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“So I’m just going to sit here now… and talk to the camera?”
Dan sat in front of the set-up camera, arms crossed over his chest, his face twisted like he was actively questioning every life choice he’d ever made.
“Were you expecting a live audience?” Phil asked with an amused smile, eyes focused on his laptop as he adjusted the camera.
Through the screen, he watched Dan roll his eyes.
“Maybe you should write that down. Sitcoms always do well.”
Phil laughed softly, checked the lighting one last time, then turned the laptop around and sat down next to Dan on the floor. He immediately felt their knees brush and neither of them moved away.
Dan turned toward him at once, and Phil found it surprising how natural it already felt.
It had been two weeks since the glue incident. And sure, they’d basically been texting nonstop during that time and had played something on Discord once or twice but this was the first time they were actually spending time together in person.
At least without medical necessity. And without a retrospectively very fever-dream-like ambulance ride.
And yet here they were, sitting side by side on the floor, about to film what would probably be the most awkward video ever.
And it felt exactly right.
“My life is sitcom enough already,” Dan added. “I don’t need a laugh track on top of that.”
“It’s really not that weird once you get into the flow,” Phil tried to reassure because he, despite his act, could feel Dan tense up next to him. “And besides, you’re lucky you have such a good filming partner”
“Oh yeah? Am I lucky to get to film with you?” Dan raised an eyebrow, a grin tugging at his lips. “Don’t you let every paramedic who rides with you in an ambulance film a video with you?”
“First of all,” Phil said, “why do you think I’ve been in enough ambulances to even know more paramedics than you?” Dan chuckled lightly. “And secondly, I meant it as it’s much easier and less weird because you don’t have to talk to the camera the whole time. You can just talk to me.”
Dan pressed his lips together. Actually seeming to calm down.
“Okay, yeah. That does make sense.” His mouth twitched, fighting a grin. “Also, I’ve met enough people to know that someone who accidentally eats glue at thirty-four probably hasn’t been to the hospital just once.”
Phil escaped a surprised laugh.
“Save some of that sass for the camera. You can embarrass me plenty on-screen.”
“My sass is inexhaustible,” Dan said. “Don’t waste your worries.”
By now, Phil felt like he could read Dan a little. He knew the confidence was more performance than truth, something he could tell from Dan’s tense shoulders and the way his eyes couldn’t quite decide where to rest.
And still, when Phil finally asked, “Ready?” and Dan answered with a casual shrug and, “Can’t be harder than saving lives,” Phil knew Dan was going to absolutely nail it.
And he was right.
They hadn’t planned much. Phil had only explained roughly how he wanted to start and left the rest open. That was how he filmed most of his videos and he’d already pegged Dan as someone who didn’t do well with instructions.
Barely had Phil introduced Dan as a paramedic - not a hot paramedic, which Dan immediately complained about and nearly turned into a fact-based debate - before Dan jumped into the conversation like he’d never done anything else in his life.
He was charismatic. Funny. And it didn’t take long for Phil to realize the audience would absolutely love him.
Phil noticed the moments where Dan moved a little stiffly, where he held himself back. He noticed that, despite knowing now how much Dan loved to talk, he was keeping it short while filming.
And most of all, Phil noticed how Dan’s gaze instead of facing the camera never really left him.
Phil knew it was from not being used to it and after all Phil had suggested it to him. But still...Phil’s whole system tingled every time he felt Dan’s eyes glued on him.
He pretty quickly realized how he himself also behaved differently than in his usual videos. Dan had a talent for throwing him off with a sarcastic comment or just a raised eyebrow, making Phil laugh or making him feel the need to nervously overexplain.
But overall?
It worked. Really freaking well.
So when Phil glanced at the recording time before filming the outro and it said one hour fifteen minutes, Phil couldn’t believe it.
It had seemed much shorter and honestly, he didn’t even know what he would cut out because he felt like everything they said and did one hundred percent deserved a place in the video.
Of course he’d been making videos for long enough to know that there would be plenty to cut out but right now he was on a filming high.
“Thanks for watching, and feel free to subscribe if you haven’t already-”
“And if you weren’t too weirded out by his glue story,” Dan added.
“Right. Hopefully not,” Phil said, then turned from the camera to Dan only now realizing how close they’d drifted during the video.
Phil lifted his hands in a shrugging motion and saw how Dan’s lips turned upward into a smirk.
“And hopefully you neither.”
Dan leaned back and looked straight into the camera.
“No way, honestly I think this was the most fun I’ve ever had,” he deadpanned. His face seriously blank.
And of course, Phil caught the sarcasm but the way Dan turned back to him afterward and the smile contrary to just a second ago so bright...it made Phil duck his head, giggling like a child.
Later he would slightly cringe over his reaction, right now he didn’t care. And in the end he would still leave it in the final cut.
“So, then it sounds like I’m gonna hurry up with my next near death experience so Dan can save me again.” Phil joked and immediately saw Dan react with an eye roll.
“Please don’t, I’ve had enough of those the last two weeks.”
Phil laughed and turned back to the camera.
“We’ll see. Thanks for watching, and see you next time!”
He leaned forward, turned off the camera, then immediately let himself fall back.
“Fucking hell,” Dan said, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything more nerve-wracking. Was I doing okay?”
Phil nudged him with his elbow.
“Okay? You’re made for this. If you’d seen my first videos, you’d know what a natural you are.”
