A/N Apologies for not updating in a while, i have been so busy and tried to find the time to write, but here it is! :) Hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you for all the lovely feedback and followers! I have over 50 of you who favourited this fic too which is amazing! :D Thanks!

Chapter 11

Games

The morning after the ordeal, I wake to find myself still laying on Dan and Phil's sofa. Yet I think its morning- I suddenly doubt myself as I look up and peel my eyes open, stiff from dried rain. The clock above the fireplace is blurry, but I make out the big hand on the 2. It's 2pm. I've wasted half this day.

Feeling better, I shrug off my blankets the boys must have given me, and sit up. The sudden movement makes my head rush and the black speckles of no blood in your head filter around my eyes, making a piercing headache and me see only blackness as I aimlessly try to stand, the black patterns before my eyes making me so dizzy I almost fall over.

Shaking my head out and leaning on the arm of the sofa I regain balance and orientation, but then look down and notice the state of me. Bedraggled cloth all stretched from the rain and pulls hanging around my neck, it's a poor excuse of a t-shirt. The sheer appearance of me right now almost sends me into tears. Not it only being that time when even the smallest thing can send you into disaster, but I honestly have little knowledge of what happened last night.

Juddering my legs to move forward, I hold onto the door of the lounge and spy through the gap the bathroom across the hall. Motioning myself to walk there, I reach it and quickly shut the door.

A large mirror is attached to the wall in front of me, and in it an even more so sorry sight of me. Sighing and holding tears back, the mascara and eyeliner smeared over my cheeks and runs of black crust from either tears or rain, I turn the tap on and let the cool clean water wash all the dirt and darkness away.

I click the door shut and locked after I dry my face, and peer down at my clothes. Still ragged. Still horrible. And still holding the memories of last night.

Physically ripping my fingers and dragging them through my hair to try and make it more presentable, yet I still look like I have, literally, been dragged backwards through a hedge.

Finally deciding I will never look better than I do without getting at least new clothes and a shower, the tap of socks on wooden floor pad down the corridor beside me.

I hear Dan – or Phil open the door to the lounge where I would be, and presumably look inside for me. I freeze, holding my breath as to not make a sound – I still feel so intrusive like I shouldn't even be in their flat in the first place, I can't recall them even saying I could be here!

Just as my lungs start to tighten from holding and controlling my breaths, I notice I have been clenching my hands around the white sink, and my knuckles have turned pale.

But the tension diffuses away when I hear Phil's voice-

'Maddy, Maddy are you in her-' He cuts his sentence short as he realises I am not where I was last night. I should open the door; tell him I am in here. But even know I don't want anyone to see me. Although. Although they have already seen me like this. Worse even, last night.

Stiffeling the truthfully pitiful thoughts I decide to open the door, and face them even as bedraggled as I look. I tear my eyes from wandering up and down myself and turn around, to observe the most Dan and Phil possible bathroom you could imagine.

Above the toilet it a shelf with what seems to be an Edward Cullen action figure and... Rubber ducks. Okay then. 'Normal guys live here..' I remind myself, and chuckle lightly, trying to lift my mood. The boys always make me happier, even when they aren't even physically talking to me.

I turn around to shut the door, but then 5 huge faces stare at me, gormless and slightly freaky, imagine seeing these huge cheerful faces with wide eyes watching you crap because they are right in front of the loo?! Why do they even own this poster? The worst part is they are one direction heads – I didn't know they like 1 Direction, then it hits me. 'Why would the most sarcastic person I know own a One Direction Poster in their bathroom? Stupid Maddy.'

Right I should stop talking to myself and actually do what I need to do.

I slowly put my hand on the door handle and turned it to hear the satisfying click of the lock, and ease it open, peering my head out the door.

Phil is no longer in the corridor or lounge so I sneak through and grab the blanket from the sofa where I probably slept for 13 hours...

Suddenly I hear Phil's voice talk to Dan and start a soft mumble, distorted by the walls, from upstairs. Thinking he's probably telling Dan I have gone – and slightly surprised he wouldn't think I was just in the bathroom – I drag the blanket over myself covering my clothes and carefully step up the stairs leading to his voice.

Moving slowly but not too slow to make them think I am gone, I still feel like this isn't even a place I am welcome in.

