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Dan let out an exasperated sigh. There was no way he would be able to muster enough motivation to get all of this work done. He was already filled with fear just seeing the condition of the place. Since when did he have so many belongings? Why did they build such a big house? Where would everything go? The amount of questions running through his brain made him positive that his life would forever be filled with cardboard boxes and rolls of packing tape. But, his thoughts stopped for a just moment, when he heard footsteps come up beside his head.
“Why are you on the floor?” The voice whispered with curiosity.
Dan glanced up at the voice. He already knew who it was, so he didn’t really need to look , but he did anyway. Sure enough, Phil was standing over him with a face full of both concern and slight amusement.
”Because I’m tired…” Dan whined.
Phil cocked his head. “But we haven’t done anything!” He giggled.
”Not true!” Dan corrected. “We had to tell the movers where to put all the boxes.”
”Right, but that doesn’t actually count.”
”Yes it doesss ” Dan dragged out, turning away and sinking further into the floor.
Phil couldn’t help but burst out laughing at his husband. He sat down next to him, placing his hand on his back and letting his fingertips trace squiggly little hearts in a circular motion against his black t-shirt.
“I know what you’re doing!” Dan spoke up. “You’re gonna make me deal with human interaction and unpacking all in one day. Philip Lester you are evil .”
Phil smiled down at him, reaching out his hand to touch Dan’s face, turning his head so that their eyes could meet. He let his thumb brush against the rosy patch on Dan’s cheek.
“You’re so beautiful” Phil whispered, leaning in so that their eyes were only centimeters apart. “Remember when we moved to London? We were so young, and scared. We could only dream of accomplishing all this.”
“Alright, alright… you got me.” Dan declared, his voice dripping with sweetness and sarcasm.
”Got what?” Phil replied with a manufactured innocence laced in his words. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Dan brought his hand up to cusp Phil’s face, leaning into a long drawn out kiss.
“We’ll start unpacking today.” He started, breaking away from the kiss. “But!“ He interrupted himself, pointing his finger in Phil’s face. “We start small, okay? Which room has the least amount of boxes?”
”The kitchen?”
~
It would make sense that the kitchen had less to put away. After all, neither of them were very good cooks. They had tried several times before to make cute date night dishes, but after the immense clean-up for a less-than average meal, the two decided they would much rather just order take out for date nights. And when you had a relationship like theirs, date night was pretty much every night.
Phil practically ran over to their kitchen, hands intertwined dragging his husband along behind him.
“Holy shit, Phil” Dan breathed in, taking in his surroundings. “I cannot believe we designed this place.”
”It’s nice, isn’t it?” Phil sat down next to one of the two boxes, patting the empty spot next to him, motioning for Dan to come over.
“It’s bloody amazing.” Dan replied, walking over and taking his seat next to Phil. Dan grabbed ahold of Phil’s free hand, leaning over and stealing one more kiss.
”Bloody? What are you, Ron Weasley?”
Dan made a fake gagging noise, which resulted in a laugh from Phil.
”Yeah, JK Rowling really ruined the whole Harry Potter thing, didn’t she?”
”Oh, I was gagging because he’s a ginger.”
Phil punched Dan’s shoulder, making him shriek a little too loud; especially for how close they were sat together.
“Come on, bub! Hand me the scissors so we can open this thing.” Dan said, patting the top of the box.
”Scissors? I think we packed them. Maybe there’s some in the office?”
”Well yeah. Or even your keys. We just need something to open it.”
Phil got up and returned to the kitchen a couple moments later holding a box cutter knife.
”Where the hell did you find that thing?”
“I don’t know!” Phil laughed. “I think one of the movers left it. It was at the entrance near the hallway”
”Just don’t kill me with that thing…” Which of course, prompted Phil to make a stabbing motion towards him. “Oi!! Don’t joke! You have no depth perception!”
”Relax, you goose” Phil uttered through his laughs, as he sat back down. “It’s not open!”
“You goose” Dan repeated quietly, burying his face into Phil’s shoulder.
Phil carefully opened the box revealing what was inside.
“Hmm, mostly mugs.” Dan remarked.
