The front door of Phil's house looked much more intimidating when Dan was there alone, debating with himself whether to knock.

In the end, he raised a shivering hand and tapped lightly on the wood.

When, after a few minutes, nobody answered, he tried again, knocking harder this time.

He heard someone approach, and the sound of a chain being removed, and a key turned. A pale face peered around. "Hello?"

Dan almost collapsed with relief. "Phil? Can I come in?"

"Y- of course, but...?"

"I'll explain later, " Dan  whispered, "but for now, can we just pretend I'm having a sleepover here or something?"

Phil nodded quickly and reached out, taking Dan's suitcase and lifting it easily. "Don't bother taking your shoe- where are your shoes?"

Dan shook his head, as though to tell Phil that it wasn't the time. Phil didn't press the matter further, and instead lightly padded up the stairs, Dan following.

When they reached Phil's bedroom, Phil pushed the case into a corner and sighed. "Dan, are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"

Dan opened his mouth, but instead of words, all that came out were incoherent sobs. Phil looked alarmed.

"C-can I ha-ave a hug?" Dan managed to choke out. Phil, his face the very picture of worry, crossed the room to Dan in a few easy steps, and wrapped Dan in his warm arms.

"Sssh," he whispered, trying to soothe Dan, "it's fine, you can stay here, don't worry..."

After a while, Dan's tears became hiccups, and the redness around his eyes began to recede. Phil, his arm around Dan's shoulder, led Dan to the bed, and they sat down.

"Dan," Phil said, turning to face him, "you can stay as long as you need... but why are you here?"

Dan wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffed quietly. "I told my parents and... and they told me to leave."

Phil looked horrified. "That's awful."

Dan gave him a weak smile. "I'd rather be here than there, you know."

"Did they just get really angry or what?"

"They..." Dan suddenly recalled how it had started. "They had a photo of us."

"What? How?"

"I don't know..." Dan's tears had been replaced by confusion.

"Someone at school must have taken it."

Dan gave a small nod. "But how did they get it to my parents?"

"That's one mystery I can't solve."

Dan's head drooped and he stared at his legs. Phil wriggled towards him and pulled Dan towards him so that Dan was sitting on his lap. "What do you want to do?"

Dan looked up at him. "Should we talk to your parents?"

Phil laughed harshly. "They won't even notice you're here. The only person we need to tell is my brother."

"Should we tell him then?" Dan asked quietly.

"Do you want to?"

Dan didn't look too enthusiastic.

"We'll stay here for now, and tell him later." Phil looked at his watch. "It's half five. Do you want something to eat?"

Dan realised that he hadn't eaten all day. He and Phil had skipped lunch and talked in one corner of the courtyard, and he hadn't had time to eat when he'd got home. His stomach rumbled. "Yes please."

Phil pushed Dan gently off his lap and stood. "I'll get us something from the pantry. My parents never cook for me, and they don't even notice when I take food, so I can make you a fairly good meal without them realising you're here."

He left, whistling 'I Giorni', and Dan smiled.

The initial shock of having to leave his own house was wearing off, and Dan was now feeling only exhaustion and slight worry. He stood, stretching, and glanced at himself in the mirror before heading for the piano, sitting down, and starting to play The Heart Asks Pleasure First.

A loud knock came at the door and Dan started, and stepped guiltily away from the piano. "Yeah?"

Martyn's ginger head looked round the door. "Hey, Dan."

"Uh, I can stop playing if you like..."

"No, I liked your playing. I just thought I should come and say hi."

"Oh." Dan couldn't think of an adequate response.

"How long do you think you'll be staying for?"

Dan looked at the floor. "As long as it takes for me to find somewhere to stay."

"You can stay here for as long as you want," Martyn said with a small smile, walking into the room and sitting down on Phil's armchair. "Our parents barely realise we're here sometimes. They won't notice you."

"Wish my parents were like that."

They laughed, but Martyn's eyes became soft soon after. "Don't feel pressured to leave, though. Phil'll love you being here, and I don't mind."

Dan smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

There was a long pause, then Dan mustered the courage to speak again. "Why... why don't your parents notice you?"

Martyn's face gave the impression that he'd been caught off guard. "They only focus on their work and getting as much money as possible." He sounded bitter.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'd rather they were like this than like yours. No offence."

"None taken," Dan said, realising that Martyn's statement was probably true.

The door creaked open and Phil edged his way in, carrying two plates. "I have pasta!" he announced proudly.

