*1 month later*
Dan laid down and scrolled through Tumblr on his laptop, wondering for the millionth time if it was the right decision to opt out of chemotherapy. He had already decided it was, but he was still unsure of whether he made a good choice.
Oh, well, he thought, it's too late now.
Dan's phone buzzed.
AmazingPhil: Are you doing anything today?
Dan looked at the time on his phone.
DanielHowell: phil, its 22:30 pm. why would i be doing anything
AmazingPhil: Get ready. I'll be there in 10 minutes.
Dan jumped up from the bed and put on clothes so Phil wouldn't see him in his pyjamas. He was about to quickly straighten his hair in an attempt to fix it when he phone buzzed again.
AmazingPhil: And wear swim shorts.
Dan threw down the straightening iron, making sure it was on a towel and turned off so it didn't burn down the house, and changed into his swim shorts.
Why and where would they be going swimming so late?
Phil texted Dan to let him know he was outside and ready to go.
Bounding down the stairs Dan shouted, "Mum! I'm going out with Phil for a bit! I'll text you when I'm on my way back."
"Okay honey," she said. "Be careful, and come straight home or to the hospital if you feel anything strange or unusual."
"Okay, I will. Thanks, Mum."
Dan entered Phil's car and was greeted by a soft and sweet kiss from Phil, making Dan blush at the unexpected gesture.
"Let's go," Phil said and drove.
They arrived at Phil's house, making Dan slightly confused.
"What are we doing at your house? I thought we were going swimming?" Dan gestured to his swim wear.
"We are," Phil said and got out of the car. "There's a pool out back."
The went straight to the backyard to the pool. Dan's eyes widened at the sight.
There was a huge in-ground pool, illuminated by clear lights along the edges of the lining under the water. There were huge trees hanging over it from the edges of the yard, masking the water from the sky. Small flowers lined the edges of the tiles surrounding the pool, along with pool chairs and small umbrellas.
Dan flushed as Phil walked over to one of the chairs and took off his shirt. He ran at the pool and jumped in shouting "Cannonball!" making a rather large splash.
Dan laughed. "Dork," he said when Phil's head poked up from above the water.
"What are you waiting for?" Phil asked. "Get it!"
Hesitantly, Dan pulled his shirt over his head and placed it next to Phil's. He quickly jumped in, trying to keep as much attention away from his body as possible.
"Phil!" Dan shouted when he resurfaced. "The water is freezing!"
Phil laughed, making his way to Dan's shivering body. "I'll keep you warm," he said and hugged Dan. Dan wrapped his arms around Phil's neck and kissed him deeply.
"What was that for?" Phil asked. Dan could see the blush creeping up his neck and onto his face.
"Because I love you," Dan said with a smile.
Phil grinned back at him. "I love you too."
For the entire hour and a half they did jumps and flips into the pool, Dan felt small pains, but didn't think anything of them because they were exactly what he experienced all the time.
When midnight rolled around, the pains in Dan's back and abdomen began to increase and become worse. He stepped out of the pool and sat in one of the chairs as he waited for the pains to subside. He watched Phil move around the water, amazed at how he seemed to sparkle in the pool lights.
"You okay?" Phil asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Dan replied.
Thinking the pains had gone away, Dan jumped back in the pool. He was sadly mistaken.
As soon as he made contact with the water, his body exploded in pain, and he feels himself drowning under the weight of his demons.
Word count: 862
Oh no, poor Dan. This is why you listen to your mom, kids.