”And this thing!” Phil announced cheerfully, holding up a small golden pig.
”Ah yes, who could forget that thing.” Dan replied sarcastically, peering back into the box. “Phil… be so honest with me. Do we need this many mugs?”
”Yes!” Phil spouted out. “They’re all important to me in their very own way!”
Dan let out a sheepish smile burying himself further into the crook of Phil’s neck. He knew it was useless to open up this can of worms again. They’d already had this exact argument as they were packing up the old apartment. Ultimately, Phil had won. So they were just gonna have to be two people with two million mugs.
“Here…” Phil placed his hand on Dan’s thigh, looking into his pretty brown eyes. “You stay here and hand me mugs and I’ll put them away. How’s that for a plan?”
”Brilliant. Showstopping.”
“You’re so sarcastic!” Phil said pushing off of Dan’s body weight to get up, taking a few steps behind him to the nearest counter. “How’s this cabinet for the designated mug shelf?”
”Perfect.” Dan replied, actually sounding sincere this time and handing him the first mug.
“Aww, the Hello Kitty mug! See I told you each and every mug has importance. This one was featured in a video.”
” A video? Which one, Philly?
”Manchester day in the life?”
”Mmm close. London day in the life.”
”How do you remember that?”
”Cause I’m Phil Trash Number one , my love!” Dan said, handing Phil the next two mugs. “Ooo! The moomin mugs! Do you think we should have some on display? These would be nice.”
“Those are cute. Did we buy them or did a fan give them to us?”
”I’m pretty sure a fan did. Where should we put them? Maybe over there, on the top shelf?” Dan said pointing to the opposite side of the room.
Phil nodded. He stepped closer to Dan, leaning over and placing a kiss on top of his curls, then took the moomin mugs out of the box and over to the shelf.
The pair spent the following hour putting away mugs and other random miscellaneous kitchen supplies. Phil would try to explain the significance of each and every item, while Dan would correct the details in his stories.
“You need to stop doing that.” Phil scolded after the fourth correction with an eye roll for extra dramatics. “Oh look! There it is! I was wondering where this was. What even is this? A ladle?”
”That, my dear, is a spatula, and don’t tell me off for correcting you! You deserved that one.”
“What’s a ladle then?”
”It’s like a big spoon, you spoon!”
”Do we even own one of those?”
”I don’t think so, honestly. You remember where we got that, bub?”
”Of course I do!” Phil walked over wrapping his arms around his husband's waist. “Our first Japan trip, it’s a fricking calcifer spatula! How could I forget?”
“Fricking…” Dan said again under his breath teasingly. “That trip was…” He trailed off, searching for the right words.
“The most fun you’ve ever had?” Phil finished.
Dan snorted. “Yeah.” He agreed. “It really was.”
”Really?” Phil asked. “The first one? Not our ten year trip?”
”Both of them… for different reasons. We should go back.”
”We will.” Phil promised, pulling Dan closer and pressing a kiss against his neck. “One box down, by the way. One to go and we’re done with the kitchen.”
“Yep.” Dan laughed. “And then a thousand more to finish the house. What’s even in the second box?”
”Kitchen decor! Hello, gotta make this place look pretty. Speaking of, remember those extra Polaroids we took in Japan?”
“Mhm” Dan hummed. There was a handful that didn’t fit into the photo album. They took a lot of Polaroids.
“We could put them there.” Phil pointed to the bottom of their oven.
”Yeah.” Dan turned around so he could look at Phil. Phil. His soulmate . Who he was lucky enough to look at every day. Every day now, and forever . Forever in the house that they built together. “You’re smiling like an idiot.” Is all he could say.
”So are you, heart eyes!”
They both dissolved into a fit of giggles, melting into each other. A mess of sugary sweet kisses and intertwining limbs. Hugging and swaying their hips to the imaginary song that was somehow playing in both of their heads at the same time.
The plethora of boxes no longer plagued Dan’s mind. It wouldn’t be so bad, even when it takes twice as long, in order to fit in all the reminiscing talks and loud hyena laughs. He could get through them all, as long as he went through them with his other half.