#phixon

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“Phil.”

It’s been a long time since he heard that voice in person, but hell, he still recognizes it without needing to think about it for even a second. But despite this, the sound of it still causes him to tense up, the memory of seeing the other man’s name written in the performance lineup somehow slipping from his mind.

“Long time no see, huh, Dixon?” He says, finally turning around and facing the blond, forcing a friendly smile onto his face.

“Yeah, it really has been a while.” Colton says, casually putting his hands inside the pockets of his jeans (that still seem way too tight for his long, skinny legs two years later). “How’ve you been? What’ve you been up to?”

“Oh, you know, touring, writing,” Phillip says. “Just anything a rockstar like me should be doing.”

“And getting married, I see.” Colton says, and to Phil’s surprise, with a smile. It’s at that comment that Phillip fully and openly tenses up, the smile that previously rested on his face beginning to falter.

“Well, not yet, anyway.” He says, licking his suddenly dry lips.

“It’s okay, Phil,” Colton says. “I have a girl of my own now. And we’re very happy together.” Phillip smiles slightly.

“I know.” He says. “I’ve seen the pictures and comments on Twitter. I just… I guess I expected some sort of awkwardness the next time we met.”

“Yeah, it’s a little uncomfortable now,” Colton says. “I still have butterflies in my stomach right now like I’m a school girl with a crush,” Phillip stifles a laugh. “But I’ll get over it. I just hope you consider me for Best Man, ‘cause I have some good stories to tell about you from the Idol days. Tour especially.” Phillip chuckles slightly.

“Yeah, I have some stories about you too from the tour,” He says. “With your, uh, Batman shenanigans and all.” Colton giggles.

“Those were some good times.” He says, before sighing. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Phillip says, opening his arms out to the other man. Colton smiles, stepping into them with ease, wrapping his arms around Phillip’s waist while the older man wraps his own around his upper back. For Phillip, standing there, hugging his old friend (and, dare he say, almost-lover), honestly feels like he’s – no pun intended – at home. He’s missed Colton’s company, and texting or phone conversations just aren’t the same as actually being in his presence, able to hold him in his arms. He’s really, really missed this.

But when Colton presses a quick kiss to his cheek as he slips out of the hug, an announcement having been made that he’s needed on stage with Jax in two minutes, the tenseness he’d felt before comes back, and he feels his cheeks heat up.

“See ya around, Phil.” Colton says quickly, avoiding his friend’s gaze as he heads towards the stage.

Later that night, when Phillip’s on stage performing with Clark, he still feels the ghost of Colton’s lips on his cheek. The feeling’s so overwhelming that it causes him to feel a bit distance during the performance – something that he’s, at least, able to cover up. But once he gets off of the stage, only to find Colton almost waiting for him, having stood there and watched the whole thing instead of being whisked off to his reserved seat in the audience, he chooses to give in to the temptation that had overwhelmed him for most of the night.

He pulls Colton further backstage, to an area where little to no one will see them, and kisses him. He knows it’s wrong, because the guilt continues to grow and spread with each deepening of the kiss, but he tries to shut it down. After all, it’s just one night – his fiancée and Colton’s girlfriend aren’t with them on this trip, so they never have to know.

It’s these same words that Phillip repeats to himself for the rest of the night. It’s these same words that he says out loud when he and Colton end up in his hotel room after the show is over.

But it’s a different set of words that Phillip finds himself thinking later on, with Colton fast asleep, wrapped up in his arms, their legs tangled up together.

.

“He looks like you.”Colton says through the speaker on Phillip’s phone as the older of the two sits and watches the show, an almost familiar blond currently performing (and doing pretty well, if Phil does say so himself).

“I know.” He says. “But he’s blond, though.” He hears Colton chuckle.

“I’m aware.” He says. “But his face. He reminds me of you.”

“And he’s a Nashville boy.” Phillip points out. “He must be like you too.” He can practically see Colton smiling as he speaks again.

