#ballet Phan au

[wannabemerida]

I had so much fun writing my first kid fic with the help of my beta, @heartthrobphilly  and basing it off of @bluevlvvt ’s artwork (the link above!) —— Word count: 2.6k Prompt: Phil offers to drive his friends daughter (lola) to her ballet lesson. he runs into a cute dad with his daughter rosie. he offers to drive lola to her ballet lessons every week after that. (slow plot development lol) Warnings: light cursing, angst —— It’s 3:02pm as Phil waits outside of Brookside Elementary School. According to Ian, Lola usually exits through this door and waits to be retrieved from the playground. So far, there’s no sign of the little blonde girl playing outside.

A shout of “Uncle Phil!” catches his attention and he turns around to the soccer pitch just in time to see the kindergartener running at him, embracing him in a hug when they collide. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m taking care of you tonight, remember? Your dad has a big business dinner, and your mom is in Wolverhampton for her job, yeah?”

“Ohhhhh, I just thought Grandma would be taking care of me again,” the six year old explains, not seeming particularly fussed.

“C’mon, let’s head home.”

Two hours later when Phil suggests they order Chinese to the brick house, Lola quickly shuts his craving down. “Uncle Phil, we can’t have Chinese tonight, Thursdays are always Kraft Dinner nights, dummy!”

“Hey Lola, are you done with your dinner? You have ballet soon and still need to get ready!” Seeing Lola’s face that has a bit of the cheesy noodles left on it from quickly scarfing down her meal, Phil grabs a paper towel from the roll on the kitchen counter.

“Yeah! Do you have my leotard?” Phil grabs the light green leotard out of the overnight bag that Lola had brought along, handing it to her with the napkin, (“Lols, you’re a mess!”) her slippers, and a pair of tights.

The drive to the Portner Ballet Studio takes about 15 minutes, with Phil accidentally hitting every red light possible. This causes Lola some distress, claiming that the five minutes she has before class “isn’t enough to talk to Rosie, and she’s the only nice one there that I like.”

Nevertheless, when the raven-haired man and his favorite “niece” enter the building, a small girl with fluffy brown hair immediately runs up to Lola and hugs her. “Rosie, this is my Uncle Phil!

“Lola! You’re finally here! Daddy said you might not be coming today because you’re normally here before me,” the brunette pauses, “but you’re here now, see, Daddy? I told you she would come!”

Phil is frozen. The man who walks up behind Rosie is the most beautiful person Phil has seen, and that’s saying something, considering that Chris Hemsworth exists. But no, the curly brown fringe, hazel eyes, tall, lanky stature, and his soft face (not to mention his monochrome aesthetic and “best dad in the world” travel mug) easily outrank even the likes of Thor.

“Um, hey?” Phil is snapped out of his trance, needing to be able to respond to the greeting. “You’re Lola’s uncle?”

“Well, um, sort of? I’m really good family friends with Lola’s dad, and so I’m kind of an unofficial uncle to her.” Had he been responding to anything else, Phil probably would’ve stuttered, but the number of times he’s had to explain the title makes it so he can explain perfectly, even in front of someone this stunning.

“I’m- I’m Dan.” The two men glance over at the young girls who are chattering animatedly.

“Oh, yeah, Phil Lester.” Dan holds his hand out for a handshake.

“Rosie’s my daughter,” he says quietly, but there’s no mistaking the fondness he has when he says it.

“I can tell, she looks just like you, without the black and white.”

“Oh, I guess we do? My parents keep saying she looks like, um, Angie-” Dan’s voice decrescendos as he gets further along his sentence.

“Angie … is Rosie’s mom?”

“Oh, um, yeah.” Phil’s heart drops.

“Cool.” Not cool. Dan has a wife. Dan had a kid. With his wife.

“Have you got any kids?” Dan asks, a light blush still visible across his cheeks.

“Ah, no, I didn’t have time to find someone in Uni and now I’m single with 2 masters degrees.” Phil unconsciously plots a way to make himself seem more interesting.

“What are they in?” Dan asks, looking genuinely curious.

“I got my first one in English language and linguistics, and my second in post-production editing.”

“What do you do with those? How do they fit together?”

“I’m a special effects engineer for Disney, and they don’t really fit together to be honest,” Phil pauses, “although I do make YouTube videos and that kind of meshes them together,”

“Wow, um, cool,” Dan stutters.

“So what about you?”

“Huh?”

“What’s your job, besides ‘best dad in the world’?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m stupid.” Phil giggles, thinking of how his father would reply with ‘Hi stupid, I’m dad!’. “But I’m a writer for Vogue and I dabble in fashion photography. It’s mainly just taking photos of Rosie if I’m being honest, but the photographers sometimes get sick and I end up doing the shoot.”

“Vogue? Like, the fashion magazine?” Phil doesn’t know much about fashion, but he’s seen the magazine numerous times in the Tesco checkout lane.

“Yeah, well, technically it’s British Vogue, but…”

“Yeah.”

There’s a calm but slightly awkward silence as the conversation loses direction. The two men avoid eye contact, not wanting to make it worse.

The silence is broken by Dan’s tenor voice. “So what films have you worked on?”

“I got to work a bit on Spiderman: Homecoming, but the Live-action Beauty and the Beast was pretty fun. You know the scene where the gold leaf comes off of the ceiling to go on Belle’s dress?” When Dan nods, Phil breaks out into a grin. “That was me.”

“Wow.” Dan breathes out. “After she saw that, she kept trying to put stickers on her ceiling in the hopes that they would transfer to her shirt. It was a nightmare.”

“Ah, sorry.”

“Nah mate, it was kind of funny as well. I’ve got a few photos that I’ll save for when she graduates.”

“She’ll love that,” Phil chuckles, and the deep, throaty sound makes Dan’s heart stutter. “So you’re into fashion?”

Dan blushes. “Yeah? I mean I can’t really afford any designers, but I’ll turn into a fanboy at times.”

“Why do they charge so much? Like, half of the suits these designers make look identical to something I could buy from a department store for thousands of dollars less.”

“Well, a lot of designers carefully hand-make every piece, whereas the stuff you get in a store has probably been made by a pre-programmed machine and poorly paid workers in a factory. There’s also differences in fabric types, quality, and origins. And, a lot of designers will tailor the suit to perfectly fit you for a slightly higher price. If you go to a department store-”

“I see what you mean when you say you turn into a fanboy, but thank you for the mini lesson on why celebrities are willing to spend so much money on a navy tux. Your insights are amusing.” Phil grins.

“Did you also know that navy suits are better investments than black ones? It’s because the blue fits into so many more settings than a black one.”

While Phil could watch Dan talk about his passions for hours, just watching and memorizing how the lines change across his face, and God, that dimple, Phil supposes his relentless staring would get a bit creepy. “So what are the ballet lessons like? I’ve only been to a few of Lola’s performances.”

“Oh, um, well, they spend the first 20 minutes warming up, and then they move to the barre where they practice a bunch of stuff that’s in French that I can’t remember, and then they start to go over the routine for their next performance.”

“What is it?”

“What?”

“Their next performance?”

“Yeah! Sorry, I’m stupid,” Dan blushes for what must be the fiftieth time since he first met Phil. “The studio is putting on The Firebird.”

“No! Um, I mean, you’re not stupid. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with The Firebird. What is it about?” Phil has heard the name before, but only in the context of movie scores resembling Stravinsky’s composition. “It sounds kind of intense, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, um, I don’t know much, but from what Rosie’s told me, the firebird gets caught by a prince and when he lets her go she helps him defeat the magician to save some princess, but I’m pretty sure I’m missing like half of the plot. I would say to just Google it and not to go by my word,” The nervous laughter emitted by Dan makes Phil instantly worry that he might have made the brunet uncomfortable or misread Dan’s friendliness as a blossoming friendship when it might have been a ploy to gather gossip for the nosy ballet moms.

“Thanks, I think I’ll trust you on that.” Dan offers a small smile at Phil’s response, letting the two men fall into silence as they watch the group of young girls and 3 boys practice their pliés and dégagés. An hour and a half later, the children exit the studio and find their guardians to go home.

“It was nice meeting you, Phil,’’ Dan admits as Rosie and Lola exchange a goodbye hug. The six words send Phil’s heart into overdrive and he feels his cheeks heating up.

“Yeah, you too, Dan,” Phil replies, proud of himself for not tripping over his words. Looking back, Phil’s whole interaction was impressive, considering his track record of ending up injured in some way.

Last time, Phil wound up with a broken ankle, having paid more attention to the cute digital renderer than the set of stairs they were walking down. It wasn’t all for nothing, though, Phil having gained the cute man’s phone number. Not that that did much for his love life, finding out two days that the boy he had his eyes on was dating the very female gaffer of their most recent movie, but that’s not the point.

This time, nothing will happen, because a) Phil dropping Lola off at ballet was a one time thing, so most likely, he’ll never see Dan again, and b) Dan has a daughter, who is his genetically, which means he has (or had) a wife, all summarizing that no matter how cute the brunet is, Dan is straight.

Not that Phil’s brain will accept that Dan is off-limits as a possible partner. Over the next few days, the image of soft brown eyes, curly fringes, and lanky limbs continuously make appearances in the back of Phil’s head. The very effective distractions cause Phil’s co-workers to worry, and PJ’s repetitive “have you been sleeping okay?”s have driven Phil to the point of insanity.

The answer to PJ’s question is quite easily “no”, Phil having only slept well once that week (he refused to admit it but that was the night that he got off to the image of a faceless figure who looked suspiciously like the boy who wouldn’t leave his head.)

By Wednesday, Phil was fed up with his brain’s reaction to not having seen Dan since the previous Thursday. Pulling out his phone, he does the only thing he can think of to satisfy his hungry mind. He calls Ian.

“Phil? Do you need something?” is the answer he gets when Ian finally picks up.

“No, um, I was just wondering, would you like me to take Lola to ballet again tomorrow?” Phil looks at the lines he had written down on a notepad, an effort to keep himself from going into a 20-minute rant about how in love with Dan he is.

“Sure, I guess? Why are you offering?”

“Just thought that you and Pam could use a break,”

“Oh, okay then, thanks! Same as last week?”

“Sure! Talk to you later!”

Phil’s convinced that his squeal of excitement was the reason that the people who lived across the street turned their lights on and not the fact that their smoke detector went off. He probably set that off too, in hindsight. And caused the stove fire.

23 hours later, Phil finds himself standing inside the dance studio again, surrounded by shrieking kids, chattering parents, and the faint sound of the top 20 radio playing in the background.

“Mister Phil! Where’s Lola?” Rosie pulls on Phil’s sleeve, stopping when she sees her best friend walk out of the bathroom.

“Why, Miss Rosie, she’s right there!” Rosie giggles, pulling out of a hug with Lola.

“I know that now, silly.” She and Lola run into the studio, eager to get to do the optional partner stretches before class starts.

“Are you Lola’s father?” A woman dressed in a skirt suit and heels walks up behind Phil.

