AN: So I would have been waaaaay too nervous to post this if it weren't for my absolutely amazing beta 'listentomeimcool' over on Wattpad who helped with lots of encouragement and editing tips XD so a shoutout and all the love Finn 333

He was sort of beautiful, Phil decided after a good few minutes the fringed boy had spent watching the other from across the room. There was something about the way this boy's slim body ebbed and flowed just slightly out of sync with the pounding base of the dance track reverberating throughout the dimly lit room. It was rather like he was dancing to a soundtrack of his own formation instead of following along with everyone else, and it was that fact that drew Phil's eyes.

There was something about the way what little light there was, the colourful spotlights that danced with better timing than the boy, crossed like a kaleidoscope across his tanned skin. Something about the fact this boy seemed to be totally alone, at least as far as Phil could tell, and yet, even with the merciless throng of unfamiliar people threatening to push in from all sides, he danced on, completely at ease with what he was doing. It was rather brave of him, Phil believed, to be so confident in himself when around him there moved so much opportunity for judgment.

It was for a similar fear that Phil himself was not dancing. He wasn't even sure he liked this song all that much; nothing about it appealed to his tastes apart from the way it made his brown haired boy from across the room move. Earlier in the night Phil had been questioning why he'd even bothered exposing himself to this harsh atmosphere at all, but this mysterious dancer had clarified all of that for him. This display Phil had been given the chance to appreciate made the whole night worth it, reassured him that falling slowly in love with someone you didn't even know could happen. All it took was a little intrigue.

Over the course of the evening Phil found himself moving closer, heart rate increasing with each step, but the ever-loud beat was drowning out all thoughts of backing down. Phil couldn't turn back now, not when there was such a magnetic pull he felt towards the dancing boy, like a trusting voice but one which called out to him silently. Go meet him. Go fall in love with that fascinating boy. The one who doesn't care what others think. The one who's strong enough to find his own rhythm to life. Hear what he has to say.

The dense crowd made the whole endeavor harder, but nothing could stand in Phil's way. The music was louder here, the pounding vibrations echoing in his chest or was that maybe just his heart beat?

There wasn't much of a plan put in place at this point; the whole idea behind the night had been to let loose a little anyway, and that meant no careful fabrication or meticulous detailing of how the next conversation should be played out. Phil didn't let himself take even a moment to overthink, instead launching himself headfirst into the unknown with an enthusiastic greeting.

'Hey!'

Although he practically shouted, the brunet boy didn't appear to have heard, even when Phil had manipulated their positions so he'd brought them right in line. To his credit, Phil reasoned with himself, it was impossibly loud, and the brown haired boy had been lost in his own world all night; no reason to think Phil's interest in him had changed any of that.

Trying again, Phil spoke louder, hoping the element of flirtatiousness would not be lost to the volume. This time perseverance paid off, or perhaps the dancing boy just happened to make a small spin in the right direction because it was still so loud in here. Either way, blue eyes met brown with a smile that was returned, a very attractive grin actually, in the case of the brunet, that quite clearly communicated to Phil the invitation to keep speaking. That, and the small wave the taller boy gave back as he continued to move to the music, albeit less vigorously now Phil was here.

'Loud in here, huh?' Suddenly nervous, Phil blurted out the first thought that came to his head. Well, technically it was the second because the first was still somewhat preoccupied with how much more beautiful his brown boy was up close, so much brown, hair, eyes, so warm, Phil thought. It was too loud to be able to think much else coherently, however, it was for that reason communication was not going to be at its best in this crowded room.

Unable to hear the pretty blue eyed boy who had come over, there was a moment of confusion that passed between the two. Phil cringed internally as he watched his dancer frown back, shaking his head and pointing to his ear. An unnecessary indication to the fact that he couldn't hear-Phil hadn't even been able to hear himself- Phil wondered if perhaps he were making a sarcastic joke, but it was hard to tell because those pink, pink lips were now curling into a somewhat apologetic smile.

Making a decision before he was ready, Phil found himself laughing and, using the crowd as leverage, allowing the throbbing mass of people to force him closer to the other boy, he leant further forward, trying again with another attempt at humor while also trying not to feel so stupid.

