Warnings : fluffy fluff
Word Count : 2285
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Dan sat up in his bed with a cold sweat. He couldn't tell if his screaming was only in the dream, or also in real life. The nightmare- he swept the sweaty fringe away from his face- that felt all too real.
Phil heard Dan screaming. He bolted down the hallway and opened the door to Dan's room.
"Dan? Are you okay?"
Dan refused to look at him, "Y-yeah, I'm fine..."
He hid the few tears drops that had fallen, not wanting Phil to see.
"I know you're not, Dan." He frowned and sat next to him.
"I swear I am." Dan steadied his breathing, and subconsciously puffed out his chest a bit, trying to prove to both himself and Phil that nothing had frightened him.
Phil put his arm around Dan in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "It's okay.."
Dan tensed slightly, attempting to wriggle out of Phil's grasp. The brunette was shaking slightly, and that's the last thing he needed Phil to notice.
"Dan, what's wrong? Please tell me?" He pleaded.
"I-It was just, uhm..." Dan let his eyes wander around the room, trying to keep them anywhere but on Phil's. "Bad dream."
"What happened?" He asked, turning Dan's head towards him gently.
Dan squeaked quietly, feeling his face heat up from the contact and what he was about to tell Phil. "It was just a dream about some stupid, childish things..."
"Please tell me? It's fine, whatever it is." He insisted.
Dan shifted uncomfortably, "Well, it was just about these monsters in the dark coming to get me, and it sort of freaked me out, I guess..."
He eyed to soft-glowing night light near his bed. The small light was something he had since he was little, due to his stupid fear of the dark. Dan never allowed anyone to see it being used, especially Phil.
"That's not childish, Dan." He smiled over at him. "Not at all."
"Yes it is." Dan choked. "It's childish and stupid and it scared me." His voice cracked towards the end, and his face flushed as he realized what he just admitted.
Phil sighed and pulled Dan into a tight hug. "Why does it matter?"
Dan sniffled, a few more tears dripping down his cheeks. "Because grown men can't be afraid of monsters and the dark."
"Hey, it's okay. I'm still scared of spiders." Phil admitted sheepishly.
Dan smiled slightly, but still scoffed, "Yeah, but spiders can actually hurt you, so it makes sense that you're afraid of them."
"And moths. I'm still scared of moths." Phil sighed, rubbing circles into Dan's back.
"Moths?" Dan could feel himself relax into Phil's comforting gesture. "Why? All they do is annoy people and fly around like this." Dan proceeded to move his hands in, what appeared to be, a dramatic interpretation of a flying moth.
Phil chuckled. "I hate it when they fly at my face." He rested his head on Dan's shoulder.
"I hate it when monsters fly in my face, in the dark, in my dreams." Dan embarrassingly admitted, resting his head on Phil's shoulder.
"But they're not moths." Phil laughed. "Moths are tiny. Insignificant. Your fear of monsters makes sense."
"But monsters don't exist."
"They're still pretty scary, if I must admit."
"Your mum's scary..." Dan mumbled, smiling.
"I'll admit that." He smiled.
Dan fully laughed now, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth and chuckle and he wiped the trail of previous tears off his cheek.
Phil smiled when he heard Dan laughed. "Do you feel better now?"
"Only a little." Dan exaggerated a pout on his lips. "I still need a little more cheering up, though, Philly."
"What do you want me to do, Danny?" He asked, pulling away from the hug and putting his hands on Dan's shoulders.
"Anything. I just need to smile." Dan plastered on the goofiest grin he could muster, providing the best example he could for a good smile.
"Pancakes?" He grinned.
"At three in the morning?" Dan laughed.
"Good point. Can you think of anything in particular I could do?" He laughed.
"Nope. Figure it out yourself." Dan bit his lip, suppressing a giggle.
Phil rolled his eyes. "You know I suck at guessing."
Dan rolled his eyes a bit, thinking, "You know, I liked the, uhm...." He suddenly became a bit flustered.
"The what?" He asked, a little confused.
"The little... uhm, circles.... my back..." He was a little too flustered to make any sort of coherent sentence at this point.
Phil smiled. He pulled Dan into a hug again and started rubbing circles into his back again.
Dan giggled, not being able to stop his happiness from pouring out from his lips.
Phil chuckled. "You really are adorable.." He whispered, suddenly realizing what he'd said and clamped a hand over his mouth.
Dan wrapped his arms around Phil's waist, snuggling deep into his chest.
"What did you just say, Mr. Philip Lester?" he questioned with a smirk, although he heard Phil loud and clear.
"N-Nothing.."
"Oh, I'm definitely sure you said something."
"It wasn't important, don't worry about it." Phil said nervously, blushing at the position
Dan was in. "Dan? What are you doing?"
