Yin and Yang [A Superhero AU] - Book Three

Epilogue

"Grandpa!"

Phil smiles as his grandkids run into his house, chattering and laughing. His daughter, now in her late thirties, smiles weakly at him.

"Thanks for taking them, Dad."

"No problem. Have fun with Liam tonight, okay?" he replies.

She nods, kisses her kids goodbye, and heads out to have a date night with her husband. Phil waves goodbye and follows the kids through the house, his body aching in places it never used to ache. He's getting old, unfortunately. It happens to the best of people.

"Kids, your papa is trying to sleep right now, so why don't I tell you some stories until he wakes up?" he asks once he reaches the living room. His husband is in the middle of a nap, and he doesn't take kindly to being woken up.

"Okay, Grandpa!" Susie, the youngest, replies with a gap-toothed grin. Phil settles on his chair and Susie hops onto his lap, watching him with big blue eyes. Dylan sits on his lap as well and Daniel, the oldest, sits on the couch nearby.

"Do one of those water tricks!" Dylan exclaims.

Phil creates a sphere of water and holds it on his open palm, tossing it into the air and absorbing it back into his hand before it goes everywhere. The younger kids laugh and clap while Daniel just watches, eyes flitting from the water to his grandfather's face.

Susie looks up at Phil earnestly. "Tell us a story!"

The Brit laughs. "You already know all my stories!"

"Tell the one about the battle of San Francisco!" Dylan insists.

"Alright, Dil, calm down and listen up."

Phil tells them the whole story about the battle, leaving out the part about how badly he wanted to die. Dylan particularly likes the part about Anti, and Susie is always relieved to hear that Mark lived even though they've heard the story many times. At the end, they thank him and run off to play while Daniel hangs back, turning to his grandfather the moment his younger siblings are gone and out of earshot.

"Grandpa, you told me once that you had a boyfriend named Dan while you were living in San Francisco, and that he was a villain who died during the fighting."

A low ache spreads through Phil's very core and he nods. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. "Yes. Your namesake."

"Does Papa know about him? Is he ever jealous of what you had with Dan?"

Phil watches his grandson for a moment. His dark eyes are darker than Dan's ever were but still remind him of the villain he loved so dearly. His hair is also darker and the strands themselves are less curly. The resemblance is there, however, and Phil can't help but find it amazing and heartbreaking that the grandson his daughter let him name ended up looking so much like the man he lost. Phil sighs and leans forward in his chair despite the protest from his creaking bones.

"Your Papa knows about Dan and he understands that I loved Dan very much and still do love him very much. Your Papa lost his first husband too, so he knows what it feels like. He's not jealous of what Dan and I had."

Daniel straightens up in his chair, eyes alight with curiosity. "Do you still love each other?"

Phil laughs. "Of course we do."

Daniel nods and stands, observing his grandfather for a moment before stepping forward and giving him a hug. "I love you, Grandpa."

"I love you too, Daniel."

Phil watches as Daniel walks off into the house, and when he's gone the former hero leans back in his chair and sighs. What he doesn't tell his grandson is that Dan was his soulmate, and one can't ever get over losing their soulmate. He doesn't tell anyone that while he genuinely loves his husband, he loved Dan more. He doesn't regret the fact that he lived for many, many years longer than Dan ever did because it gave him the opportunity to get married, adopt a daughter, and watch that daughter grow and get married and have children of her own. That doesn't mean that he doesn't miss Dan every single day. He misses Dan like someone misses warmth when they've been out in the cold too long. He doesn't fear death because he knows that when that day comes, he'll finally see Dan again and hear his laugh and feel his embrace.

For now, he'll enjoy the splendours that life has offered him, and when his time comes, he'll go to meet his soulmate again.