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“Dan, can you check that the doors and windows are locked?” Phil asked, walking around the bed to fix a loose corner of the bedsheet.
“Already did,” Dan said, pulling his sacrificial lamb t-shirt on. It was demoted to pyjamas since Dan didn’t want to wear it on camera anymore but still liked wearing it.
“Aw, good boy. I’ll make your pillow extra fluffy tonight,” Phil replied, sniffing the duvet to see whether the bedding could handle one more night. The fabric passed the test, so he grabbed a pillow.
“Dork,” Dan scoffed, smiling. He sat down on the bed, waiting for his pillow.
“There you go, lad,” Phil murmured, setting the pillow down on Dan’s side and watching his partner in amusement as he dramatically lowered his head onto it.
“Mmm, that’s lovely,” Dan moaned, closing his eyes.
Phil giggled, climbed in and turned off the lights.
“You’re so cute. Now I have to taste the fruits of my labour.” He scooted closer and nuzzled Dan’s cheek with his nose.
Dan’s instinct told him to say something funny and call Phil a derogatory name (lovingly), but then Phil’s warm fingers brushed the strip of lace stretched around Dan’s stomach, and the gentle scratch of the fabric temporarily erased thoughts from Dan’s brain.
But just as Dan leaned in for what he intended to be a dirty, wet kiss, a click outside the room made them both freeze. A barely noticeable strip of light appeared in the gap under the bedroom door.
“What was that?” Dan asked, sitting up, while Phil grabbed his glasses. A noise from the hallway followed – as if someone bumped into a piece of furniture.
“Phil, there’s someone in the house,” Dan said, beginning to panic.
“Shit,” Phil muttered, searching for his phone in the dark.
“Phil?” a distressed voice called from downstairs. “Phil, what’s going on?”
They stared at each other, speechless. There was no way. Right? Phil dug his nails into his skin anxiously, the pain telling him there probably was a way because he was not dreaming.
“Phil, this isn’t funny!” the intruder shouted, his voice trembling.
Dan scrambled out of bed and set towards the door, his heart racing almost painfully.
“Wait,” Phil said, quickly joining him. Together they walked down the stairs to find a boy with brown emo hair and a large duffel bag by his feet peeking into their office. He turned around when he heard the footsteps.
“What the fuck,” he said flatly, staring at the two men and taking a step back. “Where’s Phil?”
“I’m Phil,” Phil said softly, stepping closer, but the boy took another step back into the doorframe. He grimaced when his head hit the wood but didn’t make a peep.
Dan took a shuddering breath, watching the boy. “Dan. It’s okay. I, um… I’m Dan. I’m you. But… from the future. Well, your future. It’s 2026. How… how did you get here?”
“Oh, me from the future, are you? Sure, that sounds completely believable. Just another Friday night, right?” young Dan said sarcastically, but his voice shivered, and he watched the two older men with poorly masked fear in his eyes.
The sight was excruciating. Dan walked over, not stopping even when young Dan seemed to be searching for an exit route. “Hey. Hey, it’s okay. Dan, look at me. I’m you. Look at me.”
“What the fuck,” young Dan whispered and crossed his arms over his chest, finally recognising himself in the older man. Then his expression shifted. “What the fuck are you wearing? You look like a wannabe artsy MySpace model in his grandma’s nightgown.”
Instead of being offended, Dan felt a dull ache spreading across his chest, remembering how scared he was to express himself at that age. How he yearned to experiment with something less masculine than hoodies and skinny jeans, but the crippling fear of being perceived and clocked as queer made him resent people who were braver than he was.
Swallowing a sharp retort, he muttered, “Come here, you silly gremlin,” and pulled the boy into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you, and I love you so, so much.” Young Dan went rigid in his arms for a moment. Then he pushed his hands between their bodies and shoved Dan away, staring at him like a deer in headlights.
“Dan, why don’t you come upstairs so we can talk?” Phil stepped in before either Dan could say anything hasty. As if approaching a caged, wild animal, he put his hand lightly on young Dan’s back and walked him to Dan’s room.
“You can leave your bag in this room for now,” he said softly.
Dan watched, speechless.
“Right here,” Phil said, keeping his voice low and soothing, and waited for young Dan to drop his duffel bag on Dan’s bed. “Now let’s figure out what happened, okay? Go upstairs, please. I’ll be right there.”
