DEADROSES | PHAN

-ˏˋ thirty one ˎˊ-

☾ ☽

"i dunno. we don't really hang out that often, y'know?"

dan stared blankly at the wall as he held the phone to his ear, his eyebrows furrowed.

"yes, we do," he deadpanned. "almost every day."

eliza groaned dramatically from the other end.

"i know, but we're not actually hanging out, right? phil's always there."

"i like phil," dan said, his voice still curious. "he's my best friend."

dan grinned as he heard phil chuckle as he passed the kitchen in his pajamas, cupping a mug in between his hands.

"yeah, that's sweet and all, but just... meet me, okay?"

she sighed after a second, resigning.

"okay, fine. you're my friend, so i'll tell you. my ex is in town... from when i thought i could actually enjoy sex. he's kind of an ass..." she trailed off. "so, could you come to dinner, and pretend to be with me? please? you're a really pretty guy and he's bringing a girl and..." before dan could even open his mouth, she was speaking again. "'kay thanks love, bye!"

before dan could reply she had hung up with a click, leaving him bewildered.

"what was that about?" phil asked, finally entering the kitchen, leaning against a counter and watching him curiously. dan shrugged.

"i'm... not sure."

"huh." phil approached the coffee maker, refilling his mug. "odd."

➸

phil was just labeling the books that were going on the shelves when eliza approached him like a cocaine addict. she slammed a piece of paper down on the desk.

phil was instantly alarmed. eliza was a lot of crude things, but never loud or abrupt, especially at work. she usually acted like a grumpy old lady. he jumped, his face shooting up, causing his glasses to slide down his nose.

"tonight," she said, breathless. "you have to go to dinner with me."

phil stared at her, adjusting his glasses back to their normal position. he glanced at the paper. it was an address.

"what? no, i don't."

"yes, you do," she countered, tucking a strand of hair that had escaped from her messy bun behind her ear. "my family is in town and i need the support, phil." eliza didn't like begging, it was a well known fact. so when she clasped her hands and gave phil the most puppy-dog-looking eyes she could manage, he knew it must be serious. "please?"

he chewed on his lip. "i was gonna paint and hang out with dan..." he trailed off, sighing. "fine. just this once."

"thank you-! thank you so much, i swear you won't regret it." she gave him a quick hug across the counter before pulling back. "now if you'll excuse me, i have an errand to run."

before phil could say a thing she was rushing out the door, the bell jangling as it swung shut behind her. phil frowned, a bit confused as to where she could be going in the middle of her shift, but he knew he would cover for her. if a friend couldn't do that, what were they for?