Messages (Phan fiction)

Chapter 15

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”, Dan, who was sitting next to me in the car, mumbled, obviously nervous. 
“It was your idea, Dan. Shouldn’t you be a bit more confident?”, I asked, smiling at him encouragingly. 
My mum, Dan and I were on our way to Dan’s house to eventually face his parents and tell them about our relationship
Dan started fiddling with his fingers, getting more nervous every inch we drove closer to his house.
“But what if they hurt you?” 
“They won’t. Dan, you realise my mum will be with us the whole time, right? Do you really think they’re going to do something to me while she’s around?” I reached out and gently took his shaking hands into mine, caressing them reassuringly. 

“Dan, honey. Don’t you dare worrying about that. Everything’s going to be okay. And if your parents don’t change their mind, you can still come and stay with us. Judging by what you’ve told they aren’t at home a lot anyway”, my mum stated, making me smile at her gratefully. 
It could take a lot to prevent Dan from panicking and I was thankful for every help I got.
“Dan, you trust me, right?”, I asked, sensing that he still hasn’t calmed down. “Nothing bad is going to happen. I’ll be alright, you’ll be alright. Promise!”
Dan started biting his lips, intensely thinking of something, when suddenly he eased up a bit and turned his head to shyly smile at me. 
“Thank you”, he mumbled, laying his head onto my shoulder and burring his face into the crock of my neck.

A few minutes later we eventually arrived at Dan’s house. 
“Are we just going to ring, or…?”, I asked, as my mum stopped the car, ready to get out and solve the problem with Dan’s parents. 
“Yeah, I think it’s the best.” 
The three of us eventually left the car and walked up to the front door. My mum rang the door bell and we waited tensely for someone to open, Dan slightly shaking next to me. I quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly, knowing it would comfort him a bit. 
Suddenly the door opened and a tall woman with eyes just as deep brown as Dan’s though they showed nothing of his kindness, stood in front of us. It was unmistakeable Dan’s mum.

“Can I help you?”, she asked, annoyance obvious in her voice, as she eyed Dan suspiciously.
“Yes, you can. I need to talk to you and Mrs. Howell, if he’s at home”, my mum said, keeping her voice friendly, though I could tell it was rather hard for her to not snap at Dan’s mum.
“Well, if it’s important. Come in.”
Mum, Dan and I slowly followed her into the lounge, were Dan’s dad was sitting and reading the news paper, though he immediately looked up when we entered the room. 
“What is this all about?”, he asked, eyeing mine and Dan’s linked fingers in surprise. In contrast to his Dan’s mum, his eyes showed no hatred or disgust at all - just surprise. 

“Well”, my mum started, shamelessly taking a seat without anyone telling her to. “As you probably know Dan and my son, Phil are dating. Yes, you’ve heard right. Are. And even though you both disapprove of your child being homosexual, I am not going to watch you two ruining a wonderful relationship.”
Mrs. Howell gaped at my mum in disbelief. 
“Excuse me, but are you trying to say you’re going to help my child being a sinner?”, she exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.
My mum raised her eyebrows at her. “Are you serious? Being gay is not a sin. The bible says with no word that you can’t love someone the same sex. And isn’t it a lot more important that your son is happy than what some book says? You want the best for him, don’t you?”
“But being gay is not the best for him. It’s a sin, for heavens sake”, Mrs. Howell replied desperately motioning her husband to help her. 

“How do you know that it’s not? Being with my son makes Dan happy, doesn’t it?”, my mum looked over at us expectantly and we both quickly nodded. “So if he’s happy, it has to be the best for him.”
Mrs. Howell opened her mouth, closed it again and then opened it again, but now words came out. She looked at her husband for support but he was still gazing at me and Dan, or more precisely at our entwined hands.
“I don’t know, honey”, he started, looking at his wife unsurely. “I mean, I’m not too happy with Dan having a boyfriend either, but if he really likes him that much… Maybe we shouldn’t be in their way..”