July 19, 2023
For some reason, a part of Phil felt safe and comforted in that wolf's presence. Despite the bone chilling horridness that the man did right in front of him, his intuition tells him that the man wouldn't dare harm him in such a way. Considering how many times that man had saved him, it tells a strong message that he cares for Phil's safety and vitality.
Having been sitting on the cold stone beneath him for what feels like over a year, he felt no concern about Mexico being unable to find him. "He'll find me soon.... just as he always does" Phil says in a low solemn tone, reminiscing about all the pure memories they made while playing hide and seek when they were young. "I just have to wait for a little while more" he says as he finds himself wrapping his arms around his bare shoulders. Because of his clothes, almost his whole body is exposed to the cold atmosphere. Especially his shins that are painfully connected to the cold stone he is sitting on. With each passing minute, he slowly begins to shiver more and more both because of the cold and the creeping fear of not being found.
A sense of pity over his pathetic situation washes over him, making him sigh in disappointment in himself. The deafening silence and the cold air surrounding him only deepens the loneliness and sadness he is feeling at the moment. He feels his eyes begin to water but with all his strength he maintains a good pace of breathing and calmness in order to battle his hidden emotions. In this moment, he wants nothing more than to be embraced tightly for warmth and emotional stability. Suddenly, he is pulled back to his past thoughts pertaining as to why he hates being so alone where he is too weak and vulnerable both mentally and physically. He dislikes being alone, left on his own to fend off his intrusive thoughts. Over and over when he is own his own, he remembers the stabbing pain he felt the day he lost his entire family. The guilt of being the only one left alive consumes him to the brink of insanity, constantly making him feel quite suicidal. But all of his grief and worry leaves him, the moment people start surrounding him and showering him with their concern and love for him. The realization that he cannot live without a man's constant embrace looms over him.
"Shit! Phil!"
Soon enough, his slowly slipping sanity strengthened upon hearing Mexico's voice.
"Damn, it's so cold in here. Phil are you okay?"
Mexico is hyperfixated on Philip that he did not notice the disgusting gore that the wolf left behind, until he somehow stepped on something wet and squishy. His browns furrowed even further as his eyes widened in shock. The fear of Philip having been hurt by the creature who did this overcame his thoughts, thus making him run quicker to reach Philip. As soon as Mexico's hands touched Philip's freezing skin, Philip felt so relieved that he instinctively collapsed his body in his arms in hopes of receiving more warmth. 'I knew you'd find me, Mex.... you've always been great at finding me' Philip's weary smile widens, as the pace of his breathing goes back to normal.
"You're hot, but you're freezing cold!"
Philip sighs deeply at that idiotic remark that came out of Mexico's mouth. He closed his eyes, feeling safe enough to entrust Mexico with taking care of him and bringing him home alive and well to warmth. In a brief moment, Mexico took off his jacket and stripped off his belt and pants to have Philip wear them. 'But you'll be cold, Mex...' Philip worries but Mexico ignores him and proceeded to tie his belt properly on Phil's much thinner waist.
"My life and well being would be meaningless without you, Phil. You are my strength and will to live. Without you, I'll be nothing but a husk of a man. You are the most of importance here" Mexico then places the hat he bought for Philip securely on his head. He smiles softly, seeing how comfortable Philip is in his clothes and how adorable he is in that hat just as he imagined. He kisses Philip lightly on the lips before whispering softly "Let's go home now, mi cielo". He then picked him up as if he weighed nothing. Although he expected Phil to just immediately fall asleep, he is more delighted that Philip clung to him all the way back to the others.
The fact that he is greeted by judgemental stares for how they look, he did not mind a bit since he already expected all of that in the first place. However, their reactions all changed once he explained to them what had happened. Germany and Zeal scolded him for failing to protect Philip from getting kidnapped so easily, rather than praising him for managing to find him and saving him from freezing to death in that cold dark cave.
Whilst they argued, China intensely gazed at Phil's innocently peaceful unconscious body and had a change of heart about harming him. He did not reach for his neck to strangle him or slice his throat open. Instead, he cautiously carried him to the main room with the huge fireplace without any of them even noticing that he had taken Philip. China carefully set Philip down comfortably with a soft pillow under his head, and another under his calves, next to the huge fireplace. He made sure that the fireplace burned hot to warm Philip thoroughly. He took off the unattractive clothes Mexico placed on Philip's body and threw the blue hat that Philip was wearing, across the room because he found it ugly. He thought about burning it in the fireplace but he refrained from doing so when the though of Philip being disappointed when he goes looking for it tomorrow, crossed his mind. Still, for more warmth and for Phil to wake up sooner, he placed his favorite comforter on Philip.
