Summary: Dan and Phil are both high school teachers and Dan's students ship them, but Dan doesn't let Phil know cause he also kinda has a crush on him.

~ ~ ~

Dan had heard the speculation, of course. It was kind of hard not to, being stuck in a room full of teenagers for seven hours a day. He just didn't think a thing like that would be going around the class, and that it would be so popular.

He'd first overheard it from a couple of girls who had decided that whispering madly to each other in the back of the room was better than listening to the lesson. And when he'd headed over to them, he'd heard one single word before they realized he was their and pretended to be working.

Phan.

At first, he thought it was 'fan', and hadn't given it much thought. But then he'd seen it written down, on a stray sheet of paper. Along with various other things.

Phan. Dan and Phil. OTP.

He knew what most of it was, and was able to put two and two together. And honestly, it was very surprising.

He was good friends with the other English teacher, Mr. Lester, and he was sure that the other students had noticed their obviously close relationship. But he didn't think it went this far. Them 'shipping' the two of them. He didn't know if Phil also knew about it, but if he did, he was good at hiding it.

And now it was starting to butt into his personal life.

Honestly, when he'd accepted the job as the second Year 10 English teacher, he hadn't planned on getting distracted. Not by the work, and not by other people. But when Chris, the eccentric History teacher, had suggested he tag along with a few more adults to some bar, to get to know each other, Dan couldn't just refuse.

But nothing could have prepared him for Mr. Lester.

Despite the fact it was a casual outing, and everyone else was in jeans, Phil had still been decked out in teaching clothes: pale blue button up and a matching tie, with black slacks and shoes. But he didn't look at all out of place. And Dan couldn't keep his eyes off of the man, drinking in the way his arms just slightly filled out the sleeves of his shirt and the way his whole body was lean and long, extremely nice from what Dan guessed. And boy, did he guess.

And since then, he couldn't help but become impossibly more infatuated with him. It was like, every day there was some new detail that Dan was just now noticing, and that made Phil even more attractive.

Maybe he wasn't as careful about his crush as he'd thought, if even the students thought they'd make a good couple. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

~ ~ ~

It was Friday, thank god for that. This week has been the most life draining week he'd ever been through, and he was really just looking forward to going home and catching up on American Horror Story in his pajamas.

"Make sure you finish your book reports, they're due on Monday!" Dan yelled over the rustle and chatter of his students, all getting ready to leave for the weekend. He sighed, watching as they all rushed out when the bell rang. He'd be here for another hour at least.

The classroom was a mess, not unexpected. For some reason, Dan always had the urge to clean up after the students because he didn't feel as if the custodians got payed enough for all the shit they had to do.

He got up from his desk with another sigh and started picking up the trash and paper that littered the floor. There was at least two notebooks worth of it.

He reached the back row of desks, which seemed to be the messiest part of the room, and bent down unceremoniously. He snatched up a sheet of paper, and was just about to ball it up when something caught his eye.

'phan'

He was starting to hate that word. Partly because it wasn't at all school appropriate and was starting to make him annoyed, and partly because it was taunting him. The possibility of something that would surely never happen.

"Hey." Dan turned at the voice coming from the doorway and froze when he saw it was Phil.

"Hey." Dan replied, crumpling the sheet of paper in his fist and stuffing it in his pocket. No way was he letting anyone else see that. "What's up?"

"Came to ask if you wanted to hang out tonight." Phil asked, stepping into the room and flashing Dan a crooked smile. "Friday night. I have nothing better to do. No one else is available though, so it would just be me and you."

Dan's heart jumped into his throat. Just the two of them? His late night tv marathon was starting to sound less appealing now.

"Um." He said, cursing his shaky voice. "What exactly were you planning?"

"Just a few drinks or something." Phil said with a shrug. He looked casual enough, but Dan had to physically restrain himself from reaching out and just touching him. God, he wanted to touch him. "There's this new-ish club not too far from here. It's not supposed to be as crazy as some of the other ones, they're really strict about age requirement. Shouldn't be too mind blowing."

