SUPER RICH KIDS | PHAN

twenty two.

phil.

phil stood there and held him until he stopped breathing like that, breathing in the way that made phil think he might be dying. dan didn't stop shaking, though, and when phil pulled back he nearly toppled over. phil grabbed his arm again to hold him up.

the waiting room was a murder scene. katrina was still sobbing, slumped into a tiny hospital seat, her head on nina's shoulder. a nurse was still kneeling in front of her, practically begging for her to keep quiet now, clearly not wanting to ask her to leave.

phil just didn't understand. from what he had collected from the fragmented conversation and the inferred, the little boy who had been with them, earl, was...

was he dead? that seemed so fucking bizarre to him, but that looked like the situation.

phil had seen him in the past few days, and even he could admit he hadn't looked well. so, what? earl had been lying about how he was feeling? but why?

the wailing picked up for a second, forcing phil out of his head, and he turned his attention back to the trembling boy standing in front of him. dan was standing upright now, but he was swaying a little, and his cheeks were pink and full. after a second it occurred to phil that he was holding his breath. phil watched him. he would take a deep breath, hold it for seemingly as long as he could stand, and let it out slowly.

"dan," phil whispered. it seemed like the only word he could say right then. dan turned his glassy eyes toward him. he looked so scared and hopeless and sad that phil's heart panged painfully, and every single shitty thing he'd ever said to him flooded his brain. "let's go somewhere."

dan shook his head, looking away and hugging himself. "i can't leave kat and nina."

phil bit his lip. "you can't always take care of them, dan. you matter, too. you have to take care of yourself, too. especially now."

dan's face flashed through emotions. he looked at him in shock at reading him that well, then glared at him defensively, before his expression gave in, back to blank sadness. dan took a shaky breath. kat's sobs were starting to slow down.

finally he nodded stiffly and pushed past phil, walking a bit unsteadily but determinedly down the hall.

dan went straight for phil's car, and by the time phil got there he was already sitting in the passenger seat, his knees hugged to his chest. he looked so small right then, so fragile and weak. like a child.

dan didn't look at him as he got in, or when he put the keys in the ignition. phil sighed and started driving. he wasn't really sure where to take him - to the shelter? sunny's house? phil's place? home...?

phil wondered if dan wanted to go home. he didn't really know how serious the situation was, but if it had been him, phil would've done anything to continue living with a roof over his head and three meals a day. maybe dan didn't feel the same.

phil was hardly paying attention to where he was going but eventually he realized he had taken the dirt road toward the railroad tracks. he bit his lip, glancing at dan. the boy's expression hadn't changed.

phil swallowed and reached forward to turn up the radio. there was a new song by the 1975 playing but phil didn't dare to make it any louder than the sound of rocks against the tires below them. after a second, phil saw dan close his eyes before reaching out to turn it up. phil's mouth turned up for an instant despite the bleak situation.

a bit later the car pulled to a stop in the little area they had parked in last time phil had been here, and he shut it off. he glanced at dan. his eyes were still closed, his face pale except for the patches of color on his cheeks and his rosy, swollen lips and red eyes.

after a minute of silence dan made a choked sound and slammed his heel into phil's dashboard. phil jumped, watching him in surprise. dan pressed his fists against his forehead and let out a sob, kicking it again before going still.

"i'd love to let you beat the shit out of my car," phil said slowly after he knew dan wasn't going to move again. "but i'm afraid it costs quite a bit."

dan glared at him from between his fingers. "asshole."

"what'd i do now?"

dan sniffed, shaking his head and looking away again. phil didn't want him to stop talking again, right when he had gotten him going. he scooted over until he was on the edge of his own seat, as close to dan as possible with the console between them.

"hey, i'm serious." dan leaned farther away from him, flashing him a look.

"leave me alone."

phil dug his teeth into his lower lip. "dan, come on..."

"i don't owe you anything." dan spoke slowly, his voice laced with anger. but anger was better than nothing- at least phil could tell what he was feeling when he was angry. "you hated me before one of the only people i've ever loved died, so hate me now. i don't like fake people."

phil flinched, but it was because he realized he really didn't hate dan right then, he wasn't pretending due to guilt.

"okay. i won't be fake." phil sat back and crossed his arms. "your hair looks like shit."

dan looked at him, frowning, a hint of surprise sparkling in his eyes, watching him curiously. "oh yeah?"

phil nodded, smiling at him faintly. "and your clothes are wrinkled."

dan glanced down at himself and narrowed his eyes. "hmm..."

"and..." phil thought for a second. "and your face is really splotchy when you cry. it looks stupid, and ugly."

for a second phil thought dan might hit him, until he saw a weak sort of amusement flash in his irises.

"yeah, well... you look like a fucking mole rat. seriously, buy some spray tan or something, because you look like you've never left the house." dan smiled halfheartedly and relief washed over phil. he grinned.

"touché. now let's go on a walk."

--

the song was love it if we made it btw i love that song and it was playing when i was writing this