A/N I do not own Dan or Phil
It was no secret that Phil was clumsy. Anybody who knew him well and even those who didn't were aware that he was prone to bumping in to random objects, tripping over his own feet and just being generally ditzy. Maybe he could blame it on his height, after all he was 6ft 2 and lacked any balance or co-ordination which wasn't a particularly good mix. He was practically a giant in a world of tiny people, but then again, Dan was just as tall and he wasn't half as clumsy as Phil.
It was just an average day, one of those quiet, lazy mornings so with nothing much to do Phil was bored. Since it was nearing the end of December Phil had decided he was going to make a trip to Starbucks before they stopped serving the special Christmas drinks. After all, he wanted to make the most of the festive season. Before leaving he called to Dan from the hallway asking if he wanted to join him although he knew what the answer would be as Dan had already settled in to his browsing position, squashed in his sofa crease. "Uugh…I want coffee but I just got comfy now so no I'll stay here, thanks." Dan groaned from the lounge. Phil smiled fondly to himself at the younger boys reply. He knew Dan well. "See you in a bit then!" he shouted before skipping out the door.
As he made his short walk to Starbucks Phil noticed the frost forming on cars and the patches of ice freezing the ground. He hadn't realised it was so cold. 'I should have worn more layers' he thought, mentally scalding himself. He pulled his coat tighter, wrapping his arms around his body in an attempt to keep warm. There wasn't much of a queue when he arrived which was lucky given Starbucks was usually packed with Christmas shoppers at this time of year. Phil got served pretty quickly and deciding to be a nice friend picked up a hot chocolate for Dan too. Thanking the barista cheerfully he zipped up his coat again before making his way back out in to the cold. Somehow during the short time he was inside the shop the temperature seemed to have dropped about 10 degrees (…maybe a bit of an exaggeration…). Phil could now see his breath forming an icy cloud in front of his face whenever he exhaled. Wanting to get back to the warmth of his apartment as soon as possible he decided to speed up, cradling the hot drinks in his hands as he walked swiftly. He had almost made it home and was rounding the corner to their street when he moved too quickly over a patch of ice, losing his balance and slipping. Before he knew it Phil was hitting the pavement with a thud, drinks flying to the floor and their contents spilling out on to the street. He sighed defeatedly as he sat in a puddle of coffee rubbing his sore elbow which was already starting to bruise from where he fell. Being so freakishly tall meant Phil had fallen pretty hard and the pain was now beginning to spread up his right side and arm causing the boys' eyes to well up. Holding back tears he pushed himself up and began to limp back home empty handed, making sure to be extra careful to avoid any more ice.
When Phil finally made it back to the flat he shuffled in to the lounge where Dan was still sat in his sofa crease browsing tumblr. "Hey" Dan mumbled not taking his eyes of the screen as Phil took off his coat. Phil mumbled back in acknowledgement. "What took you so long? I thought you were only going for coff-"Dan cut himself off as he looked up and noticed Phil's damp, stained clothes. Jumping up quickly he rushed over to his flatmate, putting his hands on his shoulders and carefully turning Phil to face him. He could tell that the older boy was close to tears as his usually bright blue eyes were clouded and sad. His thin frame shook slightly both from the cold and from the unexpected shock of falling. "What happened?!" Dan exclaimed, his brow creased and voice laced with worry. "Ice." Was the only word Phil uttered, looking at the floor sadly and sniffing as a tear dripped down his pale cheek "I was walking back with my coffee and I bought you your favourite honey and almond hot chocolate too then the next thing I know I slipped on ice and ended up on the floor" Dan's heart melted at how thoughtful Phil was. He had always loved the older boy since the day they first met and it still gave him butterflies whenever Phil did these little things. Just simple, sweet little gestures that showed he cared. It gave Dan hope that maybe Phil felt the same way and loved him too. "Oh Phil!" He sighed "You didn't need to bring me anything you spoon. Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" Dan rushed out, his eyes filled with concern as he looked Phil over, checking for any obvious injuries. The older boy shook his head weakly. "Don't worry I'll be fine. It's my own fault really for not watching where I was going" He sniffed again, rubbing his elbow unconsciously. Dan frowned. He hated seeing Phil upset and could sense the boy wasn't really okay. He noticed Phil cradling his elbow and without thinking reached out to hold his arm gently. "Come here, let me see" Dan spoke softly, carefully pushing up the sleeve of Phil's jumper to reveal a large purple bruise forming. "Oh my god Phil! How hard did you fall?!" He exclaimed, shocked at how bad it looked already. The older boy just shrugged, beginning to shiver from his still damp clothes. "Come on, you're freezing! Let's get you cleaned up" Dan mumbled, grasping Phil's cold hand in his own to lead him towards their bathroom. Phil hissed as their hands met. He hadn't even noticed all the tiny cuts on his palms that he must have gotten when he hit the pavement. Bits of gravel stuck to his skin, digging in to his hand and making it sore to touch. "Sorry!" Dan pulled his hand back in shock "I didn't mean to hurt you!" Instead he wrapped his arm around the older boys back, guiding him out of the lounge.
