My Blood, Your Bones - Phan

Chapter 19 - Moving In

Phil's POV

"Dan, where are we going?" I asked him. It was a few weeks after his father had died, but Dan was doing marvelously well. He had blind-folded me, and taken me from my packed room. I was finally, finally, after a year and many months (I lost count, because I stopped caring), getting out of First Step Rehabilitation Center.

Dan guided me to the foyer of the place and removed the fabric from my eyes. All my nurses, including Beth were there. There was a cake in front of me with writing in icing: "Congrats Phil!"

"What is all this?" I asked, a bit in shock.

"A leaving party!" Beth cheered.

"Leaving party?" I turned to Dan.

"I was so happy to see you were getting out, so I threw you a little party!"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

I was overjoyed with incredible feeling. I was free, I was with Dan, I was alive. I wasn't just living now – I was actually alive. I leaned in and kissed Dan's cheek. "I love you."

The crowd awed, I blushed.

"Who wants cake?" Dan offered. He whispered to me, "I made sure to get low-fat. I thought you might like that better."

"I don't know whether to thank you or shove your cute face in it."

Beth interrupted us. "Congratulations, Phil," she said kindly. "I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you. I hope we never see you again!"

"Wait, what?"

"That's what we say to the patients who leave. It means that we hope you'll be better forever. I hope to see you again, just not as a patient, of course."

"Oh! Well, same to you!"

"Philip, darling!" shouted a woman's voice, shoving her way through the crowd. "Pardon me, excuse me, please, let me through!"

"Who is that?" Dan whispered. I shrugged.

Breaking her way to the front, the woman attacked me. "There you are! I haven't seen you in a few months! Mommy's so sorry, she's been out on work."

"Mum!" I yelled, pushing her hug off of me. "Get off!"

"Did you find him?" a masculine voice asked, again rudely making his way forward.

"Right here! Look how much better he looks!"

"Are these... your parents?" Dan quietly asked me.

I nodded shamefully. They looked the same, but I didn't recognize them. My mother had her dark blonde hair cut short, and was carrying what looked to be an expensive purse. My father pushed forward. He looked to be swimming in cash as well. They were awful.

"We came as soon as we got the call!" my mother said. "So you're finally leaving this dump? Great! Let's go!"

"This isn't a dump, mum!" I snapped.

"Ok, I know we haven't been here for a little while to check up on you, but can't you just brush it off and come back? We've got work tomorrow, you know."

"A little while? It's been close to two years! You want me to brush off two years of your absence and just skip home merrily with you? And you've got work tomorrow? Gee, that's new!"

She widened her eyes and looked at my father.

"Do you even now how old I am? I'm eighteen. I don't need you! How did you even know I was getting out?"

"Phil," Beth stepped forward. "That would be my fault. We're entitled to call the closest known family members for those being released."

"I'm not going with you," I said. I searched for Dan's hand and held it. I needed my comfort.

"Then where do you think you're going?" my father huffed.

To be honest, I wasn't sure. I looked down, hoping an answer would come to me.

"He's staying with me," Dan announced quickly.

"What?" my mother looked confused. "Phil, you made a friend? Oh thank God, I was worried you'd be lonely here."

"No," I said, a hint of disgust in my voice. "This isn't my friend. This is Dan. I love him."

He eyes darted between me and him. Our hands squeezed tighter. "Huh, ok then. I see."

"I. Love. Him."

"With all respect ma'am," Dan said to her. "Phil and I have been through a lot, you could say. I do love him, and well... we kinda need each other."

"Oh," she said, after a pause. All eyes were on her. "Ok. I understand. You don't need me anymore. Uh, well, I apologize for the intrusion." I thought she might cry, but then she oddly perked up. "Oh well. I wasn't very good as a mother anyway! Nice to meet you Dan. I hope you and Phil are very happy together."

She took my dad's hand and turned around, walking out the door, beginning a new conversation about a meeting in a town I had not heard of.

"Phil," Dan spoke. "Are you ok?"

"Believe me, I never needed them. They can go to Hell with their jobs and their money. I've got everything I need."

He smiled, and the nurses turned to each other and continued their own conversations.

"Dan?" I finally asked. "When you said I could stay with you... did you mean it?"

He paused a moment. "Here," he said, holding out a card. "I was going to wait until later, but this will work too."

I opened it. The cover had a little lion on it, smiling in the sun. Inside, in Dan's handwriting, was a small message:

"Hi, Phil!

Since I'm eighteen now, I've been living by myself at my old house off the money my Dad left. I secretly got a job at the ice cream parlor to make a little more, knowing you'd get out soon. And I wanted to ask you... Would you like to move in with me when you're out? I want to see your face every day from the minute I wake up to the moment I fall asleep. I want to make you breakfast in bed and watch movies with you on the sofa until two a.m.. I want to be able to look out my window and see it raining, but smile because when I turn around, I know I'll see you there. I want to do so many things with you. I love you so much.

~Dan <3"

I reread his sweet words like they were laced with sugar. "Dan! Of course I'll move in with you!" I hugged him enthusiastically.

Dan's POV

After the party, I helped Phil with his bags into my house. I had cleaned the place for him. My room was neater, it no longer smelled of beer, and the place was bright and livable again.

He entered right behind me, cheerily and excited. "So this is it?" he asked.

"Yep."

"We're really living together?"

"Yeah."

Phil dropped everything and through his arms over my shoulders. "Thank you," he said, kissing me. "Thank you, Dan, for saving me. I love you so much."

I kissed him back. I didn't care about anything. He was safe. He was in my arms, and we were kissing. He was home, and we were both free.