"All done," Dan finished wrapping the bandage around Phil's grazed hand and stuck down the edge with cellotape, before lifting the injured hand and kissing each one of the fingertips, lightly and carefully. Phil smiled gratefully, the ends of his hair still curly and wet from the shower. They sat cross legged facing each other on the sofa, almost-empty cups of tea beside them, as rain continued to lash against the window.
"How come you never told me?" Dan wondered aloud, as Phil moved to rest his head on the other boy's lap. "If I'd known, I'd never have left you alone, I could have come and helped you. Jesus, when you got home, I thought you'd been attacked, or someone had died."
Phil's eyes tightened. "Oh, god, Dan, I'm sorry, I'm really-" Dan cut him off, kissing his forehead.
"Shh. I didn't mean it like that and you know it. I just can't stand the thought of you being terrified of something and having to face it by yourself. We're a team, sweetheart, remember? Dan and Phil, Phil and Dan, against the world."
Phil grinned, but covered his face, embarrassed. "Ugh, but it's such a stupid phobia. Some people are scared of the inevitability of death and the end of existence and I'm scared of the stupid rain."
"It's not stupid, it's cute. Just like your fear of cute little fluffy bunnies who carry marshmallows." Dan poked him in the side and Phil laughed, attempting to hit him with the cushions.
"Dan, actually stop!"
"That's not what your mum said last night."
"Daan!" Phil somehow managed to barrel roll onto the floor, still laughing. He tried to get up but stood on the tv remote, and they both jumped about a foot in the air as sound blasted from the news.
"Well, sorry Jim, but it looks like it's going to be storms, storms and more storms this week!" the weatherman in the waistcoat and tie said. "Starting from later tonight we're in for a spell of wet weather, drifting in from the south-west, settling mostly around London, but also drifting down the coast. It's not clear how long this storm season will last, but rest assured you'll be needing an umbrella for the rest of the week."
Dan glanced at Phil, who was sat tensely on the edge of the sofa, fingers digging into the fabric. His face had turned an even more translucent shade of pale, and Dan could see his shoulders starting to shake again.
Dan coughed sharply, trying to draw the attention away from the news. "So, um, weathermen are dressing a lot more formally." Phil didn't respond, just kept on staring straight ahead. "Phil?" he moved forwards, taking his boyfriend's hand in his own. "Is there anything I can do, to make this better?"
Phil shook his head, squeezing the hand back gently. "No. Trust me, if there was, I'd tell you, but there's not. All I can do is stay inside and I should be okay. I should be. No, no, I will be." His face took on a set of grim determination, like a soldier facing a battlefield.
"Do you want to sleep with me tonight? No, not like that," he laughed, noting Phil's delicate blush. "Just sleeping, you pervert."
"Oh," A smile almost managed to break through. Almost. "Thank you, but I need to do this by myself. I can't get over it if I'm clinging onto you."
"It wouldn't be clinging, but I get it. We should probably get an early night, you should try and sleep before it starts." He pressed his lips to Phil's, trying to send every little piece of love, of strength, of fearlessness he had through the brief contact. Phil kissed him back, and for a moment the storm didn't matter, nothing in the whole entire world mattered, because in their beautiful, firework-sparkling world, everything but their kiss was a lie.
Dan pulled away, drinking in the lines of Phil's closed eyes, the contours of his mouth as he smiled, and knew that in all his life, he'd never wanted someone to be happy quite so much. "I'm gonna get you through this, Phil. I promise."
"I know," Phil whispered, eyes still closed. "I trust you."
Phil's eyes shot open as the thunder cracked across the sky, and he sat bolt upright in the bed. Rain continued it's assault on the window, wind shrieking through the gaps round the edges.
There was silence for a moment, his heartbeat thumping loud in his ears, and then lightning lit up the room in a violent flash and another thunderclap broke above him. Phil buried his head in the blankets, muffling a scream- suddenly he was a little boy again, who'd had a stupid fight over nothing with his mum, and who'd run away, slipped through the gate when no one was watching. He'd stayed at the bus stop for three hours, two shirts and a teddy bear in his backpack, while his parents had tried desperately to find him in the dark. It had been a miracle he'd not been picked up by a creepy old man, but being alone and scared in the rain had definitely put six year old Phil off the idea of running away for good- still, the phobia had stuck with him through his teenage years, and while usually he could call one of his parents during stormy seasons, this year they'd gone away to Florida and left him here, all alone.
No, no, I'm not alone, Phil thought, flinching again as thunder rolled above him. I'm not alone. I have Dan. I need Dan. Swallowing every bit of pride he had, he pushed off the covers and almost ran to his boyfriend's room, knocking quietly but urgently on the door.
Dan leapt out of bed, wrenching the door open as quickly as he could. "Phil? Phil, has something happened?" He opened his arms and Phil fell into them gladly.
"N-no, I just, I woke up and I- can, um, can I sleep with you tonight?" he whispered, suddenly feeling foolish in the safety of Dan's arms, but still entirely unwilling to sleep alone.
"Of course you can, sweetheart, all you had to do is ask." he led Phil over to the bed and they lay down together, feet entwined, underneath the blankets, as Dan held the other boy's fingers between his palms, trying to lend him warmth. "Are you going to be okay?"
Phil nodded mutely, closing his eyes. "You know why I wanted to be a weatherman?"
"You never did tell me."
"I never told anyone. It was because when I was little, I thought the weatherman controlled the weather. I thought they decided when the sun shone, when snow fell, and when the storms came. So I thought, if I could be a weatherman, I could keep the storms away forever. When I got older, I realised it wouldn't work, but D-Dan…"
"Yes?" Phil's voice had dropped to an almost inaudible whisper, Dan had to strain to hear him.
"Dan, you help keep the storms away. And I think you always will."
"I hope so, sweetheart," Dan whispered back, the words getting caught in his throat. "I hope so." He kissed him on the forehead, but Phil had already fallen asleep, dreaming of places far more wonderful than this. It took a while for Dan to join him, but there was a single thought coursing through his mind, over and over again.
I might not be able to keep the storms away completely, but I will find a way to help. I promise.
Wow that was a long chapter! As I said, they'll be another one along soon, so stay tuned xxxx
Also extra bonus points if you see the two fandom references I managed to slip in.
As always, reviews and follows are the food of love xoxoxoxo Thanks to NeverlandNat, RainbowPeaches, everythingineedandmore, ElzyPhangirl and an anonymous user for reviweing the last chapter xxx
