DEADROSES | PHAN

-ˏˋ forty ˎˊ-

☾ ☽

"can you make me a flower?" lola blinked at him curiously. dan shook his head in a childish way, his hair falling around his face. she looked disappointed.

"why not?"

"because."

lola pouted, crossing her arms and stomping her foot on dan's dusty front step. "fine." she frowned. "if you won't make me a flower, will you make some for my mother? for mother's day?"

dan's eyes widened when he realized that she thought it was her he couldn't make a flower for.

"no, i can't-! i can't make anybody a flower. it hurts!"

"it hurts?" she scooted closer, her head tilting to the side. "to make them?"

dan shook his head again. "no. to pick them." he crossed his arms, mimicking lola. "and jarvis says i can't grow too many. he said they'll grow in my heart and fill up my lungs, and then i won't be able to breathe anymore."

her eyes widened. "and you'll die?"

dan nodded matter-of-factly. he widened his eyes at her dramatically. "you don't want me to die, do you?"

"no!" her voice was loud and she nearly jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "i don't want you to die."

dan rolled his eyes as she let out a soft sob, rubbing her back. "i'm not gonna die."

"good."

she squeezed him, kissing his shoulder. dan beamed.

"you aren't going anywhere, are you, dan?"

dan hugged her back, tugging at one of her dark braids.

"nowhere. are you?"

she shook her head. "never ever."

dan opened his eyes, gasping for breath, but it didn't feel like they were open. the room was completely dark. he blinked to make sure he hadn't gone blind. he didn't think he had - he was just in an incredibly dark place.

he frowned, groaning softly. his head was pounding painfully at the same pace as his heart. he sat up, gasping when he realized he couldn't move his arms. he investigated slowly, shifting his hand carefully to the other, getting a feel of what was trapping him.

chains.

he was chained to the ground, or maybe the wall. either way, he could hardly move. dan whimpered. where the hell was he?

he shifted his feet, his eyes widening when he realized they were in the boots again. not the same ones, surely, but they were similar.

he couldn't remember anything. had he been knocked out? drugged? he could remember the man, though, standing on eliza's doorstep. he squinted, trying to recall what he looked like, when a door on the other side of the room swung open, blinding him temporarily.