Phil's voice grows louder now and I hear Dan start to respond, but I am outside the door to the kitchen now and then I guess their two bedrooms down the hall like my apartment too.

The closest door is slightly ajar and I see Phil's shadow through it. Building up the courage I step forward, blanket around one hand, I use the other to push the door open and pop my head through.

Their heads instantly snap towards the door, all wide eyed, and a cross between relief and surprise at the state of me springs onto their faces, so I change that by saying,

'Hi' in quite a meek voice.

Dan stood up from sitting on his bed at his laptop; Phil standing just inside the doorway turned around and made a wide smile.

'How are you? Feeling better?' Phil started, honestly I did.

I reply, 'yeah I guess'

Dan smiles his beautiful and reassuring smile as he gets up and walks towards me; I open the door and step inside a little more.

'Hey, Um do you want clothes or anything? For like a shower I'm sure you really don't want to be like that right now..' Gesturing his hands towards me in the adorable way he does, bouncing on his toes like he is always nervous to talk to me.

'Actually I was just going to head downstairs to my place and you know..' I yawn and rub my eyes, honestly with 13 hours sleep I could be a little more awake.

'What? No! That's stilly Maddy! Come here.' Dan walks out past me and jogs hurriedly down the stairs, not looking back. Startled by the sudden movement I step back and raise my eyebrows, glancing at Phil as Dan heads down. He wears the same expression I do but steps out after him into the corridor –

'Ohh' Phil says,

'What? Where is he-'

'Don't worry I know what he's doing' And a knowing look crept upon his face.

I only had time to lean back against the door when Dan appeared back by my side after running up the stairs again, two steps at a time, just like me and pretty much anyone I know.

'Got you this!' In his hand he held a large pale shirt, jeans and a towel, 'hope they fit, probably not but you shouldn't be downstairs, alone, when you know, last night'

Suddenly all the memories from last night return to me and I remember the great night followed by my awful mistake – and the ordeal that followed.

'Dan I'm sorry about last night I-'

'Wait what are you on about? No don't be, really, here' He handed me the clothes and I took them from him, still warm from whatever place downstairs he got them from.

Looking at the clothes he gave me I recognise them as Dan's clothes, looking at him now in the Shirt which vaguely represents Raspberry Ripple Kitten Chaos, I nod at him, smile thankfully and pull them to my chest, walking back out the door; responding with 'Thanks guys'

I navigate my way back downstairs towards the bathroom and jump in their shower. After I have washed I notice the boys actually have the same hair products as me – this makes me chuckle but I'm not surprised, they do straighten their hair and everything!

Once I have showered hopping out onto the bath mat below, using the towel Dan gave me, I dry and then slip on my old under clothes and then Dan's shirt and jeans.

Surprisingly his jeans fit me snugly, the insides of the black skinny jeans worn away by prolonged use, so they are soft and stretchy. As I pull his shirt over my head it smells of Dan and it causes a rush of familiarity, like smelling an old book, yet his scent raises something different, and makes me feel really good inside that I take a deep breath.

It may be seen as creepy, but it's hard not to when I know now I have these feelings for Dan. Looking at myself in the mirror once again with my wet hair and refreshed face, I look a little better, but seeing myself in the identical outfit to what Dan wore only days before amuses me.

Feeling content and so much more happier with myself, determined to make this day better and say thank you to the boys' hospitality, I decide to offer them lunch if they haven't ate already.

Making my way back out, they are now both sitting in the lounge, on their laptops. As I enter Dan looks up and smiles at me, although I expect it's slightly strange to see a girl, barely a really close friend, in your clothes.

'Hey there' He motions for me to sit beside him on the sofa and budges his laptop onto one knee, giving me full attention I guess.

'Hey, thanks for the clothes again' I reply as I sit where he gestured to

'No problem, are you okay?' He looks over to me and I realise I am sitting rather close to him now, as I sat down the sofa sank in the middle and I slid towards him a little.

Readjusting myself I say 'Do you want lunch, no point in me having breakfast now – have you eaten?'

