bear // phan - book one

chapter three

"b-bear, do i have to g-go home?" phil avoided eye contact ever since i told him he would have to go home.

"yes, phil. you need to see your mum some days." i whispered. phil had tried to avoid his mum ever since gabe had first hit him.

"i don't want to."

"what about martyn?"

phil shook his head, nothing could get him to go home.

i sighed. "okay, well."

i stood up and walked to my parents room again, phil stayed on my bed.

i knocked on the door, "mum? you awake?"

"yes, come in."

i opened the door, covering my eyes while i did so. "is dad decent?"

my father snorted. "yes, daniel. she wouldn't have invited you in if i weren't."

i chuckled a little, walking over to mum. "mum, i have a question. it's—" i thought through what i was about to do, "it's about phil."

"go on." she was in her bathroom, applying her makeup as an attempt to make herself look more beautiful than she already was.

"phil doesn't want to go home." i whispered, looking at myself in the mirror. "and i, uh,"

"you want him to stay?" she turned and looked up at me.

i straightened my posture, knowing she would scold me about it, and i nodded.

"then he shall." she looked back at herself in the mirror. "ask him to move in."

i whispered a thank you, making my way out of the bathroom. i stopped at the door, "mum, you don't need makeup. you're already beautiful."

i made my way to my bedroom, finding phil still in my bed. he was laying down and he was crying.

"oh, lion." i pulled him out of the bed and into a hug.

"i d-don't wanna leave."

"then stay, move in. mum said you could." i whispered. "i'd love you to."

phil cried into my shirt. "you're j-joking."

i chuckled a little, calling for my mum.

"yes, daniel?" she asked while
opening my door, she had wiped off all of her makeup.

"can lion move in?"

"yes, phil. you can move in." she smiled at the fragile boy that i held in my arms.

phil tightened his grip on me, mumbling a thank you into my shirt.

"is that all, dan?"

"nope, you look amazing today." i smiled.

she rolled her eyes, "thank you, daniel. may i go now?"

i nodded towards her. she pulled the door shut, leaving me with my best friend.

"do you wanna go home and grab some of your favorite clothes?" phil had a wardrobe of his own at my house. my parents had bought it when they realized he would be coming over a lot. they treated him like another son, buying him clothes, making him food, everything they did for me they did for him.

we had never thought of ourselves as brothers, and thank god we didn't. i would feel weird. he was my best friend that i just so happened to have fallen for.

"n-no. i'm okay." he whispered, "i like these clothes."

i smiled at him, "we should go to the mall today."

i had quite a lot of money saved up, and i wanted to make phil happy.

"let's go." phil smiled back, he's adorable. "ooh! do y-you wanna go to the b-bar too?"

phil and i are both eighteen, but neither of us had ever consumed alcohol. but hey, we're legal. why not?

"alright, phil." i chuckled.

—
phil and i got into the car and drove to the mall, i had my mind set on getting phil one thing.

"hey, i'm gonna go buy something real quick." i turned to phil, "i'll text you when i'm done?"

phil looked a little scared to let me walk off without him. "it'll be fine, promise." i held my pinkie out to him, which he gladly wrapped his pinkie around.

i walked to junk barn, which was literally just a store full of stuff you really don't need.

i walked to the back of the store. the stuffed animals only got bigger and bigger the farther you went into the store.

right before my eyes was one big ass lion, about 9 feet tall.

i walked to the cashier. "i wanna buy the lion, can it be delivered to my house?"

she nodded, "it'll be £59.43."

i pulled out my debit card, swiping it with a grin on my face. phil will be so happy.

"alright, your address?"

i gave her my address, which she quickly typed into the computer.

"it will be delivered later today."

"thank you." i smiled, feeling my phone buzz in my back left pocket.

phil: bear, pj is here. please hurry.

i stared at the cashier, waiting not-so-patiently for my receipt. she finally handed it to me, and out i ran.

dan: where are you? i'm coming.

i turned the corner to see pj walking up to phil.

i loudly cleared my throat. "excuse me, i don't think so."

"just wanted to have a little fun, dan." pj smirked. phil turned around to face me, he looked like a giant weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. i smiled at him.

"well, pj, you won't. back off." i gave him a little shove, and walked to phil.

"can w-we go?" he whispered.

"yeah, i'm ready."