part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight

a broken mirror to reflect (ao3) - foxtrot_writes

Summary: Pretty. Suddenly Dan feels nauseous.

“And I Don't Need The Comfort Of Anyone” (ao3) - thestalk3xr

Summary: Can it even be possible to fall for a ghost? Someone who once lived?

because none of it was ever worth the risk (ao3) - howell_slide

Summary: Dan arrives home from Phil’s, and the house is empty.

bottle, blanket, balcony (ao3) - gaydreaming

Summary: The Interactive Introverts Tour is set to begin in a month. The venues are all booked, the fans are riled up and Phil is ready to enter an era that will surely be the peak of their career. There's only one problem: Dan doesn't want to do it anymore.

broken clocks (ao3) - bloodyscarab

Summary: i'm never going back, never going back

no you can't make me

Catch Me As I Fall (ao3) - serenity_sky

Summary: Dan jumps out of bed in anticipation of seeing Phil’s new blond hair. Unfortunately, he gets up quickly and faints. He expresses his frustration about Phil not catching him.

Catch You on the Flipside (ao3) - Amorist (dead_on_the_inside)

Summary: Dan is holding himself together by the seams after running away from a religious cult. He has to ask himself why he keeps going, but deep down, he knows the answer already. It's the same answer it was long before his parents packed up and moved him to a thinly-veiled conversion camp in America—Phil.

Or, my excuse to write self-indulgent angst, because sometimes we need that.

Finish Line (ao3) - dnpangels

Summary: Six Months after Dan and Phil broke up, Phil is already moving out and in a relationship, but Dan feels like his life has been put on pause. Through his pain, Dan tries to move on, but he is constantly reminded of the memories he made with Phil.

First Love/Late Spring (ao3) - leewritesstuff

Summary: Dan and Phil are a ranch metaphor.

Dan and Phil are the moon and the ocean.

Dan and Phil are first loves.

Phil left in late spring.

I know you, hands under my sweatshirt (ao3) - midorijpg

Summary: “How are you?”

It's with an undertone of fear that he dares ask that, as always, even if he knows that he’s lucky if Dan even decides to answer. And as he imagines, Dan just tilts his head, looking at him as if lost in thought, swinging the bottle with his hand before just resting it on the floor.

“Make room,” he just says.

“What?”

“I said, make room.”

or, something something about having bad days and growing up and realizing you don't (completely) fit in couches anymore.

i need you to stay (ao3) - poemstomars

Summary: Dan wakes up to a panic attack in the middle of the night, and Phil is there to comfort him.

I’ll be the light that you can’t make (ao3) - MANIAvinyl

Summary: There was suddenly a tightness in Phil’s chest, put there by guilt and fear, and he couldn’t find the words to respond. The gravity of Dan’s depression was creeping up on him, like a realization he didn’t want to admit.

Or; Dan is depressed and Phil cant help but feel that the sickness in his best friend is a mystery to them both.

Into Your Arms (ao3) - deansimpalax

Summary: Embarking on a journey of independence after nearly 13 years, Dan explores uncharted territories and embraces new challenges. As he plans a world tour and authors a book on mental health, the overwhelming weight begins to strain him. The burden becomes too much for Dan to bear alone, but thankfully, Phil steps in to support him, picking up the pieces that have fallen in the wake of Dan's ambitious endeavors.

just so you know we won’t drown (ao3) - foxtrot_writes

Summary: And just like that, anything Dan could possibly say is shut down on the spot. So slowly, gradually, he gives in, allowing himself to relax into the feeling of having someone else care for him, even if part of him still thinks he doesn’t deserve this.

Kaleidoscope (ao3) - danisnotinteresting

Summary: A fan makes up a rumour about Dan which turns out to be true, he assumes Phil must of leaked this and becomes very distraught.

Let's Think of Something Better (ao3) - EverythingIsAsItWas

Summary: Dan Howell has no direction in life. No real friends, a job he hates, and suppressing a huge part of his identity, the end of summer 2009 is looming.

Then, he begins to see a boy in reflections, a boy with black hair and blue eyes he swears he could swim in. And then his entire world falls apart at the seams.

long distance (ao3) - ShiwiSins (IetjeSiobhan)

Summary: He looks good: even dishevelled and in miniature format on Dan’s phone, he looks beautiful. It’s late afternoon for him right now while Dan is still going through the morning hubbub, and Dan misses him so fiercely his chest physically aches with it.

