When Light Met Dark // Phan

Ten

"Best friend."

It wasn't a phrase that Phil would throw around lightly, yet it left a sweet aftertaste in his mouth, like it was something he was meant to realise sooner or later.

Phil didn't really have any friends, as sad as that sounded. Sure, he'd met a few people through YouTube, but that wasn't the same as having a real person to talk to, someone to tell you everything's going to be okay, someone to hold you close while you cry on their shoulder long into the night. He cast his mind back to the night where Dan did exactly that. He knew exactly what Phil had gone through, having only experienced the same thing a few weeks prior. He was absolutely certain that this was a contributing factor as to why they'd become so close over the week since that evening. It was empathy.

It was the best feeling in the world to have someone in your life like that, and Phil was incredibly grateful that he had Dan.

Dan was his best friend.

*

It was about midday now, and Phil had just set himself on the sofa to play a Mario kart  marathon when his phone started ringing, displaying Dan's name. Phil almost dropped the remote on the floor in his haste, but somehow managed to answer without breaking anything.

"Hi Dan!"

"Hi! Just wanted to check in." Dan sounded relatively calm, which was comforting, "not getting too lonely without me, are you?"

"Well," Phil glanced to the game, which was ready to start his solo session, "Mario kart is much more fun with two people, but I think I'll survive."

"Don't worry, we can play some when I get home. Get ready to lose!"

"Yeah right." Phil huffed quietly, listening to Dan's laughter on the other end. He glanced towards the TV again before an idea emerged, a radical concept, some might say.

"Hey Dan."

"Hey Phil"

"I've just had an idea"

A brief silence.

"I'm scared"

"You can always say no"

"I'm getting even more scared"

Phil sighed dramatically.

"Right, so you know I do this YouTube thing?" He honestly didn't know how Dan would react; it was an innocent, fun idea, but what if he was uncertain about putting himself on the internet? It was understandable, so Phil wouldn't mind if his idea was rejected, but it would still be a nice idea.

"Would you like to be in one of my videos?" He held his breath.

"What kind of thing were you thinking of doing?" This was a good sign.

"Maybe just play Mario kart? It'll be fun, but you don't have to if you don't want to."

Dan was silent for a moment, probably thinking it over before replying, "yeah, sounds good! You're still going to lose, though."

"Don't be so sure about that, Howell."

"Who are you talking to, Dan" a new voice from Dan's end piped up suddenly. Phil felt a light tug in his stomach.

"My friend, Phil." Dan answered confidently enough, and the tug turned into a warm tingle; this was probably the first time either of them had outright referred to the other as a friend. Phil couldn't help but feel a brief sense of triumph over the stranger, though he knew how ridiculous he was being. Dan was allowed to talk to other people, as long as they didn't get too friendly.

Why did he care so much?

"Sorry," Dan spoke up again, "that was Tyler. He's showing me around the offices and stuff."

"Is he nice?"

"I guess? We haven't known each other that long. Don't worry, though, he won't replace you." Dan's laughter seemed to fill the otherwise silent living room, and it was oddly infectious.

"Good, I'm just glad you're getting on okay." Phil released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

"I'm going to have to go now, but I'm looking forward to beating you at Mario kart." He laughed once more.

"Bye!"

And the room was just as silent as it was before, maybe even more so. He sighed, looking over to the console, thinking it'd help him in the long run if he were to get some practice in now before Dan got home.

*

"So, Phil, huh?" Tyler was perched on top of Dan's new desk, still relatively empty apart from the boxy computer that looked like it belonged in the 80s and a tub of stationary he was probably going to end up stealing.

"What about him?" Dan was setting up his work email account, but Tyler's legs dangling right next to his face were only distracting him.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Dan's eyes darted up towards the other, who was grinning cheekily, like he knew how awkward the situation had just become.

"Uh... n-no, what- what gives you that idea?" He spluttered, feeling himself go furiously red. Phil was his best friend, nothing more. But did he want more? No! Yes? Maybe?

"Why have you gone red, then?" Tyler laughed evilly, throwing his head back.

"I hate you."

"I'm sorry." Tyler swung himself off the table gracefully, turning his smirk a sympathetic smile, "is it complicated?"

"Not really..." Dan started quietly as the other's eyes grew wide with interest, "I just... I don't know." He slumped back in his chair, spinning it around ever so slightly as he watched Tyler out of the corner of his eye, who honestly looked like he'd dropped the subject earlier.

But the fact still stood: Dan didn't know what he wanted out of his relationship with Phil. Maybe it was presumptuous of him to even consider wanting anything more than he already had, or maybe it was simply asking too much? There was a very good chance that Phil didn't have the same thoughts, so there really wasn't any point pondering it any further, despite the strange feeling in his stomach or the way his heartbeat would speed up just thinking about Phil, but that was normal, right?

"Right, um," this was the first time all day Tyler was at a loss for words; he always managed to fill even the most awkward of silences with a joke or something dumb, so this was out of character, to say the least. He looked down at Dan with his wide eyes that looked very much... Pitiful?

"It looks like it's time to go home," he looked down at his watch before looking up to smile at Dan again, "you could drop in on Phil before you go home?"

"Yeah, I forgot to mention," he laughed quietly, "we kind of live together."

Tyler started with wide eyes, doubling over in surprise with a quiet oof sound.

"I'm not saying that's a big deal, but that's a big deal."

"Thanks, Tyler," Dan stood up, picking up his bag, "I'll see you tomorrow."

All he heard as he left the office was laughter on the brink of insanity and something that sounded a lot like "get in there", but he couldn't bring himself to respond.