Chapter Text
Dan trudged through the streets, his knuckles white from gripping the brown paper bag of groceries he had just picked up. The harsh wind bit his face, the cold seeping through the thick fabric of his coat.
Winter was nice when you were inside, sitting by the warmth of the fire, sipping hot chocolate from a mug that warmed the palms of your hands. It was not nice when your boyfriend had a cold and you needed to go out in freezing air to get him chicken noodle soup, your shoes that are absolutely not suited for winter sinking into the snow with an ominous crunching noise.
It was also not nice when you heard someone crying. Muffled sobs and the occasional hiccup coming from the space between an apartment complex and a Chinese restaurant.
Dan peeked into the alleyway and froze. Well, he was already almost frozen from the snow, but this was a different kind. Curled against the brick wall, a kid no older than thirteen sat, arms wrapped around their knees, and sobbing. A dirty, torn up grey backpack sat next to them, and they were absolutely not suited to be out in this weather. Their coat was thin, and they were wearing leggings that seemed to be two times too small and ended just a few inches above the ankle. There was a large piece missing from the toe of their rainboots which looked like they used to be a friendly yellow but turned into brown over time.
On impulse, Dan spoke. “Hello?” He asked, stepping closer to the kid. They sniffed and looked up. Their nose was pink, and snot ran down their tearstained face. They reached up and wiped their nose with the back of their sleeve.
“Um, hello.” Their voice cracked, sounding strained. They then sneezed into their elbow, making more snot fly from their nose. That was worrying. Up close, their frame was much more small and skeletal, like they hadn’t eaten an actual meal in a long time.
“You’re going to get a cold if you stay out here.” Dan said, furrowing his brow with worry. The kid looked down.
“I’ll be fine. I have enough, um, pretzels to last me a little longer. Then I go say hi to God.” They chuckled slightly, even though it wasn’t really funny, and then went silent for a moment. “Do you have a phone? Anyone to call?” Dan asked. The kid shook their head. Hm. Normally a kid around that age would have at least one friend or family member they could rely on.
“Is there a reason you’re out here in the snow?” The kid sniffed again.
“My mom doesn’t like me.”
“What happened?” The kid continued after a moment of silence. “U, I-I told her I was trans and she…” they looked away. “She told me to get out. So I did.” Tears welled in the corners of their eyes. “Dad would’ve fought her. He would’ve let me stay, but… He died a few years ago.”
It was a lot of information to take in. The kid looked away. “Sorry, I overshared. You’re just a random stranger. You should keep going on your way, I’m wasting your time.” Dan bit his lip and looked away for a moment before looking back at the kid. “What’s your name?”
They paused, and then opened their mouth. They had never used their preferred name with anyone, and they had the chance now.
“L-Liam. I like Liam.” After pausing for a moment, they blushed and looked down. “And, um, I use He/him pronouns.” Dan smiled at him. “Well, my name is Dan. And I don’t want to leave you here.” He tried his best to look safe, so the poor kid wouldn’t be scared of him. “Would you like to come stay with me? Or we can go to the police first. Whatever you want. But you can stay as long as you need, promise. You look like you haven’t eaten much, and I would feel guilty if I just left you in the snow.”
Liam looked like he was thinking it over, mind somewhere else.
“Are you sure you aren’t like a murderer or something? I listen to a lot of true crime, so I would be able to fight.”
“Definitely not. To the murderer part. Not trying to tell you you wouldn’t be able to take me on in hand to hand combat.”
Liam bit his lip and looked around at the snow, at his backpack, and the stranger who had just offered him a home. What did he have to lose at this point?
Well, his life for one. But he’d probably die of starvation or frostbite if he stayed out here. And he
didn’t really trust the police. At all. Because… who really did? Not that he fully trusted this stranger, but he trusted them more, even though he had just met them. Stranger danger was important. He could really be a murderer, of course. Ted Bundy had lured women into his traps by acting like a kind gentleman, and then he killed them.
He ran over all of the pros and cons before looking up at Dan and opening his mouth. “Okay, that sounds nice." Dan smiled warmly at him.
"Alright, is this all your stuff?" Liam nodded. "Okay, I'll show you the way back to my house." Liam stood up and put his backpack around his shoulders. He had only brought a few things, since he didn't have much to begin with. A change of clothes, his childhood stuffed animal, and a bottle of Ibuprofen he stole from the cabinet in his mom's bathroom.
Dan opened up his phone and quickly sent a text to Phil.
Dan
Hey I found a kid on the street
he got kicked out for being queer phil i couldnt just leave him there
his name is liam
hes coming home with me
Just a heads up
Phil
shit ok
um
how old is he
Dan
looks about twelve
hes turning 12 in a month just checked with him
very skinny
he hasnt been eating much
idk what to do
Phil
we can figure it out when you get home :)
Dan
ok
Liam stepped into the doorway cautiously, taking in his surroundings and scanning for any dangers. It was different from his old house. No beige, no christian decor, no depressing atmosphere. It wasn’t like any house he had ever been in before. It was… well, homey. He wasn’t used to that.
In his family, houses needed to be organized and beige. Just beige. The only color was the bowl of fruit in the kitchen or a kids toy on the floor in their room. This place was the complete opposite.
He stood off to the side awkwardly, fidgeting with his sleeve and picking at a small hole in the dirty fabric as Dan joined him a few seconds later.
Now, Liam wasn’t really religious. His whole family was, he was baptized, and was raised Evangelical Christian. He didn’t pray, he barely read the bible, and he was forced to go to church. But yet, he said a silent prayer that these people weren’t evil and were going to kill him or something. Because that would be a rough way to go. Probably worse than his original plan of just dying slowly in the cold, his hunger catching up to him until he’s found dead in the snow, squirrels nibbling at his flesh.
“Phil, we’re back!” Dan’s voice lurched Liam out of his thoughts, and he almost jumped out of his skin.
“Coming!” A voice came from slightly further away, down a hall. A man who Liam presumed to be Phil walked quickly out into the living room, smiling as he spotted them. He held out his hand.
“You must be Liam. I’m Phil.” His voice sounded stuffy and congested, like he was sick. Liam wouldn’t be surprised, with this insane weather. He was shocked he hadn’t gotten sick yet. It was still strange for Liam to hear his name used.
He tentatively shook Phil’s hand, who gasped. “Gosh, your hand is cold!” Liam shrugged. “I was living in the snow for a week sleeping on a bench and also living off of a ton of snow, so…” He snorted. Dan and Phil didn’t seem to find his joke as funny as he did. Goddamit. He liked making people laugh and it made him sad when people didn’t enjoy his self pitying humor.
Dan smiled at him. “Alright, I’ll go make some dinner, and you can warm up on the couch.” He pointed over at a comfortable looking couch covered in blankets and pillows. “Feel free to watch something or read a book, and then you can eat. Any allergies?” Liam shook his head. “None except pollen, but there could be some. But my mom doesn’t believe in allergies, so I don’t really know.”
Dinner went pretty well. Dan made chicken noodle soup just as he promised, and Liam devoured it with a soft blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He hadn’t been this warm in what felt like a decade, and it was amazing. Even though he had, apparently, caught a cold from the snow, (Phil had insisted on taking his temperature) this was the most comfortable he had felt in a very long time. Liam had immediately fallen asleep in the guest room, sleeping for god knows how long, like he was dead or something.
He didn’t even care if he died in his sleep, he was just happy to feel safe for the first time since he was a little kid.