Midnight Eyes ✵ Phan

*31*

A/N Three weeks later and I'm back! And, with a 5000-word chapter! For some reason, inspiration hit me with this story and although I'm not all happy with the writing style, I'm ready to finish this book because I'm only a few chapters off now and it's really exciting! Enjoy!

Packing their things was an easier task than expected. Dan, who had little to his name, had little more than a backpack with few items of clothing that Phil had bought him when he had lived in the apartment. Phil had a slightly harder job, with years worth of stuff to pack, but found that, in the end, he had practically no sentimental attachment to any of it and quickly packed it into a small suitcase. If anything, most of his stuff was still at his mum's. He hadn't had the storage to keep it anywhere else.

'Dan, are you ready?' Phil called out from the door, tying his laces into hasty knots that would fall out as soon as he started walking and made up a monstrosity of a tower on his sneakers.

The Neko scuttled out, his head bowed in defeat as he searched for anything else, dismayed at the fact that was nothing left to find. They didn't speak, their previous words having no importance. They weren't ready to talk about what had happened.

Dan certainly wasn't ready to argue against Phil that it wasn't worth saving him; his efforts would be futile and would only upset his friend. 'Yeah.' He replied quietly, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and slipping his feet into some already laced trainers, watching as Phil got to his feet and rustled around for his keys, giving the apartment one last wistful look.

'I'll miss you, apartment.' Phil joked, a sad smile gracing his face. Dan flinched away, still blaming himself for all of it. For now, he would hold his head high. To keep Phil safe, he argued. Phil came before him and no, he wasn't being a martyr. Phil had done so much good and deserved someone to help him for once and although Dan would only drag Phil down, he couldn't let Phil's effort go to waste. Without Dan, this situation wouldn't have arisen but without Dan now, the situation would have been pointless and Phil would be running away with nothing to his name, not even a good deed.

'Definitely nothing left?' Phil turned down to Dan, their difference in height less comical after months of living together- it was only around a head or so anyway. Dan nodded reluctantly, wishing they could stay one more day. No matter what he said, Dan had formed an attachment to the place. It was the place that saved him and leaving it behind was as hard as it had been the first time. And at least then he hadn't had the option to go back.

Dan still felt unsettled by the amount of control he had and although he was glad that Phil had taken the reins, (which he again found was a burden that the man didn't need on his shoulders, adding another bout of guilt to Dan's conscious) he still felt all to able to change his fate. With every step they took, there was the fear that it had been the wrong one and one mistake would lead them to unimaginably bad places.

And no matter how much Phil comforted him, the bad thoughts would not leave.

With a final glance over his shoulder, Phil opened the door, letting Dan out first and locking it behind them. Three times, the complicated lock system being used for the first time. Phil, although he didn't think he would return, would rather it wasn't burgled before he could sell it. He still hoped that would be possible whilst he wasn't near the location, unable to visit and now a registered criminal, most likely.

Dragging a suitcase down the stairs behind them, they walked in silence, too little words to make conversation. No 'are you alright?'s were going to do, both already knew the answer. Any 'what have you been up to?'s were already filled in and any 'are you sure we should be doing this?'s would only cause their brains to circulate more than they already did.