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souless-enby · 8 years ago

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Peppermint Mocha

Title: Peppermint Mocha Tags: fluff, tension, happiness Warnings: Cursing (Dan Howell is one of the main characters, what do you expect.) Words: 8464 words Summary: Phil orders a peppermint mocha from a sassy barista, and manages to find himself a new friend and roommate. This is the first fic I’ve ever written, and it was originally a bday gift for @mysislovesdanhowell, so sorry if it��s not the greatest thing ever.

Chapter 1: PHIL

Standing in the middle of a London sidewalk, I looked up at the night sky. Snowflakes drifted through the air, dancing with the cold, biting wind. Traffic sounds accompanied the beautiful sight.

I shivered, pulling my coat hood over my head. Coffee, I told myself, would complete this wonderful evening.

Granted, there wasn’t anything actually wonderful about my life at the moment. I was struggling to pay rent, and really needed to find a roommate to help split the costs. Nothing particularly exciting was happening. But, it was a beautiful night, and what better to stave off the chill than to grab a nice cup of coffee and enjoy the snow from inside a warm shop?

Christmas lights lit up the surrounding area, as other people walked down the street.

I trudged through the slush of melted snow, making my way towards a small shop that lay a short walk from my apartment.

The shop was my first choice merely because it was cheaper than Starbucks, and also tended to have fewer customers. The windows of the shop were lined with red and green lights, and a Christmas wreath was hung on the door.

I pushed my coat hood back as I opened the door, nearly knocking the wreath off, but saving it before I embarrassed myself. Adjusting my black fringe, I shuffled my feet against the welcome mat, shaking the accumulated slush off my shoes.

The coffee shop was warm, cozy, and seemingly empty. The maroon walls were dimly lit by the yellow overhead lights, contrasting against the darkness outside. Soft jazz piano music played in the background.

I had visited this small shop many times before, since it was always less crowded compared to mainstream shops. But I had never come during the evening hours, and maybe that’s why I was greeted with such a strange sight.

A brown haired employee was resting across the counter-top, face first, his head resting in his crossed arms. Even though he wasn’t standing, I could tell he had to be tall considering his upper torso was taking up most of the counter-top.

I coughed, not sure if the boy had heard me enter the shop, since there was no bell on the door (possibly because the shop owner couldn’t afford one.)

The boy groaned before uttering a response. “Look, Mr. Alibee, if you want to fire me, fire me.”

The boy seemed as done with the world as possible, and I wondered what his story was.

“Could I get a peppermint mocha before you’re fired?” I asked with a laugh.

I had expected the boy to shoot up from his position when he realized there was a customer in front of him, but that didn’t happen. Instead, the boy merely turned his head slightly so he could see who had spoken, then returned to his original position.

No one spoke for a solid minute, and the silence was aided with soft jazz.

“Don’t you think it’s better to go to a proper shop who doesn’t have a slacking employee?” The boy finally muttered into the counter.

“Well, I’m sure you have your own reasons,” I offered.

“I’m so tired,” the boy responded.

“So, why work the shift?”

“Broke.”

“Same,” I responded, laughing slightly at the boy’s continuously monotone voice.

The boy seemed to gain some sort of strength from my response, and slowly unmelted from the counter-top. His black uniform polo was wrinkled, and his lopsided name tag read “DANIEL.” Daniel didn’t give me a fake smile, nor did he take on proper “employee etiquette,” which was sort of refreshing. His dark brown eyes looked me over once before he spoke again.

“Do you want cream and chocolate sauce?”

“Yes, please.”

The boy, Daniel, started to enter in my order into the cash register, but then suddenly stopped.

“You know what, you’re cool. I technically can have a free drink when I’m on shift, but only crazy people drink coffee at night.” The brown haired boy realized what he’d insinuated. “NOT that you’re crazy, but… yeah, I don’t have enough energy to try and dig myself out of this one.”

Before I could say anything, he turned around and started making my drink.

“You really don’t need to do that,” I said, shuffling closer to the counter. “I don’t mind paying for my drink. You don’t owe me anything.”

“You’re the first human being who has treated me as an equal all day,” Daniel responded, without turning to look at me. “I honestly should be doing more for you.”

More jazz music filled the silence that ensued, and Daniel handed me the free drink.

“Thank you,” I said meekly, cupping the drink in both hands.

“Don’t mention it. If anyone asks where you got it-“

“Say I bought it?”

Daniel paused, mouth opened, before he finished. “I was gonna say kill em, but I suppose that works too.”

I took a sip from the mocha, enjoying the sweet peppermint.

Daniel seemed to be watching me for some sort of reaction, so I smiled. “It is very good!”

“You sicko. Coffee at night. And not only that, but PEPPERMINT coffee.” He shook his head in disgust, returning to his slouch against the counter.

“Hey, I didn’t insult your favourite holiday treat.”

Dan groaned something into his arms, his face hidden once again.

I debated for a minute whether or not to return to my apartment, then decided and sat in the chair nearest the counter.

Daniel peeked out from his headrest of flesh. “What are you doin’?”

“You won’t get in trouble if I just hang out here, will you? I’ll stay out of the way if it gets busy.”

“Ha. Not bloody likely. No one else in London is weird like you and goes out for coffee this late.” Daniel propped himself onto his elbows, studying me more intently now. “Why are you doing this?”

“Why’d you give me a free coffee?”

