#phandomtalentshow

There he was again. That Dan Howell. Or, Mr. Howell, as he was known by most of the inhabitants of this school. To Phil, though, he was simply Dan.

Dan.

Just the name could put a smile on Phil’s lips and an extra skip in his heart. With his wavy chestnut hair and sparkling brown eyes, not to mention his unending enthusiasm and affinity for his students, it was almost no surprise Phil was absolutely smitten. Really, who wouldn’t be? Even some of his older students were known to harbour some not-so-secret crushes on their music teacher. Phil did his best to hide his feelings, especially here in the teacher’s lounge, but dear God, did Dan make it hard sometimes.

“You should have seen those kids’ faces! You’d think I was a comedian or something, but it was just a stupid pun! You know, sometimes I wish I could be that innocent again. Their eyes just hold some kind of spark you just can’t find in anyone over the age of eleven. Is it really too wrong to want them to hold onto that naivete forever?”

“Wow, Dan. Are you sure you’re not an English teacher? Because that was pretty damn poetic.” Louise, the social worker, waved a crisp at Dan, who blushed. Phil had to remind himself to blink quickly and remove his hand from his chin. A deep flush worked its way up his neck as he attempted to eat his sandwich like a normal human.

“Awww, well thank you, Louise. You know, I actually did have a bit of an interest in English, but ultimately, music won out. I wanted these kids to have the same experiences with music that I did, and hopefully fall in love with it along the way. And honestly, now, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Phil nodded. He could agree with that. English had stood out to him too, but ultimately, his love for animals and nature and pretty much anything science-related won out.

Just then, though, Dan flashed a small smile at him and Phil could swear his heart stopped beating. Goodness. He had to control himself. He was barely better than some of his oldest students in this state. Phil responded with a bashful grin of his own, hoping it wouldn’t give anything away, but knowing it wouldn’t really matter anyway.

Sure, Dan was single, but he was also completely out of Phil’s league. Everyone loved him, including the janitors, but Phil was just…Phil. He may be pretty well-loved by his students, but he mostly flew under the radar when it came to the other teachers. It really was a miracle Dan was friends with Louise, Phil’s closest confidante in this school. Sometimes, Phil couldn’t shake the feeling that he was back in high school, especially here in the teacher’s lounge. The cliques, the whispering, the crushes and drama–it really never changed, even into adulthood.

A sharp clang from the school bell shook Phil out of his stupor. He quickly shoved his last bite of sandwich in his mouth, chomping his way through the turkey and mayo, hoping beyond all hope that he at least gave off the appearance of decency. The rest of the table gathered up their bags and waved goodbye to head off to their separate classes, wishing each other luck for the rest of the afternoon. Dan did the same, but upon reaching Phil, he could swear that Dan’s eyes had an extra special gleam in them.

“Well, bye Phil. I’m sure you’ll have loads of fun blowing up the room this afternoon,” he winked.

Phil shoved him, heart racing. Damn, did that boy look good in a button-down. “Shut up. You know nobody does that till secondary school. Anyway, my fourth years, who I have later today, are just starting their weather unit. No explosions there, at least not until we get to volcanoes.”

“Oh, the classic baking soda volcano. I remember that well,” Dan smiled fondly. “But anyway, good luck this afternoon, Phil. I’m sure the kids will adore you.” And with a squeeze of Phil’s arm, he turned the corner to the music room, leaving Phil wide-eyed and blushing as he attempted to head back to his classroom in a much less lovesick state. Wow. Did that just happen? He could only hope that his first years wouldn’t pick up on his current state. He wasn’t sure he could take the merciless teasing–even if it did just come from a bunch of six-year-olds.

–

“Alright everyone, good class! We’ll pick up here tomorrow. Now, let’s get ready to head to music.” Phil’s heart jumped. This was his favourite time of day. Not only did he get to see Dan for a couple minutes, but he also had the pleasure of collecting the fourth years and hearing their tales of glory from Dan’s class.

“Ooooh, I bet you’re just dying to see Mr. Howell, aren’t you, Mr. L?” Ricky, a little boy with a big mouth and an even bigger ego, crowed from the back of the room. A few more kids joined in with similar innocent jeers.

“Okay, enough, guys.” Phil stepped in front of the two wiggling lines at the door with a hand in the air. “If you don’t behave, I will tell Mr. Howell you’ve been acting up. And I don’t think any of you want him to hear that, do you?”

The students shook their heads at the speckled white tile, a few soft “no”s permeating the silence. Dan wasn’t someone you wanted to disappoint. He may be absolutely wonderful pretty much all of the time, but the disappointment in his eyes when you wronged him was enough to make you rethink your entire life’s choices.

