Summary: Single dad Dan Howell has a hard time realizing how quickly his daughter is growing up. That is, until he meets her teacher as he drops her off on her first day of school and he realizes: maybe change isn't so bad.
As Awkward as can be (ao3) - passionfruitwriter
Summary: Written for the prompt: “hey we hooked up last night and it turns out you are my child's teacher"
Dan and Phil and Ollie (ao3) - chatoyment
Summary: Phil has a crush on his son's pre-school teacher, Dan.
Phil woos him.
Kids (ao3) - somanydestiel (orphan_account)
Summary: dan is a single dad and phil is his kids like kindergarten teacher and phil flirts with him when he drops his kid off and dating ensues
Summary: the one in which Dan is a single dad managing running a flower shop and dealing with his five years old son, and his new teacher is very easy to like
Like Father, Like Son (ao3) - INeverHadMyInternetPhase (BirbWatcher)
Summary: Phil is a good teacher, he is. He just can’t control Samuel Howell. And turns out he can’t control Samuel Howell’s single dad, either. (Or, the one where Dan's a single dad and a bad influence, and Phil's the teacher who has to deal with the consequences)
Mr. Lester (ao3) - orphan_account
Summary: ‘He’s tall, sweet, great with kids, and he can sing. What’s better than that?’ Dan’s son is in choir, and his teacher is a lot more than he was expecting.
No One Less Than Perfect (ao3) - CanDanAndPhilNot (enbycalhoun)
Summary: Dan doesn't mind being a single father to his four-year-old Elizabeth, but sometimes he gets lonely. The problem is, he won't settle for anyone who is less than perfect. So maybe, he might just ask Elizabeth's (and maybe his) favorite Daycare worker, Phil on a date.
Preschool (ao3) - TheUKAmazingDan
Summary: After Cat decides to move away, Dan gets left with her child. After picking her up from preschool one day, he starts to fall for her hunk of a teacher, Mister Lester.
The Smirnoff Slip (ao3) - TheUKAmazingDan
Summary: Laurence really hadn't meant to do it; He was only a kid after all. And Dan couldn't be mad at him, especially not after meeting his attractive new principal.
Hello all!! back again with some more iydlmp bonus content! if you haven't read the original fic this one will probably make absolutely zero sense, so i recommend reading iydlmp first!
also this turned out a lot shorter than i thought but I just thought you guys would like some phil pov and what better place for it than the part where dan was mad at him :')
read on ao3
Summary: Phil and Martyn have a day out...
This Phil POV bonus fic occurs during Chapter 22 of the main fic, If You Don't Love Me, Pretend. This fic picks up after Phil leaves the apartment the morning after Jaiden's trip to A&E and gives some insight into what Phil was thinking during this chapter.
Word Count: 2.9k
Warnings: none
He’s not sure how it happened, but this whole morning has definitely gone horribly wrong.
Phil sighs, shaking his head as he makes his way downstairs to where the Uber is waiting. He’s trying not to think about the way Dan had turned away from his touch just a moment ago, his stomach churning with the thought that he might’ve made Dan uncomfortable somehow. Despite Phil’s best efforts to push it away, his head is spinning, trying to come up with some explanation for Dan’s behavior, some mistake he’d unknowingly made that set him off. But it doesn’t do more than give him a low-grade migraine and he eventually decides that it’s not worth making himself sick over. He can still fix this.
The look on Dan’s face when Phil had tried to kiss him earlier floats back into his mind, and he swallows hard, his stomach sinking.
He can still fix it. Right?
~~~
“Took you long enough,” is the first thing out of his brother’s mouth when he meets him at the shops.
“Yeah, well,” Phil says, shrugging. He doesn’t meet Martyn’s eyes, instead just scuffs his shoe against the uneven bricks beneath their feet.
Martyn seems to hesitate, like he’s reassessing the situation, and Phil briefly hates him and how perceptive he is. “Are you alright, buddy?” he asks gently.
Phil nods, then shrugs. He finally forces himself to make eye contact, giving Martyn what is likely an unconvincing smile. “I’m fine. Are we gonna go eat? Shop? What are we doing?”
“I’m… I’m not sure. Are you sure you’re okay?” Martyn asks.
“Yep. Just tired,” Phil lies through his teeth.
