DEADROSES | PHAN

-ˏˋ twenty eight ˎˊ-

☾ ☽

"it just... it makes no sense." eliza pointed at the screen, her black nail tapping against it. "it's absolutely impossible."

phil nodded, taking another swig of the weird fruity alcohol that eliza had brought with her, his face scrunching in disgust.

"you're right. it doesn't make sense, because it's impossible," he muttered. "he's... some kind of ethereal being. i don't know, but not human."

eliza nodded in agreement, taking the bottle from him. "maybe it's like... like from sleeping beauty?" she said, clearly a bit tipsy, and phil raised his eyebrows at her. "you know-! like with the gifts at birth? or the curse?"

phil bit his lip, thoughtful. "i suppose... or maybe he got it from his parents. like inherited it."

they had been trying to figure it out all evening, and they were getting nowhere. dan remained a mystery, and they remained two tipsy young adults who never went to college.

eliza got up, traveling across phil's room to his paintings. she smiled, looking over the one that phil was still working on. she reached out, gently touching the rose that protruded from it.

"what's this?"

phil shrugged. "i think dan came in here, before he told me everything. it grew through the fabric."

eliza shook her head, incredulous. "that's amazing."

"i know."

phil was about to continue, but he was cut off by a shriek. his eyes widened and he pushed himself to his feet, taking no time in running from his room and down the hall.

"dan?!"

he heard a sob, and tugged at the doorknob to his room. it wouldn't open.

"don't come in," a weak voice shouted out. phil shook his head, frowning.

"why not? are you okay...?"

another sob, and phil was ready to plow the door down.

"i-i'm okay-! i'm okay, j-just... please..."

phil ignored his pleads, the worry more extreme than the consideration of what dan wanted. he kicked at the wood a few times before trying the knob again. it swung open.

he gasped.

dan was huddled in the corner of the room, hugging his knees to his chest. he was crying; his cheeks were red and tear stained; and phil watched as a tear streamed down his face and landed on the wood. a rose instantly grew, sprouting from between two slats and growing large in a matter of seconds, right where the tear had hit.

and the wall where the door was was completely covered with a thin thicket of thorns. it had been blocking the door.

"holy shit..."

phil vaguely registered eliza's words, staring at dan in shock. dan looked at him, his eyes shiny.

"go away," he mumbled, his voice catching. "go away, i'm n-not human, like you said."

phil's heart jolted, and he stepped a bit closer, pity flaring in his stomach. "dan..."

"no." dan cried harder, and tugged at his hair. he was panicking, his breath coming in short shallow bursts. "no, i don't know what's wrong with me! it's g-getting worse, i just want it to stop, please..."

phil moved a little bit closer again, and upon closer inspection, he realized dan's lips had tiny pink roses growing from them as well. they matched his rosy skin.

"does it hurt?" he got out, nearly a whisper. he knelt in front of him, gently touching his chin before dan pulled away.

"no," he breathed. "no, not unless you pick them."

"then i won't." phil searched his face, his pleasant buzz slipping away. "i won't pick them."

dan sobbed again, hiding half his face in his arms. "you have to, they- i don't know if they'll go away, i don't understand, this has never happened before..."

phil's chest ached and he sat beside him, careful to avoid the teardrop flowers.

"it hasn't...?"

dan shook his head. "n-no, nothing like this has happened since i was young. it was always just my feet, and now it's my hands, and..." he whimpered. "i don't know how to control it, i'll never be able to go in public..."

phil shook his head, taking his hand, feeling the familiar sting of rose thorns digging into his hand.

"it's okay, dan. you can go in public..." he bit his lip. "who cares if people see?"

"they'll take me away!" dan squeaked. "jarvis said if anyone saw they'd lock me up, and-"

"well jarvis is full of shit," phil said bluntly, and flinched at the look on dan's face. "sorry. but it's true. you can't listen to a thing that asshole says." he squeezed his hand. "i'll protect you. eliza will too. no one's gonna take you away."

dan met his eyes, blinking heavily.

"you promise?"

phil held out his free pinky.

"you have my word."

instead of accepting the finger, dan pulled him close, clinging to him and sobbing into his shoulder. phil pulled him into his lap completely so dan was straddling him, and ran his fingers through his hair soothingly, rocking them slightly. he held his trembling body, trying with everything he had not to fall in love.

"phil..."

phil pulled back a bit, turning to eliza, who looked shell shocked. the roses were disappearing, slowly shriveling in on themselves. phil's eyes widened.

"does it hurt?" he asked again, turning back to dan, scared. dan shook his head.

"no, i... i don't feel it," he breathed. phil let out a sigh of relief.

"you're okay," he muttered. "you're okay, and- and we can work on it. practice. you can learn to control it without even needing those stupid shoes."

dan nodded, even though he looked nervous. his cheeks were still flushed, and he nuzzled his face into phil's neck. phil rubbed his back, catching eliza's eyes on them. she was smirking.

he gave her the finger. nothing was going to ruin this. nothing was going to take this thing with dan away from him.