This story was given birth all thanks to CrushedCoppelia, when she absentmindedly suggested it through one of her awesome reviews to The Fairy Tale Got Twisted. She's also my awesome beta reader and was probably going to kill me if I didn't post it XD

Anyway, hope you all enjoy some wonderful Dougie/Maddy time!!!

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"Well... it wasn't really a date."

"You two were gone for three hours. How long does it take you to drink a cup of coffee?"

"It was just a friendly get together with two friends talking and doing friend-like things," I explained carefully to Ella as her scrutinizing face continued to stare disbelievingly at me. I held my breath, praying she'd buy it.

"Nice over-kill of the word 'friend' there. Just enough to almost get me to believe you," she replied after moment, a large smile stretching across her face.

"Thanks, I was quite pleased with it, too," I admitted, hoping that I wouldn't need to explain myself any further as I turned all of my attention back to the TV. It was the opening credits to The Diary of The Dead, a corny zombie movie that I'd seen a million times though for some reason I always loved it. Maybe Ella would forget about everything when the zombies started attacking-

"Hello lovely ladies! How are you two this fine evening?" As soon as Dougie Poynter's smooth voice met my ears, my heart stopped and then restarted again, this time beating at twice the normal rate. I bit my lip as he casually took the comfortable couch seat on my left, hoping that he couldn't hear my obnoxiously loud drumming of my heart.

We sat and watched the movie for a little while, though I couldn't really say that I was comfortable. The entire time it felt like every nerve ending in my body was on full alert – like an electric current was running back and forth between my body and his, though neither of us would ever admit to the tension. Ella chatted happily for a little while, not even noticing the tension between her two companions. Or maybe she did noice. She always noticed everything.

"Hey, I think I'm going to head over to Danny's, you know, to make sure he's still alive and all that," Ella's casual tone broke the straining electricity I was feeling, pulling a relief-filled sigh from between my lips.

"Well... I was specifically told by Harry that I was supposed to subtly keep you here. I was supposed to tell you that the night is supposed to rain hammers or a grizzly bear escaped from the zoo. Would you believe me if I said that?" Dougie's little explanation was quite entertaining, for me at least. I really enjoyed how honest he was being and how serious his tone was, though he put enough personality into it that it clearly stated his true feelings about the situation.

"Not, not really." Ella replied, an amused smile on her face as she reached to pull open the door. She must've found his little speech just as entertaining as I had.

"Well it was worth a shot," Dougie chuckled happily before he stretched his arm out behind my shoulders, lightly hugging me to him.

It would be an understatement if I said my heart exploded.

I knew that the gesture wasn't anything too serious – he'd done it a lot when we'd gone out for coffee. Everyone always said how Dougie Poynter liked to hug and cuddle, so I didn't want to think too deeply into it. I just couldn't help myself...

"See you guys later... or not," I blinked a few times and shook myself out of my distracting thoughts at my friend's words. I looked up just in time to see Ella's back disappear out the door as she left to go visit her boyfriend. Dougie's cheeks were tinted a pink that was visible in even the shadowed living room light and I had a feeling that he was suddenly nervous. That thought alone made me nervous.

Why on earth did I have to be so awkward?

"So... what movie have we been watching, again?" Dougie asked, clearing his throat before he looked down at me with a new interest in his eyes.

"Um... Diary of the Dead. We can change it if you want to watch something-"

"No! I love this one. This is when the zombies move at like... the speed of a fat, running child, right? And yet they still catch everyone?" Dougie asked, his eyes glinting in pleasure as I burst out laughing.

"Hey! They can break through barn doors, too! Give the zombies some credit," I chuckled, defending my weird need to support the monsters.

"Oh don't take it the wrong way, Mads. I'll root for a zombie victory over the humans any day. Except in that one film, '28 Days Later'. That one I was 'humans' all the way," Dougie laughed as I rolled my eyes, my internal Zombie Movie Guru intelligence taking over.

"Ugh don't even get me started on '28 Days Later'. Seriously, it's like the writers had never seen a zombie movie before. Zombies are supposed to move slow because their muscles are rotting. It's completely illogical for a zombie to move quickly and to be that strong," I ranted, shaking my head as I thought about it.

"But technically they weren't even zombies. The people were just infected with a virus that caused a murderous rage to whoever carried it," Dougie replied, shrugging his shoulders as he explained his reasoning to me. I stared at him, surprised.