Young Dan shot the older Dan a wary look but did as he was told.
“Dan, take a deep breath, okay?” Phil said, stepping closer to his partner.
“Phil… why did he push me away?”
“Probably overwhelmed. Change the sheets and find some comfy clothes and a towel for him, okay?”
“How are you so calm, Phil?!” Dan cried, startling the older man.
“Stop it. I’m nowhere near calm, but I don’t want to freak him out even more. You get the room ready in case he’s staying the night and calm down. I’ll talk to him.”
“But you realise how insane this is, right?” Dan demanded.
“Yes. Yes, Dan, I do. And I’m going to try and find out how it happened.”
Phil found young Dan sitting on top of the stairs, looking small despite his height.
“I don’t know how this happened,” he said thickly, not accepting Phil’s hand and getting to his feet on his own.
“Okay,” Phil said softly, leading the way to the kitchen and switching the lights on. The counter was covered with used wine glasses, pans, plates and takeout boxes from that day. Phil glanced at the clock – it was close to 2 AM. His mind raced, trying to find a memory of Dan being out that late with a duffel bag.
“Are you hungry?” he asked instead of searching for answers.
“Starving,” Dan muttered, sitting down on a bar stool.
“We made banana bread earlier. Would you like some? Or I could make you a sandwich,” Phil offered.
“Banana bread sounds good,” Dan said, watching Phil’s every movement as the older man switched on the grill and cut a few slices. He popped the baking sheet in and made Dan a glass of Ribena, sitting down next to him.
Dan downed half the glass in one go. “Thanks.”
Phil nodded. “So… how did you get in?” Which seemed like an easier question than how did you get here.
“Um, I have the key,” young Dan said, pulling two keys on a Mario keychain from his pocket.
Phil frowned in confusion. “Those are from my first flat in Manchester. I gave them to you when I moved in. They shouldn’t work in this house.”
“Yeah, well.”
“So… what were you doing out so late and with a duffel bag?”
Dan didn’t reply, only lowered his gaze. Phil got up to get the banana bread and spread a generous amount of butter and jam on the toasted top.
“It’s okay, Dan, you can tell me,” Phil said as he set the plate in front of the boy.
Dan took a deep breath “I was lonely. Needed a break from studying. And… some boys in the Halls…” he trailed off, but Phil remembered how much Dan disliked the loud, rough boys who said offensive jokes just to get a reaction and had little regard for boundaries or privacy. They were a big part of the reason why Dan spent most of his free time at Phil’s.
“I know. I remember,” Phil said, rubbing Dan’s shoulder.
“So I went to Phil’s to, um, do laundry and to spend the night. Well, he’d do the laundry because I’m fucking useless. And when I unlocked the door, I walked into your hallway.”
“You’re not useless, Dan. People don’t just know everything all of a sudden when they turn eighteen.”
Dan shrugged, taking a big bite of the banana bread, but Phil wasn’t fooled by the gesture. He knew Dan better than that.
“But I should learn these things. Otherwise, Phil won't put up with my bullshit much longer.”
“Oh, Danny," Phil cooed, amused. “I still do the laundry because my Dan doesn’t know how.”
“Oh,” Dan said awkwardly.
“Relationships don't stand on the division of domestic labour, Dan. They stand on fun and love and trust and feeling safe with the other person,” Phil said softly, looking up to see Dan, his Dan, standing by the stairs, leaning against the wall and watching them with tears in his eyes.
The boy set the slice of banana bread back on the plate. He looked nauseous and gulped as if there was something stuck in his throat.
Dan, reading the boy like an open book, placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
“Are you tired?” he asked softly.
The boy tensed under Dan’s touch and batted at his hand. “What, is it past my bedtime, grandma?” he scoffed, and both men knew it was fake. A desperate attempt of a distraught, exhausted child to raise his shield.
“Alright, easy on the attitude,” Dan said mildly, then sighed. “Look, I know you’re confused and scared, but–”
“I’m not scared,” young Dan retorted, glaring at the other Dan and pushing his chin up in a fighting stance. “You don’t know shit about anything. Fucking acting all wise and mature but–”
“That’s enough,” Phil interrupted, getting up from the bar stool. He managed to convince the boy to go downstairs with him.
“I’m sorry,” Dan muttered. “He makes my skin crawl.”
“Why?” Phil asked, keeping his voice low again.
Dan shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Phil hummed. He had an idea.
