Secrets to Keep (Phan)

Chapter 11

That night was the first time I had slept in an actual bed in a week. A night full of cuddling under the warm blankets atop the comfortable matress, with the sound of Dan's breathing eventually lulling me to sleep. I ended up registering Dan for school online, and he picked his classes and seemed to be pretty excited to be going to a new school in just under three days.

"What time did Paul want to meet us" Dan asked from the bathroom while I sat on the bed to slip my shoes on.

"Uhh," I paused, leaning over to the table to re-read the letter. "Twelve." I announced, looking to the clock to see that we still had a half hour. Since we'd moved we've had our phones turned off, and I promised Dan that we'd get new ones as soon as we had everything sorted, but untill then, we wouldn't have too much contact with the outside world.

Dan emerged from the bathroom with his newly straightened hair, pj's in hand, and a dried stain of white toothpaste on the corner his smiling mouth. I pointed to my own mouth, making Dan's eyebrow arch in a questioning manner. "You've got a bit of toothpaste..." I explained, and Dan reached over his tongue in attempts to just lick it away. I smiled at him, shaking my head slightly before continuing to tie my shoe.

"So when are we leaving?" he asked, flopping down onto the bed beside me and folding his arms behind his head.

"Probably here in a few minutes," I answered, "we can get there early and it will leave us plenty of time to get lost." I added with a smirk, causing Dan to smile up at the cieling as well. "By the way, it's pouring and we don't have an umbrella, unless you packed one?" I questioned, making Dan groan in frustration.

"Fuck... no I didn't even think to grab one." he mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands. The rain wasn't a problem for me, I actually kind of enjoyed it, but Dan being the beauty queen he was, wouldn't be happy about his soon-to-be-ruined-hair.

"I guess you'll just have to be a Hobbit then." I teased, poking his side and causing Dan to squirm a little.

"You're so mean to me." he complained jokingly, rolling over so his face was in the covers.

"I'm not mean." I argued, laying down beside him.

"Are too." Dan retorted, turnig so that he was facing me, and using his own arm as a pillow. I let a smile play on my lips, before leaning forward and kissing his. The feeling was magical as always, as if for a split second my entire life had drifted away into a fairytale, where the pollution-free sky rose high over glass castles and enchanted forests, and mythical creatures roam happily in even the deepest of pits. The blissful feeling continues even after our lips part, and Dan stares back at me in a way that almost seems lovingly.

I almost say it again, because the need to tell him physically hurts my chest. I want him to know how I feel so badly, I want to shout it from the rooftops, I want to let not only him know but the entire world.

But once again I hold it in. Maybe because I'm just a sissy, or maybe it's just my irrational fear of the unknown that always jumps to worst case scenarios. I hold it in even though it would've been the perfect time to say it, and I almost regret it afterwards.

"C'mon beautiful, let's go have coffee with a madman." I say with a smile, giving Dan a final peck on the lips, before standing up, helping him up as well, and making our way to the door.

The walk to Starbucks didn't take nearly as long as I had anticipated, but even after we got there fifteen minutes early, I easily spotted Paul sitting in the corner booth. He looked to be even rougher than before now that his pain meds must've worn off, and was dressed in the same clothes he had shown up in last night, minus the beanie.