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spacecadet-ticklesinspace · 10 months

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The Greatest Showman: One of the Kids

Summary: Philip has a bad day and his adoptive family tries to make it better.

(I forgot this was saved in my Google Docs years ago before I had Tumblr! 😭 I loved the father-son relationship everyone gave Barnum and Philip and wanted to emulate that in this fic ❤️ The writing is old and choppy and the ending hadn't been written until recently, but I absolutely adored writing this fic and hopes it reaches anyone else in the community who adored this pairing as much as I did ❤️ and still do 😭)

Philip placed one foot in front of the other, not paying attention to where he was going. The day had gone from bad to worse in a heartbeat. First, Philip had woken up late for work, then managed to spill coffee on his pants, run into trouble with the bank, ruin a rehearsal, succeeded in having a fight with Anne, and---the cherry on top---succeeded in angering his parents. Now he was stumbling along without a care where he would end up.

He wanted to avoid any bars, that habit was in the process of being broken. Plus, that would be the first place anyone would look for him and Philip just really wanted to be alone. One foot in front of the other kept him moving to nowhere while his mind replayed each embarrassing moment repeatedly.

Philip had no idea where he was when a sudden whinny broke him out of his thoughts. The young man startled and jumped to the side. A carriage breezed passed, showing the irritated face of the driver. Philp ducked his head while muttering a quiet apology.

"Great," he thought, "another tally in the book."

As he continued to trudge along, he heard the carriage halt a few feet in front. The crunch of boots followed shortly oddly headed in his direction.

"The driver probably wants to yell at you idiot," the young man told himself.

He looked up, expecting to see the face a livid driver. Instead he found himself looking into the kind face of a familiar friend.

"Hello Mr. Carlyle! Lovely day for a walk," Barnum's voice called out to the younger man.

Philip noticed his flinch when Barnum's eyes landed on the raised handmark and cut. Barnum's shoulders tensed, the only outward sign of anger. He refaced the driver and made a motion for him to continue on. The carriage creaked forward down a nearby drive, leaving the two men alone. Philip hadn't even registered when he had turned down the familiar lane of his friend's neighborhood. Yet now he stood facing said man who had what looked like care in his eyes.

"I'm scared to ask where you got those," Barnum explained, closing the gap between the two.

"Better you don't," Philip replied, eyes darting off to the side.

The older man placed a hand under Philip's chin and gently lifted the gaze back up to him. A dark look appeared in the elder's eyes, but he quickly schooled it. "Rough day?"

Philip scoffed, "Understatement."

He hoped the body language he was giving showed he was not interested in having a discussion. Barnum paused before he gave a curt nod and dropped his hand.

Philip inwardly sighed in relief. "See ya tomorrow Barnum"

The younger man started off again, letting his feet guide him to nowhere.

"Hey Philip!" Barnum's voice called out again.

Philip turned as the older man closed the gap again. A hand was placed on each shoulder. "Since you're here, would you consider staying for dinner? Charity will kill me if I let you go without a meal and the girls would really love to see you."

Philip sensed an undertone to that statement. He was sure the other man wanted to keep an eye on him as well, to make sure he was really okay.

"I wouldn't want to intrude," he weakly replied.

Now Barnum scoffed, "Please, you wouldn't be intruding on anyone. We would all love to have you."

Both sounded like good reasons. He knew Anne was staying with Lettie because of the argument and he really didn't want to return to an empty apartment. Plus, this might help take his mind off the terrible day.

Philip relented, "All right, just for a little while."

Barnum beamed. "Excellent!"

An arm was slung over Philip's shoulders as he was lead towards the Barnum house. As they neared the front of the house, the door burst open as Caroline and Helen pounded down the front steps in a manner that would have made his mother blush.

"It's daddy!" Caroline squealed in delight as the two girls raced down the steps.

"And Philip!" Helen added.

Helen managed to clear the bottom step, but Caroline was not so lucky. Both men watched in horror as her foot slipped and she tumbled to the ground.

Helen immediately turned around to help her sister. Meanwhile both Philip and Barnum rushed forward. Caroline had tears in her eyes and had her hands clutched over her knee.

"Caroline! Breathe sweetie." Barnum soothed as he knelt down in front of the sobbing girl.

He carefully lifted Caroline into his lap and ran a soothing hand down her back. The girl's sobbing began to cease until she only whimpered softly. Philip noticed Helen's smaller hand clutching his. He looked down to see the concern for her sister in her eyes. Philip quickly scooped the young blond into his arms. Once Caroline calmed, Barnum stood with the trembling figure in his arms and lead the way back up the steps.

Charity appeared in the foyer. Philip noticed her eyes travel over Caroline's injury before looking at her husband. "What happened?" she asked.

"I fell when I ran to give daddy a hug," Caroline whimpered before anyone else could answer.

Charity's look softened. She placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "I'm glad you're okay, but now you know why mommy tells you and Helen to be careful when going down those steps."

Caroline glanced downwards, "Yes mommy."

"All is forgiven sweetie. This just means daddy will have to work his special magic to help you feel better quickly."

The two adults shared a wink with each other.

"Can I help daddy?" Helen asked excitedly.

"You know I can't do it unless I have one of my special helpers," Barnum replied.

Philip placed Helen down and watched in amusement as she pulled her mother in the direction of the kitchen. The remaining three followed behind.

Philip knew Charity was worried about her daughter but he felt her eyes look him over on their way to the kitchen. He brushed it off by giving her a tight smile, hoping she'd be able to focus on Caroline easier. Once in the kitchen, Barnum placed Caroline on one of the counters. He removed his outer jacket before rolling up his sleeves to work. Philip sat down in one of dining chairs in case Barnum needed something. He seemed to have everything under control though.

He rotated her knee to make sure nothing was stuck in the wound then had Caroline bend her knee to check for any hidden injuries. While doing so, Helen carefully carried a bowl of water over to her father. Charity followed with a towel and a kit. Thankfully the wound was not deep so no stitches were required.

