"Oh, dear look at him. He isn't wearing any clothes. An angel in his underwear...a concept?"
"What a beautiful waste."
"Aw, don't be like that. You know this is how it is supposed to be. You knew this was coming."
"Well duh, I'm God. But...that's one of my many warriors...gone. He betrayed me."
"Actually, he could stay if that's what he decides. Free will is out of our hands."
"I doubt that he'll stay. The boy is in love. Remind me why I made that a thing again?"
"To see what the humans would do with the gift. Would they cherish it, use it, kill it's good name?"
"Ha, all of the above. I give them good things and you know what they do? Twist them and use them for evil. And lie and deceit. Love has never been such an undefined word before now."
"It seems not even God can create a perfect world."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"There isn't anything you don't know."
"Oh...right."
Phil stirred, the voices he heard becoming figures in his vision, a man and a woman. The man was sitting on a throne and the woman was standing next to him with perfect posture and everything about her perfect.
"Hello, Philip," the man said, "Remember me? God? You know, the all mighty, Allah, Jehovah-"
The lady hit him across the arm and he stopped, pretending that he was hurt, "Okay, yes, I'm God. Hi."
"I know," Phil said, getting on his knee to bow, "Hello, Father."
God smiled, "You're still so sweet...man, I don't want to give you away."
"We're not giving him away we're letting him free," the blonde lady said, shaking her head and setting her icy eyes on Phil, "Hello, little Cupid. Pleasure seeing you again."
"Hello, Fate," Phil greeted.
She grinned, "You're scared, aren't you?"
Phil nodded slightly, "I mean...a little."
God laughed, "Well, you did betray me and everything you pledged to stand for as my angel, but whatever. You were destined to do the same as Pj."
Phil's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"
God shrugged, "You think it's a coincidence that Pj betrays me and falls in love with a demon, and at the same time you fell for a human? Well, actually it is a coincidence. The bastard changed the plans. But, we like to believe it was our plan all along."
Phil looked confused, "But why aren't you mad?"
"Because I can't be. Fate wrote your story," God said, "I animated it."
"You were always supposed to fall in love with Daniel Howell. In fact, you did once, back when you were human. Except he wasn't Daniel Howell, he was someone else. A prince actually."
"Really?" Phil asked.
"Yes," Fate said, "And he fell for you, a peasant, and you were killed for your homosexuality and charged for 'sexual harassment' regarding the Prince. He was married off to a princess across the sea, and his affair with you was hidden to keep his family's good name."
"That's terrible," Phil said, "Why was he reincarnated? Why didn't he stay in Heaven?"
"He was a king!" God said, "Well, after you died. He lived in grief and misery in your absence, and became extremely egotistical. Yet, he did good for his people, banning the killing of homosexuals without charge. But Kings like to live on, so he requested he be someone else everytime he died. Dan Howell is an echo soul."
"What's an echo soul?" Phil asked.
"A soul that's constantly reincarnated. Sometimes he was a human, sometimes not. But it's always the same soul, just a different person with a different story and thoughts. Or animal. It's called an echo soul because it keeps coming back, just quieter each time, meaning that the soul slowly fades into a new one, the most recent, and less like the first one."
"So...if Dan died right now, he'd be reincarnated?" Phil asked.
"Maybe," Fate said, "But...maybe not now that he's found his way back to you."
"You are an angel soul, Phil. You came to heaven, and made the decision to become an angel. Do you remember that?" God asked.
"Yes," Phil said.
"But do you remember why?"
Phil thought for a moment, "...No?"
Fate laughed, "Exactly Phil, it was your destiny to find Dan again, we just had to push you in the right direction. I wrote you a love story, I chose how it would play out. I tried to make up for the unfairness life put upon you when you were first in love. I couldn't change how it happened, it wasn't destiny. I could only write you a new opportunity."
"So...I'm...Dan's soulmate?" Phil asked.
"Pretty much," God said, "I know, I work in mysterious ways, bro."
Then Phil frowned, "If we were meant to be together, then why doesn't he love me?"
Fate winced at this, and God put on one of those cringe faces as he looked over at Fate, "Oh wow, he doesn't know."
