Aftershocks ➳ Philkas/Eyewitness

04

Episode Four: Breaking Hibernation

The hardwood floor feels like ice beneath Philip's feet as he walks into the kitchen, scrubbing his tired eyes with his knuckles. His lethargic movements are syrupy slow. Nowadays, simple tasks like getting out of bed or brushing his teeth drain all of his energy. The dark circles beneath his eyes and repetitive migraines are constant reminders of his exhaustion.

Wordlessly, Philip grabs a mug from the cupboard and begins to fill it with coffee. Although he usually drinks it black, he adds a dash of sugar for good measure. He sips it in silence and gazes out the nearby window, watching a squirrel scurry around the yard.  The warmth of the coffee cup loosens his clammy hands.

"The cub has finally emerged from its den," Gabe says softly, entering the  kitchen. He has the local newspaper tucked under his arm. "Good to see you're finally breaking out of hibernation."

Philip forces out a smile. "Morning." His voice is sore and scratchy.

Gabe sits at the table and starts working on the weekly crossword puzzle. His forehead wrinkles with concentration as he presses the wooden pencil to the paper, filling in the tiny boxes. Philip stands across the room and sips his coffee in silence. The warm steam curls up towards his reddened nose.

"So, I think I'm gonna go back to school today," Philip says abruptly.

Gabe glances up, surprised. "Really?"

Philip nods slowly. "Yeah."

His foster father looks overjoyed. "That's great, Philip. I'm sure Helen can drop you off on her way to work."

"Actually, Lukas offered to take me."

Gabe hums knowingly. "Oh, alright."

Philip flushes and takes another sip of his coffee. He doesn't know why he feels so uncomfortable talking about Lukas in front of Helen and Gabe. It's not like he's ashamed to be with Lukas or wants to keep their relationship a secret—no, that's far from the truth. In fact, he's quite  proud to call Lukas his after all the bullshit they went through.

Regardless, he can't stop the faint hint of pink that glows on his cheeks whenever he mentions Lukas's name.

"If you change your mind during the day and need to come home, just give me a call, okay?" Gabe says apprehensively.

"Yeah, I will."

Gabe opens his mouth to say something, probably a piece of cliche fatherly advice, but he's interrupted by the sound of Lukas's motorcycle speeding up their driveway. Philip glances out the window and sees Lukas riding his bike with a cloud of dirt in his trail. He's wearing his favorite helmet, the red one, and bits of his blond hair are poking out of the bottom.

"Have a good day, Son," Gabe murmurs, giving him a gentle grin.

"Thanks," Philip hums. He slings his heavy backpack over his shoulder and slips on his shoes, not bothering to tie the laces.

He walks outside to find the weather a tad colder than he anticipated. He crosses his arms over his chest and clenches his teeth. There's fresh dew on the green grass, and the sun is blocked by grey, wispy clouds.

"Hey," Philip greets, walking down the porch steps.

Lukas climbs off his bike and removes his helmet, shaking his messy hair. "Hey."

He drops a chaste kiss on Philip's lips before pulling him in for a big hug. Philip smiles against his shoulder as Lukas rubs his back, calming his rattled nerves. He's trying to be strong and pretend like going back  to school isn't a big deal, but it is. It's a huge deal.