Simply Meant To Be ||Dan x Reader||

Chapter 10 - Unexpected

"(Y/N)!" my mother squealed in delight, running past Dan in my direction and throwing her arms around me in an unwanted embrace. It took quite literally every fiber of my being to refrain from pushing her to the ground and running away, "you wouldn't believe how long it took me to track you down. But sure enough, I found you!" Her hug got tighter as she spoke. As soon as she let me go I stood there unresponsive and glared at her.

"This woman is your mother?" Phil looked up weakly from where he lay, "hello, it's nice to meet you, Dan and I are friends of your daughter. But as you can see I am not in the best shape right now." He coughed, then lied his head back down.

"Oh I know all about you two. You don't need to introduce yourselves." My mother smiled. Dan waltzed back over to where we were gathered and looked at my mom with a puzzled expression.

"Know about us?" He repeated what she said like a parrot that didn't know how to use words on its own.

"Why of course! How else do you think I was able to find (y/n)?" I shook my head.

"Wait, I'm confused--"

"I'll explain later," mom cut in, "right now I gotta get the rest of the family in here to meet you and your friends." She flashed her slightly yellowed teeth at me, then skipped out of the door gleefully. My sweating palms balled up into shaking fists.

"This has got to be some sick joke..." I turned around to face Dan and Phil, my balled fists unfolding into open hands and covering my face in embarrassment, "I thought I had finally gotten away from them, I thought I was finally free of those shitty people, how did they find me?" I mumbled. Dan looked at Phil, who was still laying on the couch half awake.

"I don't know." Dan shrugged. I grimaced.

"Well, that doesn't matter at the moment. Right now I have to get away from them." I rushed over to the door and locked it.

"What are you doing? You can't just lock them out." Phil said weakly.

"Yes I can. I just did."

"No, I mean they are your family. Don't you want to say hi?" Dan replied for Phil.

"Are you kidding? Do you even know these people?" Dan and  Phil with blank expressions both shook their heads. Then it had struck me that I never really mentioned my family to either of them, or explained to them why I had moved in the first place, "these people, these monsters, are the most abusive, manipulative, disgusting assholes I had ever encountered in my entire life. I tried to--" I stopped myself. I wasn't ready to indulge them into my life story. It's not that I didn't trust them. I just wasn't necessarily ready to exploit that kind of side of me to them just yet.

"You tried to?" Dan said, trying to continue what I was going to say. I shook my head.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. I just need to get away from them."

"We could always sneak out now and take the subway. But we would have to leave Phil here with your family."

"Ah, I don't mind. Just take care of (y/n)," Phil sighed, sinking into the pillow with closed eyes, "I think I'll just take a nap." I looked at Dan patiently, and he nodded.

"Alright, let's go now. Before they get back." Dan said, swiping his wallet off the coffee table and leading me out by my wrist. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to Phil before we were around the corner and out the door. Dan didn't hesitate for a moment.

~

It took us ten minutes tops to get out of the flat and to the nearest subway. By the time my family would have been back we were on the underground train, sitting by ourselves. It was nearing Autumn and the days got shorter, so it was sunset by the time we got on and dark while we rode. Me and Dan sat together quietly on the practically empty train. It was only us and 3 other people scattered as far apart as possible. As I sat there texting on my phone a middle aged man who looked to have bad hygiene sat across from us eyed me up and down. I tensed up uncomfortably. Dan noticed and glared at the man, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close while staring him down. my right side immediately felt his warmth and I nestled my head into his shoulder. I didn't notice how cold I was until I felt his body temperature in comparison. He also noticed the surface of my hands wore an unflattering purple tint. He enveloped my smaller hand into his palms. His eyes widened.
"Holy shit, why are you so cold?" He rubbed his hands together with mine in between. I noticed the unhealthy looking color my skin had and gingerly touched my arms and face. I was freezing.