We didn't have to wait long. Not that that surprised me. There were some angry comments, but pretty much all of the comments were positive; giving us 'congratulations' and a few 'I'm so happy for you two(s)!'. It was stunning just how positive the majority of them were about it.
Unfortunately, the negative comments struck me hard.
"Urgh, you could have told us instead of keeping us in the dark for months on end!"
"I'm grateful to whoever uploaded the photos! At least they decided to be honest with us!"
"Why do you get Dan? You weren't even one of his first subscribers!"
"Dan, at least choose a girl who doesn't spend her videos looking star struck!"
"She's the girl who only met you because of Chris, isn't she?"
"What's next? Is Phil engaged or something?!"
The comments kept flooding in. Each comment was like a kick in the gut, knocking back my already small amount of self-esteem with a well-positioned punch.
"Mia, stop reading them," Phil suggested as he watched my face. I was sure that my face was representing the pain of the words.
'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.' Whoever said that is a liar.
Just when I was about to go and sleep away all of the weights of worry that were pressing down firmly on my shoulders, I got a text from Charlie:
"I'm doing some filming tomorrow, are you free to come over for the day? Chris said that he'd come and bring you over here tomorrow if you can make it :)"
I showed the message to Dan and Phil, asking if they'd mind if I went over to Charlie's house.
"Mia, you don't have to ask permission," Dan grinned. "But, I want to spend the day with you the day after that, okay?"
I blushed with pleasure. "Okay."
I went back into Dan's room and texted Charlie back that I would love to see the filming. We talked about times and agreed that Chris would come and get me at 10 o'clock the following morning. Chris texted me to clarify that.
I plugged my phone in to charge and tried to find my pyjamas. I eventually found a pair of mid-thigh length dark grey shorts and an oversized, pale grey, Legend of Zelda t-shirt with the black and yellow Triforce of Courage on its chest. I dressed into them and laid down. Dan was still on his computer in the lounge with Phil, so he wasn't going to go to sleep anytime soon. I'd told Dan to just pull the duvet off me if I'd curled up in it like a cocoon. Dan had laughed in time with me and agreed to it, only if I did the same to him.
I wasn't 100% sure about sharing a bed with Dan for the next few nights. Yes, we were still going out, but we'd suffered our first problem in the form of Shannon and Dan's past with her. No. I couldn't let myself think of her just before I went to sleep, or she'd be in my dreams, poisoning them into nightmares. I knew that much about my mind.
I dozed for the next few hours, my mind buzzing with the anticipation of spending a day on a filming set with Chris and Charlie, and the hater comments on my new video revolving around my head in a constant circuit. The comments weren't over. The ones I'd read were only of the people who pounced on new videos within second of their release; there was still everyone else to come, the other million. I was also aware that Dan could walk in at any moment, which was the thought that kept me the most alert.
He did come back into the room (well, it was his bedroom to be fair) at around 4am. I wasn't too surprised by the time, because I knew that he was nocturnal, but he did try to be quiet. I heard him moving round slowly, and then walking into his desk chair in the dark.
"Ow!" he whispered as the chair clattered against the desk legs. And then, the racket began.
The desk must have wobbled or something, because Dan's tripod fell to the floor, along with lots of DVD cases, filming equipment and a lamp.
"Shit!" Dan said worriedly under his breath. I smiled to myself, sitting up and reaching silently for my glasses. I put my glasses on and then proceeded to turn the amber lamp on Dan's bedside on too.
The light flew around the room; lighting up the floor, Dan's shocked face and the pile of Dan's belongings at his feet. Dan's hair was damp and curly, so he'd obviously just gotten out of the shower. He smiled sheepishly at me and bent down to stack everything back onto his desk and any spare shelf space.
I smiled at Dan's terrified face at the sudden increase in light. "Sorry," Dan grimaced as he continued to tidy. I shook my head at him and got up to help him.
We managed to hit heads as we got back up again, resulting in us both gasping 'shit!' at the same time. As we both stood there, with our hands holding our heads, in the faint orange light of the lamp which reminded me of the fireworks' glow, I felt calm (I could also feel the dull thudding of pain in my head, but let's just ignore that). Sort of, that calm before a storm, or just in the eye of the comments storm, in my case.
I climbed back into the warm patch I'd created in the bed, removing my glasses and putting them on the bedside table as I did so. I closed my eyes and turned to the wall to give Dan some privacy. Apparently, the only thing he did was take his shirt off.
We went to sleep at separate sides of the bed, but when my alarm for Chris went off the next morning at 09:15, I was in Dan's arms. That confused me a little. I wasn't sure if Dan had brought his arms around me as I'd slept, or if I'd curled up into him, or if we'd both hugged each other absent mindedly.