'So loud I can't even hear myself think,' he joked, trying to enunciate the words as well as he could and not stutter, as he could feel his dancing boy's eyes watching his lips carefully, a signal that made Phil very giddy indeed, especially considering how close they now were.

Much to Phil's disappointment, however, his brown haired boy appeared to not hear once more and Phil wanted to kick himself as soon as he saw the uncomfortable apology cross the boy's face, hiding a concentrated effort to understand, but it was just too damn loud in here. Phil wasn't really sure what his plan had been here exactly, so he didn't know if he should offer for them to move somewhere quieter as the other pointed to his ear once more, shaking his head. It was clear this time, however, the action had not been a sarcastic joke and Phil could feel his face heating up with how awkward he felt. Guess it was really just too loud in this club for a casual conversation, but then again, Phil thought, that was probably the point.

You really can't hear me, Phil admitted to himself in defeat, giving up and wanting to sink into non-existence. As he maybe should have realised, a loud club like this probably wasn't the best place to pick up guys, if at all that was what he'd been aiming for. Phil still wasn't sure if he'd only been interested in a one night stand kind of deal, or if there was something deeper about the boy he'd set his sights on that he would like to explore. Either way, communication was key, and for that the ability to hear was an essential, Phil decided.

'Sorry, I can speak louder!' Phil offered, desperately feeling he was fast approaching the moment where it would become less embarrassing to just walk away and allow himself to disappear into the crowd, but he really didn't want to resort to that. He hoped a combined effect of his increase in volume and proximity, oh my god were they close now, would work its wonders, but to everyone's frustration, Phil's efforts remained in vain. It was confusing, however, and Phil wasn't sure how much louder he could get without being obnoxious- already he'd received several glares- but his brown haired boy could only shrug apologetically, shaking his head once more, and Phil was out of options. It seemed like he'd just have to give up.

About to open his mouth to apologize for wasting the boy's time, slumping in his skin at the rejection of the boy who clearly only wanted to dance- he was probably just trying to let Phil down easy- something unexpected happened that changed the outcome drastically. As Phil was about the speak, his dancer's smile changed from apologetic to what was unmistakably a flirty grin, and Phil froze as the brown haired boy brought himself closer, their hips now brushing, very sensual considering the boy was still moving gently to the music, carrying Phil along. Phil wasn't given a moment's rest to recover before the boy was placing a single finger over Phil's lips and giving him a suggestive look, nodding back out towards the dance floor and not waiting for the answer before taking both of Phil's hands and leading blue eyes closer to brown, deeper into the crowd. This was a gesture that clearly said:

We don't need to talk to have a good time.

And Phil wasn't going to be one to complain, even if dancing wasn't quite his forte; he was hardly going to say no when the option offered involved a very attractive member of the human population pulling him in closer and closer.

Closer and closer still, until warm brown eyes were only a mere few centimeters away from clear blue ones, not even a significant distance really, but not the only great thing to concentrate on. It would be hard not to be enthralled by the feeling of a pair of hands inching their way further down your back, gripping your hips not tightly, but firmly, a hold that communicated the need for close contact. Phil couldn't catch his breath as, foreheads pressed lightly together, they began to sway, the other boy helping Phil keep time with everyone else around them. The music was still loud and it was still obnoxious, more of a throbbing, although that could have been Phil's heart again, but he found he really did like this song after all. Already he was getting much more than he'd really bargained from the night.

A shallower person, or perhaps just someone looking for more adventure, may have been able to spend an entire evening dancing with a stranger and leave it at that. For someone who wasn't Phil, it may have been enough simply to enjoy the time they were allowed to be close to someone as amazing as the brown haired dancer, but for Phil, even an entire night and well into the early morning would never be enough. The more time he spent wrapped in the boy's arms, staring into those depthless brown eyes, the more desperate he grew to never let go.

