wanted (phan) || book #3

nine

(a/n: have some cute art by @gigglinghowell)
tw// verbal fighting

D A N ' S  P O V

It was fine. We were okay.

Until we finally got access to a TV.

The two of us sat in the big hotel room, watching silently. The patients we took were in the room next to us.

We ended up escaping with as many patients as we could get in time, which was only three.

But for now that focus was off my mind, and instead Phil's blurry face in the news was the main thought.

"It's over," I spoke, wording my thoughts. "We'll be dead by the end of this week. They know where we are, what we look like- if the Ws don't get us, the cops will."

Phil shook his head, eyes watering. "No, we'll be fine."

"Stop saying that!" I screamed, shooting up from my seat on the bed and slamming the remote down. "Stop lying to me!"

"I'm not-"

"Don't you dare pull that shit with me, Lester. I may be small, but I've got a big brain, and I know what's happening. I know that we're no longer safe, I know that our parents are still hoping we come home, I know that we just kidnapped patients and helped them kill innocent cops who were just doing their job, I know-"

"I get it!" Phil snapped, shoving his head in his hands and avoiding my gaze. I gritted my teeth.

"What, you don't like me stating facts? Well guess what, Philly? Unlike you, I'm speaking the truth!"

Phil jolted up and shoved me back, tears streaming down his face. "I get it!" He repeated, his voice hoarse from crying.

"Do you really, Phil? Because it seems as though as soon as we got off that damn plane, you've had your head in the clouds. You've been trying to convince yourself that we're just going through a rough patch- but just a 'rough patch' doesn't last this long," I breathed out. "It's not safe for us to go find any more allies. We have to stick with our current group."

"You're right, I know," Phil ran his hands over his face, his body shaking as sobs wracked through him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into this, and I'm sorry. We shouldn't have dragged them into this. I just feel so helpless and I'm trying not to be."

"Then stop avoiding your sadness. You can't get past the path if there's a wall in front of it; what you've got to do is have the courage to exist. Break down that wall, and if you can't do it, get someone to do it with you. But they can't help you if you don't tell them how. Not only will you break down that physical wall, but you're also going to have to break down the emotional wall too, and that's okay. That is okay to not be okay at a time like this."

I let out a breath when I was done, and with that, Phil Lester took two steps forward before dropping himself into my arms. I caught him and we dropped to the floor, and we sat on our knees, holding each other as he cried onto my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he repeatedly whispered that night. "I'm so sorry."

I simply shushed him, although I realized that he was not only apologizing to me.

He was apologizing to everybody and everything he had ever hurt.

✘

"Okay, you all know about the gangs downtown, correct?" Phil spoke up. The patients nodded in sync. "Well tonight we'll be clubbing to find those gangs. If you see one of Wirrow's members, do not attack. One of you distract while the other poisons their drink. If they don't have one, call us. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," the group murmured in sync.

Oliver raised his hand and I raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

"Are you sure I can't stab anyone?"

"Not in public."

He slouched down with a newly found pout on his face. "Okay," he grumbled. Layla giggled beside him.

"How are we gonna get in?" An agender with silver hair questioned. Their original name was Alexander, but they preferred to go by Alex. I looked over the scar on their cheek, my lips forming in a tight line.

"Easy: a distraction. We all go in in black, we can't draw attention to ourselves. Layla pretends to pass out. The security will come to help, and the rest will sneak in. That one person will then wake up and stay outside to be on the lookout for anything," I explained.

"I'll do it, " Layla grinned. "I pulled the trick thousands of times to get out of gym."

I laughed. "Alright, so you can all dress as sexual as you want- I could care less, it's your body, your rules. But you need to bring something to cover up so if they see us going in, we could take off the disguises and they won't be able to seek us out."

"Got it," the group responded.

"Now, who's ready for Plan B?" Phil questioned, throwing his arm around my shoulder.

"What about Plan A?" Alex blinked.

"I don't know, Plan A never seems to work out in the movies so we'll start with Plan B."

Alex shrugged. "Good point."

The five of us scattered out, and we got clothed. I threw myself into tight black leggings and a white shirt, straightening my hair and adjusting my septum piercing before coming out to find Phil checking himself out in the other mirror. I paused.

He looked good.

He had put on eyeliner, kept his piercings in, which was usual. But what was new was the white shorts and the black sweater.

Short shorts.

I ran my eyes up and down his legs, licking my lips. Phil turned and shot me a shy smile.

"Eyeliner?" He offered. I chuckled and trailed over to him, and he ran the liner along my tearline. I looked at myself in the mirror, smirking. "Checking yourself out, huh Howell?"

"As if you weren't a couple of seconds ago," I teased. He leaned forward and brushed his nose against mine, and our lips parted, and I could feel his breath against my mouth and-

"Ahem!" We jumped apart to look at Oliver, a sly grin on his lips. "I am not going to wait for you to finish up whatever the hell that was between you two."

I blushed. "Right. You're right, okay, let's go."

So with that, the six of us headed out the hotel, hoods over our heads and black shoes on.

But what we didn't think of was not only having someone watch over the club, but also our hotel room.