Back at it again with the double update. (Sorry I'm updating while Dan's liveshow is happening)

Dan was annoyed, more than annoyed, freaking mad! Phil had been looking down on him all the time. What authority did he think he had over him? He must be really arrogant to think Dan needed help. Okay fine, Phil had experience, but still, Dan had won every single year.

It had started just as Phil asking if he needed help, and fucking insisting that he needed it, even managing to convince himself. Then, he was strutting around the shop, jovially picking up items that Dan apparently needed. Why couldn't he just wear what he usually wore? He realised this was a stupid question, as it was Dan that walked into this shop, ready to buy supplies he knew nothing about to win this thing. He just couldn't help it, Phil was insulting his skill, so he had to shoe he could do it, despite what Phil thought. Of course, this situation wasn't helping him prove his case.

"What do you think? Puff balls, yes or no?" Phil asked, and Dan rolled his eyes.

"Are you using that?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, it's good material for snow."

"Then no, it's a rubbish idea. I'm thinking tinsel. That's festive right?" Dan said, adamantly. He could hear Phil sigh at his words.

"Stop worrying about your ego, and start worrying about this jumper. It's a good material for a polar bear in the snow, deal with it."

"No, I've changed my mind, I'm gonna do a Christmas tree," Dan insisted. Yes, Dan thought, that was way better than some stupid animal or, snowman, a tree was way better.

"Is that just because you don't want yours to be like mine?" Phil asked, with a smug tint to his voice, like he enjoyed the fact he could guess what Dan was thinking, and Dan hated it. Dan scowled, and Phil saw this, but instead of telling him off, he actually said, "actually, that's a good idea. It'll be easier to judge then, and you might not need my help as much."

Dan clenched his jaw, it somehow bothered him that he was agreeing with his idea, like he knew better. He still didn't want to do something similar to him though so he reluctantly agreed. Then Dan realised what he said after that. "What, Are you saying I need a lot of help?"

"No, no, it just might be... Nevermind. It will be easier, less fiddley stuff, although it would be good to have some lights on the tree."

"Sounds to me like you're saying I can't do it," Dan scoffed. He then bit his lip. Was that true, that he couldn't do it? It probably was, he always failed whenever he tried things, which is why he never tried anymore, he didn't want to feel that disappointment.

Dan then saw Phil slump his shoulders, looking defeated, then said, "of course you can't do it! I've been doing this kind of stuff for years, and I finally get something I excel at, and you take it from me, just because you are popular. Phil didn't know anything. He didn't know how difficult it was to be popular, he was watched constantly, with so many expectations, you can't just be friends with anyone, you have to pick the right people, and all relationships are scrutinised. No one even bothers to know him, they all look from afar. No, he didn't know a thing.

"I can do perfectly fine, thankyou, so fine, that I'm gonna get stuff all by myself, even the lights!" Dan shouted, then stomped off grabbing things as quickly as he could. Phil watched him leave, and couldn't help smile at how childish he sounded, it was both irritating and endearing. Damn slight crush, warping every bad thing about him into a good thing. Dan was nothing but a nuisance, he had to remember that.

~~

Dan thought about what he needed. He needed green felt, for the main bit of the tree, some little metal ball things he was sure he could find, he needed tinsel, only a tiny bit, and he needed to figure out how to do lighting. Oh man, what did he get himself into? He should just give up and not care, it would be so much easier, but it would also be so satisfying to see Phil's disappointed face as Dan won fair and square.

He grabbed the stuff and scrambled to the till, beating Phil to it, as he was still staring at him. Oh, Phil was going to get such a shock when he won. He grinned at the shop person, and he kind of looked at him oddly, confused by Dan's enthusiasm, but Dan had no time to explain, he needed to get to his house and glue this shit together.

Phil was utterly stunned, Dan actually was trying really hard, even if it was because he was stubborn. He didn't actually want to win, he wanted to beat Phil because he was threatened by him, which was already a win for Phil, he was getting to him. Of course, Phil just wanted to win, because he loved Christmas, and weird clothing, but if he happened to knock Dan down a peg, that would just be a bonus.

Phil shook his head, Dan had left, he had to get a move on, so he stumbled to the till, and bought everything in his hands. He then left the shop and started jogging to his house, it wasn't far, he just needed to start making this jumper. Suddenly he was hit with a burst of excitement, he got to decorate a jumper all over again, and this time it would be so much better.