Work Text:
I used to hear a simple song
That was until you came along
Now in its place is something new
I hear it when I look at you
The sun shone bright overhead of a moderately new silver car as it rumbled down the street, driven by a man whose blonde hair brushed his shoulders in wavy tresses. Usually Phil tied it up into a low ponytail but he barely had the time today as he got caught up in his work and nearly missed picking up his children from school until his alarm reminded him. Throwing on an old band t-shirt and jeans, he makes his way to the institution where his oldest boys go before picking up his youngest.
His radio dings with a message from his phone, the device tucked away in his back pocket, an automated voice reading a list his wife Kristin sent him of things she needed from the store.
Smiling, he clicks the ‘read’ icon on the screen and resumes humming along to the Foo Fighters as they play in the late spring air through crackling speakers. One of his boys, Wilbur, insisted they blast music leading to his car speakers sounding like this barely three years into owning the vehicle.
Singing along softly, he casts his gaze to the tiny polaroid hung in a frame dangling from his rear-view mirror of himself and his brunette wife many years younger mere months after he dropped out of post-secondary schooling. The frame captured moments after they found out they were having twins, Phil grinning at his wife while she beamed at the camera she held.
They met on campus, Phil had moved to the United States to pursue his artistic dreams and she was attending for a speech therapy degree at the same university. The blonde man liked to think it was fate that they met in the courtyard that first day they started to talk under the shining fall sun. The fact the most beautiful woman he ever bore witness to with long dark as night hair gave her attention to a chuckling idiot like himself had to be some type of heavenly intervention for him to even have a chance, yet here they were.
They were head over heels in love with one another immediately, to the point all their friends teased them they were moving far too fast. Within three months, they had moved in together, nearing their first round of exams when Kristin started to get sick. Worried out of his mind, they went to the doctor’s when the symptoms wouldn’t let up and they were informed Kristin was pregnant.
Sent home with a booklet for beginner parents, they had a lot of decisions to make. Through the tears, panic, laughter and excitement of a new family, they made a choice. Kristin would continue her schooling as long as possible, same with Phil, then when their twins were born Phil would pause his studies to raise them.
Phil could pursue his own mastery at home between caring for the children, where Kristin’s dreams of becoming a speech therapist were through a diploma she had to earn. The next few months were a whirlwind of preparation, informing everyone of the exciting news and having to prepare for dealing with not one but two infants.
Phil listened to every podcast and audiobook he could get his hands on out of sheer nerves of being a good parent, being raised by only his mother he had no father figure to base himself on. They saved every spare penny they could, Phil picking up a part time job to add more to their nest egg until the boys arrived screaming into the world.
His ever studious but just as rambunctious oldest named Techno and his younger-by-minutes twin Wilbur arrived June first fifteen years ago into worried new parents arms. The amount Kristin had to tell her husband she knew he would be a good father would have driven a far less patient woman insane, Phil’s anxieties becoming worse right up until they were born.
Then, the first moment he held the slumbering boys after being cleaned up from their entrance to living, his concerns melted away. They were perfect babies, other parents around them telling them just how lucky they were the fact they often slept through the night and were well behaved.
With their nest egg and some help from excited grandparents, they purchased the home they still live in today. Phil and Kristin worked themselves to the bone between education, renovating their house in preparation for young ones and working long hours in boring jobs until the moment they were born, when it all became worth it.
In the fifteen years since his twins had arrived into their world, another surprise happened in the form of a sunshine-blonde boy they named Tommy, born five years after the twins. Between all three of his sons and his energetic wife, Phil couldn’t be happier.
Pulling up to the high school his twins attended, he spots them waiting by the driveway and makes his way over to them in the sea of cars full of parents doing the same thing.
With simple songs I wanted more
Perfection is so quick to bore
You are more beautiful by far
Our flaws are who we really are
“Hullo Dad.” Techno mumbles, climbing into the backseat of their SUV where his twin claims the front passenger seat. They traded off who got the prime position through switching after each school day, Wilbur rustling for the audio cable for the radio after tossing a wide smile at Phil.
