Dan's POV

I placed Kyle in one of my belt loops. The image of the figure was burned into my mind. I contemplated who it could have been.

Green eyes.

Do I even know anyone with green eyes?

Suddenly, I heard the crying again. It was louder than before. I looked at Phil and he shrugged while looking in the direction of the sound.

Nate and Jason heard it as well. They were both staring down the hallway behind the hole. "What was that?" Jason whispered.

"I've heard that before. It's someone crying," I responded.

"Let's go check it out! It could be someone we know!" Nate cheered.

"Yeah, but they're crying and that can't be a good sign," Phil put in.

I took Kyle out of my belt loop and held it up. "It doesn't matter. We have to save them."

Phil's eyes widened immediately. "Dan, your back is covered in blood!"

"Oh yeah," I muttered as agonizing pain suddenly rang throughout my body.

"Put the freaking sword away!" Jason yelled.

I put Kyle back in my belt loop and sat on the floor. Phil ran up to me and started taking off his shirt.

"Wait, what're you doing?" I asked.

"We have to wrap up your wound!"

I giggled, "Phil, you were tortured and your clothes are in shreds. You taking them off right now wouldn't help anything."

Phil huffed before stopping himself and asking, "So what're we supposed to do?"

"Find clothes, I guess," I answered.

"Let's check dorms!" Nate cheered before grabbing Jason's hand and sprinting down the hallway behind the hole.

I began to get up as well, but Phil leaped up beside me and lent me a hand. I took it and sprung up next to him. I started to walk toward the hole, but Phil wrapped his arms around my waist.

I giggled, "What're you–"

Phil whipped me around and pulled me into a slow kiss. I smiled into it and kissed back while wrapping my arms around his neck.

I heard Nate scream, "OH MY GOSH!"

Phil began to pull away, but I pulled him back while flipping off Nate. I heard Nate and Jason gasp before they started laughing hysterically.

Phil pulled away and rested our foreheads against each other's. He smiled at me while he asked, "Why're they laughing?"

"Cause they're crazy–"

"DAN JUST FLIPPED ME OFF!" Nate yelled in a whiny tone.

I rolled my eyes while Phil started laughing. "Of course he did," he mumbled.

"Can you blame me? They interrupted our kiss."

I heard Nate squeal, and Phil and I both shot him a glare, which caused him to chuckle.

I smiled to myself. I'm not sure why, but something about making Nate happy made me happy. Not to mention I had just kissed the guy I'd been crushing on for several years now.

I guess life could be going worse.

It could also be going a lot better.

"Alright, let's go get some clothes," Phil instructed.

"Okay," I responded as I began walking to the hole.

Once Phil and I leaped through it, we all began walking down the new hallway. While walking, Nate asked, "What're you two gonna tell your fans?"

"About what?" Phil questioned.

"Umm, you two kissed and you're fostering a kid while living in the same house as Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Cryaotic, and PewDiePie, who are also fostering kids. I thought you hadn't told your fans yet?" Nate replied.

My eyes widened a bit. "Nope, we haven't told them anything," I mumbled.

"Oh! I know!" Phil cheered.

"What?" I asked.

"We could start the video like a normal one, then, out of nowhere, kiss! Then, Nate could jump on screen and we could make a theme song thing for the beginning of all the episodes and play it then!"

"That's," I paused, "actually not a bad idea."

"After the intro, everyone else should jump on screen and you guys start the series!" Jason added.

"Wait, are you guys making a new channel for this thing or what?" Nate asked.

"Not sure," I started, "we didn't get many details, but I assume so."

"What're you gonna name the channel?" Jason asked as he closed the door to the dorm he had checked.

"SUPER AMAZING PROJECT WITH FRIENDS!" Phil screamed, making everyone flinch.

I giggled, "If I'm being perfectly honest, I didn't know they were our friends already."

"Dan!" Phil scolded, "Why wouldn't they be our friends!"

"Oh, come on. We've only met them one time before this. I don't just let people be my friends."

"Yeah, but why wouldn't–"

"Phil, do you not realize that if we turned down their offer, we would be fine making videos at home and not searching for clothes because our current ones are covered in blood and ripped to shreds! I'm still new to this whole 'having friends' thing, but I'm pretty sure friends don't do this to each other."

Silence. Not a comfortable silence, but one of the most awkward silences I'd ever been apart of in my life.

"You blame them for us being here?" Phil whispered.

I didn't respond. I didn't mean to say everything that I had. Everything just started pouring out.

Does it even matter, though?

"It doesn't matter," I mumbled.

"It kind of does, actually," Phil replied.

"No, it doesn't. All of us are gonna die here anyway."

I faintly heard Nate whisper to Phil, "Is this an existential crises?"

Phil elbowed him a bit. "Dan, we aren't gonna die here. What we are going to do is get new clothes, find our friends, escape, live with Mark for a month while fostering Nate, and go back to the U.K. with new memories."

"Yeah, but what's the point. Even if we do get out, and by some miracle, none of our friends die in the process, we'll all die eventually. Not to mention nothing will ever be the same as it was before we came here."

Phil sighed, "No, it won't be. But ya know what?"

"Hmm," I mumbled as tears began gathering in my eyes.

"We're gonna get through it together. Just like we always have! So what if our lives get completely flipped on their heads? You just have to learn to adjust! It'll be okay! It'll be great! I mean, can you imagine how ecstatic everyone will be if we kiss on camera?"

"Everyone would freak out, but why does it matter?"

Phil punched my arm lightly.

"Dan, if you die, the entire internet would care! Who else would be that open to talking about how much of a screw up they are?" Nate asked.

"Gee, thanks," I replied sarcastically.

"You know what? Never mind. I'm gonna assume that this entire conversation was sarcastic. Your death would matter to everyone and I wouldn't have anyone to watch the second season of Attack on Titan with when it comes out in April," Phil put in, rolling his eyes slightly.

"Hey! Guys! There're clothes in this room!" Jason cheered from down the hall.

"Wait, Dan? Can I talk to you for a second?" Nate asked.

"Uh, sure? What's up?" I replied while Phil continued walking down the hallway.

"You didn't mean it, did you?"

"Mean what? That my death would be meaningless?"

"That and you said that you were new to having friends. You know that neither of those is true, right?" Nate questioned.

"Both of them are true, actually," I muttered.

"No, they aren't! You have a ton of friends! Mark, Jack, Felix, and Cry have all shown you that they either want to be your friend, or think that they already are. Not to mention all your other YouTube friends! Did you forget about Tyler Oakley, your freaking fangirl partner in crime, that fast? And if you died, all of them, plus all of your subscribers, plus me and Phil, would care! All of us would be extremely depressed, and in all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if several people killed themselves because of you! Your death, whether you accept it or not, will affect the entire world!"

I was completely taken aback by Nate's small speech. The tears welling up in my eyes began slipping out as I stared at the boy half my age. "Thanks."

I noticed his eyes welling up a bit so I bent down to his level. He wiped the tears off of my face with his sleeve, but I didn't care all that much. I pulled him into the biggest hug I'd ever given anyone in my life.

He hugged back immediately and whispered, "Promise you'll never hurt yourself?"

I continued hugging him without responding.

A/N

SO WHILE I WAS WRITING THIS A BUNCH OF SAD SONGS CAME ON SHUFFLE RIGHT IN A ROW AND I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE GRAVITY FALLS SERIES FINALE WHEN DIPPER WAS TELLING MABEL THAT THEY'D GET THROUGH ANYTHING TOGETHER AND I WAS ALMOST IN TEARS WTF

Why am I like this T_T

*cough* anyways, BUH-BYE BROTATOES!