#phandom fic fests

[katwritesthings]

Phandom, are y'all okay?

Has anyone else noticed the trend recently of Maddie and Jack are absolutely terrible parents?

Like, don't get me wrong, they're not the greatest parents ever... But they're not always some kind of supervillain/evil scientist power couple who can't look past their own biases to change their opinion in the face of new evidence.

I'm kinda specifically talking about the DPxDC side of Tumblr (mostly because of how much I've been reading in that crossover territory the last few weeks), but I think the general fandom has been falling more and more towards irredeemably evil Drs. Fentons as well.

I mean, I get that it's a trope of the Phandom for the Fentons to disecc Danny. Like, that's not the issue. Or at least, not the whole issue? 'Cause I love a good trauma-filled angst fest as much as the next phan.

There just... Used to be a balance, I guess? Like for every couple of Fentons Bad Parenting there would be a fic of the Fentons accepting Danny. It wouldn't be easy, and there was a boatload of delicious angst in that, depending on what Maddie and Jack had done to Phantom before finding out he is their son. There were fics exploring Maddie and Jack dealing with the emotional fallout of their son dying due to their negligence and not even noticing.

But lately, it's just been Maddie and Jack are terrible people. Full stop. No nuance or shades of grey to them.

And I know there are a ton of people in this fandom who have never even seen the original show and write amazing fanfic anyway. They've learned from what we put out there, and maybe that's why there are no new good parents fics.

But, like, remember when Danny Phantom used to be a very thinly veiled allegory for coming out to your parents? I know not everyone's parents are loving and accepting. I'm not trying to diminish anyone's experiences or anything and I think this has devolved into somewhat incoherent ramblings... And this just may be because I have been in this fandom for over a decade now. I may just be overthinking current trends.

But, are y'all okay? Like, seriously, babies.

Do you want a hug? A cup of cocoa? A parental figure to look you in the eyes and say that your feelings are valid? That you are wanted and appreciated just the way you are?

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Domestic Established Relationship Masterlist

2009, 2012, 2019, 2022 (ao3) - OliveTheHobbit

Summary: “Most people have like yearly photo books, we have this weird ass videos” - Daniel Howell, some bloopers from phil is not on fire 10.

Some of the memories they gathered along the way got fresh in their minds at the moment they decided to buy a photo album.

In celebration to Dan and Phil’s 10th anniversary.

A Day in the Life of Dan and Phil in Quarantine! (ao3) - silentdescant

Summary: Phil posts a Day in the Life video of a typical day in quarantine.

Baby Names - dxnhowell

Summary: Dan and Phil arguing over baby names, very domestic.

blankets, coffees and afternoon naps (ao3) - zsunsetz

Summary: Blankets, coffee and afternoon naps have become the new normal.

Coming Clean and Kisses on Screen (ao3) - hygge

Summary: Dan and Phil are finally ready to make the news of their marriage and their new family public.

Dan and Phil and DOG (ao3) - nivi_chip

Summary: It’s Phil’s birthday, and Dan gets him a gift that’s long overdue

dan buys a skirt (ao3) - baroquen

Summary: Dan is thinking about buying a skirt. Phil thinks this is a very good idea.

Doing Nothing Often Leads To The Very Best Of Something (ao3) - kae_karo

Summary: based on this (x) and a lil imagine i wrote (x) and expanded on so thanks to the lovely anon who originally sent "that pic phil posted of dan for his bday i think where dan is making a funny face and theres a nearly empty wine bottle in the background hhhhh that makes my demon heart drop" and to the lovely anon who asked for more!

Forever Home (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Phil’s wanted a dog for as long as he can remember, and now that he and Dan are moving into their new house, it’s the perfect opportunity. But there’s just one problem: Phil’s allergic to dogs.

Home For Good (ao3) - hygge

Summary: Phil gets drafted for World War III. Dan and their daughter, Emily, try to maintain a normal life while Phil is away.

Let's Be Alone Together (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: There are times when Dan and Phil feel so much like a married couple, that they forget they aren’t actually married. However, neither one of them are complaining about it. (Also known as the most domestic and fluffy fic I’ve ever written).

Look what I made the birthday boy (ao3) - phandemigods

Summary: Dan made a super sweet video for Phil's 30th birthday and they decide to post it. It's just a pile of domestic fluff

Noted (ao3) - whisksandplungers

Summary: Dan liked to leave romantic notes for Phil. Most of the time, Phil loved them. And sometimes, Phil would be left staring at the note, absolutely clueless.

Share A Bed, Share A Life (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: Having a child is a stressful, time-consuming, argument-inducing process but, naturally, Dan and Phil ride the ups and downs together, ending up just fine. Fulfilling prompts 'age changes' and 'sharing a bed' for the phandom fic fests, enjoy!

Sugar Rush (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Phil shouldn’t have had so much sugar before bed, now he’s a hyper little shit and Dan really just wants to sleep.

the stupid sushi bubble bath fic (ao3) - itsmyusualphannie (itsmyusualweeb)

Summary: dip and pip cuddle and eat sushi and take a bubble bath like the nerds they are.

They Were Forever (ao3) - developerdaniel

Summary: While keeping everything soft and sweet their kiss quickly grew into more as Dan's hands slid their way up Phil's loose tee, pushing it up while his explored his lover's soft skin. Phil let out a gentle gasp into the younger's mouth at the feeling. Dan's touches were soft, feather light, enough to send a shiver up Phil's spine and raise goosebumps where Dan's hands had once been. ~ aka the fic where dan and phil have a casual night at home that ends with them passionately making love

Today Is For Us (ao3) - CaibrynM

Summary: Dan and Phil take a day for themselves in between the tour ending, planning for their premiere in Brazil and the upcoming Christmas Holidays. Lots of Fluff and a little smut.

Told You So (ao3) - flymetomanchester

Summary: Neither really care about the holiday. but when they move in together Phil can’t help but care about thanksgiving. It has to be perfect. Nothing can go wrong right?

Worth the Wait (ao3) - JudeAraya

Summary: It's pretty hard to stay mad at Phil, even when he's forgotten date night.

[voulezloux]

annual writing self-evaluation

thank you lou @nouies for the tag! having to do self reflection is hard yall

also i wrote this on a google doc so ignore the fact everything is properly capitalized

1. List of works published this year:

One chance (kiss him you fool)

Nights like these

Your right now, your forever, your last call, your whatever

Defying stars

Always had that heart of mine

Part time soulmates (full time problem)

It’s the summer of our love

If it feels like love (then it must be love)

Make my wish come true

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Defying stars! I’ve always wanted to write a marching band au and i finally got to do it. I’m also proud of part time soulmates (full time problem) because it was so much fun to write

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

I am not very happy with how one chance (kiss him you fool) turned out. I had so many idea for it and none of them came to fruition. I wish i spent more time working on it and i wish i could describe things better than i can

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

From part time soulmates (full time problem)

Harry nods, continuing his tirade on a table. “Why don’t you want to bond?”

Louis freezes mid throw. “What?”

“You said you didn’t want to bond when we first found out. What makes you not want to bond?” 

Louis throws the plate on the ground. “That’s a bit personal, innit?” He laughs. “My mum.”

The air is filled with a sad smell, obviously coming from Louis. Harry resists the urge to wrap his arm around the omega, to comfort him. His stomach is turning in a bad way, and he wants to take back the question. 

Before he can, Louis continues, “My mum was bonded three times, twice it failed. Watching her go through the pain of breaking a bond was awful, and I had to protect my siblings from seeing the worst of it. I always…” He sighs. “I always thought I’d be an alpha so I could control when I would get bonded. But then I presented as an omega and I, I don’t know. I guess everything changed and I didn’t want to go through the pain an omega would have to go through if a bond was broken.”

Harry is left speechless, and it’s harder now to not want to console the omega. “Louis…”

“No, don’t do that,” Louis points the plate in his hand he was going to throw at Harry. “You’re not about to feel bad for the poor omega who has trauma. You’re going to smash this plate and you’re going to be mad.”

I always love strong, independent omega louis and this is by far one of my favorite examples of this

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

I always love when people respond to my author’s notes at the end. Idk it makes me feel like people actually care about what i’m writing and i’m not just screaming into the void. I have a lot of issues with feeling like my works are liked and/or loved and that people care about what i’m writing, so when people read and respond to my author’s notes, it makes me feel seen.

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

Whenever i get close to a deadline, i start panicking even if i have the fic most of the way finished. So, deadlines man.

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

I wrote two rare pairs this year and one of them included ryan ross! Writing ryan was a challenge since i’ve not written anything that wasn’t larry or phan in years, and i’m very happy with how that fic turned out.

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I have no idea. Someone tell me how i grew as a writer bc i’m los

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

Hopefully more fics that are of my own will (meaning non fic fest fics, all but one of my fics this year was a fic fest fic, and the one that wasn’t from a fest was an exchange). I have ideas that have been put on the back burner due to fic fests.

