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Phil has never been a morning person. Not when he was in school, not when he has to do meetings that start before noon. He knows it’s a thing that comes with adulthood, but it makes him hate it more. He absolutely detests the sound of the alarm, the sunlight poking through the microscopic holes of the blinds.
What he doesn’t hate, however, is snuggling up to his husband. His body is soft and warm, and they are perfectly cocooned in the brushed cotton bedding. He cuddles into him, pressing his cold fingers against the small of Dan’s back. In response, Dan grunts sleepily.
“Every fucking morning.”
Phil chuckles, his breath ruffling the hair on the back of Dan’s neck. “Morning, babe.”
“Be quiet, husband.” Dan tightens the duvet around them and exhales. “I’ll go back to sleep while I can. Until that little devil bothers us.”
“Don’t tempt fate.”
And right on cue, the door slams open and in walks said little devil. Phil doesn’t even need to look up to know the sounds. The pat-pat-pats of the little feet, quiet, dragging sound and something hitting the floor. A blanket and the hard plastic nose of a teddy.
Ellie has woken up.
Dan pushes himself out of bed slightly and Phil does the same. They look at their two-year-old daughter, standing at the foot of their bed. She looks kind of terrifying, Phil’s got to admit, with her messy brown hair and frown because she still hasn’t been picked up.
But he loves her, oh he loves her so much. And he wants to treasure the last couple of weeks they’ve got, just the three of them, before the new baby joins their family.
“Morning sweetheart,” Dan says. They watch her waddle over to Dan’s side of the bed, who promptly picks her up putting her between them. Phil tucks her in and watches the frown disappear. “Sleep well?”
“Yes, daddy.” She yawns, pressing her tiny head into Dan’s chest. “Paddy did too.”
The bear she’s got - Paddington Bear or Paddy - goes everywhere Ellie goes and does everything Ellie does.
“Of course, how silly of me. Had any nice dreams, Paddy?”
“He says he made mar-mar!”
Phil’s quite happy to stay silent and watch this early morning interaction between his husband and their daughter. God, he loves those words.
“Did he?” Dan asks with surprise. “How were the oranges, Paddy? All good, I hope.”
“He hasn’t eaten all the marmalade now, has he?” Phil asks quietly. Ellie looks at him, shaking her head. “Oh, that’s good. We don’t want a tummy ache.”
Ellie giggles as Dan tickles her tummy. Phil kisses her head then Dan’s who looks at him with a smile. He mouths ‘I love you’ to Phil, before kissing Ellie’s cheek. “I love you Ellie-Bellie. Papa and I love you very, very much.”
“And Paddy too. Silly daddy always forgetting him.”
“Silly,” Ellie repeats. She yawns again and settles against Dan. “Sleepy.”
“We have nowhere to be, right daddy?”
“No, your papa is right,” Dan tells her. “Why don’t we sleep a bit more, hm? And then,” he lowers his voice and Ellie leans in, like it’s their little secret, “and then we’ll convince papa to make pancakes.”
Phil knows that Dan just made the biggest mistake: never promise pancakes to a child when they’re about to go to sleep.
“Pancakes!!” Ellie yells and Dan practically has to pin her down before she starts jumping on the bed. “Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes,” she chants.
Dan gives Phil an apologetic look. If Phil wasn’t so tired he would laugh, but instead says, “I’m only making pancakes if Paddy brings his wonderful mar-mar.”
She laughs and high fives Phil, ready to march into the kitchen and get her promised breakfast. Phil puts her on the floor and she waddles away, dragging her blanket and bear.
“Our daughter is the cutest little devil, isn’t she?” Dan says, getting out of bed.
“She definitely gets her stubbornness from you.” Phil gets up as well, putting on his bathrobe.
“Gee, thanks.”
“Come from a place of love.”
“I know.” Dan walks to Phil, kissing him softly. “She’s wonderful, though.”
“Agreed. Now let’s make the pancakes before she starts world war three.”