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Dan flicked the light switch but the room stayed dim.
'Power's out again? I'm so done with this shit weather.’
Reaching for the thick knit blanket folded on the couch, Dan draped it over Phil's shoulders and he curled into it, breathing a little easier.
'Power’s out again,' Phil said, voice small and quiet.
The usual aloof edge was gone, replaced by something softer.
Dan softly sat down beside him, pulling up the flashlight on his phone.
‘Want to go barricade?'
That was Dan's way of getting them from the lounge to a more secluded room where Phil wouldn't start freaking out over vague shapes or shadows.
Phil nodded but then shook his head once. He squeezed his eyes shut, scrubbing them with a corner of the blanket he found.
After a moment, Dan continued.
'Let’s try this,' he said. 'You keep your eyes closed, I'll guide us to the room. You can hide your face in a pillow while I light candles.’
'Okay,' Phil whispered. 'Candles are nice.’
Dan eased them through the hallway and towards the bed, hand firm but gentle on his side. 'All that drama. Here we are. Don't look. Your fortress is in progress.’
Phil flopped down stomach-first, burying his face deep into the pillow.
The blanket still hugged him tight like a shield, and Dan readjusted it over his head.
Silly, but it worked as intended. He smiled when Phil’s fingers flexed, curling and uncurling as he clenched the fabric tightly.
Dan began lighting every candle he could find as he moved quietly around the room.
Soft flames flickered to life one by one, filling the space between them with a warm glow.
The lump on their bed mumbled something unintelligible, flipping over once under the blanket.
Pausing while grabbing his laptop from the desk, Dan placed it on the bedside table.
'One more time, Philly. You're wigging out too loudly over here.'
He opened a fireplace video on YouTube for ambience, or shits and giggles, volume low so the crackling fire sounded faint but steady.
Phil pressed his cheek to the pillow below under his safety blanket. ‘I’m chilly.’
'Okay,' Dan said, laughing softly, turning toward him. He wasn’t sure if Phil was rhyming or actually cold, probably both. 'I don’t think you are, but I'll get you more blankets. You can look now.'
His face stayed scrunched, but after a long pause, Phil slowly peeked out from under the blanket, eyes scanning the room, hesitant.
Dan snagged a small stash of snacks from the kitchen, a bag of salt and vinegar chips, some gummies.
Spotting Phil’s cup on the counter he’d abandoned in a hurry to seek solace in the lounge when the power cut out, Dan replaced whatever grave concoction was in there with actual water for once.
He kept his steps purposeful, louder on the way back to their room.
Phil was on his own mission fixing the duvet, another faint crease had caught his attention and his fingers brushed at the crease, tugging.
He jumped when Dan knocked the doorframe, relaxing again when he processed who it was.
Shutting the door behind him, Dan set his collection down carefully on Phil’s side of the bed. Always on the right, regardless of where they were.
He rummaged through the drawer, coming up with a tangled chaos of wires, rubber band ball, a tiny slinky that was slightly bent.
Eyes drifting from the duvet, Phil furrowed his brow and plucked the cord from his fingers.
Curiosity flickered faintly on his face and he started methodically working through the loops.
Dan nudged the drawer open wider, poking through the mess until he pulled out a metallic green clicky pen with the clip snapped off.
He handed it over to Phil without comment who took it immediately, dropping the cord to his lap. Already clicking in an uneven rhythm, the tension in his shoulders started to disappear little by little.
Crossing the room to the desk, Dan found his over-ear headphones and gave them a shake.
He slipped them over his head with practiced ease. A tap on the side, and the ambient hush of white noise kicked in.
When he turned back around, Phil was watching him with a questioning look, pen frozen.
Dan just raised a brow and shrugged, heading towards him on the bed.
'Don't want you holding back. I can still hear you talk. It's just a little muffled. Click away.'
Phil’s mouth twitched into the beginnings of a smile.
The room hummed softly with the crackle of their fake fire, the air thick with warmth and candles flickering.
