Happy Phanniversary!

I.

Phil's idea was to wait, to count down the last few seconds of the year, and when the clock struck midight and the old year turned to new, he would kiss Dan on the balcony as fireworks of all colours and sizes exploded across the night sky.

Of course, that's not what happens - at least not how Phil wants it to.

"Hey Phil, do you want another drink?" Dan asks.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

Phil checks the time on his phone. There's only a minute left of the current year, and he groans as he struggles to think of a way to execute his plan within the limited time frame that he has left.

Dan raises his eyebrows in a questioning gesture, once Phil walks into the kitchen/bar area.

"Just a soda, please." Phil says, and although Dan looks like he wants to say something, he doesn't, and Phil is silently grateful.

He's nervous enough as it is, it's best not to add to the butterflies that are already there.

Dan hands him the drink, and distantly, Phil can hear muffled shouting. He recognises it as everyone counting down the few seconds left of the year.

He sighs, confronted with the unfortunate fact that he won't be able to kiss Dan - at least not the way he had planned.

Phil turns around, fully prepared to ask Dan if he's coming into the living area, or, if time runs out, to wish him a 'Happy New Year'.

He doesn't get the chance to do either.

3, 2, 1

Phil turns, mouth parted to speak, and then Dan's lips are on his, hard and passionate but gentle. Phil drops his can, the sticky liquid spilling onto the tiles. At first, he thinks to clean up the mess before anyone else notices.

But then Dan slides his hands around Phil's neck, and Phil's own hands automatically grip onto Dan's waist, and he remembers that holy shit he's kissing Dan and Dan's actually kissing him back!

Dan pulls away what feels like only a second later, and they're both left practically gasping for air.

"Happy New Year." Dan says, grinning like he just won the lottery - and Phil thinks that maybe they have.

"Very Happy New Years." Phil repeats.

II.

Phil decides to do something special, for Valentine's Day, for Dan.

And after the switch in control at New Years, Phil is determined to surprise Dan properly, for the plan he spent weeks hatching to actually happen.

He's got it all sorted.

Lazy morning kisses to wake up, pancakes and anime for brunch, teeth-rottingly sweet rom-coms they can laugh at - specifically at the irony considering their own relationship - and then dinner at a fancy restaurant; the evening ending with chocolate covered strawberries and soft kisses shared lounging on their couch.

Everything is supposed to go perfectly, he's got back-up plans for the restaurant and transport - and back-up plans for those back-up plans. Everything that could possibly go wrong is planned for.

Except, of course, Dan getting sick.

It's just a slight head-cold, nothing too serious, a small sniffle - an inconvenience more than anything else - on the days leading up to Valentine's Day.

But then, on the eve, Dan begins to cough. And as much as Phil attempts to hold onto hope that it's not anything big ... he's smarter than that.

(He goes out and buys tissues, cough medicine, paracetamol tablets and honey - just in case.)

Phil wakes up on their first Valentine's as a couple, to the sound of Dan upheaving his lungs.

He sighs softly, then heads into the kitchen, departing with a "just a sec" to Dan, who he assumes hears. He returns with the bag of medicine he'd bought the day before, and two hot cups of tea, one with honey for Dan.

"I'm sorry," Dan croaks before another cough tears through his throat.

"It's fine, love, don't stress about it. We still get to spend today together, right? That's all that matters to me."

Dan smiles weakly, and then Phil hands him the mug, and they cuddle up together. They watch movies on Phil's laptop until Dan falls asleep, and then Phil dims the brightness and works on a few things, wary of how loud he's tapping and whether Dan is wheezing or not.

It may not have been the Valentine's Day he'd been hoping for, and he may have missed another chance to surprise Dan, but he figures that there's likely to be another chance, so he's not too upset about it.

(Besides, by looking after Dan, he got sick, which meant that he was able to be coddled and looked after. Phil thinks it's a pretty win-win situation, all things considered.)

III.

Dan's an incredibly person, Phil realises.

Not that he wasn't aware of it before, he'd have to be practically dead - which he isn't.

It's just that Phil's so incredibly aware of it now. It's just as glaringly obvious as the sun when it rises, or Dan's adorable crater-dimples.

Or, the love Phil feels for Dan.

Because, revelation time, Phil's 99.999% certain that he's in love with Dan. And he needs to tell Dan, to show him just how much he means to Phil.

And simple words aren't enough. Phil's not a poet or a writer, he can't pluch letters from the clouds and arrange them into exquisite sentences. He needs something, as incredibly special as Dan.

Something that expresses everything Phil feels for Dan in as perfect a way as possible.

