Refound Love (YTSTMB sequel)

Part one

Dan P.O.V.

I sighed heavily, watching my breath leave my lips and disperse in the dark sky. I wasn't too sure where I was - I had stormed out after an argument with Phil and was too occupied with my thoughts to think about where I was going.

I wrapped my arms around myself, thinking about the past week. It was Saturday night and it was the forth argument I had had with Phil. When we first got together we didn't fall out often, it was once every 3 months, if that, but somehow they became more frequent to once a month to once a week, and then one almost everyday.

We always pulled ourselves back together though, but I didn't know how we did it. The love we shared for each other was probably to blame for that, but I was growing tired of it all. I was tired of the routine. One of us would get irritated by what the other was doing, even if it was a tiny thing, then there would be sarcastic comments and insults passed then it would turn into full-on yelling. After that there would be the slamming of bedroom doors and if I lay on my bed quiet enough, I would be able to hear Phil pacing around and sighing in the next room.

Eventually, one of us would go knocking on the other's door with well-rehearsed apologises ready in our minds and we'd kiss and make up, falling asleep next to each other on the bed.

It was like a well-rehearsed play without an audience that even though we knew it was pointless, we carried it on night after night anyway, hoping we'd gain something from it.

In some ways I couldn't complain, I loved Phil but it was exhausting - all the shouting and pacing around the apartment and the tears, the tears that Phil always shed whether he tried to stop them from falling or not. They always created a feeling that felt like someone kicked me in the stomach and made me want to fall down onto my knees and beg him to forgive me, but tonight I was far too angry to deal with them and just walked out.

That brought me to now. I had been out for almost 4 hours and it was beginning to get cold, and it was only fair on Phil that I went back. I had been ignoring all his texts and calls, wanting space and needing to calm down before I said something I regretted.

I turned around and started walking back the way I came, trying to get my bearings so I could find my way back home again. To my relief I hadn't wandered too far and found myself going up the lift of the building our apartment was in quicker than I expected, taking deep breaths and trying to plan what to say.

The stupidest thing about all of this was that I couldn't even remember what we were arguing about in the first place, and memories I had left of our outburst didn't give me any clear reasons so I worried if I said anything outrageous in the spur of the moment and braced myself for the worst as I opened the door but I didn't get a moment to catch my breath before two arms were flung around me and Phil crashed into me.

"Dan! I'm so sorry! Where were you?! I was so worried!"

"I just went for a walk to calm down, I'm sorry too," we pulled apart after a minute and led him to the sofa, sitting us down. "We need to talk Phil."

"What is it?"

"We can't carry on like this," Phil's face fell and his eyes watered up again, but I forced myself to keep looking at him. "This isn't fair on either of us, I think we just need to spend more time apart. I'm not breaking up with you or anything, but we need our space before we have a real fight. I love you, and I don't want to lose you by saying something I didn't mean when I'm angry."

"I guess I could do that," he put his head on my shoulder and played with my hand. "How did we get like this?"

"I don't know," I sighed.

"I really am sorry, and I love you too," he said, bringing our lips together and smiling into the kiss.