There’s a beat of silence in which Martyn seems to be studying him closely, narrowed eyes and all. He must be disappointed at what he finds, because his shoulders drop and he sighs. “Alright,” he says, sounding resigned. “You don’t have to tell me, but… I’m here if you need to talk, okay?”
Damn him for being such a good brother.
Phil rolls his eyes despite himself. “I know that. C’mon. Let’s get inside somewhere, it’s bloody freezing.”
Martyn’s spirits seem lifted enough now that Phil’s speaking in full sentences, so he turns to lead them off down the street. “Do you have anyplace specific you’re wanting to go?” Martyn asks. “Because I’ll be honest, mate, I haven’t a fuckin’ clue where I’m headed.”
Phil almost chastises him for the swear, just like he’d do to Dan at home, but with a start he realizes his kids aren’t with him. That’s so unusual these days, unless he’s at work, that it takes him a second to process it. “Er…” he stalls, trying to come up with a response to whatever the hell his brother just said, even though he wasn’t really listening.
Just then, they pass by a familiar sign posted above a shop. Something nudges Phil’s memory and he absently reaches to check that his wallet is in his pocket. It is, of course, and his feet slow in front of the shop.
“Actually…” he says slowly.
Martyn stops, a little belatedly, and he has to backtrack a few steps to remain in front of Phil. “What?” Martyn says, looking around. He spots the sign of the shop they’ve stopped in front of and his eyes go comically wide. “Uh… didn’t you two already get the prop rings, or whatever?” He asks, glaring at the jeweler sign like it’s personally offended him.
Phil twists the silver band on his ring finger of his left hand. “Yes,” he replies simply, eyeing the ring display at the front window.
“Then…” Martyn says slowly.
And honestly, Phil knows he’s already connected the dots, he truly isn’t that daft. But he sees no reason to deprive him of the answer he’s fishing for.
“This isn’t going to be a prop ring.”
There’s a beat of silence, and before Martyn can protest or anything, Phil marches towards the store, a decisive pep in his step.
“Welcome to Goldsmith’s, how may I assist you?” the cheerful sales associate asks as soon as Phil steps inside.
“Phil,” Martyn hisses from behind him.
Phil ignores him. “Hello,” he greets the associate. “I’m looking for an engagement ring.”
The girl smiles brightly. “Well, congratulations, sir! This is a very exciting chapter of your life, so I’d be happy to help you find what you’re looking for.”
“Great,” Phil says with a smile. He ignores the pointed stare Martyn is sending his way.
“We have a wide selection of engagement rings and bands to choose from, but let me show you to some of our more popular sellers,” the sales associate is saying as she leads them to a case towards the front.
Phil stops her with a short laugh. “Actually, I was hoping I could see your more unique styles. My fian- partner-“ he clears his throat. “My partner is very particular, and I know he’ll want something different, something unique.”
The attendant smiles. “It’s great that you know that! Makes my job a lot easier,” she laughs.
Phil smiles, shaking off his brother’s hand when he tries to grab Phil’s arm. The sales associate is showing them to another case when Martyn starts to whisper.
“Are you sure about this? Like, absolutely positive?” He sounds paranoid, and Phil can’t believe someone else is more nervous about this than he is. “This is a huge decision, Phil, and the two of you aren’t even really-“
“Don’t,” Phil says, sharper than intended.
Martyn snaps his mouth shut, but looks at Phil with a guilty frown.
“These are some styles that either aren’t “in-style” right now, or just aren’t very popular,” the sales associate explains, pulling out a jewelry tray for Phil to examine.
“This one is nice,” Phil says absently, tapping on a rather simple one that has three stones embedded in the simple white gold band. He glances at Martyn, who’s studying the rings with something like confused curiosity. Phil nudges him. “What do you think?”
Martyn glances between him and the ring a couple times, then shrugs. “I don’t know… I reckon Dan would like something a bit flashier, actually.”
Phil smiles, relieved that Martyn’s actually helping now and not questioning his decisions. “Yeah, true.” He looks at the others, letting his gaze linger on the more ornate ones a little longer, waiting for some sort of sign to hit him, but it doesn’t happen.
A moment or two passes where none of them speak, giving Phil the quiet time to study the rings carefully. And study is all he can really do, since none of them really stand out to him. “Is there…”
The sales associate must be all too familiar with this, because she’s quick to pick up on his train of thought. “You know, I think I have another drawer in the back, give me just a moment.”
