"You better make sure not to be here anymore when I come back."
Dan just stood there, staring at Phil like he'd just hit him. "What?"
Phil glared at him. "I've had it, Dan. I'm so sick of fighting all the time. I'm going out. You have one hour. If you aren't gone when I come back, I will call the authorities on you."
Dan stood there staring at the door his best friend had just disappeared out of. He sighed after a moment, knowing he'd pushed Phil way too far this time.
He made quick work of gathering his belongings, leaving a note for Phil, then leaving.
Dan was long gone by the time that Phil had calmed down and came back. "Dan! I'm home!" he called.
Silence greeted him and Phil frowned. "Dan?" he asked, walking into the lounge, spotting the note. He picked it up and read through it.
"If you're reading this and care...if you change your mind about wanting me gone...well...I guess that won't happen, will it? Sorry for pushing you to your breaking point. But I always knew it would happen eventually. You'd get tired of me and tell me to leave. Goodbye Phil."
Phil stared at the note before grabbing his phone and dialing Dan's number.
"What?" Dan's voice was broken, sad. "Called to tell me off?"
"No, I -"
Dan huffed, cutting him off. "Don't. I get it. Bye, Phil."
Then the dialtone.
Phil just sat down, staring at his phone until tears started falling as it all sunk in. He headed to Dan's room, noting that Dan had only taken half of what he owned. He sighed and grabbed the key off Dan's dresser, going to put it outside, hiding it and sending a text to Dan's phone with it's location and a message of 'please come back home, Dan. :('
Dan, on his end, was sitting down on the side of the Underground, just slightly uncertain on if he wanted to just leave. He sighed, putting his head in his hands until his phone went off. He glanced at it before he looked away. He sighed, deciding to go find a place to crash for the night.
Two weeks went by, no contact from Dan. People tried cheering Phil up but he just didn't seem like him.
Eventually, they had to tell Phil that he was being insane, leaving the main door unlocked all the time despite his neighbor's protests, that someone would rob him. That Dan would've been back by now if he was going to come back.
Phil, of course, didn't listen. He didn't need anything in the flat. It was all pointless reminders, anyway, so what did he care if someone robbed him. And he didn't care what anyone said. Dan would come back.
Dan, on his part, was barely holding himself together. He glanced at that message, as well as all the others Phil had sent since, every day, debating about going back.
He watched the videos Phil still posted, but neglected posting any.
Three weeks and Phil was a mess. He posted a new video that morning and Dan watched it, frowning.
"Hey guys. It's been three weeks." Phil's smile was fake, Dan noted. "It still feels like a horrible nightmare. I'm still holding out the hope that he'll come back home. But I haven't heard anything from him."
Dan sighed, but forced himself to watch the video.
Towards the end of a six minute video, the words Dan never wanted to hear came out.
"I don't know, maybe this was all just a wonderful dream and now I'm living in reality. Which sucks right now, honestly. He's my best friend and...it's all my fault he's gone now..."
At the end of this, Phil finally broke, which let Dan know he hadn't edited this.
"Dan, please. If you're watching this wherever you are...please come home."
And with that, the video ended.
Dan sat there fighting himself before he picked up his phone and called.
"Dan?" Phil asked when he picked up.
A weak sob tore itself from Dan at that and he spoke. "Can I come home...?"
Phil gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah, you can. Come on, I'll have dinner fixed when you get home."
Dan hung up and grabbed everything he had and left, this time going home.
When he entered their flat, he dropped his stuff and Phil greeted him with a bright smile and a hug.
Dan returned the hug, but couldn't muster a smile when they seperated.
"Good to have you back."
Dan nodded, taking his things to his room and sighing.
While Dan was gone, Phil sent out messages about a livestream in an hour.
"Dan? Can we do a live stream and let the Phans know you're home?" Phil called.
Dan sighed. "Sure,"
Dinner was quick and the live stream happened sooner than they'd thought it would.
Dan stayed off screen at the start.
Phil waved at the camera with a faint smile. "Hi guys!" he greeted.
The messages coming through made Phil look down slightly. Then he smiled and spoke. "I know it wasn't planned, but..I have a surprise for you guys. Thank you so much for showing up here without much warning."
Dan watched Phil with a smile.
"What's the surprise?" Phil read off then grinned at the camera. "How about I just go ahead and show you?" With that, he looked up and Dan and nodded.
Dan moved to sit down next to Phil on the couch and waved. "Hey! I'm home!"
They both grinned as the chat exploded in comments.
"God, you guys didn't miss me that much, right?" Dan asked in shock.
Phil laughed. "We did."
Dan met Phil's eyes before he smiled softly. "Right."
That night, they ended up just crashing on the couch, not wanting to wake up in their own rooms the following morning and feel like it was all a dream.
Oh god guys...I'm so sorry I ever wrote this...