Dan was seventy.

The small flames on the cake in front of him glowed a gentle orange as the small group of people around him finished singing. He laughed a bit as Phil ended the "happy birthday" song with what was probably the highest note he could muster.

"Blow out the candles!" PJ cheered once they were done.

"Are there actually seventy on here?" Dan asked, trying to count them all but soon giving up.

Phil nodded in response to his question and grinned while saying, "good luck blowing them all out."

"Oh, but Phil, you know how good I am at blowing," he joked, adding a wink to the end of his comment for good measure, and earning himself a gentle punch to the arm in the process while PJ pretended to gag in the background.

"Just blow them out," Phil urged.

"Fiiiiiine," Dan said, and took a huge breath before blowing across the entire cake. By the time he had done all he could, only one remained lit, which evoked a disappointed "awwwwwe" from the two behind him.

"Guess that means I'm officially seventy now," he laughed, although behind it was a slight sigh.

"Aw, don't worry. You don't look a day over sixty," PJ teased him.

"I'm not letting you have any of my cake now," Dan told him, pulling the dessert as far away from his friend as possible without it falling off the table.

Automatically, a frown overtook the man's face. "Please? I want cake."

"No."

"Pleeeeeease?"

"Tell you what. Give me your present first, and if I deem it worthy, I'll let you have my cake." As soon as the words left his mouth, PJ ran off to retrieve the present. He was back within a few seconds, and while Dan was opening that one, Phil decided he may as well open his as well. Once that was done, and Dan had decided to allow PJ to have some cake just so he would shut up about it, they just sat together and talked for a while until PJ said he should probably get going. Noticing the time, they wished him a good night and headed off to bed.

"So," Phil asked as they lay together, about to go to sleep. "How was your birthday."

"It was fine, considering it's just a celebration of being a year closer to death."

"I suppose so. But you enjoyed it anyway, right?"

"Yeah," Dan laughed. "I mean really, how could I not enjoy it with you there?"

"Quit being so cheesy."

"Never," he said, placing a quick kiss to Phil's lips.

"Happy birthday. I love you."

"I love you too."