Or: Dan misses Phil during We're All Doomed.

Lost (ao3) - Frog910

Summary: Do you ever feel lost? Do you ever feel like you don't quite fit in?

My dearest, Phil (ao3) - dead_little_lamb19

Summary: Dan and Phil had a pretty disasterous, but happy life together for over 15 years. 2025 was the year they decided to finally get married after coming back from their yet another world tour and Dan honestly couldn't wait.

Unfortunately his yet-to-be husband Phil had the misfortune of attracting health scares upon himself. And maybe that one was one too much.

Phil's dead. Now Dan's writing him letters to cope.

Sanctuary (ao3) - homegrownlesbian

Summary: Dan can't cum because of her SSRI's and feels sad, so they cuddle instead.

“You’re not a shrivelled up balloon to me.” Dan was a lit candle in a dark room, laughter on a quiet day, a book she never wanted to stop reading, comfort and company, from beginning to end. Dan was her past, present and future. “You’re like… A fresh balloon animal.”

Sometimes, Dan Wants To Hide (ao3) - ConsumingPearls

Summary: Dan lays in his tour bunk and recalls a time where he became a zombie; a drug-induced shell of himself that he's grateful to be out of. Some days are harder than others, but he has the open road and Phil to help cope with that.

to love somebody the way i love you (ao3) - howell_slide

Summary: Dan and Phil return home from the hospital, and Dan’s Going Through It emotionally.

what doesn’t kill you makes you weird at intimacy (ao3) - foxtrot_writes

Summary: Dan is kinda weird about being touched.

Whispers of Shadows (ao3) - Frog910

Genre: Oneshot (Zombie Apocalypse AU)

Words: 1.5k

Summary: “I hate this,” Phil said softly. Hated not knowing if his friends were alive or dead, hated the everpresent fear of fucking up and dying, hated what the world had become. Hate hate hate.

A/N There’s not much zombie action in this sorry but if you guys like this I might start a full zombie apocalypse phanfic? We’ll see! (Also sorry this took so long, anon)

Read on Ao3

Contains descriptions of pain, alcohol mention, swearing, suicidal thoughts, brief mentions of homophobia, minor character death, descriptions of blood

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester Additional Tags: Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, i think that tag works, I'm trying to be safe since this fic deals with consent issues Summary:

Dan is excited to wake Phil up with a morning blowjob. Things do not go as planned.

Fic Frenzy #3 

This is one of my first official written head cannons so I hope I make you happy with it! :) This is also 320 words! 

🌸- When Phil came home from work to see his baby all choked up on the couch, he knew instantly something was wrong. He rushed over to him, sitting down next to him. 

🌸- Dan had had a rough day, not only has he been upset because he realized his new pants he bought were too long on his short stature, but then he logged onto YouTube and read through some of his comments. And instead of finding nice ones, he found means ones. All of them making fun of his pink jumpers and flower crowns. 

🌸- “Baby boy, what’s wrong?” Phil had asked, only to be responded back by a crying Dan, who barely got out that people were being mean to him. Phil cradled him into his chest, “Who is being mean to you, angel?” Dan just sniffled and said, “YouTube comments.” 

🌸- Phil smoothed his hands down Dan’s back, comforting him because he knew his sensitive his angel was. But then again, anger coursed through his blood as he realized people were being mean to his angel. So he suddenly got protective, “Listen here, angel,” he began, “If anyone…and I mean anyone…ever makes fun of you, you tell them that your big bad boyfriend is going to have a word with them.” 

🌸-At that, Dan smiled, his tears finally drying as Phil leaned down and pressed a kiss on his lips. Dan returned the kiss happily before cuddling into Phil, “Also,” Dan sniffled, “My pants are too long and we need to cut them.” 

What went down when Phil made Dan lie on a bench in an airport to drop stuff in his eye after he blinded himself.

Or Dan being whiny and sarcastic while Phil’s being lowkey dominant.

Dan and Phil walked out of the airport pharmacy, Phil with a bag full of every eye product they sold. 

Dan reached for the bag and Phil handed it to him. 

