A/N: Okay, so basically I'm sorry in advance because I know this is a really bad introduction, but I have plans for this fic and those plans involve this scene being necessary so please forgive me. I gave you lots of fluff to make up for it. Also, Dan swears a bit, but does that really need a warning?

Ps: I don't own these people, just fyi.

Leave reviews, please! Enjoy this.

-Justin

Chapter Three: Aftermath

October 25, 2014

"What's wrong with you, Uncle Dan?" Darcy came into the room and plopped down between Phil and me on the sofa. Phil reached out to pull her onto his lap and she squealed, wrapping both arms around one of his. I laughed lightly and then winced when the action caused the ice pack to slide off my hand. Before I could grab for it, Darcy bent forward, almost hanging upside down, and handed the pack to me with a giggle.

"I did something dumb," I told her, and her eyes widened. She looked down at my hand again, reaching out to touch the skin that was slowly becoming a giant bruise. I didn't think I'd broken anything, but it sure as fuck hurt. They weren't lying when they said adrenaline masked pain, because an hour had passed from the time I punched Kagan to about ten minutes ago, when I'd been talking to Louise and suddenly let out an inhuman noise when I felt something like a vice grip on my knuckles. She'd immediately gone to get ice before even asking why it hurt so bad, and then she'd spent the last few minutes scolding me for doing something so stupid. I couldn't blame her; it was incredibly idiotic, but I'd do it again.

"Mummy was mad at you," Darcy commented, letting her fingers brush over my palm. "She said it was romantic, but stupid." She giggled again, pulling her hands away. Phil stuck a hand in her hair and ruffled it up, causing her to cry out and slap him away. "No, no, no, Uncle Phil!" Her eyes narrowed to slits as she glared at him. "I don't like you anymore." She slid off his lap quickly and ran off into the next room. Phil just laughed; he and I both knew she'd be back in a few minutes for more cuddles.

"How's it feeling?" he asked gingerly, as if he was afraid I'd scream at him or something. He was bound and determined to believe this was his fault, despite the fact that it had been my dumbass self who'd decided punching a jawbone was a good idea. "Do you need more ice?" He slid closer to me, leaning in slightly to see for himself. I reached out with my good hand and swept the fringe out of his eyes.

"It's fine," I tried to say, but he cut me off.

"It's not fine," he insisted, not for the first time. "You could have been arrested or he could have hit you back." This was only about the third time he'd started this speech, so I let him continue. He'd keep worrying until he got it out of his system, anyway. To my surprise, though, he didn't go on. Instead, he jumped up with a declaration of, "I'm going to get more ice."

He took one step and staggered to the side, nearly falling over. My hands shot out to catch him, the pain in my hand momentarily forgotten, but he stayed upright. He didn't look very good, though. "Phil," I cautioned, keeping one hand near his arm. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," he answered, but he didn't seem too sure of it. "I felt dizzy all of a sudden."

"Maybe you stood up too fast," I offered, touching his arm now. "Sit back down for a minute." He nodded once and turned to join me, but as he lifted his foot to move, his whole body tensed up for half a second, and then he flopped over, hitting the floor with a thud.

I stared at him in disbelief for about three heartbeats, and then my mouth opened, and I called for Louise. She ran into the lounge from the kitchen as I knelt down beside Phil, whose eyes were already opening again. He blinked a few times, looking around, and let out a low groan. If it weren't such a serious situation, it would have turned me on.

"What the Hell happened?" he and Louise both said at the same time, and a nervous giggle slipped through my teeth. I slid my good hand under his head, cradling it.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. He wiggled around a bit, trying to sit up, and I pressed into the back of his head in an attempt to help. He lifted an arm to latch onto my side, and once he was upright, I asked, "Are you alright?"

He started to nod, but stopped just as quick with a pained expression. "The room is spinning," he said, fingers clutching at my shirt. I'd all but forgotten about the almost-broken bones in my hand until I moved it to stroke through his hair soothingly. I hissed loudly at the onslaught of pain and curled my hand back to my chest protectively. I glanced around for the ice pack and found it on the floor near our feet.

"Uncle Phil okay?" Darcy appeared at Louise's shoulder, standing over us where we knelt beside Phil. Her eyes were wide, and she watched as Phil struggled into a sitting position, leaning against the arm of the sofa. He made a move to stand up, and I slapped a hand over his lap to push him back down.

"Slow down there," I commanded, pressing my palm to his thigh. "Let the blood get back to your brain first." I scooted back until I was next to him and he slumped over, resting his head on my shoulder.

"He's fine," Louise was saying, smiling up at Darcy. "He just got tired, I think." Darcy considered this for a moment, holding her chin in her hand, and then she nodded with a bright smile.

"I like to take naps on the floor, too, Uncle Phil," she informed him in a bubbly voice. I was still watching Phil, so I saw the tiny smile he gave in response, and then she skipped out of the room without another word. He nuzzled his head into my neck.

"I don't feel good," he mumbled against my skin. I brought my good arm around his shoulders, holding him close me, as he let out another sigh.