“Oh, no, I’m just a family friend. I occasionally take Lola to ballet to give her parents some alone time.”

“Ah.” The woman sticks her hand out for a handshake. “I’m Angela Wright, Rosie’s mom.”

Had there been a small creature under it, Phil’s heart would have killed it from the speed at which it fell. He knew that Rosie had a mom, that Dan had a wife, that Dan wasn’t available. So why did it still hurt so much?

“Oh, cool,” Phil responds a moment later, his voice considerably deflated.

Phil’s unspoken question is answered right as it pops into is head. “Dan contracted the flu, and is stuck at home in bed, which is why I’m here this week. I’m normally responsible for taking Rosie to taekwondo while he takes care of ballet lessons, but that evidently won’t work this week. Honestly, it’s just like Dan to get a winter disease in the middle of summer.”

“I was going to ask about setting up a playdate between Rosie and Lola, but…” Angie trails off.

“Yeah,” Phil nods in understanding, not liking this woman any more than he did a minute ago. “I’m gonna go sit down.” No response comes from the woman, but Phil’s not particularly bothered.

Maybe he should be nicer to the wife of the man he’s stupidly trying to woo, but he just can’t. How is he supposed to be nice to his competition, who’s already clearly won?

When he vaguely notices the ballet instructor make a big motion with her arms, Phil decides that watching a group of five and six year olds is an adequate distraction from the turmoil in his brain. After 10 minutes of watching the kids do various tasks, jumping and prancing around the room, he zones off.

“Uncle Phillll, come onnnnnnn!” wakes Phil from his trance, no longer seeing the ballet students in the studio but now milling around the lobby and leaving. “Class ended like, forever ago! Can we leave? I wanna go get ice cream!”

A quick look at the clock told Phil that class had only ended 5 minutes ago, but to an antsy six-year-old, he supposed that could feel like an eternity.

“Lola, we aren’t getting ice cream. I’d rather not have your parents be mad at me for loading you up on sugar, right?” The small girl pouts but grabs Phil’s hand, dragging him to the car.

While it was easy getting Lola into her car seat, getting her out was a whole other task. It took Phil, Ian, Pamela, a blanket, 2 stuffed animals, and a lullaby to successfully remove the sleeping child out of the carseat, into the house, and onto her bed where she could sleep without interruption.

Once he was back in his car, Phil sat in the driveway, resting his head on the steering wheel, regretting ever offering to take Lola to dance lessons at all. Remember back in college when all those crushes were single? You fucked up, bud.

[bittersweetjenna]

🌸 Maybe it was a sign, you and I. ✨

[daniactuallysnuffledthatpopcorn]

Home for Christmas (Part 3 of 4)

Summary: Every year Dan goes to a ballet performance of the Nutcracker around Christmas (he even starts to enjoy it after a while), but what he’s really waiting for is the nights he gets to spend with one of the lead dancers after the show.

Rating: M

Word count: 7.3K (20.3K total so far)

[A/N] Hope you enjoy my Christmas mini-series!

<-- part two

Start at the beginning

As the new year crawled by Dan found himself tempted to google Phil’s name more and more with each passing day.

When university started back up after Christmas break and he found himself surrounded by the people who had to get used to seeing him without Rosie he caught himself just before pressing enter multiple times, erasing the words he’d typed and turning off his phone screen before he could change his mind again. He tried to avoid running into her, sometimes going as far as skipping dinner because she was sat in the kitchen, until he no longer felt his phone burning in his pocket watching her tending to her pans at the stove. Until he no longer had the pressing urge to get out of town every chance he got, visiting Eleanor on the weekly.

--

Final exams rolled in way too fast and left him feeling wholly unprepared. No matter how many study dates and trips to the library he set up, it never seemed to be enough. Law books were big and heavy, pulling on him with every step that brought him closer to the exam halls. Eleanor, whose exams didn’t start until the day after his, stayed with him and made him a full fry for breakfast the morning before his first test. It was her way of trying to offer her support when she knew that as a neurosciences student she was completely useless when it came to helping him study.

Although he liked to think he was fully over Rosie by May, it still gave him some sort of satisfaction when Eleanor gave a resolute “yes” to his ex’s polite “you alright?” as they sat at the kitchen table.

He wondered how she would greet Phil if she knew the ins and outs of their agreement. His phone lit up, signalling a new Snap from Davis.

--

Summer was a gift from god.

After missing their November weekend together Dan and Eleanor spent a whole week exploring Rome in early August, completely avoiding the topics of love lives and university and focusing on sunshine and gelato and the ancient history they were walking around in on their flipflops. They held hands the way they’d done in primary school, before they hit puberty and girls and boys weren’t supposed to do that kind of stuff anymore. Before they cared about what anyone thought of their relationship.

Dan neglected to mention to her that on the last night, when she went to the bathroom as they were having a couple of drinks at the hotel bar, an Irish boy slipped him a napkin with a string of numbers on it accompanied by the words, “if you’re not interested feel free to bin this, but otherwise, text me”. Dan shoved it in his pocket, where it stayed until he got back to his parents’ house in London and he unpacked his suitcase. He stood with the paper in his hand for a minute or so, and then another few minutes staring at the new contact in his phone.

Sat cross-legged on the bed he carefully crafted a message. As he was typing it took everything from his willpower not to close the app and go to google. To just type in that one name that he’d put into that bar so many times before. Instead, he resolutely tapped the ‘send’ button and then proceeded to put his phone under his pillow to leave it there for the next couple of hours.

When Nicholas replied he was almost surprised. They spent the next couple of weeks texting and although Dan had initially been sceptical, the more he learnt about Nick, the more he felt that there might be something and he might not need to be stuck on his Christmas dates for the rest of his life.

Nick was nice. Genuinely nice. He was a good listener, made jokes at the right time, and had an intricate knowledge of all kinds of animals as he was studying to become a vet. Dan found himself looking forward to the evenings when Nick got home from placement and the two of them could Skype call before they went to bed. Long nights were spent lying on his back on the carpet, feet propped up against the side of his desk, phone tucked comfortably between his shoulder and his ear. He could hear the Irish boy smile through the phone.

He liked Nick. He really did. But when in early October he asked him that dreaded question, “so, what are we?”, Dan couldn’t stop his fight or flight response from kicking in. Unsure of whether he feared commitment to a boy or commitment to anyone at all, he broke it off.

From there on, things went downhill. Fast.

One of the boys Dan lived with dropped out, meaning they had to either find a new flatmate or a new place, and the others’ half-hearted search for a house stressed him out. University was pulling on him like a ball on a chain and the words danced before his eyes on the nights he tried to catch up with the stacks of work accumulating on his desk. Eleanor’s ugly selfies sent over snapchat were only doing so much to put a smile on his face, their effects diminishing with every day.

Two weeks after Reuben had left, Dan sent in his student withdrawal form.

Three days later, he found the courage to tell his parents, sat on Eleanor’s bed with one hand in hers and the other hand clutching the phone held to his ear. Everything was falling apart, but the one constant he could always count on was his best friend always being right by his side.

--

Dan moved back home hesitantly. His old bedroom felt too small for him and his hometown was full of eyes watching him, knowing he didn’t belong there anymore.

What did he actually want to do with his life? He had no idea, really. His new job at an electronics shop was not it though, that was for damn sure. It had him drifting through the days, every week feeling like the last, endless and exhausting. To pass the time he messed around with the products when he got bored, feeling professional when he pressed buttons on the DJ sets knowing what they did, and adjusting camera lenses with expert eyes. In those moments he felt for a moment like he was on the right path, just not knowing where it would lead him yet.

In mid-December Dan used his first wages to buy one of those fancy cameras. He spent hours in his bedroom sat cross-legged on the floor adjusting settings and filming little test videos, the reality of his world forgotten for a precious while.

Four days before Christmas Dan planted the camera up on one of his book shelves, fixed his hair in the mirror for exactly two minutes longer than necessary, and then pressed the record button.

He filmed his first video in one go, with rambling tangents and awkward pauses to edit out later, which he did the day after, when he got home from work. He was tired. After a nine-hour day the last thing his eyes wanted to do was focus deeply on something for another couple of hours. One by one his family members went to bed, the sounds of their bedroom doors closing reaching Dan even through his headphones. In the morning, when his alarm would go off at half seven again, he’d hate himself for this, but that felt well worth it when he clicked ‘upload’ and watched the bar load up to a 100%. It was two in the morning when his first ever YouTube video went live.

--

Dan and Eleanor had bought tickets for the ballet in early December almost out of habit. There had been no discussing it, just Eleanor asking if he’d already bought them or if she should. On the day before Christmas Eve she picked him up in her car, blasting Mariah Carey so loud Dan could hear it the moment he stepped out the front door. She was wearing a beautiful silver dress and had her hair braided back so her elegant hoop earrings were clearly visible. He complimented her as he plopped down in the passenger seat of her Volkswagen.

He tried to play it cool, but it was difficult to do so when he’d been looking forward to this night for months. It felt on the verge of pathetic, but his monotonous job left him with plenty of headspace to contemplate all that could happen and might be in the future. He’d lived this day and the next dozens of times over in his head stood behind the counter smiling artificially at customers as he rang up their purchases.  

They knew their way around the theatre by now. They knew where to find the coat room, and the fact that it cost 50p per coat, and they knew the quickest route up to the balcony and the toilet closest to it. Dan ran his hands over the balustrade as they walked to their spots. The place was still fully lit, giving him a view of the seats and the stage below. Two little girls were on stage in front of the curtains, doing pirouettes and falling out of them with big grins decorating their little faces. He stood and watched them for a moment, until he felt Eleanor demonstratively lean over the railing next to him. “You excited?” She asked.

“Yeah, I guess.” He said without tearing his gaze away from the kids.

“Have you spoken to him at all since last year?”

Dan shook his head, “I don’t even have his number. I don’t know his last name or anything.”

“Really? I thought you had a somewhat regulated plan.”

“If we’re both single by Christmas, we spend the night together. That’s it, that’s the whole plan.”

She laughed, “You’re a bit of a disaster, Dan.”

“I know.” He said. He sighed deeply, leaning further down until his chin came to rest on his hands. “I’ve given up trying to sort this out, I’m just along for the ride now.”

She didn’t respond, but without needing to look over Dan knew she was rolling her eyes at him.

They watched the girls dance until they were ushered off the stage and the lights started to dim. The hall had filled up quite a bit since they’d turned their back on the balcony, and they had to shuffle past grumbly chic people annoyed they had to move their legs to let them past. It was Dan and El’s third year. They were used to the rich people by now.

The lead dancers had all changed. He recognised the previous lead as one of the background dancers, along with a couple of others who’d had big roles the years before. Phil was nowhere to be found. Dan had a heavy feeling in his stomach as he watched them float across the stage. Eleanor noticed too, taking her best friend’s hand in hers and squeezing it tightly. They exchanged a short glance, but Dan couldn’t bear looking her in the eyes for too long, too embarrassed about his situation and the hope he’d displayed before the show. She knew he’d been excited for their meeting and Phil’s not being there made him feel ashamed, naive almost. His eyes absentmindedly followed the ballerinas, not really taking anything in.

