Phan Oneshots

Violin Lessons

genre: fluff and violins and shit
word count: 1351
"Now watch me, Phil," said the dark haired boy, holding the violin. It was small on him, despite being a full sized. Phil sat quietly, anxious to learn how to play, or rather just better himself at the art. Dan rosined his bow, and soon, the beautiful echoes of the instrument rang through the flat. Phil watched everything. He watched his bow, his hands, his fingers. Dan's fingers were so long and elegant. Apparently, Phil's were great for that type of instrument and Dan was more fit for a cello. Phil admired the way that Dan concentrated on the music, and even more so that he had memorized it.

The sounds of the violin drifted from high to low, each note crisp and clear. Phil couldn't hear one single mistake.

"So," Dan said. "What did I do wrong?"

Phil wanted to say nothing, but of course, his teacher would try to do something wrong each time. "Umm, bow hold?" He asked.

"No. I didn't use fourth finger, and during a piece that's slower, it's easier to distinguish the opens versus fours. We want something like that to be a warm tone. So, Phil. Play me your four on the G." Phil stretched his pinky finger and played the note. Dan told him how you could check it by playing the open.

Soon enough, the lesson was over. Dan took the violin and packed it up, loosening the bow.

"Thanks, Dan." Phil said as Dan closed the case.

"Anytime, Phil. Really. It's great having someone as a student."

Dan took the violin to his room where he kept it as well as his sheet music. He knew how to play the four main instruments: violin, viola, cello, and bass. The violin and viola weren't hard to learn once you got one down since it was the same basic technique.

Dan was extremely musically talented. He could play up to fourteen different instruments. Violin, viola, cello, bass, piano, harp, saxophone, clarinet, flute, snare and bass drums, trombone, guitar, and a few more. When he was in school, all of his teachers would compliment him and his talents. He was used to it by then.

******

Dan continued giving Phil violin lessons for a while. Phil was still amazed by Dan's talents. Dan had been teaching Phil the basics for months. He decided it was time to play something at a kind of easy level. Dan told Phil this and Phil beamed. He was finally going to be able to show how he could do. He and Dan looked through Dan's old sheet music and found a good piece. It was relatively fast, but nothing Phil couldn't handle. Dan told him to try to sight read it and play.

Phil's not-rosined-enough bow squeaked across the slightly out of tune A string. Dan went over, shaking his head but smiling. He stood behind Phil and tuned his A until it wasn't flat. He then rosined Phil's bow and tightened it just a bit more.

Phil took the bow back, and put his hand into proper bow hold position. Dan reached over to help him guide the bow across the string and held his hand on top of Phil's. He watched the bow slide across while making sure Phil's fingers were in the right spot. And whenever they weren't, he'd reach over and move them. After about four hours of practicing, Phil could play almost the entire song. It was short, and he wasn't quite at the right pace, but it was good.

"Wow, Phil. Good job today!" Dan complimented him.

"Thanks," Phil said, blushing. His music teacher, probably the greatest one he'd ever met, had just complimented his mediocre violin skills. "Same time tomorrow, right?" Phil asked, packing up his violin. He had gotten his own, or rather, Dan bought one for him. Phil didn't like that Dan spent so much on him. Time and money-wise. Violins were standardly about £1200 if you wanted a good one. And Dan wanted Phil to have a good one. Dan's was more expensive though. About £2000.

"Yep, but tomorrow, we're gonna just take a break. You've been working your tail off lately. Let's just meet at Starbucks or something. Catch up, how does that sound?" Phil grinned.

"It sounds great!" He said, closing the case and picking it up. "You have my number, text me tonight which place."

"I will!" Dan said as Phil left the flat. The door closed and the sound rang through the apartment. Loneliness, Dan thought. He went into his room and opened his case to start playing. The strings were all in tune, as always.

*******

The next day, they met up at a Starbucks not too far from either of their apartments. They talked about some musical stuff but the conversation moved onto different topics. They talked about Phil's new YouTube channel. Phil tried to convince Dan to join YouTube. He said they could do a video together. He did end up persuading him, but Dan said that Phil had to perfect that song first.

It had been hours, each had purchased at least two drinks, and almost everyone in the shop had been exchanged for another customer. Yet Phil and Dan were still talking and they hadn't run out of topics.

It didn't start to get really interesting until Dan asked Phil about relationships.

"Like friends?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, and... more than that I guess?"

"Oh, I'm single. And you are pretty much my only friend."

"Same here," Dan said. "What about past relationships? There is no way you have never dated anyone."

Phil chuckled. "Yeah, I've had a few. Two girlfriends and one boyfriend. I'm not really into that kinda stuff. I guess I just haven't found that person yet."

"Oh, you're... You're bi?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"I just didn't know that. I am, too, actually."

"Oh that's cool! You rarely ever meet another bi person out there."

"I know!"

The two talked about other things until Phil brought another thing up.

"Dan, why were you so quick to tell me you were bi, too?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't know. I guess I'd just never met someone like me." Howell, you know you're lying. You thought you'd have a chance with him if you told him.

"Okay. Just wondering. I'm actually really glad you are."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've liked you for a while now and I've been wondering... Dan Howell, will you go out with me?"

Dan smiled and nodded. "Yes. Of course. Of course, Phil." He leaned in and gave Phil a hug and Phil returned it.

"Thank god! I thought you were going to say no."

Dan laughed. "How could I say no to you?"

They finished off their drinks and decided to walk to Dan's place. It was a little chilly, and Phil's nose was red. "Awww, baby. Your nose."

"What about it?" Phil asked, quickly reaching his hands up to it.

"Nothing, it's just red from the cold. Here, do you want my scarf?" Dan said, wrapping his light scarf around Phil's neck. "That looks good on you, keep that."

They soon got into Dan's flat, where the heat felt like heaven. "It's really cold. Do you think I could stay the night here?" Phil asked.

"Of course, it's a Friday. Do you want to watch a movie?" Dan pulled the curtains closed, it was still light out. He made some popcorn and ordered a pizza.

They sat down on Dan's couch, covered up in Dan's comforter. Phil leaned against Dan's shoulder, and Dan had his arm around Phil.

"Hey," Dan said in the middle of the movie, looking down at the almost asleep boy.

"Yeah?" said Phil groggily.

"Do you want to move to the bedroom? Its getting late." Phil nodded, yawning. He carried the blanket to the room and Dan thought he reminded him of a small boy with his blankie. Phil lied down on the bed and Dan covered him up before sliding himself in with him.

"You know," Dan said. "This'll make lessons far more interesting."