It was around two in the morning Phil finally decided, I can't let tonight end here. There had been a deeper connection there, he was sure of it, certainly there was an undeniable chemistry that had played out like static between the two boys since the moment they'd shared a glance. He was sure the other boy must have felt it too, and surely, if he'd felt anything even a third the strength of what Phil had felt, he wouldn't be ready to let go either when the time came. That was how by the time people began filing out and going home, Phil found himself relatively alone in an alleyway outside the club, still standing oh, so close to the boy whose beauty had not faded, but somehow grown ten-fold over the course of the evening. Neither boy spoke for a while as the world fell silent around them for the first time that evening, the general babble of people fading as the crowd moved away, the pounding music slower now and less penetrating into the night air outside the building.

For the first time that night it was quiet enough to think clearly, but Phil remained at a loss for words. Just what did you say when the intimacy had already begun but you hadn't even shared names? He felt both trapped under the pressure of making the next few moments count, but already so comfortable around the other boy it was like he'd known him for so much longer than only a few hours. In reality though, Phil knew he knew nothing about the boy, but I need to know more.

'I had a lot of fun with you tonight,' Phil admitted after the few moments where the pressure to speak up won out. It was strange hearing himself talk after a night of words gone unheard, but that definitely didn't mean Phil was prepared for the response he was about to receive, prepared for hearing his beautiful dancing boy speak for the first time to him, the words he'd remember the rest of his life, and the words that never actually came.

The other boy looked pained for a moment and for a second Phil was frozen with the fear of the thought that his dancer, guessing Phil's intentions, was about to turn around and say, as much as Phil didn't, he needed the night to end here.

The brown haired boy didn't say that. In fact, he said nothing at all. Instead of whatever Phil had feared or hoped for, the boy only shook his head, repeating his gesture from inside the club and pointing at his ear. He looked confused, opening his mouth, lips forming a word that looked like an apology but no sound came out. It took only a second for the revelation to dawn on Phil, shedding new light like the morning sun, able to think clearly now in the new day.

Oh, he's deaf.

Reeling in shock, although everything was fitting into place now, the first reflex Phil had was to clamp a hand over his mouth and squeak out an embarrassed 'I'm sorry', but his second reaction, following very quickly afterwards, almost immediately, was the realisation that if the boy could lip read at all Phil having his hand over his mouth wasn't going to help matters.

'I'm so sorry,' Phil repeated once he'd gotten smart enough to remove his hand, speaking the words as clearly as he could, trying to get the other boy to understand even without hearing the apology itself. Phil hoped his expression could convey most of his simple meaning well enough, even though he was still a little shocked. This clearly explained why his brown haired dancer hadn't been able to hear and Phil felt rather stupid for only picking up on that now. It's sort of obvious now, isn't it, he thought, berating himself.

Luckily, Phil was let off for his mistake he assumed, as while at first the brunet raised his hands in front of him, clearly, Phil saw now, a reflex to begin to sign something back, he quickly lowered them once more, frowning, obviously realizing the man in front of him would probably be able to understand sign language just about as well as he could hear the blue-eyed pretty boy speak. So instead, having to resort to some crude form of 'signing', Phil continued to smile apologetically, cheeks flushed, as the other boy shrugged and gave a casual nod of his head as if to shake it off, accept Phil's apology, and say it was all okay.

That was a relief, but Phil wasn't sure what to say next. There were so many things he knew he wanted to say, only no way he could think of right now to communicate any of that to the boy who was staring intently at Phil's lips, waiting for him to speak. Phil faltered, mouth opening and closing a few times as he struggled, ever conscious he was probably making this a million times harder for his brown haired boy. The tension was broken, however, where after intense frowning from both sides and a temporary worry that perhaps there was just an incompatibility between the two that neither boy had expected, the confusion had reached a tipping point.

The brunet, too frustrated with trying to get by with reading the lips of the clearly desperate blue eyed boy as he spoke, held up a quick hand, refraining from placing a finger over the other boy's mouth as he had done so last time, but only just. It was a shame to hold himself back, the brown eyed boy thought, but over the course of the night he'd become more and more enthralled with this boy and, despite their inability to communicate right now, he'd never wanted to know someone more than the desire he felt now for this one with the pretty blue eyes. He didn't want tonight, or rather this morning, to go like so many of his other club trips: a silent night spent performing acts that generally didn't leave much room for chit chat anyway. For once the brunet felt a stronger pull to this man for reasons he needed to explore further to discover.

