Chapter Text
No! No, no, no, no, no! This absolutely cannot be happening right now! I let out a groan and let my head drop forward onto the steering wheel. The time is currently 2:13am. Ian had asked me to be in a 2 Truth, 1 Lie video tomorrow, so I had decided to stay back and finalize my index cards. It was going to be my first time being on camera instead of behind the scenes, so I wanted it to be perfect. I figured it wouldn't take me very long but clearly, I was mistaken. Anyways, I'm ready to go home and get in some sleep but...my car has decided that it doesn't want to start. With a heavy sigh, I unbuckle my seatbelt, open my door and clamber out of my car. Just as I close my door behind me, thunder cracks overhead and a startled yelp escapes from me. The skies open up and a torrential downpour of rain begins, completely soaking my clothes in a matter of seconds. I toss up my arms up exaggeratedly, turning my gaze up to the darkened clouds.
"Seriously?! Could this get any worse?!"
Why yes, actually! As a matter of fact, it can! Despite my now sopping clothes, I pop open the hood of my car to try and figure out what the problem is. However, due to the rain, my hair obstructing my vision, and the shivers now wracking my frame, I decide that my best option would be to have someone come pick me up. Though, first, I need to get this whole car thing situated. I get back into my car, grateful that I had it to protect me from the storm.
Remember when I said that it got worse? Now would be that time. I pick up my phone to call the towing company, but my screen dims considerably and my 5% warning flashes across the top of my phone. At this point, anxiety is raging through me and I'm about one more minor inconvenience away from having a break down. The call with the towing company was quick and went fairly smoothly. The man on the other end of the phone informs me that a truck will be there momentarily to retrieve my car. Thankfully, the shop is only a block or two away. Now to figure out who to call.
Courtney and Liv are probably just getting home from the party with Keith and Noah, so those four are out. Shayne practically lives in the opposite direction of me, so it doesn't make sense for him to come get me. Mari is probably just getting back from her trip with Wes, Boze, Joven, and Lasercorn, so they're all out too. That just leaves Ian and Damien. Knowing Ian, if he does come to get me, he's going to ask me a bunch of questions as to why I'm here so late and honestly? I don't want to have to deal with that right now, so Damien it is.
Ever since I've joined Smosh, Damien and I have gotten pretty close. Perhaps it was our shared love of anime and cats that got us to click almost instantly. Or maybe it was our quirky nature that did it. Regardless, he and I have a strong relationship and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a teeeeeeny crush on the guy. I mean, can you blame me? He's the most gentlemanly of men, he's smart, he's extremely funny, he's kind and genuine and honestly the most down to earth and amazing guy I know.
I suppress another shiver as I dial his number, clenching my teeth to prevent them from chattering. Ring...ring...ring...ring. After another ring, I almost lose hope, this is it...I'm going to be stuck here until-
"Hello?" Damien's groggy morning voice fills my ear. "(y/n)? What time is it? Are you okay?"
Let me tell you this: I have never been so thrilled to hear his voice. I let out a slightly breathy laugh, my teeth chattering in the process. "H-Hey Dames, look, I can't explain everything right now because my phone is going to die any second, but if it's not too much trouble, I was wondering if you could possibly come pick me up? I'm at the office..."
I hear a light shuffling coming from the other side of the phone, accompanied by a soft meow. Damien mumbles a quiet, "Oops, sorry Freyja" and it takes everything I have to prevent myself from giggling. "I'll be there in 15 minutes. Will you be okay until then?"
I nod, even though I know he can't see me. "Yeah, I'll be okay. I'm sorry for calling so late, I mean early, I just didn't know who else to call and- "
He cuts me off with a soft "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm leaving my apartment now and I'll be there soon alright? Just hang tight"
"Okay, thank you Damien"
"No problem (y/n/n)"
The phone line goes dead and I stare blankly at the screen as my phone powers down. I silently hope that the towing company comes after Damien arrives, but my series of unfortunate events stand strong as I see the truck turn the corner and head my way. They easily load up my car and then ask for my keys, which I hand over to them in a daze. They ask if I have a ride home, to which I reply that a friend is coming to pick me up, and with that, they're off, leaving me standing in the rain all by my miserable self. I figure that I'd probably have a better chance of not getting even more soaked if I stood under the overhang in front of the office door, so I begin my trek over there. Honestly, it wouldn't have made a difference considering I'm already drenched but it's better than nothing I suppose. I take a seat on the curb and wrap my arms around my torso in order to obtain even a little bit of body heat.
Finally, after what feels like hours, but in reality, it was only about five minutes, a set of headlights gleam my way and I sigh in relief when I see Damien's car pull up. I'm shivering uncontrollably at this point as I open up the passenger door and climb into the car. I turn my gaze to Damien to see him looking at me with a mixture of concern and worry. I flash him a small, somewhat unconvincing, smile but he doesn't match my enthusiasm.
"If I had known you were going to be that drenched, I would've brought you a change of clothes, or at least a towel or something..."