“I said why. You’re chill. You don’t owe me anything. You don’t have to stay.”

I shrugged, taking another sip of my coffee. “It’s cold out.”

Daniel did not seem to buy my excuse, as he gave me a sassy look. “You walked through all this fuckery for coffee, pretty sure you can walk your lanky self back to whatever weird place you came from.”

“This coffee is good!” I defended myself. “I don’t have the same chocolate sauce that you guys have!”

“Mm-Hm,” Dan just shook his head at me.

“Maybe I just want to stay and talk? Is there anything wrong with that?”

Smooth jazz once again filled the air as Daniel pondered over this.

“I suppose,” he finally said, “it’s no weirder than you getting coffee at 8:47pm.” With that, Daniel hoisted himself onto the counter, not seeming worried about getting in trouble. He sat, facing me, and adjusting his fringe. His hairstyle was almost exactly like my own, but the fringe towards the left, the opposite side of mine. “So,” Daniel said slowly, drawing out the word, “what’s your name?”

“Phil,” I responded, taking another sip of my drink.

Dan smiled a little, which was the first sign of any real emotion from him besides sass and sleepiness. “Peppermint Phil,” he said. “Shouldn’t be hard to remember with that alliteration.”

I laughed. “Please don’t use that.”

“Too late, that’s how I’ve memorized your name now. Persistent Peppermint Phil.” “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Consider your new name an early Christmas gift, friend.”

I looked at the tall boy that was lazily sitting on the countertop. “So I’ve managed to become your friend?” I asked, semi-surprised, but also quite pleased.

Dan looked at his feet. “I mean, I don’t really have friends, but I think when two people voluntarily hang out with each other, that’s what the relationship is called.”

I smiled. “You know, Daniel, you don’t have to pretend to be suave. I would be happy to be your friend.”

Daniel’s head whipped up to look at me. “How do you know my name?”

“Uh, you’re wearing a name tag?” I said, pointing at the tag on his shirt.

Daniel looked down to verify, and then rolled his eyes at himself, giving a little sigh. “Was worried you were some creepy stalker person for a split second.”

“Would a creepy stalker person order a peppermint mocha at 8:50pm?” I asked.

Daniel shrugged. “Dunno, I’m not in that line of work. And it was 8:47pm.”

“Who’s the stalker now, remembering all these details about me?” I asked, smirking.

Daniel’s face turned cherry red. “That’s NOT what I was getting at, you twat! I- I just have a good memory for details!”

I took another sip of my mocha, still smirking. “Riiiiight.”

Daniel crossed his arms in a pout, face still red. “Fuck you.”

“You’d like to, huh?” The opportunity for such a comment was way too good.

Daniel stammered for a moment, attempting to think of a witty comeback.

I felt bad for overwhelming him. I wasn’t that sort of person, and I didn’t want to scare him off. “I’m just playing with you, ” I reassured him. “I don’t want to make you hate me.”

He closed his mouth for a moment before responding. “I won’t hate you, I just don’t have a lot of people to trade banter with.”

I finished my coffee, throwing the cup away. I grabbed a paper napkin, scribbling my name and phone number on it, then walked back towards the boy on the countertop. He looked up at me from where he sat, his fringe brushing over his brown eyes.

“If you want, we can practice more banter again some other time?” I offered him the napkin.

Daniel looked down at my offering for a moment before accepting it. “I’d like that.”

I smiled at him, and then started to walk out the door. “I’m glad I got to meet you, Daniel.”

“Same, Peppermint Phil. And, please, call me Dan.”

Chapter 2: DAN

“Ffffffffff” I hissed as soon as the door was closed behind Phil, and I could no longer see him out the damned coffee shop’s window.

“Real smooth, Dan,” I criticized myself. “Spend all that time being sassy internally, practicing conversations, thinkin’ you’re so cool. But as soon as a tall, dark haired beauty comes in, BAM. Where were your fucking words then, ya moron?”

I pulled at my hair a little, and then realized I was talking to myself again. Making fun of him for getting coffee at 8:47pm, but then turning around and talking to yourself. Makes perfect sense.

I locked the front door and began closing up the shop. I had the last shift of the day, and honestly, the shop’s hours should change so it closes a lot earlier. No one ever buys anything during the night shift. Except for this night.

On the walk home, I wondered how long I should wait to contact Phil. Would it seem weird if I texted him now?

I mean, I do need to program the number into my phone. Surely it’s not weird to text him to make sure I have the right number.

I climbed the steps to my apartment. Usually, I would have been cursing the fact that I lived on the fourth floor with no lift.

Tonight, I was too excited about my new friend to care about stairs. I was so excited, in fact, that I almost ignored the piece of paper taped to my door.

My heart sank. I knew what the paper’s contents were. I was highly aware of the fact the I hadn’t been able to make rent in a long time.

EVICTION NOTICE

I had two weeks to find a new place and move out of my apartment.

Chapter 3: PHIL

It was rather shameful how closely I watched my phone while waiting for Dan to contact me. I didn’t know if he’d be all cool and wait 24 hours before texting me, or if he’d try immediately. Or, the more likely option, he actually hated me and would quit his job and move out of the country to avoid ever coming into contact with me again.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when my phone buzzed to alert me of an incoming text message.

Hey, is this the right number?

Even though I was super excited, I tried to play it cool.

Depends on who you’re searching for ;)

My excitement shifted to concern after reading Dan’s next text.