Once the brigade finally reached the music room, Phil couldn’t possibly stop the glowing smile from overtaking his face like a sunrise. His chest tingled just as it did every day at this time and sure enough, Dan was right there inside the door with a beautiful smile of his own.

“Hey guys! You’re in for a big treat today–come on inside and see!” The first years rushed in, nearly causing a stampede with the fourth years bustling out into the hallway, and it took both men to calm everyone down. Gasps and shouts could be heard from inside the room, as well as the chaos of children experimenting with various percussion instruments. Phil gazed fondly at the youthful wonder plastered on nearly every student’s face, only tearing his eyes away when he heard Dan add in an undertone, “Good luck with these guys. They may be a bit hyper from our exciting class.” He opened his mouth to add something else, then seemed to decide against it after glancing down to discover a few of the little ones covertly observing the adults’ conversation.

“Thanks. I’m sure it’s nothing I can’t handle, of course.” Phil grinned even wider at Dan, praying that he at least gave off the appearance of sanity, even if his heart was banging wildly against his chest.

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Dan grinned back and winked, then stooped down to wave goodbye to the fourth years and entered the music room, pushing the door closed behind him with an air of finality and leaving Phil with a burning desire to join in on his class. But these fourth years had a weather unit to learn, and Phil was pretty much the only person in this school competent enough to teach it to them. So once again, he found himself attempting to direct his mind back to science before his impending lesson. Although, as whispers behind him tickled his ears, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to be the only one with a wandering mind today. That Dan. He really knew just what to do to get everyone riled up–but deep down, Phil knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.

–

“Now class, I’d like to tell you about something very exciting that’ll be happening in a few weeks. Are you all listening?” Suddenly, thirty pairs of eyes turned straight to him. “Good. Well, I’m very pleased to tell you all that we’re going to be getting our very own trees to plant in the schoolyard!” The whole room took in a collective breath and Phil’s heart filled with joy as he clapped his hands together instinctively. “These guys are going to need some special love and care, so I’m going to need you all to be very careful when we plant them, alright? Can you do that for me?”

A chorus of Yes, Mr. L! sounded throughout the room, punctuated by a single shout: “Special love and care? Like how you feel about Mr. Howell?” The fourth-years burst into giggles, and it took a while for Phil to get them to settle down.

“Richard,” Phil activated his disciplinary voice, only used when absolutely necessary. “That was out of line and you know it. However, I will let you off with a warning this time. One more outburst, though, and you will be seeing the headmistress.” He narrowed his blue eyes slightly to show he meant business. Luckily, Richard calmed down, although the rest of the class was still twittering excitedly.

“Alright guys, settle down, settle down. You know, I could always call this whole tree thing off altogether and we could just sit here and read about the different kinds of trees found throughout England.”

“We see the way you look at him, Mr. Lester. And you guys are both single–and he likes guys too! You have to ask him out sometime! Please?” Ava, one of his bolder students, was bouncing up and down in her seat, clearly not about to back down anytime soon.

“Guys. Guys. We are not talking about this right now! What goes on between your music teacher and I is strictly adult business. It’s your job to learn, and it’s our job to teach you. Now, would you like to learn more about these trees, or should I just go ahead and tell the tree people to forget about it?”

But it was no use. The entire classroom was buzzing now, some students jumping all the way to wedding planning, while others just giggled about how crazy it would be if two of their favourite teachers started dating. Phil honestly couldn’t blame them, though. When he was their age, he would have been absolutely knackered to see some of his teachers get together. Maybe he could have a little fun with this….

“Mr. Lester! You have to let us help you ask him out! Please? And it’s got to be big–you know how Mr. Howell loves his theatre-uhhh…ness!” Carly, a redheaded girl wearing a quite posh and grown-up looking sweater set and pleated skirt, piped up.

“Theatricality,” Phil supplied. “But alright, Carly. Let’s just say I did allow you guys to help me ask him out. Do you have any ideas?” His face lit up despite all his efforts to appear professional. Damn that Dan Howell. Did he have to weasel his way into everything?

If the class was buzzing before, they were an absolute madhouse now. Even his boys were getting into it, some of them loudly complaining at how cheesy this idea was, others screeching their chairs across the floor to join the big group of girls in their planning session. Phil merely stood back and observed, a hint of a smile on his face, as if he were observing animals in their natural environment. Finally, Ava stood on her chair, and pompously declared, “Alright, Mr. Lester. I think we have the perfect idea!”

“Go ahead, Ava. Let’s hear it.”

“Okay, so you know how Mr. Howell loves his dogs? Well, first we’re going to get them here–in the courtyard, of course, since they’re not allowed inside–and they’re all going to have riddles on them leading him to different places outside. We’re not sure what they’ll say yet, but we’ll figure it out. Anyway, the last one will lead him straight to our trees, where six of them in the front will each have a ribbon, spelling out Will you go out with me? And of course, we’ll all be there too! Maybe we can even get the whole school involved! It’s perfect, don’t you think?” Ava clapped her hands together and jumped off the chair, positively glowing with pride.