“Um, is this your guest room?” Dan asked, interrupting the awkward silence.
“No, it’s actually Dan’s room.”
“Oh. So you sometimes can’t stand him either.” It wasn't a question, more of a statement of someone who hasn't yet experienced the full force of Phil’s love and affection.
“In a perfect world, I’d be attached to him all day and night,” Phil said, smiling. “But we both need our own space sometimes, you know, that’s healthy in a relationship. Especially when we live and work together, and don’t go out. But we both sleep upstairs most nights.”
“Oh.”
“Get some rest, okay? I can see you’re exhausted. We’ll figure this out tomorrow. Dan left some clothes and a towel here for you. The bathroom is next door – feel free to borrow anything you need. Are these your dirty clothes?” Phil pointed at the duffel bag.
“Um, yeah. I don’t have any clean clothes. So, um, thanks for this.”
Phil nodded. “Okay. I’ll put them in the wash for you.”
“You don’t have to,” Dan protested, his cheeks heating up.
Phil smiled. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. Can I give you a hug goodnight?”
Dan hesitated, looking at the older man sheepishly.
“Well, if you change your mind,” Phil said softly, then left the room with the duffel bag. In the utility room, he unzipped it and started loading the items into the washing machine one by one, checking pockets and making sure there wasn’t any odd-coloured sock that would cause trouble. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Dan’s old clothes. The impossibly skinny jeans, the flannel shirts, the cold beer and hot women t-shirt, an assortment of items in all shades of black… and Phil’s favourite hoodie, which he’d lost back in 2010. He chuckled. So that’s where it went. Maybe he could ask his Dan where he’d put it.
As he walked out of the room and headed upstairs, a shy voice made him turn.
“Phil?”
Dan stood in the doorway to the downstairs bedroom, changed into fresh clothes.
“Yes?”
“Can I… can I have that hug?”
Phil smiled and wrapped his arms around the boy. Dan hugged back, squeezing Phil so hard he almost gasped.
“Good night,” Dan said, quickly slipped into the room and shut the door.
Upstairs, Phil found his Dan aggressively cleaning the kitchen. His movements were jittery and poorly coordinated, and he wiped his eyes with the back of his arm just as Phil stepped closer and touched his back.
“Dan, let’s go to bed,” he said gently. Dan turned to him, his face red and puffy. He threw the tea towel he had been using into the sink. Normally, Phil would tell him off, but the situation was far from normal. Dan took a shaky breath, leaned back against the counter, and grabbed the edges to steady himself.
“Bear,” Phil whispered, frowning with worry. He caressed Dan’s hot cheek and pulled the taller man into his arms. Dan buried his face into Phil’s shoulder, sobbing.
“Shh, let’s go lie down, okay?” Phil suggested, on the verge of tears himself. It took them a few minutes, but finally they snuggled under the duvet again, and turned off the lights.
“He’s hurting so much, Phil,” Dan choked out between sobs. “I thought he was going to punch me in the face. He needs help. Phil, please, let’s help him. Please. He can’t… I don’t want him to go through all that shit I have. He doesn’t even know he’s got depression yet, for fuck’s sake.” Dan was nearly choking on sobs, and his whole body was shaking in Phil’s arms. “And he hates himself so much. I almost forgot what it was like. But I can see it in him. It all came back. Phil, please, we have to help him.”
Phil listened without interrupting, rubbing Dan’s back in a steady pattern.
“Please, Phil,” Dan sobbed, clutching onto his partner as if he was the last steady point in the entire universe. “Please, we have to.”
“What do you want to do, bear?” Phil asked softly, knowing that there was exactly nothing they could do.
“Phil, please, let’s not send him back.”
Heavy silence fell between them. Dan pulled back, looking at Phil expectantly, his expression half-feral.
“We can’t do that,” Phil said, brushing damp curls away from Dan’s face. “That’s not possible, Dan. He needs to go back to his Phil.”
Dan sobbed. “But–but–we could make it work. We have a spare room, and we could send him to Uni, and–and–”
“We can’t,” Phil cut him off, gentle but firm. “Dan. You know we can’t. If we do, we’ll never be together. If we keep him, everything we have will disappear, and he'll end up completely alone.” Not mentioning that the young Phil, who was waiting for his Dan sometime in 2010, would be lost without him, was a choice on Phil’s part. He didn’t want to guilt Dan into seeing reason.
