. Today I was positive I would just head back home.

I couldn't enjoy the sunrise this morning, so as I walked, I turned my attention to the people I passed. The few months I had lived here were not enough time to get used to the diversity that I already embraced. Everyone in this city was so unique, yet no one truly stuck out. They all seemed to fit, as unbelievable as that sounded. I often wondered how easily I blended in. As much as I hoped I did, I knew if I kept to my self, there would be no way to create new friends. That was one of the things I still lacked, as I didn't count the barista that already knew me by name, and my one coworker.

Before I made it to the coffee shop, one person managed to stick out. I may have just said no one really stuck out, but he was almost impossible not to see. He was one of the few people I saw not carrying an umbrella, and after I chuckled to myself, I grew curious as to why he wasn't carrying one. It started raining some time late last night, and he would've had to be completely oblivious not to take one.

His brown hair was flat on the top of his head, his t-shirt and jeans both spotted with rain drops. He was a bit taller than me, and just like me, didn't seem overly happy that it was raining out. I let my eyes linger on him until he passed me, which was probably longer than I'd like to admit.

As I continued to walk, the thoughts of him simply left my mind, as I was unable to hold onto him. A minute or two later I was at Starbucks. I stayed there for about half an hour before there was a small break in the rain, and I decided to head back home.

-

When I woke up the next morning I groaned loudly loudly at the sight of clouds still in the sky. Part of me was happy that it wasn't raining like it was yesterday. The other half was a bit sad that I was stuck in this middle ground, no rain yet no sun.

I got ready and out of my house at a normal time then made my way outside. I shivered a bit at the rush of cold air. It may have been late summer, but the wind and cloud combination made it feel cooler than it actually was.

I tried to walk quickly, partially to stay warm, and partially to ensure that I wouldn't arrive to work late. This morning, I had to make sure that nothing would slow me down, as I already wasn't in the best mindset to go about a long day.

But then, I saw him again.

LA was a busy city, full of millions of people. This fact made it nearly impossible to see a face again, even if you could manage to recognize them again, and on top of that, to see a random person two days in a row.

Regardless, there he was, a few yards ahead of me.

And if I was being honest, I didn't completely mind seeing him again.

I took him in again, unable to help myself. He was wearing an outfit similar to one the one he wore yesterday, a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt. As my eyes made their way up, I noticed that his hair was drastically different. His hair, which I previously thought was brown, was actually a darker blonde. Today it was styled up in a quiff, and in an incredibly wavy style. Seeing what I assumed was his natural hairstyle today helped make sense of his hair yesterday.

I then shifted my gaze to his eyes, which now had an obvious color. I then was almost in shock to see that they were on me. I abruptly looked away towards the sidewalk ahead of me, just like someone would if their crush caught them staring.

He finally passed me, and I stole one last glance at him. His eyes were still on me, but he quickly looked away, just like I did moments earlier. I giggled to myself once he was out of sight, then unlike yesterday, I actually had to fight to keep my mind off of him.

-

It was finally sunny the next morning, and it seemed to give me so much more motivation for the day ahead. I had no problem getting out this morning, and didn't need to worry about any bad weather hindering my mood.

I willingly left a few minutes before normal, wanting to soak in the sunrise that I hadn't seen lately. My eyes stayed up for most of the walk, watching the sky continuously change. I occasionally glanced down, making sure I wasn't about to run into someone. Call me distracted for staring at the sky, but nothing could distract me from what I was doing.

Until, of course, I saw the tall blonde man again.

It was an intense feeling of deja vu, and when I realized that today was the third day in a row of seeing him, I knew it wasn't much of a coincidence anymore. Something had him walking the opposite direction that I was every morning, and I couldn't help but be curious as to where he was going.

He saw me today, or I should say, I saw him looking at me today. He didn't seem to care today that we were both plainly looking at each other. I was trying to fight to keep a smile off of my face as he got closer and closer.

"Hi," he said shyly as we finally passed by each other. I finally smiled at the sound of his voice, as it was pleasant and light. It sounded like he had been awake for a few hours, versus the few minutes I had been.

"Hi," I managed to reply. He smiled just like I had moments earlier, and I wondered if he liked my voice as much as I liked his.

Before either one of us could say anything else, we passed by each other, making it now impossible to speak another word.

Well, at least for the rest of the day.

-

It continued to stay sunny for the next two days.

And I couldn't have been happier that it was.

The mornings were gorgeous, and made sure to leave extra time every morning so I could stare at the scenery.

And, obviously, I saw him again. I grew slightly frustrated that every time we passed we didn't have time to say more than a word or two. It was even worse that one of those words couldn't be his name. He was still nameless, but it might have been for the better. I imagined how awkward it would have been to just randomly say our names as we passed. Even as weird as that would have been, I wanted it to happen. However, still made a point to say 'hi' each morning as we passed each other.

