Hate Me Closer (Phan)

Chapter Forty-One

Dan and Phil were sat at the dining table, with their books scattered out and piles of loose paper freely between them, "Do you have my Chemistry sheet near you?" the younger teenager asked, looking through his half of the table.

"Uh...yeah, here." Phil passed it to him, an affectionate smile on his lips that Katherine saw from the corner of her eye, but the doorbell rang so she walked out of the room towards the front door.

"Hey, Mum!" Martyn smiled, embracing his mother as she patted him down in her usual style.

"Oh, it's so lovely to see you." she grinned, "Do you need to bring anything in?" she asked, looking out the door.

"No, no, Ben's got the boxes in his van at his place. It's just me and my suitcase!" he exclaimed, holding it up.

Kath nodded, closing the door behind him, "Well, Phil's room is ready for you. The covers are changed and I hoovered the floor. He's got everything he needs out of there, so it's yours for the next two weeks." she explained.

"Thank you." Martyn grinned, "And thanks, Dan, for dealing with Phil in your room!" he shouted out teasingly.

"Oi!" his younger brother complained.

Katherine subtly leant in, whispering, "I don't think either of them will mind sharing a room." she turned around as though she said nothing, but sparking an interest in Martyn's mind. He furrowed his eyes at her and then exchanged a look between the two suspiciously happy teenagers. But, he nodded, brushing it all off and carrying his bags up the stairs.

Katherine walked through the open archway into the well-lit dining room, sighing kindly as she crossed her arms, "Pack up then, you two. Be done for the day. We'll play some games with Martyn, and I'm sure you want to hear what he's been up to, Phil." she smiled.

Phil nodded at Dan, both of them standing up and gathering their pieces together. They carried the books up to Dan's bedroom and dumped them on his desk. The younger boy quickly glanced at the door behind them both, before pecking his lips against Phil's, giggling gleefully as he walked away.

"Don't do that!" Phil loudly whined after him, jumping over the blow-up bed that was unnecessarily set up for either of them.

"Don't do what?" Martyn asked as he shut the door behind himself, "There's no way Dan's the annoying one in your relationship."

"Relationship?" Phil asked slightly too soon.

"Oh, I'm sorry, boarding school getting to you?" Martyn grinned deviously, "Friendship." he knew exactly what he was doing. The Lesters were easy people to read: they can't lie and they can't hide the truth. Phil stood no chance.

"Oh, right. Uh, yeah, he is."

"Bullshit," Dan growled from the top of the stairs.

"So...what did he do?" Martyn pried as he walked with Phil down the hallway.

"Oh," Phil blushed, "Nothing." his older brother nodded, not prying anymore as they walked together into the living room. A game of Monopoly was set up on the floor with Nigel searching the crooks for a lost piece as Katherine smiled up at Martyn, "Did you know Dan passed his grade five for piano?" she beamed against Dan's scowl he was giving her.

"Oh, wow?" Phil's older brother chuckled, taking a seat on the floor, "That's awesome. I played guitar for a few years and got to grade three I think." he took out the silver boat and placed it on the Monopoly board, "How long have you been playing for?"

"I don't want to answer that." Dan mumbled, slouching over his knees as he sat beside Phil, "I know the reaction people give." he pouted, restraining himself from leaning into his friend. There was a downside to spending so much time in their rooms together: they forget they shouldn't be so close in front of others.

"Two years." Phil mischievously giggled, taking his money from Katherine and fanning it out on the floor.

Dan watched Martyn's eyes widen before he bit his tongue, nodding at the floor and simply mumbling, "Impressive."

"I hate you." the younger boy mumbled to his friend.

Nigel stifled a laugh, "I don't think you could convince anyone of that, Dan." the young boy's jaw dropped as he stared in pure shock at Phil's dad. He ended up nodding, taking in a breath and speaking no more of it.

"Any plans to go ahead with music in the future, Dan?" Martyn asked, counting the money he was passed as he was used to his family's cheating ways.

The brown-haired boy shook his head, "Not specifically. I want to act." he begged them not to pry about schools.

"You, Phil?" he interrogated the other teenager, rolling his die onto the board.

"Probably journalism." he shrugged, smiling as he realised he had the highest roll, "I get to go first."

"You guys don't have any weird rules, do you?" Dan asked, taking his turn.

"Have you not played Monopoly with us before, Dan?" Katherine questioned, lining her money neatly in front of herself.

"No." he shook his head, "I think it's the one game in the cupboard we've not played."

"There's a reason for that." Martyn cracked his knuckles, "It's one PM now, but we'll be lucky if this game finishes before dinner." he snickered to himself, "You've played before though, right?"

"Yeah." Dan confirmed, "Recently, actually. We have it in Crossings." he watched Phil's older brother tactically roll the die.

"You're in Crossings, too?" Martyn questioned, "Thought you were in the second house."

Dan shook his head, "I moved. So, any weird rules?"

"Not that we're aware of." Phil chuckled, "Oh, apart from that once you're out, you can team up. It keeps us all competitively in the game."

"Dan," Nigel warned, "You're an only child, so just watch two siblings play Monopoly and you'll see a whole new side of them. You might not be talking to Phil this evening."

"I hope I won't be." Dan thought to himself, catching himself off-guard and blushing. He rolled the die casually, pretending his thoughts hadn't gone in the direction they had until Phil leant into him to talk.

The black-haired boy quietly muttered as the others talked between themselves, "Guess we thought the same thing, then." he prodded his best friend's side and returned his attention to the game.