to the groom//phan

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Do you want me to leave for the night? Or sleep on the couch?"

The two has been together the entire day after the police departed. Dan had refused hospital care so Phil used his time to cheer him up, or try to.

Dan just seemed emotionless, stuck in his own thoughts, but he slowly shook his head at Phil's questions.

"N-no d-don't leave m-me... Am I allowed t-to sleep out here with y-you?"

His response surprised the blue eyed boy. He's so different compared to just six months ago: lively, humorous, talkative. Charlie destroyed him.

"Of course you can, I just didn't think you'd want to." Phil opens his arms for the younger boy to lay into.

"P-Phil why are you being so nice? You've been hurting me f-for so long-" He froze, "I'm s-sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He tried cowering and scooting away, but Phil kept him tight in his arms.

"It's okay Dan. It wasn't me hurting you, calm down..." He hushed the panicky boy until he relaxed, "It wasn't me I've been...away."

"Why d-did you come b-back? Sorry I'm a-asking too many questions."

"You're fine Dan. I divorced Kate."

Dan seemed to remember now what actually happened and pushed himself away from the other boy.

"Why are you back? I thought you loved her? Please don't be here to hurt me again. Please leave or stay. Pick one, I beg of you..." Dan was as far away from Phil as he could be on the sofa.

"It's okay, I only plan to leave if you tell me to. I divorced Kate because she was cheating, on drugs, and that baby she had, never existed. She was using me for money." Phil responds simply and calmly, despite wanting to go crazy at his friend's brainwashed state.

He knew that would only make things worse and his choice of actions helped; Dan relaxed into the cushions, yawning.

"Am I allowed to go to sleep? I'm tired..." Phil nodded, expecting Dan to get up and go to his bed after his freak out, but the boy just curled up, resting his head on the arm of the couch.

"I'm surprised you still want to sleep by me."

"I don't wan to move and I don't want to go into that bedroom anymore, it scares me. Please don't make me..." He mumbled, but his eyes were already closed.

Phil placed the blanket that lay over the couch on top of him, "I promise I'll never make you go to that room again if you don't want to."

Dan was already fast asleep.