Eleanor kept a firm grip on his hand, pulling him downstairs to the bar and pushing a glass of champagne into his hand. She wasn’t sure what to say either, clearly. Dan could see the radars in her head spin as she tried to come up with a way to comfort him.

“Dan?”

He saw Eleanor’s eyes light up before he turned and faced the person who’d said his name.

Phil was wearing slacks and a button-down shirt, his hair neatly swept to one side. He looked older, more mature. Dan was glad Eleanor had made him dress up that year, so he knew he looked good. He subconsciously reached up and tugged on his tie a bit as he looked the dancer up and down.

“It’s good to see you.” He managed to say.

“You too.” Phil said.

“I thought you might not be here this year.”

“I’m not on the team anymore. Not as a dancer, at least. I’ve taken up that coaching position like I told you I might last year, I’m assistant coach now.”

“Wow, congratulations.”

Phil laughed, “It’s not that spectacular, I’m not sure if it deserves congratulations.”

“Well, you’ve done better for yourself than I have.” Dan said. It was out there before he could stop himself, and the moment he’d said it he was afraid he’d enclosed too much information about his personal life.

“You can tell me all about it after the show,” Phil said, “I have to get back to the team now. I was just coming to say hi and make sure you knew I was here. Backdoor?”

“Yep, see you there.”

“Perfect.”

He watched Phil leave before turning around to face Eleanor, who had a smug look on her face. “See, it’s all fine.” She said.

“You say that now, but you were afraid he wouldn’t be here too.”

“Maybe.” She admitted. She touched her champagne glass to his, “Cheers to another fun night for you.”

“And cheers for hopefully one for you. You deserve one.”

He meant it. After Nicola cheated on her six months into their relationship she’d stayed away from boys for a while, but a week earlier she’d said she might try and pull on the 23rd of December, for the first time in months. He watched her eye a guy standing behind them as she nodded and took a sip of her drink. “I sure do.”

--

Dan couldn’t help but break into a smile when he watched Phil approach. He was stopped a few times along the way to shake hands and receive pats on the shoulder, but eventually he made it over and to Dan’s surprise he leaned in and kissed him right in front of everyone. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, can you just leave?”

Phil nodded. “Let’s walk.”

The moment they stepped out into the cold Dan glanced over to see if Phil would change his mind about walking, but he didn’t. They both put up the collars on their coats and bowed their heads against the wind. Dan had his hands shoved deep into his pockets until he felt Phil’s fingers brush against his wrist. Wordlessly, their fingers intertwined and fell between their two bodies.

“It was a good performance.” Dan said eventually.

He saw Phil nod from the corner of his eye, “They trained their little hearts out. The lead got sick three days ago, so this was the understudy performing. She’d never had this big a role before and was so nervous, bless her.” He smiled to himself.

“When did you start coaching?”

“With the start of the new schoolyear, this September. I still dance too, just not on this team anymore. I’ve stopped competing too, I’m just doing it for fun on the side now.”

“That must’ve been a transition.”

“Yeah, I struggled with it a bit. Still do, really. I miss it, but I know this is where I need to be and what I need to be doing.”

Dan stayed quiet. His mind drifted to his own situation, how he was far from where he needed to be. He bit his lip, face numb with the cold.

Phil squeezed his hand. The only comfort he could offer without asking too much about his life outside of their Christmas dates.

The hotel was a twenty-minute walk from the theatre, and when they finally stepped into the lobby Dan’s whole body started stinging as the warmth from inside hit him. Next to him, Phil rubbed his hands together and blew on them. His cheeks were bright red, shimmering in the bright lights. Dan couldn’t help remarking in his mind that he looked cute and kissable.

They took the lift up. Hand-in-hand once again, eyes shyly meeting through their reflections in the mirror. The third time and still it felt new and exciting.

There was only one big, king-sized bed in the room this year. Phil’s suitcase was on the floor by the desk with a couple of items strewn over the chair.

“So, I have a suggestion. You can say no if you want.”

“Okay.” Dan said, raising his eyebrows.

“I brought a really nice bath bomb. From Lush. The bath is fairly spacious.”

“Yes?”

“Yes?”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

Phil grabbed him by his tie and pulled him in, their lips touching together gently.

They got undressed as the bath ran in the other room. Phil was still as toned and gorgeous as he had been the years before and Dan’s fingers itched to reach out and touch him. He had to have patience. Soon enough, they’d be bunched up in the bath, with no other choice but to touch each other.

The bath bomb fizzed and coloured the water a pale, glittery blue. Phil lined up the little hotel shampoos and soaps on the side, his muscles flexing under his taut skin as he moved. Dan’s eyes were glued to him, mesmerised.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

Phil got in first, settling in comfortably before beckoning Dan over. The latter was hesitant, trying to be elegant about it and almost slipping in the process. A small tidal wave splashed over the side of the bath as he steadied himself on the tap. Phil laughed. He was relaxed, with his head resting against the wall and his arms stretched out over the sides of the bath. The hot water made Dan want to relax, but the situation was so foreign and new to him that he was struggling to keep his composure altogether and was happy enough when he finally settled down with his knees pulled into his chest.

The bath water being blue obscured most areas Dan was insecure about from sight, and soon enough he was relaxing his legs, stretching them out alongside Phil’s. “So, how was your year?” Phil asked.

He was good at asking those questions that could be answered by pretty much anything, leaving the decision as to where to draw the line with Dan once again. “Good,” the latter said hesitantly, “it was a ride.”

Phil laughed, “Yeah, me too.”

“I’m- I was in university before. I dropped out.” Phil didn’t seem to judge him, just nodding encouragingly for Dan to go on. “So, I work in a store now. Trying to, you know, sort out my life and all.”

“What do you want to do when you’re older?”

“I don’t know, die maybe.”

“Okay, that’s valid. But before that?”

Dan shrugged, “I don’t know, honestly.”

Phil decided not to press anymore, and Dan quickly took the opportunity to ask about his year.

“It was good. I went on my last Europe tour as a member of the team instead of a coach, so that was a bit bittersweet. I’m excited to coach though. Oh, I finally moved out, too. Was about time.” He laughed, the water moving off him in little waves.

--

Dan put on his underwear before he dried any other part of his body. Phil had no such inclination, stood in the middle of the hotel room stark-naked while drying his hair. The bed looked cosy and inviting, and although the room was warm enough Dan longed to curl up under the covers for a while.

Wearing just his pants he crawled into bed and pulled the duvet up to his chin. While he waited for the other to finish up, he grabbed the remote control off the bedside table and turned the TV on to a radio station that was playing Christmas songs. The only thing this atmosphere needed to be perfect was a little scented candle, but Dan would settle for this.

“So, I’ve been waiting pretty much all year to make out with you. Do you mind doing that for a while before we decide what to do with the rest of our night?”

Dan grinned, “I think I’m alright with that.”

Phil slipped under the covers with him and pushed him down onto his back. Dan laced his fingers through Phil’s mildly damp hair as they kissed. Maybe his flight response to Nicholas’ question had had less to do with the question of commitment to either a boy or anyone, and more to do with the fact that he was already committed to something. To a 24 hours period just before Christmas.

Phil’s hands were a bit cold roaming his sides. They sent shivers down his spine, but he did nothing to stop them.

Soon enough they were both warmed up and their almost naked bodies moved together, arousal already showing. Every time Phil’s hips touched against Dan’s thigh it sent a pleasant shiver to his dick, his fingers tightening against Phil’s hair and skin. It was pretty clear that ‘what they would be doing with the rest of their night’ wasn’t much of a question, really. With the way hands and mouths were moving this was only going in one direction.

Phil’s lips had trailed off, going from Dan’s neck to his chest and down to his belly. Looking down at him Dan watched the trail of faint hickeys grace down from his throat to the waistband of his boxers. Phil had already moved on, his breath ghosting over the bulge in the fabric and his hands moving up Dan’s thighs with confidence.

Although one part of his brain was focused solely on the fact that a very attractive boy was about to give him a blowjob, the other part of him couldn’t help but think about what would happen after. The memory of last year was still fresh in his mind to put a slight damper on his excitement. He wanted to try again. The thought of actually having sex with Phil made his whole body tingle, but it was also scary. It was like losing his virginity all over again, where he had no idea what he was doing, and he just had to surrender all control to another, more experienced party.

For a few minutes though, Dan’s mind was completely taken off anything he could possibly worry about as Phil pulled down his underwear and put his mouth on him. He started by teasing along the shaft with his tongue, one hand holding him firmly by the base and the other with fingertips barely grazing along his balls. Dan opened his eyes for a moment, glancing down at the sight below him. A soft sound escaped from the back of his throat before his eyes closed again.

Phil was an expert. His mouth and hands moved just right, and much sooner than he wanted to Dan had to nudge him off to stop him from finishing him off. “Can we try last year again?”

“Are you sure you want to?” Phil sat up on his heels. He needed no further explanation; he knew what Dan meant.

“Yeah. I want to try, at least.”

“I don’t want to say something stupid, but as it didn’t work last time, are you sure you really want it? Don’t do it for me, I’m doing perfectly fine without it.”

“No, yes, I mean- I really want it. I do. I’m just scared of the pain.”

“I’ll go very slow. The moment it doesn’t feel nice you give me a shout and I stop or take a step back, okay?”

“Okay.” Dan breathed.

The two of them kicked off their boxers, Dan pulling Phil back down for a quick kiss, but neither of them had much patience for a make out session knowing what was on the table now.

Phil had lube at the ready, spreading it on his fingers and pressing soft butterfly kisses to Dan’s abdomen as his hand moved down. Dan closed his eyes. He felt more vulnerable than he ever had before. He was clutching at the sheets, but Phil carefully took one of his hands in his and said in a hushed tone, “Squeeze my hand. Let me know if I do something wrong.”

He kissed Dan’s thigh while he pushed a finger in. Dan made a sound and Phil’s movements stilled, but he squeezed his hand, urging him to go on.

He took it slow. Like he promised. He gave Dan time to adjust before putting a second finger in, and eventually let go of Dan’s hand to tease his dick a bit, moving up and down in excruciatingly slow strokes. His whole body was on fire, feelings things he’d never felt before.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, Phil called him back to attention by pulling his fingers out and putting both hands on his hips, “You doing okay?”

“Yeah.”

“I think you’re well enough prepared, if you’re still up for it.”

“I am.”

“Okay.”

Dan’s eyes followed Phil as he hopped off the bed and got a condom from his suitcase. He tore open the wrapper and rolled the condom onto himself with practised fingers, putting some extra lube on himself after. The actions of someone who’d done this before and knew the pitfalls.

“Okay?”

Dan nodded. His throat was slightly closed up with nerves, but as Phil settled in between his legs he felt no urge to move away. Rather, he felt an impatient pull in his stomach, his dick twitching at the thought of what was about to happen.

