#skye*

Phil sat back in his chair unable to look away from the screen, every urge to deny what was happening etched onto his face but, science didn't lie... "Be with the people you love tonight..." John said it quietly. You couldn't believe what you were hearing for different reasons. You'd finally found something SO good. You'd had a crush on Phil ever since you'd started working here. He had boundless enthusiasm for space, just like you did. And you could sit and talk about your projects for hours. He made you feel welcome right away, and always took time to walk past your office and see how you were doing. But, you weren't even really dating yet... And now.... Everything was going to be taken away from you? John took his leave, leaving you both still sitting there in silence. Was there anything you could even say…? What about all the things you couldn’t say? What about all the things you wish you could say… That it was far too early to say!? Phil swiveled his chair to you, and opened his mouth. But nothing, there was nothing in this world that he could say that would make anything about the situation better. His eyes dropped from yours, sorrowful and he turned back to the computer. You decided not talking was wasting time you no longer had; "Is there anywhere we can even go?" He shook his head at the simulation "Trying would be too desperate. We're talking at least 1 miles’ worth of penetration... I don't think there's anywhere on Earth, conceivably, we can get to AND survive in. This is our extinction event..." He pressed his hands together in front of his lips and shook his head again as you approached him. "So... We have 24 hours?" He turned to you as he stood slowly; "We’ll be lucky if we have that... " Phil sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. It was weird, when you thought about how long you now had left, that something that small was now the most significant thing he could possibly do - "So the question is... What would you like to do with the time we have left? Where would you go? Who would you want to be with..." He twisted back to his computer, trying to figure out where he could drive to in those amount of hours. If he could see his family one last time. If he could Introduce them to you... The prospect of a shot-gun wedding even sounded tempting. You took a deep breath, taking his hand in yours "I want to be right here. With you." He looked to you again, eyebrow raised "You want to spend your last few hours working!!” "It's not just work! It's our life's work! We will be recording something no-one else ever has or ever will! Surely, someone out there needs to witness, to record exactly what's going to happen." "... You're crazy." You shook your head "I want to be with you. In the place I met you."  ** The sunshine was too bright, too hot. And you were in this room together alone, away from the chaos outside. The screen distorted, once, twice, then fizzed out and back to life. You both knew, time was near. You stared at the numbers again. Horrific though it might have been this was the most fascinating thing. But you were scared. Would you feel anything? Would you feel nothing? What happened afterwards??  You must have looked scared because Phil took your face in his hands and turned you towards him. "No more. Ignore it. Our work is done. It's over. It's complete..." "But Phil I..." "I’ll be damned if the last thing I ever do is look at numbers on a screen, and not your face." Your eyes widened in the shock of his honesty. You bit your lip, and then closed the gap. The kiss was beautifully bittersweet, and he wrapped his arms around you and held you as close as he possibly could. Everything was almost blindingly bright white when it was over. He pushed his forehead to yours; "I love you." It was the first and last time he was ever going to get to say it to you; "I should have told you sooner." "I love you too." you wound your arms around him "... We didn't know it would end this way..." He placed a hand to the back of your head as everything started to get hazy pushing your face protectively into his chest. Taking your other hand in his he entwined his fingers with yours and placed your hands between you, so you could feel each other’s heartbeat. "Close your eyes..." Phil’s voice was on the edge of breaking. But you did as he asked. He buried his face in your shoulder and you knew instantly, the warmth you were feeling was from him. Somehow as your body and your brain accepted this was your fate it tuned everything out that wasn't Phil, his heart, the way he felt holding you. He closed his eyes too, and all at once he knew this couldn't be the end, his voice now a whisper; "I will find you, Y/N... Whatever happens after this. I promise... I will find you."