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obsessive-fics · 7 years

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Title: Drink Up Your Movements (Still I Can’t Get Enough)

Rating: T

Word Count: 7.9k

Summary: All Dan, an extremely skilled ballet dancer, wants to do is make it through the next dance competition. So extra rehearsals with Izzy, a ballerina he’s known forever, are just another step towards the win. What he doesn’t expect, is the constant, extremely distracting presence of Izzy’s older brother, Phil

Playlist

Art: Coming soon!

Warnings: None

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta @botanistlester for encouraging me and putting up with all of my random questions and to my artist @noreallywhatareyou

[Read on Ao3]

There were two things in life of which Dan was absolutely certain of. The first was that he loved ballet more than anything in the world. The second was that he absolutely, without a doubt, despised Phil Lester. It had been that way for as long as he could remember. Phil's younger sister, Izzy, was in his class, and as a result he was forced to see his smug face every week smirking at him and making him miss his grand jetés.

This week was no different. Dan and Izzy had stayed after class to practice their big lift. Izzy was the ideal lift partner- she was almost as tall he was, but had enough core control to make herself weigh almost nothing. Really all Dan had to do was stand behind her and make her look good. He both envied and admired her.

"Iz! We were supposed to be home an hour ago," Phil called, strolling into the studio like he owned the place. Dan was so shocked he almost dropped her. You were not supposed to interrupt a rehearsal. Ever. That was the first rule they were taught, and Dan lived by it. Yet here was Phil freaking Lester leaning against the mirror like he hadn't done anything wrong.

"You can't be in here," Dan finally spluttered out, letting Izzy down as gently as he could.

"Sorry Dancing Queen, but this is kind of urgent," Phil replied, with absolutely zero urgency in his voice.

"First of all, do not call me 'Dancing Queen' ever again. Second, I'm serious. Whatever it is can wait," Dan snapped. He was definitely not getting distracted by how deep Phil's voice was or by how blue his eyes were. Nope, he was completely composed, if a little red faced.

"It's fine, Dan. We can practice at my place tomorrow after school," Izzy promised, picking up her duffle bag and hoodie. Dan wanted to protest, to offer his house instead, or the studio- maybe Ms. Jill would let them in between practices. But Izzy was already hugging him- clear Izzy speech for "I’ve made up my mind and you can't change it." He sighed and hugged her back.

"Sure, Iz. I'll see you later," he told her, resigning to his fate. Maybe Phil would be out of the house every time he came over. Maybe this would be the last time he'd ever have to interact with him.

"See you around… Dancing Queen," Phil called trailing after his sister. Wishful thinking never helped anything.

The next day at school Dan spent all of lunch complaining about Phil.

"He just walked in! Who does that?" He ranted to everyone that would listen.

"Dan, don't you think you're a little... Fixated?" Louise, one of the other ballerinas asked.

"Fixated! On that arrogant jerk? Of course not... did I tell you he had the nerve to call me-"

"Dancing Queen. Yes, we know. But as cute as your crush on my brother is, I come to school to get away from him, not discuss him for hours on end," Izzy butted in, rolling her eyes and taking a fry off of Dan's tray.

"I do not have a crush on him! I hate him! He has zero respect for what we do or proper etiquette," Dan argued, sliding his tray over before Izzy could get her hands on any more fries.

"I'm flattered you think highly enough of me to talk about me so much," a smug voice said from behind him. Oh no.

"What do you want?" Dan demanded, turning around. Phil was standing there, Chris and PJ on either side of him, looking as smug and arrogant as ever.

"Just came to tell my baby sister I'll be giving her a ride home. Riling you up is an added bonus," he answered lowly.

"Well mission accomplished, can you go now?" Dan asked as coolly as he could manage. Phil had the nerve to look amused, of all things.

"Gladly. See you tonight, Dancing Queen," he said, leaning in so only Dan could hear. And then he was gone before Dan could manage a response.

"Oh my God!" Carrie squealed once he was out of earshot.

"What?" Dan wondered, covering his ears. He loved all the other ballerinas, but sometimes he couldn't help but wish he had male friends.

"What do you mean ‘what’, you two were eye fucking that entire time!" She pointed out excitedly.

"We were not. I was glaring at him, because I hate him, remember?" Dan replied (He was not being defensive, okay? He wasn't).

"Yeah, right. You definitely don't look at any of us like that," Louise teased, poking his side.

"I also don't hate any of you," he reminded her. Him, attracted to Phil Lester! As if.

"Suuuure," the girls chorused teasingly. He really, really needed to make some male friends.

"You have to."

"No, I don't."

"You promised!"

"No, you assumed my answer was yes."

"Daniel James Howell, if you're not at my house in the next five minutes, I will come and get you."

"... I'm outside."

Izzy opened the door grinning smugly. Apparently, that ran in the family.

"I don't see why we have to rehearse here," Dan grumbled following her inside.

"Because my living room is bigger- and has hardwood floors," Izzy explained pointedly.

