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Phil stares at the pasta boiling below in the water. He watches the grains bop up and down and up and down as he stirs them with a wooden spoon.
He side steps and checks the other pan, the vodka sauce with prosciutto boils on a low heat. The meat sizzling ever so slightly. He puts the lid back on, goes back to the pasta.
It’s all pointless, redundant. Just something to do and look at, a distraction for his mind as he waits for his partner to walk back through the door of their home.
A week in the grand scheme of sixteen years is nothing, a mere second in the lifetime they built together. Still. Phil can’t help but miss Dan terribly, it’s so deep within him that he almost aches from the emptiness.
And sure, alone time can be great. Recharge in solitude, regain independence, distance makes the heart grow founder and all that. It has been great. But then when the in between moments of Dan’s in the cab, on the way home now text and waiting for him to walk through the door arrive, it has Phil buzzing with giddiness - so much so that he feel his heart may explode with it.
Hence, the cooking dinner distraction. And sure, maybe it also gives him brownie points for being the good partner that cooks his boyfriend a homemade meal after he gets home from a long travel day. But that’s just a cherry on top.
As the timer on his phone goes off and he is pouring the pasta into the colander in the sink, he hears the door open and shut. Footsteps follow, then stop.
“Phil?”
“In the kitchen.” He answers as he plops some butter into the now dry pasta below.
Suitcase still rolling beside him, Dan walks in and Phil’s heart finally explodes. He can’t help it, he practically skips over to him and wraps his arms around his neck. Dan’s wrap around his waist and Phil melts into him, much like the butter in the warm pasta behind him.
“You made dinner?” Dan all but mumbles into Phil’s hair. If Phil didn’t speak fluent tired/burnt out/drained Dan, he could have missed it.
Phil pulls up and away slightly, arms still around his neck, not quite ready to let go.
“Wanted to remind you how good you have it here.” Phil smiles wide and sticks out his tongue.
It’s Dan who finally leans in, one hand moving to grab the side of Phil’s face and kissing him long and slow.
Phil finishes up the last touches on dinner as Dan goes upstairs to put away his suitcase, shower, and change. Soon enough, they are in the living room, lounging on the couch with pasta bowls in hand, an episode of below deck on TV.
Once dinner is done, Phil is laid up in Dan’s arms. Dan holding him so tight as if he could slip away at any moment. Phil lightly caresses his arm with the tips of his fingers, communicating I’m here. We’re here. I love you.
Phil feels himself drifting to sleep despite how early it is. It’s hard not to after carbo loading and being in the arms of the person you love and with whom you feel the safest after time spent apart.
As soon as he dares to close his eyes, he feels a buzz on the couch.
“Phone?” Phil asks.
It’s facedown on the armrest next to Dan. He grabs it and holds it for a beat, Phil notices what he is realizing — Dan’s picture is still in the case alongside the fish sticker.
Phil sits up and Dan looks at him with a shy smile before handing it to him and quickly directing his attention back to the TV.
Phil answers, it’s his brother with an inane question about their childhood that he couldn’t remember and for some reason needed to know that minute. The conversation lasts all about four minutes before they say goodbye. Phil hangs up and tucks himself back into Dan.
Dan grabs Phil’s phone from his hand and holds it out again, his photo card and fish facing them.
“You kept the photo in there?” His tone monotonous, more unreadable than usual.
“Yeah.” Phil sits back up, locking eyes with him. “Are you… is that okay?”
Dan’s eyes soften, he reaches out and grabs Phil’s shoulder.
“More than okay, Bub. I’m just…” He giggles a bit and looks back down at the case. “Surprised is all.”
Phil lets out his own huff of a laugh. “Why?”
Dan shrugs. “Dunno. Just… still crazy that we can do stuff like that now, I guess.”
Phil relaxes, now realizing where the weight of this lies. He moves his hand to the back of Dan’s neck, his fingers scratch over the hair there.
“Yeah. I’m glad we can, though. I love carrying around a picture of my very pretty boyfriend.” He leans closer, his face hovering an inch over Dan’s own. “Even though he’s allergic to colour, I think it suits him rather well.”
A light blush spreads from Dan’s cheeks to ears as he smirks before breaking the distance between them again. Phil practically collapses into him as their lips meet.
“I’m glad too. It makes me happy.” Dan says when they finally break apart. Phil smiles and pokes at his dimple when Dan smiles in return. “Now let’s go to bed, your very pretty boyfriend is very fucking tired.”