Dan looked up at him delightedly, and took the offered plate, shovelling penne into his mouth. Phil sat down on his bed and followed suit, eating slightly more tidily, perhaps, but about as fast.

Martyn watched them amusedly. "You two look like you haven't eaten in weeks."

"We skipped lunch today, remember?" Phil reminded him, his mouth full.

Martyn shook his head at Phil as he devoured the food. "Yeah, but you don't have to look like you're starving, do you?"

Dan, wiping tomato sauce from around his mouth, put his plate down on a shelf and sighed contentedly. "That was one of the best meals I've ever eaten."

Phil laughed. "I'm a great cook."

"You're a Master at cooking," Dan answered with a grin. He had cheered up noticeably and it would take a very perceptive person to notice the look in his eyes that seemed to say that all he wanted was to rest.

Fortunately, Phil was very perceptive.

"Alright Martyn, we're going to unpack Dan's stuff and talk now, so..." He made a small movement with his hands, as though, shoving Martyn out through the door, and the ginger stood up, sighing.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then, I guess," he said, rising. "Hope you're alright, Dan."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Dan answered with a small smile.

Once Martyn was gone, Phil crossed the room to Dan, and sat down on the floor beside him. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Dan said with a sigh, "but I'm exhausted."

Phil pulled Dan into a hug and kissed his forehead lightly. "Shall we get your stuff unpacked?"

Dan yawned, and then nodded. "Where's it going to go?"

"I have a lot of extra shelf space," Phil answered, standing up and heading over to Dan's suitcase. "You can put it there."

Dan also stood, and picked his rucksack up, putting it on the bed, next to where Phil had put his case.

"Can I look through your stuff, or is that weird?" Phil asked quickly.

"Why would it be weird?" Dan asked, occupied with arranging his lava lamp on the shelf.

Phil shrugged, but started taking clothes out of Dan's suitcase, folding them, and piling them up on the shelf. Dan, having given up on unpacking his rucksack, went to help him.

When the case was empty, Dan heaved a huge sigh, and flopped down on the bed. "I'm tired."

"Do you want to go to sleep?" Phil asked, tucking Dan's case under the bed.

"It's only..." Dan checked his watch, "quarter to seven. It's not late."

"Well, you're tired, and there's no rule about when you should sleep." Phil threw Dan an oversized t-shirt. "I'll play you some piano."

Dan smiled gratefully at him, and took his own t-shirt off, unintentionally giving Phil a few seconds to stare at him topless, before pulling on the large totoro t-shirt. It reached halfway down his thighs, so he deemed it acceptable to take off his jeans as well. "Am I sleeping in here?"

"Yeah. We can both fit in my bed, right?"

Dan wiggled his eyebrows and Phil laughed. "Stop it!"

Dan, giggling, wriggled down under the covers and looked over at Phil. He looked like a small child, Phil thought, with only his head poking out over the top of the duvet, and his hands holding onto it. "Play me piano?"

"Of course. What shall I play?"

Dan pretended to think. "I Giorni."

Phil sighed, but he was smiling. "You love that piece, don't you?"

"Yes," Dan whispered, as though it was a secret.

Phil, still smiling, seated himself on the piano stool and rested his feet on the pedals. He took a deep breath, and started playing.

Dan found it quite amusing how the boy playing the piano more beautifully than he'd ever heard it was the same boy who'd pretended to be incompetent just so that be could get closer to Dan. It made him feel a little strange that someone would go to all that effort just to date him, but a good kind of strange - the kind where you feel wanted for the first time ever, and you're not quite sure what to do.

When Phil lifted his hands from the piano, Dan rubbed the tears off his face with the back of his hand, and applauded gently. "That was amazing."

Phil beamed. "Thanks."

Dan smiled back, then yawned widely. "Can we go to sleep?"

"Sure," Phil answered, rummaging through his drawers to find another t-shirt. He pulled off his school shirt, replacing it with the oversized light blue t-shirt that he'd just found. He too pulled off his jeans and threw them into one corner, then slid under the covers and looked at Dan. "How are you feeling?"

Dan blew air out through his nose and considered. "Much better than I did earlier."

Phil tucked an arm around him. "That's not exactly an achievement though, is it?"

"No-o..." Dan admitted, "but I'm getting there. I'm not scared any more, which is a good thing."

Phil pushed his fringe out if his eyes and smiled. "As long as you're feeling better."

Dan shuffled closer to Phil and rested his head in the crook of Phil's elbow. "Sleep?"

Phil kissed his cheek softly. "Sleep. Goodnight, Dan."

"Night, Phil."

i don't know what this even was