All Barnum had to do was wash the wound free of dirt then apply an ointment to help keep it clean. While he worked, Philip felt a hand on his shoulder then something cool being placed on his cheek. He looked up and Charity smiled before leaving him with an ice pack on his face.

"Apparently she did notice," he thought.

The ice did help remove the sting from the handprint, leaving his face feeling somewhat normal. He watched as Barnum wound the bandages around Caroline's knee.

"Now we wrap it with a bandage so the super special ointment can do its work." Barum tied said bandage with a flourish. "There we go. Now, a daddy's kiss to make everything better."

Caroline beamed up at her father as he placed a big kiss on her forehead.

"All better now?" He asked her.

"Yes daddy."

Philip smirked at the sight. P.T ladies and gentlemen, always the performer. He saw Caroline's smile beaming over her dad's shoulder as he hugged her. He was glad these two had someone like Barnum for a father. A true father, unlike his.Philip shook his head to avoid revisiting the memories of tonight. He turned his attention back to the father and daughter moment in front of him.

"You did great Caroline, and I'm proud of you." He turned to Helen. "And you were great tonight as well. Thank you Miss Helper."

"Wait daddy, we didn't help Philip!" Helen exclaimed.

The younger man started up right. He didn't know what to say to get Helen to change her mind.

"Yeah daddy, you have to help Philip too!" Caroline added.

"No no girls, it's alright. I'll be fine," Philip tried.

"But daddy makes them stop hurting and heal quicker," Caroline argued while Helen grabbed Phillip's hand and started pulling with all her might. Philip stumbled forward, still unsure what to do in this situation. P.T was no help. Philip wanted to wipe that smirk off of the older man's face as he was pulled toward the counter.

"I'm too big for the counter, I'll break it," Philip protested weakly.

"Oh nonsense Philip," Barnum exclaimed, "you'll fit just fine."

P.T grinned as he placed his hands on Phillip's arms and forced him up onto the counter. Philip felt his face grow warm with embarrassment. He heard P.T chuckle before the ice pack on his cheek was gently removed.

Barnum's hand tightened around the young man's wrist. Philip stiffened, not from pain but because he knew what P.T must be thinking. He shot the older man a warning look out of the corner of his eye. The hand holding his wrist gently moved to grasp his chin and fingers gently pressed into the raised mark. A hiss left his mouth before he could stop it.

"Sorry Philip. Don't worry though, we have something to help take out the sting," Barnum sympathized.

The fingers returned momentarily, smearing a cool something over the mark. Philip gave a slight cry of pain before slowly relaxing into the touch. Once done with that mark, P.T moved up to the eyebrow. Thankfully that cut was not too deep, requiring only a simple clean. However Helen insisted Philip wear a bandage like her sister’s so P.T tied one around the cut. Philip did feel slightly better now too.

He prepared to slide off the counter, but Caroline stopped him this time. "Wait! You forgot the special daddy kiss!"

Philip's eyes bugged out while Barum chortled.

"We can't have that now can we," Barnum laughed out.

Before Philip could react, Barnum grabbed him in a hug and tugged him closer. Philip struggled but couldn't pull away as Barnum placed the biggest, sloppiest kiss he could on the younger man's forehead.

"Eww!" Philip yanked one hand free and swiped at the spot.

"Don't wipe it off! It doesn't work if you wipe it off!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Aw don't worry Caroline. If he does I'll just put another one up there," Barnum sassed.

Philip glared at the older man. "Don't even think about it!"

Barnum just laughed and ruffled his hair. Charity popped back in a moment later saying that dinner was set up in the dining room. The group quickly cleared the medical supplies and hurried to the dining room.

As they ate, Barnum kept the group entertained with stories. Whether they were true or not was left for debate. One in particular sounded unusually like an incident a few weeks ago at the circus---but had been twisted to fit in a witch who taught everyone to fly and shrank Barnum himself down to the size of an appleseed. Philip hadn't laughed this hard in a long time. The stories Barnum told reminded Philip of George, dad's butler that used make up wild and crazy adventure stories. He would tell one to Philip every morning while he was getting ready for school.

Philip's heart twanged a little, it was people like George that made life livable in that house. He shook his head, no use dwelling on the past now. While they were eating, Helen asked an innocent question.

"Philip, why didn't Anne come with you?"

Silence filled the room. Both Barum and Charity stared apprehensively at Philip and even Caroline seemed uncertain.

Philip swallowed the water in his mouth, then looked at Helen with a forced smile. "She's staying with Lettie tonight."

"Why didn't you stay with her?" Caroline added.

"Because they're doing women things and I can't help them out because I'm not a woman."

This answer seemed to satisfy the girl's curiosity as they returned to their meal. Philp returned to his as well, however he more shifted the food around and less actually ate it. The other three returned to their meals as well. Barnum attempted to lighten the mood by telling another story, but the whole room was tense.

After the meal, Charity asked Philip if he could stay with the girls for a minute while she talked with her husband. Philip agreed and moved the girls to the main living room. Caroline and Helen immediately went to two dolls laying on the couch.

"That's Annette and this is Clara. They were taking a nap while we were eating dinner," Caroline explained.

Each took a doll and sat on the floor. Before Philip realized it, he had been dragged into a game more elaborate than one of Barnum's stories. It was obvious which gene the girls had gotten from P.T as they wove a story of two young girls who became princesses by working hard in Princess Primary School. One princess apparently won the heart of her prince by her beautiful dancing and the other amazed her prince with her intelligence.

By the end, both princesses had been kidnapped, helped someone escape the clutches of an evil wizard, and discovered a magical circus that made even the grumpiest person happy. Philip tried to help, but even his playwright mind was no match for the girls. They let him participate by voicing the kidnapper and evil wizard but stopped him several times to say he was doing it wrong.

Eventually, Philip just became the magical ring leader for the circus and flew the girls over his head so they could pretend to be on the trapeze. Every bend in the story helped him forget about the terrible day he had---even if he was missing Anne.

When Philip looked up, he noticed Helen was no longer playing with her sister. Panic rose in his chest until he saw a head of familiar blond hair headed towards the room her parents were talking in. Philip stood to get her back. He stopped outside of the door and listened, catching bits and pieces of the conversation.

