A/N: oh jeez i already know that i have uploaded two stories throughout the past week, while i have also updated quite a few of my stories at the same time wow so i hope you guys don't mind me posting a lot o' things pretty quickly sigh i've been pretty motivated i guess you could say

and this is just a phan one-shot so no, it's not a multichap haha

summary: Dan had always thought that stars and humans were alike in many ways — after all, he'd seen his best friend Phil shine as bright as one. "I have so many questions and so little answers." —Phan, present universe

idea: ever since i've listened to "all of the stars" by ed sheeran which always affected me in a gIANT feels-y way and i can't stop listening to it, in fact i'm listening to it as i write this while trying hard not to sob uncontrollably over my macbook because it's a really beautiful song and you should listen to it

disclaimer: i am not in ownership of either dan or phil, and i am also /not/ saying that phan is real cries — oh! and, i don't own 'all of the stars', or the song 'yellow' (as for the story title). all rights go to ed sheeran and coldplay. (:

enjoy!

Look How They Shine For You

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It's just another night, and Dan's looking at the moon.

He was outside along with his best friend Phil Lester, who was seated next to him. The two of them never really stayed out this late, at around 10:30 PM (they were usually at home around this time, doing their own things) — but Phil had practically begged Dan for them to stay and gaze at the night sky, for they had never seen it up close and personal before. After ten minutes, Dan had finally given in (come on, who could say no to those puppy eyes?) and as of now, they were sitting together out on a grassy hill — the cold air nipping at their faces.

They seemed quite a distance away from London (which was surprising, Dan didn't remember traveling this far), for the two adults were able to see the bright lights of the city, and the many lit up buildings — seeing them made him feel warm and happy in the inside. He'd never told Phil this, but Dan had always been fond of the many stars and constellations that seemed to beautifully decorate the night sky. The stars seemed to be like a whole another universe, and Dan was completely drawn to them.

Dan remembered being captivated by them, even when he was still a kid. He remembered how amazed he was once he had first glanced at the sky — and saw them. He remembered his never-ending list of questions about the stars. What would happen if you could touch a star? If you could be a star? His questions were still being created up till now. But there was something that had kept coming back in Dan's mind — do stars ever gaze back at humans the same way they did at them? There were so many questions, and not as many answers.

But that was okay.

He liked the fact that stars were mysterious and fascinating at the same time. Deep down, Dan always thought that humans could be like stars — in many ways more than one. Humans could shine as bright, as bright the ones in the sky. They could shine at the darkest of times, and you could tell when they are. They could be just as beautiful. And Dan has seen it. He'd seen how beautiful humans could be, and as captivating and wonderful as the stars.

Who was the person that he had seen shine beautifully, the most?

It was Phil.

Yes, that was right.

Dan didn't hesitate to admit it — well, not out loud anyway.

He'd seen his best friend shine exactly like the stars in the sky — many, many countless times. Phil had — saved him, basically. Phil was there for Dan when he needed him. Each time he'd have an existential crisis, Phil would help him pull through it. When Dan was feeling depressed and questioned the subject of inevitable death, Phil was the person who had always comforted him, and managed to cheer him up no matter what. Phil was the person who had pushed him into making YouTube videos as well, and Dan still couldn't thank him enough for it.

He'd seen Phil shine so brightly, even if Phil himself didn't see it. Phil most likely didn't know that Dan could see it — the light that made Phil so unique from everyone that Dan had ever knew. And it was quite strange, in all honesty. Dan didn't know which feeling that constantly burned inside of him each time he looked at Phil. It was a warm, fuzzy feeling that happened each time Dan thought about hi — oh.

Was he possibly in love with his best friend?

Dan laughed quietly, staring at the grass. He tugged nonchalantly at the strands as he bit his lip. Was that it? The feeling that Dan always had when he and Phil shared a glance — or when they looked at each other while the other wasn't noticing? Of course Dan knew about these things, he'd seen it happen before — each time he'd re-watch a few of his videos, when the two of them filmed together, and even while editing. They would always glance at each other, and each time Dan either caught it or looked at Phil he could feel his heart pounding.

And of course, there were the fans that liked the fact of the two of them being a couple. Dan didn't mind the shipping. Personally, he thought it was funny. He knew his subscribers were all creative and different in their own special ways, and he enjoyed that. He had no idea about Phil's opinion about the subject either. He'd never even thought twice about the fact of him and Phil being an actual couple. But now, that he was thinking about it, under the stars...

