24 Hours - Phan

2:00pm

Dan sits motionless, waiting for his racing heart to slow down. He can hear cabinets opening and closing in the kitchen and the clink of something glass. Now the refrigerator is opening and the sound of its contents being loudly rearranged drifts into the room.

He takes another deep breath and follows the sounds.

He casually leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms across his chest as he observes Phil dismantling the kitchen.

"What are you even doing, Phil?"

"I'm going to the market and I need to see what we already have," he responds smartly.

Dan can't help but grin. "And you feel this is the best strategy?" he questions and raises an eyebrow.

Phil continues his rummaging, pausing every now and then to scribble something on his list. "Want to come with me, Dan?" his muffled voice calls from halfway inside of the freezer.

"No, I think I'll let you handle this outing," he responds while stifling laughter. He crosses the kitchen and examines the illegible list in Phil's scratchy handwriting. "Well," he thinks, "at least he can read it." He adds an item to the bottom of the list.

"Are you sure? We can get a coffee on the way back. The new fall flavors are out!"

"I'm sure. I need to get a few things done," Dan answers. He watches Phil struggle trying to get everything back into the pantry. He turns away and walks out of the kitchen smiling and shaking his head.

Dan hears footsteps skipping down the steps and the front door opening and then slamming shut. He looks around the kitchen, taking note of how empty and quiet it feels without Phil. He pulls out a chair at the kitchen table and flops down in it, putting his elbows on the table and covering his face with his hands.

"You've got to get a hold of yourself," he mutters softly to the empty kitchen. "You're getting hard sitting on the couch thinking of dirty fanfiction and he's in the kitchen taking inventory of cereal and snacks."

He reminds himself of the silence surrounding him right now. As much as he loves Phil, Dan knows that the consequence of letting his true feelings be known is exactly this: emptiness. If Phil finds out, then that's the end of everything he has right now. The apartment, the YouTube channels, and most importantly, his best friend.

He stands up and starts to pace around the kitchen, running his hands through his hair. "So what if we're never in a relationship?" he says firmly to the deserted kitchen. "Look at everything you have. Stop being greedy. This is fine. This is great. This is enough."

Dan walks out of the living room with purpose, looking for a distraction to help him refocus. He spots the Wii and settles down on the floor in front of the TV to play some Mario Kart, trying to not think about how much more fun it is to have someone to play against.