(dan)
the kiss was everything dan had ever imagined and more. it was exhilarating and reassuring and breathtaking and calming all at once. he wanted phil's lips to be on his forever but eventually, phil pulled away. he reached up and put two fingers over his own mouth as if to control it.
"i'm sorry. i'm really sorry. that was really rude of me. i mean, you probably didn't want that but i just--"
seeing he is visibly regretful, dan quickly speaks up. "no, it's ok, phil. i liked it," he says with a cheeky smile that phil can't help but mentally gush over its adorableness. "it's just..."
phil raises an eyebrow when dan trails off.
"i haven't been kissed in like ten years. i forgot how good it was."
he stops when he sees the pure heartbroken look on phil's face, worried his loneliness might have scared him away again. but phil only removes his fingers from his own lips and instead, he carefully traces dan's jaw before caressing his lips with his thumb. he leans in slowly and dan feels like he's going to burst.
"i don't mind making up for the last ten years." phil comes even closer. "in fact, i'd love to."
"i guess i wouldn't mind either," dan answers before finally closing the distance between them and giving them both the satisfaction they'd desired.
***
they're both on the sofa, dan's head is in phil's lap and the movie they're watching is coming to an end.
"it was good," dan murmurs sleepily.
"too tired for another?" phil asks, feeling slightly more awake than dan.
dan mumbles a confirmation and he's sure most of his words are incoherent. he yawns.
"want some water?"
dan shakes his head again. he feels phil's fingers thread through his hair, lightly pulling on a few of the strands. "phil. i was going to say thank you for accepting my weird abilities and not telling anyone and believing me even though i haven't been able to show you yet. you're the only person in my entire life who's stuck by me like this. you're amazing."
phil laughs, continuing to run his fingers through dan's curls. "i'm not amazing. i just know what it's like not to be accepted and i wouldn't wish that upon anyone."
there is a darkness behind phil's words that dan isn't sure whether or not he was supposed to pick up. he decides to ask anyway. "what happened?"
"nothing major. i was bullied for being such a nerd, you know, because of my photographic memory. by 4 i was reciting dictionaries. by 8 i had memorised all the laws of physics. by 12 i basically had all my qualifications. i get that some people might have found this annoying, but i only realised that when i went into secondary school. my teachers told me to tone it down, after all, i usually outsmarted them all which slightly embarrassed them, so i dumbed myself down. one of my biggest regrets."
"caring too much?" dan offers.
"precisely. i wish now that when someone called me a freak and threw books at me, i actually did something instead of just agreeing."
"you're not a freak," dan reassures. "you're just a genius, with an impressively high iq."
"if only you were there with me," phil comments, staring wistfully out the window. his fingers are still in dan's hair, now almost massaging his scalp.
dan can feel the sad atmosphere and can see the frown on phil's face. it shoots daggers through his heart. desperate to make it better, he sits up, removing himself from phil's lap and actually sitting next to him. he doesn't fail to notice that phil scootches a little closed so that their legs are pressed together from the top of their hips to their knees. he closes his eyes for a second and imagines himself in a room alone. it takes a minute or two, but finally, he can feel his body calm down. he opens his eyes and immediately stares hard at the glass of water on the coffee table. he pictures a small sphere of water rising up out of the cup, and immediately, it does. phil watches in fascination, with wide open eyes and mouth.
"what's your favourite animal?"
"lion."
dan pictures the little water blob with four legs and a mane, and soon it starts to morph into said animal.
"it's so beautiful," phil says. dan doesn't need to look at him to understand all the emotions going through him. his voice is still a little sad, but it's also excited, probably about finally seeing dan's telekinesis, and yet so calmly content. it's very difficult for dan to concentrate, but he wants to make phil happy again so he forces his mind to stay focused. he adds more water to the lion, making it grow bigger and bigger until the previously full glass of water is empty.
phil laughs, encouraging dan even more. he moves the lion closer to phil, making it lower its head and raise a paw.
"wow," phil whispers, raising his hand as if to touch the water, before pulling away.
dan pictures the lion standing on two legs, and elongates it's body, making it more human-like. he gives it a fringe and glasses.
"is that supposed to be me?" phil giggles. the pure glee in his tone gives dan a sense of relief.
"i'm not the best sculptor," dan defends. he moves the water and rests it on phil's arm, making the legs move so it looks like the figure is walking on phil.
"this is so weird. it feels wet, but it's not," phil comments, and he touches his own arm lightly. he has the expression of a curious child. he pokes his finger through the figure, confused when its form doesn't change. dan realises his concentration is slipping so he carefully places the water back in the glass. he sets it free from his grasp, allowing it to fill the shape of the glass.
"i can't believe..." phil says, still in awe.
dan doesn't answer, once again wishing on everything he knew that phil wouldn't walk away.
"that was so impressive. i can't believe i was lucky enough to see that. it just- it's so cool," phil stammers. dan laughs, giving him a wide smile. "i don't distract you anymore?" phil asks.
"no, you do, but this time i really wanted to make you smile again, so i just focused really hard. actually, that's sort of mentally tired me. i had to put it back because i thought i was going to drop it all over you."
phil doesn't look the slightest bit guilty about his effect on dan. but suddenly, a look of realisation shows over his face. "the pen. and the glass you dropped in the kitchen on my first day here."
"yeah, i was holding them with telekinesis and you walked in and they just slipped."
"and i asked if you were clumsy and your exact words were 'i'm not usually clumsy. i'm usually good at control'. i remember i was really confused and..."
"what?" dan asks, confused as to why dan had suddenly stopped.
"you affect me too. i, i remember exactly what you said, and i remember exactly what i thought. my photographic memory means that my i always have to rely on visuals. my auditory memory is really bad. but i remember our whole conversation, which is a big deal for me."
dan laughs. "we're both cliché little shits."
"i think it's cute," phil says, taking dan's lips between his once again.
"i think you're cute," dan mumbled back.
honestly, dan doesn't think he's ever felt this happy in his entire life. he wants to be with phil like this forever. already, he felt like the world was a better, brighter place. phil was like his own personal sunshine, the centre of his universe, and he just hoped phil wouldn't mind that dan was only an unimportant moon.
**a/n this chapter was supposed to be a lot cuter? idk. vote anyway? this fic isn't finished yet by the way!!
i was going to update this sooner, but i was too busy rewatching season 4 of sherlock. if you've watched it, what did you think of it?**
🔮rachel