He couldn't help thinking that the fans were right.

There were times when he wished they were a couple.

Dan frowned slightly as he looked across at his friend.

He saw Phil smiling at the sky, and Dan's breathing slowed as he realized what feeling it was.

He was in love with Phil.

Was this how it felt to be in love with someone?

Dan looked up at the stars, which were as beautiful as ever. They twinkled across the night sky, and for a moment — Dan wished that he was a star. He wished that he was able to feel what a star was like. He wanted to know what a star's purpose was. He smiled at the sky, and thought of his previous question he'd had in the back of his mind. Do the stars ever gaze back at humans they same way we gaze up at them? Do they admire humans, and wish to be us?

It wasn't until now that Dan realized that him and Phil had made no conversation ever since they've decided to sit down here in this very spot. The two of them had probably drifted off into their own thoughts while they were stargazing. He wasn't sure what Phil was thinking, even though the two knew each other better than anyone else. But even though they did know each other so well, they had little secrets to keep from each other too.

He snuck a glance at Phil, who's gaze was still fixed on the bright lights in the sky.

And... wow.

Phil looked beautiful in the starlit night. The moonlight seemed to reflect his face — being a light silver — and through his glasses Dan could see Phil's soft blue eyes bright with wonder. Dan exhaled slowly, knowing that Phil was too busy being focused on the stars that he didn't notice Dan staring at him. He smiled at himself before continuing to observe his friend. His black hair looked a dark blue in the light of the moon. Phil's cheeks were a light pink from the cold as well.

Dan could've stared at him all throughout the night, and never get tired of looking at him.

Then, Phil shifted — and Dan nearly fell over in sudden shock. Quickly, Dan looked away as fast as possible and chose to stare back at the grassy ground — feeling a bit embarrassed. It was a close call, thankfully. Phil had almost caught him staring back there. Dan breathed out a shaky sigh of relief and bit back a laugh. He tugged quietly at the grass strands, and nervously fixed his fringe as the two of them didn't say anything.

"Dan?"

Said boy froze at the sound of his name. Oh no oh no he noticed me staring was the main thing running through his head as he frantically dug through his brain to find out what to say in response. Then he slapped himself. Stupid! He just called me. I shouldn't be this flustered... Dan nervously glanced at Phil, who was staring right back at him in confusion — probably wondering why he'd slapped himself. Nevertheless, Dan responded. "Y-Yeah?"

"It's pretty, isn't it?" The older adult said, pointing at the bright stars in the sky — and then at the horizon. Dan looked at the direction at where Phil was pointing at — before realizing that he was pointing at the city lights of London, which seemed to rival the stars in brightness. Dan chuckled lightly to himself before silently preferring that the stars were way better than any lit up building.

"Yeah, it is..." He agreed, with Phil. The sight was completely breathtaking. Dan was pleased that he had given in and decided to watch the stars with his friend even if it was late at night. Nothing in his life could compare to this moment. This was easily one of the best things in his life. And he was thinking that as he looked back to glance at Phil once more —

— and was beyond surprised to see Phil glancing back at him.

He was staring intently at Dan — his blue eyes narrowed softly, lips pursed. Once Dan had turned around to look at him, Phil hadn't said anything. He was breathing softly — puffs of mist appeared in the air as he exhaled. Nervously, Dan averted his gaze and stared at the ground, face burning as he bit his lip. When he looked up again, Phil was looking in the other direction — and Dan could see the slightest hint of a smile on his face. This made Dan feel a bit overwhelmed. What was he thinking? He couldn't help but wonder.

Phil then chuckled lightly. "Aren't you glad we stayed, then?"

"Well, I guess so." Dan admitted, rolling his eyes as Phil smirked.

A comfortable silence fell between the two once more.

Dan was occupying himself by plucking the grass strands from the hill underneath the two adults, not knowing what else to say. There wasn't really anything to say. After all, the two of them were just looking up at the stars — and making little conversation, which was pretty rare. But it felt nice, to be under the stars with someone. It was relaxing and heartwarming at the same time. It made Dan feel beyond joyful, knowing he was looking at the stars — especially with Phil.

Phil then coughed, and Dan raised his head due to the noise.

He had turned to look back at Dan once more, and Dan glanced back. A few moments passed as the two continued to glance at each other, until Phil averted his eyes and glanced at the night sky once more. "Dan... d'you like the stars?" He then asked, brushing some of his black hair out of his eyes.

