Part 1 of the infamous series. Feelings appear. Sparks fly. Love rises. Problems occur. Please note: This story is now very old (7 years old in 2020) and I'd like to think my writing has improved since then! There are a bunch of cringey parts and bad writing in here, but enjoy and thanks for reading! :)

i was sinking, and i couldn't swim. {phan au} highest ranking - #10 in danandphil

Dan Howell and Phil Lester share a passion for soccer. When they make it onto their school's team, they are determined to impress the coaches and their teammates. The two boys are too caught up in competition to realize that they are more alike than it seems, instead drinking while underage and bringing home bad report cards. But then one night they find each other at a party, and suddenly their relationship is moving faster than a ball flying towards the goal.

A boy raised around religion and the discounts for sin, Phil Lester is definitely not one to go around looking for trouble. With his father being the vicar of their local church, Phil has a lot to live up to and has to keep his reputation high if he's to be accepted. He doesn't do parties or drinking; the thought of sex alone is enough to terrify him. So it's no wonder that when Dan Howell, a boy who embraces the life of parties and rebellious acts, shows up to join the church program, Phil starts having trouble keeping himself sane as he tries to teach Dan the path to God. But, religion isn't the thing on Dans mind and he seems to find himself a new toy to play with. [warning: this does contain violence and mature content (as shown) and there's a lot on the topic of homosexuality and negative views towards it from characters in the story. Please read on with care <3]