The moment Phil’s tip grazed his entrance Dan closed his eyes and let his head fall back. He focused on relaxing, aided by Phil’s soothing hand on his side, rubbing circled into his skin with his thumb. Being filled up felt weird, and it just kept coming until finally he felt Phil bottom out. He was given a few moments to adjust, catch his breath, which he took reluctantly. He wanted to move on. Desperate already even though he only had to wait a few seconds.

“Go.” He muttered hoarsely.

Phil started slow. A practice run.

His hands were firmly holding on to Dan’s hips as he started speeding up little by little. Every time his hips touched against Dan and he was fully filled up, Dan let out a shaky breath. He had no idea how long Phil was going to last, but he didn’t think he had a lot of time in him. His dick was aching to be touched but he knew he’d come very quickly if he gave into the urge.

“How are you doing?” Phil asked. The question came out breathily, the words clearly an effort to utter.

“Good. Too good, maybe.” Phil gave him a questioning look, but Dan took a few seconds to recover before he continued, “I’m getting close.”

“Me too.”

“Touch me.” There was nothing in him that could muster up even the slightest bit of politeness. Phil didn’t need any. His hand reached down, and fingers wrapped firmly around him. It only took a few firm strokes in time with his hips to make Dan emit a desperate little sound and come all over his own belly. Phil followed shortly after, pushed over the edge by Dan’s muscles contracting around him.

Dan flinched when Phil pulled out. He felt overstimulated and sore, but completely satisfied. It was a tired, content kind of satisfaction, making him want to finally curl up and go to sleep. “What time is it?” He whispered, following Phil’s movements as the other went into the bathroom through half-closed eyes.

“Nearing half eleven.”

Dan laughed as much as his sleepy state allowed him to and closed his eyes fully, “I usually don’t go to sleep for another two hours or so.”

“We can go to sleep now, if you want.” Phil’s voice came from the other room.

“Hmm, up to you.”

Phil returned, putting his underwear back on and slipping back under the covers with Dan, “If we go to sleep now we’ll have loads of time together tomorrow. I’m not leaving till the evening. If you want that, of course.”

That woke Dan up. He opened his eyes and raised his head, but Phil had turned the light off and the room was dark. “Of course I want that.”

“Okay. Okay. Sleep now, then. We’ll have a lot of time tomorrow.”

Dan turned around, picking his underwear off the floor and wiggling into them under the duvet. When he was done, Phil crawled up beside him and wrapped his arms around him from behind. “This okay?” He asked. His warm breath stroked along Dan’s neck, making his skin raise into goosebumps.

“Yeah.” He whispered back.

He fell asleep with Phil’s arms tightly wrapped around him, soothed by his even breathing against his skin.

--

When Dan woke up Phil was still fast asleep. He snuck out from under his arm and tiptoed to the bathroom, where it still smelt like fruit and mint or whatever the bath bomb had been. After peeing Dan put a bit of Phil’s toothpaste in his mouth and sloshed it around for a bit; it would have to do.

“Morning.” He was greeted by Phil, lying on his back with one arm thrown over his face to protect his eyes from the sunlight, when he walked back into the bedroom.

“Morning.”

“Want to order some room service and chill in bed while we eat?”

“Sounds good.” He leant down and kissed the top of Phil’s head without really thinking, not realising himself until he met the other’s eyes. Phil pulled him down with a hand on the back of his neck and pecked his lips.

They ordered room service on the hotel website, Dan getting pancakes and Phil some vegan waffles. While they waited for it to arrive Dan got dressed, splashing some water in his face and attempting to bring his hair to some kind of order. He startled when he felt hands touching his belly. Phil had appeared behind him, wrapping his arms around Dan’s waist and now resting his chin on his shoulder. “What do you want to do today?”

“Anything. I wouldn’t mind staying in and just hanging out.”

“What, just talking, getting to know each other?” Dan asked. It was meant as a joke, but when Phil shrugged he nodded, “Alright, sure.”

They ate their breakfast sat cross-legged on the big double bed. Soft Christmas music played on the TV as they started chatting, carefully at first but quickly becoming more free in their questions and stories.

In the middle of one of his stories Phil suddenly called his dad ‘Mr Lester’, bringing the hand that was just about to put a bite of pancake into Dan’s mouth to an abrupt halt. Phil hadn’t noticed, his lively storytelling not stuttering for even a second.

But Dan had a name.

He had a full name to plug into the Google search bar rather than just the name of the ballet company. He wasn’t sure whether to try his absolute hardest to forget it as soon as possible, or whether to save it to his long-term memory and tattoo it onto his brain.

--

At about half two, when Phil was lying flat on his back with Dan’s head resting on his belly, both staring at the ceiling and half at the other’s hands gesturing in the air as they spoke, Dan’s phone started ringing. They both raised their heads, disturbed.

It was Eleanor. A picture of her and Dan as little kids in a playpark illuminated the screen.

“El?”

“Danny-boy, where are you?”

“Uh…” Dan glanced over to the bed, where Phil had grabbed his own phone and was scrolling through some missed messages.

“I told your mum you’re hanging out with a mate, but I can’t hold her off forever.”

Fuck. Christmas crafts.

“I hadn’t realised the time.”

It was quiet on the other end for a moment, “Bring him.” She said finally.

“No, it’s okay, I’ll come back.”

“Really, Dan, bring him.”

It was a weird crossroad to be at. He had 24 hours with Phil, but he also had a best friend and a mum waiting for their Christmas tradition, and he’d already let them down by being late. Last year in November he’d been at the same fork in the road, he realised, and he’d made the wrong decision then. He’d chosen Rosie over Eleanor and he still hated himself for that. It was clear-cut, really.

“I’m sorry for forgetting the time, I’ll be over as soon as I can. Get the crafts ready, I’m feeling the creative juices flowing.”

Eleanor laughed, the sound sending a relieved warmth to Dan’s heart. “Alright, alright. See you soon. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” When Dan turned back to the bed he wasn’t sure how to break the news. He bit his lip and sat down, awkwardly.

“You have to go?” Phil asked.

“I have a Christmas tradition with my mum and my best friend. It’s bad enough that I forgot about it.”

“It’s okay,” Phil nodded. His smile said that he meant it, “My bus leaves at ten, we can have dinner together if you want?”

“I’d love that, yes.”

“Meet me at the hotel entrance at seven?”

“Definitely.”

“Okay, all good. Have a good day, Dan.”

Dan bit the inside of his cheek. This was the right thing to do, and he was looking forward to crafts, as he did each year, but this still felt bittersweet.

When Phil opened his arms he happily fell into them, “I’m sorry.” He said.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. The day after is not usually a part of our tradition, after all.”

“I know, but it would’ve been nice.”

“Yeah, it would’ve been.”

--

Eleanor hugged him when he came in. Her arms were familiar and welcoming, and decidedly not upset with him. “How was your day, huh?”

He grinned, “Most excellent, thanks for asking.”

“I want to hear all about it. As soon as we’re not with your mum anymore, that is.”

“Are you kidding? You know about my thing, I want to hear about your night.” She winked at him and spun on her heel, walking to the living room. “Eleanor, you bitch, you can’t do this to me.”

“I can, and I will.”

“Dan, there you are! Did you have a good time with your friend?”

“Oh yeah, it was lovely.” Dan said, doing his best to hide the grin on his face that was mirrored by his best friend to his left.

Eleanor, always right beside him.

--

Scrolling was a bit more difficult than usual after the Glue Accident, but Eleanor managed it as she showed Dan Facebook pictures of a boy with blonde curls and a toned dancer’s body. They’d done two hours of crafts with Dan’s mum and then quickly retreated to Dan’s room with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, now stood forgotten on the bedside table.

Cam seemed nice enough, but it was clear that Eleanor didn’t care much for his niceness: he’d given her his number at the end of the night, but when Dan asked her if she’d put it into her phone she said she didn’t even remember where she put the note. The night had but a content grin on her face that was enough for now. A reminder that she still had it and that Nicola was a stupid idiot who was missing out, like Dan had been telling her for the past couple of months.

“So, what about you? Why were you still with him?”

“He’s here all day. Not leaving till nine tonight.”

“Wait, you were going to spend the day with him?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s still here?” With every word she was sitting up a bit straighter.

“Yeah.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Bros before hoes. Mums before- I don’t know- bums? You know what I mean.”

“Okay, crafts over. Go back to him, God. Your mum and I will still be here tonight and tomorrow and all the time after that.”

Dan was quiet for a moment. “El,” He said then, softly, “I’m sorry about last November.”

He didn’t need to explain what he meant. She gave him a sad smile and a playful push against the shoulder that meant more than it led on, “I know.”

“I really am. I shouldn’t have prioritised Rosie over you, and that was so fucking dumb of me.”

“Yeah, you were an idiot. Still are, really.” Eleanor agreed.

Dan grinned, “Yeah, alright, alright, calm down.”

“You deserve it though.” She said, laughing along. Her hand, still on his shoulder, shook him gently, “Go. It’s okay, we’ll hang out tonight and watch Home Alone. After he’s left.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. You came to crafts, thank you.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.” He scrambled to his feet and kissed the top of her head. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, idiot.” She shook her head at him as he left the room.

--

It was six o’clock when he made it into the hotel lobby and the realisation that he had no way of getting upstairs or contacting Phil to let him in. He stood, probably suspiciously, next to the check-in desk for just a little too long, before his stupid foggy brain finally thought of something to do.

“El?”

“Why are you calling me? Go have sex or something.” She whispered the last part, probably still at his house, near his mum.

“I don’t have his phone number. Can you see if you can find Cam’s and ask him for Phil’s number for me?”

“Really? You want me to ask a guy I slept with last night for one of his friends’ phone numbers? Do you want me to break the guy’s heart?”

“Tell him it’s a gay emergency.”

“A gay emergency, huh?”

Dan’s face flushed red, “At this point, I can’t really deny anything anymore, you know?”

“You’re gay?”

“Oh my god, this is not what I called you for, El.”

“I know.”

“I’m not gay. I’m just- not straight. Bi, maybe.”

“I’ll find Cam’s number. Tell him it’s a bi emergency.”

“You’re an angel.”

“Yeah, and you’re so lucky to have me.”

After they hung up the phone Dan spent another couple of awkward minutes hanging around the check-in desk, giving the lady behind it a nod that he hoped was reassuring and friendly.

Just before his standing around started going from ‘weird’ to ‘scary’, Eleanor texted him. Just a string of numbers. Presumably Phil’s phone number. Phil Lester’s phone number.

What was he even supposed to say? What did you put in a first text to someone you’d known for two years but had only really seen three times?

Hey, it’s Dan. I’m back at the hotel if you want to hang out now? Am in the lobby.

His finger hovered over the ‘send’ button, and after a glance at the clock – twenty past six – he pressed it.