The younger male raised his eyebrows in curiosity, a bit taken aback. Of course he loved the stars. But he wasn't completely sure if Phil would understand his liking for them. After all, best friends did have their differences too. Dan bit the inside of his cheek before responding, and then soon decided to tell him minutes later.

"Yeah, I like the stars. I've liked them for quite a while now — they're just so mysterious and fascinating in so many different ways." Dan said, looking straight above him. "I'm not completely sure if you get what I'm trying to say, but there's so many things I want to know about them. The stars — they're really just wonderful. I've always thought that. But I've always also wondered if there were anything more than that."

He paused, and changed his sitting position to now laying down. The strands of grass tickled his ears as he settled into a comfortable position. He reached a hand to the sky, opening his palm out to the stars. "I have so many questions, and so little answers."

To his surprise, Phil answered almost right away. "You're not alone." Dan looked up from the ground to see Phil was smiling down at him. Dan watched as Phil lay his head down next to his, and sighed as he settled down into the grassy ground. He was still watching Phil as he breathed softly, staring up at the sky. His blue eyes seemed to have the many stars reflected in his gaze.

"What?" It took a while for Dan to register that Phil understood.

Dan glanced back at his friend, who was smiling on the ground next to him. "I've been thinking the same things. The stars... they really are something, aren't they? Not a lot of people acknowledge them that much, they just see them as bright lights that completely illuminate the sky. They don't question them, and they're not as curious of the stars. I always think... that stars and us — people — are alike, somehow."

Dan smiled. "It's weird."

"What is?" Phil had looked back up at the sky.

Dan adjusted his jacket before responding. "We have the same opinion about a lot of things, don't we? Don't you find that a bit strange? It's like we share thoughts, right?" He said, a small smile appearing on his face. He clenched in his fist the strands of grass he plucked and held it inches above the ground before releasing it — making the grass fall breezily back to the ground.

"I think it's nice," Phil said quietly. Then he gasped and tugged Dan's arm, making the latter look up in confusion. "Dan! Dan, look!"

The 23 year old frowned and blinked. "Wha — ?"

Then, he looked back up and his eyes widened.

It was a shooting star.

He'd saw it — just in time when Phil had pointed it out. And it was magnificent. Dan had never seen one in his life, and once it appeared — he'd quickly made a wish with his eyes squeezed shut. Even though it had eventually faded away, the memory of the light shooting across the sky continued to stay with him. He glanced at Phil, who was grinning ear to ear back. "Wow! Did you see that? Did you make a wish?"

"Er — um, yeah." Dan muttered, not really wanting to say his wish out loud. Fortunately, Phil didn't pry.

Instead, he sighed. "Dan, do you know what's beautiful?"

You. Dan thought at once, glancing into Phil's eyes. He stopped himself from saying it out loud, and instead trained his eyes back onto the grassy hill — relieved that he didn't, even if it was true. But, he couldn't say it now. It wasn't time, yet. Dan was waiting for the perfect moment.

"This." Phil said, adjusting his glasses and squinting his eyes. "This whole thing right here, it's all I've ever basically wanted. We've got a chance to see an actual shooting star — and we're looking at the stars, and the whole city lights together. I don't know about you, but I find this whole thing really magnificent. Especially since we're seeing it together, which is, er, really great, isn't it?"

Dan half-smiled, pleased that Phil pointed out they were watching the stars together. "Same here."

Then, after a few moments of silence — Dan bit his lip. Now he'd finally got the guts to decide and tell Phil now about his feelings for him, before it was too late. It was the perfect scenery, as well. The stars were shining bright above him, they were both lying together on the field, the city lights were lit up beautifully — everything seemed to be staged for this moment. No one was here to ruin this. He took deep breaths before choosing which things he wanted to say. Then, he began slowly.

"Um — Phil?" He said, turning his head to face his friend. Dan knew that Phil had looked back to face him, but Dan himself was staring away from Phil — not wanting to meet his gaze. Dan took a shaky breath. "Can I... can I tell you something?"

"Of course you can," the black haired man said, his voice filled with curiosity.

"Well... I'm not sure how to say this, but — " Dan confessed, laughing a bit. He trained his gaze on the stars once again — and saw the many constellations he knew. He smiled, gaining his confidence. " — you shine as bright as a star, Phil."

