The Boy Upstairs (DanXReader)

Chapter 23: Calmversation

Two words came to my mind when I was sitting on the couch with Dan while my parents looked at us expectantly. Awkward and uncomfortable. Mum had insisted we all sit down so I could introduce her and Dad to Dan. It would've been fine Dad hadn't already been irritable from the bed collapsing under him. But it also didn't help that Dan and I still had damp hair, a wonderfully awkward reminder to my parents of what we'd just been doing.

Mum seemed to find the whole thing rather amusing while Dad seemed to be doing his best to keep a glare pointed at Dan, as though he might scare Dan away if he worked at it long enough. Dan was acting surprisingly calm about the situation. I felt like crawling in a hole and staying there for the remainder of my parents visit.

"So, are you going to introduce us, dear?" Mum asked, a friendly smile on her face.

"Oh, uh... yea," I said, realizing my parents may not have recognized Dan. "Mum, Dad... you remember Dan, right?"

My parents stared at me in confusion for a brief moment before looking over at Dan, realization seeming to cross their faces. "O-oh my goodness! Daniel? I didn't even recognize you!" Mum said, looking rather shocked. "You've grown up so much!"

"Yea," Dan laughed, rubbing the back of his head and grinning awkwardly. "10 years will tend to do that."

Mum laughed as Dad nodded with a grunt. "So how did you two reconnect? Where do you work Daniel? How's your family doing?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as she began asking any and every question she could think of.

"M-mum..." I said, shifting awkwardly as I noticed that Dad had gone back to glaring at Dan. "Is a game of 20 questions really necessary?"

"No, it's fine," Dan smiled as he gently placed his hand over my hand, Dad's glare slightly intensifying. "My roommate Phil and I live upstairs in the flat above this one."

"Oh! You two are neighbors then!" Mum said excitedly.

Dan nodded and continued to happily any questions my parents had for him. Well most of the questions were coming from Mum. Dad was just sitting with a glare permanently glued to Dan. There might be a slight hurtle in getting him to approve of Dan and I. He'd always been protective and had made a point of having a strict talk with any boys I brought home. But he'd never glared like this before. Whether it from the history or the fact that it was the most physical he'd ever openly known me to be in a relationship was unclear to me.

After about twenty solid minutes of Mum asking questions, Dan turned to my dad with a friendly smile. I felt Dan tense up slightly as he made eye contact with my dad. I intertwined my fingers with Dan's, trying to do anything I could to help him relax. Dad feeling negatively towards Dan was my fault no matter how I looked at it. I was the one that had pushed for us to get in the shower together so soon before my parents would be arriving. I was the one who'd put off putting the bed together. I was the one who'd gotten depressed all those years ago. The least I could do was try to make it slightly easier for Dan.

"So, how've you been Mr. _____?" Dan asked, sounding exceptionally calm.

"Fine," Dad said, his tone rather gruff.

"That's good to hear, was the flight over good?"

"It was fine."

Dan shifted uncomfortably while I tried to think of something to say, anything to get rid of the ridiculously uncomfortable tension between Dan and my dad. But Mum beat me to it. "Stop being rude, Steve," she said, shooting a look at Dad. "This isn't some random boy _____'s brought home. This is Daniel, you know him."

I suppressed my grin, grateful for once of my mum's blunt nature. She didn't pull punches and she always said exactly what was on her mind. I took after Dad's quiet nature, so Mum and I didn't always get along or communicate well. But when something needed to be said and I was too scared to say anything, I knew I could count on her.

Dad looked over at my Mum. "That's exactly the point," he said before turning and glaring at Dan again. "I've seen you hurt her before and I'm not going to just sit here and watch it happen again."

"D-dad!" I said, in shock from how upfront and aggressive he was being. "Th-that's completely unfair!"

"No, I want to have a conversation with you Daniel," Dad said.

"Steve, stop trying to fri-" Mum started, but Dan quickly stood up and nodded with a smile.

"I'm more than willing to have whatever conversation you want, Mr. _____."

I looked up at Dan with worry as Dad nodded and stood up. "Y-you don't have to do this, Dan," I said, tightening my grip on his hand.

Dan looked down with a slightly terrified smile. "It's fine, _____," he said, squeezing my hand before letting go and pulling out of my grip.

I sat, feeling anxious as Dan and my dad left the apartment. I looked over at Mum as she let out a slight sigh and gave me an encouraging smile. "Don't worry dear," she said. "You know your father, he just cares about you and wants to make sure you won't be hurt."

I nodded, not feeling any less worried. I didn't think Dad would necessarily hurt Dan but I also hadn't seen him act with such hostility towards someone before. Even without the negative feelings, he'd managed to scare away a couple of guys before. I didn't necessarily think Dan would be scared away. But there was still that part of me that said I wasn't good enough for him so I wouldn't be able to blame him if he did. But even more so, I didn't want my dad to hold this grudge against Dan. Dan hadn't meant any harm when we'd stopped talking before. He didn't deserve my dad treating him this way.