For Dan, life wasn’t exactly an easy challenge for him. From even such a young age, he has grown used to heartbreak and feeling abandoned. He can remember being no more than 6 years old, and his mum leaving for days on end. His dad wasn’t around, seeing as he died when Dan was only a baby and he can’t remember him. So it wouldn’t be fair to blame anything on his dad, who lay 6 feet underground in Dan’s mind.

Things were always more important to his mom than him. Leaving for days, to nearly a week, with no knowledge on how to take care of himself had effects on Dan. At such a young age, he wanted nothing more to play with his mom like any other kid. However, she was never there, but when she was? She was higher than you could imagine on who knows what. Dan however, he didn’t know that. He didn’t know anything. He was confused why she would be happy one minute and then transformed into a completely different mood, whether that be some range of anger or disgust or any other mood she could possibly have. He didn't get why she would sleep all day, but leave during the night, how she was always agitated when it came to Dan.

For Dan however that didn't last much longer. Child services had stepped in and took him from his home, moving him into a foster care situation. While the family he was with was kind and loving, Dan was distant. He wanted to go back to his old house, even for just a minute, and see his mom but he wasn't allowed to. This new place, it wasn't home. Neither was living with his mom, but at least it felt more familiar than this.

Growing up meant going to school. It met meeting people, making friends, friends leaving, losing contact with someone or whatever other curveball life can throw at you. Trying to make his way through school, Dan was always picked on. Never getting any break, he was always called names, picked on, it never got violent; but it still hurt none the less.

He learned the truth of his mom over the years, more so when he showed up in a black suit and with tears streaming down his face the day he had to bury his mother. Unlike his dad, who he never knew, his mom had a choice and he knew that. She had a choice to be there for Dan and make things right. She didn't and now she never could; and Dan hated her for that. Hate was an easy term for how he felt. Deep inside him was a burning passion of hatred for her. He hated everything about what she did and how she didn't try.

The summer Dan turned 16, he put a wall up. He was tired of getting hurt, used, reminded of the things from his past. The first thing he did was get two studs in his lip. It may not seem like much, but it progressed to more. His septum, eyebrow, having his ears all pierced, and when that wasn't enough, he started with tattoos. Now he has nearly a full sleeve, not counting the ones that are scattered on him.

When the leaves started to fall, and everyone went back to school, there was someone there he didn't recognize. It was a boy a bit shorter than himself, with raven black hair and porcelain skin - almost like a doll. From across the room, Dan saw him smile. His teeth were crooked but he didn't seem to care; nor did he seem to care about the fact that they had a yellow tint to them. He just - he smiled and embraced the atmosphere around him. Something Dan couldn’t do without forcing it.

Dan had made sure to keep his distance from this boy, who didn’t even talk to anyone anymore. Assuming he was shy, Dan thanked god. He was judged just from looks alone, so someone who was allegedly shy, wouldn’t even walk up to him. Right?

Dan can say that wasn’t how things worked out and now? Now he could say he was happy, a year after this shy boy asked if he was alright. He could say something, he never thought that he could before in his life.

Walking into the room, Dan chucked his bag across the room, and sat down in his seat. He cursed out a teacher the previous day and had detention the rest of the week. Sighing, he kicked his feet up on the desk, and tossed his head back. The teachers, just like his adoptive parents have given up with him and didn’t bother showing up. Somehow they knew if he didn’t show and just added more detention for him.

Footsteps echoed as someone stepped in the room. Dan figured it was just a teacher, whose name he couldn’t care enough to remember, until the person sat in the desk beside him. Raising his brow, Dan looked over and much to his dismay he saw the shy boy. The boy he stares at in class with the raven hair and porcelain skin. The boy who seems to silently mock him, without knowing himself that he is.

Darting his eyes towards Dan, he gave him a small smile. It wasn’t happy, excited, energetic, but it was caring. Caring and welcoming and Dan didn’t get it. No one looked at him that way. Especially someone he didn’t know; most just judged him and went on, breaking part of him and he didn’t know it.

“I- I’m Phil.” He stuttered.

Just staring at him, Dan didn’t say anything. He didn’t see a reason to, the kid would go running soon enough.

“I - I’ve,” Phil started, pausing as if he was carefully trying to choose his words, “I heard some ru-rumours I have no right to ask if they are t-true or not. But either way, are you okay?” Dan’s eyes widened and he stared at Phil. “I don’t mean okay as in everyday; I mean it as deep down, to the bottom of your soul, are you alright?”

Baffled, Dan just continued to stare at him. No one cares about him, no one talks to him. Yet, this - this kid who knows nothing about him asked if he was truly alright. Something that he hadn’t been asked in nearly a year.

Today, that’s how he is. He’s okay and he’s happier than he’s ever been. Phil hadn’t given up that day and made it his personal mission to ask Dan each and every day if he was okay. Just because he cared about the boy with curly brown hair, who deep down, Phil could see was hurt. Phil listens when Dan tells him how he feels, he asks him questions back so Dan knows he cares.

With his head in Phil’s lap, and Phil running his fingers through his hair, Dan yawned. Looking over at the clock, Phil asked, “Don’t you need to be home by now?”

Dan simply smiled at him and whispered, “When I’m with you, I am home.”