“Well. You guys certainly set the bar high. However, I think with quite a bit of work, and a pinch of luck, we just might be able to do it! You guys have to keep it a secret from Mr. Howell, though. And if we’re getting the whole school involved, then it’s even more important that the first years don’t spill the beans either. It’s going to be quite a big job–do you think you guys can do it?” Phil was blushing furiously, but he was far too ecstatic to care.

“Yes!!!” the fourth years squealed so loudly that Phil was sure the neighboring classes could hear them loud and clear. He waved his hands to quiet the class down a bit, smiling to himself all the while. These next few weeks were clearly going to be a rollercoaster. He could only hope that Dan would be more than willing to go along for the ride.

–

“Are we ready? Are the dogs and everyone in place? Sara, do you have your phone?” Phil’s hands were fluttering as he paced back and forth in front of the newly planted trees.

“Right here, Mr. Lester!” The brunette sixth year waved her aqua-cased iPhone, ready to FaceTime Phil, whose number he had given her just for the occasion.

“Okay. Okay, okay. You guys all know to stay here and not make a sound, right?”

“Yes, sir!” the kids chorused. Smiles as bright as the sky above them lit up every face around Phil and the entire staff of the tiny school. Was this too much? Maybe Phil should have scaled back a bit…

“Phil. Trust me. Everything’s going to be absolutely fine. Dan will love it. I’m so proud of you.” Louise rubbed a hand down Phil’s arm encouragingly, shooting him a reassuring smile, and Phil could already feel himself deflate a little. The other teachers, and Headmistress Stephens, all grinned supportively.

“Thank you, Louise,” he sighed, flashing a grateful smile around at the small crowd of adults around him. Then, raising his voice, he declared, “All right, guys. It’s showtime. Go ahead, Matt.” The cherubic third year nodded and headed inside to grab Dan, while Sara tagged along to get to her post at the front doors.

Some loaded minutes passed, then finally Phil’s phone rang. In his rush to answer, he nearly dropped it on the grass but caught it just in time. Sara’s giant grin filled his screen, but it quickly switched to Dan’s (rather glorious) backside, his white collared shirt already untucked as Matt persistently pulled him along.

“You guys wanted to do this all for me? Why–I–wow, thank you. What did I ever do to deserve the best kids on the planet?”

“We just wanted to thank you for being the best teacher on the planet, Mr. Howell! Music class is always my favourite part of the day, and you always make it really fun.”

“Awww, well thank you, Matt. You know I always try to make class a fun experience for you guys. Is that–is that Haru-chan??” His hand flew from Matt’s and up to his mouth in what Phil could only guess was pure shock, rushing over to stroke the Shiba Inu held firmly on its leash by Sophia, a grinning fourth year and Carly’s best friend.

“Hi, Mr. Howell!” Carly marched up to Dan, standing as tall as the trees around them, sporting a smile that nearly rivaled the sun beating down on them all. “As a thank you for being such a fantastic teacher, and as a happy birthday gift, we wanted to give you a special treat in the form of a scavenger hunt! Here’s the first clue!” she handed him a square of blue cardstock complete with scalloped edges.

“Wow, I–thank you guys! But you didn’t have to do all this for me!”

“We wanted to. Now come on, read the card!” Carly was bouncing up and down on her toes now.

“ Well, alright,” Dan acquiesced. You could hear the smile in his voice as he read, “Dear Mr. Howell, being in your class is always super fun/In our eyes, you’re truly number one/So from us to you, here is your first hint of the day/Head to the place where the robins and the bluebirds play.” Dan snapped his head back up as soon as he finished. “The birdbath! Wow, you guys are really clever!” His long legs strode quickly around the side of the school, so fast that the little ones had to jog to keep up and the FaceTime call suddenly became quite choppy. Phil had to cover his mouth to keep himself from laughing and blowing his cover.

“Kanye too??” Dan burst into his beautiful melodic laughter, quickening his pace even more to come and give the corgi some love, its leash held tightly by third year Thomas Nelson. Ava, the fourth year in charge of the planning committee, rushed over with the second blue card, her bouncy honey-coloured ponytail quivering with joy.

“Congratulations on figuring out the first clue, Mr. H! Although I will admit it was probably pretty easy, I can’t say the same about this second one,” she smirked, pressing the card firmly into Dan’s big (beautiful) hand.

“Good job on figuring out clue number one/But as you probably know, your quest is not done/To see our thanks for all you’ve done this year/Go to the place where students and parents loudly cheer. Where students and parents cheer…” Dan shook his head. “Well, there’s the auditorium–are any of these clues inside, guys?”

