Restlessness: the search for a home (phanfic)
Here are the first two chapters of the second part of my phanfic ‘Restlessness’.
Summary: Set in December 2016. Phil goes on a walk round London and sees a beautiful house which gets him thinking...
Word Count: 7,218
Contains: Fluff, domestic, phan and looking for a house, smut
(read the entire phanfic here if you want to read the earlier chapters which contain more fluff and smut, but also some added angst. Also read it on the page and just skip to chapter 11 because the lay out is WAY easier to read there)
Chapter 11
Early December, 2016
A brisk wind funnelled through the old London streets, swirling through the material of long winter coats making them look like black bullfighter capes. City denizens clad in deep blue and night black suits and coats carried long umbrellas like walking sticks, tapping them intermittently like metronomes on the concrete pavements. Phil had decided to go out for a coffee. He had found an old independent coffee shop a thirty-minute walk from their flat and had noted when he first ventured there that it would be a lovely place to sit and read. He had kept good on his promise to break the mundanity of staying in their flat and only leaving for work or social events. Over the past month or so he had gone on walks or browsed around bookshops that hid between quiet lanes in the city, keeping as quiet and unassuming as their customers. This coffee shop was normally sparse in patrons and its clientele were mainly older men and women who had the time and money to enjoy the peace which one could find in this bustling city.
Phil entered off the cold winter street into the warm and inviting coffee shop, noting how nice it was to buy a hot drink from somewhere less commercial and franchised than Starbucks. This place had a charm, and the people within were here with purpose. Anyone could walk into a Starbucks, but people here had sought out this place specifically. It gave the space the air of a secret, for members of the community only, a hidden treasure for only the observant to find. The air was thick with the deep and sensual smell of coffee beans, and the sounds floating around were of quiet polite chatter and the clinking of delicate spoons on mismatched porcelain saucers.
Phil ordered a cappuccino and a swirled pastry, then sat down at a table by the window. The street outside wasn’t too busy. It was two o’clock so most people had returned to their offices. No tourists had veered off the usual main roads down this quiet street, and it was too cold a day for many people to want to walk around the old back streets of London. A chirpy mother walked past, holding the hand of a young girl who was engulfed by a woollen scarf. Phil imagined that they were catching up on her day at school, the finger-painting, the nursery rhymes, and the nice teacher who taught them about rainforest animals.
Two elderly ladies sat on a table in front of Phil. Without meaning to he overheard their conversation about how their gardens were doing, and the toil of persevering with keeping them in check through the cold weeks of December.
Phil felt alone, but not lonely. It was the feeling of being so incredibly aware that this time was for him, and him alone, but that Dan was a short walk away. He was simply there. Phil imagined him planning video ideas, or browsing the internet, huddled in a blanket and mindlessly passing away the day. They had loved each other for a long time, but every week the tone of their love had changed. Some weeks it would feel like deep red, consuming and burning. Other days it would feel duck egg blue, calming and quiet like an undisturbed pond where the sounds of the forest were heightened in their volume. This week, it felt like deep royal purple, relaxing and comforting in its intensity. Phil finished his coffee and pastry whilst regarding with nostalgia and peace the varying people who would walk past. He then collected his things, put on his coat, and re-entered the chilly afternoon.
Rather than walk home the same way he came, he decided to stay on the quieter roads and slowly glance at the old town houses that lined the streets. He had never been along these streets and enjoyed silently judging the aestheticism of each house. With his cold hands jammed into his pockets and his scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, he leisurely pondered about the different lives led in London; the multitudinous citizens and the peculiarly varied lives.
He came upon a crescent of old Georgian terraced houses, the ground floor exteriors being large white stone slabs, and the upper two floors being smog-blackened brown bricks. The windows of each house were expansive with large panes, around which were Greek-styled frames and triangular stone pediments. The first floor windows had tiny railings on small balconies surrounding them, the roof had beautiful crown moulding spanning each house, each door was painted in a different colour, and an ornate black, iron fence separated each house from the stone paved path outside. Each house was two rooms wide, and had four stories, three above ground and a basement. They were beautiful, old and idyllic. A small wintry park lay inside the crescent and an old stone church stood on the street corner nearby. The lampposts were old and Victorian, and there were hardly any pedestrians. They looked like the houses of old writers, Victorian detectives, and young Professors with perfect children. Each house probably had a beautiful garden, full with lavender and rosemary bushes. As Phil left this beautiful road which had stayed exactly the same for hundreds of years, he noted its name, just in case… well, just in case.
Back at the flat he found Dan exactly as he had imagined him, covered in the thick wool material of a throw and intently staring at his MacBook screen. Phil shook off his coat, lay it on the back of one of the dining chairs, and sat down next to Dan, lying his head on Dan’s shoulder and looking at his screen.
‘Nice walk?’ Dan asked, then moved his arm over Phil and wrapped it around his shoulders.
‘Yeh. Really nice.’ Phil responded, still not quite extricated from the interior thoughts which he’d been located within for the past few hours.
They both felt like they needn’t say anything. Phil was happy to watch Dan scroll through tumblr, then check various emails when notifications popped up on his screen.
Phil couldn’t help thinking about the houses he had seen earlier. He glanced around their living room, crammed bookshelves, blank walls where no pictures could be hanged, and sighed.
‘You OK?’ Dan asked, still not diverting his eyes from his MacBook.
