glory and gore ; phan

xii

the bone-chilling toxicity caking over the downtown vegas air infested inside dan's lungs as a cigarette laid held between his chattering teeth; the overlapping city orchestra of intoxicated giggles and drunken tugs of desperation on tremulous wrists melting around him. he exhaled oxygen jaded with nicotine, connor's taunting words playing over in his scrambled thoughts.

"you've improved," connor nodded absentmindedly as his viridescent irises raked over dan's wheezing body. lilac-infused bruises drove across his garish disposition in the sizes of his opponent's fists; trickling crimson bleeding out from his desperation-injected nosebleed. "have you been practicing?"

dan darkly chuckled, skimming his tongue over his iron-drenched lips as he collapsed onto a stool; a cerise-stained towel draped over his sweat-coated shoulders. "no," the chocolate-haired boy panted, "just determination." connor raised an eyebrow as his lips voiced a muted hum in response; tossing an iced water into the brunette's gore-infested palms. "i wouldn't mind another round between the two of us," connor glinted, cockiness plastered across his lips.

dan scoffed, "you won last time." the green-eyed boy shrugged, "like i said, you've improved." a white envelope was handed to the darker-haired brunette by a nearby guard; his tremulous fingers leaving smudged, scarlet prints across the paper.

"i've never worked a club this high end," dan spoke slowly as his eyes widened at the numerous numbers painting an acquisitive happiness across his paycheck. "i know," connor trailed off, his fingers tapping impatiently on his chair. "well, i'm gonna keep that rematch on the table if you'd like, and if you don't mind, i've got business to kill," he nodded, his jaded eyes darkened with a glint that coated dan's thoughts in a skeptical doubt of the boy's intentions.

he suddenly became aware of the numbing pain stinging his bruised cheek as he realized he was on the iced-over ground; hazy snow seeping through the back of his jeans as he came to the fearing awareness that he couldn't move his weak body. his eyes widened as his mind began to scream in a mental state of panicking suffocation; the spine-chilling numbness profiling back to the existential episode five years ago, because after all, drowning feels like suffocating.

"fuck," he exhaled sharply; feeling the crisp, wintry air invade his lungs like blood-stained bath water. his bloodshot eyes flickered around his surroundings; his breath coming to a hitch in his throat as he realized where his haunted feet had absentmindedly led him.

his trembling fingers fidgeted towards his concealed phone, where he shakily texted the all-too-familiar digits of the brunette boy who had saved his life one too many times. "east kingswood" the text read, chris's response proving immediate; instinctive worry seeming to drip off his typed words from dan's habit of having bad habits.

-

"wake up, asshole," chris grumbled, dan's weighed eyes drooping open to meet the boy's worry-infused glare. "when was the last time you slept?" he inquired resentfully, his anxious fingertips tapping against his armchair. "evidently, just a few minutes ago," the brunette muttered groggily, noticing that he was sprawled out across their tangled hotel bed.

chris's eyes darkened as he shot up from his feet with rage. "bullshit! you haven't slept in days, you barely eat, and you're working for connor," he paused, gulping down the strained fear choking up his throat. his azure irises flickered to the side to assure phil's absence before turning back to the hazy brunette. "you weren't going to do anything reckless last night, right?" he spluttered in a hushed voice, "right? why were you at the fucking bridge, dan?!" 

dan exhaled deeply, lowering his gaze to the ground. "i need a cigarette," he mumbled, earning a stifled scoff from the brunette. "you know, if you won't clean up your bullshit act for me, do it for him," he growled, holding up his hand when dan's reluctant lips began to part. "because i know you care about him, even though you try so fucking hard not to."

-

"phil?" the brunette uttered in a muted whisper, hesitantly clearing his throat. city-infested oxygen filled their toxic lungs as the ebony-haired boy reluctantly turned around. "you're an asshole," he halfheartedly scoffed, a weak smile curving at the brunette's chapped lips. "i'm sorry," he dimly chuckled, a grin resentfully tugging at the dark-haired boy's lips. "no you're not," he softly smiled, walking towards his boyfriend until his arms draped lightly over his wiry shoulders.

dan exhaled in relief, resting his head in the crook of the soft boy's neck. "i'm still pissed," phil dimly chuckled, letting his wrists lazily skim down the brunette's chest until tangling their tremulous fingers together. dan rolled his eyes as he smirked, tugging on his boyfriend's laced sleeves.

"come on, i wanna show you something."