Dream a Little Dream // Daniel Howell x Reader

Chapter 49

Coming back to reality, you gave a small nod, encouraging Allison to break away so she could indulge herself in the thousands of books that towered above. No sooner had you given her permission did the girl run away into the deepest part of the store, leaving you alone with the endless supply of rich literature. Taking the opportunity to look around, you let your eyes wander across the different sections and genres throughout the store, seeing if anything would peak your interest with their title. There were a few interesting books you saw; murder mysteries, sci-fi adventures, the newest horror novel by the notorious Stephen King, empowering tales of fiction, romance novels... You could feel yourself shy away from their shameless covers, the images of bare chested men and their enamored lovers making your palms sweat a little.

Even their titles were flagrantly obvious. 'Ride 'Em Cowboy', 'My Dirty Little Secret', 'Rodeo in Bed', 'Talk Cowboy to Me', 'Cowboy Fever', 'The Cowboy Con-Cock-tion'... The list was endless. So many cowboy novels... You thought to yourself in amusement, giggling a little at the ridiculous titles and the hyper specific genre of Western erotica. Hey, someone must be into them if there were so many of them. Who that may be, you had no idea. But the thought of someone buying these novels did make you laugh a little—

You were cut off mid thought as you locked eyes with Allison, her hand hovering over one of the spines of the cowboy erotica, her hands posed and ready to pull the novel from its shelf. Allison stared at you as she slowly pulled the book from its place, adding to her enormous pile of books in her arms. "Hey, don't judge me. Sometimes a girl likes what she likes."

You said nothing after that, simply letting Allison pass as she shuffled through the store. You followed close behind, stifling your laughter as she added 'Cowboy Fever' to the top of her tower, the seductive cowboy never straying his eyes from you throughout the entirety of your shopping adventure.

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Turns out the two of you could carry a total of 26 books in your arms as you waddled home, the continuous swaying of the books forcing the two of you to be on your toes throughout the rest of your walk to Allison's apartment. It was a little hard to open her front door, but Allison somehow managed the feat by holding the entire stack in one arm, hardly breaking a sweat as the weight of the books was shifted to a single arm. You watched in awe as she brought the books inside without any difficulty, wondering if you were even needed in the first place.

Allison let out a sigh, gently placing her haul on a nearby table. You followed her action, puffing out air as you gasped from exhaustion, the weight of the books almost too much for you to handle. The brunette chuckled when she saw you struggling, quickly swooping in to save the day. You were thankful for her help, otherwise a large portion of her Cowboy Erotic would've spilt all over the floor. No one wanted that.

"Judging by the amount that you bought, I'd say you had a lot of fun today."

Allison nodded her head enthusiastically, looking over her haul with an excited shine in her stormy eyes. "I have no idea what I'm going to read first. I could probably knock off two in one day; I have the day off tomorrow, so I'll probably make a reasonable dent in the pile." She eyes her books thoughtfully, resting her chin in her palms. She then turned to you, smiling brightly. "Thanks for coming with me today, (Y/N). I hope I wasn't a burden for you."

You waved your hand dismissively, flashing a genuine smile. "No no, it was really fun! Thanks for inviting me. It helped me get my mind off a few things anyhow."

"Mhm, like with your inability to show basic affection? Glad I could help!" You gave a low growl, pouting your lips in mock irritation at her comment. She rolled her eyes, patting your arm in sympathy. "I know, it's tough. But I believe in you. You've got this, love! Just act natural and it will all fall into place!"