Consider it a Welcome

Chapter 8: You're the Biologist

"Shit ok Are you ok? Oh god oh god" he began to hear Phil muttering. He heard the lurch of the gear stick and the click of the keys. "Dan oh my god are you ok" Phil cried, grabbing his hand hastily and pulling his body out of the cowering position. "Yes Phil I'm fine" Dan laughed after registering the contact between the two, "Are you?". "Why are you laughing!" Phil smacked him across the arm, ignoring the question. "Because you swore" he smiled, looking up at the paranoid boy who's face was painted in fear. "Fuck you Howell" he smirked, checking over dan with his eyes before getting out the car to talk to the guy who crashed into him.

Moments passed as dan sat in the car guiltily, mind replaying the accident in slow motion and then sped up. He felt rather responsible for it since Phil had only taken his eyes off the road to look at him, it had only been a split second and the crash didn't seem too bad. It's not like they were dead. "But we could've been" dan said lowly to himself, turning his attention to frustrated passersby. Occasionally he would lift his hand in an apologetic manner even though this wasn't really all his fault, regardless that's how he conditioned it in his head and that's how it would stay, the logical opinion of the weather being a key factor would never get a look in.

As he waved off another angry man with a middle finger he heard the car door click and the seat dip next to him. He turned to see Phil's face down on the steering wheel, tears glinting in the street lights. "It's not your fault Phil" Dan said earnestly, ghosting a hand over the mans back. "Well it bloody feels like it. I'm so useless at driving I don't know why I bother. Do you know this is my fourth crash. Fourth! I'm really playing with the odds here" he spat, shooting up from the position and knocking into Dan's hand, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Just, maybe take a break from driving for a while" Dan chuckled, trying to make light of the situation but Phil's face didn't ease. "I know it was the weather and his fault. That's why I haven't been charged. But a matching dent in the side of this door now doesn't make me feel all that great" he breathed leaning into Dan's hand as he rubbed small circles hesitantly on his back. "How far is it to your house" Dan asked. "A few roads away not that far. Where do you live?" Phil asked, looking up at the other man who's expression was guilty. "Uh back that way...a few blocks away from school" he said sheepishly. "Seriously" Phil groaned, pinching his nose before smacking his head down again, nose pressing in the horn this time that made him jump back in shock. "Sorry it's just I was so comfortable in the car i forgot to say anything...it's fine I'll just get out and walk" Dan said apologetically, spouting the first thing that came to mind. "No that really would get you killed how dumb are you?" Phil began to chuckle then laugh properly. "Well I'm no Dr but I'm not completely stupid I promise" Dan replies, "how about we swap over. I'll drive you home" he suggested. "Can you even drive?" Phil asked, realising the hipocrisy of the situation immediately. "I have never crashed and I passed first time. Now get out the car" Dan gestured, stepping out the door to the passenger side.

The rest of the drive was smooth apart from the more than one u turn dan had to make due to Phil's terrible directions but regardless they arrived at an apartment building on a tiny street in the middle of nowhere. "So if you can drive why don't you have a car?" Phil asked, stepping out the door holding his right wrist and rotating it repeatedly. "Because I live in an apartment in the middle of the city. I usually take the under- you're not okay are you? What did you do" Dan asked losing his train of though. He pulled Phil out the road and onto the pavement hastily, grabbing the wrist he was moving around. "Ow could you maybe not" Phil pleased in a small voice. "Phil it might be broken how much does it hurt?" Dan asked, softly rotating his wrist. "Ow ow ow Do you not know what ow means?" Phil yelped after a moment, recoiling away from dan. "Phil. We should go to the hospital or A&E or a walk in centre. Come on back in the car" Dan sighed, wrapping his fingers round the door handle. "Dannnn no please, it's the first day of term! I know you're going to think I'm irresponsible now but I'm so tired can we just wait till tomorrow?" Phil practically begged, his tie and lab coat were drenched in water. The colours on the coat were bleeding into bright messes of orange and pink and his fringe was fully flopped over now. "You're the biologist, Dr Lester surely you should know better. Also, We?" Dan asked leaning up against the car with a smirk despite the squeaking of his trousers and ruined shoes. "Well I don't see how you propose to get home unless you steal my car Mr Howell" Phil purred extracting the car keys from Dan's hand. "Oh fine" Dan sighed, pushing his dropping locks out of his eyes as water rushed down his face. It was a good job too or he probably would've been burning up from the closeness of the other guy. "What is up with you today dan" he huffed to himself, jogging to catch up with Phil who was speeding away from him.