Those two days seemed to rush by, the end of the week was finally upon me as I got up Saturday morning.

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary this morning, besides the slightly darker skies. As I was walking, I noticed that clouds were off towards the west, and I had a feeling it would be raining again tomorrow.

I made it halfway to Starbucks before I had to stop at an intersection. I was standing behind a large group of people, which was also quite typical for my mornings.

Only when I really looked at the people surrounding me did I see the blonde a few steps away. His eyes were already on me, but once I took notice of him, he quickly looked away. I giggled lightly at the childishness in this. We were acting like kids in school, yet I found it adorable in some way. I glanced up at the street lights, and it seemed as if they were about to change. If I wanted to say something, now was the time.

"I'm Mitch," I said, finally introducing myself after a week of encounters. I was facing straight ahead when I said that, however, I couldn't help but look out of the corner of my eye at him. It appeared as if he was doing the same thing. He remained quiet, and I began to second guess myself. I didn't know how just saying my name could have left him silent, but it did.

"Scott," he spoke quietly, a moment later. I glanced back at him, completely unashamedly moving my head to look at him. However, fate then decided to change the lights, allowing both of us to start walking.

"Bye, Mitch," I heard his voice say, slightly louder. I smiled, hearing my name finally coming out of his mouth. He began walking away, and now I struggled to speak.

"Bye," I finally managed to say. I wasn't sure if he heard me though, as he was already on the street by the time I forced the one word out. I stood there for a moment, watching him walk away before I followed the crowd in front of me hurrying across the street.

-

Sure enough, it was raining the next morning.

Unlike last week, I seriously debated on staying inside all day today. I really didn't feel like tackling the outside world today, and now I had an excuse. However, the more I thought about it, the more a small part of me thought I should still go out. I wasn't quite sure why, but I listen to that part, and soon was pulling out clothes for the day.

As I got ready, I noticed that it was slightly lighter outside today than it was a week ago, and I wondered if that slight difference would have any significance in the day. I didn't wait on the thought though, and managed to get outside at the usual time.

Once I had been out for a minute, I also noticed that it was raining quite a bit lighter than last week. Still enough that I need an umbrella, and still enough to easily soak someone who wasn't carrying one. I'm sure by now you know who I saw again.

I could have laughed at the fact that he once again neglected to carry one. And to be honest, I probably would have if it weren't for his next actions.

He obviously saw me as he was walking, and I had no doubt he saw my gaze on him too. He got closer and closer, but eventually he looked away, down at his feet. And then he passed me. Without looking up, and without a word.

My heart sunk. I didn't know how I could be so heartbroken over a lack of words from a guy who had only ever said 3 to me. My mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that I did something wrong, but I didn't know what. There was nothing that could have gone wrong, as we had only said a handful of words to each other.

"Wait," I heard a voice call, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I stopped walking, then grew confused. I turned around slowly and soon saw the blonde man that had passed me moments earlier. He was standing a few yards back, staring at me. I couldn't believe that only now he said something, and in a loud baritone voice. I was a bit in shock, glad there weren't many words from him to process.

"Yeah?"

"Can I say something?"

I nodded my head, before taking a step towards him. "Get under here first." A small smile showed up on his face as he jogged back to me. He stepped under the umbrella, and my breath hitched once it set in how close he was to me. Only then did I realize how small my umbrella was. I never had a use for a bigger one, as I never had anyone else to shield from the rain. However, I felt relieved that he was here.

"Thanks."

"Its no problem."

He paused for a second, then scratched the back of his neck. He looked down at his feet, suddenly afraid of making eye contact with me.

"Um, so this may sound weird, but seeing you on your... morning strolls, have actually kind of been the highlight of my week. Uh, is... is there any way I can get coffee with you sometime?"

It was my turn to glance down at my feet, a bit surprised at his proposal. Sure he was an interesting guy that I tended to let my eyes linger on too long, but other than that I was unsure. I knew I had to go with my heart, as my mind would overthink the situation more than it already was.

"I was just headed to Starbucks, want to join me?"

"Yeah, I mean as long as I'm not intruding on any, like, personal time of yours."

"I'd..." I paused, trying to think of how to word it just right, "really like for you to join me."

He smiled at me, the corners of his mouth just barely curled upwards. "Okay." He looked up at the umbrella, then back at me. "May I?" He asked, gesturing to it. I glanced up at him getting a chance to really take in his height. Just like I initially thought, he was a few inches taller than me.

"Uh, yeah," I said. I handed it over to him, and he took it, careful not to touch my hand. "Thanks."

"Its no problem," he said, repeating my words.

We remained fairly silent until we got to the coffee shop and got our drinks. We practically reintroduced ourselves, although there wasn't much else to say besides our names. Throughout our conversations, I couldn't help but notice how awkward this was. It kind of reminded me of a blind date, but at least I had seen this man before.

