Relapse (Phan)

TWENTY TWO

I woke up with a yawn and almost hit a snoring Dan in the face as I stretched my arms over my head. I pulled back with a laugh and he mumbled something and fidgeted a little, but didn't wake up. A smile spread over my face: I was getting used to waking up next to him again, a fact I hoped wouldn't be changing any time soon.

I sat up and propped myself up against the headboard, stifling another yawn, and looked around, taking in every inch of the room. I hadn't slept in Dan's bed in over two years, yet everything seemed exactly the same as before. The walls were still the same shade of brown covered in the same posters of 90's grunge bands I'd barely heard of. An Origin of Symmetry poster which had been tacked up above the record player caught my eye: that was new. I grinned as I thought about the first time he'd come to my house when I'd introduced him to Muse. I stared at the window and remembered all the times I'd climbed through it, then the wardrobe, wondering if all the shirts Dan had stolen were still in it—

"'Morning," Dan yawned, blinking his eyes open.

"Morning Sleepy Head," I replied, pushing his hair out of his face.

"You know what I want?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes, wearily.

"Me?" I teased, smiling as I pecked his lips.

"To play Halo," he grinned, our lips still touching.

"Of course," I laughed, kissing him again, "We could go to my house. Peej could come too," I suggested.

"That sounds fun," he agreed, swinging his legs over the bed and standing to stretch. I smirked, an idea forming in my mind.

"C'mon, let's go see if Mum's—Woah!" Dan nearly fell over as I stood on the bed and threw myself onto his back, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

"Carry me," I demanded playfully.

"God, you're so heavy," he laughed, trying to carry me piggy-back style the best he could.

"I'm light as a feather," I defended mockingly.

"Heavy feather," he teased, stumbling out the door and into the kitchen.

"What are you two—oh my goodness!" Mrs. Howell laughed as Dan made a spectacle of putting me down directly into a kitchen chair.

"Moring Mum," Dan smiled, heaving over-dramatically.

"Morning," she said, still laughing, "You two sleep well?"

"Okay," Dan joked, taking his usual spot on the counter.

"Must've been more than okay, you slept straight through breakfast," she teased. "It's almost 11:30."

"You didn't cook did you?" Dan asked, a twinge of guilt in his voice.

"No," she replied, "Don't worry. But I'm going out for lunch so you two will have to fend for yourselves. Think you can manage that?"

"We're going to Phil's anyway," Dan informed her.

"Oh?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Dan's gonna feed his ego by destroying me at Halo for a couple of hours," I joshed.

"Sounds healthy," Mrs. Howell laughed, shooting Dan a look. "You're lucky Phil's a good sport."

"I dunno what that's s'posed to mean!" Dan said, throwing his hands up in surrender.