‘Yeh.’ Phil replied absentmindedly. He then got up off the sofa, grabbed his laptop from his bedroom and went upstairs to their office. He turned on his screen and searched Google for the name of the street, double checked that it was the right place, then scrolled through the google search results to see if there was any information on house prices. He knew that this was a bit silly, it was kind of like when he would spend hours on Google Maps looking at the roads in far-off island resorts just in case he ever wanted to travel there. Phil dismissed the actual possibility that he was checking out if there were house listings for any reason other than a curiosity which would lead nowhere. Pushing any thoughts of why he might actually be serious about this to the back of his mind, he clicked on Foxton’s Real Estate Agent’s website and found a house on that street up for sale. He looked through each photo of the interior, noting the beautiful white walls and homely kitchen. The photograph of the garden was equally as beautiful, showing an old English garden with overgrown bushes, an ornate iron table with chairs, and vines crawling along the old stone walls that enclosed the beautiful space. Phil then returned to the information page and found the price of the house. He stared at it for a while. He knew that a house in London would be expensive, and this was expensive. But he knew roughly their finances and it could work. Phil grabbed a pen from the table and started to chew its end, twirling it between his fingers and just staring at the price of the house. A feeling of motivation stuck him, so he pushed his MacBook to the back of his desk, the got up to find the folder with their finances in it.
He spent the next two hours tallying the prices of their rent and bills per year, then the profits from their tour and book. He then calculated revenue from their videos and the profits from the next book and their merchandise. He put all this information onto a spreadsheet on his computer and tried to work everything out.
When Dan opened the door, Phil almost jumped out of his seat. He turned around laughing, his hand held over his chest.
Dan looked at him in confusion, being taken aback by the piles of folders and sheets of calculations that lay in front of Phil. ‘Errr… Phil, what are you doing?’
Phil became flustered, making sure that the spreadsheet rather than the web page of the house was showing on his screen. ‘I… I just thought it would be good to look over the finances.’
‘Right… For any particular reason?’ Dan said slowly, looking quizzically at him.
‘Erm, no. I just kinda felt like looking over it.’ Phil said innocently.
Dan gave him another wary glance. It wasn’t actually too unlike Phil to suddenly start to look over their business accounts. At the end of the day, it was their jobs and as much as they tried to avoid it, this was their livelihood and they needed to keep on top of it. And seeing Phil, lounged back in their desk chair, black glasses on, and business folders strewn in front of him, was pretty sexy. Dan smiled at him, walked over and placed his hands on the armrests of the chair and leaned over Phil, then kissed him.
‘Well, don’t work too hard.’ He said with a smirk, then left the room saying that he was ordering some pizza.
Phil stared after him with a peaceful smile playing at his lips. He then swung back around to face the desk and continue with all the calculations until he heard the doorbell downstairs chime, letting him know that the pizza had arrived.
Dan could tell that Phil was being even quieter than usual and that something was playing on his mind. He didn’t push it though. They sat quietly eating pizza and watching TV, both of them lost in their thoughts, Phil about his recent overwhelming ideas about their future, and Dan about his fears about what Phil had been up to all evening. Dan thought about what it could be. Phil had returned from his walk lost in his own inner monologue, then retreated upstairs to check over mountains of files and calculate their finances. It seemed like the only obvious explanation was that something wasn’t right about their business; perhaps Phil had realised some missing money, or that their taxes were wrong, or something along those lines. Dan tried to think over their last tax returns and the last meeting with the accountant, working out if there had been any hints recently of something going array. Yet, he could think of nothing. They had been doing particularly well this year, and although they tried to avoid financial conversations in order to try and separate their business from their relationship, the few conversations they’d had hadn’t spelled any disaster.
Once they had finished eating and cleared up the pizza boxes from the living room, Dan couldn’t keep quiet any longer. His mind was now full of fears of varying economic disasters which may be befalling them.
‘Phil, has something gone wrong with our finances?’ Dan tentatively asked.
Phil looked away from the TV programme they were watching and glanced at Dan, then back at the screen. ‘No,’ he replied with confusion.
Dan stared at him for a few seconds, then grabbed the TV remote and turned off the screen. This caused Phil to look back again at him, his eyes darting between Dan and the mid-distance.
‘Then why did you spend all evening looking through our work files? If something has gone wrong, we can sort it out.’ Dan said, this time with a little more firmness.
Phil looked down at his lap, thinking deeply about what he was going to say. Eventually he looked back at Dan and said, ‘No, really, nothing is wrong. Kind of the opposite, the projections for this year are really good.’
‘So why was it so important to look through it today?’ Dan said, still confused but less stressed now that Phil had assured him that they weren’t on the brink of financial devastation.
‘Erm…’ Phil said, trying to think of how to broach this conversation. ‘Wait here, I need to grab my laptop.’ Phil hurried upstairs to collect his laptop and bring it to the living room. He then sat back down next to Dan and opened it.
‘OK, so, today on my way back from getting a coffee, I was walking along some nice roads near Caledonian Road, and… it got me thinking about… I dunno… like finding a place down there?’ Phil said hesitantly.
‘But we already have this flat, and this isn’t too far from that area?’ Dan said, now even more confused.
Phil sighed and placed his MacBook to one side and faced Dan. ‘I know, but the rent here is really expensive, and renting is always a temporary solution and we’re losing money every month. The reason why people buy houses is because it becomes an asset and people have the stability of knowing that they actually own their home. It doesn’t make sense to keep renting, and I know this is super adult and completely boring, but it makes more sense to get on the property market.’
Dan took a moment to let Phil’s words sink in. ‘So you’re saying we should buy a house…?’
Phil exhaled and looked off into the warmly lit living room. ‘Yeh. I love this flat, but we can’t stay here forever, and we’re going to need to buy a place some time in the future, and whilst we’re renting we’re losing more money than if we bought a place.’
‘But buying a house is expensive, especially in London, and then we’d have a mortgage over our heads?’ Dan said, trying really hard to switch his brain from the laziness of the day to thinking about such ridiculously adult things as rental rates and mortgages.
