Work Text:
Dan had been living A normal life ever since he can remember. He has always gone to school and hung out with friends, but Dan had a secret. He was born a neko. This seems like it would be okay, but in the world now, nekos weren’t treated as equal to human, they were treated as pets, slaves, and they are NOT counted as people. For the longest time Dan thought he was normal, he thought everyone had ears and a tail hidden under their clothes, but as he got older he learned that humans didn’t have ears nor tails.
Dan grew up with his mother, a neko, and his father, a human who believed that nekos were equal. He never really understood why his mother didn’t have a job or go out much until he discovered how unfairly nekos were treated in everyday life. Luckily his dad had a good paying job that could support their family comfortably.
Since he always had gone to school, he saw how when puberty hit, all the other boys got tall and muscular, they all had low voices, but Dan, Dan didn’t get tall, he stayed 5′5″ and his voice didn’t deepen much. Nobody figured out his secret, but it just made him stick out more in his mind.
Everyday when he went to school he wore a beanie, but there were a few times where his beanie fell off and he had to keep his ears flat, nobody ever noticed the fact he wore a hat a lot, he supposes they just assumed that was his style, which honestly wasn’t too far off, he did wear a lot of stylish dark clothing.
For example today he was wearing black skinny jeans, a shirt with moths on it, and a leather jacket to top it off. He dressed cool even though he really wasn’t that popular. He had a small group of friends, none of which knew he was a neko, but there was one of his friends hat he was a little more close to. That friend was Phil. Phil was a happy bubbly person, he was a lot taller than Dan though, but his clumsiness made him seem a bit less intimidating that and the fact he was a video game nerd who had a slight obsession with Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Him and Phil were like a package deal, you want one, you get both. They were almost always together, whether that be in or out of school. Dan was honestly surprised that Phil hadn’t figured out his secret and left yet, but Phil was always slightly oblivious of a lot of things. He had doubts that Phil would hate him seeing as they were close, but he wouldn’t trust that because everyone else hated his kind, so why wouldn’t Phil.
He always had a crush on Phil though, Phil just was outright adorable, so how couldn’t he? Dan had always had a suspicion that he didn’t only like girls, but that theory was proven to be right when he met Phil and his heart attached itself to him.
Today him and Phil had been planning to hang out and play video games, so Dan was wishing that the school day could finally be over, but alas he still had an hour left of English. He always enjoyed hanging out with Phil, even if they were just sitting around and doing nothing. Phil’s presence was always just... comforting.
His eyes started to droop as his English teacher, Mrs. Mosique droned on about Shakespeare or something. Dan hadn’t been paying attention from the moment she started talking.
Suddenly, he was hit in the back of the head with what seemed to be a ball of paper. He was torn abruptly from his daydreaming. He rapidly blinked and turned around to find who the culprit was. He scanned the people behind him when his eyes landed on his friend, Chris who was smiling sheepishly. Chris was always a trouble maker , so it was no surprise that he threw it at him.
He bent down and grabbed the ball of notebook paper off the floor. He unraveled it to find it had writing in it, it read ‘You seem interested in the lecture, You doing something later with a certain someone?’. Dan looked back him with a glare ready, but when he turned he was wiggling his eyebrows at him, Dan blushed and turned back toward the teacher, the red not leaving his face for the rest of the class.
When the bell finally rang signifying the end of class he collected his things and headed toward the door. Chris jogged up beside him.
“In a hurry?” he asked a devious smirk plastered on his devilish face.
“Uh, Kinda?” Dan said trying to not give away anything.
“Where you goin’ Danny?” he said purposely using that nickname to annoy Dan.
“I’m hanging out with Phil after school and stop calling me Danny or I swear to god I’ll-Hey guys!” Dan started, but got interrupted by none other than Phil himself.
“Hey.” Dan said.
“Hey Phil, Me and your boyfriend were just talking about you guys hanging out.” Chris said teasingly.
Dan blushed furiously and hid his face, while Phil’s face tinted slightly pink.
“I’m gonna go put my stuff in my locker, you can wait for me outside.” Dan said scurrying away toward his locker.
Dan grabbed his stuff quickly from his locker and headed toward the front doors his ears perked up under the black beanie.
He spotted Phil on the further side of the courtyard under a tree turned toward the road. ‘This was my chance to scare the hell out of him’ he thought. He sneakily tiptoed toward him making sure to avoid any stray leaved or branched on the ground. Dan got close to his ear and whispered “Boo!”.
Phil jumped and let out a squeak. Coward.
“Dan, bloody hell, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he said his voice loud and slightly tempered.
The cat inside of Dan let out a soft whimper on accident.
“sorry, I just wanted to spook you.” Dan said his voice light.
“Oh, Sorry for yelling I was just scared.” he said most likely noticing the pitiful whimper Dan let out.
“It’s fine.” he says, the atmosphere awkward.
“You want to head to my house now?” Phil asks breaking the small tension.
“Please.” he answers as they start to walk out the front gates.
The walk to Phil’s house was spent in a comfortable silence, Dan always liked to look at all the beautiful houses in Phil’s neighborhood. Phil’s house was pretty big as was the houses surrounding it, Dan’s house was about average sized, but they never go there because Dan feels like Phil would see something he wasn’t supposed to. Phil’s never met Dan’s parents either because his mum doesn’t hide her cat like attributes and his dad isn’t usually home, so he feels like going to his would be a bad idea in general.
They turned to go down Phil’s driveway which lead to his white, flawless house. ‘The only flaw was that I was going in it. I always feel like I don’t belong in certain places because of the way I am, but my family always reminds me that I’m a human, but just a little more, sometimes that's not reassuring though. Sometimes I just feel out of place, like I should just be a stupid pet.’ Dan thinks, his mind dark.