Phil nods, smiling in relief now that he doesn’t have to actually voice his opinion on the rings he’d been shown so far.
She’s barely been gone a minute when Phil feels Martyn’s hand on his arm. He sighs. “Martyn,” he starts, turning to tell him, kindly, to bugger off.
“Hey,” Martyn interrupts him. He’s smiling a little, which wasn’t the expression Phil was expecting to see. “You really love him, huh?”
Phil drops his gaze to the ring he’s already wearing, the one he’s so emotionally attached to now that he can’t bear to imagine ever taking it off. “I… yeah. Yeah, I really do.”
Martyn is quiet for a moment. “Have you always? Or is this like… a new thing?”
Phil levels him with a look, one brow quirked in disbelief. “You’re really going to ask me that?”
“Well…” Martyn shrugs, then laughs when he sees the dumbfounded look Phil is giving him. “Okay, yeah, yeah. I mean… you have been rather obvious from the start.”
Phil has to laugh at that. “God, I know. No idea how Dan didn’t realize it sooner. I guess we were both just so deep in denial that we didn’t know how to deal with ourselves.”
“Does he? Realize it now, I mean?” Martyn asks softly.
Just then, before Phil gets the chance to reply, the sales lady returns with another drawer of rings.
“These are some of our more unique choices, mixed in with some newer pieces that haven’t done as well as we thought they would,” she says, setting the tray down and stepping back to give him the space to survey them.
“Dan would love that,” Phil remarks, mostly to himself.
“Which one?” Martyn asks.
Phil shakes his head, still studying them closely. “No, I just meant like, getting a ring that no one else wants. Adopting it, saving it from the depths of jewelry hell and all that.”
Martyn laughs, and Phil smiles. “Fair enough.”
The sales associate begins explaining some other options she can present if he doesn’t like these, but it’s while she’s talking that he sees it. It’s flashier than he’d prefer for himself, with a somewhat feminine style. It’s white gold, Dan’s favorite, with simple diamonds twisted on the band leading up to the center, where the main diamond sits.
It’s perfect.
“Can I see that one?” Phil asks, pointing to the ring that is absolutely, perfectly Dan.
The sales associate smiles and nods. “This one has been here for a month or so. It’s the only one we’ve got, but we can get it resized if you decide you like it.” She hands the ring to him carefully, then steps back to give him a chance to look it over and consider it.
Phil clutches the ring gently, holding it up close to his face to inspect it. It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. He can already imagine slipping it on Dan’s lovely digit, the face he’d make when Phil really, properly proposes.
He’s so deep in the fantasy that he doesn’t even realize the sales associate is speaking to him until his brother pinches his arm.
“Ow!” Phil yelps, turning to glare at Martyn with little thought to the other person standing there.
“I’m sorry, but she’s trying to ask you a question, mate. At least pretend to pay attention,” Martyn says with a roll of his eyes, smiling apologetically at the sales lady when he’s done being dramatic.
“I’m so sorry,” Phil says to her immediately. “I was… sorry, what were you saying?”
The girl smiles kindly at him. “I take it this is the one?“ she says, nodding to the ring.
Phil takes one last look at it, then nods. “Yeah, this is definitely the one. He’ll love it.”
She smiles. “Lovely. I was just asking, do you happen to know what his ring size is?”
“Well, actually- oh, here, I guess I shouldn’t be the one holding onto this,” he says, handing the ring back as he starts digging in his pocket. He pulls out his wallet and takes a second to rummage around, finding what he’s looking for in record time. “Oh, here it is. We actually bought some jewelry here not too long ago and we both got a copy of the receipt,” Phil explains, sliding it over to her.
The sales associate picks it up, scanning the information quickly. “Oh, this is perfect. Since you’re already in our system I can look up the purchase and we can figure out his size. I’m assuming we’ll definitely need to resize this, correct?”
Phil glances at the ring again, and nods with a laugh. “Oh, definitely. That wouldn’t even fit on his pinky.”
She laughs along with him, then closes the case, the ring still clutched safely in her hand. “Alright. If you’ll just follow me, I’ll pull your account up on the computer and we’ll get the rest squared away!”
~~~
Less than half an hour later, Phil and Martyn step back out on the streets, a new receipt in Phil’s pocket, the estimated pick-up date circled on it in red ink.
“Is this what you had planned for today?” Martyn asks as they begin strolling off towards some other shops.