He was still sad to lose his excuse to stare at the blue eyed boy's just as brightly pink lips, but what could be done? He didn't even know this interesting boy's name and the brunet needed to take this chance with him before it was lost. After all, he wasn't used to someone sticking around so long after finding out about his silent condition.

Phil sighed a deep sigh of relief as he realised what the other boy was doing, the plan clear as soon as the brown eyed boy had dug his phone from his pocket. Phil watched intently as the boy tapped on the screen, creatively skirting around the language barrier they'd encountered. All was not lost after all.

The message was passed over and it was like breaking through the surface of a wave from underwater, a struggle and unknown overcome, giving way to clarity like a breath of fresh air. Like even after everything tonight, the two boys could only now share the same space.

Sorry, I can read lips but it's not really a permanent solution, it's sort of hard to concentrate on for too long and I get a bit of a headache but you can type things to me, my names Dan by the way hi :)

Smiling as he read the other boy's words for the first time, Phil felt a greater pull of attraction towards him. He wasn't exactly sure he'd performed at his best so far tonight, but his brunet dancer, Dan, didn't seem to mind too much. If anything, by the way he stood now, leaning forward slightly with a soft smile on his face, he seemed almost eager, transforming before Phil's eyes from the sensual mystery inside the club to something much more human and much more interesting. Dan. It's a nice name, suits him.

Itching for proper communication and trembling with the excitement of what might happen next, Phil quickly tapped out his reply beneath, but chose his words carefully.

Hi :D I'm Phil, sorry for not understanding earlier, guess I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed haha ;)

Phil was nervous as he passed Dan's phone back, noticing a spark of electricity when their fingers brushed that he hoped never went away. It had been there between their contact all night, but Phil was on edge now, the single dominating thought in his head being that he'd once again been awkward enough to turn the guy away and maybe he was about to miss his chance with Dan like he had so many others.

Dan, however, was going through his own worries in his mind. So far Phil had stuck around a while, but that, of course, had been before he'd admitted the whole deafness part to him. In his experience not many hearing people wanted to pursue a relationship with someone who could never hear them, but maybe Phil was different. Or maybe he wasn't. Is a relationship even what I'm looking for here? Dan worried, biting his lip as he looked down from Phil's pretty face to the phone screen to read his words.

Well, he hasn't escaped yet, Dan reasoned, reading Phil's words and smiling, feeling his cheeks warming too, ever conscious of Phil's eyes on him. Both boys possessed a nervous quality right now, battling their separate worries, the excited anxiety that followed the potential they had for something good here if they could just overcome those fears.

Dan knew he had no other option but to confess to Phil and, as he typed the words, it was impossible to tell if he was shaking from nerves, asking that vital question, or if it was nothing more than the cold night air that unconsciously brought both boys closer, seeking warmth and something more from each other.

Phil, however, was engulfed by the biggest wave of relief when he saw what Dan had passed over to him with trembling hands. As faces went, Phil so far had found Dan's to be particularly expressive, relatively easy to read, giving away thoughts that could find no other way out. Already Phil had realised he was relying on Dan's expression and his body language far more than he was used to and so far, paying close attention to every small twitch of his smile and sparkle in his eyes had been pretty amazing. Because of this Phil had grown more so worried as soon as he'd noticed the tension furrowing itself in Dan's brow. Up until he'd read Dan's last note, it had been an unknown tension that Phil feared may have been the outward expression of something much worse than it turned out to be.

I hope this doesn't change anything between us, Dan had written, and the petrified expression he'd held watching Phil read it had just made Phil want to pull the taller boy into the biggest hug ever. It was easy to see where the fear might have come from, but to Phil, he just couldn't see what difference it would make and his reply was confused and concerned, just like the expression he held now typing his response and passing it over.

No, not at all Dan. Why should it? I'm not that shallow.

