SUPER RICH KIDS | PHAN

forty nine.

dan.

phil's mum pulled him down a long hallway with dark red walls and dan took the opportunity to look around a bit.

the walls weren't covered in family photos like they were in the movies dan had seen, they were mostly bare for the general aesthetic. he did find a small section between two doors, though, and he took in as much as he could as they walked past.

there were a few serious looking portraits of phil's parents, and one or two of all three of them. there was one of phil when he must have been thirteen or fourteen, grinning at the camera happily if not a bit cockily. he was wearing a school uniform, a tie and all. dan smiled. thirteen year old dan would've been so in love with him.

there were also some of another boy. he looked tall and strong, his hair cut shorter than phil's was, and he was smiling in every last one of his photos. dan took a deep breath.

they passed a room with an open door and dan got a good look. the walls were green and blue; the most obnoxious shades of the colors. mrs. lester smiled. "phil's room," she informed him, and dan giggled. he made a mental note to torment him about that later.

they kept going until they got to the end of the hallway, and phil's mum came to a stop. she smiled at dan and pushed open the door.

the room had grey walls, but it somehow made it feel soft and cozy. a bed sat in the corner, bare of all but it's mattress. the room was completely clean and empty except for some posters and photos pinned to the walls, the closet doors sealed tight. phil's mum went straight for the closet and dan took a look around.

there were several posters for bands and artists dan had never heard of, some of them french and german. there were also pictures of phil as a child, taped up seemingly carefully. some of them looked really old.

next to a photo of little phil eating watermelon, there was a picture of a girl with long caramel hair, her eyes closed and her mouth open in a joyful laugh, frozen in time. dan's heart dropped into his stomach.

he turned around to see phil's mum holding an outfit in her arms, smoothing out a few wrinkles concentratedly. dan's breath caught.

"no, i..."

she looked up, still smiling as if it was nothing. "i assume phil told you about his brother, then?"

dan felt like he couldn't get enough breath. he nodded mutely. she hummed.

"he was a really good man," she said, her voice breaking a bit. dan bit his lip. she shook her head, as if shaking off the emotion. "anyways, you don't need my blubbering. you know what it's like to lose someone too."

"i've never lost a son," dan said softly and her expression faltered, just for a second. she smiled sadly and held out the suit.

"you can wear this tonight."

dan shook his head, taking a step back. "i couldn't, ma'am, i... i couldn't do that."

she raised her eyebrows. "yes, you could... it's a very nice suit, and it'll fit you well."

"i don't doubt it's nice," dan said softly. "but it's not mine."

phil's mother lay down the outfit on the bed, sighing. "dan, it's okay. the scar is still there, of course, but it isn't still a wound." she stepped forward and touched his shoulders. "i know it's a lot, but i want you to feel like part of this family, at least for tonight. he'd want you to wear it, and i know you'll respect his clothes like you would've respected him."

dan felt teary eyed and he nodded weakly. "i just... i want to do it justice."

"you will." she smiled. "you make phil happy just like he did, except... in a different way." she laughed. "i insist you wear it."

dan looked over at the clothes. he had thought the jacket and pants had been black, but upon closer inspection, they were a deep, deep blue color. a cream colored button up shirt sat neatly beneath the jacket, a matching blue tie draped around the collar. dan took a shaky breath.

"i'll make a compromise."

➹

dan was pretty sure his face was unattractively red when he finally emerged and made his way back down the hall, but he didn't have time to calm down. he had put on the white shirt, and the blue jacket, and even the tie, but he had kept on his grey jeans and ratty sneakers. he knew he looked horribly mismatched but phil's mum hadn't said a word, which dan was grateful for. he still felt kind of amazing wearing something that undoubtedly cost so much. he felt anxious and confident at the same time, which was an odd mixture.

phil was pacing and dan watched him for a second before taking a timid step out.

phil noticed him and stopped, his jaw dropping. dan swore he saw his pupils dilate. dan clasped his hands behind his back.

"hi," he breathed. phil looked him over, blinking.

"are those my brother's clothes?"

dan blushed. he couldn't really read his tone, which was making him nervous.

"yeah..." he wet his lips. "is that... okay?"

phil nodded slowly. he walked over and touched dan's face, searching his eyes as if looking for something. dan stared back at him, shaking a bit.

"you look really good."

dan squirmed. "thanks..."

phil nodded, and smiled. dan felt a bit of the tightness in his chest decrease. phil pulled him into his arms and dan melted.

"i called and got you a reservation," phil's mum said from behind him and dan pulled back, fidgeting. "you should hurry and go, though."

phil nodded, rolling his eyes when she wasn't looking. dan laughed quietly, holding his hand up to cover his mouth.

"let's go, then?" he asked dan, chuckling. dan nodded and took phil's arm.

"yeah," he mumbled, tucking a curl behind his ear. "yeah, let's go."

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bitch im writing until my battery dies