self-help // phan

tres

Self-Help
a dan and phil fanfiction
chapter 3
Enjoy.

"Mum, come on!" Dan's voice was desperate. "I don't have my wallet, I can't get home! Please, come get me." As soon as Dan had stepped outside, thunder crackled over his head as rain erupted from the sky, the storm finally releasing. As he spoke, lighting flashed the sky, along with another bout of thunder.

"Dan, you know I can't. I'm in a meeting!" His mother's voice was unchanged to Dan's issue. "You'll just have to phone a friend or something. Good luck honey, have to run, bye now."

"Wait!" Dan gasped, but his mother had already hung up. He sat on the dry concrete guarded by a patio outside the office. Dan was so frustrated, he hadn't noticed he didn't grab his wallet on the way out. Now he was trapped, with no one to call and no where to go. He'd have to wait for the rain to stop so he could walk the way home. How far away was eleven kilometers?

Really, what was his mother thinking? He didn't have friends to just phone up and give him a ride! Dan scoffed at the idea.

He curled his knees into his chest, and watched the falling pools of water. The noise of the storm began to lull him to a doze, and he began fighting sleepiness.

"Daniel?" A soft, questioning voice woke him. Startled, Dan blinked wearily. It was darker now, the only brightness coming from a street lamp farther back. The office behind him was dark, the person looming over him barely a shadow.

Immediately, Dan was jolted awake and his mind ran through every fighting method he ever knew, which was a karate class he took in grade 3.

Slender, pale hands came into view in an attempt to calm him. "Daniel, it's only me." With Dan more awake, he recognized with shock that it was Dr. Lester that standing over him. "What are you doing sitting here? Do you know what time it is?"

When Dan didn't answer, Dr. Lester spoke again. "You're lucky it was me who found you, you could have been mugged, or worse." Without the formal tone, Dr. Lester's voice fluttered an array of octaves, speaking quickly. "Do you need a ride home?"

Dan immediately shook his head, cringing at their awkward encounter. "How are you planning on getting home, then?"

"Walking."

"Oh Daniel, no! Let me help you. You can't even risk taking the tube home this late, I've got you covered." Dr. Lester clearly wasn't planning on changing his mind. He helped Dan up with one hand, and began trudging into the rain. When Dan didn't immediately follow, he turned around.

"Coming?" He shielded his eyes from the water, squinting at him. Seeing as this was better than sleeping at the office, Dan followed Dr. Lester into the hissing rain. The coldness bit at him like a real wound, the rain was not far off from being snow. The older man veered towards the only car left in the lot, which was a black BMW. Snazzy, Dan noted.

When they were in the car, Dr. Lester switched on the light, and Dan was greeted with a pale face with black hair plastered to the sides. The harsh glow emitted from the light changed his skin to pure white, the array of moles plastered on his face were invisible. When Dan continued to gape, he noticed the white collared shirt Dr. Lester was wearing was soaked through, his fair flesh visible underneath the fabric. Dan looked away, his skin prickling.

This man could have been a model! Why did he choose to spend his life doing some boring job?

Dan flipped the mirror down to gaze at his appearance, and his fringe had begun to curl from the freezing rain that drenched him. Shivering, Dan tried to warm himself up by rubbing his arms. The car started to life with a purr, immediately Dr. Lester's hands found the heater and switched it on.