Dan thought for a second. It wasn't like him and Phil never hung out, they were actually really good friends. But Dan was used to there being at least two other people with them, so he had more reason not to act on his own desires. He wasn't one for controlling himself around people he liked. Would it be worth it? The potential of fucking everything up just because he wanted this rush, of excitement or fun, with Phil?

Definitely.

"I mean. I guess I don't have anything better to do." Dan said with a shrug, trying not to make a big deal of it, but on the inside, he was kinda freaking out. "Sounds like a plan."

Phil grinned widely and Dan had to stop himself from shivering at the sight. He was absolutely gorgeous. "Great, it's a date then. Meet me later, in the parking lot?" Dan nodded and watched Phil leave, slumping heavily against the desk behind when he was out of sight.

This was either going to be the best night ever, or go so horribly wrong.

~ ~ ~

Half an hour later, Dan and Phil were pushing through the doors of the club together, stepping into the dim, medium size room packed with other people their age and some a bit older. They were both still wearing button downs and slacks, and Dan felt seriously out of place amongst the skinny jeans and tight dresses pretty much everyone else was wearing. The Killers was blasting, to the point of going deaf, but at least the music wasn't horrible.

They made their way to the bar on the other side of the room, and Phil took it upon himself to order beers for the both of them.

"So, how'd you get into teaching?" Phil asked curiously, taking a sip from his bottle and waiting for Dan to answer. Dan took a large swallow of his own drink, trying to calm his nerves. Why was he so nervous?

"Um. Well, I guess I'm not good at anything else." He said with a shy smile. "Not that teaching is exactly my forte, but it's the only thing I can manage."

"I'm sure that's not true." Phil said reassuringly, and Dan rolled his eyes, taking another sip. He was always a lightweight when it came to alcohol, and he could already feel a slight buzz through his body. At least he wasn't so shaky now.

"It's very true." Dan said. He couldn't take his eyes off of Phil's throat, whenever he swallowed. "There's not much you can do in this world that doesn't require five extra years of school and the will to do any kind labor, and I have neither."

Phil smirked. "Teaching requires school, and labor."

"But a lot less of both." Dan pointed out, and Phil nodded.

Dan looked out across the club, staring disinterestedly at everyone else, who were dancing and laughing like they didn't have a thing to worry about. Dan wished he could act like that.

He tipped the rest of the bottle he was holding back, draining it before gesturing to the bartender for another. Phil raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "And what about you?" Dan asked. "Why are you a teacher?"

Phil tapped the sides of his bottle. "Seemed like fun." He said. "I mean, I was kinda hoping to teach a much younger group of kids. Teenagers aren't exactly appealing to try and teach something, and I've always loved kids. But beggars can't be choosers, you know." Dan nodded at his response.

"Kids would be a nightmare." Dan said, lifting his drink to his lips again. It was half gone already.

"No way." Phil said with a smile. "They're adorable. And much easier to handle, you have to admit that."

Dan shrugged, biting his lip. "Maybe. But they're annoying sometimes. Always asking questions and butting in to business they don't belong. And they have no idea what personal space is."

"I've always thought that was cute." Phil said. "I've always wanted a family."

"Oh, you're one of those sappy kinda guys." Dan teased, watching Phil look away shyly at the accusation. "Dreaming of the happy life, wife and kids and a dog."

Phil laughed. "Kids and dogs, yeah. Not so much a wife." Dan stared at him in confusion. "I'm gay." Oh.

"Oh." Dan said stupidly. "Sorry, I didn't. I didn't know."

"Course you didn't." Phil said, tilting his bottle back to his lips. He was still on his first drink, and Dan was ready for his third. He didn't know why he was craving the dull buzz, but he was, and he wasn't gonna stop until he was successfully numb.

~ ~ ~

Dan was practically clinging to Phil, dragging his feet as the walked down the road slowly, towards his flat. It was dark, close to ten, and he felt like the world was ready to toss him all over the place. His head hurt and his limbs ached and he groaned as Phil moved a bit too fast for his liking, and his nauseous stomach.

