A/N: Whew! I've decided not to be a tease, and I'm gonna upload the chapters all at one time. I figure that since I have it all written out, I won't draw out uploading the chapters for very long. This chapter is shorter than the first, and a bit fluffier. Gotta get ready for the drama, haha! :)

Warnings: None, really. Except for the ever-present sexual tension between the two boys. ;P

OoO

The days passed, and Phil hardly felt the time as it flew by. He wasn't really a morning person, but he found himself waking up and eagerly awaiting the time he would spend with Dan. They easily formed a ritual of sorts. Phil would open the door and be attacked by Pirate, and Dan would always come greet him with the same smile on his face. Then Dan would lead the ebony-haired boy over to the easels, and they would get started.

The art lessons were going well. They had finished the basics and were now moving on to still-life paintings. Dan was a great teacher, and Phil seemed to get better with each passing day. Every time Phil would stumble, Dan would explain the idea again patiently and take Phil's hand to show what the brunette meant. Phil had to admit to himself that sometimes he messed up on purpose, just so Dan would get close to him. He craved those moments, where Dan's breath would tickle his cheek and the brunette's body would be so close to his. The touches were electric, and Phil wondered if Dan ever noticed his intentions. If the younger boy did, he was keeping mum about it.

The two grew incredibly close. It felt like a lifetime of knowing each other when really they had only just known each other for two weeks. Phil thought that their everyday interaction would make his attraction lessen, but it grew more and more with each day that he spent with Dan. Every night that he slept in his own bed, he would always dream of things that made him moan and thrash and end up having to change his sheets in the morning. It was embarrassing but tolerable.

Then one morning Dan had this brilliant smile on his face when Phil walked into the gallery, like the younger boy had just won the lottery, and Phil had to smile just at the sight. "What's up?"

"We just sold a painting!" Dan gushed, leaning forward and grabbing Phil's hands excitedly. "Some guy on vacation wanted a souvenir, and he bought one!"

"That's awesome, Dan!" Phil congratulated, trying to ignore the way Dan's touch sent shivers up the older boy's body.

The sudden hug was totally unexpected, and Phil felt his body melt at the touch. He wrapped his arms around the brunette, trying to ignore the trembling of his hands as he did so. He could feel Dan's breath in his ear when the brunette whispered, "It's all because of you."

Phil gulped, trying to control the buzzing in his head from the thoughts that he should not be having at this moment. "What do you mean?"

Dan pulled back, his hands lingering a little too long on Phil's back before coming to rest at his sides. "Well, you've helped me so much. I couldn't have made it this far without you. I really owe you one."

"Aw, it was nothing," Phil replied, cheeks red as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know! We should celebrate," Dan exclaimed, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Let's close early, and you can come to my house for dinner. I make a mean chicken casserole; I promise you that you won't be disappointed."

Like I would ever be, Phil mused in his head. "Sure, sounds great."

"Awesome!" Dan chirped happily, and they began the process of closing shop (which really wasn't all that much to do, if Phil was being honest). Even Pirate, sensing something big was happening, attempted to help by pawing at a pile of papers. Of course, the cat ended up making even more of a mess, but Phil didn't mind. When they were done, Phil waited for Dan as the brunette checked that everything was in order. Seemingly satisfied, the brunette waited for Pirate to come out, and they began their walk.

The walk was short; it was barely five minutes before they were at Dan's house. They took the time to make idle chitchat, and Phil was somewhat surprised to find out that Dan lived so close to Phil that they were practically neighbors. Pirate tagged along dutifully, apparently used to sticking around as Dan made his trek home.

Phil wasn't surprised that Dan's house mirrored the look of his gallery, only brighter. Vibrant yellow coated the walls outside, and deep violet shutters sat on each side of the windows. It was a small house, really, only meant for one or two people at most. There was even a purple door, which made Phil feel instantly at home as he waited for Dan to find his keys.

Stepping inside, Phil took in the sights around him. The house was a decent size compared to first glance. While the walls had no color on them, there were pieces of art tacked up on almost every inch of the space. Drawings, paintings; some weren't even finished, and Phil had a sense of pride to know that Dan was letting the ebony-haired boy even further into his world. The kitchen was connected to the living room, and it was full of vibrant splashes of color, from the bright red cabinetry to the paint-stained linoleum. A door off to the left of the house led into what was presumably Dan's bedroom. Phil found his thoughts turning dark, and he tried to ignore them.

