irl

Chapter 29

Dan returned home to discover Phil asleep on the couch, laying with George, who was still awake. Dan gave a small wave, and George nodded back, bringing a finger to his lips to tell Dan to be quiet. He then pointed down at his sleeping boyfriend and mouthed "help me move him," to Dan, who nodded.

With both their effort, they were able to get Phil to his bed without waking him up. George stared down at the sleeping boy and whispered,
"He's so adorable," with a smile. Dan could tell he was sincere in his words and his smile. George left the room, leaving Dan to echo the words George had said.

He left the room and found George once more, this time pulling on a jacket.
"Thanks, Dan," George said quietly, but not whispering. Dan just gave a nod. "You know, Phil cares a lot about you, right?" Dan's attention suddenly focused on George and his words.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, he talks about you pretty much every time I see him, he worries about you. I don't mean to tattle or anything, but he told me about your previous mild depression and your family issues. He says you've been quieter recently, and he just cares so much, you know? He's got endless amount of love to give. Your wellbeing is directly attached to his, so if there's anything wrong, tell him," he said, true concern in his voice and expression.
"You make him really happy, too. He goes on and on about how great you are, and how much he loves you, though he can't seem to say it aloud. He cares for you, too," Dan said, staring at the floor. "And on that note," he took a step towards George and interlocked his eyes with him. "If you ever break his sweet little heart, you're gonna have to deal with me," he said, suddenly becoming stern. George nodded, at a loss for words. Dan, who had seemed so friendly just a moment prior, had become hostile so fast.
"I understand," George said, hating to admit that the taller boy made him slightly nervous.
"Good," Dan seethed, backing off. He resumed his normal attitude and gave a slight smile. "Anyways, I'll be seeing you around, bye," he said, waving a little as George walked out the door. Dan flopped back in a chair, satisfied that he finally had that chat with George.

~•~

When Dan awoke the next morning, it was to Phil sitting on the end of his bed. On his feet.
"Happy Monday, sleepy head!" He smiled, and Dan could already smell the bitter coffee that came from the kitchen.
"I wish you were an alarm so I could shut you up," Dan mocked, pretending to search for Phil's snooze button all over his face.
"Dan, get up you lazy ass. You may not have work for a while, but we both know how long it takes for you to actually get ready to go out in public," he explained, tugging on Dan's hand, trying to get him up. Dan didn't budge.
"That's not gonna work, buddy. You have literally no upper-arm strength," he chuckled sleepily.
"Like you do?" Phil raised an eyebrow, managing to pull Dan out of bed enough so that half his body was hanging off the side.
"Touché," Dan responded, getting out of the bed by collapsing on the floor. "Drag me," he demanded groggily. Phil let out an exaggerated sigh, and grabbed ahold of both of Dan's wrists.
"Only because you're my best friend," he added pointedly, sliding Dan across the hardwood floor. Dan allowed himself to be dragged all the way to the living room, where he pulled himself up onto the sofa much more dramatically than needed, and Phil handed him a coffee.
"Thank you, my good man," Dan smiled, taking a sip of the bitter caffeine, allowing himself to wake up a little more. Phil began texting on his phone, smiling at the screen. He was, no doubt, texting George.

Dan smiled to himself, though it hurt him, he knew that Phil was happy.

I hurt every time I see them together, yet I know Phil is happy, and that's enough for me to be just fine for the moment. He's so deep in love with this man that it's hard for his smile not to be infectious. He cares for him so much.

"He worries about you," George said. Should I say something? But how can I, it's all related to my feelings for him. I obviously can't tell him about that. My mask is cracked and I'm not sure how much longer it can stay glued together.

"Sometimes, I'm still not okay," Dan blurted aloud. Phil turned to him.
"I... kinda figured that out. But why?" His eyebrows knitted together in concern.
"Why not!" Dan exclaimed suddenly. "My parents fucking hate me, and I'm an antisocial twat! I have two friends, two friends! Both in relationships, mind you! You remember how we met, right?" Dan said, an intensity to his tone. Phil nodded, saying,
"Wrong number from a failed date."
"That still fucking bothers me! I didn't even like the girl. What was her name, Amarie? Something with an A.... That's besides the point. Her straight-up rejection still affected me," he sighed, losing his infuriated energy.

Phil pulled him in for a hug. It lasted a long time, Dan rested his head upon Phil's shoulder. He didn't cry, but that's simply because he didn't want to. He didn't feel like crying.

"It'll all be okay," he soothed, his fingers playing with Dan's curly locks.
"I sure hope so," he smiled sadly, his mask cracking a little more.

Hello my readers, you may have noticed that I have a new cover for this book, and that's all thanks to @Ivanthedoll !They made an amazing cover for this book, so please, give them all the credit!!!