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Afterwards Dan couldn’t say what compelled him to go specifically to the Dykes on Bikes lot except he felt compelled and somehow sure that someone there would be willing to help him. (Hannah would laugh and say his mummy issues were ones after her own heart, and Dan would go from blushing and hissing the first dozen times to laughing about it all eventually.)
He was lost. He sort of couldn’t believe he wasn’t freaking out about it, really. He had set out at the last minute, fairly confident about the Queer Geeks’ meeting spot for the parade. But now that he was here he was seeing a group of very energetic gymnasts twirling those sticks with ribbons everywhere. He felt a familiar sense of apprehension as he scanned the groups further up and down the line without spotting anything that looked like the people he had been communicating with on Instagram. The gymnasts in their purple leotards looked far too intimidating to talk to, so he decided to move further up the line of groups waiting to cross the starting line.
The dykes formed a large group, conspicuous both for their gleaming bikes and loud roars of engine. Yet they were all clearly parked, resting against their steeds or milling about as if they had all the time in the world.
“Excuse me,” he said to a slim figure in a black leather jacket and dark jeans sitting atop a slightly less intimidating bike right next to the fenced-in area. “I’m a bit lost, and my service keeps going out. Do you think—“
The person, whom Dan had naturally assumed was a dyke, turned around to reveal staggering blue eyes under a messy fringe of delicately brown hair, an eyebrow slit that looked far less carefully crafted than the one Dan had lost hours agonizing over, and… an Adam’s apple. The person on the bike seemed to size him up in a decidedly not suave manner, eyes bugging a bit. Then the bike began to list dangerously, the person tipping slowly and inexorably towards Dan and the fence. They yelled wordlessly, long legs kicking out to try to maintain balance. Dan scaled the fence without knowing how and managed to catch the bike by the handles, bracing his legs around the front wheel.
He stared at the stranger from quite close up now. Their eyes had widened comically. Their hands were brushing Dan’s on the handles.
“Fucking hell, Phil,” said a brusque voice next to them. “If you ding Anya’s bike, she’s gonna have your guts for garters.”
Dan glanced over to see a very round, very butch woman with short steel grey hair resting easily atop her own mount. She had on a leather vest over a classic dark t-shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots.
The person Dan had saved let out a deep-voiced giggle. When Dan looked back they — Phil — was grinning, tongue twisting in a grimace of self-deprecating humor that didn’t quite correspond to the threats of corporeal harm.
“I know! I know! Don’t tell her, Hannah.”
“Maybe you should get off it till she gets back, love.” This was said kindly and not as condescendingly as it might otherwise be taken.
Phil looked at Dan and laughed in a way that made something flip in the pit of his stomach. “Help?”
Dan nodded mutely and braced the bike as Phil dismounted none too elegantly. Together they managed to lift the bike and flip the stand out under it, carefully resting it to make sure it wouldn’t topple.
“Phew!” Phil said happily, seemingly not at all concerned with the fact that he had almost just been crushed by several thousand pounds worth of motorbike. “What were you saying?”
Dan had just opened his mouth to reply when someone shouted across the way at them.
“Philip Michael Lester, if you put a scratch on my baby, I swear to God-“
“I didn’t! She’s fine!”
The new person had slipped around the fence and came loping up to them. She was smaller than any of them, a pragmatic ponytail holding her hair back from her face. She carefully went over every inch of chrome and leather before turning to Dan and holding out her hand. “I saw you catch him. Thanks.” Her handshake was crushing, no less than Dan would expect. He bravely didn’t wince.
“Yeah, you saved me.” Phil’s voice was smooth and deep, his blue eyes twinkling with still more humor and good cheer. “My hero.”
Dan thought he vaguely heard Hannah scoff behind him but he was too mesmerized to be very embarrassed. The inside of his mind was working frantically to find and activate his voice box, which eventually it did. “I was looking for uh The Queer Geek Squad. They were supposed to head out…” he checked his phone. “Well, now.”
