Sighs and Fire (Phan AU) (INCOMPLETE)

Part One: BEFORE (1.1)

                                 PART ONE: BEFORE

Laying on my bed with hands behind my head, biting my lip out of anticipation. Today's the day. A day that I've secretly been longing for, a day that's given me so many questions, so many thoughts. They'll all be answered - or some of them, at least - today, or maybe it'll just leave me with more.

"Dan!" The voice of my mother's calls upstairs, and I jump out of skin, not expecting it.

"Yeah?"

"It's here!"

Now I really jump up. The post has arrived, and I look at the time: 9:30am. It was always arrives at this time without fail.

Today's May 5th. Schools are shut, parents don't go to work, no shops are open. It's a big day. More specifically, it's a big day for 16 year olds, the day where we all receive a piece of clothing from our soulmates that have been selected for us.

The UK, where I lived, wanted to help control the population growth, and so invented a way to attach us to one other person, and only one other person. Sexual contact with anyone else that wasn't your soulmate was strictly forbidden, and loving anyone else was illegal. It was harsh, but luckily I hadn't ever had a crush on anyone let alone fallen in love before and I had figured out that this could've been because I kept my heart locked away for The One.

When we were born, a tiny chip was planted in the back of our necks and over the course of 16 years, it extracted information from our DNA and chemicals and wirelessly sent the information to a huge scientific centre in the heart of city. From what I had heard, our DNA fitted perfectly with someone else's and it was their job to find that other person.

I didn't understand how that could work or if it were even possible, but we weren't supposed to question it, the law stated we were not allowed to. Before the chip was taken out of me just over a month ago, if I pressed down on the back of my neck I would be able to feel it.

I grabbed the parcel from the table and ran back upstairs, not giving my mum a second for her to interfere or suggest that she be there when I opened it. I wanted this to be private.

I sat cross-legged down on my bed and placed it in front of me, admiring how neatly packaged it was for a couple of seconds before completely tearing it open. The item inside is folded up, so I pick it up from the shoulders and hold it out in front of me.

The first thing I notice is that a guy’s jumper. I know this because it has a broad shape, unlike my mum's clothing that's petite and slim fit. It's maroon colour with 'WOLVES' on the top in black simple text, outlined with yellow and underneath it is a wolves face in black and blue. There's a scribbling in the label, when I peer at it after noticing, it says 'PHIL' in black marker. Does he have a brother? Or brothers? Either way, I'm now 100% certain this has come from a male.

The jumper's in such good condition that I can't ever imagine why he'd send this to me. When I decided on what to send him - Phil - a few days ago, I had picked out a grey vest with 'HOWL' at the top of it with a faded photo underneath. I haven't worn that vest in months and wouldn't miss it, so maybe he had the same kind of thinking? Or perhaps the opposite and chose one of the best things he owned in order to give a good first impression?

I didn't have much of one though. His name was Phil. Short for Philip? Phillip? One 'l' or two? Were wolves his favourite animal? I had nothing to go on. But a boy...that was...different.

"Dan?" My mum peeked her head through the door and her eyes lit up when she saw the jumper. "Ooooooh, let me see!"

"It's a boy. It's from a boy. Phil," I said bluntly.

"How exciting!" She gushed carefully sliding the sweater out of my grasp and looking at it.

"You're not...disappointed?" I asked, slightly baffled that she looked as excited before I told her it was a boy.

"No, why would I be?"

"Well it's a...boy."

"Dan, there was a 1 in 4 chance of you being paired with someone of the same sex, it's hardly rare. Not to mention it doesn't matter. What matters is that he's going to make you the happiest you've ever been in your life," she lay the jumper back down on the bed and sat in front of me. "You're disappointed, aren't you?"

"No! Not disappointed, just...shocked. I didn't expect a boy."

"Well, you'll be meeting him three months today, so you've got all that time to get used to the idea," she ruffled my hair. "Breakfast?"

I nodded and felt guilty. She was right, it didn't matter if he was a guy or not, he was going to make me happy. When I was sure she had left and was downstairs, I buried my face in the jumper, breathing in his scent. It seemed to go straight to my heart, filling in the gap and I could already feel my loneliness melting away.

I took off my own t-shirt and put on his jumper. It was warm and soft and I'd never tell anyone this but I'd like to think that he was hugging me. I sounded ridiculous, I knew I did but when you've been alone for so long and craving anyone's love, you'll take anything. 

"Phil..." I mumbled to myself, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I titled my head to the side and smiled, liking the way his name rolled off my tongue.