‘Yeh, but we have rent hanging over our heads now. And if we stay here for a few more years and something goes wrong on the business side of things, then we don’t have any assets to fall back on, or the stability of at least owning a home. If we got a house, although we’d have a mortgage, the place would be ours and we could sell it if something went wrong and get back that investment, rather than currently where we’ll never get back any of the money we’re spending on rent.’
Dan ran his hand over his face and scrunched his eyes, trying to think through everything that Phil was saying. He’d had this conversation with his parents a year or so ago, and they’d said a similar thing. Dan could also remember earlier this year when they had both gone for drinks with some of Phil’s friends from university who had been talking about buying a property in Manchester to avoid rising rental costs. ‘OK.’ He finally said. ‘It makes sense, but buying a house is a big commitment, what if we want to move?’
‘I know, but if we did decide to move, then we sell the house with the mortgage, and hopefully gain back the money we first spent and more, then move to somewhere else.’ Phil responded. Phil tended to spend most of his time denying that he needed to fully engage in the adult world, but when he had to look over their taxes, or deal with business stuff, he was fully capable of entering into a business mind-set. He was almost thirty, and the friends around him were becoming increasingly adult, and although he never compared his life with those around him, the conversations about maintenance work on flats, mortgage rates, and issues with rental agreements had slowly crept into his world until he could no longer deny that such adult complications were a part of his life also.
After some consideration Dan said, ‘OK. I know, it makes sense…’ he then paused and said calmly, ‘but Phil, buying a house… it’s a big step… you know?’
Phil looked with a peaceful gaze at Dan, then smiled. ‘I know,’ he said quietly with assurance.
Dan couldn’t help but beam at him. Their lives were so intertwined already, but buying a house together was the adult equivalent of saying that this was definitely it and that their lives were completely shared. The best thing about Phil basically saying this, was that Dan wasn’t at all shocked. He just felt completely happy. Dan leaned over towards Phil, placed his hands gently on his cheeks and kissed him softly, smiling as their lips met.
‘OK.’ Dan said with a grin, their faces still close and Phil’s eyes lighting up behind his thick rimmed glasses.
Phil kissed him back both passionately and playfully, sucking at Dan’s lips and moving so that he was kneeling over him. Dan ran his hands up Phil’s back, feeling his shoulder blades through his thick woollen jumper. Phil’s fingers entwined in the material of Dan’s t-shirt, as he pulled their bodies closer together.
‘Wait… wait.’ Phil said quickly, out of breath.
Dan moved his face back, trying to stop his urge to slam his lips back into Phil’s, pull his boyfriends body down towards him and roll his body up into him. ‘Yeh?’ Dan said, trying to slow his breathing and staring up at Phil’s lips and thinking about kissing and licking at them.
‘I didn’t mention something earlier.’ Phil said.
‘Yeh, what?’ Dan said absentmindedly, still thinking of Phil’s lips, Phil’s body, and what they could be doing right now instead of talking.
Phil smirked at Dan and through giggles said, ‘Dan, you’re not paying attention.’
Dan drew his eyes away from Phil’s lips, only realising then that he was biting down on his own bottom lips which he quickly stopped doing, then looked up into Phil’s eyes.
‘Oh my god, what, Phil?’ Dan said with exasperation through a smile.
Phil moved off Dan, sat back down on the sofa next to him and grabbed his laptop from the coffee table in front of them. He then opened it and opened up the web page with the photograph of the house he’d seen earlier on his walk.
‘What am I looking at?’ Dan said, still slightly salty that their make-out session had been halted.
‘It’s a house I saw today. Do you like it?’ Phil said with trepidation.
Dan looked at the photograph and took in the beautiful brick house, four stories high, with ornate exterior detailing and a bright blue door. Phil then scrolled through each picture of the interior and the garden. Once they had both looked through each photo silently, Dan rested his arm on the back of the sofa, leant his head on his hand, and stared with complete love at Phil.
‘Did you see this house today on your walk and that’s why you came back and have suddenly thought of this.’ Dan asked lovingly.
Phil giggled and replied, ‘Yes.’
Dan sighed and looked back at the house. It was beautiful, the street looked calm, and he knew that area of London was really pretty. Dan did love the look of the house, sure it wasn’t some modernist architectural masterpiece that he sometimes dreamt of, but it was the house in the dreams he had where him and Phil lived in a quiet, lovely, yet somewhat unassuming house in this city which was now home. ‘So how much is it?’ He asked, deciding to go along with this for now.
‘A lot, but not too much.’ Phil said, then showed the page which had the price of the house. ‘But that’s what I was doing upstairs, I was working out how affordable it is for us, and the difference in buying it, well not necessarily this house, but buying a house in London compared to how much money we’ll be spending on rent and bills here.’
Dan looked at the price, and although it was a lot, he knew that it was doable. ‘OK. And Phil, this doesn’t mean anything, I’m more humouring you, but say if we did decide to buy this house, or a different one, we can’t move out of this place immediately.’
‘Well, I actually checked our tenancy agreement, and if we let the landlord know soon, we could move out of here by February.’
Dan was shocked into silence. Phil was apparently completely and utterly serious about this being an actual thing that could happen. ‘February? Isn’t that rushing things? This is a big decision.’
‘No, I know. I just wanted to check… I’m not saying we should rush into anything, it’s just I saw this house, and just wanted to work out how possible something like this was for us.’
Dan thought about it for a while, sitting in silence and staring at the webpage, glancing at the house details, the photograph at the top, and back at the price. This was a big decision, but it’s not like either of them hadn’t seen it coming. They had both talked about fantasy houses and had been complaining incessantly about the lack of storage here. Dan loved this flat, but they had both had conversations over the past few months about potentially moving somewhere bigger. Phil was right about rent, it didn’t make sense for them anymore to hop between flats, if they were going to move, it was more financially stable and lucrative to buy somewhere. That place needed to be in London for their jobs, needed to be in the right location, needed to be big enough but not small enough, needed to have a garden, and would never realistically be their dream house; although this house wasn’t the house of their dreams, it was perfect. Dan inhaled deeply, then exhaled and said, ‘We’ll call them tomorrow.’