I’m sorry, I know we literally just met, but… I need some advice.

My mind was racing with hundreds of ideas as to what the problem was.

Don’t apologize. What’s up?

I just got an eviction notice, and I honestly have no idea what I should do.

The easiest solution came to mind immediately: I needed a roommate, he could easily move in with me. The cost would be ridiculously manageable between two people. But, I didn’t want to scare Dan away by seeming too eager.

I assume you don’t have any family to stay with, since you asking me. Would it be fair to appeal the eviction?

No, it was justified. And, you’re right, my family and I aren’t on the best of terms at the moment. I can’t possibly ask them for help… but then again, I guess I might have to.

For a split second, I considered the fact that I just met this guy. Then, I figured, if he turned out to be a crazy person, I COULD just kick him out.

Well, not to seem overwhelming, but I actually need a roommate right now. You weren’t kicked out because of anything too bad, right?

Couldn’t make rent on time the past few months. I’d hate to intrude… especially since you don’t really know me.

No, seriously, you’d be doing ME a favor.

…how much per month?

He was actually CONSIDERING this! I was so exciting that my hands were shaking as I typed.

Can you afford $140 the first month, and then we can adjust things as you become more stable?

Easily yes. My apartment now is costing me way more than that.

Sounds like that’s settled then! When do you want to move in?

I mean, I suppose the sooner the better? I don’t work tomorrow, and I don’t have a lot of crap. Or is that way too soon?

Tomorrow works fine for me. Do you need any help?

Just let me inside when I get there?

It was actually happening. I couldn’t stop grinning. Soon I’d have a new roommate.

What time were you thinking, so I can be sure to be awake?

Oh don’t worry, it’ll likely be around 5pm before I intrude.

Dan, you’re going to be LIVING with me. It’s not intruding.

…thank you so much, Phil. You have no idea how thankful I am.

Well, consider this payback for the free mocha. ☺️

Chapter 3: DAN

I let out a sigh of relief as I strode up to the door with the number Phil had texted me that morning. All of my things fit into one suitcase, so there hadn’t been a need to put off getting out of that awful apartment. For being so expensive, it was a pretty tiny shit hole.

I inhaled deeply, fixing my fringe before knocking on Phil’s door. As I did so, I realized I didn’t even know this guy’s last name. He could have been a serial killer for all I knew. But, a serial killer offering me a place to stay after a mere free peppermint mocha, nonetheless.

The door opened, and Phil stood there with a huge smile on his face. “Hey!”

My memory hadn’t been fucking with me, he was quite beautiful. His black fringe was styled in the literal opposite direction as mine. The color contrast made his blue eyes seem even more striking.

I realized I had stopped breathing and hadn’t actually said anything.

“Er, uh, hey,” I managed.

Real fucking smooth, Dan Howell.

Phil just smiled even more. He gestured for me to enter. “Come on in! I cleared out the second bedroom, so you can go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”

The apartment was so much nicer than my old place. Phil had the whole place decorated with random pieces of furniture that didn’t seem to actually go together. Yet, despite all the mismatched bright colors, it suited Phil.

I entered the blue-carpeted living room, which had a black sofa sitting in front of a TV, which was still on, showing the pause screen to Skyrim. Multitudes of games were piled next to the TV, not in any specific order.

“Sorry I didn’t clean up very much,” Phil apologized, picking up a bright green throw pillow from the floor and placing it back on the couch. “I mainly focused on making sure the bathroom was cleaned.”

I gave a small laugh, still looking around the room. It honestly was clean, just made very cozy by the obvious signs that someone else lived here. “It’s very nice, Phil.”

Phil smiled. “I’m glad you think so. Come on, I’ll show you where you can put your stuff.”

Chapter 4: PHIL

Dan seemed pretty nervous to be in a new place, so I made sure to leave him alone for a while so he could get situated. I didn’t want to seem overwhelming to him.

“Come out when you’re done,” I had told him, after showing him to the room across from mine, “we can go out and get whatever supplies you might need, after you’re done unpacking.”

“Thanks,” Dan had said, still seeming to be taking everything in.

I really hoped the place wasn’t too disappointing for him.

Less than 20 minutes later, Dan exited the room. He had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black skinny jeans, and his hair had started to stick up a little in places.

“Done already?” I asked, disbelieving. Granted, there wasn’t a ton in the room, but it usually took me twenty minutes just to put sheets on the bed. There was at least a bed in Dan’s new room, as well as a closet, and a dresser. Surely he hadn’t finished unpacking.

Dan shuffled his feet. “I, um, don’t have a lot to unpack,” he reminded me.

I squinted my eyes at him. “Can I see the room?”

Dan opened his mouth as though to protest, but I went ahead and opened the door.

The room looked almost untouched. There was an emptied suitcase by the bare bed, and the closet had a few items of black clothing, along with two pairs of shoes. A sleeping bag sat on the bed, still rolled up.

I looked back at Dan, who wouldn’t meet my gaze. “You didn’t have a bed before?” I asked him, almost disbelieving.

He shrugged. “It didn’t come with the place, and I can’t afford it.”

I shook my head, and then suddenly made up my mind. “We’re going out shopping.”

Dan winced. “About that… I can’t really afford a lot right now. The best I can do is pay the rent, and get a little bit of food.”

I walked closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Dan finally looked up at me.

“I’ll pay for the bedding, along with any other things you need for now,” I told him.

