PETALS | PHAN

-ˏˋ three ˎˊ-

pls comment idc what it even is i love hearing your feedback!!

☾ ☽

"i still don't like this," phil mumbled, leaning his broom against the wall. they were closing up, but they were both stalling a bit, not wanting the day to end just yet. phil was dreading being in his empty apartment, even if it wouldn't last too long.

"you're being paranoid." dan smiled at his hands. he was crouched next to a line of pots, trying to focus on pushing his energy into the dark brown soil.

"okay, but what if i'm not?"

dan sighed, the faint smile still painted on his lips. he pushed himself up, taking a break.

"i'm gonna be fine," he assured him, walking over to give him a quick hug. phil squeezed him, not letting him get away. "and if i'm not, i'll be smarter about it. smarter than last time."

"how?"

dan finally managed to pull away, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. he held out his hand, and after a second of silence, a rose formed right before phil's eyes, the stem rising and growing from his skin.

dan nodded at him. "go on, take it. it's alright."

phil hesitated before gently pinching it at the base, pulling it until it broke away. dan winced, but was otherwise okay.

"keep that with you. if i'm in trouble, it'll start to die. okay? then you'll know."

phil frowned, admiring the small flower in his hand. "you can do that?"

dan nodded, running his fingers affectionately down phil's arms. "i think i kind of know. the flowers do, at least. they can tell when something's off."

phil laughed softly, just at how absurd his life had gotten that nothing about that surprised him. he nodded, pulling him in again.

"okay. i trust you."

besides, maybe they could use a bit of time away from each other. phil wanted to spend every second with him, but if they were really going to be long term, they had to be ready to be apart sometimes. maybe he was just being too clingy- he didn't want to scare dan away. not after everything they'd been through.

eliza barged through the glass front doors, interrupting phil's train of thought. she flicked her ponytail off her shoulder and beamed at them.

"the babysitter is in the building."

dan scowled at his feet, but phil smiled a bit. she was trying- that was something. it made him feel better that she would be here, too, even if he didn't quite trust her.

"thanks, eliza," he mumbled, grabbing the broom to put it back in the closet.

she shrugged him off, still smiling. "no problem. now get out of here, you've got painting to do."

dan smiled sheepishly at him, as if to reassure him, yet again, that he'd be fine. "it's okay, phil," he said, so softly phil only barely heard him.

phil sighed. "okay." he gave him a quick kiss on his forehead before turning to the door. "okay..."

as he left, he kept trying to tell himself it was okay... it really would be okay. nothing weird had happened for months, what evidence did he have to make him think it would now? everything had been going well.

maybe that was why he was so nervous.

the apartment felt mind-numbingly empty without dan there, and phil tried to remember the last time he'd had to experience this.

right. when dan broke up with him. right before he was kidnapped.

phil got out a tiny saucer plate, spooning dirt from a bag on the counter onto it before carefully planting the rose dan had given him. that was another different thing about being with dan- there was dirt absolutely everywhere, and phil didn't remember what any of it was actually being used for.

everything about being with dan was different, and phil loved that. he was a whole new experience, every second with him was like a second in a different dimension. maybe that was why he was so attached, it was almost addicting to be near him.

he couldn't let him slip away again. ever. he couldn't let him get hurt, that would break his heart.

he heard dan's voice in his head, urging him to stop worrying so much. phil sighed, scooping luna up off the couch and carrying her to the bedroom, where he'd been painting his recent project. he'd covered it up with a purple sheet and made dan promise not to peek.

maybe he was right. he really was just paranoid. he should be enjoying this period of his life a lot more, and not putting all his energy into overthinking things.

phil uncovered the painting, leaning over to get his supplies from the cardboard box beside his setup. he didn't bother changing; nearly all of his clothes were coveted in patches of multicolored paint at this point.

he really should stop worrying...

because his life was pretty damn good right now.