“How’s your eye?” Phil asked.

“Stinging. How’s yours?” Dan asked. “I mean- I-” he let out before internally face-palming while Phil giggled.

“Even in a crisis, you still manage to be awkward.” Phil said, hoping to get a laugh out of his boyfriend. 

Dan did laugh for a second before wincing in pain. “Okay, how am I going to do this? I’ll look pretty weird in the restroom dropping shit into my eye.”

“Well, maybe we can find a place where no one’s around.” Phil said as he started walking.

“We’re in an airport, Phil. There’s a million fucking people around.” Dan said as he followed behind him, trying not to walk into things or people.

“There’s always an unoccupied nook to slide into if you search hard enough.” Phil spoke in his cocky voice he oftened used when he was proving Dan wrong.

“There is so much wrong with that sentence, Jesus Christ, Phil. Please never say ‘nook’ again.” Dan said with a cringe as he continued to follow behind his boyfriend.

“Ah ha.” Phil let out as he led them to an empty, secluded corner, occupied by one lonely bench. “All right, lie down.” he ordered ever-so-lovingly.

“Excuse me?” Dan almost laughed. “You want me to lie down on a dirty airport bench?” 

“Yes.” Phil simply said.

That was enough for Dan to do what he was told. He lay down along the bench, shifting around in attempt to get comfortable. He was so long his legs hung off the edge.

He watched as Phil opened one of the little bottles of eye drops. “Can I trust you to drop things into my eye?” he asked in slight fear.

“You already can’t see out of it, could I really make it any worse?” Phil asked.

Dan let out something between a grumble and a sigh.

“Okay, ready?” Phil asked.

“How exactly do you prepare to have shit dropped into your open eyeball?” Dan asked.

Phil would have been annoyed if he didn’t feel so bad for his boyfriend. He couldn’t be too hard on Dan, he was the one who had injured himself. Moronically - but nonetheless, Phil felt bad.

Phil pushed Dan’s curling fringe out of the way. “Ready?” he asked softly.

“Just do it.” Dan said.

Phil let a drop fall into Dan’s eye and Dan winced.

“I fucking hate this.” Dan snarled.

“Just pretend it’s like contact lenses.” Phil said as he prepared to drop something else into his boyfriend’s eye.

“I don’t wear contact lenses.” Dan fought.

“Dan, you need to let me do this. We need to get on that plane and get to Australia for TATINOF and you need to be able to see the stage and the fans and me.” Phil told him.

“Oh, you know I only have eye for you, Phil.” Dan spoke sarcastically.

“Good, then you’ll have no problem keeping your eye open while I drop this in.” Phil said as he ever-so-gently held Dan down with one hand and let another drop fall into Dan’s eye.

“Jesus Christ!” Dan let out as he squeezed his eye shut. “That’s abuse, you know!”

Phil looked him in his remaining good eye. “Look, I know this sucks, but you’ll never get better if you don’t let me help you.“ he said. “Just calm down. Think of something happy and I’ll try to do it quick.” he told him. He could only imagine the happy thoughts Dan could be having; the day they met, the countless videos they’ve made, writing the book, raising Dil, performing TATINOF, touring the United States together, the new flat they were moving into next year, the corgi they were getting someday, the rest of their lives together.

Dan took a deep breath and let Phil drop things into his eye while he thought about his pistachio muffin.

Summary: Dan gets hate comments and gets bullied by his subscribers on the internet for not posting the video he said he would, and when he breaks down from it, Phil is there to help him back up. 

Or, the fic that’s not actually a fic because it really happened, because half the people in the phandom are assholes who have no regard for Dan’s feelings because they all think it’s about them. 

A/N: I’m not bitter :) This behavior is not okay. Dan does not deserve to be treated the way he was today. No one likes a bully. Unless you have something nice to say to him, than don’t say it at all. 

Warnings: None, unless assholes trigger you. Which, by the way, the tweets featured in this fic are actual tweets I saw in Dan’s replies on his video post.

Word Count: 2,026

Read on ao3!

Dan made a mistake by telling thousands of people on YouNow about his next video. Truthfully, he had planned on the next danisnotonfire video being one that meant something to him, but when he tried to film it, things just weren’t working out.