He'd downed about ten beers at that club, trying to loosen up more, become even less tense than he was, he felt like he wasn't casual enough, like he was too tense. Phil had tried to slow him down, but Dan has refused, and who was Phil to force him? A good friend, probably, but Dan didn't need that.

"You could..maybe, I don't know... help." Phil panted, shifting Dan slightly and continuing to lead him down the street. "You're not exactly feather light."

Dan only groaned in response. He really wasn't up for conversation at the moment.

A few minutes more of Dan mumbling directions and Phil trying to get there without injuring the both of them, they finally reached Dan's flat. Phil had to reach into Dan's pocket for the key, and they both went inside, Dan a bit less gracefully than he would have like. They ended up in the kitchen and Phil handed him a glass of water, which Dan gratefully accepted, before going and making some coffee.

It was silent, and Dan leaned against the counter tiredly, trying to focus on not dropping the glass in his hand. He had never been very coordinated, and the alcohol was not helping.

"Do you want to change or something?" Phil asked, making Dan redirect his attention from the shaking glass. "You're all sweaty and you smell like a bar."

It was probably a good idea. Dan was already uncomfortable, his shirt sticking to him in all the wrong places and sweat making his entire body damp and itchy. He could really do for a shower, but he didn't want to risk passing out or something.

"Kay. Give me a minute." Dan muttered, and set the glass on the counter carefully before leaving the kitchen and stumbling to his room.

He hasn't really completely processed the idea that Phil was in his house; under normal (less drunk) circumstances, he'd probably be freaking out, worrying about every little thing and most likely making a mess of himself. But he was still numb and couldn't quite get the thought through his head. Phil Lester, in his house.

Once he's managed to finally change into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, a much more difficult task than he'd expected, he balled up his dirty clothes and decided to put them in the washing machine. He'd be more likely to wash them that way then if he just threw them on the floor.

He dug into his pockets, searching for anything that shouldn't be tossed into the wash like keys or his wallet, and paused pulling out a balled up sheet of paper.

'phan'

The word seemed to glare into him, as if it was burned into the paper. It seemed so small and innocent, but Dan could barely think whenever he saw it. It made him anxious about everything. And he didn't know why.

Phil was gay. He'd admitted it, one of the only things Dan could actually remember vaguely from the bar. So why was this so hard still? Why couldn't Dan just go out there and state the obvious; that he had feelings for Phil. Why was he being so damn scared?

Because he was scared. Just because Phil was gay didn't mean he would go for someone like Dan. If he did, wouldn't he have done something by now? Made some indication that he wanted something more? Of course, Dan hadn't done anything either.

"You're taking forever." Dan jumped at Phil's voice, turning to see him in the doorway, holding a mug of coffee. "I was starting to worry you'd passed out or something."

"Sorry." Dan said, shaking his head slightly. He felt really out of it now.

"What's that?" Phil asked, nodding at the paper still in Dan's hands. He moved closer, setting the mug next to Dan on the machine. Dan tried to fold the paper, desperately not wanting Phil to see what was written on it, but he was slow and drunk, and Phil easily snatched the paper.

It was agonizingly slow, waiting for Phil to say something, do something, let Dan know exactly what he was thinking.

"Ah." Phil said after what felt like hours. "I've heard of this. Almost all the girls are crazy about it."

Dan actually froze at his words. He knew about it? Of course, Dan had to admit, it wasn't like it was contained in only his class. There was no doubt that the girls all teamed up on it, and it was probably all over school. He just had the hope that maybe Phil didn't know about it. And he was so very wrong, apparently.

"Oh. I-" Dan paused. "I didn't know. That you knew."

"Well they make it pretty obvious." Phil said with a laugh. "I think it's kinda cute, really. As long as they don't get too carried away with it. I've actually had a few people come up and ask me if I had any interest in you."

"Sorry." Dan said, not exactly sure why he was apologizing.

