swaq writes

He knew Fright was watching him from somewhere on the sidelines with disapproval, but as of right now he didn’t really care. Whatever he had been drinking earlier wasn’t settling the stir of emotions in his stomach, and with this current burst of energy, he needed a way to keep his thoughts preoccupied from the anxiety that was constricting his throat. The knight couldn’t say that Danny wasn’t doing his job tonight either – enough times, Danny found himself turned around to see the reason why his thoughts were as jumbled as they were.

Phantom, after the third or fourth time Danny faced his direction, had finally seemed to notice what his knight-in-training was up to. A grin broke out on his face, and he began to make a move towards Danny. Danny immediately knew there was no way he could let that happen.

He forced himself to look past the prince, and as another noble hesitantly took the assumed dessert off his tray, Danny started a beeline in a different direction. Glancing back, he thanked the gods that Phantom found himself distracted again by another guest. But, as Danny moved away from the middle of the floor, he found himself on a path again that lead right to the Sanchez family, and potentially Dash. He made another right turn and headed to the back of the room.

From there, he could see the white hair and green crown of Prince Phantom as it seemed to bob in conversation with whoever had pulled his attention. Danny sighed, and with the burst of nervous energy from earlier giving way to the apprehension he felt about speaking to Phantom, he set the tray on the nearest table he found himself by and sat down in an adjacent chair.

He isn’t too sure how long it’s been since he’s sat down; staring out into the crowd and seeing glimpses of the prince through the holes that form. His preoccupied thoughts are interrupted, though, as he feels a thump against the legs of his chair. He turns around and finds himself staring up into a mess of curly, black hair, and a girl in a dress the color of blood grinning down at him.

“Hey stranger,” she says, and pulls a chair up and sits down next to him.

“Hey, Val,” Danny says. He watches her look at the tray that had the remaining mystery food, and as she begins to reach past him to grab a bowl he brushes her hand away. “I don’t think you’ll like that.” Valerie ignores him and again reaches past to grab the nearest serving of sludge.

“I’m starving. I wouldn’t care if it’s worms, and it doesn’t look like ectoplasm.” She makes a face as she pulls the spoon that had been inserted into the mush beforehand, and Danny isn’t too sure if it’s in response to the worms, or the ectoplasm. “Plus, if whatever ghost in the kitchen believed you of all people would be good enough to serve this to other humans at this dumb party, well…”

Danny watches her take a bite. He doesn’t comment on the way she hesitates before taking another spoonful a little too quickly. “Anyways, how’s your own little hell going?”

Danny snorts. “As if working for Vlad would be any different.”

Valerie frowns around her spoon before pulling it out with a pop. “Don’t let our King hear you say that.”

“’Our’?” Danny echoes, and the thoughts that surface are the only ones that seem clear. He bites his tongue before he can speak any more about it because they’ve had this conversation before – in fact, numerous times before. Instead, he rubs his face and leans back to stretch. “I’m tired. Training’s tough. How’s everyone back home?”

“Better or worse,” Valerie replies, and the bowl she finished is set aside as she reaches for another. Danny doesn’t try to stop her this time. “The Manson family went back to their winter estate a few weeks ago. It seems a little early to me, but I’m not high enough in any social standing to understand what it means.” She takes a bite and hums. “Tucker went with them this time, though. He packed up half of the things he’s been tinkering on. Left the rest of them with your family.”

“And them?” Danny said softly. Fright had moved into his vision from the far right and seemed to be deciding on whether to watch him or observe Phantom on the floor.

“Still worried about you, even more so now that Jazz finally left for school.” Valerie was silent for a moment. “They think you’re being tortured over here.”

“And you?”

“Wouldn’t be surprised,” Valerie replied curtly as she set aside her second bowl. She noticed Fright staring at them and glared, and the knight shifted in what Danny would assume was one of his usual grunts before turning his attention on Phantom. “You always seem to be on a short leash whenever I’m around,” She suddenly grabs his arm and he hisses, jerking it back to rub his forearm. “And you wear enough clothes to hide your bruises.”

