8pm - phan au

{ 1.0 }

Narrator's POV

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Three times a week, Phil leaves at eight p.m. and comes home just before dawn. One rainy night, Dan didn't go to his room to resume his internet surfing.

He saw Phil return.

He didn't like the feint tint of red around his best friend's mouth, he didn't like the bloodied knuckles, or the morbid colors on Phil's porcelain skin, he didn't like the dark carmine under Phil's nails. Dan especially didn't like the black fading from around his Mayan blue irises, not one bit.

Dan wasn't scared, just startled. Phil was the one who was frightened, Phil was the one who sniffled and began to cry. Dan forgot about the gore Phil was covered in, Dan didn't care. He just bunched his sleeves in his hands and started wiping the tears from Phil's face with his clothed thumbs, cradling the trembling man in his arms.

"You didn't do anything that I should call 999 for, right?" Dan had asked.

Phil shook his head and buried his face in Dan's shirt as his quiet whimpers turned to wails, muffled by Dan's chest. Dan knew better than to speak, instead running a hand through Phil's damp hair while leading Phil to his own room and flicking on the light.

Phil stood in the center of Dan's room, immobile as the other man pulled an oversized, fluffy, cream sweater, dark boxer-briefs, and fleece joggers from his closet. He placed the clothes on his bed, gesturing for Phil to change. He struggled with the wet jumper, it sticking to his skin as his arms tired. Dan gingerly peeled the wool from Phil's torso and folded it, placing it on top of a small chest in the room. He turned away as Phil shuffled off his loose trousers and boxers.

"Dan?" Phil muttered timidly, his hand loosely wrapping around Dan's,"I- Should- Can I sleep with you?"

Dan nodded,"Of course you can."

Phil's small simper was enough to make a flurry of pink butterflies well in his heart and pump through his veins, leaving a pleasant tingling throughout Dan's body.

Phil released Dan's hand and hurriedly scuttled to the light switch, turning it off before reattaching his hand to Dan's.

Dan led Phil to the bed, switching the small fairy lights on, pulling back the covers, and watching as Phil nestled into the sheets before tugging off his own shirt and trousers. Dan slid in next to Phil, jumping as cold hands looped under his arms, resting on top of his shoulders. Phil pressed his cheek directly onto Dan's heart, nuzzling his nose into the soft neck of the younger man, hearing the quickened pace of his lulling heartbeat.

Dan nervously wrapped his arms around Phil's waist, pulling him almost impossibly closer. Dan closed his eyes, slowly breathing in as his heart tutted responsively to Phil's touch. He bowed his head, placing a prolonged kiss into soft black hair.

"Goodnight, Phil."

"Goodnight, Dan."

Their soft breathing lulled each other  to sleep.