Phil thinks he's got it.

Muse are due for a tour in a few months, so he's pre-ordered tickets for that, and there's a musical - The Lion King - that he wants to take Dan to. His plan is to take Dan to the theatre, then surprise him with the concert tickets. That way, when he tells Dan that he loves him, it won't seem as big of a deal.

"Hey Phil?"

Phil looks over at Dan, whose sitting next to him on the couch. He's careful to switch to the Tumblr tab he has open, just in case. He can't afford to have his plan spoiled - not another one.

"Yeah, what's up?"

There's a pause, a prolonged silence that carries on for so long, Phil begins to wonder if Dan is even going to speak. And then he does, and Phil's pride wishes that he hadn't.

"I love you."

The words are quiet, softly-spoken, and Phil's not sure if it's because Dan's nervous or apprehensive, or if it's because midnight passed a couple of hours ago, and there's a certain ethereal stillness to the air after the witching hour's time has passed.

"I love you too," Phil says, just as quietly, and Dan grins.

And then they're laughing and kissing, and Phil's pretty sure he'll be disappointed once he's gotten sleep, because yet another plan of his has been foiled - but for now, with Dan's lips pressed against his and his heart swelling so much it threatens to tear through his chest ... he doesn't mind that much.

After all, he still got to tell Dan that he loves him.

IV.

Dan hits a million subscibers, and Phil's so incredibly happy for him, so proud of how far he's come in just a couple of years, the joy he's bringing people, the lives he's changed - Phil can't think of anybody more deserving of achieving this milestone.

And so, to celebrate the momentous occasion, Phil bakes a cake.

He finds a recipe on the internet for Chocolate Devil's Cake, and he buys an icing starter pack, edible letters and candles.

He makes the cake from scratch, the day after he shops, when Dan is out doing errands. He slides the cake in, sets a timer, and decides to pass the time by watching some TV after he's cleaned the kitchen up.

What Phil doesn't account for, however, is his brain deciding that a nap is a really good idea.

It isn't, as it so turns out, because Phil wakes up roughly an hour later, to the stinging smell of charcoal and burnt food.

"Fuck," Phil curses, because as much as he's not a big fan of swearing, non-crude words just simply aren't going to cut it.

"No, no, no, no." He chants, as he grabs a tea-towel and pulls the cake pan out, smoke billowing from the oven and into the kitchen, and then the rest of the house.

He coughs as he tries to blow the smoke away, opening windows and doors in the slim hopes of evaporating the burnt air.

He pushes his hair back from his face, and stares in despair at the charred mess that was supposed to be Dan's surprise celebratory cake.

"Phil, I'm ... what the fuck ... Phil?!"

Phil whirls around as Dan enters the kitchen, confusion expressed in his furrowed forehead and scrunched-up nose, his pursed lips pulled tight.

"Phil?" Dan asks again, his voice calm but strained, and there's a million questions in that single word.

"I - I was trying to make a cake, for you, because you hit a million subscribers and I'm so proud of you, Dan, I'm just so happy and I love you ... but I fell asleep and then the cake burnt -"

"Phil, babe, you're rambling." Dan laughs.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I can't believe you did that for me, though."

"I mean I didn't, technically..." Phil clarifies.

"Details. Inconsequential, unimportant details. It's the thought that counts Phil, remember? Your intentions were pure at heart, and that means more to me than the actual cake."

"I wanted to surprise you." Phil murmurs.

"Well, the smoke was certainly unexpected."

Phil scowls, and Dan just laughs again.

"You're adorable, you know that?"

Phil shrugs. "Maybe."

Dan steps forward, and slides his arms around Phil's waist.

"I love you." He says, staring into Phil's eyes.

"I love you too." Phil replies.

And although he was a little upset (a lot) about the cake, he's never heard Dan speak so affectionately before.

It kind of makes up for him laughing at Phil's expense.

V.

Christmas arrives, and because it's their first one as a couple, Phil's seriously determined to actually surprise Dan.

Finally.

They decorate the tree together, just like old times but with brighter smiles and soft kisses. They make a Christmas playlist that plays constantly, and the sound bounces off the walls, changing from the soft, delicate tunes of Mariah Carey to the slightly heavier notes All Time Low bring.

And when Dan's in the kitchen setting up the ingredients for the Christmas cookies - because they'd both agreed it'd be better if they did it together, for multiple reasons - Phil ventures around the house, hanging up mistletoe anywhere and everywhere he possibly can. Sprigs hang above door frames, and their bed, and he's hidden a few in his pocket just in case all else fails.

To say 'Phil is determined' is putting it lightly.

