Hate Me Closer (Phan)

Chapter Fifty-Eight

"We've got the fizzy water!" Jacob screamed, bundling in with some of the older sixth form boys. He already looked slightly intoxicated with his messy hair and lobsided smile. "Fizzy water" was their way of trying to not get the adults suspicious, although Dan didn't believe much would get the teachers involved after his conversation with Mr Brown.

Everyone gathered together in one of the dorms, passing out the cheap beers with Dan waiting until he could pour himself a vodka and lemonade. He couldn't wait to be done with the cheap drink and wasn't sure if he'd touch it again once he was out of Auburn. He saw Phil throw him a concerned glare as he approached Jacob, who was passing the drinks out. He didn't even like vodka that much, but it was better than the bitter taste of beer.

"One for me, and one for Phil." Dan smiled, taking the glasses from the teenager.

Jacob eyed him, holding back the drinks, "Are you sure?"

Dan smiled, nodding calmly, "I'll be careful?" the other boy sighed, passing him the drinks and watching the younger boy walk off, "I'm just having one." he rolled his eyes at Phil, passing his boyfriend the second cup.

"Do I need that on paper for when you're tipsy and decide you want another?" the black-haired boy verged on spitting the remark.

"Oh, shut up." Dan rolled his eyes, nudging the older boy to lighten the mood between them, "Look. Let's have one each, then go down to the stream with some crisps and watch sunset, yeah?"

"Okay." Phil agreed, "Sure. Sounds like a plan, Dan."

"Dork." Dan grinned, sitting on Phil's bed with him, "Do you want to do anything for Christmas?"

His boyfriend furrowed his eyebrows, taking a sip as he assessed the brown-haired boy, "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I mean. Do you want to do anything, just us two?"

"Like what...?" Phil giggled, "You've never said this before."

"I've never had a boyfriend at Christmas before." Dan pointed out, "Like...do you want to go into Manchester or Birmingham for the day, or something?"

Phil hummed, nodding his head, "Sure. But I'm paying for dinner-"

"For fuck's sake!" Dan screeched, punching his best friend on the arm, "I'm paying for the journey-"

"I'm paying for activities-"

"Okay can we just split the end of the day even?" Dan grumbled.

Phil chuckled, "Sure." he took the last of his drink and swallowed it, putting the glass on his table, "If it works out cheaper for you."

Dan rolled his eyes, finishing up his drink and standing up, "Come on, it's not like we're doing anything here anyway." he opened Phil's bedside drawer and took out a stache of food.

"How did you know that was there?"

"I didn't." he cackled, "I just know you too well."

They walked along the pebbled path, passing an occasional student as they wandered towards the village centre. Dan smiled, looking at his feet as he mumbled, "Do you remember the first time we talked?"

Phil hummed, biting his lip, "I don't think I do. In class, right?"

"No." Dan giggled, stepping closer to his boyfriend so they brushed with every stride, "Um...excuse me?" he mimicked a young boy, fixing up his tie and cowering into his frame, "You're not in Crossings are you?"

Phil's mouth slowly fell until he scrunched his face up, hitting the other teenager playfully on the arm, "That was you?!" he whined, "You were such a dick!" Dan could barely breathe as he hunched over, laughing at Phil's forgetfulness, "I hate you!" the boy, who lost his housemates in First Form, whined.

Dan nodded, finally standing up and taking in a deep breath, "Oh, sure." he replied, pecking the boy on his lips.

Phil relaxed, wrapping his arms around the shorter boy as they leant against the exterior of Auburn School's fence. He looked into the earthy eyes beneath his and grinned, "You're in Crossings now, though."

"I am." Dan smiled, burying his head into Phil's neck, "Only because of you."

"Imagine telling thirteen-year-old Dan he was going to be fucking the boy he picked on." Phil's breaths nestled on the skin of Dan's cheek.

"I think..." Dan sighed, "I think I wouldn't have been too surprised. Would've probably kept my distance a bit more; tried to pretend it wasn't going to happen."

"I got accepted for an internship at a journalism place for the Easter." Phil blurted.

"That's amazing!" Dan beamed, combing Phil's fringe out.

"It's in Manchester, so I'll be getting a train down every week, unless Mum or Dad want to drive me the distance, but I doubt it." he shrugged. He giggled, "Think you can survive a week on your own?"

Dan's heartbeat pulsed.

"We'll have to see."

"Maybe you should look into some acting experience at some point. Can't avoid the future forever, huh?"

"Guess not." Dan bit his lips, bringing the older boy closer to his body again. They walked the distance down to the stream with the smaller boy wrapped around Phil's arm. They tumbled down, giggling as they did until they came to the bank of the water. Dan threw himself onto the newly grown grass, patting the ground beside him for his best friend to sit.

"I love you." Phil whispered as if there were people nearby.

"I love you, too." Dan smiled warmly back, turning himself around so he could rest his head on Phil's lap, "I know you went to Mr Brown-"

"I'm sorry-"

"No." Dan reassured him, "I'm not...saying it like that. I'm just letting you know that I know."

"Okay. Are you mad?"

"No. I'm not happy about it either, but I know why you did it. The thing is, Jacob did, too-"

"Dan." Phil whispered.

"Yeah-?"

The older boy moved his hand over Dan's mouth, ushering him to be quiet as he leant closer to him, "Down the stream, far tree." Dan looked, furrowing his eyes at the figures, "You don't think...?" Phil asked.

There was a brown-haired boy, whose curls weren't too dissimilar to Dan's when he didn't straighten them, pushing a shorter boy to a tree with their arms wrapped together and the space between their faces nonexistent. Dan turned to Phil, quietly uttering, "That's PJ and Chris, right?"

Phil giggled, shaking his head in disbelief, "I'd started to believe they were just messing with us."

Dan shrugged, "We kept it quiet for six months, I'm sure if we truly tried it would've been longer." Phil nodded, guilty of being unable to tear his eyes away.