“How was school today?” Phil asked, looking around before pulling out of his parking spot to head towards the exit of the schoolyard.
“Fine.” Techno said simply, forever a soul of few words.
“It was awesome!” Wilbur bounced in his seat, the opposite of the studious energy his brother held. “They announced the play we are going to perform this year and sign-ups begin soon!”
Wilbur had been all over the drama program at their high school, loving to get up on stage and be the center of attention whether that be through acting or strumming his guitar. Techno was also artistically skilled but preferred to perform in the orchestra pit, sitting first seat violin in the school’s orchestra when they weren’t working with the theatre classes.
Kristin and Phil had selected this school for these reasons as it had one of the best arts programs in the state, both twins had shown a love for creativity over their whole lives. Moving from elementary school bands to large productions made Phil extremely proud of his sons, loving watching them in whatever dream they chose to follow.
“You going to try out, mate?” Phil cast a look at Wilbur, his face full of elegant angles from his wife and soft, curly mocha hair.
“I think so! Maybe I can even score the starring role!” Wilbur shuffles the songs on his phone, Phil smirking at the indecisive nature of his song choosing.
“I am sure you got this Wil, they would be lucky to have your talent.”
“They also announced a writing contest I insisted Tech should sign up for, but he won’t budge on telling me his answer.” Wilbur frowned as he said that with affection shining in his coffee eyes, Phil casting his own blue orbs to meet his son’s similar shade in the backseat, his face more similar in features to his father.
“A writing contest? That could be fun Techno, come on, don’t leave us guessing.” Phil pleaded while laughing, his serious son offering the smallest smile after pushing his waist-length braid over his shoulder.
“Perhaps I will sign up, perhaps I won’t.” Techno’s dry snark made Phil give a light-hearted sigh, shaking his head.
“You will never give us a definitive answer, will you?”
“It’s more fun to annoy Wilbur this way.” Techno’s face is full of playful mirth, the curly brunette in the front seat tosses a glare at his twin before facing his father.
“What are we doing after we get the annoying child?” Wilbur asked, Phil chuckling.
“Stop calling him that or your mother will tell you off again.” Phil criticizes, Wilbur rolling his eyes with a fond exhaustion. “We need to go get groceries so we are picking up Tommy then we are off to the store. When we get home you boys will do your homework while I make dinner. Your Mom is hoping to be home decently early tonight unless an urgent case comes up so we can have supper together.”
Kristin had landed herself a nice position at the hospital in the city they lived in, and remained on call if any trauma cases came up due to her specialty in higher-needs children. Since the twins were born she also studied additional mental health services to round out her position, making her one of the first people there when helping those hurt. Sometimes her days ran late which meant dinner duties fell to Phil, not that he minded.
He loved his life with his kids, he wouldn’t trade it for anything and he had the most gorgeous woman by his side the whole time.
Techno and Wilbur ended up bantering with each other about the writing contest some more as they made their way to the school Tommy attended. Once his youngest got in the car, the decibels would reach a new level. Good thing Phil was half deaf from the loud music he enjoyed, a trait shared by Wilbur the blonde father was reminded of watching the curly teen slowly inch the volume levels higher.
Tommy is bouncing in place as they arrive, his messy tresses the same shade as rays of sunshine which illuminated it. Where the twins took after their mother with hair colour, Tommy got Phil’s blonde genetics. Wilbur was all Kristin with his coffee eyes and chestnut hair, Techno had slightly lighter brunette tresses with sky blue eyes he got from Phil, and Tommy was all Phil.
“Oy, were you going to leave me there? Christ, what time is this?” Tommy comments sarcastically the moment he climbs in the backseat beside Techno, Phil checking his ‘watch’ aka his empty wrist.
“Looks like I am right on time with annoying o’clock!” Phil puts the car back in drive after his dramatics, Wilbur tossing him an accusing glare.
“What, I can’t call him annoying but you can?”
Phil breathes out of his nose patiently, looking at Wilbur. “You are right, my apologies Toms. I don’t mean you are actually annoying, just teasing you. I got caught up with my current project and the alarm you boys set on my phone worked like a charm.”
