Set Up •●• phan

XVIII

Phil stood awkwardly in a corner, watching the party. Dan crept up behind him and put his hands over Phil's eyes. "Guess who?"

"Oh, I don't know... Who else has a voice like that?"

"Like what?" Dan asked.

"All warm and chocolatey and sexy... Is it Felix?"

Dan spun him around, laughing, and pressed his lips to Phil's. He slipped his arm around Phil's shoulders and they kissed for a few seconds before Phil pushed him away, smiling.

"How did you cope with Peej after last night?" Phil asked.

"How did you know I'd have to 'cope' with him?" Dan asked curiously, making air quotes.

"Oh, I've known PJ for years, and he never fails to get overexcited whenever anything remotely sexual happens nearby."

Dan laughed and Phil grinned back at him.

"That is so true," Dan told him.

Phil had known PJ for years, but he'd never come across Dan. In fact, he'd only found out how well Dan and PJ knew each other a day or two ago, but he'd been aware that they'd known one another for much longer. When he found out that PJ was trying to persuade Dan to come to vidcon, it had only taken a few subtle turns of phrase to make PJ willing, or even desperate, to help him with his idea.

Phil realised that Dan had no idea about all this. That he'd not yet been told, and he might want to know. Phil wrinkled his eyebrows, unsure whether this was the right time to mention it. Perhaps if he waited for a little longer...

They stood quietly for a few minutes until Phil broke the silence. "Dan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did PJ ever tell you why he specifically wanted you to come to vidcon this year?" Phil asked, muddling his words slightly.

"No... He's been trying to get me to come for years so I didn't notice anything different. Why?"

"Well... I'm not really sure how to say this, but..." Phil paused and Dan took the opportunity to wrap his arm around Phil's waist.

"Whatever it is, just tell me, ok? It's not like it's gonna cause the apocalypse, although you're acting a bit like that."

Phil detected an edge of impatience in Dan's voice, which he'd noticed recently happened whenever Dan got nervous.

"So, I broke up with a girlfriend I'd had for a few years last Christmas," Phil started. Dan nodded, unsure how this was anything to do with him.

"And PJ knew I watched your videos, so he thought maybe we'd like to meet."

"Ok..."

"And because he was trying to get you to come to vidcon anyway, he decided he could maybe help us a bit..."

"Help us?"

"Yeah. Help us to meet. Buy then he took it one step further, I guess, and... Set us up." Phil finished, worry creeping into his voice.

"Set us up?" Dan repeated. He felt numb.

"Yeah. I just thought you might want to know..." Phil trailed off.

"So this was all you trying to please PJ?" Dan asked, in a voice he didn't recognise as his own.

"What? No! That's not what-"

"And now you're going to break up with me and ditch me, just like always. Right?"

"Dan, you've taken this the wrong way."

"Why'd you decide to tell me now? What was so special about the moment that meant you needed to ruin it?"

"Dan. Stop it. You've got it all wrong."

"I think I understand just fine actually," Dan said, a cold edge to his voice.

"No, you don't, honestly. Dan-"

"I need to go, Phil. I need space."

Phil reached for Dan's arm, but Dan brushed him off and stormed from the room. Phil stared after him, frozen.

"Phil?" a soft voice whispered behind him. "Do you want to talk?"

Phil turned around to see PJ. A lone tear dripped off his nose and he wiped his eyes angrily.

PJ held his arms out and Phil stepped into them, burying his head in PJ's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Phil," PJ said. "This was my fault."

"I shouldn't have told him" Phil said, his bloodshot eyes meeting PJ's concerned ones. "It was my fault, not yours."

He started to cry harder and PJ tightened his hold on his shoulders. "Let's get you upstairs."

Phil's shoulders sagged and he allowed PJ to lead him out of the room, ignoring the worried looks he was getting.

They reached his room and PJ tucked Phil into his bed. "Night, Phil."

"Night, PJ."

*****

Both Dan and Phil sobbed themselves to sleep that night.