#phanfic library

[doomedhowell]

rainy days at the library

link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44720305 title: rainy days at the library square fill: bookworm!dan rating: general word count: 1,770 summary: Even on rainy days Dan winds up at the library, but it's not so bad when his company is the cute librarian.

written for @phanfictionbingo​

Phil looks over when he hears footsteps, and sees one of his usual customers walk into the library, drenched in rain. It’s been storming all evening, with lightning and thunder going off every once in a while. It causes a slow day, not that Phil is complaining. That’s why Phil became a librarian, because it’s quiet, and gives him a chance to spend time with his books. He doesn’t deal with nearly as many people.

But, the curly brown haired boy who comes in every day is one person Phil doesn’t mind seeing.

“Not even the rain could keep you away, huh?”

Dan startles at the sudden voice, and he looks over at Phil, before his cheeks turn bright pink, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “I, uh, I just got bored at home… you know? I-”

“It’s okay,” Phil chuckles softly. “You don’t owe me any explanation. Besides, not saying it’s a bad thing.”

Dan grins. “Yeah, from the looks of it, it kind of seems like you could use some company,” he says, taking his bag off his shoulder. He walks over and sets his bag on one of the tables.

“Yeah, it’s been slow today. I mean, not that that’s a bad thing for me,” Phil confirms with a nod. “But also, any sane person would stay home during a thunderstorm.”

“I’m not what you would call sane,” Dan retorts, trying to make a joke.

“Clearly,” Phil replies, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Dan scowls at that, and decides to ignore Phil’s comment then. He pulls two books out of his bag and he walks up to the counter. “I’d like to return these books,” he says.

“You finished these already? You just checked them out two days ago,” Phil says as he takes the books.

“Well, I mean, you can’t really be surprised I finished them already with the amount of time I’m in this damn library,” Dan replies, shrugging his shoulders. “I actually read my books, unlike most other people who probably just check them out and then forget them.”

“Fair point,” Phil agrees, nodding. “Did you enjoy the books at least?”

“I enjoyed them,” Dan confirms, smiling. “Now I just need to find some other books to read.”

“Well, if you need any help… you know where to find me,” Phil says, grinning up at Dan.

“Thanks,” Dan says, before walking back over to his claimed table. He sits down and pulls out his airpods as well as his phone, turning on his playlist made specifically for when he’s at the library. Quiet and calm, peaceful music that he can listen to when he’s either studying, doing homework or just simply reading.

Dan spends a bit of time doing his homework that’s due tomorrow for his English class. He’d completely forgotten about it and now he’s stuck doing it at the last minute.

The storm is getting heavier outside, causing the lights to flicker on and off.

Dan debates on whether or not he should start heading home, but it’s pouring rain outside and Dan doesn’t feel like getting drenched again. But, he has no clue when it’s supposed to stop raining.

Dan sighs quietly as he stares out the window, watching the rain, anxiety slowly coming through.

“I’m worried the power will go out before the library closes,”

Dan startles, and he looks over to see the librarian standing beside him. “The power?”

“Yeah,” Phil nods. “The lights were flickering on and off earlier. If the power goes out, we’ll be stuck.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?” Dan groans. “I can’t walk in this rain!”

“You walked here? Are you mad?” Phil exclaims, before shaking his head. “You can ride with me-”

“No, no way, I can’t ask you to do that-”

“Mate, it’s no problem at all. I’m not going to let you walk home alone in the rain,” Phil says. “Oh, I’m Phil, by the way. I thought maybe it would make you feel better if you knew my name.”

“I’m Dan,” Dan says, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. “Thanks. Uh, for offering.” He yelps when suddenly the lights go off. He groans, throwing his head back. “Well, that’s just great.”

“As long as the door didn’t automatically lock up, then we should be fine,”

Dan frowns as he watches Phil head towards the library doors. “I have a feeling you just jinxed us,”

“I didn’t jinx us,” Phil says, rolling his eyes. He goes to try and open the doors, but they don’t budge. “Okay, that’s fine. I have keys.” He walks over to his desk and opens his drawer. He instantly freezes when he sees that his keys are not where they’re supposed to be. “Well, that’s not good.”

“What do you mean that’s not good?” Dan asks, walking over to the desk. “You have the keys, right?”

“Uhm, not exactly,” Phil says, looking up at Dan. “But, it’s fine-”

“It doesn’t sound fine!” Dan exclaims, his eyes widening. “You’re telling me that we’re trapped here?”

“Look, we would have been trapped here anyways,” Phil argues. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s still storming outside, and it’s not exactly safe to drive or walk in this kind of condition. Dan, don’t panic, okay? I’m just going to call Macy and she’ll come and unlock the doors.”

“Macy?” Dan asks, blinking. “Who the hell is Macy?”

“She’s the principal of the school. You know her better as Mrs. Conewell,” Phil explains.

“Well, okay. As long as you can promise that we’ll get out of here. I love the library, but I don’t exactly wanna be stuck here forever,” Dan mumbles.

“Don’t worry,” Phil tells him. He pulls out his phone, and is relieved that he still has service, so he quickly sends a message to Macy, asking for help. Phil sets his phone down and searches through his desk until he finds his flashlight. “It’s not much, but it’ll do until the power comes back on.”

“This isn’t exactly how I thought my Friday night would go,” Dan mumbles.

“Did you expect anything less when it’s storming outside?” Phil asks, raising his eyebrows at Dan.

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect this,” Dan retorts, huffing. “I can’t even do my homework.”

“You can, it’ll just be very difficult for you to do,” Phil replies with a grin.

Dan glares at him, but he can’t even stay mad at Phil when he’s got the goofy grin on his face. “Whatever. Do you have an extra flashlight? At least I can look through the books and try to find new ones to take,”

“No, but I can walk around with you,” Phil says, walking over to Dan. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

Dan shrugs his shoulders. “Doesn’t bother me. I like company,” he says.

“Most people who spend their time at libraries are quite the opposite,” Phil says as he starts following Dan towards the books. “You know, enjoying the quiet. Being away from people. I know I do sometimes.”

“Oh, definitely. But, I also don’t mind the company. I live alone and don’t have many friends,” Dan says.

“You live alone? How old are you?” Phil asks curiously.

Dan chuckles. “I’m eighteen. Moved out of my parents house as soon as I turned eighteen. I’ve had a job since I was sixteen so I’ve been saving up the money,” he says.

“Wow. I was not expecting to hear that about you, but… that’s good, that you want to be independent,” Phil says. “Which way are we going? I want to make sure I’m shining the light correctly.”

“Just point it in front of me. I don’t have a direction yet,” Dan tells him.

It’s quiet as Dan walks throughout the library, trying to find some new books to read, though it’s quite difficult for someone who is constantly checking out books from this library. Though Dan feels comfortable and safe knowing that Phil is with him, even if they aren’t exactly conversing with each other.

Eventually, Dan ends up going with two classics that he’s certainly already read multiple times but he’s been wanting to re-read the series again, so he picks up Twilight and The Hunger Games.

It’s like a miracle when the power comes back on, just as Dan had picked up his books.

Phil sighs in relief. “Let there be light,”

Dan giggles. “There’s light. But, are we able to leave?”

“What? Have you gotten sick of my wonderful company already?” Phil asks, smirking at Dan. He walks over to the door and opens it without a problem. He looks over at Dan, who sighs in relief. Phil chuckles, and makes sure to keep the door open with the doorstand. Just in case. “We’re free.”

“Oh! It looks like it’s finally stopped raining too,” Dan says when he catches a glimpse out the window.

Phil makes his way back over to Dan. “You know, I can still take you home, if you’d like,”

Dan hesitates, as he looks over at Phil. “I- I wouldn’t want to impose-”

“You’re not imposing,” Phil says, shaking his head. “I’m offering to take you home, because I care. It was just storming outside, and there’s a chance that you could still get sick from the weather. I can’t have one of my best customers out sick, can I?” He smiles sweetly.

“Well, okay. If you’re really sure. I can pay you back next time I get paid,” Dan assures him.

Phil shakes his head. “You don’t need to pay me back Dan,” he says. “Or-” He leans against his desk, trying to be smooth because he really wants to impress Dan. “You could let me take you out on a date.” He yelps when his hand slips, causing him to tumble over.

Dan instantly bursts into a fit of giggles. “You know what? Just for that, I’ll take you up on that offer,”

Phil perks up, and he looks at Dan. “Wait, really? I just made myself look like a-”

“So, I think you’re cute, Phil. You’re also really nice to me every time I come in here,” Dan says. “So, yes. I’ll go on a date with you. I’ll give you my number and you can text me the details?”

Phil smiles, relieved that Dan’s still willing to give him a chance. “Yeah. We can do that. I’m really looking forward to it,” he says. Even though it may have been raining all day and there were very few customers, at least Dan still showed up and turned Phil’s day around.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Librarian!Phil Masterlist

between the lines (ao3) - dieofthatroar

Summary: Phil's a librarian at a local public library. Dan has nowhere else to go.

Birds (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Phil is a library volunteer who somehow ends up helping with a children’s activity. And as he’s working, he can’t help but notice the curly haired stranger who is really good with kids and really good at making him smile.

details of an asteroid (ao3) - dantiloquent

Summary: “If you think about it, aliens probably believe in us, too. We’ve got our own intergalactic cheerleaders.”

When Dan and Phil keep bumping into each other, they eventually give in to chance and start talking. Soon enough, Dan makes a home at the library Phil works at, and they talk about nothing and everything so often that there is no going back. The two survive the future just fine, until they learn the flaws of leaning the weight of your existence on someone else’s shoulders.

Figure My Heart Out - definitelythor

Summary: Dans a student with a massive crush on the university's librarian, and it's Valentines day

i can’t focus on what needs to get done (ao3) - obsessivelymoody

Summary: Phil works at a library and Dan’s a philosophy student.

If These Shelves Could Speak (ao3) - phandomestic

Summary: a slice-of-life-esque library au where dan has plans to study for an exam but a certain distraction by the name of hot librarian #1 gets in the way

just once to be lifted strong (ao3) - The_Blonde

Summary: "Maybe it is random. Maybe the lynx was just the next one waiting in line for its human and that human had happened to be Dan, awkwardly manoeuvring his way around the outskirts of situations while it prowled at his side. Or maybe it represented some inner part of Dan, golden and glowing, hidden somewhere amongst all the shadows, something that he could get to if he actually looked. Dan’s more inclined to go with the first one (though he’d considered the second one numerous times. It just wasn’t possible)."

Or: Dan is a boy with a missing anima. He finds a Phil instead.

make a wish when your childhood dies (ao3) - tinydragon (tiny_dragon)

Summary: Things could be going better for librarian Phil Lester. He’s discontent with his life and his job when an episode of accidental magic lands him in a seemingly different world, which nobody else seems aware of other than the neighbour he never knew he had, Dan Howell. Together, they must find a way to return home to their ordinary cities and lives, but there’s something about Dan that’s strange, in that he seems eerily similar to Phil’s favourite childhood storybook character.

Middle of Somewhere (ao3) - det395

Summary: Phil’s an apprentice at a library who is drawn to a regular visitor with fluffy hair and a questionable attitude

More Than Stanzas - mairieuxes

Summary: The hot librarian is a massive nerd and Dan just found his notebook filled with poems.

Scraps and secrets (ao3) - Writtenbyalonelynerd

Summary: Phil is a librarian, dan has nowhere to go during the summer holidays so decides to do some reading. Meets Phil and love grows from there.

Short Skirts and Candy Kisses (ao3) - tahliaisnotonfire

Summary: The boy had chestnut coloured hair and matching brown eyes, golden skin and pink succulent lips. His cheekbones were strongly put together and his jawline was at the perfect angle, complementing the boy’s features nicely. Phil couldn’t believe someone like this actually existed. The boy was young and his appearance seemed even more tempting as he was sucking on a lollipop. A fucking lollipop.

Also known as that AU where Phil works in a library and Dan wanders in one day wearing a short skirt looking for a book and Phil just can’t stay low-key.

teach me how to kiss (ao3) - cityscaped (touchofgold)

Summary: Dan is a typical notorious bad boy smoker who couldn't give a shit about anything. Phil is a quiet librarian nerd who spends too much of his time in an abandoned tower in school. After rumours were spread that Dan had slept with many girls, and his two friends finding about it, Dan's dirty little secret is exposed.

Dan has no idea how to kiss.

And what does he do? He gets kissing lessons from Phil.

Textbook Love (ao3) - phanimist

Summary: phil works at the library, and is more than happy to get to know the cute boy at the back of the room, even if he does play his music loudly.

The Boy Was Cute (ao3) - bookcallipitter

Summary: Library AU, Phil works at a library Dan attends often, but one day changes everything.

The Douchebag (ao3) - novastars

Summary: Phil works in a small library where a local douchebag keeps moving the books and putting them on the wrong shelves.

you’re warm (home) (ao3) - littledgykid

Summary: Dan is a miserable law student. Phil is getting his bachelor’s degree in library and information science. He’s getting work experience in the university library, where they meet. After Dan stays way past the closing time, they bond over their love for literature (and Oscar Wilde).