He had been stressed for weeks, constantly worrying about the content he was going to put out on his personal channel, but each time he thought of making a video to post publicly, he felt sick.

Dan treated his own channel like an egg. It always had to be perfect, with no cracks anywhere, and the outside had to have a polished glow to it. He never knew who was going to stumble across his channel, and he couldn’t have it looking like a shitstorm in case someone important saw it. But it was that exact thought that drove him mad.

Links Last Checked: January 16th, 2024

antisocialites watch a wilting flower (ao3) - throughtheirsnoses (det395)

Summary: Phil's an emotionally attached and loving vet and Dan's the drained receptionist with no dreams at the animal shelter who reconnect over the poor, hurt puppy dropped off. Dan's boyfriend is their boss.

Closer To Where I Started (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: An onstage accident at a convention leads to a week of stress, nightmares, and evaluating life choices for Dan and Phil.

Daddy Phil (ao3) - ReederJoe

Summary: A day in the life of little!Dan and daddy!Phil. One-shot from Phil's POV.

Grounded (ao3) - AmazingFrerard

Summary: Dan only wanted Maltesers... how did it go so wrong in such little time? Can Phil help him before it's too late?

Heaven And Hell (Phan Fluff) (ao3) - thegirlwholikestowrite

Summary: Dan has a nightmare, Phil sleeps with him. Its light angst with fluff. They get deep and romantic.

Handle With Care (ao3) - DisasterSoundtrack

Summary: "Sticking to one person for a lifetime is not a waste of time or lack of better ones, it means you’ve found your place of eternity."

Phil reminisces about moments that made him realize how much he cares for Dan.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (ao3) - outphan

Summary: Dan is feeling insecure, so Phil decides to show him that he is perfect.

Let The Salt Dry (ao3) - dandrogynous

Summary: “When I look at my old pictures, all I can see is what I used to be but am no longer. I think: What I can see is what I am not.”

- Aleksandar Hemon

2009 except Dan is a trans boy

Like A Shibe (ao3) - adorkablephil (kimberly_a)

Summary: After TATINOF, Phil's feeling insecure about how fans think of him compared to how they think of Dan. Why didn't he ever get to be drawn like a French girl in the stage show? Dan's always the sexy one. Dan tries to reassure him.

My Shipwrecked Heart (ao3) - outphan

Summary: After his heart gets broken, Dan Howell decides to chase one of his dreams: he enters a competition to go on a Mediterranean cruise! It comes true and along the way, something even better happens.

restless (ao3) - overwhelmedbysonder

Summary: Breathe. Just breathe.

In. Out. In. Out. In.

It’s not that I don’t try. I see my family, my friends, visiting with their faked smiles and forced laughter, desperately trying to pretend that things are fine, that nothing’s changed. I see them and I want to reach out, I want to look at them and smile and reassure them that I’m here and I’m fine and I’m here, but I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.

Or, the one where Phil struggles with depression, PTSD and being mute, and Dan just wants to hug him.

Rise Again (ao3) - ColdPorridge22

Summary: Sequel to Phoenix Down. Can be read as a standalone, if you're not into the angst fest that was Phoenix Down.

After the events of Phoenix Down, the boys are home and they've just gotten together. Phil is still healing from his injuries, but that's not stopping the relationship from getting more and more physical as they explore this new side of them. And then of course, there's the issue of coming out...

Shut Your Mouth and Listen Closely (ao3) - SimplyUndead

Summary: Dan is mute with an unfortunate past. Phil is a nice boy with a warm heart and love to give.

Six Ravens (ao3) - iihappydaysii

Summary: Dan meets Prince Philip at a cyberbullying campaign, but what starts as a working relationship grows complicated when Dan realizes he’s falling for the prince and maybe, just maybe, he’s not alone in his feelings.

the water might be lovely (ao3) - isleofbants

Summary: Dan, utterly fed up with uni, runs away to the Isle of Man.

Seeking escape, he gets more than he bargained for when he rents a room out from happy-go-lucky, recent grad, Phil Lester.

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.