"Stupid carpet," Dan complained as they entered the living room. Of course. Phil was sprawled across the couch, video game controller in hand, eyes narrowed, tongue poked out in concentration. It was almost.... Endearing, his mind supplied, but he stomped the thought out as soon as it came.

"See something you like?" Phil asked, not taking his eyes of the screen.

'No' was what Dan wanted to say, but what came out was, "You wear glasses?"

"... Yes?" Phil answered, for once sounding caught off guard.

"Oh," Dan said, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole.

"Out of the living room, Four Eyes. Dan and I have to practice," Izzy interrupted, standing in front of the tv.

"Iz! I was gonna beat my score!" Phil whined, and Dan really needed him to stop bickering with his sister and to stop wearing pjs and glasses, like, well a normal person. It was distracting. Dan looked over at the tv, noticing the Mario kart start screen. Perfect.

"I'll tell you what. If you can beat me, we'll go. But if I win, we're rehearsing. Now." Phil smirked, his arrogant persona back.

"You're on, Dancing Queen."

"Is it too late to add 'don't call me Dancing Queen?' to this?" Dan asked exasperatedly.

"Yes. Yes, it is." Dan rolled his eyes and grabbed a controller.

"Ugh, boys. I'm gonna change. You better be done when I get back," Izzy said heading for the stairs.

"As you wish," Phil called back, voice equal parts teasing and affectionate.

Phil, as it turned out, was terrible at Mario Kart. Dan beat him three times before Izzy came back downstairs.

"HA! Who's a queen now!" Dan cried jumping up victoriously.

"Alright, alright, I give," Phil conceded with- was that a smile? Not a smug look or a smirk. Dan couldn't help it, he smiled back and took a mental picture. Who knew when that expression was coming back?

"Sorry to ruin the mood, but Dan is here to rehearse, remember?" Izzy pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Right. Sorry Iz," Dan said pulling off his jumper and realizing entirely too late that he was just wearing a t-shirt and tights. His face heated up, and he did his best not to appear self-conscious as he felt Phil’s eyes on him, with an intense, but unreadable expression.

"It's fine, I understand. Can you guys move the coffee table?" Izzy asked sweetly. Dan sighed- she was going to grill him about what happened while she was upstairs.

"Sure, Iz," Phil answered, and Dan pretended not to notice that he'd been staring at him up until that point.

After they moved the coffee table, Phil disappeared without saying a word while Dan changed into his ballet slippers.

"Is that how you pick up boys, then? Challenge them to Mario Kart?" Izzy teased. Dan wanted to protest, but it was no use.

"Works on girls too. Do you want to try it with or without the music?" He asked, in his best attempt to change the subject.

"Well it's clearly working. I usually get a text when we ride home together, not a personal reminder. I think he likes you," Izzy whispered theatrically, completely ignoring Dan's question.

"Shut up, he does not. With music then?" Dan asked opening up the music app on his phone.

"Yeah, we should do the whole routine so we know we can go straight into the lift without focusing on it too much," Izzy agreed, tying her laces. Dan nodded in agreement and went to get in position.

"I also think you should ask my brother out," Izzy said, almost making Dan miss his count. Of course she said that right before they had to start, so Dan settled for glaring at her before allowing himself to focus and become lost in the music.

They went through the entire routine, completely in sync as always. Izzy was graceful and effortless, the music seeming to flow through her. When she leaped into his arms, Dan wished they were in the studio so he could see how good they looked. He gently let her down and they transitioned into the jumps perfectly, before going into their double pirouettes and striking the last pose Ms. Jill had taught them.

"Please tell me that looked as good as I think it did?" Dan asked, going to turn off the music.

"You know I don't settle for anything less than perfect, but that was pretty close," Izzy agreed grinning.

"Think we'll have it together in time for competition?" Dan asked grabbing both of their water bottles.

"Let's keep working on it, and we'll see how it looks in class next week," Izzy replied taking hers. Dan nodded. Izzy was definitely the harshest critic out of all of them, so satisfying her was nearly impossible. Getting an 'okay' from her was an honor.

"I don't understand you guys. I thought it looked good," Phil said coming downstairs.

"That's because you're not a dancer. We could just move side to side and it would look good to you," Izzy told him rolling her eyes.

Phil shrugged, unbothered, and went into the kitchen.

"He's a klutz," Izzy whispered comically.

"Am not!" Phil called back, as if predicting her comment. Izzy rolled her eyes.

"You should see him awkwardly bounce around at parties. Anyway, let's run it again." Dan put his water down and got into position. You did not want to get distracted when rehearsing with Izzy- she was ruthless.

"Looking good, Dancing Queen," Phil called from the doorway of the kitchen. Dan ignored him in favor of making sure he was doing this dance to the absolute best of his ability. The last thing he needed was to give Phil something else to tease him about.

“Dan! That was the best you’ve ever done. I mean, you’ve always had great form, but that time… Where’d all that passion come from?” Izzy asked once they were done.

Dan shrugged, because, ‘I was thinking about how much I hate your brother,’ was not something he wanted to admit out loud. “You inspire me to be better Iz,” he settled on instead. Izzy grinned proudly.

