the quiet ° phan

x. pull

Almost two weeks had passed since Dan was put on bedrest and high doses of medications. Dan was unaware of how much time had past partly due to the strong medicine and 16 hours of sleep he got every day, but also because of how much joy he felt from being with Phil for a week.

Dan was looking forward to going to school solely so he could be will Phil more. See, Phil had only stayed a week, but then Mrs. Lester got a week off work to take care of Dan. Phil still checked in with him from time to time, but it wasn't enough to fill Dan's craving.

He had to admit it wasn't just his drugged, drowsy state that made him desire Phil, but Dan would keep blaming his health until he healed. Then he'd have to get to the root of his feelings.

During the week Phil stayed with Dan, they did everything they could whilst staying at home. The day after their movie marathon, they played endless hours of video games to try and decide who was better. They played a lot of Mario Kart, and though one of Dan's hands was rendered useless, he still won a fair amount of times.

They also indulged in delicious foods, made silly videos, and talked for hours. Dan felt closer to Phil during that week than he did with anyone ever. He felt a tad guilty for feeling that way, especially after everything his family had done for him over the years, but something about the way Phil treated him made Dan feel special.

Dan's rest was coming to a close. It was Sunday which meant he'd be returning to school tomorrow. Phil was going to meet him tomorrow morning and walk him to school. As weird as it was, Dan couldn't help but dream of Phil's sparkling blue eyes, blinding smile, and bobbing Adam's apple. The next morning, he was greeted by the same face as the one in his dream.

"Good morning, Dan. Ready to face the big, bad world known as secondary school?" Phil said with a goofy smile on his face.

That smile made Dan smile.

Dan walked outside and shut the door, a smile still present on his face.

"Let's go."

• • •

The school day started off fine. Dan made sure not to sit close to Zoe in English or any of his other classes. He stayed close to Phil and depended on him more than he needed to. It was because Phil had been there for him at his lowest point. He was his shield from a cruel, painful world Dan had drowned in.

Doing schoolwork wasn't too hard since Dan had access to technology, but he still couldn't type with his right hand. He also had to go to the nurse every day for his medication. Fortunately, Phil pulled some strings and got him cleared to carry it with him.

That wasn't the only string Phil was pulling. He was also pulling on Dan's mouth to make him smile, his arm to guide him through the madness, and his heart for reasons unknown.

They say every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and the same applies here. For every move Phil made in Dan's direction, Dan pushed back with his own. Any onlooker would've noticed the fascinating connection between the two.

School made Dan happy, but now, it was for a very different reason than the first few days. It was the right reason, the one that always lurked in the shadows waiting for the spotlight. And now it had Dan's undivided attention.

But one thing still bothered Dan, and it would only continue to grow and itch in his mind.