Want a college au written by an English person who has no experience of the American further education system? With characters majoring in subjects the writer has no idea about? Want very realistic English Literature rants whenever the Literature-Student-Writer is procrastinating an essay or dissatation? Then look no further!
Introducing: The Snowing college AU literally no one has asked for!

David and Mary meet in a coffee shop on campus when David takes Mary's usual table. Both are too stubborn to move.

I wrote this in class with like 4 minutes of googling about colleges in America so please do not expect it to be accurate.
This is my first just Snowing fic so let me know what you think.

Mary heaved a sigh as she pushed through the surprisingly heavy glass door. There was a slight chill in the air, but not enough to warrant a coat yet, she absentmindedly noted. One of her arms was laden with heavy books and several notebooks, but with her other she pulled out her phone ready to scan to pay for her coffee at the Starbucks on campus. She had only been at the college for a month but already the barista shot her a knowing smile.

The oldest woman took a dramatic look out of the window as though it was about to tell her something that wasn't already abundantly obvious. "Let me guess, hot chocolate?"

"With cinnamon." Mary smiled back though she didn't really need to. She knew the older woman, who was known by the students so affectionately as 'Granny' that it was even on her name badge, would add it anyway. Mary mused about the oncoming assignments and papers she had to write, and knew she should probably call her stepmother back before she called her again, as she waited for her drink. She was so lost in her thoughts she hadn't heard what Granny had said to her. "Pardon?"

"I said, your table's taken."

Mary faltered and looked at Granny intently trying to make sure that she had heard right. The coffee shop was almost always dead at this time, it was just after her last class she had every day, there was no way that it would have been busy enough for someone to be forced to sit in what she had already claimed as her seat.
She needed a hot chocolate, something to eat, and to call her stepmother, in that order. And it would only feel right if she did it in that seat; where she could look out over the quad and at the old buildings which her campus boasted, and to be able to look around the coffee shop at the people dashing in to quickly grab coffee or tea before walking back to their dorm, but out of the way of the cold air from the opening door as she did so.
"Thanks Granny." She smiled kindly at the older woman and picked up the mug and saucer with her free hand, she would have to remember to get one of the muffins once she had convinced whoever was in her seat to move.

Was wasn't sure why but she hadn't been expecting a guy, especially not a guy who looked quite as handsome as he did, not in the same arrogant way some of the guys her roommate had hooked up with did. This guy seemed to have effortless good looks as he sat half glaring at a textbook in a rumpled plaid shirt, he either was unaware of his own looks or unbothered by them.

She mentally shook herself and walked over to the table, she plastered on an almost sickly sweet smile onto her face, he looked up as she gave a polite cough and she willed herself not to be distracted by his sea blue eyes. "Excuse me?"

David had been trying to read his new text book, he had already missed the first couple of weeks of college and had frantically been trying to catch up, his roommate had assured him they'd make up for the social event David had missed and David had had to try not to roll his eyes. He had known Thomas for years, and his friend was well aware that David didn't really care about missing the parties, this was more important. He flicked the screen of his phone on to find no texts, which was good news he reminded himself, but he couldn't escape the worry which threatened to take over; that something would go wrong again.

He heard a small cough and was worried for a minute he had gotten the closing times of the coffee shop wrong and he was about to be kicked out, but when he looked up he saw a girl, no woman. She had dark black hair cut in a pixie cut, her clothes were all perfectly pressed and smart, a stark contrast to his own which he just about stopped himself from smoothing down. He clearly his throat a little nervously, he hadn't spoken to anyone since he had ordered his coffee from the kind barista, he didn't want his voice to break while he was talking to such a beautiful woman.

"Can I help you?" he asked as casually as he possibly could. He found himself staring into her green eyes, trying to take every detail of them in, and trying to stop his heart from trying to beat out of his chest. He ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"I didn't mean to interrupt but it's pretty quiet here… we seem to be some of the only people around."