“Thanks. I think we’re good for today. Same time tomorrow?” she asked handing Dan his phone.

“Sounds perfect. Bye, Iz,” he said hugging her and leaving.

Lunch was a complete disaster. Dan had barely even sat down before everyone started talking all at once.

“Is it true?” Louise asked moving so she was sitting next to him.

“Lou, please, I really don’t wanna talk about this,” Dan pleaded looking down at his tray.

“But Izzy said-” Carrie broke in before Dan cut her off.

“Well she was there wasn’t she? So it must be true,” he told her. Whatever Izzy told them was probably completely romanticized, but he didn’t have the energy to deal with it right now. He just wanted one day that wasn’t centered around Phil fucking Lester.

“Walk with me, Dancing Queen.” Dan didn’t even need to turn around. Of course he’d manage to show up at that exact moment. He briefly considered fighting him on this, but staying here just meant more questions Dan didn’t even remotely feel like answering. Also, maybe spending time with Phil wouldn’t exactly be the worst thing in the world.

“Fine. I’ll see you guys in class,” he announced standing up.

“I don’t know how you do it. Being around all of them for more than five minutes makes me wanna scream,” Phil said conversationally as they walked. Dan was confused. Where were they going? And why?

“Relax Dancing Queen. You looked miserable over there. We were going out anyway, so I figured I’d save you,” Phil explained with a shrug.

“I did not need to be saved. Sure they can be a little overbearing, but they’re my friends,” Dan argued in a huff.

“So you want to go back?”

“Definitely not.”

Dan ignored Phil’s smirk in favor of studying his jumper sleeves and followed the other to the car.

“Took you long enough,” Chris called when they climbed in.

“Dancing Queen, I trust you know Chris and PJ,” Phil said in lieu of a response.

“Yes. And for the last time, stop calling me that,” Dan replied, already regretting this.

“So you’re in Izzy’s dance class?” PJ wondered. He sounded genuine enough, so Dan decided to try and be nice.

“Um, yeah. We’ve been dancing together since we could walk,” he explained sheepishly. Male ballerinas weren’t something people were usually very accepting about and he wasn’t sure how well it would go over here.

“That’s so cool. We’ve been to a few of your guys’ recitals, actually,” Chris told him.

“Wait, really?” Dan asked, shocked.

“Of course. Izzy would never let us live it down if we missed one,” PJ explained.

“Plus Chris is in love with her,” Phil teased, earning an “Am not!” and a shove from Chris.

“It’s okay, I won’t tell her,” Dan promised, then, “Where are you guys going anyway?”

“Diner downtown. We’re starving and the food in the cafeteria’s terrible.”

“Right, of course.”

Mary’s was a quaint restaurant in what everyone in town referred to as the Centre, but was really only a few shops and a parking lot. Dan spent most of the ride debating whether or not to mute the dance class’ group chat while Chris and PJ argued over music selection.

“We’re here, Dancing Queen. Unless you want to stay in the car and text,” Phil teased, opening the door for him.

“Actually shut up- I don’t have to be here remember?” Dan pointed out petulantly, but he was already climbing out of the car.

“Last time I checked, I was the one saving you from a horde of gossiping ballerinas.”

“… Fine. Let’s just go.”

Spending lunch with Phil, Chris, and PJ was… surprisingly pleasant. Dan was apprehensive at first, but then Phil brought up how he’d destroyed him in Mario Kart, and everything just faded away after that. As it turned out, he and Phil had a ton in common- from music taste, to movies to tv shows.

“I’m actually gonna throw up,” Chris whined after they’d made yet another obscure anime reference and dissolved into a fit of laughter.

“Sorry,” Dan said, trying not to laugh, but Phil just grinned at him and stole a chip from his plate.

“Tell. Me. Everything,” Izzy demanded the minute she opened the door.

“I’m not gonna tell you anything. We’re going to rehearse so Ms. Jill doesn’t skin us alive tomorrow,” Dan answered, pushing past her.

“Okay… Well, just so you know, my brother asked for your number when he got home,” Izzy sing-songed while she tied her hair up.

“He did?” Dan asked before he could think better of it.

“Nah, I just gave it to him. I like to think of myself as a professional matchmaker,” Izzy announced gleefully. “Now let’s get started.”

“I hate you so much.”

“You’ll thank me later, just don’t drop me.”

“Tempting, but we need you for competition.”

Their routine looked better than ever after being run a few times, and Dan almost couldn’t wait for competition. They were definitely going to win gold this year.

“Hey, you’re here! Do you wanna come see if there’s a video game I can actually beat you at?” Phil asked coming down the stairs. Dan, trying very hard to ignore that he was wearing glasses (again), just nodded for a second.

“Obviously we know I’m better than you at pretty much every game, but if you wanna find out for sure,” he answered once he collected himself.

“Will you two stop flirting for a second? We have a competition to prepare for, remember?” Izzy broke in, shattering the moment (Was it a moment? No, it was nothing).