[shigussy]

i keep getting tiktoks of these younger gen z kids referencing a time they did something relating to fandom in public and now they're embarrassed by it and everytime i see one i sit there thinking over all of middle and high school and having genuinely 0 moments that i feel embarrassed by, like i definitely did a lot of shit these kids would be embarrassed by but i think these are all just really fucking funny

also photographic evidence of the kinda kid i was. these are from 2014/15 when i was in 8th grade

-desolation row one shot(still on wattpad gerard way/reader smut)

-twerk it on (mcr crack fanfic no longer on wattpad but i have another fic in my library called twerking in taco bell which definitely ALSO used for my reading log)

-frank iero must die(a serial killer/assassin frerard fic, still on wattpad)

-hair (really vague maybe a phanfic? nowhere in my wattpad library rip)

my binder i used in 7th grade i had a blue one that looked pretty similar to this for 8th grade but idk where it went, also the parts i scribbled out are my full legal name i had written on it. i wrote it normally and then the big spot is where i wrote my name REALLY BIG in elysian code from the vladimir tod books. also the lines are from when i used an exacto knife to cut up some papers and forgot that my binder was underneath

in conclusion yall can now see why im so shameless about talking about shigaraki the way i do

[sojutrait]

more out of order unposted teen-a-day sims: the horse girl and rock band member

[succubusphan]

The Literal Other Half

Summary: Dan arrives at Manchester University and feels a bit lost, luckily he gets an upperclassman as a tour guide and mentor of sorts. Coffee dates, friends and a lot of laughter finally enter his life - along with love. 

Rating: E

Tags: College/University Au, Coffee Shops & Cafés Au, Soulmates Au, Fluff and SmutMild AngstHappy EndingStrangers to Lovers, Nosy Friend            

Word count: 10.3k

A/n: Written for the 2020 Fall Phanfic Exchange from the writers discord. Thank you for making this happen, it was super fun! And thanks @flymetomanchester for the prompts, I hope you enjoy this. Thank you to @schnaf for being my beta and cheerleader during the writing process, I couldn’t have done it without you.

Read on ao3

Dan pulled his jacket around his frame a little tighter as he walked to campus. He looked up to the sky and huffed as when he felt the light drizzle that was starting to fall, threatening to destroy his hair. Of course he was getting rained on the day where he was going to be meeting his student guide - he was going to look like a drowned rat the first time he met an older and much cooler student. He shook his head and walked a little faster.

 Meeting this guy, Phil, was something he had dreaded when he’d been introduced to the program for new students; a mentorship of sorts but not quite. Dan had hated the idea of socializing with someone more experienced than him. Instead of feeling reassurance, he’d felt at a disadvantage, but then Phil had texted him and that changed everything. 

 Dan’s heart beat a little faster at the thought of finally meeting Phil in person. Their conversations over text had been fun and they had discovered that they were basically a perfect match - he had to give it to Manchester University for pairing them together. 

 The excitement also resided in the fact that a few days prior, Dan had gotten an email with Phil’s contact information and Dan had found his Facebook. Being the nosy rat that he was, he had stalked his profile and had found that Phil hit the perfect corner where all his preferences met, the face, that body, and the fact that he was an emo looking nerd. Dan was enthralled. 

 Phil could be his soulmate, Dan felt it in his bones. This could actually be happening. Maybe they would meet, and their names would appear on each other’s skin. He wouldn’t know for sure for a while, since it didn’t always happen right away.

 Dan smiled as he finally saw the Lenagan Library. Since Phil was not waiting outside, he checked his phone and sighed in relief when he saw Phil’s message. ‘I went in because of the rain.’

 Once inside, Dan looked around but Phil was nowhere to be seen. He typed a message, ‘Where are you? U.u’ but before he could hit send, he felt someone’s breath on the back of his neck and it made every hair on his body stand.

 “Boo!” Phil said right into his ear, but before he could laugh Dan had swatted his face as a reflex. “Ow!”

 “Oh my god! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!” Dan blushed and covered his face with his hands; he had made a fool of himself already. 

 Phil blushed as well but burst out laughing. “It’s ok, I guess I shouldn’t have startled you,” he said, nudging Dan on the shoulder. “Hey, by the way.”

 “Hey,” said Dan with a small smile.

 “So, I was thinking since it’s raining we could wait it out for a bit and see if it stops. We could get some coffee in the Starbucks next door… unless you are in a hurry.”

 “No, I’m not,” Dan said, trying not to sound too eager. 

 “Great. Let’s go,” Phil said with a smile and guided Dan out, holding the door for him. 

 Once they had gotten in line, the conversation flowed effortlessly. They were chatting distractedly until the barista called to order. “What may I get you today?” she asked with a saccharine smile. 

 “A venti caramel macchiato,” they answered in unison and immediately started laughing. 

 The barista rolled her eyes amusedly, “Anything else?” 

 “Two chocolate chip cookies,” Phil said before Dan could even consider it. “You have to try it, it’s amazing.” He pouted in Dan’s direction.

 “Alright,” Dan said and nodded to the barista whose fingers were hovering over the register waiting to punch the order in. 

 “What names should we call?”

 “Dan and Phil,” Dan said - he liked the sound of that.

 Once they had picked up their coffees, they took a seat in one of the booths and finally started chatting. Dan was a little distracted trying to covertly catch a glimpse of every piece of skin Phil had on show, wondering if he had already met his soulmate but there was no sign of it.

 “So how do you like Manchester University so far?” Phil said, taking a sip of his coffee. 

 “Well, I haven’t seen much of it yet, but it’s nice.” Dan smiled into his mug. “At least when I’m not at a lecture,” he said, immediately regretting being so honest with someone who had been saddled with the job of making him excited to go to Manchester University. 

 Phil laughed, his tongue peeking between his teeth. "Same! Oh my gosh, lectures are the worst. But you'll get used to it, don't worry," he said trying to sound encouraging. "Besides, now you have a super cool friend who can show you around and play video games with you!" 

 Dan smiled at Phil calling him his friend. He could really use one at the moment. "Mmm, and who could that be?" 

 "A hot dude in skinny jeans!" Phil said, winking in the most awkward way Dan had ever seen anyone wink. 

 “What was that?” Dan laughed harder than he had in a long time. “Oh my God, that was horrible.”

 “Your mum is horrible!” Phil retorted. 

 With a smile still on his lips, Dan was tempted to kick him in the shin, but instead, he said: “At least she can wink like a normal person!”

 “Normalness leads to sadness, why would anyone want to be normal?” Phil smirked.

 “Oh, Phil. You are anything but normal,” Dan said with a small smile as he tried to hide the incredible amount of fondness he already felt for his new friend. Phil’s smile and deep blush told Dan that he had failed horribly. 

 “Thanks.” Phil looked out the window pensively for a moment before locking eyes with Dan again. “Would you like to catch a movie some time? As a Film student I have access to the entire library of DVDs.”

 Dan’s smile widened as he rushed to answer, barely letting Phil finish his explanation. “Yes!”

 “Great, I was hoping you’d say yes.” Phil looked out the window again and sighed. “Sadly, the rain has stopped so we should go on a little tour of the Uni if we want you to be able to navigate the buildings a bit more easily and get to your classes on time.”

 “Why would we want anything like that?” Dan asked, clicking his fingers and winking awkwardly. 

 The question took Phil by surprise but Dan let out a sigh of relief when he started laughing. “Come on, Dan. I need to pretend that we have exciting stuff around here or they’ll pester me about it," he said pointing to the sky as if there was some sort of higher power above them.

 “Will they make me guide the noobs next year?” Dan joked.

 Phil pursed his lips. “No, but they will ask you about it a lot and everyone else does it so you will be peer pressured into it and eventually cave in.”

 Dan frowned. He hadn’t considered that Phil might have not chosen to join the program of his own accord. Obviously, he had better things to do than spending time with him. 

 “Hey,” Phil said, placing his hand on Dan’s. “I’m glad I said yes in the end because I got to meet you…”

 Dan’s eyes went wide, he tried to say something but no sound was coming from his lips. Just the vague possibility that Phil could really be hinting at being interested in him made his heart race.

 Phil’s expression changed suddenly as if he had just realized what he had said. “I mean -” He ran his hand through his hair, leaving it looking a bit like a bird’s nest. “We like the same things and I think you are really cool.” 

 He looked away and started to pull his hand back but Dan flipped his hand under Phil’s and caught his fingers a bit awkwardly. “I think you are cool too, Phil.” He smiled softly, trying to let Phil know that it was ok.

 Shaking his head, Phil looked into his eyes and smiled for a fleeting moment before getting up. “Let’s go. I’ll show you all the boring Law stuff and a few cool things.”

 --

 Even though the rain had stopped, the clouds loomed over them like an impending threat; thankfully, the walk was quite short. 

 Not ten minutes later they arrived at the buildings where all the law and social sciences classes took place. 

 "As you can see, the gothic architecture is really great around here," Phil said seriously while gesturing at the main entrance. 

 The entire set of buildings looked like a castle basically. Dan nodded, trying to match Phil's expression. "Oh," a small smile tugged at his lips. "I see. This is exactly why I applied to Manchester Law, obviously." He snorted and Phil joined him, nudging him with his elbow. 

 It was a stupid joke but they laughed and laughed without a care in the world, people giving them strange looks as they passed them by. 

 Phil clutched at his tummy and sighed "I feel like I should have prepared better," he said, finally crossing the archway into the Law building with Dan following close behind. 

 "What were you planning on saying?" Dan smirked. 

 "What I found on google, the architecture is Gothic and they have a moot court where they do speed mooting - whatever that means - which sounds terrifying." 

 "I would rather spend the rest of my days in the Tower of London than do that," Dan said with an awkward laugh. A group of students stopped chattering to give him and Phil judging looks. "I should have joined the film school instead, with the movies and cool stuff." 

 "Honestly, yeah. But, hey - there's a place for naps." 

 Dan squinted his eyes at Phil who raised his hands in surrender. "I swear! It's not here but it’s a five minutes walk. There's a pod thing where you can sleep for a little." 

 "I love sleeping. This is the first good thing about this Uni." 

 "We also have theatres to watch movies, booths for studying, media rooms for editing and the best thing of all," Phil listed, trying to build up some suspense.

 "What's that?" 

 "Me!" Phil laughed, opening his arms wide. 

 Dan shook his head with a fond smile. "How could I forget my favourite tour guide?" 

 "You could never!" 

 "True," Dan smiled back. "Not with that winking," Dan said before running across the yard. 

 Phil laughed and ran after him. He knew people were staring but he didn't care. 

 If anything, Dan enjoyed strolling around various buildings with Phil, listening to stories about weird things that had happened to him in each of them. Phil shined so bright that people couldn't stay away from him, especially weird people, apparently. From the woman who tried to convince him that she was his grandma, to the man who woofed in his ear, Phil had the power to attract people and Dan was not immune to his powers. 

 By six pm, the sun was long gone, the air was a bit too chilly for the jackets that they were wearing and they were running out of excuses to keep walking around aimlessly. 

 Dan decided not to push his luck and quit while he was ahead. "Well, uh," he scratched the back of his neck, "I guess I should be going back to my room."

 "Oh, right," Phil's face fell at that. "I guess you have plans with your mates." 

 "Nah, not really. I just -" Dan sighed. "I'm cold and kind of hungry, to be honest. I don't talk to anyone in my dorm." He looked down and kicked a little rock towards the street. 

 "Oh. Well, you are in luck. I was just about to suggest that you join me at my favourite coffee place." 

 "Starbucks?" Dan smiled. 

 "I love a good Starbucks, but no. This is a secret hideout from the world," Phil lowered his voice and leaned closer to Dan. "I didn't take you there earlier because I don't usually tell people about it. I wanted to know if I could trust you before bringing it up," he said in a conspiratorial tone. 

 "I feel special." Dan placed a hand above his heart. 

 "You are," Phil said absentmindedly as he grabbed Dan's hand and guided him into an alleyway. 

 Dan's heart pounded in his chest so loud at whatever had just happened that he could actually hear it. He knew that he was blushing, but the heavens had granted him a small mercy: Phil was too preoccupied to notice. 

 They approached what looked like a flower shop from the outside, but once Phil had opened the door and said hello to the shop clerk, he merely guided Dan through it. 

 They opened another door at the opposite end of the shop and entered a small coffee place. It was on the small side, but there were just enough patrons to mark it as a popular yet quiet place. The usual loud murmur of this kind of business was practically absent; everyone was either alone, working on their laptop or speaking quietly. One person was even painting a landscape on a small canvas. Muse's latest album was playing in the background almost imperceptibly. 

 "Wow," Dan said and followed Phil in.

 Phil smiled at him, clearly pleased with his reaction, before approaching the bar. 

