Your POV

I walked into Dave's half an hour early. I didn't take as long to get ready as I thought I would, and there was no point in just randomly hanging around the house for thirty minutes. It was also a good opportunity to tell Dave to chill with the innuendo tonight.

"Eyy, if it isn't my fave pair of bouncy tits!" Dave winked.

"Bitch, chill", I chuckled, hoisting myself up on a stool.

"Joking, love, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know that, but that sucker over there just felt the sweet rush of validation for his actual sexist bullshittery." I pointed at the guy on the corner of the bar openly leering at my chest, nearly drooling into his pint.

"Oi! Mate! Fix the direction of your eyes or would you like me to hook you up with some blurry vision for the rest of the night?" Dave growled at him.

I giggled while Dave served me a red Martini.

"On me, as an apology."

"Thanks mate. Cheers!"

"So what about you then? Not out to get lucky?" Dave asked.

"What makes you say that?"

"Not very often I see you wear something that actually covers your legs unless it's freezing out", he winked.

I took a sip of my drink. "Hah! True that. No, meeting some friends tonight. Speaking of that, cut the highly sexual savagery in the jokes and what not tonight? They're fairly new friends, I don't want to scar them for life already."

"Speaking of, that them?" Dave nodded to the door, where Dan and Phil had just entered, looking a little awkward and out of place.

I smiled and waved at them to draw their attention. Phil jumped a little and then grinned widely, quickly making his way towards me with Dan shuffling behind him, hands deep in the pockets of his ripped jeans.

"Hey Y/N!" Phil greeted me heartily and kissed my cheek. 

It felt oddly comfortable, like we were just old pals getting together. Dan, however, was another matter. We hadn't gotten off on the right foot and from what Phil had told me, he was still quite apprehensive. Not that I needed Phil to point it out. It was quite clear in his demeanor. He gave me a half smile, staying behind Phil and not really making eye contact with me. I knew tonight wasn't just about getting to know Phil better, but also about making Dan finally feel at ease with me. 

I briefly looked at him raising my hand. "Hey Dan." 

"Hi", he mumbled.

I turned my attention back to Phil. "Let's find a table. More comfortable than here at the bar where people are constantly walking past and going in and out."

"Yeah sounds good!" he replied.

I looked at Dave. "I'm gonna be hanging around in the back, can you keep an eye out and make sure we have somewhat of a peaceful night?" I eyed the guy on the corner, who had just been clenching his drink while giving both me and Dave angry glances.

"Will do babe", Dave nodded knowingly.

Dan's POV

We sat down at a round table in the back corner of the bar. I begrudgingly admitted it was indeed low key cool. The music was pretty chill, the atmosphere relaxed. Good interior design. Not necessarily my aesthetic, but aesthetic nonetheless. Everything from the furniture to the decorations on the wall to the lighting matched nicely.

I absently played with a coaster while I heard Y/N ask Phil what she could get us.

"Nice place isn't it?" Phil said when Y/N darted off to order our drinks.

"I guess."

"Come on Dan, be nice."

"I'll try", I sighed.

I tapped my fingers on the table, looking around for a bit. No way back now.

"There you go!" Y/N smiled as she slid back onto her chair.

"Thank." I took a big sip.

"So did you get here okay?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Well we're obviously here in one piece."
I felt Phil kick my ankle under the table.

Y/N slowly set down her Martini. "Okay. Can we just get the awkward out of the way?"

Phil's POV

"Okay. Can we just get the awkward out of the way?"

Oh no.. Dan blew it already. Why did he have to be so mean to her! I thought he was going to behave, and now he was being rude and Y/N obviously wasn't having any of it. This was going to be the most awkward experience of my life. I could already imagine how she would go off on Dan about what an idiot he was being, and then on me for bringing him. That was it. She was going to scold us and then leave and then tell everybody we were dumb and obnoxious. I didn't know what to say. I just sat anxiously awaiting her tirade.

Surprisingly, she turned to me, not Dan.

"Listen, I have to say this is just a little weird. I didn't intend for this to happen, I had no intention of actually walking up to you at the venue in the first place and then after we talked there I actually tried a few times to not engage because I didn't want to be some childish fangirl making the assumption she was now entitled to your attention. I didn't want to assume you coming back to talk to me meant we could be buddies, I didn't want to assume you contacting me over Twitter meant that either. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you apparently feel like I'm cool to hang out with and I do feel the same way, but I'd just like for it to be very clear that I don't want to impose or anything."

She turned to Dan next.

"And you, I understand that you're apprehensive. Stalker fans exist and you don't know me. It would be unfair of me to ask you to trust and like me, but can you maybe not spoil the party for everyone by making it so blatantly obvious? You didn't have to come. I don't mind that you're here, in fact I think I might very much like you as a person. I don't care why you came along, but whether it is cause Phil asked or cause you want to keep an eye on me, could you at least be somewhat fake-pleasant with me? I'm aware of your feelings and I sympathise, but there's zero need to rub it in my face."

I gasped. This could go either way. She'd talked to him in a very gentle and understanding tone, but depending on his mood and how he took it, Dan might very well get salty and just get up and leave us. She wasn't done though.

"To summarise: I have no intention on invading your lives uninvited, but I'm sure we're all generally fun and cool people. Can we all move past the frustration and awkwardness and have random casual chit-chat the way people tend to do in a bar, or is this going to require another round of alcohol?" 

She was grinning. Oh god, she was grinning, and she was mostly eyeing Dan. My mouth was dry and I felt the blood draining from my brain. I looked back and forth between the two of them. Time seemed to slow. Dan squinted and was intently staring back into her eyes, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Y/N was still confidently smiling at him. Another excruciatingly slow second passed, and then..

Dan's arm shot towards her.