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He felt giddy. The moment the plane touched down, Phil excitedly tapped on Dan’s arm, they were finally in London. It seemed like forever until they finally escaped the cramped and stuffy airplane cabin, but once they were over the threshold, Phil bounded down the tunnel with his suitcase and Dan in tow. He stepped into Heathrow airport and took in all the familiar sights and sounds, a giant smile plastered onto his face.
-
He felt tired. The energy burst that came from landing faded fast as Dan and Phil waited for their luggage. One by one, suitcases flopped off the belt and onto the baggage carousel. Phil watched anxiously for their bags to show up, the slow crawl of the machine hypnotizing. The harsh lights hurt his dry, sleep-deprived eyes, and it was like five month’s worth of jet lag hit him all at once. There were soft fingers on his elbow, steady and grounding, pushing a coffee into his hands.
“Here, you can finish mine,” Dan said.
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me; you need it more.” Dan laughed quietly at Phil’s tired pouty face.
-
He felt comfortable. Grey skies and rain welcomed Dan and Phil back to the city, the light breeze sweeping around them like a hug. The boys shoved their bags into the back of a taxi and climbed in, lacing their hands together over the middle seat. They were quiet with their thoughts, Dan busy updating Instagram, while Phil stared out the window. Five months of car rides through strange, exciting places that each held boundless adventures, and this was the end. The last ride, for now. Dan traced circles on Phil’s hand with his thumb throughout the drive, and soon the streets and buildings became increasingly familiar.
-
He felt confused. Dan unlocked their door after having some difficulty with the key. They breathed in that odd smell of home after being away for a while. The keys were dropped into the dish by the front door, finally returned to their rightful place. It was dark, and only a small sliver of light slipped in through the windows as the sun set. Neither of them wanted to turn the lights on. Dan was the first to leave the doorway, heading straight for the bedroom, and Phil followed.
They abandoned their suitcases in a corner, only taking the necessities out. Unpacking was for tomorrow. Or perhaps the day after that. Dan stripped to his pants, throwing his shirt and jeans on the floor. His plans consisted of showering for ages, desperate to scrub away the feeling of airport grease. Phil wasn’t sure he could stand for that much longer, so a quick face wash and teeth brushing would suffice for now. His feet carried him around on instinct, his brain quickly shutting off. It was routine, something they hadn’t had in ages. The bathroom lights assaulted his eyes, squinting as he reached to turn on the faucet. His hands missed, grabbing thin air instead. Why did the sink seem different than he remembered?
“Dan? Has our sink always been this large?” Phil called into the bedroom.
“What are you going on about?” Dan asked, confused, walking in behind him.
“The sink. Is it different?”
“No, you spoon, we’ve been gone for months, who the hell do you think changed it?”
“I don’t know,” He sighed. Nothing made sense.
“Come here.” Dan wrapped his arms around Phil and held him tightly, pressing a kiss onto his shoulder. “You need to get some sleep, love.”
“Yeah.”
-
Awhile later Phil felt the bed dip beside him, and a slightly damp Dan slid under the sheets. Their sheets. It was warm and comfortable like no hotel bed could ever be. They slotted themselves together, their breaths slowing and growing heavy as sleep took over.
“Love you,” Dan whispered, his arm looping over Phil’s chest.
“Love you too.”
He felt at home.