Dan shook his head, looking back down. “You’re already letting me stay here, you really don’t have to-“

“Oh hush,” I interrupted him. “It’s not that big of a deal, and I’m not going to let you just sleep in a sleeping bag.”

I headed towards the door, grabbing my coat. Dan was following behind like a sad pet. I suddenly realized the poor guy was not wearing any sort of jacket. He was wearing merely a black jumper for warmth along with his skinny jeans and sneakers.

“Dan,” I said slowly, “do you have a coat?”

Dan looked very embarrassed. “It’s not that far of a walk….”

It was 2 degrees outside. No way was I going to let him walk around like that. I handed Dan my coat. “Wear this.”

Dan looked at my coat in his hands. “But, Phil-“

“No. Wear it. I have other things in my room for me to wear instead, so hold up.”

After sprinting to my closet and grabbing an older coat, I returned to the living room to see Dan wearing my black coat. It suited him, honestly. The hood was bunched up around his neck, messing up the back of his hair. Dan was busy trying to fix the hood, and hadn’t noticed me. For a few seconds, I watched him struggle with trying to fix the fabric, but then I walked forward.

“Here, let me….” I was standing behind Dan, and reached forward to simply tug the hood free.

Dan, however, must have been startled by my sudden appearance, and attempted to whip around the face me, and probably argue against me helping him.

Instead, he tripped over his own ankles while turning, and knocked into me. Any other human being probably would have been all cool and heroic, catching Dan before he fell too far, and then laughing off the event.

I, however, must have used up all my “heroic points of the day” by offering Dan my coat. I completely fell backwards against the couch. Dan landed on top of me, his head hitting my chest.

We both froze for a moment, neither of us really sure what had just happened. I didn’t move, not wanting to cause Dan to fall to the floor. Dan was stunned for a brief moment, then his eyes met mine and widened.

Wow, his eyes were pretty.

“I’m sorry! Sorry!” Dan quickly scrabbled to get off of me, almost tripping again when his foot found a cushion that was resting on the floor.

Even though I’d been surprised as well, I started laughing. “It’s okay, Dan,” I reassured, sitting up and helping him to steady himself.

“I didn’t mean to-“

“You’re fine!” I laughed, standing up.

Dan still looked uncertain, but I smiled at him.

“Sorry I didn’t catch you,” I apologized, reaching up slowly and fixing Dan’s hood.

Dan seemed paralyzed, until he realized I was reaching for the hood, and not for his face.

“Thanks,” he breathed.

“No problem,” I murmured, smiling at him.

Don’t creep him out, dummy.

“Look,” I said, “I am going to buy you basic things for living, but I also don’t want to seem weird. Is that okay? Can we just agree to be completely open with each other?”

Dan smiled at me, and I saw a flicker of his old sass. “You drink coffee at night, of course you seem weird to me.”

I smacked him playfully with my coat sleeve. “I just don’t want to scare you off. I want to help you.”

Dan looked down again, but he was still smiling. “Okay.”

Chapter Five: DAN

Not even an hour with Phil, and I’d already managed to top my most awkwardest moment. Probably wouldn’t have been so awkward for me if it weren’t for the fact that I definitely had a crush on him. I about crushed my crush by toppling onto him.

Phil did not seem phased by the past events, and was very invested in picking out bedclothes for me.

“This one?” Phil asked, pointing to a bright blue set of sheets that came with a darker blue duvet.

“Riiight,” I said, sarcastically. “Because that so matches my bright personality. You sure you’re not picking things out that you like?”

Phil rolled his eyes at me, still shuffling through sets of sheets. “Well, it’s not like you’re giving me your opinion.”

I still couldn’t figure out why he would be doing all this for me. I was a total stranger to him.

“Fine, since we’re friends now, let’s make this a game,” I suggested.

Phil raised his eyebrows. “How so?”

I gestured to my apparel. “What do you think my favorite color is?”

Phil frowned, obviously remembering my closet. “Maybe you’re too poor to afford anything that brings happiness to your life?”

I smacked him playfully on the arm, laughing. “Come on, no! Black suits me the most. Dark colors match my soul.”

Phil gave me a side eye. “Well, I mean, I always thought of sass as being a bright pink or teal, but oooookay.”

“You think I’d suit pink bed sheets?” I asked skeptically.

Phil raised his hands defensively. “You mentioned how the color had to match your soul!”

“And my soul is bright pink?”

“You know what, here is some black and grey themed sheets, we’re getting these, and laying this conversation to rest.” Phil grabbed a set of sheets, and started walking away from the bed supplies.

I shook my head, laughing, and followed Phil.

Chapter Six: PHIL

I had made a mistake, and I knew it.

“Now I want to know,” Dan began, “what else you think suits me, from your first impressions.”

“Not pink, apparently,” I said, moving towards the winter apparel. Dan looked nice in my coat, but he probably wouldn’t want to borrow it long term.

“Come on,” Dan pleaded. “I’ll even go first.”

I couldn’t help but give in to him. “Fiiine.”

Dan grinned. “I found you to be super tall.”

“Hey, come on, that’s cheap,” I protested.

“Well, I mean,” Dan argued, “it counts as a first impression.”

I sighed, and then turned to a clothing rack, gesturing for him to look through it. “Pick something you’d like.”

Dan started shuffling through the coats. “I’m waiting,” he said.

