Hey. Just to let you guys know, I am so sencerely sorry for the title. But I wasn't creative enough to make a good title for this one. But ignore the title and enjoy the fic!
o.0.O.0.o
Chapter 7 - The Attacc and They Protecc
I wake up, once again, in Dan's bed. I sit up and clutch my head. I must have been really drunk yesterday to have such a bad headache now. With one hand keeping my head steady, I look around the room. Dan isn't anywhere around. I frown and realize I'm still in my dress from the party. I'm glad that neither Dan nor Phil nor anyone else changed me into other clothing, but the dress smells like sweat and champagne. Not a nice thing to wake up to.
The door to the room creaks open and Dan walks in. He has a towel wrapped around his waist and another around his neck. I quickly look down to divert my eyes. I've seen him without a shirt before, at pools and such, but in a situation like this, it seems appropriate to look away.
"Good morning, Charlotte," he says, walking over to his wardrobe. He grabs his No-Face shirt and a pair of baggy pants and hands them to me. "Go take a shower and change into these. Don't worry, they're clean."
"Thanks," I mumble.
I walk to the bathroom and turn on the shower. I wash myself and get out, drying myself with a towel and changing into the clothes Dan gave me. The No-Face shirt is so big, it goes down to my knees, but I don't mind. I return to Dan's room, and he's changed into the torn, black jeans and that one weird shirt. You know, the maroon shirt with a green chest pocket, dark one sleeve and bright red the other. That shirt.
"Thank you for the clothes. And also letting me sleep in your bed in a not weird way. How drunk was I last night?" I ask him. He shrugs.
"Drunk enough to let me carry you and tuck you into bed," Dan replies, smiling. His sad dimple starts to show.
"I must have been really drunk," I mutter. "Thanks for that, though."
"Phil is making breakfast," he says. "You have to stay for the Delia Smith pancakes before you go home."
"All right."
We go to the lounge, which is surprisingly clean. I sit on a chair at the counter. Dan is on his phone, saying something to Phil who is next to him. When Phil presents the pancakes to me, Dan presses his lips together. He hands Phil his phone and looks at me.
"Charlotte, remember what happened at the party last night?" Phil asks, looking down at the phone and then back at me.
"Be specific. Loads of things happened last night."
"Picture. You, me, Dan, Tyler, Louise, Cat. Remember?" Phil asks. I tense, the memories flooding in fast, and I recall our awkward selfie of six people.
"Shit. Yeah? What about that picture?" I ask. Dan gives me a look from behind Phil, his expression showing extreme concern and I already know what Phil is going to say before he says it. I shut my eyes tight and look down.
"Cat posted that picture on Twitter." Phil is right in front of me, and yet his voice sounds miles away. Mostly because I'm muttering 'no' under my breath repeatedly.
"We didn't see until this morning. Are you okay?" I stop muttering under my breath and look at Phil's chest. I can't meet his or Dan's eyes.
"Yeah," I lie. "I'm fine. Listen, thanks for the pancakes, but I just remembered that there's something I have to do at home. See you two later." Without another word, I go to Dan's room and grab my clothes. Keeping my head down, I slip on my shoes and jacket and leave. Neither if the boys stop me, but I can feel at least one pair of eyes burning into my lift .
I take the tube home. When I get there, I take the up to my flat. It's much smaller than Dan and Phil's. My flat has two rooms. The bedroom attached to the bathroom and the kitchen attached to the living room. I enter my bedroom and slam the door shut.
In an urgency, I check Cat's Twitter. The picture shows Louise, Cat and Tyler in the front row, smiling widely. Behind them are Dan, Phil and I. If I look close enough, it looks like I'm holding Phil's hand. I recall grabbing his hand in shock, but in the picture, I don't look afraid.
I look down at the replies to this Tweet. I'm already scared of what the comments will be:
@catrific, @danielhowell, @AmazingPhil, wtf who is that girl holding Phil's hand??? is it your girlfriend phil??
@catrific, @danielhowell, @AmazingPhil, is she going to get between Dan and Phil? My smol bean and tol meme?
@catrific, @danielhowell, @AmazingPhil, why the fuck is that random girl at the YouTuber party? She isn't one, why is she there holding Phil's hand? Is she his girlfriend?
I shut my phone off and bury my head in my knees. I knew this would happen. I shouldn't have gone this year. This is exactly what I was afraid of. I told Dan and Phil, but now there's nothing that can be done. Sitting there in tears, back to my peeling bedroom door, in Dan's clothes, I realize how much of a mess my life is. My dad is somewhere. My mum hates my best friends, who I happen to rely on.
My phone suddenly buzzes in my hand. Dan's name is displayed at the top of the screen over a photo of his smiling face from back when he still had his fringe. I hesitate, but then I click answer and put the phone to my ear.
"Charlotte, are you okay? Phil and I are really sorry. You don't need to worry, everything is fine. Are you okay?" Dan speaks so fast, like whenever he's agitated. I almost want to hug him through the screen.
"Dan, I saw the replies on the post." Dan stays silent. "I'm okay, but your fans aren't okay with this. I told you this was what was going to happen."
"I'm sorry about this, Charlotte. I really am," he says, and I almost feel comforted. "Hold on. Open the door, will you?" I hear a knock on the door to my flat. I get up and run out of my room to my front door. Dan and Phil are both there, both looking sad.
Suddenly, I'm between them. Group hugs. The only thing better than getting a hug from either Dan or Phil is the rare Dan and Phil group hug. When they release me, I sniff and wipe my tear stained face.
"It'll all be okay," Dan says in his low, comforting voice. "No matter what they say, we'll always be your friends. We'll protect you. Got it?"
"Uh huh," I say.
Dan and Phil are my best friends. They are everyone's best friends. I'm glad that they're my friends. They'll protect me no matter what happens. I know that. I love them both so much. Their friendships with me mean so much, and not just because I survive off of them. Dan is my protective, brave Gryffindor, and Phil is my healing, defensive Hufflepuff.