“I told you, training’s tough,” Danny repeated. “And maybe they wouldn’t consistently watch us if you weren’t consistently verbal about hating Phantom.” He ignored the curse Valerie muttered under her breath at the mention of the prince. “You can tell them I’m fine.”

“And brainwashed.” Valerie groaned, standing up to smooth out the folds her dress made when she sat down. “Every human in this room seems to be.”

“Why come then?” Danny retorts. “Vlad is the last person I thought would make an appearance.”

She doesn’t say anything at that question. Instead, she considers him for a moment and offers out a hand expectantly. “Do you want to dance, Fenton?”

Despite the warning bells in his head, Danny nods after a minute and takes her hand. She’s the closest thing to an anchor that he has from his old home right now, and despite the animosity that’s been between them recently, he would rather embrace the nostalgia of dancing with someone who’s known him longer than anyone else in the ballroom.

They make their way out to the dance floor. Valerie acts familiar and instead of placing a hand on his shoulder, she leans in close and wraps both arms around his neck. In turn, he wraps his arms around her lower back, and they slowly begin to spin with the rest of the crowd.

Valerie, as he always remembered, takes the lead as they move across the floor, and he closes his eyes for a moment as his feet seem to match her own. This isn’t as awkward as it was when he practiced with Phantom, where he fumbled to keep up with the prince’s pace and couldn’t look the ghost in the eye. Valerie, however, was warm, a long-time friend, and used to be one of his closest confidants back in Amity. And for once, in a long time since being sent here, Danny didn’t feel like there were walls he had to hide behind. Despite everything, Danny pulls Valerie closer, and she allows him to do so.

“Do you remember the time that me, you and Tucker went to the lake,” Valerie began, as they made another pass around the hall. “We went out late that night. One of the older kids that we knew had told you…”

“The stars in the sky came down and danced there,” Danny murmured.

“You had tripped on our way out there in the woods and sprained your ankle,” Valerie huffed in amusement. “I gave you a piggyback ride the rest of the way there.”

“It was worth it,” Danny said as he chuckled at the memory. “It was like a mirror, and the stars were so bright that night.”

Valerie hummed in agreement. “We talked for hours on that shore. Our family, our friends, our dreams…” They moved together in silence for a few minutes before Valerie started talking again. “You’re not a fighter, Danny.”

“You’re patronizing me again,” Danny responded back, frowning.

“It’s the truth, and you know it. This isn’t what you wanted that night.”

“And?” Danny looked over Valerie’s shoulder, noting that the crowd seemed to be thinning. “I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

“King Masters would let you come back whenever you want,” Valerie said, stopping to look him in the face. “Don’t you miss everyone?”

Their previous argument comes rushing back to Danny, and he lets go of her as he takes a step back. Valerie lets him do so, watching him simply as a variety of emotions raged in his head. A faint ringing in his ears seemed to grow louder as he continued to stare at his childhood friend. Something wasn’t right, and while nothing seems to have changed from previously, Danny couldn’t find himself able to continue looking at Valerie in the eye and instead watches as the bottom of her dress pools around her feet. “Where’s Vlad, Valerie.”

“He didn’t come.” She supplies off-handedly, reaching out for Danny’s arm. He takes another step back, and Valerie’s arm hangs in the air between them before she huffs and lets it fall. Danny finally looks up again to find Valerie glaring at the fiery crown that was suspended over Phantom’s position in the crowd a few feet away. “Why would he bother?”

“What?”

“I only came to check on you,” Valerie continues, “and despite myself, I still can’t seem to convince you that these ghosts don’t care whether you live or die.” She turns to him again and smiles, and Danny finds himself walking into open arms as she pulls him close into a hug. “Stay safe, Danny. Times are changing fast.”

“Uhm,” Danny was released from the embrace, and as quickly as she had shown up, Valerie makes her exit. Danny watches as people part before her, a path opening up out of a reputation that proceeded her, and soon she is out the door. He releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and groans while rubbing his face again.

“Everything alright?” Fright Knight asks when he makes his way over to where Danny was standing. “I don’t recall seeing King Masters here.”

