Hello everyone! So I know that Dan/OC fics aren't the most loved ones, but this idea just popped into my head and I had to write it. It's just going to be a short cute story, so enjoy :)


Chapter One - Meet Not-So-Cute

Though she had made no effort to stop the heavy door from slamming, the bang of it still made her jump as she set her foot on the first stair.

She always took the stairs, they were calming to her. They seemed confined, though they were actually quite large, and the dust that was always floating in the air reflected the sunlight in a way she liked.

Or maybe she just didn't like the elevator. It was always stuffy, it jerked when it moved, it was loud, and she didn't want to risk getting trapped in a small space with a stranger and possibly be forced into polite conversation.

She would have shuddered at the idea, but she didn't have the energy. Today had been one of the worst days in a long time. Not for any particular reason, just a lot of little things all day.

Logically, she could tell herself that it was all in her head, and she was over reacting, it was just the depression getting to her. But there was also a part of her that just wouldn't stop fretting, and worrying, and thinking.

And the more stairs she climbed, the louder that part of her got, until she had to stop walking, and sink down to the floor on a landing, her back against the wall as her breath quickened and tears leaked over from her eyes.

She wrapped her arms around her legs tightly, and tucked her face into her knees, letting her hair fall around her, blocking out the light.

The small logical voice in the back of her head told her she was having a panic attack again, and if she would just breathe normally, it would be over soon, but that voice was fading fast until she couldn't hear it anymore at all, and her mind overwhelmed her with memories of her day, and her past, and things she had told herself so often she believed it now. She was worthless, alone, no one cared, she was a burden, she couldn't do anything right, nobody could possibly love her, she should just do the world a favor and die.

That brought her mind back to the familiar place of picking out ways to die. It would be easy here, she was more than ten floors up and the gap in the stairs was big enough to fall down. She could easily break her neck from the fall. There were windows in here that opened to the street below. If the fall didn't kill her, a car would get the job done.

But no, she couldn't do that, it would be wrong. She didn't want to ruin someone's car, or scar someone for life by them coming in the stairwell and finding her dead body.

"It's okay, just breathe." Breathe in, breathe out, she took a deep breath, purposefully slowing it down as the reasonable voice in her head grew in volume again.

Just breathe. She did. She could feel her heartbeat slowing down a bit, and as sound returned, she could hear her loud breaths echoing against the stairs, and she made an effort to quiet them. She could hear the cars far below, and she could smell the dust in the air around her. The next thing she was aware of was a warmth on her shoulder and quiet voices.

She jerked her head up, bringing her hands to her eyes to wipe away any tears that hadn't been soaked into her jeans. Her face felt dry, and she guessed some time had passed, but she wasn't sure how much.

She looked up, taking in the two people around her, both crouching, though they were still much taller than her huddled form. They were both watching her warily, and the warm hand on her shoulder withdrew quickly and she couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up as she got to her feet.

She had always been short, but she felt like a little kid when the two guys beside her stood up as well. They both towered over her. Usually, being outnumbered and basically boxed in by men who were bigger than her would have made her anxiety spike off the charts, but at the moment she just couldn't care. Besides, both looked like they were scared of her, which is what had sparked her chuckle in the first place. They glanced at each other as she giggled again.

"I'm sorry," she managed to say, though her voice was almost a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Sorry."

"Er, it's okay?" The shorter of the two said. She glanced between them, noting the discomfort and anxiety on both of them from the encounter and she knew how weird this whole thing must be, which made her chuckle again.

"Sorry, it's just, you both are so big and I'm tiny and you look like I'm going to go crazy any second and attack," she explained between chuckles.

Surprisingly, both of them seemed to relax at her stunted explanation and they even smiled, as though finding humor in what she had said.

"You're American?" The taller one asked when the situation became uncomfortable again.

"What gave it away? The accent or how generally rude I am to have a panic attack in the middle of a public hallway?" She asked, doing her best to turn the whole thing into a joke. That was her usual coping method. Make people laugh about it and they will forget how weird she is. Both boys snorted, and she smiled.

"I wouldn't consider this a public hallway," the taller one said. "Considering the lack of cleanliness."

"Good point," she agreed and they all stood there awkwardly. "Well, as much as I love awkward conversation and talking to strangers, I'm gonna go now. Thanks for... uh, being decent people I guess?"

"Er, you're welcome?" The shorter one said with a laugh, his tongue poking between his teeth.

She took off up the stairs before anyone could say anything else, having had more than enough human contact for the day.

She made it up to the top floor and unlocked her door with shaking hands, then leaned back against it once it was closed again.

The familiar smell of paint washed over her, and she immediately relaxed as she drew in a couple deep breaths.

She always felt better after a panic attack. Exhausted, but mellow.

She shed her jacket and long sleeved shirt as she walked back to her room, leaving them in a pile on the floor with all the other clothes she had worn since the last time she had done laundry. She flopped onto her bed, face down, and sighed as she felt the weariness soak through her muscles, sinking her down farther into her mattress.

She was asleep within moments, even though the bright sunlight was hitting her back, and it she had only been awake for maybe six hours total that day.