Phil Lester Saved Me -phanfic

Chapter 5

A/N: In which Dan and Phil go to Starbucks together! Fluffy at the beginning, bit of hurt/comfort near the end. Enjoy!

tw; anxiety, panic etc

Dan glanced up and down the busy London street one more time, then padded into the Starbucks. He had been waiting outside it for 15 minutes already. If he just went in and got a seat, that would look more normal, surely? Waiting outside was making him feel like a 13-year-old on his first date.

Dan joined the queue, squinting at the menu board. He should get a flat white, it would make him look more business-like, or some sort of Americano to cut down on the calories...

A voice sounded just behind his ear; 'I recommend the caramel macchiato.'

Dan jumped. He was so surprised his feet literally left the ground and he nearly dropped his briefcase.'Oh, P-phil, I didn't see you there!' Phil was there, leaning on his kitten-stickered crutches, wearing a purply t-shirt and a massive grin.

'That's because I snuck up on you,' Phil laughed, his nose crinkling adorably. 'Have you ever experienced the hot cup of deliciousness that is a caramel macchiato, Danny boy?'

'I-er-no, I don't believe I have.' Those frothy sugary concoctions were usually out of Dan's price range.

The woman in front of them finished paying and the barista smiled at them.

'Two grande caramel macchiatos, please! To stay. Oh, and make one of them lactose-free.'

Dan went to dig around in his trouser pockets for change, but Phil stopped him, placing a hand on his arm. He looked up at him, his blue eyes sparkling.

'It's on me.'

Dan couldn't find the voice to protest.

***

As they waited for the coffees, Phil chatted away to Dan about how happy he was to be back presenting the weather again. Dan said very little. He felt nervous and agitated to have Phil so close to him. He avoided looking the other man in the eye. The barista called out their order and pushed two steaming white mugs towards them. She looked at Dan, then at Phil and shot Dan a wry smile, like they were in on a joke.

All the blood drained out of Dan's face. She winked at Dan and turned back to the latte steamer. Dan ushered Phil over to a seat near the window, hoping that he hadn't seen the blatant shipping that had just occurred. Phil sat in the rickety chair and Dan took the sofa by the wall.

'Gosh, this window is pretty steamy,' Phil said, reaching up to draw a little smiley face on it with his fingertip.

'Serious condensation issues.' Oh my god, Dan, why did you say that, what the fuck? There was silence for a few seconds. Dan lifted the caramel macchiato up to his mouth and sipped at the foam.

'No! That's not how you do it!' Phil took the mug right out of Dan's hand, picked up a coffee stick from the table and began stirring. He mixed the caramel syrup, milk froth and coffee until everything blended together. He handed the drink back to Dan and then began stirring his own.

Dan lifted the cup up to his mouth and took a sip. It was still hot, so it burned his tongue a little, but it tasted like a cosy hug with a hint of sugary goodness. Dan picked up a spoon and scraped the remaining foam off the top. His taste buds exploded with joy. He had to hold himself back from moaning.

'You like it?' Phil asked, between sips of his own drink.

'Yasssomigod,' Dan replied, scooping up another spoon of foam. 'I think you've ruined my figure and improved my life in one fell swoop.'