We are the ghouls of London // PHAN

•CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX•

"Dan look! It's that new CD that came out the other day!"

Dan looked back at his boyfriend who had his hands pressed against the glass of a music shop as he looked at a CD which was on display, surrounded around fairy light, showing it off to the public who walked past it. Dan walked back towards Phil and glanced at the CD with him, "Muse?"

Phil blushed and looked back at Dan shyly, "Y...yeah... Have you heard of them?"

"Heard of them? Their music is amazing!" Dan exclaimed and Phil once again beamed, "Me and my dad would often listen to their music if we were in the car together."

Phil smiled at Dan, knowing they had something else in common, "Well it's a new album they released the other day and I haven't had chance to go buy it."

Dan saw on a price tag next to it it was priced at £9.99. In his pocket, Dan felt ten pound note his mom had given him press against his hand, almost signalling to Dan to buy it. After all, he had needed an idea to buy Phil for his Christmas present...

"I'm sure someone will buy it you," Dan hinted as he took Phil's hand and they continued to walk along the high street as the Christmas music continued to play out of speakers from all the stalls around them, making both the boys feel very festive.

With the skies becoming a dark navy colour and bright stars littering the skies above them elegantly, they decided to spend a last bit of their money to buy take-away coffee each from Starbucks to warm up their slowly freezing hands and then linked arms with one another before walking back towards Phil's house, drinking their heated drinks as they went. where he dropped him off.

Upon arrival at Phil's house, he gave Dan a kiss on the forehead, making Dan blush. Phil looked at Dan in the eyes, "I'll see you during the holidays won't I?"

"Of course," Dan laughed as they parted from one another, Phil watching as Dan made his way down the lit up street before Phil made his way into his own warm house where, like the previous night, his dad was waiting for him on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn and a Christmas movie on their TV, ready for the pair to enjoy watching together as a family.

Dan, however, arrived at his own home after his longer walk home. With his warming coffee long gone and his cup now in a trash can, his toes were frozen in his trainers and his fingers numb as he struggled to unlock the front door to the house with his key which had safely located in his jean pocket where he had put it when he had exited the house last night.

He pushed the unlocked door open and was first met with his mom sitting on the sofa drinking wine out of a glass as she looked at her phone.

However, Dan's attention was suddenly drawn to the corner of the room where he saw Adrian curled up in the corner with  a tall figure looming over him.

"What's going on?" Dan's voice attracted everybody's attention in the room.

Adrian stared at Dan, "DAN!"

He had cuts all over his body which were bleeding and the tall figure around, revealing himself to be Richard. He grinned at Dan nastily, "We're just messing around..."

Dan made sure the door was closed before walking towards Richard, "If by messing around you mean physically injure my younger brother then yeah, I believe you," Dan growled at the guy who still continued to hold his brother in, what looked like, hostage.

Richard laughed as he glared back at Dan, "There's nothing to worry about Daniel. Just go upstairs..."

He was unable to finish what he wanted to say as Dan instantly pulled Richard by the back of his black leather jacket and away from his brother, his mom briefly looking up before looking back at her phone.

Dan rolled his eyes as Richard glared at Dan, gritting his teeth, "Like we said, we were playing a game..."

"A game my arse," Dan snapped, pushing Richard up against a wall, "If you were playing a game, then why is he crying? Why is he bleeding? Why is he mentally hurt?"

Richard shook his head as he looked at Dan, "You really know how to make a guy get mad and want to kill you don't you? No wonder Sam Kassidy attacked you-"

As soon as that sentence left Richards lips, Dan instantly punched Richard out of anger. Groaning in agony and drawing blood, Richard glared at Dan, "That's it you fucking faggot."

"Adrian, run," Dan instructed his brother as the positions switched so it was now Dan who was pinned against the wall, "Go upstairs, hide, but just don't come back downstairs until I tell you you can..."

With a sudden strike to the face, Adrian scrambled to his feet and ran. By the front door, Adrian spotted Dan's phone. Looking back, Adrian watched for a split second at Dan being attacked by Richard. Adrian grabbed the phone off the floor and ran to sit at the top of the stairs.

Dan's lock screen was a photo of him and a guy with black hair. They guy was kissing Dan and Dan was laughing. As if on queue, a text appeared on the screen from a guy called 'Phil'

Phil 🦁❤
Hey, thanks for today. It made me feel very special and happy. Love you xx

Adrian had no idea who the hell this guy was but knew this was the only person he could call. He slid across the notification and pressed the call button.

It rang out four times before a cheery "Hey Dan!" rang out through the phone.

"It... it's not D-Dan..." Adrian stuttered.

A pause, "Then who is this?"

"I-I'm A-Adrian... Dan's younger b-brother..."

Another pause, "Oh hi Adrian! I'm Phil..."

"Dan's in danger and I don't know what to do!" Adrian cried down the phone.

"Wh-what?"