"Oh, just snuggling my new Phil-bear." Dan blushed at what he was saying, but focused it on teasing Phil. He dragged his fingers down Phil's stomach. "What'd you say, Philly?"
"It's not important. Wait, Phil-bear? Really?" He gulped quietly.
"Yeah, Phil-bear. A teddy bear named Phil." Dan snickered at Phil's obvious nervousness. "Tell me, Phil. I'm warning you."
He began tracing circles on Phil's stomach.
"I-It doesn't matter, honestly." He rolled his eyes, blushing furiously.
"I'll tickle you. I know you don't like being tickled."
Phil's eyes widened. "N-nope."
"You're so asking for it, Philly..."
Phil shook his head. "Please don't.."
Dan freed his hands from around Phil's waist and latched them onto Phil's sides, moving them enough to tickle, but keeping a tight enough grip so Phil couldn't shake him off.
"D-Dan! I said you were adorable! Let go!"
"You really think so?" Dan moved his hands to Phil's stomach, lessening the torture but not quite stopping. He would've stopped for Phil's sake, but Phil's giggle when his tummy was tickled was honestly the most adorable thing Dan's ever heard.
Phil nodded. "Please let go of me..."
Dan let him go, pouting, "Fine. Ruin my fun."
"Thank you." He grinned and pulled Dan into another hug.
Dan crossed his arms, knowingly making it hard for Phil to hug him, and pouted even harder
"Dan, what's wrong now?" He whined.
"You ruining my fun, Lester!"
Phil rolled his eyes and flopped backwards on the bed.
"Fine.." He sighed.
"Wait, are you serious?" Dan's eyes lit up.
Phil sighed and nodded. "Go ahead."
Dan squealed (in a manly way, of course) and clapped his hands excitedly. "Where should I?"
"Wherever you want." He said, keeping a completely straight face.
"YES!" Dan leaped up excitedly and scurried over next to Phil. "What about your tummy, hm?"
He began tracing very light circles on Phil's abdomen.
Phil chuckled at Dan's enthusiasm. "Sorry in advance if I hit you or something."
"Hey Phil, you know that song I just learned to play?" Dan smiled, an evil glint in his eyes. "You play it like this."
He began to play the pattern of the keys over Phil's lower stomach, letting his muscle memory take over so he could focus on Phil's reaction.
Phil squirmed underneath Dan, bursting into a fit of giggles.
Dan continued to play the "keys" as he asked Phil, "Hey, you know how you're afraid of spiders?"
Phil nodded slowly. "Don't. You. Dare."
"Too late." Dan lifted up Phil's thin t-shirt and spidered his nails all around Phil's torso.
"D-Dan! Stop!"
"You're letting me!"
Phil huffed and tried his best not to move.
"Hey, Mr. Grumpy. Maybe you're the one who needs to be cheered up. Why don't you like being tickled, anyways?" Dan relaxed the tickling, letting Phil breathe but still drawing lazy patterns with his fingers over Phil's sensitive spots.
"Because it tickles." He laughed lightly.
"Oh my God, Phil, seriously." He couldn't help but chuckle nonetheless.
Phil rolled his eyes. "Who does like being tickled?"
"Um.... weird people...." Dan removed his hands from Phil's stomach awkwardly.
"Are you one of those?" Phil asked, grinning.
"Um, no. I'm not weird." Dan's eyes shifted around the room.
"Dan..." Phil grinned even wider and sat up.
His eyes widened, and his heart bumped faster, "W-What?"
"Do you like being tickled?"
"I- ah, no-but... it's just- agh." Dan really couldn't form any words at this point, a bright red blush stretching from he neck to the tip of his ears.
"Hmm. Seeing as you can't form words at the moment, I'll have to find out for myself." He grinned mischievously.
"Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no-no Philly!" Dan tried to scramble away.
Phil nodded, crash-tackling Dan onto the bed. Dan yelped, a zap of panic but mostly excitement coursing through him at the mere thought of what he knew was going to happen.
Uh oh.
Phil put his hands at Dan's sides, wriggling his fingers quickly.
Dan wrapped his hands around Phil's wrists, keeping a light grip on them but not even trying to push them away.
"Nohoho, Philly stahahp!"
Phil smiled and kept tickling Dan, moving up to sit on Dan's lap so it was easier.
Dan immediately noticed Phil's weight from straddling his thighs, and one thought flashed through his mind: he was /not/ going anywhere any time soon. So he merely threw his head back and laughed.
Phil laughed as well, continuing to dig his fingers into Dan's sides.
"Oh-hoho my Go-hahaha-hod, PHIL." Dan's voice cracked as he squealed at Phil's fingers accidentally brushing his stomach.
