monochrome brushstrokes // phan

chapter 1

Dan put his paintbrush down for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon. Even after multiple attempts, he just couldn't seem to concentrate when the loud guitar solos and screaming penetrated through his thin apartment walls. Dan had to admit that the amorous lovers that he had before were better, as he could use headphones to block them out. The new neighbor, however, couldn't be blocked out as easily. He could practically feel the drum beat in his heart.

Dan found that the new neighbor didn't know the difference between screaming and singing, which was an issue, especially when Dan was trying to finish one of the only commissions he's gotten the past month.

He knew it was going to be difficult to make money as an artist, but he never imagined it to be this hard. Dan excused the small amount of commissions he's gotten as him "trying to find his footing" and had insisted that business would pick up soon. So far, however, it was far from picking up.

Dan ran his fingers through his fringe, sighing loudly. After a few moments of contemplating his decision, he changed out of his pajamas and left for the third floor.

****

Phil took a quick sip from his water bottle. "That was perfect! Let's run it through one more time before the end of this sesh since my parents want to have lunch." he grinned, addressing his bandmates.

"Sounds good," PJ nodded, adjusting his guitar strap. "I need to pick Chris up from work since he misjudged how hungover he was, again." He sighed exasperatedly. "He needs to stop going out to clubs on Sunday nights. He always returns back to the flat so drunk that he can barely stand and then complains about having a hangover the next day. Fucking idiot."

Although PJ sounded pissed off, Phil could hear a bit of fondness in his voice. Was that sadness too? No... PJ never really cared about Chris's messy lifestyle. Or did he? Phil shook his head, dismissing his nosey thoughts. PJ and Chris's relationship was none of his business.

Caspar came out of the kitchen holding a bag of maltesers. "Hey guys, are you ready to start?" he asked through a mouthful of the candy.

"Ooh I want some!" Joe exclaimed, running over to him from the other side of the room.

"Did I ask you?" Caspar teased, turning away from the brunet and sprinting out of reach.

Before Phil realized it, the two boys were chasing eachother around his small flat. He was about to step in to end their childishness, when a loud knock on the door got his attention.

"Phil! The pizza guy is here!" Caspar exclaimed, completely forgetting about the maltesers. He flung open the door, only to be met with an annoyed looking boy wearing a mustard yellow sweater and light-wash skinny jeans. He frowned slightly before muttering, "Well you're not the pizza man..."

"Do I look like the bloody pizza man? Jesus Christ!" Dan glared at the boy, wrapping his arms around himself. After a few moments or awkward silence, Dan realized how rudely he greeted Caspar. "Sorry. Are you the new neighbor?" he sighed.

Phil had been listening to the conversation from the living room and decided that this was his cue. The raven-haired boy stood behind Caspar, eyeing Dan suspiciously. He had to admit, the boy who stood at his door was cute, even though he looked pissed. "I am. Can I help you?" he asked casually.

With one glance between Dan and Phil, Caspar left the two alone to look for his maltesers.

Dan's throat tightened at Phil's deep voice. The dark haired boy's piercings didn't seem to match with the thick frames he wore. Normally, Dan would find it slightly unsettling, but this time he found it a bit endearing. He coughed uncomfortably. "Can you, um, keep it down? It's hard for me to paint." Dan awkwardly adjusted his fringe. It was a bad habit of his to mess with his hair when he was nervous. To say the least, he was starting to feel a little intimidated. 

"We'll try to. It's kind of hard to be quiet when you're a rock band, though." Phil chuckled. Something inside of him wanted his attractive neighbor to know about his band, although he was somewhat relieved that Dan didn't at the same time. Afterall, where would he be if one of his fans revealed where he lived? 

"Oh... I see." Dan paused slightly before shifting his weight to the other foot. He noticed the ebony-haired boy's gaze follow the sway of his hips and began to feel more self conscious. He pulled his sweater down, as if trying to make it longer. An uncomfortable silence fell over them before Dan spoke up again. "What band?"

"The Monochrome Mane. I came up with the name myself!" Phil grinned, proudly puffing out his chest.

Dan couldn't help but laugh at how the stranger turned from menacing to childlike in less than 5 minutes. He was about to scoff at how stupid the name sounded, but he noticed how Phil beamed with pride so he bit back the remark. Dan settled on a question, "Mane? Like a lion's mane?" 

"Exactly! I've always had an obsession with lions, so I thought, why not name my band after them?" Phil was now gesturing wildly, as he usually does when he gets into a conversation. However, he remembered that he was talking to a stranger who didn't know this was normal behavior for him and restrained his arms behind his back. I probably look like a crazy person! What a great impression you're making, Phil. The older boy suddenly realized that he had never introduced himself. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I never asked you for your name. I'm Phil, by the way."

"Dan," the brunet replied curtly. He bit his lip, thinking about how little progress he had made on the commission. "Well, I better go. Maybe I'll see you around, Phil."

"Bye Dan! Try not to look up my name, since you might just find some shirtless photos of me." Phil replied, sending a teasing wink in his direction.

Flustered, Dan turned away before a light pink blush began to paint his cheeks. "Alright, I'll try my best not to," he laughed nervously before speed walking away. Once he was safe in his flat, he took a deep breath. What the fuck just happened? 

******

author's note // okay this was a bit rushed but oh well