A/N: So uhh, this chapter is kind of dramatic but I felt the need to take the story somewhere so yeah... tw for homophobia btw.
Also the art for this chapter is by @_pot.plants_and_anxiety_ on instagram.
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The next day hadn't gone as bad as Phil had expected. Well, the first half hadn't anyway...
Him and Dan had woken up together, still just as close, if not closer than they'd been the night before. It seemed as though Dan had gotten cold and snuggled into Phil for warmth.
When the morning came along the two of them had gotten up and dressed, Phil putting on the spare uniform Dan had given him. They'd then said an awkward goodbye to Mrs Evans, who had not forgotten the events she'd walked in on the previous night, and they'd headed off.
School hadn't been as excruciatingly painful as it could've been. Dan and Phil made sure the limit the public displays of affection to avoid outing themselves. They were already bullied and beaten up for practically no reason, and no way did want to give anyone an actual reason.
At lunch they'd come across Kyle Williams and Scott and Joe. Who thankfully neither Dan nor Phil had had any classes with on this particular day.
'Well well well, looks like the rejects have joined forces' Kyle had said maliciously, eyeing Dan and Phil up and down.
'Don't look so shaken Lester, we don't have knives this time'
'Yeah, we came to apologise to you in fact'
'Yeah right' Dan had snorted.
'Apologise and ask you how you got away...' Joe had exclaimed, leaning intimidatingly towards Phil.
'Yes, do tell us, we've been itching to know how you vanished from right in front of us without so much as a scrape' Scott had chimed in.
Things certainly had appeared to have gone to shit in approximately 0.5 seconds, but by some miracle this confrontation had been interrupted.
The school bell signifying the end of lunch had sounded precisely after Joe had asked that question.
And so Phil had grabbed Dan's arm and they'd simply walked off to their last lesson. Art, which was the best lesson in Phil's opinion.
So the day really hadn't been going bad. Everything had been going fine in fact. But it was the decision the two of them made next, that changed their outlook on the day significantly.
-
'So what's the weirdest thing you've ever summoned?' Dan asked Phil whilst they were walking out of school.
'Hmm, I don't know, what's the highest you've ever flown?'
'Hey you can't just ask me a question without answering mine!' Dan complained, nudging Phil playfully.
'Okay well... I tried to summon a unicorn once, when I was eight. Didn't work though'
'Oh my god that is literally such a Phil thing to do'
Dan rolled his eyes.
'Are you telling me you wouldn't have wanted a pet unicorn when you were eight years old?'
'Phil, if they existed, I'd have a pet unicorn now'
The two of them laughed as they approached the end of the road they were on.
'Oh, I guess we have to leave each other now' Dan realised as they both stopped walking.
'We don't have to, you can come to mine if you want'
'Are you sure? Won't your parents be in?'
'Nah they'll be at work. At least I think, it's been a few days since I last saw them now'
'Well I suppose I'd better come with you then, you'll need moral support to talk to them about where you've been when they get home'
'Here's hoping they don't slaughter me'
Dan giggled at Phil's dramaticness and then rubbed his back gently in reassurance.
'They won't, it'll be fine'
'They would if they knew what I'd been doing' Phil said, eying Dan up and down. Dan giggled yet again and grabbed Phil's hand, giving it a squeeze.
They didn't let go of each other's hands the whole way home. Once they reached Phil's house, Phil pulled his key out and opened the door, still holding Dan's hand tight.
'Hello?' He called out as he and Dan stepped inside. He wasn't expecting a response, so it was safe to say that he almost jumped 5 foot in the air when he received one.
'Phil? Where have you been?!'
It was a man's voice, deep and gravelly sounding.
'Dad, I err...'
Before Phil had time to frantically let go of Dan's hand, his father stepped out of the living room and saw the two of them.
'Who's this?' Phil's dad grunted in an unamused manor.
'Oh, this is Dan he's my...'
'Your boyfriend?'
The way he'd asked that question almost made Phil throw up.
'Well erm, he...'
'Phil don't act stupid with me, you were holding his hand'
'Oh right yeah well um, how come you're home early anyway?'
Phil knew trying to change the subject wasn't going to work. He knew his dad too well.
He also knew Dan was standing beside him probably wishing he'd chosen to go back to his own home. But he stood dead still and waited for his father's reply.
'Phil. You've been gone for two days, you didn't tell us where you were going, you're suddenly a fag and you're asking me questions?!'
The man's voice was raising now. Phil knew what was coming.
'Dad. It's not...'
Phil's father grabbed hold of Phil's arm.
'You're a freak! You hear me? A freak. You've always been a weird one, ever since you were born you've just had this thing about you. This thing that made you stick out and I hated it. If it wasn't for your mother I would've gotten rid of you. But no, she told me you could be changed with a bit of therapy, well it's all a bunch of crap if you ask me!' He yelled,
'Your boyfriend' he began again 'is he a freak like you?'
'Dad'
Phil was getting annoyed now. He'd taken every blow his dad had thrown at him but as soon as he started talking about Dan, Phil couldn't take it. He tore himself away from he grip his dad had on his arm.
'I bet you too go together like two peas in a pod don't you? How sweet... I wonder what bullshit conversion therapy your mother would be sending you to if she was the one who'd caught you two...'
'Dad!' Phil yelled louder this time. He was breathing heavy. 'Stop'
He stared at his father in anger, his breathing in no way slowing down.
'Why. Can't take it princess?'
Phil didn't know why he did what he did next. Perhaps to protect Dan. Perhaps because his father felt like more of an intruder than someone he called family now. But he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Before him appeared a wall. It grew and grew until it created a complete barrier between Phil and his father.
'What the fuck! What the fuck was that?' The now muffled voice of Phil's dad echoed around the house. Taking hold of Dan's hand once more now that his father couldn't see him, the two of them began to slowly edge backwards.
They could hear the sound of Phil's dad pounding at the newly constructed wall with his fists. For some reason the sound felt like it was drilling directly into Phil's brain. He began to feel nauseous, dizzy almost.
Dan noticed this and began to lead Phil back towards the front door until they both got outside.
'Phil... Phil?'
Phil's eyes were drifting shut. And the last thing he saw was a great abundance of white feathers.