 "Hi, Niki," he said to the rainbow-haired girl behind the counter. 

 "Hi, Phil!" she smiled as she started to make something. "Brought a friend?" she asked in a thick foreign accent; German perhaps. 

 "Yeah, this is Dan."

 "Hi," said Dan awkwardly. "I'm Dan." He continued in autopilot before realizing that Phil had just introduced him. He facepalmed before he could stop himself. 

 Niki giggled. "You're cute," she said before addressing Phil. "Go sit, I'll make two of the usual. What cakes do you want?" 

 "A chocolate brownie aaaaand the apple crumble."

 "Coming right out! Take Dan with you before he cringes himself to death," Niki said with a wink.

 "Too late," Dan said causing Phil and Niki to laugh. 

 They took a seat at the table furthest from the door, right at the corner of the shop where the benches conveyed into a little nook. 

 Dan looked around in awe. "I love this, thank you for bringing me here."

 "Don't thank me yet. Wait until you try the cakes. Niki is an amazing baker." 

 Dan smiled awkwardly. "Is she your girlfriend?" 

 Phil laughed but his forehead furrowed into a frown. "Dan, why would you think that?"

 "I don't know, it seems like she likes you," Dan shrugged. 

 "I guess. She's a girl and she is my friend, but she is not my girlfriend."

 "Ok, sorry." Dan bit his lip.

 Phil shook his head. "No problem. It's just - I assure you, I'm only interested in her friendship… And her cakes." 

 Dan laughed and unbuttoned his jean jacket, the shop was warm enough for him to be on the verge of sweating at any moment. As he laid his coat on a nearby chair, Dan noticed Phil roaming every inch of exposed skin on his body and smiled inwardly. 

 Overall, it was a very informative day. Not about the university, but about Phil. His favourite foods and video games, what kind of movies he liked and what he wanted to film in the future. He left the coffee shop with many plans for study sessions, game nights, movie nights and a shooting day for Phil's short film. Life was finally starting to go somewhere. 

 --

 Dan's mood and self-esteem started to change for the better. Not only had he finally moved out of his family home to a place where he could start over and be himself but he had met Phil. Their tentative friendship soon blossomed into something deeper. 

 Slowly but surely Dan and Phil started spending more and more time together. Many of the plans set in that first visit to Niki’s coffee shop came to fruition, but not the movie night. Every time they had tried to set a date for it, something came up. Still, they became closer and closer until the waters became a little muddy.

 It was a bit frustrating navigating through their flirting without a soulmate mark. Dan was absolutely sure that this was it; there was no one else in this world that would compliment him in such a perfect way ever. 

 Falling for Phil was the easiest thing Dan had ever done, so much that it almost went unnoticed. He had acknowledged, to himself at least, his crush on Phil, but other than that, it hadn't dawned on him. He simply didn't stop to consider it as an option, probably because they spent every waking moment together - other than when they went to class - and for Dan those days were few and far in between. 

 He was trying, he really was, but it was so goddamn hard to just… go to the seminars or, god forbid, moot court. Instead, he often chose to go to Phil’s class with him. Film was a new world to discover, an exciting one - just like Phil. 

 The state of things finally dawned on him when one of the boys in his dorm asked him if his boyfriend was staying over for their usual Thursday party. The fact that Dan hadn't come out to them but they had already assumed that he and Phil were together left him with a heavy feeling in his chest. 

 "H- he's not my boyfriend. We're just friends." Dan had said shakily, but the guy - Justin - had winked at him  "Of course, just friends. Just guys being pals, being in love and shit. Well invite him over, would you? We need more people." 

 Dan did not, in fact, ask Phil to come over, or answered his messages at all that day. Instead, he went to the coffee shop Phil had shown him to, "Der Kleine Garten." 

 And so Dan found himself at the door of the only place that offered him comfort away from Phil. He stopped short of the door, considering texting Phil, maybe hinting at his feelings to gauge his reaction, but he was too much of a coward to do it. He shook his head and pushed the door to the garden shop first, waving hello to Alberto, the flower shop keeper, before making his way to the other entrance. 

 As soon as he crossed that threshold, the smell of premium coffee and baked goods flooded his senses. He smiled and went straight to sit at the bar. 

 "Hi Niki!" he said as he sat on one of the stools, leaving his duffel bag on the one next to it. "Slow night?" 

 "Of course, Thursdays are the start of the weekend around here. Everyone is getting drunk," she smiled, blowing her fringe out of the way with a huff before starting to pleat the rest of her hair out of the way. The rainbow-coloured strands met and crossed each other in harmony, gently lacing into a tiny curl in the end, which Dan found quite pleasing to the eye. 

 He smiled at her gently, her expression mimicking his own. She placed her hand on his briefly. "No Phil tonight?" 

 "He is working on a secret project. I don't want to bother him so I came to have dinner with you." He gave her a one shoulder shrug.

 "Good choice. Do you want a coffee while you wait?" 

 "Yes, please."

 She nodded and got to work. Dan's mind went straight back to Phil, and how much he cared for him, his soulmate. It was one thing when strangers mistook them for a couple, which had happened a few times, but his roommates assuming that they were together was different. Maybe they had noticed - 

 He was startled back into reality when Niki set his mug right in front of him. 

 "Aw, young love is so sweet. Do you miss him?" 

 "Who?" 

 Niki laughed and he merely looked at her like a deer in the headlights. "Phil! You have that look on your face, with the small smile and puppy eyes. The one you give him." 

 'Oh, fuck.' Dan's eyes almost fell out of his skull at that. He took a sip of his coffee as he tried to come up with an answer. 

 Niki looked shocked for a moment. "What? Aren't you together together?" 

 Dan picked a paper napkin from the dispenser and started folding it over and over. "It's complicated. We… flirt." He pressed the folds in the paper and continued to work on it.

 "Still?” Niki frowned. “That much was obvious the first time he brought you here. Why haven't you made it official yet?" 

 Without taking his eyes off the napkin, he answered. "We - we haven't talked about it so I don't know from his side, but I was waiting to see if I would get his name on my skin but I still haven't." He pressed his lips into a line.

 "Scheisse!” She said smacking the counter with the tea towel she usually kept on her shoulder. “What are you going to do? You can't give up on this. You are not giving up on this, right?" She crossed her arms.

 "I really don't want to, but the choice is not mine alone." Dan sighed and presented his friend with a delicate pink origami crane. 

 Her eyes softened as she took it and placed it on the shelf behind her with her most valued trinkets. "Do you love him?" she asked softly. 

 Dan's eyes filled with tears and he looked away but he nodded. 

 "Dan, look at me.” Their eyes met again. “Just talk to him, everything will be fine. You'll see," she smiled reassuringly. 

 At that moment she looked so sure of it that it brought Dan some peace of mind. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, grabbed his phone and sent a quick text before he had a chance to chicken out: 'Movie night tomorrow?'

 'Yay ^.^'

 ---

 Dan looked in the mirror and huffed. He was wearing his slimmest fit black skinny jeans, a black long sleeve with some interesting details around the neck and a black jean jacket with unconventional zippers that his mum had bought him for his birthday. He checked his fringe again and nodded before there was a knock on the door. “Yeah?” He called.

 The door opened and Mariana’s head peeked inside. “Are you coming to the pub with us tonight?” she said giving him a once over. “Oh, you look nice, Howell.” She bit her lip and gave him a half smile.

 Dan felt observed. One year ago he might have found it exciting that a girl was checking him out and clearly trying to flirt - even if he wasn’t interested. But now, it felt kind of creepy. “Er, no, sorry.” 

 “Aw, I was hoping that you’d come; literally.” She winked.

 ‘Jesus fucking Christ, save me.’ “I kinda have plans. Maybe another time?” ‘Fuck.’ He wanted to facepalm, that sounded like he was interested. 

 “Ok. Maybe next time,” She said leaning on the door frame. “Where are you going looking so fit?”

 “I’m going to Phil’s for a movie night,” he said awkwardly. Dan was confused. Up to this point, he had assumed they had all been talking about Phil and him behind his back.

 “Oh,” She said, her mouth forming a little circle for a moment before she continued. “Ooooh, right. Shit - of course,” she shook her head. “So, Phil, yeah?” She smiled sadly, she was clearly trying to be a good friend about it.

 Dan smiled, trying to hide his blush behind his fringe. “Yeah -” He didn’t want to keep denying it, especially if he and Phil were going to go for it. “Is this ok?” He gestured at his outfit. 

 “More than ok. Phil is a lucky man.”

 “We’re not -” he didn’t know how to say it.

 “I thought…” She frowned.

 Dan sighed exasperatedly. “Not yet, maybe tonight?” he said, lowering his voice.

 She smiled finally entering his room and shutting the door. “Oh, shit. Good luck!”

 “Thanks so... Do I look ok?”

 She laughed. “I already said you did, you dingus.” She smoothed his fringe down.

 He let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks,” he smiled at her.

 “I would only add black eyeliner, to be honest, but other than that, you look great.”

 “Mmm, I don’t know about makeup.” He didn’t think he had enough confidence for that. He spent most of his time trying to look masculine so it felt a bit unnatural to even consider it.

 Her expression denoted that she had sensed his reticence on the topic. “Oh, nevermind then!” She waved it off. “You look amazing as you are.”

 Dan smiled gratefully. Maybe not all of his roommates were that bad. “I should go. Thanks, Mari.”

 “Sure, mate. No problem.” She smiled and did finger guns at him. “Bring condoms and all that, be safe.”

 “Oh, my god. Leave!” Dan blushed and pushed her out of the room giggling. 

 ‘That didn’t go so bad.’ He put on too much perfume and left for Phil’s flat. 

 --

 A brunette girl with long hair and a skimpy colourful outfit opened the door. “Hi, you must be Dan.” She pulled him in by his shirt before shutting the door. 

 Dan yelped but he quickly recovered. “Yeah, that’s me,” he said shyly, shoving the tips on his fingers into his jeans’ pockets.

 “I’m Anya,” She winked. “Don’t worry, we are going out to a party soon so you’ll have the flat to yourselves.”

 “Uh, great. Thanks.” Dan laughed awkwardly. Apparently he hadn’t been the only one hoping for a private night.

 Phil’s head popped from the kitchen. “Dan?”

 Dan’s stomach flipped over when Phil’s expression changed from questioning to elation as soon as he saw him. “Hi,” Dan said softly.

 “Hi, stranger. Sit on the couch, I’ll be right there.”

 “Ok,” Dan said nervously. He knew Phil enough to know that the first bit of his sentence was a slight jab at Dan not answering his messages and avoiding him the previous day. It might sound a bit extreme to other people, but they spoke every single day - most of the time, even. The longest they had gone without contact had been 12 hours when Dan was studying for midterms and that hadn’t worked out well for their mental health or ability to focus on revising. They had opted for studying together whenever possible in either of their rooms or the library - even in “Der Kleine Garten.” 

 Dan sat on the couch with a heavy sigh and realized that Anya was gone. Chatter and laughter could be heard in the other rooms. After a few minutes, Dan decided to go looking for Phil but before he could so much as get up from the couch, Phil came carrying a tray with 2 glasses of soda and a big bowl of sweet potato fries. 

 "Can you move that from the coffee table?" he asked using his foot to point in the direction of the mess covering the tiny table. It had a stack of beaten books, pens, cigarette packs and glasses with just a bit of something fossilized in them. "Gosh, I asked them to pick this up, but no, too busy getting drunk before the party." 

 "It's ok, don't worry about it." Dan smiled encouragingly as he took the dirty glasses to the kitchen. 

 "I wanted this to be special," Phil pouted, finally setting the tray on the cleared portion of the table and joining Dan on the couch. 

 “It is!” Dan smiled. “We’ve been talking about a movie night forever and we can finally have it.” 

 “Yeah?” Phil said, turning his frame to him and resting his face on his hand with a big smile. Then, he placed his other hand on Dan’s thigh softly and started tracing tiny circles on him with his thumb. “I was hoping we could talk as well.” He bit his lip gauging Dan’s reaction.

 “Me too,” Dan smiled. Phil’s thumb was all he could think about but he tried to carry on. “That’s why I asked for the movie night, I want to talk.”

 “It’s a good talk, right?” Phil frowned. “Like, everything is ok between us?”

 “Yes, I think everything is ok.” Dan swallowed thick. He really hoped that was the case. “After the movie though, since there are still people around.”

 “Yeah, ok,” Phil said and jumped a bit realizing something. “Oh, the fries will go cold, I’ll start the movie, you dig in.”

 As Phil went about unplugging all the video game consoles and setting the DVD, his flatmates all marched in line out the door not even bothering to pretend that they were not looking at Dan and winking and murmuring. Anya was the last one out, but before she shut the door, she made sure to make eye contact with Dan and set a few condoms on the small table where they kept the keys. 

 Dan was left gawking at the door, his eyes set on the small pile of condoms. He sat there blinking in shock.

