Work Text:
-4 years ago-
"Hey Dan?" Phil asked that crisp autumn evening. They were lounging on the branches of the tree outside his window.
"Yeah?" I responded, making a flower crown.
"I like you. Like a lot." I smiled and turned my head around to look at Phil.
"I like you a lot too" Phil's eyes lit up like they were stars.
"Good" he said. We went back to comfortable silence.
...
I knocked quietly on the window trying to stay as still as possible.
He opened the window and retreated silently. I stepped inside and closed the entrance after me.
"Hey Phil--Oh no. Not again. This is too far." I gently caressed his bruised jaw.
"Its not like I can do anything. I can't seem to convince her that she can't beat the gay out of me." He choked back a sob and embraced me.
"She can't keep doing this. We have to turn her in!" I whisper shouted.
"She's my mum. She went through so much for me. I can't just do that to her!" He whisper shouted back. "Just... Just hold me please" we spent the night like that. Me whispering reassurances to him and him taking comfort in the promises we both knew I couldn't keep.
....
"Phil its Dan. Are you okay? You're not at school. Should I be worried? Call me back"
"I'm starting to get really worried hun. Are you alright? If I don't hear back from you by sunset I'm coming over. I love you"
"I'm on my way over now and I'm prepared to call the cops if I find her hurting you again."
...
I went first to the place where Phil would always let me in. The window.
I knocked quietly at first, and then louder when there was no response.
I tried looking in the window but the curtains were closed.
"Phil?" I hoped he heard me.
The window finally opened, revealing a black and blue Phil in the moonlight.
"She took my phone" he took a deep breath and sniffled "she saw our text messages. Its never been that bad."
I climbed in and wrapped my arms around him.
"We have to leave." I got down on one knee "Philip Lester, will you run away with me?"
He nodded slowly in pain, tears escaping his swollen eyes. "Anywhere but here"
...
We had our plans and our train tickets. We had our bags packed and our map skills honed. We were going to London. We were going to stay with my older brother and his wife.
"Phil?" I asked on the train ride.
"Yeah?"
"I like you. Like a lot." I said remembering what he had told me those beautiful years ago before everything was hard. Before we knew that the world was ugly.
"I like you a lot too." He smiled at me.
"Good" I squeezed his hand.
...
-Six years later-
We stood at our tree. The tree where we met, the tree we had our first kiss and the tree we fell in love in.
Phil's mum had listed the house as she had found the newest love of her life and was getting married.
We were thinking of buying it to lay over all the bad memories with new good ones.
It was autumn again just like that day. The leaves were falling and it was perfect.
I looked up to see the sun setting and knew it was time.
I got down on one knee.
"Phil the world is so so ugly. But your so so beautiful to me. You have made the past years of my life the best I've ever had. Will you please spend the rest of your life with me as my husband?" I opened the red velvet box I possessed revealing a ring that incorporated rose gold, gold, and white gold . They all intertwined to make a tree. Specifically our tree.
I saw him covering his face with his hands and nodding frantically.