"So, what do you think? Not the fanciest of houses, but I think it works," Dan said, walking to the kitchen. Pirate ran to the other side of the room and jumped up on the island in the center, rubbing enthusiastically against the hand that the brunette offered.

"It's nice," Phil commented, watching the scene with a smile. "It's really cozy."

Dan smiled. "Thanks. You get used to the smallness after a while. You might have to watch your head sometimes, though. Apparently this house was built for short people."

"I'll keep that in mind," Phil laughed.

"Have a seat on the couch," Dan instructed, pointing to a red couch with big, fluffy pillows on it. "It'll take me a while to mix up the ingredients, but once it's in the oven, I can properly talk to you."

"No problem," Phil said, taking a seat on the couch. He felt himself being sucked in slightly; the couch was overly comfy and cushioned and he had a feeling it would be hard to get out of it. Not that he would want to, of course.

Dan started humming lightly as he prepared the ingredients. The brunette seemed focused on his task and not so talkative, which was fine because Phil liked watching Dan get overly into something. It was like watching him paint; Dan's eyes would be narrowed in concentration and his tongue would stick out just the tiniest bit to the side of his mouth, and Phil found it all rather cute. It took a few minutes for Dan to prepare the dish, but soon it was in the oven and Dan had perched himself beside Phil on the couch.

The couch, though it was big enough to swallow someone, was still a bit on the small side, so Dan's leg brushed up against Phil's. Phil had to swallow in what he hoped was an unnoticeable way. Dan was smiling at him with a sort of dazed expression, and Phil wondered what the brunette was thinking.

The moment was ruined when a loud meow came from Phil's feet, and suddenly he had a lap full of fur. Phil chuckled and scratched behind Pirate's good ear, and the cat wasted no time in curling up and turning his purring on full-force. Phil had a feeling he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

He looked at Dan and could see the boy holding back a laugh from behind his hand. It was futile, and soon both boys were laughing. Dan wiped tears from his eyes and said, "Pirate really isn't the subtlest of creatures."

"Yeah, not really," Phil agreed, already resigned to his fate as he kneaded the back of the cat's neck.

"I think he thinks you're family or something," Dan commented lightly, but something in his eyes made Phil pause. Dan looked like he was waiting for something, and Phil was sure that whatever the ebony-haired boy said next would have to be important.

"Yeah," Phil breathed, forcing a casual tone in his voice. "I guess he's like family to me now."

Dan's expression was suddenly unreadable and his voice was soft when he asked, "And me, too?"

"Of course," Phil answered honestly and a bit forcefully, because it was the truth. He didn't even have to think about it, really. Even though he had only known the brunette for two weeks, he felt like it was a lifetime, and he had no qualms about admitting it to the younger boy.

The grin that lit up Dan's face made Phil relieved that he had said the right thing. "Good. Because we're really hard to get rid of once we like someone."

But do you like me more? Phil wanted to ask, but he figured that this admission, while it was an important stepping-stone, was enough for now. He smiled back at Dan shyly. "I'm pretty hard to get rid of, myself."

Dan looked like he was about to say something, but the beeps of the oven timer interrupted him. "Oh, it's done! Hold on, let me get it out of the oven. Could you set the table?"

"Sure," Phil replied, somehow managing to get up from the comfy couch. Dan got up with practiced ease, and Phil followed him to the kitchen. It seemed that there wasn't really a table; the island in the kitchen was big enough for that. After rummaging around and flipping though cabinets, Phil managed to get things set up and was now sitting down on a barstool. He could smell the casserole before he saw it, and smiled when Dan placed it on a potholder in front of him. "I think you'd make a good housewife."

Dan chuckled. "I'm sure I would be. Just don't make me wear a frilly apron, and I think we're all set."

Phil smiled, and Dan took his seat next to the ebony-haired boy. The older boy served himself a big helping, and wasn't surprised to find that the dish tasted as good as it looked. Dan was right; the brunette did have major skills. They ate in silence, and Phil had time to digest the conversation that had just taken place. Even in the short time that they had known each other, Phil thought of Dan and Pirate as his family. Although he wasn't quite sure that he was supposed to feel this way about your family. He was pretty sure that his attraction to the brunette had turned into something more, and it scared him.