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

All of my friends, but especially rei (they don’t use tumblr anymore). I met rei during phandom big bang one year (they were my beta) and, even though they are into kpop and i’m into 1d, rei always listens to my coked up ideas for fics i wanna write and even the fics i read. Love you bro (even though you won’t see this) (jk i'll show this to them)

Bonus mentions for fandom friends are lou (@nouies) and andi (@tommokat). Lou because she is a wonderful person and always gasses me up when needed and andi because she lets me bounce ideas off of her and helps me with my fics.

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Yes! Defying stars i stole a lot of things from that fic from my real life in high school. Biggest example from that fic is the marching band show from my freshman year, which was also called starcrossed!

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Do not get discouraged if a fic you are excited about doesn’t perform well with readers. Fic in it of itself is self indulgent and as long as you like it, it’s worth writing. If people also enjoy it, then it’s a bonus.

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I’m writing in my first ever 1d big bang! I don’t want to give out too many details (it involves a non conventional character and i’m deathly terrified of backlash) but it’s a labor of love. I’ve been wanting to write this kind of fic for a long time and i’m glad i have an opportunity to write it.

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read!

@tommokat @larryatendoftheday and @alwaysxlarrie

*All answers should be about works published in 2023

[alteredphoenix]

I keep forgetting about the No One Knows AU piece I want to do for Phandom Angst Fest 2023, but I've been so busy with this ToLumi fic (for the Sunrise Event over on Twitter or X or something or whatever I don't know anymore bleh) for like the past week never mind the last month that I already knew beforehand I wasn't going to get around to it before the Angst Fest week's out.

Lateness be damned, I think I might give it a go once the ToLumi fic is posted and have, like, half a day where I just don't write because plunking away at those 15k+ long fics on average really does take some steam outta me after a while.

[manchestereyes]

in a box beneath my bed

summary: A collection of letters from Dan to Phil in 2009, all unsent.

rating: g

word count: 2.7k

a/n: written for @phandomficfests escape from reality day one: point of view fest!

Read on ao3

11 February 2009

Dear Phil,

So I’m not too sure why I’m writing this other than the fact that I’m in Psychology right now and I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what’s going on here--there’s just way too much going on in our brains and mine’s not nearly fast enough to keep track of it all. But the only way to get on Mrs. Hennesy’s good side is to look like you’re taking notes, so here I am.

Anyway. We’re just going to skip over the awkwardness of you not even knowing me because let’s be real, there’s no way I’m actually sending this. I know you’ve got that PO box and everything, but that’s for like…. girls who wanna send you nice letters and lions and shit. Not nerds with no friends who are probably just gonna bring you down.

Plus, it’s not like you’d be able to read this smudge fest to begin with.

God, I’m sorry. I’m sure I just spent half a page boring you. I just wanted to talk about the video you posted yesterday, the one with the heater and your story about your Big Brother audition and the tarot cards. I’m sorry you didn’t get through but maybe that’s not so bad, you know? I don’t know if I could handle only seeing your face an hour a week on TV. Your head might get so big it actually explodes. What I really can’t stop thinking about though, for whatever reason, is those damn tarot cards.

And here’s the thing: I know they’re not real. I mean, come on. You really think some person, or the universe, or whatever, knows everything that’s ever gonna happen to you? No, someone was just bored one day hundreds of years ago and drew some pictures and decided to associate them with events or people that basically anyone comes across at some point in their life. It doesn’t mean anything.

So then why can’t I stop thinking about that damn knight?

I don’t know, mate. I really don’t know. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel… I dunno, something when you pulled that card. It was weird. Like, I know it has nothing to do with me but I can’t shake this weird feeling that maybe it does? Somehow? Maybe it’s the universe telling me to grow some balls and message you already. Or at least add you on MySpace or something.

Shit, Mrs. Hennesy’s turning off the overhead. I gotta go.

-Dan

3 June 2009

Dear Phil,

I

You

I

Oh god, where do I even begin here?

I told myself. Fuck, I TOLD myself I wasn’t gonna get worked up over this. You have no idea who I am, aside from my mildly decent profile photo and the fact that we both like Muse. And we have the same taste in movies. Somehow??

Oh yeah, and apparently neither of us have any concept of sleep. Maybe we’re vampires. (That sounds like something you’d say. God Dan, you have one conversation and suddenly you’re turning into the same person. Keep it together, mate.)

So, this is gonna be really risky because I have to make sure Roger’s not looking over my shoulder and I can’t be too obvious about this or anything, but I can’t stop thinking about last night. I know that sounds cliche as all hell but it’s the honest truth. I mean first, I never expected you’d get back to me so fast. I’ve barely had a Twitter account for a fortnight and my first attempt at a flirty decent reply was the one you chose?

But SOMEHOW you didn’t stop there. You just had to stalk the (admittedly way too few) tweets I had and SOMEHOW found my dorky fanboy @replies to Muse. And then I got a DM from the AmazingPhil.

Alright, I said I wasn’t gonna be a dork about this but clearly that can’t be done. So yeah, you DM’d me. And I’m not saying I fell off my bed because that would be ridiculous but, uh, there may have been some ass-on-floor action. For like, a SECOND.

And then you had to go right in with that Muse question (of COURSE I’m excited for the album, who do you think I am, but then I guess we aren’t all well-versed in the art of small talk, myself included) and alright, I may have pushed my laptop across my bed. I don’t know. I had zero control of literally anything at that moment.

I hope I wasn’t too awkward in my replies but you’ve gotta know you scared the SHIT out of me, mate. Ever the excellent communicator, though, you seemed to handle things pretty well. And were maybe... excited? If those exclamation marks were anything to go by? But then, I’m sure you’re that way with everyone. It’s why you joined YouTube, yeah? Like me, you were desperate to talk to people, so you thought you’d whack up a camera and give it a go and here you are now.

Plus, it’s always exciting when you find someone who shares your interests. I may be sad as hell most of the time, but I do know that much.

And shit, Mrs. Hennesy’s turning off the projector again. Which means (continued in next class) I spent an entire block not listening to a damn thing. Again. There goes that A-Level, I guess.

-Dan

12 June 2009

Dear Phil,

So, it’s been a few hours. I’ve had a sleep.

But goddamnit, I cannot stop thinking about your interactive video adventure thingy.

I don’t know if you saw my ridiculous comments (I don’t even know what I said honestly, my brain was not connected to my fingers) but I really do mean it. I’ve seen some pretty cool annotations videos but this one blows all of them out of the water. I mean, HOW are you able to think of all those paths and the rewards at the end and all those props and costumes and camera angles and everything? Aren’t you working on a Master’s degree too??

Ok yeah, you probably had a bit of help. Nobody can do all that on their own, even for a fun YouTube side thing. But still!!

There’s so much I could say about this, although I’m pretty sure I dumped it all in your DMs last night. So for now, I just have to say: HOW? How did you know??

I know my school friends know a bit about my Final Fantasy obsession thanks to drunk Dan never knowing when to shut his mouth, but there’s no way you could know that. I haven’t tweeted about it at all and we’ve barely talked about it, except when you asked me what my favorite game was. (I didn’t wanna freak you out and go full FF nerd though, as hard as that was.) You have no idea what that game means to me.

But somehow SOMEHOW you do. Or maybe it means something to you too. And so does the music because oh my god, you got it exactly right. Exactly. I know I told you a bit in my comments and tweets and DMs (oh god, now I see why I always got scolded for annoying my classmates) but fuck. I don’t know if I can even put it into words what you did. It felt like my heart was flying out of my chest and there was nothing I could do to stop it. But it was even more than that. Something deeper.

Maybe it’s because it was like 11 at night when it all got posted and I’m apparently still exhausted from exams. I don’t know. Whatever it was, something somehow managed to take control of my brain and say ‘You know those feelings everyone says are wrong but that you can’t seem to stop no matter what? Maybe, just for now, they’re alright.’ I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that is fucking life changing.

So yeah. I’m fucked. And I know you rushing to finish this by the end of my birthday (which I mentioned maybe twice in passing and like once in a tweet) doesn’t mean anything. That’s just who you are. You’re thoughtful and ambitious and creative enough to create this whole little world. And I’m just. Dan. There’s nothing interesting about me besides the fact that I clearly have some kind of procrastination disease and can’t force myself to give enough of a fuck about school even when my entire future and my chances of leaving this shithole depend on it.

I don’t know. I really don’t. But (and I really can’t believe I’m writing this), if I have any sort of shot at all you can bet your (probably incredible, let’s be real here) ass I’m taking it.

I know you won’t ever read this, but I hope you had a good train ride back home, Phil. And I can’t wait to see you in my DMs again.

-Dan

12 September 2009

Dear Phil,

So. I could sit here moaning about this stupid cold that won’t go away like I’ve been doing for the past hour while I let my responsibilities chase each other around my head like the overexcited children I spend way too much time dreaming about us having one day .