It was only some uncomfortable past experiences that Dan still had in mind that stopped him from breaking into a big smile at Phil's innocence to the situation he'd walked into. And as much as Dan wanted just to accept maybe Phil was different, he just couldn't risk it this time, being let down so many times before. Phil had to know what he was getting himself into.

A lot of people change their mind about me once I tell them I'm deaf.

Dan allowed his hope to grow, however, when the expression he registered in Phil's crystal blue eyes remained to be not one of discomfort at the situation, but rather still somewhere between remorse and confusion. This Dan could take to be an excellent sign as soon as he read Phil's quick reply, feeling the ever strong spark when their hands brushed once more.

Well I think that's really stupid. Those people are really stupid. They're missing out.

Dan's grin grew with each word of Phil's, reaching its peak once he'd glanced up from the phone and found himself lost in Phil's eyes, sharing a moment of understanding that would have been ruined by any noise, Dan thought. Phil's soft smile coupled with a small blush was just perfect silent, in his opinion. Smiling brightly at that, Dan typed out his reply to the rather brilliant thing his new crush had just said, growing to quite like the way Phil kept his eyes trained carefully, almost delicately, on Dan's hands as his thumbs swiped deftly over the keyboard.

Maybe you're a little sharper than you think ;)

Truthfully, something as simple as this basic human acceptance shouldn't have been the thing to make Dan this happy; it wasn't exactly much to ask for but unfortunately, past experience told the brunet not everyone chose to be as open minded as Phil. A real shame, but Dan was going to take his wins and pretend for a moment the whole world was as it should be: like Phil.

Passing the phone back, it was Phil's turn to grin uncontrollably now as he read Dan's reply, then looked up to see how the emoticon translated into a much more distracting flirty grin in real life. It was odd, Phil decided then, flirting essentially over text message like this, when he was so used to having to tackle that task out loud, but while different that wasn't to say it was harder. If anything, Phil found he was liking Dan more and more every second, and considering only a few hours ago he'd been unsure as to whether he'd even want to speak to the mystery boy, this was saying quite a lot. Phil had never felt such feelings of excitement accelerate so quickly and he put it down to the removed pressure typing his thoughts out provided, although, if he'd looked more carefully, maybe he'd have realised like Dan did, that it was simply a matter of the undeniable chemistry that resonated between them already, drew them together and made everything flow, made everything a little more magical. Things were definitely headed in a positive direction and now each boys' worries had been pretty much washed over there was an awful lot of grinning going on back and forth.

Maybe ;), Phil answered, smiling as he did so. I did have a lot of fun tonight with you, though...I was wondering if maybe you'd like to see me again some time, or have I screwed any chance of that up by being the single most awkward person in existence?

With Phil's last text Dan laughed kindly, warm waves of emotion spilling over and breaking his usual silence. The sound touched Phil somewhere deeper inside than his heart, somewhere that had lay dormant for quite a while, but which the most heart-melting smile Dan gave him now unlocked. He was definitely starting to like this whole flirty beginning to things, but what was best was knowing it could probably only get better from here.

You didn't screw up. It was loud in there ;P I'd love to see you again sometime.

This time both boys were laughing as Phil started and Dan just had to join in because god, doesn't Phil just look gorgeous when he laughs?

So what started out as nothing more than a small spark of interest had grown into a night of some special form of intimacy that no one could explain the significance of, and now was threatening to grow bigger and stronger still. The building euphoria tainting the air was the product of the promise that was shared now, a silent bond that could be heard loud and clear regardless by both boys. A chemistry between two souls, yes, but a deeper vow made to acceptance of one another, and already a deeper commitment not to let something as insignificant as silence get in their way.

An increasing silence over time may be the death of other relationships, or an immediate deal breaker when possessed at the start, but for Phil he hoped neither would be the case. All he saw when he looked at Dan was not a challenge or a struggle, but a beautiful intricacy of a human being he couldn't wait to explore; he wanted to savour every last of the smallest expressions Dan made, searching for even just the smallest of clues into his mind. Phil wanted to know this boy inside and out now, and he made sure Dan could tell he wasn't going to turn around and change his mind if it got a little difficult down the road.