"The cookies smell so good!" Phil exclaims as Dan pulls them out of the oven.

"I know. We'll have to wait for them to cool, though, before we ice them." Dan replies.

"Do you want to watch a movie, delve into the Christmas spirit a bit more?" He add.

"Sure. But I get to pick!"

"Fine." Dan grumbles, but it's really all for show, and they both know it.

Phil kisses Dan lightly before heading to the DVD section in the living room - an extremely vast one. He finds the movie he's looking for, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and slides the disc in.

He stands up and turns, to find Dan standing barely an inch away, smirking as though he's incredibly pleased with something.

"What?" Phil enquires, laughing despite his confusion.

"Oh, nothing much, it's just..."

Dan looks up, and Phil follows his gaze, to find a sprig of mistletoe, hanging from a string connected to the ceiling.

"You freakishly tall giant!" Phil curses, but he laughs at the irony - even after all of his effort, this time instead of surprising Dan, his boyfriend has managed to surprise him.

"You know, it is a well-loved tradition." Dan says, and Phil understands the smirk now.

Sneaky little shit.

"Well, we can't really ignore tradition now, can we?" Phil asks, and it's rhetorical as they both know the answer.

Phil reaches for Dan, and Dan pulls him closer - they kiss softly under the mistletoes, the twinkling fairy lights draped around the tree washing them in colours.

"Merry Christmas." Phil whispers against Dan's lips, their bodies pressed impossibly close together.

"It's not even Christmas yet, its only just December." Dan reminds him, amused.

"Close enough." Phil replies, and Dan laughs against his lips as they kiss again.

"I love you," He murmurs.

"I love you too." Phil returns.

Truthfully, he's only a little annoyed.

+1

*Three Years Later*

It's Dan's birthday, and he's turning twenty-six, which is a fairly important age. And after years of fruitless attempts at surprising Dan, or at the very least catching him off guard, Phil had begun to give up.

Except now ... now Phil thinks he may have a surprise that will truly shock Dan.

Because if it doesn't ... there's nothing in the world able to surprise him.

Phil wakes up first, and he just waits, watches as Dan sleeps. Dan's a very gentle sleeper, his face relaxed and calm and passive. There's a faint ghost of a smile on his lips and Phil wonders what he's dreaming about.

Dan blinks a few times when he first wakes up, until he realises that Phil's also awake. He smiles then, a real, honest, bright smile that expresses pure joy and delight.

"Hey, you." He whispers, his dark caramel eyes sparkling.

"Good morning to you too."

Phil kisses Dan, just a quick one to say hi.

"Happy Birthday." He whispers, then kisses Dan again.

"Thank you. Was that my present?"

Phil shakes his head.

"There are much better presents planned. Plenty too."

"Phil, you didn't have to -"

Phil cuts Dan off with another kiss, a longer one that Dan leans into, sighing when they pulled away.

"I love you. I didn't have to, but I wanted to. So, you can just hush."

Dan laughs, and it sounds like a thousand twinkling music notes.

"Okay, okay."

Phil rolls over and pulls out the wrapped present he'd left under the bed the night before. He grins to himself, and silently hopes that nothing suspicious will show on his face.

"Present number one." He announces, handing it over.

Dan sits up, and Phil watches as he slowly unwraps it.

"I know it's not really the biggest, but..."

Phil's words fall flat as Dan gasps slowly, the velvet box open, revealing the glittering band inside.

"Phil..." Dan says slowly, eyes watering and hand shaking.

"The question's kind of unspoken, isn't it? So ... uh, will you?"

Dan's actually crying now, properly, and the hand that's not holding the box is covering his mouth.

"Phil, you ... you bastard." Dan's voice is muffled by his hand, but the words hold no malice so Phil just laughs - he was expecting as much.

"Is that a yes?" Phil asks, hopeful. "Or do you actually hate me?" Phil asks, his slight nerves replaced by amusement.

"Of course it is a yes, you dork! Of course I'll marry you!"

Dan closes the box and puts it down in his lap, his now empty hands grasping Phil's cheeks. Phil's hands slide up Dan's back, pulling him closer, and they kiss - happy and loving and slightly salty, courtesy of Dan's happy tears.

They pull away eventually, and Phil takes the box, sliding the ring onto Dan's left hand - delighted when he realises Dan will see the ring every time he does anything, seeing as it is his dominant hand. It's a thin silver band, with minute cat whiskers engraved into the inside.

"I can't believe you proposed. We're going to get married ... I can't believe you proposed to me on my birthday."

Phil just smiles.

"Surprise."