Or I could do the thing I always do when I have a ton of voices in my head that won’t shut up and thoughts that have to come out some way or another. I think I’ve finally gotten over the weirdness of knowing you won’t read this, and I’m starting to find it comforting now.

Things have been...weird this week, to say the least. I know I told you about how shitty it feels to see all my friends go off to uni while I’m still stuck in this town I fought so hard to get out of, but for whatever reason, I’m feeling that extra hard today. Sure, lots of people take gap years, it’s not a big deal and at least I can save up a bit of money. It shouldn’t be that bad.

So then why does it feel like my entire life’s been put on hold and I’m slipping further and further behind when some of my friends haven’t even started uni yet?

It doesn’t help that my parents are actually on my ass about setting things up for my exam resit and finding a tutor and everything. It’s not like I need that much help--I got a B for fuck’s sake, I was so close and the exam isn’t even until February anyway. That’s a lifetime away.

Or maybe it’s the fact that they only give a shit about me when I’m about to leave for good.

I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I really don’t. And it’s not like work is any better. They hate me now after faking sick during Reading Festival, I know they do. It’s honestly a miracle I haven’t been fired yet. I thought writing this stuff out would help me but if anything, I just feel more confused and stressed and I just want it all to be done.

I’m not lying when I say you’re the only bright spot in my day, Phil. I know you only just finished your final project and I can only imagine how scary and confusing the future must look right now. And yet your capacity to still be able to send me smileys and hearts when you know I’m having a hard day is… well, it’s astounding to say the least.

It makes me want to be better, to cheer you up whenever I see that you were having a hard time with that project or when you say you’re a little bit scared to see your parents again because you’re afraid they’ll nag you about your future plans (believe me, I wish that was the only problem I had with mine). I don’t know how you manage to put a positive spin on just about anything, but I think I love you for it. It’s these moments when I feel like words on a screen just aren’t enough.

I want to see you in person, as terrifying as that feels right now. I want to give you my best, biggest hugs and so much more that I could never write on paper. I need to see you smile through more than just YouTube or Skype. It’s honestly getting to the point where I feel like one Phil smile could power me for a thousand years.

But I think we both know I’ll never actually say that. No matter how much I’m dying to.

-Dan

20 October 2009

Dear Phil,

I still can’t believe I’m actually here. I know that sounds cliche as fuck and exactly how you’d expect me to start out a letter when I’m sitting next to you, waiting for you to wake up in your bed in Rawtenstall but it’s literally all I can think about right now.

Yesterday was… fuck, I don’t know if I even have words to describe it. Let’s just say, if you saw something running every which way around Manchester, without a care for anything or anyone around it, that was my heart. It keeps threatening to take off every time I glance over and see you right there, so calm and peaceful and just content. Honestly, it would be such an inconvenience if it didn’t feel so bloody amazing.

I know you’ll probably say one day that you were so nervous (yes, I could tell, but it was so damn adorable and I still cannot believe I have that effect on you) but Phil, you’ve gotta know I was absolutely scared shitless. Like, I still don’t know how I survived that three and a half hour train ride without jumping off somewhere in the middle. And then, suddenly, there you were. And you just suggested we go to Starbucks like we were normal people, like this was just a normal Monday and not a day that I’ve known for two weeks now will change things forever for both of us.

Then there were the tour guide jokes. God Phil, I hope you know that you don’t have to try so hard to be funny around me. I mean, I think you figured that out eventually. Just being here with you makes me feel like I’ve won some sort of magical prize. That sounds like something you’d say--maybe by the end of these few days we will be the same person.

Of course the Arndale was fun, but I think even you could tell by the end of that how tired I was of being around people. It’s one thing to hide yourself at school, when I could kind of fade into the background and joke around to distract myself from the bone-crushing terror of everyone finding out the truth. It’s a whole other thing entirely when you have all these FEELINGS that can’t shut up no matter how much you force them down.

And then, when you realize you don’t want to force them down--shit, I honestly felt like I was on another planet. I know Manchester isn’t exactly a gay mecca, but something about it just feels like a different world. Maybe because I know there’s no chance I’d run into anyone I know. Either way, I could tell you were grateful when the wheel was practically empty too.

And then, well...you know what happened after that. I don’t even know why I was so scared at first, when it felt more right than anything in the world. Something both ended and began there, although I don’t think I can tell you what just yet. I’m sure you know it was amazing, though.

And--fuck Phil, your toes are FREEZING but the fact that they’re now wedged between my legs probably means you’ll be waking up soon and asking me what I’m writing and I’ll tell you it’s nothing to worry about because it is, and you probably won’t remember it later.

I bet you’re adorable when you wake up. And I cannot WAIT to spend these next two days with you.

Love,

Dan

[combeauferre]

what we are to each other

7k words, m

So maybe they both suck at communication. Maybe Dan needs to talk to Phil about what they are to each other. And maybe Phil needs to sit his parents down and tell them that big, slightly scary thing about himself. But maybe it'll all work itself out, one way or another.

written for the phandomficfests fic exchange!

read on ao3

[paradisobound]

Perfect Night for Wishes

Summary: Dan hasn’t been nervous for a date in nearly 10 years. But now that Phil suddenly wants to go out for Valentine’s Day, he finds himself nervous for their date.

Word Count: 1.6k

Genre: Fluff

Written for the @phandomficfests Flash Fic Fest: Dates!

[Read on Ao3]

It’s been a really long since Dan has been nervous for a date. In fact, it’s been almost 10 years since Dan has been nervous for a date. But tonight, he feels nervous and he’s not sure why.

It’s Valentine’s Day and Phil was the one that suggested that they should do something special this year but Dan didn’t know why. He didn’t question it though when a few days later, Phil told Dan that he had made them reservations at a nice restaurant in London just down from their flat.

But now, he’s questioning it. For the last nine years, he and Phil would just stay in their flat, have a nice dinner, watch a movie, and then finish the night by having sex and sharing in the love for each other. He didn’t see why this year had to be any different, but yet, here he was, stood in their ensuite bathroom and trying to tame his curls that wanted to be unruly.

Phil had told him that the dress attire for the restaurant was formal so Dan had dressed in a nice black and white striped button down and a pair of black slacks that he only wore for business meetings.

He hadn’t even seen Phil yet. He’s not even sure if he knows what he’s doing or where he is in their flat. Dan had retreated back to their room around 3pm to begin getting ready so Phil wouldn’t panic about not making their reservation time.

Dan worked on putting the last curl in place before he smoothed out his shirt and felt dressed and ready enough to go and try and find Phil. On the way out, he picked up his nice jacket that he’d laid on the bed and slipped on his shoes.

Walking out of the bedroom, he saw Phil pacing back and forth in the hallway, his blazer laying tight against his body and his pants tailored near perfectly. Dan has never seen Phil look so fit in their time of being together.

“Where did you get your outfit?” Dan asks and Phil jumps.

Spinning on his heels, Phil turns and Dan flashes a smile at him. Phil seems nervous and jittery, his hands shaking and his face flushed. “Louise helped me pick it out for our date.”

Dan looked him up and down. “You look amazing.”

Phil let out a breath and his shoulders visibly dropped and his face relaxed. “So do you.”

Dan walked up to him and slowly put his arms around Phil’s neck, feeling Phil’s hands find their natural way to his hips. He leaned in slowly and pressed a kiss to Phil’s lips, feeling Phil relax even more from it. Dan pulled back and smirked at him before asking, “Ready to go?”

They got to the restaurant a few minutes before their reservation time but the hostess was able to still seat them despite that at their table. Sitting down, Dan noticed that there was a bottle of Champagne in a bucket on the end of the table with two glasses next to it.

“Champagne?” Dan asks with a chuckle. “You’re serious about our date tonight, aren’t you? Gonna buy me another 2,000 pound meal?”

Phil blushed and sat down across from him. “I wanted it to be special.”

Dan adjusted his napkin on his lap and moved his silverware to the left side before he looked up and smiled at Phil. “It’s already special because it’s you.”

The waiter came over a few minutes later and offered them some water, pouring it into glasses for them. The waiter also opened and poured some of the Champagne for them before giving them a few minutes to look over the order.

“What are you thinking of getting?” Dan asks, folding the menu to look at the other side which was all of the steaks and meats that were being offered.

Phil looked up and then looked back down. “I was thinking maybe one of the pasta dishes. Maybe the spaghetti carbonara.”

“That sounds good.” Dan says, remembering how he had read the description for that just a few moments before. “I’m thinking of just getting the chicken marsala.”

“You can get whatever you want.”


Dan quickly looks up and narrows his eyes at Phil. He was acting weird. Of course Dan was going to get what he wanted to. They shared a bank account so it didn’t matter. “Are you okay?”

Phil nods quickly, far too quickly, and sets down his menu. “Do you like the champagne?”