"Kě'ài (Cute)" he said while playing with Phil's hair. Seeing how adorable this vulnerable bunny whose life he could just end in less than a minute, sleeps... he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I think that I also want to keep you" he said before sitting down on the couch next to Philip's unconscious body. China was not able to get a wink of sleep until Phil woke up, because he felt the need to protect and watch over his unknowing sleeping body. As soon as Philip woke up, he was greeted by a face with a hint of fear and uncertainty. He said nothing and only stared at him creepily until he walked out of the door. As soon as the door closed shut with a gentle pull, he fell asleep because of the sleep deprivation he had just went through. At first, Zeal and Germany were quite concerned by his unknown intentions to Philip, but trusted him to do nothing after China signaled for them to keep quiet with his index finger.
A few hours later, Philip decided to thank China for watching over him as he slept by offering him tea. But he did not expect to catch him still sleeping. Unfortunately, his supposed thanks turned out to be disastrous and caused China his peaceful rest.
Because of a loud crash that came right after the sound of door closing, China was startled awake. To access the situation, he immediately stood up and pretended to not have been startled awake to avoid embarrassment.
And for a moment he stands there frozen in confusion. Not knowing what his next move should be, he spoke gently in order to not sadden the embarrassed rabbit even more. He intended to sound quite gentle with some sense of care in his voice, but he ended up sounding just a little less indifferent than usual with his poker face.
'You're finally back, Phil'
Philip nods while hiding his face because of embarrassment. He refuses to look at China because China might start laughing at him for tripping, when he only wanted to do something nice for him. With each step China took to approach him, the rogue color on his face reddened even more. And ever so gently, China grabbed Phil's hands to lower them from hiding his blushing face. 'It's alright, Phil. Stop hiding your face. I appreciate your effort, so stop sulking and let's go clean up the mess you made' It almost seems surreal to hear such words from China. How did he go from trying to kill him to this. Confusion fills his mind, but he is just relieved that China has no intent of killing him again... for now.
'This set can be replaced, but it's truly a shame that we can't get back the time effort you put into preparing this for me when you could have spent it on just sitting down beside me and watching me sleep just as how I did with you'
Philip's face reddened even more making him hide again by covering his face with the silver tray. China's cold sharp claws met with Phil's beautiful hands, accidentally leaving a small scratch on his right hand. China felt triggered by his own actions. He should have been more careful in order to not have accidentally injured Phil's hands. Normally people would apologize, but China said nothing so Philip just got up for a moment before helping him collect the big pieces of shattered ceramic glass off the floor and on to the tray again. China kept staring nonchalantly at Philip's face, trying to figure out why he has the extreme urge to hold hands with Philip.
After a while, the realization that he had just flirted with Philip when just a while ago he was trying to kill him, finally registered in his brain. Just then, China started walking quite fast to get out of the room, to leave Philip to finish sweeping and wiping up the mess he had made. But with one shout of his name from Phil's mouth, he stopped dead in his tracks like his life depended on it. To lessen the confusion and despair China is feeling, he shouted that he is still going to try his earnest to kill Philip. Philip is disturbed by the threat but he still had the courage to tell him thanks.
After that, he went looking for Mexico but was not successful so he just asked for Mexico's whereabouts when he saw Germany. In response, Germany told him that they sent Mexico home after scolding him for having failed to keep him safe.
Already knowing what Phil was thinking, Germany halted him by telling him that he isn't allowed to go out wandering right after what had happened yesterday, since it would be dangerous to risk it happening again. Germany offered to go somewhere nice with Philip, but was quickly rejected by Philip asking for China's whereabouts instead.
"Why are you asking about where China is? Would you rather go to him than to spend time with me?"
Being cornered by such a question, Phil has no choice but to agree to the proposed hangout.
'Where are you going to take me?'
"If I were to tell you, It wouldn't be a surprise anymore"
Everyday is a crazy adventure for Philip. Never knowing where destiny takes him and what the universe has in store for him, he continues to face every challenge. And slowly, he is forgetting the fact that he is trapped in here against his will in the first place, since this forest is starting to feel like home to him. Philip followed Germany without any further questions.
Meanwhile, China is battling his inner demons about wanting to ask Philip to come with him in choosing a new set to replace the set Phil broke.
And at a far distance, a flying fiend spies on Philip's every move.