Keeping the Secret

10: The Secret

The next morning, Dan and Phil could be found in their room frantically packing their suitcases. "I told you we should have packed last night!" Dan shouted from the bathroom as he searched for one of his shoes.

"It didn't seem this important last night!" Phil shouted back as he checked under the bed for the 8th time to make sure they didn't leave anything there.

After 20 minutes of scrambling around the hotel room, they finally had all their bags packed. They were about to walk out their door when Phil said, "Wait!" He then walked into the bathroom and returned holding the mini shampoo and conditioner bottles that hotels always leave.

"Really, Phil?" Dan asked.

"What? They're free!" Phil said while he zipped them into his suitcase.

Dan rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Whatever, let's go."

They rolled their suitcases down the hall and into an empty lift. They pressed the ground floor button and began their descent. However, the lift went down one floor and stopped to let someone else on.

"Dan!" Tom exclaimed, wheeling his suitcase onto the lift. Dan groaned inwardly and looked the opposite way.

"Dan, listen. I was way out of line. I don't know why I was acting like that yesterday, but I was being a real dick. I'm really, really sorry though. Please forgive me, mate. You're like the best friend I've ever had, and I've missed you these past few years, and I was really hoping we could hang out when we get back to London," Tom rambled on.

Dan sighed, "Okay."

"Wait, what?" Tom asked, as he must have thought it'd take a lot more to get Dan to forgive him.

"It's okay. I was being pretty rude as well. Let's let bygones be bygones."

Once they reached the ground floor, Tom went a separate way from Dan and Phil, but not before promising to call Dan when they arrived back in London. "Dan, why'd you forgive him so easily? You seemed pretty mad at him yesterday," Phil asked.

Dan shrugged, "I dunno. He seemed genuinely sorry."

~

Tom: 4:45PM
Want to meet up for coffee somewhere?

Dan's phone lit up with a message about 2 days after they arrived back in London. Dan texted back, asking him which place was closest to him. After sorting out where to meet, Dan told Phil where he was going and left.

When Dan arrived in the little bakery, Tom was already there. They had a pleasant conversation about recent events and eventually Tom got around to apologizing to Dan again. They finished their coffee and went to go see a movie, then, after that, went their separate ways home.

When Dan got home, it was late. He didn't hear Phil anywhere, so he went upstairs to the office. "Phil?" Dan asked as he opened the door.

Phil jumped and shut his laptop in a panic. "Oh, Dan... I didn't hear you come in."

"What're you doing up here?" Dan inquired.

"Oh, nothing. Just writing a new chapter of the book," Phil answered.

"The book's pretty much done though, we're announcing it tomorrow," Dan said.

"Yeah, well we're still allowed to make some changes," Phil reasoned.

"But why up here?"

Phil paused, "There was a spider in my room..."

Dan couldn't help but laugh. "It's probably gone now."

Phil shook his head, "No, it can't be... I shoved a towel under the door so it couldn't get out. I can't ever return to my room again. We have to move out. You can pack your stuff. I'll have to buy new stuff though. At least I managed to save my laptop."

"Phil, you're being ridiculous. Maybe a movie will take your mind off things," Dan suggested.

Phil nodded and they went down to the lounge and brought as many blankets as they could find with them. They piled them together and created a giant pillow and blanket nest. After getting a movie started, they both settled down in all the blankets on the floor. Phil rested his legs across Dan's lap. He was having a hard time focusing on the movie.

Dan wasn't really paying attention to the movie either. His mind was elsewhere. Finally, Dan interrupted the movie, "Philly?"

"What?" Phil asked.

"I uh, was just sort of thinking... you'd never judge me, right?" Dan asked quietly.

"Of course not," Phil replied.

"Well, you know how I told you that I used to be bi, but that it was only a phase?" Dan asked.

Phil's heart picked up, "Yeah. What of it?"

"Well, I don't think that was just a phase..."

"Aw, Dan. Don't worry about it! You're still the same person," Phil said with a smile. He was amazed at his own ability to remain so calm in this situation.

"Well... that's not all. I kind of like someone. I was wondering if you could give me advice on how to ask them out?" Dan said, avoiding eye contact with Phil.

Phil's mind immediately jumped to the conclusion this someone was himself, and he started having problems breathing. "I-I mean... you should just ask them, and be upfront with them."

"Alright... I think you're right. So you're cool if I ask out Tom, then?" asked Dan.

Phil felt a literal pain in his chest. He felt his world crash around him. All it took was 2 seconds for Phil to go from ecstatic to crushed. "T-Tom?"

"Yeah... Why?" Dan asked.

"I mean, I thought you didn't really like him too much because of that truth or dare game we played, but what do I know? Go for it," said Phil. He smiled to try and mask how devastated he felt, but had no idea how it was perceived.

"Thanks, Phil. You're the best," Dan said. He then leaned over to hug Phil, which made Phil feel too many things. He felt his eyes begin to water, but he blinked until it went away. Dan let go and they returned to "watching" the movie. Except this time, Dan was imagining dating Tom, and Phil was imagining missed opportunities.

~

Phil awoke the next morning in Dan's bed. He remembered after the movie he wanted to be alone so he could cry. He was heading to his room when he remembered the spider. So he woke up in Dan's room, and when he remembered the night before a whole new wave of sadness crashed over him. He went to go make himself something to eat and he noticed Dan was still asleep in their pillow nest. He wondered if he would be cuddling with Dan right now had he stayed in here.

After Phil made a bowl of cereal, he returned to the lounge to find Dan had woken up.

"Phil! Isn't today the day we're announcing the book and tour?" Dan asked.

"Oh yeah... it is," said Phil.

"Come on! Aren't you excited?" Dan asked with a giant smile.

Phil was excited, but he found he wasn't able to be happy about anything at the moment as the disappointment from last night was still too prominent. "Yeah, I mean everything just went by so quickly. First we were writing a book, then suddenly we were planning a tour."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Dan agreed.

~

When it came time to post the video, Dan and Phil prepared ambiguous tweets together and posted it at the same time. They then sat back and watched the world's reactions. Most people were shocked because they had both done such a good job of hiding this and hadn't left any hints for it anywhere.

After about 30 minutes, there were several long posts on tumblr from people ranting about their opinions. Dan didn't mind these people because he would be going on tour with his best friend, and nothing could be better than that. Phil didn't mind these people either because he knew they were just trying to lash out at someone and there were plenty of nice comments as well.

Shortly after, Dan went out to meet Tom at a bar, and Phil sat at home alone, unsure of what to do.