Kei sat in bed mindlessly looking up at the ceiling, redrawing the strange patterns lazily by the moment of his finger. It was only 3pm and he was already dozing off to sleep. Since Dil was still at school and Jin was at home and to what he presumed not wanting to be disturbed, he was bored out of his mind.
He jumped when his phone rang loudly. He quickly picked it up.
"Hello?"
"KEI!" Dil's voice screamed. "I finished reading the book i'm gonna go tell my parents I found it now."
Kei laughed. "Okay cool. Thanks for the update."
Dil's quiet laugh could be heard before the phone cut off. Now Kei continued to stare at the ceiling again.
But then it struck him.
He jumped out of bed, rapidly putting some clothes on and dialling Dil's number. It went straight to voicemail. He groaned, racing out and jetting to Dil's house. His pure intention might turn out worse than expected. If Dil showed his dad, would it not trigger something?
Dil's house was soon in sight as Kei ran as if his life depended on it. Sometimes Dil was too thick-minded to notice these things. He reached the front door and knocked hurriedly. "DIIIL!" He called out.
Dil opened the door, tilting his head to a side in confusion. "What's up? Didn't know you missed me that much."
Kei glanced down at the small book in Dil's hands. He was already changed back into his pyjamas and the sleeves were far to big for him, hiding the book because of it slightly. He pointed at it, eyes wide.
Dil looked down. "What?"
"Have you shown it to them yet?" He asked shakily.
Dil shook his head. "Nope. They're not home yet."
Kei sighed in relief, entering the house and shutting the door behind him. He casually made his way to the kitchen and getting himself a glass of water.
"Why shouldn't I show it to him Kei?" Dil asked again, jumping up and sitting on the kitchen counter, legs dangling and not reaching the floor.
Kei gulped down two glasses of water, breathing heavily, pointing his finger at the book again. "Relapse."
Dil's jaw dropped. "Oh yeah...I never thought of that...you're a genius. So, if I showed him he would get sad again?"
"Technically. It's a possibility. I mean I suppose if you really want to, you could show Dan first and see what he thinks...but I don't know..." Kei bit his lip worriedly.
"You're always so worried about stuff." Dil mumbled, scratching his head and making his way upstairs. Kei followed behind mindlessly.
Later when Dan and Phil got home, Dil stood on the stairs greeting them as did Kei. They had both been binge watching Disney movies all day and almost dozed off until the door opened.
They sat on the stairs talking about their next movie when Dil's eyes widened in horror. "SHIT." He whispered. He jumped up, running into the kitchen and pushing past his dad Phil who was on his way in. There it lay on the table, the notebook Dil had left downstairs. He grabbed it in a quick motion, hurriedly hiding it under his shirt.
"What are you hiding?" Phil asked, tapping foot on the ground impatiently with his mismatched socks. "Hand it over."
Kei also ran into the kitchen, standing by Dil's side. "You idiot." He whispered.
"I forgot!" Dil whispered back, inching back with Kei until their backs were against the kitchen wall.
"You two." Dan said, a slight smirk as he approached them. "What are you up to?"
"I promise it's nothing pa!" Dil smiled widely.
"Hand it over, otherwise i'll tell Kei about all the things you did when you were little." Dan said sternly.
Kei raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"You wouldn't." Dil gasped.
"Kei when Dil was about 5 he use to strut around in only his underwear chanting-"
"HERE I'LL GIVE IT TAKE IT PLEASE STOP!!" Dil shrieked, practically tackling Dan and covering his mouth with his hand.
Kei grinned, imaging a little Dil, unable to stop laughing. Dil turned around in fury, cheeks redder than ever. "You." He pointed. "Be quiet."
Kei teased Dil, mimicking him as Dil continued to blush, hitting Kei's arm which didn't make a difference.
"Where did you find this?" Dan interrupted, flicking through the pages. Dil spun around to see him curiously opening the small black book and looking through it with Phil by his side watching too.
"Shit shit shit." Dil whispered under his breath. "I-I found it in the attic..."
Phil took the book from Dan. He then did something none if them expecting and slowly a trickle of tears leaked from his eyes. A small smile to match it. "I remember this." His voice cracked, turning the pages. "I remember this!"
Dan laughed, taking Phil's arm comfortingly. He peered over to see one of the pages where Phil was talking to Dan about not wanting to talk. He squeezed Phil's arms.
Dil and Kei snuck out of the kitchen, shutting the door behind them and jetting back upstairs to Dil's room once they realised the reaction but delightfully pleasant and there needn't to be anything to worry about.
"M-My book to..I-I use t-to c-communicate a-and...h-holy shit." Phil stuttered, eyes watery.
Phil dropped his head onto Dan's shoulder, tears wetting them. Dan places his hand on Phil's hips, pulling him closer. They both stood like that for a while, holding each other and looking through the pages. Dan squeezed Phil's hip a little whenever there were sadder pages but Phil would simply smile, breath shaky at times.
Then when the whole book had been read, Phil held it tight and turned to Dan with a look that could only be described as full of love.
"Kitten." Dan laughed, voice cracking.
"Yeah?" Phil smiled fondly back at Dan.
"Look how far we've come."
xx
~Adventures of younger Dil (yay!)~
Age : 10
Dil sat on the kitchen counter as always. He waited patiently until he heard the keys for the front door unlock. There his parents entered, retuning from work. Thy made their way into he kitchen, puzzled by the way Dil say cross-legged on the table.
"You okay?" Dan asked, ruffling the young boy's hair.
Dil shook his head. "It's not wrong for boys to like boys is it?" He frowned.
Phil's quiet laugh interrupted the thick silence, sitting on the kitchen table besides Dil. "I use to think like that when I was younger. I was always taught that it was wrong."
Dan somehow squeezed himself on the other side of the kitchen counter, squashing Dil in the middle. "Same."
"So it's not bad? What about if a girl loves a girl?" Dil asked, biting his lip. "Some people in my school say their parents believe it's wrong. They say they don't but they're told it is. Everyone knows my parents are gay so they don't mention it but I already know."
"Young Thor." Phil smiled, looking down at his legs and swinging them since they didn't quite reach the floor. "There's nothing wrong with two people being in love. Ever. Consensual love."
"And what if you don't feel love?" Dil moped.
"Some people don't. Nothing wrong with that either." Dan laughed. "There's so many sexual preferences out their to identify yourself as, don't limit yourself to gay, bisexual or straight. Theres stuff like agender, pansexual, asexual, demisexual and so much more."
Dil nodded thoughtfully, hopping off of the kitchen counter and making his way upstairs to his room.
Phil bit his lip, glancing at Dan.
Dan's cheeks tinted pink noticing Phil staring at him. "What?"
"You're a good parent." He giggled. "I wish I had someone to tell me all these things when I was younger."
"I told you all these things." Dan smirked, scooting his butt over and sitting closer to Phil. "I told you all the stuff you never knew. Like how it's okay to love yourself. And that you are so beautiful. And that you have a nice butt."
"You're such an idiot." Phil laughed, rolling his eyes.
"You married this idiot." Dan grinned widely holding up his hand to show off his ring with a small bear imprinted
Phil poked Dan's dimple. "I did."
xx