At this Phil let out a laugh and this time Dan turned to face him, a small smile on his face.

The older man was smiling back at him, though he looked a bit bewildered. "I don't see what you mean by that, but thanks anyway."

"No — wait, Phil — " Dan said, reaching out to take his friend's arm which was inches away from his own. "I'm not... finished yet. Sorry." He laughed as Phil's mouth formed into an 'O' in surprise. He was still smiling as he looked at Dan, who was still trying to rid of his grin, trying to make this serious for once. Dan cleared his throat and eventually let go of Phil's arm before speaking again. He exhaled. "But I mean it when I say that you shine brightly, Phil."

Phil didn't say anything in response, he just raised his eyebrows.

"You probably shine brighter than all of the stars in the sky," Dan said softly as he looked at Phil again. "I don't think you see it, but I do. I see the light that shines brightly inside of you. And Phil... I think you're really magnificent, and as beautiful as the stars. I've always thought that stars and humans were alike, but I didn't have any living proof of it. But that was until I first met you. And I knew that you were a star."

Dan stopped speaking for a few moments, and then continued on talking as he continued to gaze at the sky above him. "Why, though — you must be wondering. Why is it that I see you as a star?" He smiled slightly. "I don't know myself. But I've always loved the stars, and Phil — you're as beautiful as them. It might sound weird to you, me comparing you to bright lights in the sky, but — it's true. You've helped me in so many ways, and I thank you so much for it. That's why I'm telling you now, that you're a star. You shine as bright, and you're equally as beautiful."

He paused. Dan felt his heart pounding, and his face reddening. "And, Phil... I like you okay? If you didn't get the message already, I like you... a lot. More than friendly. I just want to tell that to you right now, because I really do. I wanted to tell you this while we were here watching the stars together. I guess you could say that I... I fell in love with you."

Silence fell between the two once more.

"Dan — " Phil said, but Dan cut across him.

"That was probably stupid, me just admitting that. All of this is stupid, isn't it? I'm sorry." Dan said, as he laughed quietly.

Phil shifted, and Dan turned his head to look at him, fearing for the worst. But Phil's eyes were widened, and he was grinning. "Dan, you idiot. You didn't let me finish." At this, Dan rolled his eyes and felt an embarrassed blush spreading across his face. He met Phil's gaze shyly, and the older man was chuckling. "Thank you, Dan. Thank you so much."

"Why should you be thanking me?" Dan laughed, staring at the starlit sky. "I should be thanking you."

"Maybe that's right," Phil said quietly, making Dan snort. "but there's still more than that. I thank you for allowing me to be friends with you." He looked over at Dan, who was fighting back a smile once more. "Dan, I'm not sure about what to say right now — I guess I'm just a bit taken aback of what you told me. I'm being honest when I tell you this, but I'm really flattered of what you said..."

To Dan's surprise, Phil's face had reddened in the moonlight. If it was possible, Dan's face turned even redder. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? He'd flattered Phil — which was satisfying, yes — but Phil was blushing. He'd never saw Phil's face this red before. Oh goodness gracious. Dan felt himself awkwardly tugging at the grass underneath his hands. Was telling Phil this a mistake?

"I — uh — " Dan stammered, then shut himself up. He didn't need to make things more embarrassing.

Phil then giggled, snapping Dan back into reality. The brown haired man looked back at Phil once more, who was still red and smiling. Dan's heart rate slowed back to normal as he began to breathe easily again. He felt himself relaxing. "Um... sorry. For, uh, flattering you...?" He muttered timidly, brushing his fringe in embarrassment.

"Don't be sorry for flattering me," Phil said as he laughed softly, staring into Dan's eyes. "I guess it's safe to say that — that I love you too."

Dan froze, his hand engulfed in his hair.

What?

Did Phil just —

"Y-You — you what?" Dan sputtered, feeling his face burning. He abruptly looked back at Phil, who was looking determinedly back at him. Phil was definitely blushing. Dan could see his red cheeks easily against his pale skin, and it wasn't because of the cold. Dan's head spun as he replayed it over and over in his head again.

Phil was half-smiling back at him. Oh gosh, that half-smile. "Yeah. I do. I love you, Dan."

He loved him too.

Wow.

He didn't see that coming.