The lady behind the desk was really starting to give him looks now, so he moved to near the lifts, which was maybe even more suspicious. Thankfully, a minute or two later, one of the lifts opened and Phil appeared, now dressed in some casual jeans and a T shirt. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“How were your crafts?”

“Excellent, I’m a master.”

“I’m sure you are. Want to go straight to the restaurant?”

“Sure. Where are we going?”

“Well, it just so happens that I know of an exquisite Pizza Hut around the corner.”

“Hm, really? How did you become acquainted with it?”

“Ah well, I just Google Maps-ed it a minute and a half ago.”

--

It was a short walk. Five minutes, maybe. Dan felt some weird sense of pride walking next to Phil, boasting with the cute guy he’d managed to get to… take him on a date? He wasn’t sure what this was, until fingertips touched his hand palm and fingers intertwined with his. He glanced to his side and the two boys made eye contact, grinning at each other, each content with what had just occurred between them.

Dan’s secondary school had had a pizza hut right around the corner, meaning he was very, very closely acquainted with how things worked in there. Phil, who’d been on a ballet diet most of his life, had only stepped foot inside a Pizza Hut maybe three times, had no idea what was going on from the moment he walked in.

“The salad bar is free?” He asked quietly, “Dan,” he did a little jog to catch up with the other, “Dan, it’s free?”

“Yeah. The bacon bits are vegan, too.”

“The bacon bits?”

Dan was enjoying being the one with more experience on something for once, albeit with the workings of a cheap pizza place.

He didn’t need to look at the menu, knowing his order by heart. Amusedly, he watched Phil study his options with his finger tracing the letters as he read them. “Is this one any good?”

“What, the pan? Sure. I’m a classic fan though.”

“I think I’ll be adventurous and get a pan.”

After they’d ordered Dan got some more entertainment from watching Phil squint at the salad bar options, carefully picking up some tomatoes and then loading up on bacon bits. “You’re sure?” He asked, by which time it was already far too late to dump the whole lot back into the bowl.

“Yeah, they’re vegan. My friend who’s vegan has them all the time.”

“Okay.”

Phil made the classic mistake of overloading on the salad bar, so he couldn’t finish his pizza. Dan gladly made use of this by eating the last 3 slices.

The boundaries had been moved, and for some reason instead of making it more awkward, as it had been before when they weren’t sure where the lines were drawn, they spoke more easily and fluently. Phil even opened up about his childhood, and how he’d started dancing.

Dan had to try his best to not stare at him fondly, leaning his head on one hand, while he listened.

--

It was a quarter to eight. They had exactly an hour and fifteen minutes to get Phil’s stuff packed up and get him on the bus, yet the moment they left Pizza Hut, they headed in the exact opposite direction of the hotel.

Their fingers were intertwined, hands swinging between them as they walked.

They got ice cream at a place Dan loved, sitting outside on a freezing December night despite the odd looks they were getting. By the end of it Dan couldn’t feel his tongue, but it was worth it to see the happy smile on Phil’s face, and the way his cheeks had gone red and rosy from the cold air.

Eventually they had to reluctantly make their way back to the hotel. Hand in hand once again.

Dan watched him throw his things into the suitcase on the floor and zip it up with the effortless movements of someone who’d done this many times before.

“I’ll see you next year?” Dan asked. He felt hope and hurt burning in his heart at once.

“I’ll be here. I hope you will be, too.”

“I’ll see if I can find the time to pop by.” Dan said. A weak attempt at a joke while he felt like a small part of him had just been zipped up into a suitcase headed north.

Downstairs by the bus, the other dancers greeted Dan like a friend with pats on the back and smiling nods. “See you next year, Dan.” One of them told him.

A fair assertion, or so Dan hoped.

[sleepyverstappens]

Watching the Formula 1 qualifications and now I really want more of that F1 robron headcanon/fic...

[audawart]

Ballet Boys practicing for the upcoming show 

(background adjusts to your theme !)

do not steal in any way thank !!

[dabidevito]

challenge: post the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous!

challenged by: @nihilismdan thank u cait :’)

1. (oh we’re not) friends 2. 02/18 new angst sorry katie 3. 32 pictures of phil 4. and so it goes 5. the bon appetit au i deserve 6. detroit become human ~ phan crossover 7. five things you know (and one thing you don’t) 8. long af ballet(?) / composer au 9. look after you 10. queer eye au 11. sad boy with a laptop 12. sad thing 13. the space between 14. to be (alone) with you 15. you caught my eye

i’ll tag @knlalla @lostinhireath @heartfeltfangirl @boxingphil @kay-okays 👀

[diveronaevents]

BUONASERA!

YOU ARE FORMALLY INVITED TO THE PARTY OF THE YEAR, THE CASTELVECCHIO GALA. PLEASE JOIN US IN VERONA, ITALY TO CELEBRATE ART, BEAUTY AND PASSION. THIS YEAR’S THEME IS LOVE & WAR - FOR ALL IS FAIR IN LOVELY VERONA.

Founded in 1985 by the WITCHES who vowed to devote their lives in service of perfection and beauty, the Castelvecchio Gala is Italy’s most exclusive event in the name of art, culture and fashion. Once a year, every eye in Italy turns to Verona as the most well-known names in the country gather in the same city. It is more than a red carpet, it is more than a fashion show; it is a celebration of the highest level of talent and beauty in the country, a party planned only for Italy’s best.

But the Castelvecchio Gala is more than just the party of the year; it’s a battleground for a long and bitter competition that reaches its peak on one day of the year. For only two names matter in the world of art and entertainment: Capulet and Montague. Both own a wealth of record labels, production studios, talent agencies and more, with the best and brightest names in the industry under their representation. You work for one of those companies, and they own you. They lay claim over your soul and your artistry, and you humbly give it because you know. You know that the only way to become anyone is through their seal of approval. They offer more than a company and a brand. They offer a family that binds your success to theirs. With their name under your belt, you are promised more than just a job; you are guaranteed a legacy.

And whichever company has the most seats at the table wins the unofficial title of best in the business.  

The WITCHES have made a calculated and perhaps cruel risk to host each attendee at their fine establishment, the Hotel Emilia. Every detail is taken care of, and only the finest of accommodations are permitted - and how can anyone say no to their kindness? Italy’s best will fly into Verona one week before the gala, with plenty of time to explore the city and become reacquainted with one another.

Life is long and rivalries are longer, but the witches love a spectacle and they so hate to be disappointed.

OVERVIEW: Welcome to part one of our month-long AU event! Your characters have just arrived in Verona and have exactly one week until the Castelvecchio Gala. Note that the locations will remain the same but are no longer assigned to territories -- all of Verona is safe and all characters are free to roam the city without consequence. Please timestamp all threads from MARCH 29, 2019 to APRIL 5, 2019. Below is a list of each character’s new occupation; if you have any concerns, please reach out to the admin team and we are happy to adjust accordingly. Feel free to complete any threads that are in progress and in-game throughout the month, but we ask that our members do not begin any new in-game threads until the event of the AU month is concluded. As always, if you have any further questions, don’t hesitate and have fun!

Alexander Rallis is a model under Montague management, especially celebrated for his brows and his stunning tattoo artistry.

Bellamy Santo-Domingo is a singer newly under Montague management, beginning his career on YouTube and recently signing with Montague’s record label.

Brielle King is a socialite and philanthropist under Montague management with major contributions to the conservationist movement.

Brigitte du Pont is the Public Relations Manager for Capulet, creating and maintaining a favorable public image by communicating programs, accomplishments and/or points of view.

Boris Kovrov is an esteemed songwriter and producer under Montague management, surrounded by speculation that he’s stolen several of his most successful songs from other artists.

Calina Sokolova is the Public Relations Manager for Montague, creating and maintaining a favorable public image by communicating programs, accomplishments and/or points of view.

Castora Aguilar is an award-winning artist/photographer known for making politically-charged art under Montague management.

Catherine Daly is a famous installation artist under Capulet management, creating three-dimensional works that often are site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space.

Celeste Duval is a fashion and beauty YouTube influencer under Montague management.

Cyrus Sloane is the lead singer of an up-and-coming rock band under Capulet management.

Delilah Bello is an up-and-coming pop singer under Capulet management.

Easton Craven is a television actor and a teen heart throb under Capulet management.

Everett Craven is a Talent Manager for Capulet alongside Rafaella, organizing and advancing the careers of the talent under Capulet management.

Genevieve Zhang is a retired supermodel and the Montague spokesperson, representing the company at major events and press conferences.

Grace Daly is a stuntwoman under Montague management, famous for her motorcycle stunts.

Hector Rivera is an award-winning script writer under Montague management who focuses primarily on family dramas and arthouse films.

Henry Zhang is an award-winning film director under Montague management who focuses primarily on family dramas and arthouse films.

Hugo Kim is a documentary director whose in-depth and compassionate dive into varying social justice issues has earned him respect and admiration from all social classes.

Isabella Gagliano is the Feature Editor for Italy’s most prestigious fashion and culture magazine, Couture.

Ivan Rahal is a late-night talk show host known for exposées of celebrities and ruthless interviews under Capulet management.

Juliana Capulet is the Capulet heir with a long career as an actress/singer, spanning from childhood to present day.

Katarina du Pont is an award-winning fashion photographer under Capulet management who dabbles in photojournalism.

Lawrence Vernon is an award-winning actor under Montague management, known for his stunning performances and versatility as both a lead role and a supporting role.

Lucrezia Falco is a headhunter for Capulet, finding and signing top talent for the company who is also rumored to be launching her own fashion line soon.

Maeve Petre is an up-and-coming ballerina under Capulet management.

Marcelo Rosso is an award-winning fight choreographer and a stuntman under Montague management.

Matthias Warren is a socialite under Montague management and the heir to his family’s own billion-dollar company.

MIkael Falco is heir to a political dynasty, but chose instead to become head of a tabloid known for its rather torrid articles.

Nikolai Borisov is an independent socialite, he’s well-known in the social circles as having dabbled with certain royals but is primarily famous for his antics and debauchery.

Odessa Vernon is a television actress under Montague management, recently cast for her first movie role.

Orion Massetti is a talk show host under Capulet management, famous for his comedic pranks and celebrity interviews.

Pandora Phan is a former principal dancer who now choreographs revolutionary ballets under Montague management.

Paola Damasco is an independent actress, known for being highly relatable and an activist for grass-root causes.

Rafaella Capulet is a Talent Manager for Capulet alongside Everett, organizing and advancing the careers of the talent under Capulet management.

Ramona Aguilar is a model and artist under Montague management, known for frequent Banksy-esque stunts.

Regina Daly is an award-winning documentary director under Capulet management, famous for her unbiased eye and unique storytelling.

Santino Gallo is an editorial photographer under Montague management, famous for his glamour photography.

Tiberius Capulet is a top-charted rapper under Capulet management, known as Tigre.

Vivianne Sloane is the Capulet spokesperson, representing the company at major events and press conferences.

[anamnesisqueen-a]

To elaborate on Chii’s post here, Eirika’s been given a ‘proper‘ P5 AU!