"...Fine….worried….strange….ask….you…..play."

The door opened and Barnum stepped out with his youngest in his arms. "Ah Philip, just the person I wanted to see. Charity wanted to talk to you about something while I watch the girls."

Philip stiffened. He nodded and stepped into the room P.T had just stepped out of. Charity was seated on the couch working on something in her hands. She placed it aside when Philip walked in. Charity padded the seat next to her and Philip awkwardly sat down.

Philip didn't know what to say so he just sat there picking at imaginary dust on his pants.

"I'm not going to force you to tell me what happened today, but I am here if you want to talk," Charity began.

Philip felt his shoulders relax. "Thank you."

Charity nodded, then stood to put her project she was working on away. "Everything okay at the circus? Barnum told me about the bank stopping by."

Philip pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought he left before the bank showed up."

"He left the same time Barnum was coming back."

Philip's hand moved up to his hair.

Charity paused her tidying. "What happened?"

"I messed up."

"What?"

"I messed up. Apparently some finances with the company we buy feed from were filed incorrectly. We owed them more money than we originally thought and it caused an overdraft fee in the general expense account. The bank sent over a representative to balance things out." Philip placed a hand on his forehead. "That representative was not happy."

"Is that why you two were yelling?" Charity asked.

Philip's eyes widened. "P.T heard that too?"

Charity nodded in agreement.

Philip groaned. He leaned his head back and placed both hands over his face.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, mistakes happen," Charity soothed while resting on the arm of the couch.

"Not when it involves the bank." Philip dropped his hands. "I told P.T I could handle the expenses and I failed. That's it, I failed."

"One mistake doesn't make you a failure Philip."

"No you don't understand. This whole day has shown I'm a failure. I was late to work today, I ruined a rehearsal, I messed things up with the bank and with Anne, and I stupidly believed I could change my parents! I can't even do basic things like drink without spilling coffee all over my pants. These aren't even my pants, someone just gave me a clean pair!"

"Philip, breathe," Charity cautioned.

Philip took a deep breath in and slowly it out.

"Now, start from the beginning."

"Okay---I had been working on some paperwork that P.T asked me to look into. I didn't go to bed until late and accidentally overslept. P.T wasn't in the office when I first got there so I got to work on some papers I had left on my desk. When he got there, he asked me to take over rehearsals later that day because he had a meeting he had to run to around the time it started. About an hour later he left when the bank representative showed up. He told me what had happened at the bank. I tried to argue that it wasn't possible but then he showed me his records; thats when I realized that a couple statements had been misfiled. That took forever to straighten out and since I was focused on that I was late for that rehearsal and kept mixing things up. After lunch is when the letter came. An invite from my parents to "talk things over." I wanted Anne to go with me but she refused. When I told her I was going to go---she said I was choosing them over her. I love Anne, and I know that if my parents would just get to know her they would love her too. I thought I could show them that but when I got there I discovered that their definition of "talking things over" was just another way of saying "you sit there while we yell at you." They were offering to take me back and get help for my "mental condition" since apparently in their eyes I have lost my mind. I refused, repeatedly, and got up to leave. Before I left, my dad said something that sent me over and I snapped. I turned, and I called him a child out of wedlock. Felt pretty good, until this happened. He slapped me and I fell and hit my head on a table. After that I got up, brushed past both of them, and just walked out the door. They kept yelling at me to "turn back now," "this is your last chance," "if you keep walking, no more chances".

Charity smiled. "And you kept walking."

Philip chuckled. "Apparently. Next thing I knew I was standing in front of the Barnum house with P.T leading me inside."

Charity stood and sat beside the younger man to wrap her arms around him. "And I'm glad he did."

Philip felt his shoulders relax as he simply enjoyed the hug.

"Philip, they're going to be days when everything seems to go wrong. The important thing to remember is that there are people there who want to help encourage you along the way."

Philip pulled away to look her in the eye. "Even if we accidentally push those people away?"

"Yes, even then. We encourage the girls to come and talk to us about whatever might be bothering them, even if it's us. No matter how big or how bad, we want them to know they always have someone to turn to."

"That's why Helen followed you into the room," Philip commented.

"Yes. Before the fire at the circus building, Barnum and I talked for a few weeks about divorce."

Philip's eyes went wide. "You two? But you two love each other like crazy!"

"We haven't always. There were times when it was rough and it made it difficult to love each other. However, we learned to talk to each other and work things out. When Barnum started his dream with the show, I supported him because I knew it was something he'd always dreamed of doing. The dream kept growing though and it began to consume him. I never said anything because I thought one day he'd wake up and see how much he already had. Instead he became more and more consumed. We talked very little during that time, and then when the tabloids posted that story about Jenny Lind---I snapped. It felt like a part of me exploded and I couldn't get it back. I said some cruel things and then I left. For two long days, Barnum and I didn't see or speak to each other. The girls had it worse because they were certain we had divorced just like we had talked about. When Barnum came back we were all excited, but there was still worry that it would happen again. The girls always came to us just like Helen did tonight."

"She still worries that you're getting a divorce?" Philip asked cautiously.

"She did tonight. Barnum and I talked to her."

Philip thought over what she said. He recalled the past few days and how he and Anne hadn't talked much. He was so busy with the books and she was so busy with the trapeze that there was hardly time to just sit down and talk. If he thought about it even more he realized he had pushed everyone away with work. Maybe being alone tonight hadn't been the best idea.

Philip felt two fingers slide under his chin and force his gaze back up. Charity's kind eyes stared back at him. "Whatever happens Philip, whomever it may be about, you can always talk to one of us. You're a part of our family now."

Charity slid forward and placed a kiss on his forehead.

Philip smiled. "Thank you."

Charity beamed as she pulled him back into a hug. They stayed there for a few minutes more until Philip felt ready to go back out and face the others.

He rejoined the girls in the living room where they were sword fighting their dad. Caroline managed to stab her father and P.T tumbled to the ground in a dramatic heap. Both girls pounced on top of him as P.T smiled up at Philip. Philip smirked. Yep, a regular showman.