Phil laughs at that. “No. What I had planned for today was snuggling my boyfriend and my kids.”
Martyn gives him a look. “Boyfriend, eh? So it’s official, then?” he asks, a mischievous smirk on his face.
Phil can feel his face flush when he realizes what he’s just said. “Well… I call him that sometimes. In my head.”
Martyn isn’t polite enough not to laugh at him. “Oh, so Dan isn’t aware of this new development?”
There’s an awkward pause as Phil tries to think of a realistic lie, but it’s filled with Martyn cackling, then pretending to cover it up with a cough. “He knows that there are… feelings happening. I think.”
“You think?” Martyn basically squawks. “Jesus, man. Why don’t you just tell him you fancy him? You know he feels the same.”
He gestures them towards a candy shop then, and Phil is helpless to refuse. He follows behind Martyn slowly, trying to gather his thoughts.
“Well… I mean, I guess I think I know how he feels, but I… I’m not sure.”
Martyn had stopped to hold the door open for him, but at that he pauses, turning to give Phil a blank stare. “Mate,” he deadpans.
“What?” Phil says defensively. “Open the door, it’s freezing out here.”
Martyn rolls his eyes, but waves Phil through, following behind him closely to continue the conversation. “Don’t be daft. Or, at least be less daft, if you can manage that.”
“Thanks, Mar, you’re such a beaming ray of kindness today. I’ve missed our bonding times,” Phil says, and he hopes his voice is dripping with sarcasm.
“You know you did,” Martyn teases. Phil can’t even deny that. He did.
“Whatever,” he says, mindlessly strolling the store, his hands tucked firmly in his pockets to keep him from buying anything.
“I’m serious, though,” Martyn says after a minute, tucking a box of licorice under his arm, likely for their father. “I think you both would feel better if you just had a conversation about it, yeah?”
Phil’s quiet, thinking about it. Of course, Martyn is right. “I know,” he says, rather than admitting it in so many words. “And, God, I’ve already bought a real ring, haven’t I? I’ve got to say something. Surely he’ll say no if I just propose out of nowhere. And-”
“I doubt it,” Martyn interrupts his rambling, examining some chocolate oranges.
Phil blinks. “Doubt what?” He says, suspicious.
Martyn shrugs. “I doubt he’d say no. Knowing the two of you, he might actually prefer it if you just propose, so neither of you have to actually talk like functioning human beings.”
And this, Phil thinks, is where Martyn clearly doesn’t know Dan very well. “Oh, no. Dan loves to talk. He loves a good serious chat. We have them with the kids all the time.”
Martyn glances at him then, smiling a little. “He’s a good dad?” he asks.
Phil sighs wistfully, wishing again that he’d said no to his brother and just stayed home to snuggle with his grumpy-Dan and their kids. “The best,” he says truthfully. He hesitates then, debating on whether or not he should share this next part with his brother.
“What is it?” Martyn asks, Phil’s anxiety and hesitation far too easy to read for someone who has known him his whole life.
Phil chews his lip in contemplation, but sighs. It would be good to get a second opinion on this, he figures.
“Dan asked me to adopt the kids with him.”
Martyn drops the box of licorice.
Phil winces at the noise, and they both glance at the shopkeep, who gives them a tired once-over before going back to his coffee and tablet.
“He what?” Martyn whisper-shouts, leaning back down to retrieve the box.
“He asked me to adopt-”
Martyn flaps his hand. “Shut up, I heard you. I just…” He stares at Phil, his eyes wide. “That’s a lot, man. That’s a big responsibility.”
Phil knows he doesn’t really mean it like that, but he bristles anyway at the insinuation that he maybe can’t handle that responsibility. He feels like he’s been doing just fine so far, though.
“I know that,” he says, a little defensive. “We know that. I just…” he trails off then. This may not even be something Martyn understands. He and Cornelia have Evan, but… still. This is a little different.
“Just what?” Martyn says, his voice soft.
Phil sighs. “They’re my kids, Martyn. And as odd as it sounds, Dan is my family. With or without them, he’s… He’s my person. And he’s the only person I’d want to have a family with.”
Martyn is silent, glancing at Phil for only a minute before going over to the counter to pay for the candy. Phil trails after him, feeling a little like he’s in trouble, even though he hasn’t even done anything. Martyn can’t crucify him for a crime he didn’t even commit, he thinks bitterly.
