Little Wonder (Phan)

Eighty-One.

"We've been out all day, Phil." Leaning against him I let out a small yawn and closed my eyes, my feet hurt and my legs ached but I wasn't about to push my luck any farther and complain more. He'd been patient with me all day, no matter how slow I'd been or how much I'd begged to stop, he'd just smiled and let us take a break. Smiling up at him I pecked his cheek and looked out from the docks that we'd stopped on, it was a fantastic view. He was a fantastic view. "I mean, I appreciate this, Phil. All of this. Especially you wanting to spend this much time with me, you're the first person to want to do that --" I was cut off by his lips softly touching mine and silencing me, I knew he didn't like to hear me talk about anything sad. Especially what I'd gone through growing up. Smiling as soon as he pulled back he wrapped his arm around my waist and I rested my head against his shoulder, he'd promised me only happiness, but I knew even he wouldn't be able to provide that. No matter how hard he tried.

Taking my hands into his he patted them before bringing them up to his lips and kissing the knuckles. "Just a few more minutes, Dan. I swear it'll all be worth it." For the years I'd known Phil I knew that when he said it was worth it, it was usually worth it. Nodding I just stayed quiet and watched the sun slip down into the water with the one person who'd made my life worthwhile, worth living. "Now, I don't know exactly how to do this, and as you know I'm really awkward with important things because I don't want to mess it up but. .." I didn't know what he was talking about, though I had a tiny clue. I usually looked through things on Phil's phone if I couldn't find mine, and the things he'd been favoriting on Instagram lately was enough to make me curious. He was fiddling with something in his pocket and my heart started to race, was he really going to. .. "Dammit." I rarely heard him swear, but the second his phone went off his face fell and he went to the other pocket. "I-I'm really sorry, Dan. It's my mum, she says there's an emergency." His entire face had gone dark and I knew that something worse was bothering him, but I wasn't about to let that ruin the rest of his night. Placing my hand on the side of his face I gently pressed my lips against his and smiled.

"It's alright, Phil. Family comes first." Despite my heart twisting and aching for him not to leave me all alone, I knew that it would be selfish to keep him to myself. We were just friends, I wasn't anymore important to him than Janice down at the shop. Even if we were friends that kissed and cuddled, and did. .. other stuff. I wasn't really prepared to call it dating, but maybe Phil had always seen it that way. I guess after doing that stuff for a couple of years it qualifies.

But he didn't let me go right away, instead he rested his forehead against mine and looked straight into my eyes, an unusual serious expression on his face. "You /are/ my family, Dan." That did it. There were tears in my eyes and now I really didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay with me forever and to never let me go. "I love you." He always said those three words when he knew I needed to hear them, and I loved him for that. Now all I needed to do was tell him that. Not online, not through Skype chat. In real life. Kissing him once more I watched as he walked off, slowly as he looked back at me with worry on his face, and was gone around the corner. With a sigh I leaned back and looked out at the water. The stars shone brightly and they twinkled along the water surface like diamonds in the sky.

It was a perfect night for a proposal.

~

"Hey." I was startled to say the least, he hadn't said he'd be coming around, and I hadn't heard from him since that night on the dock. That'd been a few weeks ago. I know, I probably should have been knocking on his door, kicking it down and demanding to know just what had gone down at the Lester household that was so important that he couldn't at least give me a call. I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, telling myself not to cry. Yes I had missed him and I wanted to bawl like a baby, but I was a grown man. I had my pride. (And then there's his actual pride ;) Sorry, the writer is gay trash). Where had he been? What had happened? Did he love me anymore? These were all selfish questions, but I think I was entitled to be a little selfish right now. He was pouting, probably because I hadn't verbally responded. At least not yet.

Nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck I smiled. "Hey, you big idiot. Where have you been all my life?" It was a stupid question, a cheesy pickup line, but I knew that it would calm him down. I wasn't upset, I was just worried. He was laughing and kept his arms wrapped around me comfortingly, he knew that I'd missed him and that life without him could be hell, but again I was a grown man who shouldn't depend so much on another grown man. But sometimes you just have to say 'screw you society's rules, this is my life not yours' an then go on with your life.

"Mum made this bullshit excuse to keep me home that I believed, she just wanted to keep me away from you and kept introducing me to girls." That made me panic, did Phil come back just to say that he was leaving me and that he never wanted to see my face again? "But none of them were you, so they weren't nearly good enough." I was stupid to think such things. Phil had been so loyal to me and I didn't even give him the benefit of the doubt. The second a girl was brought up, or a good looking guy came around I instantly thought that Phil was going to drop me. It's not like he was tied to me, there wasn't a real commitment or anything. Though he had talked about us calling this dating once in awhile. I had just shrugged and he'd smiled.

I yawned and leaned against him, he must've used the key I gave him a while back to get into the flat, or else he'd sneak his way in. I was on the 4th floor, he must've used the key. "But I'm just glad you're back, how did you ever get away?" I smiled, trying not to remember how he'd left abruptly all those weeks ago and then left me wondering what exactly he'd been up to. But he just shook his head, he didn't want to answer that question. "Have something on your mind?" I whispered, he shook his head and his features cleared up. He'd been frowning, as if though innerly debating something with himself. "Well come on now, tell me, or else I'm gonna get all in a huff and you and I both know I'm to stubborn to cease my huffing." That made him smile and he nodded, and I noticed how nervous he got. Oh gosh, and I just told him to --?

He shook himself a little bit and smiled as he stood up, having me stand up as well. He'd come from behind while I'd been watching TV, my back to the door and my ears not even trying to listen for an intruder. When we were both standing, and at this point in time we were about even in our height (try and figure out the ages, see how I've been sneakily avoiding that?) and he was looking straight into my eyes. "Well, I'd planned this on a perfect night, with the perfect day, and the perfect person. But now since that's all been ruined, I'll just settle for the perfect person." His voice was a whisper, and was cracking horribly. It was like he was a prepubescent teenage boy who didn't have control over his voice yet. He got down on one knee and there was instant tears in my eyes. I knew exactly what he was about to do. But I wasn't about to ruin the moment, though if he didn't do it any faster I was about to. "Daniel James Howell, we've known each other for years and over those years I've come to love you." He was fiddling with his pocket, it would be such a Phil moment if his hand got stuck, but it didn't. He smoothly operated the entire scene and took my hand into his. "Dan, you're my family, the only family that matters to me. And I'd like to make that official." He took a deep breath before getting the box and opening it, those ocean eyes on the teetering border of fear and love. A mixture that was rarely seen in his eyes. "L-Let's be a real family." That was such a Phil line, something cheesy before getting to the big punch. "Will you marry me?" I jumped at him, knocking him to the ground and covering my mouth so those disgusting sobs wouldn't be heard, but he seemed to want to hear every word. He pressed his lips against mine, or did I initiate the kiss? I could never remember. "So I think I'll take that as a yes, am I correct?"

And that grin just had me laughing, pressing my forehead against his and humming softly. "Yes, you big idiot. I'd be more than happy to marry you." I pressed my lips against his this time, feeling him pick me up and lead me to. .. the couch. Well, it wasn't no bed, but it sure as hell was a lot more comfortable than the floor.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So there was a bit of commentary in the middle of this story, but I just couldn't resist. My friend Vee, I hope I spelled that right, I am so estatic that you look forward to these chapters and everyone else who might as well. I promise to try my best and not make them garabage, but hey it's me. The human garbage can. SO BYE GUYS AND I HOPED YOU LIKED THIS IT WAS ABOUT TIME WE DID THIS. And do you like how I never brought up their ages? Hehehe. GOODBYE.