I Like Bad Boys (Phan)

Chapter 17 - Secrets Are Out

Dan's POV

I listened in the halls to the fight and decided to watch. When I heard Phil's voice yelling at who I knew was Alex, I made my way to the front. He had him pinned against the wall.

"I love him, you jerk!" he screamed at him. "Why would you do that? Tell me!"

And then I realized how naive and persuasive I had been. Alex worked to make me believe that Phil was going to break up with me and lied, telling me he had. Phil didn't use me. He didn't tell Alex to pass on that he wanted to break up. Phil was betrayed, and I was lied to – and I believed it. Only I, not Phil or anyone else, understood why.

Alex shook his hands off of him and punched him in the chin. Seeing Phil hurt by Emma didn't effect me, as I was sure she was in the right to do so, but seeing him drop helplessly to the floor under Alex sprung an instinct in me to protect him. I jumped out of the crowd and ran in between the two.

"STOP!" I yelled, putting my hands in front of me and facing Alex to shield Phil. "Stop this, Alex! Stop!"

"Get out of my way, you twink!" he spat.

"That's a lot for you to say!" I snapped back sassily. "I know what this is about, but there's no use in beating up Phil for it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Dan..." Phil moaned on his hands and knees on the floor with a hand clamped over his jaw. "Stop! He'll hurt you."

"No he wont." I decided to speak loudly for the entire crowd to hear now. "Alex, why are you beating up Phil? You don't care that you don't have your old friend's time anymore. You care that he has me."

His guard was down. "What?"

"You are jealous, that's what."

"I'm not jealous of anything!" his face was as angry and red as his hair.

"There's no use playing dumb, Alex. You remember. You remember all of it. You even remember when we got together, and when we broke up."

The crowd began to murmur.

Phil tugged on my leg. I gave him my hand and helped him stand again. "What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Alex is jealous of you," I told him, "because Alex is my ex-boyfriend."

Phil's face was as much in shock as Alex's. He looked at him. "You... dated him? You're the ex-boyfriend?!"

"You," Alex finally said, shoving his hands into my chest. "You promised you would never tell!"

"And you promised you'd stop smoking, and ditching school," I retaliated, "and beating people up. Obviously none of that mattered to you."

"Alex is gay!" someone in the crowd yelled. He looked horrified. His secret was out. I almost felt bad, but I didn't.

"Will you leave Phil and me alone now?" I asked.

"Dan," he said, seeing as nothing could get worse for him. "I... I didn't want you dating Phil! I knew you were dating the second I saw that note. I knew it was you. You're the only person I know who draws that stupid cat face, with the colon and the three, on everything. I... I want you back, okay? I realized how much I missed you. I-I'll even be open about it, just for you."

I had Phil standing beside me, looking like he'd seen a ghost. I found his fingers and laced them with mine. "No, Alex. It's way over with us. I've never felt more cared about or happier with anyone but Phil. I could never leave him now. I love him." Phil turned his head to me. "I love you," I said just to him.

"I-I can't believe you'd go out with my best friend," Alex spat.

"He asked me out, actually," I smiled.

"But Dan.... What if I –"

"Give it up, Alex. It's over."

He looked back and forth between me and Phil. "This is not over! I will get you back one of these days, Dan! Remember how happy we were? Remember us? It can be like that again!"

I sighed and shook my head at how weak and pathetic his efforts were. "I didn't think I'd ever have to do this, but..." I raised my voice for everyone to hear again. "One other thing: Alex is a bottom."

The crowd erupted in laughter at him.

"Hey Alex!" another punk yelled at him from the crowd. "You not only take it like a man, you take it by a man!" he laughed.

"Hey," I added. "There's nothing wrong with being a bottom. But I mean... you guys know me. Even I topped him!"

Alex went red with embarrassment now. He finally shut his mouth, and ran off to who knows where. Had I gone too far? Probably, but he did as well. I turned to Phil and touched his jaw.

Phil's POV

"Are you okay?" Dan asked me.

"Yeah. I don't think it's broken."

"You've taken quite a beating lately. I'm so sorry. I should never have doubted you, or believed him."

I smiled. "It was worth it. Are we...?"

"Together," he said plainly, squeezing my hand in his. "Forever. If it makes it any better, even when I thought you were being a jerk, I still felt like I loved you."

"I still loved you even when you were mad at me."

He kissed me. The crowd was breaking up now, heading on their own ways. "Can you forgive me for being so stupid?"

"You weren't stupid. You thought that something happened and you just reacted to it. It wasn't true, but it's okay. Of course I forgive that. I love you."

"I really do love you too, Phil. I knew you'd never do that to me."

"So uh," I sighed, "did you really date Alex?"

"Yes. We went out for a while in complete secret. He didn't want anyone to know he was gay. He isn't bi like you. Alex is just gay, though he refuses to admit it, especially to people who know him. He's gotten with girls to try and prove he wasn't, with failed efforts."

I giggled. "Is he really a bottom?"

"Oh yes. Even to me. That's saying something."

I grinned, and offered him to come over to my place after school. He happily agreed with a kiss.

Things were good again. Thank God.