'Not yet' Phil Replies from across the room and looks up to grin at me in the friendly way he does,

'I can make lunch if you want, what do you want-?' Dan starts to say-

'Well actually I was wondering if I could make you something, as thanks I guess, you know I am just intruding here-'

'Listen Maddy you are of no intruder here, but if you're offering and really want to sure I guess' Dan shrugs jokily and stands up, 'However I would be happy to help'

Giving in to his arrangements I reply, 'Fine, okay then- come on I am starving' I stand up and make my way out of the room, Dan dumping his laptop where I sat and also jumping up to walk after me.

xxxx

'So what do you want?' I say as we enter the kitchen as Dan tries to clear away the dirty breakfast bowls and mugs from earlier.

'I thought it was up to you' He continues to clean but turns himself slightly to my direction, by the fridge.

'Okay I have an idea, do you have any cheese?'

'Ahh, well Phil doesn't like cheese you see,-'

'Oh okay' slightly surprised I didn't think it was a common thing to dislike, 'what about... eggs? Got any eggs?' Trying to think of something within my capability to make.

'We do! Actually... here' He opens the fridge behind me so I turn round, as he pulls out eggs from it and plonks them down on the counter behind me. 'Next?'

He makes me laugh, and he does too, 'okay well now you want to get some bread?'

'On it!' Opening a cupboard to reveal the bread he questions me 'SO what are we making?'

'You'll see! Right, I need a frying pan and some butter now' As he collect the items I turn on the hob and place the frying pan on the heat after Dan has handed it to me.

'Okay can you butter both sides of 3 pieces of bread?' I instruct him,

'Both?!' A quizzical but jokey look springs onto his face,

'Yes both' I roll my eyes as I break the eggs into a bowl and start whisking.

'Okay fine..' He pulls out the butter from the fridge as well and starts almost aggressively, or just enthusiastically buttering the bread.

'Whoa there!' I exclaim as I notice Dan getting butter all over his fingers from handling the buttery bread,

'It's everywhere!' He pulls up his hands in front of him and lets the knife and bread fall back on the bread board in front of him, his fingers sticky with the bright yellow butter.

This whole situation is entwined with our laughter and poking at each other and joking, that it almost feels as if this is my home and I have been living here all along.

'Okay well are you done?' I still giggle at the buttery mess.

'Yeah I guess so' He says as he scrapes the butter off the knife and his hands under the tap.

'Okay pass them here' He does as told and carried the bread over the kitchen, I pour a bit of the whisked egg into the heated pan and then pick up some bread and stick it in the pan too, making a slapping and fizzling noise of cooking butter and egg.

'Okay so now I am really interested what the hell are you doing?' Dan looks over my shoulder with his hands on his hips and tilts his head'

'Just watch okay' I reply as I grab a spatula and fry the bread, using it to flip the bread over once and a while.

When all 3 are done, I tell Dan to put them on plates and grab whatever else he wants to put on them from the cupboards/fridge. He does so, then we carry the plates through to the lounge again and he hands one to Phil.

'Wait what is this?' Phil inquires, poking the soggy Eggy Bread with a fork.

'Eggy Bread!' I tell them both, a sceptical smile encroaches on both their faces, 'have whatever you want on it'

Dan squirts some ketchup on the side of his, holding the plate and bottle in his hands, and sits down where he was before – I do the same.

I look over to Phil and he's already eating it, I guess he's hungry, Looking up Phil shrugs at me, 'What? It's nice anyway!'

Happy I haven't completely poisoned them or something, and that they like it, I dig into mine too.

'It really is, I'll have to try making it too sometime' He looks to his left where I am and I realise mine and Dan's legs are once again really close from the slumping sofa, but I don't care as he is laughing as his smile reaches up to eyes, making the dimples in his cheeks indent, I just look at him for a minute maybe too long, then he looks at me in a similar way too, that all the horrible thoughts from the morning disperse into this feeling.

xxxx

DAN'S POV

'Hey Maddy do you want to play Halo with us?' I call from the kitchen as I wash up the plates and cutlery from lunch.

'What?' I guess she didn't quite hear me as she calls from the lounge, I dry my hand and head back downstairs, jogging down the steps to the lounge again,

'Do you want to play Halo? Do you game?'

'Is this a challenge?' Her response slightly surprises me but not totally, I saw how much into gaming she was from the gallery.

'Sure, I guess' I reply as I drag along a bean bag, Phil puts down his laptop and crouches down to the Xbox to set it up.

'Let's do this' Phil says, Maddy also grabbing a beanbag and scoots forward, sitting to the left of us by the fireplace and Tetris Lamp.

