Vita et Mors - Danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil Fanfiction

Chapter 61

A/N: okay, this is either the last or last to one chapter from the epiloge. No lie.

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(Gemma's POV)

"You're lying." I whispered after my heart constricted to nothing. People were staring, wide eyed. "It's not true. No..."

"Look, we tried, we truly did. Just... Ugh." The line went dead and I dropped my phone, sobbing into my hands. I felt Dan hug me, the tent in mourning silence. I heard a scream of pain, just to my right. Sophie. Someone had just told her.

I broke down. I'd got my hopes up for nothing. I hadn't said goodbye. That was what stabbed most into my soul.

I hadn't said goodbye.

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Fifteen minutes later

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I had a hug off about everyone in the tent, off even the youngest of subscribers. Some girls were also sobbing and we had a mourning session, all of us. Then, heavy, quick footsteps could be heard and David rushed in.

I turned my head. I couldn't look, not when he was a) so alike to Ethan and b) delivered me the, the - the news. I couldn't think of an adjective to fit.

"Why are you crying?" David's voice cut through my sorrow and everyone looked at him like he'd grown another head and maybe an arm as well. A tail to top off his wings.

"Why do you think?" Luke spat, tears crawling slowly down his face. "Goddamnit, is it that hard to guess?"

"But I haven't said anything yet." David leaned against the tent entrance. There was about three hundred subscribers left, so it was still a little full, but not too bad.

"What about that phone call?" Dan pointed out. David frowned.

"I never phoned you." David said slowly. "But my phone was taken earlier. I think someone was playing you up."

"Then, what?" The tension... It was like nothing before.

"We didn't get to the stage of him being staying awake..." That was good. Momentary wakefulness. "I don't know, what do you think?"

"What?" Sophie whispered.

"Peekaboo." That voice, that blissfully familiar, strong, warm voice. I let out a choked breath and flew forwards, Sophie and I colliding with Ethan at the same time. Security, unprepared, couldn't hold us up and we rolled across the muddy ground until we stopped as Jason and Luke joined the hug.

Jason pulled Ethan into a sitting position and we all had possibly the happiest group hug ever. We finally released him upon hearing the cheers of the subscribers. We stood up and went back over to Dan, Phil and David.

"Don't do that again." Dan hugged Ethan - they were both very manly, of course - and it showed how much Dan cared for Ethan and vice versa, despite not knowing each other that long.

"Dan's right." Phil gave Ethan a brief hug before I snuggled under Ethan's arm, taking the opportunity to listen to his heartbeat.

"I'm so sorry." Sophie was hovering by Ethan and he wrapped his other arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

"Hey, I couldn't let you fall, could I?" Ethan smiled gently down at her. "Seriously, that was the worst hiding spot ever."

"What's still wrong?" I asked David, not budging from listening with my ear pressed to Ethan's chest, hearing the reassuring thump-thump-thump.