I thought for a moment, watching Dan as he examined a (surprise) black coat.

I knew I could take the opportunity to actually tell him what I’d ACTUALLY thought, but I was also still slightly worried.

“I thought you seemed… very tired. I wanted to know what could make someone so pretty-“

Dan’s eyes shot up from the coat.

“done with the world,” I added on.

Dan almost looked disappointed, or maybe I was imagining things.

“…okay,” he admitted.

“Your turn,” I prompted.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

I laughed. “Did that count as a first impression?”

Dan’s face turned red. “NO. However, you just reminded me how much of a twat I thought you were.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You thought I was? So you think I’m less so now?”

Dan gave a sigh of exasperation, and I laughed.

A shrill voice from down the aisle suddenly cut into the air. “Dan?!”

Dan looked very confused for a split second, and then his eyes widened. “Shit,” he hissed.

I frowned, turning around to see a tiny blonde woman, roughly the same age as Dan, grinning so widely I was worried her spray tan would rub off onto her teeth. She gave a little shriek as she walked over to us.

Dan looked like he’d rather melt into the rack of coats and never be seen again. “Help,” he muttered.

“Dan, it’s been forever! I’ve been meaning to call and catch up!” The woman, who’s blonde hair I now realized was incredibly fake, looked me up and down, trying to pin point what my purpose was.

“What have you been… doing?” She spit out the word doing as though my very existence was offensive.

Dan took that venom as a challenge, and suddenly shifted so as to stand very close to me, one hand resting behind my back.

I tried not to act too startled, but instead focused on smiling at the incredibly shrill voice woman.

Dan, however, had A+ acting skills, and seemed to lean into me even more. “Ah, yeah, Debbie,” he said, with what I realized must have been the same voice he used with regular customers at the coffee shop: sweet, yet full of hate. “I’m actually very busy helping my boyfriend grab his dad a gift for his birthday before he has to go back to work. “

Debbie’s smile wavered a slight bit, and she actually took a step back. “Oh. Well. Don’t let me keep you.”

“Yeah, we won’t,” Dan agreed, his voice full of poison.

Debbie stood there for a second, and then glared at me before turning to leave. “Nice to see you’re doing well, Dan.”

“Nice to see you too,” Dan replied, still managing to keep that fake grin on his face.

Once Debbie was definitely out of hearing distance, Dan backed away.

“Woah,” I breathed. I could feel myself blushing.

“Yeah, sorry, she is 100% crazy, and I knew she wouldn’t stick around if she thought I was with someone….”

“No,” I shook my head, “YOU. You’re an incredible liar.”

Dan shrugged modestly, looking back at the coats. “I did theater all through high-school, I know what I’m about.”

I stared at him.

“What?” He finally asked, grabbing the coat after checking the price tag (which I could see marked it as one of the cheapest coats.)

“We promised to be totally honest with each other, right?” I asked. “So you’ll never do anything like that to me? Lie like you did to that woman?”

Dan laughed, and then surprised me with a hug. “You could never ever scare me as badly as Debbie does. I’d never have to lie to you.” He pulled away.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“By the way,” he said, looking puzzled. “What is your last name? I realized at the door to your apartment that I only knew you as Peppermint Phil, and that you could be a serial killer.

I laughed. “Phil Lester. And it’s OUR apartment, not just mine.”

Dan smiled, and I saw more warmth in his eyes. I didn’t want that glow to ever stop. “What’s your full name?” I asked.

“Dan Howell.”

Chapter seven: DAN

Phil and I wasted most of the night playing Skyrim. It cracked me up when I realized that Phil actually refused to swear.

“Come on,” I’d encouraged him. “Just say it. Fuck.”

Phil laughed a little, while looking super uncomfortable. “I can’t!”

“Fuck.”

“No!”

“Fuck fuck fuck.”

“Stop!” Phil smacked me with one of the many pillows he had lying around. The pillows were like rabbits, multiplying and popping up at random times.

“Come ooooon,” I pressed him, leaning closer.

“Nooooo!” Phil protested, though we were both laughing at this point.

“Why not?” I finally asked.

“It just… feels wrong!” He shook his head. “What if I made it a habit and accidentally said it in front of a baby?!”

I scoffed. “Like a baby will care. It’s an overgrown potato. It doesn’t understand.”

“It’s a pure little child! I don’t want it to hear that!”

I leaned close to Phil’s ear, breathing into it before whispering softly.

“Fuck.”

I received another pillow to the face.

Chapter eight: PHIL

Dan was just as much fun to hang out with as I had thought. I was thankful I had pillows to hit him with though. I don’t think Dan realized how badly I wanted to kiss him when he’d leaned in to tease me about not cursing. His lips looked so soft and irresistible.

I doubted he was even interested.

While I was traipsing through the countryside in Skyrim, I decided to ask about the events that had happened earlier that day.

“So, Dan, that girl from earlier?”

Dan stiffened. “Debbie?”

I nodded. I wasn’t upset with Dan, so I didn’t understand why he’d be nervous. “Mind giving me some backstory?”

Dan sighed. “When I was younger, and dumber, I went out with this girl from highschool just because I thought she looked attractive.”

I turned to look at him, disbelieving. “You thought SHE was attractive?”

“Okay, first,” Dan defended himself, “she started destroying her body AFTER we broke up. Second, I honestly thought she was the best I could do….”

“Dan,” I said softly, “you could do so much better than her.”