The Renais household is a well-to-do French family of three: Fado and his twin son and daughter Ephraim and Eirika. In order to stay well-to-do, Fado explores business options outside of Europe and finds potential in a project in Japan, but pursuing it would mean moving there for a prolonged period of time. Unwilling to leave his children behind, he takes them with him, and the family moves to Japan.

Aged down to 16-17 to better fit with the P5 cast, Eirika makes it into Kosei High School on a dance scholarship, practicing classic ballet and reading literature on the side with a local book club. This means she can easily run into the likes of Araceli, Pearl’s Innes, and possibly Yusuke on the school grounds and hit it off with them.

Ephraim, on the other hand, is a troublemaker who solves problems with his fists, so Kosei doesn’t want him. Instead, he gets stuck in Shujin where he meets Biki- it’s most likely through Ephraim that Eirika meets Hibiki and, by proxy, most of the Phantom Thieves.

There is one more member of the family who moves with Fado and the twins: their chauffeur, Seth. A former marine who was honourably discharged when injured in the line of duty, he double-serves as a bodyguard when in the twins’ presences and is more than capable of fending off any ruffian who comes near them. He provides the Phantom Thieves with a quick and cheap way to travel without having to use the subway. Whether or not he knows about the metaverse thing is anyone’s guess, because he never acknowledges any weirdness that is accidentally mentioned in his presence.

Lyon’s exact place int he world isn’t really set in stone, but he is still a dear friend of the twins. Eirika soon notices that her friend acts more and more strangely, and having a mild interest in the Phantom Thieves, eventually puts a post on the Phan-site: “I don’t know how real this is, but if there is a one in a million chance that it is, I have to try: Please help my friend.” She helps the party throughout the preparations to get into Lyon’s palace and accidentally gets dragged in when they go into the Metaverse.

In Lyon’s Palace, during a battle that quickly goes south, Eirika hears a voice asking her if she’s just going to watch and do nothing, or if she wants to protect them and take her responsibility for bringing them into here in the first place. Deciding to protect not only the party, but also Lyon from his own darkness, she awakens to her Persona then and there, and formally joins the Phantom Thieves at that moment.

Her starting Persona is still Gleipnir, a demonic hound bound by an unbreakable chain, and her ultimate persona is still Cerberus, the three-headed guard hound of the underworld. Her codename is still Duchess, her melee weapon is still the rapier, and her gun is probably just a simple pistol. I may have to look at her Arcana again, but for the moment it’s still Death.

[phanfeed-ao3]

Feeling Good

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Ppx4SD

by Abridgeofclay

The one where Phil and Dan are both in a ballet company and hide in the basement of the theatre because neither of them have roles in Act I of the production.

Words: 763, Chapters: 1/17, Language: English

Fandoms: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Dan Howell, Phil Lester, Original Characters

Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester

Additional Tags: Phan - Freeform, DAN AND PHIL - Freeform, ballet!au, Dancer!Phil, dancer!dan, AU, phanfic, Phanfiction, MorBalletTheatreUniverse, Fluff, Ballet

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Ppx4SD

[peachgreenteelemonade]

untitled (waking up)

Fandom: Dan and Phil

Summary: when did Dan stop being happy

(A/N) A parent!Phan AU where Dan and Phil haven’t made videos in 10 years, and Dan realizes something in his life is missing.

Scene 1: in which one, Daniel Howell, realizes his life is quite different than he believed it to be

School then soccer then ballet then theater then back home, Dan was beginning so feel a bit like a chauffeur for his daughter Susie.  Phil, that lucky spoon, had never learned to drive, and therefore, got to stay at home and watch anime while Dan ferried their 8 year old daughter across London every evening.  Logically, Dan knew that Phil was probably editing, not watching anime, but his overtired, bitter mind wasn’t choosing to be logical.

Dan loved his daughter, so much, but as she chattered nonstop in the backseat while Dan slowly drove them home through the seemingly endless London traffic, he just wished desperately for some peace and quiet.

“And then Jeremy H. told her that she shouldn’t brag so much, and I agreed because she brags quite a lot.  I don’t care about how her mother bought her a polly-plays-a-lot for her birthday…well not a million bajillion times!  But still I told Jeremy to cut it out because those are the rules of best friendship…” and she continued on and on.  Dan’s eyes drooped then snapped open as a bicycle swerved in front of his car.  He slammed on the breaks and honked.

“Hey!” He yelled, but the man just cycled off, flipping him off.  “Fucking…” Dan mumbled under his breath so his daughter couldn’t hear.

“Dad?”  Susie asked, leaning up to look at him in the front seat.  “Did you hear me?  You have to come to class on Wednesday and help Mr. Thompson get my costume.”

“Oh,” Dan sighed internally, “alright.  Is there a recital coming up soon?”

“Yes! I was just telling you!”  Susie sounded exasperated.  “Our All Hallows Eve concert is next week!  That’s why I’ve been practicing at home so hard.”  She crossed her little arms.

“Oh that’s great honey!”  Dan replied absently.  Why hadn’t he known that?  That Susie had been practicing for something so hard.  He guessed that he’d been a bit too busy disappearing to his office as soon as he got home and browsing the internet for half the night.

He just…hadn’t noticed.

He hadn’t noticed much about his daughter lately, he realized with something like a shiver running down his back as he braked again.  His insides felt cold, was this who he was becoming?  His parents loved him as a child, he knew, but they never seemed to show it quite as much as Dan had longed for them to.  

Was he doomed to repeat the same parenting cycle?

“Daddy’s been helping me practice all my moves in the lounge.  He says I dance better than anyone he’s ever seen!”

Dan stared straight ahead.  “That’s wonderful baby, I’m sure you’ll outshine everyone else on stage.”  The rest of the car ride passed in a blur, Susie chattering away about the various skill levels of the kids in her class.

As they got out of the car in front of their townhouse, Dan tried to put his dark thoughts out of his mind.  He was probably over exaggerating everything in his exhausted state.

“Daddy!”  Susie yelled and ran into Phil’s arms as soon as Dan unlocked the door.

“Susie Susie Lou, how do you do?”  Phil laughed as he picked up their daughter and swung her around a bit.  

Dan stood back in the doorway a bit and smiled fondly.  See…nothing was wrong.  They were a happy, perfect family.

“We’re practicing our dances again!  And Mr. Thompson told me I was doing really really well!"  Susie exclaimed as Phil set her down on the counter and gave her some crisps as a snack.

“I knew you were!”  Phil responded, a gigantic grin on his face.  

“I’ll practice extra hard every night Daddy!  I want to be the best dancer in the world!”  Susie exclaimed, jumping and almost falling off the counter.

“Woaah,” Phil steadied her.  “You can do whatever you believe Susie Lou, but know I’ll be proud of you no matter what,” he rubbed his nose against her tiny one and Dan felt something warm flutter up in his stomach.

“I knew you would say that,” Susie giggled.  “I told dad you thought I was the best in the world.”

“Oh did you?”  Phil turned and met Dan’s eyes.  There was a small smile on his face, but for some reason it didn’t feel like the emotion reached his eyes.  Dan felt something like uncertainty drip down his back in a cold shiver.

“Yeah, he didn’t know we practiced here at night, or that my recital was coming up!”  Susie pouted and Phil’s brows furrowed, his eyes still locked on Dan’s.  Dan felt like he was trapped in place, pinned under the proof that he hadn’t been as attentive as a good father would have been.  As Phil had been.

“Well, your dad can be forgetful sometimes.” Phil turned away and Dan sighed in relief, but he also felt lost.  Like Phil’s blue eyes had been the tether keeping him tied to the docks, and now he was floating away in a storm.

Dan shook his head, what was happening to him?

“Please, please a show before dinner?”  Susie was whining at Phil as she finished up her snack and scampered over into the lounge.

“Alright,” Phil chuckled, following her into the room and turning on one of their many Disney movies.

As he watched his daughter and husband get excited over the beginning of Tangled, Dan finally stepped out of the doorway and made his way into the kitchen and began to make cup of coffee.  His hands moved on autopilot.  Coffee, cream, sugar.  Soon enough he had a mug of steaming coffee in his hand, but all he could do is stare.  How long had it been since he’d made Phil a cup of coffee, since he’d spent time with Phil.

“Uh oh, those are some existential crisis eyes,” Dan startled as Phil slipped into the room, some coffee slopping over onto his hand.

He sucked in air through his teeth.

“Oops,” Phil rushed to get him a cold rag to wipe the scalding liquid off.  “Sorry, that was my fault.  Didn’t mean to surprise you.”

“No, its alright” Dan said, feeling too big for his own skin, uncomfortable with Phil so close to him.  “Why do you say that though?  I haven’t had an existential crisis in years.”

“Yeah I know,” Phil laughed a little and backed up to the other side of the kitchen, the dirty rag twisting around and around in his long, thin fingers.  “You just seemed to be thinking hard about something.”

“Oh,” Dan took a sip of his coffee, relishing the burn of it down his throat.  They were silent for a moment, Dan’s eyes locked on the floor tiles and Phil’s looking out the window.  “Do you miss it?”  Dan blurted out, his eyes darting up to meet his husband’s.  “My existential crises?”

Phil’s eyebrows furrowed and a slightly confused smile flitted across his face.  “Do I miss you staring at a wall for hours, trying to decide if life was worth living?”  He laughed a little uncomfortably and Dan looked away.  “I can’t say that I do.”

“Oh.”  When was the last time Dan had even thought about the universe?  Thought about anything other than the present moment. “I, um…”

“I’m just going to make some dinner for Susie,” Phil interrupted, setting the rag on the counter behind him and wiping his hands on the legs of his old, fading, (slightly too skinny for a 41 year old) jeans.  

“Okay,  I’m going to-“

“Go to your room and scroll through tumblr until 4 in the morning,” Phil laughed.  “Not that much has changed in the last ten years Dan.”

But it had.

read the rest on ao3

[klifeni]

liebesleid love

Plot: Phil is a ballet dancer and Dan is a tap, and happen to meet each other in a competition in Manchester.

Theme: dance phan au

Type: Just kinda happy and a lil’ sappy 

Words: 2.9k

   “Relevé! Plié! Échappé sauté!”

   A lanky boy made his way across the studio, his choreographer scanning his every move. His motions graceful and delicate, fast yet smooth. The black ballet shoes that held his trained feet were torn with the hours of practice and effort spent in them. Classical music softly played through the speakers and the dancer matched his exemplary steps to the beautiful rhythm in the piece. Nothing could break him.

   With a finishing grande jeté, he took off to the side of the yellow-walled studio, the piano chords ending with a gracious note. Panting, he walked to his teacher, who looked at him, eyes full of critique.

   “Phil, you know better than to sickle your foot during arabesque! At competition tomorrow you better have it perfect!” She criticized while tucking her blonde hair into her bun.

   “Okay Miss Taylor, I will get it tomorrow I promise,” Phil mumbled.

   “I need you at the theatre tomorrow at 7, no later.” The short lady added as she ushered Phil out of the studio.