“It’s alright Dad, I mean, I was only going to hold it over you until I move out eventually.” Tommy’s wicked smile shines, Phil not expecting any less of his bull-headed youngest.
Stubbornness was a trait the whole family of five shared, leading to fierce love and arguments, all wanting the best for one another.
“Add it to the long list of complaints you already have, I am sure.” Phil offers with a laugh, Tommy agreeing after his own bright chuckles join.
They make their way to the grocery store, the parking lot packed with how many people were doing the same thing as them and grabbing something after their day's obligations.
Techno slips his headphones up over his ears, the overwhelming atmosphere too much for him sometimes in crowded places, before he climbs out of the back seat. The rest of the family follows suit, Wilbur inching closer to his twin as he preferred to stick close to Techno if he needed him.
It had been their habit for many years, even as they neared their late teens. Wilbur would follow Techno out of places if he needed a breather to check on him, stopping by often in his antics to ask his twin if he is okay. Tommy grabbed the bag of reusable bags that they stored in the trunk, all four making their way towards the entrance of the grocer while Phil examined the list Kristin sent him and worked on adding it to his own.
Techno gets a cart, Wilbur sticking on his heels talking more about the writing contest trying to weasel his twin’s answer out of him while Techno looks fondly exasperated offering short replies with one headphone on. Tommy tosses the bags in the cart then turns to Phil, wide blue eyes pleading.
“I want to ride in the cart.”
Phil looks at his ten year old, thinking he’s probably too big for this now but most of him doesn’t want to let the habit go, to treasure their childhood moments.
“Alright mate, up you get.” Phil groans playfully, picking up the lanky boy, who was on pace to be taller than his father by the time he hit the same age as his brothers. “You know the drill boys, time to pile food on top of Tommy.”
Wilbur cheers, Techno moving further into the produce section as his brother celebrates the allowed tormenting of their youngest brother. Phil takes his place beside Wilbur, who had nearly a head on his father in terms of height with Techno slightly below that.
“First, we need bananas and apples.” Phil reads, Wilbur speeding over to grab the yellow fruit while Phil and Techno select the best apples.
Listing off various fruits and vegetables, the twins and their father work in pairs to find the best produce, slowly piling it onto Tommy until the blonde declares he is bored.
“Ten minutes this time.” Phil announced, plucking the boy from below their food. “You used to not even be able to last five.”
Tommy sticks his tongue out before prancing after Wilbur where he is getting tomatoes for their pasta tonight that Phil was planning while Techno loads up on potatoes for a soup he wanted to make later in the week with Kristin. Working quickly through the rest of their fresh section, they end up nearing the delicious smelling bakery when Tommy grabs a package of cinnamon buns and prepares his best pleads.
“Can we Dad, can we? We didn’t get any treats last week!”
Phil shakes his head gently while Tommy’s face falls, before his father grabs the package of six sweets and tosses it in with the fruit and vegetables while Tommy celebrates. “Long as you help me pick out one for your Mom, alright? She might forgive our choices then.”
Thinking of the good hearted rant he would hear later about giving their already excitable children an overload of sugar, Tommy picks out a sweet cupcake with a lovely rose on top he carefully places in the bag-holder of the cart.
Techno grabs his favourite bagels without a word, adding them to the pile. Phil proudly watches his children work together with the list off his phone, which Wilbur had stolen, as he trails behind them. The blonde man is just happy they are at the point they can provide and then some for their family, thinking of the hard years when the twins couldn’t remember.
They had enough, sure, but it was enough for the necessities and that was it. Through penny-pinching and working as many hours as she could while her husband found his place in the world among raising twin boys, their family was at a place where they could splurge a bit on cinnamon buns here and there.
That and many more things, feeding three growing boys meant they mowed through what used to be their usual bill in less than three days. Still, their smiles made it all worth it.
“Dad, when can I start drinking coffee?” Wilbur pesters Phil, a recurring question since learning what his parents drank each morning.