Dan looks at his untouched glass and slowly picks it up, taking a sip before setting it back down. It tasted like champagne should taste. Sparkling, even a little refreshing, and light. “Yeah? It tastes fine.”

“Oh good!”

The waiter comes over and Dan orders first and then Phil orders after and then the waiter takes their menus and they wait. Phil doesn’t look as on edge now as he did before and they continue sipping at their champagne and enjoying their wait.

The food comes out faster than Dan was expecting and they both indulge in what they’re eating. Dan even reaches over and takes a little bit of Phil’s food to try as well and Phil takes a piece of his chicken too.

They finish their food and their champagne and the waiter comes over asking if they want dessert but Dan’s actually really full and so he declines. Phil declines as well and they get the bill.

Phil pays the waiter using their shared card and then they stand up to leave. Dan slips his jacket on and Phil slips his blazer back on. They maneuver their way through the mass crowds of couples at the restaurant to the exit and once onto the street, Dan sees his beautiful the night sky looks above them.

“Can we head over to the park for a little bit?” Phil asks suddenly, his hand intertwined with Dan’s despite them being out in the open. “I want to enjoy the evening a little bit longer. This is the first time we’ve went out for Valentine’s Day in a long time.”

Dan nods and then take a sharp left towards the small park near their flat that Dan sometimes did his jogging around. It was quiet and quant, often people didn’t come here.

They followed the paths and ended up in the middle of the park, near the water fountain in the middle that was surrounded by benches. But no one else was around. It was just them.

Dan can feel Phil tugging him towards the fountain so he follows and he finds himself standing next to it as Phil removes his hand from Dan’s and then places his arm around Dan’s waist.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

Dan nods and turns to Phil, smiling at him. “It’s one of the best nights this year.”

“So it’s a perfect night, right?”

Dan furrowed his brow and stood back a little from Phil, looking at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, how about you make a wish in the fountain! It’s a perfect night, so maybe your wish will come true?”

Dan opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. He fished in his coat pocket and pulled out his wallet, opening the billfold and reaching around until he found a 10p coin. He pulled it out and gave Phil one last look before he closed his eyes.

What did he want to wish for? He already had everything he already could have wished for in his life.

He let’s go of the coin and hears it splash gently into the fountain and trickle down to the bottom with all of the other coins and wishes. He opens his eyes and turns to look at Phil but quickly, he notices Phil isn’t stood there.

Dumbfounded, he turns a little bit but then his eyes catch on something and he follows it.

Kneeling on one knee by the side of the fountain is Phil, holding out a black velvet box with a glimmering band sticking out. He doesn’t have time to process what’s actually happening until Phil says, “Will you marry me?”

Dan nods quickly and feels tears prick the corner of his eyes. “Yes!”

Phil stands up quickly and wraps his arms around Dan and picks him up off the ground and spins him. Dan holds Phil tight as he laughs in disbelief as a few tears escape down his cheeks.

He pulls back and Phil is holding the ring between his fingers. Dan places his left hand out and Phil slips the ring onto his finger. It’s a little too big but he can worry about the sizing later.

He leans down and kisses Phil, placing his hands on the sides of Phil’s face. When he pulls back, he sees Phil is crying too. “Is this why you wanted to do something special for Valentine’s Day?”

Phil nods. “I was so damn nervous you were going to say no.” He admits. “I’ve been thinking about this for a solid month now because I was terrified you were gonna say no.”

“Why would I have said no?” Dan asks, looking down at the simple silver band on his left hand.

Phil shrugs. “My mind kept telling me you would.”

“I love you.” Dan says, leaning in again to kiss Phil again.

“I love you too.” Phil says against Dan’s lips. “I love you more than I can even describe.”

They leave the park not long after, and find their way back to their flat. Before they can properly celebrate the evening, Phil stops Dan mid kiss on their bed and asks, “Did your wish come true?”

Dan scoffs. “I didn’t even wish for anything.”

Phil cocks his eyebrow. “And why’s that?”

“Because I’ve already gotten everything that I could have wished for.”

[phinalphantasy7]

Try new things

Summary/Excerpt:

Their friend Rose was easygoing, with a strongly-held opinion that sex could be a good and happy part of any friendship. She didn't at all mind helping Dan show Phil what a girl's body was like, the ways it was different from a boy's and the ways it was really the same.

Genre: smut Warnings: sex involving someone as well as Dan and Phil Word count: 1085 A/N: Written for @phandomficfests​ Fic You’re Afraid to Write Flash Fest.

Read on ao3

Dan wrapped his finger around Phil's. “Time to go in.”

Phil could have spent all his time just where he was, at the soft edge between pale pink and paler white. He was nuzzling into flesh that gave and gave under his lips, but that he couldn't lean on—a tiny corner of his mind was still mortified by the “Ouch!” he had elicited when he'd pressed too eagerly. The rest of his mind was consumed by the nipple under his mouth, as well as by its mate, which his fingers had been caressing until Dan had rudely pried them away. Phil put his tongue one more time on the hard, enormous nipple he still had access to, and sucked the pale pink areola that swept around it into his mouth before reluctantly pulling away.

The person beneath him sighed contentedly. She tilted her head down from the pillows stacked against the headboard to smile at him as she ran her fingers through his hair. Their friend Rose was easygoing, with a strongly-held opinion that sex could be a good and happy part of any friendship. She didn't at all mind helping Dan show Phil what a girl's body was like, the ways it was different from a boy's and the ways it was really the same.

Blinking his eyes open, Phil took the opportunity to shift his hips against the mattress. When Dan had proposed the idea, he hadn't been sure whether he would find this hot, whether it would feel good at all. It had been a long time since he had thought about girls' bodies or touching their breasts. Phil held onto Dan's hand as he rubbed his face one more time against the breasts before him. He shouldn't have worried: it felt good to have Dan's strong fingers between his own and his friend's nipple against his nose.

Phil had not been paying attention to what Dan had been doing, lying on Rose's other side as Phil had lost himself in bosomy exploration. While he was watching Phil's delight, Dan seemed to have been involved in something that had left a bit of stickiness on the fingers now wrapped around Phil's.

Dan tugged on Phil's hand again, drawing it toward the nether regions of Rose's body. Holding Phil's forefinger against his own, Dan thrust it—inside. Rose gasped with approval; Phil gasped with shock.

Wet. Nothing prepared him for the wetness. Warmth, yes: he expected the inside of someone would be warm. Tightness, yes: not exactly like most of his experience with tight bodily spaces, but the grip wrapped around his finger was firm and strong. Wetness: it was so wet. A warm, wet, snug secret place for burrowing. With Dan, because of course Dan's finger was there too.

This was definitely hot.

Phil pulled his awareness back to himself and pried his eyes open once again. He glanced at Rose in a jolt of panic—what could she be thinking when all his focus had been buried inside her? Rose's own eyes looked a little sleepy and a flush reflecting her name had appeared on her chest. She stuck her tongue out at him and reached to squeeze his other hand.

Phil felt a laugh in his ear, then a sharp nip at his earlobe. “Come back, Phil! There's more for you to see.”

He was a bit shy to have a look, at the parts that would be most different to his and to Dan's. He peeked and saw that the outside of the warm wet place was also wet. He watched Dan gently spread apart layers of pink flesh—so complicated! Every bit was exquisitely sensitive, judging by Rose's wriggles as Dan's fingers stroked and tugged. Dan pulled back yet another layer, revealing a small firm structure, even brighter pink.

“Is that—?”

“Yeah,” said Dan. “Everything you have in your cock is in this one spot right here.” And dropping his head he pulled his tongue up over all the pink layers and closed his mouth around Rose's clit.

Rose's back arched with a moan and she clamped down hard on Phil's finger. He had nearly forgotten his finger in her inside, so intent he had been on watching Dan's fingers on her outside. Rose was sliding back and forth along Dan's tongue as his hands held her hips against the mattress, and this meant she was sliding up and down Phil's finger as well, warm and tight and if possible even wetter than before. Phil slipped a second finger into the wetness to join the first and explored the space through its inviting slickness.

The three of them were moving all in the same rhythm, Dan's tongue matching Rose's hips matching Phil's fingers. Phil could hear Dan's tongue and lips in Rose's folds and he could hear his own fingers sliding in and out of Rose's wet depths and he could hear Rose's breath deep in her throat. He could smell her, strange and delicious, something like the earth and something like the sea. Her thighs were warm against his arms and Dan's legs were warm again against his own and Phil's dick was pressed hard against the bed, rocking to the tempo of the tangle of sweaty limbs.

At once Rose's breathing hitched. She slammed herself up against Dan's face, clamping impossibly tight around Phil's fingers. All her muscles tensed as she moaned. Phil could feel the waves of her pleasure flow through his hand.

Rose's body slowly relaxed into limpness, cradled between them. The room was suddenly very quiet. Dan lifted his face and stroked her belly and she patted his hand as she caught her breath. Phil pulled his fingers gently out of her, marvelling vaguely at how wrinkled and shiny they were. He drew a damp squiggle on Rose's tummy, which made her giggle, before tucking his fingers around Dan's.

