The next day, Dan had his usual routine of knocking on Phil's door. He had his laptop under his arm.

Phil answered with a small smile. “Hey, Dan. Come on in.”

“Hi,” he said. “Phil, I spoke with my commander last night. I tried to tell him you're innocent, but he doesn't believe me. He claims to have evidence against you.” He opened the laptop and pulled up the video that was supposed to show him selling a dime-bag. “Is this you?”

Phil took a look at it. “No, I swear.”

“I didn't think so. I'm not supposed to discuss this with you, but I couldn't help it. And besides, I think you could help me solve this. All we have to do is find who framed you and you're in the clear.”

“Can't you get in trouble for sharing this with me?”

“Yes, but I'm not about to let an innocent person be sent to jail on my behalf. For the record, I would never share top secret information with anyone, but I... trust you.”

Phil just stared at him. Then a smile formed on his lips. When he didn't say anything, Dan turned to him and found himself smiling back. It felt so odd. He hadn't smiled like that for real in years. While trying to analyze data on the video, Dan began to laugh.

“What?” Phil asked, watching him.

“I'm just happy.”

Phil inched closer to him, staring at his face. “You have a dimple.”

“I do?”

“Yeah. Its kinda cute.”

He put his hand over his face. “Where?”

“There.”

“I didn't know that,” he said, almost in awe. “I haven't really seen myself smile.”

“What? What do you mean? You smile all the time.”

“When I'm with you, I guess.”

Phil blushed lightly. “Why don't you smile?”

Dan thought back, turning away from his work. “When I was eight, my mother abandoned me at the agency to become an undercover spy and policeman. They taught me that I wasn't supposed to have fun or laugh because it was distracting and took me away from my work. I trained with them to become their weapon. I can do everything they expected of me and more, but that's it. It's all I know. It's been 15 years since I've done something for myself. I guess that's life, though. You don't really get to decide where you end up."

Phil's smile had been lost. “Dan,” he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “No, you do get to decide. That's terrible. 15 years.... I'm so sorry.”

“It's not your fault. It doesn't matter.”

“But it does. So, is that why you didn't know how to play those games? You never got the chance?”

Dan's heart hurt in a different way now. He nodded. “Yeah, that's why. No one's ever treated me like... like I'm my own person before. I just don't know how to be my own person. They didn't teach me that either.”

“Just do whatever makes you happy, Dan. You shouldn't have to give away yourself to them. I get that that's your job and you work for them, but you should at least get to use your own personality, don't you think so?”

Dan wasn't sure what to say. He'd always been able to finish a conversation from his wits. Maybe he didn't need wits for this. “Thank you, Phil,” he decided to say.

“I...,” he started. “I'm sorry you never got a childhood.”

“It's alright. I've never felt more cared about than the times I've spent with you. Its weird. I've never felt loved before – ”

Phil interrupted him by very quickly stealing a kiss off Dan's cheek and pulling away fast. Dan put his hand over the spot, which was hot and tingling.

“I love you, Dan.” Phil looked at Dan with loving eyes, hoping for a similar response. “I know it's weird but.... I don't know. I just feel so connected to you, even though its been only a while over a week. It's been so short of a time and I feel like you know more about me than anyone else. I can't explain it but... I love you, Dan.”

Dan said nothing. His face was burning red and his eyes were wide at Phil, who was still grinning. But after the silence, Phil's grin faded.

“I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I – I just... Dan, I'm sorry.” Phil stood up and backed away, pale and nervous that he'd done something horribly wrong.

“Phil,” Dan said, almost in a whisper. “Why are you sorry?”

“You don't seem happy,” he said sadly, putting his hands behind his back and shrugging his shoulders. He looked like he wanted to escape.

“It's just... it's been over 15 years since someone has said that to me.”

“What?”

“My mother. She was the last to say so before she left me. Long before she did.”

Phil looked to the ground, then back to him. “I'm sorry to hear that.”

“The difference is that I didn't love her back. I couldn't bring myself to love someone who abandoned someone she claimed to love.”

“The difference?” Phil looked in awe.

Dan stood up and pushed his laptop off of him. He very slowly came up to Phil and hugged around his body before kissing his lips softly. Phil's eyes widened in shock, but closed and le his arms fall over Dan's broad shoulders.

“I don't know how to explain it,” Dan said afterward, “but I love you, Phil.” Dan watched as Phil's lip pulled into a small, innocent smile that helped to dye the red of his face a lighter shade. “Now lets find out who's framing you so I don't have to work anymore.”

 Phil looked to him thankfully. “Ok.”