pause // dan howell x reader

Chapter 24 - Stone Cold

Your POV

"Dan, do you need help?" You ask, opening the bathroom door and peeking around it to see Dan standing in the shower with all his clothes on. You burst out laughing and shake your head at him.

"I seriously worry about you. Your clothes are going to be all gross now." You whine at him and hop over into the tub. Your hair gets rained on as you reach past his chest to turn off the shower.

"I'm sorry but I'm focusing on trying to get my sight back." He snaps back jokingly and uses the wall to support him as he rubs his eye.

"You got your cast wet, idiot." You remark and step out the tub to grab a towel.

"I was trying to save myself from blindness." He responds and you throw the towel at him. It lands on his face and folds over the back of his head.

"You take that back right now." He threatens, his voice muffled by the towel. You quickly prance out the room and start running up the stairs. Before you can reach Dan's room, you catch something new written on the whiteboard.

'Stop being a loser'

Your eyes roll at his reply. In the distance, you hear several thumps grow closer and you turn to see Dan crutching towards you with a towel around his shoulders, his skin peeking out from underneath it, and hit wet hoodie by his side.

"I told you to take that back Y/N." He smirks evilly and you widen your eyes in fear.

"Don't hurt me, we still need to make one more video." You stammer, holding your arms in front of your face. Dan's sinister expression drops and he nods over to his room. Taking the lead, you pace through his doorway and start setting up the camera to how you want it to be.

In the corner of the room, Dan opens his closet doors and begins to dig through some shirts and jumpers. He picks out a jumper that looks like a potato sack and ditches his towel at you, nearly bowling over a light box.

"Dan that's dangerous! There's expensive equipment here." You scold him but he sassily pouts at you, making you snicker. He slides on his jumper and throws his crutches aside; sitting down next to you on his bed.

"So what are we actually doing?" He asks with a huff.

"I was thinking a little talent show." You suggest, tilting your head with a grin across your lips.

"Bu- but- I'm not prepared, I don't have any talents that are necessarily substantial to society." He argues.

"It can be anything. Unless you're chicken, Howell?" You sneer and his eyes challenge you back.

"Oh you're on Y/L/N." He states and leans over, pressing the record button.

-

As you pat down your jeans, Dan glances over to you from the fridge.

"Do you want me to wash your clothes?" He asks, pulling out a milk carton.

"It's the least you could do." You chuckle and pat your jeans one last time.

"I had no other talents left. Sorry that we had an abundant amount of flour left over." He sarcastically apologises, grabbing two mugs out from a cupboard.

"Why didn't you throw it on yourself?" You cross your arms annoyed.

"Like you said: 'There's expensive equipment here'." He pulls at his jumper and you laugh.

"Doesn't mean you can ruin my favourite jeans."

"Shut up, I'll wash them for you." He argues and pours milk into both of the cups. A playful smirk grows on your lips and you approach the counter.

"Does this mean I can wear your eclipse shirt?"

"Never."

"Dan, you owe me." You indicate to your top - also covered in a mess of flour.

"Fine." He whines and places the mugs in the microwave. A silence passes through the room as Dan presses buttons on the microwave. You happily watch him dance his arms along to the beeping tune and then look down at your fingers on the edge of the counter.

"Dan?" He turns around sharply at your voice. The grin on his face slowly turns into a frown.

"What's up?" He asks, trying to keep the mood light.

"Thanks for having me over, even though I invited myself, I still want to thank you." You stifle up a smile but Dan can see through it clearly. You glance up at him and he stares back into your eyes, waiting for you to say something else.

"I wanted to get away from Nick." You admit with a sigh. The corner of Dan's lip raises a little but you choose to ignore it.

"He's become obsessed with numbers. How many dates we've gone on, anniversaries, even how many times he's cooked dinner at my flat. I don't know what it is with him but I don't need our time together to be recorded every step of the way like a newborn baby." You take a nervous gulp as you look at Dan who's speechless.

Instead of talking, he wets a kitchen cloth in the sink and staggers over to you, shoving it in your hand.

"Clean yourself up and go talk to Nick." He smiles reassuringly.

-

After two loud knocks, you take a small step away from the door and patiently wait with your hands folded over each other. The white door opens and Nick's face appears in the gap.

"Y/N?" He says surprised.

"Hi Nick." You greet quietly and he opens the door more to let you in.

"I'll get straight to the point." You begin and Nick shuts the door with a worried look on his face.

"What is up with the one month, two month anniversaries and 12th dinner count?" You ask with a small laugh.

"We don't have to keep track Nick." You step towards him and hold his cheek.

"You weren't like this before. While it's nice for you to care more about us, it's a bit too much." You finish and search his green eyes.

"I told you I've changed, I care more about you." His face morphs from an upset expression to a stone-cold slate.

"And recently I've noticed you don't care much about me at all. There's nothing between us for you, I can tell." He spits, his eyes hardening. You take a shaky step backward.

"Believe or not-" He starts but interrupts himself by slapping a hand across your cheek.

"-I'm going to make you care."  

Sorry if that subject is touchy for some of you, I'm going to try and make it as un-harrowing as possible because I want to use it for the plot.

I also was going to have this in this chapter but it got too weird:

~ "Steady yourself for the amount of talent you are about to witness." You declare and Dan quirks an eyebrow. You raise the eggs up above your head before smashing one down at the carpet.  ~

Yeah, I don't know what that was so I got rid of it lol

Please vote and comment if you liked this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!