#phanfiction

[scuddleduck]

Hello I wrote something

Rated M for implied sexual content. Mostly fluff and feelings. 2k words.

[bestofphantwitter]

Link

[sandinmybed]

ATTENTION PHANNIES!

In 2024, we sought to tag #phan and make it onto the trending ships list. We succeeded.

In 2025 I have found us a new goal

We need to get onto the top 100 AO3 ships list guys. The bottom-most ship on the list had 1492 fics posted in 2024. We can absolutely hit these numbers if we want to.

Dan and Phil have encouraged our fics for so many years, they almost read the hat fic on stream, they've written their own fanfiction multiple times. this goal is achievable.

[manchestereyes]

drunk in manchester

summary: Dan finds a postcard addressed to his uni room shortly after the Christmas holidays.

He has no idea who it's from. He really should just throw it away. But something about it makes him want to know more.

rating: T

word count: 1.5k

tags: getting together, strangers to friends to lovers, uni au, law student dan, epistolary

notes: written for the summer 2025 @phandomgiftexchange for @jlnkooker and inspired by this viral postcard! I had such a fun time writing this and exploring a new version of Dan and Phil's early days. I hope you enjoy! <3

Read on ao3

this is (potentially) part 1 of a much longer fic! as you can probably tell, i have soooo many ideas for this so if you'd like to see more, please let me know!

From:

The Crafty Pig

4 Oldham St

Manchester M1 1JQ

To:

Room D/G/005

Derwent College, Quad, University of York

Heslington, York

YO10 5DD

Hey,

I used to live in your house. I’m drunk in Manchester and it’s the only address I know. Happy holidays.

PL.

By all accounts, Dan should bin the postcard. It’s not like he knew anyone with the initials PL and besides, the card wasn’t even addressed to him, not really. Anyone else in the house would give it a single cursory glance and forget about it. The sender hadn’t given any indication of wanting a reply back. It could all be part of an elaborate murder plot.

Yet the playful curve of the letters and the illustration on the front of a pig playing a video game suggested otherwise. And after begging his mum to let him return to uni several weeks early to “better focus on revising” as soon as he could skirt off his family Christmas obligations, Dan had no one to confide in about this strange dilemma. Since his contract law revision had gotten him absolutely nowhere, Dan figured he may as well do something useful with his day.

With a rush of blind hope, he tore a page out of his notebook, sat down at his desk, and started writing.

Hey PL,

I have no idea who you are but you wrote to my exact room in my uni house so I assume this must have been your room when you were here. And since this college is meant to be for more serious students who aren’t into parties and pub crawls, I’m going to assume you’re not a serial killer waiting to break down the door. I mean, you already have my address and you haven’t done anything yet, so.

I suppose I should introduce myself, even if you haven’t. My name’s Dan and I’m studying law here at York, though after barely surviving my first term I’m starting to have second thoughts. That illustration on the front of your card was really cool. I’m assuming you like video games then? I’m a fair bit of a gamer myself, which is probably why I had such a rough time last term. I mean, how can anyone possibly study the history of housing laws when there’s a new Rock Band out? Anyway.

I looked up The Crafty Pig just now (I hope you don’t mind) and saw that it’s a “dog friendly pub”? I had no idea those existed! Do you have a dog, PL? I have an old bearded collie called Bangy at my family home who we got when I was 8. I think my parents thought he’d save their marriage after my little brother didn’t, but that was a long time ago. He’s always been a really good dog, but it’s obvious he’s on his last legs now. It kind of makes me sad to see him these days. Hopefully your dog is doing better though, if you’ve got one.

Alright, since you’re basically a blank slate to me, I hope you’re alright with me asking some questions. What did you study at York? Did you end up graduating? Was it better than law? (Probably, I think anything’s better than law at this point.) Did you move to Manchester after uni or have you always lived there? When did you go to York to begin with? For all I know, you could be a 50 year old man whose marriage is crumbling and you’re wishing you could go back to your uni years. What is your life like? How come you decided to get drunk over the holidays and send a letter specifically to my room in this house? Is that the room you lived in too? Why did you want to live at this college, in this house? (If that’s alright for me to ask. If not, you can absolutely tell me to fuck off.) If you are a gamer, what sorts of games are you into?

