Dan: 4
Phil: 6
"What are you doing?" Dan asked, curiously at Phil. Phil had plopped down on the sand, setting to hard work on a sculpture in the sand.
"I'm making a sandcastle!" Phil says, proudly, lifting up the bucket to reveal a perfect tower of sand. Dan, in awe, sat down next to Phil.
That's how they spent their morning at the beach, Phil building while Dan watched, looking at Phil as if he'd put the moon in the sky.
After an hour or so, the pair of boys ran into the water. Upon coming out, Phil froze. The tide had turned his sandcastle to nothing but a lump of mushy sand.
Sadly, Dan tugged at Phil's bathing suit. "What happened to the castle, Philly?"
Tearfully, sniffing, Phil wiped his eyes on his arms. "It was ruined by the shore..."
"You can cry," Dan said. "It's alright to be sad, you can't be the prince of your sandcastle anymore, I understand if you cry." Phil was shocked to hear such wisdom out of a 4 year old. But he did as Dan said and started crying, while staring at the pile of wet sand.
"W-what are you doing?" He asked Dan, seeing the smaller boy pull all the sand back into the bucket, wordlessly.
"Re-building you castle. We can be princes together!"
Phil smiled and sat down. "I'd like that."
Dan: 13
Phil: 15
Phil looked at Dan, over the top of their sandcastle. It had been a tradition for their families (their parents were close college friends) every summer. And on the first day, the two boys always built a sandcastle together and caught up on what they missed from each other's previous year.
Phil found it adorable at how focused Dan looked, his brown fringe falling over his sparkling eyes.
"If I'm a prince in this castle," Dan spoke, suddenly, breaking the silence. "You have to be my princess."
Phil smirked. "If anything, you're the princess and I'm the prince."
Dan snorted in response. "Yeah right... princess." Phil opened his mouth to retort but he felt Dan's lips being pressed against his own. He could taste the sea salt from the ocean on Dan's chapped lips. He closed his eyes and kissed back.
Dan: 23
Phil: 25
Dan twirled his ring around his finger. "Wow," he said. "Who knew wedding rings could be so comfortable to wear." Phil laughed and wove his fingers through Dan. He wiggles his toes in the hot sand.
"We're in tuxedos..." Dan said. "Do you...are you okay with getting sand on them?"
Phil looked at Dan, his eyes filled with excitement. "Of course."
The two sat down, opposite each other, and did what they did best.
They built a sandcastle.
Together.
Dan: 30
Phil: 32
Phil walked alone now, no Dan beside him. No Dan to admire the bright blue water, crashing against the shore with him.
Phil didn't have the heart to build a castle, especially without Dan with him.
He saw one, abandoned but still in tact. Just barely. He watched it. Thinking of his Dan as he saw the waves beat down on it, again and again.
Until the sand gave way and crumbled down. Phil watched it.
How he wished he could be 6 again.
