Golden

Final Destination

I'm trying to be clever with these chapter titles, but it's really not working.

"Um."

Dan cleared his throat much louder than necessary.

"Um, sir.
E-excuse me, Mister.
Sir...
It's the last stop.
You-we ... we have to get off now.
Um....can you wake up?
Please, sir......
You really need to wake up.
It's the last stop.
Sir.
Sir!"

Dan sighed. He didn't want to have to resort to this.

"PHILIP!" He shouted, shaking the man's drooping shoulders.

"Huh?" came a groggy voice. "Who-where-OH SHIT!" Philip suddenly realized that he was still on the train, and he had been woken up by some stranger.
"I am so so sorry, I-I don't know what happened, thank you so much for waking me up - I need - where - oh god - shit!"
Philip became increasingly flustered as he tried to gather himself up and simultaneously apologize to the stranger he fell asleep on.

Dan scratched his neck and nervously smiled. "Sorry I didn't wake you up sooner..." he trailed off.

"Oh no, no" Philip apologized profusely. "It's my fault, oh god, I'm such a fucking idiot, I'm sorry, really. I hate to ask but what stop are we at?"

"The, um, last one..." Dan mumbled sheepishly.

"OH MY GOD WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP SOONER?!?" Philip shouted, alarmed and embarrassed.

"I-I don't know," said Dan. "But we both have to get off now, so what does it matter?"

As if on cue, the train began to slow to a crawl and both men stood to leave, Philip still mumbling apologies under his breath and Dan waving them off.

The men stepped off the train together into the cold night air. Dan looked at the small screen displaying the arrival times of the next trains. One heading back towards London wasn't due for another thirty minutes. It was December, and past 10 pm - Dan didn't feel like freezing his testicles off waiting for a train and he doubted Philip did. He grabbed Philip's wrist and dragged him towards the exit.

"We're not waiting thirty fucking minutes for a train. Come on, we'll get home another way," Dan declared. Philip followed obligingly.

"You never told me your name," Philip stated.
"You never told me yours," replied Dan, careful not to mention his little train-stalking experience.
"Well, you seem to know what it is," Philip teased, "or was it not you that screamed my name at me just a few minutes ago."

Dan answered with a bright red blush, visible in the street lights as the boys stepped out of the train station. He turned just enough to see Philip out of the corner of his eye, giggling to himself with his tounge out. Dan looked away, blushing even harder.

"Sorry, Philip," Dan mumbled.
"Just Phil's fine." Another giggle.
"Well, I'm Daniel or Dan. Whatever you call me I don't particularly care. Um, I'm interning at a law firm, and it's very serious business ((srs bsnss)) and I like Muse a lot. That's all you really need to know, I'm a very boring person."

"Well for a serious business man, you seem to blush quite a lot," Phil joked.

Dan sighed, but blushed again. Fuck cute boys. Oh shit! No, not like that - but then again ... NO! He was pansexual, but that didn't automatically mean he wanted to have sex with every person he met. He had standards.

"Aah! Slow down! If you're gonna walk at light speed, at least stop holding on to me first," Phil complained.

Dan let go and slowed his pace. "Sorry, Phil." Phil sounded nice, easier to say. It fit the man more. Dan let out a little peep of a smile.

"So, uh, I should introduce myself too. I'm Phil, I host a Thursday night radio show at BBC, and I like lions a lot. I majored in video making in Uni and I dabble in YouTube a bit," Phil stated matter-of-factly.

"YouTube? That's cool," Dan said, attempting to be nonchalant. He had always dreamed of going into acting himself, and YouTube wasn't that different. But his mum had told him he'd never make it as an actor, so he left that idea behind and went for good old law school instead.

"Yeah, it's really fun. I don't have that many subs, but who cares? I'm doing what I love. You should try it sometime," Phil told Dan.
"Oh no," Dan said, cracking a large smile. "I couldn't, I'm faaar to serious."
"Oh shut up," groaned Phil, punching Dan lightly in the arm. Dan laughed. "I've known you for ten minutes and you're the least serious person I know."
"How can you say that?" Dan questioned.
"Any serious person would've woken me up. Any serious person wouldn't have left the station holding my hand. Any serious person wouldn't still be walking with me."
"Any serious person would've found a fucking taxi ((do they call them that in Britain? Or is it cab??)) by now..." Dan muttered. Then he shivered. It was getting very cold and very dark out. He didn't like it. He began to walk even faster, more skittish than before. Phil noticed.
"Dan? Why are you walking so fast?"
"No reason, it's just cold. I want to go home. That's all."
"You're lying."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are. You're suddenly tense. What is it? Is it something I said?"
"No."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Dan."
"It's NOTHING!" Dan turned the corner abruptly, Phil following just behind.
"Dan?"
"What?"
"Do you know where we are?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"No."
"Do you have a plan?"
"Wander around until we find a taxi?"
"Dan, it's not the middle of London. The odds of that are very unlikely."

Dan stopped suddenly, rigid and shaking.
"Phil."
It was almost a whisper, lost in his breath. Almost.
"What?" Phil whispered, just as quietly.
"I'm..."
"You're what?"
"Scared."
"Of what?"
"The-the dark."
"Oh."
"It's dumb. I'm sorry."
"No, Dan, it's ok. Here, I'll get out my phone, and it'll be nice and bright, and we can find the nearest hotel and get some rooms for the night, ok? No more walking in the dark?"
"Mhmm" Dan whimpered.

Phil's arm came slowly around Dan's side and pulled him close. The artificial glow of Phil's iPhone illuminated both their faces as Phil did a quick search for hotels.

"There's one a few blocks away, ok Dan?" Phil said comfortingly. "It's gonna be ok."

Dan's breathing had slowed and he had calmed down, but as Phil began to walk away, fear seized him again. Even if it was just a few steps, Dan still felt like he was being left alone. He didn't like it.

"Phil?"
"Yeah"
"C-can I h-hold your h-h-hand?" Dan asked.
"Sure."

Dan felt a cool, dry hand slip into his slightly clammy palms. He saw a quick smile flash on Phil's face and felt a quick a quick squeeze of his hand as Phil began to walk again. Dan followed, feeling much better to have someone with him. He didn't let go of Phil's hand until the automated lobby doors swooshed closed behind them.

Oh my god that ending was so cheesy.
Oh well.
This fic is going faster than I expected hmmm.
Anyways, yay for a bit of fluff!!
See you whenever I get around to writing more ^-^