Our legs were tangled together with the covers, Dan's arm was holding me to him and I was hoping my hair wasn't a knotted tumbleweed of a mess right now.
I hastily switched off my phone alarm and left Dan to sleep; collecting up my things for the shower and going to get ready.
Whilst in the shower, I sung under my breath, as quietly as I could. I got dressed into my favourite jeans, a long sleeved grey top with the sleeves rolled up with a black tank top which had a design of the Tardis with blue and gold spirals coming off it. I tied my hair back into a plait, did my makeup and put my contact lenses in.
I left the bathroom and tried to think of the things I needed to do before Chris got here in ten minutes. I went back to Dan's room so that I could get my bag and all of the stuff I needed for the day.
I found my combat green messenger bag crumpled on the floor next to my red converse and my leather jacket. I tiptoed around Dan to get my phone from where it was charging on the bedside table. As I reached for it, hands grabbed my waist and pulled me back onto the bed with a squeal escaping my voice box. Then, Dan started to tickle me.
"No! Eeeeep! Hahaha, Dan, stop! Haha, HELP!" I squealed with laughter. Dan laughed manically as I squirmed, kicking at the covers and trying to hide underneath the sheets to get away from him.
"Shush! You'll wake Phil up!" Dan complained as he drew his hands away to prop himself up on one elbow.
I brushed my hair out of my eyes and smiled up at him. "I hate you!" I teased, shoving him a little. This only made him laugh more. I reached for his neck.
"Ah! No, MIA! Ah-g-d-fu-!" Dan hissed as I attacked.
"Revenge," I laughed darkly. He hid his curly head under his pillow and lay there, motionless. He was probably hoping that I wouldn't see him if he wasn't moving. 'Playing dead'.
I set my head down on the pillow next to his, turning my head to look at his still form. Why did he have to be so cute when I was trying to hate him?
Dan shifted a little and brought his head of hobbit-hair back up. He watched me with those intensely rich brown eyes of his. I watched him with my own plain blue eyes in return.
We were leaning in for a kiss when the doorbell rang.
"That'll be Chris," I said quietly, my breath bounding back at me. Before I could say another word, or even take another breath, Dan closed the gap between us and kissed me.
The electricity soared through me, centring at my lips where they met his. We moved a little closer, his hand on my hip, at the gap between the belt on my jeans and the base of my shirt, and my hands curled up against his bare chest. Our lips parted with more fizzing sparks. Dan was a really good kisser.
The doorbell rang again in an irritating manner.
"Someone go and get the door!" Phil yelled groggily from the next room. A chuckle echoed up Dan's throat and vibrated in my mouth. We continued like that for about a minute. My whole body was tingling with electricity. My hands were wound up in his hair, making his natural waves even curlier. Dan's hand was resting on my ribs, his hands cool against my warm skin.
I reluctantly broke away from Dan. He smiled at me, his dimples resting on his cheeks. "I'll see you later?"
I smiled back at him, my cheeks unsurprisingly warm. "Yeah," I breathed, thankful that I'd been able to brush my teeth. I got up and staggered out of the room, feeling almost drunk off Dan, and collecting my bag, jacket, and other belongings as I went.
"See you soon," I said over my shoulder to him.
"Bye!"
I grinned to myself, checking my face over in the reflection of the hallway mirror. My hair was a little messy, so I tucked flyaway strands down under hairclips. My cheeks were also predictably red.
The doorbell rang a final time. "For crying out loud! Mia, I'll leave without you! Hurry up!"
I smiled at my reflection guiltily before opening the door to Chris. He was stood with his hand resting just next to the doorbell, leaning on that hand. He looked up from the floor when I opened the door. I smiled at him and shuffled around the door before exiting the apartment.
"What took you so long?" Chris asked as we made for the stairs. "Were you having some fun times with Dan?" He looked at me from the corner of his eye, a careful smirk controlling his mouth.
I hit him in the arm, blushing deeply. "Trust you to have that as your first thought!"
He grinned at me, enjoying my embarrassment. "I'll take that as a yes, then..."
I shoved him again and said some more choice words to him.
He laughed at me. "You know I'm joking, Mia."
I rolled my eyes at him. "I know," I retorted. Chris rolled his eyes back at me in a 'yeah, right' sort of way.
What a clown.
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(A/N added after story was fully written)
Hi :) The wonderful AlyssaDunstan drew some Quartzisnotonfire fanart which is featured with this chapter. Her DevianArt is Senpaimarkislife (check the external link) and she has told me she does commissions so contact her if you would like any art done. Thank you, Alyssa!
Thanks as always for reading. Comments & votes are widely appreciated :)
Em >^-^<