FIC: Coming Home (Neighbours, G, Phil/Susan, Sindi, Stingray, Libby.)
Title: Coming Home
Rating: G
Fandom: Neighbours
Spoilers: Not really.
Summary: Phil comes back at Christmas.
Author's Notes: Written for e.com Secret Santa ficathon, for salsk. And I'm just ignoring what really happened in the Aus episodes around Xmas time this year.
[Libby]
He comes back at Christmas time, but he isn't how you remember him at all. He is defeated, almost, but you suppose three failed marriages will do that do a man. You smile sympathetically and aren't surprised when your mother invites him to stay for Christmas. You feel bad thathe is sharing with Stingray, but he doesn't complain. Ben likes him, and that settles it for you in the end.
You decorate the tree together, although he watches, mostly. You help Ben, while Susan and Sindi argue with Stingray about Sindi's decorating scheme and Stingray's lack of one. You catch him watching your mother and smiling out of the corner of your eye. "I missed this." He tells Susan later, when Ben curls up on his lap to have a story read to him.
He feels like family already, you tell Sindi at the pub. You've known him so long, the years he was absent are overshadowed by the memories of when he wasn't. So weren't at all surprised to find him and your mother kissing in front of the tree when you got home.
[Sindi]
You don't know him, and you are suspicious at how easily he is accepted by Libby and Susan, both of whom should know better. Still, he manages to put up with sharing a room with Stingray, so you suppose you should give him some credit for that.
You think he's odd for not getting involved with the decorating the tree, but you're glad for one less person to get annoyed at for destroying your tasteful tree decorating scheme. Honestly, you think, Stingray would throw any old decorations at the tree and declare it decorated.
You confront him early one morning before anyone else is awake, and ask him why he moved back to Erinsborough. "I know you used to live next door, but that was ages ago. You don't have any family around any more, do you? It just seems strange that you've come back."
He pauses and shrugs. "I guess it's the only place that ever felt like home."
You can understand him then. You spent so long searching for a home yourself before you found a place here, that you supposed you'd come back here too. You nod and tell him that. "Of course, I wouldn't be foolish enough to leave in the first place."
He laughs slightly, the first time you've heard him laugh, and then smiles ruefully. "I was a fool to leave, I know. What can I say? It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Maybe you were destined to come back here at the right time." He laughs again.
"Maybe." He admits, with a smile.
Later in the pub, you tell Libby that you like him after all. And you can't help but grin and suppress a laugh when you and Libby walk in on him and Susan later that evening.
[Stingray]
He's an okay guy, and you can't understand why Sindi kicks up such a fuss initially. Not in front of him or Suse, which strikes you as completely pointless - what good is moaning to you going to do? She changes her mind pretty soon, of course. Typical woman, you think.
But he's ok. He genuinely apologises for taking your bed while you sleep on the floor, but you tell him it's okay, that he's old and probably couldn't cope with the floor. "Oh, thanks." He tells you, and you realise what you've said. He's smiling though, so you guess he's not too offended.
He watches you all decorate the tree and as the argument between you and Sindi about how the tree should be decorated gets heated, despite Suse playing peacemaker, you think he's pretty smart to stay out of it really.
So yeah, he's a decent bloke and you're happy when Sindi tells you what she and Libby walked in on. Mainly because you're glad Suse has found a decent bloke at last, but also because it means you'll get your bed back now.
[Susan]
He's a quieter man, now. You are surprised, in a way. He was always quiet, but you were always comparing him to Karl, who was anything but. Still, he loved Ruth, and you know only too well how losing someone you love can change a person. To Sindi's surprise and Libby's surprising lack of it, you invite him to stay for Christmas. The invitation slips off your tongue before you can think it through, but it seems right; no one should have to spend Christmas on their own in
a lonely hotel room, even if the alternative is sharing with Stingray.
The next day he watches you decorate the tree with the others, and you can't help glancing at him every now and then, even as you break up Sindi and Stingray's fighting. He catches your eyes a few times, and you blush furiously at being caught out. But when you lift Ben up to put the star on top you can feel him watching you too.
Another evening, Ben curls happily on his lap while you read a story to him. Libby watches from the kitchen, but you barely notice her. He looks up and smiles at you, listening as intently to the story as Ben is. "I miss this," he murmurs, at one point. When Ben falls asleep he gently carries him to bed.
You don't ask him why he came back to Erinsborough, but when you sit together on the sofa after the tree has been decorated and everyone else has gone to bed or gone out, you don't need to. And when you both stand to go to bed and he leans in and kisses you, you suddenly can't remember why you've waited so long to do this.
