'Dan, Dan, Dan, Daaaan!'
The upbeat tone was appropriately matched to what Dan could only have described as a literal bounce to Phil's step as the older boy entered the room. Bright blue eyes lit up in a grin as they met Dan's warm smile but he couldn't help but feel there was something a little suspicious about Phil's over-the-top good mood. As he crossed the room he did so with his hands held carefully behind his back, keeping whatever he was holding out of view of Dan even as he leant down to press a swift kiss to his boyfriend's cheek before dropping down onto the couch, only to smile expectantly back at Dan, obviously waiting for someone to question his odd behaviour.
Giving in, smile turned curious now, Dan obliged, leaning back and pressing further into the sofa cushions as he asked in an attempt to see round Phil but to no avail. 'What's all this excitement for then?' he wondered aloud, hoping Phil wasn't going to play one of his guessing games but Phil seemed just about to burst with the effort of holding back any longer so he pounced on the opening Dan gave him eagerly.
'It's our one month anniversary!' He cheered happily, throwing his arms around Dan so quickly he didn't have a chance to notice what Phil had been holding before he was engulfed in a tight hug.
'I think you might be right,' Dan agreed with a little chuckle, holding Phil close for a moment he wanted to savour, his thoughts travelling back to this time last month when he'd finally worked up the courage to tell his best friend his feelings had always run just a little deeper than platonic. It felt like only yesterday because a month really wasn't that long at all, but so much had happened in that short space of time Dan might never have believed any of it possible if you'd asked him not two months ago. Without a doubt though, this last month certainly had been the happiest of his life.
The embrace ended all too suddenly as Phil was still bouncing from an excitement Dan was better able to contain, unless perhaps, even after a month, he was just still in shock over the good fortune he'd been allowed when his best friend had admitted to harboring similar feelings in return. It was a lot to get your head around, Dan had decided, and he still wasn't quite convinced it could all be real; it might really be too good to be true and could end at any instant. But if the smile Phil was giving him now was anything to go on, this would be the first month of many, many more to come.
'I got you a cupcake to celebrate!' Phil continued, finally revealing what had been hidden behind his back the whole time, proudly presenting what was indeed a cupcake, quite obviously home baked but done so with love, white frosting adorned, even, with a candle in the shape of a number one.
Considering how Phil had been waving the cake around, Dan had to admit he was glad the older boy had been unable to find any matches lest he accidentally set fire to one of their shirts, but he appreciated the effort Phil had clearly gone to all the same, even if Dan had yet to convince himself that it was an effort he was deserving of. He really was still in shock Phil had said yes at all, even with a whole month of close cuddling and kisses he'd never dreamt he could have before as evidence. Sitting in front of him now truly was a miracle, Dan thought with a fond smile as he took the small cake from the man he could hardly believe he was allowed to call his boyfriend. It wasn't like it was everyone who could fall in love with their best friend and have it all work out as neatly as they had.
'You really are something, aren't you Phil?' Dan mused quietly to himself, turning the cupcake around to admire it from every angle, unable to get over how pleased Phil looked sitting opposite him, and this easily could have been a sweet and sappy moment but Dan couldn't resist teasing just a little. Acting the part he pretended to frown skeptically, meeting Phil's gaze again and refraining from splitting into the grin that would have given him away. 'But don't you think a month isn't really long enough to deserve a whole cupcake just to itself?'
Phil's smile flipped upside down, turning into what Dan thought was a very adorable pout indeed and he couldn't hold back the grin any longer; Phil knew Dan was only playing anyway. They may have only been dating a short time but Phil had certainly known Dan long enough to recognise that mischievous grin anywhere. So he played along, falling more in love with his boyfriend each second he was lost in those brown eyes.
'Hey,' Phil pretended to complain, rapping Dan lightly on the arm in reprimand. 'A lot of people don't make it even a month,' he reasoned seriously but with the hint of a smile still playing behind his eyes as Dan handed the cupcake back, faking a yawn and settling back onto the couch with his laptop, smirking at Phil from the corner of his eye.
'Still, come back to me when it's been a year and then we'll talk, 'kay?'
Dan struggled to tear his gaze away from Phil and fix it firmly back on the screen but Phil was having none of that and Dan was still grinning as he saw Phil scowl in his peripheral, then the laptop was being lifted out of the way and the space on Dan's lap was taken up instead by Phil who'd crawled over to make sure he was the only thing that held Dan's attention, not that that was hard. If Phil was in the room there was a good chance that would be where Dan was looking.
'You will eat this cupcake and appreciate the fact we made it a month and I'm still not sick of your relentless teasing yet,' Phil joked, threatening to squish the cupcake into Dan's face it seemed with how close he was holding it and Dan had to laugh at how wonderfully absurd the situation was, being pinned down on the sofa and force fed celebratory cupcakes but with his hands coming to rest on Phil's waist as the older boy smiled down at him Dan was hardly going to complain.
'I guess that is quite an achievement,' he allowed through a wide smile he couldn't have stopped spreading across his face if he tried. He guessed he probably was awfully lucky that after all these years Phil still enjoyed putting up with him because he didn't exactly make it easy sometimes, he knew.
Phil never seemed too burdened though, in fact taking everything in his stride, like now as he smirked triumphantly. 'Yes,' he agreed with a small nod. 'It's a good thing I love you or else I'd have left about 29 days ago.'
Dan's heart all but leapt out of his chest at those words, words that a month ago he'd only ever dreamt of hearing come from Phil but now those dreams were a reality and this last month had only been the start of something that would make him happy for the rest of his life.
'Happy one month anniversary, Phil,' Dan replied with a softer smile, despite his teasing knowing something this special to him really should be celebrated, even if in just a small way. 'I love you too,' he added, wondering if, hoping, he would always feel the pleasant warmness erupting in his chest when he spoke those words but he wasn't worried, he was sure he would. Especially if Phil always smiled the way he was now upon hearing them.
The best way to finish this off now, Dan decided, was to lean up and press an equally as warm kiss to Phil's lips but the older boy had different ideas, instead leaning down as Dan reached up to plant a smart kiss on the tip of Dan's nose, startling him for a second at the unexpected contact as Phil laughed.
'Good. Now eat your cupcake.'