A Hundred Days | Dan Howell x Reader

Chapter 7.

It was your Friday lunch break and you had picked up a sandwich/salad/wrap and a packet of sea salt/salt and vinegar/sour cream and onion crisps from the Pret Manger across from The Record's offices.
You now sat upon the paper Pret Manger bag that you'd laid down on the grass of the nearby park, munching your midday meal whilst enjoying the rare London sunshine.

Binning your rubbish, you checked that you had your phone with you and turned in the general direction of your work, about to walk.

But then suddenly, you bashed straight into somebody, and he gasped as the hot tea spilled down his black t-shirt front. "Bloody hell", he murmured.

Oh for fuck's sake, you groaned internally. Not again!

You covered your mouth, a curse on your lips, raising your head to apologise repeatedly, as seemed custom here in Britain, but when you met the eyes of the person who's day you'd likely just ruined, he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he kindly held out his hand to pull you up from where you'd tripped and fallen.

You took Daniel's hand and stood to your feet, brushing off.

He chuckled. "Making a bloody habit of this, aren't you, L/N?" He dabbed at his shirt front with a couple of napkins.

"I would help clean up my mess", you gestured to his shirt, "but this is awkward enough already, isn't it? I'll just settle for apologising..." you sighed. "I'm so sorry, I—"

He waved his hand with a smile. "I'm only joking— I'm just happy that I'm not the one who spilled the tea over you. Had it been anyone else I'd run into, I would've been the one fumbling".

You smiled, yet again having to abstain from some serious Phangirling, because you kept meeting Daniel fucking Howell. "Well then thank goodness it was me that you ran into".

"Yes, well, you and I always seem to have such fun, leaping on and off of trains, spilling drinks over strangers..."

"But you're not a stranger", you couldn't help yourself.

He raised his eyebrows. "I'm not?"

You stopped, about to speak, realising that you'd almost just revealed your status as part of the Phandom. "I mean, this isn't the first time I've run into you, you know".

"Oh", he sighed in something like relief. "And here I thought you were about to tell me that you already knew my name when you first met me and my career and about Phil, and all that", he waved his hand dismissively.

You bit your lip. You couldn't exactly deny it without lying. You were really a horrible liar. Not normally, but when it came to your inner fangirl/fanboy/fanperson it was near impossible to keep anything a secret. Or unspoken.

Dan looked at you. He sank into the bench behind him, looking up at you with, squinting with... yes, that was pain, on his face, before you took a seat beside him.

There were a few moments of silence. Not exactly an uncomfortable type of silence, but silence all the same.

"So you know".

You nodded.

"danisnotonfire?"

"Yep".

"Living with amazingphil, Phil Lester?"

"Mhm".

"PINOF. TATINOF".

You nodded again. His questions weren't even questions any longer, just statements. And not really ones that needed your confirmation, but you thought you'd better answer, still.

He looked at you briefly. "It was nice to meet you", he said in a hoarse voice. "I've got to go... YouTube, you know. I guess you'll be watching".
He stood to leave.

But in a flash of bravery, your fingers snagged his black jacket's sleeve.

"Please", you surrendered your final piece of decency without a single thought. You knew you would regret this later, but you simply couldn't let him leave. "Don't go... I mean, that sounds absolutely pathetic, but just... I'd like to be your friend. I'd like to know you".

He glanced at you. "You already know everything about me".

"No", you said. "I know what was danisnotonfire, and I think I know Daniel Howell, but I don't know you. The actual, you, in reality... and I think I'd like to get to know him".

He paused. "You really don't know what you're getting yourself into". He needn't say any more than what he already had. His eyes said it all, a rush, a flurry, of sadness and broken-heartedness, a darkness behind their deep brown.

And you found yourself sinking, sinking into those sad, sad eyes.

"I think I do", you murmured quietly.

There was a silence.

"Over again?" you asked.

He sat down beside you once more, bumping your shoulder with his.

You stuck out your hand. "Y/N", you said with a small smile.

"Dan. Daniel. Whichever you like", and you could have sworn that his eyes had glistened when his lips had relaxed into a more cheerful expression as he took your hand and shook it gently.

"It's lovely to meet you", you beamed, his hand still in yours and gazes still locked.

He tore his eyes from your own. "But now I really do have to go. Phil and I are filming a gaming video which I have to have edited and uploaded by noon tomorrow..."

You nodded understandingly.

"But we should do this again. You may know many things about me, but I don't really know very much about you".

"Fair enough", you agreed.

"Take your lunch breaks here often?" he inquired.

"Everyday, Monday through Friday. Same time. Same place. Work at The Dancing Fox on Saturdays", you told him.

"Great", he grinned and stood. "I'll see you around". He proceeded to go about his day and you watched him leave, his form becoming farther and farther away until you couldn't see him any longer. But just before that moment came, where he rounded the corner and disappeared into the trees, he turned back and raised his hand in a wave.

You smiled and waved back.
Then, he was gone.