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"I can't do this anymore," Dan says, his voice breaking, high and upset, around the words, letting Phil know at least that it's hurting him as much as he's trying to hurt Phil. "Everything is too much. The attention. The fans."
You is left unsaid, but Phil can hear it anyway through the rushing in his ears.
"I love you," Dan continues and he reaches out to take Phil's hand in his. "I do. More than anything–"
"Then why?" Phil asks, anger burning through his words. "Why let them win?" He grips Dan's hand tightly, his knuckles going white at the strength of his grasp.
Dan gasps, trying to pull his hand free, but Phil doesn't let go. "Phil," Dan says, his voice pleading. "I just can't anymore. Please, please understand." He tugs harder and, finally, Phil lets go. "I'm going to pack a bag, okay?" And Dan heads to the bedroom, a forlorn look drooping his face, looking more distraught than Phil has ever seen him.
Phil sits there in shock for a long moment, listening to the distant sounds of Dan packing in the bedroom. He had thought things were fine. They just got done touring Interactive Introverts, and he knew Dan and Phil Games was done for now, but he wasn't expecting Dan to want to break free from everything. From Phil.
No. Phil curls his hands into tight fists on his knees. He isn't going to let this happen.
Phil gets up and stalks into the bedroom. Dan is sat on the floor in front of the closet, an open bag at his side, his head buried in his hands. Dan doesn't look up, and Phil doesn't say anything. Instead, he goes to the bedside table and digs around a bit before he pulls out their favourite pair of leather handcuffs and stuffs them into his back pocket. They don't fully fit, but it's fine.
Dan is too distracted, too in his own head to notice. Good.
Phil drapes himself lovingly over Dan's back and presses a kiss to the side of his head. "Dan," he says softly, coaxing him out of the dark place in his mind. "Can we talk about this?"
Dan lifts his head up and Phil takes to opportunity to lace their fingers together. "What is there to talk about?" Dan asks, his voice hauntingly void of emotion. "It's over, Phil."
Phil squeezes Dan's hands reassuringly. "It's not," he says, then with quick moves, he pulls Dan's hands behind his back, ignoring Dan's indignant yelp. With some flailing and shouting, Phil is able to secure Dan's hands with the cuffs, effectively trapping him. "I won't let it be." Phil says as he stands up to look down at Dan, helpless and panting on the floor.
"Phil, what the fuck?" Dan's voice is loud and panicked. Phil pulls him to his feet with rough hands on his bicep, then shoves him into bed. "Phil!"
"You don't want to leave," Phil says as he climbs into bed after Dan. He's sure of that fact. If Dan wanted to go, he'd be gone. He wouldn't give Phil the opportunity to do this, to keep him here. "And I won't let you." His voice is dark with a promise that he fully intends to keep. He's not letting Dan go. No matter what.
"Phil," Dan says brokenly, tears spilling from his eyes. "I'm sorry."
Phil pushes Dan down so he's on his back even though he's sure it puts an uncomfortable pressure on Dan's arms. Phil leans over Dan, bracketing his head with his arms. "I know," Phil says tenderly. "I know you are."
"I don't want to go." Dan sniffs, his voice small. "I just can't live like this."
Phil cups Dan's face in his hand and Dan leans into the touch gratefully, his eyes closing. "It's okay, I've got you." He kisses Dan's forehead, then his nose, his cheeks, and hovers over his slightly parted mouth. "You don't have to worry anymore. I won't let anyone get to you."
And Dan relaxes at that, the tension draining from his muscles. It's always other people, other forces that Dan worries about. Phil will make sure he doesn't have to deal with them anymore. Easy.
Phil closes the distance between their lips. "I'll keep you tied up in here," Phil says against Dan's mouth. "Just for myself. You don't have to think about the world, or the fans, or anything but me." He runs his hands down Dan's chest, trying to ground him with his voice and with his touch.
Dan arches into Phil's hands and makes a desperate, sad sound into his mouth. "Promise me," Dan demands roughly. "Don't say things like that unless you'll follow through with it."
Phil breaks away, moving downward to nose at Dan's neck. "I promise," he says, then he bites at the skin there, worrying a harsh bruise into Dan's throat as Dan sobs and shakes and thanks him over and over. When Phil pulls back, the skin is blooming with colour already and he grins down at Dan. "I'll keep you here forever."
And Phil always keeps his promises.