Tinder - D.JH.

seven

On the way back to Dan's flat, I shove my hands in my pockets as Dan points the camera at me, "So, have you ever seen one of my videos?" he asks.

With a smile on my face, I say, "What a cocky thing to ask." I laugh.

Dan playfully shoves my shoulder, "Y'know what I mean." he giggles.

"Um, no. But I think I've seen you in things. KickThePj's things. He's my favorite filmmaker." I say and Dan nods.

"Mine, too. Peej, if you're watching this, you're great." he says.

"Also, PJ, lend me your brain box, I need it for the creativity." I laugh.

"Oh, yeah. Maya is a filmmaker!" Dan turns the camera back to himself, "I think I'm slowly getting her to want to post on Youtube." he winks at the camera.

"It's a hobby." I say, "Don't get too proud of yourself." I add when he smiles knowingly at me.

"I should probably stop filming before they realise how to get to my house." Dan makes a worried face before clicking the camera off.

When we get to his apartment, he unlocks the front door and we step in. "This is nice." I try to make conversation.

"Yeah, we just moved in." he says and I nod. "Want the grand tour?" he asks me.

"Of course." I smile and he holds out his arm.

"M'lady?" he says and I wrap my arm around his, sighing.

"Such a nerd." I joke.

"Get used to it, dweeb." he laughs.

He gives me a tour of the whole flat. We go to the lounge, kitchen, down the corridor and he points toward the door, saying "Bathroom."

"This is my flatemate, Phil Lester's, room." he points to the open door.

"He seems cool. Good actor." I say, remembering his and Phil's parts in PJ's film, The Forever Train while looking at all his bright coloured things from the doorway.

"Yeah, he is. But don't tell him I said that." Dan warns, pointing a finger at me.

"And finally, this is where the magic happens." Dan opens the door to his bedroom.

"Bow-chicka-wow-wow." I say and Dan laughs.

I walk into the room, looking around, "Does that sign really say 'please love me'?" I ask.

"Yeah, it's my motto." Dan giggles.

I arch my eyebrow, a smirk tugging at my lips because of his cute laugh.

Damn it, Maya. Don't go mushy now.

I've made it so far at the coffee shop, sitting through his hilarious stories about his childhood and upbringing. I only had to snap myself back into reality after sitting in a trance, examining his soft features, eight, maybe nine times.

Okay, ten.

Eleven, if we're being honest here.

But I failed to see the wrong in Dan, even when I searched my hardest. He's funny, kind, and attractive. Even his laugh makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and shit.

"Earth to Maya?" Dan waves his hand in front of my face as I seem to have dazed off into his deep chocolate brown eyes again.

Twelve.

"Um, sorry." I shake my head, laughing lightly. "I was just thinking." I say.

"About?" he asks, taking a seat on his bed.

For lack of a better response, I blurt out, "Dogs."

"Dogs?" he tilts his head.

I take a seat next to him, pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear, "Yeah, dogs."

Dan squints as he looks at me, unconvinced. "I love dogs." he finally says.

"Who doesn't?" I laugh, glad that he didn't question me further.

"Very sick, very fucked up people." Dan answers, standing up. "Well, the Nintendo is in the lounge. Unless you want to stay in my bedroom..."

I stand up, smiling at him, "Bedrooms are boring anyway, there's nothing to do in them." I say looking around at the sparse white walls and grey bedding.

"I could think of a few things." Dan says, rubbing his neck. I look at him, both my eyebrows raised. "Christ, no. I didn't mean it like that, I just meant, uh..." he trails off, looking around his room. "T-There's books over there. You could...read." he stutters.

I nod my head, a smile on my face from his attempt to make that phrase non-sexual. "Yeah, you could read." I say as a maroon blush flares up on his cheeks.

He closes his eyes for a minute, huffing out a breath, "Not that I wouldn't love to..." he opens his eyes, "Read with you. I'm just not the kinda guy who reads with a girl on the first...date." he narrows his eyes.

"I'm gonna take a leap of faith and assume read means something else now." I say and Dan coughs, seemingly choking on something. His face flushes deeper and I laugh, "Let's go play Mario Kart."

"Yeah," he agrees, biting his bottom lip, "lets." he steps out into the corridor, leading me to the lounge.