His dark thoughts were interrupted by Phil’s sweet voice.
“Mum and Dad are at work, so they’re some snack left in the fridge.” he stated unlocking the front door with the key they hid under the mat.
“Mkay.” Dan replied.
They both walked in and took off their shoes and placed them on the rack.
“so food or Mario Kart?” Phil asked smiling with his tongue sticking out in the corner of his mouth.
“Mario Kart.” Dan said starting toward the stairs that lead to Phil’ room.
“Race you there.” Phil challenged jogging up the stairs 2 at a time.
“No fair, your legs are like giant.” Dan wheezed trying to catch up to him.
Phil chuckled, easily beating Dan into the room.
“Your so unfair.” Dan pouted when he reached the doorway.
“No your just really slow.” Phil replied setting up the console game.
“Am not!” Dan stated like a child.
“Are too.” Phil said playing along.
“Ugh, Your Terrible.” Dan says looking way from him.
“Maybe, But you got to admit you love me.” Phil said looking toward Dan with a smirk.
“fine, whatever just set up the damn game.” Dan said a slight blush hovering on his cheeks.
After about 15 rounds of Mario Kart and Phil’s expected defeat they stopped and flopped back onto Phil’s bed.
“Did you know that hippo milk is pink?” Phil stated bluntly.
“No and why would I care?” Dan replied rolling his caramel eyes.
“Don’t you care about your hippos?” Phil stated in mock offense.
“No, not really.” Dan said.
“Do you care about any animal?” Phil asked his tone slightly amused.
“No.” Dan replied staring at the ceiling.
“Not even Lions?!” Phil said loudly.
“There just another creature Phil, nothing too special.” Dan says thinking about himself.
Phil then suddenly jumps onto Dan, basically straddling him.
“You take that back.” Phil says pinning Dan’s hands down above his head. Well that got intimate.
“Nope.” Dan replies popping the ‘p’.
“I’ll take your phone if you don’t say “Lion’s are great” Phil threatens.
“I don’t have one.” Dan laughs.
“I’ll take your..your..your.” Phil started, but eventually giving up.
“Ha I thought so.” Dan says cockily.
Then to Dan’s horror, Phil rips the black beanie off of my head.
“I got your be-” He started to say, but then stopped and stared intently at Dan’s head. Oh God.
Dan’s ears were on full display to Phil. They went flat to his head from fear, but Phil still saw the small, brown, cat ears that were in his hair.
His grip on Dan lightened up enough for Dan to push Phil off his hips. Dan got off the bed. His legs shook slightly where he stood, feeling naked without the piece of fabric covering his ears.
“Your A neko?!” Phil stated, his mouth agape.
Dan panicked and started running for the door, ears still exposed. He ran down the stairs faster than ever before, his only thoughts were escape.
Phil must have came to his senses because he started yelling “Dan! Come back!” and chasing after him.
Dan’s eyes watered, why the hell did he think it was a fucking good idea to make friends with Phil and especially get attached to him? Dan should have known that things would of ended up horrible. His damn ears and tail makes him stand out and who the hell wants to hang out with a low class neko? No one whos sane. ‘I’m so fucking stupid!’ he thinks.
Dan’s knees collapsed as he was in his front yard, tears streaming down his face, ears on full display to everyone who saw. What a scene?
Phil came out the door 30 or so second later.
“Dan, Come back inside, please, can we talk?” Phil asked softly walking up to Dan.
“Phil, don’t act like you care, Don’t pity me either, I get that you don’t want to hang out with some stupid animal, okay?” Dan says voice hoarse from crying.
“Dan it’s okay, I’m not angry at you, you were just trying to protect yourself, your still Dan just with ears and I’m assuming a tail.” Phil said attempting to comfort me.
“Phil, You can’t just act like your okay with tis because your obviously not.” Dan says looking up at him eyes red.
“Dan, I promise It is okay, I have always thought that nekos are equal to human, they still look and think like us, they just have part cat in them and to me that’s perfectly fine Whoever thinks that being a neko is wrong can go to hell.” Phil says the power and confidence in his voice as prominent as ever. It reallywas comforting to hear someone, especially Phil say that, for once someone saying that actually Kinda helps.
“Phil..” Dan sobs some more, he’s not even crying from fear of rejection he’s crying from love. Phil doesn’t hate him and he doesn’t mind the fact that he’s a neko, Phil really was the best.
“Shh, It’s alright.” Phil said gently petting his ears.
“how about we get you inside?” Phil asked breaking the momentarily silence.
“Okay.” Dan replies standing up, wobbling slightly.
They walked back inside the house into the lounge where Dan and Phil sat down on the sofa.
“Why did you hide this from me? I mean I know nekos aren’t seen as equals in ur fucked up society, but I thought you could rust me with those types of things?” Phil asked his voice soothing to Dan’s ears.
“Well I thought you would hate me for being a neko, I know that sounds stupid aloud, but everyone else hates nekos, so what makes you any different. At least that's what I though for the longest time, right now I feel like I could honestly trust you with anything.” Dan said his voice cracking as he spoke, but Phil didn’t seem to mind.
“I hope you know that I do care, I care about whatever stressful, hard times your going through okay? You mean more to me than anyone or anything else. Phil said lovingly.
“Thank you, that means so much to me, you have no idea what it’s like growing up feeling like you didn't belong and have no place here.” Dan says memories of when people have seen his ears coming to his mind.
Dan snuggled up to Phil gently, “You know that I do like you a lot right?” Phil says his hand around Dan.
“I know now.” Dan says tilting his head up to kiss Phil’s soft pink lips.
For the first time in what feels like forever Daniel James Howell feels proud of himself, He feels happy and content. With Phil around I think he’ll be able to manage.