Dan sat on the bus, his head leaning back against the seat with a small smile against his lips, as he played with a small picture between his fingers. He was happy, genuinely happy for the first time in such a long time. Dan was headed home. Home. The thought made him want to jump up and run all the way there, even if that was completely impossible. Dan was a soldier, fighting overseas and risking his life to help keep World War 3 at bay, but it didn't seem to be helping much of anything, wars still raged all over the world. He was stationed in different deserts all across the UK for three long years, and now he was allowed to come home. It was a bittersweet return home, only being allowed away from the front lines because of his injuries—his entire left leg nearly being blown off by a hidden bomb a few weeks ago, which they were lucky to fix and now he only suffers from a limp and a few of the stitches and wounds still being present—but it was sweet all the same. Dan was finally going to get to see Phil and his kids after so long. That was all he could think about right now. After so many years, so many months, so many weeks, so many days, and so many sleepless nights, Dan was finally getting to return home to be with them. Dan's corp leader was meant to send word back to Phil that Dan was returning home soon, but Dan wasn't sure if it went through or not; his base was attacked while Dan was still in recovery and a lot of the mail was completely burned. It didn't really matter whether or not Phil knew of Dan's return home, as long as Dan got to go home again. Dan hadn't seen his son James since he was 2 and his daughter Olivia since she was 1. They would now be 5 and 4.
Phil paced back and forth in his and Dan's bedroom, he didn't know when Dan would be coming home but he was extremely excited for Dan's return home, it's all that he could be thinking about. He had gotten the letter a few days ago that Dan would be coming home and Phil couldn't be more happier about it because he missed him so much. Though it was a little bittersweet because although he knew that Dan was coming home, he also knew that Dan was only coming home because he had gotten a pretty serious injury. He just wanted to be able to hug him and kiss him and hold him in his arms and never let him go again. He couldn't wait for the family to be whole again, and he knew that the kids were just as excited to see their father as well. Of course Phi had let them know that Dan was finally coming home as soon as he had gotten the letter, and they were just as excited as Phil was. Phil had spent the last couple days getting the house ready and making sure everything was perfect for Dan's return home. He didn't want Dan to have to worry about anything. He wanted Dan to be able to come home to a nice home; where he could just sit, relax, not worry about anything and catch up with the family. Phil didn't know what Dan had gone through while he was away but he knew that he must have been through a lot. Phil just missed him and couldn't wait to see him again.
Dan watched the familiar London streets wind past as they approached the bus stop where Dan had stood three years ago, a confused baby in his arms, and an upset 2-year-old clinging to his leg. As the bus stopped, it was as if Dan could still see the image right in front of him, like he was someone passing on the street and watching the scene. And as he hobbled down the road, the near constant ache in his leg making him well aware of why he was here, and the tugging at his stitches making him wince, he could pinpoint every memory he had in this city. As he approached the house, his stomach clenched with sheer excitement, and at the same time, worry. He had no way of knowing if Phil had gotten the letter. What if he hadn't? What if Dan wasn't expected? Worse, what if he was unwelcome? What if Phil had moved on, found someone who could be around, and help him raise the kids, and be there for him the way Dan should be? Jesus Christ, if that was the case, Dan wouldn't know what to do then. What could he do? Nothing, really. And then another thought crossed his mind. What if Phil was happy to see him again? What if he was excited, and happy, only to realize how utterly changed Dan was now. Fundamentally, of course, he was the same person as he was before. But at the same time, he wasn't anywhere near the same person he'd been when he left. The leg, for obvious starters, was barely recognizable for what it was. His body was littered with scars and bruise and cuts and scratches all over. And his mind... Jesus, he was losing it. Just now, the slam of a car door nearby made him flinch, made the sound of gunfire ring in his head like a haunting echo. What if Phil discovered all of this, and couldn't handle the changes? There was only one way to find out, and he was going to find out now. And hesitantly, he knocked on the door.
