The Best of Me (A danisnotonfire fanfic) ✅

Part 18: Pretending

(a week before Christmas)

I just got off my shift when I received a text from Dan. I smiled blissfully as I opened the sms.

*From: DANIEL
13:32pm
Hey LeeLee, u just got off shift, right? Wanna grab lunch or smthg?*

Lunch=food
Food=GROSSNESS

*To: DANIEL
13:33pm
Yeah sure, regular @ 13:45?*

*From: DANIEL
13:33pm
Meet ya there <3 *

I went into the bathroom to change, of course also to hide and not show off my scars and recent cuts. I pulled on Dan's favourite sweather and pulled my hair up into a bun as I quickly grabbed all my stuff, shoved them into my bad and headed for the small coffee shop on the corner.

Christmas decorations light up the streets and the inhabitants of London as they walked around like lost puppies, trying to figure out where they wanted to go. I hated to walk the streets around Christmas because of all the gift-shoppers and their need to fill up the streets with their bags full of presents. The perks of not having a family is to not stress out when it came down to presents.

Dan was already waiting at our usual table when I walked in the door. His whole face light up as he noticed me, and he stood up to give me a bone-crushing hug.
"What are you so excited about?" I laughed, reaching up to return the hug.
"Can't I be exited about seeing my favourite girl?"
"Really Dan, stop joking," I scolded him, blushing like a maniac.
"You're right, my mom feels violated," he answered back, showing off his drop dead gorgeous dimples.

I swear, all waiters have that annoying setting of always interrupting moments they shouldn't.
"What can I get you guys today," her name tag read 'Ashley', and she had a fake tan. What bothered me the most was the way she was eying Dan.
"Lee, what do you want. Anything, it's on me," Dan said looking at me.

Why would he look at you with the pretty waitress standing right next to him...

"A plain mint tea, if I may," I said, rolling eyes at Dan's expression. He'd probably heard me say that like a couple of dozen times, but I can't help it; my love for mint tea was almost as strong as my love for him.

Did you really just say that?

"Alright then," He said, pouting slightly, before he turned a fraction to the waitress still holding my gaze. "We'll take one plain mint tea, one cinnamon latté and two sandwiches."

"I didn't ask for a sandwich," I sounded like a child, but I couldn't care less.
"I know, but you probably haven't had lunch yet, and dinner is served late today."
"I also don't recall asking for dinner."
"Please just go with it, Lee!"

Just let it pass for now, you can always just throw it up later.

"Lee, who are you spending Christmas with," he asked me after a while. I knew the question eventually would occur, I just didn't know when.
"I don't have any plans. Christmas is familytime, and I obviously don't have one. I'm probably just going to watch the BBC Christmas special while eating Chinese, in your sweats," I confessed, pondering where this conversation was going.

"Would you consider maybe joining my family this year? I would love for you to meet them, and you wouldn't be alone. I could of course always join you in eating Chinese takeaway in my sweats, but I really want you to come," Dan was rambling for reasons to convince me. He wants me to join his family for Christmas, how adorable!

I hadn't realised I was lost in my own thoughts before he called my name.
"Hm?"
"Do you want to? I won't pressure you, but it would seriously be so much better with you there and-"
"Yes."
"I could alw- wait, what?"
"Yes, I'd love to Dan."
"Seriously?" Dan looked so genuine happy, I couldn't help but smile
"Yes!"