Camp // phan

1- 8.The One Where They Share a Bed and Tell Each Other Secrets

"Do I even want to know?" Finn asked, watching the two of them stumble through the door well past midnight, out of breath and still dripping wet. Technically, they weren't even supposed to be out of bed right now, so they'd had to run across the campgrounds while also trying not to be seen by any counselors that would give them trouble about it. Dan's heart was racing in his chest.

"Definitely not," Phil said, shaking his head and making water droplet fly everywhere with a mad grin on his face. "You wouldn't believe the things we've done. Right, Dan?"

"Right," Dan agreed. "Like...breaking laws and running away from S.W.A.T team helicopters. It was wild."

Phil laughed as he dug through his suitcase in search of a towel. It was quite possibly the most carefree Dan had ever seen him; which wasn't saying a lot considering they hadn't known each other that long, but it was still relieving, knowing he wasn't always so moody.

"Fine, keep your dirty secrets," Finn accused. "And by the way, thanks for just leaving me; no heads up, not even a note or anything. True friends, really."

"You totally didn't even notice," Dan said.

"It still hurts," Finn said with a dramatic hand to the heart. "I met you first, you know, and now you're being swept away by this guy. Not good for my reputation."

"I think some disappointment is just what you need to deflate your oversized ego." Phil was pulling a shirt over his head as he said this, and Dan made a point in studying his hands intently. "For everyone's sake."

They were saved the most likely dramatic response that Finn had at the ready, by the door opening once again, and Emery sliding into the room swiftly, as if he didn't want to be seen. He looked startled at the fact that the three of them were all awake, and apparently having a full conversation. "Oh. Hey."

"Hi," Phil said in an amused voice, smirking. "What's got you out so late?"

Emery turned slightly red at the question, and shrugged. "I don't know. Out." He walked past them with his head turned towards the ground, stooping down to grab his bag and taking out some night clothes. "I think I'm gonna go to bed early tonight, what about you guys?"

It was very obvious there was something he was trying to hide from all of them, but they didn't press him for an explanation like they normally would. But Dan made eye contact with Phil, and they smirked at each other across the room.

None of them felt too much like staying up until three in the morning tonight, so it was a mutual agreement on all their parts to just turn out the lights and try to get some actual sleep that night.

It was weird. The room was dark, outside was mostly quiet, save the gentle whisper of trees brushing together and chirping insects, and his bed was soft and warm. But Dan could not get his heart to settle in his chest. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind would drift off towards the events from barely an hour earlier, and it would make him smile and wonder if it would ever happen again, and he was being so goddamn pathetic. Wasn't he? This was not the way he did things; he didn't pine, and he definitely didn't let people get to his head like this, it was agitating and made his skin crawl, but
sometimes...sometimes it was good. Sometimes, he could let it take over and just feel something. He didn't have to be such a downer all the time, he was allowed to have a crush.

God, a fucking crush, who even was he anymore?

In the back of his mind, he couldn't quite shake the words Chris had said to him, about him changing because of this place.

It wasn't a good idea to get so involved in this, he thought. Because if he got too attached, it would be that much harder on him when he had to leave. He was supposed to hate it here, he was supposed to want to leave and say 'fuck you' to everyone here with no regret and no fucking remorse, but there was a certain pair of blue eyes that would make him hesitate. And that wasn't good.