Beats of the Heart [MxM]

Final Round Teaser

•••••• Ten years after Miles and Shawn reunited. ••••••

The elevator rang, and the doors opened, alerting Danny that he had reached his floor. He never thought he would be run ragged when he decided to become a professor. However, each year, his classes increased in size, and soon he had to host four classes, and there were talks of a fifth next semester. 

His messenger bag and laptop were heavy with answer sheets from his last quiz. He muttered under his breath about how he would force everything to be electronic next semester. He was already anticipating a long night of grading. He should have left it for his TAs, but they were overworked. 

He could beg the head of his department for another TA, but he wasn't the only one struggling. 

"Maybe I should stop conducting quizzes," he said to himself. "It doesn't make sense for Modern Poetry."

He trudged to the door of his condo and realized that the hallway was filled with moving boxes. His floor only had two condos, and the one across the hall from his had been empty for a while. Danny typically kept to himself and had gone a year before talking to his last neighbor. He figured it would be the same this time. 

He pulled out his keys and unlocked his door; however, when he tried to enter his place, he tripped over a package and almost fell. He groaned. His brother had constantly fussed over him for being clumsy. The last thing he wanted to admit was getting injured while walking into his home.

He huffed, picked up the offending package, and set it on the entryway table. He slipped off his shoes and tossed his bag on the couch, sighing with relief as he rolled his shoulders after removing the weight. 

As he went to pour a glass of wine, his phone rang. He smiled when he saw his best friend, Courtney's name. "Hey, lady," he greeted happily when he answered it. 

"My children were just asking about their favorite uncle," She responded. 

Danny chuckled. Courtney and Rob are proud parents of three-year-old twins. Proud and absolutely haggard. Danny would help out as much as possible. 

"You know I love the kids, but if you ask me to babysit, I think I will have to decline tonight. Some idiot professor decided to quiz his classes and now have to grade said quizzes." 

"Gross," Courtney said with audible disgust. "But no. I was trying to push Rob out the door and have a guys' night. I love that man but need him out of my hair for one night."

Danny sighed. "Why do I feel like this is some scheme to get me out of the house?"

"Because it is a scheme to get you out of the house," Rob said, proving he was on speakerphone.

"Rob!" Courtney yelled. 

"I don't need a playdate with Rob, Court. I get out of the house every day."

"I told you he would say that," Rob grumbled. 

"You get out to teach classes. You don't try to meet new people," Courtney argued.

Danny laughed. "I meet hundreds of people!" 

"We're talking about your classes again," Courtney groaned. "Danny, I love you. I just want you to meet someone to appreciate you."

Danny sighed. "You know I don't like going out or talking to new people, especially when I'm drained from work. Do I really need to go put myself on display in hopes that some guy won't be an absolute dick?"

Danny had poor experiences with dating that he would rather keep locked away. He was always too nerdy, too quiet, too shy, too small, too something. That were the usual excuses men gave him when they cheated or dumped him. Other times, they just ghosted him, so Danny had quit the whole "dating" thing.