The four goofed around together playing pirates before P.T excused himself to check on something. Philip continued the game with the girls before they demanded they play princesses instead. They would be the brave princesses and Philip would be the brave knight. The trio then set off on an adventure to destroy the magical characters that were terrorizing the town. At one point Caroline was hit by an ogre, and tumbled in a dramatic fashion that looked exactly like her father! Philip laughed at each girl's antics, glad he could join in the fun.

They were so caught up in their game none of them heard Barnum himself enter two hours later.

"As enjoyable as this is, the king and queen have decreed that it is time for the young princesses to retire for the night," Barnum declared.

Both Caroline and Helen groaned.

"Sorry girls, that's just the way the kingdom goes."

An idea struck Philip as he raised his wooden sword. "Is he really the king? Or rather---a shape-shifting dragon that wants to devour us all? Run!"

Caroline, Helen, and Philip screamed while tearing off through the house. Philip heard Barnum cackle before pounding footsteps followed after them. The trio managed to stay ahead of P.T. and even lost him at some point. Philip pushed the girls into a nearby room. He closed the door with a soft click and the three caught their breath.

"You two hide while I stand guard," Philip told the two girls grinning beside him. Helen and Caroline quickly scurried away as Philip opened the door a crack. The hall outside lay still, no sound to be heard. Philip even wondered if they had lost P.T. all together.

Suddenly, a huge growl came from behind Philip followed closely by two screams! He nearly fell as he swung in fright. The fright quickly turned into laughter.

Apparently Barnum had snuck in before the trio and now had both Helen and Caroline pinned beneath him as he tickled them mercilessly. Both girls were laughing with faces still tinged pink from running.

Helen managed to squeal out, "Philip help!"

Philip paused. Should he? He didn’t want to let the girls down, but didn’t know how P.T. was going to react.

Another squeal snapped him into action.

Without thinking, he took a running leap and threw his weight into Barnum. It wasn’t enough to hurt P.T. but it did knock him off balance. The two went tumbling with Barnum landing on top of Philip. Philip was stunned for a moment, but it was a moment too long. Barnum used the moment to pin Philip to the ground.

Barnum flashed a wink at Philip, “Nice try.”

The next instant a hand attacked Philip’s ribs. He let out a startled yelp before falling into helpless laughter. Philip tried to push P.T. off but that just opened him up even further to Barnum’s tickling.

“Do you surrender oh brave knight?” Barnum taunted.

Suddenly, two yells ripped the air and Barnum let out a grunt. Philip looked up and saw that Helen and Caroline had jumped onto their father’s back. Barnum pushed himself up and collapsed in a dramatic fashion on the couch. Meanwhile, Philip recaught his breath on the floor.

“Slain by the princesses, ugh!” Barnum groaned while the girls giggled relentlessly.

Philip found himself laughing at the sight until a knock at the door interrupted the moment. Charity poked her head around the corner, a grin on her face. “Sorry to interrupt, but there are two princesses who still need to head to bed.”

Barnum chuckled, “As you wish my queen.”

He lifted the two girls over his shoulders and exited the room.

Philip stood up and tucked his shirt back in. “I guess that is my cue to leave.”

Charity stopped him, “Can you wait a little longer? Phineas and I wanted to ask you something.”

Philip’s shoulders slightly stiffened and he began to panic. What would they want to talk to him about? Had he done something wrong?

“Sure, I can wait a little longer.”

“Thank you dear. You’re welcome to wait here or in the sitting room downstairs. Wherever you would be most comfortable.” Charity smiled before hurrying to join her husband.

Philip’s thoughts swirled with what he could have done wrong. It wouldn’t surprise him after the day he had. Everything had gone from bad to worse and now he had added another tally.

“Great, just great.” Philip chastised himself.

His mind raced through the events of tonight as he wandered downstairs. Without thinking, he placed the dolls on the couch and made sure a few throw pillows were returned to their locations after a night as landing pads for tumbling tricks.He collapsed into the couch to wait. A million worries swirled through his head---yet he felt oddly calm. Charity's words about coming to them if he had a problem were still fresh in his mind. Perhaps he was worried for nothing.

Then both Charity and Barnum stepped back into the living room and his anxiety spiked again.

Barnum's eyebrows lifted when he noted the tenseness in Philip's shoulders. "Philip, is everything okay?"

"Um yeah, everything's fine."

"You don't have to be nervous sweetheart." Charity smirked as she sat down next to him on the couch. "Phineas and I don't bite."

Philip chuckled as some of the tenseness eased from his shoulders. "Sorry, I just don't know what I did wrong."

"That's just it." Barnum eased himself on to the arm of the couch. "The only wrong thing you did was blame yourself for one horrible rotten day."

"What?"

Charity gently squeezed his arm. "He's right, you know."

"But the bank—."

P.T. held up a hand. "Have you seen the state of our office Mr. Carlyle. It looks like my daughters went through and sprinkled them around like rose petals."

A smirk came across Philip's face. "You told me it was organized."

"I said it was organized chaos. Big difference."

Charity squeezed Philip's arm again. "What Phineas is trying to say Philip is that he doesn't blame you."

The younger man turned back to his circus partner and Barnum nodded.

"But, everything else . . ."

"Charity told me what you explained to her. You didn't mess up. You did the best you could given the situation."

Charity grinned. "Exactly."

Then P.T smirked. "Except for the pants debacle. That one I don't understand."

His wife promptly slapped his arm. "Phineas!"

The younger man chuckled at his friend. "It's okay, neither do I."

The other two chuckled with him before falling silent once again. Philip felt the tenseness returning to his shoulders. There was something else.

"Philip."

The younger man looked up at P.T.

"About your parents . . ."

"It's okay PT . . . I'm never going back."

Philip didn't expect it, but once he said those words . . . tears sprang up into his eyes. His parents had verbally disowned him near months after he joined the circus, but they were still somehow involved in his life. It never felt real until those words came out of his mouth. Then in an instant, the only life he had ever known disappeared.