 Phil, still oblivious to his flatmates’ antics, turned off the light and returned to Dan's side on the couch. “Is this ok?” he asked, sitting flushed to Dan and wrapping one arm around him.

 Dan was so excited to have some alone time with Phil that he didn’t trust himself to speak, so he merely sighed in content and nodded. His body slowly relaxed into Phil’s; it felt natural.

 Shortly after, Dan noticed something was wrong. As soon as the first scene started, he was filled with an eerie feeling. A forrest, nameless actors, trees and stupid decisions. He shivered. 

 “Are you ok?” asked Phil, rubbing Dan’s arm comfortingly. 

 “Yeah I just didn’t know you would pick a horror movie.” Dan tried to play it cool. “What movie is this?”

 “The Blair Witch Project. Do you want me to put on something else?” 

 “No, no, don’t worry.” Dan was trying to convince himself more than Phil. “I mean, I’m terrified of trees and the dark and the supernatural, but with you here I should be able to watch it without dying.” His plan of action was clinging to Phil and hoping for the best.

 Phil laughed “You’re afraid of trees?”  

 Dan buried his face on Phil’s chest. “Shut up!” 

 “What?” Phil smiled. “I’m sure there are loads of people who are afraid of trees.”

 Dan poked Phil’s tummy until the other surrendered and begged for forgiveness. “I can put on something else if you want.”

 Dan rolled his eyes. “It’s fine, but you’ll have to protect me if a tree comes to kill me.”

 Phil smiled. “I will don’t worry.” He pressed a kiss to Dan’s temple and pushed the play button.

 As the movie progressed Dan held onto Phil’s shirt tighter and tighter, but when the first person was killed, he finally snapped, burying his face into Phil’s chest. He tried to focus on the body next to him instead of the movie, Phil’s heartbeat, his soft neck and prominent collarbones - and his perfume. Dan pressed his nose against his skin and inhaled deeply; the fresh smell mixed with Phil’s natural scent made everything more real. He was in the arms of a man and he loved it. Lost in thought he pressed a kiss to the side of Phil’s neck, sucking softly at the skin there.

 Phil gasped, his body going rigid under Dan’s ministrations. He buried his fingers in Dan’s hair and pulled, but not hard enough to stop Dan - if anything, it only felt like encouragement. Phil let out a choked moan. “Dan.” The name fell from his lips like a prayer.

 Dan lifted his head and looked at him from under his lashes before closing the distance between them. He had been waiting for this kiss for so long and his imagination hadn’t made it justice. Phil’s lips were soft and tentative at first, but they made Dan’s blood boil as if he was pulling the dirtiest moves on him. Dan was well on his way to half hard and he briefly wondered if Phil was hard for him too; He sure hoped so. He rested his elbows on Phil's shoulders and parted his lips slightly in invitation.

 Phil moaned and deepened the kiss, letting his tongue wander and finally meet Dan’s in a sensual dance.

 Dan didn’t know how long they had been kissing but when he finally took account of their surroundings, the room was barely lit by the street lights and the movie was long gone. The sound of the heavy rain outside was filtering in, barely audible above their panting breaths. 

 A crack of thunder reverberated through the night sky and made the entire building shake. Dan flinched but didn’t pull back from the kiss. Phil finally pushed Dan back until they were lying horizontally on the couch. There were no doubts left. They were hard in their jeans and the thin layers of fabric did nothing to conceal that fact or hinder the thrusts of their hips against each other. 

 When Phil’s lips finally made contact with Dan’s neck, Dan’s mind short-circuited, he merely lowered his hands to Phil’s ass, grabbing at the supple flesh there and thrusting harder against him. He was tethering on the edge but he thought he could hold his orgasm off for a bit longer - to make it last.

 That was until Phil bit his neck. 

 Suddenly, Dan’s back arched in an impossible angle and his entire body twitched violently as he came with a “Fuck!” falling from his lips. 

 Phil’s breath was erratic, little desperate whimpers escaping him with every thrust. He locked eyes with Dan and whined in frustration. 

 Dan felt absolutely boneless beneath him, but seeing him in such a state gave him an idea: he smirked, wrapping his legs around Phil’s waist and whispered into his ear. “I wanna watch you come.” 

 Groaning, Phil leaned down for a sloppy kiss before burying his face in Dan’s neck and finally coming.

 Finally relaxed, Dan smiled but his eyes started to water before he could control himself. He turned his face away from Phil, trying to hide it but when he sniffled, Phil’s head jolted.

 He grabbed Dan’s chin softly and guided his face back towards him, a look of concern upon his face. “Dan,” he whispered. “Are you ok? Was this too much?” He started to sit up but Dan let out a sob and held onto him.

 Dan hated being so emotional but he couldn’t help it. He shook his head no to let Phil know that he was not upset with him. “I-It was p-perfect.”

 “Then why are you crying?”

 “I don’t want to lose you?” Dan said, barely above a whisper.

 Phil sat up and helped Dan up as well. “Dan! You won’t, you won’t lose me; I promise.”

 Dan took a deep breath but he didn’t manage to contain another sob. “I didn’t get your name.”  

 “Oh, Dan,” Phil frowned and hugged Dan tightly. “I didn’t get yours either, but I don’t care. You are my soulmate; nothing will change that.”

 “What if you meet your real soulmate and get someone else’s name on your skin?”

 “I don’t care. I’m not leaving you. Do you hear me? I won’t.” Phil’s voice trembled but he looked determined.

 Dan felt happy hearing that and he hated himself for it - he shouldn’t let Phil give up his chance with his soulmate because of him. No, he needed to do the right thing. “I can’t let you do that.” He croaked.

 “Dan, please,” Phil sobbed. “Please.” He buried his face in his hands and started shaking uncontrollably. 

 “Phil!” Dan’s heart was breaking and he was starting to worry that Phil was going to be sick with how hard he was crying. “Please, calm down,” Dan begged.

 Phil grabbed onto Dan’s t-shirt and continued to sob. “Please, you said - you said you didn’t want to lose me.”

 “I don’t, but I don’t want to be selfish. You would be wasting your time with me.”

 Phil finally looked at him from under his fringe. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

 “Don’t say things like that if you don’t know how you will feel in the future.”

 Phil took a deep breath but continued to shake slightly. “My feelings for you won’t change, I will prove it to you if you give me a chance.”

 Right, That was Dan’s idea from the start. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly trying to calm himself. “I don’t know, I-” 

 “Please,” Phil whispered. 

 Dan didn’t have it in him to keep resisting. It might not be the wisest or most selfless option, but they both wanted this. “Ok. We can give this a chance and if we get our marks we will discuss it.”

 Phil looked like he wanted to argue further, but he sighed and nodded anyway.

 After they had fully calmed down, they shared lazy kisses in the shower, washing each other’s hair and later fell asleep on Phil’s bed in a tangle of limbs.

 -- 

 Phil opened his eyes slowly, the morning sun filtering through the blinds and casting beautiful shadows on Dan’s sleeping form. He smiled and pulled Dan a little closer, softly caressing his shoulder with his fingertips.

 Dan hummed in contentment and cracked one eye opened to look at Phil, letting his lips curl into a smile. “Good morning,” he said sleepily and cupped Phil’s cheek, pulling him in for a kiss. 

 Of course, Phil followed his lead and It took no longer than a second for Phil to press his lips to Dan’s a bit more firmly. Truth be told, there were other parts of him that had woken up as well, but he didn’t want to let that get in the way of important matters - not again. 

 When Dan tried to deepen the kiss, Phil put his hand against Dan’s chest and pushed him away softly. 

 Frowning, Dan pulled back. “Is everything ok?” 

 “Um, yeah,” Phil said, biting his lip. “But I would like to talk about us a bit more.” 

 Dan pursed his lips briefly, but he knew it was necessary. “Ok, sure. What’s up?”

 “Last night, you said that this,” Phil gestured between them, “was ok for now; until we met our soulmates. But I don’t want that. I don’t want to do this knowing that you will leave me. I don’t want to be with anyone else.” He frowned. He really hoped that he wasn’t about to ruin things.

 “No, of course not. I -” Dan ran his fingers through his fringe with a huff. “That’s - Phil, that’s not what I meant. I don’t want to leave you. I’m just scared that this has an expiration date, or that it doesn’t and you decide to reject your soulmate for me.”

 “Dan, you are my soulmate. I don’t need a stupid mark to tell me that. I can’t even imagine living without you.”

 “How do you know that you won’t regret it?”

 “Do you think you would regret giving up on your soulmate to stay with me?” Phil’s stomach was in knots. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked that so bluntly, that had the power to absolutely obliterate his heart. He shut his eyes tightly, unsure if he was ready to hear the reply. 

 Dan cupped his cheeks. “Look at me,” he asked and Phil opened his eyes staring back into the softest and warmest brown eyes he’d ever seen. “Never. I will never regret choosing you.” 

 “Then, be my boyfriend. No expiration dates, no buts.”

 Dan smiled widely. “Ok, I’ll be your boyfriend!” 

 They kissed until their lips were too sore to continue and then some more.

 --

 Around 11, Anya knocked on the door and left them two coffees and cakes from “Der Kleine Garten.” 

 “Hello, lovebirds. I noticed that you didn’t use the condoms I left out for you.”

 “What!?” Phil stared back at her wide-eyed and blushed furiously.

“We - um didn’t need them?”

 “Shut up, I can tell you’re both naked under those sheets!” She said crossing her arms.

 Dan huffed and placed both of his hands at face level, back to back and flopping down and rubbed them furiously.

 “Dan!” Phil said, completely appalled both by his friend and his boyfriend's behaviour.

 “Ooooh, the good old rub. I see, I see. Good, keep the condoms though.” She pointed at them accusatorily. 

 Phil smiled evilly. “Why don’t you worry about asking Niki out instead of trying to meddle into my relationship.”

  “Oi! Don’t punch low.”

 “Just saying,” Phil shrugged.

 Anya rolled her eyes and chose to change the topic. “Have you asked Dan about “Supremacy”? We need to shoot on Sunday if we want to have enough time to edit.”

 “Umm,” Phil said and saw Anya’s face go from merry to serious real quick. He turned to Dan. “Do you want to be in our short film? We could really use your acting skills, It’s worth 50% of our grade,” Phil pouted.

 “Oh, so no pressure,” Dan laughed awkwardly and Phil made puppy eyes at him. “Fine, fine. I’ll be in your short film.”

 “You are the best boyfriend in the world,” Phil said and pecked him on the lips.

 “Aww,” Anya said, still standing by the door. Then she made barfing sounds.

 “If you don’t leave, I’m going to suck Phil off in front of you,” Dan threatened, jokingly. At least Phil hoped that he was joking. He looked back to Anya in time to see her horrified face before she ran out and slammed the door.

 Phil turned back to Dan. “You were joking, right?”

 “Of course,” Dan said in a tone that didn’t reassure Phil at all, but he decided not to push the topic any further since Dan dived headfirst under the sheets and all his thoughts melted away.

 --

 Sunday crept on them before they even noticed it. Dan was surprised to find out that Phil got actually nervous setting up the set, the lights and all of the equipment around the house; he had always been a very relaxed guy, even during exam season. Dan wasn’t expecting to see his new boyfriend in full director mode either, so serious and focused on his work. He gave Dan all the directions in a very professional way and checked his outfits and the makeup Anya was in charge of. 

 After the cameras started rolling most of the tension slid from Phil’s shoulders. Overall the experience was very fun and exciting, like a window to a new and shiny world Dan didn’t know existed. He played several roles for the short and got to be opposite to Phil, but most importantly, he got to wear one of Phil’s suits. Well, Phil’s only suit - but Phil still whispered in his ear all the things he planned on doing to Dan as soon as they were alone. 

 Dan tried to keep a straight face, he really did, but Anya made eye contact with him and the heat in his face let him know that he was as red as a tomato. Niki walked in with cakes and coffee for everyone and after a brief glance in his and Phil’s direction, she turned to whisper with Anya in the corner. Phil called a “Quiet on set” direction but they just laughed at him. 

 After 12 hours of filming, they were finally done. Nikki suggested they all go back to her shop to have dinner so they could get some fresh air on the way there and change the scenery a bit. Dan also had the theory that she saw the shared house kitchen and decided that she couldn’t cook in those conditions. It was, admittedly, the most untidy and kinda filthy kitchen Dan had ever seen.

 So they had their “family dinner” at Der Kleine Garten and after a bit of teasing from the girls, Dan and Phil finally shared with them that they had made it official. Dan didn’t expect to get a bit emotional at seeing people so happy for him - luckily he had been able to hold the tears back. 

 The next few days were some of the most instructive Dan had ever had since he got to Manchester University. He sat side by side with Phil and Anya, watching them edit the short film, debate about the best techniques and aesthetic directions and when the time ran away from them, he saw them power through the entire night, fuelled only by coffee and submitting their entry only when they were absolutely proud of it. It was their final project after all.

