Chapter Text
"Watch where you're going, fag."
Great. Dan accidentally bumped into some posh teens and now all of his stuff is on the ground. People are staring. He scrambles to pick everything up, not bothering to shove it into his bag. He quickly walks around the corner, breaking into a sprint when everyone felt a bit too close. He only stopped to rest on a bench when he felt a sharp pain in his lungs. Dan let out a loud sigh, leaning his head back and staring at the people walking behind, noticing that many people look better upside down. He wished he was upside down. Maybe then he would have his life together. He nearly screamed when he feels a tap on his shoulder.
"Hey, man. Get yourself something to eat," came a voice from Dan's right, a 20 pound bill being held in front of his face.
Dan snorted, grinning wildly as he pushed the bill back to it's owner, "I don't need it."
"Yes, you do."
"Really, I don't-" Dan's eyes widened when he finally turned to look at the generous person. A man sat beside him with a wide smile and blue eyes that made Dan feel free. His hair was darker than his own. He's never seen anything like it. The man was gorgeous.
"Please, just take it," the man pleaded, holding the bill out again. He smirked triumphantly when Dan took the bill and shoved it into the pocket of his jacket, which was way too small and slowly crushing every bone in his body. "Mind if I take you on a date?"
Dan barked out a laugh, holding his sides as they began to ache. He looked at the man like he was crazy, well, he kinda was. Why would this rich, beautiful man want to take him, a ratty homeless guy, on a date? And they just met!
"You must be insane to wanna take me on a date," Dan glanced at the man, "and, there's a ring on your finger."
The man threw his head back and laughed before scooting closer to Dan, their knees now making contact.
"I think you're quite beautiful."
"Who the fuck thinks a homeless man is beautiful? You must be blind," Dan looked away, trying to ignore the way his heart was beating abnormally fast.
"I"m wearing contacts," the man smirked. God dammit.
"I don't even know your name."
"Dan."
"Phil."
"Phil, why the fuck did you bring me here?" Dan hissed over the loud chatter from the other guests in the huge, fancy restaurant Phil brought him to.
"I told you you were beautiful," Phil said plainly, taking a sip of the wine that sat in front of him.
Dan sighed and looked away. He cringed when he heard the sound of a fork scraping against a plate. He winced when the voices got louder and louder and louder. He snapped when a baby began to cry. Dan furrowed his eyebrows. He was done with this rich guy. He was probably just looking for a boy toy to mess around with. He got to his feet and walked towards the entrance, not saying a word. He only came along for free food, but the atmosphere made him sick. He was on the sidewalk when a strong hand grabbed his wrist, pulling him back and holding him against their chest.
"Whoa, where ya goin'?" Phil asked, a sharp smirk on his pale face.
"Home," Dan mumbled, his fingers curling into a fist.
"What home-" Phil was then delivered a punch to the face.
"Don't fucking say shit like that," Dan barked, his eyes filled with anger, "don't come around me again, you prick."
Phil chuckled when he felt a thick stream of blood run from his nose. He watched Dan push through a crowd of tourists, disappearing into the big city of Chicago.
"You're still beautiful."
"Thank you," Dan said softly as a woman tossed a dollar into the cup he was holding, gently shaking it back and forth as people passed by him. He sighed and took a drag from the cigarette he was holding in his other hand. He was leaning against the brick wall of a bank. How Ironic. He watched the store across the road, many people pouring out with huge bags of gifts for their own families.
"Hey beautiful." Great.
"Fuck off," Dan spat, not even making eye contact with the owner of the voice. Instead, Phil crouched in front of him and smiled innocently. He was wearing an expensive black suit. Dan rolled his eyes.
"Babe, don't be like that," Phil said softly, reaching forward and placing a hand on Dan's knee. The boy flinched at the contact and looked away, staying silent. He's spoken about 2 words to this guy and he already hated him. He nudged Phil's hand away from his knee and pulled his legs up to his chest. Phil sighed and sat next to him, just wanting to be close to the boy.
"What happened to you?" Phil asked, finally dropping the posh attitude.
"I told my mom I was gay and she said she never wanted to see me again," Dan said plainly, letting out a bittersweet chuckle.
"You're gay?"
"You couldn't tell?"
"Totally thought you were straight. You're a looker, as I've told you," Phil gave a breathy giggle, the way his tongue poked out between his teeth making Dan's heart jump. He looked away to internally curse himself.
"Why do you keep coming back to me?" Dan asked, a sad tone to his low voice.
"I just want to help you."
"Good luck. Can't help someone who's hopeless."
Phil thanked the barista who made his coffee and smiled to himself as he walked out the door, a bag in his hand. He happily walked over to Dan's usual spot, where a lump lay under a mess of blankets. Phil gently tapped the lump with his foot, trying not to laugh when he heard a loud groan. Dan pushed the blankets away from his head, his hair sticking out in every direction possible.
"I brought you a bagel," Phil said proudly, sitting down next to Dan.
Dan raised an eyebrow, "I told you you didn't have to do anything like that-"
"Shh, just eat it," Phil whispered, pushing the bagel towards Dan's face.
"You're a pain, you know that?"
"A good pain or a bad pain?"