Colors (Phan AU)

twenty five

A/N
If you didn't notice, I added a few paragraphs to the end of chapter twenty four. Go back and read it if you haven't already so you have a better understanding of this chapter. Thanks!

A vast nothingness was able to be seen, felt, and absorbed. Surrounding its prey, closing in, creeping towards the unsuspecting. This darkness crawled its way through Dan's fingertips and tickled underneath his chin. It threatened to take the reason he was fighting.

Why am I fighting? Ran through his head. Why am I still here? Why am I alive?

A small intake of breath came only inches away from Dan's face. He pulled up any strength he could to open his eyes, however the dark nothingness tugged him back down. He could hear faintly the sound of another body lifting itself from the cold floor.

Dan realized he could feel. His fingers brushed against the concrete flooring, grasping for life again as the darkness tried to consume him. He took a long breath, giving his fingers and the rest of his body the support it needed to fight back.

His ears caught a voice. "Dan? Are you alright?"

Slowly Dan managed to force his eyes open enough to form shapes. Knees, Dan realized, accompanied by a pair of hands were close to his face. He blinked a few times to clear the remaining darkness from his vision.

"Are you alright?" The voice asked again. One of the hands placed itself on Dan's arm. Whatever dark nothingness that had been left behind ran away at the feel of the comforting palm. Dan noticed he was laying on his side, and Phil was there in front of him. Dan felt a surge of something warm, which he could only describe as love.

Love is what gave him the courage to fully open his eyes. It gave him the strength to sit up, despite a nagging headache. It gave him the urge, the need to wrap himself tightly into Phil's arms. It allowed the two to appreciate beauty in the colors around them as they sat intertwined on the floor.

This is why I'm fighting.

"Thanks goodness you finally woke up," Phil said over Dan's shoulder. "You were in and out for quite a while. I was so worried."

Dan pulled out of the hug, only to lean back in for a quick kiss. "I'm okay," he assured Phil. "Although I've got a pretty bad headache."

"Yeah, you were hit pretty hard in the head. Harder than I was hit, I think."

Dan looked around the small, dim room. The walls were empty and a plain grey, and the floor had only a simply colored rug to claim. The only light source was shinning through the crack under the intimidating metal door.

"Where the hell are we?" Dan wondered aloud.

"I don't know," replied Phil. "I had been laying with you, waiting for you to wake up, so I haven't done much investigating... Hey, what's wrong?"

Dan wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled. "Nothing. Nothing. I'm just... a little scared." He buried his face in Phil's shirt, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Baby, it's okay. We'll figure something out." Using his pointer finger, Phil lifted Dan's chin so their eyes met. "I promise," Phil whispered before connecting their lips.

I'm fighting for Phil.

BAM!

Both boys jumped, breaking the kiss. Their heads turned to the door, where the loud sound had come from. The large metal barrier was still shut, and only silence hid behind it. After seemingly years of seconds, the door creaked and creeped open. Bright light raced into the room after a tall figure. The boys squinted at the figure as their eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting.

"Hello boys. It's nice to finally meet you," the figure said with its deep, manly voice. Neither of the boys moved or spoke. They sat tangled in each other's limbs, shaking with fear and anxiety. The figure stepped into the room and shut the door. Dan and Phil could then see the man standing before them. He was tall, of average build, and wore an expensive suit and tie. His face carried a serious expression along with an unkempt goatee.

He paced, his polished shoes clacking along the floor as he spoke with clear confidence. "There is no need for introductions; I know very well who you are and how you function. Also, I do not find it important that you know who I am. All the information you need of me is that I am who brought you here. I am who runs this world. I am who will fix your corrupted minds... Any questions?"

Dan and Phil remained speechless.

"Good." The man stopped pacing and nodded. "Then I will be on my way. Good talk, boys." He turned on his heel and strode out the door. When it was shut again, the small sound of a lock echoed in Dan and Phil's ears. The light had also abandoned the room, leaving the boys in almost complete darkness again.

"What do we do?" Slipped from Dan's lips in a shy whisper. For a while, neither of them spoke. They stayed, wrapped in each other's arms as sadness began to escape from Dan's eyes.

Keep fighting.

He again buried his face into Phil's shoulder, wiping his tears onto the soft fabric. Phil pulled Dan even closer into his body and stroked his messy hair.

"I love you," Phil whispered.

"I love you too," Dan replied with a wavering voice. He closed his eyes and tried to think of anything else but their situation. His mind wondered to the colors. He thought if everyone could see colors, each one would have a different name. People could pick their favorites and least favorites. Colors could be combined to make other, more unique colors. Some of them would look amazing side by side, while others would clash terribly. If everyone could see color, people could appreciate the beauty in the world around them, just as Dan and Phil did.

Dan thought about the park and its many flowers. The plants were everywhere- in flowerbeds, lining the sidewalks, in children's hands as they pranced happily around the playground. They were pretty things of numerous shapes, sizes, and petal count. However, they could not be seen at their full potential without colors. They were boring, sad, and just not beautiful as they truly could be. Dan remembered the first time he had seen the flowers bloom with color. Each one was vibrant and daring with its own burst of uniqueness. Dan's mind was a race of thoughts. That one's the color of  that kid's shoes. Those over there are the color of the sun. These are just like Phil's eyes...

I want everyone to see color, Dan thought as he drifted into sleep in Phil's arms.

Seemingly no time had passed before Dan was jolted awake by an army of footsteps racing toward him. Hands grabbed at him and yanked him away from Phil. Dan clawed at the air in attempt to escape the harsh grasp that was sending sharp pains through his body. He called out for Phil, hoping to be rescued, but found that Phil was in the same situation. A hand sealed itself over Dan's mouth, and he quickly clamped onto the fingers with his strong jaw. He heard a yelp of surprise and was released from his captor's grip.

He glanced at Phil, who was already being tied with rope. Their eyes met momentarily, and Phil yelled, "Dan! Run!"

Dan felt his heart drop, but he listened to Phil. Before he could be grabbed again, he sprinted out the door and into the blinding light. He was in a hallway that had a similar appearance to the room. The hallway stretched both to the left and right, and Dan's legs led him left. He heard footsteps behind him and dared a glance backwards. Behind him there was a single woman chasing after him. She was small, but obviously powerful if she had held Dan for the time she did.

Dan pushed himself to run faster, something he didn't do often. He made several turns down the never ending hallway before coming to a dead end. He had no idea where he was, but he had lost the woman.

Dan then realized he knew her face.
He struggled for a name, but found it quickly.
Cat.