"What's wrong, Dan? Are you extra ticklish there?" He asked playfully, brushing his fingers over Dan's stomach again.
"Yes-YES, DAMMIT."
Phil laughed and pushed Dan so he was lying down. He lifted the bottom of his shirt and started tickling his stomach.
"Gahahahahad, Phil, I'm hahahating y-you!" Dan squeaked and squealed, thrashing his head back and forth, gripping the bed sheets tightly.
"Aww Danny, did I do something wrong?" He asked in his most patronizing voice.
"M-Maybe, Phil!"
"And what might that be?"
"Just.. so-hehehe-something!"
"And what is that something, Dan?" He giggled.
"Fohohohorget it!" Dan let his head fall back with laughter
"If you tell me, I'll stop." Phil coaxed.
"Then I won't tell you!" Dan suddenly felt his cheeks catch fire, realizing what his statement meant.
"Oh, so you do like being tickled?"
"Yehehes, I admit it!" Dan tried to look irritated, but the laughter and rush of endorphins kept that beam on his face.
Phil yawned. "M'tired." He said softly, rolling off of Dan and lying next to him.
Dan breathed heavily, recovering from that, admittedly, very fun moment with Phil. "All that just so you can hear me say it? Then just roll over and say you're tired??"
"But I am tired." He said calmly.
"You jerk." Dan playfully swatted Phil's chest. "Aw, is Phil a little tired from a tickle fight?" Dan mocked him, but soon yawned himself.
"Aw, Is baby Dan tired from yelling at Phil?"
"That's not why I'm tired, you twat."
Phil turned away from Dan and pouted at his use of the word.
"Woah, woah, woah, excuse me, sir." Dan playfully, but gently, pinched both of Phil's cheeks, making him look him in the eye. "You are not allowed to be pouty, alright?"
"I'm going back to bed." Phil grumbled, sitting up.
"Wait! Why are you leaving??" Dan felt, and probably looked, genuinely frightened now.
"Why do you think, Dan?"
"U-um..." Dan thought back over the past hour. "Because I... tickled you?"
Phil rolled his eyes. "No, Dan. A bit more recent."
"Because I... teased you?
"What did you call me literally a minute ago?" He sighed.
"A twat?"
Phil nodded and stood up.
"No-no-no, wait! I'm sorry!" Dan latched himself onto Phil's arm.
Phil shook him off and sat down on the edge of the bed, still not looking at him.
"Seriously, Phil! I was just joking, I promise!"
Phil sighed. He'd had enough. Enough of pretending he wasn't completely in love with his best friend. Enough of making fun of the 'Phan' shippers when all he wanted was for it to be true.
Dan latched on to Phil from behind and wrapped his arms around the man's waist.
"I'm sorry! I care about you! I love how you came to me when I was scared; I love how you made me feel better and tried to cheer me up; I love how you let me tickle you, even though you hate it; I even love how- uhm, you tickle me." Dan stated, blushing slightly at the last part.
Phil smiled slightly and turned around to face him. "In what way though, Dan?"
"D-I- you-" Dan stuttered, "Uhm, what way, you ask?"
"In what way?"
The brunette rung out his hands nervously, "I might love you in a more-than-best-friends kind of way...." Dan squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the worst.
Phil's eyes widened like a child at Christmas. "Really?"
Dan nodded, still refusing to open his eyes.
Phil grinned and pressed his lips to Dan's quickly.
It was at this point that Dan's eye involuntarily shot open at the welcoming contact of Phil's lips. PHIL'S lips!!
"I still want to go to bed." Phil said quietly.
Dan's eyes flickered to the night light next to his bed at the thought of Phil leaving him alone. He definitely notice the light was out, probably from the broken bulb. His eyes widened, and Phil noticed.
"I didn't say alone." Phil smiled.
Dan blushed at the statement. "Good. I don't think I could handle being alone."
Phil smiled. He lay down in Dan's bed and patted the space next to him.
Dan all but completely glomped his friend, but still practically glued himself to the man.
"Hey, Phil...?"
"Mhmm?"
"I'm still a teeny-weeny unhappy." Dan held up his fingers close together and closed one eye to emphasis his point.
"And why is that?" He asked, still not getting the hint.
"Um... draw circles on my back, please?" Dan bit his lip.
"Sure." Phil smiled and did as he was asked.
Dan felt a little chill run up his spend as he relaxed completely in Phil's arms.
"You're the best, Philly. You know that?"
"Sure." Phil smiled and did as he was asked.
"You're also so modest." Dan chuckled, despite his tiredness.
Phil yawned and pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head, still tracing the circles.
"Goodnight, Dan. I love you."