“On the day of your sixteenth birthday I will serve you a black coffee. You can decide if you want to continue past that point then.” Phil smirks, thinking of the bitter taste Wilbur will absolutely hate.
“Less than three months then!”
Phil’s heart stutters, thinking just how fast they were growing. Wilbur petitions for them to add soda, which his father shoots down as they have some at home, which the curly brunette whines about but relents. Tommy is satisfied with his win of the buns and lords it over his older brother the entire rest of the way through the cereal aisle while Techno selects the oatmeal he wanted.
Compared to his brother’s, Techno was very quiet during the trip, which Phil could appreciate. He saw the way Techno kept watch of their surroundings as his distractible siblings, slowly herding them back on track as Wilbur floats back to his side each time to check in on his twin.
Wilbur and Tommy argue over which cereal they wanted, which Phil eventually settles by picking one of them after they put it to a vote. The next few aisles pass quickly, a few ‘extras’ being thrown in by his ‘helpful’ kids, Phil laughing as he watches them try to be sneaky to add to their hoard.
The rest of the trip finishes about the same, Wilbur and Tommy petitioning for the last minute addition of chocolate bars while Techno slowly reaches for one too. Sighing, Phil waves his hand for them to add it, making them promise to save them for after dinner.
“Good day ma’am.” Phil greets the tired check out lady, who gives a smile at his charming attitude. They make small talk as the boys grab the reusable bags to pack their groceries as she slides their scanned items through and down the conveyor.
Techno takes his time to pack each bag carefully, while Wilbur and Tommy bet each other who could pack it the fastest. Phil watches his braid-wearing son maneuver it so the delicate items end up with him, passing along the boxed goods to his siblings.
A familiar face walks by mid-transaction, Wilbur and Techno’s friend Niki checking in for her shift. They chat for a few moments, Niki fondly listening to Tommy’s interruptions as his siblings talk to her about class assignments and a group project they had to do.
Phil takes out his wallet to pay just as they finish up, giving his thanks to the worker before making their way back outside. His kids wave goodbye to their friend, her taking over the lane of the check-out woman they just went through. The bright sun greets them, Techno slipping his headphones back off as Tommy pesters him about reading together later.
Tommy didn’t have the attention span to do so on his own, and used every angle to connect to his more withdrawn brother including finding a book to read together. It had been the only way Tommy would ever fall asleep, Techno pulling out the dramatics in his blood to regale epic tales to the sunshine blonde. Now it was no longer contained to bedtime, often Wilbur would even get involved as they traded off acting out passages to one another.
Techno steals shotgun seat silently, grabbing the aux cord while Tommy, Wilbur and Phil load up the trunk. Tommy runs the cart back to the corral while Phil slides in the driver’s seat, slipping his keys into the ignition as Techno throws on one of his favourite songs. Making their way home, Phil plans their dinner out as he navigates the busy city streets while his kids chat about some new video game that just came out.
I used to hear a simple song
That was until you came along
You took my broken melody
And now I hear a symphony
“Wilbur, Techno, come help me with the first part of supper!” Phil calls out, they had been home for a bit yet but his children had to do their homework so he hadn’t started preparing yet.
Bringing a large pot of water to boil, he pulls out the tomatoes they just bought as his twins arrive. Wilbur looks sleepy, probably nearly passed out wherever he had been, the teens slept a lot while their body reached nearly adult size. Techno had one earbud in, humming along as he stood at his taller twin’s side.
“Need your help coring the tomatoes for blanching and peeling if you don’t mind.”
“Course Dad.” Techno comments, going to get knives for himself and Wilbur as the curly brunette gets cutting boards.
Adjourning to their breakfast table, both brothers get to work quickly placing the prepared fruit in a bowl Phil sets out for them as the blonde man fills a bowl with ice for his own needs. Working together in tandem, they do as their father asked and help with the rest of the tomato sauce preparation. They are just putting it on to simmer when keys turn in the lock of the back door, leading to the garage.
Tommy leaps out of his chair, he had joined them about half an hour ago and was playing his Switch at the table until just then. The door creaks open and the sunshine blonde throws himself into Kristin’s arms, her tired eyes shining upon seeing her bright son.