"Ah — " Dan said, his mind spinning and his heart racing. What was he supposed to do now that he found out that Phil liked him back? He was breathing quickly. If Dan was standing, he'd most likely fallen over by now. He got up slowly as he glanced up at the bright stars — and then back at Phil, who had sat up as well. And he stared at his best friend, for what seemed like forever.

The person that Dan had fallen in love with, and the same one who loved him back.

Hesitantly — Dan scooted closer to Phil, who was staring curiously back at him, but he didn't flinch. Immediately, he turned towards Phil — facing him entirely. The stars in the background... they seemed to glint in approval. He looked at the city lights, and back at the bright stars before laughing softly, but loud enough for Phil to hear. "They're really beautiful, aren't they?" The older male nodded, answering Dan's question.

"Which one do you prefer? The city lights or the stars?" Phil whispered softly, as Dan moved his face closer to his.

Dan stopped, his lips inches away from Phil's. He glanced into Phil's eyes — and saw the stars reflected inside of them. Dan smiled as Phil waited for his answer. He chuckled lightly as he cupped Phil's face gently with his hands.

"I like the stars better than any manmade creation." He said, as Phil laughed in response. "Because Phil, you shine as bright as a star. And I prefer you over anything."

Right at that moment, Dan closed the gap between his and Phil's lips.

It felt wonderful — kissing him. It felt great.

After a few moments, the two of them broke apart — breathing heavily and staring into each other's eyes once more. Dan slowly removed his hands from Phil's face, and Phil had took them into his two hands. Dan looked down into their entwined hands and back up at him, realizing that Phil was bright red and that his glasses were a bit fogged up. The younger male felt a smile spreading across his face as he exhaled.

He looked back at the sky, and it seemed brighter than usual.

"Wow." Dan said, in awe.

"That was — " Phil said, then giggled. "That was amazing."

"AmazingPhil," Dan joked, as Phil rolled his eyes. "but yeah... that felt great."

The two of them gazed into each other's eyes before Phil bit his lip, and rested his head on Dan's chest. Slightly shocked, Dan looked down on his flatmate — who was smiling as he continued to stare back at the sky. Dan couldn't help but grin hugely, as Phil was snuggled against him. He was sure Phil could hear his beating heart, and he glanced at him.

"I wish we could stay here forever," he admitted as the two adults continued to look at the sky.

He heard Phil laughing quietly. "Yeah, me too."

It was quiet once more, and Dan's eyes were closing. He didn't know how late it was, but it probably was the early hours of the morning. It was weird that Dan was getting tired at this time, though — he was usually up at this hour on regular days. He yawned as he looked down at his chest and saw Phil breathing slowly. Had he fallen asleep? He smiled as he glanced at him, but then Phil moved — alerting Dan that he was still up.

"Hey, Dan?" Phil said.

Dan rubbed his eyes before responding. "What is it, Phil?"

"I have... two questions."

"Ask away..." Dan replied, telling himself to stay awake.

Phil yawned. "What was... your wish? When the shooting star... appeared, in the sky?" He moved his head to glance up at Dan, who raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. Then he smiled and chuckled as he poked Phil's head gently.

"I guess it's safe to say this now, but my wish... was for you to love me back," Dan mumbled shyly.

"We had the same wish." Phil laughed, and Dan's heart nearly stopped once more. "Well, that came true didn't it? I'd loved you for quite a while, actually... I guess I was too scared to admit it to you. And for the second question... are we, you know...?"

He didn't say the unspoken words, but Dan understood. Phil was asking if they were officially together. Dan grinned as he kissed the top of Phil's head.

"Yeah. Yeah." Dan mumbled in Phil's hair. The older man let out a laugh.

"Turns out the fans were right after all, huh?"

Dan smiled — staring at the stars in the sky, and then back at Phil, who was smiling at him through the moonlight. He kissed Phil's cheek before responding.

"Definitely."

(It's just another night, and I'm staring at the moon.)
(I saw a shooting star, and I thought of you.)

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(You're on the other side, as the skyline splits in two.)

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.

(Back to the time, you were lying next to me.)
(I looked across and fell in love.)

A/N: ah im done woohoo although i apologize deeply if this is really crappy cries

i've been playing pokemon all day omg

yes the song lines at the end are from 'all of the stars' by ed sheeran i had to add those lines in ehehe

wow this took me three hours to write can you believe that

but all matters aside i'm so proud of these two dorks, they've gone so far and i'm so happy for them :)

and... mind if you leave a review? it'd make my day, thank you

-choco xx