They head out of the shop, and Martyn pulls out his phone and glances at the time. “You feel like doing a little bit of Christmas shopping?”
~~~
Later that evening, when Phil is eating dinner at the table by himself, a message pops up from his brother. They’d abandoned the conversation about Dan and the kids at the candy shop, and Phil had honestly thought Martyn was angry with him. The message clears his conscience of that, at least.
Martyn: Talk to Dan. If you guys can ever get your shit sorted out, I think those kids would be thrilled to have you guys as forever parents.
tags: parent!phan, tooth-rotting fluff, married life, domestic, flirting
summary:
Phil puts baby Evelyn to bed, so him and Dan can get some alone time. But just like her Da, she has to grab things no matter what - even if it means prying something as important as Phil's glasses from his face.
Lucky she's cute, and that her dads are both too distracted (and in love, with each other and her antics) to properly reprimand her.
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this is for @watergator even if it’s long overdue! i hope it’s just as lovely as i feel you are, emmy <3 and that you can find at least some joy in the bants
Summary: Elisse Lester is seventeen, and she’s ready to come to her parents about her sexuality. She knows it’ll be fine. She has two dads for crying out loud. But, that won’t stop her from being nervous. Luckily, her girlfriend is there to assure her that everything will be fine.
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 815
Triggers/Warnings: one swear (are we surprised?)
A/N: hi... i haven’t posted in forever but i wanted to write this so, here we are! :)
[READ ON AO3]
“Gosh, I don’t know, Liz. Maybe we should wait,” Elisse whispers as she stands outside the kitchen door with her girlfriend. Her heart is pounding against her chest. She hasn’t felt this nervous since she auditioned for the lead role in the school play last year. Of course, she nailed it and she even got the part that she wanted, but still. She’s nervous about coming to her parents.
“What’s there to be nervous about?” Liz asks, frowning. “You have two dads. One is gay. One’s bisexual. There should be absolutely no reason why they won’t accept you for who you are, or who you love.” She tries to reassure Elisse as she reaches over and gently takes a hold of her girlfriend’s hand.
“I know,” Elisse whines, holding Liz’s hand tightly. “We’ve just… never talked about it before.”
“Well, now’s a good time to start,” Liz says. “Our one year is coming up and I want to be able to do something romantic for my girlfriend without having to sneak around.”
“That would be nice,” Elisse says. “Wait a minute… are you planning something romantic?” She smirks.
“I am not saying anything,” Liz warns, pointing a finger at Elisse. “Don’t even try to get answers.”
“Lisa, is that you, sweetheart?”
Elisse looks up when she hears her dad’s voice, and takes a deep breath. “Yeah, pops!”
“Come on,” Liz encourages Elisse, gently pushing her forward. “You can do this. Unless you are terrified, then I won’t pressure you into coming out to your parents. But, I really think you should do this.”
Elisse shakes her head. “No, I can do this. I can. I’m just a little nervous. That’s all,” she squeezes Liz’s hand once more before letting go, and pushing the door open, walking into the kitchen. She looks up and sees her dad’s preparing dinner. “Hey, dad? Pop? Can we talk for a sec?”
Dan turns around, instantly hearing the nervousness in his daughter’s voice. “Is everything okay? Oh, and you have a friend with you? Hello,” he smiles at Liz.
“Elizabeth, right?” Phil asks, walking over to shake her hand. “We met at Lisa’s school play last year.”
“Yes, but I like to go by Liz,” Elizabeth says, shaking Phil’s hand. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Lester.”
“Oh please, call me Phil, and you know my husband Dan,” Phil says, pointing over at Dan.
“Of course I remember. He was really funny,” Liz says, grinning, which makes Elisse smile.
“Well someone’s gotta be the entertainer around here, and it certainly ain’t gonna be this guy,” Dan says, pointing his thumb at Phil, smirking.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Elisse says, giggling when Phil fakes a hurt expression. “You know I love you, Pops.”
“Anyways,” Phil glares at Dan, before looking back over at Elisse. “You wanted to talk about something?”
“Oh yes,” Elisse clears her throat. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. I mean, we don’t really talk much about dating around here, but I’m seventeen now, and-”
“Oh no. I was hoping we wouldn’t come to this conversation,” Dan complains.
“Dan,” Phil warns. “Let your daughter speak.”
“Thanks, Pops,” Elisse says, smiling at Phil. “I’m seventeen now, and well… I’ve been seeing someone.”
