SUPER RICH KIDS | PHAN

forty one.

dan.

phil had to talk to the press a bit more, and he banished dan to stay backstage. he said it was so he could take a breather, but to dan it felt like he was a child being put in time out. disturbingly, it made him want to pout and cause a scene.

dan sighed and crossed his arms, rolling his head around on his neck to stretch it out. his brand new guitar sat in his lap and dan stared at it. it was too... shiny. he didn't like stuff like that, it felt too fabricated. he had felt like his performance was so off that day, because he wasn't used to the way this guitar felt. it wasn't the same, dan wasn't used to it.

but he must have been okay, because phil had kissed him.

even thinking about it made dan's skin go hot and he sighed. why had phil kissed him? he had looked so shocked, and then he had just done it, without warning... did he regret it? had phil been acting so weird recently because he had wanted to?

a weird warm feeling filled dan's stomach and he groaned, sliding down in the chair into an awkward position. he heard kat's laugh and looked up to see her standing there.

"how long were you there?" he grumbled, pushing himself back up to sit up straight.

"just a second," she hummed. she took a seat next to dan's chair on the floor, crossing her legs. dan watched her curiously.

"did he send you away too?"

she laughed again. "no. i came to check on you."

dan frowned. "oh."

"he's not embarrassed about what you did," kat mumbled, her eyes searching his face. "i can tell. he's legitimately worried."

dan blushed and looked away, biting his lip. "oh."

she paused for a long moment. "do you like him?"

dan closed his eyes. "please don't ask me that."

"because you don't know the answer or you don't want to say?"

dan kept his eyes closed, staying quiet until he heard her sigh.

"dan," she said softly, and he blinked. "i'm not gonna stop you or anything, if that's what you're worried about."

dan's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her. "what d'you mean?"

she reached up and thumbed at her own lip, which made dan think she was nervous. "i'm not gonna stop you from... you know... having a thing with him. he's been a dick to me, to all of us, but it's your choice. if you think he's a good person, i'll trust you, and if he hurts you... i'll always be here to help you pick up the pieces. it's your life, the least i can do is try and support you."

dan tried to comprehend what she was saying. "katrina, it's not a thing. we just kissed..." he blushed. "we aren't getting married, i don't think he'd even ever want to date me."

she shrugged, looking disbelieving. "alright... i'm just saying. it was silly of me to try and keep you apart."

that got dan's attention and he sat up straighter. "you what?" 

she went pale. "um... i just... talked to phil."

dan narrowed his eyes at her, his heart racing. "about what, kat?"

"well, about you."

dan groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "jesus, please tell me you didn't say anything bad..."

"i didn't!" she squeaked. "i just told him you're fragile and-"

"you told him i'm fragile?"

"dan, you are pretty fragile-"

"i am not!" dan glared at her. "why would you tell him that? he's been acting weird for days, i thought maybe i made him mad or something..."

her eyes widened for a second. "oh god, i'm sorry, i--wait, why do you even care what he thinks? i thought it wasn't a thing." she watched him suspiciously. dan rolled his eyes.

"do not try and turn this on me. you told phil i was fragile."

she leaned back and fell, so she was laying on her back, spreading herself out on the wood floor and groaning. "i was just trying to protect you."

"i don't need protecting." he couldn't help smiling at her drama. "i'm doing fine on my own. and phil doesn't want to be with me. and you don't have to worry."

she looked up, still laying flat on her back. "promise?"

dan sighed. "yeah. i promise i can take care of myself, and i promise phil doesn't want me."

"you shouldn't promise things like that," phil mumbled, and dan's head whipped toward him. he wasn't even looking at them, flipping through papers on a clipboard, but he glanced up. "you know. things you don't actually know."

he was using the same low voice he used to use to intimidate them, or insult them, and he looked a bit casually annoyed, but his words seemed so contradicting. dan felt heat creep up his neck. phil raised his eyebrows.

"well? let's go. we need to put ice on your cheek or something, dan."

dan nodded, subconsciously reaching up to touch his cheek, standing up. he glanced at kat. "he doesn't seem very worried," he mumbled, unable to help himself.

"i was worried," phil cut in, his voice matter-of-fact. "you got hit in the face, dan, of course i was worried."

he sounded almost tired. dan hugged himself, an irresistible urge to argue with him emerging in his chest, bubbling up. "you don't have to speak to me like that, i'm not a child."

phil sighed. "then stop acting like one. you're behaving like a baby, announcing your insecurity so i'll assure you i was worried about you. you're fishing for the answer you want."

dan stared at him, slack-jawed. god, he had thought they were getting somewhere, but clearly not. phil was still the same cold person, he was just hiding it well.

phil looked at him, and dan's thoughts came to a momentary halt. his expression wasn't stony anymore, and something familiar flashed in his eyes. he leaned closer. "i'm so sorry," he whispered quickly. "my dad wants me to use my 'authority voice' or something. he thinks i should speak to everyone as if they're below me."

"oh," dan breathed, a warm feeling of relief washing over him, which was annoying. he tried to fight it off. phil touched his wrist, just for a second.

"let's get out of here, now. i can't stand them anymore."

dan nodded and he felt kat's elbow jab him in the ribs. he squeaked and turned to glare at her.

"sorry," she whispered. "i thought you might need to be reminded to breathe."

dan's eyes widened and he shoved her, blushing deeply. jesus.

they followed phil down off the stage and nearly ran to the car. sunny was already there, sitting in the drivers seat, and he beamed at them. dan swore he winked at him but he tried not to think too hard about it.

kat quickly claimed the passenger seat and dan sighed, climbing in the back next to phil. phil offered him a kind, if not a bit tired, smile, and dan returned it.

it was incredible to think of how much phil had changed, even if he wasn't completely friendly and accepting just yet. you could tell from the little things how much his attitude had improved.

dan sighed and leaned over, shifting so he could lay on the seat with his head in phil's lap. he had planned on being weird with him, he had planned on feeling nervous and awkward around him and maybe avoiding his eyes for a while, but all that sounded exhausting. he smiled as he felt phil's fingers thread through his curls and glanced up at him.

phil wasn't looking at him, but dan could tell he wanted to.

maybe it was going to be a thing, after all.