Violins And Cookies (Phan AU)

The One With The Invitation

Dan Howell was a mostly normal person with a day job living in an okay apartment. He was doing fairly well in his life. The most abnormal part was his neighbour Phil Lester. Phil who was quirky and strange and was unexpected in most ways. Yet he was charming and nice which made it hard for Dan to dislike him. How was he supposed to when his neighbour constantly showed up with baked goodies and his fluffy cat at his doorstep. He did still play the violin sometimes in the night but Dan had gotten pretty used to it so much that he actually enjoyed it. Normally Dan stayed aloof and didn't interact a lot. But Phil made it impossible.

It was a usual Friday morning as Dan was eating his breakfast. There was the usual knock on the door and it was of course Phil dressed in a blue shirt and shorts. Dan wondered why Phil only ever came to his house in the morning.

"Hey Dan" he said smiling at him.

"Hi good morning" Dan said.

"How are you?" Phil asked.

"I am good thanks for asking" Dan said wondering why was his neighbour at his house so early in the morning exchanging pleasantries. Then again he was very strange in his own way.

"How are you?" Dan asked.

"I am excellent because I am opening a bakery" Phil said.

"You're a baker" Dan asked. This explains the heaven like taste of Phil's cookies.

"Not exactly I bake a lot at home but not professionally yet" he said.

"So that is what you are planning to do?" Dan asked.

"Yeah I thought I had always loved baking so why not give it a shot?" he said.

"But what about your job?" Dan asked.

"I am quitting tomorrow so I can pursue my dreams" Phil said with a smile.

"That's really wonderful" Dan said.

"Thanks" Phil said. "So will you be coming?" he asked.

"Where?" Dan asked a little confused.

"To my bakery's opening" Phil said in an excited voice as he handed Dan a pink frilly card.

Dan took the card and on the front of it in an elegant font was written 'The Cookie Jar' and a special opening discount. It was not that far away too and was opening up on next Sunday.

"I am not so..." Dan began to politely decline Phil's invitation.

"No excuses you are coming and since I know you so well you will get a huge discount" Phil winked and Dan laughed.

"Okay I will come" Dan said.

"Great" Phil grinned.

"Oh great name for the store by the way" Dan said.

"Thanks. It took me 8 hours to come up with it" Phil grinned. "Bye Dan"

And he walked off to his apartment as Dan closed the door. He kept the lovely invitation card on the coffee table. It certainly looked good and Dan knew that it was probably gonna be a huge success because Phil's baking was phenomenal.

Dan then left his home to go to work.

For the following week Phil would show up at Dan's house with various cookies asking him to taste them and give them his honest opinion and so Dan did. Some of them were really good and some of them not so much and Dan would be honest about it.

"You're just trying to make me fat aren't you?" Dan asked as Phil gave him what he had baked the night before. It was called Triple layer chocolate cookies and Dan was sure he was getting diabetes.

"Oops you caught me" Phil laughed.

Dan took a bite closing his eyes savouring the taste.

"Is it good?" Phil asked.

"Mhhm" Dan answered.

Phil grinned.

"Thank you Dan"

"I guess I should be the one thanking you" Dan said. "For all these free cookies"

"You're welcome" Phil said. "I'll see you later"

"Bye" Dan said as Phil walked off.

Dan went back to his apartment eating the rest of the cookies.

***

The night before the opening of the bakery Phil was at Dan's door again one hand holding his Macbook and the other hand was Snowball grumpy as ever.

"Dan I need your help" Phil said. "Tell me everything you know about making  a website"

Dan was pretty modest when it came to his skills but he was good at all that stuff.

"I'll try my best" he said.

Phil walked in and sat on the sofa opening his laptop. Dan sat next to him with enough distance so that it won't be creepy but he could still what was on the screen. Snowball climbed on Dan's lap. 

They set to work and Dan helped Phil decide everything from the way it should look and the font etc.. They were so busy they didn't even notice that it was almost 3 am. 

Dan yawned stretching out his arms.

"I'm so tired" he said as he pet Snowball who was fast asleep on the couch.

"Aren't you?" Dan asked Phil.

Phil shook his head no.

"I am an insomniac" Phil said laughing. "I rarely ever feel the need to sleep"

"Are you hungry, then?" Dan asked and Phil nodded.

Dan went to the kitchen and bought the leftover cookies that Phil had given him.

They ate silently for most of the time when Phil spoke up.

"Do you think this would work out?"

"Of course it would" Dan said.

Phil sighed.

Dan then took Phil's hand.

"Don't be nervous, okay?"

Phil nodded with a little smile on his face.

"Thank you so much for your help Dan, you're a great friend" Phil said and then he suddenly reached out and pecked Dan's cheek real quick.

Dan's cheeks turned rosy as he mumbled an incoherent 'You're welcome' followed by Phil's grin.

"I should go now, sorry for all the trouble though" he said as he took Snowball in his arm and the laptop in his other.

"It's fine" Dan said.

Phil walked out of the flat and the door closed.

Dan just smiled to himself lightly touching his cheek.