“I know the Geek Squad!” Phil said excitedly. “Ben?”
Dan nodded.
“I was supposed to go with them but then Anya’s girlfriend got sick and she asked if I wanted to be her bitch instead.” Phil laughed as if this was a great joke.
Dan couldn’t help but smile back stupidly. He knew he was far beyond charmed already.
“The whole parade is held up, love,” Hannah explained. She was leaning forward on the handle bars, legs splayed wide, looking gracefully in control of her bike. “Happens every year. We were supposed to roll out over an hour ago. They must be further back still.” She tossed her head to indicate the long line of groups waiting behind them.
A plump black woman slid up behind her then, trailing her hand across her shoulders and delivered a kiss to her temple. She handed her a frosty bottle of water. “Here you are, darling. Who’s this?” She looked at Dan, which made everyone else do the same.
“Hi,” he said, feeling suddenly terribly awkward. “I’m Dan.” He did an awkward little wave and immediately felt very stupid. He couldn’t quite make himself look back at Phil who was grinning like he had delivered the most amazing joke.
“He’s Dan!” Phil said.
Anya nodded. “He’s Dan, whom Phil is about to ditch me for,” she said gloomily.
“Am not!” Phil looked genuinely hurt, but his eyes flickered a bit.
“You absolutely are,” Hannah said. “Go take him up to Ben and that lot.”
Phil gave him a questioning look. For a moment his eyes lingered on Dan’s slitted eyebrow.
“Nono,” Dan said, pulse fluttering in his throat. “I couldn’t possibly ask you to leave your friends.”
A new expression passed over Phil’s face, a set determination that Dan was powerless to call anything but incredibly hot.
“I have to,” Phil said. “It’s my turn to save you.”
Hannah smirked. “Right. One good turn deserves another.” She dodged her girlfriend’s admonishing nudge.
Dan tried so hard to control his face, but he was absolutely certain he felt himself blush. “Alright,” he mumbled.
“Wait!” Hannah’s girlfriend said. “Let me grab your picture before you go.”
Phil rolled his eyes. “Bo! You just want evidence so you can gossip about me to all your friends.”
“No,” Bo said primly. “I just want to commemorate this special, special Pride day.” She held her phone up expectantly. “Move closer.”
Dan and Phil shuffled awkwardly until they were stood side by side. Phil’s shoulder bumped his, and Dan felt another thrill.
Phil smiled at him. “Tall boy.” He looked up at Dan’s eyebrow again. “And our slits match! Look.” He pushed their faces together and turned to beam at Bo again.
Behind her, Dan couldn’t help but notice Hannah shaking her head fondly. “A matched set you are,” she said. Her eyes locked on Dan then. “Be nice to him.”
“Oh my god,” Phil said, apparently genuinely embarrassed for the first time today.
“I will,” Dan said. “Thank you so much.”
An engine up ahead revved up suddenly, and all the bikes around them came alive in an instant. The noise was deafening.
“We’re moving,” Anya said.
“Get!” Hannah nodded towards the fence.
“I’ll tag you,” Bo said to Phil as she swung herself up behind Hannah on the bike.
They escaped to the other side of the fence and watched as the bikes crawled slowly down the road, towards the starting area.
Phil smiled at him. Dan smiled back, still somewhat bashful. He couldn’t believe he had taken Phil for one of those cool, put-together women, but he did still look absolutely the part in his leather jacket and effortless hairstyle. “Let’s go find our people,” he said and started walking.
The sun was shining, an array of white streaky clouds spread across the June sky as if some artful gay had carefully arranged them, much like the banners and Pride flags hanging from all the buildings they passed. London was smiling at Dan for seemingly the first time in his life, and he was smiling back. He glanced at Phil walking along next to him, and Phil glanced back instantly, making a flock of butterflies take off in his stomach. This city of strangers had transformed in an instant into one big happy family, and if Dan thought about that any harder he would simply have to sit down on the nearest curb and start crying. Instead, he laughed.