Stay With Me | Danisnotonfire x Reader

Chapter 12

"Why do you look so nervous?" Phil asked once you two approached Dan.

The question promoted him to shift his feet. "Me? I'm not nervous." He beamed a smile.

"Did you buy something weird?" You attempted to peek into the bag.

He took a step back before your fingers pushed apart the flimsy plastic. "Don't."

His reaction only further raised your curiosity. "Why?"

He looked at you for a second then sighed. "I don't want you to find out about my hentai collection."

Before you could respond Phil grabbed your shoulders and wheeled you toward the mall exit. He spoke loudly and coughed. "I think it's about time to go home."

You tried to look back at Dan who trailed behind and refused to meet your gaze. "But what's hentai?"

"Nothing you need to know."

The remainder of the journey home on the cab was silent save for Dan and Phil's texting. You rolled their eyes, they were probably bickering about the apparently forbidden word. You made a mental note to perhaps look it up later.

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You had a small twirl in front of the mirror. You stopped on a mid spin and caught your reflection smiling back at you. An friend-approved outfit you had planned for Paris was perfect for any surprise dates. Your cheeks flushed at the thought of a date in the city of love with a certain fringed British individual. You cleared your throat and decided to get water downstairs.

A waddle down the stairs in a pair of heels soon resulted with you catching Dan reading in his dent on the couch. Specifically reading your book.

"Dan? Are you reading my book?" An amused tone peeked through your question.

With a jolt, Dan peered up at you with wide eyes. His gaze drifted to your outfit then darted back up to your face. He cleared his throat. "I thought you left earlier?"

A smile danced on your lips. You crossed your arms. "That was Phil. Were you too absorbed in my book to notice?"

He pulled the book closer to him as if it would cover his embarrassment. "Well, it is captivating."

You decided to take teasing to the next level. You took a seat beside him, scooted close, and locked your gaze with his. "Am I captivating?"

He licked his lips and was about to respond when the sound of the opening front door interrupted him.

You smiled and patted his shoulder. "Just kidding. Enjoy the read." You returned to your original mission of getting water.

As you sipped water and leaned against the counter, you overheard a snippet of the conversation between Dan and Phil.

"Did Y/N catch you reading that?" Phil asked. "Maybe you should've read it in private."

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"Dan, just buy your toiletries at the airport!" Phil called out as he glanced at his phone for the fifth time in the past two minutes.

You stood beside the front door with Phil. Both of you had a suitcase filled with clothes and necessities for the trip. The trip that had a departing flight in two hours.

Phil cast a concerned glance at you. "Perhaps you should leave first. I don't want you to be late."

"That won't be necessary," Dan shouted back from the landing above. Resounding stomps and grunts made their way down the stairs. A rushed looking Dan with a hint of Hobbit hair poked around the corner. He panted as he lugged his suitcase down the stairs. "Just go outside and hold the cab. I'll be right there."

"You sure you don't need help?" Phil asked. He had a hand on the doorknob as if he was going to bolt outside in the next second.

"I'll be fine," Dan responded with an exasperated gasp of air when his suitcase finally made it to the ground floor. He waved off Phil who nodded then took off running with his luggage.

You reached for Dan's suitcase as he slid on his shoes. You wheeled it around his sweaty tall frame and out the front door with your own suitcase.

"Thanks," Dan said as he locked up the apartment. "Let's going, shall we?"

After several tense moments, including a slow car ride and a brisk jog through the airport, you found yourself in an airplane seat between Dan and Phil. You let go of a breath you didn't realize that you were holding and smiled to yourself. The reality of your book tour was slowly hitting you. You were able to meet fans, thank them for their support, and make their day a bit better. You also looked forward to exploring an unknown city with Dan and Phil.

"Hey, Y/N," Dan leaned over and whispered.

You looked over at him. The beginnings of curls from his fringe made you want to brush his hair back. "Hmm?"

He leaned even closer and you could practically hear the smile on his lips. "To be honest, you captivate me more than your writing."

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A/N: An extra long chapter to make up for the lack of updates :) I think it's safe to say that updates will be every other Friday. Sending best wishes from piles of labs, midterms, and personal problems. Thank you to everyone who commented, favorited, and added this story to their public reading lists!