While he knew that Dan was gay, the younger boy had been giving him mixed signals this whole time. Every time Phil thought he had Dan figured out, Dan would say something that would leave Phil confused and somewhat sexually frustrated. Dreams were good for fantasies, but Phil hadn't had any for a while, and it was starting to seep through the cracks in his willpower. Dan's casual touches soothed his urges temporarily, but as soon as the brunette moved away, they reappeared stronger than ever. Phil was sure that his sanity was slowly slipping away, his thoughts steeped in passion and frustration.

He hadn't realized that he was staring at his empty plate longingly until Dan cleared his throat. "Want more?"

Phil shook his head, willing away the traitorous thought of what "more" would entail in an entirely different manner. "Nope, I'm good. It was delicious, thank you."

Dan smiled warmly. "I'm glad you liked it. It's been a while since I cooked for more than just myself, so I was a bit worried. But it's a nice change."

"Same here," Phil agreed. "Maybe I should return the favor. I think I'm somewhat decent at cooking. At least, I haven't gotten sick from it yet."

Dan laughed. "I like the 'yet' part. But yeah, that sounds good. I can't wait."

"Me, either," Phil said, smiling.

They made idle chitchat while the two boys cleaned up. Dan had brushed off Phil's offer to help at first, but Phil was known for his stubborn nature, so soon they made a rhythm. Dan would wash, and Phil would dry. Phil briefly wondered how Dan survived without a dishwasher, but it felt good to help, so the older boy didn't mention it.

They sat down on the couch afterwards, and Phil groaned in contentment as he sank into the cushions. His own couch was ancient and barely held together, so it felt nice and comfortable to be surrounded by plush on all sides.

The look of hunger in Dan's eyes when Phil looked over was gone so quick that Phil was sure he had imagined it. Phil realized that Dan was a lot closer to him on the couch than he had been previously; their legs bumped into each other's. He shivered as the brunette casually rested his hand on the older boy's thigh. Was it his imagination, or were Dan's hands trembling?

Phil looked questioningly at Dan, and saw that the brunette was biting his lip in a nervous gesture. What does he have to be nervous about? Dan's eyes were looking straight at him with an unreadable expression, and Phil gulped. Dan continued to stare for a bit, prompting the ebony-haired boy to ask in a somewhat nervous way, "What?"

"Nothing," Dan replied mysteriously, and was it just Phil or did Dan seem to be moving closer? Phil's body acted of its own accord and leaned forward, mirroring Dan's actions. Is he doing what I think he's doing?

The loud meow made both boys jump, and suddenly Phil had a lap-full of fur. Phil heard Dan groan softly under his breath and saw the flicker of disappointment in hazel eyes. Phil's heart was beating a mile a minute, and it took all he had to force himself to calm down. Pirate butted his head against Phil's palm, and Phil obediently gave the cat a scratch behind its good ear.

The ebony-haired boy found himself looking at his watch, and groaned. "It's getting pretty late. I have to go, sorry."

Dan's disappointment was clearly visible, but the brunette gave a small sigh. "Yeah, it's about that time. Want me to walk you home?"

Phil smiled at the gesture and said, "Nah, I'm good. Thanks for tonight; it was really nice of you to invite me over."

"Sure, no problem. You're welcome anytime," Dan said warmly.

Phil hesitated slightly before getting up and stretching. The brunette mirrored his movements, and together they walked to the door. Their goodbyes were drawn out, and Dan's sudden hug sent tingles down Phil's spine. Dan's hands lingered on Phil's back a little longer than they should have, and he murmured a soft goodbye to the older boy. Phil whispered a shaky one, and Dan pulled back just as suddenly as he had come forward.

With a goodbye scratch to Pirate, Phil was off and walking down the street to his house. He really didn't want to leave, but tonight had been so confusing that he had just rushed out of there. Dan's actions that night had left too many questions in Phil's head that Phil could barely hear anything over the rush of his thoughts. Hope spread in his chest like a wildfire, and Phil suddenly wished that he had stayed longer to find out just what Dan was thinking. The moment had passed, though, and Phil couldn't really go back unannounced and question the boy.

Phil's dreams that night were vivid and full of fiery touches and heated stares.

OoO