“Iz, I’m exhausted. If anything needs work, Ms. Jill will tell us tomorrow,” Dan reasoned, ignoring the very knowing look she was giving him.

“Okay, fine. But if it looks sloppy I’m gonna tell her it’s because you were playing video games instead of rehearsing,” she announced, leaving in a huff.

“So Player One or Two?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

Four different games and a Studio Ghibli marathon later, Dan realized it was after dark, and about ten minutes to his curfew.

“My Dad is gonna kill me, I should go,” he said apologetically searching around for his shoes.

“Do you need a ride? It got pretty cold out,” Phil pointed out, reaching for the giant bowl of popcorn they’d nearly finished.

“That’s okay, I live pretty close. I’ll um, talk to you tomorrow?” Dan wondered, praying that didn’t come out as hopeful as it felt.

“Of course- hey, at least take a jacket,” Phil offered, holding up a leather jacket.

“You know, you wear a lot of leather for a nerd with a plushie hoarding problem,” Dan remarked, but shrugged the jacket on.

“I do not have a problem.”

“You have three different Totoro plushies- why do you need three?”

“I was sad to see you go, but if you’re only here to shame my decorating choices, I take it back.” Dan laughed, pausing in the doorway.

“You didn’t have to walk me out,” he said, but the smile in his voice said otherwise.

“Wanted to. Night, Dancing Queen,” Phil answered, and there was that stupid smirk again. Honestly, what would it take to wipe that ridiculous expression off his face?

“Okay, that’s it. I hate you so much,” Dan answered, probably less annoyed than he should have been. Phil just stepped forward, and zipped up his jacket.

“If you think this is hate, then I guess I hate you too. Bye, Dan,” he said, pulling away.

“Right. Well, good to know you, um… Know my name. I’m going now,” he announced turning away and walking towards home to get the warm feeling he’d gotten from their proximity completely out of his mind.

“And then he said ‘if you think this is hate, then I guess I hate you too.’ What does that even mean?” Dan complained to Louise the next afternoon at the barre.

“Probably that you’re way more obvious than you think and that he likes you too,” Louise answered as they switched to frappés, their favorite warm up to do at the barre, next to dégagés.

“This is why I don’t tell you things,” Dan muttered, resolutely ignoring the flutter in his chest that hoped maybe she was right.

“Oh, come on. You’ve been texting nonstop since Izzy gave him your number and you wore his jacket all day today,” Louise said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“That doesn’t mean-”

“Louise! Daniel! If I catch you talking through another warm up, I’m going to make you do the entire thing again by yourselves.”

“Yes, Ms. Jill.”

The week leading up to the competition was a complete blur. He spent so much time at Izzy’s rehearsing, his mother suggested he just stay there for the week. Which was meant to be a joke, but they had work to do, so their parents reluctantly agreed to let him crash on the couch for a few days.

It was during this week when Dan was woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of someone bustling around in the kitchen. He briefly considered the possibility of there being an axe murderer in the house before deciding to go check it out for himself.

“Oh, hey, did I wake you?” Phil asked, sitting on the counter with his hand in a box of cereal.

“Um, yes? What are you even doing?” Dan replied, confused.

“Midnight snack.”

“At one thirty?”

“That’s the best time to have one.”

“Okay, well, I’m gonna go stare up at the ceiling, as there’s no way I’m getting back to sleep now.”

“Better idea. Since we’re both up now- why don’t you teach me something,” Phil suggested closing up the box of cereal and putting it back in the cabinet.

“What, dance related? So you can fall over and break something?” Dan teased leaning in the doorway.

“Hey! I’m not that bad,” Phil protested with a pout.

“Prove it then. Come on, we’ll start easy.”

With that, the pair moved into the living room where there was more space.

“Okay, this is first position-”

“I know what the positions are, you think Izzy would let me get away with knowing absolutely nothing?”

“Shut up- how was I supposed to know you actually pay attention to your sister when she talks?”

“Have you ever tried not listening to my sister when she talks?”

“I’m still alive aren’t I?”

“Exactly my point.”

“Okay, fine. We’ll start with poses. Can you do an attitude?”

“What, this thing?” Phil asked leaning forwards in an attempt to get his back leg off the floor. It would be an attitude if he wasn’t wobbling and flailing his arms to keep balance.

“Not that bad huh? Here, look, you don’t need to move your arms, your body will balance naturally. I’ll fix that in a minute, but first straighten your leg. And for the love of God, point your foot,” Dan reprimanded moving so he was standing in front of the other.

“How’s this?”

“Better. It’s okay to breathe too, you know. Actually, it’s encouraged. Now to fix your disastrous posture. Keep one arm in front of you and the other out to the side. Ninety-degree angle,” Dan instructed, guiding Phil’s arms himself.

“This is kinda harder than it looks. Not ballet as a whole, ballerinas are more disciplined than most athletes. But like, Izzy stands like this while she makes breakfast. And she’s been doing that since she was four.”