“That’s great, sweetheart. When do we get to meet them?” Phil asks, and Elisse’s heart melts at the way her Pops uses them rather than assuming their gender.
“Well,” Elisse looks over at Liz and reaches over to grab her hand. “You already have.”
“Huh?” Dan asks, tilting his head slightly in confusion, and then he notices Elisse holding Liz’s hand, and his eyes widen in surprise. “Oh. Oh my gosh. Of course. Wow.”
Phil’s eyes instantly start watering up. “Elisse,” he says, immediately pulling her into a hug. “I’m so happy, and proud. You have no idea.” He pulls away from the hug. “I don’t even care. I’m just so happy.”
Elisse lets out a sigh of relief. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that,”
“Did you expect us to say anything different? Because I’m gay as fuck and this guy-”
“Dan!” Phil shouts, his eyes widening. “What have we talked about?”
“Oh, she’s seventeen, Philip. She can handle a swear word,” Dan rolls his eyes in annoyance.
“I don’t care if she’s seventeen or not. I don’t want your bad habits to influence her,” Phil warns.
Elisse can’t help but laugh as her parents continue to bicker amongst each other. This is exactly how she hoped her coming out would go. She didn’t want it to be made into a big deal. She just wants her parents to be supportive, and allow her to date whoever she wants to date. Right now, that’s Liz.
“Uh, I think that went well,” Liz says, looking over at Elisse.
“I think so too,” Elisse says, grinning at her girlfriend.
noun
1. a person with an extreme or irrational fear of spiders.
One day, whilst babysitting his two children, Emily, 7, and Colby, 2, Dan encounters something that could ruin his day. Worst of all, he promised Phil he was going to be responsible this time.
Warnings: spiders(brief mention, not a lot of detail)
Hi! I hope you're all well. I was watching Dan's VR video in the spider cave and was inspired to write this word jumble. I hope you enjoy it, and are staying safe!
"Are you 100% positive you'll be okay alone with them?" Phil asked for the 20th time.
Dan rolled his eyes, sighing in annoyance, "I'm not a child, Phil. I'm certain I know how to babysit our children."
"Last time you were left alone with just Emily, you ended up crying," Phil reminded him, getting his coat down from the hook. Dan had Colby balanced on his hip as he walked Phil towards the door.
"She was a baby then and I didn't know what I was doing! I've learned now," Dan said.
"Alright, I'll trust you," Phil hesitated, leaning in to kiss Dan's cheek. He kissed Colby's head and accepted Emily's big hug. "Be good for dad, I'll be home soon!"
Emily giggled once the door closed and ran into the living room to play with her toys. Dan sighed and followed her.
"You cried when you babysat me, dad?" Emily asked curiously, carrying on with her drawing of a lemon.
"You were a very annoying baby," Dan moaned, furrowing his eyebrows.
Emily gasped, "Annoying? You can't say that, dad!"
"Sorry sweetheart, you're perfect now!" Dan reassured, cringing at himself. Don't fuck this up, Dan. Emily shrugged, accepting his explanation, but stayed silent. Dan placed Colby on the floor to join Emily. He turned the TV on to some kid program and set to reply to his emails. Since he and Phil had adopted the kids, they hadn't had much time for work. They filmed the occasional video, Phil more-so than Dan. Just enough to pay the bills. They hadn't told the fans about the kids yet, they weren't quite sure when it would be appropriate to. However, Dan came across an email from their merch company, suggesting that they let Emily and Colby wear the clothes and 'model' them. It sounded interesting, but Dan wasn't prepared to decide without Phil. He archived the message, and carried on scrolling.
At around noon, Emily and Colby became restless and hungry.
"Daddy, can we have some food?" Emily asked.
"Sure, what do you want?" Dan asked, picking Colby up and going into the kitchen.
Emily sat at the breakfast bar as she thought about it. Dan raised an eyebrow at her as he placed Colby into his high chair.
"Pa usually makes us dinosaur nuggets," she decided. Shit.
Now, to some, it was easy to make dinosaur nuggets. Easy wasn't really in Dan's vocabulary though. This is why Phil made the dinner usually. Dan nodded and opened the freezer to get them out.
"How do you make them?" He said, dumbly.
"I'm 7," Emily said, her large brown eyes felt teasing.