"He'll find out," Fate assured, "When we send him back."
"What?" Phil asked, "What don't I know?"
"Nothing," God and Fate said at the same time.
"But...why doesn't Dan love me? Why does he love Ricky, and not me?" Phil asked, trying not to get too emotional. The question has been eating at him for a while now and he just had to know. If if it was fate for them to fall in love, why didn't Dan want him?
God was silent for a moment, "Philip...an angel and a human...are forbidden to be in love. In fact, that's why you're here. I can't...have you be angel, and have Dan in love with you. It just won't work. Which is why Dan's in love with Ricky. He, just like you, can't help it. Everything Dan makes you feel, Ricky makes him feel. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father," Phil said, "But why was it Fates plan?"
Fate cleared her throat, "I couldn't let him fall for anyone else. It had to be with someone he couldn't have. He had to love Ricky to keep him from loving anybody else. Niall, as well. If he was in love with Ricky he wouldn't fall for Niall. And yes, sometimes I wish I could have had Ricky love him back, but it just couldn't happen that way. He needed a reason to have you."
"I understand," Phil said sadly, "But...I just want him to love me. Why couldn't he fall out of love with Ricky and become in love with me?"
"Oh, angel," Fate said, smiling as she shook her head, "Don't you see that he already has?"
Phil looked up at her, his eyes hopeful, "Really?"
God nodded, "Philip, he's falling so fast he can't even breathe. It's like an angel without wings losing their place in Heaven. Aka, you pretty soon."
"Father," Fate said, sending him another stern look.
"Yes, right, sorry," God said, "I'm just disappointed in your leave. And...you know what I'm going to have to do right?"
"Take my wings," Phil stated.
"I'm sorry, but if you want to be with Dan, and I know you do, you can't be an angel."
"Take them," Phil said, "Take them and send me home. With him that's where...I feel. I don't care about what the other angels will think. Let them talk all they want, they don't know what it's like to love. No one here does. So take my wings. I love Dan more than anyone in this life, and that's something I felt all on my own."
"You're so confident," God said, sitting up in his throne, "You're so sure of what you want."
"It's new," Phil gulped, "New emotions come with living down there."
"Like lust," God said smirking slightly, "Yeah, I know what you did last night you sly dog. You're quite the sinner for an angel."
"Pj did it first," Phil defended.
God laughed, "And quite the child at the same time."
Phil didn't answer, just took a deep breath as he knew what was coming. The purging of his angelhood, his admittance into human kind. He was scared, but those butterflies in his stomach didn't compare to the ones Dan made him feel.
"Phil?" Fate began, "You do know that when we do this...Dan isn't allowed to remember you, right?"
"What?" Phil asked, who had not been aware of that information.
"Phil, we can't have humans knowing about Heaven and how it works and things. They will take their free will and go completely out of control. Religion started a lot of wars in the past. Still does. And if you're going to live a human life, you're going to have to have a human background, and entirely different timeline that we cannot risk time and space to create. We can leave you with the memories, we'll have to, but everyone that you met has to forget you. That includes Dan, and there will be a complete cover for everything that happened."
"Everything?" Phil asked, his voice cracking as tears filled his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Phil." Fate apologized.
"So...he'll forget about how we met?" Phil asked.
"Yes."
"And when he taught me piano?"
"Yes."
"And when I met Ricky?"
"Yes, and Ricky will forget about that too."
"But, what about when we went shopping? I bought everything...how could he forget it?"
"Simple, he never went shopping that day. He took Herl's shift in the morning, and went shopping with Ricky for his suit in the evening. Ricky just got a cheaper one."
Phil could barely breathe. How could they just erase everything they'd done? How could they do that?
"And what about me helping him find Niall?"
"You didn't. The night you guys met he talked to Niall instead, and they hit it off from there. All nights you spent together Dan spent alone, or with Niall."
"But...those are our memories," Phil said, "Last night...was ours."
"I'm sorry, but no matter if you chose to become a human or not, that's just what will have to happen. We will have to erase you from everyone's memories and give you a cover story."
"But Dan said he'd never forget me," Phil whispered.
