Dan looked over the ledge of the bridge he was perched on, tears rolling down his face as the waves of the ocean crashed harshly against the stone. The sixteen-year-old had once again been chased out of his house by a drunk father and uncaring mother. If only he could say that was out of the ordinary. It seemed like every day now his father came home hammered and his mum could have cared less as the man beat her son into a bloody mess every night.

He wish he could say he could handle it.

Daniel Howell never had any friends, never had a loving family, never had a place he could call home. It had just been him being pulled through life one step at a time with no help or guidance, no reassurance after he made a mistake or pat on the back when he accomplished something great. Not that he'd ever really done anything great with what little of life he'd lived. His grades were mediocre at best, he didn't have a job, no ambition. He was essentially worthless and there was no one on God's Green Earth that would tell him otherwise.

"No one would care." He whispers to himself as he lifted himself to his feet, bringing the tips of his shoes to the edge of the ledge. He was getting out. The brunette shook as the tears continued to fall, some slipping off his face down into the harsh waters below. It made him wonder how it would feel once he hit the water. Would the fall kill him or would he drown? Which would he prefer? If the fall killed him it'd be over sooner but if he drowned he'd be able to savour the thought that it was over. That in a couple minutes all his pain would be finished. Well, that's what the fall's for I suppose.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice cut through the silence, causing Dan to jump harshly. The brunette looked over toward the voice and caught sight of a tall, black haired man. Clad in a flannel jacket, black skinny jeans, and black converse with his hair parted toward the right side of his face. Dan felt a strange sense of deja vu cloud his brain as he analyzed the stranger. He could have sworn on his life that he'd known the man from somewhere.

"Do I know you?" Dan's voice shook, his hands finding their way into his pockets.

"No." The man said. "Not yet anyway." He said quieter. Dan was confused by this. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean, not yet?" The man smiled, his eyes falling toward the ground.

"It doesn't matter. Now, why don't you tell me what you're doing." He said, causing Dan to look back over the edge. Ending my sorry fucking excuse for a life. Getting out of here and away from my dad and mum. Getting away from the constant bullying and harassment at school.

"Making it better." Dan said, letting his shoe ghost across the ledge. Just do it!

"I promise this isn't what you want to do." The man said, taking a hesitant forward. Dan rolled his eyes, turning back toward him.

"Oh yeah? How could you possibly know that?" Dan didn't mean to raise his voice, but he couldn't stand when people tried to tell him what was best for him. This person didn't even know him! He couldn't possibly understand all the things that he'd gone through in his life.

"I know how you feel." He replied, his long fingers going to play with the strings on his jacket. "Like you're alone in the world, that no one loves you and no one ever will, that no one would care." Dan sucked in a deep breath, his eyes shooting back toward the ground. "You have a horrible home life I'm going to assume from the bruises and the fact you're out here at three a.m. alone." Dan felt the tears coming on again as the man listed off exactly how he'd felt his entire life. Maybe he does understand.

"How did you know?" Dan whispered, their eyes locking as Dan hesitantly brought his gaze back up from the waters below.

"Lucky guesser I suppose." He shrugged. "Listen, I promise you that you don't want to do this. Everything from this point on is going to get so much better. I mean, think about it! Maybe you'll find a crazy YouTuber and become best friends, move into a flat together, make a YouTube channel of your own, and just live your life on Tumblr." Dan chuckled and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

"As if. Who'd ever be interested in listening to a nobody like me?" Dan asked, his gaze having not left the other's.

"You're worth a lot more than you think, you know?" He said, walking over and seating himself next to Dan's legs. The other patted the space next to him and Dan hesitated only slightly before sitting down next to the man.

"How would you know? You just met me." Dan asked, fiddling lightly with his hands. The man grasped the brunette's hands in his, Dan looking down that their now entwined hands in slight shock.

"Look at me," he said, smiling as Dan's gaze met his once again. "I just do. There's just something about you that tells me that." Dan smirked, his gaze once again fluttering away until it found the other's again.

"What's your name?" Dan asked.

"Phil." Phil responded, smiling gently at the other. Dan nodded and pulled out his phone, handing it to the other.

"Put your number in. I think I want to get to know you a little better." Dan said, Phil chuckling lightly. The other put his number in quickly before handing the phone back and lifting himself off the ledge.

"I should probably go." Phil said, checking the time on his watch. Dan nodded and lifted himself up as well.

"I'm going to see you again, right?" Dan asked, his hands once again finding their way into his pockets. Phil nodded.

"Of course you will. Goodnight, danisnotonfire." Phil said, turning his back to the younger and walking away. Dan stood still watching as Phil walked away, and if he had seen the other fade into the night, he would pretend he hadn't.

If any of you are wondering Phil is present day Phil and Dan is past Dan.