A/N: So, I am slightly obsessed. :[
Now, this story may not be 100% correct fact-wise, but I wrote this for fun. Not for research.
It was a warm day, the day she had met him. The seasons had been in the midst of changing from summer to autumn.
They had somehow managed to awkwardly bump into each other as they each hurried to get their bags off of the asphalt of the busy parking lot.
At orientation, they had unintentionally walked into the building together and decided to stay with each other. They exchanged warm smiles and formal introductions.
"Dan Howell," he said pleasantly offering his hand, if not a tad bit awkwardly.
"Cornelia Cross," she had replied, giving his hand a soft up-down. It couldn't entirely be considering a "handshake", moreso a slight "handhold".
Usually people reacted oddly to her name, but Dan only smiled wider in return, revealing dimpled cheeks, and said, "Glad to officially meet you, Cornelia!"
They exchanged numbers and, despite their equally anti-social tendencies, kept in touch throughout the semester. Cornelia was surprised to find herself getting breakfast with him before their respective classes. Sometimes he would show up to her dorm room to study with two cups of Starbucks.
When she had told him she didn't like coffee, he had pursed his lips, smiled widely at her and said sarcastically (but not snidely), "I knew that! I always get two for myself! I wanted you to accompany me to get you some hot chocolate!" The way he had said it like a game-show host made her laugh and allow Dan to drag her to the campus cafeteria for hot chocolate.
What surprised her even more was his consideration for her and what she felt. When her and Dan had attended their first (Cornelia's first and last) party, she had noticed he realized her rings were her stress ball in uncomfortable situations. The second it had started up, he was casually glancing at her hands, then stopping his glances when she stopped.
It started up again when a drunk and uncomfortably close co-student cornered her, speaking in unintelligible slurs, and that's when Dan came to her rescue, saying that it was getting late. They had spontaneously gone to café in town to get hot chocolate.
Cornelia had never laughed so much in her life, and Dan's jokes and (admittedly crude) humor made her feel bold. Bold for Cornelia, that is.
It was when Dan took a year off of University that their blooming friendship was put to a halt. She grinned and bared it, and they texted off and on throughout the year, but it was more "off" than "on".
One day, she was surprised to have spotted Dan on the campus. When she greeted him, he smiled politely and told her he was officially dropping out of Uni.
All the doubt Cornelia may have subconsciously thought about herself and having friends hit her like a horrible cement brick. He never really expressed why it was he left, but then again, Cornelia didn't really ask. She had admittedly assumed it was because of her...
Nevertheless, she hugged him (only because he instigated it), and said, "Well, lets stay in touch."
She knew he'd never text her.
And he didn't.
A Few Months Later...
Cornelia could technically be classified as "focused" with a capital 'F'. She always focused on the things ahead, nothing presently with her. She had an unlimited amount of projects, both academic and for entertainment.
It distracted her from her "social life".
One thing she had going for her, was that she was a singer. One with humble talent and an old guitar that was handed down to her from her grandfather.
Although she would never let anyone know, she would write songs in a small journal she stashed in her large purse. She would never have the courage to sing them, but the only person allowed to look into her small book was her cousin.
The two of them had been close when they were younger and when both families lived in Lancashire at the same time. The sisters' (her mum, and his) families always moved around.
But one day, when he was "babysitting", he found her writing in one of her first books.
She had been eleven at the time, and he seventeen. A time when they both naively assumed they knew anything about life.
The book was now lost, along with the lyrics and poems in it; but she did remember it was horribly melodramatic, and that he had insisted she sing it for him.
The only reason Cornelia was comfortable with herself singing was because of the enthusiastic positivity and love she received from her cousin.
He had unfortunately moved a little while after, with his family. When he graduated, he went to York to study English and Linguistics. He also apparently carried on with a blog he created months before.
Cornelia didn't know the details. She never asked. Plus, she didn't like the internet. While she used it when she needed to, the rate at which it changed made her anxious.
She missed her cousin despite their frequent texts. She wanted to hear his laugh when he was embarrassed; or when he didn't understand a joke of hers but laughed simply because she did.
Her life had, after-all, slowly turned from childish bliss to the storm that is adolescence, and then the adult reality; as all lives do.
When she was thirteen, she and her mum went to the doctors. Her anxiety and anti-social behavior apparently had a label. "Social communication disorder", her doctor called it. A possible diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum.
She lived on, through the rough patches, and over the bumps; but only because of her cousin. Their conversations and his devotion to keep himself in her life saved her.