Phil looked into Dan's face—eyes glowing just for him, grin dimpled, and chin shining from where he had just been and what he had just done. Phil brought his own face close to him and licked Dan's slippery chin. It tasted of the mysteries of Rose and the familiarity of Dan, of the wetness of girl and the fire of lust.

The bed shifted as Phil rolled Dan under him and another person got up. From a great distance, Phil felt a pat on his butt and heard a soft laugh. “Thanks, guys. That was awesome. Now I think I'll leave you to it.”

[danfanciesphil]

L’Histoire de L’Amour (A L’Histoire Française EPILOGUE)

If you haven’t already, I strongly recommend reading my fic L’Histoire Française (a teacher!phan au) before reading this! It will improve your enjoyment by far.

Happy Valentine’s Day to each and every one of you that read L’Histoire, I hope you have an awesome Feb 14th no matter who you spend it with. Like it or not, you are all my Valentines and this is my Vday gift to you!!

Read it HERE on Ao3!! 

Shout out to my ultimate Valentine Nova, aka @manschester for being my beautiful beta! I love you to bits, but you know that ;) xxx

I hope you enjoy it.

Love, Ellen xxx

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

For years, Dan had written February 14th off as a fool’s holiday. He’d never looked forward to celebrating it. The cards and gifts he saw in shops seemed cheap and tacky. Pink and red clashed awfully, in his opinion.

On Valentine’s Day of 2018, however, Dan wakes up in Paris.

He wakes in an embrace, cocooned in a safe, familiar warmth. He wakes with someone he loves, in the city they’d fallen for one another.

Last year, Dan had spent the day with Stephanie, his ex. Whilst the day had been far from a total disaster, it would be a stretch to say he’d particularly enjoyed himself. Stephanie had a lot of preconceived notions about exactly how Dan should behave on that particular holiday, based on the behaviour of her previous boyfriends.

Under her instruction, Dan had booked a table for the two of them at one of the restaurants she had told him would be appropriate to pick. He’d bought her a bouquet of red roses - his initial idea to buy wildflowers had been wrong, apparently - and selected the schmaltsiest card in the store.  

He got in a bit of trouble for not adding a personal enough message, but Stephanie soon forgot, more focused on updating her Instagram story than on Dan himself. She also received a cuddly toy with a loveheart pattern on its fur, and a charm bracelet. Dan had been so out of his depth when choosing these gifts that he’d actually needed to ask Stephanie’s sister for help. So, in a way, none of the Valentine’s Day stuff he did had anything to do with him.

This year, he hasn’t gained much more control over the day itself, but the difference is palpable.This year, Dan is giddy with excitement. He looks forward to the fourteenth for weeks. He counts down from the beginning of February, setting a reminder on his phone each day, so that he knows how many days are left.

Phil notices this one Saturday morning, seeing the notification pop up on Dan’s screen as they’re laying in bed. He laughs for twelve minutes (Dan counts) and tells Dan it’s adorable. He kisses the embarrassment off of Dan’s face, assuring him that it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen.

Honestly, Dan feels like he can’t be blamed for his excitement. Phil has booked them a trip to Paris. And not in some crummy hostel this time. There will be no hoards of difficult, rowdy teenagers, nor a figure of father-like authority to chaperone them. They’ll have one bed, all to themselves, and a whole three days of free time to explore the beauty of the city in a way they couldn’t before.

When the sun rises on the morning of Valentine’s Day, it pours, treacly and gold, through the glass doors of Dan and Phil’s hotel room, washing over Dan, burrowed beneath the duvet. Last night, when he saw the view through those windows, he’d refused to allow Phil to close the curtains. It’s not every day one is able to look out and see the Eiffel Tower, twinkling on the dark horizon.

As he drifted into sleep, he stared out at it, near breathless with wonderment.

The sun weaves into the slits between Dan’s eyelids, pulling him into the world of wakefulness once more. He smiles, lazy and happy, as he takes in the sight of the Parisian skyline beyond the glass in front of him, every bit as gorgeous as it is on the delicate tattoo etched onto Phil’s skin.

The doors open onto a balcony, a typically French affair, complete with a gilt black railing, which is currently frosted with a thick coating of snow.

After a moment of staring, Dan turns slowly, dragging his eyes from the incredible view out of the windows, to an even more fantastical sight. Phil, next to him, eyes fluttering as he swims up from the depths of whatever dream he’s submerged in. He blinks awake, sleepy and languorous, a smile melting across his mouth; arms tighten around Dan’s waist.

“Morning,” Dan murmurs, already rapturous. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Phil makes a noise of contentment, falling towards Dan and pushing their lips together. The kiss is soft with sleep, and on the verge of being too warm. There’s a hint of stubble on Phil’s chin, and Dan drags his skin against it, wanting to remind himself of how lucky he is, to be able to feel the imperfection of Phil’s unshaven jaw against his.

“H’ppy V’lentines,” Phil murmurs back.

His hands are skimming up and down Dan’s bare back. To demonstrate just how much he  appreciates that sensation, Dan presses himself against Phil’s chest, slipping his tongue into the kiss. He can feel the responding rumble of laughter as it vibrates deep within Phil’s chest.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” Dan complains, finding the hem of Phil’s baggy t-shirt and slipping his hands beneath it, rucking it up around his waist. “Valentine’s Day should be a no-pyjamas-allowed occasion.”

“Oh r’lly,” Phil drawls, thumb pinging the waistband of Dan’s Calvin Klein’s. “Does this rule apply to you as well, Mr Howell?”

Dan nods enthusiastically, already shimmying the offending garment over his bum with one hand. He gets them off and kicks the briefs away, sending them deep into the folds of the thick quilt.

He quickly moves to help Phil strip off too, hands frantic and fumbling as they tug and grapple with the material. Phil just chuckles against his mouth, amused by Dan’s eagerness, but welcoming of it too.

He presses some soft, open-mouthed kisses against Dan’s neck, his breath hot against the sensitive area, making Dan squirm. Phil’s hands have found their way down to Dan’s bum, and he’s squeezing it in his big palms, pulling Dan towards him so he can grind them together.

Dan slips his thigh between Phil’s legs, canting his hips up until Phil moans, until he’s sinking his teeth into Dan’s throat.

“Give me ten thousand hickeys,” Dan says, breathless. “We’re not at school for another three days, just go for it.”

Phil doesn’t respond in words, but does as he’s told nonetheless, sucking and biting over the skin of Dan’s neck. He rolls Dan onto his back and leans over him, pushing Dan’s head to the side with a sure but gentle hand, so he can gain better access to the area.

Dan gasps, his feet scrabbling for purchase on the soft, slippery sheets of this fancy king size bed. His fingers find the grooves of Phil’s shoulder blades, and he grabs on, as if they were handles specifically crafted for him to cling to.

He can feel how hard Phil has become, can feel the weighty length of him as it presses, urgent and wanting, against Dan’s thigh. Without thinking, he reaches down, wrapping his hand around it.

He can feel the stutter Phil chokes out as he feels this. He stops sucking for a moment, just breathing hard into the crook of Dan’s neck.

“You have such soft hands,” he murmurs, the words slurred. “They feel so good.”

“Wanna feel something even better?”

Phil draws backwards a little, looking Dan in the eye. He’s squinting, because he hasn’t got his contacts in, and just knowing this one, tiny fact is fantastic enough to prompt a fizz of elation in Dan’s stomach. He grins up at Phil, kissing him soundly, once, before rolling them over, landing on top of him.

He throws the covers backwards, exposing their naked bodies to the chilly air of the room. It makes Phil gasp, but Dan doesn’t let himself feel too guilty. Neither of them are going to be cold for long.

He kisses down Phil’s chest, going quickly because he’s impatient, and besides - this is something he loves doing. As soon as he realises what’s happening, Phil groans, one hand flying up to plunge into his shock of bed hair.

In the past couple of months since he and Phil started dating, Dan has gotten a lot better at this. It had never been something he expected he would particularly enjoy, at least no more than going down on girls, but to his surprise, it’s become something of a kink for him. He’s not sure if the fact that it’s Phil in particular that makes the act more of a turn on than if it were another, random man. No matter the reason, though, going down on Phil is such a pleasurable activity, that Dan seizes almost any opportunity to do it.

This, for obvious reasons, is not always entirely appropriate. They’ve only done it at school once, and Phil had been so terrified of someone walking in that he hadn’t even finished, but it had still been exciting. Later, once Valentine’s Day is out of the way, and things have settled down, Dan’s planning on trying that again.

Nobody ever comes in to Phil’s classroom at break times anyway.

Once he’s slipped his mouth over Phil’s erection, a sense of confidence floods Dan’s body, and he sinks down, the gears of his muscle memory whirring into life as his mouth and throat relax in order to accommodate him. That’s another point that Dan has previously considered - that perhaps the size of his boyfriend’s equipment has an impact on how incredibly hot Dan finds this.