His eyes drifted to the odd couples and groups splattered around the place and saw she was right, but his mind was working overtime as it untangled what he thought she was asking. He felt his heart quicken and knew that he would have an even harder time keeping it in his chest the more she smiled at him like that. "We are." His tongue darted across his bottom lip.

Mary bit her lip. "…Could I convince you to switch tables?"

"I- I… what?" David frowned a little and titled his head, this was not where he had imagined the conversation going.

"It's just, that's my table, I always sit there." She quickly added.

He raised an eyebrow "I didn't see your name on it."

"There's plenty of other tables in this place, and at most other times you'd be welcome to this one. But every morning and evening, this one, this is mine."

"Oh is that right, princess?" he smirked at her little look of annoyance at that title. "And what makes it so important? Or is it just because I've been sat here?" He tried to sound as full of himself as possible, that way at least he would get to see a stuck up girl's cute look of annoyance.

She rolled her eyes. "Regular Prince Charming, aren't you?" Maybe she was wrong about him not being arrogant. "It's the best seat in the place." She added wanting to stick to the subject without his flirting or whatever it was she was doing.

His blue eyes continued to sparkle with amusement. "Then why would I give it up?"

She outwardly sighed this time. "Maybe you'll find your own place at one of the other seats."

"I rather like the view from here, thanks." He tried not to sigh, apparently she was just another spoiled rich girl wanting her own way… but there was something in that smile even as she was trying to get her own way which made him not want this exchange to end.

"Fine." She could see his shock, which only increased when she placed her mug onto the spare half of the table, she set her books down then sat in the spare seat. "I'll just stay here until you move." She smiled sweetly at him.

David quickly recovered from his shock and an easy smile appeared on his face. "Stay as long as you like, princess." He put his head down to read his textbook but found himself watching her as she settled down into her place. The amount of books she had kind of worried him, was he that far behind in his own subjects? He drank a sip of his own coffee as she scooped some of the cream off of her hot chocolate into her mouth, there was a powder on top of it which he presumed went along with the smell of ginger which had suddenly appeared at the table when she had joined him. He tried to focus on his own book again but found himself catching more and more glimpses at her.

As she drank the hot chocolate Mary felt herself starting to relax a little again, she was sure there was a little bit of magic in the mugs Granny made, she opened up the book on the top of her pile. Child development. She had had the class earlier on and was already ahead on her reading, she was determined to do well in the class, to prove that it was important to her and she was taking it seriously. But her eyes kept flicking to the man across the table. There was something so desirable in his short hair which had been mussed up as he kept running his hand through it, his plaid shirt and the t-shirt beneath it looked as if they had been made for him, such a simple thing be he wore it so well – there were so many creases in his clothes that she could imagine her stepmother's face, turning her nose up at him in distaste, a thought which also made Mary smile. And there was the smirk which had appeared on his face, full of genuine amusement, he wore that pretty well too… As she took another sip of her drink she saw his look of concentration as he studied his book, something about crime, maybe he wasn't such an asshole if he was wanting to go into law enforcement… Maybe he had judged him wrong. She happened to glance down at a sheet of paper, she presumed was his schedule. 'David George Nolan', with the George bit half crossed out, the only Nolans she knew of owned a huge business, there was no way such a rich guy would be wearing those clothes and be looking at a book on criminal justice. But the Coe of the company was called George, it was too big of a coincidence for Mary to ignore.

David noticed a book which was identical to the one he had back in his dorm room, she must have been taking English too, he wondered for a second if she was majoring in it but she seemed more interested in her book on child development so it was probable it was just a minor, just like him... maybe she would be in his class.. maybe they could actually talk without her looking like she wanted to kill him…He shook himself, she had the book today so clearly she had the class today, and he doubted she wanted to talk to him of all people, especially not with his rumpled clothes and messy hair, she probably only talked to the other spoiled rich kids at the place, who were used to getting their own way. Technically he also had money, enough in a trust fund set up by his father to never have to work a day in his life if he didn't want to, but that just wasn't him.

