I could feel the tears threatening to eclipse my vision. I felt terrible, forcing my questions upon Dan. He'd been so sweet, picking up the pieces of my crumpled form and getting help. And what had I done? I'd pushed him away.

I might never see him again.

I felt dreadful, now, having left Phil like that. I hadn't had human company like that in years, and he could so easily knock down the walls I had built up around myself. It made me feel vulnerable, and I couldn't cope. It wasn't his fault, not really - it was mine.

I slid to the floor, hands tangling in my hair. I wanted to return, but my pride stopped me. I couldn't go in and see Phil, not when my face was red and my eyes puffy, my hair knotted and windswept. But I had no home to go to, either.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing back the tears that had surfaced. It was silly, really, to get so upset. But I hadn't had to think about my past in a long time, and being around Phil renewed every emotion that I had trapped beneath the surface. Clambering back up, I combed my fingers nervously through my hair.

Despite being dead, I wanted to make a good impression.

I was drifiting lazily through tidal waves of drowsiness when I saw a shock of brown hair emerging from behind the door. A rueful smile drew itself on Dan's lips, and I pushed through the fog enough to smile back.

The fact that he was back - he was back! - hit me, and I fought off the duvet of darkness clouding my mind. "Dan!" I grinned, unable to reach for him as I longed to do. A small, insignificant part of my brain asked me sceptically why I was so keen to see a stranger, but I told it to shut up. A wise man once told me to do whatever I had to do to be happy, so I grabbed the bull by the horns and did just that.

"Hey, Phil." His rueful expression had travelled to his eyes, and his hands shook slightly. "I'm - I'm sorry for running off, earlier. I just - it brought back some memories." I wanted to grab his hand and hold it tight, soothing away all negativity. But I couldn't, so I settled for saying: "It's fine! I shouldn't be so curious, I just find you, well, fascinating, I guess." Well done, Phil! My mind applauded me sarcastically. Way to creep out the friendly neighbourhood heroic stranger.

He smirked. "Fascinating?" He queried, one eyebrow slanting quizzically.
"You seem interesting," I looked down, trying to dig myself out of a rapidly growing hole.
"Oh, really?" Both eyebrows had, by now, disappeared into his messy, dark fringe.
"Mhmm," I mumbled, trying to not appear too forward, and end up scaring him away again. His laugh shocked me, when it tumbled clumsilly from his mouth and danced in the air around me. It was almost physically there, prominent and lightening and joyous. He had a beautiful laugh - smooth caramel and honey, light summer rain and bubbling champagne all muddled into a mildly chaotic melody, full of lilting tones. I smiled, my eyes closing slowly as I took it in, as a deaf man may have enjoyed the last song he ever heard.
"I find you fascinating, too," he murmured as I snuggled back down underneath the dark duvet of warmth and sleep, where my mind was cloudy, and he may never have said anything at all, yet I could still believe him to have done so.

When I awoke, Dan was no longer there, but a nurse had taken his place, and was shuffling papers absentmindedly. I moved slightly, which caught her attention, and she smiled sympathetically when my eyebrows furrowed in pain.

"How're you feeling?"
"Not as bad as when I last woke up, whenever that was." I always hated having no idea of time when I was in hospital. It seemed like an endless purgatory, one which could never be escaped from, until I was fully aware of my situation, the time, and how long I had to remain there.
"That's good. Your check ups have all been fine, and we estimate that you'll be able to leave within the week, possibly sooner. You've healed exceptionally quickly, Mr. Lester." At her words, my eyebrows shot up, chaning my pained expression to one of excitement, before slackening into an emotionless mask when I realised that out of here meant being threatened and beaten once again. "And, as for how long you've been asleep - it was 2 days. It seems to, however, have done you the world of good." Her face was polite and professional, and she smiled slightly down at me. "Your friend should be returning soon - I believe he went to shower and eat. He hasn't left your side once."

She exited, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The lack of pain medication meant that whilst the stitches littering my body and mangled arm felt as though they were on fire, I could finally think properly.

I liked Dan - that much was obvious. But why? Why did I feel such a fondness towards someone I hardly knew? It was acceptable - good, even - to feel gratitude towards him; he had, invariably, saved my life, after all. But it was more than that, and that was what confused me.
Then there was his strange behaviour. He seemed fairly normal, but he kept the conversation steered away from him. It was as though he had demons in his past, ones that he didn't want to control his present and his future.

And, finally: why did he keep coming back? I hardly had anything to offer him, this alluring stranger with almond eyes, teeming with dark honey and sprinkled with mystery.

I knew one thing for certain, though. If he came back, I had to find out the truth, and uncover the darkness which otherwise threatened to overwhelm him.