A Hundred Days | Dan Howell x Reader

Chapter 1.

"Dan, the Internet is going to explode".

Dan was sitting at his computer with Phil hunched over his shoulder as the two of them stared down the screen where Dan's cursor hovered over his username.

Dan's face scrunched up as he turned to look at his flat mate. "Phil", he said, "why do you think I'm doing this?"

Phil shrugged and adjusted his glasses before heading to the kitchen to steal my cereal, Dan thought, still having a staring contest with his monitor. Sure enough, Phil came back with a large packet of cereal that was indeed not his.

"Hey!" Dan interjected petulantly, grabbing the box from Phil and taking some cereal for himself. "Mine. My precious".

Phil made a face in response as he snatched back the cereal.

"Do you think I should?" Dan asked. "Change it, I mean?"

Phil expressed his view again by the lift of his shoulders. "It's your death sentence", he grinned and lightly shoved Dan's shoulder. "But don't say I didn't warn you".

Dan rolled his eyes as Phil left the room again.

He then typed in 'Daniel Howell', clicked 'save changes', and leaned back in his wheelie chair (being careful not to fall, of course), a smirk playing on his lips as he crossed his arms to watch the drama unfold.

• • •

@danisonfire:
@danisnotonfire WHAT

@phangirlingthroughlife:
@danisnotonfire WHY DID YOU CHANGE IT?!?!

@danylandphilly:
@danisnotonfire noooooooooooooooooo

@smolandsoft:
@danisnotonfire but you've ALWAYS been danisnotonfire!

@amazinglyonfire:
@danisnotonfire you better be kidding, you gorgeous idiot

@danthepooh:
@danisnotonfire yes, this definitely supports your "I am not posh" case... yeah right.

@heybuddyyouinlondon:
@danisnotonfire hello D A N I E L

@himynameisdan:
@danisnotonfire but Daniel is pastel and soft and smol... WEAR MORE PINK!

@dogeisnotonfire:
@danisnotonfire No amount of rebranding will save you from the memes, mwahahahaha!

@internetsupportfluke:
@danisnotonfire wtf have you done

@howellcanyoudance:
@danisnotonfire do whatever the fuck you want. you're beautiful and we love you.

@deliasmithpancakes:
@danisnotonfire you cannot escape me

@reasonswhydanispale:
@danisnotonfire whyyyyyyyy

@smoldanyl:
@danisnotonfire who are you

@catwhiskersandwhisks:
@danisnotonfire my bby is growing up!

@eclipsetshirt:
@danisnotonfire New phase?

@danielandphilip:
@danisnotonfire so you finally take my username into consideration, huh?

@absolutelyphantastic:
@danisnotonfire you disgust me. kidding ;)

@phantomsinyourcloset:
@danisnotonfire fucking hell

@sillyphilly:
@danisnotonfire happy because you can't change your actual username on youtube :)

@ineedmyspace:
@danisnotonfire go. die.

@nonodefinitelynot:
@danisnotonfire well, it could've been much worse— Danny *shudder*...

@hobbithair:
@danisnotonfire Wake-up call.

• • •

Later that evening, Dan slumped farther into the legendary sofa crease, grimacing at his laptop.

Phil flopped down next to him. "Whatcha doing?" he asked in his usual cheery tone

Dan dug the heels of his hands into his eyes with a groan. "The Internet is exploding".

Phil smiled. "Well, I told you so!"

"Not. Helping", Dan sighed, falling back against the cushions. He had expected the increased activity upon all his social media platforms and while he enjoyed the drama, some of the comments were just blatantly hurtful and though the content didn't bother him, how quickly some people turned did. Not that he was being cynical or anything. Just sometimes it felt like he put too much of his energy into pleasing people with what they expected, forgetting his own opinions and leaving behind pieces of him self. Sometimes it was like an endless black hole, spaghettification and all. Too dark. Too claustrophobic. Too dodgy. Too uncertain. Too fake. Too... plastic. As if all anyone ever cared about was that he was precisely as they'd imagined him. But what, thought Dan, was the point of pretending to be someone else online than you were in real life when you'd come there precisely to be accepted. What was the point of it? Of anything, at all, if everything and everyone could simply turn on you by the changing of a fucking display name?

"Dan? Dan. Dannnn. Dan!" Phil was snapping his fingers in Dan's face. "Don't you dare sink down that crazy spiral of crises again and leave me to fend off the internet for myself".

"What?" Dan shook his head. "Sorry..."

"I was just asking if you wanted pizza or Chinese for dinner", Phil said, mustering nonchalance, though his face was painted a picture of concern.

"Oh. Uh..."

"I was thinking pizza, but I don't know", Phil went on in an attempt to return the normal energy of the room.

"Pizza sounds great, Phil", Dan smiled, tight-lipped.

"The usual?"

"Yeah", Dan returned to his laptop. "Please", he added, glancing to Phil.

Phil nodded, squeezing Dan's shoulder gently before getting up to retrieve his phone from the next room.

"Hello! Yes, I'd like to order for delivery, please", Phil chattered into his phone.

Dan scrolled through his Twitter notifications. One single comment brought the light back into his features. It wasn't trying to take a jab at him, nor was it gushing meaningless words better suited to poetry.
It was uplifting. And it included a fandom reference.

@y/u/n:
@danisnotonfire oh, what the hell. Times change, and so must display names :)

He began to type.

• • • • • •

A/N:

I'm really sorry to all the non-Whovians who probably didn't understand the above reference, but I promise, that'll be the only time I choose something for you.

~Tina x