Work Text:
1)
“Not this again…’’
“What is it?’’
“It’s Lester, by Dan’s locker.’’
“You’ve got to be kidding me.’’
Sophia, standing by her own locker, packing her stuff for her Chemistry class, turned to look at where her friend, Anna, pointed for her to look at and there he was.
Philip Lester, in 6th form, obnoxiously tall, with his pitch black hair styled in a quiff, dressed in his punk dark clothes, was leaning on Daniel Howell’s locker, while scrolling through his phone, seemingly bored.
This was a typical sight for Sophia and Anna, as their lockers were a few lockers away from Dan’s.
It was a daily occurrence for the bully that Lester was to wait for Dan to get to his locker between each class so he could pick on him - and it was so bad to watch it all happening with Dan not even attempting to defend himself.
Anna had even reported it to teachers, who said they’d handle it (guess - they never did), and it had never stopped. It’d been like that ever since Dan had moved here last year.
Philip was adamant on not letting the boy rest for not even one break. It was terrifying.
“Doesn’t he have literally anything else to do?’’ Anna murmured, watching as Dan approached his locker from the other side of the hall. The boy must be too used to this by now to even have a reaction.
You see, Dan was the complete opposite of Philip Lester in terms of style and behaviour.
Ever since Dan had joined the school, it was obvious how different he is.
He wore pastel clothes and flower crowns, put on light makeup, got perfect grades and had intense trouble interacting with people, had a horrible posture given how tall he was (even taller than Lester, who had already been the tallest guy at school) and just… kept to himself.
Most of the time he wasn’t even seen at the lunch cafeteria (rumors had it that he didn’t get the chance to reach the cafeteria thanks to Lester’s bullying of him), and whenever he did (on the rare days Lester wasn’t at school), he was with Louise from 6th form and PJ, who was one of Phil’s friends, making it all even weirder.
Poor Dan.
As Dan approached his locker, Lester glanced up from his phone (both Sophia and Anna were carefully looking at the commotion there) and got the biggest smirk on his face as he punched Dan’s upper arm and yelled, “Hi, buddy’’.
Dan’s back was turned to them so they didn’t see his exact reaction, but he didn’t even flinch at this, too used to it.
“I’m not your buddy, Lester,’’ they heard Dan say, audible enough in the busy hall, a typical answer to Lester acting like a friend to him.
“Am I not? Dan!’’
“I can’t recall you being one ever, so quit this.’’
Dan quickly got his books for his next class and closed his locker, turning to the Art hall without saying another word to Philip, who wordlessly walked by his side.
“Does this guy ever stop?’’ Anna whispered and Sophia sighed.
“It’s embarrassing for him.’’
And as the two boys passed by them, they heard Lester say,
“- What new album would the incredible Dan Howell recommend me?’’ and it was clear as day that he was fucking with him as Dan blushed in embarrassment at the disgusting behaviour of his bully…
2)
Dan could hardly ever escape Lester even during classes, it sometimes seemed.
John, who shared quite a few classes with Dan, noticed the pattern.
Dan sat alone in most classes, as he was quite shy and he had said he preferred sitting alone, thanks to which whenever Philip Lester, his damned bully everyone at the school knew for (before Dan Philip hadn’t been known as a bully, just as a weird punk who came across as a bit rude), skipped his own classes, came to sit next to him and bother him the whole of the class and Dan… just accepted his fate.
Teachers for some reason always allowed Lester, who was supposed to be in his own fucking classes, to stay during the class, despite knowing of his relentless bullying of Dan, and eventually kicked him out when he wouldn’t shut up. Not for any other reason. Just for him being loud.
For Fuck’s sake, what was wrong with that school and why did no one from the staff try and help Dan? John and his friends couldn’t get it.
And Dan was so used to this happening, he didn’t even fight against it. Whenever anyone tried helping him he said that “Phil” isn’t bullying him and that he was all fine, but it was obvious he was too shy to admit the truth.
Today was no different.