“He wasn’t,” Danny said. “I’m fine. Peachy.”

“What was she here for then?”

“I don’t know.” The ringing in his ears dies down, and Danny scowls at the previous exchange. “Open invitation, right? Times are changing.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong.” Fright mutters, and studies him for a moment with a frown. “Anyways, the party is wrapping up. I’m going to help start closing procedures. You,” He begins, but stops for a moment to watch the crowd. “I need you to escort the prince back to his chambers.”

Danny’s thoughts surrounding Valerie suddenly halts as he processes Fright’s words. “Fright,” he tries to start, but Danny can’t find any words to argue Fright’s order as the knight’s stare cuts through him the same as it did an hour or so previously. “Seriously?”

“That’s an order. Pull yourself together and go wait in the hall. I’ll let Prince Phantom know so he can give his final address before we find you. Don’t,” Fright pushes a finger into Danny’s chest as his voice lowered, and whatever sort of connection Danny felt that he and Fright Knight made earlier was snuffed out as the ghost glared at him, “Don’t mess this up, Daniel.”

Danny sighs, and with a nod leaves Fright alone on the floor. The ghost watches him pass through one of the doors being manned by one of the castle guards, before glancing at the ghost that had approached next to him.

“Follow that girl. Something’s going on.”

“And the boy?”

“Despite myself, I trust him.”

Fright narrows his eyes as the ghost guffaws. “That would be a first. You’ve taken a liking to him?”

Speaking of which, he could see Prince Phantom across the grand hall, conversing lightly with what Danny assumed were royal family members and foreign ministers that were attending the formal gala. How the young ghost could do it so easily Danny could never tell, but having been brought up underneath the late Pariah, Phantom was bound to have learned things about politics and speech despite his father’s cruel hand. Flames from the Crown of Rage danced over Phantom’s head, and Danny’s mouth thinned as he watched the prince grin easily as another diplomat greeted him. 

A shoulder nudged against him, and Danny looked up to see the Fright Knight hovering over his shoulder, eyes trained on their prince. Without his helmet, Fright looked pale in the ecto-luminescence that glowed in the rafters. He scanned the ballroom without so much as a smile.

“What’s bothering you?”

For a moment, Danny forgot that the reason he was here was only for Phantom’s own security. He opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head.

“Nothing. I just got distracted.”

Fright’s mouth twitched but said nothing as he continued to stand beside Danny and watch. Danny frowned and pulled at his collar.

“What did you do to this shirt? It’s itchy.” Knowing that Fright wouldn’t answer him, Danny sighed and looked around the ballroom with him. His eyes fell on a very pink dress being worn by Paulina, a princess from a neighboring land, who seemed to be watching Phantom like a hawk. Knowing that Dash, Paulina’s own knight-in-training, was close by, Danny grimaced and inched closer to Fright. “We invited the Sanchez family?” 

“Open Invitation,” Fright said.

One of the maids working the party stopped in front of Fright to hand him a drink. The maid turned to Danny, who only shook his head in response. She smiled and continued through the crowd. 

Danny couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate Fright’s company, despite the knight’s stoic demeanor. He was always hard to talk to, a ghost of action more than words, so despite Danny’s fidgeting they both stood there in silence before Fright pushed the drink towards him. 

“Here, you need to calm down.”

“I’m fine,” Danny began, looking up at Fright to find one ghostly eyebrow raised. Fright leveled him with a stare before looking back up, and Danny huffed as he turned around – finding Phantom standing before him, smiling with what Danny assumed, surprisingly, was relief.

“Fright, Danny. Are you two enjoying yourselves?”

Fright bowed his head. “Yes, your highness.”

Phantom bowed his head back, and then looked to Danny with fondness. “What about you?”

Danny’s mouth worked for a moment before he coughed. “Well, it’s an experience, I’ll give you that.”

Phantom chuckled, and the lights in his toxic green eyes seemed to dance. “It is your first time. It will get better, I promise.” Danny couldn’t help but nod in response, and his fidgeting seemed to worsen as the prince continued to watch him. Phantom seemed about to say something else before a pink glove wrapped around his forearm.

