Intriguing (phan)

15 - forgiveness

**a/n - last chapter, it's longer than usual for this story. (also unedited oops) please vote and comment if you enjoyed coming on this journey with me :)**

(phil)

it's only been three days without dan, but phil feels oddly empty. he knows this level of dependency would be considered unhealthy by any normal person, but dan is just so perfect for phil. the day they spent lying in bed together, holding hands and just talking was the best day of his entire life. why did pj have to come and ruin everything? phil wants to go lock himself in a dark cupboard and be sad about dan leaving, but he has faith in him.

and so phil's been living with pj. he never truly realised how annoying pj could be, and the thought makes him feel slightly guilty. pj is only trying to look out for him. he's always been protective and he really means well. and he's given phil a place to stay.

phil sighs. he wonders how dan is doing. isn't three days more than enough alone time?

after all, that was the only reason he left. because dan clearly needed to be alone. but he thought dan would've come around by now. he'd fantasised about dan coming over and begging for phil to come live with him once again. unfortunately, he knew the chances of that were quite slim.

that day, the doorbell rang at around seven o'clock, and it wasn't pj because he'd just left. thinking it was only the pizza he'd ordered, he runs over pulling a shirt over his chest on the way. when he opens the door, he freezes. it was dan, looking absolutely adorable and slightly apologetic.

"do you greet everyone half naked, or am i special?" dan asks smoothly.

unable to reply, phil only opens the door wider, letting dan step into the house, but dan gently shakes his head. "i want to take you somewhere, if you'll let me."

"what?" is all phil can say as he blinks at dan.

"i know you probably wouldn't want to go alone with me anywhere considering what pj told you about me, but i need you to give me a chance. i promise you'll be able to leave whenever you--"

"let me just get my coat."

"what- ok." phil has to force himself not to laugh out loud at dan's answer. "ok let's go."

dan leads phil past his car and to a trail near pj's house that phil didn't even know existed. the footpath wove between apartment blocks for around fifteen minutes, before they finally emerge into a couple of fields.

phil is starting to feel nervous, but he doesn't dare say a word.

they walk a little more before dan finally says, "if you look in that direction you can kind of see it."

phil follows dan's line of sight, but all he can see was a tiny speck of red on the horizon.

"what is it?"

dan's lips quirk up in an adorable smile. "you'll see," he says, tapping the side of his nose.

phil rolls his eyes, before going back to watching dan's footsteps as they trudge along the path for another five minutes. suddenly, dan stops and phil almost walks into him. he looks up from his feet, wondering why they aren't walking.

he sees it now, the red thing from before. it's a half deflated hot air balloon, lying on its side. his eyes move from the hot air balloon to dan and back again in clear confusion.

"what is this?"

"will you ride it with me?"

phil nods, letting dan lead him into the carriage, feeling like a princess.