So today was the day.

Dan was a little nervous.

Today was the first meeting they would be having with the agent that was going to publish their novel. He wanted so desperately to make a good first impression.

Phil told him to stay calm.

"She's a really nice lady and really likes the novel! She's been very patient with us these last three years, you have nothing to worry about."

He wished he was more like Hailey, it took a lot to shake her up and she was great at making first impressions, everyone loved Haily. Dan liked to think he was charming in his own way but overall he knew he was just annoying.

"Okay guys," Marty spoke towards Dan and Hailey. "It's pretty simple, we're gonna go in and show her our progress, get feedback, and leave, don't be nervous."

Phil came up behind Dan and squeezed his shoulder. "Come on, she doesn't liked to be kept waiting."

It was a very professional place surprisingly, there was a receptionist and they had to check in. Thankfully they wouldn't be waiting as they had an appointment and were told just to go up to her office.

Hailey found her wait to Dan in the elevator and help his pinky. Dan smiled but it didn't help much to calm his nerves.

Dan was still screaming in his mind as they entered her office. He calmed down bit when he actually saw her, she didn't look mean. She was a tall gracefully women, she looked a bit into her years and had a blonde pixy cut. She smiled and greeted everyone.

As she approached Dan and Hailey he felt his stomach flip around. She held out her hand and smile politely.

"You must be Dan and Hailey, welcome to our team."
________

Dan wasn't so nervous anymore after they came out the publishing house, he was actually excited. All of then were. Phil was most excited, he clung into Dan's arm as they walked, shaking him back and forth.

"Did you hear what she said, the book could be ready to publish in a few months, we've been working on it for three years!"

Dan smiled at him. "I'm happy for you, all three of you, we should go out and celebrate."

Raine was jumping around as well. "Yes, I was thinking the exact same thing, we're going clubbing, I haven't been out in a fat minute."

Everyone seemed to like the idea. Dan knew Hailey liked to go out dancing with Riley back in America, Dan would just awkwardly bop around at a distance. He thought this would be good for her, he doesn't know what's going on but Riley had been texting him about Hailey, apparently she's been distant. So maybe she needed a night out.

They decided to go to a club downtown, it was pretty swanky, had a lot of flashing lights and drunk people hopping around the place.

As they entered and went to sit at a table Phil clung to Dan.

"Clubs kind of scare me, but I think it's fun we should dance!" Phil looked at him with a smile.

Dan laughed. "No way I don't dance, we should get some drinks first anyway."

Dan offered to go to the bar with Hailey and gather everyone's drinks, he thought maybe he could talk to her while they waited.

"Hey Hailey," Dan poked at her ad they waited for their orders. "Riley's worried about you, what's wrong, you've never ignored them before."

Hailey put on her big grin and elbowed Dan. "No issue, just been busy, I've actually been drawing a lot recently, since we've moved."

Dan hummed. "It's not like you to ignore Riley, they're worried about you."

Hailey grabbed their drinks off the bar. "Nothing to worry about, I'll talk to them tomorrow okay, let's celebrate, you're boyfriend is excited."

Dan rolled his eyes as they walked to the table. "He's not my boyfriend."

Hailey hummed. "Not yet, now let's party."
________

They had been there for about an hour now, Dan was sat at the table next to Santi, who also didn't want to dance. He watched on as Hailey and Phil danced around, laughing and red in the face. Marty and Raine were also on the dance floor but they were just dry humping like a bunch of teenagers, so Dan was trying not to look at them.

Santi was proper drunk, he was giggling and playing with Dan's hair.

"It's so fluffy, mine is just frizzy."

Dan hummed. "I used to hate my hair, I would straighten it up til high school."

Santi nodded. "My mom never let me do that, she said it was something a gay man would do, which is weird cause I turned out gay, do you think she hates me Dan?"

Dan was slowly getting uncomfortable, he didn't really know Santi too well, he was a nice young lad but he didn't have the proper mind set or tools to deal with him.

"Probably not, let's go dance okay, it looks like a blast."

It wasn't really a blast, Santi went ahead and danced next to Phil, which was probably for the best. Santi and Phil were reasonably close and he would probably know how to deal with him.

"Dan! Dan you're dancing, look I can throw it back pretty well right?"

Dan laughed as Hailey threw it back rather badly, he really did love her, like a sister, or a child, or both.

The two started hopping around together, Dan was keeping an eye on Santi and Phil, they were a little further from them but he could still see them and maybe hear them id the club music wasn't loud.

Santi seemed to be having some sort of break down, he liked like he was about to cry and kept hugging onto Phil. Dan felt kind of bad for leaving Santi in Phil's hands but at the same time he was just glad it wasn't him.

Dan was starting to feel a little hazy, he had a few drinks already and dancing in a club full of people and flashing lights wasn't exactly rejuvenating. He was about to go and have a seat before he looked across the club at Santi and Phil one more time and just so happened to see Santi kissing Phil.

Dan's eyes widen as he watched Phil pull out the kiss and shove Santi away. He looked like he was about to start yelling but Santi backed away and ran out the club. Phil, being the guy he is ran after him.

Dan stood still for a while before rushing outside to follow Santi and Phil. He heard Hailey ask what was wrong but he knew she wouldn't hear him over the shouting of the club so he just ran off.

When he stepped out the building he heard Phil yelling at Santi.

"Wait, Santi I'm not mad come back!"

Santi had taken off down the road, he was pretty fast, faster than Phil, he was soon out of their line of vision as he rounded a street corner.

Phil signed and turned around to see Dan. "Oh, hey Dan."

Dan went and wrapped his arms around Phil. "You alright mate?"

Phil swallowed and nodded but he looked like he was about to burst into tears. Dan sighed and lead him to a stonewall outside the club they could sit on.

Phil leaned into his shoulders and began to cry a bit. Maybe it was because he was tipsy, Dan thought. But soon Phil began to speak up.

"He's never really had it easy, his parents doesn't accept him and the only way he can get away from all that is working with us, he's always so easy going and shit but he's just a kid you know?"

Dan nodded. Santi was only eighteen, and he knew coming out as a teen can be really scary. Especially when you're parents didn't accept you.

"He must feel so bad, I know he's sorry I just wish he wouldn't have ran off, he's such a good friend to me, I just want him to be okay."

Dan kissed the top of his head and held him close. "Don't worry about it, we can talk to him tomorrow, you're a good friend Phil and we're gonna resolve this."

Suddenly the other three came rushing out the club.

Marty looked at them. "Whats wrong? Are you guys okay, where's Santi?"

Dan sighed. "We'll talk tomorrow, let's just take Phil home."

The ride was quiet, Phil fell asleep on Dan's shoulder on the way home. He wanted to try and see if he could carry him inside but he knew it would be impossible so instead he just held him as they walked up the stairs.

Phil nodded. "Here's my key, Brian's at his girlfriends house today."

Dan unlocked the door and Phil guided him to wear his room would be. When they arrived he collapsed on his bed and groaned.

"God I wish I'd stayed in the womb."

Dan laughed. "Alright Philly, have sweet dreams okay, I'll come over tomorrow, yeah?"

Phil groaned. "No, no, no stay here, you're going to be here tomorrow anyways." Phil burstsd out into giggles. "Sleep with me."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, hold on lemme text Hailey."

Dan stripped off his clothes and jacket before climbing into the bed with Phil. He was warm like always, his place skin was like a beacon in his dark room. His eyes and nose were red from the frying, and his hair was a mess. Phil was absolutely beautiful. Dan smiled and snuggled in closer to him. It had been such a long time since they shared a bed.

As he drifted off to bed he thought of how he could ever fall asleep without him.