“Hey, Phantom!” Paulina appeared over his shoulder, and the flush creeping to Danny’s cheeks died as she wrapped herself around Phantom’s arm. “Do you want to dance?” 

To Phantom’s credit, the ghost barely budged as the princess leaned into him. “Of course, Paulina,” he said, winking at Danny before turning around and walking back into the crowd as Paulina laughed about something in his ear. Bodies grew thick around where they entered before Danny decided to finally look down, unclenching the part of his tunic he didn’t realize he had balled into his fist.

A drink appeared before him, and Danny took it out of Fright’s hand without saying a word and downed it. He heard the older knight hum, and Fright must have gestured for another maid to come over because soon his empty glass was replaced with a full one.

“Still enjoying yourself?” Fright asked, and Danny shook his head.

“Can I leave?” Danny said under his breath. Phantom and Paulina finally appeared again on the floor, where he could see Paulina laughing as Phantom seemed to say something back to her. He finally spotted Dash on the other side of the room, who glared from his own spot next to his mentor. The gang was all here, it seemed – with his luck, Valerie could also nearby serving her royal family, and the last time they saw each other it wasn’t pleasant.

Fright must have heard him because the ghost snorted. “Your assignment’s not over.” 

With his mood souring rapidly, Danny looked up at Fright with annoyance. “Half the people I know here either hate Phantom, hate me, or both. I don’t understand why we’re even doing this.”

Fright was silent again as he contemplated Danny before they were interrupted by a guest who Danny presumed was another knight – however, the crest on his tunic was foreign to him, and as the knight turned towards him as Fright gestured down Danny offered a half-smile and stuck out his hand. 

As pleasantries continued to be made, Danny looked back over to see Phantom had drifted to greet the rest of the Sanchez family. One of the maids was hovering next to him, who Danny recognized as one of Phantom’s own personal attendants. King Sanchez seemed to be smiling down at the prince, but Danny could see that his eyes kept drifting back up to Phantom’s crown. Danny frowned.

“Daniel.” Danny looked to see that the other knight was gone, and whatever contemplation that Fright seemed to have earlier must have been resolved. The knight opened his mouth, sighed, and surprisingly, placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Pariah – may he rest in peace – was… not regarded well by many people.”

“Understatement of the century, Fright,” Danny said.

The knight frowned at this before continuing. “He started wars with many of the people here, killed many of their allies… treated his own people horribly. Many feared him and hated him, and when Pariah finally passed…” Fright trailed off, and Danny said nothing as the grip on his shoulder tightened. “There are many things that I have come to regret, as one of the few remaining from his time as the King of Ghosts. My burden is a feather to the legacy Pariah left behind for his son.”

Danny was silent for a moment, going back to watching as Phantom finally separated from Paulina only to get caught up with other guests that had approached him. “Why are you telling me this, Fright.”

“When the prince brought the idea forward of holding a ball, there were very few members of the council that believed anybody would even bother responding. We never had an ally while underneath Pariah, and in his passing, many still refused to communicate with us.” Danny spared a glance at Fright to find him, too, was watching Phantom. “For this to be as successful as it is must be a testament that times are changing for the better. Still, we have too many enemies. Those who say they aren’t don’t believe that Phantom is too young to be claiming the throne of his father. There is still a lot of work to be done.”

“He can do it.” Danny found himself saying aloud. They stood there for a while, Danny feeling as if he and his mentor managed to jump some hurdle that hindered them before. He saw Phantom look back at them and smile, giving another wink to Danny as a diplomat he was talking to gestured to someone. Fright squeezed his shoulder again.

“Of course, the same could be said for you.”

It was such a simple statement, but coming from Fright, who had been training him past his limits during the previous weeks, caught Danny unaware. The heat in his face returned as he tried to make out what Fright, who was being unusually chatty tonight, was saying. “W-what do you mean by that?”

