Midnight Eyes ✵ Phan

*6*

Dan's eyes peeled open to reveal an unusual environment. He was flushed and warm under soft blankets that made him sure that he was no longer where he fell asleep. 'You're alive!' An unexpected voice called out, running towards him and wrapping his arms around him as if they had been friends for years.

Dan squealed and moved away, covering himself with the plush blankets. 'Sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you.' A look of panic passed over his face but was soon replaced with a smile as he saw Dan's improving condition.

'Why am I here?' Dan asked, glancing around at the familiar room. It was Phil's bedroom and it seemed he had fallen asleep in his bed. 'Why am I in your bed?!' He screeched, trying to make his way off it but Phil placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and led him back to the bed.

'You're weak, Dan, you need to stay put.' Dan nodded meekly and watched as Phil pulled the blankets over his chest again. 'I'll get you some food...and no running away this time.' Dan sighed, thinking over the risk of leaving Phil's apartment right now.

Phil was a nice man, you could not deny that, but people kept secrets and Dan wasn't one to stay around and find them out. He would rather leave with memories of happiness than leave with more memories but the good and the bad mixed together like a disgustingly untasteful painting.

'Why won't you just let me go.' Dan murmured as Phil reached the doorway. Phil turned, a strained look on his face.

'I like to think I can help someone...if only for a short time.' He smiled gently and left the room, presumably to the kitchen and Dan lay on the soft mattress and let himself relax before he would be forced onto the streets again. He could stay a day, if even that, to satisfy Phil's need to care for him and then he could go back to his old life: trusting himself and no one else.

He waited five more minutes before Phil entered the room with a piping bowl of soup in his hands. 'I put fish in it...I heard Nekos like that.' Dan nodded, taking the soup graciously, pondering at why this man hadn't turned him in as a Neko yet.

That was what was most curious about the situation. Any man on this earth would sell a Neko for a large amount of money it would give them yet Phil had been nothing but hospitable and kind since he had arrived and never, before this point, had he ever mentioned about Dan's species.

As Dan began to dig into the soup, Phil eyed his clothing realising he was still wearing the stained, over-sized t-shirt from the other day. 'Do you have no other clothes?' Phil asked as Dan had another spoonful of soup.

Dan shook his head and shrugged, he didn't want any more clothes he was happy in what he had now- it may look ragged but it was comfortable at least. 'I'm getting you clothes!' Phil announced and rushed to his wardrobe, trying to find the smallest item of clothing that he could. In the end, he found a pair of jogging bottoms and a crop top that he had been given as a joke birthday present a few years back.

Dan gave him an odd look but he held up the black pair and threw them at him. 'I'll leave you to get changed.' He smiled and left the room before Dan had even found the words to say no.

Dan sighed, realising that the least he could do was get changed in exchange for what Phil had given him. Dan stood up when the door flung open again. Dan flinched when Phil's beaming face appeared in the doorway.

'I forgot! You should have a shower first. It'll be cold...but it'll get you clean.' Phil smiled and Dan couldn't help but wonder how a man in his situation could be so happy. Dan simply shrugged it off, trying not to delve too far into the feelings of others whilst he was trying to remain distant and uncommitted.

Dan timidly followed Phil to the bathroom, feeling as if he owed him still for doing this. Phil was naïve to this and believed that Dan really did want his help which was all that was leading him to do this. He didn't seem to think that running away meant that he didn't want the help.

Phil did the same as he did with the clothes and left Dan in the bathroom alone. Luckily, Dan was not dim enough to not know how to use a shower and jumped in immediately, staring distastefully at his thin body.

He scrubbed himself dry, the water far past cold by now. Dan hated the feeling of water on his body but put up with it as he tried scraping away the mud from his fur.

It wasn't long before he was finished and out of the shower, slipping on the clothes that fit surprisingly well. Although the trousers were very long, they could be rolled up. Dan, being a Neko, was naturally short but for a Neko, he was freakishly tall and reached five foot and five inches whilst most only just passed five foot or less.

Dan unlocked the door and peered into the corridor, empty. He scoured the apartment and found Phil in the kitchen, cooking even more food. 'Don't worry about cooking. It's expensive.' Dan's voice was monotone and hoarse; it wasn't often he talked. He never talked, in fact, unless it was to Phil.

'You need food, Dan. I don't care how much it takes out of my wallet.' He made his point simply by motioning at Dan. Dan looked down at himself and recoiled in disgust, that was enough for the point to set in.

'Why do this for a Neko?' Dan blurted, his thoughts finally being spoken aloud.

'Nekos should be treated no differently. That is something I stand by.' Phil looked stubborn in that moment and Dan couldn't help but think it was cute. The thought alone sent butterflies to his stomach and he quickly pushed them away and resorted back to his impassive self, despite the emotions swirling inside himself.

It had been a long day so Dan and Phil sat down on the couch eating the fish Phil had cooked and talked until darkness fell just for the sake of talking. Dan didn't want to get close but he missed having someone to talk to. He was desperately lonely and no matter how much he wanted to not trust this man, he couldn't help it.

He was becoming close to this man and it wouldn't be long until his old world all came crashing down.

word count: 1146

published: 16.02.17