We are the ghouls of London // PHAN

•CHAPTER FOURTY-EIGHT•

The air around Dan as he walked was cold and uncomfortable. The coldness of Christmas was still around and some houses still had their colourful Christmas lights up above their porches. Watching them twinkling, it distracted him from his aching wounds which, with every step, began to ache more and more.

Phil squeezed Dan's hand comfortingly before they made eye contact with one another. Just from his eyes, Phil could see his boyfriends pain, "You were brave going out there tonight."

Dan chuckled, "I didn't even win though, I had to have PJ's dad come and help me. I was useless. "

"He wouldn't have come out if PJ hadn't gone and told him about the fight occuring..."

"PJ told his dad?!" Dan cut Phil off, "What if his dad came out when I had my kagune out??"

"That's why I called out to you. I didn't want PJ's dad to come out and see you where a ghoul too."

Dan sighed and pushed his now curly hair back, "Do you think mom'll notice the injuries I have?"

"Do you want an honest answer or sympathetic and one?"

"Honest!"

"You're wearing a black t-shirt but the areas of blood are a lot darker than the areas without blood due to the sheer quantity of blood leaving your body. Plus, you have a massive stab hole through your back so yes she will."

"Wow, thanks."

"You told me to be honest and I was!"

"What would your sympathetic answer have been then?"

"No she won't."

They carried on walking and holding hands all the way back to Dan's house. The talking quietened down to a silence, but it wasn't a cliche "awkward silence" romantic characters often experience in cliche movies. It was comforting, pleasant, and just by his presence, Dan felt a lot happier then if he was doing the long walk home alone.

"Will you be ok walking back to PJ's alone?"

A chuckle escaped Phil's lips after Dan had broken the silence, "What am I? Five?"

"I know... but I worry! You remember what happened when you had to go to Tesco that night. If I wasn't there... daren't I say it... but you probably wouldn't be here now..."

"Dan, I'll be fine. And anyway, I'm staying clear of Tesco for the rest of my life now, unless I am with you of course."

"Of course," Dan repeated, squeezing Phil's hand simultaneously.

"But will you be ok though?"

The question made Dan stop dead in his tracks.

"What do you mean?"

Phil felt him pulling at Dan's arm due to not recognising his sudden stop. He turned and made eye contact with his now injured boyfriend, "I... Well I don't know..." Phil's words came out rather stuttered, "I guess after what happened before Christmas... I've been scared for both you and Adrian when you're away from me..."

Dan smiled weakly at Phil, "It's ok you know. Home is fine and safe for me and Adrian to be—"

"Does she know?" Phil butted in quickly.

"Huh?"

"Your mom... does she know... you're a ghoul?"

"No. If my mom found out... I'd be dead."

"What about you being gay? Does she know about that? Does she know about you and me being an item?"

"No. I'm scared to tell her. She's a judgemental person, me coming out could go one of two ways for me," Dan looked down at the ground as he spoke, almost feeling ashamed for himself, "The only people who do know I'm gay and dating you is Connor, Adrian, Joe and now PJ... oh! and Thomas."

Phil sighed, "I feel bad you know."

"What for?"

"We haven't told, most, of our friends. Apart from Joe and and PJ and Connor, everyone thinks we're just like them; regular friends. I guess I just feel bad because we're hiding this huge thing from all of them."

Dan nodded as they turned into his street, the idea Joe had told him in business spiralling in his mind. Would Phil be ok to do that? The idea had a few ways it could go wrong; the bottle landing on someone other than Phil being major, but other than that it would be a magical way to let everyone know they were dating one another...

A few houses down, he could already see the glowing light from inside the living room with the curtains closed. He sighed. The glow wasn't comforting or welcome. The glow felt cold, if that was even possible.

Once again, Phil gave his hand a comforting squeeze, "You can come back to PJ's, you know, if you're uncomfortable going back there. I'm sure the Liguori's would be willing for you to stay, especially after what happend..."

"I can't," Dan cut in, "As much as spending the night with you in a warm bed with us snuggled up under the duvets playing either video games or a movie sounds good..."

"Come back and lets do that!"

"No..." Dan sighed and looked at Phil, "I can't just leave Adrian with... her..."

"I'm sure if I asked PJ's parents they'll let you stay, both of you. Adrian can take my bed and then us two can snuggle on the couch down in the living room, wrapped up with duvets and each others company..."

"I have to go back Phil. I can't run away from the fear I have for my mom. It isn't right for Adrian, it isn't right for us to bombard into your new home, and it isn't right for me to just run away from her... it just isn't right!"

"And it's not right for you to be living there if you do have this fear!"

Dan rubbed his eyes, slowly beginning to feel sleepy after that attack, "Just let me go inside Phil..."

"But..."

"I need to Phil. If I procrastinate any longer I will go away with you and leaving Adrian here will trouble me all night."

Phil sighed, "At least let me walk you to your door?"

"Of course."

•••

Kind of a cute chapter to fit in between a violent-ish chapter previously and an angry chapter next (hint,hint)

sorry for the lack of updates, I've done my GCSE for business a couple weeks ago and I've got mocks next week for all my other subjects (i need to start revising actually 😬)

ok byeeee