"He never did," Fate said, "That's why he's your soulmate. You can talk to him after it's all over, he just won't know anything about you."
"So, we can fall in love again?" Phil asked hopefully, "If I become human I can have him again?"
God grimaced, "Free will."
"Free will," Fate repeated, "But there's always a chance."
Phil could feel tears falling down his face. What good was humanity without Dan? What good was his journey without the one who helped him along? What good was life without his mission?
"Make your choice, Phil," God said, "Human or angel?"
"Can you promise me something first?" Phil asked.
"Sure," God said.
"Promise me, that I can get just five minutes. Five minutes before he forgets me. Five minutes before you change my life. Or...stay an angel."
Fate and God looked at each other and then Fate sighed, "Five minutes."
And the once again everything was white.
***
Phil woke up on Dan's lap, his eyes fluttering open slowly. He saw Dan in tears, and his heart broke. So beautiful.
"Dan," Phil said quietly, getting his attention.
Dan removed his hands from his face and then cried harder, squeezing Phil with a hug, "Phil! Oh fuck, my god, I didn't know what happened to you, you were breathing but you wouldn't wake up and I couldn't call an ambulance because you're not even a human and I was so, so worried about you. Oh my god, are you okay?"
"I am," Phil said, his own tears falling down his face, "But...I can't stay."
Dan let go of him slightly, looking confused, "What? What do you mean?"
"I mean that your memories on the request of the lord...are going to be changed. You won't remember me."
"No, no of course I will, Phil. I can't...I can't forget you," Dan denied.
Phil shook his head, "I love you, Dan."
"No, shut up!" Dan said, "You're not leaving me, fuck Phil you aren't going anywhere."
"I'll see you again," Phil said, his voice a little lower, "I'll remember you, and I'll love you always."
"You can't just go!" Dan sobbed, "I don't know what just happened to you, but you're not leaving me, and you can't go anywhere, and I will always remember you, so just shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
"I can't," Phil said, "I have too much to say to you. You showed me love, you showed me life. And for that I am eternally grateful."
"I crossed my heart," Dan said, "I put your name there and promised a forever."
"I did too," Phil said, "And I swear I won't break that promise."
Dan kissed him, hoping that when they pulled away it would all be okay. Or that he'd never have to leave Phil's lips. He hoped by doing that, he'd open his eyes and Phil would be trying to make pancakes again or toast. But when Phil disconnected their lips, everything was just worse.
"I have two minutes," Phil said, "Two minutes left, and things will change. So just listen. When the time comes I want you to close your eyes, and just let the world go, okay?"
"But Phil-"
"Just close you eyes, and forget about everything. It won't hurt, and I'll hold you the whole time. Do you think you could do that?"
Dan shook his head, "You were supposed to stay until I fell in love."
"I think you did. And so did I."
Dan didn't say anything. No more words could escape his lips. He was losing his happiness. He was losing his guardian angel. He was losing his life source. And he wouldn't even remember it.
Phil hugged Dan, Dan still crying and the world getting less dizzy but more blurry. Like it was slipping away.
"One minute," Phil mumbled.
Dan held on tighter to him. Don't let go, I can't let go.
"I never thought I could love someone as much as god...I was so, so wrong," Phil said.
Dan shut his eyes like Phil said, not wanting to see his world fall apart. "I love you too," Dan muttered.
"Why did the angel cross the road?" Phil asked.
"What?" Dan's eyes opened again.
"Answer it."
"Okay, why?" Dan asked, confused on why he was asking this.
"To say halo to an old friend."
Dan laughed and he didn't know why. Just something about Phil remembering that jokes make somebody happier was tearing him apart. How could he leave him? How could he love someone so much?
"Five." Phil said. Dan was holding onto him for dear life.
"Four." Dan closed his eyes again.
"Three." Remember, a voice in Dan's head whispered.
"Two." Never forget.
"One."
-
AN: What's going to happen?? Does Phil decide to stay an angel or become a human?? Will the next chapter be a chapter or an epilogue?? Will Niall ever lose his virginity?? Find out next time on Heaven On Earth, an angel!Phil and human!Dan AU.
By imsh00k a premature writer, and premature person in general.