“Maybe a passe would’ve been easier- Not on relevé though,” Dan suggested while pushing Phil’s shoulders down. As it turns out, having a ballerina for a sister had done nothing to better his posture.

“I didn’t understand about half those words. They sound pretty when you say them, though.”

“I thought you listened to Izzy when she talked,” Dan teased, looking up for the first time. And, oh. They were really close.

“Yeah, well, I might be better at faking it than I let on,” Phil admitted with a completely unfair sheepish half smile. And then he fell over, sending both of them crashing to the floor.

“Izzy wasn’t kidding when she said you were a klutz,” Dan said.

“She really wasn’t,” Phil admitted, sending them both into a laughing fit.

Eventually their laughter died down enough for them to realize the (compromising?) position they were in. Dan thought they were close before, but now they were literally flushed against each other. He could see the flecks of green in Phil’s startling blue eyes.

“What?” Phil asked, catching him staring.

“You have really pretty eyes,” Dan told him before he could talk himself out of it.

“You have really pretty everything,” Phil replied, making Dan’s entire face turn bright red. That was not the answer he had been expecting at all. He was dimly aware of the fact that they’d been sprawled out on the floor entirely too long, but Phil was looking at him with an open, unreadable expression that made it entirely impossible to move.

“We should probably get up,” Dan pointed out a few seconds later.

“Probably,” Phil agreed, but neither of them made any attempt to move, which just sent them into another laughing fit. This one, however, ended the second they caught each other’s eyes.

“Can I..?” Phil asked, leaning in slightly. Dan just nodded, not trusting himself to say anything, and was about to close the gap between them when they heard footsteps approaching. They sprang away immediately, scrambling to get up off the floor before anyone saw the way they’d been lying together.

“Relax it’s just me,” Izzy said rolling her eyes and stepping into the living room.

“It’s not- We weren’t-” the pair scrambled to explain, but she just waved them off.

“Calm down, it’s not the first time I’ve caught my brother down here with someone.”

“It’s not?” Dan asked, turning to Phil, who was staring determinedly at the floor.

“This is the first time recently of course! I’m not helping, am I? Look, I just came downstairs to remind you we have a competition in two days and you need your rest. No time for distractions,” Izzy explained with a pointed look.

“You’re right. I’m going to bed right now,” Dan promised, knowing he would get a full-blown lecture if he wasn’t at full energy the next rehearsal.

“Good. I suggest we all go to bed- in our own rooms,” Izzy said with such finality it’d be impossible to argue. Then, satisfied, she headed back upstairs.

“I should probably go back to my room now. The last thing I want is Izzy lecturing me about how I don’t take her craft seriously,” Phil said once she was out of sight.

“A smart choice. I’ll, um, see you tomorrow then?” Dan said, shifting awkwardly.

“Definitely. Maybe I can finally beat you at Mario Kart,” Phil suggested, effectively erasing any awkwardness that had formed between them after getting caught.

“Ha! You wish,” Dan replied and just like that, things between them felt comfortable again, if only a little unfinished.

“Good night Dan.”

“Good night.”

Dan lay down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. There was a lot going on in his head that he didn’t particularly want to think about. For one, there was no denying it anymore: he definitely had a crush on Phil. And he was pretty sure they would have kissed if Izzy hadn’t interrupted. But where would that have left them? Not that it mattered much anyway; Izzy had made it clear that it was way too close to competition for him to be worrying about this. He sighed and texted Louise. She wouldn’t get it until morning, but she was the only person he felt comfortable sending his middle of the night rambles to. Well, the only person he didn’t have a massive crush on.

“I’m going back home tonight,” Dan announced walking into the kitchen the next morning. He’d been texting Louise all morning, and they’d come to the consensus that the best thing to do was distance himself and deal with his feelings after competition.

“Competition is literally tomorrow! You can’t go home now,” Izzy pleaded, dropping her spoon into her cereal.

“We have a dress rehearsal today, we know every part of this routine frontwards and backwards. The best thing about me having been here all this week is that we got lots of extra practice in. It’s going to be fine,” Dan reassured her the best he could.

“I swear to God if this is about my brother-” Izzy started with a glare, but was cut off by the sound of footsteps.

“If what is about me?” Phil asked, wandering into the kitchen in pjs and mismatched socks.

“Nothing. I’m just… I- I think it’s best if I stay at home,” Dan explained, wishing this conversation was happening anywhere but here. Izzy sighed loudly, grabbing he cereal and stomping out of the room.

“You better be absolutely flawless at rehearsal today, Howell!” she called over her shoulder.

“So… You’re not staying here anymore? It’s not because of last night, is it?” Phil asked, looking worried.

“No! I mean… I just really have to focus on competition right now. You heard Izzy, I can’t afford any distractions,” Dan told him quickly.

“Am I a distraction then?” Phil asked with a smirk. Dan rolled his eyes but couldn’t help his smile.

“The biggest.” Phil smiled then, an actual genuine smile, the one that lit up his face and took his hand. Dan decided immediately this was his favorite of Phil’s expressions, a close second being the pout he wore whenever he lost at a game.

