Prompt: Phil is a hitman assigned to kill Dan but changes his mind when he meets him.
"Take a deep breath Lester. There is no time to think about this, so pull yourself together." A tall man whispered to a young boy around the age of 13.
"Close your eyes if you need to.. sometimes it helps. Just pull the trigger Lester, you can do this."
"I'm scared.." The boy said to his older mentor.
"We're running out of time Lester, either kill or be killed by the boss. You can't just back out now. Be grateful that the boss felt bad and got you off the streets."
The boy looked over the dumpster at the brunette haired girl trying to talk to someone over the phone in an alley. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"One... Two..." The boy locked his arms tightly and prepared for the shot to fire as he'd done in training. "Three."
Bang.
Three quick pats on the back and the sound of something thumping against the ground echoed around the area. The boy opened his eyes.
"Great job Lester; very quick and clean. That was better than most beginners in this field."
The boy and his mentor walked over to the now limp body. They each grabbed an end of the body and set it in a body bag they'd brought along for later disposal. The tall man snapped the phone in two and together they cleaned the blood off of the pavement by spray painting mindless X's over it.
"You'll get far if you keep it up kid. Killing people just gets easier after the first."
Years later
"Lester, we've got a new case for you. Daniel Howell. He's the owner of the organization responsible for the drug related fire that nearly killed Henry. They're onto us and they suspect that we'll kill Howell."
"So how do you want me to handle this Boss?" A very tall, dark haired person replied.
"However the fuck you feel like it Lester, just get it done. It pays 100 G's. Good money, yeah? He's an important guy Lester, and the security around him is tight. Listen, you're my top guy. You never get caught. Hell! No one even knows what you look like besides me and a couple of trusted individuals. Get the job done Lester."
The hit on this guy sounded promising. With all of Mr. Howell's records and recently visited spots, it was simple to profile him. Mr. Howell often visited Havash Tavern on the weekdays, foreseeably stress related or due to frustration. Definitely not troubles with relationships; family or sexual. Lester had seen people with Mr. Howell's habits before. Mr. Howell was closeted.
Obviously Dan would be alone at the Havash Tavern. He was using it as an escape from his outside life to pick up guys.
Lester sat on a barstool at the Havash Tavern waiting patiently for Mr. Howell to come in. As expected, he stumbled in and scanned the area for his prey of the night. He eyed Lester who was casually sipping a beer.
"Hey there, may I ask your name?" Mr. Howell asked taking a seat next to Lester.
"Phil, and yours?"
"That's classified. You know that this is a pretty bad place for someone like a face like yours."
Mr. Howell was cocky. Somehow, Lester enjoyed this.
"Maybe I'm looking for some danger." Lester said seductively.
"I knew you were playing on that team, it was the way you were sitting." Mr. Howell bluffed.
"I've seen you around this bar.. I know what you do."
"Oh?" Mr. Howell said surprised.
Lester took a leap of faith, his idea wasn't foolproof but it would have to do for now.
He jumped on Mr. Howell's lap and closed the gap between their mouths. Dan Howell gripped onto Phil's back. Phil stood up and pulled Dan to do the same. Dan jumped up, wrapping his legs around Phil's waist, kissing passionately.
"Oi! Get a room you two." The bartender shouted.
Bringing Phil Lester home was a fatal mistake on Dan's part.
Phil gave Dan what he wanted.
"So Dan, why do you do this with strangers?" Phil asked curiously.
"I don't know, I guess I'm just lonely. Why do you do it?"
"I don't do this kind of thing normally, just you seemed different." Phil lied.
Dan nodded like he understood.
"I used to do it just occasionally when someone exceptionally attractive strolled in. It only became a regular thing recently when I realized my family would never accept my... preferences. You know?"
"I get it. My family is kinda tough too. Not about my sexuality, but they are just very strict that I do everything right and be the perfect one. It's actually terrible." Phil admitted.
