"hey, i'm phil and whoever didn't show up, is an absolute dick," the stranger, or phil, muttered quietly, offering a hand to dan to shake and dan took it hesitantly, still pathetically confused.

"wait what? what is happening?" dan scratched his head in confusion and phil just leaned back into his chair, flashing another comforting smile towards dan.

"i was working on a project here, and you have been waiting for quite a long time, and people staring seemed to bother you, so consider me your prince, saving you from all the awkward embarrassment," phil spoke quickly, his voice thick and sweet and everything dan wished aiden's was.

wait what?

"o-oh, thank you, phil?" he blushed and phil just shrugged waving his hand dismissively.

"no problem man, i was getting tired of reading this shit book anyway," phil set a book down on the table that dan hadn't noticed he had, quickly peeking over to find a physics book.

"yeah physics seems quite boring," dan agreed and phil smiled at him again. he seemed to smile a lot but dan wasn't complaining, at least it made up for the lack of smiling that dan performed.

"so you are..?" phil raised his eyebrows questioningly, and dan took a moment to notice the boy.

he didn't look much older than dan himself, his eyes a bright cerulean and his hair styled into a smooth fringe across his forehead, matching dan's but a lot neater. his skin was pale, so pale you could probably use the term "white" to describe his skin tone, but his lips were a splash of pale pink on that white, plump and barely chapped.

"dan howell," dan finally answered and phil nodded at him.

"you looked like a winston to me, but dan suits you too," phil said casually and dan almost snorted in front of the attractive stranger.

"winston? really?" dan groaned and phil giggled, removing his back from the cushioned backrest to lean over the table.

"would you like to have something?" phil asked, blue eyes wide and captivating and he looked so genuine and chaste and dan did not have it in him to lie to this person he met barely five minutes.

"i'm starving," dan admitted and phil laughed, agreeing on the statement.

"i thought i'd look even more of a weirdo if i ordered a hamburger while reading a physics book, glad i have someone who i can eat with now," phil didn't sound like he was joking or making fun of dan, and dan liked the fact that phil didn't insult or tease him. he was too used to that so he was kind of expecting phil to talk in that manner.

the waitress came over happily, giving dan a warm smile before asking for their orders.

"a hamburger, one by two, and you want?" phil gestured towards dan who just flushed at the sudden power assorted to him to order for himself. he was too used to just go along with whatever aiden wanted.

"i, um, don't know, fries maybe? and a diet coke," dan answered nervously and phil gave him a soft smile, trying to ease his nerves, which actually worked as dan tried to focus more on his breathing.

"you heard him," phil said charmingly to the waitress.

"anything else?" she asked, and phil seemed to think over it for a moment before answering.

"a ginger ale for me please," the waitress just nodded, and flashed them one last smile before letting them know that their order will be ready in ten minutes, and scurrying off into the other direction.

"so," phil began and dan diverted his gaze back to him. "who was this asshole that you were waiting for? girlfriend?" phil questioned and dan just bit his lip before answering.

"boyfriend," dan corrected him and phil widened his eyes a little bit, nodding slowly.

"you're gay?" phil pondered out loud and dan's cheeks flushed yet again. he had no idea what to say to phil if he was homophobic.

"is there a problem with that?" dan muttered nervously and phil just shook his head.

"no no, just asking," phil replied honestly. "if it makes you feel any better, i'm a flaming homosexual,"

dan laughed at that, covering his mouth with the back of his hand so he doesn't make too much noise and he watched as phil stared at him, lips parted slightly as if he was in shock.

"what's wrong?" dan asked, feeling his cheeks heat as phil's eyes raked over his face, the laughter dying down.

"you have dimples?!" phil gasped suddenly and dan could physically feel himself turning bright red, his hands covering his cheeks insecurely.

"no no no, i mean that in a good way, i mean—shit that just made you so much more attractive i love people with dimples," phil rambled, and dan blushed yet again, letting his hands fall back on the table as he gave phil a small smile.

"that's a bit—that's a weird basis of liking someone don't you think?" dan chose not to respond to the fact that phil just called him attractive.

"well i'm weird," phil shrugged carelessly and dan shot him a confused look. "oh dan, there is so much you don't know about me, and if you did, you'd probably scream 'weirdo!' in my face and run off,"

"i wouldn't do that, especially to my prince," dan winked, and was taken aback slightly when the pale skin of phil's cheeks turned pink. was that considered flirting? dan didn't give it much thought, simply adoring the way phil pursed his lips looking at a loss of words.

"anyways," phil regained himself after mere seconds, leaning back against his chair. "so what exactly were you waiting for? like it has been atleast twelve days since you've been sat here," phil rolled his eyes and dan looked away from him in embarrassment.

"i think my boyfriend got stuck somewhere? i don't know why he's taking so long," dan muttered and phil snorted nonchalantly, not pleased by the way dan was stood up by his so called "boyfriend".