'You're on!' She says excitingly, picking up a controller.

The dark logo flashes up of Halo 2, and I adjust myself, grabbing a controller and leaning forward, joking competitively.

She does the same and mocks me, then Phil sits back and nestles cross legged on the floor to the right of me.

Selecting the menu screen, I say 'Co-op or Multiplayer?' looking over at Maddy, I know what Phil prefers already –

'Multiplayer! I'm going to kick your ass!'

Phil groans and leans back smiling, 'Noooo I want to shoot aliens not you!'

'Why, are you scared?' Maddy replies like they have been friends forever,

'Um no – Okay fine! Dan go Split Screen!' Phil instructs me as we all fill the room with laughter.

'Sure thing... because we all know how good you are at Halo Phil' I joke and poke at him

'Hey stop it I've been practising!'

'Riiiiight' I hang out the word as I know he's been playing a lot, the question is if he's any better or not!

Selecting the levels and creating Maddy a new profile – Blue – Maybe that's her favourite colour? We begin to play.

Half way through a level (Beaver Creek) I get the short cut and climb a big ladder up to a cliff where a Sniper Rifle hides, stashing it I jump back up and observe the digital surroundings.

There are two bases, red and blue; they sit on opposite sides of the wide lake like river which disappears both edges of the set into two tall cliffs that surrounds the arena.

Plenty of places to hide in this course, and I know them all.

Zooming in on Phil's character's head, I get a clear shot as he is crouching behind a huge boulder, hiding from Maddy somewhere else in the field.

Adjusting the position of myself I almost shoot him but then – my person's screen is suddenly zoomed out to a wide shot as he is blown sky high off of the cliff by a huge explosion, and the ominous red screen of death resets my person.

Beside me on the Beanbag Maddy is cackling madly and her face creases up, I am sat in shock of how the hell she got me. Phil congratulates her with a high five and she lets the controller drop to the floor and looks up at me

'How on earth did you-!' I start, loosening the grip on my controller,

'Yes, I do game, honestly being beaten by a girl in the first 10 minutes of a game? You are an expert at this!

'Okay fine you're definitely on now!' Determined to get her now, I playfully reset my character and make my way back up the ladder on the cliff after running through the arena and picking up the 'invisibility cloak'

'HEY DAN'S INVISIBLE WATCH OUT!' Phil shouts to Maddy beside me as I watch intently on the screen.

'HEY DON'T LOOK AT MY SCREEN!' I let go of one hand off my controller and push Phil almost over by the shoulder as he tries to dodge me 'THAT'S SO CHEATING! PHIL'

In a fake gaming rage I continue to run up the cliff and jump up onto the big rock bridge arching length ways over the lake, collecting the Rocket Launcher.

So that's how Maddy did it! Impressed by her gaming knowledge and still intent, I position myself on the rock. Then I realise Maddy's been awfully quiet, looking over at her on my left, whilst still trying to keep an eye on the screen, I see her concentrating, her side profile distracted by looking at the screen, she doesn't see me looking at her, but somehow her looking away is still beautiful. Every time she shoots Phil her face lightens up in victory and as she locks on her tongue peeks out of the side of her mouth, revealing a glint of white teeth inside.

Pulling myself back to the screen, my thumbs stiffening from now coming to nearly an hour of intense gaming, Maddy still hasn't been killed by any of us, yet she's killed Phil 3 times already, and me once. Still hiding on the rock invisible Maddy exclaims,

'DAN WHERE ARE YOU?!'

'Hahaha HA! Got you now!' Feeling victorious and finally another clear shot at her head on top of the red bunker, I can actually win this!

Suddenly my character flickers as the invisibility wears off and I become clear as day sitting like a duck on top of this rock.

'NO! Aaggh!' I make an inhuman noise as Maddy locks onto me and shoots me straight in the head again with the Sniper Rifle. Right from the other side of the arena.

'HEY! YOU LITTLE! I WAS ABOUT TO! NO!' My gaming angst filters out of me though animalistic noises, meanwhile Phil is behind me now as I face Maddy, in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

I turn to Maddy and she wears a victorious expression and has crossed her arms in telling me that I have been beaten.

'I can't believe it! How did you? Oh my god you are-'

'She did tell you she would kick your ass!' Phil jokes, 'Although she did kill me like twice'

'3 times actually' Maddy corrects him very smugly.

