How Did We Get This Far? (Dan and Phil Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Phil'sPOV

"Hey, babe." I said as calmly as possible. My iPhone was shaking in my hand as I spoke to my wife.

"Phil? Phil, where the fuck are you? We agreed to meet at Costa half an hour ago. I have been stood up by my own husband!" Clara whispered sharply down the phone.

"I think we are going to have to-" She cut me off.

"Meet at a later time? Yeah, don't you think? A simple text would've been nice!"

Dan left an hour before, but I had been trying to come up with a plan for what to do about his situation. Unfortunately, I could only think of one solution.

"Sorry, babe. Look, honey, Dan's in a bad way - a really bad way. I think I'm going to have to stay for a bit." Her voice calmed down as she pitied poor Dan.

"Okay, sure. I'll meet you at Mum's house in, say, a few hours?" I appreciated her understanding, but she clearly wasn't getting it.

"No, urm... Babe? I'm going to have to stay for a few days. Maybe even a week or two."

"What? No! You can't do this to me. We just got married, we have our honeymoon next week."

"I know, I know, and I'm sure he won't need me by then, but I can't find any other way round this." I was begging her to understand now. She was just silent. "Babe, please say something."

"Don't you "babe" me. You know, this is the second time he has come between us; he clearly isn't capable of looking after himself, but fine. Fine! You go stay with your buddy, and i'll stay at home until you let me know when you are quite done with your little superhero act."

"Clara, don't be like that."

"Like what? Reasonable? I don't see why Dan can't stay with his family? Have you not considered that?"

"Of course I have! But his family don't know about this side to him, and I think it is best to keep it that way. I have considered every option, but this is the best way. Trust me. Please. I love you." She didn't reply, she just ended the call. 

I lay back on the old sofa and switched the tv on to watch Game Of Thrones.

I had tidied up the apartment earlier. It was weird, when we lived together he was always the cleaner out of the two of us. He wasn't great, but better than me, even when he was like this a few years ago he kept things tidy - that was one of his ways of dealing with what was happening in his head. But he seemed to have gotten out of the routine of everything, that's one of the reasons I think he had fallen apart. Freedom scared him. Like freedom scares most people.

The door slowly creaked open and closed.  Dan shuffled into the living room, hardly noticing I was there. "Hey." I said casually.

"Hi." He didn't sound surprised or shocked that I was there, or that you could actually see the furniture in the apartment. 

"Do you mind if I crash here for a few days?" I asked, as Dan pulled out a bowl from the high cupboard and poured some Lucky Charms into it. 

"Why? Has something happened between you and Clara?" I remember this happening, as well. He often forgot situations he wasn't comfortable in, such as the one we had earlier. I also learnt that the best thing to do, was to carry on being honest with him.

"No, no. I just want to make sure you're alright." 

"Why? Do you not think I am capable of looking after myself? I am a grown man, Phil." I just shook my head at him, trying to keep my patience. 

"Did you notice that I tidied the apartment?" I asked, changing the subject as quickly as I could. He looked around observing the once messy floors.

"Thanks." He clearly didn't mean it, but I took what I could get. 

"Well... I am going to go to my room and make a few calls. That is, if I still have a room?" He just looked at me and nodded. 

As I opened the door to my former bedroom, I sighed. It didn't even look like he had entered my room since I left. I thought he may have put things away, or thrown stuff out at the least, but, no. It was all exactly as I left it. The bed still made. Posters still on the walls. Even an old cup of tea was still on my bedside tabe. The whole apartment was trashed, except my room. "Oh, Dan." I said in a small, sad voice.  There was a cough from behind me. I turned around and he shifted his weight from foot to foot awkwardly.

"I, um... I haven't had a chance to clean it out yet, so, yep." I walked up to him and wrapped my arms tight around his body. He cried into my shoulder for the millionth time, but I didn't inturrupt him, or try to get him to stop. I just stood there. Because that's what I do best. Exist.