A/N: Sorry I haven't uploaded in ages, I've had like the worst writer's block and even though I have plans for future chapters, I have no clue what I'm doing for these current ones. So... y'know... this one's a bit... rubbish
nEvER mInD, RiGhT?

-Whisker

Going to the park with his housemate and two children of which were not his own was not Phil's idea of a good day.

Dan had told him about his plans, standing away from the breakfast table as both of the children ate, so they couldn't be heard.

It had been Dan's idea for all four of them to go together, but seeing the expression on his friend's face told him that he might have to reconsider.

Phil looked across to him, his head tilted slightly to the side, with an air that Dan could read like a book.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, "Should have anticipated that you didn't want to come, shouldn't I? But look at it this way: the more time you try and spend with Dab, the more he's probable to actually like you… No, don't give me that look, Phil, you know it's true."

"I don't think I'd get much chance to spend time with him, even if I did come along," Phil frowned, "He'll be too occupied with playing with Evan, and if he needs anything, he'll ask you."

But then he gave a wan smile, the dark circles under his eyes showing up even more,

"But don't let me spoil your fun," he said, kindly, "After all, someone has to look after the house."

"The house isn't going to burn down, get broken into, explode, or anything else that you might care to think of. You're coming to the park with us; you need the fresh air," Dan decided, and received no altercation, so wandered over to the table to talk to Evan and Dab.

Even though he hadn't made an argument, Phil still sighed behind Dan's back. Fixing things wasn't that easy, and sitting in a park, on a bench, not doing anything, was probably the worst solution to the problem annoying him.

What would sitting in the park do?

Phil supposed that Dan had a plan, but whatever it was, he didn't trust it, which wasn't saying much, because he didn't really fully trust anything anymore.

Nothing he could say now, though, he supposed, as he had already involuntarily agreed to it.

So he stood and stared over to Dan and the two children with a tired expression.

He was trying to be as positive as he could, but he couldn't help but notice how happy Dab and Evan looked whenever Dan started talking to them. Quite the polar opposite to how they acted with Phil, who was only trying to help, and was very confused as to what on earth he'd done wrong.

He couldn't really think of anything that he'd done at any particular moment in time that would make Dab dislike him, and he couldn't even think of a particular point at which it started. His only guess was that it was after he'd gotten annoyed and stressed out about the broken fishbowl the day Dil and Tabitha were meant to be coming home, but even after then, it didn't seem too bad. It was more after he returned from Granite Falls that it started.

He was suspicious, sure, but didn't care all that much because, in his eyes, there was nothing he could really do about it now.

And it was odd.

It wasn't quite that Dab outwardly slighted him, but he ignored him, didn't listen, didn't care, and it was obvious and presumably everyone could tell.

He wanted to talk to Dan about it – he really did – and he'd tried, too, last night. But all Dan had done or could do was coddle him and tell him they'd figure something out eventually, and change the subject over to something more light-hearted.

It had worked a bit, too, for that night at least. But even though Phil appreciated the affection and knew Dan was only trying to help, it didn't really fix the underlying problem.

No matter, though. Dan seemed to be having a relatively nice week, and Phil wasn't about to spoil it or him… though these 'suggestions' that Dan was coming up with were never going to work, and both of them knew it.

Evan and Dab seemed in high spirits about the idea, though. Of course they would – they were happy with anything Dan suggested. They wouldn't be half as ecstatic if it was Phil's idea.

But still, Phil managed a smile just seeing their faces.

He had always had a quite traditional side, and if Dab was his child, this wouldn't have gone on for so long.

He shrugged.

Never mind.

Perhaps the park wouldn't be so bad after all. Besides, he needed to get out in the sun.

He watched the kids hurriedly finish their breakfast and hurry off to go and get their shoes on.

"Why does going outside excite them so much?" Phil chuckled, and Dan was genuinely surprised he was laughing.

"Well, it's lovely outside," Dan smiled, "Nice weather, great scenery – I mean, have you seen those trees?"

Phil had to admit it was pretty nice. It would be great for taking photos, but he still couldn't let anybody know he was here.

Every time he remembered that this wasn't the real world, and shouldn't be allowed to exist because physics are… a thing, his heart would do a little flippy-over thing which didn't happen a lot, and he'd start questioning his entire being and everything he'd ever known.

He attempted to not think about it too much, as existential crisis weren't quite what he wanted to fill the empty space in his mind with when he had nothing better to think of.

Still, he couldn't help the occasional occurrence, and neither could Dan, being prone to that sort of thing.

It wasn't long before they, too, had to get ready and troop out of the door, hoping that everything would go well.

Which it probably wouldn't, but they still kept their heads up because negativity and cynicism never got anyone anywhere besides trouble.