Phil sighed as he continuing pacing back and forth in the bedroom, as he hoped that Dan would get here soon. Phil didn't really know why he was pacing back and forth, but he'd been doing it for quite a while. He was just nervous, yet his whole body was full of excitement and he couldn't wait to hold Dan in his arms again and squeeze him. Phil stopped pacing as soon as he heard the knock at the door downstairs. He froze for a second. What if that was Dan knocking at the door? Excitement gushed through Phil's body at the thought of seeing Dan again, as it had been so long since he had seen him. Phil almost couldn't remember the last time that he had seen Dan. That's how long it had been. Phil immediately walked out of the bedroom and made his way down the stairs, trying to prepare himself, just in case it was Dan was standing out there. "Deep breath, Phil. Just relax," Phil whispered out loud to himself as he made his way over to the front door. Phil took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a few seconds before he re-opened them and put his hand on the doorknob. Phil didn't know if Dan would be standing on the other side of the door, but he just had high hopes, as he had gotten the letter a few days ago. He finally opened the door and looked up, gasping as soon as he saw that it was Dan, he hadn't been this excited and happy in a long time. "Dan!" Phil exclaimed excitedly as he threw his arms around Dan and pulled him into a hug, holding onto him tightly yet gently.
Time seemed to drag far too slowly for Dan. Dan could almost hear the faint footsteps inside, could hear the knob turning, followed by the door opening. All of this took no more than a few seconds, but in his mind, it felt as if it took hours. And then, all at once, time sped up to a regular pace again. His name was being called, and Dan was being tackled, and his leg was protesting, shaking and stumbling beneath him. Meanwhile, his brain was shouting at him, trying to convince him that he was in danger, this wasn't okay, he needed to do something. And then, after a second of this, all the parts of Dan's body that were working of their own accord seemed to synchronize, just long enough for him to realize what was going on. And then his arms were wrapped as tightly as they could be around Phil, his head buried in the crook of his neck, his weight resting on his good leg, and for once, for the first time in several months, Dan's mind was full of nothing but one thing. Phil. Phil Phil Phil Phil Phil. Nothing else. "Fuck. I missed you so fucking much," Dan mumbled against Phil's shoulder. He was so happy right now, he couldn't even bring himself to care that after three years away from him, his first word to Phil in person had been "Fuck". It didn't matter. He didn't care. Phil mattered.
"Oh my God, I missed you so much Dan!" Phil cried as he held onto Dan. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes, but he didn't want to cry in front of Dan. He wanted to be strong, although he didn't know how much that would last. It had been three years since he had last seen Dan, and that was a really long time, at least it was in Phil's mind. Phil had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. Now Dan was finally here. In person. He was home, and that's all that really mattered to Phil at the moment. Nothing else mattered. Just Dan. "I don't want you to ever leave again. I missed you too much." Phil whispered, kissing the top of Dan's head, closing his eyes as he continued to hold onto Dan. He hoped that he wasn't hurting Dan in any way, but he couldn't help himself. Phil hadn't been able to hug Dan or hold him three years. He had missed holding him, and hugging him, and just having him in his arms. He missed that.
Dan couldn't speak for a few moments, just holding Phil as tightly as he dared, and taking in that ever-familiar feeling of Phil's arms around him, Phil's scent, just everything about this current moment in time. He'd be more than willing to freeze it and stay like this forever if he had the technology to do so. But, unfortunately, he could not. So instead, he just chuckled a little, and raised his head. "Well you're in luck." He said softly. Due to the nature of his injuries, Dan wouldn't be able to return to the front lines. Not unless things got /really/ bad, and they were in desperate need for soldiers. In that case, he may be drafted again. But, the chances of that happening were increasingly low. For now, he'd been dismissed of his duties indefinitely. And that was good enough for Dan. It's not like he'd be much use to them anyway, with his leg in the shape it was. He could walk, sure. But running, jumping, and crawling were entirely out of the question. Someday, after lots and lots of physical therapy, and probably a couple more reconstructive surgeries, he might be able to use it somewhat properly again. But for now, the limb was mangled, misshapen, and next to useless. But, he couldn't complain too much. It had brought him home, and Dan couldn't help but be thankful for that.
