phan oneshots

Gaps

A/N: Okay, I've been working on this forever and I hope it's great. I tremendously appreciate feedback (whether positive or constructive), so I'll try to respond to all comments. :) (Also really sorry for the shorter dashes when they're supposed to be long, which I use quite often. That's wattpad's fault).

Words: 7,038
Alternative Universe

Phil Lester was ten when six-year-old Dan Howell moved next door. Phil liked him immediately because of his cute dimple, glowing eyes, and also his love for Pokémon, which Phil discovered when the Howell's came over the Lester's for a welcoming dinner. The older boy loved Pokémon too, and Mario Kart, another game Dan enjoyed as well. Phil knew they were "friend soul mates" from the start because of the joy they expressed around eachother, but he didn't know he'd be scratching the "friend" part out in a decade and a half.

Soon, Dan attended school and quickly made a few friends, despite being awkward. Although Mrs. Howell claimed it was important for Dan to have friends in his grade, Dan didn't like playing with toy dinosaurs and instead played video games and chatted with Phil daily. Phil also felt himself attaching to the boy younger by four years and beginning to grow distant from his ten-year-old "friends." Phil couldn't care less though; he had Dan.

The age gap was never noticeable then.

It took four years for Dan to notice a slight change when he and Phil were watching Phil's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

"She's pretty," Phil commented as Buffy flipped over a table then stabbed a vampire in the chest with a wooden stake. "Don't you think?"

Dan's heart sped up. "Y-Yeah. I guess so."

Dan hadn't changed much from the video game obsessed, awkward boy, yet Phil was a different story. The year before he experienced a growth spurt and then towered over Dan by a whole foot. Phil also had a girlfriend and spent more time with Jessica over Dan. Jessica was lucky though, since Phil was way more attractive than Angel from Buffy, especially when Phil wore his glasses (in Dan's opinion at least).

"You like her better than Jessica?" I Dan inquired.

"I guess so," Phil answered. "I mean, Buffy is pretty epic and I don't really like Jessica that much."

"Then why are you spending so much time around her?" Dan asked.

"I don't know," Phil replied shrugging his shoulders. "She asked me out and I felt bad. I think I'm gonna break up with her though."

The little wound in Dan's chest that he didn't know existed suddenly healed.

Over a span of two years the two felt themselves bond so much more, yet Dan remained to remember that Phil was four years older and would never be on the same level as him. That was until he expressed some maturity.

They were walking along the creak in the nearby park, thinking instead of talking.

Phil was pondering about how mature Dan had been getting. He had grown in the two years, but Phil still was taller than him since Dan was twelve against Phil's sixteen. Dan's voice had began to crack and Phil knew that the conversation topics would change slightly because Dan wasn't that little anymore.

Dan, on the other hand, was thinking about boys and every single thing he was attracted to them from head to toe. It made Dan know he was different and that he wouldn't be treated with the respect as others by some. Phil would always be his best friend and could accept him, right? Also, Dan had to tell someone girls weren't up his alley.

"Phil?" Dan broke the silence, asking worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Phil questioned, sitting down and motioning for Dan to sit as well.