Disappearing Bay

2. Tell me the truth

Phil was awoken to the sound of his door opening and he jumped back on his bed when he spotted a figure standing in the room. His half-opened eyes quickly glanced at the clock and it was almost 3am.

"Who's there?" He shouted out into the darkness of the room as he began to panic slightly.

There was no reply.

Phil reached out for his phone and pressed the home button, lighting up the room just enough for him to be able to make out a face.

His face.

Shaking his head in shock, Phil thought he was dreaming. He had to be, this couldn't just happen. It wouldn't.

"I'm sorry" Dan's voice broke the silence in the room as he stared ahead.

A range of emotions flowed through Phil. He was happy, angry, upset and annoyed all at the same time. He wanted to reach up and hug Dan, but he also wanted to scream and shout at him.

"Why?" Phil replied with wide eyes as he glared at Dan, still not believing it was real.

Dan was noticeably different with a large tattoo winding around his neck and a faded red streak through his hair.

"For going-" Dan began but was interrupted.

"No! Where-why, why did you go? Why did you do this to everyone!?" Phil retorted with a raised voice as he sat up fully in his bed.

"I-I.." Dan began as he ran his fingers through his already messy hair.

He walked over to the light switch and flicked it on.

"First of all, I didn't want to. But I had to, it was my only option. I didn't want to hurt you" he continued and walked slowly closer to Phil's bed.

"Well you did a fucking good job at that didn't you" Phil replied sarcastically with a slightly angered laugh.

"I was doing it so I wouldn't hurt you! I get that I made a stupid choice, but I thought it was right at the time. I thought I was doing something good, helping you" Dan's face formed a frown.

"How? How could abandoning me possibly be good?" Phil almost shouted as he glared at Dan.

"I-I was in this place, a bad place. My mind was dark and it was dangerous and I didn't want to hurt or affect you. So I ran away" Dan said, his skin was even paler than before.

"You could've at least contacted me! You left me with all these questions and I thought it was me, I thought I had done! I didn't even- I didn't even know if you were alive!!" Phil shouted as he got up out of his bed.

"I....I thought it was for the best, okay? I thought that I was doing you a favour because I wanted you to have the fun bubbly life that you had and not be dragged down by me. I didn't contact you because that would defeat the whole purpose. I wanted to, trust me I fucking wanted to" Dan raised his voice and took a step forward, their faces only inches apart.

"I would've helped you" Phil replied quietly as he looked into Dan's eyes.

"You couldn't." Dan said before feeling Phil's arms around him.

They stood there for about two minutes in silence, just enjoying each other's warmth. The fact that it was the early hours of the morning didn't seem to matter to them.

But the moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Shit! They can't know I'm here" Dan said frantically before running to hide in their Wardrobe.

"Who ca-?" Phil asked but his voice trailed off as Dan hid himself.

He walked to the door and slowly opened it, but only slightly. Making out PJ's face, he raised an eyebrow.

"PJ?" Phil spoke quietly.

"Hi, I-I..." PJ began but yawned. "I thought I heard you shouting?...is everything okay?" He finally asked.

Phil had totally forgotten that the apartments on either side probably would've been able to hear them. Whoops.

"Can't have been me, I-i was just in bed" Phil rubbed his eyes and looked back at PJ.

"Oh, sorry Phil. I'll get going" PJ replied with a slight frown before walking away.

Phil quickly closed the door and pressed his back against it, letting out a sigh of relief. He wasn't even sure why.

Dan slowly and warily emerged from the wardrobe and walked over to Phil. Much to Phil's surprise, he felt Dan's hand take his.

"I'm so sorry. I wish you'd never met me" Dan said, a slight crack in his voice.

A frown formed on Phil's face and he let out a loud sigh.

"Don't say that, ever. You just need to tell me what's actually going on. .......Who can't know you're here? Why?" He asked firmly as he looked at the brown-eyed boy.

"I-I think we should wait until the morning. You need sleep" Dan replied nervously as he gripped the other boys hand slightly firmer.

"You can't avoid telling me. It's not like I'm going to be angry or anything, maybe I can help" Phil spoke, his words slightly muffled.

"I'm not avoiding it. We will talk in the morning" Dan said, leading Phil back to his bed.

"How can I trust you not to walk out again? How do I know if you're even going to stay tonight? You could be lying" Phil snapped slightly as he turned to Dan, their chests brushing against each other's.

"I wouldn't leave you again, I...I promise." He responded before Phil lay down and fell straight asleep.

As Dan stood up, he looked briefly at his bed and then at the door.