Phil closed his eyes for a few seconds, just being able to hear Dan's voice again meant so much. He was so, so grateful to be able to hear it. He had missed just being able to hear his voice. Phil re-opened his eyes and finally pulled away from Dan, although he really didn't want to let go of him, but he couldn't help but smile as he looked down at him. "I can't believe it... I mean, it's been three whole years. I'm just... I'm so happy you're home," Phil whispered, not taking his eyes away from Dan. He was taking everything in; the sight of Dan, hearing Dan's voice... just everything. He'd missed everything about him. Phil almost couldn't believe they were together again. "How are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you want to come inside?" Phil asked calmly. He was freaking out on the inside but he knew that he needed to stay calm.
Dan chuckled at Phil's concerned rambling, and he simply nodded. "Please." He smiled. He would rather not stand out here on the doorstep all day. Besides, his leg was aching like a bitch, and he'd kind of like to sit down. And that brought up a new wonder. Did Phil know about Dan's injuries? Did he know about the accident, or about the months Dan had spent in hospital recovering from it? Did he know how close Dan came to absolute death? Would they have put all that in the letter? Probably not. Dan would have to explain it to him. And soon, he would think. Surely, Phil would notice the limp. And even if he didn't, Dan was eventually going to have to change out of his customary military uniform that he was made to wear home. Phil should probably be warned about Dan's somewhat gruesome leg before he saw it. "I take it you got the letter then?" Dan asked, wondering still, just how much Phil knew.
Phil took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah... I-I got it a few days ago. There wasn't really much in it, if I'm being honest. Not a lot of information. They just told me that you were coming home and that your leg was injured. Um, how bad is it?" He asked, glancing down at Dan's leg for a quick second before he looked back up at Dan. The thought of Dan having an injury and possibly being in any type of pain absolutely broke Phil's heart. Phil didn't want Dan to be in pain. Phil didn't want to ask too many questions, as Dan just got home and he deserved to relax as Phil knew he must have had a long journey home, and he was gone for three years. So, he was sure that Dan wanted to relax as well. Phil just couldn't help but a be a little curious, and concerned.
"It's... pretty bad." He said. He didn't even know where to begin with the explanation. Of course, it's not like his life was in danger. Not at the moment, anyway. The injury was mostly just incredibly inconvenient. "I'll tell you all about it." He assured, giving Phil a reassuring little smile. He knew Phil must be so curious, so concerned. He must have half a million questions to ask. But Dan knew that he was holding back, probably for Dan's sake. But there were some things Phil just needed to be aware of and Dan couldn't keep them from him. There were some things Dan saw, things he experienced out there that would haunt him. Things he would never even think about sharing with Phil. But, he deserved to know the basics. "Let's go sit, yeah? And then I'll explain." He offered, taking Phil's hand in his own and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Phil's heart broke a little as soon as Dan said those three words, and now he was almost certain that Dan was in pain. He just absolutely hated the thought of Dan being in pain. Dan didn't deserve to be in any type of pain really. Phil bit his lip slightly as he stared at Dan. He slowly nodded when Dan suggested that they go sit. "Okay... yeah. That would probably be best," Phil said. He smiled when Dan offered his hand and immediately took it, and held onto it gently. Phil hesitated for a second before he finally led the way inside the house. It was nice being able to have Dan inside the house again. It was complete now. It hadn't been the same ever since Dan had left for the war. Phil then led the way into the lounge once they were inside the house.