"You guys should stay here tonight," Louise offered after a moment. I'd been about to ask Phil if he wanted to go home, but she probably had a good point. I turned my head to ask Phil's opinion when I felt him slump heavily onto me. I knew without looking that he'd fallen asleep, and I tightened my grip instinctively. Louise noticed, too, and nodded as she stood up. "I'll make up the guest bed," she said softly, padding off to the hallway. I looked at Phil again.

"Wake up," I whispered, nudging his arm. His face scrunched up and he wrapped an arm around my waist. I patted him again, saying, "Come on. We'll get you in the bed." He grumbled a bit, but opened his eyes and pulled his arm away. He met my eyes with a somewhat dazed expression and I couldn't help but lean forward to press a kiss to his lips. My hand curled over his cheek, and he brought his own up to cover mine. He smiled as I pulled away, and then I stood up with an arm outstretched. "Come on, love. Louise is waiting for us."

I didn't miss the way he trembled slightly as he took my hand and pulled himself up. I wrapped an arm around him as we made our way to the bedroom, glancing toward him every few seconds to make sure he wasn't about to pass out again. My hand was still aching at this point, but I didn't think I'd need the ice pack through the night.

"Here you go," Louise announced from the doorway, smiling widely. I started to ask why she looked so happy, but I shut my mouth right back when I saw Darcy behind her, smoothing the duvet over the sheets. Well, she was trying to, anyway, but she wasn't quite tall enough, so it was mostly just her patting the covers and giggling. I could feel Phil's weight on me again, and I knew he was exhausted. I may not have been very familiar with what had just happened, but I knew that fainting spells took a lot out of people.

"Thanks," I told her, and she came over to kiss both our cheeks. She called for Darcy, who bounced to the door with a grin and asked again if Phil was okay. "He's sleepy," I explained, and she nodded. She raised an arm, gesturing for me to bend down. I leaned down as far as I could, bringing Phil with me, and she smiled widely as she placed a kiss on his nose.

"That's what mummy does to me when I feel bad," Darcy informed us. I couldn't tell if Phil had even noticed, but she was already gone, so I just fixed my grip on Phil and led him to the bed.

I braced myself in front of him and made him sit on the edge of the bed, but it proved to be more difficult than I'd imagined when both his hands fisted themselves in my shirt. He was holding on for dear life. I watched him for a moment and then went to pry them away. I wrapped my hands around his wrists and gently removed his fingers from my clothes, and his eyes shot open. "I'm not going anywhere," I promised him, because I knew what he was about to say. He got clingy when he was scared or stressed, and I figured tonight's events gave him a good reason to feel both. He tilted his chin to look at me with watery eyes.

"Shoes off," I instructed when he made no move to do anything. Right after I said it, I got down on my knees to pull them off myself while he rested a hand on my shoulder. I wondered if I should make him strip down because I knew how uncomfortable it was to sleep in skinny jeans. "Stand up for a sec," I finally decided, and he rose to his feet slowly. I slipped them off quickly and he stepped out of them almost robotically. I assumed it was a mixture of exhaustion and stress. He sat back down and laid his head on the pillow, drawing his legs up slightly.

"Don't go," he whimpered when I stepped away from him. His hand shot out again to grab my arm, and I could've sworn I saw a tear on his cheek. He was always the confident one of our little duo, the one who never had any trouble dealing with people. It'd been a long time since I'd seen him in such a mess, and it honestly made me want to cry. I bent down once more to be at eye-level with him. He was half-asleep, but he kept a death grip on my shirt.

"I'll be right back," I assured him, and then I took his hand in mine and moved it to his side. He just nodded, causing his fringe to cover his eyes. My hand reached out automatically to smooth it back, and I let my hand linger for a moment in an attempt to comfort him.

I left the bedroom to find Louise, but she was waiting right outside the door. "Is he okay?" she asked timidly, concern etched into every line of her face. She was like a mother to us both; I could only imagine how she felt right now.

"He's pretty anxious, I think." She nodded in agreement. She knew how he got. We looked at each other for a moment, and then she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I hugged her back, stretching out my hand experimentally. It still hurt, but it was more of a dull throbbing now. I wondered why the pain had gone died down so quickly, and then I decided I didn't care.

"He's in good hands," she murmured, and then she stepped away. "Let me know if you need anything." It was my turn to nod as she turned on her heels and headed to her own bedroom. I watched as she peeked in on Darcy before I returned to Phil. He was still laying down, thank God, so I walked over to the other side and stripped down to my boxers before slipping under the covers behind him. He shifted a bit when I tossed an arm over his waist and settled himself so his back was flush with my chest. His legs wriggled around to twist with mine and he latched onto my arm with a vice grip. There was no part of his body that wasn't touching mine in some way, and I just pressed myself even closer so I could press my lips to the back of his neck. He sighed softly and tilted his head back slightly.

"I love you," he whispered, to my surprise. I'd been sure he was fast asleep. I smiled in the darkness and nuzzled into his neck.

"I love you, too," I said, pressing another kiss to his skin. His body went slack then, and I curled around him protectively, silently offering assurance that he'd get through the night.

A/N: I really hope you liked this! Let me know how you feel.