Midnight Eyes ✵ Phan

Goodbye

I'm leaving Wattpad forever so here's the end (some of it's just in plot form). Thanks a lot for the support you've given me. It's been a great experience. Bye.

Months passed and Dan's artwork began to flood social media. Instagram blew up, tumblr pinged relentlessly and he found himself with an insurmountable amount of twitter followers. He wasn't the height of the artistic community but he'd certainly garnered an audience- gossip articles curious as to who was behind the paintings.

But, of course, Dan never revealed himself. All the money was wired into Chloe's bank account, going towards rent and such and a thank you for her generosity. As well as this, some of it came out in cash and was used for both Dan and Phil's spending needs, to which there were few: a little food, a t-shirt every now and then.

His nickname, danisnotonfire, had been the beginning of it all. His first artwork, a neko in flames had brought the eyes of both neko-lovers and neko-haters. No one could quite find the true meaning- the Nekos should become extinct or that Nekos were actively suffering.

No one, for what is worth, seemed to suspect that it was a Neko himself that drew it. Nekos weren't skilled creatures in the mind's eye, nevermind artists.

With the little money they kept for themselves, Dan and Phil bought proper art supplies- both digital and not- as commissions started coming in and Dan found himself with a steady, even if rather small, income- only a little less than Phil's wages. For the first time in his life, he was close to being self-sufficient.

What started as mediocre soon became expert, months of dedicated practice paying off. Dan, despite his reclusive (albeit forced) nature, was not lazy. He was determined to do all he could do to improve. Even his down days, when darkness flooded his mind, he made sure to keep his website running, even if he couldn't get any art out of his system, at least none that was of any worth in his mind.

It didn't take long, after weeks of Phil's hounding, that Dan admitted that yes, his father had painted so he was not entirely inexperienced. But, with little other skill, he still wanted to claim it as his own. He taught himself, not his father. His father had simply given him the inspiration to do it.

It was on a rainy day on the third month that Phil decided to change jobs, Dan's income giving him the freedom to be unemployed for the meantime, Chloe gladly helping out financially whilst he got on his feet again. She truly was a godsend, even if she was slowly earning her money back. It was a dread to think that she'd be gone soon- her contract only lasted so long.

Phil was infinitely proud of Dan's achievement and finally had the inspiration to do something himself. So, whilst on the search for a job in the city, he began a blog. Non-profit whilst it was small. Just a little blog of, well, randomness. Anything and everything that came to Phil's mind, from cat jokes to sombre, meaningful messages to his small following- what must have only been ten people.

Then over the next few months, it grows not to be popular but to be followed- a few hundred people looking at it monthly, although only a selection of them coming regularly.

And, like a storm hitting them, it was time for Chloe to leave. It's then, with no job in sight, that Phil makes his decision- planned and thought through over dozens of empty, silent nights of wakefulness.

Dan sat in the kitchen, stirring at a bowl of mix, looking at the porridge with a mix of distaste and disdain, barely noticing as Phil comes into the room, his face sullen and worried. It was only a room over that Chloe was packing up her stuff.

'We're going with her.'

'What?'

'We're going to England.' Dan just stares at him, eyes wide, milk now lapping at his fallen spoon.