“I had a question for you, but I don’t want to distract you further,” he said, holding up their linked hands.

“Izzy would probably have you beheaded,” Dan agreed, smiling back.

“Damn right I would. Now please stop this gross display of affection before I throw up,” Izzy said, walking into the kitchen with her now empty bowl.

“I should go. I’ll see you at lunch?”

“Sure you don’t need a ride?”

“I can get to school by myself, you know. Besides, I like walking.”

“Okay… Sure you don’t want a ride?”

“Rain check,” Dan replied, squeezing his hand one last time before letting go.

“See you later, Iz,” Dan added, turning to Izzy who rolled her eyes and waved goodbye. He waved back and headed to the living room to grab his stuff.

Dress rehearsal was a mess. The routine was perfect, everyone was in costume at the right time, and the lights and music hit all the right cues. No, it was the downtime in between run throughs that were the problem.

“I think I’m actually going to get a cavity from how sweet this is,” Louise announced dramatically. She and Izzy had decided to go through his texts and were reading conversations he definitely hadn’t wanted them to see.

“When does this water break end?” Dan muttered helplessly, sliding deeper into his seat.

“Aw come on, I think it’s nice. It’s about time, too! You were in denial for how long?” Louise asked pointedly.

“I was not in denial,” Dan protested, but Louise just looked at him, unimpressed, and turned back to his phone.

“You should’ve seen them this morning, Lou. Holding hands and smiling at each other! It was equal parts nauseating and precious,” Izzy broke in handing her the bottle of water they’d been sharing.

“You were holding hands?” Louise practically squealed and Dan made a note to never do anything in front of Izzy ever again.

“I mean, kind of? It’s really not that big of a deal-” he started to explain, but was mercifully interrupted by Ms. Jill calling them to attention.

After another complete run through of their routine, the dancers sat in a circle around their teacher as she gave her usual “day before competition” speech.

“You have all worked so hard, and I’m so proud of each and every one of you. No matter what happens tomorrow, you did your best and that’s all that matters,” she was saying, but Dan was only half listening. He was much more interested in the text Phil had just sent him, asking if he knew that when elephants were reunited with their friends, they made happy sounds and cuddled really close, complete with visual aids. He was still smiling at the elephant gif when Ms. Jill wrapped up her speech and implored them all to get some rest before the big day.

The dancers all applauded and thanked her for all her hard work, before breaking up and erupting into excited chatter. Dan, still only half-listening, just followed Izzy and Louise around and waited for them to be ready to head home.

Dan awoke the next morning with the same mix of excitement and nerves he always felt before a competition. He checked his phone to see how much time he had before it would be time to leave and smiled when it lit up with a “Break a leg!” text from Phil. He read it over a few times, before replying and going to get ready.

The air was practically buzzing in the convention center as ballerinas from different studios sat huddled together, awaiting the announcement that would begin the competition. Dan was sitting next to Izzy as they waited for Louise to get back from perfecting her stage makeup.

“I’m so nervous,” Izzy said, glancing around at the other groups competing. Some were stretching, some were helping each other adjust their costumes, and some were standing by the concession stand, munching on overpriced pretzels. All in all, not the most intimidating set up in the world, but Dan could see where Izzy was coming from.

“We’re gonna be fine. You can do this routine in your sleep. Just remember what Ms. Jill says: be in your body, not your mind,” Dan reminded her in his best attempt at comfort. They’d been friends for years, and after many a breakup or failed audition, he was getting better and better at knowing exactly what to say to put Izzy at ease.

“How do I look?” Louise asked walking over, her makeup completely perfected, and not a hair out of place.

“You look amazing,” Izzy replied, reaching up to touch her hair self consciously, “Can you fix my bun?”

“Iz, you look perfect,” Louise assured her, “But I’m going to make you look even more perfect.”

Dan watched Louise pull all of Izzy’s bright red hair into another perfect bun in about two minutes. He’d seen her do this at pretty much every recital and competition, other dancers lining up to have her work her magic, and somehow it never got less impressive.

“Will all performers report backstage?” A loud voice boomed over the speakers, startling everyone in the room.

“I guess it’s time,” Dan said, standing up and grabbing his dance bag.

“Let’s do this,” Izzy and Louise replied determinedly, and the trio made their way backstage where Ms. Jill was giving her usual pre competition talk.

“Okay, our routine is number 57, which means we’re about in the middle. The judges will be starting to get fatigued, so I want you to wake them up. As much energy as you can, okay? And remember - be expressive! No one wants to watch a dancer that looks bored. Alright, break a leg, all of you.” She nodded, satisfied, and gave them the smile they’d come to learn meant she wished she had time to hug each of them. Instead, she held out a hand. “Circle time.”

Circle time was what they called the ritual they did before every performance, competitive or otherwise. They stood in a circle, holding hands. Ms. Jill would start, squeezing the hand of the dancer next to her, and that person would squeeze the next person’s hand, and so on, until it reached Ms. Jill again. It was meant to spread positive energy and bring them closer together.

