You're Special To Me

Dan's POV- 28

"I'm sorry." My mum sobbed to Phil, who was standing stiffly beside me. I way lying on the couch, glaring at my mum, daring her to get my dad on us and back away from her promise that we could live togther. "I understand now how much you two mean to each other... and you're old enough to do what you want. I can no longer control your life-"

"Control my life?" I growled. "You ruled over it and made me your servant."

"I'm sorry." She begged. "Please forgive me. I see now that Adrian threatened you, and he will be severely punished, I assure you."

I should've been happy that Adrian was to be punished; I should've relished in the idea that I will be free and my brother who ruined my life: trapped. But I found my head shaking, my mouth twisting. "No, don't punish him on my account. I can't wish that on my own brother, despite what he did to me."

My mum looked shocked, but then she sighed softly. "You always were the nicest boy, Daniel, especially to your brother. You loved each other so much once, you know that right? I'm sorry it ended this way." And she handed over the keys to our new house. It was the one my family had supposed to be moving into, in London, but they had decided to give it to us as an apology, plus the fact that it had been my birthday two days ago and they hadn't been there.

Phil and I climbed into the moving truck, and I stuck my head out of the window, glancing one last time at the tears on my mother's face. She stood in the doorway, one hand raised in a goodbye and the other wiping a tear away. I waved back to her, and we sped away, Phil clutching my other hand tightly.

***

We pulled up outside the apartment hours later, Phil asleep on my shoulder and music blasting in my ear. It was 'Skinny Love' by Birdy, one that had made me cry the first time I had heard it. Now it reminded me of mine and Phil's love for each other, and our desire to be together, and how much, no matter what, we would protect the other. It ended just as I was climbing out, so I took hold of the earphones and stuffed them into my jacket pocket. Phil, groggily following me, groaned something but he was smiling.

I took his hand and we entered the apartment.

It was very plain, but it had two rooms, a living room, a kitchen with a glass door that I walked into and a smaller room that could be used for a study. The living room was big, so we could probably fit a table in there plus our massive TV and sofa. The truck-driver-man-person helped us get all of our boxes and furniture in, and it was 8:09 by the time he left.

I helped Phil push the sofa into its rightful place, set the TV up and make the beds. We would have two separate rooms, so our subscribers didn't think we were a thing. We couldn't tell them yet; they would freak. At 10:10 we ordered pizza, which came within the next ten minutes, and finally sat down to watch some anime: Soul Eater. Phil's head rested on my chest and I was running my hands through his hair, just like an average couple. We may have only been 18, but that didn't change anything about how I felt about Phil, or how I wanted him to be part of my future.

"Dan?" Phil mumbled.

I jumped a little, thinking he had gone to sleep. "Yeah?"

I heard him take a long breath, but then, as he let it out, snores burst from his mouth in little explsions. I smiled to myself and closed my own eyes. Sleep took me a lot quicker than usual.