"what do you think are the chances of him getting into an accident and dying?" phil asked casually and dan just giggled, folding his arms across his chest.

"a solid sixty seven i would say," dan joked and phil just smirked at him in a suggestive way, shrugging his shoulders.

"that only means sixty seven percent chances of you being my boyfriend instead," he stated casually and if dan knew him better, he would probably punch his arm playfully and roll his eyes, but he didn't so he just laughed and let the heat travel to his cheeks.

"you wish loser," dan mumbled weakly in response but was glad when phil laughed it off, steering the conversation into a more positive one.

"while we're on the topic of death, how old are you?" phil asked and dan raised his eyebrows in surprise. he had never known phil, never seen him or talked to him and he wasn't even aware of his existence until now but they seemed to go along so well. maybe phil was generally a good person at conversing with others, but dan just thought it was a strange coincidence.

"i'm twenty three," he finally replied and phil widened his eyes in surprise.

"oh wow you're much younger than i thought you would be," phil's tone still held surprise so dan took it upon himself to ask how old he was.

"now what? are you like forty or something?"

"pretty fit as a forty year old don't you think?" phil winked at him and dan only shook his head. he wasn't sure how many times he had blushed relentlessly in a row but somehow he didn't feel ashamed by it. it wasn't his fault if phil was flirting with him.

"i'm twenty seven actually," phil said and before dan could say anything he was cutting him off. "but age is just a number, if you catch my drift," he wiggled his eyebrows and it took everything in dan not to slap him over the head in an adoring gesture.

"what do you do?" dan leaned across the table, resting his chin in his palms as he stared at phil, genuinely interested in the vibrant man in front of him.

"i work in a studio, you know like making adverts and editing and stuff," phil shrugged. "i actually always wanted to go in the filming industry and i tried youtube for a bit but it didn't work out for me, but now i work as an editor and i guess i'm pretty happy with my job," phil said and dan smiled at him nodding along to whatever he said.

"do you like travel and stuff then?" dan pondered and phil hummed in confusion, trying to find an appropriate answer.

"i do but occasionally, you know if they need my help with filming something at a particular destination or something? but otherwise i just work at my office," he stated and dan nodded again, running his fingers through his hair. phil's life seemed much more exciting than dan who just worked for a publishing house. he didn't exactly hate his job, but it got a little boring sometimes and on same days he craved excitement, and editing manuscripts was just not doing it for him.

"what about you?" it was phil's turn to ask and dan just gave him a bored look, shrugging his shoulders in disinterest.

"i just work for a publishing house and they give me stuff to edit and go through which is pretty boring compared to yours but yeah," he summed it up quickly and phil furrowed his eyebrows at him.

"why do you sound so done with your job? do you not like it?" he asked and dan didn't know how to answer him. he would look like a stupid hipster if he said he needed "excitement" in his life and it probably would only elicit a few suggestive looks from phil.

"i don't know i mean it can get pretty bland at times," he answered vaguely and phil could see he wasn't particularly comfortable with the conversation so he didn't push it.

"tell me more about your boyfriend then," phil pushed his fringe back into place from where it had fallen and dan groaned in response.

"can we not talk about him? like honestly just thinking about him makes me pissed,"

"i thought thinking about your "bae" should like make you feel happy and stuff, you're such a rare case," phil laughed and dan could only concentrate on the way phil said "bae", it was amusing to hear someone talk like that in real life.

"i do that too you know," dan pointed out and phil furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"do what?"

"use acronyms irl," dan waved his hand to himself to prove a point. "see, i did it again,"

"i think—" before phil could continue the waitress was putting a plate full of fries in between them, accompanied with their drink of choice and their respective hamburgers, and dan could feel his stomach grumble angrily at him for keeping it starving for so long.

"anything else you would like?" the woman smiled sweetly at them and dan just shook his head, already picking a fry off the plate and dipping it into the ketchup before stuffing it in his mouth.

he watched as phil copied his actions, except he didn't dip his fry in the sauce and dan just stared at him weirdly.

"you don't eat ketchup with your fries?" dan gave him a strange look.

"i don't like ketchup," phil stated casually, popping another fry in his mouth before gripping the straw between his lips and taking a sip of his drink.

"who doesn't like ketchup?" dan wasn't letting the topic go and phil just rolled his eyes.

"can't a guy in his mid-twenty's eat a fry without ketchup in peace," phil groaned and dan giggled at his statement, taking a sip of the fizzy liquid before replying.

"that is oddly specific,"

"don't act like you don't like the details," phil winked at him and dan tilted his head to the right in confusion.

"what does that even mean?"

"what?"

"you're such a strange person," dan was giggling again, covering the back of his mouth as phil just blushed, rolling his eyes and taking a bite of his burger to hide his smile.

"shut up,"

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i'm so glad you're liking this !!