Dan bit his lip, his leg bouncing slightly.
“I think I need to confess something,” he said. “And it’s incredibly uncomfortable. We talk about it once, and then never again.”
“We just spent half an hour talking about how I accidentally ate glue and had a panic attack.”
“Mm. Fair.”
Phil waited. Dan kept chewing on his lower lip, and Phil had to admit – annoyingly – that even that looked good on him.
It had been an effort to focus on the video at all which had probably been a blessing, honestly. Otherwise Phil might’ve died of embarrassment.
Instead, he’d spent a solid third of the time absorbing every detail of Dan.
His hair was less of a chaotic mess today, more controlled. Not necessarily better. But the thought of Dan having taken time to style it made Phil’s stomach twist in ways that made Phil’s alarm bells ring.
And the way the lighting made Dan’s brown eyes literally glow didn’t help either.
Phil was very aware that he was spiraling.
Which he should really stop.
Especially with Dan still sitting in front of him, clearly debating whether or not to say what he wanted to say.
Finally, Dan sighed and shrugged.
“I might’ve lied a little when I said I’d only seen a few of your videos.”
Phil gasped theatrically, hand to his mouth.
“No way. Really?”
“Shut up, idiot. Wait for the whole confession before you start making fun of me.”
“Okay, sure, my bad.”
Dan sighed again, and Phil couldn’t suppress his smile. He could already guess what was coming and even though Phil wouldn’t see anything bad in it, Dan looked like it physically pained him.
“Okay,” Dan said. “Just for the record, this had absolutely nothing to do with why you got my number. I know how it looks like and I know I joked about it which makes this look infinitely suspicious, but I promise-”
“Dan.”
“Augh. Okay,”, he rubbed his temples and sighed. “I’ve been a fan since the beginning.”
Phil burst out laughing, doubling over into Dan’s space. When he finally looked up again, Dan narrowed his eyes dramatically.
“First of all: rude.” He raised one finger. Then a second. “And second: next time I rescue you because you accidentally drink acid or something profusely more dumb, I’m going to laugh just as hard.”
Phil was still grinning as he grabbed Dan’s wrist and shook it.
“You’re acting like you didn’t fight a smile through my entire explanation.”
Dan’s mouth twitched.
“I was highly professional.”
“It’s okay,” Phil said, patting his shoulder, very deliberately ignoring the urge to leave his hand there. “So. Fan since the beginning, huh?"
“Yep. Since 2007. I used to comment on every single video. Every fucking tweet.”
Phil raised an eyebrow. He didn’t know why he felt this weird deja-vu. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of having heard that story before.
“No way. Really?”
Dan nodded, then rolled his eyes.
“You even replied to me a couple of times. Guess I wasn’t memorable enough, though”
Phil stared at him, stunned. Something about it made his stomach churn.
There was this clear realization that they could’ve met years ago. They could’ve already started texting back then. Maybe even met in person and who knows how their story would’ve continued from there.
“Do you think we would’ve gotten along?” Phil asked seriously thinking about it.
Dan laughed softly.
“I think I would’ve done anything to make sure we did. In hindsight, there was a lot of stalking and a very parasocial vibe involved”, his face twisted in embarrassment then his lips twitched.
“And then, after all these years, I get a patient who somehow ate glue, thinking nothing of it-” He waved a hand. “At least nothing positive. Knock on the door, and suddenly it’s you.”
“I would’ve preferred the parasocial stalking version,” Phil said.
Dan laughed. Phil grinned, then tilted his head.
“Do you think I would’ve eaten glue in that universe too?”
Dan actually thought about it.
“I’d like to say no. But something tells me that’s a fixed, non-optional canon event in your life.”
“I’d really love to argue with that.”
Dan leaned forward, grinning.
“But you can’t.”
Phil only realized later how smoothly Dan had redirected the conversation to no longer dwell over his apparent obsession with Phil’s younger self.
They quickly decided to watch the raw footage so Dan could decide if there was anything in there he wouldn’t be comfortable to have on the internet. Dan had to get to a shift so they only skipped through the material.
Phil knew how weird it was the first few times watching yourself talk and babble and quickly noticed how Dan started to fiddle with the fabric of his shirt.
Shortly after Dan just waved.
“You know what, I trust you enough to make me look exactly the right amount of likeable.”
It wasn’t until Dan had already left and Phil was lying in bed that it really hit him how insane it all was.
Dan had known him all these years. Phil had unknowingly interacted with him before. And now, somehow, through some weird glue eating incident they’d found each other anyway.
It sounded cheesy. Phil would never say it out loud.
But it felt like it meant something.
And even though Phil’s body was very clear about how it reacted whenever Dan was close - and his thoughts kept circling him relentlessly - Phil didn’t care what form this connection would take on.
He didn’t want to think about whether Dan might have a girlfriend at home. He just wanted to enjoy whatever this was.
Phil had been absurdly happy that day. Adrenaline still buzzing through him.
And when his phone vibrated on the nightstand later and Dan’s message popped up, a calm warmth settled in him as well.
Dan: "gorg."
Phil: "shlor."
Dan: "Just wanted to tell you how much fun I had. Let’s repeat that as soon as possible."
Dan: "Also, can you at least refer to me as hot paramedic in the description? I think it would boost the video. Trust me."
Phil: "Go to sleep."
Dan: "Damn it."