He sinks down, feeling his throat muscles quivering as they struggle to accept the girth of Phil, but persevering nonetheless. He bobs his head, settling into a steady rhythm. Phil twitches and moans, his hips stuttering, as if he’s trying to prevent himself from thrusting forwards. Dan wishes he wouldn’t bother; he finds it even hotter when Phil loses control.

He can hear the curses falling from Phil’s lips. They’re French curse words, but Dan has long ago learned to recognise them for what they are.

“Merde, oh, putain...Dan...”

Phil only swears when he’s getting close to coming, so Dan pulls off, crawling back over him in order to seal their mouths together.

“Baise-moi,” Dan whispers into Phil’s ear, knowing that this one, filthy phrase never fails to get Phil ridiculously worked up.

Just as expected, Phil groans, long and tortured, shoving two fingers into Dan’s mouth. Obediently, Dan sucks on them, being deliberately sloppy, and Phil watches him with wide, unblinking eyes, his pupils blown. He probably can’t see more than a blurred image of Dan’s general form, but even so, Dan gives it all he’s got.

Phil pulls his fingers free with a pop, pressing them without preamble against the spot between Dan’s cheeks, slipping a finger into Dan immediately. Dan hisses, clenching around the intrusion. They should probably be using lube, but Dan knows that Phil is only bypassing this step because it’s been less than twelve hours since he had Dan spread out on his fingers in this very bed.

He’d fingered Dan last night when they got to the room, exhausted as they both were from a day of travel. They’d checked in to the posh hotel Phil had booked for them, climbed the stairs to their room, and immediately hopped into the walk-in shower together. They’d washed the grime of two stations and several hours of Eurostar off one another under the stream, and fallen, wrapped in pristine, white fluffy towels, onto the enormous bed. It had taken about ten seconds of Phil eyeing Dan, naked in only a towel, to be pulling it off him, slicking up his fingers, and fucking him with them until he saw stars.

“Don’t worry,” Dan chokes out now, as Phil slips a third finger in. “I’m ready, just fuck me.”

Phil hesitates, seeming unsure, so Dan takes it upon himself to wrap a hand around Phil’s length, positioning him, before sinking down into his lap. It seems to punch the air straight out of Phil’s lungs. Hands clutch at Dan’s hips, fingers digging deeply into the flesh. Phil tosses his head back, gasping for a breath, and Dan just closes his eyes, heart thrumming as he feels Phil sliding into him.

He rocks himself down, wanting to draw Phil deeply, to fill himself up. He sets up a slow, careful rhythm, drawing out the bliss of this moment. The two of them, joined so intimately, tucked away in their room in the midst of the sprawling city of love, on the morning of the day that celebrates the same.

“Oh, fuck,” Dan moans as the tip drags across his prostate. “Fuck, Phil, je t’aime.”

He can feel Phil’s surprise in the judder of his hips. “J-je t’aime aussi, Dan.”

“I really, really love you,” Dan gasps out, speeding up his movements now.

Phil moans, his hands skimming up Dan’s sides. He moves one hand into Dan’s lap, takes hold of his erection in one fist, making Dan groan.

“I know, Dan,” Phil assures him, hand moving in sure, deliberate strokes. “I think you might be the love of my life.”

Dan comes as soon as the words leave Phil’s mouth, and he bows forwards, his whole body wracked with a spasm as the lightning bolt of ecstasy jolts through him. His hands fall to Phil’s chest, and he continues thrusting himself down, wanting to elongate the instant, to send Phil tumbling into this euphoria along with him.

Phil follows moments later, muttering something in French as he shoves himself deeper inside of Dan, burrowing into the heat, his hands clutching tightly.

When it’s over, they fall onto the mattress beside one another, exhausted and elated, the hum of pleasure still skimming across their skin.

“Hmm, an excellent way to begin this day,” Dan says in approval, letting his eyes fall closed for a moment, just basking in the afterglow.

Phil laughs turning to face him. There’s a soft, rosy colour to his pale cheeks. Dan leans in to kiss it, smiling. “You’ve seen nothing yet.”

Dan’s eyebrows shoot up his head, interested. “Oh?”

“I’ve got a whole plethora of Valentines activities in store for you, Danny boy.”

“You… have?”

“Oh yes,” Phil says, grinning. “We should probably get up, in fact. We need to get started.”

Dan can only watch in bewilderment as Phil swings his legs out of the bed, walking towards the bathroom, a slight sway in his hips as he goes.

*

Phil had not been lying when he’d spoken of a full, activity-packed day.

At the end of it, Dan collapses, completely spent, onto the bed in which he’d woken up so wonderfully that morning, and slings his forearm over his eyes - a vague attempt to block out the bright ceiling light.

Merciful, sweet Adonis that he is, Phil turns the dimmer switch down, smiling. As he feels the sweet sensation of Phil laying down beside him, Dan makes a sound of approval, and tucks himself into Phil’s side.

Laughing, Phil pushes his fingers into Dan’s curls, stroking gently. “I wore you out,” he says.

“You fucking did,” Dan agrees.

He’s seconds away from unconsciousness, he can tell. It’s unfortunate, because initially he’d been expecting a passion-filled Valentine’s night. He’d wondered about the various different things he could expect, sexually speaking, on this extra-romantic holiday.

Knowing Phil, there were probably some things planned.

It will just have to wait though, Dan tells his overtired brain, disappointing though that is. He can ask Phil to extend their Valentine’s Day through to tomorrow. There’d be no reason for the older man to object that Dan can think of.

“Did you have a good Valentine’s Day, at least?”

Dan peels his eyes open, horrified that Phil would even need to ask. He frowns up at Phil’s face, trying to convey how silly this question is.

“I had the best Valentine’s Day anyone has ever had in the history of Valentine’s Days,” Dan says with total honesty. “Was that not obvious?”

A smile slides across Phil’s mouth. “What was your favourite part?”

“Hmm,” Dan says sarcastically, his head dropping onto Phil’s chest. “There’s not much to choose from, is there? The private dinner for two on a boat ride down the Seine? Champagne and chocolate tasting in Montmartre? Sneaking past the guards to kiss Oscar Wilde’s tomb? You, recreating our trip to the Eiffel Tower by buying me every single red rose in sight?”

“Yeah,” Phil says with a dramatic sigh. “I see what you mean. I could’ve done better, really. I’ll up my game next year, I swear.”

The smile spreads like warm honey across Dan’s face, stretching and growing until he feels a laugh of pure joy bubbling in his throat. He tilts his face up to look at Phil, knowing that he probably looks like a lunatic, and that his dimples are undoubtedly deep caverns in his cheeks, but he doesn’t care.

This mad, beautiful, incredible man loves him. He loves him so much that he took this day, and used it as an excuse to lavish Dan with an absurd amount of romance. He spoiled Dan in a way he’s never experienced, he poured such thick, syrupy love all over him that Dan is sure he’ll never be able to swim free.

And he never wants to. He’ll happily drown in it, happily drink it all down, sickly sweet as it is. He loves Phil so much in return that he thinks his heart could burst from it. It often seems to be trying - splitting at the seams, bulging with adoration.

He surges up and kisses Phil, shoving the tiredness dragging on his limbs to one side as he flings his arms around his boyfriend’s neck. “Nope,” Dan tells him, speaking the words against Phil’s lips. “L’annee prochaine, c’est mon tour.”

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!! <3

[moonanonymous]

(from the wings) i’ll be watching

Rating: G

Word count: 5664

Tags: Non-youtuber AU, ballet au, First dates, first meetings, fluff

Summary: Dan is the nutcracker prince. Phil is the assistant lighting director. It’s going to be a long day.

Written for @cityofphanchester for the @phandomgiftexchange Holiday exchange 2021! I hope you enjoy :)

[read on ao3]

[phanomeheart]

Thinking of you! Hope you are good!

Aw thank you <3 I was literally just thinking about you over the weekend when I couldn’t pick a new book to start and was thinking maybe I should check out your ao3. Perhaps we had a psychic moment.

I’ve been good! I haven’t been around much on tumblr/in fandom space, mostly busy with work and reading a lot of books, and I got a cat finally! So I just stare at him a lot. I spent the weekend learning how to crochet because he really likes the texture of our one crocheted blanket. I made him a little one for his bed (which he showed almost no interest in previously) and he spent like the whole day on it, so that was very rewarding.

I hope you’ve been well too! I have been missing checking up on folks over here, and now of course dnp are doing what they always do and trying to drag be back in just when I think I’ve managed to escape. That video...sure was something! I’m looking forward to catching up with the live show, it seems like it was great as well.

[lestered]

dnp + milk

for pff bingo 2019 (prompt: lactation kink)

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Sweetheart!Phil Masterlist

Baby, It's Cold Outside (ao3) - benotafraidofwriting

Summary: Dan and Phil are on vacation. Cue feelings and consummation of said feelings.

