Broken Windows // Phan AU

Chapter Eighteen: Surprise and Dissension

Over the next few weeks, after Dan begins his new job at Asda, things really start falling into a steady pattern between us. After giving him a copy of my house key, I start dropping him off on my way to work every morning, and we part ways for the day. He takes public transport back to my house when his shift is over, and I get to come home to him every evening.

Every day he gets more and more confident, more comfortable going out into the world and making money and living life. That initial fear that had consumed him for so long when he first came into my life... it seems to be gradually dwindling away, and I couldn't be happier.

We have a lot of fun on the weekends. I take him out to restaurants, movies, parks. Or sometimes we just stay in, order food and snuggle up until we get too horny to function and we just go at it.

On one Sunday afternoon, out of the blue and much to my surprise, Dan asks me when my birthday is.

"Funny you ask that. It's actually two days from now."

"Is it? I had no idea."

I furrow my brow at him suspiciously. What made him ask me that literally two days before my birthday? He must be up to something.

~~~

On Tuesday morning, I awaken before my alarm to the strong smell of burnt pancakes wafting into the room from downstairs. I'm confused at first, until I realize that Dan isn't in bed beside me. Is he cooking?

I get out of bed and head downstairs groggily. When I enter the kitchen, I see Dan flipping pancakes haphazardly over the stove like he's not quite sure what he's doing. When he sees me, he smiles sheepishly.

"I was going to bring them up to you," he informs me as he stacks a few pancakes onto a plate. "I only burned two of them. Happy birthday."

"Aw, Daaan. You know how to make pancakes?"

"Clearly I Googled it about twenty minutes ago, as I didn't do a very good job, but it's the thought that counts, right? I got you an actual gift anyway. I'll give it to you later tonight."

I chuckle to myself as I take a seat at the kitchen table and he sets the plate down in front of me, along with a fork and a bottle of syrup. "You're too sweet."

"I can be. When I want to."

He sits down across from me and takes a bite of one of the pancakes he'd burned. "Hmm, maybe a shitload of syrup will help make these somewhat bearable," he ponders, proceeding to dump said shitload of syrup onto the pancakes and take another bite. "Nope. I think I'll throw these out and go with cereal."

~~~

After we finish breakfast, we go on to get ready for the day, and I drop him off at work as usual and head off to my own job.

When I reach my desk, I'm surprised and flattered to see a pile of birthday cards and little gift bags scattered across it. Later in the day, I find that Tom has brought in cupcakes and arranged a little party for me in the break room during lunch hour. It warms my heart to have such thoughtful coworkers.

The real surprise, however, doesn't come until I get home.

It's about 5:15 by the time I pull into my driveway that evening. The first thing I notice is that there are more cars than usual parked up and down my street. But I quickly brush it off, thinking that maybe one of my neighbours is having a meeting or a get-together at their house. So I proceed to walk towards my front door, only to notice something else that seems a little odd: through the windows, it doesn't look like there are any lights on in the house. Usually Dan gets home before me and hangs out in the living room until I get home, so I usually expect to see some lights on through the window.