the quiet ° phan

xvi. explode

Driving through back roads was much better than being cooped up in toxic classrooms.

Dan had his left arm out in the open and his right arm sprawled out behind the headrest of Phil's seat. Phil was driving them to who knows where without a care. This Dan and Phil was completely different from the old Dan and Phil at the start of 11th year.

Finally, Phil parked the car. They were in the parking lot of the cinema they'd visited long ago, but this time, there were no girls; it was just them.

They walked into the cinema and took far too long to pick what film they wanted to watch. Eventually, when Phil settled for watching Dan's pick, they got their tickets. Phil once again paid for his and Dan's concessions. Dan knew when he tried to pay Phil back later, he'd refuse.

They walked into the empty theatre and sat in the middle closer to the back with at least 5 rows behind them. They sat in the middle of the row where they could see the screen perfectly.

"I kind of like the feeling of an empty theatre," Phil said. "You get the cinema experience with the comfort of being alone."

Dan felt the same. Even though being with Phil wasn't the same as being alone, he felt just as comfortable.

The movie started and no strangers were in sight. The only sounds other than the commercials were Phil munching on popcorn and Dan breathing softly.

Not very far into the opening credits, both boys rested their hands on the armrests between them. Whether accidentally or on purpose, their pinkies touched. Without saying anything, Phil placed his pinkie on top of Dan's. A/N: this happened in the fosters so good job if you spotted the cute reference

As the movie went on, one finger became two and so on until Phil had rested his entire hand on Dan's. When Phil wasn't looking, Dan looked over at the boy. The light from the movie showered his face in blues and greens. Dan smiled and enjoyed the view. When Phil turned around and caught Dan staring, Dan didn't look away. They gazed into each other's eyes in a way that rivaled the onscreen couple.

When the movie finished, they left the cinema with smiles plastered on their faces. They drove to no particular destination and occupied themselves by talking, listening to good music, and enjoying the gorgeous scenery.

"You don't have to say I love you to say I love you
Forget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons
We've been making shades of purple out of red and blue"

Dan closed his eyes and let the singer's voice soothe him. Phil couldn't help but peek at his face every now and then. The sight was as gorgeous as the view surrounding them.

Then, just as the sun began to set, Phil pulled over in the middle of nowhere.

Where are we? Dan signed after getting out of the car.

Phil didn't respond, just grabbed Dan's hand and led him through the field.

Dan could feel the plants tickling his ankles, the wind tickling his face, and Phil's nails tickling his hand.

Finally, Phil stopped walking. Dan was confused as to why he stopped in this particular spot when the rest of the field was the same.

"Look," Phil said and pointed to the sky. "The stars are about to come out."