Links last checked: March 21st, 2025
Admin recs of December 2016.
Elastic Heart (ao3) - goldfishsunglasses
Summary: Dan Howell, age 19, and Phil Lester, age 28, meet online and enter into an “arrangement”, with Phil acting as a sugar daddy to a much younger Dan. They get along great, and the sex is phenomenal, but what happens what that stops being enough? Follow them through a whirlwind year as they dance the fine line between what is acceptable, and what they really want.
Hey, Big Spender, Spend a Little Time With Me (ao3) - sloppyseconds
Summary: In a desperate attempt to pay for law school, Dan Howell decides to attend one of the famed parties held by the (filthy rich) Phil Lester in hopes of getting his hands on some of that big money.
In A Strange Room With a New Last Name (ao3) - yellowlampshade
Summary: The first thing Dan did after accepting the proposal was write to Chris.Just days after turning eighteen, Dan is forced by his parents to accept a marriage proposal from an Alpha he’s never met.“Daniel? Daniel, wait, you don’t have to…” Philip was behind him, his hand on Dan’s to stop him from undressing, and he couldn’t be numb anymore. Every feeling hit him at once and suddenly he was crying and couldn’t stop. He brought his hands to his face to muffle his sobs, and this wasn’t how this was supposed to happen, it was so much better when he felt nothing because now everything hurt. He missed his room and his friends and his brother and Chris and he was so afraid of this.
Prove It (wattpad) - staystronglittlelove
Summary: In which Phil is a famous movie actor and Dan is a flamboyant cutie who has had his heart broken more than once.
Those Who Trust - theshyauthor
Summary: Dan used to be a submissive and now he’s just a broken shell of a man.
A Stranger I Know Well (ao3) - SoManyRegrets
Summary: Phil has a secret boyfriend, and everyone wants to know.
Crawling Back to You - definitelythor
Summary: Dan and Phil started having phone sex while Dan was at uni, and once they moved in together they just stopped. Now they’re both coming to the realisation they want more, but they can still only tell each other over the phone.
Just Like Mud - butterflyphil
Summary: “So you’re upset because you saw me…polishing the banister.” “Jesus fucking Christ.” “Is that another euphemism or are you just mad at me?”
Give Me A Spark, I’ll Give You Explosions - cafephan
Summary: Phil is shy, silently pining. Dan is loud and flirty, and doesn’t care about labels. House parties and nail polish occur.
Misfit (wattpad) - MelancholyMango
Summary: Dan is different. He’s learned to accept that. I mean, what choice did he have? He’s been this way since he was a baby. People might not have questioned him about talking to things that weren’t really there at that age, but he can’t remember a time he didn’t have people that ‘weren’t really there’ dancing around him.
A Stranger I Know Well (ao3) - somanyregrets
Summary: “Phil’s got a secret boyfriend," Louise said. "That no one knows about.” “That is what ‘secret’ means, yes,” Phil told her kindly, patting her head and offering her one of the remaining chairs. “Does he not go to this school?” Caspar asked, kindlier still. “Does he live in Canada?” Phil has a secret boyfriend, and everyone wants to know.
Cause you're my best friend, and you're so good to me (ao3) - madelasha
Summary: Dan and Phil's relationship from some of their friend's points of view.
The Lucky Ones (ao3) - sohmaskyos
Summary: AU in which everything is in black and white until you meet your soulmate. Or, the one where Dan and Phil meet and are thrown into a world of colour.
In This Town of Glass and Eyes (ao3) - fairytalelights
Summary: the one where Dan goes on a family holiday and it's not that easy.
Let Me Feel Your Heartbeat (ao3) - itislacey
Summary: A year after the death of his parents, Dan finds that the only reason he’s able to get up in the mornings is because of the ring on his finger - the one that beats to the rhythm of his soulmate’s heart. Soon enough, Dan finds another reason to wake up in the mornings. And he supposes that’s due to a kind stranger who keeps invading his thoughts.
Pretty Odd - phillestatos
Summary: Dan Howell, piano teacher and speedster, craves chocolate cakes at three in the morning. He meets a baker named Phil who owns the only store opened at three in the morning and who bakes the most delicious chocolate cake in the world. It’s a pretty odd love story.
Skeleton Songs (ao3) - justhavesex
Summary: (TW) Dan is a mediocre blogger with content relating to which movies he loves and hates and Phil is his biggest fan. For other reasons.
The Bookshop That Has (Almost) Everything - phanlight
Summary: Phil works at a bookshop. Dan buys a book one day, and, in a ploy to see Phil, keeps returning with more and more obscure requests so Phil has to spend more time searching. After Dan leaves with ‘cactus maintenance: a memoir’, Phil starts to suspect something’s up.
Myself To You - threetimesgood
Summary: 5 Reasons Phil Loves Dan and 1 Reason Dan Loves Phil.
Skater’s Fatigue - darling-phil
Summary: As much as Dan loved the free feeling skating gave him, he never got used to the impacts intensive training had on his body. Naturally, Phil is there to make him feel better. Yuuri on Ice AU
Those Who Trust - theshyauthor
Summary: (tw) Dan used to be a submissive and now he’s just a broken shell of a man.
Waiting, Hoping With Each Breath - botanistlester
Summary: After Dan’s girlfriend breaks up with him, Phil finds his best friend suddenly a lot closer than he’s ever remembered them being before. For some reason, he doesn’t mind it much at all. In fact, Phil quite enjoys the late night cuddles and the way Dan clings to him whenever they watch television. He probably enjoys it a little bit too much.
Summary: A collection of fics that relate, in some way, to the subject of family.
in this town of glass and eyes (ao3) - fairytalelights
Summary: “I feel like when they look at me, they still see that kid that failed his law degree at university. They don't know what I do, they don't understand what Youtube is, they know that I'm on the radio, that's fine with them, but...” Dan sighs.
“You feel like they aren't proud of you,” Phil says quietly. Dan leans back against the bed and lets Phil card his fingers through his hair. He hasn't straightened it yet anyway.
Put Me Under Your Spell (ao3) - parentaladviserybullshitcontent
Summary: Dan wants to brag about Phil. He wants to tell everyone how brilliant and funny and clever his boyfriend is, how he looks at Dan in this way that nobody's ever looked at him before, how he buys Dan gross black flowers and doesn't expect anything from him except for him to be himself, even when that self is frequently unreliable and lazy and anxious.In which astronaut Phil gets back from Mars in time for Christmas.
nouns and books and show and tell (ao3) - dizzy
Summary: prompt: AU in which Phil teaches geography and Dan is the newly hired drama teacher, please
what you wont say outloud (ao3) - seabright
Summary: All in the name of fiscal responsibility.
