Boy From the Library - Phan

Chapter 7 - Safety

Phil's Overhead

Phil noticed the 'gang' entering the library doors from his distance. He held his book and once again ran for safety somewhere. Peering from behind a fiction bookcase, Phil saw that blonde woman that he remembered delivered Dan's note about their coffee date. She spoke with them, then after they laughed at her, punched one of them in the face. He gasped, but smiled as they left. Dan appeared, and checked out her hand before she went back to her work.

Phil then heard Dan looking for him at his table. He revealed himself from the bookcase.

"Phil!" Dan shouted quietly, but happily. "Did you see? Brooke just slammed the bullies in the face!"

Brooke? he thought. That's her name? "Brooke? The blonde one?"

"Yeah!"

"She's awesome," he said. "Tell her I say thank you."

"Why don't you tell her yourself? Come on, come meet her. I swear, she's great."

Though a tad nervous, Phil decided to do so. Dan walked him over to her, and she waved kindly to him.

"Hi there. Phil, is it?"

"Yeah, that's me. Thank you for getting rid of the gang there."

"Oh, it's no big deal. It's my job. A girl's gotta know how to fight, yes?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you should be thanking Dan," she said, pointing to her friend. "It was him that made sure you'd be safe. He's the heart, I'm the muscle. Kind of ironic."

"I made sure she would help," he said. "I knew she could fight, and that they wouldn't hurt a girl. They're that type of ignorant jerks, am I right?"

"You made sure? You told her to do that?" Phil said, almost in awe.

"Yeah! I can't fight like her, but I had to do something. It wasn't right, what they were doing to you."

No way, Phil thought. He made that happen... for me? He cared about me like that?

Finally, Phil felt safe somewhere. Somewhere nobody could get him. Somewhere somebody cared about him; and someone he cares about.

"We can chat later," Brooke decided. "You can always come to me if you need a hand, alright?"

"Sure." Phil gave her a grateful smile.

"Thanks, see you later, Doll-Face." Dan took Phil carefully by the arm and brought him back to the table he read at, where they'd be alone.

Phil sat down and giggled at Dan. "Did you call her Doll-Face?"

"Yeah, it's a nickname I gave her when we were little. We've been friends for a long time."

Phil was quiet. His mind raced about all the wonderful things Dan has done for him in just a week.

Upon silence from him, Dan put his hand on Phil's knee. "Phil?"

Phil's heart beat rapidly, but his body didn't tremble in fear. He didn't seem afraid of anything right now. He was just so enamored by Dan's good heart. He tried to think it, but the words quietly came out of his mouth instead: "I love you, Dan."

Dan's eyes got wide and he paused for a moment. "Phil, you love me?"

"No no no!" he struggled instantly regretting what he said. Dan didn't love him. It was stupid. It had just slipped! "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to -"

Phil's rambling was silenced by Dan's lips pressed against his and his arms holding up his chin and jawbones. Dan's hands softly held him as his kiss caressed his nervous mind. Phil's eyes fell shut as he let Dan kiss him.

Dan pulled away and looked at his precious and nervous eyes. "I love you, Phil."

Phil had two thoughts ping-ponging back and forth in his mind - I love you so much, and Why do you even like me? "Really?"

Dan wore a small smile and fixed Phil's black fringe gently off his face, making him smile too. "Yes."

He went with his better thought. "I love you so much. But why did you do all those things and protect me like that? Why? You haven't even known me that long."

"Because when I first saw you, you were the most perfect thing I ever saw. I needed to talk to you. I just felt it. When I heard you were scared and were being traumatized, I didn't feel right."

"But you didn't have to do anything about it. You could have just left or not cared, like everyone else."

"But I did care, and I'm glad I did, because I'm not like everyone else. I fell in love with you."

No one has ever loved Phil. He was lonely his whole life, and wasn't really sure how to feel. The only thing he was sure of was that Dan loved him, and that's all that matters. He stole a quick kiss from Dan's mouth. "I fell in love with you too. That's better than any book I've ever read."

"You're so perfect," Dan told him quietly.

"I'm not perfect, Dan."

"You are. There's no longer anybody to tell you otherwise."

Phil's eyes glistened. He thought about them. That they would be back. This wouldn't be over. But for today and for his time in the library, it could be.

Phil pushed his chair closer to Dan's so that the seats were touching. He held him closely. Dan draped an arm over one of his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. Phil had never felt more loved. He wanted to stay in Dan's protective and strong arms forever, where he finally felt safe.