David's phone buzzed on the table beside him, his heart skipped a beat but when he looked down at the phone it was just a message from his uncle, he swiped it closed without looking at it. He picked up his mug to drink more of his coffee but as he tipped it into his mouth he realised he had already finished it, he could almost feel the tips of his ears turning red with embarrassment. He spared a look across the table and saw a smirk on her face as she pretended not to be looking at him. Damn. His phone buzzed again and George's name flashed across his phone again, he could feel the woman's eyes on him as he swiped his uncles name from his phone yet again, he was sure that he would be had a go at next time he was forced to meet up with him but he didn't care.

The table of two tried to focus on their individual books but were both lost in their own heads, too distracted to realise that they had fallen into a comfortable silence, Mary didn't even completely want to push him away from the table. She kind of wanted to talk to him.

She could hear her stomach make a loud protest, demanding to be fed, but she would not let herself feel embarrassed, not in front of this table thief. Her cheeks seemed to have a different opinion, however as they tinged pink, she was comfortable where she was and she hadn't completely ruled out this 'David' trying to reclaim the table if she moved. The table buzzed again, it took her a few seconds to see that it was her phone making the table shake, not his.
*Regina* - Her phone announced. She sighed and slowly picked it up, she wasn't nearly ready enough to talk to her stepmother, but it was easier to talk now than to put it off.
"Hello Regina." She spoke quietly to try and not disturb David who pretended not to notice her picking up her phone at all. Regina immediately jumped into conversation which didn't surprise Mary in the slightest. But soon the conversation veered onto more uncomfortable topics, such as Mary's career aspirations. She rolled her eyes and stood up, walking over to a quiet corner, she thought it would be a bit unfair to disrupt David's learning too.

David had noticed the look on her face as she answered her phone, it could easily have been a roommate or a friend, maybe a sibling or someone. But David had a feeling that it was a parent, or someone like a parent. He knew the look on her face and the tone in her voice, it was oh so familiar to the one he had whenever his uncle George rang him. David glanced down at his empty coffee cup, now would probably be a good time to move onto another drink, he glanced across at the girl, whose name he still didn't know,'s place, she had also finished her drink. He had heard her stomach grumble quietly earlier, and her ignoring it, he wasn't sure if her stubbornness to not leave the table was cute, endearing, or would make him want to rip his hair out by the time the night was out.
He got up and walked to the counter where Granny met him again. "Can I get a hot chocolate and another one of whatever that girl was drinking?" He smiled politely. "And I don't suppose you know her name, do you?" He asked wondering if she had ever had takeout coffee.

"I do." Granny replied smirking as she started the two hot chocolates.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" David chuckled knowing the answer before she even shook her head. "In that case, I'll take a caramel muffin and a double chocolate one."

When Mary returned to the table there was a new mug of hot chocolate and a caramel muffin in her place. She glanced over at Granny with a confused expression, the older woman shook her head and nodded towards David who was clearly trying to avoid Mary's eyes.
"I- you-…?" She tried not to sigh, someone had just done something so kind and selfless which she hadn't expected him to do, yet she couldn't even talk or say thank you.

"Families, huh?" He cursed himself for sounding so lame. And for intruding on her personal life,

"Who said I was talking to family?" She raised a challenging eyebrow but it was without fire, more curious than anything else. She sat down across from him.

"I know a little something about disappointing family members too," David shrugged half-heartedly, "I know the phone call look."

Mary shared a smile with him and took a bite of the muffin. "Thanks for the muffin… Prince Charming." She could see him roll his eyes playfully a minute at her getting back at him calling her 'Princess'.

The two resumed their comfortable silence as they read their books, ate their muffins, and drank their drinks. Both stayed longer than they had originally intended.