Dan let his eyes wander as they moved through the home that was still so familiar to him. Not much had been changed, really. It all remained pretty much the same as he remembered. As they reached the lounge, Dan took in the new additions to the wall, which included several pictures of the kids, who Dan nearly didn't recognize. They were so big now. Dan wondered if they would remember him at all. They'd both been very young when Dan left. He wouldn't be surprised if they didn't have a clue who he was. "So uhm, where are the kids?" He asked idly, sitting down on the sofa and pulling Phil down next to him with a smile. He missed his babies too. He always felt bad really, having to leave Phil all alone to raise two rambunctious toddlers, but it's not like Dan had much choice in the matter.
Phil looked over at Dan once they entered the living room, and he smiled when he saw Dan looking around. Phil blinked a few times as soon as Dan mentioned the kids, and he sat down with him on the couch. "Oh, the kids! Oh my God. For a second there, I almost forgot I had kids... I was just so excited about seeing you again-" Phil blushed slightly and then he looked up at Dan again. "They're upstairs either destroying their bedroom, or taking a nap. Would you want me to go get them now? I'm sure you've been excited to see them. I told them you were coming home, and they're excited to see you." Phil told him. Phil had made sure that the kids wouldn't forget who Dan was. Phil always talked about him, and told the kids stories of him and they would always sit in the lounge and look at pictures of Dan.
Dan laughed at Phil's sudden realization, pulling him closer against his side. God, he'd missed this. Just Phil, the kids, literally everything. "It sounds pretty quiet." He said, listening for any ruckus from upstairs. "They're probably sleeping. Don't bother them," Dan shook his head gently. There would be all kinds of time for that later. Right now, Dan was absolutely fine just being with Phil, in this house, and for the first time in longer than he could remember, he was happy. Truly happy. Not the happiness that came when they had a particularly easy day on the base, or the kind that came when he got a letter from Phil in the mail. No, this was pure, true, genuine happiness. "So..." He started, not sure how to begin speaking. "How much do you know?" He asked. "About why I'm home, I mean." He quickly added.
Phil nodded, it had been pretty quiet in the house for a while. "Yeah, it seems like they're sleeping. They must have worn themselves out from playing earlier." He said, rolling his eyes playfully. The kids would be full of energy later, which would give Dan plenty of time to be able to catch up with him. He couldn't wait to have the family together again. That's what he had been most excited about Dan's return to home. Phil looked over at Dan again when he spoke and bit his lip slightly. "Uhm, not much... if I'm being honest. The letter didn't say much... it was like two paragraphs. I have it here!" Phil reached over and grabbed the letter that was sitting on the table and he showed it to Dan. "They just said that you had a pretty serious injury, and that was the reason why you were coming home." Phil told him.
Dan skimmed over the letter briefly, realizing it /was/ pretty short. Literally the bare minimum as far as information went. But, maybe that was a good thing. It meant Phil wouldn't have spent the last couple days worrying his head off. Dan knew he had a tendency to do that. And he couldn't really do much worrying now that Dan was here, and visibly okay. "Oh Jesus. Well, it's quite a story." He shook his head. A story he was probably going to edit quite a lot out of. Dan's memories of the accident itself were a bit graphic, and still extremely vivid. They still came to him in the form of nightmares and flashbacks, and it was like reliving it all over again. "I guess... well, I've been hospitalized for the last..." He trailed off, trying to remember exactly what happened. "Four months?" He tried. That seemed at least close to correct. "I had a short run-in with a land mine." He explained further, his fingers absently tapping against his bad leg. "I nearly lost my leg." He added. "I may as well have, because what's left of it isn't entirely functional." He explained. He hoped the story would stress Phil out too much. Dan hated to see him worry, and he knew that Phil easily worried, even about the littlest things.