 Dan had been planning to ask Phil if they could finally make love that night, but instead, he was happy to cuddle Phil and run his fingers through his hair until he fell asleep.

 --

 Not two weeks after, the semester came to an end amidst a full-blown break down for Dan and a very busy schedule for Phil. Still, they stuck to their shared study sessions. Sometimes Anya joined them, but other times they took that time to be alone together, even if they had to keep quiet and concentrate on their own topics - the silent companionship made all the difference in the world. 

 Before his last final, Dan moved into Phil’s bedroom for two full days because his roommates didn’t stop partying - even during finals season. Dan was really starting to hate most of them. Mariana merely helped him carry his stuff to Phil’s house and hugged him goodbye. She was going to stay with a friend as well. “We should really move out if we want to pass,” She’d said tiredly. Dan knew she was right. He was glad that he had at least managed to make one friend on his own instead of only depending on Phil to meet people. 

 Having to stay at Phil’s was a blessing and a curse. The house was so messy, it drove Dan a bit mad, so he spent most of his time in Phil’s bed. The stress of being unable to stay in his own room and the added pressure to pass the tests of these subjects - which he hated with a vengeance - caused Dan to have a good cry in Phil’s arms the moment he was done with the exams. It was as if all the adrenaline keeping him going finally faded away and all that was left behind was sadness and frustration.

 Phil held him and assured him that he was not dumb, that he could do it, and at that moment, Dan believed him. Luckily Phil also helped him find a flat.

 Dan only went back home for a weekend to “save face.” In said weekend he shared a total of 3 hours with his family and spent the rest of the time on skype with Phil. Dan almost started crying when his father told him that he was not going to pay for him to move out, but Phil reminded him that he could get a job and also assured him that he would help if needed.

 Sometimes Dan forgot how well off Phil’s family was, but on occasions, he felt too ashamed of the struggles his family went through. Well, they didn’t always struggle, but his dad was not going to give Dan a cent more than what he needed to simply exist and not starve, if even that. It was unfair to say that he was ashamed of their economic situation, maybe it was more about the fact that they were as stingy with Dan as they could. And that they sold his car as soon as he moved out. He could have done it himself and used the money.

 So Dan returned to Manchester determined to make a better life for himself, with the help of his new friends and his boyfriend. 

 The following weekend, they went flat hunting and the third one really caught his eye: Nice girl looking for only one roommate, small living room and kitchen and his own little room. The apartment itself was ok, but the fact that he would be sharing with only one person and that she had laughed at one of his jokes had really made him feel comfortable enough around her to consider moving in. 

 A week later Dan moved into Charlie’s apartment. 

 --

 “All that I ask is that you don’t bring girls around a lot, or that if you do, please keep all the ‘fun’ to your own room. My last roommate was a bloody nightmare with that.” Charlie said, placing a glass of coke on the coffee table in front of Dan’s sweaty form. 

 He peeled his back from the sofa and grabbed the glass. “Thanks,” he said, taking a long sip of the cool heavenly drink. “I really doubt there’ll be any girls around, other than maybe the three friends I have that happen to be girls - and two are already dating each other. One of them runs a coffee shop though, so we tend to hang out there.” He bit his lip hesitantly, maybe it was better to just mention it now. “I do hang out with Phil a lot and he lives with like 13 people so maybe you’ll be seeing him around the most.”

 Charlie plopped down beside him and pushed her fringe up with a huff. “Phil? The guy who just left?” she asked, taking a sip from her glass.

 Dan nodded.

 “13 people? Oh my god, that sounds like a nightmare.”

 “It is - and really messy as well. I would die,” Dan confessed.

 Charlie batted her lashes at him, looking absolutely ridiculous. “Dan, are you the most dreamiest roommate to ever roommate or what?”

 He smirked. “I may be.”

 “If I don’t catch you staring at my tits I might just agree,” She laughed.

 “The only tits I stare at are Phil’s, so don’t worry,” Dan said before he realized what that implied. 

 “Oooh,” She winked. “Fair enough, but that’s not a loophole to the rule of keeping the fun to your own room. If I see come stains on this couch I’ll kill you.”

 “Oh my god!” Dan covered his face with his hands and laughed. “You are absolutely horrible, I’m moving out!”

 “Where would you live? With Phil and his 13 friends?”

 “No, anything but that.” He smiled. “Thank you for accepting me,” Dan said softly, hoping that she would know the full extent of the meaning behind that sentence.

 She nudged him softly. “Hey, thank you for coming to my rescue. I was in desperate need of a roommate and a new friend.” She smiled widely.

 “Well, then I’m your guy!” Dan winked awkwardly.

 “I thought you just said you were Phil’s guy!” She laughed and yelped as Dan threw one of her decorative cushions at her face.

 --

 It was absolutely incredible. In just one semester Dan had made more friends than the previous 19 years. Charlie and he clicked so fast that every second of his days that he didn’t share with Phil, he shared with her. Not two months after moving in, something strange happened. 

 It was during one of their 2 people parties. They were well on their way to being frickin’ zazzed, dancing to YMCA, Charlie had drawn a moustache with her eyeliner and Dan was wearing pink lipstick and glitter eyeshadow and they were having fun, when out of nowhere, Charlie grabbed a glass full of water and poured over Dan’s head. He froze in shock but then saw Charlie’s own shocked face and burst out laughing. She joined him soon after, begging for forgiveness and saying she didn’t even know why she did that. 

 Dan refilled the glass of water and poured it over her head so she would stop apologizing. Then, he clutched his arm and dropped the glass which promptly smashed into pieces. When he removed his fingers there was a name: Charlie, with her handwriting and even the heart on the i as she always drew it. 

 “Oh, fuck off!” Dan laughed.

 Charlie laughed so hard that she couldn’t breathe and tears were streaming down her face. She decided to run to her bedroom and put on a bikini so they could check her skin for her mark but there was none visible - and Dan refused to look at her ass. 

 They crashed on the couch and put Legally Blonde as they finished their last drinks. “Hey, at least now I know you love me,” She laughed.

 Dan giggled. “Not like that I don’t.”

 --

 Dan didn’t know he needed jealous Phil in his life but seeing his boyfriend’s face transform when he saw Dan’s mark was a type of reassurance he wasn’t expecting. Phil’s head snapped in Charlie’s direction, but she was too busy checking guys out on insta to notice. 

 “Phil, you are so cute,” Dan said and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. 

 “You are cuter,” Phil whispered against his lips.

 “Awww, you guys are so cute, it’s disgusting. If you don’t invite me to the wedding I’ll crash it,” Charlie said looking up from her phone.

 “Why are all of our female friends so unhinged?” Dan asked.

 “I don’t know. Maybe we should get more male friends,” Phil mused.

 “No, men are ewy,” Dan said, causing Phil to laugh.

 “You say that as if both of you aren't men,” Charlie pointed out with a laugh. 

 Two cushions flew in her direction but she managed to duck right on time.

 --

 That night, in the privacy of Dan’s room, Phil finally made love to him. It was nothing like that first night when they hungrily rubbed together and came in their pants. No, it was much better, sweeter, more gentle. This time, Phil took off his clothes one by one, kissing every inch of his skin, taking his time - making sure that Dan knew how special this was to him. 

 He kissed Dan deeply, rolling his hips, making their lubed cocks rub together. But when Dan asked him to do it, Phil rolled the condom on and paused. “I love you so much,” he said before sinking into Dan.

 Dan was desperate to reach and claw at every bit of skin in front of him, whispering and sighing “I love you” over and over until he finally reached his orgasm with tears falling from his eyes. 

 Amongst lazy kisses and whispered confessions, they happily escaped to dreamland.

 Those were the first of many ‘I love yous.’ What started as a tentative admission of feelings turned into a daily reminder, to themselves and each other that what they had was real - mark or no mark.

 -- 

 Dan’s nagging suspicion that he had chosen the wrong career path was finally confirmed when the semester came to a close. He’d managed to pass some of his finals but decided to give up the moment he was told that he would need to resit one of his exams in a few months. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He really hated corporate law.  

 Seeing Phil’s passion for film and getting the first-hand experience of what the career entailed really helped Dan decide to switch over. 

 Then, another big change came to his life. Phil was exhausted of living with so many people, he didn’t appreciate the parties and the constant noise as much, so he decided to get his own apartment. Dan was more than happy to help him move, of course, but he needed a moment to sit down when Phil asked him to move in with him.

 It was… it was more than he thought he would get in life - ever. He had to really think about it for a few minutes, shushing Phil every time that he tried to ask if he was ok. He needed to make an adult decision for once in his life. He knew that Phil wouldn’t hate him if he said no, so that was no problem, but he needed to really consider things. ‘Am I ready to live with my boyfriend?’ ‘Would our relationship survive it?’ ‘What would my family think?’ All of these questions danced in his mind but after some consideration, he realized that he was truly ready to take that step. 

 “Yes,” Dan smiled. “I would love to live with you.”

 Phil smiled widely and kissed him, whispering I love you over and over.

 Giving Charlie the news was hard. They both cried but then she hugged Dan first and then opened one arm to wave Phil over, welcoming him into a 3 way bear hug, wishing them luck and happiness. She made sure to remind them that they couldn’t get rid of her, not that they would ever dream of doing that. 

 The night Dan was moving out and Charlie’s new roommate was arriving, she finally got her mark: Dick. 

 Dan laughed so hard that he started coughing, his face red and tears streaming down his face. He really wished that he could speak to throw one of the many punchlines he was thinking about, but he couldn’t stop laughing, especially when Charlie started hitting him with a cushion.

 They hugged one last time as roommates and said goodbye for now amidst a river of bittersweet tears.

 Finally loading Dan’s stuff into a taxi, they saw a blonde guy go up the stairs. It was the new guy, Richard. Only seconds later, someone got out of a van with a backpack yelled after him, “Hey, Dick! You forgot your bag.”

 Phil giggled. “At least she’s getting some Dick.”

 “So am I - I hope.”

 --

 Dan took a deep breath and pressed the call button. It felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest. Finally, someone picked up.

 “Daniel, is everything ok?”

 “Yes,” He frowned. “Why wouldn’t everything be ok?”

 “Well, you don’t call very often unless something has happened.”

 Of course, he called his mother to tell her … and the first thing she did was guilt-trip him about not calling more often. He felt like a rebellious teen all over again. “You say that as if I would call you to talk about my problems. Name one time that I’ve done that since I was 13.”

 Silence, then… “Very well. I guess that’s right,” she said, sounding defeated. “I don’t want to argue, I’m just worried about you. You are my child.”

 Dan sighed and tried again. “I wanted to tell you something.”

 “Oh, well… go on.” Dan could hear the smile behind her words. She was finally getting something from Dan, an olive branch.

 “I moved out of my apartment with Charlie and…” He braced himself for the worst but hoped for the best. “I moved in with my b-boyfriend.”

 “Boyfriend, huh?” She said, sounding a bit surprised.

 “Yeah, and I switched over to film school.”

 “Wow, that’s quite the change.” She paused. “So, does he make you happy? Does he treat you well?” She pressed.

 “Yeah,” Dan smiled. “He really does. He had helped me so much ever since I moved to Manchester -”

 “That long?” Her tone let Dan know how at a loss she felt. It was probably dawning on her how little she knew about Dan’s life - About Dan.

 “We didn’t date from the start. We were friends at first, and then...we were like boyfriends but we hadn’t talked about it, but then he asked me to be his boyfriend and now he has asked me to move in with him - and I said yes.”

 “I see. Will you introduce us?” She asked, sounding hopeful.

 “I think it would be nice, if you’d like to come visit the apartment - alone.”

 “Of course, I would love that. I’m glad you finally found your soulmate.” She sounded happy for him.

 “He’s not my soulmate. Charlie is, according to my mark at least. Which makes no sense, so I’m ignoring that. She also got another name on her and he got her name as well.”

 “How odd… Well, you know, some people say that if you already know your soulmate, if you have already connected with them, the mark shows another kind of affection, it could be a friend or a family member, someone with whom you share a deep connection.”

 “Really?” Dan really wanted that to be the case.

 “Yes, I swear I’ve read it somewhere. You’ll be very happy, you’ll see.” She said. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

 “Phil.”

 “Yes, I can’t wait to meet Phil.”

 “Thank you for being supportive,” Dan said. It sounded strange in his mouth; he realized at that moment that it was the first time that he had thanked his mum for anything.

 --

 Things weren’t always easy between the young couple, but they learned to communicate, to give each other space, and above all, to love each other as they were, no hiding, no pretending to be perfect, just human. There were plenty of arguments throughout the years but not being soulmates never became an issue.

 Maybe it was because they were, in a way. They were the perfect fit, complementing each other in every way, elevating each other just by being together. Every single project that they took on together simply worked because of how in tune they were and nobody ever doubted that they were meant for each other.

 A lazy Sunday morning Dan woke up before Phil and noticed a mark on his arm. “Dan” It was red and covered in saran wrap, but it made Dan’s eyes water. He would make sure to get a complimentary one above his heart.