I shake my head, a burst of heat flooding my cheeks, and I'm grateful for the excuse of me being cold. "No worries Dames, you coming to get me at this ungodly hour is help enough"
Damien sighs, seemingly unconvinced, but pulls out of the parking lot and on to the road, nonetheless. I turn my gaze out the window, pillowing my palm against my cheek as I watch the droplets race down the glass. Damien turns on the radio, gentle music playing from the speakers. Damien hums along and it takes everything I have to prevent myself from staring and smiling like an idiot at him. I wrap my arms over my chest, yet again, my movement causing Damien to glance over at me. As if sensing my discomfort, he reaches forward to turn on the heat, even being so kind as to angle the vents my way.
"Better?" He asks.
"Much, thank you"
"Mhmm"
The rest of the car ride was rather enjoyable. The combined melodies of Damien's voice and the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the car was making me drowsy. A much slower love song fills the car, and I couldn't help but laugh internally at the irony of it, butterflies beginning to whirl within my stomach when Damien sings along with ease. How could one human possibly be so adorable? Beats me. Finally, we arrive at my apartment complex and I remove myself from the huddled position I was in.
"Thanks again for coming to get me Damien, I really appreciate it"
Damien smiles brightly and...is that a blush on his cheeks? No, no it can't be. "Don't mention it (y/n), that's what friends are for right?"
Yikes...that hurt. That hurt a lot. Friends...A very bittersweet word to describe our relationship. Even though I'm extremely grateful to be able to work with him and have what we have, I also can't help but be disappointed. I knew it was wishful thinking when it came to us being anything more than friends. The only person so far that has figured out my love for the blue streaked brunette was Shayne. I begged him endlessly not to tell Damien and reluctantly he agreed, but now isn't the time to get into that.
"Yeah...yeah. Thanks again"
Damien shakes his head amusedly, giving an adorable laugh. "You've said thanks a million times already. Don't make me walk you to your apartment too"
It hits me right then and there: I don't have my keys...My face flushes in embarrassment and I turn my gaze down to my feet. How could I be so dumb? Now What?
Damien's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts, "(y/n)? You okay?"
I avoid his gaze, my fingers fiddling with the ends of my sleeves. "I don't...I don't have my keys..."
Damien stares blankly at me for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "You...don't have your keys?"
I worriedly begin playing with my hair, a nervous habit I've picked up when my anxiety starts to skyrocket. "My car got towed before you came to pick me up because it wouldn't start, and they asked me for my keys. I didn't even think about grabbing my house keys, I was too worried about making sure you were okay to come get me and how my roommate isn't going to get home until the early morning. Oh my god....my cats! I'm not going to be able to feed them on time!"
Damien takes my hands in his own, concern written across his face, "Hey, hey, relax. It'll be okay. I have a phone charger you can use, and you can ask your roommate if she can feed them when she gets home. You can stay at my place tonight and we can go get your keys first thing in the morning. I'll call Ian and let him know what's going on and we can postpone filming until later so you can get some sleep. I'm sure everyone will understand"
I let out a heavy sigh, rubbing my eyes in attempt to disperse the tears that threatened to fall. "You've already done a lot for me Dames, I can't possibly ask you to do all of that for me too. I can just wait until- "
"You're not asking me to (y/n), I'm offering. You're stressed and I want to do what I can to help you. You can say no, but I would feel much better if you didn't get sick"
I lift my eyes to meet his gaze, giving an involuntary sniffle. "Thank you, Damien, I don't know what I'd do without you"
Damien smiles, shrugging in a goofy manor and responds in one of his character's voices, "Crash and burn probably"
If there's one thing that stood out to me about Damien, it was his ability to make anyone smile, no matter the situation. He always knows what to do and say to disperse tense situations and make me giggle. And that's exactly what I did. I burst into a fit of giggles, my body shuddering in the process, "Or in this case, freeze to death"
Damien's smile falters slightly and he clears his throat "yeah, let's get you into something warm hmm?"
I smile at him, a fond expression on my face "sounds good to me"
-----
When we arrive at Damien's apartment, a sudden wave of nervousness washes over me. I don't know why I've been to his apartment a million times already. Maybe it's because I've actually acknowledged my feeling for him since the last time, I've been over? Or maybe it's because there's a high possibility I'm going to be changing into his clothes within the next five minutes? When Damien unlocks his door and pushes it open, we're bombarded by his two cats, who greet us with a flurry of meows. I crouch down to pet Freyja, a smile making its way to my face. "Hey Frey, how've you been girlie? Have you been good for your Dad? I'm sure you were, yes you were"
Freyja responds with a hearty meow and I laugh, standing back up to take off my shoes. No longer receiving attention, Freyja ditches me and begins making her way to Damien, who had begun making his way down the hallway to his bedroom, humming to himself as he goes. I peel off my sweatshirt and drape it over my arm, frowning when my gaze meets the puddle that was steadily growing at my feet. "Hey Dames, where do you keep your t-oh, you read my mind"
Damien had rounded the corner, two towels and a pile of clothes, neatly stacked in his arms. He hands the pile of clothes over with a sheepish smile, scratching at the back of his neck in that adorable way he does. "Sorry about not having any uh...undergarments for you. Those clothes should fit relatively well though"
I smile at him, a bright blush painting my cheeks. "No worries, thanks for the clothes...and sorry about the floor..."
