Page 17 of Bad Daddy

“Jacob’s an engineer, Danny,” Haru said, and he looked so proud when he said it. “He’s living his dream and up to his elbows in tech. He adapts what he has to and it works for him.” He looked at Danny then, and Danny felt like it shot straight through him. “That could be you, too.”

“I-I don’t know where I’d even start,” Danny managed. He was almost angry at how desperate he felt. How hopeful.

Haru smiled at him. “Well hey, I guess that’s where I come in.”

Chapter 4

Danny left his lunch with Haru feeling like his head was spinning, and even the wind biting at him on his walk back to his apartment didn't seem to hurt as much. There were other people like him and they weren’t stupid. Lily’s brother was like him, and he was an engineer.

There were accommodations that could be made for him. He’d had no idea they existed, because no one had bothered to tell him.

No one had ever bothered to try.

His eyes burned for a completely different reason as he walked, thinking about it. Thinking about how hard it had been, how much he had struggled, all the sleep he had lost. All the opportunities he had missed out on, because the world had decided he was just too fucking stupid to be worth a chance at anything better.

It still didn't seem real, this new idea that maybe he wasn't dumb. That maybe he could actually make something of himself, if he didn’t have to work so hard just to get to the level where other people were naturally.

Haru had said that. Had looked at him and said, “If you didn’t have to memorize your textbooks, what else do you think you could do with your mind?”

Danny didn't even know.

But Haru said he was going to help Danny find out.

***

Danny couldn’t help the nerves that woke him before his alarm early Monday morning. He and Haru were going to be meeting at the campus library first thing to start all the requests for Danny’s accommodations at the college’s department of disability services. Danny still couldn’t believe that Haru was not only taking more time for him, but on a weekday. Granted, they were meeting at seven am, so not time for Haru to be at the office yet, but still.

Haru had said he hadn’t wanted Danny to go another day without getting the ball rolling to arrange accommodations for his education. That he was ready and willing to miss out on part of his work day to do it.

Danny didn’t know what to do with the warmth that slipped down his spine at the memory of being told that. Being told that he was important. Worth someone like Haru’s time.

He bundled up for the weather outside, keeping his head down as he walked to the bus stop. His apartment was thankfully not that far from campus and there was a bus that went straight there. Clint had picked where Danny moved to when his old lease had been up, and him choosing a good location was probably one of the best things the man had ever done for him.

It was a little before seven when he arrived at campus, and Danny made a beeline to the library, sighing in relief to finally be out of the cold. The library was empty but for him, so Danny went to snag a study room, shrugging off his backpack and pulling out his laptop before sending Haru a voice message for where he was.

It was only a few minutes later that Haru walked into the study room. He was wearing a messenger bag slung over his coat, had a little paper bag tucked in the crook of one arm, and was carrying two white to-go cups.

“Morning,” he said cheerfully, setting the cups and bag on the table, before unslinging his messenger bag.

“Morning,” Danny said. “Um, was the drive okay?”

“Easy breezy,” Haru said, taking off his coat. He was wearing a soft-looking green sweater that looked unfairly devastating with his complexion and wind-swept hair. Danny swallowed and shifted in his seat. “Luckily not many people are driving to a college library at seven on a Monday morning, so I didn’t even have to battle for a parking space.”

“Do you uh, often do battle for parking spaces?” Danny asked.

Haru nodded seriously. “It’s not usually a duel to the death, but trying to park anywhere downtown when I have to go there for court? Madness.” He pushed one of the to-go cups in Danny’s direction. “I know you said you took your coffee anyway you could get it, but you also said that you preferred cream and sugar so I did my best. I figured that if I didn’t get the ratio right, it still fell under your ‘not picky about coffee’ jurisdiction.”

“Oh,” Danny said, taken aback. “Um, thank you.”

“But if you hate it,” Haru added, opening up the paper bag. “You’re under no obligation to drink it.”

“I probably won’t hate it,” Danny said, picking up the cup. “I’m really not picky at all. Um, thank you for thinking of me.”

“Of course,” Haru said. “Figured I’m dragging you out this early, I should probably bring offerings.” Out of the paper bag, he pulled two items wrapped in waxed paper and a handful of napkins. “Case in point, croissant-egg sandwiches. I thought they’d be a safe bet. Unless you’re vegan.” He paused, then turned horrified eyes on Danny. “Are you vegan? Are eggs illegal?”

It surprised a laugh out of Danny, and the last of his nerves drained away. “Eggs aren’t illegal,” he said. “I’m not really into alternative diets. I eat pretty much anything.”

Haru nodded and pushed one of the sandwiches in Danny’s direction. “Well good, I’m glad I didn’t accidentally offend you. One of my ex-boyfriend’s had an aunt who was vegan, but the kind of vegan who had to tell everyone she was vegan and lectured you if you took honey in your tea. I’m not against veganism, but I draw the line at anti-bee propaganda.”

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