[yikesola]

🌹

from something i conceptualized after writing my very first phanfic and sadly haven’t given the full attention it deserves:

He’s tempted to say something like “This ain’t a library, mate” because he knows he’s supposed to. This guy’s loitering and in the capitalist hellscape they have no choice but to live in, it is Dan’s duty as the employee to remind the customer that if he isn’t spending money then he’s of no use to the bookstore.

But he doesn’t.

One, because he knows that’s horseshit. And two, because he really doesn’t mind this guy sitting hunched over a book with the golden afternoon light hitting him like a damn Renaissance painting. It’s almost the end of his shift, he figures he’s earned a pretentious thought or two while the clock ticks closer and closer towards his daily freedom.

[keysmashchronicles]

my history in phandom and fandom

I’ve always been an avid reader. If I’d have been born twenty years later than I was and grew up in a time when every kid has tablet or a phone, that need for stories might have been filled by TV or other formats instead, but in my childhood years it was all about books, and visiting the library as often as possible. I often daydreamed about the characters in books the books I read, mostly egocentric thoughts of what it would be like if I were to somehow find myself in the stories I was reading. What would it be like to have them as my friends, to be part of those adventures? Of course, in typical Mary-Sue fashion, it wasn’t the real me that I imagined in those daydreams, but some idealised version that was cleverer and funnier and prettier and of course, someone all the other characters either envied or adored.

As I got older, and we moved beyond the stage of just having one TV in the house, my obsessive nature shifted to include TV shows as well as books. The first show that really caught my imagination was Dawson’s Creek. I loved it, the over-articulate teens with all their angsty problems heightened by their hormones going haywire, going through mental health issues and struggles with sexuality and of course, the classic love triangle. I couldn’t wait to tune in every week and catch up on what was happening in Capeside.

I’m not sure how it happened, but one day I was online on our cranky old computer and stumbled across some Dawson’s Creek fanfiction. I was amazed, and fascinated, and also terrified that someone in my family was going to walk in and catch me reading it. But I read every story on that website, and then started looking for more. I couldn’t believe there were other people out there like me, people who didn’t just watch a TV programme and then forget it about it until the following week.  There were others who thought about the characters in a TV show so much, it was almost like they became real. People who wanted to analyse every aspect of the relationships the characters had on screen, and also take these characters off into plots and stories and worlds that were nothing like what actually happened in the show, imagine them in endless different scenarios and see them experience every kind of emotion and think about how they’d react. People who wanted to write or read over and over again about the same characters because they found more and more to discover about them every time they did.I had found my happy place!

Over the years, the obsession with fanfic remained, but the focus of it shifted.I’d go through a cycle – discover a new fandom, immerse myself in it for maybe a year or two, then slowly lose interest. There would be a period where I wouldn’t read fic for a while, maybe 6 months or a year, and then all of a sudden, a new show would capture my attention and I’d be off and running again.

After my interest in Dawson’s Creek had run it’s course, the show that took its place for me was Buffy. As I recall, I had only watched a few episodes here and there and then a writer I was already reading started to post Buffy fics. I read a couple and realised that there must be much more to this show than I’d thought if it was inspiring such good writing. I think that obsession must have lasted a good 3-4 years, one of the longest I’ve had.  There was just so much good stuff for writers to work with - a whole cast of interesting well-developed characters, the good vs evil narrative, the endless possibilities of spells and demons and alternate universes and origin stories and the threat that the world might end at any moment….the list goes on. And also, there was the smut  - I’d read a fair amount in my previous fandom, but Buffy fics took it to a whole other level (this by the way being a major cause of the confusion I had when trying to work out my own sexuality - how can I be asexual? Have you seen my AO3 history???)

After that came the West Wing, followed by House, followed by the other behemoth of my fandom life, Sherlock. With all of these, although I read a hell of a lot of fic, that was always as far as my involvement in fandom went. I didn’t feel the need to join any fandom communities, in fact I don’t really think I would have known much about where or how to get involved if I’d wanted to. In the early days, the fic I read was on fan-hosted sites, with the aid of webrings to help you discover other authors. Then for a long time it was fanfiction.net, livejournal and finally AO3 where I read most of my fic today.

So how did I get into phanfic? In the aftermath of Sherlock series 4, it felt like my engagement with fic in that fandom came to a bit of a stop – there wasn’t really anywhere much to take the story in terms of canon, and a lot of people felt that the whole Eurus plotline had been kind of a jumping the shark moment. For myself, I’d got to that stage where it felt like there was nothing new under the sun. I was feeling the fatigue that always eventually came when I’d overread a fandom, and no matter how hard I’d try to find something to interest me, nothing seemed to capture my imagination any more.

I left the fic alone for quite a while, turning mostly back to traditionally published media – I dipped a toe back into Sherlock fic on occasion, read a bit of MCU here and there but nothing significant.

Then one evening in June 2019, I was scrolling through Twitter when I decided to check what was trending and saw a name I didn’t recognise – Daniel Howell. I had no idea who he was, but lots of other people were clearly very excited by something he’d done, so I thought I’d have a look and find out why. Usually when this happens, it turns the person is either on a reality TV show or plays sports of some kind,  but on this occasion I saw the words ‘YouTuber’ and ‘coming out video’ and it piqued my interest. The only experience I really had of watching YouTubers was through my step niece, when she’d had an obsession with Miranda Sings and we’d watched a lot of her videos together, including collabs, so I knew a few names but not much beyond that.

I clicked on Dan’s video, fully expecting that like with most random clicks, I’d watch for a minute or two before getting bored and looking for something else to occupy my attention, but that didn’t happen. The video was incredible and I was absolutely transfixed for the whole 45 minutes. I thought it was brilliant - the deeply personal story that was being told, the humour, the well-thought out and confidently delivered arguments – I don’t think I’d ever seen anything like it. As someone who had come to identify as asexual and panromantic but not until they were in their late 30s, and who was (is?) still in a place of trying to understand what that meant in my life, it was also hugely resonant to me on a personal level, helping me to realise the unacknowledged but damaging internalised acephobia and homophobia that I was still carrying with me.

I went to Dan’s channel and watched some of his videos, then was curious about that guy named Phil that he’d mentioned, so I watched some of his videos too. I came across the first PINOF and was completely charmed by it, by their rapport and silly humour and how they clearly felt so comfortable just to muck about and be themselves.

For a while I was happy just going through all the content on their channels. It didn’t really occur to me to look for fic until it was referenced in one of their videos. Up until then, RPF had really not been my thing – I’d seen some fics written about the actors who played characters in my various fandoms and I’d avoided them because it had made me feel uncomfortable about what they’d think if they saw them. I’d also scrolled past a lot of 1D and BTS fic when browsing on AO3 tags and to be honest, had had a pretty snobby opinion about it.

But having heard Dan’s story, and then seen dnp’s obvious connection in their videos, I was curious to see what the fans’ take had been on their relationship, and also to see what was being written about them now that Dan had come out. I looked to see if there was anything about them on AO3 and bam! There it was, my next fic obsession had grabbed hold of me and there wasn’t anything much I could do about it!

Since then, I’ve not only read a ton of fics, but even had a go at writing a few. It’s painful because they never come anywhere near the standard of the fics and writers I really admire. I have the desire to want to write well, but also a complete lack of the patience and dedication it takes to develop the necessary skill. But for the first time I didn’t let that stop me from publishing a few fics as I realised I was really writing for myself, to have an outlet for thoughts and ideas that had been going around in my head, and if anyone happened to read it, that was just a bonus.

Then through reading the Seven Basic Plots, I realised that what I’m more interested in at the moment than learning to write fics myself is to come to a greater understanding of how they work, and what exactly has been fuelling my fic obsession for over 20 years (wow....that was weird to think about! Such a long time!)

So that’s my history in fandom, and in phandom, and explains why reading a book about the nature of stories and their purpose made me immediately think that I wanted to examine those ideas in relation to something I know and love – phanfiction.

the seven basic plots // 1st plot - overcoming the monster

[maybeformepersonally]

Fic: One golden glance of what should be

Title: One golden glance of what should be Author: maybeformepersonally Rating: G / General Audiences Summary: Hogwarts AU where inter-house friendship blooms, Dan plays Quidditch, Phil cheers for him, and realisations are acted upon. Word Count: 2752   Author’s Note: I wrote this fic for @unhawkeye for the Phanfic Events Spring Fic Exchange. I’d like to thank the kind folks at Phanfic Events for organising this fest and @unhawkeye for submitting this prompt and for the lovely comment they left, I’m glad you enjoyed it!  Warnings: None

Read on AO3

Sometimes, not often but sometimes, Dan regretted talking the Sorting Hat into putting him in Gryffindor. Oh, do not get the wrong idea, he liked his house. For the most part. His housemates may be a loud and boisterous bunch more often than not, but that worked well enough for Dan in group settings, since he could be involved without exhausting himself emotionally; all he had to do was make the occasional comment and laugh when someone said something funny and he was considered part of the group. He was proud of being a Gryffindor. He liked the warm, glowy feeling he got whenever he caught himself being particularly courageous, and there was nothing like seeing hundreds upon hundreds of other students, even from other houses, wearing his house colours and cheering for him when his fingers closed around the ever so elusive golden snitch. He liked earning house points, and he liked being the non-threatening, easy-going upperclassman that first years felt confident asking for help. And if he sometimes felt adrift and trapped in the stifling exuberance of his housemates, if he sometimes needed to get away from the aggressively extroverted energy of his house’s Common Room, well. There's nothing wrong with wanting some time to himself to recharge.

Dan liked his house. He was thankful he had managed to sway the Hat’s first ‘suggestion’. But being in Gryffindor meant he had to share class time with not only Phil Lester, but also Charlie Casey, who was apparently physically incapable of not flirting with Phil for more than 5 continuous minutes.

Here was the thing about Dan: he was a helplessly, desperately, poisonously jealous person by nature. It didn't matter that he had no claim over Phil, except maybe a tenuous one as a situational kind-of-friend who was happy to chat when they were both passing time and no one more interesting was around. It didn't matter that Charlie was getting nowhere with his overt flirting and only slightly more covert near-stalking. It didn't even matter that Phil was clearly not interested, because Phil was also painfully nice, and so as long as Charlie didn't cross a line, he'd put up with his annoying housemate making eyes at him and babbling at him and trying to sit close to him in class and, and, and.

Dan may have been biased, but it still grinded his gears, every single time.

“Any questions? No? Alright then! Split into pairs and start practising the spell. Remember to make that a light swish, we don’t want to have to make any unplanned visits to the Hospital Wing today!”

Dan was distracted enough sneaking looks at Phil and Charlie that the professor’s words caught him a bit off-guard. On the flip side, however, sneaking looks at Phil seemed to have paid off this time, for as soon as the instructions were uttered, Phil had turned to him with one of those bright smiles that always made a nervous wriggly feeling burst inside Dan’s chest. Is he… he is, Dan thinks wildly. Dan had, of course, noticed that Phil’s usual class partner hadn’t been present in either of their shared classes that day, but with Charlie right there he’d figured Phil would just partner with him. Then again, Charlie could be a bit too enthusiastic with his wand movements, so Phil was making the right strategic choice, really.

“Hey,” Phil said once he reached him. He even did that cute little hand gesture he did sometimes when greeting people, that movement that looked like it half wanted to be a wave if only it could gather enough motivation. The wriggly feeling intensified in Dan's chest. “Wanna partner?”

“Yeah,” Dan answered lamely. “Sure.”

The smile he got made him think being awkward was worth it, if it got him that reaction from Phil Lester of all people.

*

Phil walked down the moving staircase excitedly, moving slightly ahead of his mates every couple of minutes before noticing that his longer stride and bubbling enthusiasm were propelling him too far ahead, and forcing himself to slow down. It was 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday, and by all intents and purposes he should have been shuffling his feet and groaning under his breath at being out of bed so early on a weekend. But today was different. Because his efforts were for a cause. A good and just cause. And that cause was Daniel Howell, expertly flying all over the pitch and flaunting his frankly spectacular skills with a broomstick.

Today was the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match, and the whole school was vibrating with anticipation, with the sheer drama of it, the two rivals clashing in the pitch for their one and only yearly match, fighting to one-up each other at every turn, risking life and limb with gravity-defying moves for the unparalleled glory of coming out the other side victorious. Phil had the passing thought that if he was an animated character, his eyes would be shining. Possibly they’d be shaped like stars.

The overall scores so far were tilted slightly in favour of Slytherin, but the Gryffindors had a more well-rounded team, and the best Seeker in the school (Phil was adamant, despite his own housemates' protests), so the odds were looking pretty good for Gryffindor supporters. Which Phil was, today. He’d always cheered for Gryffindor when his own House wasn’t playing, but his support had become more… ardent since Dan joined the team in their fifth year. Coincidentally, fifth year was the year when Phil… noticed him.

