Keep Me {PHANFIC}

Walking Alone, But Together

A/N: This is gonna be a more happy chapter, since there's been a bunch of serious and sad ones lately. Also I'm listening to Fake You Out by TØP, so.... Yeah. If you wanna listen to it too while reading it, it might match the atmosphere of the chapter! (OUR BRAINS ARE SICK, BUT THAT'S OKAY! :D)

As Phil walked home with Dan close to his side, he felt a strange sense of security. They felt safe, even if they were actually at danger of an attack from Gabriel or his friends. But still, he and Dan stayed close together, not caring if them just being together could cause conflict. The sun shone down on the boys, beating down on their backs. Phil constantly looked over to his side at Dan, making sure he's okay. Sure enough, he was there, looking back at him, smiling. Dan was a strong a boy, Phil sure knew that.

"So... Where are you settled?" Phil asked him, tilting his head at him. Dan looked back at him, a confused smile strewn across his face. "Where do you live?" Phil said, chuckling.

"Oh!" Dan said, laughing and nodding. They both giggled for a while, occasionally bumping shoulders playfully. "Uh, Digger Road. With my foster parents." He said after their laughter died down, looking at his shoes. Phil looked at him suprised.

"Foster? I-I mean, I don't mean to pry but... Is there a story behind that?" Phil asked quietly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Dan took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Phil started to panic. He shouldn't have asked. He had already been through so much today, he doesn't want to share his life story with someone who's name they'd just learned today!

"You don't have to tell if you don't want to! I'm sorry..." Phil told him, wide eyed and one hand on Dan's shoulder.

Dan shook his head and and looked at Phil, biting his lip. "No, it's fine! I'm fine with sharing..." He sighed. "My real parents died when I was 3. Since then I've been around the country, so many different schools, homes, families..." Dan said, looking up at the trees as they walked towards Digger Road and watching the sun shine through the branches. Phil nodded silently, not taking his hand off of his shoulders. Phil looked at the flowerbeds they passed by on the ground, counting the colors he saw, thinking of them all in Dan's hair, delicately laying among the strands. He shook himself out of his thoughts, looking over at Dan, smiling as they made eye contact. As suddenly as they started, they stopped when Dan looked away, behind Phil.

"Here's my house..." he said quietly, pursing his lips. Phil looked over to where Dan's eyes were, and looked over the suburban home, already knowing what room was Dan's. He smiled as he saw pale colored flowers blooming on his windowsill, his thin lace curtains flowing in the wind billowing in from his open window.

Phil took his hand off of Dan's shoulder, and watched as he walked to his front door, his pastel, blood stained jumper bouncing with each step as he walked up the stairs. Dan looked back at Phil, waving cheerfully, as if they hadn't just felt pain, both emotional and physical, together. Phil waved back, his bruises numbing as he looked into Dan's warm eyes as they reflected the sunlight.

"Bye Phil." He said, turning away to go into his house. Once he shut his door, and Phil was left alone on the sidewalk, he whispered, mostly to himself.

"Goodbye Dan."