'Okay fine! Rematch! I declare a rematch!' Determined to get her this time, I flick back to the menu, 'This time-' Jabbing various buttons, 'I choose – Ascension!' The map with the flying Banshee vehicle and all the hidden secrets I'm pretty sure only I know here.

'Righty then! I will beat you again!'

'We'll see about that!' I make my final words before I press play, determined to beat them both this time!

xxxx

MADDY'S POV

It's so easy to get lost in games for hours on a sleepy Tuesday evening, we played from about 3pm to at least 6pm, also playing Mario Kart somewhere in that time.

My eyes don't even hurt after all the gaming, but I half forgot I was wearing Dan's clothes, I think as I go into the bathroom, the bright light nearly blinding me in the mirror.

It must be at least 8 o'clock by now, but I suddenly think that I have probably over stayed my welcome and should really be getting back to my own home, downstairs...

Making my way back out the bathroom, where it seems I have spent most of my time... to the lounge, they aren't in there, but Dan's laptop sits abandoned on the sofa from earlier; and finally I hear the boys upstairs in the kitchen, probably making dinner.

Deciding to tell them I am leaving before they make dinner for me or anything, I turn around to leave the lounge, but as I walk past his laptop, it catches my eye.

His Twitter Interaction Page is open. And all I see are hundreds of mentions by random people, with to be honest slightly scary icons of his face in hilarious expressions and some adorable, but that's not what matters when the whole screen is full of forceful tweets, demanding and inquiring where Dan has gone.

I didn't think he had exactly gone anywhere but scrolling down the tweets I find that, indeed – he must be famous of some sort to have this reaction of a few days without tweeting...

'DAN WHERE HAVE YOU GONE ARE YOU ON YOUNOW TONIGHT WHY WON'T YOU NOTICE US'

'ARE YOU GOING ON YOUNOW TONIGHT?!'

'HAVE YOU DISSAPEARED?'

'DID MANESH GET YOU DAN WHERE ARE YOU HAHA PLACENTAS LLAMAS LOL!11!'

This is what I read as I flick down the page, god how on earth can anyone deal with this stuff? I hope to god they are all joking, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know what a Placenta llama is. Or worse who the hell Manesh could be..

I lean over the laptop, the dark room illuminated by the brightness of the laptop screen light.

Apprehensive I have stopped Dan from doing something important referred to as 'YouNow' I'm not entirely sure I should get involved in something so... touchy, so I reside and close the laptop lid for him, raise my eyebrows and make a deep breath, leaving the room to tell the guys I am going.

Still really confused and worried that I am stopping them from doing anything, I find them in the kitchen, Dan frying some stir fry and prodding it with a spatula as Phil sits on his Phone nearby.

'Hey there!' Phil looks up with a wide smile, must be a good day.

'Hey, what time is it?' I ask, really needing to be getting going...

'Almost 8pm'

'Oh my god what have we been doing all day?!'

'I know, time flies when you're having fun, or you know, gaming' Dan calls over his shoulder as he jiggles the pan, cooking.

'Man I really should be going!'

'But I'm making dinner! Don't abandon us!' Dan sounds slightly disappointed but I sense the humour in his voice still,

'It's so late!'

'No aren't you hungry?' Phil joins,

'Yeah but I don't want to you know, scrounge... I haven't been to my home since last night! And Seriously It really doesn't seem like just last night; really it feels like days'

'It does, it's been a long day – but it was a fantastic night!' Phil agrees,

'Why, don't you fancy another fantastic night?' Dan catches me off guard, his comment, knowing me would be interpreted as sexual – and him for that matter, but taking the term in context, and by his, well – charm, I have to agree.

'Okay fine! You two really will be the death of me!'

'How would that be? We are soo collected!' Dan turns and winks at me, as he tips the stir fry into the large bowl on the counter.

'Right, okay well I'll stay for a little longer.' I give in, but the discovery of Dan's twitter still lingers in my thoughts, as I go to sit down by Phil and make small talk about gaming, which inevitably turns into an energetic conversation about every old game in existence.

A/N Hope you enjoyed it, updating again soon! :D If you want to keep up to date with it you can click the follow button or favourite below, and it would mean a lot to me if you have time to submit a review also, i like feedback ^.^ Thank you!