Take Me Away | Daniel Howell x Reader [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 4 - Newfound Friends

*Dan's POV*

"Same." I pick up a sandwich. "So (Y/N), what's your story?" I ask intently. There is just something about her that makes me want to know more, a weird feeling, an urge. Whatever it is, it gives me a warm feeling.

"Well," She stares down at her fidgeting hands. "Uh, let's see. Where do I start?" She takes a deep breath in and stares at me, advoiding direct eye contact. "My name is (Y/F/N) and I'm twenty-five. I grew up in a place called (H/T) with pretty much no friends. My parents were as strict as they came." She looks up at me and stares into my eyes. Such pretty eyes, I could get lost in them forever. I shake the thought.

"How did you get here, in London I mean?" I asked taking another bite of the sandwich. Her face turns pale and she looks down at her lap. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. We don't have to talk about if you don't want to." I quickly apologise.

"No, it's okay." She looks up at me and smiles, I smile back. I rest my elbow on the table and brush a hand through my hair. "Basically, I discovered YouTube. That's when I found you and Phil. I've been watching your videos since the beginning, you are my inspiration...and the reason why I started YouTube." I feel my face heat up. I did something that inspired someone. The feeling it gives me in unexplainable, but in basic terms; happiness. "I started a channel three years ago, it goes by the name of (Y/T/N) and I have just over 70 000 subscribers."

"Wow, well done!" She smiles sweetly.

"Thanks! But, unfortunately my story gets worse."

"Really?" I ask, curiosity now biting away at me. Why was I so interested in this girl, why did I want to know all this?

"Yeah...umm, basically I got kicked out." She bites her lip. I can tell that this is hard to talk about. I feel so bad for asking. "My parents disapproved that I was doing YouTube, stuff got complicated, so I left, well more like they told me to leave and I agreed. So I got on a plane/train and came here. I didn't have enough money to stay at a hotel, long term, so I moved in with this guy named Alroy and he..." She trails off.

*Your POV*

You trail off mid-sentence. Dan doesn't need to know what I saw in that room, that I'm living with a drug addict.

"(Y/N)?" He asks concerned.

"S-Sorry Dan...umm what was I saying. Oh yeah, anyway..." You chuckle nervously. "I live with this Irish guy who I just met, I kept seeing you about everywhere by accident. Now here we are, talking..." A smile creeps up onto your face as you cannot stop thinking about the certain someone sitting opposite you. You are so lost in your thoughts that you reach down for another pastry but then realise that the plate is empty. "Whoops." You chuckle. He smiles back, his dimples exploding onto his face.

"Whoa, you have quite a life (Y/N)."

"Nowhere near as interesting as yours though." He shrugs in response. "A-Anyway, I don't want to hold you up from your editing. I should let you get back to work." You collect your things and stand up.

"Hey (Y/N)." He calls after you.

"Yeah?"

"What's your number? Maybe we could collab sometime...only if you would like to that is." You spin around on your heels and hug him but quickly pull away.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to." He laughs it off and stands up to face you. "I would love to collab with you!" Your smile is now uncontrollable, probably obnoxious to some passing bystander but you don't have a care in the world. You give him your number and hug him once more, this time he reciprocates and hugs back. His heartbeat is slow and steady, comforting. You part and thank him for the meal.

With your stomach now satisfied and a happy spring in your step you walk home. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

*Dan's POV*

(Y/N) hugs me for the second time. I slide my hands around her back. The hug seems to last forever, but I don't mind, I feel somewhat peaceful. We break from each other and she leaves Starbucks. As I walk past the table I was originally sitting at I notice the sad face. I stare at it for a second and smile. Even though (Y/N) has been through so much, she gave off a happy, fun vibe – like nothing could ever bring her down. I stare down at the number in my phone. I'll text her later. I walk slowly all the way home, pondering about life – usually that is. This time, about a certain some I had just met.

"Dan, you were ages!" Phil says exasperated. "Where were you?" He says as I climb the stairs. I enter the lounge room and see Phil sat on the couch playing Portal 2. I dump my coat and wallet on the table.

"I met another YouTuber." I sit down next to him.

"Who?" He doesn't break his focus from the game, which currently he was in the process of getting caught by GLaDOS.

"(Y/T/N)."

"Who's that?"

"Her name's (Y/N) (L/N)." He thinks for a second, chewing his lip and concentrating on the game.

"That name kind of sounds familiar."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." I rest my head on the back of the couch. "We're probably going to do a collab sometime."

"Cool." He says with not much thought, lost in the game. I take my MacBook from beside me and start editing again.

Halfway through I sigh and rest my head back against the couch. I minimize the window and go onto YouTube. I search for (Y/N)'s YouTube and sure enough it comes up. 70 000 subscribers. I click on the first video I see and start laughing my head off. I quickly get engrossed and binge watch as many of her videos as I can. For so long that Phil managed to finish the game. "What's so funny Dan?"

"This." I turn my laptop and show him the video. It's her doing the seven second challenge. Phil starts laughing along with me.

"Is this the YouTuber you met?"

"Yeah. She's really funny isn't she?!"

"Yeah! What's her channel, I'm going to subscribe?"