Coming Home

one shot (no chapters

dan looked over at the paparazzi as they called his name and posed on the red carpet before going into the theatre to watch the premier of a film he'd starred in.
sitting down, he felt a pang of grief as remember going to films with phil and just staring at each other while feeling the warmth of each other's hands, whispering puns about the film instead and actually paying attention. phil has left to the army for four years and he hasn't seen him since, their only contact restricted to hastily written letters and phone calls cut short.
he remember the last film phil and he had watched together. he remembered cuddling on the sofa with their legs and hands tangled together in a mess of love and affection, pointing out all the flaws and laughing with their whole heart. both of them soaking up the others company and trying to forget that this would be the last last nights spent together, staying up until 3  a.m. and just being with another.
dan pushed the memory aside and focused on the screen, mouthing his lines as Actor Dan said them, and cringing at the kiss scenes.
the credits started rolling and Fairly Local by TØP started to play. he stood and stretched, being tall is fucking painful, alright?

he felt the air shift suddenly, he couldn't place it, but something was different. he looked around, trying to see if anyone else saw it, but found no confused eyes or questioning faces.
"what the hell," he murmured under his breath.
he gave it up and started to walk down the stairs when he saw what had put him on edge, a figure standing by he exit. a familiar figure. a very familiar figure.
his heart immediately dropped as he recognized the body leaning against the wall, hidden beneath a camouflage uniform, to be that of which he had held four years ago seconds before saying goodbye. phil...phil...phil
he began to run toward him, shoving people aside as tears filled his eyes and blurred the sight of the man he had longed to see for years, longed to touch, longed to be held.
phil straightened his posture when he saw dan making his way swiftly to him, and swept him up in a hug, squeezing him tight and he silently promising to never let go.
dan suddenly didn't care about he people watching, or the crowds forming, he camera being turned on to capture their embrace, he only cared about one thing. and that was holding this sunflower and never ever letting him leave again. he only cared about the way he felt in his arms and the warmth of his touch.
he pulled away, fingers still hooked on the fabric of his sleeve, to look thee beautiful face he had missed seeing so damn much. he soaked in the complexity of his eyes and the, still somehow, pale skin and his sharp jawline; he studied phil as if he were seeing him for the first time, fully overwhelmed with emotion.

"you came back," he choked out through his tears, "early."

he smiled, and that smile had made all four years worth the wait. his smile was so amazing, he had almost forgot how joyously and brightly it radiates throughout his entire body, igniting every fiber in him.
"just for you."
tears rolled donee his cheeks and he bit his lip, somehow managing to say "i missed you so fucking much, before burying his head in the crook of his neck. he inhaled phils scent, and after all these years, he still somehow smelled of cinnamon and vanilla and seeing him had filled him that joy you get when you see fluffy ass puppies unexpectedly and it just makes your whole day better.
but he noticed that phil felt different, his arms felt different wrapped around him; he felt stronger. and somehow that made dan feel even more free and secure in his embrace and made his heart ache just a bit more each second.

dan breathed inc and for the first time in 4 years, he really breathed. for the first time in 4 years he really tasted the air and filled his lungs with its sweetness. for the first time in 4 years, he felt alive.
- - - - - - - - a whole year later- - - -
phil grabbed dans hand and pulled him up as the credits started to roll from a film they had just seen, in the exact same theatre they reunited an year ago.

"honestly, it wasn't what all the critics made it out to be. they could've done better with the jokes and the lighting was off basically the entire movie."
dan began to critique, as usual, as he started to leave their row of seats.
"wait," phil said, hastily grabbing his wrist and pulling him back.
"what? the movies over."
"i love you," he said and pulled dan closer, whispering into his ear, "and i always will."
"baby i know," dan giggled with a quizzical look.
he gasped and stepped back, covering his mouth with his hands as his eyes followed phil dropping to his knee before him, a shiny gold ring in hand.
"and i want to love you forever and always. i never want to leave you again with the possibility of never coming back. i want to live with you and love here forever,"  he bit his lip and gazed j to dans eyes, a pool of ink spilling into the clearest river flow, " dan howell, will
you marry me?"

"Yes."