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It has all started with a dare. A dare that Dan would later regret, though not entirely. He had been scrolling through his Twitter feed during breakfast when a particular tweet caught his eye.
Maggie Lipton @ThatPhanGirl_06152 . Jan 19
Hey @danisnotonfire! I know how much you like jump scares, so I’d like to recommend the scariest game I know to you! Let me revise that: I DARE you to play the scariest game I know! Until Dawn. Have fun! ;)
Well, Dan, never a man to back down from a challenge, graciously accepted, noting vindictively that he would “kick the game’s ass.”
Dan had returned from the shop, immediately firing up the game. He slapped on a pair of headphones, for full immersion, of course, and wouldn’t leave the room for anything, not even when Phil tried to tempt him with pancakes.
Dan had proceeded to curse under his breath, noting how good the pancakes smelled, calling Phil an “evil pancake temptress.”
Dan had received his fair share of jump scares, screaming then laughing hysterically. With the blue glow of his phone adding to the creepy atmosphere of the room, he noticed that it was 23:30. But he couldn’t stop.
—That was until he hit the really scary shit.
Dan had recalled being a bit flabbergasted, noting, “what the fuck is a Wendigo?” His answer, based on first-hand observation, was pure AF terror.
Dan did all he could to muffle his scream, completely exiting out of the game. He turned all of the lights in the room on, gasping for breath, his heart hammering against his ribcage. He picked up his phone, beginning a new tweet.
Dan Howell @danisnotonfire . Jan 19
@ThatPhanGirl_06152, you must have balls of steel to play that game. I am taking the
cowardly route and backing out of your dare. I can’t do it! Dan = out.
Just the thought of venturing to the bathroom to brush his teeth scared the living hell of him. So, Dan adopted his in-game technique, sliding along the wall out of the room.
“Back to the wall,”
He told himself.
He made himself like a plaster upon the corridor wall, sneaking closer to the bathroom. The refrigerator turning on in the kitchen nearly gave him a heart attack.
Dan clamped his hand over his chest, deciding that maybe brushing his teeth and weeing was overrated.
So, he had gone to bed. And that was where the problem began.
Dan woke from the most vividly-horrifying nightmare he had ever recalled having. He was covered in a cold sweat, and compressed down on his heart with his hand. It beat like a freight train underneath his grip.
In all honestly, he was too afraid to close his eyes for fear of the horrid nightmare returning. But he was also too afraid to lay awake in his room.
Dan whimpered softly, pulling the duvet up under his nose. His russet eyes darted around the shadowy room. He didn’t want to be alone.
Cautiously, Dan pulled back the sheets, feet frozen on the edge of the bed. As soon as he felt the cold floor against his feet, he made a mad dash for the door, wrenching it open.
However, with what shred of bravery that he had left, he darted back to grab Totoro from his bed.
Scooting just a room over, Dan opened up the door. His voice was small and soft.
“Phil?”
There was a rustling of sheets.
“Mhm…Dan?”
Phil had rolled over, propped up slightly on his elbows. He was rubbing his eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
Dan looked like a small child that had just crept into his parents’ bedroom. He clutched Totoro to his chest, speaking meekly.
“I had a nightmare. I-I can’t sleep.”
Phil made a sympathetic noise.
“You, uh, wanna come stay in here tonight?”
Phil made out Dan nodding his head in the darkness.
“C’mere.”
Dan sprinted towards Phil’s bed, climbing in beside the older boy, Totoro still clutched to his chest. He unconsciously buried his face in the crook of Phil’s neck.
“It was so horrible…”
He whimpered.
One of Phil’s arms that he had pinned underneath his body had come up around him. Phil’s other hand began to softly stroke Dan’s hair.
“Shh, it’s ok. I’m right here.”
He tried to offer Dan soft words of comfort. Dan whimpered, tightening his hold on Phil’s thin frame.
“Phil?”
He whispered.
“Yeah Dan?”
Phil looked down at his flat mate, still stroking his hair soothingly.
“Can you do something for me?”
Dan sounded so far away.
“What?”
Phil felt so insignificant, feeling like his attempts to console Dan were futile.
“Hold me closer.”
Phil attempted to pull Dan nearer, but the plushie pinned between their chests proved to be a bit of a roadblock.
“Uh,”
Phil started softly.
“Can I set Totoro aside? He can protect you from outside the bed.”
Dan nodded his head against Phil’s neck. And so, the big, grey plushie was removed.
Phil pulled Dan up next to him, slipping both arms around him protectively.
“It’s ok, hush now.”
He cooed.
“Nothing’s gonna hurt you. I won’t let anything.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to Dan’s hairline.
“Do you really mean that?”
Dan spoke quietly.
“Of course,”
Phil began.
“I’ve got my Zelda jammies on.”
That earned him a weak laugh from Dan.
“You ok now?”
Phil looked down at Dan in his arms, smiling slightly. Everything was a bit dark and blurry.
“Thank you, Phil.”
“I’ll always be here to protect you.”
Phil resumed stroking Dan’s hair.
“I guess I’m your ‘knight in shining armor.’”
Phil chuckled softly.
“Maybe I could be knighted by the Queen. Whadya reckon my title would be? Sir Philip, the destroyer of nightmares? Protector of the Dan-Bear?”
Phil looked down.
“Dan?”
He smiled. Dan’s eyes had closed, soothed to sleep by the sound of Phil’s voice. He pressed one more kiss to Dan’s forehead.
“Goodnight Dan.”
Dan had awoken swathed in navy sheets, tangled in pale arms. He smiled, pulling Phil’s arm across his chest. He heard his phone let out a high-pitched whistle. When had he pocketed his phone? Regardless of his lack of memory, Dan glanced down at the re-tweet.
Maggie Lipton @ThatPhanGirl_06152 . Jan 20
Oh c’mon! Don’t be a pu**y! Stick it out!
Dan set the phone down on his chest, glancing at Phil. He smiled, picking the phone back up.
“Phil, smile.”
He whispered, snapping a photo. He quickly began tweeting back.
Dan Howell @danisnotonfire . Jan 20
Ok, @ThatPhanGirl_06152, you’re on! Because if playing your little game means I get to wake up like this every morning, then I think it’s definitely worth it!
Below the tweet, he added the sweet snap of he and a bed-headed Phil, hash tagging the photo #myknightinshiningarmor.
Within moments, his phone chirped again. ThatPhanGirl_06152 had retweeted yet again with a bunch of exasperated and heart-eyed cat emojis.
“Yeah, that’s right,”
Dan muttered.
“Get wrecked.”
He set the phone on Phil’s side table, snuggling back into his pasty embrace.
“Dan…”
Phil’s groggy voice sounded out, his breath hot on Dan’s neck.
“What’s going on?”
“Revenge.”
Dan smirked. That was when Phil’s phone chimed.
“Ugh, I’m not caffeinated enough for this.”
Phil began to move when Dan’s grip tightened.
“I’m not done with you yet, Sir Philip.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Phil rolled into Dan’s touch, and the sounds of their phones exploding was muffled by their breaths.