☾ ☽

dan wished it wasn't so damn rare he got the house to himself.

it wasn't exactly that jarvis was always home - he often was, but he was usually holed up in his office - but someone was always around. jarvis tended to invite over business partners to stay overnight to work, and even when the man himself wasn't home, they worked for him in the library.

when someone was home dan would usually just silently do his chores, and eat his meals in his room. considering he lived in the attic, he was never a problem. and if someone happened to notice him or ask who he was, he would always explain that he was a maid of sorts. it was true, only a little more complicated than that. he couldn't exactly tell them that his parents were dead, and jarvis was his godfather who had taken him in and put him to work.

the kids at school used to call him cinderella, which he supposed was accurate. he didn't blame them. an orphan is always a good target for bullying, and dan was more than happy to sacrifice himself if it meant other kids wouldn't have it as bad.

but when dan was home alone, you better believe he savored the time. he would play the piano, mostly, since he didn't have any reason to keep quiet. that, and take those god awful shoes off.

his "powers" weren't something he was allowed to take lightly. jarvis had told him very specifically that if it ever got out that he could do what he could do, that it was over. he wouldn't have a home, and dan didn't know what he would do if that happened. he would have nowhere to go.

so there he was, sitting on the window sill, his metal shoes scattered halfheartedly on the floor beneath him. it was a stormy day; the glass of the window was sprinkled with raindrops, and dan watched them fall, pattering against the panes. and for once, he didn't really want to be alone.

he had practiced piano so much that day that his fingertips were practically bruised, and his cheeks were flushed from the passion he had worked with. but now he was tired, and bored, and he wished he had a friend.

he thought about lola. his heart swelled; she hadn't crossed his mind since the last time jarvis was away on a business trip. lola was his first friend. and last.

he had been only young when she had moved in next door with her family. she fascinated dan because she had a full family, complete with mother and father and a little baby brother who always smiled and giggled when dan was around. dan fascinated her because she had never met someone who slept on a mattress in their attic, no bed frame or posters on the walls. so they were friends.

she would come over on the weekends and let dan ride her bike, and she would teach him how to braid her long dark hair that matched the shade of her skin. it had been incredibly simple, something nothing in dan's life ever seemed to be.

but dan had ruined it.

"are you ready?" twelve year old dan giggled, his eyes twinkling. the girl sitting on a log across from him rolled her eyes.

"yes, dan!" she cried, nodding at him. "are you gonna show me why you wear those shoes?" her face brightened. "will you let me try them on?"

dan nodded, biting his lip. he was about to do something he had been told never to do.

he sucked in a sharp breath, holding it in his lungs and leaning over to unstrap his burdens.

at first nothing happened. he stepped out of them, his veins buzzing with adrenaline, and lola made a confused noise. but then he hopped, jumping backwards and landing on his heels childishly.

he watched as a small yellow-orange-red sunrise colored poppy grew from the dirt where his feet had just been, his brown eyes flickering between the flower and his best friend's face.

her face instantly broke out in happiness, excitement, and surprise.

"how did you do that?" she shouted, her dark eyes wide. "dan! are you like... like a fairy?"

dan giggled and shook his head, and shrugged. "i'm not a fairy. i just have flowers growing in my heart." that was what his mother used to tell him.

lola's jaw dropped open.

she had accepted him. she had thought what he could do was amazing.

she moved away the next day. no goodbye, no warning, nothing. jarvis told him that the father had gotten a sudden job offer three cities over.

it broke dan's heart, and he couldn't stop thinking, it was because he showed her.

dan sniffed, wiping at his eyes as he saw something out the window through hazy eyes.

it was a boy, more like a man, standing in front of his house. he was bent over, looking at something, jet black hair falling into his face.

his familiar face.

dan watched him for a moment, unsure of where he had seen him before, until it dawned on him. this was the boy from the bookstore, the one he had talked to a few days before. who had shown him the astronomy books.

dan shifted where he was sitting, so he was on his knees and could see him more clearly. he was hunched over the small garden that dan had made in front of the house, with the red flower boxes haphazardly shoved together. they were dan's flowers; generally they would die and disappear rather quickly, unless you watered them immediately and kept them healthy.

dan watched him, almost in a trance, until phil reached out to brush his fingers over one of the petals.

dan jumped up, rushing towards the door without even putting his shoes back on, not bothering to glance back at the trail of violets he knew he was leaving; the flower of nostalgia and loneliness.

"what are you doing?" he called, stopping himself abruptly in the doorway, his senses coming back to him.

phil jumped, shooting up into a standing position. he blinked at dan, surprise shadowing his features.

"um," he muttered, stumbling over his words.

"oh dear, i'm sorry," dan said, a little quieter and less accusing, licking his lips. "i didn't mean to startle you. i was just wondering what you were doing with our flowers...?"

even from the top of the steps, dan could see phil's face go red. he fiddled with his fingers, rocking back and forth slightly on his heels.

"i was just... looking." he flashed dan a nervous sideways smile. he pulled his heavy looking grey jacket tighter around himself. "your flowers are very pretty. did you plant them?"

dan could feel himself blushing, and he held a hand to his face, covering his mouth and cheek.

"you could say that," he mumbled, grinning at phil. "and, thank you."

phil nodded, relaxing a bit. he leaned over again, touching one of the pink flower petals. dan shivered.

"may i..." he paused, biting down on his thin bottom lip. "... pick one? i completely understand if not."

"n-no, i-" dan practically choked on his own breath in his haste. picking the flowers hurt, it physically hurt him when they were harmed. he frowned at how rude that probably sounded. "i'm sorry, no... i have a particular arrangement..." he choked out. phil simply nodded, still smiling.

"i understand. no worries."

they were both silent for a few moments, and dan glanced down at the tiny leaves and petals sprouting between his toes.

"what's your name?" phil asked abruptly, and dan looked up.

"daniel," he said softly, locking his fingers together in front of him. phil's smile grew, and he nodded.

"i meant to ask the other day. just forgot."

there was more silence, and dan sighed, listening to the rain. the atmosphere between them was calm, almost peaceful, as if they were old friends. it felt odd.

"w-would you... like to come in?" dan blurted, the words falling from his lips before he could even think about every reason that was a terrible idea. "considering you're probably freezing out there." he laughed nervously.

"oh, no thank you," phil said kindly, and dan let out a breath of relief. "i should probably get home. thank you though."

dan nodded, flashing his teeth at the boy. "nice to see you," he said politely, backing away and shutting the door. he didn't want to seem rude, but he really didn't want this stranger seeing what he had worked his whole life to hide.

he watched out the window for a few moments while phil examined the flowers once more, before walking away, pulling a heavy hood over his head.

and dan was alone again.