Dan sat anxiously in front of the camera. He took a moment to let his nerves subside: he couldn't let his apprehension sneak into his voice, or his stutter would return and it would take forever to get an intelligible take. Phil would be awake in a few hours, and Dan wanted to get back into bed with him before he was. It was six in the morning, sinfully early for Dan, but he had nothing else to do today and could nap when there wasn't such a pressing matter at hand. He was back in his wedding tux, minus the tie, and the first few buttons undone so he wouldn't look too formal for the camera. He leaned forward and pressed the record button.

"Hi. So, this is the first video on my channel, danisnotonfire. Don't ask about the name, I tried about twelve others that were taken first. And I know this is gonna be poorly edited, sorry, I'm still learning and Phil isn't awake to help me with that. Speaking of which, he's kind of the reason I'm even giving this a go in the first place. So, on the off chance you enjoy my videos, be sure to thank him for that. Really, though. My husband— god, he's my husband now." Dan couldn't help the grin that broke out on his face. "We just got married last night. This is actually most of the tux I wore. His looked much better."

He cleared his throat again and tried to suppress the blush on his cheeks at the thought of his sleeping lover. "I'm gonna keep this brief, I guess. I've dropped out of school for various reasons, and if this YouTube thing doesn't take off, I may have an offer as a sign language translator up for grabs. I have the interview next week, and we'll see how that goes."

He heaved a sigh and went on. "I know Phil already boosted this channel to you guys about three times now, and you've all just been waiting for me to actually do something with it besides comment on his videos. I don't expect to do as well as he has, especially since I'm just getting started now and he's had about eight years a head start. I'm happy for him and his success –very, very proud. And you should be, too. I know I'm rambling, but he's such… a huge part, made such a huge impact on my life, I just can't… stop…" He tucked his messy fringe back.

"And so I think you all deserve to know something. I'm not going to go into details, and I'm gonna urge you not to pry for any, from either of us." He paused, gathering enough courage to speak further, holding tears back. "He's been through a really rough year. Really bad, but he's still here and happy and selfless as ever. And maybe it seems like I'm making this video revolve around him but that's not too far off from my entire world right now. We got married last night; I'm still reeling from the thought alone. That he would pick me… I love him. And for everyone who doesn't know me enough to trust that I will try my damnedest every day to do right by him, please believe that I will. We've seen each other through pain –I've seen him through pain that no person should ever experience. We love each other and yes, I've seen what people have been saying about us. And I'm sorry you don't believe that what we have is real, but—"

The door creaked open. Dan turned quickly to find Phil standing in the entrance, eyes tired as he tried to rub the sleep from them. Dan smiled and scooted over, patting the cushion next to him. Phil stumbled over to sit with him, leaning heavily against his husband in his half-sleep. Dan wrapped his arms around him and kissed the top of his head where it was nestled under his chin.

Phil blinked his eyes open to see the camera was recording. "Are you finally making the video?" Dan nodded and stroked his fingers through his hair. Phil smiled. "Guys, Dan's the best." He sat up a bit, suddenly energized. "I know you haven't seen the real him yet-" (Dan wondered, the real him?) "but trust me, once his nerves die down he'll be the funniest guy you've ever seen."

Dan shook his head, laughing and ruffling his husband's hair. Phil turned and tackled him down onto the sofa.

"You can try again tomorrow. Today you're mine."

Dan tilted his chin up to look at him, to read his lips. "Today, tomorrow, forever –yes, I'm yours."

Phil laughed, blushing and swatting him playfully. "Romantic."

They spent the day after their wedding as any newlyweds should: doing absolutely nothing but basking in the other's company. And when they were done with that, they headed up to the roof. The sun had set long ago, and the air was pleasantly cool, blowing wistfully at the couple's faces a hundred meters into the sky. Their skin was damp still from the intimate warmth they'd shared this evening. The sounds of the city were mute on Dan's ears so high up; they were wrapped in a silence Dan had to imagine Phil lived his life in. But only for that moment, and willingly, it was peaceful.

"The world is ours."

Dan turned his head up, and looked out onto the cityscape, lights twinkling down below and up in the night sky above them. He turned back to his husband, to the love of his life. Phil was still looking out to the horizon, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

When he was a child, Dan had dreaded the future, every possibility of tragedy, every 'what if' scenario his mind would conjure. He'd lived hesitantly, cautious and apprehensive, and it had been no way to live. But now, on top of the world with the man he loved with his whole heart and soul, he knew he didn't have to be fearful anymore. He had a future worth looking forward to, because it was forever more knotted with the one person he would always want to spend it with.

He laughed –his stutter, the most wretched thing to plague his life, brought him to the single greatest thing he'd ever have.

Dan crept behind his husband, arms held out in front of the two of them. His fingers spoke clumsily out in the open air: "We'll take on the world –together."