***

   “Where’s your music?” A worried voice echoed down the hall.

   Phil shuffled around his bedroom, fixing his blackened hair in his mirror before replying, “Mum it’s in my dance bag, Liebesleid by Keisler is written on it.”

   Looking mirror, Phil saw himself in a shimmering haze of the silky pattern of his red costume, he looked somewhat of a male performer from the Nutcracker. This is his favourite costume yet.

   “Phil we have to go!” His mothers' exasperated voice called from the living room and with that Phil grabbed his ballet slippers to leave. Sweeping a winter jacket over his material-covered arms, Phil followed his mother out to the car so they could leave for the competition.

   A light blanket of snow covered the ground as the two got their necessities out of the van and headed into the theatre. The wintery breeze brushed past Phil’s shaking nervous body as they shuffled along to the entrance. The theatre that the dancers performed in in Manchester was the Dancehouse. Not only had Phil danced here last year, but he had also watched his older brother perform tap solos here when Phil was 4.

   Getting hit with a wave of hot air as he stepped through the heavy doors, Phil took in the scene of a competition. Music softly playing to his right from the practice rooms, young kids leaping around their parents, dancers in tutus and flashy costumes standing while going through their choreography in their heads. This was where Phil constantly longed to be. The atmosphere was filled with tension as he made his way to the large practice room.

   A graceful ballerina balanced on beautiful pointe shoes as he entered and sat down near the front with his CD. The dancer wore a glimmering white tutu and a feathered hair piece upon her bun. “She’s really good isn’t she?” An admiring voice perked up behind Phil.

   Behind him sat a tall boy with fringy brown hair and a twinkle in his eyes. Almost forgetting the question as he stared into the deep brown eyes, Phil managed to mumble a “yes.”

   The fluffy boy smiled, dimples carving his young face. He looked about 17. His voice was higher than what you’d expect to come out of him, like a nice flute compared to a saxophone, “have you danced at this competition before?” The flute-voiced boy asked.

   Phil nodded, “Yeah, last year was my first time here. What about you?”

   “I’ve danced here twice, tap solos. I am also in a group ballet later on. What’s your name? I barely meet any boys at these dance competitions.”

   Phil looked up at the tap dancer, who he had just realized was wearing a red-sequinned suit and black leggings. Phil replied with a grin, “my name’s Phil. What’s yours?”

   “Dan-” he looked up to the entrance of the practice room and nodded to a tall woman with frizzy black hair, “sorry,” Dan mumbled while picking up his sparkling red top hat while standing up.

   Before he was about to leave, Dan looked back at the silky ballet Phil and then back to his teacher, “when do you dance?” He asked Phil.

   Phil checked the old clock hung above a table before glancing back at the scruffy dancer, “I still have about two categories until I have to line up backstage.”

   The lady at the door called out in an inpatient tone, “hurry up Dan, only one more dance until your on!”

   Quickly, Dan reached out his arm towards Phil, “Hurry, come with me backstage.”

   Phil was pulled up and the two bounded past Dan’s teacher. Their hands still linked as they quickly walked backstage and stood by the tall black curtains and watched as a girl onstage tapped to ‘Betty Boop.’ Phil looked past the front of the stage while leaning forward, so many seats, so many people.

   The song was coming to an end and the girl started to travel offstage, that was Dan’s queue to get ready behind the front curtain. He let go of Phil’s hand and before he could get too far away, Phil softly grabbed Dan’s shoulder as he looked him deep into his nervous brown eyes. He didn’t know what to say or do next, so he just whispered, “Good luck.”

   Dan nodded hesitantly then lightly walked across to the curtain, where he was hidden from the audience but clear to people backstage. Giving himself a quick hair fix, the music started with a loud note that echoed through the audience. A fixed natural smile plastered across Dan’s face, and an excited one upon Phil’s, as Dan took the first step onto the stage. The song, ‘Booty Swing’ rang out, his tapping accenting the beats. It was strong, a flirty emotion radiated from the dance, the old-fashioned music gave it a cute hint of sass. Phil gazed in awe at the red shiny dancer who’s tap shoes struck wonder and curiosity into the theatre and smile lit up the stage.

   Phil had not seen someone tap dance on a stage for about 7 years, his brother quit years ago and the girl he had previously admired for her skill had graduated. But Phil watched Dan in a different way, for barely even knowing him. Dan danced in a way that was so full of confidence he seemed like a whole different person. His smile so genuine, feet so full of rythm. 

   The crowd cheered Dan off with hoots and whistles as he exited from the front of the stage. Phil clapped and gave Dan a big smile when he excitedly bounced up to him. “That was amazing!” Phil congratulated happily.

   Trying to hide his smile, Dan covered his face with his hands and shook his head, when Phil reached out and took Dan’s wrists and lowered them to look straight into Dan’s smiley face. “You did so well!” Phil laughed.

   Then, checking the small clock to his right, Phil saw he had only one category in between now and his dance. A category of 6 after Dan went back onstage for adjudication where the judge would give each dancer in that category a medal and mark. Since Dan was the last dance, there was no intimidating wait and all 6 dancers were called onto the stage. Dan looked into Phil’s light blue eyes and Phil nodded, letting go of his wrists so he could line up and go back onstage.

   All of the 4 other tap dancers were girls, donning gold, black, blue and pink costumes. Then at the end stood Dan, who was at least a whole head taller than the rest, and his suit sparkled in the lights over the black stage.

   With the adjudicator onstage, she started calling out the marks. The first girl, a 74. The second girl, 89. Third, 88, and fourth girl a 96. The adjudicator turned to look at Dan and then back down to the papers she held. Speaking into the microphone she grinned, “And Daniel Howell, a 91.”

   Cheering with glee, Phil looked out as a small woman handed Dan a shining silver medal. The adjudicator spoke again while the crowd clapped, “I found your energy enticing, I didn’t want you to stop!”

   After the 5 dancers made their way offstage, Phil giddily looked at Dan’s sparkling medal that now hung around his neck by a satin-like blue ribbon. Dan pushed his hair back into a quiff form and hid his beaming face in the palms of his hands, “I thought I did horrible.”

   Phil grabbed Dan's hand that was holding the medal and examined the silvery shining circular medal. The other girl dancers walked by and all smiled at Dan, murmuring words of  “good job” and Dan returned them with a grin and “thanks, you too.” When the excitement of the dance wore off moments later, Phil remembered that he only had 6 dances until his in the next category, and he should probably stretch before it was too late. “Hey um, Dan?” Phil looked at the boy he had met only over 20 minutes ago.

   “Yeah?” Dan answered, wiping the sweat from his forehead quickly with the back of his hand.

   Phil awkwardly shuffled toward the door backstage, “would you mind me stretching? I have to be ready for my dance soon.”

   Dan laughed a little to himself, looking down at the ground, “you want me to help you?”

   Nodding shyly, Phil lead Dan to a room down the hallway in more of a grey light where only a few dance bags were lined along the blue walls of the room. This was the boys dressing room. Windows let bright light filter through its blinds, revealing the blizzard that was collecting outside in the heart gripping temperature. The two boys went to the centre of the room and started to stretch out their legs by touching their toes and sitting in close splits, listening to the faint sound of classical music coming from the stage down the hall. A couple minutes of silence passed before Phil cleared his throat, “Hey uh, could you help me for a second?”

   “What is it?” Dan asked, shuffling to face Phil, who was outlined in the winter light.

   Phil sat with his legs outstretched in front of him, pointing his toes, “could you press my feet down for me? Usually get my teacher to, um, yeah..”

   With a little laugh, Dan moved over to Phil’s feet and pressed them down. Toes already reaching the floor, Phil told Dan “stop” at the place he knew he could hold it.

   “Y’know, I don’t think I could ever do ballet,” Dan stated, looking up at Phil, “-not that it’s a ‘girly’ thing (it’s definitely not though) but you need so much skill, almost too much skill for me.”

   “It’s not too hard, for me I guess. Just like how I never really learned to tap dance, I don’t think I would have the skill to go out and put on a jaw-dropping show in shoes that scream my every move.”

   Dan blushed at the compliment, “it’s not that hard to tap, it’s not that great..”

   “Oh shut up,” Phil teased as he stood up after stretching, “as if anyone could pull what you could do onstage.”

   Dan stood up beside him, the window light reflecting in his chestnut eyes. Smiling, Dan looked at Phil’s defined facial features, “the blue walls in here make your eyes even bluer.”

   Almost as if inching closer, Phil felt Dan leaning into him, or was it himself leaning. A million thoughts rushed through Phil’s mind and his eyesight seemed to quiver as everything felt like slow-motion. Dan’s hand brushed Phil’s upper arm and Dan’s breath grazed Phil’s before a sudden knock at the door made both boys turn heads to see who it was.

   “Phil Lester?” A tall orange haired lady said, looking at her clipboard as she entered the room, “you’re up after the next dance.”

   The two male dancers made their way backstage once again and Phil felt a familiar tug in the middle of his stomach as if a knot was cumulating inside his belly. Nerves crept in as he watched the same graceful ballerina he saw in the practice room balance on her tall light pink pointe shoes and make swift delicate turns Phil worried if he could ever pull off. Her smooth arms carved the classical music that sounded something out of Swan Lake and her legs moved swiftly across the stage. Phil’s worry almost turned to nausea as the song was starting to slow down, nearing the end.   

   Dan gave Phil a reassuring smile before Phil took his spot behind the curtain, and his name echoed through the theatre. Shaking out his hands and feet, Phil looked up at Dan one last time before his music would play and felt his heart skip when Dan winked. Next thing he knew his music started and his memory levitated onto the stage alongside his body as the piano keys bounced in his mind.

   It was a flash. One moment he was looking into the dark crowd (in which only the adjudicator's face was illuminated), and next his brain drifted off into a special place only reached when performing. It’s not a visual place, more like a colour, or a mood. Captivated by this overwhelming sensation where nothing existed but this singular mood and the steady tempo of the Liebesleid piece, Phil found a single feeling to his ballet had changed. Not only was his dance full of hope and peace or happiness, but also glossed with love. In the curtains, Phil knew Dan would be watching his moves as another dancer, and hopefully, Phil hoped, that the love that now stroked the balletic moves could reach Dan. If only if Phil could see Dan’s face.

   His feet swept over the floor, ballet shoes dainty, as he exited the stage, giving the audience a last glance.

   A roar of applause showered Phil from behind as he once again saw Dan and Dan’s outstretched arms. Without thinking, Phil threw himself into the arms he now knew were warm and giving. “That was amazing!” claimed Dan as he set his head on top of Phil’s. All Phil could feel on the inside was a fire, so hot and nice that he never wanted to leave it. But he knew he had to as the two other ballerinas and himself were called back onstage to be judged.

   Standing back on the grand black stage, Phil could see darkness where the crowd should be, since the stage lights were too blinding to see through. The adjudicator stepped onto the stage, a different lady from earlier, strutting in golden heels, a white tight dress and curled brown hair. She smiled at the three dancers and shuffled her papers, “Lindsey Holphman, bouncy and elegant with your blue dress dear, an 87.”