I found out that he worked night shifts at a local radio station, and when we ran into each other every morning, he was headed home. I then spoke of how I was headed to work at a record shop. Only then did it finally click as to how we managed to run into each other every morning. Something else clicked then, the fact that he was probably just headed home after a long night. I apologized profusely after figuring that out, sorry that I kept him from going home. He said it wasn't a big deal, and that he didn't mind whatsoever. He reminded me that it was his idea, and that he was just glad I agreed.

I ended up being very glad I didn't need to work today, because we stayed inside together talking for a long time. Conversations began to flow easier between us, allowing the morning to completely fly by. And when we finally decided to leave, he volunteered to hold the umbrella again.

---

I woke up early Monday morning then instinctively stretched out in the king sized bed. I slowly sat up in the bed then looked around the somewhat dark room. As much as I didn't like the rain, I couldn't stay inside today. I had to work this morning, and as much as I didn't want to leave, part of me was glad that I had to.

I had now lived in Los Angeles for almost a year, and I couldn't have loved the mornings more. Well, maybe a little bit.

As routine as my mornings were, I sometimes wished they weren't. I loved them a lot, but occasionally wished that somethings would change. For example, I always woke up alone, which I had unfortunately grown quite used to. I often tried to ignore this fact by making myself busy until the afternoon.

The sound of rain gently hitting the window echoed throughout the empty apartment, but I didn't complain. I was slowly beginning to look forward to going out as it got later in the morning.

Once I was ready this morning, I quickly grabbed my umbrella, and left my apartment. I wasted no time walking down the stairs, now actually starting to get a bit excited to step out into the rain. I opened the umbrella and walked right out onto the concrete.

I kept my gaze up in front of me this morning, not trying to stare at the sky, or glance at any group of people. I couldn't make myself look anywhere else, as I was only looking for one thing, one person. If I didn't pay attention, I was scared that I would miss the man, as impossible as it seemed to me.

A few minutes later, I felt a bit relieved to finally see him. I got more relaxed at the sight of him, but at the same time I felt sort of giddy. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love seeing him almost every morning.

The snapback he was wearing today was keeping his hair dry and blonde, but his tank top and shorts were very wet. I shook my head, smirking, as he got closer, still unable to believe the foolishness that occasionally plagued him.

He didn't seem upset at the rain, and had a calm expression. He was looking at the sidewalk ahead of him, but eventually raised his head up. A lopsided grin showed up on his face once he saw me, and I returned the smile. He bit his lip, then looked away, but was unable to shake the smile, even though he visibly shook his head.

He passed me without a word, but we both knew the reason why. However, it was raining, and that's what made me start the mental countdown in my head.

"Wait," I heard him call. I smiled when I got down to 0. I turned around without any hesitation, then saw the blonde man standing a few yards away.

"Get under here, you dork."

Another grin took over his face and he soon ran back to me. He stepped under the umbrella and immediately pushed closer to me.

"Ew, you're wet," I remarked, "will you ever learn to take an umbrella?"

"It never rains when I leave at night."

"Maybe you should check the weather before you leave. Then you'll know if you need one or not."

"Won't need to have one if we keep passing each other."

I glanced down at my feet while blushing lightly. Of course he would bring this up, he did almost every time it was raining. I looked back up a moment later to see him staring fondly at me.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Because you're pretty."

I shook my head, laughing mainly to myself. "Am I crazy to want to hug you right now?"

"No, but I wouldn't. You don't need to be wet for," a pause to check his invisible watch, "the next six hours."

"Well then can I get a morning kiss?"

"Of course."

He placed a hand under my chin to tilt my head up. He then leaned down, and gently connected our lips. It was our stereotypical slow, sweet kiss, that I had learned to enjoy over anything else. I used my free hand to grab his shirt, trying to get as close as possible to just barely deepen the kiss. I could taste the mix of coffee and Red Bull that he must have had hours ago, and I actually enjoyed the taste on his lips. Eventually we pulled away, but not before he placed his lips on my forehead.

"How much did you drink last night?" I asked, curious.

"Enough to keep me awake."

"How was work last night?"

"It was good, nothing crazy happened, which I'm always thankful for."

"That's always nice."

"Yeah. You're just doing a normal shift today, right?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'll be back at about one."

"Good."

"Good?"

"I may or may not be planning on making us something."

"Don't burn the place down if you start before I get there."

"You always underestimate me." I went on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his cheek. "I'll let you go now," he said.

"Bye, Scotty." He cautiously stepped out from under the umbrella, then began walking away. I stayed in the same spot, watching him walk. He was a little ways away before turning around one last time.

"I love you, Mitch!" he shouted.

I smiled  as I watched him keep going. I'm not quite sure how long I stayed standing there, simply unable to keep leave that spot. I did eventually get moving again, but I couldn't keep the thought of him out of my head.