*Dan's POV*

I wasn't too sure about Phil.

With everything that happened with Peej two years before, I couldn't really trust anyone anymore.

I couldn't tell this to Phil, he'd be heartbroken. Plus, we'd only known each other for about two hours at this point, so I guess he assumed I didn't quite trust him yet.

It was the next morning, and Phil had stayed in my fort overnight. I wasn't sure why he'd stayed, and not gone home, but that didn't matter. I almost didn't want him to go home. He was so dreamy, so beautiful, yet so mysterious. I needed to get to know him, and I wanted him to get to know me.

I ran to the fort as early as I could, only to see an empty clearing, an indent in the sleeping bag where he had laid. At least he was real, I thought.

I couldn't think of what to do. Panicking, I let out a cry dripping with worry, tears forming in my eyes. "Phil?!"

Nothing.

A single tear fell. Why was I crying? We only met yesterday, and I barely even knew him.

But he was so intriguing, and I was dying to love him. I wanted to look at him and think, "He's mine. He's a separate life who loves me and prioritizes me."

Before I could do that, though, I had to find the boy.

It must've been an hour before I heard a faint cry of "Dan~?"

I spun around in excitement. Was it Phil? Probably.

"Phil, is that you?"

"Yeah, Dan, I need a little help. Come here, yeah?"

"What kind of help?"

"Uh, well, I'm kind of stuck in a tree."

I looked up and noticed Phil sitting in the top branch of a rather frail tree. He was curled up in a ball there, and was trying to get down, but couldn't. "I came up here cause there was a strange animal and I was scared. Now I can't get down." Phil whimpered.

I sighed and cracked a smile. He was so cute. "I'm coming to get you, Philly!" I yelled before beginning my ascent.

ITS BEEN A HUNDRED YEARS YOU CAN YELL AT ME

IM SO SORRY

you're welcome for that tho, it's short but it'll do~

bye loves :)