And it hurt a lot more than he was expecting.

That's when he felt two sets of arms wrap around either side of him.

"Thank you."

"No matter what happens Phil, you've got us to turn to." Barnum ruffled his hair.

Charity nodded. "Always."

Philip sniffed. "I don't deserve you guys."

"Hey, get that thought out of your head right now Mister." P.T. playfully tweaked one of his ears. "The only one thinking it is you."

With a little bit of effort, Philip slipped both of his arms out and wrapped them around the two people sitting next to him. It was okay he was leaving his old life behind, he couldn't ask for a better one than this.

A warm content feeling washed over him as the last of the tension left his shoulders. With it, the last of his energy too. Philip tried to keep himself alert, but the mixture of the long day and a solid meal had him leaning heavily on P.T.

He felt a chuckle go through the older man. "Are you bored of us already Mr. Carlyle?"

Another solid whack followed by Charity's voice. "Shush. It's been a long day."

Philip tried to rouse himself for a response. "Carriage?"

"It's alright Phil, we've got it taken care of."

In his half asleep state, Philip felt himself being shifted and placed on something soft. He didn't care, the other two would wake him when the carriage arrived to take him back to his apartment. For now, he would sleep.

Meanwhile, Barnum carefully removed the young man's shoes and socks followed by his waistcoat. "That should do it."

While he tended to those things, Charity dimmed the guest room lights. "I'm surprised you were able to lift him."

"I carried him out of the fire didn't I?"

"Yes, and almost dropped him on the cobblestone."

Phineas smirked. "This is different. I wasn't in a rush."

Charity closed the curtains. "Since you're not in a rush you can cover him with the blankets."

"Yes dear." Barnum gently covered him with a blanket and tucked it in around his shoulders.

"And don't fold his waistcoat like that. You always wrinkle your own when you do that."

"Pardon me," Phineas teased as he straightened Philip's waistcoat. "I was busy."

Charity turned with her hands on her hips and a smile on her lips. "I thought you weren't in a rush."

Barnum mimicked his wife's stance. "I didn't say I was in a rush. I said I was busy."

Charity strode across the room to plant a kiss on Philip's temple. "I see."

"He hasn't even been here a full year and you're already coddling him?"

"I could say the same about you."

Phineas playfully tussled Philip's hair before standing. "Well my queen, the children are in bed for the night, the guards are on duty, and the staff has retired to their quarters."

"And all is quiet and peaceful."

"Yes it is." Phineas knelt to help his wife remove her shoes. "Now it is time for us to retire to our quarters."

"What are you doing?"

Phineas stood with her shoes. "Retiring."

Before she could respond, Barnum lifted Charity into his arms.

The younger woman squealed and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. "Phineas Taylor!"

A shuffle from the bed had both of them go still. Thankfully, no other sound came as Philip settled back into a deep sleep.

Phineas lowered his voice to a whisper. "Sleep well Phil."

The younger man lay still as both the Barnums headed out the door.

"Now my queen, the king wishes to put you to bed."

"Oh hush you."

#the greates showman #pt barnum #philip carlyle #charity barnum #fluff #brief tickle scene

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internet-chipmunk · 8 months

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me if headcanonning a LOT of zefron's characters as bisexual was illegal

#philip carlyle #troy bolton #teddy sanders #matt brody #zac efron #blame my hyperfixation

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musical-hunger-games · 11 months

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#alexander hamilton #hamilton #philip carlyle #the greatest showman #poll #kill a blorbo

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disneysooner · 1 year

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I don’t know why, but this gif gave me serious Huntlow vibes just now...

Maybe it’s because Hunter is a well-known member of the high society/coven, and he ends up falling for Willow, who is considered a freak/half-a-witch among some of her peers. He eventually finds a lot in common with those of the lower class/coven, and starts to fight alongside them against the masses. Idk, anybody else see a potential AU with Huntlow as Philip Carlyle and Anne Wheeler?

I mean, it could go further with Luz being P.T. Barnum trying to recruit Hunter/Philip? Thoughts?

#my post #disney #the owl house #greatest showman au #huntlow #hunter wittebane #willow park #philip carlyle #anne wheeler #luz noceda #p.t. barnum

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skyeknight-hyperfixations · 2 years

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They were cute.

But I wanted more of W.D. Wheeler

HE'S AN ATTRACTIVE MAN!

#The Greatest Showman #Philip Carlyle #Anne Wheeler #W.D. Wheeler

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cwistopherhartley · 1 year

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I TALK ABOUT THIS EVERY TIME I WATCH THE GREATEST SHOWMAN BUT

Greatest showman Au where Chris is Philip and Josh is Anne please it’s SO GOOD

LIKE REWRITE THE STARS BUT THEM??? PLEASE ITS SO GOOD

#the greatest showman #until dawn #climbing class #josh washington #joshua washington #Chris hartley #Christopher hartley #anne wheeler #Philip carlyle

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kiraxcute · 2 years

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No one gets to tell you who you are

X-Men + Greatest Showman

Logan Howlett + Philip Carlyle

#philip carlyle #logan howlett #my aesthetic #greatest showman

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quodekash · 1 year

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i just rewatched the greatest showman for the millionth time and my brain wouldnt shut up so i wrote down all the thoughts i had and expanded on them and stuff and now im sharing them here cos why the flip not

also a lot of these things probably seem super obvious to most people, but unfortunately i am stupid and slow and it took me ages to realise that races exist and even longer to realise that racism exist and even longer for me to realise that it’s an actual problem. (and its the same thing with all discrimination in general)

Main Thought #1: Barnum Sucks and Jenny is Amazing

Jenny is not a bad person. The only thing she did “wrong” was kiss Barnum on stage where there were photographers and stuff, but that was because Barnum led her on and she was hurt and stuff so she might as well ruin his image. Barnum is the problem, he’s always the problem.

And Barnum’s reaction to her singing wasn’t “wow she’s so talented, look at this gift she has, this is lovely”. You can see it, there’s hunger deep in his eyes, there’s excitement of the potential power he could have over her, there’s shock because she could make me successful. With everyone he meets, he never sees potential, he doesn’t do things for them out of the kindness of his heart, he isn’t helping others. He’s using every single person like tools for his own self gain.

