phil ran his fingertips down dan's back, memorizing the ridges in his spine. he could feel dan shifting in his lap. 

"what's next?" he asked anxiously. phil laughed breathlessly. 

"jesus, dan, take a break," he mumbled. "you almost got really hurt."

"i'm fine," dan said defensively. "and don't talk to me like that."

"like what?"

"like that." dan pulled back to scowl at him, lifting his head off phil's shoulder. "like i'm a little kid. i'm not a little kid."

"i know," phil said slowly. "i didn't know i talked to you like that."

"well, you do." dan's eyes flashed, icy. "and i hate it."

"okay... i'll try not to."

dan rolled his eyes, looking down. "okay."

phil sighed loudly. they had been perfectly fine seconds before. now dan was angry with him for practically no reason at all. phil grabbed his chin and forced his face up. 

"don't be pissed at me, dan."

"i'm not," dan muttered, pushing phil's hand away. 

"yeah, you are." phil's eyes narrowed. "what's this about?"

dan glared at him, crossing his arms. "i told you."

"that's not all, is it?" phil insisted. "there's something else."

dan pushed himself up off of phil's lap, a low growl escaping his throat. "there isn't."

phil grabbed his wrist before he could get too far, yanking him back. dan glared at him fiercely, struggling against him. 

"fuck off," he hissed. phil's grip tightened on his wrist. 

"stop fighting me."

"no." dan pulled as hard as he could but phil didn't relent, pulling him roughly back to the bed. "let go, i mean it!"

phil forced him down on the mattress, climbing on top of him and pinning down his wrists. dan's face was stony and cold, and phil could tell he was working hard not to let any emotion slip. 

"tell me what's going on, dan," phil demanded. 

"christ, it's like i'm dating my bully!" dan shouted at him. still, his lip twitched. after a long silence, he spoke again. "you wouldn't let me help you."

phil blinked, surprised. "what?"

dan scowled. "you wouldn't let me see your hands." 

phil paused. why did he even care about that? "that's still bothering you?"

dan nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. "i mean, not really. it's fine, it's not even... whatever."

phil let go of his wrists but didn't move off of him. "i'm sorry."

dan's eyebrows twitched. "you are?"

"yeah. sure. i'm sorry." he knew he wasn't going to open up to dan anytime soon, not in the way dan wanted him to, but he knew it was what dan needed to hear. he needed to think phil was vulnerable around him, which was something he never would be.  

dan shrugged, trying to keep his expression unreadable. "okay. whatever." 

phil leaned over, kissing the corner of his mouth. then he bit his bottom lip, hard. dan squeaked. 

"i'm fine, by the way," he mumbled, kissing him between the words. "since you're so worried."

dan frowned. phil bit his lip again until he stopped. "i wasn't worried."

phil smirked. "mhm."

"i wasn't!" 

"i mean, it's fine if you were. it just makes you a pussy."

dan smacked him, and phil laughed. and just like that, they were back to normal. 

their own abnormal version of normal.