Phil had a habit of spending more time inside his head than in the outside world with all his peers, and so it wasn’t unusual for him not to know the students from the other houses very well. Still, how he managed to overlook Dan Howell for so long was a mystery that evaded him. (Puberty might have had something to do with the ‘revelation’. Maybe. Possibly.)

Dan was just… so nice? Always, even with people who didn’t deserve it. And he was so smart, he always did well in their shared classes, but it wasn’t even that. Anyone who studied would do reasonably good in class, but Dan always asked the most insightful questions, and gave the most thoughtful answers, not like learning by rote would do, but like he had all these thought and ideas about what magic was, how magic worked, how magic affected magical people, about the implied tenets of magical society and what their implications were. Seriously, Phil didn’t know how he’d managed to escape being a Ravenclaw.

And he was beautiful, yeah, that was also a factor, but it wasn’t the only one, Phil had standards.

Dan met all of his standards, and then he went on to create a few new ones just for the sake of it. Like how Phil didn’t use to think about Hogwarts’ expectations that muggleborn children basically cut all ties with the culture they were born in to fully immerse themselves in the magical word, but ever since Dan had brought it up in class, he’d started noticing more and more the completely non-existent efforts purebloods made to learn about their mates’ culture, how most muggle references earned the speaker blank stares at best and a sneer at worst. How there was no muggle history taught at Hogwarts, to the detriment of all students, who would go on to graduate missing the history of the grand majority of humans, much of which is directly relevant to wizardkind. Like how muggle-raised first years have to quietly struggle with learning to write with a quill, since apparently that’s not used by muggles anymore? (Dan had something called a “gel pen” that could write in sparkly pink without any need to dip it into ink at all!)

The point of the matter was, Dan was on Phil’s mind all the time these days, but Phil wasn’t sure where he stood in Dan's. He always acted friendly towards Phil, even happy to talk to him, but he wasn’t normally the one to seek him out. Phil had decided to try talking to him more (it was his number one New Year’s resolution), and so far it was looking promising.

Phil doubted he’d get to talk to Dan the day of a match, let alone the most awaited match of the year for half the school at least, but he didn't really mind. He was going to get to see Dan playing Quidditch today. He was going to get to experience Dan in his element. Phil could have sworn Dan was made to be an athlete, the way he moved on a broom. It was stunning.

He was stunning.

*

Phil had been wrong, as it turned out. Later in the day, once the Gryffindor festivities had died down, Phil ran into Dan on his way to the library. Almost literally.

“Oh, hey, are you okay?” Dan asked, way too concerned and way too close, one hand still on Phil’s shoulder where he’d grabbed him to avoid a full-on collision.

“Oh. Hi. Yeah. Yes, I’m fine. Sorry, I’m bad at keeping tabs on my surroundings. Thanks,” Phil spewed out with no intervention of his brain whatsoever.

Dan gave him one of those sweet, soft smiles with the dimples and squeezed his shoulder lightly before letting go. “It’s fine. Just try to pay better attention next time. We wouldn’t want to have to scrape you off the dungeon floors because you were too distracted to notice the staircase had changed directions.”

Phil threw him an exaggeratedly suspicious look, “What do you know? Whatever they told you, it’s not true and they’re trying to throw off suspicion by telling you made up stories about my early days of being a perfectly balanced first year genius. Don’t let them throw you off the scent, whoever told you that clearly has something to hide.”

Dan’s laugh made his heart do a wild flip in his chest, and all Phil could do was grin really wide.

They ended up going to the library together and sitting down in one of the alcoves to read their respective selection of books, turning to each other every now and then with a comment or a question sparked by their reading. Dan has blushed and ducked his head a little when Phil had congratulated him, and they'd made plans to revise for their Charms exam together later that week.

It had been a really good day, Phil decided as he laid down to sleep that night. A really good day, indeed.

*

They talked a bit more often after that, then started spending more and more time together. Dan was the funniest person he’d ever met, he could always make Phil laugh, even when he was fighting down anxiety or when he’d had a really bad day. Phil felt blessed to get to know him at all.

*

They were brewing Amortentia, Professor Winkledge had said. It made Phil nervous.

He already knew what a correctly brewed Amortentia would smell like to him. Or at least, he knew who it would smell like. Still, when Dan turned to him with a little smile and a questioning look, Phil nodded. He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to brew with Dan just because he had a little crush. He did take a few deep breaths in the potions ingredients cabinet to release all that nervous energy once he was out of sight, though.

Dan was diligent, and precise. He was really good at potions, and Phil was really good at spacing out watching how gracefully his hands sliced the asphodel roots. They prevailed, however, and ended up with a near-perfect potion by the end of the class that Phil had actually helped make, distractions and all. Phil was a little overwhelmed by the earthly oak scent, tinged with a hint of citrus and something sweet he couldn’t quite identify that was coming from their cauldron once they reached the final stage. But it wasn’t too bad, just a little distracting. It made him want to hug Dan, which made perfect sense, but would also be supremely weird, so he just settled for shifting his weight from one foot to another and putting his hands in the pockets of his robe in that backwards way his body naturally settled into. Some people thought it was weird, but Phil knew Dan wouldn’t mind it or ever tease him about it, except maybe good-naturedly.

Dan didn’t say what the potion smelled like to him, other than muttering “fresh”, and, oddly enough, “alive” when prompted. It had made Phil laugh.

*

The thing to break the mounting tension between them is, surprisingly, Charlie.

Phil was hanging out with Dan out in the grounds, close to the lake, as they sometimes did when the weather was nice, when Dan abruptly cut off his explanation on why he thought muggle technology should be incorporated to the Hogwarts curriculum and how magical folk could benefit from it. It only took Phil a moment to figure out why: Charlie was striding purposefully towards them, stopping right in front of Phil and ignoring Dan completely.

“Phil,” he declared, to Phil’s bewilderment and slight annoyance. He’d been fascinated by Dan’s commentary, and Dan was never annoyed or patronising when Phil asked questions about the muggle world, which meant Phil had already derailed Dan’s explanation half a dozen times, out of a deep curiosity for the subject matter. For all of Dan’s patience with him, he seemed significantly more short-tempered about this interruption.

Charlie cleared his throat and, continuing to ignore Dan standing right there, stared straight into Phil. “Phil, would you like to go to tomorrow’s Hogsmeade visit with me?”

Phil stared, incomprehensive.

“He’s already agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow,” Dan jumped in to his rescue.

Charlie frowned, but didn’t turn to look at Dan when he spoke. “A date takes precedence over friends hanging out. I’m sure you’ll understand.”

Well, now that was rude, and uncomfortable. “No,” Phil said without meaning to. Or rather, he did mean it, but he’d rather have said it less bluntly. “I mean, that’s not-Dan and me are going-it’s a date. We’re going as a date. I’m sorry,” Phil blurted out.

“Oh,” Charlie finally turned to look at Dan as he said it. “Oh.” After another two or three long seconds that felt more like an hour to Phil, Charlie said, “Okay,” and promptly left.

Phil waited until he was out of sight, then cast a sound barrier, just in case.

“Um. Sorry, I didn’t-I shouldn’t have dragged you into that without asking first.”

Dan shook his head, dismissing Phil’s worries. But he looked thoughtful, so Phil braced for one of Dan’s sharp, insightful realisations.

“Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?”

“Yeah?” Phil ventured, confused. “We’d already made plans to...”

“No, I mean…” Dan was blushing, dear Merlin, really blushing, his entire face was a light pink and one of his dimples was showing even though he wasn't even smiling, and it was the cutest thing Phil had ever seen in his life. “I mean, like a date. If you want. A real date, not just... to fool Charlie...” he trailed off.

Phil thought this is what a deer in the headlights must feel, except opposite. Like, the same feeling but with opposite tension. In that deer probably weren't eagerly looking forward to being run over.

“Yes?”

“Is that a question?” Dan was looking straight at him, despite his bright blush, head held high. Brave, a Gryffindor through and through.

“Yes.” Before Dan can ask if he means ‘yes, that was a question’, he barrelled on. “Yes, I’d really like to go on a date with you tomorrow, and also today, if you want. Like tonight. Or right now. Right now is good, we’re already here and this is a good place for a date, I think… Maybe I think any place is a good place for a date with you” Phil ended in a quiet voice, heart pounding with adrenaline and nerves, even as he could see the tension drain out of Dan like a physical presence, and the gorgeous smile he got in response made him smile back instinctively.

“Yeah?” Dan asked breathlessly, but it was rhetorical. When Dan reached out and took one of his hands in his, lacing their fingers and squeezing them lightly, Phil thought this was a whole new kind of magic he had never known before.

[scifiphan]

Sorry to bother, do you happen to know this fic - it is about dan meeting phil, who has a daughter and a dog? And phil has a really mean ex wife and dan was mostly sad a lot. (Sorry for my English it is not my first language)

i personally don’t know. maybe try the phanfic catalogue/library those blog might help you out!

[bie-lovers]

Fic Recs

I’m participating in the Phanfic Finder Fest and I’ve stumbled upon some absolutely awesome fics that deserve so much love! Go read and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

(i’m putting this under a read more because this post got long)

FT. DAN’S FAMILY

home is where the wifi connects automatically - by @oqua12 (ao3) (tumblr) G, 8k

Summary: The wifi at Dan's parents' house is utter crap, which is definitely why he's always so miserable when he visits his family for Christmas. Because of the wifi. (Or at least, that's what he chooses to tell himself.)

My thoughts:

oof. i don’t even know where to begin.... there’s so much to unpack with this fic. on the surface there’s dan missing phil at christmas, and then there’s difficult family relationships and how people can hurt each other without actually realising nor meaning to and there’s love and thoughts of a better future and goddamn, this fic is beautiful. 

HISTORICAL AU

Renegade - by @awesomesockes (tumblr) M (beware of mcd - it’s not mentioned in the masterpost), 20+k

Summary: It’s World War 2. Phil, a young German soldier, is stationed in Denmark. There he meets Dan - a rebellious Danish school boy who is intent on making his job hell. But before long, they realise they have more in common than they’d have thought. How do you hide a friendship when you come from two different sides of a war? 

My thoughts:

HOLY SHIT. i read this months ago but it still makes me tear up when i think about it - and yes, i still think about it. because this fic is everything. it’s so heartbreakingly beautiful, full of longing and love and loss and the consequences of war... just... yeah, it’s a beautiful experience to read this fic. 

FIC BETWEEN 1-5K

Marigold and Rosemary - by @esnesnonibila (ao3) G, 3.6k

Summary:  Phil’s a strange child. His first word is ‘why’. He doesn’t speak much and cries a lot and never smiles. His parents take him to doctor after doctor who say that, despite that he’s intelligent for his age, there’s nothing wrong with him. Nigel gives his son fat plastic toy soldiers to wave about in his chubby hands and put into his mouth. Instead, Phil makes a stage out of a baby blanket and has two of the little men carefully hop around it; lines up the rest in rows as an audience and then knocks them over when he’s finished, his face crumpling.

My thoughts: 

this fic... this. fic. y’all. I lovelovelove it and it’ll forever sit within my heart with such a bittersweet feeling. There’s so much to talk about with this fic; from parenthood and how difficult that can be, to childhood and growing up different from everyone else, to love and friendship and the beauty of it all. The writing is phenomenal - every word fitting together like puzzle pieces in this intricate and wonderful little universe.

TV SHOW PLOT AU

Stirring In Love - by @andthenshesaid-write (ao3) (tumblr) T, 72k

Summary: When Phil applied to be a contestant on the Great British Bake Off he didn't even expect to make the long-list, let alone make it into the actual tent. But make it he does and there he meets Dan, a baker unlike Phil in every possible way. After a rocky start, Phil realises that maybe he can learn some things from Dan after all, and the biggest things have nothing to do with baking.

My thoughts:

i still find myself thinking about this long after having finished it. the writing is captivating and beautiful and it’s such a fun and sweet slow burn fic about baking, rivalry, cakes (so many good cakes!!), and falling in love. yeah, i’m not doing this justice, but trust me when i say that this is a brilliant, brilliant fic and you should definitely read this!! it’s a classic.

WET DREAM

make me dream of you - by @capriciouscrab  (ao3)  E, 1.5k

Summary: He nudges at Phil's mind, creating the link that allows them to share thoughts and feelings with each other. Dan senses him opening up and gasps, the feeling just as erotic as when he slides himself inside Phil's willing body. They drift together now in this shared dream, breathless with excitement. 

My thoughts:

this fic is built on such a unique concept and i love it so much, i could read thousands of more words in this universe!! it’s hot and sexy and warm and so full of love. it may be a bit of an unconventional take on a wet dream but as soon as i read this fic i knew i had to rec it! so well written and so good. 

MARIO KART

Waiting Room - by meandmybrokenfeels (ao3) G (beware of descriptions of injuries and such), 1k

Summary: Prompt: a toddler broke your nose and I may or may not have snapped my thumb during a very intense game of Mario Kart and now we’re both sitting next to each other in the hospital waiting room

My thoughts:

this is an older fic but it’s such a fun and easy read. their banter is so very them and i how they’re both immediately connecting and teasing and it’s just... a little delightful gem of a fic.

