Photographs

When we first met

"Wow" Dan muttered to himself, "It's Friday night and what am I doing? Cleaning my room."

Dan sat on the floor near of the edge of the bed, legs crossed, and looked around him. There were clothes everywhere, carelessly chucked from the wardrobe onto the floor in a tiding frenzy. Dan's collection of shoes were also part of the deep mess on his floor, along with several books, fluffy toys, board games and filming equipment.

Dan sighed, and started shuffling towards the door of his bedroom, moving the endless amounts of possessions out his way to do so. He had had enough of tidying his room for one night, and now all he wanted to do was to watch a film with Phil. As he was moving various objects out of his way to create a pathway to get out of the room, Dan felt a large, bulky shape under the pile he had grabbed to chuck out the way.

"What the..." Dan started, and then laughed. It was a thick, leather bound photo album that Dan had completely forgot that he had started when he was younger. Sitting down again, Dan opened the photo album and prepared himself for a trip down memory lane.

~~

When Dan made the first shaky steps off the train platform in 2009, he was so nervous. What if Phil didn't like him? What if Phil suddenly realised that Dan was an awkward, 19 year old teenager, who was unpopular and unhappy, and was therefore nothing special? The thought that Phil, who could make him optimistic about his future in a split second, who could make Dan feel like the world was his with just a smile and a skype call, could potentially decide that Dan wasn't particularity interesting and would see Dan as Dan saw himself, a fat, ugly, nerdy teenager, brought tears to Dan's eyes.

This was all a mistake. Dan should have never come.

But what Dan didn't count on, however, was that Phil was watching him come off the train. Phil was watching the younger, brown haired boy, with a side fringe and worried eyes, step off the train and hesitatingly walk towards the other side of the station.

What Dan didn't count on, was the fact that Phil could read Dan like a book.

So when Phil ran towards the younger boy, with arms open and a smile plastered on his face, Dan relaxed.

It would be okay.

After Phil had hugged Dan, he stepped back.

"You're even prettier in real life"

Dan screwed up his face, with a mock hurt expression on his face.

"I am so not pretty."

Phil laughed, and pulled Dan close into another hug. Whispering, Phil muttered into Dan's ear.

"Yes you are," Phil pulled a camera out of his pocket of his jeans. "See?"

And when Dan looked up at Phil, Phil took a picture, laughing.

"I'm keeping that."

Funny thing was, Dan didn't mind. He let himself hug Phil tightly for that last time before letting go. "You weirdo. Shall we go to yours?"

And so the first picture was born