Speak [ phan ]

chapter eighteen

***

Dan is significantly happy now.

Everything is going great. Summer holidays is approaching and Dan has been doing quite well at school, not that he's studied too much, the need to procrastinate is too strong.

"Only three more weeks Dan!" Phil says, slinging an arm around his friend and grinning at him, "I can't wait for summer!"

Dan smiles at Phil, who looks so happy and excited at the thought of summer holidays approaching it reminds him of a puppy - cute and adorable. Dan feels so close to Phil, he knows Phil will always be there for him - he just feels at home with Phil.

"Ready for a video game beating now?" Phil asks, raising his eyebrows at Dan, smirking, "I am going to beat you at Halo 3 this afternoon, finally."

Dan laughs silently, shaking his head and grinning, smirking back at Phil as if to say, 'never'. Dan is a master at Halo 3, and video games in general. You don't need a voice to be good, and Dan had a lot of free time, so it's not hard to guess how he's so good.

"Don't give me that face," Phil says, shaking his head, "you underestimate me Howell, I shall beat you one day. I've been practicing! The underdog shall become victorious. Amazing Phil shall become the Halo victor this afternoon!"

Dan grins at his friend, who has jumped up on the ledge of a low wall, his chest puffed out and his hands on his hips, grinning stupidly back down at Dan. Phil looks so happy and cute. Dan loves how Phil hasn't lost the ability to still be a kid - in a good way - he doesn't care what people think. He's silly, carefree, funny, kind, everything people grow out of because of other people's judgement.

"What are you smiling at?" Phil asks, looking down at Dan and making him blush slightly, jumping back off the wall, landing next to Dan, "well, lets keep going, I have lots of kicking your but at games to do."

Phil grabs Dan's arm and tugs him happily along the street, enthusiastic to get home and just be with Dan. When they arrive at Dan's house, they get a packet of chips to share, taking it upstairs to where Dan has all his gaming consoles set up.

"Ready?" Phil asks, his mouth full of chips, picking up his designated Xbox controller, "I'm gonna kick your ass."

Dan shakes his head as he picks up his own controller, siting back on the lounge and stuffing a handful of chips in his own mouth as the game loads. Dan quickly wipes his hand on his shirt, getting rid of the salt and oil on his fingers and grabs the controller, ready to play.

"Take that!" Phil yells as he shoots wildly at Dan, who ducks behind a pole and slowly edges towards Phil from another angle, before taking aim and firing, "no! what the hell? How'd you do that?!"

Dan grins as he wins his fifth round in a row. Phil frowns, pouting at Dan.

"Why can't you let me win a few rounds so it can be a close match for once?" Phil asks, shaking his head and laughing, "I'm never going to win! Dan, why do you have to be so good? I swear I shot you that time!"

Dan grins cheekily at Phil, making Phil roll his eyes.

"Stop giving me that face, you won't be superior for long," Phil says, staring back at the screen, "I was just warming up, now get ready to face my wrath!"

Dan ends up winning, as predicted. He let Phil win a couple of rounds, which boosted his confidence a little too much, so Dan pulverized him until he'd won by a mile, making Phil cross his arms and pout at Dan.

"Next time, I'm picking the game," Phil says, sitting back on the couch as Dan turns the Xbox off, "that's the last time I'm playing Halo with you."