pause // dan howell x reader

Chapter 1 - Time

Your POV

Once again, you haven't uploaded in a month. You're stuck; tossing and turning in your bed late at night, thinking of a worthwhile video idea. You can't go ask F/N because she's probably fast asleep by now. So, in every desperate situation, you head to Twitter.

"@Y/YT/N: new video, what should I do? help me children." You write and hesitantly post the tweet. 

Replies flood into your notifications and you can't help but smile as you gaze upon all your subscriber's ideas. Some of the suggestions are simple, others are a bit crazy, but that's the beauty of your subscribers. They're uniquely creative and interesting in their own way and you want to meet all 4 million of them. 

You keep scrolling through the comments, coming across several people telling you to make videos like danisnotonfire.

Dan Howell.

It's not like you haven't heard of him because you're crazy about hi-

Continuing on, you snuggle back into your bed - dismissing the unoriginality of making an 'Internet Support Group' series - and flick through more tweets. 

After a few minutes, your eyes become tired and your mind feels weary. You resist allowing your eyes to shut and finally, one suggestion stands out.

"@ytbersarelife: BAKING VIDEO!"

- "@danisnotonfire: get messy in the kitch"

A wide smile spreads across your face, baking video it is. On your phone you set an alarm for 7 am tomorrow so you can head to the supermarket and bring the finished cupcakes to Zoe Sugg's house party in time. On the other hand, you're waking up at 7 am.

"Oh god, I'm not going to be able to get up." You mumble and turn off your phone, rolling onto your side.

-

In the morning, you head straight to the supermarket and after a few minutes of searching the shelves like a cake maniac, you come to a conclusion that they don't have coloured frosting.

So you go to another supermarket and finally, black and white cake frosting. You chuck the packages into the basket carelessly.

A loud sigh escapes your lips as you slouch down in the empty aisle and sit on the ground. Your head rests on the shelves behind you and your feet lay out in front.

"Pause." You breathe out, shutting your eyes. 

The constant bustling of the supermarket turns to silence. Your mind relaxes and your body goes limp, trying to catch some rest. The tightness in shoulders seems to collapse into the abyss.   

Once again, time stops without failure. How can it fail? You've had this power your entire life and know how manipulate it exactly. From what you know, no one else can do this - you're special.  

Suddenly, a loud crash of glass erupts into the atmosphere only a few aisles away and disrupts you from falling asleep.

"Oh, for god's sake. Dan, you're such an idiot, there's salsa everywhere." You hear someone mumble to themselves. Your breath hitches and you sharply turn your head as you recognise the voice.

"Why do you have to be lanky? You're so uncoordinated." He keeps muttering to himself and some glass scrapes across the floor. 

"Okay, that... never happened." He chuckles and his footsteps tap the glossy floor as he walks out of his aisle. The footsteps get closer and closer; your heart begins to race.

Time is paused. Nobody in the world should be able to move right now. 

"Play." You whisper in a panic. The noises of the supermarket come back and people continue with their everyday life.