They had English and as always, Dan was sitting at the front, taking notes and minding his own business, when suddenly the door burst open and Philip Lester walked in.
“Can I stay, Mrs. Roberts?’’ he asked in a polite voice and Mrs. Robert, who had turned to look at the intruder from her position on the board, sighed. “I promise I’ll be quiet this time.’’
“Sit down and keep your promise this time, Lester.’’
Philip grinned and everyone looked at Dan, who didn’t react to this at all.
He just made space for Philip to sit down by his side and kept taking notes as Philip wrapped one arm around his back, while fixing the flower crown atop his head and murmuring something to him.
From his own seat John saw Dan’s reddened cheeks and shy expression as he turned to fully face Philip.
The class kept on going like this, with Lester taking his arm off Dan’s back, only to place it on the back of his seat, leaning in too close to him occasionally, as Dan seemed to work on the questions Mrs. Roberts had told them to answer in their notebooks. She had even jokingly said that Philip, as an upper form student, could help out Dan, to which Philip had said, “He’s far smarter than me, I would need his help’’.
It was sickening how Lester found all kinds of ways to shame Dan, and his smartness was one he used, which was a thing other people had also done.
Dan was just easy to pick on with everything about him and if it weren’t for Philip having a claim on him, he’d be a victim of far more people (as Philip had actually threatened his friends bullies to never even breathe near Dan in front of half of the school the one time someone tripped him. If Lester himself hadn’t bullied Dan, this would make them shippable).
And then it happened.
“Mrs. Roberts, I think Dan would like to answer this.’’
Dead silence.
Everyone knew Dan hated raising his hand or answering a question by his own will. He never did that. He was infamous for being the shy, quiet perfect scores student that participated only if he was called out to answer something. Never because he wanted it.
And then Philip had just casually said it, turning to look at Dan with a big smile.
Asshole.
Dan looked back at him, eyes widened in shock, mouth agape and Philip grinned even wilder, nodding in what looked like mock encouragement.
“Oh, really?’’ Mrs. Roberts asked and smiled softly, looking at Dan.
“I-I-’’ Dan stuttered and Philip patted him on the back. “Yes, I do…’’
“That’s amazing news! And what’s your answer, Daniel?’’
Dan cleared his throat and started spilling out his long answer, taking deep breaths between some words, clearly struggling with this. It was torturous.
John looked at Katie, his seatmate, who was shaking her head in disbelief.
“I feel so bad for him,’’ she murmured quietly. “Philip is so horrible.’’
“He still has his fucking hand on his back,’’ John said and Katie made a disgusted face.
Philip’s hand seemed to rub “soothing’’ circles on Dan’s back, as he was looking at Dan with an expression that John couldn’t put into words.
Well, he could, but the words didn’t make sense to him, knowing how Philip was with Dan and Dan alone.
“Has it occurred to you,’’ another voice chimed in from behind them, Samantha, “that Lester isn’t bullying Dan and that’s just how they act with each other?’’
At that both Katie and John turned to look back at her, as Gracie, her seatmate, was already wearing the most shocked face ever.
“What bullshit are you speaking into existence?’’ Gracie whisper-yelled.
“I’m serious! Hear me out!’’
“No way.’’
“Listen!’’
“Girls, John, be quiet!’’ Mrs. Roberts yelled from the front and as they looked at her, they saw Philip’s judgemental look on them. They had probably interrupted Dan.
“We’re sorry,’’ John spoke up for all of them and turned to look at Samantha again. “Did you stay up reading fanfics again?’’
“Yeah, is this why you’re coming up with this?’’ Katie asked.
“No! But just listen. My sister and Dan take piano lessons at the same tutor right after each other and she has seen Dan being driven to his lessons by a boy our age!’’
“So? Dan might have friends outside of school?’’
“But Lester has a drivers license and I’m pretty sure they hang out after school.’’
“Samantha, Philip is bullying him, they aren’t friends!’’
“He’s making fun of him for anything, be serious!’’
