Ordinary (Phillip x Reader)

X

The next day was not as happy as I thought it would be. Anne and Phillip refused to look at each other, leading me to believe that my plan had failed. I tried talking to Anne about it, but she wouldn't tell me anything, and Phillip looked like a lost puppy when I asked him.

Lettie and I spent the hour before the show hypothesizing what had happened. Her craziest idea was that Anne met some handsome stranger before Phillip could get there and watched the show with him. I told her it didn't make sense. Why would she be upset if she met someone? She said, the stranger must have had some sort of weird habbit that she discovered after the show and so Anne was disappointed she didn't get to go home with anyone that night.

I thought it was more likely someone looked at them strangely and Phillip froze again.

After the show that night, Lettie helped me move my things into my new apartment. Anne and W.D. were going to help, but Anne said she wasn't feeling well and W.D was going to take care of her. So it was just Lettie and I.

The apartment wasn't too big, one bedroom and bathroom, but it was comfortable. It took us about an hour to unpack all my things and we were lucky the apartment came with furniture, it would have been horrible lugging that sort of stuff up the tiny stairwell, it was difficult enough to carry the boxes.

When we finished, I made Lettie and I a pasta supper before she went home and I went to bed.

--

For the next few weeks, Mr. Barnum was touring with Jenny around America which meant Phillip was in charge.

A lot of our customers were upset that the ring master wasn't in the performance and more and more protestors came every day. They even started purchasing tickets just to harass us during the show.

One night, after an amazing show, I was cleaning up backstage while Phillip said goodbye to the guests.

"Thank you very much for coming. Tell your neighbors," he said to one group. "Who enjoyed yourselves? You?" He asked a some children. "Tell everyone how much fun you had at the circus. New acts every night."

I noticed the protestors hadn't left like they usually do.

"Hey, ringmaster!" the man we refered to as the leader said.

"Gentlemen, I am gonna have to ask you to leave."

I came out from backstage with W.D. We had both heard the threatening tone in the man's voice.

"This is our town, son." W.D. and I had reached Phillip's side. The man was very close to Phillip's face. "We think you should leave, you and your freaks! And yours spooks!" When he said freaks, he spat in W.D.'s face. At the word spooks, he spit in mine. He was standing right in front of me.

"Let's show the lady some respect," Phillip said pushing the man away from me. "Sir. I will only ask once more."

"Then what, boy?"

Before I knew what happened, the men started fighting. W.D. threw a smaller man so far he landed in the back.

"Attack!" Lettie yelled as she and most of the cast came out to join the fight.

"Stop!" I yelled. "This fighting won't solve anything!"

As I spoke, one of the protestors began running at me. Out of fear, I closed my eyes tightly. A loud noise made me open my eyes.

Phillip was in front of me, the man who had charged me was on the floor holding his nose as blood gushed out of it.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I sighed. "How's your hand?"

"It's fi-"

"FIRE!!!" someone yelled.

Both Phillip and I turned towards the back which was engulfed in flames.

All the protestors who could stand immediately ran out of the building. I went to help as many of the injured people out of the building. Many of the cast were only helping their friends, not the protestors. I looked at Phillip to see him helping some of the rude men. Mr. O'Malley ran past me towards the animal cages to let them loose.

As we all made our way out of the building which was now almost completely engulfed in fire, we were greeted by a large crowd. As we approach, I could see Mr. Barnum pushing to the front.

"Phillip, is everyone out?" he asked. "Is everyone okay?" Phillip nodded as he placed the man he was carrying down. "The animals?"

"We set them free. What else could we do?" O'Malley replied.

"WD, where is Anne?" Phillip called.

"Oh my God!" I said as I looked at the flames. I made a quick desision, and ran back into the building.

"No, Phillip! No Y/n! Stop!" I heard Mr. Barnum call, letting me know Phillip was right behind me.

The fire was scalding. I immediately ran towards the dressing areas while Phillip headed to the storage room. A loud crack made me turn my head up before everything went dark.

--

Phillips P.O.V.

I searched the storage room, but it was empty of any life. I made my way back to where I last saw Y/n but I couldn't see her.

I went through the suffocating smoke to the dressing rooms. A beam from the ceiling had fallen and was laying atop a body. I couldn't tell who it was, the smoke was too thick, but I could see a dress so I knew it was a women. I tried pulling the beam up, but the combination of heat and fire, made me weak.

"Phillip!?" I heard someone call. "Y/n!?"

P.T. came through the door then. He ran over and helped me lift the beam. As it lifted, I glimpsed an embroidered flower on the skirt of the dress. Y/n had been wearing a dress with the same flower on it today. My realization caused me to find a new burst of strength and the beam was off of her within seconds.

I slide my hands under her body and gently lifted her up. Her face and arms were covered in cuts and bruises.

"We have to go Phillip!" P.T. shouted over the roaring flames. He began walking out, pulling me behind him.

"What about Anne?!" I shouted back. "We can't just leave her!"

"Anne came running out after you ran in, she's safe!" He had stopped walking and had turned towards me. "Now let's go!"

He began leading me out of the building, swerving around the flames.

All of a sudden, pieces of the roof began falling down, causing spikes to singe our skin. As I sheltered Y/n from the fire, I was pushed forward by a falling column as the entire roof collapsed.

P.T. came and took Y/n from my arms and we continued leaving, our path blocked in more places.

The sound of shouts filled my ears as we exited.

As soon as I was out my strength disappeared and the smoke in my lungs cut off my oxygen. As my eyes closed I could see P.T. hand Y/n to an ambulance and I was filled with an overwhelming feeling of relief and happiness.

The last thing I remember, is P.T. picking me up and carrying my limp body away from the burning building.