"You know your Zombie flicks," I finally said, turning away to look at the screen again. Dougie had been holding my gaze very seriously – almost too seriously for my comfort. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.

"Thank you, oh masterful one," Dougie laughed in a light whisper, settling down into the couch more comfortably as he fixed his attention back on the movie.

As we sat and watched, the arm Dougie had slung around my shoulder began to feel more like a blanket than a human being. I'd never understood why so many people enjoy sitting in what I'd assumed to be a very annoying position. I'd always thought his arm would fall asleep.

I found myself subconsciously curling into Dougie's chest, my head resting perfectly above his heart. At some point his arm had begun tracing light drawings on my shoulder, but whether he knew he was doing it or not, I would never know.

The movie eventually came to it's end and I sighed happily, always pleased with a good film. I knew I'd be kicking some zombie butt in my dreams later that night.

"Want to watch another?" Dougie asked eagerly, his eyes alight with an almost begging interest as I began to stand up.

"Oh, um, sure!" I replied in surprise, taking my seat back in the crevice of his arm. I felt him sigh with happiness, which confused me slightly. Did he really enjoy zombie movies that much?

"I think 'Dawn of the Dead' is on... oh actually, that's 'Shaun of the Dead'," I laughed, realizing my mistake.

"That. Let's watch that," Dougie said quickly, hitting play on the remote in my hands before I could say anything. I smiled, happy with the new selection as I settled myself closer in his arms. It was like I didn't even need a real blanket.

A small part of my mind wondered if I was annoying him. I mean, I was leaning pretty heavily on his chest and my hair was probably tickling his face. Embarrassment rippled through me in waves of hot heat as I bit my lip and straightened up slightly.

"Hey, where are you going?" Dougie asked, his hand taking mine as I leaned away, my head turned away so he couldn't see my expression.

"Oh, no where," I replied, hoping he couldn't read my thoughts.

"Am I too bony? Tom always says that I need to eat more because I'm like lying on a pillow full of bones. I mean, I eat a lot anyway so I don't know what to do to fix it. Sorry, you can use a real pillow against me if you want to-" Dougie rambled lightly, an embarrassed look appearing on his face.

"No, Doug, it's not you. I swear," I replied, shaking my head as I easily read his attempt to make me feel better. Did he honestly think I'd fall for it?

"Oh..." I heard him sigh, realization coloring his tone. "You've got a boyfriend, don't you?" He breathed, pulling his hand out of mine and running it roughly through his hair. "How come I always do this? Seriously! How come I can't just like a girl who isn't already into somebody else?"

Was he speaking to me? I stared at him in something short of amazement as his words registered in my mind. Part of me found it extremely hilarious but another part of me was humbly flattered. Did Dougie actually like me? I wasn't just seeing things?

"... I mean, first there was Ella and now you and ugh... why do I do this to myself!" Dougie explained, sighing loudly one more time before he began to move from the couch.

"Wait – where are you going?" I asked, shaking my head as I stood up too. Our movie wasn't over. He just said he liked me. Why was he leaving?

"I better go... I mean, I've just made a complete git of myself and I'm feeling like I'm about to die of embarrassment so I figure I'll save the small portion of my dignity that I have left and escort myself out the door-"

"Wait, don't go. The movie just started-"

"Maddy, seriously, you have a boyfriend and-"

"No I don't!" I laughed, shaking my head at our ridiculous conversation.

"You... don't? Why didn't you say so?" Dougie asked, confusion covering his face. "I could've just saved myself years of stupidity..."

"I... I don't know... I think I was just lost in thought for a moment. Like I lost my brain or something..." I replied, biting my lip nervously as everything started to slow down.

"Like a zombie got it?"

It was silent for a moment before we both burst out laughing, though I'm pretty sure neither of us knew exactly why. Partially it was because that comment was such a Dougie Thing to say. He needed to start writing that stuff down. It could've partially also been because we both were slowly realizing that we were both capable of liking each other. We were both free to do as we chose.

Some time in the midst of our laughter I'd wound myself up in Dougie's arms. His hands locked together behind my neck, igniting my face into a heated pulse. My own arms had become tangled around his abdomen, feeling the smooth material of his fitted t-shirt.

And then.... we were kissing. And nothing else seemed to matter.