PROMPT: “Can you please write something about where Dan has broken his leg/tibia and he doesn’t want Phil’s help by getting up the stairs and he pushes Phil away, but then finally realise he does need Phil’s help to get upstairs?”
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“Tired?” Phil whispers softly to the younger boy lying on the sofa beside him. Dan’s eyelids fall with fatigue, his brunette fringe flopping over his forehead.
“Mh, yeah.” Dan moans, before sighing. “I think I need to go to bed. It’s been a long day.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Phil agrees, although he glances over to the stairs in concern.
Dan manages to lift himself up, swinging over his plastered leg as he grabs the crutches. “Ugh.” He grunts in concentration of not falling over on his broken leg.
“You okay?” Phil wants to help him out; he can almost feel the phantom pain in his own leg from Dan’s new injury, due to their intense telepathic connection that had grown over the years of spending so much time in each other’s company.
“I can manage, Phil.” Dan snaps defensively, hobbling out of his seat and across the wallway, until he was met with the stairs; which was the only option he could take.
He swallows, biting his lip as he contemplated how on earth he was going to manage this.
“Here…” Phil suddenly appears behind him, taking one arm in his hand for support as he prepares to help Dan up the stairs.
“No…” Dan complains, pushing Phil away. “I can do this!”
Phil tried to ignore how much Dan had intentionally, or unintentionally hurt him with his rejection. “Dan, you ca-”
“I don’t need your help!” Dan hissed, wanting to prove to Phil he could be as strong as he wanted.
Gulping nervously, Dan set down his plastered leg, trying to bear the shooting pain that stabbed into his nerves as he relied heavily on the crutch resting into the stairs, and took one step up.
“Ow!” He complained, trying to mute his complaint as much as he could so Phil wouldn’t try coming to the rescue.
One step down, 16 to go. Dan thought to himself, a sheen of nervous sweat appearing on his forehead as he worried over how he was supposed to do this without making his injury even more severe than it already was.
WIth another groan and wince, he struggles up two more stairs, before realizing how impossible this task was deemed.
Setting his foot down on the fourth step, he suddenly misplaces his crutch, and overbalances.
“Shit!” he screams, rapidly falling backwards, bracing himself for the-
With a jolt upright asnd two protective arms saving him, his eyes fly open to be met with Phil’s face inches away from his own, his eyes filled with terror and concern.
“Oh my god!!” Dan gasps breathlessly, his heartbeat accellerating. “Oh my god, Phil.” He collapses into him, his leg throbbing with pain.
“Dan!” Phil tightens his grip on the injured boy. “Oh, thank god I caught you.” He gently begins to adjust Dan’s position until he was nearly standing upright again, with no weight being unnecessarily held onto his bad leg.
“T-thank you…” Dan stammers, still shock-ridden. “I’m so sorry.” He apologizes sheepishly.
“It’s okay.” Phil breathes, although he shows no sign of letting go of Dan.
Dan swallows again, working out how he was going to ask this of Phil.
“Can you… erm…” He begins. “Can you… help me?” He asks quietly, hating the feeling of defeat and weakness. It reminds him of what he was taunted for in High School
“Of course.” Phil whispers in a gentle voice. “You only needed to ask.”