Well. Not to bombard you with questions or anything, but you’ve gotta know a 3 sentence postcard isn’t going to give me much to work with! I don’t know if you actually wanted a reply or not, but I’ve got nothing else to do today but revise and my housemates won’t be back here for a couple weeks, so.

I hope you had a nice Christmas holiday. Mine was fine, though let’s just say I’m glad I’m away from my family now.

DH

As quickly as Dan had pulled the paper out, he folded into neat thirds and slid it into an envelope lying in the back corner of his desk. Before he could decide against it, Dan licked the envelope and pressed down hard to seal the letter shut. There. He pulled his laptop back towards him and scrolled down to find the pub’s address when he realized he should probably call to ensure these people even knew who this PL was. Just as Dan’s heart dropped at the idea of making a phone call, he saw the “Email us” link. Oh, thank God .

Dan couldn’t possibly stand the awkwardness of a phone call. But maybe he could handle an email.

To: CraftyPig.018377@BermondseyPubCo.Com

From: dhowell0611@york.ac.uk

Subject: Holiday Postcard

Hello,

I recently received a postcard from your pub addressed to my room in my uni house, from someone called PL. Any idea who this could be? If they’re a regular or just a tourist? Also, would it be alright to send a letter back that’s addressed to your pub? I know it’s a bit weird, but, well… it was addressed to my exact room in my uni house. I think it would be even weirder not to reply. You’re welcome to tell me to fuck off if you’ve got no idea who I’m talking about, but I figured I’d at least try.

Thanks,

Dan

He pressed send with his eyes squeezed shut and heart rattling in his chest. There was no real reason he should be this anxious about it. This was just someone who had gotten drunk over Christmas and decided to send a postcard to their old uni house. Surely the owner dealt with much wilder things on the daily, especially if the pubs in Manchester were anything like the ones in York.

And yet the bright ding of a new email a few minutes later nearly had Dan jumping out of his skin. He forced his heart to slow down by drawing in several deep breaths before he opened the reply.

From: CraftyPig.018377@BermondseyPubCo.Com

To: dhowell0611@york.ac.uk

Subject: RE: Holiday Postcard

Hi Dan!

Wow, so someone actually got the postcard and answered back. I guess that means I owe Phil 10 quid.

Anyway, yeah, the PL that sent the postcard is my best mate Phil. He graduated with his Master’s from York last year and we were both feeling nostalgic about uni so I gave him a postcard and told him to write to whoever’s living in his old house. I bet that whoever got it wouldn’t write back but he said they would, so I guess I’m out of coffee this week.

Oh, you’re welcome to write back, by the way. Me and Phil rent a flat together so I’ll make sure it gets to him.

Happy holidays and best of luck in uni,

Mark

Assistant Manager, The Crafty Pig Manchester

Home of Manchester’s finest craft beers–and dogs!

So that was it. The mysterious sender was someone called Phil.

“Phil. Phil.” Dan whispered the name a couple times out loud, a tiny thrill coursing down his spine at the way it rolled off his tongue. If he’d just gotten his Master’s and was living with a flatmate, he must not have been that much older than Dan. So he probably was into video games. Maybe now Dan could finally have someone to rant to about his wild Final Fantasy theories, who appreciated the soundtrack as much as he did. Maybe he had studied law too and could give Dan some pointers on how to get out of this hell hole. Maybe… maybe…

No, that was ridiculous. If Phil had studied law, he wouldn’t be renting a flat with his best mate. He’d be living it up in some posh part of Manchester, probably with his uni girlfriend he was about to propose to. Not everyone was gay like Dan or even realized it by uni age. There was nothing suggesting Phil had any desire to write Dan back or that his friend Mark didn’t think Dan was a total twat.

Still, a spark of something Dan hadn’t felt since he was a child twirled around in his gut, jumping and spinning and not at all unpleasant. It clawed its way up to his heart and for the first time in months (maybe even years?), Dan found himself biting back a smile. All at once, it hit him. This was hope .

