Hey guys! You might have noticed that I haven't posted in a very long time! I'm really sorry, I've just been so busy and forgotten all about it and then I had writer's block and aaarrgghh. The only reason I put this up was for IAmBritishAtHeart because she reads all my fics and I really like her imagines so it's dedicated to her! :) Thanks for reading!
I rolled out of bed, stumbling as I regained my feet. Blearily, I looked around the room. I realised I was at Dan's house and then remembered the night before. We'd stayed in for a Harry Potter marathon and then I had fallen asleep instead of going home. I smiled and looked back at the bed, searching for Dan's familiar shape, sprawled on the bed or tucked in a ball under the covers. He wasn't there.
Blinking, I staggered from the room, still clumsy with sleep. The smell of cooking wafted from the kitchen. I wondered if Phil was up or something, seeing as Dan rarely got up before noon. But no, there he stood, poking something with a spatula and looking doubtful.
Dan Howell was an internet sensation, one of the funniest people to ever grace Youtube and my boyfriend. I'd met him almost a year ago now and every moment had been incredible. I knew a lot about Dan, one of the most important things in this moment being that he could not cook to save his life.
"Dan! What are you doing?" I asked, hurriedly taking the cooking bacon off him.
"Making you breakfast!"He protested, trying to gently push me out the way.
"Nu-uh!" I shoved him back, taking the completely burnt bacon off the pan and throwing it in the bin.
"Hey! That took me half an hour!"
"I think it was just slightly overcooked." I commented sarcastically, dropping the pan into the sink and turning to face him. "Why are you so nice this morning?"
"Because it's your birthday!"
Oh. I recalled that today was 10th of July and that it was also my birthday. Excitement exploded inside me. I had always loved birthdays, but then, who didn't? Glancing around the room, I felt a little disappointment.
"Where are my presents?" I had got a couple of packages already from my parents and various friends. Jennifer was supposed to be coming with me to Dan's today but since I was already here, I assumed she would just come meet me. My other friend, Rachel, was also turning up here too. She couldn't wait to meet Dan and Phil properly, she'd told me on the phone. She'd been away, in various places around the world, only visiting occasionally, almost since we'd left high school. Jennifer had traveled with her for a couple months and then come back to London, where I'd been living. I couldn't wait to see her!
"Phil will give you his when he wakes up."
"And you?"
Dan just smiled and turned away.
Somebody suddenly grabbed me from behind and hugged me. "Happy birthday!" Squealed an over-excited Phil.
"Thanks Phil!" I turned around to look at his beaming face. He threw a present into my hands and yelled, "Open it! Open it!"
Phil loved all types of celebration, if it was birthdays or Christmas. I ripped open my present, too caught up in the excitement to preserve the paper.
A fluffy grey bundle toppled out, nearly hitting the floor before Dan caught it. I gazed at it in in happiness. It was a totoro, just like Dan's except it was obviously a girl. It had longer eyelashes and a blush on its cheeks. I hugged Phil hard and he laughed.
"I'm just glad you like it! It took me forever to find!"
"Aww, you don't need to go to so much trouble when you buy gifts, Phil!" I grinned, secretly pleased he had. Phil shrugged and I ran from the room to place my new totoro on the bed with Dan's.
When I walked back towards the kitchen, I heard a low murmur from the room.
"Yeah, so you and her friends and PJ and Chris can meet us there at-"
"Ssh!" Phil had obviously heard me approach.
Dan whirled around as I entered the kitchen, embarrassment and accusation in his gaze. "You were listening?"
"I heard about Chris and PJ. Where are they meeting us?"
"You have too much curiosity! Don't ask!" Phil replied, pulling me out of the kitchen and toward the living room, while I protested that Dan couldn't cook. Phil replied with, "Well, I'll get cereal."
Once I was safely installed in the living room, a duvet covering me and Game of Thrones on the TV, Phil left to get the cereal (and to talk to Dan some more), shutting the door firmly behind him.
I watched Game of Thrones happily, absorbed in the programme until Dan jolted me out of my thoughts. "You've only got a hour or so before we're out of here." He warned.
"To where?" I asked inquisitively.
"Nu-uh! Not telling. Now budge up." Dan ordered and I obligingly moved further back into the sofa. Dan just about managed to fit in the space I made and then turned over to face me. I watched the TV and ate my Rice Krispies while he stared at my face. I desperately tried not to laugh. "What are you doing?" I giggled self-conciously, wondering if I was just a mess.
"Nothing!" Dan defended himself.
"You're staring at me!"
"No, I'm not." Dan turned to face the screen.
"You were.." I muttered teasingly.
We spent another ten minutes watching Game of Thrones and trying to quote lines while laughing at the funny bits.
After I'd got dressed, I was bundled out the door, again protesting that Rachel and Jennifer could turn up at any minute. Phil waved goodbye excitedly, slamming the door before we'd driven away.
I wondered what was going on. Curiosity began to nag at me even more.
"Dan.." I asked sweetly.
"What?" Dan replied warily.
"Where are we going?"
"I can't say."
"But it's my birthday..."
"That's the surprise."
"Daaannn....."
"What?"
"Where are we-"
"Ask that one more time, and-"
"Where are we going?"
Dan looked at me and sighed. I gave my best smile and went back to staring out the window.
We kept driving for a couple more minutes before we pulled up at a very familiar place.
"Victoria Park!" I gasped, while Dan gave one of his little smiles. He got out the car without a word and went to open the boot of the taxi.