Dan smiled a little, his eyes shifting down to the ground.

I reminded myself that I didn’t want to scare him off, and I coughed. “So, why’d you guys break up?”

“She was homophobic,” Dan said bluntly.

I couldn’t help wincing. I was bi, so that always hit close to home.

“Which,” Dan continued, “was personally offensive, since I’m bi.”

I examined Dan’s expression. He was still looking down, but I could tell he was waiting for my reaction.

“That could put a damper on a relationship,” I admitted, laughing a little.

“No kidding,” Dan said, sighing.

“Well,” I said slowly, “you’ll never have to worry about me being homophobic, considering I’m bi.”

Now it was my turn to wait for a reaction.

Dan’s head whipped up to face me, and I smiled at him.

“Not that I’m trying to, uh, trying to suggest that you’d ever have to, um… think about us… in a relationship, or whatever,” I said, trying to maintain the ORIGINAL PLAN of NOT CREEPING HIM OUT.

Dan laughed at me. “I mean, we’re in a relationship. A friendship is a form of relationship, and I am loving it thus far.”

I couldn’t help grinning. “I’m glad.”

“Also,” Dan said, “thanks for going along with being my ‘boyfriend’ earlier. I’m sorry for just forcing you into it.”

“Oh,” I said, totally forgetting the plan of not creeping him out, “you never have to worry, I’ll always be willing.”

Dan’s eyes glowed with that warmth again as he smiled at me.

I was tempted to pursue the topic, but then a dragon appeared on Skyrim, and killed the topic train for the night.

As I lay in bed that night, I fell asleep with that smile from Dan vivid in my mind.

Chapter nine: DAN

It was roughly 3am, and I was still lying in bed, wide awake.

I’d always had trouble falling asleep, but tonight was especially difficult.

I’ll always be willing.

What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Was Phil just being naturally flirty? Or was he seriously trying to get my attention? No matter the motive, either way, he had my attention.

I groaned at my obsession. If I was still worried about it in the morning, I would just tell Phil my thoughts. We’d agreed to be open with each other, after all.

I heard footsteps somewhere in the apartment, and I stiffened.

Then the door across the hall opened, and I tried to calm myself down. Phil probably had woken up to use the bathroom. Not a big deal. Totally not coming to confess his love to me.

Totally not actually coming to murder me.

My bedroom door opened.

I lay very still, watching silently as Phil walked into my room.

I held my breath as Phil’s body shape was illuminated by the faint light leaking through my window.

He just stood there for a moment, until I finally got up the nerve to say something.

“Phil?” I whispered, not sure what was happening.

Phil didn’t speak, but instead came closer to my bed. Now that he was closer, I realized he definitely was not awake. His eyes were staring forward into nothingness, and he didn’t seem to register I was there.

“Phil!” I said, slightly louder.

The tall boy mumbled something that I couldn’t understand, and then sat next to me on the bed.

I wasn’t sure what to do when someone was sleep walking, but I didn’t want to just let him wander around.

“Phil,” I hissed under my breath, shaking his shoulder slightly.

Phil turned, still looking beyond me. “Mm?”

“You’re not in your room!” I whispered.

Phil still wasn’t comprehending.

I sighed, sitting up. “Phil, you gotta go back to bed.”

Phil nodded, and I thought I was making progress.

“Back to bed,” I instructed softly, “warm bed.”

Phil smiled very groggily. “Warm….”

Then he hugged me, surprising me and causing me to fall back to the bed.

“Phil!” I hissed.

“Mmmm….” Phil mumbled, resting his head on my chest, wrapping his arms around my torso, lying down more comfortably against me.

There was no way Phil couldn’t hear my heart pounding out of my chest.

Briefly, I thanked God for the fact that I had the blankets in between us.

No sooner had I thought that, then sleepwalking Phil completely shifted to move the covers on top of both of us, before settling back into his original position.

I struggled momentarily before sighing, giving up on moving him myself. Every time I shifted, Phil held on to me tighter.

I lay there for a moment, thinking about my options. If I just fell asleep like this, Phil would probably wake up mortified.

On the other hand, he was so, so warm and cuddly, and he seemed so happy sleeping against me.

I shook my head.

I couldn’t have Phil acting weird in the morning. I wanted him as a friend. Possibly more? This would likely kill any chance of that when he woke up in the morning.

“Phil,” I said more sternly, “you can’t sleep here. You have to go back to your bed. You won’t like this in the morning.”

Phil shifted to look up at me from his chosen spot. He mumbled something totally incoherent, but acted deadly serious, as though he was pouring his soul out to me. His beautiful eyes glittered in the darkness as he stared at me intently.

Then, he tilted his head upward and, ever so gently, kissed my cheek.

I couldn’t breathe.

Phil smiled, patted the top of my head, and then returned to his resting position, hugging me tightly.

Fuck.

I debated internally for a few moments, listening to Phil’s breathing as he fell into a deep sleep.

…fuck.

I knew Phil would probably care in the morning, and it was probably very wrong of me….

But I hugged Phil against me, and finally was able to fall asleep.

Chapter ten: PHIL

I blinked against the morning light. Rolling my head to the other side, I groaned into my pillow.

That’s when I realized my pillow was breathing.

My eyes snapped open. I wasn’t in my room, or in my own bed.

My arms were wrapped around Dan’s torso, and my head was resting against his chest.

