Distractions
Dan and Phil have always been close. They would cuddle and hold hands and it would be considered normal. They always called each other their best friend in the world and nothing would change that. Except it did change. Dan realized he loved Phil in a romantic way and needed to tell him and Phil got a girlfriend. On the same day.
“Fuck you! Fuck you and her!” Dan yelled at his flatmate. He could feel the tears that were making his vision of Phil blur and he tried blinking them away.
This is the third fight, or I should say, screaming match this week alone about Phil’s stupid girlfriend.
“Dan, why can’t you and Leah get along?! You’re alike in so many ways and I thought my best friend and my girlfriend would be friends. Is that too much to ask?” Phil yelled.
Yeah, Dan thought bitterly. We’re so alike, down to the hair and eyes. You’re trying to replace me.
Phil was looking at Dan expectantly, and for a second Dan was confused until he realized he didn’t answer Phil.
“It is when she hates me.” It’s barely above a whisper but Dan knows Phil heard it.
Phil cocked his head to the side in confusion and asked softly, “Why would she hate you?”
“She says its because all you ever talk about is me. Or anything that remotely concerns me, like the radio show, presenting awards, or something I bought for the flat.” Dan rushes, not knowing when the next time they will be screaming at each other again. Everything had gone downhill in the past six months since Leah entered the picture.
“But I-”
“I don’t believe that for a moment, though.” Dan interrupted. “When you’re here all you do is talk about her. It’s driving me mad! ‘Leah did this..’ or Leah said that..’ And when she comes over she sends me death glares constantly to the point I stay in my room until she leaves. But do you notice it at all or anything she says about me for that matter? No you don’t.”
Dan finished his rant and looked at Phil. Phil was staring right back at Dan with a hurt look on his face.
“Dan? Are you jealous of Leah?” Phil whispered, breaking their gaze to look at the floor.
Dan wasn’t expecting that question. He knew what he wanted to say but it would sound childish. She’s taking you from me. Instead he didn’t answer; at least he thought he didn’t.
“What?” Phil asked, his head snapping up as he stared at Dan.
“What?” Dan asked, confused. He didn’t even say anything.
“You really think she is taking me from you?”
Oh. That.
“Yeah”
“She’s not. She’s my distraction.” Phil explained.
That confused Dan. “Distraction? Distraction from what? You have a beautiful girlfriend who loves you and all of your friends except for me. Why would she be a distraction?”
“She’s my distraction from you.” Dan’s heart sunk when he realized what Phil meant.
“What’s that supposed to mean Phil?”
“It means-”
“No, I know what it means.” Dan interrupted for the second time that day. “It means that I’m in the way of your happiness with Leah. Doesn’t it? It means that, given the choice, you would rather spend all your time with her. It means you’ve replaced me as the most important person in your life and I understand that. Doesn’t make it hurt any less.” Dan brushed passed Phil and into the hallway before Phil could see the tears Dan couldn’t stop if he tried.
“Dan, please I- What are you doing?”
Dan had put on his coat and started to put on his shoes when the doorbell rang. They both ignored it.
“Dan, answer me. Where are you going? Look at me!” Dan heard Phil’s voice crack and finally looked up at him. Phil was crying too and he wasn’t trying to hide it like Dan was.
“I’m going to Chris’. I’m clearly not wanted here.”
“You’re jumping to conclusions Dan. You always do that.” Dan stood up to face Phil and noticed the distance between them was nearly non existent. Any closer and we would be kissing.
“Yeah?” Dan whispered.
“Yeah. You take things out of context and jump to the wrong conclusions. Dan, when I meant she was my distraction from you I meant that I-”
This time it was the doorbell that interrupted Phil. Dan groaned and Phil swore.
“Phil! Honey you called me to come over!” Leah yelled, and started banging on the door.
Phil swung open the door in anger and yelled louder than he’s ever shouted at me, “No Leah, I did not call you to come over! I was, once again, fighting with Dan. All you were for was to make Dan jealous. And guess what? It worked. It worked a little too well because when I told him that you were my distraction from him, he didn’t assume I was using you to make him jealous like I thought he would. Instead he jumped to the wrong conclusion and thought that I was replacing him with you!”
“What does this mean for me and you, Phil?” Leah asked barely above a whisper and on the verge of tears.
“It means we are over. You’re great and all and I love you but I’m not in love with you. I’m in love with Dan. Have been for about six years and it’s about damn time he knows. Besides, did you really think I wouldn’t find out about you trying to hook up with Caspar and Connor? Right after you left, they both called to tell me. So leave Leah. I never want to see or hear from you again. No more distractions”
With that, Phil shut the door in her face before she could say a word. He locked it and turned to face Dan. He was full on crying and didn’t bother to hide it anymore.
“Really? You love me?” Dan choked out. Phil stepped closer and wiped Dan’s tears away before he spoke.
“Yes Dan. I’m in love with you. Making you jealous with Leah was my own weird way of trying to get over you.” Dan tried to laugh but it came out as a half laugh and half hiccup.
“I’m in love with you too Phillip.”
That was all Phil needed to hear before he crashed his lips on Dan’s.
*Five Years Later*
“Daddy! Daddy! Papa! Daddy! Papa!” Five little voices shouted as they jumped onto their parent’s bed, effectively waking the two men up. Dan groaned and put a pillow over his face but you could still hear him.
“Phillip, why are there five little monkeys on our bed?”
“I don’t know Daniel. They should be still asleep.” Phil replied, looking around at his family. James, Luna, and Oliver were the triplets and the oldest at seven. They were the only biological children of Dan and Phil because they tried surrogacy before adoption. Sarah and Dyllan were adopted and are five and two respectively.
“Papa wake up Daddy! We gotta go to Disneyland!” Luna yelled excitedly.
Dan and Phil decided to take their family to Disneyland to celebrate their four year wedding anniversary.
“Ok guys! I’m up! I’m up!” Dan says as he sits up and starts ticking his children. Everyone was giggling and shrieking. Phil leaned over to kiss his husband of four years. Dan smiled so big, it seemed to light up the room. They couldn’t be happier.