“So he’s the perfect mix of the two of us,” He says. “What do we do?” Phillip chuckles lightly.

“We vote,” He says. “Make sure he stays around longer. At least until we can get around to meeting him in person.” Colton sighs.

“I almost care more about meeting you in person again than meeting him.” He says.

“I know.” Phillip says. “We’ll see each other again soon, I promise.” Colton sighs again.

“I hope so.” He says, before chuckling again, lightly this time. “You know, this guy could almost be our kid in some weird parallel universe – where guys can have kids and all.” Phillip stifles a laugh.

.

When Phil kisses The Flash for the first time, Colton actually feelshimself vibrate. Not in that kind of way, but more like an increased, realistic version of how people say that their hearts flutter when they’re with someone they like. And yeah, his heart rate picks up like anyone else’s in this situation, but due to his abilities, it’s fast enough that Phil has trouble feeling it, even when he places a hand on Colton’s chest.

“Is the suit thick or what?” He asks, pulling away with a chuckle.

“My heartbeat just gets really fast sometimes,” Colton, with his vocal chords vibrating to conceal his identity, explains. “It can be hard for others to feel it.” Phil smiles, nodding.

“Mmmhmm.” He says. Colton smiles, feeling himself flush beneath Phillip’s fond gaze. It’s barely a moment later when they hear police sirens getting closer, as well as footsteps as people rush to check on Phillip, thinking he’d gotten hurt in the accident.

“Phillip?” Hannah asks, standing at the end of the alleyway, but quickly stepping more into it as she follows behind the policemen. Even then, Phillip still feels a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

But as soon as a flashlight is shined in his direction, they’re gone, causing him to glance back in the direction he’s sure The Flash went in, a small smile on his face, before turning back around to face the police.

The show starts in ten minutes.

The show starts in ten minutes, and his hair is red.

The show starts in ten minutes, his hair is red, and he doesn’t know how to fix it.

Repeating these words in his mind, Colton slowly begins to panic more and more. He constantly glances at his reflection, growing more and more frustrated each time his gaze falls onto his red hair. It’s not his fault, honestly. Well, it sort of is, because it happened due to his powers, but he didn’t do it on purpose. His powers have been pretty out-of-whack lately, so he’s been struggling to control them. But of course it had to happen now, on the night of the competition.

His hair is bright red and he has to be on stage in nine minutes. How will he ever do this?

“Hey, Colton, ready for the sh—oh my god.”

Colton bites his lip, sighing at the sound of the familiar Georgian accent.

“How did this happen?” Phillip asks, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. Colton sighs, turning around in his seat.

“By accident.” He says.

“You don’t just accidentally put in hair dye.” Phillip says. “But you are a natural brunet.”

“I wasn’t putting in hair dye.” Colton says, standing. “I somehow made my hair red.” He sighs, his voice softening when he adds, “With my powers.”

“Powers?” Phillip asks, his eyebrows rising with curiosity. “Do we need to get you to a doctor, Dixon?”

“No, I’m fine.” Colton replies. “You might not believe me, but, I’m a witch, alright?” Phillip blinks a few times.

“Yeah, I don’t believe you.” He says. Colton sighs.

“Help me.” He says. This time, Phillip’s the one to sigh.

“Five minutes.” The two hear from over the loudspeaker.

“There might be some kind of spray-on dye in the girls’ dressing rooms.” Phillip says. “I can run over and grab some if you want.”

“Please.” Colton says. “And make it back soon.”

~ 

It really isn’t long before Phillip’s back in the room, already working on Colton’s hair.

“Dammit.” He mutters under his breath as he reaches the front of Colton’s head.

“What?” The blond asks.

“I can’t get this last strip here.” Phillip replies, shaking the can in an attempt to get more spray out. “I think we’re all out.”

“Shit.” Colton says softly.

“One minute.”