It was super awkward the first year of classes, but then everyone bonded over how much they hated it, and Dan knew without a doubt even if Ms. Jill wasn’t there, they’d probably still do it. They completed the circle and did a quick chant before going to watch the other routines on one of the tvs set up in the room.

Finally, after what felt like eons of waiting, they were called to the stage. They lined up in the wings and watched as the previous group struck their final pose. Dan shot Izzy a reassuring smile, which she returned determinedly, and then the stage went dark. They waited a few seconds for the previous act to start leaving the stage before running to their places.

The minute the lights went up, Dan was completely in his element. He let his mind go blank, allowing his body to take over and move with the music the way he’d been trained to. He stole a few quick glances out at the audience; everyone was watching in complete silence, but they all seemed to be paying attention, which was good. Audiences tended to get a little restless once the competition had been going on for a while. Most of the performance was a blur, as usual, a mix of muscle memory and adrenaline, but the lift earned a big reaction from the audience and the rest of the routine went perfectly. Dan basked in the enthusiastic applause from the audience and blushed when he caught sight of Phil standing up next to his and Izzy’s parents and cheering loudly. The lights dimmed and they hurried to get out of the way of the next act.

“That was amazing! I’m so proud of you guys, the judges really took notice,” Ms. Jill told them once they were all huddled backstage. They all took a quick moment to celebrate before dispersing to take off their slippers, touch up their hair and makeup, or grab a drink of water.

Dan was putting his slippers back into the bag when he noticed someone in the doorway waving him over. He looked to see Phil standing there holding a bouquet of flowers and walked over to him.

“Hey- I think Izzy went to get a snack, but I could give them to her if you want,” Dan offered once he got closer.

“Oh! Um, actually… these are for you?” Phil replied, holding them out sheepishly.

“Oh.” Dan took the flowers, and blushed looking down at them. Orchids. His favorite.

“Yeah. I just… My parents always get Izzy flowers when she performs and I remember you saying these were your favorite so I tho-”

“Phil,” Dan broke in, cutting him off.

“Yeah?”

“You’re rambling,” Dan pointed out, but he couldn’t help but smile.

“Sorry. I do that sometimes.”

“I’ve noticed,” Dan teased.

“Shut up,” Phil said laughing, and the two relapsed back into silence.

“I should get back, but um… thanks for the flowers,” Dan said finally.

“Oh, right. Do you still say ‘break a leg’ if the person has performed already?” Phil wondered.

“That’s… A really good question. I have no idea,” Dan answered shrugging.

“Well, I'll see you after you win then,” Phil told him smiling encouragingly.

“Definitely.”

Dan waved, and turned to walk away when he felt a tug on his wrist. He turned around, confused to see Phil staring at him determinedly. Before he could ask what was going on, Phil shook his head, and then kissed him, soft and slow.

“For luck,” he explained, pulling away.

“Oh… Thank you,” Dan said, still slightly in shock.

“That’s all you’re gonna say?”

“Well, you could always… Do that again maybe?”

“Of course,” Phil answered laughing, and then they were kissing again. It was a little awkward, with Dan having to hold the bouquet out of the way, but it was also completely perfect. Until the squealing started.

“Finally!” Louise and Izzy cheered, causing the two to jump away from each other.

“Sorry about them,” Dan apologized, before glaring at his friends pointedly.

“Don’t be. I’m gonna go back before my parents realize I’m gone,” Phil told him, reaching down to pick up the flowers Dan had dropped when they were interrupted.

“Right. We’ll, um… Continue this later?” Dan wondered hopefully, taking the bouquet back.

“Definitely,” Phil answered with a smirk, and then he was gone.

“Look, I’m really happy for you guys, but I would appreciate if I didn’t have to watch you and my brother suck face,” Izzy said, scrunching up her face.

“No promises,” Dan replied smiling down at the bouquet.

Izzy just rolled her eyes. “Come on Lover Boy, let’s go watch the other acts.”

Soon, every act had performed at it was time to announce the winners. Dan lined up with the other dancers, ready to go out on stage.

“Remember, I’m proud of you all no matter what. You’ve worked so hard, and that’s what’s important,” Ms. Jill told them as she lead them to the stage. They all murmured their appreciation, but everyone was thinking the same thing- they had to win this.

Once all of the ensemble groups were in formation on stage, a host came out holding the cards that had all of their fates tucked away inside. The host gave a brief welcome, making a few jokes that garnered polite laughs from the audience. And then it was time.

“In third place… Entry number seventy five, Swan Lake!” The group stood up and moved to the front of the stage, accepting their trophy. Their routine had been good, but Dan had noticed that the execution was a little sloppy. He quickly turned his attention back to the host, eager to hear the name of their entry called.

“In second place… Entry number twenty, Once Upon a Dream!” the host announced cheerfully. Another group of ballerinas ran to take their place next to the other group. This was it- either they’d won first place, or they hadn’t placed at all. Dan crossed his fingers on both hands.

