Alternate (Phan)

7*Four hours

Dan

'So, you said you make games up in your free time?' I asked, throwing a ball I found against the wall, catching it in my palms and repeating the action. Phil nodded, holding his finger between Ev's hands.

'I guess you want to play?' he asked me. I nodded, holding the ball in my lap, 'Well I thought of one a while back...seven-second challenge.' I chuckled.

'Okay, so my first thoughts were that sounds like exercise, but then I remembered it was you and concluded this is some kinky sex game.'

'What?! No, Dan!' he seemed genuinely shocked at my suggestion. I chuckled, throwing the ball towards him, 'This one's innocent!'

'This one?' he winked, to which I raised my eyebrows.

'Dan...you have seven seconds to name five animals. Go!'

'Uh...uh, person? Uh, sheep, cow, snail, liguna, uh... WAIT THAT'S FIVE! Do I win?' he nodded at me. I jumped up and punched the air, 'Boom!'

I sat down on the stool again, 'Okay, Phil. You have seven seconds to...touch each wall. Go!' he darted round the room, stumbling over his feet as he desperately scrambled to touch the walls. He tripped over a box and face-planted against the floor.

'I still did it!' he grunted, turning over onto his back.

We played this for another hour, concluding the four hours of lockdown. Phil released the manual systems and pulled out a connection device.

I heard some mumbled words from the primary room, as I picked up Ev and took him to the doorway.

'Louise is safe.' I smiled, taking his shoulder in my hand.

'Mario?' I suggested, pointing to the wall screen to project the game onto. I gently placed Ev in a carrier against the wall. His face beamed up, grabbing a device, passing one to me, and perching himself on the sofa.

He's honestly the biggest man-spreader out there. I sat down, in my typical curled-up ball manor as Phil parted himself across the entire couch.

I guess I know who tops.

'Uh, Dan?' I shook my head, breaking out my thoughts, turning to him.

'Yeah?'

'You're staring at my crotch again.' my eyes widened as I felt my face heat up.

'Uh-' he chuckled before screaming out, 'HA I WIN!' I shook myself as I looked back at the screen.

'Bastard!'

'You should've been paying attention!'

'I was!'

'To my dick, more like.' he raised an eyebrow, smirking.

'Well-'

'Point proven! Another round?' he asked, pointing his device towards the wall. I nodded, determined to win this go.

A while later, Phil checked the time, to which I repeated as I was growing tired. It was coming up to twelve.

'I'm going to go to sleep, if that's alright?' I stood up, placing the device on the table and heading off.

'Night Dan.'

'Night Phil.' I smiled, gripping the doorway as I gave a small wave towards him. Louise wasn't back yet, but Phil didn't seem concerned.

I had a small bag of things I kept: clothes, basic hygiene, a few medical aids and a gun. I didn't like having a gun, but it was too risky without.

I came in contact with a Liguana a few weeks ago. I'd heard of them before, but they're truly horrific. To someone who hasn't seen one, they look like a shadow of a snake that briskly passes across the floor, then when it has a chance it pierces your skin with slow-acting venom. I attacked it with a knife, since I didn't want to touch my gun, but that's why people carry guns; for nuclear creatures like those.

I stripped off my shirt and dumped it on the floor with my trousers. I lowered myself into the egg bed and curled up into the covers of it.

Phil's actually a flirty little shit.

Despite being tired earlier, I really couldn't fall asleep, so I pulled out my connection device and enabled the thread so I could watch WeTube. I scanned Phil's last few videos and re-watched the latest ones.

Everything about his videos were calming: his voice, his actions, what he talked about, his eyes...

I found myself just staring into his eyes through the screen, analysing the colours and the unspoken words through his pupils. You could see hurt, but only minimal through the pure desire to help others.

I heard the door slide, quickly slamming my connector off.

There was no way I hid the fact I was watching his videos.

'Uh, you alright, Phil?' his face showed a worried expression as he shifted his weight between his two feet.

'Louise isn't back yet, it's coming up to four...'

'Hey, you called her earlier so you know she's safe. It was chaotic earlier, I'm sure she's just resting at her friend's tonight.' I comforted him with those words, completely believing them myself. I said them spur of the moment, but they seemed legitimate and reasonable. In fact, if I were in her position that night, I would have stayed with the friend. I guess that's what I was doing, being here with Phil and all.

How long was Phil expecting me to stay here, anyway?

'Uh, Phil?'

'Yeah?'

'I just thought a second ago, but how long are you...expecting me to stay? If that's the right way to put it...?' his face relaxed before it scrunched up again in thought. He considered my words for a while.

'Oh, uh...I guess I hadn't really thought about it, as long as you want, I guess? Why?'

'Purely wondering, it was just a path from my thoughts a second ago...' he smiled nodding. He turned around again to leave, not looking as if he actually wanted to go.

'Phil, do you want to stay with me for a while, I don't mind and you seem anxious?' he faced me again, smiling warmly before walking up towards me.

'Thanks, I know I shouldn't be worried.' I patted the egg for him to perch on, to which he accepted the invitation, 'I thought you said you were tired earlier?'

'I was, but I can't sleep.'

'Do my videos help relax you, then?' my face blushed, damn him, 'You don't have to answer that.' he chuckled, noticing my expression.

It was comfortable staring into his eyes for a few minutes, not caring about the world passing around us.