Set Up •●• phan

V

Dan turned the handle on the huge front doors (being careful not to smudge fingerprints onto it) and braced himself. He could sense PJ waiting behind him so, without thinking too hard about it, he pushed hard on the wood.

He had a second to register how remarkably smoothly it opened before a blurry figure ran last him and flung themselves onto PJ. Dan paused, unsure what to do, but as he listened he could make out muffled words coming from the person.

"Now I know why you wouldn't come with me you haven't ditched me have you I'm so sorry if you have PJ what have I done please forgive me-"

PJ hugged the person back and then gently pushed them off him. "Good to see you too, Chris."

PJ gestured towards Dan. "This is Dan - AKA the reason why I couldn't come with you this year."

Dan shuffled his feet awkwardly and Chris grinned. "I don't mind, you know, and I'm pretty sure Peej is pretending he cares about travelling with me more than he's actually does. I'm Chris, by the way." He held out his hand for Dan to shake. A little bewildered, Dan took it.

"So. Dan. I feel like I know you from somewhere, but I can't quite place it. What's your username?" Chris continued.

"Uh... danisnotonfire."

"Doesn't ring any bells... I'm sure it'll come back to me though."

Dan blushed furiously and backed away. PJ, seeing his discomfort, stepped in between Dan and Chris, and tried to get the conversation started again.

"What did I do?" Chris whispered to PJ.

"He's pretty self-conscious about his popularity - he's only got a hundred thousand subs - so I'd steer away from the topic of knowing who he is if I were you," PJ told him, with a glance over at Dan.

"Shit," Chris said. "I didn't realise. Is it his first time?"

"Yeah - he's been pretty averse to this kind of thing before and it took a while for me to persuade him."

"Oh. Now I feel bad."

"It's fine, I'm sure he'll get over it soon enough. Anyway. Shall we go in?"
PJ beckoned to Dan, who untangled himself from the curtain that he'd somehow backed into during this exchange.

"We're going into the main lounge now," PJ told him. "You coming?"

Dan paled. He looked over towards the huge groups of people milling around the hallways, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get the feeling put of his head that he was completely insignificant here. He turned back to PJ.

"Fine."

PJ and Chris both smiled. PJ took one of Dan's arms and led him into the lounge.

The first thing Dan's brain registered was how friendly everyone seemed to be with one another. They were all standing around in groups of about five, talking animatedly, and as Dan, Chris and PJ walked between them a few people turned to smile at them. PJ led Dan through the crowds to the reception desk, where he handed the woman a sheet of paper.

"We have reservations for rooms 432 and 433," PJ told her and she nodded.

"If you could just sign here, sir," she said, pushing a receipt towards PJ. He scribbled something on the paper and handed it back to her. She, in return, handed him two keys. PJ gave one of these to Dan, who pocketed it.

"Would you like us to take your cases up to your rooms?"

PJ nodded and they pushed their cases over the desk. She slid them onto a trolley.

"Have a lovely stay," she said. Dan noticed how bored she looked and he realised that these crowds were probably regular visitors to this hotel, and they made no more impact on her than businessmen coming here for conferences.

"Come on Daniel," said PJ. "Let's get you something to drink."

They weaved through the crowds to the bar, where PJ ordered three of the raspberry beers. They took them over to a corner and stood sipping them and watching people. Dan's eyes flickered around the room, trying to take it all in. He saw a few people he recognised, but when they saw him watching them, they only looked confused, and he knew they had no idea who he was.

"There's Carrie," he said suddenly, spotting her across the room. She was talking to somebody, but they had their back to him, and he couldn't tell who they were.

"You know her?" Chris asked.

"Yes, we did a video together a while ago," Dan told him.

"Of course!" Chris snapped his fingers, making Dan jump. "That's where I know you from! Men vs women, am I right?"

Dan smiled, surprised. "Yes, that was it."

PJ noticed how Dan's face lit up when Chris had said that, and he felt pleased. "Shall we go over and talk to her?"

"Sure!"

Dan seemed to be relaxing already, which PJ hadn't been expecting, but he was glad. Spending the entire week with a scared and dependent adult wasn't his favourite pastime, so he was hoping to spend less time looking after Dan and more catching up with his old friends.

They made their way across the room towards Carrie. She turned as they approached.
"Hey guys!"

She hugged Dan briefly and turned to PJ. "I feel like I recognise you from somewhere but I can't place it..."

"Oscar's hotel, maybe?" PJ suggested.

"Of course! And that would make you..." She turned to Chris.

"Chris Kendall, at your service."

"You were Oliver, were you not?"

Chris nodded and Carrie grinned.

"I know you better than I think I do, clearly."

She turned to her companion, who was staring into the corner of the room and shuffling his feet awkwardly. They exchanged a few words.

"This is Phil, by the way," she told them.

Phil shook hands with Chris and PJ, and then turned to Dan. He seemed to have forgotten everyone else in the room, completely and utterly distracted by this new addition to the room.

"Dan? Are you OK?" Carrie asked.

"I'm fine," Dan said quickly - rather too quickly, in PJ's opinion - and took Phil's hand, shaking it quickly before dropping it and stepping back. Phil raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

Dan stood slightly behind PJ, making sure he had a good view of the stranger. He knew he needed to stop judging people by appearance, but this Phil guy looked like somebody he wanted to get to know. Dan found himself imagining what it would feel like to run his hands through the shining black hair, to kiss those lips with their permanent smile, or to drown in those deep blue pools for eyes - the very eyes that were now watching him with concern.

Dan realised that the conversation had abandoned him and Phil, and was suddenly very conscious that PJ, Chris and Carrie had moved across the room towards the bar while he had stayed fixated on Phil.

"Are you alright?"

Dan heard the velvety voice snap him out of his thoughts. He blushed.

"I'm fine, thanks..."

"Maybe you're feeling a bit disorientated by all the people. I get that too. Shall we go and sit somewhere quieter?"

Dan smiled awkwardly. "If that's OK with you. Where shall we go?"

"Follow me."