Static | Sequel to Fine Line Dan x Reader

Static

Hey.

Enjoy~

(Y/n)'s POV

My mind is fuzzy.

Not the kind of fuzzy you associate with coziness, like fluffy socks on cold feel and the comfort you receive with them. It was more of a grainy sort of sound you get when the TV won't work. I can't seem to focus over the tinny sound in my ears, ringing and echoing through my thoughtless head. Most of the time I had no idea where I was nor where I was going, because the static drowned out all the other senses. My mind was broken.

Sleepless nights turned into sleepless weeks and I asked myself where I was, what I was doing, but I just rubbed the red and purple from my eyes and pressed uncomfortably at the kink in my neck, letting the harsh, unpolished wave blanket my mind. It was a go through the motions type of mindset, and I couldn't help it.

I didn't really blame it on Adam, in fact I could care less where he was right now. There was no way to explain it. Maybe it was an advancing deadline to solidify our main character at work. Maybe it was the fact I had been avoiding both Dan and Phil for the past 2 weeks. Maybe it was the fact that all the little things that had been weighing down on me before had finally caught up to me and are now suffocating me slowly.

However, I'm quite lackadaisical about it.

"(Y/n)?" I glanced up after my brain had somehow picked up and registered my name. "Don't you think she's more independent? I mean look at the facts here." I met Miranda's eyes with dark and tired ones.

"She's independent, but not stubborn. She's more than happy to accept help which is how our love interest is introduced, now move on," I muttered, letting my hair fall slightly to attempt to cover my face. She was just a program that kept trying to play over the static.

The whole group shifted in mood and I could sense it, but my brain made no move to act upon it. The meeting ended and whatever progress we had made was lost to me. I slung my bag over my shoulder and left with out a 'drive safe' or 'see you soon'.

"(Y/n) what the hell is wrong with you?" I turned to look at AJ, though I didn't meet his eyes, staring at his cheeks. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but you have got to tell me!" He said and I sniffled from the shift to cold outside.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean I don't know?!"

"I don't know. Aren't you overreacting a little?"

"No! My friend is clearly struggling, I mean look at you! Your eyes are just sunken shadows and if looks could murder half that office would be dead and you know it," he huffed, his cheeks reddening from the air and his flustered state. Must came rom his mouth at his exhale and I watched calmly. It must be upsetting I know.

"I don't know. Night."

"What no good?!"

"When has it ever been?" I muttered and I noticed he heard, but said nothing. I just dug my hands in my pockets and watched my breath turn white. I could see my eyelashes lowly hanging in my vision and I crossed the road to Krema. If I wasn't going to sleep I might as well get coffee.

My favorite worker was there, and she held a look of concern when I walked in this late at night, lamp post light blaring against the dark, and no one out to avoid the looming threats of winter. I just pushed the money towards her on the counter and she took it without question. I collapsed in a seat by the window, dimly lit from the light inside and from the lamp post outside. The glass next to me was cold, and light goosebumps arose on my skin.

I let my lids fall in a long blink, watching the grainy white behind my eyelids. When I opened them, a bright and smiling figure was seated in the chair across from me.

"Almost thought you fell asleep there! You look tired, are you sure coffee is the best choice?" Phil rambled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well Dan wanted coffee and we figured you might be here. Haven't heard from you in a while," he said, smiling at me. I gave a solitary nod, focusing on keeping up a dam to control the flood in my mind. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure," I said quietly, and Phil shifted in his chair.

"You don't look good (y/n), and I mean that nicely as in, I'm concerned for you," he said, letting his cheery façade drop to get serious with me. "Would you like to come back to hang around with me and Dan? We can pick up dominoes seeing as Dan and I haven't eaten yet."

"Dominoes?"

"Yeah, we almost always get dominoes after something emotionally draining. It helps, trust me," he replied and I paused, letting the corners of my mouth slip up. He seemed to tip toe around me, but kept things rather blunt as well. He seemed weary of my melodramatic mood.

"Okay."

"Great, let's go pick some up," he said. After he called in the order, he called a cab and while we waited, I sipped my coffee and stood next to him. Something about Phil was sort of calming, and I certainly felt the fuzz begin to drain from my brain. I shouldn't have been ignoring them. "So how long has this gone on?"

"2 weeks, plus some," I murmured and he nodded, setting that information with the rest in his brain.

"Any idea why?"

I shook my head.

A cab pulled up and he opened the door for me to get in. I shivered off the cold and put on my seat belt while he climbed in the other side.

"Dan can get like this sometimes too, I understand. When was the last time you slept?"

"2 weeks, on and off."

"You must be exhausted," he sympathized. He pushed my hair back like my mother used to when it got in the way of looking at my face. "You've got to see you know, it's pretty important."

"Yeah."

The rest of the ride was comfortable silence and I felt my eyes droop at the warm air from the car vents. When we pulled up at Dominoes, Phil ran in, quite literally, to get the food he had called in, letting me stay with the taxi driver. I actually didn't mind making small talk with her while he was gone.

When he returned the car smelled of food, and it was comforting, just to sit there. The grainy static turned to a calm inky blue, the kind that settles in your mind to play as the backdrop for your dreams.

Totally relaxed.

I'm not dramatic you are.

~Calymari