Dan stared at Phil silently, tears slowly drying off. Phil carded his fingers through Dan’s hair and gently pressed Dan’s head against his shoulder. Dan exhaled shakily and shifted closer, squeezing Phil.
“I’m sorry, bear,” Phil whispered in Dan’s ear. “I’m sorry we can’t help him. I wish we could. But he’s strong. You know he is. And he’s got Phil. He’ll be alright, I promise. Phil will take care of him.”
“Phil will leave all the kitchen cabinets open to keep him agile,” Dan whispered back after a few moments of silence.
“And feed him snacks when he feels down.”
“And do crazy shit when Dan’s not home because he misses him.”
“He’s probably shopping for fabric dye as we speak.”
Dan gave a wet chuckle. “You know what’s crazy?”
“What?” Phil smiled, caressing Dan’s flushed cheek.
“You’re old enough to be his father now.”
“Oh, god!”
Neither of them noticed the small noises coming from outside the room until there was a timid knock on the door. Both men sat up, startled, and Phil switched on the bedside lamp. Dan’s chest tightened with anxiety and anticipation.
“Come in,” Phil said.
“Hi,” young Dan muttered as he opened the door. His hair was dishevelled as if he’d been tossing and turning in bed, and his face was pale.
“Are you alright?” Phil asked. Dan didn’t feel like anything he’d say would be received well.
“Can’t sleep.”
Dan didn’t need to search for signs for long to know the boy was on the verge of an anxiety attack. The way he was gripping the door, his rigid stance with heavy legs, the way he was pretending not to struggle to breathe. Not to mention he just knew.
“Would you like to sleep here?” Dan offered.
“And maybe have a little chat?” Phil added.
Young Dan nodded, avoiding eye contact.
“Alright, come here,” Phil said softly, pushing the duvet to the end of the bed. When Dan sat down, Phil leaned towards his Dan, gave him a quick kiss and got up.
“I’ll go sleep downstairs, okay? You two have a lot to talk about.”
Young Dan stared at him in shock, mouth slightly open.
“Okay,” Dan said, though he was not confident it would go well.
“Okay,” Phil echoed softly and squeezed young Dan’s shoulder before saying good night and leaving the room.
“Dan, listen,” Dan began a few moments of silence later.
“You’re a selfish asshole!” young Dan spat, getting up and stepping away from the bed. “I heard what you said.”
Dan jumped to his feet and walked around the bed to the boy. “Dan, wait, it’s–”
“I can handle everything you did!” Young Dan raised his trembling voice, and tears welled in his eyes. “I want to go back. Phil and I can get through anything! You can’t keep me here!”
“No, Dan, we’ll get you back home, I promise.”
“You wanted to keep me here!”
“I just wanted to protect you. I’m sorry. I promise we’ll get you home,” Dan said, reaching out to hug the boy, but he shoved him away, then punched his arm.
“I hate you," he sobbed. “You’re a coward. And selfish. Fucking useless. I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”
The boy hit older Dan after every sentence, each time weaker than before, but somehow that hurt even more. And Dan let him get all that frustration out. It was no longer about staying or going back.
When the boy stopped hitting, barely standing on his unsteady feet and exhausted from crying, Dan wrapped his arms around him. Young Dan fought the embrace, trying to push Dan away and hit him again, but older Dan didn't let go this time. The first tears rolled down his face as he whispered, “It's okay. You’re okay. I’m here. I forgive you.”
Young Dan shook his head, struggling to breathe. “I don't want you to forgive me! I hate you so much.”
“Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay, Dan, I’ve got you,” Dan said gently, holding the boy in an iron grip until he stopped fighting and slowly, hesitantly leaned in.
“I want Phil,” he whimpered.
“I can go get him,” Dan said.
“Not him. My Phil. I haven’t seen him in over a week,” young Dan croaked. “I’ve had a really, really hard time, and I wanted to see him tonight. I miss him so much.” By the time he finished the thought, tears were rolling down his face again.
“Oh, bear,” Dan said gently, which only made things worse. Dan ran a hand up and down the boy’s back, the other wrapped securely around his waist. “Shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you.”
Dan clung to the older man, grabbing fistfuls of his white t-shirt as his whole body shook with desperate sobs.
