The details in this may be a little...exaggerated but I don't really care.
"Why are we here?"
"Because, Phil. I'm your manager, and as your manager; I've decided you need more public coverage."
"I get plenty of coverage!" Phil said defensively, closing the car door and gazing up at the expensive-looking mansion.
"Spending every waking minute on Twitter and Tumblr does not count as coverage." His manager, Pj, glared at him pointedly. "You need to be seen out in public. Sponsors like to have contact, Phil."
"I don't think I need sponsors."
"Do you want to eat? Do you like your house? If any of your answers are yes, Phil; then you need sponsors. Just trust me, okay. I promise we only have to stay for a few hours, four at the most. If you make it through without whining I'll buy you dinner."
"Pj, I'm flattered, honestly; but I'm just not interested in you that way."
Pj shook his head, but Phil saw the grin light up his face. Happy he had won, he followed Pj into the house.
"Who even owns this house?"
"That's an interesting question. One I don't have an answer too."
"If you hate parties so much, why do you insist on hosting them?"
"Because, Daniel my dear friend; I'm lonely. And rich. And what do rich, lonely people do?"
"Eat pizza and play video games in just their underwear." Dan smirked.
"That is what the real me does. What celebrity shows their real selves?"
"Good ones?"
"But not successful ones. To be successful, is to paint the picture others want to see."
Dan laughed, pointing his near-empty glass at Chris. "You should put that in your next book."
"That may be a bit hard."
"Why?"
Chris grinned sheepishly. "It's a line from my next movie."
"Is that AmazingPhil?"
"I think it is."
Phil was used to hearing people whispering around him, about him. He was fairly popular; his YouTube channel reaching eight million subscribers last month. He was on the verge of celebrity, with people all around the world knowing who he was. It would be a wonder if people didn't talk about him.
What was strange was when it was grown-women, wives of his potential sponsors. That, was something he wasn't used to.
"Are you Phil Lester?" Once such woman asked.
"Y-yeah, I am."
"Do you mind, taking a picture with me?"
"No, of course not."
Phil posed and smiled like he did with every other fan. The woman's perfume was overbearing, too strong; it burned his nostrils and lingered in his nose even after she had walked away.
It will take me weeks to get the smell out. He thought with a scowl.
"Come to the bar, Phil." Pj said, noticing his friend's distress. "Let's get a few drinks into you, lift your spirits a little."
"How on earth do you manage to get this many people in your house?" Dan asked, surprised by the population of people. He had been to Chris' parties before; but the amount of people made Jay Gatsby's celebrations look like a children's birthday party. He couldn't see a single space where people were not standing, drinking or talking.
Except for upstairs which Chris had deemed out-of-bounds for everyone else but him, and Dan.
"If I hook up with someone, I'm going to want some privacy." He had told Dan as he strung the infamous red velvet rope. Dan had scoffed, asking Chris how much he was planning on paying this person.
"I can sway a fair bit of power."
"Open bar?"
"Open bar." Chris confirmed, glaring at Dan, who had decided he wanted to laugh at Chris.
"When you're kissing some pretty face, you'll be thanking me. I still would have had a lot of people here whether I had an open bar or not. I don't know if you have realised this yet, though you really should have after six years; but I am practically a celebrity."
"I was hoping I could keep your head at a normal size, but apparently you don't need anyone but yourself to inflate your ego."
"You're a bitch." Chris said flatly. "And I hate you."
"Oh Chris, your words hurt me."
"And you're not invited to any more of my parties. In fact, I want you to get out right now before I call my guards on you."
"I hired your guards."
"You're my lawyer!"
"And your manager. Because you cannot, and I quote, do 'mundane tasks that don't require the full extent of my creative capability'."
Chris shook his head, trying and ultimately failing to stay mad at his best friend.
"I hate it when you're right. And I hate that it happens so much."
Chris chugged the rest of his drink, slamming the glass on the counter and requesting another one.
"Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around."
"Because," Dan said, requesting a drink himself. "You can't live without me."
"Is that a crystal chandelier?"
"Uh, yeah. Wow, that's huge."
Phil gazed in wonder around the room; admiring the gold fittings, and pearl white walls. Everything was expensive and flawless.
"I want a house like this. Can you get me a house like this?"
"If you got some sponsors, I could."
"I've spoken to people. At least forty."
"Alright, alright." Pj sighed, giving in. "You go have fun and party; I'll do my job."
"That's what I'm paying you for." Phil said.
"Not enough." Pj mumbled as he walked away.
Phil opened his mouth to shout something, but by the time he came up with a good-enough comeback Pj had already walked off; his manager smile plastered brightly on his face.
Phil decided to explore the mansion instead. The amount of people had dwindled down slightly, and he decided to use the opportunity to explore. After all, if he was being forced to stay, he was going to make it worth his while.
