Waiting for You // Phan

--- 30 ---

Dan's POV

By the time Dan had got back to college, as he had expected, word had somehow spread that Dan Howell and Phil Lester were soulmates. Dan marvelled how 'gossip' spread around places so quickly, even when it seemed nobody knew about it. That was the magic of human beings.

It was all he could hear, walking past anyone, either when he was with Phil or without him, a whisper or an outright comment, sometimes good, sometimes bad.

To be honest, Dan didn't really care all that much about people talking about him. He had got used to that a long time ago. However, it seemed Phil was struggling alot more with being the center of attention.

Of course, Phil had come here being A Somebody. Dan had come here being A Nobody. And well, when something like this happens and it all falls at the feet of someone who is A Somebody, they feel a lot pressure.

Dan had witnessed it. Maybe, once upon a time, when everyone was so much younger, he had felt it.

He felt Phil slip his hand into his, and Dan's heart gave that little involuntary flutter. "You ok?" Dan whispered, looking across at Phil. They were sitting together outside, the cold air adding to the dull monochrome morning. Another group of people had just walked past, and Dan was unable to tell where they were on the scale.

Positive, negative or neutral.

Phil brushed a bit of his fringe out if his eye and nodded distractedly. He was biting his lip, Dan noticed, and staring around at everyone and anyone.

"It's fine, you don't need to worry." Dan said, squeezing Phil's hand gently.

"Worry? Worry about what? I'm not worrying. Are you worried?" he said, quickly turning and facing Dan. "If you're worried about anyone or anything I can help I promise..."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Phil, you are completely freaking out, about this whole 'being together' thing, aren't you? Does that count as me being worried?"

Phil shrugged, eyes still casting round at passing people. "Ok, I'm freaking out a bit. But I'm fine, honestly. You're here. Besides, before and since we met, you've done enough worrying."

"Yes, but now it's my responsibility to worry about you."

"What's up, lover boys?" Tyler came bounding up behind them, a grin spread wide on his face.

Phil looked him up and down once. "You've changed your hair colour." he observed.

"Blue." Dan said, looking at Tyler's hair.

"Do you like it? Oh, enough about my hair, what about you two?! Louise told me, and, well, yeah, you both are now... out?"

Dan rolled his eyes. "Tyler..."

"Well," Tyler said, "me and Louise always knew you two secretly always were, you know..." Tyler raised his eyebrows and said nothing.

"You and Louise. Of course." Phil said, head turning to look at the next person to walk past.

Dan put his free hand on Phil's shoulder. "Calm down. It's fine."

"You two are so cute!" Tyler burst out, and then pulled out his phone.

"No pictures." Phil said immediately.

"I wasn't going to take any." Tyler said, typing something, "Louise wants to know whether you two and PJ want to come get a coffee or something, later?"

"What is it with you lot and always going on social outings?" Phil said, knocking shoulders with Dan. "But whatever. Sure."

"PJ won't be able to come." Dan told Tyler, and Tyler looked up. "Why?"