Broken || Dan and Phil

Forced decision

Dans POV

"Are- are you talking to us?" I fearfully ask my uncle who is making his way over to Phil and I. The closer he gets the more that dark cloud surrounds us as if it's preparing a storm that is about to happen. Of course in the middle of me trying to help calm Phil down by explaining he is more important to me than this side of my family and none of their opinions would affect my relationship with him, my uncle, just a few years younger than my dad, had to over hear our conversation. He stops in front once he reaches us, nodding his head to my question.

"Yeah. If I didn't know you Dan I would have thought you two are dating, which-" He doesn't even finish his sentence as he shakes his head in disgust. Clearly he doesn't know me. "Who is this anyway?" He asks. I look over at Phil. The paleness in his face growing whiter as he tries to keep in the panic already beginning to rise within him.

"This is my... um... friend, Phil." I lie. It's true that even if we are together he is still my best friend, but having to lie to my own family and tell them he is nothing more than just a friend because the fear of what they could say or do makes me feel sick that I am afraid of my own family. "His parents went away for the weekend and I figured he could spend the weekend here so he isn't alone." I make up, which my uncle seems to believe.

"Nice to meet you Phil." He says as he sticks out his hand. Phil's hand trembles as he slowly lifts it up to shake it.

"Yeah... Nice to meet you too." Phil says. His voice so quiet and soft that it's reminding me when we faced his father after he returned home from the support group. It makes me want to curl him into a ball and hold him until he knows he is safe. My uncle keeps a long stare at Phil as he slowly pulls his hand away. His eyebrows narrow in discomfort as he leans in closer to Phil, squinting his eyes as he examines him up close.

"Are you wearing makeup?" He questions. Phil quickly covers his lip with his hand as he turns to me.

"He got hit in the face with a football during school. My mum thought it would be best to cover the bruise so he isn't meeting everyone with a swollen lip." I quickly step in to help Phil. Phil looks back up at my uncle, who slowly nods his head. I wish that was the actual reason.

"Sports was never my thing either." He says, expecting Phil to say something but instead he is left with no response. "Alright." He says after a few seconds of this awkward silence that feels will never end. He continues to stare at Phil for a moment, who is now hunched and curling his body inwards, making himself appear a lot smaller than he really is. "So Dan. You like living out here?" He asks as his focus turns back to me. That's a hard question to answer. In no way am I blaming Phil for any of this but these pass few months that I've been living here have been really difficult, almost a challenge. With all the drama with Shane, finding out how badly Phil was being treated at both home and school, and struggling to bring back the life in Phil that was hanging by a thread, plus all of the other stuff that has happened, it's all been a terrifying roller coaster that I am consistently riding. The amount of times my heart felt like it was about to pop out of it's chest feels like I have survived multiple heart attacks. I nod my head anyway as there is no way I will open up to my uncle about all of that. "Meet a lot of people living here?" He asks. I have, but most of them have done so much harm to Phil I wish we could transfer schools so we both can have a new start. I nod my head again. "Meet anyone you like?" He then asks, making my heart skip a beat. I glance at Phil for a second. I wish I could openly say Phil and I are together and not feel so afraid of what they would think or say.

Then again, I only see this side of the family a few times during the year, sometimes less. I rarely see them to the point where I still have trouble remembering who's who. That's actually the reason why my family decided to move here. So we could get closer to my dad's side of the family and possibly see them more. If they don't accept my sexuality or relationship then it wouldn't have that much of affect on me. At least I would hope so...