Pushing through the crowds proved more difficult than he had first anticipated. Between taking photos, saying hello to people he had apparently met before, but strangely didn't remember, and the hundreds of loudly talking guests; there was never any hope for him.
He pushed his way through the suffocating crowd, grateful for the close proximity of the French doors. He turned the golden knobs and stepped past the threshold, breathing in the sweet oxygen that wasn't contaminated with alcohol, and other people's wasted air.
He leant on the porch, listening to the faded music and chatter, enjoying the soft breeze that rushed past his face.
"Parties aren't your thing either?"
"No, not really." Phil laughed quietly to himself. Maybe he could get another sponsor, wouldn't that make Pj happy.
"If it wasn't for my friend, I wouldn't be here myself. I'd much prefer to be at home on my couch, watching movies and drowning in Malteasers."
Phil's smile grew as he remembered an old memory.
"I had a...friend, who used to do the same thing."
He turned his head to face the speaker, and gasped when he saw who it was.
"Dan?"
"Phil?"
Both men stood frozen on the porch, blinking slowly; neither able to form proper, coherent words. Surprise and shock and taken over the two, and it was minutes before either even moved.
"W-what are you doing here?" Phil asked.
"My friend Chris; this is his house. What brings you here?"
"My uh...my manager, Pj. He said I should be seen out in public more, get some sponsors."
Dan nodded. Phil coughed, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Are you...are you still doing the YouTube thing?"
"Yeah, yeah I am. Actually, I just hit eight million subscribers a few weeks ago."
"That's great, congratulations."
"Thanks. So uh, what do you do now?"
"I'm a lawyer. And I'm sort of Chris' manager. He's hopeless with anything he isn't immediately interested in."
Phil nodded slowly, and they slipped back into an uncomfortable silence.
Eventually it became too much, and Phil couldn't take it anymore.
"I've missed you. Every day, ever since the last day I saw you, I have missed you. Five years, Dan. Five years and I've never been able to get over you."
Phil started pacing, walking away from Dan; who was standing, mouth agape. His eyes shown with unshed tears but Phil didn't notice.
"Did you know, that I haven't been with anyone else since? Your lips were the last I kissed, your body the last I touched intimately. I've been on a few dates, every few months or so. But they never work out. I don't pay enough attention, I don't listen well enough. I can't enjoy myself. Because I can't stop thinking about you."
Phil shook his head slowly, turning back around. His eyes locked with Phil's, and it was the sight of those sad, pain-filled orbs that sent the tears spilling from Dan's own eyes.
"You're the only one for me, Dan. I can't see myself with anyone else, can't be with anyone else. You were the only one for me then and you're the only one for me now."
He stepped towards Dan, tears threatening to fall.
"I love you." He whispered.
Dan didn't say a word. His mind screamed I love you too, but his mouth couldn't form the words. Instead, he stepped as close to Phil as he could without melding to him.
"Dan?" Phil asked.
"K-kiss me." He muttered, reaching for Phil's hips and pulling him as close as he could.
Phil responded by cupping Dan's face and pressing his lips firm against Dan's. They didn't waste any time, kissing hard and fast. Phil bit Dan's lip and Dan moaned, giving Phil the chance he needed to slip his tongue in. Dan's hands slid up Phil's back, his shirt bunching up underneath Dan's hands. Phil slipped his fingers in Dan's hair, tugging gently on the brunette locks.
"I've fucking missed you so damn much." Dan mumbled against Phil's lips. The need to breathe and the need to stay as close to Phil as possible were clashing against each other, underneath only one thought, one name.
Phil.
"Why did we break up?" Phil asked, between soft kisses.
"I can't remember. Something about your job, or uni. I just remember being really stressed out and depressed, and making the biggest mistake of my life."
Dan kissed Phil's jaw and his neck, paying close attention to his pulse point.
"But I love you too." He muttered, pulling away.
"And I'm an idiot for ever letting you go in the first place. Phil, I would do anything for you. Quit my job, throw away my degree. Sell my cars, my house, and my possessions. There's no point in having those things if I can't share them with you, no point in having money if I can't splurge it on you. I am nothing Phil, nothing; if I don't have you. Please, take me back."
"Of course I'll take you back, Dan. I haven't been able to forget about you, I'd be the loser of the year if I said no."
Dan smiled, a short smile; before crashing his lips against Phil's.
They kissed slower, kissing for the sake of enjoying it and because they could. They had all the time in the world to kiss, and they were using it.
"You are an idiot." Phil said to Dan once they'd pulled away for breath.
Dan gasped, but Phil just kissed him again quickly.
"But you're my idiot." He added. "And I love you."
This is nearly 2,000 words. I am very proud. :)
Oh, and Nat?
I hope that this helps cheer you up, even a little bit. I love you so much and I send all the hugs I can *unlimited hugs*