Past, Present, and Future (Phan) ✔️

Part 2/2

"Tell us another story!" Winter yelled, swinging her legs and hitting the chair.
   
"Yeah!" Leo and Willow agreed enthusiastically.
   
"Why don't you take over?" Dan whispered to Phil.
   
"Okay," Phil whispered back.

"It was almost a year after Dan had moved in with me. We had settled in very well, Dan in his room and me in mine. My house felt more like a home, I could see traces of Dan everywhere, from all of his stuffed toys to the little whistling moose he bought me one year."

"And he helped me run the bookshop as his filming time started to draw to a close, he always had a manga laying under the counter that he read when he was trying to avoid the customers."

Dan just smiled, not denying Phi's claims
   
"Anyways, it was once again right in the middle of Winter, getting close to Christmas, and it was snowing! I've always loved the snow, that's one of the reasons that we moved here, in the mountains.

"Dan and I had decided to go out to buy some presents, the shops weren't far, so we decided to walk. We bundled up in layers, looking like two tall marshmallows, and set out of the bookstore below our apartment.

"I had stolen one of Dan's jackets, and of course it was black. But it was super warm, and I loved it. In revenge, He took my patterned jacket, it was covered in a million little cats! I bet we were quite a sight to see.
   
"The ground outside was super slippery, and we used our shoes to skate down the ice-covered sidewalks.
   
"When Dan had his back turned, I grabbed a handful of snow. As soon as he turned back, I whiffed it at his face. He stared at me like an owl at first, snow dripping down his face, his nose and ears tinted pink from the cold. Then a smirk stretched across his face. I just stared at him, trying to figure out why he looked so devious.

"Before I even knew what had happened, a huge ball of snow, easily 5 times the size of mine hit me, knocking me off my feet!"
The whole family laughed together.

"I had jumped up, planning my revenge, but there was snow in my eyes. And then I was down again. Dan had been trying to hit me with another snowball, but he had slipped on some ice. Then we went tumbling down the snowy hill by the sidewalk.

"It was just like a movie, like the one Dan had just finished filming! We tumbled down, our long limbs all tangled up. When we landed, Dan was right on top of me. He leaned down and kissed me, and it was fantastic! And that's the story of our first kiss." Phil said.

"Ewww!" the kids chorused.

"What?" Dan asked. "Love is never gross!"

"Well..." Phil said, his eyes crinkling in a smile, "it may seem gross to those of the younger generation!" He face palmed. "I just sounded so old," Phil grumbled. "I remember my younger days!"

"I remember one day in specific" Dan said thoughtfully. "It was the best... well second best... day of my life."

"Whaddya mean, dad?" Leo asked, practically bouncing out of his seat.

"I'm talking about the day I married your daddy."

The kids listened attentively as Dan started another story.

"It was a very beautiful day about 10 years ago. The flowers were blooming, the grass was growing, the birds were tweeting.

"Our wedding took place in Hawaii, and Phil, being the wonderful man that he is..." Dan paused to smile fondly down at Phil, who was making 'blah-blah-blah' gestures with his hands as the children giggled.

"Phil booked the most expensive hotel on the beach in flipping Hawaii!"

"Well I knew we could afford it!" Phil said, lazily, settling one of his pale arms back around Dan's waist. "I had just published a book and was starting to get returns on that, and you were getting pretty large paychecks from your movie."

"Whatever," Dan responded playfully. "I guess it was pretty amazing, but back to the point.

"The beach was set up with a beautiful array of flowers, they were black in the center, and faded out into different hues of blue, they were another one of Phil's purchases.

"The priest was a sweet lady, she was chubby and super short. We both towered over her, we're both awkwardly tall, even compared to normal people, as you guys know!"

The triplets nodded empathetically.

"Yeah, so it was a bit weird. But your uncles Adrian and Martyn were there, and all of your grandmas and grandpas! Not even to mention all of our friends, it was wonderful!

"The ceremony was breathtaking, with the waves crashing in the background.
   
"I had bought the rings, and we both still wear them to this day.
   
Phil sleepily lifted his hand, showing the engraved silver band, studded with diamonds, Dan showed his matching one.
   
"The reception was pretty great, too. It was held right as the sun was setting, in a huge glass ballroom on a cliff that hung right over the ocean. The whole thing was absolutely stunning. Everyone danced the night away.
   
"We did lots of swimming, and I got super tan. But Phil just burned. He looked like a ripe tomato by the time we left Hawaii! I thought it was hilarious!
   
"I remember our honeymoon, too. It was a month or two after the wedding. We travelled through Asia together, and visited Japan, I even bought a can of air from Mt. Fuji!
   
"But my favorite part of our honeymoon was our decision to adopt children."
   
Dan looked down, his face soft, at Phil, who was struggling to keep his eyes open, dark lashes fluttering. Then he looked around at the children, who were all sprawled out, with their heads in their hands, dozing. Winter's tiny pink glasses were askew and Leo's hair was all fluffed up.
   
"The best day of my life," Dan said quietly, "was the day we found you three."

Dan gazed at the sun setting over the mountains, holding a sleeping Phil curled in his arms. He relaxed until the last bits of light disappeared into the night, listening to the muted breaths of his family. Then he gently shook Phil awake.
   
The two stood up and carried the children inside.
   
The little family settled down for the night, full of love and happiness, moving slowly towards the future.