Set Up •●• phan

XXXXXI

"Hello internet"

"Hey guys"

The two looked at each other for a second and then back at the camera.

"Well," Phil started, "we've basically just told you the first thing we needed to. We're alive."

Dan laughed slightly. "Yep. You might've heard on the news that we're in intensive care after a boat sank."

"The news was a bit behind on that one. And by that, I mean five weeks behind."

"I feel like we should actually tell the whole story instead of this confusing ramble," Dan said.

"Good idea. Edit this bit out?"

"No, let's leave it."

Phil nodded and turned back to the camera.

"So, as some of you suspected, me and Dan are... Together."

"Together as in romantically," Dan interjected.

"Yeah I think they all know what I meant."

"Sorry. Carry on."

"Right. So, when we met at vidcon, we started..." Phil paused, unsure of what to say.

"Dating?"

"Is that the right word?" Phil asked.

"What else could you say?"

"Fair enough."

"Anyway. After we got together, Phil asked me to move in with him," Dan continued.

"Admittedly it seemed a bit too soon, but we both lived in London anyway, and it's saved a few hundred pounds rent so far, so it was a good call."

"Right. So I moved in to the apartment, and everything was going fine, and then we decided to go on holiday to Jamaica." Dan said, regret creeping into his voice.

Phil looked over at Dan, and then smiled at the camera. "It seemed like such a great idea."

"I mean, the holiday was a great idea, but not the boat trip that we decided to go on." Dan looked as guilty as he felt.

"Hey. It wasn't your fault, OK? You didn't know," Phil whispered. Dan nodded silently, his hands clasped tightly in his lap.

"The boat took us out to the reef, and it was all well and good until the boat driver took a different route across the reef so that we could see the new variety of fish that they discovered," Phil continued.

"Admittedly, us sneaking into the staff sleeping area wasn't the best idea either."

"True," Phil nodded, "but again, you didn't know."

"So we missed a few announcements, and then the metal walls of the room we were in just... Ripped. I tried to get the door open but..." Dan's voice trailed off.

Tears appeared in Phil's eyes. "The boat was shaking so badly that he fell and hit his head on the side of the boat."

Dan reached for Phil's hands and gripped them tightly. "The only thing I remember past that was telling Phil I loved him."

Phil tried not to show how much it meant to him that Dan actually remembered that. Out of everything that had happened, that was the thing that he last remembered.

"Then he collapsed," Phil said, trying to make it sound like this didn't emotionally affect him at all, but failing dismally. "I tried to carry him, but I got to the top of the stairs and someone grabbed me under the arms."