A boy raised around religion and the discounts for sin, Phil Lester is definitely not one to go around looking for trouble. With his father being the vicar of their local church, Phil has a lot to live up to and has to keep his reputation high if he's to be accepted. He doesn't do parties or drinking; the thought of sex alone is enough to terrify him. So it's no wonder that when Dan Howell, a boy who embraces the life of parties and rebellious acts, shows up to join the church program, Phil starts having trouble keeping himself sane as he tries to teach Dan the path to God. But, religion isn't the thing on Dans mind and he seems to find himself a new toy to play with. [warning: this does contain violence and mature content (as shown) and there's a lot on the topic of homosexuality and negative views towards it from characters in the story. Please read on with care <3]

The year is 2096. The earth has seen two more world wars since 2016. The last war that destroyed a quarter of Canada and half of Japan, was enough to make the government enforce strict actions. Countries are now split, no communication at all between them. Humans now live in conglomerations of small pods stacked upon each other. Each person has their own space, but they're all confined to being underground. Half of the people living inside the pods have never seen natural sunlight. Birth rates are violently controlled due to the lack of space and pods constantly having to be built. Couples are allowed, but physical contact reaching past anything more than a hug is forbidden. Sex is strictly banned unless it is agreed by contract or an operation is done to assure a baby cannot be created. It's a tough life. It's a boring life. And it's a lonely one too. A life underground simply isn't good enough for some and sooner or later, you have to leave the shadows.

Phil is an ordinary guy with an ordinary life. Nothing very special about him, he's just normal. But it all changes when, on the weirdest day of his life, he meets the very quiet and recluse, Dan Howell. He's different. Phil doesn't usually do different, but something about Dan makes him want to try it. But when he's pulled into a world he didn't even know existed, he doesn't know if his choice was such a smart one. Because, there's a reason Dan is different. And it might not be so good.