The gang really was like a family to him. They were accepting and caring for him. Phil's sexuality was rather fluid though. It had to be extremely fluid to help him in situations where he needed to seduce, such as this one.
"It's funny, I feel like you are the first person who actually gets me. Sorry that's weird, we just met!" Dan confessed.
Phil laughed.
"No, no! You're fine. I understand completely!"
And he did understand. He understood feeling alone in the world. That was enough to form a bond between any two people.
Dan sat up, pulling some sweat pants out of his drawer and putting them on.
"Want some coffee?" Dan asked politely.
"At 2am?" Phil exclaimed.
"Why not?"
Phil put on his pants from earlier that evening and got up with Dan to go get some coffee.
"You know, I just always feel pressured." Dan told Phil.
Phil could relate.
"Sorry I'm just making everything about myself."
"I like it.." Phil mumbled.
Honestly, all this personal talk would just make this harder in the end.
Dan spun around and pulled Phil in for a spontaneous kiss, then released to take out two mugs from the cabinet.
"How do you like your coffee?"
"Surprise me." Phil smiled.
"I'll make you something really special then! Be prepared.. Its an old recipe my mother used to make before she bit it."
"Oh, I'm so sorry..."
"No, it was a long time ago.. I was ten. She was in London on a business trip before my father and I moved there. She was always away on business trips when I was younger."
Dan laughed a little at a memory.
"I uh... I was talking on the phone with her... She had to move into an alley because people were yelling and shoving her on the street. My dad was accross the room giving me a thumbs up as I described some movie to her over the phone. She said that she was so excited to come home and that when she did she'd actually stay. I said 'I love you' to her.." Dan trailed off.
"What happened next?" Phil pried.
"I don't know for sure.. No one really does. I told her that I loved her and then there was a bang. Like a.. Like a gunshot. I waited for her to say 'I love you' back but she never did. I heard the phone fall then there were footsteps. Someone seemed to pick the phone up, then the connection was lost. I never saw my mother again.."
Phil froze. It was him. Phil's first kill was Dan's mother. It all fit; Dan's story and the memory that had burned itself into Phil's mind forever.
"Hey Phil? Are you okay?" Dan asked, snapping Phil out of his daze.
"Huh? Yeah, no it was just a really sad story.." He explained.
Dan picked up the now coffee filled mug and handed it to Phil. He placed the coffee on the counter and reached into his pocket.
"Listen Phil, I have something to tell you.. I'm a part of a company and we deal with the distribution of drugs. We owe some other people some money right now and someone has already come for me. Luckily, my men took care of the hitman with a little fire in an abandoned building. They've probably already sent someone else for me. I'm dangerous Phil. I have a price on my head. I like you a lot and I just don't want to see you get hurt." Dan said, eyes quickly flooding.
Phil pulled in Dan's face and kissed him softly.
"Oh Dan," Words said with such sympathy, Phil pulling away slightly to speak.
Dan wrapped his arms around the other lovingly.
"I'm not the one you should be worried about." Phil whispered darkly.
He punctured through Dan with the kitchen knife he'd acquired during their talk.
Dan's eyes widened and mouth opened as Phil stepped back. With one hand on Dan's shoulder and the other on the knife, Phil slowly pulled the weapon out.
"Sorry about your mother Dan." Phil apologized with almost no emotion.
Phil's hand was still on Dan's shoulder when he fell to his knees then fully collapsed. Blood was pooling around what was formerly Dan, but was now nothing more than another body.
Phil reached down and closed Dan's carmelly brown eyes. Dan Howell was nothing more than another paycheck.
"I'm guessing you finished the job and cleaned up well Lester?" The boss demanded.
"As always. You should accept nothing less from me."
"Fantastic. I presume you've already gotten the money from Henry? I'll give you the day off. See you tomorrow Lester?"
"Yes, I did get the money. Thank you Sir, that's very generous of you." Phil mumbled.
The boss left, and that was the first, last, and only time Phil cried because of his job.