Phil -14 Dan -10
Phil was popular, and he had no idea why, or how he got to be. His group had every girl in school infatuated when they walked down the halls. He always thought that high school would be hard for him because of how he was treated in his younger years, but friends made it so easy. Tyler, Connor, Chris, Pj, and Phil. The heartthrobs of 9th grade.
Though, none of them were that interested in girls. The whole reason they had started to hang out in the first was place is actually kind of funny.
Pj and Chris were recruiting members of their LGBTQA+ squad, and Tyler and Connor weren't that hard to find. Maybe gays have some special connection to each other no one really knows about, but they all became best friends before they knew it.
Phil had never been more happy. He even introduced them to Dan. Dan was just happy to know that Phil was comfortable with him knowing his friends. They all got along very well with Dan despite the age difference, and Dan was like an honorary "straight" member of their group.
Things were alright.
***
"DANIEL JAMES HOWELL HOW DARE YOU?!" Troye shouted smacking Dan on the arm.
"OW! What did I do?" Dan asks rubbing his arm.
"You hung out with Connor, and you didn't even tell me!" Troye says with narrowed eyes.
"How did you know?"
"I know everything you koala muppet." Troye said hitting Dan again.
"OW. Stop it!" Dan said very annoyed.
"Was he nice?"
"Yeah."
"Did he mention me?" Troye asks hopefully.
"Actually, yeah." Dan says with a smile.
Troye's eye widen. "OMG, really!?"
"Yeah. He asked me how my creepy stalker friend was doing, and if he'd leave him alone."
"Oh, shut up!" Troye says smacking Dan again.
Dan laughs. "He didn't actually say that. He did tell me to ask you if you'd be interested in modeling though."
Troye raises his eyebrows. "Modeling?"
"Yeah. For like his pictures and stuff. He thinks you have a very 'photogenic' face."
"What in the bloody hell does that mean?" Troye says making Dan laugh.
"I have no idea, but you should go talk to him one day. He seems interested in you."
Troye looked thoughtful. "Hmmm maybe I will."
They hung out for a bit more before Troye then left for home with his mum.
When Troye got home, he spots Connor in his front yard just laying on the grass admiring the world. Troye can't help but stare. His mum goes inside leaving her son to stare at Connor. He does it so much she doesn't even bother him about it anymore.
Troye doesn't know where all of his confidence comes from, but he embraces it as he walks over to Connor.
"Hey, there flower boy." Connor says suddenly, surprising the curly haired kid.
Troye freezes, and stares at Connor with a confused look on his face.
"Flower Boy?"
"Yeah," Connor says calmly. "You remind me of the flowers because you're so young, and delicate in the most beautiful way."
He flashes a smile over to Troye.
His face is blushing so much he kind of resembles a rose. His heart is going so fast he is scared it is going to explode, and he hopes Connor can't hear. The butterflies in his stomach are going crazy wild, and he doesn't know what to say.
"O-oh" Troye stutters out.
Connor has a gentle laugh. "Sit with me, Flower Boy. I've wanted to talk to you for a long time."
***
"Phil you seem very happy." Dan says with a smile.
"I am."
"Why?"
Phil thinks for a second. He has awesome friends. It's a nice day outside. He came out to his parents, and they shrugged, and said they already knew. They seemed very okay with it and nothing really changed. He was sleeping over at Dan's tonight. Brendon Urie existed. There were a million reasons to be happy.
Phil smiled. "I'm happy, because I get to spend the night with probably the most amazing person in the world."
Dan blushed. Ever since Phil met his friends he got more comfortable with socializing, and really being himself. Phil is very flirty. He is with just about everyone these days. His charm was probably the first thing people noticed about him other than his looks. Not that Dan was complaining.
"Thanks." Dan mumbled.
"You know who also thinks that you are amazing?" Phil asks.
"Who?"
"THE TICKLE MONSTER!"
Phil then attacks Dan's sides with tickles like he used to when they were younger. Dan is unable to hold back his laughter as he struggles to escape.
"PHIL*laugh* PLEASE*laugh* NO*long stream of giggles*AH!" Dan, well, attempts to say.
Phil seems to watch Dan laugh in slow motion. He sees Dan's rosy cheeks and cute little dimples. He can hear Dan's adorable laugh. His eyes are bright with happy tears and his hair a bit of a mess from the excessive tickling. Phil suddenly becomes the one who can't breathe.
He immediately stops tickling Dan, and stares at the ground. Phil, he's 10 years old for gods sake you can't think of him that way. But he's so goddamn cute. Stop. Dan was right those years ago when he said he's too young for you. You can never be with Dan. It's only 4 years it wouldn't matter in the future. Who cares? Right now, it's gross. You're disgusting for even thinking like that.
"Phil, are you alright?"
The ebony haired boy is shaken from his thoughts by a small hand touching his shoulder. He looks up at Dan with wide eyes.
"Yeah, yeah I'm...fine." He says with a fake smile.
"Really? You don't seem that way. You were laughing, and then you were just...gone." Dan says worriedly.
"I'm fine, Danny."
"No, you are not." Dan says. He has known Phil for too long to be lied to like this.
Phil looks up at him. "Yes I am, I was just thinking too much about...school." Dan wonders why he even tries lying to him. Calling him "Danny" was already a dead give away.
"Stop lying. What were you really thinking about." He says getting very close to Phil. Phil can't take it. He feels angry at Dan for being so young, and out of reach. Does he even know what he does to him?
Phil stands up. "You know what? It's best I just leave." There is a hint of poison in his voice.
"But you're supposed to stay the night." Dan says.
"I don't care."
Phil grabs his bag, and heads toward the door. Staying the night with Dan with all of these dangerous thoughts in his head would be the death of him anyway. He's got his right hand over the doorknob when he hears a small voice call out to him.
"Please don't go, Phil."
Phil can hear his heart break at the tone of Dan's young voice. There is no way he can leave Dan after that. Phil turns around, and heads back to the lounge where Dan is sitting with tears in his eyes. He gives him a warm hug, and whispers, "I'm sorry, Dan. I promise I will never, ever leave you."