I Will Love You Endlessly (Sequel to i dare you to love me)

Part 1

Phil can't stop checking his phone all morning. He's been waiting for Dan to text him back and let him know that he's finally on his lunch break. Luckily it's been a slow day so far at the BBC because he can't focus on anything except for what's going to happen today: Stage One of his master plan is finally going into action. He's been a tongue-tied and jittery mess all morning because of it. As soon as his phone vibrates with a message from his boyfriend, Phil cleans up his desk and announces he's going on his lunch break. He clocks out while texting Dan back. He's made sure that Dan doesn't suspect a thing about what is going to occur today.

Phil catches the first cab he sees, and heads over to Game of Thorns. Dan is sure to be gone by now, probably on his way to pick up some Chinese takeaway that he can eat in his office at the shop and then take home later for dinner, and Phil's heart is racing. It feels strange to be going to the shop without Dan being there.

For the past four and a half years, Phil has made regular trips to Game of Thorns, a flower shop in the heart of London with a name oh-so nerdy that it attracted him immediately. And, coincidentally, it has been four and a half years since Phil met Dan Howell, the florist with eyes as brown as the earth beneath his fingertips and a smile brighter than the sun. The florist who could tell him everything he needed to know about any flower he could ever think of. The florist who stole his heart and dared Phil to love him - a dare Phil found himself accepting when everything he knew about love had been turned upside down, all thanks to Dan. But he isn't complaining; meeting Dan was probably the best thing to ever happen to him. Phil has never loved anyone as much as he loves Dan.

Dan Howell is his best friend, his soul mate, his everything, to put it simply. But it isn't simple: there aren't enough words to articulate how Phil feels about Dan, but god, does Phil love Dan. He loves Dan so, so much. And he knows he wants to spend the rest of his life with Dan Howell. And the reason he's purposely going to the shop today while Dan is away is making his heart pound, his palms sweat, and his stomach flip. He's nervous, excited, and positively terrified. But then again, it's not as if his entire future and relationship with Dan is going to rely heavily on how this afternoon goes.

Oh wait.

Phil shakes his head, trying to calm himself down as he sucks in a deep breath, but there's a small black box in his pants pocket, pressing against his thigh, and that is part of the reason why he can't calm down. He keeps thinking about the ring, about asking Dan to marry him, about how happy he'll be to hear Dan say yes and about how much he wants to slide that ring onto Dan's finger. Whenever he thinks about it, a wide smile stretches across his face and his stomach does flips and his heart starts racing - and right now is no exception as he sits in the back of his cab grinning like a dope, ignoring the strange looks he receives from the driver through the rearview mirror.

For months now the question has been burning in the back of his mind, and now he knows that he's ready. And Dan is utterly clueless; completely unaware that every time Phil gets into bed with him he's thinking about the day that he'll wake up next to him and there'll be a ring on the brunet's finger, completely unaware that Phil's been hoarding wedding catalogues in the top desk drawer in his office, completely unaware of the late night incognito window searches of cute proposal ideas and videos. He has no idea that Phil's been waiting for the day when he finally has the courage to get down on one knee and ask Dan to be his husband.

Courage... that's all he needs to do this. Phil can't help but to think about how lucky he is that Dan accepted his dare and declaration of love that one fateful day in the flower shop when he barged in wearing his heart on his sleeve. It was the day that changed everything for the two of them, and when Dan kissed him, Phil knew that this was a change that could only be welcomed. And when he thinks about it, Phil realizes that he was brave enough that day to tell Dan how he felt about him, why isn't he brave enough now?