“Shh. We’ll get you back to your Phil, I promise,” Dan whispered, on the verge of tears himself. “I’m sorry for what I said. I just wanted to protect you. But I know you’re strong and smart and absolutely fucking unstoppable when you set your mind to something. I’m proud of you, okay?”
Young Dan pulled away. “What if you can’t get me back?”
“We’ll figure it out, I promise,” Dan said firmly. “But not now, okay? It’s very late, and you have to get some rest.”
Young Dan nodded silently.
“You can sleep here, and I can go downstairs and join Phil,” Dan offered.
“No, s–stay. Please.”
They finally got into bed, and Dan pulled the duvet over them. As young Dan tucked his hands under the pillow, older Dan noticed pink lines on the boy’s forearm.
“Dan,” he whispered, gently brushing the scarred flesh with his thumb. The boy pushed his arm further under the pillow.
“I don’t like doing it,” he whispered. “It’s just… sometimes…” He shook his head, avoiding eye contact. “Sometimes it hurts so fucking much.”
“What hurts?”
“Everything. Life, Uni, talking to my family, thinking, existing.”
“Yeah,” Dan sighed. “I know. I remember.” The scars had faded over time, and by 2026 you couldn’t find them on Dan’s arms. But he knew where they used to be and could still see them, even if they were no longer visible.
“It’s going to get better, I promise. Soon.”
“Okay,” the boy whispered, smiling a little for the first time.
Dan smiled back, gently brushing the messy, half-curled fringe away from Dan’s face.
“Dan, will you be brave for me? Soon there will be some big changes in your life, and things will get a little scary, but exciting, too. I need you to be brave and trust your gut. Remember that I’m proud of you and that Phil loves you so, so much. And he always will, no matter what. He’ll always be there for you. And… it’s okay to ask for help. It actually makes things easier.”
Young Dan nodded, snuggling into Dan’s chest and finally relaxing. Dan’s soothing hand on his back and the familiar, comforting scent from Phil’s side of the bed quickly lulled him into a deep, peaceful slumber.
***
Phil, on the other hand, couldn’t fall asleep at all. When the washing machine finished, he moved Dan’s clothes into the dryer and went to the office. He spent the rest of the night researching time travel. Of course, he didn’t find any reliable information, as the general consensus was that time travel was not possible. His best bet was speculations, theories, and stories from questionable sources.
When he finally walked up the stairs into the silent kitchen, the sun was already high up. He tiptoed towards the bedroom and opened the door, careful not to make any noise. He gave a little gasp and slapped a hand over his mouth, smiling wide. The two Dans were tightly snuggled together on Phil’s side of the bed, fast asleep.
Phil watched them for a minute or two, then returned to the kitchen and set three mugs on the counter. He made himself a cup of tea and leaned against the counter, watching the neighbours across the street start their day and head off to work.
“Hi.” Dan’s tired voice made him turn back and put the nearly finished cup down so he could start his partner’s coffee.
“How did you sleep?” Phil asked, opening his arms for Dan, who clearly needed a hug and maybe 8 more hours of sleep.
“Terrible,” he whispered. “I had a dream that someone doxxed us, and people were stalking us as they had before. And then I realised that… he’s going to experience all of that soon.”
“Did you… tell him?” Phil asked cautiously, rubbing Dan’s back.
Dan shook his head. “No, of course not. But I told him to be brave and ask for help.”
“Good,” Phil muttered, kissing Dan’s cheek. “He’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, he will.” Dan fully leaned into the embrace. They stood there for a few long minutes, and Dan’s coffee was getting cold.
Young Dan shuffled out of the bedroom, watching them warily. “Morning,” he said, barely audible.
“Morning,” Dan echoed, smiling. The boy smiled back. “Did you sleep okay?”
Young Dan nodded and made a positive noise, standing awkwardly in the kitchen. Older Dan moved the coffee Phil had made to the middle of the counter and placed another mug under the nozzle.
“Have some coffee if you like, yeah? I’ll go change.”
The boy reached for the mug and took a sip. “Fuck, that’s good.”
Phil laughed. “Better than what we could afford back in the day?”
Dan couldn’t answer – he was too busy gulping the coffee. He tried to nod, but it made him spill a bit. Phil watched him with a gentle smile.
“I may have figured out how to get you back,” he said in a low voice after Dan was done.
Dan perked up. “Yeah? How?”
“It’s pretty straightforward, actually. Obviously, we can’t be sure, but maybe all you have to do is walk back out the door.”