Dan sat Phil down on the side of the bathtub, looking down at him and wishing it was him in the other boys place. He couldn't stand seeing his best friend in pain. He looked so sad, so unlike his usual happy self. "I'll just go get you some dry clothes and then I'll be right back" Dan spoke before rushing out of the room as if this was a life or death situation. He returned quickly with a pair of his own sweatpants and an old hoodie for Phil to wear as well as a first aid kit. Phil smiled for the first time since coming back when he noticed Dan had brought him his clothes to wear instead of Phil's own. Unbeknownst to Dan the older boy had a not so little crush on his flatmate and had done for a long time now but just never dared to act upon it. He adored Dan and found it touching how much he cared about him even if it was just completely platonic…or so he thought. "Do you need help getting them on?" Dan asked shyly, gesturing to the pile of clothes on Phil's lap. Phil blushed, "I-I t-think I'll be okay" he stuttered. He was still shaking as he stood up unsteadily before wincing in pain and lowering himself back down on to the bathtub. "Actually…" he uttered nervously just as Dan was about to turn around and leave "I could use a hand, my side hurts pretty bad" Dan spun around, nodding in reply as his cheeks turned slightly pink at the thought of helping his friend get dressed. It wasn't like they'd never seen each other naked before but it was still kinda awkward being this up close and personal. As he looked at Phil staring down at the clothes he noticed the matching blush creeping up his face which made Dan feel slightly better about the situation. Using the younger boy for support, Phil finally got out of his wet clothes, slipping comfortably in to Dan's. He was beginning to feel a little better now, even more so now he was surrounded by the comforting scent coming from Dan's clothes. They smelt just like him, giving the older boy butterflies in his stomach. Dan sat down next to Phil on the bathtub, their knees brushing together as he turned, gently grabbing the older boys' hands. This caused Phil's breath to catch in his throat, sending his heart in to a fluttering mess. Being careful to cause Phil as little pain as possible he slowly began cleaning his wounds. "This might sting a little" Dan spoke softly as he washed out all the pieces of gravel and dirt before grabbing an antiseptic wipe and stroking over each cut to make sure they wouldn't become infected. Phil was amazed at how gentle Dan was, hardly feeling a thing as he cleaned each hand carefully. Once they were finished Dan packed away the first aid kit, leaving it by the sink. "All done" he smiled, happy with his nurse skills as he reached out to help Phil stand up. Wrapping an arm around his waist Dan let Phil lean on him as they hobbled back up the stairs, making sure not to touch the boys' sensitive bruises as they moved. He guided Phil to his room, lowering him carefully on to the bed and rearranging some pillows to make him more comfortable. He frowned as Phil winced in agony. "Is it getting worse?" Dan asked, concerned. "I'll go get you some paracetamol to help with the pain". Before Phil could reply, Dan had already rushed out of the room to find the painkillers.
Phil sighed deeply. It hurt to put pressure on his bruised side and the bruises themselves seemed to be getting darker, spreading over his pale skin in angry purple blotches. He looked a complete mess. This could only have happened to him Phil thought, laughing to himself slightly at the thought of his own stupid clumsiness.
When Dan returned he sat down on the edge of the bed, facing Phil, handing him a glass of water and some pills. He stayed there and talked for a while, unconsciously gravitating closer to Phil as they got more comfortable, eventually ending up pressed right next to the older boy. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" Dan asked wanting to help his friend in any way possible. "Everywhere hurts and my elbow is still really sore" Phil grumbled, pouting like a child. He was definitely getting back to his old self thought Dan, smiling to himself. It was then that Phil glanced at the younger boy with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Kiss it better for me?" he asked playfully, not at all expecting Dan to actually take him seriously. The younger boy chuckled, blushing slightly. "Okay" He said simply, after a short pause. Looking Phil straight in the eyes he slowly moved to lift his jumper inch by inch as if to tease the older boy. Dan reached out, stroking Phil's bruised side with delicate touches and taking his time to lightly trace his fingertips along the edges of the purple marks. He then leaned down, ever so carefully pressing his lips to the soft skin. Phil's eyes fluttered closed in response, his breath stuttering at the light tickling sensation. He felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs, holding his breath as he tried to figure out if this was actually happening or if it was his mind going crazy as a side effect of the painkillers. As it turns out it wasn't the latter and Dan moved up to his elbow, rolling up the sleeve of his hoodie to place a second kiss on his injured arm. Phil just sat there in silence, not quite sure how to react. The younger boy then took both of Phil's hands in his, stroking the backs with his thumb lovingly before peppering them with kisses too. Dan's lips were warm and soft making Phil giggle adorably as his gentle touch tickled the boys' palms. Finally when he'd finished Dan looked up at Phil, a bashful smile on his face as he slowly let go of his flatmates hands. He cleared his throat, breaking the tension "Uu-umm…m-maybe an ice pack will help with the swelling? I'll go fetch you one" Dan stuttered out, looking away shyly before moving off Phil's bed to go get one from the freezer.