Bad Days And Good Cakes (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: Dan's having a pretty bad day but despite the tears, emergency food orders and forced sweating, he and Phil use their love to get a beautiful cake out of it. Enjoy!

Change Will Come (ao3) - rainbowchristy

Summary: Dan’s a depressed university student. Phil’s just a cute coffee shop barista who writes notes on Dan’s hot chocolates.

Commitment Phobe (ao3) - AlexStandallsSmile, Howlterssmile (AlexStandallsSmile)

Summary: Based on the events after the 4/03/21 live show when Dan reveals he’s scared of commitment.

The story behind why Phil had so many sweet treats after the live show.

Or: Dan has a freak out after mentioning the marriage comment live on stereo, and Phil Lester is a sweetheart.

drunk words are sober thoughts - danhasacrushonphil

Summary:  The opportunity of a life time comes in the form of Phil Lester actually showing up at a party, all tattoos and bright blue eyes. Dan’s been crushing on him for far too long, so getting the chance to play Never Have I Ever with his crush? Yeah, he can’t pass that one up. What could go wrong?

Fighting the Tide (ao3) - NovakSunshine

Summary: Dan hasn’t self harmed in years, so when Phil wakes up with Dan next to him, arms covered in red lines his mind goes the darkest place. Or I write a drabble about Dan using a red pen to keep the demons at bay until Phil chases them away.

Fireworks (ao3) - philsmeatylegss

Summary: obligatory 2009 dnp fic featuring blushy!insecure!dan and bold!shameless!phil, manchester eye, and gross fluff

I Asked You To Dance But You Said No (ao3) - AnotherPhanficWriter

Summary: Dan and Phil are Soulmates, they are SUPPOSED to be together, at least that's what all the other angels in The Above tell Dan. And it becomes Dan's mission to make Phil fall in love with him so that the Lords that own him can release him from the hell they are putting him in. Unfortunately, Phil turns him down at the end of the first date in every possible way, despite Dan redo-ing the day over and over so he can get it right. Somewhere along the way he figures out why he can't ever get Phil to say yes at the end of the night.

I Dare You To Stay (ao3) - realityfallsapart

Summary: Dan Howell is a barista working a shitty job, frequenting his shitty apartment, and living a shitty existence, hiding his asexuality and going for a PHD in self-depreciation and depression. Phil Lester is a part-time intern, part-time employee at a local weather station, trying to get experience in his field and make a name for himself, while juggling a second job at the nearby Tesco's to give him some financial breathing room. Their paths were never supposed to meet, but what happens when they do anyways, one rainy day in Manchester?

i'm going to watch you breathe again. (ao3) - ziamilo

Summary: He can't breathe. Dan can't fucking breathe, there's something rooted in his chest and it hurts.

But Phil is there, and he swears Dan's going to be able to breathe again and that he'll be there to see it.

God, it was always going to be Phil.

Jokes, Costumes, and Taxi Fares - placingglaciers

Summary: In which all his coworkers just adore Phil and Dan can’t see why they do. Until, of course, he figures it out.

Right to Exist. (ao3) - phansb

Summary: In a universe where Dan has been questioning his gender throughout Interactive Introverts.

Share A Bed, Share A Life (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: Having a child is a stressful, time-consuming, argument-inducing process but, naturally, Dan and Phil ride the ups and downs together, ending up just fine. Fulfilling prompts 'age changes' and 'sharing a bed' for the phandom fic fests, enjoy!

slipping through my fingers (ao3) - Gal_tic

Summary: Even though he said he’d never grow up, Phil grew up.

Or, Kath reminisces on how time flies

The Storm (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Dan is scared of thunderstorms. Enough said.

Those Who Trust - theshyauthor

Summary: (tw) Dan used to be a submissive and now he’s just a broken shell of a man.

Trust Me, I’m Broken Too (ao3) - natigail

Summary: The Lesters – the royal family of his homeland – was nothing like Dan thought they would be. Well, the King was just as horrible as he had heard but the King’s brother’s son, who was third in line for the throne, was nothing like Dan thought he’d be. Dan had been adrift for three years going from one “place of employment” to another, only his life was seen as worthless and he was more property than an employee. He had never imagined he’s end up as the property of Prince Philip.

The Prince had no intention of ever taking on a personal servant, which was a fancy name to disguise the fact a law essentially enslaved people. Phil often had to do things he didn’t want to or risk being removed from the succession to the crown. If that happened, who knew who his tyrant of an uncle would pick as a successor? When pressured into the choosing, he’d wanted to go for the most innocent, young girl, but hard brown eyes caught his attention instead.

[tarredion]

once again, fic ideas!

- and i’m in need of any willing people to help me choose

this is for if i sign up to the Old School Phandom Big Bang! there's some more information in the form (linked below) and a lot of options, so don’t be afraid to check it out! completely anonymous, mind you

take the form here

[natigail]

So... there’s only one bed counts as a trope, right?

[manchestereyes]

i’ll go with you

summary: Dan drops out of uni.

rating: G

word count: 2.7k

warnings: mental breakdown-related angst

a/n: written for the @phandomficfests hits different fest! thank you to alex and alexis for always being the best cheerleaders, and their support of this fic!

Read on ao3 / Retweet

Dan could think of a million things he’d rather be doing tonight. A billion, really.

Truth be told, he’d rather be doing anything than sitting on this mildly uncomfortable black leather couch, surrounded by textbooks thicker than his dad’s dumb head. But he’d done this to himself. And there was no point in getting pissed at that, right?

He stifles a yawn, sighing deeply as he forces his brain to make some sense of whatever the fuck was typed out on the page in front of him. It’s all English so there should be no issues there--except, is it really?

In Hedley Byrne the House emphasised the need for a special relationship between the parties ‘akin’ or ‘equivalent’ to contract, in order to support a torturous --”no, fuck, tortious”--duty of care.

Yeah, this shit is torturous all right.

But you know what’s even more torturous? Failing out of uni and moving back to Wokingham because you’ve got no money. And working with all those assholes from school who never did anything with their lives and being three and a half hours away from Phil, again, for who the fuck knows how long. Maybe even forever.

That’s enough to tear his eyes away from the sharp corner of the table and back to his revision. Yet no matter how many times he tries to drill these ridiculous bank cases into his head, those worries keep pounding louder and louder. What were all these government people doing anyway, suing the banks over some bullshit contracts? Didn’t they have more important things to worry about?

And doesn’t Dan have better things to focus on than Phil’s Spyro nostalgia quest in the lounge around the corner? Come on, focus, you dumb shit.

“Right. So, article twenty three, in paragraph four, of the Clause for..for…” Dan doesn’t notice how hard and fast his breaths are coming until he’s suddenly blanking on what should be a simple concept. It feels like a viper’s wrapped itself around his brain, squeezing tighter and tighter until Dan’s ready to scream.

Whoa. Okay. Hold up. He takes a deep breath, in and out, as slow as his overly tight muscles will allow.

Fine. So this government stuff is bullshit anyway. He can come back to it. With another deep breath, Dan flips to a new page.

Mortgage stuff. Right, well, this should be important for Dan to know in the future. Or it would be, if he could ever afford an actual house. But that’s what he’s going to school for, isn’t it?

Once again, though, he can barely get past the first line. He’s reading, but at the same time...he’s not? Not even muttering to himself can help, as Dan feels as though his chest is being ripped apart with the force of all these horrifying futures playing out before him. He can feel his face heating up too, as he fights to keep his increasingly shallow breaths from disturbing Phil.

What the fuck is wrong with Dan? It’s just a stupid exam, he’s crammed for these a hundred times before! He wants to scream and cry and fling the entire coffee table to the ground all at once, and it takes everything in him to keep his arms and legs from tearing through the air and destroying everything in their path. Including himself.

The Spyro music drifting around the corner shouldn’t even be that loud, yet somehow it’s pounding in Dan’s ears anyway. So he claps his hands on both sides of his head in an attempt to keep himself from exploding, and starts taking some deep breaths again.

It doesn’t work.

Everything in Dan is screaming at him about how much he fucked up, how badly he screwed himself over by once again leaving all his revising to the last possible minute. How he’s screwed his entire life over and somehow, by failing this one exam, he’ll be broke and have nowhere to live and he’ll never be able to do anything with Phil ever again.

It’s just like every other breakdown he’s had over the past year. Dan despises himself for choosing such a difficult course to begin with, and for not having the balls to switch to something easier. But then, all those other courses would come with their own set of challenges, of stressors Dan just won’t be able to face.

Just the thought of hopping on the tram and stepping foot in that school again fills his entire body with ice. And those papers, so full of words he’ll never, ever know and all those lines he’ll never be able to fill with his usual bullshit…

Then, just as Dan’s got a hand in his fringe, ready to pull it all out, something strange settles over him.

