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introductions 2

"she's in her room now because her door is closed." phil whispers. "alex! it's me honey open your door please."

dan felt a twinge in his heart that that pet name wasn't for him and he didn't care that he was being selfish to think that.

the door opens. "what?" her eyes flick to dan's but otherwise they stay on phil's.

"we need to talk, can you let us in?"

dan felt small again. the teenage girl intimidated him for some reason. her eyes were way brighter and darker than phil's that they looked unreal. she opens the door and steps back.

"i started unpacking so my rooms dirty."
"it's fine we won't be here long."

her eye always twitched at the word we.

dan didn't want to go far in the purple colored room so he awkwardly stands by the door as phil sits on her messy bed. alex was also standing up, her arms folded as she looks from him to phil.

"dan, is my- is an- we go way back." phil settles on after the constant mumbling.

"is he staying?"

phil looks at dan. he was probably thinking about the small brown bag he had carried with him into the house.

"yes." off her surprised look he answers quickly. "he came all the way from america to see me i can't just send him out."

"dad we were just fine by ourselves! we don't need another jackson incident!"

he sees phil's hands tighten into fists at his sides. "dan is far from jackson's mental state! he wouldn't dare try to hurt you."

"pft." she rolls her eyes. "i don't believe you."

incredulous, phil stands. "what has gotten into lately? ever since you turned 18 you've been getting attitudes with me out of nowhere!"

"no i haven't! i've been at summer camp for 3 weeks! you've barely even saw me because when i turned 18 on the 6th i had to leave the next day!"

dan felt like the argument was getting personal. with it now being the 22nd in july they both haven't seen much of each other in almost a whole month.

"that still gives you no reason to say that you don't believe me alex! you know i would never lie to you! dan is a good person."

"there's only supposed to be two plates at the table dad!" she sniffs. "there's only supposed to be two people leaving every morning, only two people saying goodnight to each other!"

dan leaves then. he felt like his presence in her bedroom was making everything worse even though it seems like she forgot he was there. so, he heads back to phil's room, closes the door, and waits for the shouting to subside.

he didn't want to be the cause of a rocky and unstable relationship between the two. being a home wrecker was probably the worst thing he could ever do.

somewhere in this dramatic thinking process. dan fell asleep.

it was late at night when he hears the door open and he quickly blinks his eyes to adjust to the new darkness and moonlight coming into the half open curtains. he sits up as he sees phil closing the door softly behind him.

when he turns back around and sees dan awake he chuckles a little. "i'm sorry, i was trying not to wake you."

"no, no, it's fine." a yawn breaks his sentence. "i didn't even notice i fell asleep honestly, are you going to bed?"

"not really to sleep but to just think." he grabs the back of his shirt and pulls it off his body.

there was one thing that hasn't changed about phil in the last 10 years.

phil had also stepped out of his jeans and grabs the sweatpants that were right beside dan's head.

"what?" his tongue goes to poke the inside of his cheek and he smiles as he slides his sweats up his legs.

that was new. and it made dan's heart race. "nothing...just admiring."

"bold are we?"

"i would say i'm sorry but i'm not." dan lies back down but turns his back to him. "i'm sorry i caused so much trouble with you guys."

"don't worry about her. she just has to warm up to you. it's been us for so long that it's a bit difficult for her to have a change like this brought upon her so quickly."

"i should just leave." dan whispers.

the quiet ringing in the silent house was heard only for a few seconds before phil's body collapsed on top of his.

"what did you say?"

dan gasps. "i said maybe i should-"

"what?"

"maybe-"

"huh? "

"i said-"

"one more time?"

"fine i'll stay! just get off me!" dan struggles underneath him and phil sits up pinching his cheek.

"good that's what i thought you said. i calmed her down. she doesn't hate you she just has to warm up to you okay? don't go to sleep mad it's bad for your health."

"thanks doctor." dan mumbles as phil gets under the covers.

"you need something to sleep in don't you? god i'm stupid." he gets up again and fishes through his drawers before finding a long grey shirt and throwing it at him. "i'll turn so you can change."

dan was reminded of that other time when they were in this same situation as he strips off his clothes and puts on the long shirt. "okay."

he turns and his eyes graze his body quickly. lingering on his legs for a bit.

they both get into the bed but dan keeps his distance.

"come here. i've been snuggling with my own pillow for 10 years it's sad."

dan's cheeks heat up a little as he scoots over to him slowly. but phil sighs dramatically and pulls him over all the way before wrapping his arms around him.

"see? that wasn't that hard."

i typed a lot on this one but i bet you aren't mad 😂

~alivia