Waiting for You // Phan

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Phil's POV

Phil felt his heart sink a little as Dan vanished round the corner. Maybe Dan had said yes just to stop Phil talking to him and so he could leave.

But when Phil had asked Dan to be his friend it seemed like a good idea. Dan looked as if he wanted to be friends, or was it all a ruse?

Stop overthinking things. I've got loads of friends that I've made in the past, so why is this one person such a big deal. I'm fine. I'm Phil Lester. I'll be ok.

Phil tucked the few loose strands of straight black hair into his fringe and walked out of the bathroom, confident he now had a friend in Dan Howell, who Phil still wasn't sure how he actually felt about him.

Phil got his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. He had been in that bathroom a lot longer than he'd thought. He'd completely missed his last lesson and was done for the day. He had five messages from five friends. Five friends who supported him, but couldn't help him now.

The only person Phil thought could probably help him was Dan.

He had, after all, been in that bathroom with Phil and had heard everything that had happened, but was also upset. Phil hoped he could help Dan. Dan seemed like a person who needed friends to help him.

Well then, time to go home and reflect on the worst day of my life, or what would have been the worst day of my life if I hadn't met Dan...

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Dan's POV

Dan walked as fast as he could away from the bathroom and Phil Lester and round a corner where he was sure nobody would come and find him.

He fell back against the wall and sighed, letting all the nervous energy leave his body. He had made a friend.

Him and PJ were only friends because they were forced to work together on some primary school project and eventually agreed to partner up for everything else. Until they each met their respective soulmates.

PJ had made friends with Louise. PJ had made friends with Tyler. Dan had never done the talking.

He supposed really, he didn't do any of the talking this time. Phil had asked him, Dan had just stood there, frozen by the terror that had coursed through his veins when he first opened the bathroom door. But he and said yes.

Then Dan had run away.

How could I have been so stupid? I just agreed to be friends with some guy that may or may not be my soulmate and left him there on his own while I ran. I'm such a coward. I don't deserve him. I don't deserve PJ. I just want to be free of this hell I'm going through. It's been less than half a day, how am I going to survive the rest of my life without someone to be there by my side?

Dan could see through the glass window in the door at the end of the corridor leading to the outside area he was supposed to meet PJ was empty. Now was his chance to leave.

He ran down the corridor, desperate to get away from this building. He slammed into the door and breathed the fresh air of the outside. Ugh.

It was quite breezy outside and Dan wasn't wearing a jacket. Another excuse to leave. He was just about to walk through a metal gate and off campus, when a voice called behind him. "Dan! Dan! Wait!"

They were coming. He had to leave now. He sprinted through the gates and out onto the pavement. Five minutes to the train station, two minutes for the journey. He would be fine.

"Dan! Please wait! Dan!" the voice shouted louder and Dan heard the person behind him break into a run.

Train station. Train station. Now. I need to leave.

"Dan please stop! Its Phil." Dan stopped in his tracks. Sure enough, standing a few feet behind him was Phil. Phil walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders. "Why are you running?"

"I have to get away from here." Dan replied, and added almost sheepishly "I thought you were going to take me back into that place. I don't even care if I miss my lessons. I don't care at all." Dan began to cry. "I don't care at all Phil! I can't do it! I'm done!" He shouted, breaking away from Phil's grasp and turning away from him.

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Phil's POV

Phil couldn't bear to see Dan like this. It hurt his heart. So he walked up right behind Dan and wrapped his arms around him. He felt Dan tense underneath his hug but soon relax, his breathing becoming slower and less ragged. "What are you doing?" He asked, his body beginning to tremble and shake even though Phil's arms were keeping him steady.

"I'm being a good friend." Phil smiled, turning Dan around and wiping a tear from his cheek. Dan looked down at his feet and mumbled "Thanks... but I'm still not going back to that college. Not today, at least.

"Well then" said Phil, "It looks like you might be in luck, as I've got no more lessons today and I'm going to the train station now. Care to join me, Dan Howell?"

Dan smiled at him, not wide enough that his dimple showed, but it was a smile all the same. "Please just call me Dan, and I need to go to the train station anyway, so yes, I'll come with you."

Phil grinned. "Great. Let's go." Phil stood beside Dan and began to walk with him, down the straight concrete pavement toward the train station.

The breeze was still lingering, sending stray leaves skimming across their path. Phil had a desperate urge to reach out and take Dan's hand, but he knew he couldn't. He would never be able to do that. Dan had a soulmate waiting for him, perhaps he already had one, but whoever it was, Phil knew that they were the luckiest person in the world. Phil had already come to that conclusion, even though he had known Dan for less than a day, and knew next to nothing about him.

Phil was so lost in thought about Dan, soulmates, himself, that they were already at the train station, and had completed the journey in silence. Luckily, Dan didn't seem to mind, in fact, he seemed lost in his on thoughts.

"What train at you getting?" Dan asked, looking sideways at him. "I need to go to the other platform, do you?" Dan sounded hopeful with the last words.

Phil felt his stomach contract. No, he lived in the other direction, so no, he wasn't getting on the same train.

"I'm sorry, Dan but no, I need to stay this side." Phil felt awful, seeing Dan's face fall and shoulders slump. He then straightned up put on a smile Phil knew was fake, and replied "Sure, ok, that's fine, I guess I should get going."

Dan was about to turn away, to walk over the bridge between the two platforms, but Phil pulled him into another hug. "Goodbye Dan, and for the record, I think you should care. You're not done yet. Somewhere out there, somebody is waiting for you. Your soulmate is out there, somewhere." Phil closed his eyes and lost himself in the moment, feeling his heart shatter as he realised he eventually would have to let Dan go someday, and didn't hear Dan mumble, "And that's exactly the problem..."

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I'll keep this brief, I'm busy doing 'productive' activities.

I hope you liked this chapter and you're not getting bored :/

Am I dragging this out to long? Idk you guys can tell me if you want.

So long my faithful falafels x