He waves his hands at me in a dismissive manor, crouching down the mop up the mess I'd made with the towels. "no, no, it's all good! I'll take care of it while you go get changed. You already know where the bathroom is, but the laundry room is right across the hall from the bathroom; the dryer is the one further from the door if you want to toss your clothes in there"
"I can't thank you enough for this Damien, I really, really appreciate it"
Damien stands up, sopping towels in his arms "it's really not a problem (y/n), honestly. It's the least I can do. The guest room should be all set for you already, so once you're done changing, you can head up there"
"Thanks again Dames"
Damien smiles brightly, his face dusting a light pink and he bows in a knightly manor "No problem milady, glad to be of service to you"
I roll my eyes, but giggle nonetheless at his chivalrous antics, making my way down the hallway and into the bathroom "You, Damien Haas, are something else, you know that?"
His laugh echoes down the hallway and sends my heart a flutter, the sound being music to my ears "I believe that it has been insinuated on multiple occasions, yes"
I change into the clothes Damien had given me, grateful for the warmth they provided. Chills no longer being sent down my spine, I take a moment to look at myself in the mirror, and a grimace makes its way onto my face. Of course, the one day I decide to put a bit of effort into my appearance and put make up on for work, it had to go and get ruined by the rain. I wet a paper towel and try to clean it off to the best of my ability. Now that I don't look like a raccoon, I gently run my fingers through my drying hair, attempting to get rid of as many tangles and snarls as I can. I know I shouldn't bother considering we were both going to go right to bed, and it would just get messed up anyways, but I couldn't help but want to look my best. Not that Damien is the type of guy to go for looks over personality or that I would ever have a chance in a million years with the guy, but I'd still like to at least try to make a good impression.
Giving myself another once over, my face flushes again at the sight of myself in Damien's clothes. His My Hero Academia shirt he let me borrow falls about mid-thigh, pairing nicely with the grey Smosh joggers he had given me. They were a little extra baggy on my smaller frame, not that I was complaining by any means. They also smelled like him, obviously, the lovely mixture of leather, his cats, and cologne filling my nose and sending an overwhelming sense of comfort washing over me. Deciding that I've spent enough time dawdling in the bathroom and smelling Damien's shirt, like an absolute creep, I gather up my wet clothes and exit the bathroom. Making my way down the hallway and turning into the laundry room, I see Damien already in there, tossing the towels into the dryer. He looks up as I enter the laundry room, his face steadily turning a light pink. After a few seconds of staring, he clears his throat, tossing a dryer sheet in with the towels, and I raise a questioning eyebrow at him, however, it goes unnoticed. Instead, he just holds his hands out to me, and I hand over my wet clothes. He takes them, throwing them in with the towels, closing the door and starting the machine. He turns his attention to me, scratching the back of his neck "The clothes look cute on you...I mean you look cu-I'm glad the clothes fit okay"
I stare blankly at him for a moment, butterflies swirling in my stomach and my heart pounding harshly in my chest. I lean against the door frame and cross my arms, the words coming out of my mouth before I even knew what I was doing. "Am I mistaken, or did you Haas, just call me cute?"
While it may seem like on the outside, I was radiating major confidence, on the inside, I was screaming bloody murder. Let me get this straight, Damien, the guy I've had a crush on since before I even joined Smosh, the guy that I've slowly been falling for over these past few months, just called me cute...while I'm standing there in his clothes and undoubtedly looking like an absolute mess.
Damien sputters, his face turning a bright shade of red "I-no? Maybe? I don't know! It just kind of...slipped out? I'm sorry I-"
I burst into a fit of giggles, my laughter only being fueled when Damien pouts, mumbling a barely intelligible "Not funny..."
My laughter subsides and I can't help the small tug of doubt that pulls in my gut. He just meant it in a friendly manor, yeah that was it. Because that's all we were...friends. By the time I snap out of my thoughts, Damien's face had almost returned back to its normal color and he has an expectant look on his face. I blink blankly at him, a frown pulling at my lips "What?"
His eyebrows scrunch together, his expectant look morphing into a concerned one, for what feels like the millionth time tonight. "I asked if you were okay, you seem off. Everything alright?"
I nod, pushing off of the doorframe, my arms still crossed over my chest "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. It's just been a long night, so I think I'm going to head to bed now. Goodnight Dames and uh, thanks again, you know, for tonight"
Before he has a chance to reply, or maybe he did, I don't know, I didn't stick around to find out. I make my way down the hallway, upstairs and open the guest room door, stepping inside. With a heavy sigh, I shut the door behind me and shuffle over to the bed, flopping down onto it and startling Zelda who lets out a meow of protest. I mumble a "sorry Z", grabbing onto the nearest pillow and clutching it close to my chest. Zelda, sensing my distraught mood, gets up from where she was nestled on the edge of the bed and pads over to me, curling up against my leg and nuzzling her head against my hand. I give into her affections, lightly scratching her back, a loud purr erupting from her as I close my eyes. And just like that, I'm out like a light, letting the darkness of sleep consume me.