ᵀᴿᵁᵀᴴ ᴼᴿ ᴰᴬᴿᴱ メ ᴾᴴᴬᴺ

-18-

( gonna be a lot of dialogue in this part. ) 

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that night, dan went to sleep rather quickly, despite his breakdown where phil comforted him, hugging him and saying things like 'there there' and 'everything will be okay' which seemed like a thousand times before dan's cries gradually became sniffles and eventually he was all cried out.

phil had slowly laid dan on the pillow beside him, letting him lie there for a moment, telling him that dan didn't have to tell him anymore that night, unless he wanted to, which dan smiled and thanked him for being so understanding. 

the soft boy then proceeded to grab the duvet and gently covering dan with it until the only thing he could see was dan's head, which was now comfortably on a pillow, his eyes closed and phil decided to let the boy sleep as he thought about what happened that night, his head still a little dizzy but getting better.

he looked at dan, about to wish him good night when he heard a quiet snore coming out of the boy's mouth and phil only smiled, whispering a good night and thanking him for bringing him to the party. 

"it was the most fun i've ever had," he said, sighing as he decided what he should do with himself. he wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to sleep next to dan after what he had just told him. he was as confused as he was, except it seemed that dan had found being 'gay' rather problematic and seemed to find it harder to be accepting of himself, where-as phil had slightly less care for what people thought of him. he did go around wearing pastel all the time, it wasn't like being called gay was exactly new to him, however much the stereotype annoyed him tremendously.  

"pst!"

phil looked in the direction of the noise, seeing that the door was now open and marcus had poked his head through the door, smiling the goofiest smile phil had ever seen. he gestured to him and phil glanced at dan, slowly lifting the covers as not to wake dan and crept out of the room, closing the door quietly and followed marcus to the next room. this room didn't have as much extravant furniture and seemed like some sort of game room as there was a large TV screen with bean-bags, a pool table, a dart board and some remote controls with games set aside under the TV.

"so?" marcus pushed, falling on one of the bean bags and pointing to the other one and waited for phil to sit beside him. 

"so what?" phil looked at him confused, not really sure why marcus asked him to come to this room with him. marcus sighed, trying to be patient and sat up a little, looking straight at phil with wide eyes so he made him feeling slightly uncomfortable, as if he was being interrogated.

"are you gay for him too?" marcus blurted, chuckling a little at the question. phil blushed, avoiding marcus' eyes as he heard the question and instead stared at the floor.

"w-what are you talking about?" phil stammered, slightly nervous.

"you're saying you don't like dan?" marcus asked, which phil only refused to answer, he himself not really knowing the answer to the question. marcus frowned, standing up and walked over the door of the room, before turning to look at phil, "you coming?"

phil shot up, following the boy, completely lost at what was happening and why marcus was taking him to the other side of the house. he fiddled with his pockets a little until he found a key inside and unlocked the door, leading phil inside. phil looked around the room, it was filled with pictures of two men together.

"uhh... why are you showing me this?" he asked, wanting to walk out, wanting to leave and wanting to get back to dan where he didn't feel.. nervous.

"you know i knew you were awake when i asked dan that question," marcus replied, ignoring phil's question. phil looked at him, a puzzled expression plastered on his face. "you know? knowing he was gay?"

phil, although hearing the question was too busy looking at the walls, covered in photos of the two men, taking up the whole walls, with dates on the bottom, and the event. he was looking at them having their picture taken in paris, them holding hands and smiling at each other.

"i wanted you two to talk about it, phil." marcus continued, following phil around the room as he gazed at the photos, he himself looking at the picture phil was now looking at, which was now a picture of the two men at a party, both holding wine cups and giving them a klink together.

"talk about what?" phil whispered, now looking at a picture of the two men at a beautiful garden having a picnic, both holding goofy poses and ridiculous faces as the picture was taken. one man had his mouth fully open, his eyes crossed, looking as if he was about to eat a sandwich which was held up to his face. the other, was behind the other man, holding a cup of what seemed to be orange juice, one finger on his lip as if saying 'shh' behind his partner. phil smiled, imagining he was pretending he was going to spill it over him.

"phil, don't tell me you can't see dan has feelings for you," marcus sighed, getting a little impatient as he placed his hand on phil's shoulder, where he had just stopped. marcus stood beside him, smiling at the picture where phil was now smiling at a picture of the two men now kissing, both in black suits for their wedding day. phil turned to look at him, giving him a little scoff.

"don't be silly, dan doesn't-"

"and you have feelings for him too," marcus interrupted, not letting phil say what he wanted to say. phil didn't reply, only continuing to walk, the next picture of the two men which phil only then noticed underneath said 'honeymoon', followed by the date. phil bit his lip as he looked at how happy they were. they were on a beach, underneath an umbrella, one building a sandcastle and the other with a book in their hands but having no interest in the book and only at his partner building his sandcastle.

"i see the way you look at each other, phil. and I've only seen you two together twice. once at the arcade and once here." marcus continued, "you remind me of my parents," 

phil looked at marcus in shock, completely speechless but marcus only smiled at the reaction.

"my parents are gay, phil. i'm adopted." he stated, "do you see this?" marcus pointed at the 'honeymoon' picture. "this is how dan looks at you. you are the one building the sandcastle, completely oblivious, and dan is the one attempting to read the book but unable to, because he is too in love. with you."

phil shook his head, not looking at marcus in the eye. was it true? did dan really have feelings for him? he couldn't say. they had always been complete opposites, but how did marcus know all this? about them?

"but you don't even know me," phil finally managed to say, fidgeting with his hands as he waited for marcus' response.

"but i do," marcus said, "because dan never shuts up about you,"