The Phan in Our Stars

Part Six

Dan had never been sure that he believed in the "last good day" philosophy, but the little voice in the back of his head told him that this was Phil's. When Dan woke up that day, his best friend, the same boy who hadn't walked in weeks, was in the kitchen pouring a bowl of cereal. 

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he said, groggily. 

"Um, good morning, Babe," Dan said through a yawn, "You're up, erm, early."

"It's crazy," Phil said, shoveling a heaped spoon of Shreddies into his mouth, "I woke up this morning and I felt awake, like, actually awake, for the first time in forever, so I figured I should take advantage of that."

"Well, I'm happy for you," Dan smiled, crossing to Phil, "Are your parents awake yet?"

"I don't think so," Phil shrugged, "I want to let them sleep though."

"Yeah," Dan said, unsure, "Yeah, okay." He crossed to the coffee pot and began to pour himself a cup when Phil piped up. 

"I want to go out," he said definitively. 

"Out?" Dan raised his eyebrows, "Are-- are you sure?"

"Yeah," Phil said, "I'm sure."

"Well, um, where is it you're wanting to go?" Dan asked, sipping his coffee.

"Ice skating," Phil responded, causing Dan to choke on his coffee.

"Um, Phil, I don't know if that's a very good ide--" Dan began, but was quickly interrupted.

"I don't want to go ice skating," Phil explained, "I just want to go watch."

"Oh," Dan said, "Well, uh, I guess you'll have to talk to your parents about it probably--"

"I am 28 years old, I do not need to ask my parents permission to go out," Phil said.

"Okay," Dan complied uneasily, "But you should tell them at least."

"Okay," Phil smiled, "Come here."

"Why?" Dan asked, crossing to Phil anyway.

"So I can kiss you silly," Phil grinned, crashing his lips into Dan's. Dan felt himself melt into Phil's lips. It had been so long since they had kissed like that, Dan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as Phil got more and more passionate.

"Well what's going on in here?" Mrs. Lester asked, entering the kitchen.

"Hey Mum," Phil smiled sweetly.

"Look at you!" she said, reminiscent of someone congratulating a small child who had just walked for the first time. "I haven't seen you standing in so long, I nearly forgot how tall you are!"

"Yeah, feels nice to tower over you again," he winked at her, "Still shorter than Dan, though," he pouted.

"Yes, well, we all are," Mrs. Lester smiled, "Boy's a giant isn't he?"

"Yeah he is," Phil agreed, grinning at Dan.

It took a lot of convincing and then a lot of promising, but Phil finally convinced his mum (and Dan, for that matter) to let Dan take him to watch the ice skaters at the little lake a few kilometers from Phil's house. 

"I never was good at ice skating," Phil said, leaning on his crutches that Dan had forced him to bring along. 

"I've never tried," Dan chimed in.

"You should go sometime," Phil suggested, "You'd probably be terrible actually, since you're lanky and awkward," he teased, nudging Dan, "But I think you'd have fun."

"Yeah, maybe I'll go sometime after I get back to London," Dan agreed.

"Go tomorrow," Phil said.

"What?" Dan laughed, "I can;t go ice skating tomorrow, I--"

"No, not ice skating," Phil said, rolling his eyes, "Go home. Tomorrow."

"No, Phil, just, no," Dan shook his head, "I told you already, I'm not leavi--"

"Please," Phil looked at Dan with solemn eyes, "Please. It's my last, dying wish. I'll never forgive you if you don't."

Dan felt his eyes begin to swell and he desperately did not want to cry, so instead he wrapped his arms around Phil. "I'll go," he whispered in a voice barely audible, "But I'm not ready."

"Me neither," Phil admitted, "But I don't think the universe cares about whether we're ready or not."

"No, I suppose it doesn't," Dan said, squeezing Phil a little tighter.

"Remember the first time we came here?" Phil asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," Dan replied, "It was snowing then too."

"You wore that god-awful hat," Phil remembered, "But then I thought it was cute. I thought everything you did was cute then."

"Trust me, I felt the same," Dan smiled, reminiscently.

"Who would have thought we'd end up here?" Phil said.

"Yeah," Dan agreed gravely, "If I may be completely honest, I had hoped for a happier ending."

Phil turned on the spot to face Dan, still in his arms, and planted a small, weak kiss on his mouth. "I don't know," he smiled, his sparkling blue eyes meeting Dan's deep brown ones, "I'm pretty happy right now."

"Yeah," Dan smiled back, "I guess I am too."