Work Text:
Phil pulls Dan along into the recording studio. The space is large, and clearly between use; the chairs and microphones have been pushed against the wall.
"Alright, now what have you brought me here for?"
Phil gives him a look, "Surely you have a guess."
Dan grins, cheeky, "Yes, you've finally decided to hire me for backing vocals on the album."
Dan knows very well that Phil and the band wrapped recording three weeks ago so Phil just rolls his eyes. "Shut up, skank. We're here because I want you listen to something."
"Ooooh a Phil Lester exclusive preview! One sec, let me go get my phone so I can leak it. I'll be all over Phillie twitter."
"Yeah, okay bub, we all know how much you love Twitter. Would you just shut up and listen please?"
"Okay Mr. Pop-Star you've got my full attention."
Phil clicks play on the remote and music begins to fill the room. It starts with the crescendo of a saxophone riff, repeated twice.
"Ooh," Dan whispers under the music, "you know I love a horn!"
Phil smiles and grabs his hand, squeezing.
The noise of the saxophone dies down suddenly, a pulsing base drum like a heart on double time filling the silence. And then Phil's voice, clear, over the drums.
♫
You're stuck in my head, stuck on my heart, stuck on my body, body
I wanna go, get out of here, I'm sick of the party, party
I'd run away
I'd run away with you
Ooh
♫
It had been a long year for them, this last year. Phil would hesitate to call it a rise to fame, what he had experienced, but certainly a rise to prominence would be fair. It was amazing, what he had always dreamed of as a professional, but it had come with hard adjustments for the two of them.
On the track the snare kicks in, upbeat. Phil grabs Dan's other hand as well and they stand, facing each other listening.
♫
This is the part, you've got to say all that you're feeling, feeling
Packing a bag, we're leaving tonight when everyone's sleeping, sleeping
Let's run away
I'll run away with you
Ooh
♫
The success had come with a lot more eyes and scrutiny they hadn't asked for. It was off-putting, especially for Dan, who valued his privacy so strongly. "This is not theirs," he would say, tucking a hand into his pocket rather than Phil's hand when they were out. Causal intimacy, displays of affection, Dan had started to flinch away from in public, always feeling the eyes and the judgment.
The synth now joins along with the drum for the pre-chorus. Phil pulls Dan in by the hips, swaying them with the music. Dan is smiling at him, warm, laugh lines crinkling at his eyes.
♫
'Cause you make me feel like
I could be driving you all night
And I'll find your lips in the street lights
I wanna be there with you
Ooh
♫
As hard as it was in public, private moments became even more special. Phil had learned to cherish and savor those moments. Moments like now, with Dan loose and grinning in his arms.
The bass builds under the sound of drums and synths, saxophone picking back up as the chorus starts.
♫
Baby,
♫
Phil swings Dan out by his hands, then back in, close.
♫
Take me to the feeling
I'll be your sinner, in secret
When the lights go out
Run away with me
Run away with me
♫
Dan's head is tilted as they sway together, focused on taking in the lyrics.
♫
Baby, every single minute
I'll be your hero and win it
When the lights go out
Run away with me
Run away with me
♫
Dan had started to worry that his behavior was negatively affecting Phil, because Phil didn't have the same amount of personal discomfort with the scrutiny. Dan worried that he was dragging Phil down into a negativity and secrecy he didn't want, making him change who he truly was, but that wasn't true.
Here the instrumentation falls away again, just drums and Phil's vocals carrying the second verse, both men carefully watching each other's faces.
♫
Up in the clouds, high as a kite, over the city, city
We never sleep, we never try, when you are with me, with me
I wanna stay
I wanna stay here with you
Ooh
♫
The reason that Phil had written this song was he wanted Dan to hear and feel that his joy is hand and hand with the reality of the situation. There is no if-only, there is no what-else. There is just their life, and he couldn't be happier.
The synth builds back in, Phil leans back, grand and dramatic, arms braced again Dan's back to mouth to words along to him.
♫
'Cause you make me feel like
I could be driving you all night
And I'll find your lips in the street lights
I wanna be there with you
Ooh
♫
Dan laughs as the instrumentation builds again, same as the first chorus. Phil moves, pulling Dan along as if they were swing dancers, hands together and moving around each other.
♫
Oh baby, take me to the feeling
I'll be your sinner, in secret
When the lights go out
Run away with me
Run away with me
♫
They are not graceful with it, running into each other and tripping over their own feet, both spinning into each other at the same time. Neither leading and neither following, just laughing together.
♫
Oh baby, every single minute
I'll be your hero and win it
When the lights go out
Run away with me
Run away with me
♫
Regardless of his fame, regardless of the fans, regardless of whatever nonsense there was in the media, the very best part of every day was coming home to Dan.
Phil drops his hand and steps back, feigns holding a mic and belting the song, and moves around Dan as he mouths the words, Dan spinning to keep Phil in his sight.
♫
Hold on to me
I never want to let you go
(Run away with me, run away with me)
Over the weekend
We could turn the world to gold, oh oh
(Run away with me, run away with me)
♫
The best part of every day was spending time with Dan, no matter how or where that time was spent, in their perfect bubble of together.
All instrumentation falls away, a lull in the music, a drop in tempo. Phil pulls Dan in close once again, brushing the hair that has fallen into his face to the side. They sway again as the song begins to build.
♫
Over the weekend we could turn the world to gold
Oh oh, oh oh
♫
When Phil wrote that build, that swell, he was trying to capture something that felt as big as the swell in his chest every time he sees Dan's smile. The swell he feels right now.
Dan is familiar with the chorus now on it's third play, just as eager as Phil to dance, feel the music. They dance—jump—spin, no cohesion, just feeling.
♫
Oh my baby, take me to the feeling
(Take me to, take me to it)
I'll be your sinner, in secret
When the lights go out
Run away with me (just run away with me)
Run away with me (away with me, yeah, yeah)
Every single minute
I'll be your hero and win it
When the lights go out
Run away with me
Run away with me
♫
The backing vocals are jubilant, the saxophone riff carries the chorus along again as the song plays out.
♫
Run away with me
Run away with me
Run away with me
Run away with me
♫
The music fades to nothing.
Dan comes into Phil's arms, and he wraps him up tight, hands smoothing down his back. Dan is quite for a minute, thinking. Phil presses a kiss to the side of his head.
When Dan finally speaks he says, "There was so much joy in that song."
Phil smiles. Yes. Exactly. "That's the joy of loving you."
Dan grabs his hands, runs his finger's over Phil's, toying. He looks at Phil, long and calm.
"Can we listen to it again?"