Phil chewed on his bottom lip slightly as he watched Dan read over the letter. He didn't know what Dan was going to tell him about his leg, but he could tell that it wasn't going to be amazing news, which definitely worried Phil just thinking about. Phil listened closely as he heard Dan beginning to explain what had happened to him, and honestly... Phil couldn't believe it, he almost didn't want to believe it. Hospitalized? Four months? Land mine? The fact that Dan nearly lost his leg. Phil couldn't believe what his hears were hearing. "Oh my God, Dan... that must have been horrible, and so awful for you. I mean... I'm glad you still have your leg, but I can't believe you almost lost it! And, I would have totally still loved you even if you had lost your leg..." Phil quickly added. He sighed slightly. "Are you in pain... right now? Will you be able to get it fixed?... Or anything?" Phil asked curiously. He didn't want to shove all these million questions that he had for Dan in Dan's face but he had just learned that Dan nearly lost his leg so of course he had a lot of questions to ask him. He keep most of the questions to himself.
Dan smiled at Phil as he rambled again, and squeezed his hand in reassurance. "I'm okay right now," He said honestly. The walk home had been kind of a pain, but now that he was sat down, it was bearable. "I'll need a load of physical therapy to get it working halfway normal again, and the doctors told me I'll probably need at least two more surgeries to try and.. get all the pieces in the right place." He chuckled, not sure how else to put it. "Don't worry too much about it, love, okay? I'm doing just fine right now." He promised, kissing the side of Phil's head in an attempt to console him. He decided it was probably best to leave the rest up to Phil's imagination for now. His leg was pretty grotesque, he didn't want the sight of it to worry Phil even more. He was going to see it eventually, Dan knew that, but it could wait.
Phil sighed in relief once Dan said he was okay, even though in the back of his mind... he still couldn't help but worry about him. Of course, he was always going to worry about him though, how could he not? "Well, whatever you have to do to make your leg better... I'll be right by your side and I'm absolutely not going anywhere. I promise." Phil told Dan. He couldn't help but smile as Dan kissed him, and he blushed a little. "I know, I know. I worry too much sometimes, but I can't help it!" He pouted. "Well, at least your home now and I don't have to worry so much anymore. I know that you're home and safe and that's all that matters to me." Phil said, wrapping his arms around Dan gently and pulling him close.
Dan smiled, letting himself be pulled close against Phil, resting his head on his shoulder. He really was glad to be home. It had been far too long. And Dan didn't know why he'd ever agreed to be a part of any of the things happening out there. He thought it would be the right thing to do. He hoped that maybe he could help keep the opposing armies out of England, and as far away from his family as possible. But he truly wished he'd never gone. He felt terrible for leaving. He had been gone for three whole years, which is a long time.
Phil closed his eyes for a second as he held onto Dan. It was nice being able to hold Dan like this in his arms again, knowing that he was safe. While Dan was away, Phil never really knew if Dan was safe or not, and if he was alive. It always scared Phil but now, he had nothing to worry about because Dan was home. "God, I'm so happy you're home. I'm never ever going to let you leave again, I don't care what anyone says." Phil whispered. He kissed the top of Dan's head once, and then he kissed him everywhere; his forehead, his cheeks, his nose... everywhere.
Dan scrunched his face up as Phil peppered him with kisses, and laughed a little at how ridiculous he was. "I'm not going anywhere." Dan promised, leaning up to trap Phil's lips in a proper kiss. It had been so long since he'd been able to kiss Phil, and the feeling sent a wave of joy through him. When they parted, Dan smiled at him again, squeezing his hand once more. "I love you." He whispered, hoping Phil could hear exactly how much he meant it.
Phil smiled as soon as Dan kissed him and he immediately kissed him back. It had been at least three years since Dan had gotten a proper kiss from Dan, being able to kiss Dan again made Phil feel so happy. He couldn't stop smiling. And he only smiled even bigger as soon as he heard Dan say those three words. 'I love you'. Phil sighed happily. "I love you too." He whispered. "It feels really good to be able to say that to you in person, and not just in a letter." He added, looking down at Dan with the same smile on his face, and he held onto Dan's hand.