Disclaimer: I don't own Dan or Phil, as that would be illegal [probably], if you know what I mean, along with any YouTubers you know. I don't own anything revolving their universe, or any real life references that you may recognize (such as music/artists, social media, etc.) I do own Abigail Woods, my OC, and this plot.

Happy Birthday, Phil! Thank you for being the sunshine in my dark life :)

Creds if you get the MCR reference in the title - I think I'll be making song lyric titles soon :P This is also the start to something...that I am still determining, if you know what I mean. I guess you'll have to see what happens, huh?

*Wow-castle; I guess you'll know the real story soon, won't you?

Thanks to those who reviewed as well; I'll do shoutouts on Chapter 10 or something.

This story is also now on Archive Of Our Own under 'TiredOfBeingNice'.

Don't know what type of dog Dan and Phil would want, so I chose my own dog - oops, spoilers.

This chapter is short and fluffy; a break from all the long, angsty ones.

Chapter 7: Bright Lights That Cast A Shadow

Phil Lester wakes up a new man.

'29 at last,' he thinks. 'I am literally the oldest person in the world.'

He uploads a video - pre-filmed and already edited - onto his channel straight away, putting in a funny and intriguing title. He was quite happy about his video; in which he talked about his year so far, and his plans for today, even if he has no idea what to think. The video already earns its thousands of views, along with comments and greetings start flooding in.

Phil smiles, and he gets dressed. He doesn't want to wear his contacts today; he wears the black rimmed glasses that he - and a lot more people - love very much. He looks in the mirror, and smiles.

'A new man.' he thinks proudly, and walks out of his room with a wide smile, ready to cease the day. A day where he is important to others, a day in which -

"Morning, Phil." Abi mutters, flipping through channels. Phil looks at Abi curiously.

"What are you planning, Abi?" Phil asks, going straight to the important questions. "Will it one of those film cliches in which you try and forget it's my birthday, and I feel all bad, but you are actually planning to have a pancake party?"

Abi stands up, and Phil realizes there was a gift in her hand the whole time. Phil grins, and Abi shakes her head.

"No cliches, Phil." she says bluntly, smiling. "You know I'm not about that life."

"Fair enough." Phil laughs, before adding, "That pancake party might be worth it, you know."

Abi hands the wrapped box to Phil, rolling her eyes. "Just open your present, spork."

"Hey, no insulting the birthday boy."

"Don't ever say that again, Phil."

When Phil opens the present, he realizes it's a bunch of dog booklets, and some dog toys. Phil looks at Abi, a frown on his face, before he sees Abi's glance travel to her room's door. It's not until then when Phil hears something barking. He looks at Abi with wide, child-like eyes.

"You didn't..." Phil says, trailing off.

"Maybe I did?" Abi prompts, and Phil dashes all the way to Abi's room, flinging it open to see it.

Among the white walls and blood red furniture of Abi's room, was a small pug, lying down on Abi's velvet duvets. It was brown and tan, with a white marking running across its belly. It was currently playing with a tug-a-war toy, but when Phil walked in, its head perking up a little. Phil's eyes widened.

"Abi?!" Phil literally squeals.

Abi comes bouncing back into the room, a huge smile playing on her face.

"It's a boy, first of all," Abi states, "and he is about ten months old. His mom was a Boston terrier, and his dad is a pug. He was saved from his original owner because he was abused at the age of five months, but now, after some therapy with him, this boy is perfectly fine. He is a calm one, but can get anxious sometimes..."

"He's so tiny." Phil murmurs, reaching his hand out to pet the dog. The dog looks at him, tilting his head, and Phil melts in his spot. He whimpers a little, and Phil frowns, stroking his fur with a smile. The dog eventually softens to Phil's touch, and licks his hand. Phil is startled, but then laughs.

"He's also all yours." Phil's eyes snap towards Abi.

"Dan -" he starts off hesitantly, but Abi cuts him off.

"- is okay with it." Abi says with a smile. "He actually picked the dog. He said he'd be perfect for a family like us."

The words flew out faster than Abi wants them too, and her eyes widen in realization. Phil's grin grow even wider, and he starts to hug Abi, spinning her around in absolute excitement.

"Phil, don't let it get to your head, alright?" Abi mutters, smiling a little. "I only said that because it's your birthday."

"A family!" Phil squeals, twirling her in the air. "We're a family! I knew it! I knew you thought of me as your brother! We are one big family! Or even better - a phamily! And if you want to add your name as well, we can be...a...phanabily? A phanabily! One, big phanabily!"

"No."

"Yeah, I know, that kind of sucked."

Abi laughs and goes on her tip toes to kiss Phil's cheek. "I love you, Philly. Happy birthday, you old man."