SIXTY-NINE

in and out - by @iihappydaysii (ao3) E, 1k

Summary: Sex. It's one of the three things in life that make Dan happy.

My thoughts:

ashley is hella great and y’all probably know that but the way he managed to make sex like this so sweet and tender and loving is just amazing. this fic is about so much more than the hot sex and the characterization is just... spot on. it’s such a warm and hopeful and happy fic.

FT. MARTYN AND CORNELIA

go follow your gem - by @phanetixs (ao3) (tumblr) T, 4.8k

Summary: “B-but,” Kathryn spluttered. “You don’t? That’s not, that’s not...but you’re a woman.”The boys winced and Martyn looked close to an argument, hilariously enough, and all Cornelia felt was sadness that her gender was reduced to this, to a single-minded archaic Purpose.

Or, Cornelia decides not to have children.

My thoughts:

this fic handles such a delicate topic so wonderfully and carefully and i’m in love with the writing, it’s absolutely gorgeous. oh, and this quote is amazing:

“I’m proud of you,” she told him.

“What for?” Dan replied, turning his face towards her, smushing his cheek into the back of the sofa. He looked so young like this, and it’s altogether too easy to forget how much he’s been through, how much he’s had to fight.

“For being you. I think a lot of the time that’s the hardest to achieve.”

HOOK UP APP

best kept secret - by @alittledizzy  (ao3) (tumblr) M, 8k

Summary: Bryony wants to introduce Dan to her friend Phil... the same guy Dan may already be dating. 

My thoughts:

i love the focus on dan and bryony’s friendship and how the story flows with them. mandy’s a master and her way of writing feels so easy but important anyway and yeah... this fic is amazing!

FT. FANTASTIC FOURSOME

A Whisper of the Heart - by @pseudophan (ao3) (tumblr) T, 4k

Summary: Dan spends a little too much time in the school library, and one day he notices that all his books have previously been taken out by the same boy. 

My thoughts:

such a fun read - a high school au with on-point banter and all the good things! I’ve read it multiple times and it’s still just as good and fun as the first time. (also, @ nora where’s the follow-up fic i need to know Miss Oliver’s reaction)

[imnotinclinedtomaturity]

👶???

advice for new writers: 

1. Have a beta-reader – preferably, someone you trust and you know can be honest with you. Ask them to edit, sure, but also ask them about what scenes make them feel, where they think the story is going, what they think characters are thinking. Then, revise as necessary so that their interpretations match your goals.

2. Reblog your own fics. Spon them like you’re a sold out celebrity. When you post on tumblr, reblog it every few hours for the first day or so. Submit it to the catalogue/library, watch for lists it could fit on, submit it to @phanfic

3. Be careful about incorporating irl dnp things into your fics. It definitely helps with characterization, but readers will notice if you force it too hard and it feels like you’re shoving a square peg in a round hole. Also, if you are trying to incorporate irl dnp into your fic, more obscure references often resonate more than the common ones that everyone (including me) has done.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

‘Having A Crush On Each Other’ (4) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three

All I Want For Christmas (Is You) (ao3) - lestered (clonetrobed)

Summary: AU where Dan is Phil's Christmas coworker crush, and awkward boys are awkward.

Art Class - narcissistpenguin

Summary: AU in which Dan and Phil has to draw each other in art class. Although Dan is good at art, he’s still super nervous since he had a secret crush on Phil for a very long time. Includes a fanboy Dan.

Broken Like You (ao3) - TearDrop1234

Summary: Dan and Phil meet at a theater in a nowhere town. Their friendship is instant, but the rest not so much.

Covet (ao3) - americanphancakes

Summary: The only thing making Dan feel alive is his all-consuming crush on the new deacon.

cloud watch (ao3) - howelllesters

Summary: I asked for people to leave words in my askbox so I could write a mini phanfic. existentiall-crisiss didn’t play fairly, and left me ‘clouds’. Or, pastel!Dan hates his new journal but writes in it anyway, and accidentally just ends up recording his feelings on punk!Phil, in a suitably melodramatic way.

Crappy Situations, Happy Endings - dxnhowell

Summary: Dan Howell comes from a strict family and lives with a homphobic dad. Phil Lester is the school’s ‘bad boy’ and also happens to be Dan’s crush. Things go horribly wrong at a Christmas party at the Howell’s house when Dan and Phil are spotted kissing. Crappy situations turn into happy endings.

Crushing On The Bad Boy - dxnhowell

Summary: In which Louise tries to help her best friend out by setting him up with his biggest crush, Phil Lester, the bad boy Quarterback on the football team. They’re total opposites, but Louise thinks Dan has a chance with him. However, things don’t exactly go to plan.

Drowning in You- botanistlester

Summary: Dan is the BAMFy popular boy, Phil is the quiet nerd. Dan secretly really likes him, so he always teases him and calls him names. One day Phil is fed up, so when Dan calls him a stalker he replies and gets really close to Dan and says “Would you call this stalking?” to make him uncomfortable.

fish me up (ao3) - megiaolf

Summary: Dan has a crush on the pet store clerk

Flower Crown Luck (ao3) - HeartsAndSpades

Summary: Punk!Phil has a slight crush on Pastel!Dan and when Dan drops his flower crown in the library, Phil returns it and they start talking.

give this thing a try (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan is a cashier at a grocery store, and Phil is his supervisor. One evening at work, Phil surprises Dan by asking him out on a date, and of course Dan, who's had a crush on Phil since forever, says yes. Cue, the freaking out and comfort ensues.

Hearts on Ice (ao3) - yourlocalhipster

Summary: Dan has a small crush on Phil. Big deal, right?

Here’s Hoping - adayinthelifeofphan

Summary: high school and phil just moved and dan is like mr.popular and like he hates him but secretly loves him and Phil finds something that shows that dan actually loves him and stuff like that.

I think I'm in Love with my Best Friend (ao3) - marleejo0

Summary: Dan has always had a crush on Phil, but he knew that Phil could never like him back. That is until one eventful day when Dan realizes Phil might feel differently. Tooth rotting Phan fluff.

repeats and replays (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary: phil’s had a crush on his coworker dan for way too long. he’s never had the nerve to ask him out, as much as he’d like to, but their friendship is good as it is.

one day, though, dan slips up mid conversation, and everything changes

The Scent of Pining (ao3) - americanphancakes

Summary: Dan and Phil grew up together, but were separated by university and the mundanities of life. After years of missing each other, keeping track of each other's careers, and asking their families about each other, they finally reunite at a Christmas party back home. Surrounded by fragrances that cast their memories back to their childhood together, they each work up the nerve to finally do something about how they've been feeling for a decade.

Thoughts and a Train Conversation (ao3) - croissantbleu (orphan_account)

Summary: It's 2009, Dan is on his way to meet Phil for the first time, and thinks back on some of the choices he's made

You Be The Art, I'll be The Brush (ao3) - t_hens

Summary: Phil is a harried art student just trying to do his best and he may have just a little bit of a crush on his sketching class' new model Dan.

[gluckose]

‘Does he not realise he’s dead?’

(Click the image for a better resolution :>)

Phan Pottermore!AU headcanon

@amazingphil, a sick Hufflepuff student was resting on a secret library when he first met @danielhowell, a ghost who once was a Slytherin. And that’s how their story begins.

Can i actually ask you talented phanfic writers out there to make an actual sweet phanfic out of this //bcs i really dont have that magic ability to write /cri

But srlsy tho hmu in chat if youre interested i'd love to give free phanart request as a reward (for some phanfics of my choice) Ends in 12 Aug! As you miight want to make quite long chapters...also its my birthday :3

[kae-karo]

Printer Error - new phanfic!

special thanks to the loveliest jo (@phantasieblog​) for being such a fantastic beta and ellen (@quiffedphil​) for enduring the misfortune that inspired it

Printer Error - 16k word count Part 1: danisnotonfire Part 2: AmazingPhil

tw: implied sexual content

tags: meet-cute/first meeting au, fluff, implied smut, lots of awkwardness

summary: Dan’s a fanfic writer who’s desperate to meet the AmazingPhil, but one printing mishap could bring him closer to his idol than he ever anticipated.

Read on AO3

If someone had asked Dan why, exactly, he decided to study at the University of Bradford, he would spout some nonsense about how it's a fantastic school with a well-reputed philosophy program.

He absolutely would not tell them that it was entirely a plot designed to get him closer to his internet crush of nearly a year, AmazingPhil, who just so happened to be studying not too far from there. He would also refrain from mentioning that he hops a bus to York’s library most afternoons not to study, but to hopefully catch a glimpse of the man himself - that would be borderline stalking, and Dan isn't stalking Phil. He’s just a fan.

A very very dedicated fan.

Keep reading

[everything-phandom]

Who Are Dan and Phil?

I wrote this for the Phandom Games but never ended up submitting it. (Because we had enough submissions.) So I thought I’d post it here. Click read more for something that’s not exactly poetry? And isn’t quite a phanfic. But might be worth reading anyways.

Who are Dan and Phil?

I mean, they’re youtubers. In simplest terms, underneath everything, that’s what they are. If someone came up to me on the street, knowing nothing of those two individuals, that’s what I’d tell them. “Dan and Phil are youtubers.” I might add ‘successful’ youtubers in there, because it’s not a hobby for them, it’s a job.

That’s why they ARE youtubers. “Youtubers” is their label, because as a society, we define people by their jobs. Dan and Phil “are youtubers” in the same way that the barista at your favourite coffee shop has a name, but you don’t remember it. You remember her as the barista from your favourite coffee shop with the bright blue hair. People who work in the library are librarians, people who have jobs at the bank are bankers, and people who do youtube for a living are youtubers. To an outsider, I am a student. That is my identity.

I’m more than that, though. Just like Dan and Phil are more than just youtubers. Why do we define people by their jobs at all? I certainly breathe more than I do homework, does that mean I should be called a breather? Perhaps. Dan and Phil certainly breathe more than they make videos. Maybe we’re all ‘breathers’.

I was wrong. At the root of it all, they aren’t youtubers. They’re humans. Dan and Phil are two people, living in London, sharing a flat and life. Maybe they share a bed too, or maybe they don’t. We don’t know that. But we know they love each other. And THAT. That, is how they are more than just humans. That’s how they are different. We know them. Dan and Phil are nothing without us, you realize. Without us, they are still Dan and Phil, they are still humans. With us, they are humans, but they are humans that inspire art, writing, and friendships. They are something else.

What are they then? You might ask.

Who are they? You could also ask, or maybe it’s a friend asking. Or a relative, or a person on the street.

Who are they?

I’ll tell you.

Dan and Phil are two people who came together and created a whole world.

They are normal in so many ways, and extraordinary in even more.

They give and give and give to us, in the form of videos, liveshows, and tweets. In glimpses into their lives, nay, their joint life.

We give back to them, in fanart, in writing, in views, in comments, and by being a community that will support them no matter what.

Dan and Phil are not perfect. Neither are we.

That’s ok. They don’t need to be perfect to be amazing.

Dan and Phil have changed lives. They’ve inspired masterpieces. They’ve helped create friendships and community.

At the heart of the matter, Dan and Phil are two people who love each other.

Music plays. Maybe it’s soft and romantic. Maybe it’s toxic by Britney Spears, or an MCR song harkening back to 2006. It’s the background music in a love story, in a comedy, in life. Two boys sit side by side in silence, hearts talking more than their mouths. Sometimes true romance is sitting on the couch together, playing mario kart, and eating pizza.

And through it all?

We are the music.

[botanistlester]

Do you have any tips for an aspiring fanfic author? I've posted a few and some of them have been a lot more successful than I would've thought, while others don't do as well. How do I keep up with it? I need advice :|

Hey friend! I have loads of tips in my writing tips tag! I’d say the number one thing is just to write for yourself, not anybody else. You should be having fun writing! You shouldn’t look at it like a job or like you NEED to do a specific thing to make people read your fics! I know that sometimes i’ll work really hard on a fic and i have a blast writing it and it’s not as popular as some of my other ones that are (in my opinion) written not as well. And that’s OKAY. sometimes it doesn’t float people’s boat and that’s cool, while othertimes people will really really love a concept or an idea. Just write what you want and don’t think about the notes! You can also always get your works out there by joining certain phan blogs. A great way to get reads is by submitting your works to @phanfic and also to @pfclibrary to get your works put into a library! @phanfictioncatalogue is always really helpful to look through the masterlists update page, where you can look at what masterlists are currently being worked on. If your fic fits under one of those categories, send them an ask saying that your fic should be added to that masterlist! To get more word out about you, join things like the @phandombigbang or the @phandomreversebang where you can write for an audience! Also add your works on multiple platforms like ao3 and wattpad! It’s really just a process and you’re not going to get like 2k notes right off the bat and that’s alright! you’ll get there!