"It doesn't bother you, does it?" Phil asked. "We could just tell them to stop. Or quit being so open about it."

"No, it's not a huge problem." Dan said. He was still a bit wobbly and not quite all together. "I just found it kind of surprising."

"What's so surprising about it?"

"Just..." Dan shook his head. "I didn't think they, thought that we... me and you, would be a good couple."

Phil shrugged. "I didn't think they were so off. I mean, we're both attractive men."

Dan bit his lip and smirked. He was just far gone enough to not second think about flirting with Phil. "You think I'm attractive?" He said lowly, trying to be seductive but probably failing.

"Definitely." Phil said, making a point to move his eyes up and down Dan's body, pausing for a second at his lips. Dan breathed out heavily. Was it just him, or had Phil gotten closer.

"Oh." Dan said. "Well. You're not so bad yourself."

Phil smiled, and yes, he did take another step, almost toe to toe with Dan now. Dan stood up a bit straighter, staring at Phil's face and watching different emotions flick through his blue-green-yellow eyes. "What, you don't think I'm... sexy?" He murmured. His eye were hooded, his stance casual but slightly dominant, and Dan swallowed thickly.

"You... yeah, you are." His brain was muddled and fogged, and he knew what he was saying, but he couldn't process them enough to keep them in it regret saying it. He could really only focus on Phil, and how his chest was within touching distance, and his lips were really pink and Dan bet they would feel so amazing against his own lips, or his neck, or-

"You look dazed." Phil cut in to his inner fantasies, and Dan glanced back up at him.

"Kiss me." The words were out of his mouth before he could think about the consequences, and he waited, for whatever, however Phil would react.

He didn't know if he blacked out for a second, but he didn't see Phil lean in, he just knew that now there were lips against his, and God, he was right, it felt so good. He didn't hesitate before kissing him back, reaching up slowly and resting a trembling hand against the back of Phil's head, pulling him closer.

He hoped he remembered this tomorrow morning. This was the best he'd felt in such a long time, and he didn't want his drunkenness interrupt that.

Phil pressed in closer to him, their bodies colliding, and Dan was pushed back against the washing machine he'd been leaning on before. He reached his other hand up to tangle his fingers in Phil's hair, sighing as Phil ran his own hands down Dan's chest and to his waist. Phil ran his tongue softly across Dan's bottom lip, and Dan opened his mouth, moaning lightly at the feeling of Phil's tongue sliding against his. He was already lightheaded, but he didn't want to stop.

He couldn't stop his hands from moving down to the top of Phil's waistband, where his shirt was tucked into his slacks, yanking the fabric away and pushing his hands up across Phil's bare chest. Phil bit his lip in response and Dan moaned again.

Phil pulled away after that, still touching noses with Dan, both of them breathing hard and Dan still had his hands on Phil's skin.

"We shouldn't do this." He said softly. Dan blinked, pulling back slightly.

"I. I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." Dan quickly pulled his hands from under Phil's shirt, looking down and flushing at his own wild inhibition. He wasn't usually like this.

"No it's not, not that I don't want you to." Phil said, and Dan looked back up at him. "I just. I'd feel bad if we did something, and you were too messed up to remember it the next day. Like I'd taken advantage of you."

Dan nodded in understanding. He'd been kinda worried about that too.

"Definitely another time, though." Phil said, and Dan rolled his eyes, but smiled.

They stood there for a second, staring at each other, until Dan yawned widely. Phil grinned and tugged him by his hand to the doorway.

"You look ready to pass out." He said. Dan followed him without complaint, until they reached his room. He practically collapsed onto his bed, snuggling under the blanket that Phil threw over him. He was so damn nice. "Night, Dan."

Dan was already slipping away.

~ ~ ~

a/n: this has been in my drafts for like a month. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Anyways, sorry if I haven't been too active lately, I have a lot going on in my life, I mean, a lot. I've been testing all week, and my schedule has been thrown to hell. I'll try and get in top of things as soon as possible, but I hope this was okay. (Don't forget to send in any requests you have...).

Peace :3