Phil Lester Saved Me -phanfic

Chapter 3

A/N: Small trigger warning in this chapter for references to negative self image, disordered eating, etc.

 

One week later

After doing overtime at work to make up for a missing colleague, Dan returned to his apartment even later than usual. He threw his briefcase on the floor, undid his tie, and pulled off his suit jacket. It was approaching the end of May in London, and the weather had started to become warm and humid. He undid the buttons of his shirt and took it off, hanging it haphazardly on the chair sitting in the small hallway. Then he removed his shiny work shoes and trousers and cast them away as well.

Dan stood in front of the hall mirror and pushed back his sweaty fringe. He looked down at his body, clad only in a pair of Calvin Klein briefs. Then he placed a hand over a little pouch of flab that had grown over his stomach. When did that get there?

During the last few months his workload had gotten heavier and his anxiety worse, so going outside for a jog was no longer really an option (not that he had ever really been bothered to). However, this new development made him feel suddenly pudgy and even more awkward than before; 6 foot 3 inches of lumbering, lonely uselessness.

"Now, Dan, don't perpetuate thought patterns of negative self-image," he said in a high pitched voice, mocking his ex-therapist. He sighed, then turned away from the mirror.

He padded into the kitchen and poured himself some cereal. This was his usual supper for when he came home late and couldn't be arsed to properly nourish himself, which was most nights, really. He splashed some milk in over it and began to eat, placing a hand over his stomach again, feeling a little guilty.

He looked at his watch and realised it was after 10pm, so he walked over to his small lounge area and switched on the telly. He chuckled a little to himself as Huw Edwards appeared on screen, detailing the headlines of the day in his 'gravely Welsh axcent.'

The therapist had advised him to stop watching the news, as he had foolishly told her that it made him 'lose faith in the future of humanity' sometimes. But any appearance of Phil Lester on his TV screen immediately undid the mood-lowering effects of pictures of blood-soaked crime scenes and insipid human interest stories.

He had just spooned a particularly large helping of soggy Shreddies into his mouth when he heard his phone ring out in the hall. He put down the bowl and scrambled over to it, nearly slipping on the tiles in the process.

He answered the phone, his mouth still full of cereal. 'Hermerh?'

'Danny boy!' Phil's voice rang out on the other end. 'I have great news!'

Dan swallowed, then took a moment to compose himself. 'Ah-okay, what is it?'

'Oh gosh, I am so sorry I just realised how late it is! Damn, Phil, you are not supposed to be calling your lawyer after hours...I'm really sorry I'm just waiting around here in the studio for my turn-'

'That's no problem, Phil, er, what did you want to tell me?'

'Oh, just that we've found the guy who ran me over! There was a bit of trouble with locating him because he was actually driving a STOLEN CAR! Crazy, right? Well anyway, because of the number plate the police were all out to arrest this housewife from the East End, but thankfully they got the real guy at this petrol station outside of London, he was trying to rob it, anyway-'

'That's great, that will make our-I mean, -your case even stronger.'

'I know, right? Anyway, I have to go get ready now. How about we meet up tomorrow so you can explain me all the legal eagle stuff. Does 6pm in the Starbucks in Shepherd's Bush sound okay? That's the only time I'm really free tomorrow.'

'T-that sounds perfect, Phil.'

'Alrighty, looking forward to it! See you then! Byeee!'

'See you...'

Dan just stood there in his lounge for a few moments, phone in hand, in his underwear, trying in vain to comprehend what had just happened. Knots of anxiety began to wravel themselves in his chest. He felt faint and his hands were clammy.

'Thank you Jackie. And now, over to Phil Lester, with this week's weather forecast. How are you, Phil?' the sensual voice of Huw Edwards came drifting out of the lounge. Dan's stomach did a somersault. He slid into the lounge in his socks and pretty much fell face first onto the sofa.

'I'm doing well, thank you, Huw, it's wonderful to be back in the studio.' And there was Phil, dressed in an adorable pin-striped suit jacket and purple tie. 'We might have a few hiccups today as it's more of a fore-CAST than a forecast,' the camera panned down to the bottom half of Phil, showing that he was seated in a high stool, the top of an adjusted trouser leg just covering his large cast. 'But anyway, here we go!'

The camera panned back up to Phil's smiling face. Dan felt tingles run across his skin.