Hope that he might find his way out of this mess he’d gotten himself into. Hope that maybe someone would want to be friends with him after all. Hope that he wasn’t doomed to a miserable existence. It grew and grew until it shone bright enough to power the entire campus.

So Dan threw on his coat and dashed to the Campus West mailroom. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait for next week.

[mothmanbussy420]

ew

[joey-regrets-nothing]

dan writing the urge: this is a story about me losing phil, only to end up spending eternity with him as a vampire, showing not only the grief i would feel if i were ever to lose him, but also how we will always be together, by each others side, for all of time

phil writing the hand: i gave birth to harry styles

[clockwayswrites]

Danny&Dan, Black, Equinox, wet dirt on a summer evening

@idontcaboose

Part 1

I can't believe I'm making myself emotional over Dan. And yeah, I changed tenses. But in my defense I'm very tired. (Q before bed.)

“This is where their graves were.”

Danny sits down next to Dan. For once, he decides to stay quiet. The damn of the grass and earth seeps quickly through Danny’s jeans, but he pulls his knees up to his chest and ignores the feeling.

This is where their graves were.

“I made sure that they got graves,” Dan said. He ran his hand over his short hair.

Danny keeps thinking what it would be like to have hair so short. He forces his eyes down to the wet earth at their feet.

“We didn’t,” Dan continues. He has to pause and take a moment to swallow thickly. “We didn’t get a grave, so I made sure that they got graves. I sorta… I made it through the funeral, but not really long after. I never really got to visit. Not as… you know, not as us.”

“But you still made sure they had them, that was good.”

Dan laughs. It’s an ugly thing: sour and angry and broken. “Oh yeah. I got my dead family graves before I went mad and decided to take over the world, that was real good of me.”

Danny tilts over so that their shoulders press together. Ever since that hug on the roof, Dan had been accepting touches. Sometimes. Danny figures that today is one of those times.

“It’s still good,” Danny says. He speaks slowly to try and find his words. “What happened after the whole Vlad thing… that doesn’t erase what you did that was good.”

“Even though it never happened?” Dan’s voice is shockingly soft as he asks the question.

Danny shrugs, moving both their shoulders. “We died and then came back to life. Being back doesn’t erase the fact that we died.”

“It did for everyone else.”

“Yeah, but not for us.”

“…yeah, not for us.”

[thighguys]

Phan Fic Recs!!

here's a bunch of my absolute favorites for anyone who needs a distraction from the election <3 i will make a second post with shorter ones as well, this post will just be fics that are over 10k

Inheriting Love by Fictropes (22k)- Dan is a lawyer who executes wills in a small town in the English countryside, and Phil's aunt leaves him a house. One of the cutest fics I've read recently tbh, lots of banter and cows<3

Silver Arrows to the Heart by @evermorepeyton (137k, WIP)- How could i POSSIBLY make a rec list without including this masterpiece??? Dan and Phil are Formula 1 drivers, chaos ensues<3 sooooo much fun (and there are some really beautiful cool women in there too, just as a treat)

dancing on the blades (you set my heart on fire) by kishere (123k)- Dan is an amateur figure skater who scores a spot at the famous Lester training gym, where he meets the legendary Phil Lester and of course they fall in love... this one has sooo many cute fetus moments and wonderful cameos from Kath<3 absolutely love it

Like a Bowl of Oranges by cloej88 (@bitchslapblastoids) (47k)- Phil is a filmmaker looking to amplify queer stories in the media, Dan is a ghostwriter who's been writing a memoir on the side, you can guess what happens next. very VERY fun fic, lots of drama and lovely reflection, as well as the softest scenes between them. love this one (and the author :3)

The Odd Uneven Time by @yikesola (20k)- A 2009 fic from Phil's perspective, falling in love with a boy over the Internet. Absolutely WONDERFUL vibes, so so so cute (and it probably happened in real life ahaha)

Live Incidentally by yikesola (37k)- Phil makes novelty t-shirts and Dan buys them :) really funny, also some great Lester family moments

The Pianist Everyone Is Talking About... Is My Husband by @natigail (25k)- Dan is a famous pianist, Phil plays his songs on the radio, but nobody knows that they're actually married. Lots of chaos ensues, crazy fangirls can feel super represented, and Dan laughs at Phil about it all<3 this fic is so funny lol, highly HIGHLY recommend

Kick Me While I'm Down by jerserker (14k)- Dan and Phil join an adult kickball league! Phil just wants to make friends, and Dan... kicks everyone's asses <3 Really funny competitive Dan, fun times honestly :)

missing the obvious by Fictropes (14k)- Dan plays videogames in an anonymous Discord server at night, and during the day he goes to his boring office job and hooks up with his coworker Phil in bathroom stalls... I wonder how these two things could possibly be connected...

