Work Text:
P: Hi Dan!
The sound of the new message is almost instaneous when he logs on. It makes his stomach twist with something like excitement.
d: hello :)
P: I missed you!
Dan’s stomach gives another twist, and he feels his pulse kick up. But surely Phil is just being friendly.
d: lol rly?
P: Of course! You haven’t been online in days!
Dan can’t keep the stupid grin off his face.
d: i was here day b4 yesterday
P: That’s ages ago!!
It feels really good to know that Phil even noticed his short absence. The truth is Dan had purposely avoided logging onto MSN yesterday because he had been having all sorts of doubts. Doubts like, did Phil even really want to talk to him or was he just being nice? Thoughts like, had Dan been too annoying, typing too much and asking too many obnoxious questions that didn’t even have anything to do with editing?
In the space it takes him to feel the gratification of Phil’s attention, Phil has already written again.
P: How are you!?
d: good :) how r u?
P: I’m alright except I’ve been bored without you to talk to
This does something to temper Dan’s good mood. Of course Phil just likes chatting to him because he doesn’t have much else to pass the time. He’s already admitted to Dan that he is not doing much with his days except looking at job postings and planning and recording his videos. Nothing at all like the frantic pace right before graduation. In that sense they’re both floating a bit, coasting on the tail end of finals stress and feeling a bit purposeless.
d: well i am at your disposal :p
P: Orly?
Phil’s reply sends another little jolt through him. It’s so quick that he must be sat just staring at the chat window, not doing anything else, just waiting to talk to Dan.
d: rly :D
P: To do with as I will?
There’s certainly something feisty about Phil today and Dan doesn’t quite know what it means.
d: well pls dont actually dispose of me :O
P: Hahaha I would never
P: So what have you been up to?
d: nothing much XD
P: You haven’t been busy?
d: not really?
P: And still you abandoned me to sit around on MSN all alone :(
d: i’m sorry lol i didn’t know u would notice i was gone
P: What! Of course I would!
This makes a definite flutter take up home in him. It’s so stupid, but he’s starting to sweat, fingers fairly shaking with nerves.
d: so what did u want to talk about?
P: Anything?
d: come on you can do better than that!
d: you’ve had a whole day to think about it XD
P: Not sure I should tell you THAT
d: what?
P: What I’m thinking and what I want to talk about might be two different things :3
d: what? why don’t you want to talk about the things you’re thinking about?
P: Can you really not think of a reason? ;)
His stomach lurches again, and he feels decidedly sweaty now. Is it possible that Phil is being flirty, or is it all just Dan’s wishful thinking? Who is he kidding? Of course it’s just wishful thinking.
d: i can think of several reasons but a lot of them aren’t very nice so...
P: Dan. Come on. You know I wouldn’t be thinking bad stuff
d: wouldn’t you? most people seem to
They’re veering dangerously close to some of those serious topics they’ve touched on before, but Dan is not at all in the mood to revisit how shit his life is right now.
P: Most people are stupid so clearly I’m not most people
d: lol clearly
He marvels once again at how nice Phil is. How effortlessly he seems to always say the right things. It gives him that bit of courage to pursue this, to dare hope that there’s something interesting that Phil is almost ready to put into words.
d: tell me?
P: Nope :)
d: a hint?
Phil sends him a calendar emoji.
d: wtf does that mean?
P: It was a hint! I’m not gonna tell you.
d: a word hint!!
d: please?
The pause is long.
P: No, you know what it doesn’t matter. Forget it. I don’t wanna be skeevy
Now Dan is fully intrigued. He shifts in his seat. His t-shirt is sticking to his lower back by now.
d: maybe i’m okay with a bit of skeev
P: Are you sure? You can’t be mad after
d: look are you trying to tell me you’re counting down the days until you can murder me bc otherwise i think ur fine
P: Just...
P: Thinking about Fridays :3
It takes a while before the dots connect. He’s sitting there staring at the screen trying to figure out if Phil is going out on the weekend when suddenly he realises: Dailybooth. Naked Friday. The flush that rushes through him makes his face burn and tiny beads of perspiration spring up along his hairline. He has never been more grateful to be alone in his room with only a chat window connecting him to Phil. He must look a sight.
d: oh XD
d: well...
d: we’ll just have to see what happens friday
P: :O
d: XD
P: You’re not mad?
d: y wld i b mad??
The truth is that among the many emotions swirling through his mind right then, anger is definitely not one of them.
P: You might be
d: well im not
His fingers hover over the keys. It feels as if Phil has been brave on his side of the screen. Maybe Dan can be just a little brave in return.
d: not at all actually ;)
Is the winky face too much? Oh god, it was definitely too much. His head is spinning with the urge to take it back, but that’s impossible.
P: Oh
P: :)
It’s probably stupid how goofy those two tiny messages make him feel, but he’s grinning like a complete fool. The unbearable tension within him seems to have crested and broken somewhat.
P: Maybe Fridays are my new favorite day :3
Dan leans back and breathes out. He is limp and sweaty and happy unlike anything he remembers, and it’s all just from logging onto MSN.