When he reached the kitchen Dan leaned back against the cupboards, running his hands through his already messy hair and sighing. 'What was he doing?!' he thought to himself, taking some deep breaths whilst trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. 'Phil is your friend. Your completely p-l-a-t-o-n-i-c best friend! You know he doesn't like you that way' He argued with his conscience, mentally slapping himself. After taking a moment to compose himself he found the ice pack and wrapped the frozen object in a tea towel before hurrying back to Phil's room.
When Dan returned he leaned across the bed and pressed the cool ice pack against Phil's side gently. "I'll leave you to get some rest now" he smiled before turning to walk back to the lounge. "Wait!" Phil shouted from the bed, surprising him "Do you maybe want to stay and watch some Buffy with me? …I could use the company" he rushed out, voice getting smaller as a blush began to form on his cheeks. He hoped Dan didn't think he was being too weird and clingy. It was just…he liked it when the other boy was taking care of him. It made him feel safe and loved. "Sure" Dan replied instantly "I'll just go get the DVD's". He left the room again, grabbing Phil's Buffy box set from the lounge and then deciding to take a quick detour to the kitchen. He was going to make them hot chocolate with the little marshmallows he knew Phil loved seeing as the boy never did get to drink his coffee earlier. Dan shuffled back in to Phil's room carefully carrying the two mugs with the DVD's stuffed under his arm. "Be careful it's hot!" He warned as he passed one of the mugs to Phil. "You made me hot chocolate!" Phil exclaimed, eyes lighting up like a kid on Christmas "In my favourite mug too! And you even added the mini marshmallows! Thanks Dan, you're the best!" He grinned happily "Just what I needed". He let out a content sigh, snuggling closer to the younger boy as he moved to sit beside him on the bed. Not even 5 minutes in to the first episode of Buffy Dan jumped in shock as he heard Phil screech from beside him "Ooowww! It burns!" He mumbled, sticking his longue out to inspect the damage. "I told you it was hot Phil!" Dan rolled his eyes, smiling affectionately at his best friend. "I know, I know! I was just trying to get all the marshmallowy bits" Phil whined, pouting again. It was then that a thought popped in to Dan's head. This was probably a very bad idea and Phil could completely reject him but in that moment he decided to take a chance and just go for it. He turned to Phil, looking deep in to his blue eyes. "Want me to kiss it better?" he asked innocently, face a little flushed. He wasn't quite sure where this new found confidence came from but it sure paid off as he watched Phil swallow nervously giving a small nod in response. Eyes still locked, searching for any hesitation from the older boy and finding none, Dan began to slowly lean in and tentatively brushed his lips to Phil's in soft a kiss. This was the moment they'd been waiting for. Both boys' eyes fluttered closed as their lips met, moving together in perfect harmony. Dan brought his hand to rest on Phil's cheek, stroking his face lovingly as Phil's hands slipped around the younger boys' waist, pulling him closer. Eventually they broke apart, both breathing heavily. Dan was staring at Phil as if he was the most precious thing in the world which made the older boy blush even more than he already was (if that was possible). Still holding on to Dan, Phil began absent mindedly tracing patterns in to the younger boys back. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to do that" Phil chuckled under his breath, pressing his forehead to Dan's. "If I'd have known burning my tongue was all it would take to get you to kiss me I would have done it a lot sooner" At this comment Dan grinned, his dimple showing and giving Phil butterflies again. Without saying a word he brushed his nose against Phil's sweetly and pulled him in for another kiss. Phil leaned further in to Dan, head now resting on his chest, rising and falling in time with his soft breathing. Dan's arms wrapped around him pulling Phil close as they got settled, lying down against the pillows and enjoying the warmth radiating from the other boy. He could happily stay like this forever Dan thought, leaning down to press a kiss in to Phil's soft hair. "I love you" he mumbled, voice muffled but Phil sill heard him. "Love you too bear…and thank you…for kissing me better" He smiled in to Dan's chest. They spent the remainder of the night curled up together watching Buffy, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms. Now Dan could finally call Phil his and he was never going to let him go. Dan would always be there to Kiss Phil better.
End