Our House by sierradeux (50k)- Dan is a real estate agent, Phil is a Youtube house flipper, they team up to cohost an HGTV renovation special and fall in love. With the house, obviously. But also with each other <3 this is one of my favorites guys I think it should be required reading for everyone on phannie tumblr

maybe this christmas by blackbirddan (13k)- it's November, im allowed to rec christmas fics now, right??? anyway, this one is HUGE for fans of the Lester and Howell families, just so so so soft and sweet and awesome<3

Strictly Come Dancing but make it GAY by natigail (176k)- i mean this one has a pretty self explanatory title... read for super hot dancer Phil, awkward celebrity Dan, and so so so many beautiful outfit and dance descriptions :3 seriously, I wish I could watch this season irl :( this is for sure in my top 3 fics of all time to be so honest

they grew up so nicely, didn't they? by natigail (15k)- Cornelia pov on meeting the boy Phil brought home, and then throughout the years. SO CUTE!!!!! really big for fans of outsider pov (me)

okie dokie<3 i will be making an under 10k rec list as well, so be on the lookout for that one!

[darkodomain]

AT LONG LAST!!

SHADOW OF A DOUBT :: HAIJU

ooooweeeee this bind took way longer than it needed to. finishing up the last of my exit exams and starting my residency, being in the middle of two other binds that were supposed to be Christmas/birthday gifts that I was behind on, compounded by the fact that half of my supplies were in another state for the better part of 6 months so i couldn't even work on it if i wanted to... a big yikes for the Free Time Industry. BUT here we are so. better late than never??

anywayssss!! the follow-up to my bind of Phantom of Truth from a couple of months ago. the initial plan was to make PoT look a bit like a handwritten scientific journal, at least from a glance at the spine, so I decided to keep with that theme (again, at least just for the spine design so there's consistency when they're shelved side-by-side). it took me forever to decide on a back cover design, mainly because i had ZERO (0) ideas, but I had just completed a bind of The Goldfinch where I'd made a depiction from one of my favorite chapters, almost like an illustration, and I didn't hate how it came out, so I decided to do the same thing with SoAD. idk what it is about that one part in the very beginning when Danny is first running away from Amity and he frames the stars with his bad hand... idkidk it haunts me, lives in my mind rent free. kinda the same thing with the front cover--i wanted to keep in-scheme with how I'd done PoT's cover, with the irridescent green inside of silver, and I absolutely love Haiju's concept of what Danny's radiograph would look like with his core.

a BIG BIG BIIGGGG thank you to the readers of my own fic, which I have been neglecting to update while I tried to juggle all of these creative endeavors at the same time as moving all the way across the coast and starting a new job--THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH ME!! i promise now that this is complete, I'll be able to update more frequently and I won't have to keep y'all on cliffhangers 'til your arms ache anymore *cringing in apology*

[gremlinshatephilosophers]

Wait I didn’t even realize my fic was work #20,000 exactly in the phandom/fantastic foursome tag lmao sorry I should’ve made it a better one

[phanyaoi]

i lovee it when u read a phanfic and there is a 3rd character needed and its always pj, our beloved honourary phannie🫶

[bestofphantwitter]

Link

(Submitted by: @dheartpgames)

[tit-spoilers]

Say no to alcoholism. There's always Dan and Phil RPF

[pierogish]

illustrations inspired by @buskingalbatross' local legends au and her fic you (and all of us in this town). because i love you and your magical stories

[antiadvil]

writing phanfic sucks because it sounds like you're just out of ideas but dan howell really does roll his eyes that often