Without love ~ phan

Chapter IX

Dan's POV

"Is that a smile I see? Have I finally found my way into the heart of Poppy, the most beautiful girl in the world?," he asks, looking incredibly proud of himself. I blush and remind myself to keep it together. "Not in a million years, Sam."

I push past him to continue the walk home, my hands shoved in my pockets to keep them warm. Barely making it a few steps through the icy wind, I hear his voice calling out to me, "At least let me give you a ride!" I turn around to see him holding an extra helmet in his outstretched hand.

One of two options are presented to me, his puppy dog eyes telling me as much. I never would've considered his offer if it weren't for the hair whipping at my face and the ache in my shoulder from carrying too many schoolbooks. Relentlessly, I grab the helmet from his hand and hop on to the back of his bike without giving him the satisfaction of looking at his stupid face. Or his stupid eyes, the ones like the shade of wood floors when the firelight dances across it. Soft, like home.

His cocky smile is still there but he doesn't say anything when he climbs on the motorcycle or when I wrap my arms around his torso to stay steady. As we take off, I keep my head low and find myself whispering something only loud enough for myself to hear. "Thank you."

Phil's POV

I stop myself from gasping out loud just in time because the person behind the shadows isn't a murderer or a genie or anything of that sort. It's Daniel, just Daniel. But then, it's also not just Daniel because just Daniel doesn't go to the library in his free time, surrounding himself in the art of being alone. No, he's never been one to appreciate it.

But yes, he's right there! With clothes as black as ever, hair that matches his eyes, and such a wonderfully gentle smile as if he's just been awoken by his sweetheart. A sweetheart composed of pages, that is. He's curled up against an unkempt sofa, glassy eyes devouring a scene unbeknownst to me, almost as if he is reading every good memory that has yet to come.

Heartbeat quickening, I take a small step forward on legs too big for the rest of my body. Sure, he seems very involved in his book but he still has ears, doesn't he? His senses have to kick in if I'm anything louder than dust settling or manuscripts eternally waiting to be read. However, whatever world he's been taken with must be one free of logic because despite my anxious breathing, he doesn't look up.

I take the opportunity to shift my gaze from his soft features to the book he clearly can't get enough of. Only the back cover is facing me and I'm too far away to read the words of the blurb poking out between his fingers. Without thinking, I narrow my eyes and lean forward, as if a black blur can suddenly become clear with so little effort. Too bad humans haven't evolved that way yet, maybe then Daniel wouldn't finally be shocked because of some embarrassingly dumb looking plot twist standing right before him. One who definitely should not have stuck around.

Dan's POV

First, as expected, my spot for reading was not occupied and the book I hid in between a couple cushions some time ago fit itself back into my hands eagerly. Then, characters Sam and Poppy took me by the hand and didn't have to tell me twice to follow them.

I'll admit, the book that stole my attention this time around is a ridiculously cliché one. It follows the lives of a bad boy who finds the shy girl "surprisingly" cute and therefore stops at nothing to win her heart. But I've gotten past the part where my only opinion of the book is that it's utterly cheesy and moved onto the part where only words of praise are suitable for it. Past the cringing and the criticisms of "that would never happen in real life" to the magic that comes with imagining that maybe one day it will.