"And I'm 28," Dan grumbled. He couldn't text Phil and ask how to make fucking dinosaur nuggets. "Surely you've watched Pa do it before, right?"
"He just puts them in the oven," Emily giggled.
Dan groaned and read the back of the packet. He was so stupid. You literally just put them on a tray and bake them in the oven, he thought to himself. He put the nuggets into the oven and put some beans in the microwave. Dan brought Emily's colours and some paper into the kitchen to occupy her and Colby whilst they waited.
Dan was helping her colour in a flower when he felt his phone buzz.
phil (to Dan)
Is everything okay?
Dan (to phil)
yes. wheres the trust?
Dan put his phone down and carried on colouring, only stopping to help Colby draw a car.
The buzzer went off on the oven, and Dan stood up to get the kid's food out. He was rather proud of himself for baking the death dinos.
"Well done, dad!" Emily grinned.
Dan blushed when he realised she'd noticed how happy he was with himself. He plated the dinner up with the beans and gave Emily her plate, then sat down to feed Colby.
Dinner went smoothly, Emily even complimented his cooking, "It's almost as good as Pa's."
...He would take it. He also managed to give Colby his without half of it spilling down his clothes, which was a plus. Once they'd finished, he put their plates into the dishwasher and let Colby out of his chair.
"Can you watch Colby whilst I just eat my sandwich, love?" He said to Emily. Emily nodded, taking Colby's hand and leading him to the living room. Dan was glad that no massive incidents had happened yet. The calm before the storm, you might say.
"Dad!" Emily called. Dan felt like something was wrong. The worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind. He rose from his seat quickly and got into the living room. If the worst-case scenario was one of the children being hurt, then this was a death scenario. Because there, in the middle of the room, was a spider.
Dan screamed, pulling Emily and Colby away and into the living room.
"Dad! It's just a spider," Emily said, making a move to go back into the living room.
"Do not go in there!" Dan squealed, pacing back and forth as he thought of what to do in this situation. He felt sick as he thought about the spindly legs, almost heaving.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked as Dan sat down. She crawled up onto his knee and threw her arms around his neck. Dan let his daughter comfort him, circling his arms around her waist and pulling her in closer.
"I'm scared of spiders," Dan said to her once she pulled away. Her eyes were wide in panic.
"Why don't you ask grandma?" Emily said quickly, taking his phone off the table. Dan went to stop her, but noticed his phone was still unlocked from when he'd been scrolling through his twitter and she'd managed to locate the number of Phil's mum. Now he felt stupid. Also, who had taught her to use a phone?
"Emily, don't dist-"
"Hi, grandma!" Emily chirped down the phone, grinning. She pressed the speaker button as Kath replied.
"Hi, sweetie. Are you okay? Where's your dad?" Kath questioned.
"I'm here, Mrs. Lester. Hi," Dan sighed. "Sorry about that, I couldn't stop her."
"Oh give over! I'm just glad you're alive and she didn't ring me instead of 999," Kath joked. "Plus, you don't ring me anymore. I was ready to give you some advice on Philip!"
Dan groaned at Kath's joke, putting his head in his hands. He used to ring Kath to learn how to deal with Phil's annoying quirks. He'd figured it out with a bit of guidance, and no longer had to ask.
"Gram!" Colby slurred. He couldn't speak the best yet, so he always referred to her as 'gram'.
"Grandma, there's a spider in the living room, and dad's scared!" Emily explained.
"Oh no!" Kath exclaimed. "You okay, love? I remember when I had to come and rescue you with a cup and some paper because you wouldn't let Phil go."
If Dan wasn't already red, he was now. He felt his skin burn. He'd had a panic attack when Phil had a spider in his room when he was younger and Kath had had to come and get it with a cup.
"I'm fine, thanks. I'm making us camp out in the kitchen until Phil gets home which is in-" Dan checked his watch. "Three hours."
"You can't sit in the kitchen for three hours!" Kath said. "If only I was downstairs."
"Hey, it's fine! Emily had stuff in the kitchen to play with, and her room," Dan said. "Again, sorry for bothering you."
"You can call me whenever you want, darling! Goodbye, my loves," Kath said cheerfully.
"Bye," Emily said, giving Dan his phone back and smiling cheekily. Dan smiled back; he couldn't be mad at her for being so thoughtful.
"Okay, dad. I'm going to save you," Emily smiled, getting her plastic cup off the table from dinner and one of the pieces of paper on the table.