Before Dan knew what was happening, Phil’s lips were pressed tightly to his, his tongue licking at Dan’s lips and hands clinging to Dan’s hair. Dan smiled, trying not to laugh as his boyfriend basically tackled him till he was lying down on the sofa with Phil knelt over him, his hands beginning to slide underneath his shirt and move up his torso. A radiance glowed around Phil and warmed the air around them. Phil felt completely calm despite being so excited. He kissed passionately at Dan’s soft lips and allowed this moment to soar through his whole body. Their lives were becoming so unbreakably intertwined, and the unapologetically sincere decision that they would always be together made every worry in Phil’s mind float off into oblivion. Phil pushed Dan’s t shirt up and kissed at his soft and supple torso, breathing in the smell of sleepy skin and well-worn clothes. To Phil, Dan’s body was like a treasured childhood teddy. He knew every scar from old falls, he knew where he was softest, he knew how to hold him at night when storms raged outside their window, he knew how to bury his face into his hair and breathe in the smell of memories and home.
Dan felt Phil’s warm hands press against his skin and grasp at his hips. He rested his head back and enjoyed the feeling of being kissed everywhere. He let pure bliss wash over him as Phil pulled his jeans off and licking him everywhere. Dan’s eyes were still closed as Phil pulled him up into another kiss and straddled him. Dan kept his eyes closed, letting Phil guide his every movement, guide his lips till their kisses became like ballroom dancing. Guide his hands down Phil’s body beneath his t shirt. Dan could feel Phil’s naked legs and groin press down over his own. He could feel both of their heavy breathing synchronise till their sounds became like waves rolling in and out on a windswept shore. Phil broke their kiss, lifted Dan’s hand up to his own mouth and sucked languidly at his fingers before moving them down and guiding them into him. Dan opened his eyes to see Phil throw his head back and arch his back. He looked fucking stunning. As Dan moved his fingers into Phil, with his other hand he pulled his head forward and kissed him fervently, enjoying Phil’s strained gasps every few seconds. When he felt as though they were ready, Dan pushed Phil’s body up them brought him slowly down as Dan entered him. They both inhaled sharply and held their breath for what felt like eras. Dan then moved both his arms up and clung onto Phil’s hair, resting their foreheads together as Phil rolled his hips. With their foreheads still pressed together and both their eyes closed, Dan moved a hand down to stroke Phil gently. Only stopping to quickly remove both of their t shirts and fling them across the room before returning for a kiss and to rest his fingers once again in Phil’s hair. They became an ocean, one wave on the shore, one sound on the beach, rolling over the sand in hushed whispers and moaning in one breath of wind over sand dunes and hushed grasslands. Time slowed with their bodies. Their worlds became one vista. They could feel nothing but each other as all else ceased to matter.
Chapter 12
Phil woke up at eight thirty am whilst the short December morning still clung to the dark night. His duvet was wrapped around his limbs and he could feel Dan’s body heat pulse like hot heart beats beside him. He remembered their conversation from last night, and smiled to himself thinking about what had been said. He turned his head towards Dan, who was facing away from him, his arms wrapped and folded like a child’s in front of his face. Phil shifted towards him and nuzzled his nose into the dip between Dan’s bare shoulder blades. Phil wrapped an arm over Dan’s waist and felt the heat of his skin radiate into his own.
‘Morning,’ he heard Dan say groggily.
‘Good morning,’ Phil whispered.
Dan sighed and rolled onto his back, stretching out his arms before resting one on Phil’s shoulder who had now snuggled his body into Dan’s side.
They both lay silently for a minute, cherishing the peace and quiet of bed before they would have to get up and deal with the day.
‘So…’ Phil said slightly hesitantly, ‘How do you feel about giving the estate agents a ring today?’ Phil glanced up at Dan who was staring up at the bedroom ceiling.
Dan began to trace circles with his hand on Phil’s shoulder. His brows furrowed for a second and then relaxed before his glanced down at Phil.
‘Yeh. Let’s do it,’ he said through a smile.
Phil shifted his body and lifted his head towards Dan and kissed him slowly.
‘Great,’ Phil said, biting down on his lip to try and control the huge smile which was dancing across his entire face.
After having breakfast and watching a quick episode of anime, they both sat on the sofa in the living room with Phil’s laptop open in front of them, the contact page of the estate agents blaring in professional white tones and smart black font on the screen.
‘Do you want to talk to them?’ Dan asked. Phil knew that Dan definitely didn’t want to call them. Dan hated talking on the phone more than Phil, although both of them would prefer to email or text rather than chance an embarrassing social interaction over the phone.
‘Sure.’ Phil said as he entered the contact number into his phone, and brought it to his ear. Phil’s heartbeat started to rise as he suddenly started panicking about what he was going to say, how one even goes about asking about a house, worrying if he sounded old enough, does he still sound like a child, what if they think he doesn’t sound professional enough and question as to why he is looking to buy a house –
‘Foxton’s estate agents, London. This is Lucy speaking. How can I help you?’ A woman’s voice said over the phone. She sounded professional, letting the continuously repeated words still retain an air of humanity despite her having to repeat them like a machine every day.
‘Erm, hi. I was wondering if you had any house viewings for your property at Callingdon Crescent?’ Phil said, battling with his nerves and trying to sound as adult as possible. Phil didn’t really understand why he was so nervous. He was simply asking to view a house, and he was an adult. A fully grown actual adult who didn’t need to be embarrassed about looking into viewing a house.
‘Of course, I’ll just load the property on my computer and check if we have any available viewing slots.’