Rating: G
Fandom: Neighbours
Spoilers: Not really.
Summary: Phil comes back at Christmas.
Author's Notes: Written for e.com Secret Santa ficathon, for salsk. And I'm just ignoring what really happened in the Aus episodes around Xmas time this year.
[Libby]
He comes back at Christmas time, but he isn't how you remember him at all. He is defeated, almost, but you suppose three failed marriages will do that do a man. You smile sympathetically and aren't surprised when your mother invites him to stay for Christmas. You feel bad thathe is sharing with Stingray, but he doesn't complain. Ben likes him, and that settles it for you in the end.
You decorate the tree together, although he watches, mostly. You help Ben, while Susan and Sindi argue with Stingray about Sindi's decorating scheme and Stingray's lack of one. You catch him watching your mother and smiling out of the corner of your eye. "I missed this." He tells Susan later, when Ben curls up on his lap to have a story read to him.
He feels like family already, you tell Sindi at the pub. You've known him so long, the years he was absent are overshadowed by the memories of when he wasn't. So weren't at all surprised to find him and your mother kissing in front of the tree when you got home.
[Sindi]
You don't know him, and you are suspicious at how easily he is accepted by Libby and Susan, both of whom should know better. Still, he manages to put up with sharing a room with Stingray, so you suppose you should give him some credit for that.
You think he's odd for not getting involved with the decorating the tree, but you're glad for one less person to get annoyed at for destroying your tasteful tree decorating scheme. Honestly, you think, Stingray would throw any old decorations at the tree and declare it decorated.
You confront him early one morning before anyone else is awake, and ask him why he moved back to Erinsborough. "I know you used to live next door, but that was ages ago. You don't have any family around any more, do you? It just seems strange that you've come back."
He pauses and shrugs. "I guess it's the only place that ever felt like home."
You can understand him then. You spent so long searching for a home yourself before you found a place here, that you supposed you'd come back here too. You nod and tell him that. "Of course, I wouldn't be foolish enough to leave in the first place."
He laughs slightly, the first time you've heard him laugh, and then smiles ruefully. "I was a fool to leave, I know. What can I say? It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Maybe you were destined to come back here at the right time." He laughs again.
"Maybe." He admits, with a smile.
Later in the pub, you tell Libby that you like him after all. And you can't help but grin and suppress a laugh when you and Libby walk in on him and Susan later that evening.
[Stingray]
He's an okay guy, and you can't understand why Sindi kicks up such a fuss initially. Not in front of him or Suse, which strikes you as completely pointless - what good is moaning to you going to do? She changes her mind pretty soon, of course. Typical woman, you think.
But he's ok. He genuinely apologises for taking your bed while you sleep on the floor, but you tell him it's okay, that he's old and probably couldn't cope with the floor. "Oh, thanks." He tells you, and you realise what you've said. He's smiling though, so you guess he's not too offended.
He watches you all decorate the tree and as the argument between you and Sindi about how the tree should be decorated gets heated, despite Suse playing peacemaker, you think he's pretty smart to stay out of it really.
So yeah, he's a decent bloke and you're happy when Sindi tells you what she and Libby walked in on. Mainly because you're glad Suse has found a decent bloke at last, but also because it means you'll get your bed back now.
[Susan]
He's a quieter man, now. You are surprised, in a way. He was always quiet, but you were always comparing him to Karl, who was anything but. Still, he loved Ruth, and you know only too well how losing someone you love can change a person. To Sindi's surprise and Libby's surprising lack of it, you invite him to stay for Christmas. The invitation slips off your tongue before you can think it through, but it seems right; no one should have to spend Christmas on their own in
a lonely hotel room, even if the alternative is sharing with Stingray.
The next day he watches you decorate the tree with the others, and you can't help glancing at him every now and then, even as you break up Sindi and Stingray's fighting. He catches your eyes a few times, and you blush furiously at being caught out. But when you lift Ben up to put the star on top you can feel him watching you too.
Another evening, Ben curls happily on his lap while you read a story to him. Libby watches from the kitchen, but you barely notice her. He looks up and smiles at you, listening as intently to the story as Ben is. "I miss this," he murmurs, at one point. When Ben falls asleep he gently carries him to bed.
You don't ask him why he came back to Erinsborough, but when you sit together on the sofa after the tree has been decorated and everyone else has gone to bed or gone out, you don't need to. And when you both stand to go to bed and he leans in and kisses you, you suddenly can't remember why you've waited so long to do this.