“He has said he isn’t? Dan himself denied that.’’
“Because he doesn’t want Philip to make it worse.’’
“How worse can it get if Philip’s actually bullying him as you all claim? Philip already follows him around all the time and never leaves him alone, plus he’s punched him.’’
“You’re literally defending a bully right now.’’
Just as John said that, the bell rang, signaling that class was over.
They all started packing their stuff and as they got up to head to the teacher’s desk to give her their notebooks for her to grade, they watched Philip wait for Dan at the door and hold Dan’s bag?
Before John got the opportunity to talk to Dan, who was leaving his notebook on Mrs. Roberts’ desk, he was swiftly gone, called on by Philip to hurry up…
3)
Mary just wanted a quiet place to eat lunch at.
She didn’t expect to come across Philip Lester having pinned Daniel Howell to a wall in what she thought was a secret hiding place behind the gym’s changing rooms’ building.
Really, she wasn’t looking for any trouble - she had had a long, exhausting day at her new school she had transferred to this Monday. After failing to make anyone want to sit with her in most of her classes and just being awkward to talk to, she accepted defeat quickly and decided to not even bother eating at the cafeteria.
And she had already heard tales of the bully and his one and only victim.
So seeing them in such a place wasn’t that shocking, but it was definitely unwanted.
Thankfully, they hadn’t seen her, as she hid behind the corner, clutching her lunch box.
The scene before her was of Dan, back pressed to the wall, with his bag tossed on the ground by his feet, flowery crown off to the side of his head a bit, pastel pink shirt and white jeans wrinkled, and Lester, towering slightly over him, as Dan’s legs were kind of spread, with a palm pressed to the wall, right by Dan’s head, wired earbuds hanging from one of his ears and the other earbud being handed to Dan.
“I told you, I don’t want to listen to this monstrosity,’’ Mary heard Dan weakly say in a whine, and Philip leaned closer to him.
“I just want one thing, Dan. Nothing else,’’ Philip pleaded, a bit pathetically for a bully.
Mary wondered what the thing was and why Philip wanted Dan to listen to it so bad. Was this what bullies here did?
If so, she was quite weirded out.
“You say this all the time, you love lying.’’
“But I promise I am not this time. Just listen to it again, give it a chance.’’
“You’re being ridiculous.’’
“No, you are. It’s just a song, don’t be a whiny baby.’’
“Don’t piss me off today, I am not in the mood for this.’’
“Then give it another listen or I’ll just tell everyone that-’’
“Fine, fine! I’ll listen, just don’t.’’
Mary got it.
Philip just had blackmail over Dan and seemed to make it his life’s purpose to ruin things for him in all ways, including making him listen to songs Dan disliked.
And Dan obviously didn’t fight him too much on it, as he had the reputation of the shy, innocent, smart pastel boy that was too weak to defend himself. And Mary understood him.
But she couldn’t help but feel like their dynamic was too casual for a typical bully and victim. Dan was too sassy to Philip.
After a few seconds of Dan having the other wired earbud in his ear, he groaned and made a gesture Mary didn’t see.
“What?’’ Lester asked in an earnest voice.
“This is a torture method at this point,’’ Dan complained and took the earbud off. “If I give you half my lunch will you just leave me alone?’’
“I was going to take it anyway.’’
“But I am giving it willingly as a peace offering. Deal?’’
“I love making business with you.’’
Dan’s full face was revealed to Mary as Philip backed off from Dan so that the pastel boy could get his bag from the ground and get out his lunch box. He was a bit flustered, eyes shining, a complex mix of emotions on his face. He wore makeup - a bit of mascara, blush, baby pink eyeshadows - and he looked sweet.
Mary admired his makeup skills, for she wished she could look so good in makeup.
“You know, I should start packing more lunch,’’ Dan casually said and handed out the box to Lester, who eagerly opened it and grinned at the sight. “You always take most of mine.’’
“It’s too good to not take.’’
“And what will your mom say about this?’’
“She already knows. I told her.’’