‘OK, great.’
Phil waited, glancing at Dan who was sitting next to him and staring down at his phone which he was spinning around between his fingers.
‘Could I take a name please?’ She said abruptly, as Phil heard her tapping into her computer over the phone.
‘Philip Lester.’
‘Perfect. OK, Mr Lester, I have some viewings available today or if that is too short notice we also have some available times tomorrow and Thursday.’
‘Erm…’ Phil said as he was suddenly faced with a new decision. The pressure of answering now over the phone made him even more nervous and the realisation that this was happening, and happening fast overtook every thought in his mind. He looked over at Dan who had heard the gist of what she had said over the phone. Phil asked the lady to wait for a second before he brought the phone away from his ear.
‘They have some viewings today?’ He mouthed, more than whispered at Dan.
Dan looked down once again at his hands, then lifted his head, smiled, and said ‘Sure. Today works.’
Phil looked at him with a mixture of happiness and pride, then returned the phone to his ear and said, ‘Yes, today works fine. What time will that be?’
‘Perfect. OK, well we have a viewing at three o’clock. Would that be OK?’
‘Yep, that’s fine.’
‘Great. My colleague Stephanie will be showing you around the property this afternoon. Will there be anyone else joining you for the viewing, Mr Lester?’
‘Erm yes, my partner will be joining me.’
Dan couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at hearing Phil refer to him as his ‘partner’. He’d only ever heard Phil refer to him as either his ‘friend’ or ‘boyfriend’, and ‘partner’ sounded so adult – so serious. Dan continued to look down at his hands as he bit back a smile. Dan kind of hated the word partner, it sounded too formal and serious. He knew why Phil had used that term. Phil was trying to sound as adult as possible and probably thought that calling Dan his partner would just add to this air he was creating of being a professional adult who was trying to buy a property. Still, despite it sounding so odd coming from Phil’s lips, Dan enjoyed knowing that the woman on the phone now had an image of Phil as a respectable adult in a serious relationship, and the guy he was serious about was him.
‘Perfect,’ the woman continued as she typed away at her computer. ‘That’s all booked for you. Could I take a contact number please?’
Phil slowly dictated his mobile number, then after confirming the time once more, said goodbye and hung up.
Dan stood rifling through his wardrobe trying to find something respectable to wear to the house viewing. Phil had firmly reminded him that they couldn’t show up in black jeans and t-shirts although he hadn’t given a reason why. Dan’s clothes were either black jeans and a t-shirt, or posh event suits – there was no in between. He finally found a plain black shirt which he’d probably worn to an awards ceremony, then found some generic suit trousers. All of his jumpers were either too artsy or just plain black. For the first time in his life he wished he owned a generic jumper from somewhere unassuming like Marks and Spencer’s. He sighed and got changed into the suit trousers and shirt, then headed into Phil’s room to see if he had a normal and boring jumper going spare. Dan stopped and stared at Phil as soon as he entered his bedroom. Phil was wearing dark blue jeans. Dark blue jeans. Dan didn’t even know that Phil owned any jeans that weren’t black. Phil was also wearing a shirt, it’s top button undone, and a plain maroon sweater. Finally, he wore a plain back suit blazer, had his glasses on, and had pushed his fringe back. Dan stared at him for a second, not quite being able to register how fucking adult and respectable Phil looked.
‘And who the fuck are you?!’ Dan said, leaving his mouth hanging agape as he looked Phil up and down.
Phil grabbed a pair of smart black shoes, sat down on the edge of his bed and started putting them on.
‘What? I don’t want to look weird for the viewing,’ he said as he started tying the laces of his leather shoes.
‘No, you definitely look weird,’ Dan said, still looking at shock at the person he thought was his boyfriend, although he wasn’t so sure now as Phil was barely recognisable.
‘Really? In a bad way?’ Phil said, glancing worriedly at Dan.
‘….. No. Not in a bad way…. Just in a not-Phil way.’
‘Oh, well that’s OK then,’ Phil said then continued to tie his laces. ‘Did you need something?’
‘Erm… yeh. Could I borrow a jumper? I don’t really own anything… appropriate.’ Dan said, still unable to draw his eyes away from this new version of Phil.
Phil said ‘sure’ then got up and looked through his wardrobe, finally finding a dark blue woollen jumper and throwing it at Dan.
Dan murmured a ‘thanks’ then went back to his room, put on the jumper, and found a fairly smart black jacket to put over the top. He then gawked at himself in his full length mirror and raised one eyebrow, staring at himself in an accusatory fashion.
He looked like the people in their late twenties who went to pubs on the weekend with work colleagues. He looked older, he looked like he had his life together. In a final act of completely diverting his aesthetic from his normal style, Dan pushed his fringe back and to the side.
He gave himself one final glance in the mirror, sighed, then headed back to Phil’s room who was sat on his bed looking at his phone. When Dan entered he stood up and said, ‘Ready?’
‘Yeh.’ Dan said, still looking in amazement at the person standing in front of him.
‘You look… different,’ Phil said smiling at Dan.
Dan squinted his eyes and gave Phil an evil stare. ‘Don’t say anything. I’m looking like this for you. We better not run into anyone on the streets because I will die of shame.’
Phil chucked, moved closer to Dan, and put his arms round his waist. ‘I think you look good.’
Dan rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible before resting his eyes on Phil again. As much as Phil just didn’t look like Phil, there was something kind of sexy about the way he was dressed. As much as the internet liked to berate him for having a daddy kink, Dan didn’t. Although admiring Phil in an outfit that screamed being a respectable and older guy, Dan kind of saw where they were coming from. Dan thought to himself that maybe he was just ridiculously vanilla, and the reason why Phil looked so fucking hot right now was because he looked dependable, stable, and like the kind of guy you would dream of marrying. He looked like he would be an awesome father, he looked like the kind of guy who would cook family meals, he just looked like someone you could build a life with.
