the city // dan howell

Part 18// Rain

I wake up, hair plastered to my forehead and head pounding from probably sickness or dizziness.
I also think I might've just had a nightmare, but I can't remember too much. I never remember any of my dreams. I find it kind of sad, to be honest.
To top off the confusion and mild night sickness, the cacophony of thunder booms through the house, and it's unbearable. I love rain and storms with a burning passion, but something is different tonight.
I jump out of bed and comb through my hair quickly and messily.
I'm wearing a plain white jumper and black leggings. I slip on some black slippers and sigh.
Am I actually doing this?
I check the untouched slip of paper on my desk that Dan had written on.
His address.
I take a moment to memorize it and then run outside into the rain.
Its such heavy downpour, and I'm essentially soaked two seconds into my run. I don't mind, however. I still get to see Dan. It'll all be worth it in the long run. I hope. I mean, I know I just had dinner with him, and I'm being all too clingy, but he told me I can come if I need it. Right now, by the looks of it, I really need it. I just want someone to tell me to stay alive and stay well.
//
It's 1 am and I'm standing at Dan's front door, soaked, and hoping he's still awake. I don't want to take him away from sleeping. That's rude.
I muster up any courage I might have, and I knock on his door. A weight was lifted off of my chest as soon as I knock, but it somehow feels like 20 more have been pressed on me as I hear footsteps nearing the door.
The door creaks open and reveals a disheveled Dan, wearing black sweatpants and a white and red YouTube jumper.
His posture screams 'tired!' but the gleam in his pupils suggests he's excited to see me.
"Tyde?" His voice is tinted with confusion.
"Sorry." My mind fogs and I just wind up staring at him, hoping that he'll be the one to invite me in without further conversation.
Dan hugs me in the doorway, rocking us back and forth.
"No, no, it's okay, let me get you clothes and I'll dry your hair. It's fine, there's no Phil to wake up. Shh." He coos, running his fingers atop my wet hair. I'm not even sad, but who am I to complain?
"Thank you." I murmur into his shoulder. I'm getting him soaked as well, but I couldn't bother to be moved at this precious moment.
"Follow me." He softly says, and leads me up a single flight of stairs and into a bathroom.
"Here, just um, wait here... I'll be right back." He dashes up the stairs, leaving me staring into the mirror, wondering what I've become.
Borrowing his clothing, having him take care of me and let me sleep in his house... makes me wonder if I need a roommate.
I'm not doing too well on my own, am I?
Dan comes pouring down the stairs with clothes- a white totoro t-shirt and gray plaid pajama bottoms.
"Wanna put these on? You can hang up your wet clothes on the towel rack... I'll go get a hair dryer."
I weakly smile at him and whisper a "thank you" as he leaves.
I tug off the wet clothes, which have stuck to my body. They're extremely awkward to take off. Took a lot of effort.
I slip on the tshirt Dan loaned me and smile. This is adorable.
I put on the pants when I hear a knock on the bathroom door. The waist is a little big, so I roll down the waistband so it hugs to my hips. Better.
"Come in." I meekly answer Dan, who stands now inside the bathroom.
"Hey. Here you go." He plugs in the hair dryer.
I let the hot air blow over my hair and watch as the small thin strands dance upon my head.
Dan watches me closely, as if my hair was the most interesting thing on this planet. He even runs his fingers through my hair as it's nearing completion. I have to say, it was really calming. I didn't want him to stop. The way he touched my hair, as if it would hurt me if he made one silly wrong move.
So gentle, so swift.
It was only one move, for one second, but adorable nonetheless. I'm infatuated. Completely whipped. And, it's only been less than a month.
"Would you look at that, I finally get to see the devil's wavy hair." I can hear the sarcasm dripping from his mouth.
"Oh, fuck you. You love it."
"I never said I didn't." He flirts, turning off the hair dryer.
"Your hair looks particularly wavy too, asshole." I admire the waves I had just seen not too long ago.
"We match." He throws the hairdryer into some miscellaneous item filled drawer.
"Can I sleep on the couch?" I finally reveal my intention, sighing as we walk upstairs.
"Uhm, yeah." Dan leads the way to his room, which I can still vividly picture.
"This is your room." I roll my eyes at him.
"Well, you need a pillow."
"Thank you." I awkwardly blush as Dan walks to his bed.
"A fucking Haru pillow?" I giggle, watching as he brings it back over to me.
"I didn't know you watched 'Free!'. Maybe we could watch together in the morning?" He asks me softly as we walk to the living room.
"I'd love too. Are you sure I'm not a burden?"
"Mhmm." He hums, pulling a blanket from a closet I didn't even know existed.
"Thanks, Dan." I softly smile, letting myself melt into his embrace, the only thing separating us being the blanket.
Let me tell you something.
I just came to London.
When I first organized these jobs in Britain, I didn't expect it to lead me to sleeping in a cute guy's house. Especially not Dan Howell's house.
However, I am most definitely not mad at this fucking weird occurrence.
I'm more happy, if that.
//

a/n

ok so i wrote this two months ago and i hated it because it was so CRINGE. i wound up deleting it. like, tyde was literally sleeping with dan. it's been like 2 hours since they met, calm down past me.
but then, i was like, this is a shit ton of writing that can't go to waste. i rewrote it... so here's a refined cringe worthy chapter. hope im not too hated for the 10 y/o writing one-shots on tumblr style of this chapter.