I stared around happily, trying to keep the huge grin off my face. Victoria Park was one of my favourite places in London. I always used to come here to read on summer afternoons and I only came home after dark. I only remembered mentioning it to Dan once before. I smiled when I realised he must have been listening.
Eagerly opening the door and stepping out, I looked around fondly. Hurrying to the back of the taxi, I watched as he took an old fashioned picnic hamper out of the back. It felt just like the movies. Taking my hand, he led me away from the crowds and towards some oaks on the edge of the main clearing. When we reached them, he spread a blanket underneath the trees and I collapsed onto it with a sigh. Dan started getting stuff out of the hamper behind me. He was just out of my line of sight so I couldn't tell what it was.
"Dan, this is absolutely perfect." I said.
"It's not over yet." He replied. I could hear the smile in his voice.
I stretched out on the blanket and lay there for a few moments, staring up at the sky, before moving to face him.
"How can it get any better?"
"Like this." Dan gestured to the food laid out in front of him with another smile.
I looked down and my jaw dropped with the shock. There was every type of food I loved laid out on that blanket. I saw jam tarts, chicken, chips, profiteroles, cheese sandwiches, apples, crisps...And that was only at a glance. Dan lifted my chin up to face him.
"All for me?"
His voice was soft and low. "Anything for you."
We started eating, just watching the people around at a distance. We chatted about anything and everything, we laughed, we played games..I couldn't imagine a better time than that one spent with Dan.
"What time is it?" I asked idly. Dan was playing with my hair lazily. I felt his hands move away as he went to check his phone.
"Shit!" He leapt to his feet with a start, frantically packing things away. I sat up, feeling dizzy for a moment.
"What's up?" I asked, helping him throw stuff back in the hamper.
"We're supposed to be at the restaurant in ten minutes!" I guessed this was the restaurant Dan and Phil had been talking about that morning.
"How far away is it?"
"At least twenty!"
We finished packing and then raced across the grass, laughing and stumbling over rocks despite our situation.
Throwing myself in the taxi Dan had called, I waited impatiently for Dan to put the hamper in the back.
"What restaurant is it?"
"Your favourite." Dan replied. Obviously this wasn't a surprise. I had guessed anyway.
"The Purple Tugboat?"
"Yup."
Dan looked out the window frantically while I pretended we were being chased.
"Oh God, Dan! No! They're trying to flank us! We need backup, I repeat, we need backup!" I spoke into the air conditioning vent.
Dan tried to control his laughter.
"They're after the picnic basket, over. Call in the helicopters!"
Only five minutes late in the end, we ran inside to see the rest of our party already around a table.
"Rachel!" I squealed, running up and giving her a huge hug. She hadn't changed a bit. Still with the same long, blonde-brown hair, the same smile on her face.
"Becky! You're late! Where have you been?! Phil wouldn't tell us!"
"I'll tell you later, at mine."
"Ours!" Jennifer called, overhearing us. She was sitting beside Phil, who was smiling cheerfully.
"Ours.." I rolled my eyes and went to say hey to Chris and PJ.
Once we were all seated, Dan ordered. As I asked Rachel about how her trip was and tried to stop laughing at PJ's jokes, I spotted Dan watching me again and I deliberately caught his eye.
Thank you, I mouthed.
He smiled and waved it off before going back to talking to Chris and Jennifer. I looked at him for a moment longer then smiling, turned away.
"Bye!" We waved Chris and PJ off and then Jennifer went to hail a taxi. Phil went with her.
I glanced over to see Rachel and Dan exchanging a knowing look.
"What?" I demanded. "What is it?"
Rachel put her hand to her ear. "What was that? Oh, Jennifer's calling!" She ran off after the other two.
"That's funny! I can't hear a thing!" I yelled after her, knowing exactly what her and Dan were doing.
Dan's arms wrapped around my waist. "What do you want to talk to me about?" I asked, trying not to smile.
A slip of paper appeared in front of my eyes. I grabbed it and felt the heaviness. Slowly, I unfolded it.
Something glittering fell to the floor and Dan knelt down to pick it up. He held it out in front of him.
"Rebecca Fay Lee."
My heart thumped. I recognised the shape of that object.
"Will you..move in with me?"
I grabbed the key and tried not to scream.
"Yes...Yes!" I managed to whisper.
Dan leapt up and we hugged each other, bouncing up and down in excitement, laughing.
"Have you asked her yet?" Called Jennifer, who had appeared around the corner.
"Duh!" I yelled at her and then ran up to hug her too.
"Are you okay with it?" I asked her anxiously.
"Yeah, because guess who's moving in with me?"
"ME!" Rachel had also jumped round the corner.
"Really?" I gasped. We all screamed and hugged again.
"Are you done?" Dan asked sarcastically, with a grin on his face.
"Nope!" I replied.
We all rode home in the one taxi, four of us crowded in the back and Phil up front. He kept turning around with a constant grin on his face. Jennifer and Rachel were chattering on, clearly excited. Dan held out his hand. I took it.
When we got to Dan and Phil's..and now my place, we said goodbye.
"I'll start packing tomorrow." I said to Dan, still holding his hand.
"Can't be soon enough." He replied and we kissed.
Jennifer and Rachel hauled me back to the car and we drove away. Dan stood there with a lazy smile on his face, while Phil excitedly waved at super speed.
When we got home, I went straight to bed and sat there, staring up into the darkness.
I can't believe what a day it's been.
I fell asleep with a smile on my face.