Dan kissed him, slightly knocking Phil’s glasses, then pulled away and walked out of the room before he made them both late for the viewing.
Dan stared up at the crescent of Georgian terraced houses that lines the pavement of Callingdon Crescent. They were beautiful. He took in the park that lay on the other side of the road where bushes and trees bereft of their leaves clung to an ornate black iron fence that encircled with park. The houses were beautiful. Large but unassuming. Antiquated and cosy. They looked like they were somewhere warm and safe.
Outside one of the houses stood a woman holding a clipboard in her delicately manicured fingers. Her hair was an immaculate weave of jet black hair which spun in pristine curls at her shoulders and she was wearing a smart black jacket and a tailored pencil skirt. As she saw them approaching she walked to greet them and held out her hand, giving them a warm smile.
‘Hi, I’m Stephanie, I’m assuming you’re the couple enquiring about the house?’
They both shook her hand as Phil replied that they were, giving his name.
‘Hi. Dan.’ Dan said as he shook her hand.
‘Lovely to meet you both. This is a beautiful house and I’m sure you’ll love it. I’ll show you around and explain everything to you and if you have any question please don’t hesitate to ask.’ Stephanie spoke with conviction and complete professionalism. Dan noted a faint East London accent and felt a bit more calmed by her presence. The walk here had been nerve wracking. Dan hadn’t been sure whether he was worrying about the upcoming adult social interaction or fearing that they may bump into one of their audience.
Stephanie explained briefly about the exterior, pointing out the basement floor and commenting on the delicate wrought iron railings at the front of the house. She then walked up the steps to the door, her stiletto heels clicking on the stone. Once inside the house Dan looked up and around at the beautiful hallway. The was a wooden staircase that curled around the farthest wall under an huge arched window. The hallway was painted red, with oak flooring and large doors that lead to the rooms to the left. Dan glanced and Phil who was looking in slight amazement around at the hall.
Stephanie showed them round each room; the white wooden kitchen in the basement, the open and light conservatory at the back of the house, the cosy living room complete with a huge wooden fireplace and Georgian period-designed patterned ceiling, the dining room that lay to the front of the house with huge curtains that hung by the side of the window that faced the street, the master bedroom that looked over the garden, the study complete with old bookshelves that lined the walls. Dan and Phil looked at each other and smiled with a mixture of happiness and embarrassment when she showed them the two spare bedrooms, telling them that it was a great house for starting a family as there is lots of space. Stephanie continued her well-rehearsed patter as she continued to show them round the house and lead them to the garden.
Stood in the beautiful winter garden, having spoken to them about the shed, the patio, and how lovely it is to have such a nice outside space despite being so close to the neighbourhood park, Stephanie said, ‘So, what do you guys do?’
‘We work in media,’ Phil replied, hesitant to have to explain further what their actual jobs are.
‘Great! Well, this house is only five minutes from the tube station, and you’re still incredibly close to the centre of London.’ She responded, before continuing to discuss the benefits of living in the area.
Dan let her words slightly wash over him as he slowly glanced around the garden and looked back at the house. He took Phil’s hand and looked at him with a smile. Dan’s nerves about seeing the house and what this would mean had completely dissipated. All he could think of now was moving out and creating a life that was their own in a place like this. He imagined them filling the kitchen cupboards with spices. He imagined Phil placing a wide array of plants in the conservatory. He imagined them having friends round a cooking for dinner parties. He imagined settling down and making the place their own. He even dared for a second to imagine the kind of future they could have, and the kind of family they could potentially have in future years here…
Dan was shaken from his reverie when Stephanie asked them to follow her back into the house. Dan let go of Phil’s hand and followed her back up the few steps and through the door which led them to back into the downstairs hallway. As they walked along the short hallway and stopped to discuss further details about the house, Dan felt Phil’s arm wrap around his back, Phil’s hand holding gently onto his side.
‘It’s really beautiful,’ Phil said as he looked around once more at the expansive hall the spanned two floors upwards.
Stephanie smiled at the couple, noting how cute they were together. She finally let them know that the owners of the house were planning on moving out at the end of March, and that they should let the estate agents know if they were interested in making an offer on the house. She finally reminded them of the price and then gestured politely towards the door, opening it for them, then following them back out onto the street after she had locked up the house.
She once again shook their hands, gave them her business card, and got into a swanky black car that was parked on the road. Dan and Phil looked back up at the house.
‘So… what did you think?’ Phil asked. Dan had been mostly silent during the viewing, so Phil wasn’t sure whether he was hating the place and judging it harshly or whether he was just unaccustomed to such a formal social interaction. Phil worried that Dan’s specific aesthetic tastes wouldn’t match to this place, but Phil had really loved it.
‘I… I kinda love it.’ Dan said, continuing to stare up at the white stone and red bricks of the exterior.
Phil smiled as Dan turned to face him. ‘So… what do we do now?’ Phil asked uncertainly.
Dan sighed with an expression of happy resolution then said, ‘I suppose we buy a house.’
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Houses For Sale in Wells, VT
95 E Wells Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $175000
An 1850 +/- immaculate village home loaded with charm and character. Many recent updates include heating system, electric, replacement windows and new roof in 2016. Formal dining room, family room with wood stove, and an attached two car garage. 1.2 acre surveyed lot with park-like setting. An easy walk to school, stores, post office, library and the Village Green. Lake St. Catherine only a few miles away. An easy drive to Dorset, Manchester, Lake George and ski resorts.