He can’t take that test. He just can’t.

And really, he doesn’t have to.

While that second thought feels like the only thing keeping him afloat right now, Dan can’t help but focus on the crushing defeat of the first one. And again, he’s back to that wanting to destroy things feeling.

He’d tried this, for so so long. He told himself he could do it if he just focused a bit more, made up dumb songs and shit to remember everything like he had in secondary school. Phil had said his first year of linguistics was hard as shit, yet he’d forced himself through it and eventually a light had switched on for him, and it wasn’t so impossible.

Where’s Dan’s light now?

What the fuck is wrong with him? Why can’t his brain function like everyone else on his--

Oh fuck.

Dan doesn’t even notice he’s ripped his revision papers apart until he’s blinking down at the two halves in his hands, lips slightly parted and heart still pounding way too hard.

“Dan?” Phil’s face pops up over the couch, the cut off Spyro music leaving a roaring silence in the air. “Revision going alright?”

All Dan can offer in response is a strangled yell.

Phil rushes over, his face caught between a smile and a frown. He settles on the opposite end of the couch, close enough to touch but with his hands clasped tight in his lap.

“Not well then, I take it?”

“I can’t do it,” Dan attempts to sigh, but it comes out more like a wail. “It’s one stupid exam but I can’t fucking do it. I can’t even get to the uni tomorrow. And it’s not like they can make me, either.”

He crosses his arms, each half of the revision papers still balled up in his hands. He’s fully aware how stupid and childish it sounds, but he couldn’t give less of a shit.

Phil inches closer, plucking Dan’s notes from him with all the force of a mother dog pulling her pups from danger. “Well, you’re right,” he says, slowly and carefully. “No one's gonna knock down our door and drag you over there. But are you sure about this, Dan? I don’t want to see you make a decision you’ll regret and anyway, you’ve only got two more years! Trust me when I say I know you can do it.” His hands reach out for Dan but then he seems to think better of it, pulling his knees to his chest instead and settling his chin on his arms.

It would be adorable if Dan wasn’t so tilted right now.

“I’m not going. I can’t. I just...I don’t know how to explain it, but I just can’t. ” He hopes the desperation in his voice is enough to make Phil understand, and back off.

Phil nods a bit then, and something loosens in Dan’s chest.

It’s not much. But right now, it’s enough.

“Okay. I know how hard Law has been for you, I get it. And I hate to say it, but Dan...where we’re at right now, we both kinda need uni degrees. Not that you have to go to a boring law firm after this, because that’s so very not you, but just as something to fall back on, you know?”

Some part of him recognizes Phil’s right, somewhere Dan can barely access. Most of him, though, just wants to throw something again. Or maybe rip his giant textbook apart.

“Well...yeah, maybe, but what if I don’t give a fucking fuck anymore? It’s too much. It’s too hard, and I’m too fucking stupid, and I just...I don’t care! I never fucking did. I don’t know why I picked this course in the first place, I…”

And then Dan starts to cry. Not a little bit, either.

No, these are big, honking sobs that threaten to rip Dan in two just like his revision papers. He reckons he could blow all of Manchester down with the force of his gasps.

Fitting, really, as it feels like Dan’s entire world is crashing down around him, leaving him to sweep up the ashes.

Again.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, a set of arms wrap around Dan’s shoulders, holding him firmly in place as he finds himself sobbing against Phil’s chest. Which of course makes Dan cry harder, if that’s even possible.

Phil doesn’t say a word, just rubs his hand in soothing circles between Dan’s shoulders. It feels to Dan like they stay on that crappy sofa forever but really, it’s only a couple minutes before Dan’s tears slow down, eventually ending in a whimper and some sniffling.

Phil remains silent and steady as ever until Dan’s pulled himself together enough to swipe an arm across his nose and rub perhaps a bit too hard at his eyes.

Dan blinks back up at him, and the hurt reflected in Phil’s round eyes is enough to rip him apart all over again. But Dan just sucks in a shaky breath, somehow holding himself together despite how impossible it feels.

“Hey. It’s okay, you know.” This time, Phil takes Dan’s hands in both of his. And the way he holds them, soft but so so strong at the same time, is enough to stop Dan’s world from spiraling out of his control. Well, mostly.

“It’s okay,” Phil repeats. “I’m really sorry for what I said before. You’re right, you don’t have to do this course, or even uni at all if you don’t want to. It might be scary but we’ll find a way to work it out. I promise.”

Dan can’t stand to see his eyes so wide and scared like this. Yet at the same time, he’s not sure how much he believes Phil.

After a few excruciating moments, he sighs. “It’s alright. I mean, you do have a point. And I really really wish I had it in me, but I dunno. It’s just too much.” He swipes his thumbs across the backs of Phil’s hands even though he can feel himself slipping farther and farther into that dark place that’s just become a part of him these days.

“Dan. Can--can you look at me? Please?”

It takes a few seconds, but eventually Dan’s eyes meet Phil’s. And when they do, Phil meets his gaze with an intensity that pierces deeper than Dan thought was possible.

“You do have it in you. I know you do. If you were able to move all the way up here, and stay here, I know you can finish uni. But clearly, law isn’t for you and that’s okay.”

“Is it, though?” Dan hates the whine that bleeds through his tone. If only his dumb brain could shut up for just one second and believe Phil….

Maybe if they were in different circumstances. Maybe if the idea of returning home wasn’t worse than death...if people hadn’t told him all his life that who he was and what he wanted were so, so wrong...if he and Phil had just a bit more money…

“It really is,” Phil reassures, his grin shaky but still there. “You know, I think it’s actually a good thing that you’re figuring this out now and not five or ten or twenty years down the road when you’ve been stuck doing lawyer-y stuff for so long that you don’t even realize how unhappy you are. And hey, at least we get to spend more time together? If--if you want, of course…”

“Phil. I may be feeling like complete shit but of course I wanna spend more time with you, you nutcase. I can’t--I didn’t even think of that.” Really, how the hell does Phil stay this positive, this hopeful, always? It’s so foreign to Dan.

He does appreciate the fuck out of it, though. He needs that.

He doesn’t know how much he needs the warmth from Phil’s giant smile, either, until it’s breaking through his icy shell, protecting him just like the arms that are once again holding him tight against Phil’s chest.

There’s a part of Dan that still feels broken, of course. He can’t see that changing, unless some miracle happens and they become millionaires overnight and he no longer has to face the nightmare of Wokingham. But the way Phil’s holding him, like he’d shield Dan from the entire universe if he could, is enough to send something warm and cozy and...calm settling over his shoulders.

And maybe Dan can find it in himself to believe Phil after all. Just a little.

They stay like that for a while, Phil’s warm steady breaths providing a desperately needed sense of stability, until Phil finally murmurs once more that it’ll all be okay and they’ll find a way through this. Then he pulls away with a start, leaving Dan’s side cold where their bodies were pressed together. Dan doesn’t have the energy to reach out for him again, so his hands drop pathetically to the sofa.

“You know what’ll make this better?” Phil apparently chooses not to wait for an answer, as he’s already getting up when he bursts out, “Chocolate! I, er, may have gotten you something special for tomorrow but I think we could both use it now, yeah?”

Still curled up in himself, Dan sighs. He can’t help feeling a bit abandoned, as ridiculous as that sounds. But he can’t trust himself alone with his brain right now.

Blessedly, Phil returns less than a minute later with a huge box of gourmet chocolate, just like the ones Dan always gets his mum for Mother’s Day. He slots himself in right up against Dan, fighting the wrapping for a bit until he finally plucks the first chocolate from the box and hands it to Dan.

“Eat this. It’ll help.”

Generous as the gesture is, Dan still can’t find it in his heart to fully believe him. He takes the sweet with shaky fingers anyway, though.

And Phil’s right. That silky sweetness must have magical powers or something because holy fuck is that good. Better than Dan deserves.

He goes in for two more anyway. Because, well, fuck it, right?

That zombie-like state follows him around for the next few weeks, Dan hardly doing much of anything and barely registering the few things he is doing. He knows he’ll have to tell the internet at some point, but he just can’t yet. So he buries himself in the SuperAmazingProject and in his own channel, doing everything he can to chase away that darkness and the pressing guilt that comes with it.

And then a miracle does come around a few weeks later, in the form of an email and later a call from the BBC. It’s not a permanent fix, but it’s enough to pull them through the rest of this year, and next year too. But best of all, Phil helps him realize, it’s a start.

Even when tragedy strikes again a couple days later, and Phil’s the one to retreat into himself while Dan fights the flames for both of them, he starts to believe what Phil said in August might just be true.

They may not know exactly what they want to do with this new life of theirs, but having an in with actual Radio 1 is invaluable. And if they do well with this show (which Phil assures him they will), Dan might not have to return to uni next year like he thought he would.

Maybe he did make the right decision after all. He can only hope that, unlike his nightmares, it doesn’t blow up in his face.