Painted Smile | Dan x Reader

Nora

Heyo.

Enjoy~

(Y/n)'s POV

I tapped nervously along my water bottle. People bustled around the train station as I waited for my sister Nora to arrive. She had left for college a year ago and I hadn't seen her in such a long time. The only family I've talked to since the end of Cayden and I's relationship was my mum. I only had my younger sister to talk to besides my mum since my dad passed. We were a really small family.

I nervously unscrewed the cap and retightened it. I watched as a muffled and tinny sounding announcement came garbled through the speaker. I crossed my legs to take up the least space on the uncomfortable metal bench. I didn't really want to make contact with anyone.

"Excuse me?" I glanced over at a small little boy who had approached me. "Where's platform 3? My mom is supposed to be there."

"Uh, right here," I said, "What does she look like?"

"She's got blonde hair and she's tall. She has glasses and a jean jacket," he said. For such a young child he seemed relatively calm and enunciated when he spoke. I looked around and noticed a woman of that description looking around frantically, the polar opposite of the boy who approached me.

"Is that her?" I asked and he nodded.

"Thank you miss," he said and I watched him run up for her to scoop him up in her arms. What a nice kid. He pointed to me and she glanced over to which I smiled. She started to walk over.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," she said.

"No problem," I replied and they disappeared into a train.

"You've always been pretty good with kids." I glanced behind my right shoulder where Nora was leaned up against the back of my bench.

"Nora!" I got up quickly and she hugged me.

"Hey, so I heard what happened from Mom," she said, brushing her hand down the back of my head. "Are you okay?" I pulled back.

"Actually yeah, I've been doing okay, I can answer any questions you may have," I said and she nodded. She towered over me by a few inches, she had surpassed me at a young age and it stayed that way even though she was younger. I blame my mom for me loosing the 'who was taller battle' when we were kids.

"I'm starving," she said.

"Well obviously I'm taking you out to eat what kind of savage do you think I am?" I asked and she snorted.

"I need Mac and cheese stat," she said and I laughed. Ever since we were kids, Nora's favorite thing was Mac and cheese. No matter the time or place she would always get Mac and cheese if it was there. She hasn't changed much.

I can sort of see why Cayden made such an effort to keep me from people especially family. Being in such a nice environment would be a wake up call for me. I still can't believe he controlled me so easily. You'd think I'd realize.

We walked down a block or so to a small pub where they sat us in a corner. She scanned over the menu and lit up when she spotted her favorite treat. I smiled and decided on a sandwich. The waiter came by and took our drink orders.

"How's college?"

"Good! Marine biology is actually so cool," she said, sipping the sprite she ordered. I took my lemonade as it was handed to me.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked. We each ordered and I noticed the waiter shamelessly flirt with Nora. Of course, she was quite a beautiful girl, but I couldn't help feeling protective over her, seeing as she was my younger sibling and recent events. She probably wouldn't do anything. He finally left with our orders and she watched him leave. She turned to look at me.

"What's with the face?"

"He's a bit of a flirt," I commented.

"Ugh, I know, I thought he'd never leave. I was just too nice to say anything," she said, stirring her straw around as she put her chin in her hand. I chuckled and smiled. "What?"

"Nothing, just a flashback to high school," I said and she laughed. She smiled and ran her straw along the side of the glass to pop the bubbles in her drink.

"You said I can ask any questions right?" She asked. I nodded and took a sip of my sour drink. "Why did you stay?" I paused.

"Well." I cleared my throat. "I was genuinely convinced he loved me and I loved him, I thought that would override the fact he abused me. It's hard to realize abuse when you're in it and he cut me off from you guys and everyone else so it was hard to deem what was right and wrong," I said.

"What caused him to go crazy and pull a weapon on you?"

"I started to get close to a neighbor and now best friend, at least I'd like to call him my best friend, and he got really jealous. Like I said once I met Dan I started to question things and Cayden snapped."

"Dan?"

"Well, Dan and Phil, they're really good friends of mine, Dan is the one who came when I got shot," I mentioned and she smiled.

"Can I meet them?"

"I guess, why?"

"Mom got to meet Dan right? I want to see the guys that saved you!" she said, sipping her drink.

"You're crazy Nor," I said, calling her by the nickname she hated. The waiter came back and gave us our food, flirting a bit more. Nora was red in the face and I was holding back laughter by the time he left. "I'm about to start wheezing."

"Can't he pick up on body language? He's just not my type, I'm sure he's nice but..." she pressed her fork into her pasta. She took a bite and smiled. "10/10 Mac and cheese 3/10 waiters."

"Oh my God," I laughed. The check was brought and I paid, looking over the receipt as we walked out. I nearly spit when I saw his number written on the slip of paper. "NORA HE GAVE YOU HIS NUMBER!" She choked a little on air and snatched the receipt from me.

"Jesus..." I burst out laughing as we began to walk to my flat.

"Someone's got a boyfriend," I sang and she shoved me, jamming the receipt in my hand.

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"You started it."

"Fight me I dare you."

"Done."

~Calymari