Vacations, Hypochondriacs and a Little Bit of PTSD (ao3) - Merrydith

Summary: Neither Dan or Phil saw this weekend as one to worry about. Dan was a great driver, even though he never really got a chance to show it, and when he asked their good friend Cat to borrow her car for a few days after Vidcon, of course, she trusted him with the keys.

wikihow to stop a divorce (ao3) - ivorycastle

Links last checked: April 30, 2025

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven

allowed to just exist, together (ao3) - spacebunphil

Summary: During the US tour Phil hadn’t found the guts to put a label on whatever it was he had with Dan. Dan hadn’t had the guts to ask. But a one night stand from Dan led to awkward conversation in the kitchen the next day, with some tears and a very happy ending.

(FWB, friends to lovers, you know the drill.)

As Long As You're Happy - doomedhowell

Summary: Dan gets back from being in the army for four years, and doesn’t get used to normal life straight away. It takes him awhile, but he finally starts making videos again. Now Vidcon is coming up, and Dan is extremely nervous about going for obvious reasons. Luckily, he has Phil there.

Bad Day - mermaidstailonmyface

Summary:  Dan has had a very bad day at college and goes to Phil’s house for the usual round of video games and Phil, uh, makes it better?

Bad Day Skype Sessions - brerediddy

Summary: 2009!Phan. Dan’s had a bad day and Phil helps.

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.

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.

Crappy Situations, Happy Endings - doomedhowell

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

Drunken Confessions (ao3) - phan_stole_my_heart

Summary: Dan and Phil stumble into their apartment late on night and end up having sex. In the morning Phil freaks out and kicks Dan out of his bed. (This fic is very angsty, so angsty)

Five Times Dan Got Jealous… (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: …And the one time jealousy was the last thing on his mind, ft. collabs, puppies, misunderstandings, unbuttoned shirts, twitter selfies, and a happily ever after.

Happy Ending (ao3) - winstonlives

Summary: Danny hurts his back, Philly helps him feel better. ;P

helplessly helpless: I’m alive, can you hear me? (ao3) - MANIAvinyl

Summary: Dan’s been in a relatively good place. He’s kept his head screwed on tight recently. So because the worst of the storm has passed he feels like it’s on him to help the world to de-stigmatize talking about mental health. When he mentions this to Phil, though, it’s finally revealed how much the last few years have impacted his best friend, too.

Really, I just wanted to explore Phil’s side of the story regarding Daniel and Depression. Because mental health doesn’t just affect the individual; it also affects those close to them, in ways we can’t imagine until we’re the ones on the other side.

Here's Hope (ao3) - CanYourDan

Summary: In the past Omegas were treated terribly, however due to new laws in England, this practice has become illegal. Phil Lester works for an Omega rescue center, and so far things have been all business, however when a maltreated Omega named Dan comes in, things become complicated for Phil as he does the thing the center always advises against, his heart becomes involved, and he feels like it's breaking.

home with you (ao3) - CapriciousCrab

Summary: An accident on a lonely road leads to the unthinkable. Now Dan has to face his fears and look for help before it's too late.

I Can't Do This - awesomesockes

Summary: Due to stress Dan hasn’t been sleeping properly and has a small break down.

Ice Cream, The Beach, And Teasing Gone Wrong (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: Dan and Phil love teasing each other but things can go wrong when they go outside, especially when jealousy, self-doubt and unstoppable love are involved… Enjoy!

Let The Games Begin - doomedhowell

Summary: The Hunger Games is happening once again. Phil Lester has never been interested due to his grandpa shielding him away from most of it. But now, Phil wants to learn more about the Games. Then, he meets a boy from District 6 who has been chosen to take part in The Hunger Games. Phil becomes attached, and he’ll do anything to help keep this boy alive.

Living is Easy with My Eyes Closed (ao3) - TheUKAmazingDan

Summary: September 19, 1976

Dan Howell liked pretty things and a pretty guy, but not the one who was interested in him. No, Dan was infatuated with someone he couldn't have.

based off of the Colors music video by Halsey.

yesterday's paradise (ao3) - cyanica

Summary: "I-I should get help - like the doctor-"

Dan managed to shake his head - a mistake that caused the static white noise in his head to turn into a searing migraine from a brilliant cocktail of dehydration, labour, and the apocalypse. "I-I don't want - anyone here." He groaned, and Phil's heart caught in his throat because not having the one person in their group who knew what they were doing was even more fucking terrifying than how it already was. "Just you."