100 Clayton Tract, Wells, VT
Price: $189000
Lovely Seasonal Lakeside Camp with fabulous views of the Lake and Mountains. Cozy 2 bedroom, 1 bath with cathedral ceiling in LR/DR area. Fabulous, spacious front porch where you can spend your days and evenings relaxing and enjoying the views. Great open space to entertain or just be. Camp is on the Little Lake (southern end of Lake St. Catherine) Yard area. Come and spend your summers here and explore all that Vermont has to offer. House square foot is 576 and attached porch area is 288 sq. ft for a total of 864 sq. ft Fireplace in Living Room (unknown condition)
44 Quinn Cove Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $160000
Come enjoy Lake St. Catherine and Little Lake from the lawn of your own cozy cottage. From the outside, this home offers a sprawling flat lot with 156′ of lake frontage and private dock. This great location offers phenomenal views of Little Lake and the mountain sides of this great small Vermont Village. Whether you are enjoying these views while relaxing in the sun or your private oversized deck or taking in the foliage from the comfort of the large 3-season enclosed porch there is nothing left to do but relax. Once inside its just like being at home. This cottage has 3 bedrooms and an additional loft, which is great for more sleeping space or can be used as a play area for kids. It has a spacious central living room, a large eat-in kitchen and a formal dining room. This may be the most affordable lake from property you’ll find. Welcome home.
806 Mill Pond Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $137500
Enjoy the privacy offered by this 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1995 double wide home on 3.18 acres. Set back off the road. Well kept and nicely decorated. Living Room with propane stove, Dining Room, Kitchen with island, laundry room, 2 bedrooms and 1 bath on one side and Master Bedroom with Private Bath. Lovely covered front porch. Sheetrock walls. Poured concrete slab with tie downs and cement block skirt. Plenty of closet space. Open and Airy! Nice country setting.
107 North St, Wells, VT
Price: $225000
Come and see this spacious 5 bedroom home on lovely 1.2 acre lot in the Town of Wells. Some really great features and options for this property. Private bedroom, living room (cathedral ceiling) and bath on 1st floor is great for in-laws or others. Kitchen w/ island , 2 sinks, stainless propane gas stove with pot filler above, Stainless Refrigerator, dishwasher, concrete and wood counters! Sitting room, Formal Dining Room, Living Room & office/study (wood floors) w/ ½ bath! Upstairs offers 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. Many new windows. OHA furnace. 2 covered side porches, a covered front po rch & back deck. 3 car detached garage. Circular driveway! 20′ x 40′ in ground pool! Pool pump house! Walk to the library, post office, store, school! Wells offers free public access to the lakefront park and hiking trails which are all just up the road a bit from this home. This property offers a lot for the $$-
708 Butternut Hill Rd #12, Wells, VT
Price: $80000
LAKE ST CATHERINE ACCESS with dock comes with this two bedroom, one bath unit with open kitchen-dining-living room accented with a very pretty wood stove with porcelain top and sliders to your own screened porch overlooking gorgeous mountain views. 20 common acres, pool and carport with storage. New roof in 2014. A great location near the town beach, just a few minutes from Lake St. Catherine State Park, 25 minutes from historic Manchester, a 45 minute trip to Lake George and within an hour to many of Vermont’s ski resorts. Many upgrades with this unit. This unit comes completely furnis hed. Great furniture!!!
263 Snowbrook Ln, Wells, VT
Price: $289900
Looking for a second home that generates great income but allows you to use the property when scheduled? Or how about a 3 Bdrm, 3 Bath year round home that resides on 17 private, but easily accessible acres and has views that just won’t stop? This uniquely designed, stone accented Contemporary Chalet offers two wood burning fireplaces, a large family room, detached 3 car garage, and an artist studio with electricity for the person who desires space to design. This property offers a flexible floor plan so would work easily for a number of family configurations. An easy drive to Lake St.C atherine and shopping yet while enjoying an exceptional country experience.
1545 Bullfrog Hollow Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $128000
IMPECCIBLE – A three bedroom, two full bath double wide built in 2002. The master suite has a tub and shower. A large kitchen, dining room and the living room is accented with a wood burning fireplace. A large back deck and fire pit overlooks the 10+ acres. One car detached garage built 4 years ago. The roof has been replaced since it was built and the refrigerator has been replaced. Underground power. 200 amp service. Laundry area. / A very pretty country setting. An immaculate home sits off the road.
1375 W Lake Road Hwy, Wells, VT
Price: $119500
Rebuilt in 1994 by the current owners. The foundation has been totally excavated and waterproofed. Very charming with wood beams in the kitchen-dining-living areas that combine to make one large room.Lower walk out basement with family room and one bedroom. One full bath on main level with ¾ bath. Garage. A very private back yard with pond. Views of Lake St. Catherine. All of the duct work is still in place but a furnace needs to be put in. The fireplace is non fuctioning.
52 Wells Brook Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $152500
Privately located on almost one acre in a serene country setting with frontage on the Wells Brook. The original three bedroom, one bath home was built in 1970 with a huge master bedroom suite in 1985 and a two car garage was built in the 1990’s. The master addition includes a ¾ bath, a den or exercise room. There is a full walk out basement with huge workshop. New drilled well as of 3/24/16. New shingle roof 4 years ago. Vinyl siding. Beautiful hardwood flooring in many rooms including the living room and three bedrooms. Lots of closets and nice windows leaving light and sun filled ro oms. Paved drive. Wonderful yard with garden space. Handy capped ramp for easy entry. The house shows well with recent interior paint. Eat in kitchen with oak cabinets and appliances. A full house generator is also included in the sale. If you are looking for a home that does not need a lot maintenance – come take a look at this country gem.
5225 Vt Route 31, Wells, VT
Price: $139900
Situated on this pretty 2 acre lot is this quaint, incredibly charming Farmhouse with rear addition that was constructed in 1974~large country kitchen with enormous slate counter space, dining area and centrally located efficient Nutec Upland 207 pellet stove~first floor bdrm and large modern bathroom with ceramic walk in shower and claw foot bath tub~spacious first floor laundry room~formal dining room w. wood floors~inviting living room~two additional nice size bedrooms and half bath~small barn, shed and tea room complete this incredible property~choice of high schools~a real charmer that should not be over looked.