And Charity sees Barnum’s face there, and she’s not even jealous. She’s scared. She reads her husband’s expression like a book, and immediately knows: this poor woman’s life is going to be ruined. And Charity won’t be able to do anything about it.

Later on, when they’re on tour, Jenny is flirting with Barnum I think, but he rejects her. But she knows he has a wife, she’s met her and she’s also met his kids. Although Barnum would probably twist the story to make it seem like Jenny forced herself upon him, that it’s her fault he cheated, I don’t believe that one bit. Jenny is a kind person. She wouldn’t have tried to pursue him if he hadn’t been giving her signs or reasons to, if he hadn’t been engaging with her in return. He was leading her on, making her think there could be something between them. But then he realises she’s actually grown attached to him, that she wants to be with him, and he doesn’t want that, he just wanted to use her for fame and money and success.

“I’m just another one of your little acts.” He was using her like a tool, just like he did with everyone else he’s ever seemed to care for.

She kisses him and says “That was goodbye.” I feel like she wouldn’t kiss him randomly for the first time as a goodbye. That’s a jerk move. She wasn’t kissing him for the first time, she was kissing him for the last time, because they’ve been doing things together throughout this entire trip, we the audience just haven’t seen it. But he cut her off, not out of love for his wife, but because he doesn’t want her, he wants her fame.

“I’m not in love with her!” “Of course, you’re not. Not with her, not with me, not with anyone. Just you and your show.” The one person he only ever cared about was Charity, the only person he made a real personal connection with was Charity, the only person that he was never trying to gain from was Charity. He finally regrets everything he’s done because he realises it was the final straw. It wasn’t him cheating that made Charity leave. It was her realisation that he doesn’t care for others, he only cares for himself. Charity is freaking perfect and lovely and Barnum doesn’t deserve her.

Main Thought #2: Barnum Sucks and Lettie+TheGang are Amazing

The reason they all feel so betrayed is because they’re outcasts. People hate them, the only people that talk to them are people who only want to give them hate and pain and misery, and hate and pain and misery is all they have ever known their lives to be. But then they met Barnum. And Barnum introduced them to people like them, other people who are treated badly for reasons beyond their control. Most of them probably didn’t even have a family, they were probably abused, disowned, homeless. But Barnum treated them like people, he talked to them like friends, he gave them a job and a meaning and a reason to be and they were happy and had a family. They finally had a place to belong, could finally feel like human freaking beings, and he closed the door on them. He’d gone up the social hierarchy ladder, one rung at a time, slowly climbing up and up, until he joined the oppressors.

They take a stand against Barnum, against the people who made their lives hell, against everyone who ever wronged them because they’re human beings who don’t deserve how they’ve been treated, they deserve love

Main Thought #3: Barnum Sucks but Lettie is Freaking Awesome

“Maybe you are a fraud. Maybe it was just about making a buck. But you gave us a real family.”

That translates to something along the lines of: Yeah, you suck. But you gave us a reason to live.

Lettie’s saying that, yeah, Barnum freaking sucks. He doesn’t really care about anyone other than himself. But, without realising it, he gave them a place to belong, and that’s pretty freaking special. She’s trying to tell him that he’s horrible, but he managed to do some good things. Maybe he can change and manage to do even more good things, but intentionally this time.

And then Barnum kisses Lettie on the cheek, and she makes this face of hope and joy, and I used to think like ‘ew I hope she doesn’t have a crush on him that would make this a lot less meaningful’

But I’ve only just realised (cos im really flipping slow) that her face there was her thinking about how far they’ve come, how he’s becoming a better person, that he’s gonna start turning into the person he appeared to be when they all first met him: a kind, open-minded guy who’s willing to give everyone a chance at love.

Main Thought #4: Anne and Phillip

“You’ve never had someone look at you the way your parents looked at me”

I used to think, in rewrite the stars, that Anne is being stupid and hopeless because obviously there’s hope what are you talking about? But I’ve only now realised (cos it took me way too long to become a more open person, and to understand that, hey, sometimes people hate other people, and, hey, racism exists) that her reality, every single freaking day, is terrible comments, people staring, people whispering that she shouldn’t exist, and even after finding a home in these people, there are still the comments, there are still the stares, there are still the whispers. The terrible people will always exist, and there’s no hope trying because she’ll always be hated. Her hands are tied, she can’t change anything in anyone, no matter how much she feels like she might belong.

But Phillip is sure that they can rewrite the stars, that they can change things, if only they’re brave enough. They could leave the room, hand in hand, and there’ll be comments, there’ll be staring, there’ll be whispers. But they’ll go through it together, they won’t stop their love for anyone or anything.

And then Phillip is in hospital. He’s dying. And the moment he wakes up, the moment she knows he’s safe, they kiss. Right there in the hospital, in front of so many people. Because she’s realised that life is too short, too precious, to let it go to waste. They shouldn’t be ashamed of their love, shouldn’t hide it, because either of them could be gone at any given moment, so they might as well shout their love to the freaking heavens.

Main Thought #5: idk what to title this one but it’s short

IT’S SO MEANINGFUL THE WAY THEY HUG (at least at first) INSTEAD OF KISS AT THE END OF THE MOVIE

I love it when couples don’t kiss after making up from a fight. Like you don’t need to display romantic affection. You can just show that you’re there for each other, that you’re sorry, that you love them and you’re gonna try to be better in the future. And that can be communicated with a big long comfortable hug, it can be communicated with your eyes, it can be communicated verbally. I’ve always thought that it’s so much more meaningful when couples don’t kiss after something important for their relationship happens. Somehow it’s so much more personal to be vulnerable with each other, to hug or look into each other’s eyes or to talk or anything else, instead of kissing.