Dan was still sleeping, looking incredibly peaceful, his beautiful face completely relaxed.

Mentally, I was freaking out. Why was I in Dan’s bed?

Calm down, there has to be a logical explanation.

I realized I must have slept-walked. My mom used to tease me about it when I was little, but I had thought I’d outgrown it.

Apparently not.

I didn’t want to wake Dan by moving, but I also didn’t want to wait for him to wake up and see this. It was possible that he was a super deep sleeper, and I could slip away before he noticed. In fact, Dan HAD to be a deep sleeper. How else would I have ended up here? Surely Dan wouldn’t have just willingly let me crawl into bed with him. Right?

Very slowly, I tried to ease my arm out from underneath Dan without waking him.

I’d barely pried myself away at all when Dan rolled over, hugging me to him.

I froze, not sure what to do. My face was pressed into his chest, Dan’s arms wrapped around me, both of us lying on our sides.

“Fuck,” Dan muttered. “Do you know how rude it is to wake someone up at this hour?” Dan mumbled. “Sinful.”

I was completely frozen, unsure what exactly was happening. “Dan, I’m sorry, I-“

“Shhhh,” Dan pushed a finger to my lips. “You’re magical, but you need to shut up.”

Dan yawned, stretching slightly. He reminded me of a cat, with how relaxed he was.

This position would have normally made me ecstatic, but given the circumstances, I was super embarrassed.

A few minutes later, Dan started kneading his fingers into my back muscles. “So tense,” he mumbled.

“Wha-what are you doing?”

“Making you un-tense.”

“Why?”

“Tense pillow…not good….”

“Sorry.”

“S’okay.”

Dan blearly opened his eyes. Somehow, even though he had just woken up, he still looked incredible. His messy hair stuck up in patches, making him look even cuter. He smiled sleepily at me.

“Look, I know you must be nervous, scared, confused, and whatnot. But, to be perfectly honest….” Dan closed his eyes in bliss. “I haven’t slept like that in… ever. I’ve battled with insomnia for years, and even when I finally sleep, it’s very restless. I feel…absolutely heavenly right now.”

Dan looked so happy, I couldn’t help but let my embarrassment wear away. “You’re…not upset or weirded out?” I asked him, doubting my luck.

Dan smiled again. “I’m thankful, Phil. Do you have any idea how many weird things I’ve tried hoping they would help me fall asleep? Only to find out having a cute guy cuddle me to sleep fixed my problem?”

I could feel myself blushing. “Did you just call me cute?”

Dan shrugged. “I mean, you friggin’ climbed into my bed last night and refused to move, so unless it makes you uncomfortable, I’m gonna call you whatever I like.”

I laughed, and then hugged Dan back. I could feel his body tense in surprise for a moment, and then relax into mine as he whispered, “thank you.”

Chapter eleven: DAN

The rest of the day wasn’t as awkward as I had worried about the night before. We both got up, and I got ready for my work shift while Phil made coffee.

“So, what do you do for a living?” I asked Phil as I ate cereal.

Phil was making himself comfortable on the sofa with his laptop and coffee. “Oh, mainly video editing and graphic design for a few different companies. Nothing flashy, but it pays well enough.”

I blinked in surprise and admiration. “Wow. You are full of surprises.”

Phil shrugged, smiling modestly. “What? Did you think I was a hit-man or something?”

I smiled. “Honestly, I am not sure what to expect from someone who orders a Peppermint Mocha at 8:47pm.”

“Oh, come on!” Phil laughed. “It’s perfectly normal!”

“Riiiight. Pretty sure, as a barista, I know what’s normal.”

“Well, maybe you’re just a weird barista!”

“Phil, out of the two of us, I don’t think it’s me who is weird.”

As I put my coat on, I realized that I still hadn’t actually talked to Phil about my feelings towards him. Just because he’d slept-walked his way into my bed didn’t necessarily mean that he’d consider doing anything more.

I glanced at the guy who had wandered his way into my life and drastically changed it.

I made a decision to talk to him after my shift, even though I’d probably be super nervous until then.

“I’m heading out,” I informed him, “I get off at 5pm.”

Phil looked a little sad. “Okay. Want me to walk with you?”

I shook my head. ”Nah, I’ll be okay, you stay cozy.”

Phil smiled appreciatively. “See ya!”

Chapter twelve: PHIL

I was amazed at how normal Dan had acted after last night. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but I was kinda hurt that he could just sleep with someone, and then not change his behavior at all.

Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on editing.

Even though I honestly adored Dan, I refused to make any more moves until I knew what he wanted. I’d slept with him. It was his turn to make a move.

Chapter twelve 2/4: DAN

Work passed by so slowly that I wanted to die. I’d decided I was going to bring Phil a peppermint mocha and confess to him.

I knew that this time I was being the fucking creepy one, since we had literally just met a few days ago, but I was so entranced by everything that he did that I couldn’t just leave this alone. I needed to let him know what he was doing to me. My life seemed to finally have some meaning to it. I actually had something worth living for.

Throughout most of my life, I’d struggled with finding a meaning and purpose. Honestly, I’d been depressed. Why was I alive? Nothing really seemed to matter.

But now, Phil mattered. Getting through the end of my fucking shift definitely mattered.

Chapter twelve ¾: PHIL

At 4:35pm, I caved and decided to go wait for Dan outside of his work. I had to see him, and I wanted to actually tell him what I felt.