"Thanks, kid" Phil teases back, and - as Phil picks up his new dog - they both head for the lounge.

As Abi prepared some pancakes, Phil played around with the dog. Abi tells Phil where Dan was - getting a cake, of course - when Phil asks, and says nothing more. Phil is curious, and Abi just brushes it off as nothing.

"What are you going to call him?" she asks, switching topics. "Dan and I agreed you'd get to name him, since he is technically yours."

"First of all, Striker is ours." Phil says proudly, ruffling the dog's head. "Striker is our puppy, and I think that he'll make a great addition to the phanabily that is Dan, Phil, and Abi."

Abi raises an eyebrow, trying not to show any emotion - Phil Lester just changed their brand name so that Abi's name would be included. She knew it wasn't permanent, and was definitely not legal, but Phil Lester - AmazingPhil, Phil Lester - had said her name as well, and Abi can't help but squeal.

"Striker?" Abi says, instead of thanking him. "Striker."

Phil nods, clueless. "Yes. Striker. Why? I think it is a very good name."

"It's just that...don't you think Dan might...eat him?"

Abi covers her eyes dramatically, running all over the lounge - to which Striker happily trotted behind her - and Phil rolls his eyes. Abi is screaming playfully, "It burns! The memory, the thought - why did I bring it up - it burns!"

"If that is about the hat fic or whatever it's called -"

"We don't mention the name of the dreaded fic, Phillip."

Phil smiles, ruffling Abi's spiky, brown hair. "You are a kid, y'know?"

"And your scolding me like an old man."

"We're never going to let go of that one, are we?"

"As long as you don't name our dog Striker. Why can't we use Winston, if you're going to use your name references from PINOF?"

"Because, Abigail," Phil says formally, grabbing the pancakes from the pan. "the 'fic that shall not be named' is just a fic, aka fiction. Calm down, will you? We are naming the dog Striker, and that is that. It suits him." The dog - Striker - licks Phil, and Phil's look says "Told you so." all over it.

"Alright," Abi says, stealing a pancake from Phil. "but you just wait until Dan hears that you've named our dog Striker."

"Please, Dan will think it's the next meme." Phil says with a laugh.

"Dan will know about its origins." Abi pauses, then adds, "He won't even remember the 'Phil Striker' thing. He'll just think 'hamsters', and he'll throw out his llama hat."

"Oh, shut it," Phil winks. "you wish it was you."

Abi's eyes widen, and she's tempted to throw her pancake at Phil. Instead, she just shrugs it off with a weary smile, and pokes at her pancake with her fork and sighs.

"Stop, Phil." she mutters. "Not helping us."

Phil raises an eyebrow, but is cut off before he can ask, by the door. Phil's eyes widen, and the dog perks up, before barking loudly, running down the stairs to see Dan, holding a cake box in his hands, along with a present. He smiles down at the dog, and Phil runs down the stairs just to hug Dan.

"Wow, careful there, old man," Dan smirks. "you might trip and fall."

Phil punches his arm playfully, but he really just wants to hug him as tight as he could.

"I can't believe you wouldn't buy me a hamster," Phil mumbles in Dan's chest, "but you buy me a dog."

Dan blushes. "It was Abi's idea."

Phil looks at Abi, who shakes her head. Phil looks accusingly at Dan, who rolls his eyes, and stares at Abi in disbelief.

"Wow, thanks, Abi. Way to blow the cover." he mumbles, and Abi sticks out her tongue. Phil thinks it's another sarcastic Dan Howell remark, and another snarky retort by Abi.

It's not; Abi and Dan both know it isn't.

Abi says nothing else, but wears a smirk, and walks back into the lounge.

Phil talks to Dan as he helps him unload the stuff. "So how did you convince the landlord to get us a dog? Isn't that breaking our tendency agreement?"

Dan looks at Phil, and then he smiles. "I'll save that surprise for Valentine's Day."

Phil looks a bit awestruck when Dan walks off; Valentine's Day was the day the landlord was coming to visit.

And Abi's birthday.

...

"PHIL?!" Dan yells. "YOU DID NOT NAME OUR DOG STRIKER, DID YOU?!"

Phil giggles like a school girl in his room, Striker on his chest.

Abi is sitting in her own room, scrolling on her laptop. She had tears in her eyes, but she looked over at her small money jar she kept under her bed, that was filled with tips from people in the restaurant, and continued to scroll.

The words were blurred by her tears:

"GREAT FLAT AT A LOW PRICE: IN LONDON!"

"One bedroom flat in London for a low monthly rent!"

"Perfect for single people; one bedroom, one kitchen, one bathroom, one -"

Abi shuts her laptop quickly, and flops on her pillow, crying.

Don't review for me; review for Phil Lester :)

Next chapter posted on: February 14th ;)