"Dan, I'm home!" Phil calls into their flat, setting the grocery bags onto their dining table. He hears a faint sequence of piano notes floating around and then a slightly choppier and less confident repetition following. Phil chuckles to himself and goes to their bedroom, finding Dan and their five year old son Dil sitting on the piano bench.
"Like this," Dan says gently, pressing a sequence of A B G, G B A. It's simple but it sounds wonderful. "see?" Dil nods and puts his tiny fingers onto the keys. He presses A B G, pauses, and finishes the sequence G B A. Dan smiles widely and claps. "Good job Dil!" He exclaims, ruffling his sons hair.
"It sounded really amazing. You'll be playing better than Daddy in no time." Phil chimes in quietly, a grin on his face. Dil turns and upon seeing his father leaps off the piano bench and into Phil's arms.
"Papa!" Dil cheers happily. Dan can't help but smile at the two people he loves most. Phil kneels down and hugs Dil more tightly. Dil sits contentedly in Phil's lap. Dan comes over and kneels down too, kissing Phil softly and quickly.
"Hello there." Dan greets. Phil smiles.
"Hello there yourself." He replies. "How was your day with Dil?"
Dan chuckles. "It was good. He's very interested in the concept of Halloween and has been begging me all day to take him to get a costume." Phil laughs a little as Dil looks at Dan upon hearing the word Halloween. "We went to the park and Dil refused to wear anything on his feet other than his bunny slippers." Dil nods and points to his bunny slippered feet.
"I love my bunnies!" He explains.
"I know you do, Dil." Phil says.
"How was your day with Louise?" Dan asks his husband as they both stand. Phil adjusts Dil to sit on his hip and the three of them make their way into the kitchen.
"It was really nice! Darcy is so grown up now, and she's so smart!" Phil says animatedly. "Louise wants to have Dil over to play with Darcy soon as well. Darcy loves Dil." Dil starts asking about Darcy.
"Are we seeing Darcy soon?" He asks. "I wanna play with Darcy!"
"We will soon kiddo, don't you worry." Dan assures him.
~~~
"I cannot believe you talked me into this." Dan says, looking at Phil. Dil takes Dan's hand and drags (or tries to drag) him into the pet shop.
"Dan it's only a fish, it'll be easy!" Phil replies. Dil turns around and looks at his fathers.
"Papa, Daddy, hurry up!" Dil says, one hand still in Dan's and the other clutching his stuffed llama.
"We're coming, we're coming." Dan reassures his son with a chuckle. The family enters the pet shop and an employee greets them.
"Hi there, what can I do to help you all?" She asks sweetly.
"Um, well we're looking for a fish." Dan mumbles. "Is there a specific type of fish that's good for little kids? Like one that won't die two weeks after you get it?" The employee, who's name tag reads Annie, nods in understanding.
"Um I'm not sure I can guarantee a fish life span but there are some fish your son might enjoy more than others because they're more friendly." Annie explains. Dan exhales a breath.
"Thank you, ma'm. This is his first pet and I want him to have a nice experience." Dan says softly, his eyes drifting to where Phil and Dil are standing. They're crouched by a tank of goldfish and Dil is entranced by them.