When she herself graduated, she got a half-way decent job as she worked a degree in Music and English.
She had a miniature quarter-life crisis when she was laid-off from her job for financial reasons. She knew and understood the reason for her unemployment, but she couldn't help but feel rejected.
She called her mom, left a ten second message, and laid in bed for half a week.
Knock, knock.
Her eyes opened blearily, and she yawned. Her dorm room was tiny, and it felt as though the knock was against her skull, not the door.
She mumbled an obscenity, and rolled over; tucking herself under her comforter.
"Cornie?" A familiar voice called, making the simple, two-syllable name sound like a four-syllable whine.
Her eyes shot open, but she didn't move. Was she dreaming?
"Cornie!" Now it sounded like cheesily staged panic. "You have to let me in! I think there's a lion out here!"
A grin burst upon her face. Only one person would be that lame besides her.
"Phil!" She murmured excitedly, whipping her blankets off of her body. Glancing in the mirror beside her wardrobe, she took her hair out of its shambled bun, letting the black hair fall in waves instead of her usual tight curls.
She unlocked the heavy door as fast as she could and opened it. With the door now open, the cousins studied each other with wide smiles.
"You look rubbish, Cornie," Phil teased, with a mockingly contemplative tilt of his head.
"Says the guy with the emo-trash hair-style," she retorted, smirking happily.
It was when she heard a charmingly familiar laugh that she noticed Phil wasn't alone.
"Dan?!" Cornelia exclaimed, her oceanic eyes shimmering with happy confusion.
His grin widened to a dimple-revealing smile. "Great to see you again, Cornelia!"
"I-It's great to see you again, too!" She stammered, suddenly feeling a tad bit uncomfortable. Was he just saying that...?
"Um, come in! Please," Cornelia finally said.
The two of them squoze their colossal heights into her tiny dorm room and sat on the empty bed opposite of her own. With her being roughly Phil's height, the already puny room seemed even more cramped.
"Hold on," she laughed, holding a hand up. "I didn't know you knew Phil, Dan!" she exclaimed. "Or you Dan, Phil!"
The two laughed slightly.
"It really is a small world, isn't it?" Phil chuckled, looking between Dan and Cornelia.
"It's just weird that I never brought Phil up to you, Corrie," Dan added, smiling, adjusting the weight of the bags in his hand.
When she noticed unidentified shopping bags rustling in both their hands, she pointed.
"What are those for?" Cornelia questioned lightly, self-consciously picking up piles of discarded clothing. How had her laundry backed up? She hadn't even moved for days...
"You!" Phil exclaimed excitedly, holding up his bag triumphantly. "They're treats!"
"Aunt Bianca called me and told me about the job," he continued, decisively more somber. In a typical Phil-esque way, his somber tone became an upbeat explanation. "Since she's 'farther away than I am'," he air quoted, "she asked if I could come down to cheer you up! Dan heard the phone call and asked to come along!"
Cornelia blinked, surprised Dan cared enough...
She shook her head clear. He was probably here to visit other friends.
"Uh," was all she managed. Great job, Cornelia, she thought, pulling one of her many rings off then back on to her finger.
"I hope you don't mind that I showed up unexpectedly," Dan chipped in suddenly, no doubt noticing her fidgeting.
Cornelia smiled softly, despite herself, at his acknowledgement and shook her head. "No, of course I don't mind!" She chuckled. She suddenly decided to stand and she crouched to grip her cousin in a strong, affectionate embrace, him returning it like a happy child. She knew she must have missed him; she never hugged people.
She straightened herself back up and turned to Dan, smiling softer. He suddenly stood and enveloped her in a hug.
"I really have missed you, Cornelia!" He said pleasantly as she awkwardly tried to return the embrace. "I am so sorry I never texted!" He suddenly exclaimed, getting out of the hug and held her by her biceps, his brown eyes were wide and apologetic. "I broke my phone quiet a few months ago and therefore lost ALL of my contacts," he continued, chuckling at himself.
Cornelia just blinked at him.
"R-really?"
Dan smiled a small smile. "Yeah, it was embarrassing, really. I literally dropped it down a stairway in an apartment building."
Cornelia just started laughing, feeling relieved... If not a little guilty.
The three of them spent the night playing video games (on a small console Dan had brought from their flat) and eating nothing but junk food, ice cream, and hot chocolate.
Needless to say, Cornelia felt pretty much all better.