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"What do you do for a first anniversary?" Phil asks Cat.
"Wellllll," Cat says, drawing out the word. "My first boyfriend did this whole hot air balloon ride, and then he took me out to dinner and we went on a long walk on the beach where he told me that he'd cheated on me twice but since we made it to a year he figured it was pretty serious and he wasn't going to do that anymore."
Phil should have realized by now that no question is ever that simple with Cat. "Right," he says. He's fairly sure he won't take any good advice away from this, but he still wants story resolution. "So what did you do then?"
"Dumped his ass," Cat says, laughing. "But don't worry, there's no way Dan's cheated on you. I mean, I'm pretty sure. But if he takes you on a hot air balloon ride, just watch out."
*
"What do you do for a first anniversary?" Phil asks his brother.
"She took me back home to Sweden to meet her family," Martyn says. "There was a lot of food. A lot of fish. A lot of fishy food."
"Dan doesn't like fish," Phil says. "And I've already met his family. You're no help."
"Never said I was," Martyn cheerfully responds.
*
"What do you do for a first anniversary?" Phil asks Charlie. "I've never had one before."
"Fuck if I know," Charlie says. His laugh sounds sad and kind of far away. "I've never had one either. Can't go wrong with a blowjob?"
"Well," Phil says. "You're not wrong there, I suppose."
*
"What do you do for a first anniversary?" Phil asks his mum.
"Can't go wrong with flowers and chocolates," she says.
Dan does like chocolates, and he does like flowers, but Phil can't help but feel that it's not the route he wants to go down.
He thanks his mum and asks her what she thought of the last Coronation Street.
*
"What do you want to do for our first anniversary?" Phil asks Dan.
"Just hang, maybe?" Dan asks. "Pizza? Movie?"
"Are you sure?" Phil asks. "I could make reservations, there's a nice skybar..."
"I'd rather not, to be honest," Dan says. "Maybe another night, just because we want to. I don't want to make it into some big thing that feels like an obligation or like it means something. I mean, it does, because it's been a year and that's great - but I like spending every night with you, so there's nothing special about spending tonight with you too. Fuck, that doesn't make any sense, why can't I backspace words.
"Dan," Phil says, smiling. "It makes sense. And yeah, that sounds perfect."
*
He means for it to be the normal night Dan wanted. He really does mean for it to. But there's an idea planted in his head and he can't escape the fact that this moment feels so right.
"Hey, Dan?" Phil asks.
"Yeah?" Dan asks.
He bites his lip, takes the plunge. "Do you want to move in with me?"
Dan looks at him, not blinking, just staring. "What?" He says, asking for clarification even as a dimple starts to pop out with the hint of a disbelieving smile.
"You should move in with me," Phil says, rephrasing it. "Please. You spent so much of the summer in Wokingham, and when you are back in Manchester you stay here anyway-"
"You sap," Dan says, trying to kiss Phil but smiling too hard. "You're just obsessed with me. Want me here all the time."
"It's true," Phil says, vehemently. "I really am. Will you?"
Dan pushes Phil back and straddles him. "Of course I will."
*
The next morning dawns, rainy outside and perfectly normal.
"Happy not-anniversary-anymore," Dan says.
Phil grins and curls in close to him. "Happy not-anniversary-anymore."