How does Friday sound then? Phil asked, confident Dan would say yes now.

I don't know, I've never heard it ;P but I bet it would make a great day for a date.

Phil smiled softly at Dan's joke regarding the choice of words, but the most important thing was it had been a yes. The intriguing brown haired dancer from a few hours ago was now an amazing guy called Dan who was going on a date with Phil, and the only thing better than that was that Phil could see in Dan's eyes he was just as happy about that prospect as Phil was.

I'll give you a call- Phil began to type before backtracking once he remembered a phone call here would be utterly useless. I'll text you then, he corrected before passing the phone back, and with Dan's answering smile lighting up his whole being, Phil didn't even need to see Dan's reply on the screen to know how excited they both were. Although it would be sort of important that Phil did read Dan's reply when the phone was once more passed over, as it highlighted the key point Phil had been a little too distracted by the adrenaline of the situation to remember just yet.

You're gonna need my number first, aren't you? ;)

The smug grin that Dan gave to Phil along with the phone had 'flirt' written all over it, and Phil could immediately feel his cheeks warm in response to forgetting such an obvious thing. If it wasn't for Dan, Phil probably would have walked off completely oblivious, only to be heart-broken later. Luckily, however, apparently Dan wasn't quite as love struck as Phil, so one of them had some amount of common sense left that hadn't been addled by the chemicals of attraction at least.

Excellent point... Phil typed awkwardly in reply, but thinking his own humility was something he could deal with just fine if it made Dan laugh like he was now again. He did wish he wouldn't blush so easily, however, under Dan's affectionate gaze as he fumbled in the pocket of his skinny jeans to retrieve the phone. In any other circumstance he might have been embarrassed too by the Adventure Time phone case, but that was also made better by Dan's smile as he took the phone from Phil. So far it seemed Dan could cure Phil of just about anything.

By the time Phil's phone was handed back he was grinning again, seeing Dan's name as the newly entered contact staring back at him on the bright screen. :Dan Howell, because why not be lame in the most adorable, cutest way possible and turn the 'D' into a smiley face, Phil thought as he met Dan's gaze once more with an affectionate smile.

So Friday then? Phil typed out the confirmation text quickly, pressing send and waiting anxiously for the receiving vibration on the other end. When it came Dan was smiling once more, looking up to meet Phil's gaze however, instead of replying again by phone. Nodding in agreement, Phil's heart all but exploded with joy as the two boys shared what was only one of the first of many smiles to come, Phil was sure. With the next text that came through the wide grin remained, Phil's cheeks starting to hurt, but it was the best sort of pain, he thought.

Take me somewhere nice ;), Dan had sent back, Phil reading the words quickly, eager to return to staring at Dan. He nodded this time, watching Dan's face split into a grin as wide as his own as he looked back down at the phone, tapping out another quick text.

It was lovely meeting you, Phil.

The sky was pitch black, well past the middle of the night, and it was England so god, was it freezing outside, but Phil was sure he'd never felt warmer. Likewise, he responded before there was an intimate pause in the conversation. A moment spent where nothing was said, not that Phil would have been able to hear over the beating of his wild heart anyway as Dan was drawing closer, affectionate smile coming closer. The gentle feel of Dan's soft touch on Phil's cheek left everything tingling and Phil was warm, but he was frozen into stillness as Dan leant closest and only a second before it happened did Phil know what it would be.

One of the softest kisses was pressed up against Phil's cheek then; more than just flirting, more than just affection. Phil could feel in Dan's expression when he pulled back that it had been a kiss of thanks, not that Phil felt he deserved that, but he was glad to make the beautiful brunet boy happy either way. Now it was the only thing he ever wanted to do for the rest of his life, what else could make him feel this way?

There was one more shared smile in the dark, as soft as the kiss at first, the silent connection strengthening in the moment before the smile turned flirty grin from Dan's end as he turned away. Giving Phil a small wave before walking away, eventually Dan moved out of sight, leaving Phil to slump back against the wall trying to catch his breath, all with the most overinflated sense of ecstasy he could possibly imagine from a night out. What got better than this?