Before Mary could hear what Dan said next, her phone rang. The ringtone echoed loudly, and she cursed under her breath, running away from the crime scene before they could see her. She was so glad for her fast thinking in moments like these.
In her escape, she was left to think of Dan's reply that she couldn’t hear…
4)
Lester was too “physical touch" with Dan in everyone’s opinion and it was disturbing.
Most bullies relied on punches and insults, whereas Philip Lester relied on never leaving Dan’s side and touching him like crazy - the usual arm around his shoulder, around his waist, a hand placed on his back, a hand fixing his hair and flowery crowns, bumping shoulders, shoulders squeezes, invading his personal space at absolutely any opportunity. It never ended.
And Dan just, as always… accepted it.
It was really weird.
Dan was always embarrassed by it, yet never made an effort to have Philip pull out - which only contributed to the common, taken for truth, theory that Philip had something over him that had Dan quiet and just dealing with it as if it was normal, denying the existence of any problematic stuff existing between them.
It was fucking wild and insane, not just weird.
Dan was walking down the hall, seemingly headed to the library, as he often went there in his free classes (this week Mr. Stone was sick and no one else was free to sub for him), clutching a few books to his chest, dressed sweetly in a baby blue long sleeved shirt and the bold choice of slightly ripped washed out blue jeans, wearing a flowery crown with white and blue roses on top of his head.
He wore a focused expression on his face, brows furrowed in deep thought, long legs carrying him through the mess of teenagers headed to their own classes, unbothered by the current lack of a presence by his side.
People have grown quite used to seeing him with Philip Lester glued to his side like an annoying fly, it was always nice to see him alone. He deserved peace and time without his fucking bully being constantly tormenting him.
And of course, everyone had thought so too early for it to last.
Lester casually appeared, seemingly in a rush, in the part of the hall Dan was walking towards, and his face lit up into a content smile as he had spotted his victim. His voice immediately echoed in the loud hall.
“Hi, lad!’’
People turned to look at him, with some noticing Dan’s embarrassed face, as Philip squeezed his shoulders and patted his cheek - a thing that got everyone horrified - barking out a loud laugh.
“My name isn’t that hard to call me by, you know,’’ the closest to them heard Dan say quietly in a weak protest, voice shaken by shyness and irritation.
“Alright, Danny boy. Where’ we going?’’
“I am going to the library. You’ve got a class.’’
“Not necessary. I’ve got a class if I want to get one.’’
“Then have fun being in detention later.’’
Just as he said that, Dan kept on walking to where he was headed and Philip caught up to him, immediately putting his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to himself, looking up to the pastel boy.
“I’ve got nothing better to do now.’’
“Being in class might be one.’’
“Be serious, what’s better than annoying the living shit out of you?’’
Admitting it so loudly quite shocked the people around them, for Phil hardly ever acknowledged this for what it really was.
“Just shut up,’’ Dan said, barely hearable to even the people nearest to them, with a trembling voice that caused Phil to squeeze his shoulder teasingly.
And then they turned around the corner to the library and got lost in the dark hall…
5)
“I-I’m so sorry, Phil-’’ Dan said between breaths, stuttering in panic, trembling like a leaf in front of the school’s entrance.
He was holding on to an now empty cup of Starbucks coffee, its contents spilled into Philip Lester’s recently bought leather jacket with caps that fit his punk aesthetic perfectly. The drink was spilling down the punk’s jeans, soaking him further in the hot drink, and everyone watched the scene play out in curiosity and terror of what would happen to Dan.
It was a quiet, peaceful Friday morning and most people were going to their classes, in a rush to get in time, when by the door Dan had been pushed by a running student, resulting in him crashing into Lester, who was, of course, by his side, making him spill his coffee all over the front of the jacket.
Now Dan was truly done for.
Phil was looking at Dan with pure shock, taken aback by the action, and everyone who saw expected him to “finally” beat Dan up in front of the whole school, or at least yell at him and not mock him like he usually did.