Dan, for the most part, had settled into his own little world, phone screen lit up just enough to keep him occupied without pulling his attention too far.
They relaxed further into the pillows, the steady rhythm of tapping now.
Phil's movements were slow at first, almost unnoticeable, like he was testing the waters. The blanket rustled faintly as he shuffled closer, but Dan knew what was coming.
He paused, then shifted his body just enough to meet Phil’s gaze as he shuffled closer. His voice was low, but he couldn’t help the amusement creeping into it. He knew what was coming. It always started like this.
Popcorn hour was important.
'What are you doing?’
Knees bumped lightly against his side as he shuffled even closer, his hands found Dan’s shoulders, fingers pressing down firmly.
There was a moment of stillness, the faintest quiet breath, and then a shove as Phil tried to tip him off the bed.
The evil glint in his eyes said it all.
Nudging back, his hands coming to rest on Phil’s chest just enough to send that bug away from his personal bubble.
Caught off guard, Phil let out a small laugh as he scrambled over quickly.
Dan shook his head, enjoying the back-and-forth.
'You think I’m just gonna let you throw me around like this.’
He pushed right back, using his full weight this time, softly slapping Phil’s hands away as he maneuvered his body to stay centered on the bed. 'I’ll toss you, you’ll end up on the floor.’
Dan’s earring, the one he wore more out of habit than style, had caught his eye.
Without a word, he reached over fast.
Jolting slightly, Dan caught his wrist.
‘Oi! Get outta here.’
Phil gave him a wide-eyed look, unconvincing innocence dripping off him.
‘You're shiny,’ he said simply. 'You’re squeezing me.’
Dan narrowed his eyes.
‘You're trespassing. On thin ice. Try my hoodie strings or something.’
'It’s your fault,' Phil muttered, and then, still in Dan’s grip, flexed his fingers like a cat trying to reach the earring again. 'I want the fun accessories too.'
Dan rolled his eyes, grabbing Phil’s other hand and pinning both gently to his chest.
'You lost those privileges when you bent my earring last week. That is attached to my actual body, thanks.'
Phil mumbled something that sounded like an insult, leaning toward the empty bedside table instead, halfway across the mattress like some kind of creature whose mission was absolutely not productive.
'There’s nothing for you over here. Why are you stretching?'
Phil let out a muffled cackle, his face buried in the duvet now, and then without warning, he launched himself sideways across the mattress.
'Hey!'
He landed half on Dan’s legs, blanket tangling around them both. He peeked out from under a pillow, smiling so hard his eyes crinkled.
Dan tried to keep some control, laughing as the giggles only grew louder as Phil flailed and kicked gently against his knees, pulling at the edges of the duvet. Tugging him closer in a messy, happy jumble.
Hands shot out, grabbing at his arms, fingers curled into his sleeves, pulling.
Dan felt the heat of Phil’s breath tickle his neck as they tumbled. Then, suddenly, he flipped the blanket up and over both their heads, creating a soft, dim cocoon.
The outside world blinked out.
It was just them, bathed in candlelight filtering through the fabric.
Dan glanced sideways, faces just inches apart now.
‘There. A temporary bunker for a rogue kernel.’
Phil exhaled slowly, breath catching, his fingers already inching toward the nearest edge of the blanket, rubbing the seam between thumb and forefinger like it held a secret.
Their breathing echoed in the tiny blanket cave, fake fire popping softly from the laptop.
Phil’s lips parted and he started echoing the sound under his breath, just barely audible.
Dan shifted just enough to press a light kiss to his nose, fingers tracing the outline of his jaw.
‘Are you done now?’
Rolling over him, Phil flopped his arm across Dan’s chest with all the grace of a melting cat.
He blinked, expression unreadable, then slowly nodded. Docile suddenly, like he had completed his menacing necessary courses of action for the evening.
'Your fake fire’s too crackly,' He slurred into Dan's collarbone. 'It’s like i’m being haunted by the Krispies cereal.'
'I'll haunt you.'