Dan’s face fell. “I’ve already tried that last night, and it didn’t work. Well, it did – I was outside Phil’s flat again – but when I tried to go in the second time, I was back here again.”
Phil watched him silently, slowly nodding. “I see. Shit. Um. Maybe… maybe you were meant to stay the night and talk to us before you could return?”
“This isn’t a video game, Phil.”
“I know,” Phil sighed. “Well, we’ll try and… we’ll see.”
Dan reached for the other cup of coffee with shivering hands, biting the insides of his cheek and turning away from Phil.
“Hey,” Phil said, gently turning the boy back to him. “We’ll figure it out. I promise. Come here.”
Dan leaned into the offered hug, wrapping his arms tightly around Phil’s waist. Phil pressed a kiss on the boy’s forehead and ran a palm up and down his back.
“I love you, okay? More than anything else in this world. Always did and always will,” he whispered. “And your Phil loves you the same. We’ll get you back to him.”
Dan nodded and pulled away, quickly wiping his eyes and clearing his throat.
“Are you hungry?” Phil asked.
Dan shook his head. “No, can’t eat. My stomach feels funny.”
Older Dan returned, dressed in fresh clothes and trying to suppress a smile.
“So. Breakfast?”
“Later. Dan doesn’t want to eat,” Phil said. “Let’s try to get him home.”
“Yeah. Okay,” Dan said after a moment of silence, draping an arm around the young boy’s shoulders and giving him an encouraging look. The boy smiled and nodded.
“I wish I could come back and visit,” he admitted. “You guys have great coffee.”
Dan laughed. “Well, you never know, I guess. Next time try for a more reasonable hour, though. We were about to–”
“Alright,” Phil drawled, smiling.
They all gathered in the hallway, and young Dan fished his keys from the side pocket of his duffel bag.
“Oh my god!” Dan beamed, touching the keychain. “The first keys to my first boyfriend’s first flat.” He sighed and put his hands on young Dan’s shoulders.
“Brave, okay?” he said softly.
“I promise,” the boy replied and gave Dan a tight hug. “I love you,” he whispered in his ear.
“Don’t forget to say that to yourself as well,” Dan whispered back.
After one last tight hug from Phil, young Dan pushed the key into the lock. It slipped in and turned easily. With a last glance back, the boy walked out and shut the door. He found himself in a long, grim hallway with a dirty carpet on the 13th floor of a tall building at Jefferson Place in Manchester.
He took a deep breath and turned around. Everything looked normal, and Phil’s door was right in front of him.
“Okay,” he whispered to himself, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. He walked into a dark, tiled hallway with a few flimsy doors that looked like wood at first glance but were nothing of the sort. Dan’s heart raced. He was back. Looking around in awe, as if he’d never been there before, he walked into the tiny living room and set his duffel bag on the kitchen table.
“Dan!” Phil’s voice made him jump. He turned around and felt tears welling in his eyes at the sight of his messy-haired boyfriend, dressed in the pyjamas Dan had recently bought him as a thank-you for doing his laundry. His legs moved on their own, not needing a command from the brain. His body knew where it needed to be.
“Phil, I missed you so much,” he said and grabbed the older boy so hard he made him gasp.
“Dan, you’ll break my ribs!” Phil laughed but pressed the younger boy tight against his chest. “I missed you too, bear,” he cooed. “We’ve been busy, haven’t we.”
Dan didn’t reply, savouring the closeness, warmth and familiarity.
“My sweet, cuddly bear,” Phil muttered, kissing Dan’s forehead. “Hey, what’s that? Do you need your laundry done or are you moving in?”
Dan hesitated, but only for a second. Brave. He was supposed to be brave.
“Well, it’s all clean,” he whispered, easing his grip to look Phil in the eyes.
Phil smiled and smooched Dan’s cheek.
“I’ll make some room for you.”
“Okay,” Dan said eagerly and followed Phil into the bedroom. While Phil tidied the drawers, Dan opened his duffel bag. His clothes were neatly folded, something he’d never do on his own. He glanced at his boyfriend, smiling, and spread his clothes on the bed. At the bottom of the duffel bag, he found a folded piece of paper. Dan grabbed it and shoved it into his pocket.
“I’ll go make coffee,” he said and scurried off to the kitchen. There, he unfolded the note with shivering fingers. He easily recognised his own handwriting.
You will get through this night.