Spending the past four hours thinking about how I felt about him, how much I adored his presence, how badly I just wanted to be with him all the time….

Yeah, I’d totally forgotten that whole “let Dan make a move first” thing.

Chapter thirteen: DAN

I grabbed a peppermint mocha as I left the shop, my replacement being a bit of a bitch about me grabbing a large.

“You know how much sugar that has?” the bratty girl said, disgusted.

“Not enough to sweeten your shitty personality,” I responded flatly. I was done, and honestly didn’t care. I had Phil to look forward to.

I ran out of the shop, ignoring my pissed off coworker. As I turned towards the apartment, I smacked into a six-foot tall giant.

“I’m sorry!” I apologized, struggling to protect the coffee, which thankfully hadn’t spilled too much.

I felt hands around my shoulders stabilizing me, and I looked up to see Phil.

“Careful,” he said, smiling. “Don’t want you to spill your precious coffee at FIVE o’ CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, you hypocrite!”

I blinked at him, and then realized what he was saying. “YOU TWAT, I GOT THIS FOR YOU.”

Phil looked surprised, both at my shouting, and the new information. “You got me another mocha?”

I frowned, pouting. “Maybe I’ll just toss it out, since you’re being all rude.”

“No no no!” Phil protested, grabbing for the coffee.

I turned, not letting him grab it. “Look,” I said, closing my eyes, “I want to tell you something, while I still have the guts to do it, and then I’ll give you the damn coffee, okay?”

Phil stopped, surprised. “Okay. I had something to tell you too….”

“Well, it can wait. I waited my entire shift to tell you this. Just, let me get this out.”

Phil nodded. “Go ahead.”

I faced Phil, taking a deep breath. “I- I really like you, Phil. A lot.”

I looked up at Phil, and then kept going. “It’s not just me appreciating everything you’ve done for me. Although, I do! I so greatly appreciate everything….”

Phil was smiling at me. I pressed forward.

“You’re so fucking cute, and nice, and I really want to spend every moment with you. I want to get to know you.”

“Dan….”

“And I don’t want you to give me any shit about us sleeping together last night, because I honestly fucking loved that. You’ve given me a reason to live, Phil. Do you have any idea how depressed I was? How much I wanted to die, because I honestly couldn’t see any point to living?”

“Dan, I-“

“No, Phil, I want to be with you. I want to continue having a purpose, I want to continue being able to sleep peacefully, I want to continue getting you coffee at weird hours.”

“Dan!” Phil said, laughing softly.

I looked up at him, his blue eyes regarding me with so much warmth. He outstretched his arms, and pulled me against him, hugging me tightly, thankfully not crushing the coffee.

“I want to date you,” I said into his coat.

I felt Phil chuckle, and kiss the top of my head. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered,” he muttered into my ear.

I could feel my face turning red, and I pulled away slightly to look at him. “I’m serious, Phil!”

Phil kissed me, pulling me closer against him.

My brain completely froze.

“Will you be my boyfriend, Dan Howell?” Phil whispered, our faces inches from each other.

I couldn’t help feeling cheated. “I FUCKING POURED OUT MY HEART TO YOU!” I nearly shouted. “You can’t just wait until the end of my speech, STEAL A FUCKING KISS, and then ask me the same question I wanted to ask you!”

Phil laughed at my outrage, hugging me again. “But will you be my boyfriend?”

I huffed, but hugged him back. “Only if you’ll be mine, you peppermint weirdo.”

“You’re dating this peppermint weirdo now, so what does that say about you?”

“You can’t kinkshame me, that’s against the dating rules.”

Phil and I kissed outside the godforsaken coffee shop where we had both met, letting the coffee get cold, and feeling the snow fall into our hair.

Chapter fourteen: PHIL

I was very glad that I had decided to meet Dan after his shift.

Back at home, Dan passed me the peppermint mocha that he’d pulled out of the microwave. “Careful,” he warned, “it’s hot.”

I smirked. “This coffee isn’t the only thing that’s hot.”

Dan’s face went red, but he looked at me like I’d assaulted him. “That was possibly the worst pick-up line ever.”

I took that as a personal challenge. I set the coffee down on the table. “Can you hold my hand? Because I wanna be able to tell my friends I’ve been touched by an angel.”

Dan laughed, but he was getting even redder. “ohmygod stoooop!”

“What kind of material is your shirt made out of? Boyfriend material?”

Dan started hitting me with one of my pillows while laughing and telling me to shut up.

“Are you my appendix? Because I don’t really know what you do, but this feeling in my stomach really makes me want to take you out.”

“You’re fuckin nasty,” Dan shouted, still hitting me with a pillow. He was standing on his knees on top of the couch now, leaning over me.

I fell back onto the couch, and Dan lost his balance and fell on top of me, the pillow in between us as we laughed.

Dan’s eyes sparkled as he smiled at me, and I felt overwhelmed with happiness. His face was so close to mine that I could feel him breathing.

As Dan’s eyes softened, I gently caressed the back of his head, guiding his lips towards mine.

Kissing Dan was amazing. His hand found its way to the back of my head, and I felt his fingers running through my hair as we kissed.

However long we stayed like that, it wasn’t long enough. Dan eventually pulled back slightly, resting his forehead on top of mine and sighing peacefully.

“I love you, Phil.”

I smiled, so blissfully happy. “I love you too, Dan.”

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