You and I (Phanfic)

Chapter 10

As I was leaning in to kiss Dan, I saw his family out of the corner of my eye, and after what he had said about not wanting to tell them because he wasn't 100% sure yet, I started to back away, but Dan put his hands around my face and pulled me back in and he kissed me. In front of his family. I couldn't quite function it in my head. I knew why he was doing this: as a way to show me that he wasn't afraid anymore.

"I think you should leave" said Mr Howell as we pulled apart I nodded and walked out the door. As I left I heard them behind me.

"You should leave too, Adrian" said Mrs Howell.

"Why? I'm not a little boy anymore mum, I want to know stuff too." Adrian replied.

"Adrian, please." I heard Dan say. Adrian sighed and left behind me.

I went to find my own mum.

We both went home and straight to bed. She said I could have the next day off, as by the time we'd got home it had gone midnight.

That Tuesday morning Dan rang me up for the first time and asked if he could tell me about the conversation between him and his family. Of course I said yes. 

"Okay, so when you and Adrian left" Dan began, rushing slightly, sliding all his words together. "I told mum and dad everything. All about the bullying being because of the bisexual thing, not emo, and about you. Everything, apart from me joining George, Michael and Ben's group. Mum was pretty supporting. A bit shocked but very nice about it. She wasn't happy about how I treated you, but I told her that that was over now and that I loved you. That's when Dad finally spoke. "You don't know what love is" he said, "you're too young to understand such a complex thing" he was pacing the room and shaking his head. I don't know whether he didn't approve of you, Phil, or me being bi, or what. But they both left feeling as if they had all the answers which made me feel a bit better. They said that they'd explain it to Adrian and when he came in to see me, he smiled and we spoke as normal, which was a relief." Dan took a deep breath. "So how are you, Phil?" I could feel him doing the half smile he always does, even through the phone.

"I'm alright. I'm sorry Dan, but I have 2 more questions." I heard him sigh.

"Okay."

"Why didn't you tell your family about me. Even if I was just a friend" I asked.

"I didn't have friends. Not proper ones. I told you that the first time we properly spoke. My 'friend' who I told I was bi last year, he was never a friend. He was a good... Colleague, I guess. If I told them I had a friend they would have made a massive deal out of it, so I kept quiet."

"Okay, that's fair enough." I took a deep breath and asked as carefully as I could "our first day in the woods... when you came into tutor the next day, you had a bruise around your jaw and your left hand had grazes. Do you mind asking me why?"

"Wow, you pick up on small things Phil!" He laughed, but it wasn't a proper laugh. "Ben was walking through the woods and saw me crying. He slapped me and said that I was weak and that he'd spread rumours about me being gay if I didn't prove how brave I was. He didn't tell me how to prove it, so I just punched him a few times pretty hard and walked off. I got respect from him after that." We were both silent for a moment. I didn't know how to reply to that. Then he said "Phil, I'm scared to go to school tomorrow."

"Yeah, Dan, me too."