Dan's Perspective:
After the radio show we went home in a taxi. Phil was looking out the window a liitle oddly.
"You okay Phil?" I asked.
"Yeah, I am. It's just, how my mum reacted, you know?" He said, turning a bit towards me.
"She didn't really react at all." I mumbled.
"What will she say next time?" He said, his blue eyes looking at my brown ones.
"I'm sure she'll be okay. Maybe a little shocked, but I mean, nonetheless, she'll understand." I said, putting my hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks, Dan." He said, thinking. "Anthony reacted pretty well, I think."
"Yeah. We could've called him back and told him it was joke, but there's no use, eventually it'll be out." I said confidentally. Phil didn't move.
"Phil?" I asked, as the taxi neared our house.
"Hmm?"
"Are you ready, to -come out?"
"I don't know. I mean, we kind of just did, but it was joke. I don't know if I could handle coming out for real." He said, looking down.
"We don't have to until your ready." I said, grabbing his hand.
"Thanks." He said, and the taxi stopped outside our building.
Phil's Perspective:
When we got back to our place, reality set in. I started to freak. What if people hate me now? Will people try and make my life miserable? Isn't that what is supposed to happen when you're ... Oh god. I turned to Dan and surpressed the thoughts of love that bubbled up.
"Dan, I don't know if I can do this." I breathed. He was looking at me peculiarly, because he didn't know what I was talking about. He had been rambling on about Skyrim and the advantages and disadvantages of a game without a set goal like Diablo III.
"Wh-what?" He asked.
"This," I said, gesturing between my hand between me and him.
"What do you mean?" He asked, with notable hurt in his voice. How can I tell him that I'm a wimp and don't want to be bullied? I can't handle it.
"I just-" I started, tears managing to find their way out.
"Shh," Dan said, walking over to me and then rubbing my back. The gesture was so sweet.
"Dan," I said, "I-"
"I know you're scared, Phil." He said and surprised me with: "I am too."
I looked up at him, blinking away a few stray tears. I felt awful. I was being so selfish. I really do love Dan, I just don't want people to look at me differently. Or judge me.
"I'm sorry," I said, apologizing. I guess we're in this together now.
"Don't say sorry." Dan said, pulling me into a warm hug and I hugged him back. He was so comforting and patient, and I love him for that. He didn't freak out on me; he let me think. Which is really just what I needed. I couldn't give Dan up, not like this, anyway. Sure, we could've gone back to being friends and just longed for something more, but why wait? We're here now, and we both feel the same way. I felt myself relax in his embrace and a smile came to my face. I had to say it.
"I love you, Dan." I said, him drawing circles in my back with his fingers. He pulled away slighlty to look me in the eyes when he said it back.
"I love you too." He said, and pecked my lips. My eyes lit up; our first kiss. It wasn't an elaborate mapping of our tongues, but in that escense, it was all the more romantic.