“I am happy to see you too, little love.” She drops her purse and briefcase without a thought to wrap her boy close. “It’s been too long since I have seen you.”
Tommy wrinkles his nose when he realises the other three are watching, before melting upon seeing his mother’s loving face. “How was work?”
“Exhausting but I feel much better the moment I see your face.” She ruffles his curls softly, moving her bags out of the way before coming to Phil’s side.
Just as radiant as she looked sixteen years ago, the blonde’s heart raced like the first time he saw her. Somehow this beauty had chosen someone like him, and he would never let her forget her worth to him.
They had never attempted to change each other, always just held each other and weathered the storm. They had been through so many huge life events together, and it only made their story all that more interesting.
“Good evening, dearest.” She comes close to kiss him, before looking at the stove with the decadent pasta sauce cooking. “Need a hand with the pasta?”
“You always do it so much better than I do.” He chuckles, her eyes shining with the knowledge of the wheat product evading his cooking skills. Everything else? No problem. He wasn’t sure if he had angered some god of the harvest at some point as he never got them right.
Tying her waist-length hair up, shining silver strands only adding to the night sky he loved to run his fingers through in idle moments, he watches his partner in his life laugh as Wilbur cracks a joke. Techno brightened up the tiniest moment Kristin got home, revealing to her about the writing contest.
“...and I think I am going to sign up. Winner gets their story sent off to be properly printed to add to the library in the school. They will even enter it in other contests if you impress them enough.” Techno smiles as Wilbur tosses him a sharp glare.
“So you won’t tell me, but you will tell Mom without any prompting?”
Techno’s eyes twinkled, realisation setting in. “It’s so much fun to watch you get wound up, it's honestly the best entertainment for me.”
Tommy butts in then to agree in his loud, obnoxious tone, forcefully dominating the conversation as Kristin listens with an attentive ear. Phil just chuckles at the boy’s light-hearted teasing, bumping her hip with his own to draw her attention to him.
“Date night soon?” He asked, the couple tried to make a tradition of it at least once a month. “I heard there is a fantastic film in theatres soon, we could just order the boys a pizza and let them invite over their friends for their own movie night.”
Tubbo, Ranboo, Niki and Eret all lived nearby, all friends of their children through school. Tubbo and Ranboo were in Tommy’s class where Eret and Niki were in the twin’s grade, the whole group often hung out together. Somehow their close family had morphed to so many, blessed to have such kind people around them.
“Mmmmmm, that would be nice.” Kristin’s smooth response with a flirty smile sends Phil’s heart racing once more, still having butterflies even after all this time.
If he had another thousand nights like this, it wouldn’t be enough.
The family all ate dinner together before gathering in the living room. A nightly tradition for their children’s whole lives, they spend the time between supper and bed together doing their own thing in the same room.
Techno held a thick book he was studying, occasionally pushing his glasses back up his nose while he looked at his siblings below where he lounged on the couch. Tommy and Wilbur had chosen to play games together, racing one another in Mario Kart with loud bantering all were used too. Kristin sat beside Phil on the love seat knitting, humming along to the record Phil placed on the player.
The blonde man chose tonight to enjoy what he was surrounded with. Fifteen years ago, this seemed like a pipe dream, yet they made it work. It had been a long, tiring process he felt like giving up on occasionally, until his wife’s stubborn spirit pushed him to be his best self. He found himself in being a father, sure he didn’t bring in nearly as much as Kristin but through smart financing, they lived comfortably. They had shed blood and tears to be sitting in this living room, tangible love flowing between each member of his perfect family.
His home and sanctuary surrounded him, and Phil couldn’t think of anywhere he would rather be besides in this world he found himself in. Supported and loved, he was safe and watching his sons blow him away each day with their advancements.
A thousand more nights of this would never be enough, so he treasured each moment. Engraving it within his memory, he pulls the love around him like a comforting blanket, and allows himself to truly just enjoy the moment.
And now I hear
A symphony