Random Thoughts That Aren’t Important At All But I Felt Like Sharing Them:

THIS ENTIRE SOUNDTRACK IS SO BEAUTIFUL

All the songs are so freaking good. And yeah, This Is Me is a good song, and I like the song. But it’s so overplayed and the rest of the songs in the soundtrack don’t get nearly as much love and respect and appreciation even though every single song is basically perfection

JENNY IS SO TALENTED HOW

i am in love with this entire cast

THE DOPAMINE LEVELS FROM WATCHING THIS MOVIE ARE FREAKING INSANE

with every single song that came on i said out loud to my family “this is objectively the best song” because they’re all such freaking good songs

THIS MOVIE IS SO FREAKING GOOD I LOVE IT

#idk if you can tell but i might hate barnum just a little bit #every single character is perfect and has no flaws except for barnum #(im so mad that my brain is telling me to cut him some slack cos he's a traumatised orphan who had to only care for himself in order to #survive and while that obviously had a huge impact on him he still couldve become a better person a whole lot earlier.#survive. and while that obviously had a huge impact on him and his life he still couldve become a better person a whole lot earlier.#but also i dont think they had therapists or anything like that and even if they did he probably wouldnt have been able to afford it.#why is empathy a thing. why cant i just hate people simply.)#also barnum sucked in the movie but he was even worse in real life #but we're gonna ignore that rn cos we're talking about the movie here #the greatest showman #disney #pt barnum #this is me #zac efron #hugh jackman #zendaya #philip carlyle #what else do i tag this as?#overanalysis?#musical movies #the greatest showman disney

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semetarycosplay · 2 years

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Don’t fight it, it’s coming for you, running atcha. Photos: D20 Photography

#philip caryle #philip carlyle cosplay #philip carlyle #the greatest showman #greatest showman cosplay #barnum and baileys #circus #circus shoot

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storybounded · 8 days

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Not me being reminded that I wanted to do an animatic for 'R.ewrite the Stars'. ONE OF THESE DAYS.

#&&. I EVEN HAD A SCRIPT FOR A STORYBOARD AND EVERYTHING FOR SCOTT AND CAT #&&. bUT MY MAC ATE IT WHEN IT DIED #&&. God I love The Greatest Showman #&&. Makes me miss my old Philip Carlyle muse #&&. If I HAD ANY IDEAS ON HOW TO PUT HIM INTO A MODERN VERSE I WILL BRING HIM BACK #&&. “the other side” is such a bop #&&. the author speaks ( ooc )

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trapezequeen · 6 months

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Carwheeler + Enchanted aesthetic

#carwheeler aesthetic #carwheeler #tgs #greatest showman #The greatest showman #moodboard #Anne wheeler #zendaya #Phillip Carlyle #Zac efron #zendaya Coleman #Giselle #robert philip #princess Giselle #Morgan Philip #pip #chipmunk

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spacecadet-ticklesinspace · 10 months

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Ticklish Understanding

Summary: After a visit at work from his girls, Barnum learns something interesting about young Philip Carlyle ❤️

(Thank you @lottie-lokisdottir for your help and suggestions ❤️ I loved getting to write this :) Enjoy! 😁)

"Goodbye girls! I'll see you at home!"

"Bye daddy!"

Barnum closed the office door. "I swear, those girls get smarter and smarter everyday."

"You have a couple geniuses on your hands Barnum." Philip shuffled some papers. "One day, they'll even outsmart you."

"And then they'll outsmart you Mr. Carlyle." Barnum winked at his young friend before stepping back to his desk. "The man who knows everything outsmarted by the two greatest girls ever."

"I don't know everything," Philip responded with a blush.

"Oho really?"

"I'm serious Barnum."

The older man leaned against his desk. "Name one thing the great Philip Carlyle doesn't know."

"Well for starters, how to deal with with your insufferable extravagance," Philip teased. "And that thing you do with your daughters."

P.T's eyebrows furrowed his eyebrows together. "What thing?"

"That thing you were doing earlier."

"Ah yes, because that it narrows it down."

Philip rolled his eyes. "That thing you were doing earlier where you would squeeze them and they would laugh and squeal."

Barnum thought back over the events of the day and tried to deduce what he was talking about. An image flickered into his mind of Caroline and Helen giggling under him as he squeezed their sides. "Tickling?"

"Is that what you call it?" Philip asked.

The older man scoffed. "You're joking."

Philip shook his head. "Nope.

A strange look came over PT's face. "You genuinely don't know what tickling is?"

The look his friend was giving him made Philip suspicious. "Am I supposed too?"

In a moment of passion, Barnum slapped the desk before standing and making his way over to the younger man's desk. "You don't know what tickling is?"

Philip jumped. "Sheesh Barnum, I already told you, didn't I?"

"I just can't believe it."

Philip set aside his papers and turned to his friend as he leaned against the side of his desk. There was no use trying to work when he wouldn't let this go.

"I thought it was the duty of every parent to pass that knowledge on to their child. My mother, bless her, gave that knowledge to me before she died and I in turn gave it to my kids. Even Charity's parents gave it to her and you know what they're like."

"Sorry tickling wasn't included in my parents training."

"Did your parents even hold you wrong?"

"No, they left that up to the Nanny." Philip used the pen in his hands to motion to the mountain of paperwork on the desk. "Are we done?"

"No."

The younger man groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Barnum tapped his shoulder and stood. "Humor me for a minute."

"But what about our work?"

"The work can wait."

Philip sighed and stood. When Barnum got an idea in his head, there was no stopping him. He had learned it was better to go along with it than try to argue.

Barnum positioned them in front of the couch. "Now, you are aware that in the body, there are nerves that allow you to feel things, correct?"

"Yes, like I can feel the clothes on my back. Are we done?"

Barnum held up a hand. "Patience. Now many of those nerves signal there is something wrong. For example, if you were to stick your hand on that stove back there, your nerves would tell you what?"

"To get my hand away."

"Correct---."

"What does this have to do with tickling?"

"You'll see." Barnum grabbed one of Philip's arms. "Now, it's not just pain that the nerves feel, it's also weight and pressure, correct?"

The younger man shrugged. "I guess."

