phan oneshots

locked doors (fluff)

inspired by Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande

tw// drinking, child abuse

summary: Phil's next-door neighbor, Dan, never leaves his house. and he wants to figure out why.

Dan. Was he a ghost or something? Why did he never leave his house? Well, he walked outside- but only to take the trash out or something. He never properly left, and Phil wanted to know why.

Dan had parents, they both left for work every morning and came back every night- but Dan never came out. Not even when he had so many opportunities to sneak out, to leave while his parents were gone. He remained in that same building.

The only way Phil knew Dan was in there was because he's seen him looking out his window sometimes. But no one ever came inside besides that family, and Dan never went outside.

Phil had always wanted to talk to him, but every time Dan caught him looking through the window, he'd hurry to close the curtains. Phil was simply curious, and a little worried at this point.

He remembers being woken up one time to the sound of glass smashing, and when Phil had looked through my window into Dan's, his cheeks were tear-streaked. Phil hopes he's okay. He hopes he's safe.

But tonight is different. Tonight, Dan is on his windowsill, letting his legs dangle over the ledge as he looks up at the stars. And Phil takes the chance to open his window too and speaks.

"Don't jump, please."

It's a stupid sentence to say, especially it being the first thing he's ever actually said to him. But he's worried that if he says the wrong thing, he'll leave.

Dan doesn't say anything, just looks at Phil like a deer caught in the headlights. Like he's never been talked to before.

"Sorry if that was weird. . . I'm Phil."

Still nothing. Dan just gulps and his grip on the windowsill tightens, knuckles whitening.

"You don't talk? Are you deaf?" Phil asks. He then reaches up to begin to sign it out, but Dan shakes his head. "You just don't talk then? Oh wait, do you speak English?"

Dan nods. This was finally going somewhere.

"Why don't you come outside?" But that ruined it, because Dan inhales sharply and moved to go back inside before Phil speaks up again. "I-I'm sorry! I just. . . I'm curious. . . you don't have to answer. Well, you haven't spoken at all during this whole interaction, but you get what I mean. So-"

"Dan!" Phil hears his father yell. Dan's eyes widen, throwing himself back into his room. Phil opens his mouth to say something, but Dan simply looks at him, and shuts his window then closes the curtain. Phil stays frozen, wondering why he looked so scared when he had heard his father's voice.

Phil fell asleep that night with his window still open, hoping he'd hear Dan speak or even just get to see him again. And from then on, he always keeps his curtain open.

The next morning, Phil wakes up to the roaring of an engine and gets up to look through his window. He sees a car pull out of his driveway, indicating Dan's parents have left for work. And again, Dan sat on his windowsill.

"There you are," Phil tiredly grinned, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "I haven't seen you in awhile. Miss me?" He jokes, and Dan nods again. Phil feels his cheeks heat at the unexpected response, hiding a smile before changing the subject. "Will you ever leave your house?"

Dan shrugs, expression going sad.

"Do you want to leave your house?"

Daniel pauses, hesitating before making eye contact with Phil. His eyes look so sad and colorless. Lifeless.