dan was... difficult. phil couldn't exactly put his finger on it.

he was a fighter, he was feisty. he was someone phil never would have seen himself with.

phil always singled out the weak people. the cowards. the ones that were insecure, desperate for love, who would take what phil gave them with open arms. dan wasn't like that. phil was fairly certain dan would throw him off the bridge if he missed their one-week anniversary.

if phil was honest, he found it kind of cute.

after the pool incident, they went back to dan's house. phil nearly carried him, it seemed as if almost drowning had taken a bit out of him, although no part of his snark was missing.

phil helped him up the fire escape, and dan collapsed into his room. he looked up at phil, his eyes wide.

"stay..."

phil rolled his eyes, hopping through his window. "why do you think i'm here? god, erica won't stop screaming."

"erica?" dan's eyes flashed with recognition. "your mother."

"foster parent."

dan nodded slowly. "right. why was she screaming?"

dan was shaking, his body trembling with every shiver. phil reached over and pulled a blanket off his huge bed, wrapping it around him. dan took it gratefully.

"found my brother's stash."

dan blinked. "weed?"

"coke."

phil swore he saw dan's eyes dilate. "oh." phil chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"do you think your parents heard you leave?"

dan shook his head, tugging the blanket tighter around himself. "no. they aren't home."

phil blinked. "what?"

"yeah. they're probably at a hotel or something."

"you don't know where they are?"

dan shook his head, sighing. he climbed into phil's lap, nuzzling against him like a giant wet kitten. "no."

phil hummed in thought. his foster mom had always been a shitty parent, and never payed them individual attention, and was mean, but she never disappeared.

he saw dan shiver, and held him tighter.

"you know nothing," dan said after a minute, his voice soft and low. "nothing about me."

phil knew dan wouldn't tell him if he asked. he challenged him instead. "what, you aren't just a little rich kid?"

dan pulled back just enough to glare at him, but didn't move out of his lap.

"you know nothing," he repeated. phil didn't push him after that. dan would tell him about his home life when he wanted to. for now, phil just held him, wrapping his arms all the way around him.

after a few minutes, phil heard his breathing slow, dan's face pressed against his chest. phil sighed, shifting so he was leaning against the bed, and closed his own eyes. he fell asleep like that, with a sopping wet boy in his lap, both of them soaked and cold, a fluffy yet useless duvet wrapped around them.