"Where are you going?!" Dan exclaimed, Emily scurrying off before he could catch her. Dan wanted to follow her, stop her, but he felt frozen to his place as he thought about what was in there. Colby looked at him curiously, tugging on his shirt to be lifted. Dan picked Colby up as Emily came back into the kitchen holding her cup with some paper placed underneath it.
"See, dad, it's okay! I saved us!" Emily beamed, gesturing to the cup. "The spiders in here!"
Dan held back another screech as a shiver wracked through his body. He put Colby back on the floor, holding his hand, and went to the front door, opening it up and letting Emily step out with the cup. She placed it on the floor, releasing the little demon, and then made her way back inside. After the door was shut, Dan crouched onto the floor where Emily was stood swaying, with her hands clasped behind her back.
"Sorry for getting the spider when you said no. I just wanted to save you," she said quietly, looking down at her feet which were clad with mismatched socks (definitely Phil's daughter.) Dan was awed at his daughter. He reached a hand out to move some of her black fringe away so he could look into chocolate eyes. He never liked his eyes, never understood Phil's obsession with them. However, the day he looked into her eyes, he fell in love with them. All he could see was kindness, sunshine, and love.
"Oh, sweetheart," he whispered. "My saviour."
He wrapped her up in his arms, kissing the side of her head. Colby wrapped his arms around her legs, too.
"I love you. You don't need to be scared anymore," Emily smiled.
"I won't be scared anymore."
***************
Dan, Emily and Colby were all snuggled together on the couch when Phil returned home. Colby had fallen asleep on Dan's chest at some point and Emily had her head on his shoulder.
"Everyone's in one piece, I see?" was the first thing he said upon entering the living room.
"Pa!" Emily grinned, standing up and reaching her arms up to him. He lifted her, snuggling her tight before kissing her black curls.
"Have you been good?" Phil questioned her with a smile, placing her back down on her feet and bending down so he was at eye level.
"Yes! I saved dad's life today!" She beamed. Phil snickered, looking at Dan who was blushing again.
"Well, I wouldn't quite put it like that," he mumbled.
"My mum called, you know? It was quite interesting," Phil teased. "Something about a spider?"
"I didn't call her, Emily did!" Dan insisted.
"She couldn't come, so I had to save dad instead. I used my cup and got it because dad was sad about it," Emily explained. Phil's face softened as he looked at his husband. He knew how he got around spiders.
"Well, thank God you were here to look after him!" Phil said, tickling her sides, making her squeal. Phil went to sit next to Dan on the sofa and kissed him on the lips. He looked down at Colby who was sleeping soundly on Dan's chest, his heart fluttering in his chest at the sight.
"He's having his nap. We should wake him up in an hour or so," Dan mumbled. Phil nodded, helping Dan off the sofa so they could take Colby to his room. Dan put him in his bed and turned to leave the room before he was stopped by a hand on his arm. He turned to look at Phil who kissed him again, for longer. He placed his hands on Dan's hips, pulling him closer. When he pulled away, he moved a hand up to Dan's cheek, running his thumb along his cheekbone.
"I don't blame you for what happened today, Dan. I know it's always been an anxiety for you," Phil murmured. "I think you've done an amazing job with them today, and I underestimated you."
Dan snorted and rolled his eyes, "It was a fucking mess, Phil. I made our 7-year-old daughter get a spider because I was such a wimp."
"No, Dan. You were trying to protect her from something you're scared of. That's fine; it was an instinct. I think that makes you a pretty fantastic, father," Phil explained, the fondness in his words was almost unbearable. "Every day, you're going to have to help her with something she's scared of and it's a part of growing up. It's nice that she could help you today."
Dan smiled, taking Phil's hand that was on his cheek and leaving a kiss on it, "Thank you, love. I think maybe we're both pretty fantastic."
Summary: Dan knew the day was coming but that still didn't mean he was prepared, so when his son Oliver brings home a note saying Dan is due to be a parent for his classroom for the Valentine's Day party, he already feels a bit of dread. Reluctant to go, he meets Phil, another parent: who just happens to be the father of Oliver's best friend. And he realizes maybe it's not so bad after all.
Word Count: 1.9k
Warnings: None
**Read Now on Ao3**
Written for @starboydjh for our Discord exchange! Hope you liked your fic Hadley! I had a lot of fun writing it!
