He was checking under the bed, again. For random socks hiding away, bits of rubbish or anything else that could cause him even the slightest bit of embarrassment. He wanted to be 100% sure he missed nothing. He tried to make himself feel better as he pulled himself up from under the bed and collapsed on top of it with a heavy sigh. His chest felt like it was full of fluttering butterflies and his stomach was churning madly. Despite the voice in his head insisting he was over thinking, he couldn't shake the feeling of nerves.

'How have I allowed myself to get like this again?' He pushed his dark, floppy hair away from his eyes; getting too long once again. He began running his long fingers through it absentmindedly. As he stared up at the ceiling, he took a deep breath and thought back to the last time Robyn had come to stay with him and Phil.

She had stayed for three whole agonising, torturous, wonderful days. She always visited Dan and Phil every couple of months or so, to hang out and catch up like old times. She had been friends with Dan since University, and gotten close to Phil along the way too. Even after Dan dropped out, they always made an effort to stay close. Dan jumped at any opportunity to see her really. But they never got to spend much time together since she now lived up in Leeds, and the boys were always so busy. But that didn't stop the constant skyping, texts, and phone calls. She made him laugh every time they spoke, and could always be counted on to make him feel good. Robyn made him feel like he really mattered to someone, she had a way of feeling like home to him. She understood him, enjoyed all his quirks, and encouraged spontaneity in him he sometimes needed. Unfortunately, she also made his stomach flip more than he'd like, and heart always seemed to pound like a drum when she was around.

With loud noises from the next room, Dan was jolted back to the present.
"Oops", he heard Phil mutter after a quick laugh.
"You alright in there?" Dan called.
"Yeah just moving some stuff around, nothing to worry about!" shouted back Phil.
He then opened his door and made his way into Dan's room. Seeing his friend lying across his bed looking troubled, he gave a sad smirk.
"What?" asked Dan with slight worry. Did he have something on his face? Did he look stupid?
"Nothing, calm down. Everything's going to be great!" he sat down next to Dan and playfully slapped his knee. "You don't have to worry so much".
"Worry about what? I'm not worried, I'm fine", he muttered with strain in his voice. Phil raised his eyebrows as he looked down at his friend. There was no way he'd ever gotten Dan to admit his feelings for Robyn, but they were obvious… to everyone but Robyn it seemed. It was excruciating watching those two around each other sometimes. Every time she visited Dan got all nervous beforehand, even thought they'd been friends for years. He would do anything to make her happy, and he got that little half smile whenever he said her name. He hated seeing his friend unhappy though, and Dan certainly was. He'd spent years with these feelings, and been too shy to even talk to Phil about it, let alone Robyn. It was frustrating to watch, but he'd long given up trying to get Dan to talk about it.

And then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Dan jumped off from the bed and began checking his hair in the mirror quickly.
"Oh no, wait, you get it. No, no, I'm going, never mind." All the while Phil just chuckled to himself and stayed sat down, watching Dan with amusement. With those butterflies worse than ever, Dan walked out the room and down the stairs. He almost tripped down the last step with nerves, before he pulled open the door with haste. And there she was.

A small, dainty frame with a mass of soft chocolate curls tumbling down her sides. Her smile seemed to sparkle immediately as she saw him, and she dropped the bags she carried.

"Dan!" she practically pounced on him and rushed to wrap her arms around his tall frame. He was pushed back into the doorway slightly, but refused to let go. Instead he hugged her as tightly as he dared, picking her up slightly and sighing with unexplainable relief. She smelled like vanilla and flowers all at once, her bouncy hair seemed to engulf him. His heart was beating a thousand times a second it seemed, and his stomach in knots. He rarely allowed himself to get close to Robyn if he could help it. But it was hard not to sometimes when she was like this. Sometimes very hard…

"He freckles" he giggled shyly as she pulled away. He began picking up her bags, and as she bent down to help him they bumped heads.

"Ughh, two seconds together and we're already hurting each other. We're both far too clumsy to be friends Dan. And don't call me freckles!" she chuckled as she clambered in the doorway and he followed behind.

"Do I detect a Robyn in the building?" Phil called down as he appeared at the top of the stairs.
"You certainly do Phillip! How are you?" she bounded up the stairs.
"Good thank you!" He smiled as they hugged hello.
Making his way up behind them, Dan couldn't help but notice Robyn didn't hug Phil with the same fierceness as him. A crooked smile made its way to his lips. No, no, he was being silly again. He needed to stop torturing himself. She would never see him as anything other than just a friend. All the while he was imagining her as anything but a 'friend'. Imagining her in his arms, holding her close. Stroking her hair, softly pressing his lips against hers…
Oh god. He knew he had to stop this. After all, this time she was here for a full week. He could control himself for that long, right?