“And finally, the winner of best ensemble, in first place… Entry number fifty seven, Young and Beautiful!” the host announced with a cheer.

That was them! They’d won, they’d actually won! First place, Dan couldn’t believe it. He stood up with the rest of the ballerinas to take their place at the front of the stage. The host handed Izzy the trophy and put out his microphone. “Can you tell us what studio you’re from?”

“Ms. Jill’s Elite Dance Centre!” Izzy exclaimed proudly. The cheering continued for a little while longer, and once everyone calmed down, the groups exited the stage so that the solo competitors could find out their rankings.

“First place! Congratulations!” Ms. Jill all but squealed once they were backstage. The ballerinas all ran forward and gave her a huge group hug (which was quite a feat, considering there were about fourteen of them).

“I want you all to get lots of rest okay? This means we’re officially going to the World Ballet Competition, and I need you all to be at peak performance level,” she instructed.

“Yes, Ms. Jill,” they answered in unison, but most of them were too excited to even start thinking about Worlds. They’d won! It was an exhilarating feeling, one they basked in for as long as possible before going to get changed or leaving to celebrate with their families.

“Dan! Are you coming to get dinner with us?” Louise asked after they’d finished changing.

“Not this time- there’s somewhere else I have to be,” he explained, barely containing his excitement.

“Oh, of course. Say hi to Phil for us,” Louise teased, poking him.

“Will do!” Dan called over his shoulder as he left.

“You won! How does it feel?” Phil asked the minute he saw him.

“It feels kind of amazing, actually. I still can’t believe it,” Dan answered. He’d been replaying the moment in his head over and over again, but that did nothing to lessen the shock.

“I can. You and Izzy practiced non-stop,” Phil pointed out as they walked.

“I wouldn’t exactly say non-stop, Mr. Come Play Videogames with Me I’m Bored,” Dan joked.

“Okay, fair point,” Phil replied laughing, “But still.”

“Still.” They fell into silence then, neither of them sure how to proceed- it seemed like they’d been building up to this moment for months, and now that they were here, neither of them were sure exactly how to proceed.

“Do you wanna go to Mary’s?” Phil asked finally, after what felt like an eternity of awkward silence.

“Yes,” Dan answered, nodding quickly.

They sat in the corner booth of Mary’s, squished together on one side and sharing a brownie sundae. The familiar environment eased some of the tension, and they slipped back into conversation easily.

“So… what exactly were you gonna ask me yesterday?” Dan wondered after their conversation died down a little.

“Oh! Um… Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to… Go out with me?” Phil asked in reply, searching his face for any kind of reaction.

“What are you, twelve?”

“Dan,” Phil whined in protest, but Dan just laughed and kissed his pout away.

“Is that a yes then?”

“No, I kiss everyone I’m about to brutally reject,” Dan replied, deadpan.

“You’re a brat, you know that?”

“You like it though.” Phil shrugged noncommittally, and then they were kissing again, lazy and sweet.

“Hey! You two! You can’t do that here, this is a family restaurant,” their waitress scolded, placing the check on the table

“Oh my God,” Dan groaned, hiding his face in Phil’s arm, which was currently shaking with laughter. He purposefully avoided eye contact with everyone in the restaurant as they left.

“The sun is setting, come on!” Phil called excitedly the minute the were outside.

“Where exactly are we going?” Dan asked, but he let himself be pulled along.

“We’re gonna watch the sunset,” Phil explained as they walked, hand in hand.

“You just live for cliches don’t you?” Dan teased, but he couldn’t help the fond smile that spread across his face, completely without his permission.

“Just humor me. Please?” Phil pleaded, pouting slightly. As if Dan was ever going to say no to him.

“Okay, okay.”

They walked until they came to a clearing that lead out to a small cliff. Phil dropped himself down unceremoniously at the edge and patted the spot next to him. Dan shook his head, but sat down, curling into his side, pulling his arm around him. They sat in silence for awhile, watching as the sun turned the sky shades of orange and red. Dan couldn’t even remember the last time he stopped to appreciate a sunset. It was nice. Really nice.

“See? How amazing is it that we get to witness this? And it happens every day,” Phil said, and Dan could practically feel the excitement radiating off of him.

“It’s really nice. I’m glad we’re here right now,” Dan admitted, for once not feeling the need to hide his sincerity behind a joke.

“Me too,” Phil answered softly, smiling at him in a way that made Dan feel warm all over. He pecked him on the cheek, and turned his attention back to the sight before him. Phil kissed his temple, wrapping his arms tighter around him, and Dan focused on taking a mental snapshot of this perfect moment to look back on whenever he needed it.

There were two things in life of which Dan was absolutely certain of. The first was that he loved ballet more than anything in the world. The second was that sitting here, watching all the colors of the sky, he could feel himself falling- where exactly, he wasn’t sure. But he knew Phil would be there to catch him. He couldn’t wait.

#pbb 2017 #phandom big bang #phandom big bang 2017 #phanfiction #Phanfic #enemies to friends to lovers #teen AU #ballet AU #my fic

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