   A light applause congratulated the dancer and she stepped forward to curtsey.

   “Arianna Kreese, I loved the song, beautiful legs, and wonderful tutu, you were as beautiful as a snowflake, a 92.”

   Finally, all eyes turned to the tall male ballet dancer, and the judge cleared her throat before turning to Phil, “Philip Lester, most graceful across the floor, your jumps were magnificent, and the costume really fits the mood, a 96.”

   Shock filled Phil’s veins, almost as if he had heard the woman wrong, a 96?

   The truth rolled over him as he realized he stood there with his mouth slightly open and was snapped back to reality when the cheering in the crowd reached his eardrums. Smiling and bowing, Phil took the ‘Most Outstanding’ trophy and a gold medal.

   Once again he walked off the stage, trying to hide the smile on his face and keeping his head down before he felt hands grasp his cheeks and looked into two dark brown eyes as a happy grin shined on Dan’s face. “I knew you could do it.”

   Feeling a little embarrassment as they stood backstage, in view of about twelve dancers and nine crewmen, Phil shrugged. Instead of keeping hold of Phil’s face, Dan held one of Phil’s hands as he led him back out to the boys change room- which was once again empty except for the presence of winter light and bags.

   Phil suddenly realized something, this was his last dance at the competition. He would have to be leaving soon.

   Dan watched as Phil hopped over a bag and shuffled things around in his own bag. Phil pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and in messy writing wrote down his number on the slip. He took Dan's hand and set it in Dan’s palm. Then he picked up his backpack that had stayed overnight and stood up, looking Dan in the eyes right before there was a knock at the door.

   “Phil? If you’re in there, it’s mum, we have to leave now.” Said the familiar voice that belonged to Phil’s mum.

   “Okay, I’ll meet you in a minute.”

   The couple moments of silence was broken by Dan, who smiled, “So, see you around Phil Lester?”

   “Yeah, definitely,” Phil answered with a slight tone of sadness as he turned and started walking towards the door out.

   “Wait-” Dan said as he stepped towards Phil and grabbed his arm, “I believe you owe me something from what we missed earlier?”

   In a cage of confusion, Phil was pulled toward Dan, and they kissed as Phil felt the same feeling he felt on stage- and he never wanted to leave. It felt as everything was warm and the world didn’t matter, but that couldn’t last long, and Phil broke apart from Dan.

   “I really have to go- my mom, I have to go.” Phil stuttered.

   “It's fine,” Dan smiled, the same glint in his eyes as from when Phil met him, “I hope to see you around, call me,” he planted a light kiss on Phil’s cheek, “Bye for now Lester.”

   Backing out of the room, Phil grinned and in the doorway paused, “don’t worry, I will see you soon, Howell.”

[bittersweetjenna]

the physical manifestation of my soul

-

An au where Dan is a Instagram Ballerina.

Please don’t repost.

[my-own-character-in-everything]

The Overwatch YouTube AU That Didn't Need To Happen

Inspired by this and this. (Also, I’m supposed to be writing an essay right now, but my brain won’t stop thinking. So here is this garbage instead.)

This is a long ass post so here:

Genji went to beauty school after high school and now runs a beauty channel. (Much to the disappointment of his father. Whoops.)

He lives with his girlfriend Angela who is too busy being a doctor to run her own channel, but she is typically associated with Genji’s side channel. There, she features frequently enough in vlogs that no one asks where she is or how she's doing.

Hanzo also appears on the side channel a lot. He works as a simple geometry teacher, but eventually starts his own channel to post videos explaining math, Japanese, and other random stuff to people. Of course, it’s a side thing for him, so he doesn’t upload nearly as frequently as his brother does. Despite this, he’s actually very popular. Probably because they like listening to a hot tattooed older guy talk, Genji says. Hanzo doesn’t get it, really.

McCree runs a steadily growing cooking and baking channel. Which has absolutely nothing to do with why Hanzo started to get into YouTube. Of course not. What an absurd idea.

Now obviously, what kind of Overwatch YouTube AU would this be if Hana didn’t run a gaming channel? She also likes reviewing vinyl figures and other random pieces of merchandise.

Lúcio posts song covers. He often collaborates with guest singers and instrumentalists, remixing each backtrack to fit the guest’s sound. Because he cares like that. Also he does a lot of charity livestreams with Hana because they’re besties.

Fun Fact: In this AU, Lúcio has a girlfriend. But for all the internet stalkers in the world, no one can figure out who it is. (It’s not Hana because Hana’s shy boyfriend can sometimes be heard speaking Korean to her in the background of her Snapchat stories.)

Mei has an art blog where she’s trying to improve her English. Her channel is mainly speed paints, and her art is mostly naturescapes and quiet urges to care for the Earth. She rarely speaks on her channel, but when she does, she’s usually apologizing because English is not her first language. Like Hanzo, however, it’s more of a side thing: a break from her work as a climatologist.

Ana runs a gardening channel.

Reinhardt is her frequent and enthusiastic assistant. He mostly just carries bags of dirt and mulch, but he likes being helpful. Ana’s trying to get him to convince DIY home improvement and landscaping tutorials.

You would think Fareeha has a workout channel or something, but she actually just works as a cop. The internet knows who she is, though, because she appears a lot on her mother’s channel.

Zarya is the one with the workout channel. Surprise.

Gabe’s channel is literally just him pranking Jack, while Jack’s channel is literally just revenge pranks. Because they’re both super petty I don’t know what you expected.

Also, in this AU, Morreyeson is pretty much biggest gay YouTuber ship since Phan and Septiplier. Jack doesn’t mind it, but it’s Gabe who thinks it’s hilarious. He likes teasing and joking about the ship (sometimes Jack plays along) because the internet has yet to figure out that the two of them are actually married IRL.

Speaking of marriage, Amelie technically has a channel, but it’s pretty much run by Gerard, and what began as an idea to promote Amelie’s ballet studio eventually just devolved into Gerard being the biggest fanboy ever and gushing over how perfect his wife is. (Fortunately, Amelie is not aware of this fact, and people find their relationship super cute.)

Bastion runs a channel for an animal shelter. The videos are mainly footage of the animals, with edited text telling the stories behind each rescue and cheery music playing in the background. Bastion never talks in the videos, but the animals are cute, so of course the channel is successful.

Zenyatta runs an advice channel. Surprise.

Orisa and Efi, Zenyatta’s neighbors, are frequent guests on his channel. People like how straight to the point Orisa is, and Efi is just plain adorable.

Torbjörn doesn’t even run his channel. He’s too busy being an engineer, I don’t know. It’s literally just videos of the random things his eight kids get up to. The whole thing is basically a messy archive of home videos.

Junkrat’s channel is dedicated to cars that come into the mechanic shop to be fixed. Sometimes how-to/DIY tutorial videos, sometimes showing off pet projects.

Roadhog is his boss. He rides a motorcycle. Also, no one has ever seen his face. And he doesn’t have a channel. His voice can be heard in the background of Junkrat’s videos and someone may or may not have made a horror game featuring his voice

Satya has a crafting channel and uses a ruler for everything.

Tracer does parkour, while her girlfriend Emily is a food blogger. They also feature in each other’s travel vlogs a lot. The internet loves them because they’re super cute.

Winston doesn’t have a blog or channel or anything. He’s too busy being a scientist. He does appear on Tracer’s channel from time to time though, typically during the holidays.

And I don’t know how to end this post so...there you go

[sleepyverstappens]

@jorzuela replied to your post: Someone yell at me to write, because at this point...

ballet au? tell me more

Hey hey, I see you're a phan blog, so you're probably following me for that. But the ballet!AU is a robron fic I'm writing... So if you're into them as well here's a link to the first 2 chapters :) http://archiveofourown.org/works/10954908/chapters/24382464

[ao3feedphan]

Feeling Good

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Ppx4SD

by Abridgeofclay

The one where Phil and Dan are both in a ballet company and hide in the basement of the theatre because neither of them have roles in Act I of the production.

Words: 763, Chapters: 1/17, Language: English

Fandoms: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Dan Howell, Phil Lester, Original Characters

Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester

Additional Tags: Phan - Freeform, DAN AND PHIL - Freeform, ballet!au, Dancer!Phil, dancer!dan, AU, phanfic, Phanfiction, MorBalletTheatreUniverse, Fluff, Ballet

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Ppx4SD

[gradoqueen]

Verse: The Phantom Thief Duchess

Persona 5 AU for Eirika de Renais

Background The Renais household is a well-to-do French family of three: Fado and his twin son and daughter Ephraim and Eirika. In order to stay well-to-do, Fado explores business options outside of Europe and finds potential in a project in Japan, but pursuing it would mean moving there for a prolonged period of time. Unwilling to leave his children behind, he takes them with him, and the family moves to Japan.

Aged down to 16-17 to better fit with the P5 cast, Eirika makes it into Kosei High School on a dance scholarship, practicing classic ballet and reading literature on the side with a local book club. This means she can easily run into the likes of Araceli, Pearl’s Innes, and possibly Yusuke on the school grounds and hit it off with them.

Ephraim, on the other hand, is a troublemaker who solves problems with his fists, so Kosei doesn’t want him. Instead, he gets stuck in Shujin where he meets Biki- it’s most likely through Ephraim that Eirika meets Hibiki and, by proxy, most of the Phantom Thieves.

There is one more member of the family who moves with Fado and the twins: their chauffeur, Seth. A former marine who was honourably discharged when injured in the line of duty, he double-serves as a bodyguard when in the twins’ presences and is more than capable of fending off any ruffian who comes near them. He provides the Phantom Thieves with a quick and cheap way to travel without having to use the subway. Whether or not he knows about the metaverse thing is anyone’s guess, because he never acknowledges any weirdness that is accidentally mentioned in his presence.

Lyon’s exact place int he world isn’t really set in stone, but he is still a dear friend of the twins. Eirika soon notices that her friend acts more and more strangely, and having a mild interest in the Phantom Thieves, eventually puts a post on the Phan-site: “I don’t know how real this is, but if there is a one in a million chance that it is, I have to try: Please help my friend.” She helps the party throughout the preparations to get into Lyon’s palace and accidentally gets dragged in when they go into the Metaverse.

In Lyon’s Palace, during a battle that quickly goes south, Eirika hears a voice asking her if she’s just going to watch and do nothing, or if she wants to protect them and take her responsibility for bringing them into here in the first place. Deciding to protect not only the party, but also Lyon from his own darkness, she awakens to her Persona then and there, and formally joins the Phantom Thieves at that moment.

Mechanics-wise Her starting Persona is Gleipnir, a demonic hound bound by an unbreakable chain, and her ultimate persona is Cerberus, the three-headed guard hound of the underworld. Her codename is Duchess, her melee weapon is the rapier, and her gun is probably just a simple pistol. I may have to look at her Arcana again, but for the moment it’s Death.