Insecure |Phan|

Chapter 3

He also felt two hands on his shoulders, trying to pull him back into the harsh reality of the world. They were now vigorously shaking Dan, screaming muffled words that Dan couldn't quite clearly comprehend due to the constant ringing in his ears.

Dan slowly fluttered his heavy eyelids open and looked at the face gazing down at his own. 

It was Phil.

"Oh my god thank god you're alive. Jesus Christ I got so scared! I just came out of my classes and went to find you to celebrate my accomplishment of getting through my first class and I just found you here freaking lying on the ground unconscious!" Phil took a quick breath to pause his rambling, "What happened?"

Dan let a low groan rumble out of his throat out of pain, as if it physically hurt him to utter a word at the moment.

"Um I, er, I-uh, never actually found out what your name was." Phil mumbled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck lightly with his hand and looking at the ground.

"It's Dan." Dan muttered in quite an embarrassed manner, slapping himself mentally for being so stupid as to not even introduce himself properly.

"Dan." Phil repeated, letting the word roll off his tongue as if it were a masterpiece to be reminisced about. Phil let out a soft hum. "That's a beautiful name." He mumbled, smiling to himself.

Dan had never seen someone look so sincere while mentioning something positive about him, which is why it took him aback when Phil looked like he genuinely liked the name 'Dan'. 

And if Dan had the energy, he would've smiled along with Phil too.

~~~

It was the middle of the school day, and here Dan and Phil had ended up: driving back to Dan's home so Phil could clean up Dan's bruises and get him to rest.

When Phil had first mentioned the idea, Dan immediately refused, against the idea of going back home for something Dan was so used to in his daily life. 

Dan knew that Phil coming over to his house would result in nothing good.

But to be quite frank, Phil was a stubborn person, as Dan had recently come to learn. After a lot of insisting ], Phil had inevitably convinced Dan to let him take him home.

And so here they were, driving back to Dan's dreaded home, Phil softly humming along to the car radio while Dan sat in silence.

They finally approached the house, and Dan to his horror realized that he was once again slipping out of consciousness, and felt his body go limp.

"Dan, are you okay?" Phil breathed out in a faint whisper, turning to face Dan and skim over his complexion with his eyes. He noticed something off about Dan's behavior.

"Mhm." Dan concealed with a plastered grin on his face. The action naturally came to him like an instinct, since he had used it so often in his unbearable life.

"Are you sure? Can you walk?" Phil pestered him with questions.

Dan sighed. There was no point in lying as Phil was soon about to find out anyway. And so, he shook his head lightly, as if to imply he wasn't able to.

Phil's worried expression was quickly overtaken by an elated one as an idea struck him. 

"I know, I'll carry you to your doorway... bridal style." Phil grinned with his tongue cutely poking out of his teeth.

Damn that smile, Dan thought.

"Uhh, that's quite okay Phil, I don't think that'll be necessary. I'm sure I can walk to the door fine." Dan nervously forced out a chuckle, the blood already rushing to his cheeks.