1951 W Lake Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $199000
LAKE ST CATHERINE. A three level contemporary with lots of glass facing the gorgeous view of the lake and the mountains beyond. A one bedroom apartment in the basement could provide extra income or could be used as a mother in law apartment or even teenagers would love it. The lot is 50’x130′ with a shared driveway and shared lake front with your neighbor. The home has almost 3,000 feet of living space with some areas that are unfinished but is very unique and very expensive materials were used in the finished areas. A great spot on the lake and the home is waiting for your finishing touches.
130 Clayton Tract, Wells, VT
Price: $489000
Absolutely Gorgeous 3 Bedroom, 3 bath home on Lake St. Catherine-Little Lake. Quality built with quality materials! Upscale kitchen with island~granite counters,custom cabinet & stainless steel appliances! Formal Dining Room w/ cathedral ceiling! Lovely Living Room with Fireplace & views of the lake and the mountains! Deck accessed from Living Room, Dining Room and MB. 1st floor Master Bedroom! Entrance with closets! Upper level has 2 large bedrooms and a full bath. Lower Level~walk out has huge game room, den or bedroom, laundry room and full bath. Lots of storage space. Heating system is Propane Radiant/Hot Air & Water heater is on demand. Landscaped lot. Dock & Boat lift. See photos , better yet make an appointment and see it in person. Impressive.
2476 Vt Route 30, Wells, VT
Price: $99999
COZY COUNTRY CHARMER-Custom built in 2004 for the current owner. Just minutes from Lake St. Catherine & the Village of Wells. Set off the main road on 16.80+/- acres with 857 ft of road frontage. The open floor plan offers a living room with a wall of built ins, wood stove and charming kitchen. One bedroom & 1 bath. Easily maintained home. Owners pay about $600 in electricity and 1-½ cords of wood which be gotten off the land. Utilities are underground. This is as great as a year round or as getaway.
9 Vt Route 30, Wells, VT
Price: $50000
Newly listed well maintained double-wide mobile home on RT 30 in Wells. New furnace installed in 2016.
1558 Vt Route 30, Wells, VT
Price: $89999
In the center of the quintessential village of Wells, Vermont, this 4 bedroom, 2 bath 1900 colonial sits on a beautiful corner lot (.61) acre with 175 feet of road frontage with a wonderful 3 bay garage with roll up doors, stalls, workshop and garden shed. The large back yard is very large and great for parties, animals and children play. Original hardwood floors, handsome wood burning fireplace and many thoughtful built ins bring out the charm in this ten room colonial with over 2,000 sq. ft. Master bedroom and bath on the main level. The 24′ living room houses the fireplace. A large o pen country kitchen. Lots of closets. After 30 years in the same family this home is anxiously waiting for another family to make it their own. Lake St. Catherine and the town beach are only a few miles away along with the State Park and Golf course. Major ski slopes are about an hour away. Historic Manchester with great shopping is only 30 minutes away.
2058 W Lake Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $389000
LAKE ST CATHERINE. From the minute you walk through the door – the charm of yesteryear makes you smile. From the screened porch overlooking the lake to the stone fireplace and wood floors in the living room plus with the original wainscoting throughout, it would be hard to duplicate this captivating cottage. Located in Horseshoe Bay a very peaceful location with gorgeous lake and mountain views. The completely level yard makes easy access to the water and summer time fun! Renovated kitchen with with new cabinets, new counter tops, new appliances and hardwood flooring. Updated bath, all new electric, privacy fence, one car garage and in move-in condition!!!! 57 feet of lake frontage – a great location on the water – don’t let this one get by. Be ready for summer – call for an appointment today.
126 North St, Wells, VT
Price: $139000
Located in the quaint Village of Wells, Vermont sits this three bedroom, 1.5 bath Queen Anne home with gingerbread trim. A very charming and cozy home with new Pellet stove, softwood flooring and a new propane wall unit. A large country kitchen with a marble built in stand, walk in pantry and a wonderful propane cook stove. The washer and dryer stay with the house and they are located on the first floor in the ½ bath. The 25′ living/dining room with sliders that open to a huge level back yard and gorgeous mountain view. Lots of closet space. The current owners sprayed foam the basemen t. Slate roof, point driven well, 500 gallon septic, and wait until spring, beautiful perennial gardens along with an herb garden. (300 garlic bulbs). Rocking chair porch, sheds and privacy fence. The home is in “move in condition” and ready for immediate occupancy.
222 Parks Dr, Wells, VT
Price: $195000
LAKE ST CATHERINE. If you have been looking for a year round property on the lake but haven’t been able to afford, please take a look at this 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath lake home with a beautiful setting. Beautiful mountain views from your enclosed porch or your boat dock. The porch serves as a great place to dine, play games, read or for napping. Master can be on first floor with a ¾ bath or upstairs with ½ bath. The master on second floor has laminating flooring. The walk out basement is partially finished. The lot has room for gardening. 50′ lake front. Please take a look – this listing won’t last long.
3477 Bullfrog Hollow Rd, Wells, VT
Price: $60000
Three separate manufactured homes located on a 2.90 acre lot only minutes from Lake St. Catherine. Perfect family compound or rental possibility. Property includes; 1975 single wide 3 BR/1BA; 1992 single wide 3BR/1BA; 1995 single wide 2BR/2BA.
from Houses For Sale – The OC Home Search http://www.theochomesearch.com/houses-for-sale-in-wells-vt/
from OC Home Search https://theochomesearch.tumblr.com/post/158142765845
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