They gave the article to Chris a few days later, asking him if he'd send it to the papers. He was now quite high up in a publishing company, and putting their name on the email would immediately make the papers take it more seriously.

"It's being processed," Chris announced as soon as he opened the door to their room. Dan and Phil made eye contact and grinned, delighted.

"Where's it being published?" Dan asked, squeezing Phil's hand tightly.

"I sent it everywhere, but at the moment only the Guardian and the Independent have answered my email. You'd still get a massive audience from those two, though."

Dan jumped up and hugged him tightly, and Chris hugged him back, smiling. "You wrote a good article, guys," he said, sounding impressed. "I had to edit it before I sent it off, but I've gotta say, there wasn't much I had to change."

"Thanks, Chris," Phil said, unable to quite comprehend the scale of what they'd just achieved.

Dan noticed that Chris had been holding one arm behind his back the whole time. "What're you holding?" he asked curiously.

"Champagne," Chris said, pulling the bottle out with a grin. "I thought we could celebrate a bit."

Phil beamed. "Sounds good to me."

The sound of the bottle cork hitting the ceiling woke PJ up, and he came running down the corridor and opened the door, looking indignant."You're drinking without me?" he asked incredulously. "How could you, Christopher?"

Halfway through the party, Chris suddenly stood up and scowled at PJ, who had been tracing patterns on his arm. "Dammit, PJ, could you not be a bit less perfect just for today?"

PJ looked unsure whether to be insulted or complimented. "I can't help how fabulous I am, Chris."

"I know," Chris muttered, standing on tiptoes to reach the top shelf on Dan and Phil's bookcase. "It's so annoying."

PJ sat back in his chair, choosing to look vaguely pleased with himself.

"Look, I was going to wait until tomorrow," Chris said, taking something off the shelf, "seeing as this is Dan and Phil's night and shit, but I can't keep it until then because you're just sitting here being so damn perfect, so-" he knelt down in front of PJ and held out a ring- "marry me?"

PJ's self-satisfied expression morphed into one of complete shock. "Yes, oh my God, obviously, shit, I love you so much, oh my God-"

Chris barely had time to slide the ring onto PJ's finger before PJ flung his arms around him and kissed him hard. Dan and Phil made eye contact and grinned. "This wasn't quite what I was expecting to happen this evening," Phil whispered, leaning his head on Dan's shoulder.

Dan went to bed that night feeling pleasantly uncoordinated from the alcohol. He flopped down next to Phil and let out a heavy sigh. "Chris and PJ are getting married," he slurred, burying his head in the pillow. "Why are they doing so well at life?"

Phil rolled his eyes. Dan usually became quite depressed when he was drunk. "They're getting married because they've been in love for ten years," he explained, hoping Dan wouldn't question him.

"Why haven't we been in love for ten years?"

"Because we've only known each other for three months." Phil ran his fingers through Dan's hair.

"It's not fair," Dan whined. "Why do they get all the happiness and we get nothing?"

Phil would have been annoyed at Dan for saying that, but he was tipsy and exhausted and not in the mood for an argument. "What do you mean, we get nothing? In a few days, we'll have published an article that should help clear our names and get us a bit of cash. In a while we'll be able to get jobs and move out of here. And you've got me. Am I not good enough for you?"

"It's not that," Dan mumbled. "We're not even officially a couple. They're engaged, and we're just two people who kiss a lot."

Phil stared at him. "That's what all this is about? My God, Dan, I thought it was a given that we're dating. What do you want, a legal document?"

"I'd like something other than an assumption," Dan answered, sighing heavily.

"You idiot," Phil said affectionately, pulling him into a hug. "If you wanted it spelling out, you should've just asked." Dan snuggled into Phil's arms and Phil kissed his head. "Dan Howell, be my boyfriend?"

"With pleasure," Dan murmured, burying his face in Phil's chest. "Night, Phil."

"Night, Dan."

4 MIL SUBS WTF I CAN'T COPE