Dan seemed to be thinking on autopilot, as he got some wet wipes with insane speed out of his bag and opened them to clean Philip’s jacket (which was useless, the jacket was simply ruined), stuttering unintelligible things to Philip like a mantra.
“Stop,’’ Philip suddenly said, placing a hand on Dan’s chest to push him away, Dan having completely invaded his personal space. Dan still kept on murmuring apologies, holding on tight to his wet wipes. “Dan, stop!’’
Dan got quiet, following Lester’s gaze that was aimed at his ruined outfit, and… got tears in his eyes?
Everyone had stopped in their tracks (except for the people in a big rush) to watch the scene play out, fearing for the worst that could happen, drama hungry and some even filming this.
“I’m really sorry, fuck-’’
The first time everyone had ever heard Dan curse and damn, was it appropriate to right now.
“I don’t need your apologies, Dan,’’ Philip said and Dan seemed taken aback by this.
So was everyone, because Phil was never directly, straightforward mean to Dan, and this was new, highlighting the horror of this happening to Dan and the unthinkable that was to follow.
“What-’’
“Let’s go somewhere else.’’
Before everyone knew it, Dan was being dragged to the parking lot, about to get faced with Philip Lester’s fury once again, damned to always be in his eyesight when Philip needed someone to take his rage and insecurities on…
+1)
It came as a surprise to absolutely anyone when Dan was tagged on an Instagram post made by Philip’s older brother, a photo from which post he reposted on his own stories, where he and none other than Philip Lester were grinning, holding hands on a beach in a tropical country, right by a drawn in the sand heart that had “D ❤️P’’ written in the center of it.
What the fuck.
Not many people had followed Dan prior to this (Phil had many followers, thanks to him being popular and older, but never even posted things), but a few people seeing the post on Dan’s stories meant that the whole school got to see it in the span of 2 hours and many groupchats. And oh, did everyone react to it.
“So you’re telling me they’re dating?’’
“Captain obvious here, yes!’’
“Since fucking when?’’
“Seems like some time, for Dan to be on family trips with the Lesters.’’
As the two were still missing from school, seemingly on the trip, the truth resurfaced quickly by “insiders’’, unknown sources that apparently had known the truth this whole time - the two had been involved prior to Dan even coming to the school, the whole reason for him coming here in the first place being Philip.
And so everyone went back to their interactions they’d seen and… it made sense.
Dan was just very awkward and shy, unable to hold a conversation for long with anyone, yet seemed to be able to even answer Lester without a struggle. And Lester had indeed never laid a hand on him, just… had been affectionate, it turned out. A very touchy type of affection.
They’d just been sneaking out around the school the whole time, spending every possible moment together, being not a bully and his victim, but just two boyfriends with crashing styles and different personalities…
And oh, how it all fucking made sense now.
The original post from Philip’s brother had more photos, including a few where the whole family was there, Dan always glued to Philip’s side, even taking a selfie of all of them in one of the pics. In the said picture, Philip had an arm around Dan’s shoulders and had his lips pressed to Dan’s cheek, thanks to which Dan was red in the face from blushing, while everyone else on the photo was laughing.
It looked so sweet and if it weren’t for the photo being of Daniel Howell and Philip Lester, it would’ve been the cutest thing ever.
But it was plainly mortifying for everyone because everyone had accused Dan’s boyfriend of bullying him for the past 9 months since Dan came here and fuck… just fuck.
Were the two even hiding things from anyone? It seemed like they absolutely hadn’t been, but everyone had been too blind to notice that and didn’t understand that Lester had been just flirty this whole time, obsessed with Dan and following him around like a lost puppy who would worship his caretaker at any given moment.
No wonder Dan had always been a blushing mess around him.
“Do you think they’ll address this whole thing when they are back?’’
“Girl, hell no. They’d surely act like nothing happened because they never hid it to begin with.’’
So when the two were back the following week no one was surprised they acted just the same way as before. It was just the new given context that changed everything for people.
And oh, no one ever looked at them the same way…