“Oh no, they’re all outside. We wanted you to enjoy the fantastic weather!” Sara’s voice was oddly amplified behind the phone.

“Where students and parents cheer outside….” Dan sounded positively stumped.

“Come on, Mr. Howell, I know you can do it!” Ava prodded. “I know it’s not usually your thing, so that might make it a little trickier.”

“Oh! The football pitch, hello!” Dan slapped his palm to the side of his head, then took a sharp right turn, heading for the big grassy field around the corner. After some more choppy FaceTime footage, the trio finally reached little first year Ricky and his big brother Richard, along with–

“Rose! You guys got all the dogs here? But–how? Thank you so much, this is the best gift anyone could ever give me!” He stooped down to run his hands along the goldendoodle’s silky fur and Phil felt sure his heart would burst. Tears clouded his vision and he did his best to blink them away, taking in a shaky breath. Louise squeezed his non-phone-holding hand, bouncing on her toes like the children behind them–who were all staying remarkably silent, even the first years. Phil couldn’t be prouder.

“Well, it wasn’t that hard once we explained it to Headmistress Stephens. She was all for the idea and so were your neighbours. They sure were glad you keep a key under the mat, you know,” Richard grinned, presenting Dan with the third and final blue card.

“Wow. Well, I know I’ve said this like three times already but seriously, thank you so much, guys. You really are the best students I could ever ask for. Ricky, Richard, and Matt all lit up with matching smiles that Phil was absolutely certain Sara shared behind the camera. “Now, what’s this? Congratulations, Mr. Howell, you’ve nearly reached the end/Now there is but this final clue to send/If you wish to discover the end of your quest/Then go to the place where the birds will soon nest. Where the birds will soon nest…”

“It’s something us fourth years had a big part in, if that helps,” Richard supplied.

“Oh! The tree sanctuary!” Phil’s heart jackhammered against his chest. In a matter of seconds, Dan would turn the corner and discover the real face behind the operation. Was Phil ready? What if he thought this was too much, especially in front of all the kids? Oh, why had he gotten the students involved? This–whatever they had–was just between them. This was–

“Oh my God, you guys!!” Dan clapped a hand to his heart and sunk down to his knees, his beautiful brown eyes shining with tears upon seeing the whole school in front of him. Phil hung up the FaceTime call and slid his phone in his pocket, hand still trembling.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. HOWELL!!!” everyone cheered, and if it was even possible, Dan’s smile somehow grew even wider.

“You didn’t have to do this much for me! This is the best birthday present ever. I can never thank you all enough.”

“That’s not all, though!” Sara piped up, slipping her own phone back in her pocket. The huge group of students in front of the trees parted to reveal six black ribbons tied around the middle row of saplings, each with a single word painted in white. Dan took two quick strides over to inspect them, his mouth dropping open and voice trailing off with every word.

“Will–you–go–out–with–me? But, who…?” Finally, Phil stepped up from his slightly concealed place among the teachers, shaking like a leaf that would soon be growing on the trees around him.

“Well?” Phil cocked his head, equal parts joy and anticipation running through his veins.

“Phil? You were behind this? I–wow, I honestly never expected this from you. You certainly are a man of surprises.” Dan shook his head, a blush creeping up his neck.

“Well, it was actually the kids’ idea, but I helped plan all of it. I wanted to do something special for you, Dan, because you’re incredibly special to me. So, what do you say?” Phil was bouncing up and down on his toes now, heart jumping into his throat. His fingers begged to reach out for Dan’s own, but just barely kept them down at his sides.

“I–are you kidding me? Of course, Phil! Now come here, you dork.” He pulled Phil by the pushed-up sleeve of his bright green button-up, cupping his face in his hands and planting a long kiss on his lips. After a heart-stopping second, Phil kissed back hungrily, running his hands through Dan’s curly hair like he had wanted to do for so long. A couple whoops and wolf whistles sounded from the crowd of kids, but the two men ignored them. Some of the teachers laughingly attempted to quiet them down, but soon gave up, apparently deeming it a lost cause. Phil’s senses were suddenly heightened. Dan tasted like the cherry Coke he enjoyed so much, and just a hint of peppermint mixed with something Phil could only guess was all his own. His hair felt like what Phil imagined phoenix feathers would feel like under his fingers. Pure elation crashed over him again and again, until–

“Get a room, guys!” a young voice cried, sending nearly all the kids into hysterics. Dan finally pulled away, stars dancing in his eyes, and it took everything in Phil not to pull him back to him and never let go.

“Thank you, Phil. This was absolutely phenomenal. I mean, well, that doesn’t even begin to describe it, but…yeah,” Dan whispered.

“Well, as I said–anything for you, Dan. I absolutely mean that.”