"To give an example." Barnum wrapped his hand around Philip's wrist and gently pressed his thumb into his wrist. "You can feel the weight of my hand and the pressure of my thumb."

"Again, what does this have to do with tickling?"

"This is all leading up to the same point if you'll just let me get there."

After another sigh, Philip motioned with his free hand for him to continue.

"Thank you. The biggest point I'm trying to make is that the nerves register or feel different things and they don't always have the same response to what they're feeling. So if I were to squeeze, your nerves would detect pressure, pain, or a tickle." Barnum emphasized his last point with a squeeze to Philip's side.

The younger man squealed and pulled his side in the opposite direction. A strange shock had gone up his side. It hadn't hurt, it had just felt so odd and made him nervous. Yet it also made him desperately want to laugh and squirm. "What the. . ."

"Of course, since you can find these nerves all over your body, you can be ticklish just about anywhere."

"What? Wow!"

In one motion, Barnum was sitting down on the couch with Philip in his lap.

The younger man blushed at the position he was in. "Barnum!"

"I understand it can be a bit overwhelming your first time," PT soothed as he wrapped his arms around his young friend. "However, you can grow to love it."

"Love what?"

"Tickling."

"That feeling when you squeezed my side?"

"Yes."

"That's tickling?"

"Yes."

"And people love it?"

"Yes?"

"Why?"

Barnum shrugged as he repositioned them both into a more reclined position. "Stress relief, bonding."

"Embarrassing more like it."

"You had one squeeze Philip. How can you say it's embarrassing?"

"Why am I sitting in your lap?"

"You're never to old for a cuddle. Besides, this is how I usually do it with my daughters."

"Who I am five times the size of!"

Barnum scoffed. "Please, you're not that big. Besides, it's part of the bonding."

"I can bond with you just fine from the couch."

"I have to be able to reach you."

"You can reach me from the couch."

Barnum grinned. "I also think it's funny to watch you get so flustered."

Philip sighed. "You're insufferable."

"May I continue, please?"

"Fine."

"Thank you." Barnum ruffled Philip's hair. "Now, like I mentioned earlier, the nerves spread to different parts of the body meaning you can be ticklish anywhere."

"Really?"

"Yep." Barnum squeezed the different spots as he listed them. "Areas like your stomach. Your hips. Your ribs. Even your armpits."

The reactions Philip's gave were priceless. He quickly turned into a squealing, squirming mess in Barnum's lap. Very undignified from his usual appearance.

Barnum loved seeing the bright smile on his face and hearing the child-like laughter filling the office. The older man paused his tickles long enough to give his friend's cheek a friendly pinch. "You're actually adorable when you're not being a pompous little businessman."

Philip growled and turned his face away. "You're such a jerk!"

"A loving jerk though." PT rested his chin on Philip's shoulder. "But you know what the best thing about tickles is?"

"That Ihi'll behe getting revenge later."

"No, the best thing about tickles is that you don't have to use your hands."

"Wh-what?"

"You can use your nose." Barnum rubbed his nose against Philip's neck.

Philip squeaked and turtled.

"You can use your chin." Barnum switched to rubbing his chin against his neck.

"Ah!"

"You can use your lips." The older man peppered a few kisses into Philip's neck.

The blush on the younger man's face darkened significantly. "Barnum!"

"Or, you can use your breath." Barnum blew a raspberry into Philip's neck.

"SQUEE!" Then the younger man snorted.

"That was very undignified of you Mr. Carlyle." P.T pinched his side. "But I'll let it slide."

Philip squeaked then leaned against the older man. "That's the last tihime Ihi let you explain anything toho mehe!"

"Now I know what to do when you get to uptight." PT ruffled his hair again. "A few side squeezes and you're your smiley self again."

Philip growled again. "I'm so getting yohou bahack."

"I'll look out for it." Barnum released Philip from the tickle hug, but the younger man didn't get up right away. "I thought you were desperate to finish your paperwork Mr. Carlyle?"

"In a minute."

"Oh really?"

Philip quickly squeezed Barnum's sides. "Revenge is more important."

The older man let out a few chuckles, but his sides weren't much of a hot spot. He quickly grabbed his younger friend's hands and wrapped him in another hug. "One thing you need to learn about tickling Phil. If you want to get back at someone who attacked you first, aim for their weaker spots."

Philip rolled his eyes. "How am I supposed to know them if you won't let me find them!"

PT Barnum pinched along Philip's sides. "Where's the fun in that?"

With another squeal, the younger man squirmed to the side and and accidentally tipped himself over.

"You alright?"

"Yehes. No thanks to yohou."

"Aww, don't be such a party pooper Phil." Barnum stood. "You lost your first tickle fight, but there will be others."

The younger man bolted upright. "Others?"

"Of course. Especially since your tickle tolerance is so low." The older man tapped his chin. "Hmm, maybe it would be a good idea to have a daily tickle time until you get your stamina up to where it needs to be. Say, maybe I can get the rest of the circus to join in."

Philip flopped back on to the couch. "You don't even subject your own children to that kind of torture!"

"Not all of my kids."

Philip turned to Barnum and gave him a strange look.

The older man winked. "You're the special exception child."

Those words washed over Philip as he stared at the man in front of him. He wasn't sure when he became the Barnum's adoptive son, but he found himself okay with it. He didn't have the greatest childhood, despite what it looked on the outside, and here, he had a home of people who cared.

"Come on Sonny." PT turned back to his desk. "Back to work."

With his back turned, Philip took a small pillow from the couch and chucked it at Barnum. It landed square in the center of his back, causing the older man to stop.

PT slowly turned to look at his young friend grinning on the couch then down to the pillow laying on the floor. "So that is how you want to play. Very undignified indeed."

"You sound like my father."

"How dare you insult me with such comparisons!"

That brought a smile to Philip's face."

"Just for that horrendous comparison, you shall be sentenced to a pillow attack."

In the blink of an eye, both men had a pillow in their hands and were facing off from opposite sides of the room.

A moment later, the two charged forward leaving a trail of feathers in their wake.

#lee philip carlyle #ler pt barnum #ticklefic

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