“The prince likes you.” Fright replied easily. “Really likes you. I thought it was just some sort of physical attraction, but the prince has never given this kind of attention to anyone he’s known.” The months that Danny had spent training with Fright when Phantom had come down to watch them suddenly caught up to him, and all the times he thought that the ghost was teasing him turned into something more. Danny reflexively lifted the glass he was still holding up to his lips to drink again, only to find that it was already gone. Fright was already there, trading Danny his untouched drink for the empty one, when he added, “You have more power than you realize. He really does care for you.” 

Something clicked in Danny’s mind, telling him that he already knew this; that somehow, his weird crush was being reciprocated in some strange way. Of course, it was Fright Knight, of all ghosts, to make him realize it. At the same time, it was Fright Knight, of all ghosts, to make him realize he was way over his head.

“Do you like him back?”

“I don’t know,” Danny said automatically. He can feel Fright’s eyes narrow like they do when he does something stupid in practice, and he groans. “I really don’t. He’s a ghost prince, and I’m human. I’m nobody. I can’t even protect him. I’m just – “

“You’re scared.” The words that came out of Fright’s mouth made Danny’s throat constrict as he watched Phantom laugh, not yet a king but still looking regal, poised, and fluid – all of which, Danny felt not. His hand twisted at the hem of his tunic again, not being able to look into Fright’s eyes as his gaze fell to the floor.

However, the sun had already passed the midday mark before they were able to find and take down the second biggest frog that Danny had ever seen - with the first being only a few hours ago. Val had already given up working as a team to go find the third, leaving him with the crusader that had an ego large enough to compensate for his intelligence. Dash ran in close to strike at the frogs legs, but the beast jumped - forcing Dash to quickly pull his shield up as the frog kicked him back.

Danny cursed, muttering under his breath as he swung his staff in front of him. An incantation circle appeared underneath the frog, and the ground buckled before exploding, stunning the monster as it was sent flying into the sky.

“Now’s your chance!” Danny shouted, and Dash grunted, running forward so that he could swing at the frog again as it fell back down. The impact with Dash’s broadsword left an impression on the monster’s skin as it was propelled back into the woods, crashing through some trees before finally skidding to a dead stop.

Danny’s pocket gave a chime, and as he pulled out the task card a small red x now covered the second monster face underneath the assignment. He frowned, stuffing it back in his pocket as he loosened the combat grip he still had on his staff before rubbing his face. Dash was no better, it seemed, as the blond had decided to let off steam by stomping up to Danny and grabbing the mage by the collar of his tunic.

“The hell was that?”

“I was helping you.” Danny said, ticked. “You were getting your ass kicked.”

“You almost blew me up too, Fenturd! You and your stupid magic.” Dash growled, dropping Danny’s shirt and turning away. “And where the hell did Valerie go? Not like she would have been much help either, but at least she knows how to handle a weapon.”

“I know what I'm doing.” Danny snapped. “You attacked that thing head-on again, and it didn’t work on the first frog did it?” Dash glared at him and opened his mouth, but Danny continued. “I don’t even know why you wanted to party up. This can’t always be the Dash show, and both you and Val were doing fine solo before you even came to Amity.”

Danny and Dash’s pockets both dinged, and Danny stopped before looking away. “I’m going to go find Val. We can meet back up in town later.”

“No.” Dash grabbed onto Danny’s arm before he could start walking, and Danny looked back. “The last thing we need is to split up even more. You’re staying with me.”

Danny frowned. “That’s oddly sound advice,” he said, cocking his head. “Did that frog kick you too hard?”

Dash took a pause before smiling wryly, letting go of Danny before walking further into the woods. “I’ll need support at some point, just get your healing spells ready.”

Mr. Masters never seemed to need her much, but no matter what she had planned was ultimately dropped if the small pager in her purse buzzed. Sometimes it would be the middle of the night, other times his school teachers would come up to him to say that his Dad would be picking him up that day. His mother always came back without saying a word, and just hummed a response whenever asked how Masters was.

Dash strummed his fingers against the steering wheel, staring at the large expanse of house in front of him. He could remember the few times his Mom had brought him - explicitly telling him to stay inside the car - and ended up staring with wide eyes at the limo that was usually parked just next to the overhang leading to the front door. There was no limo now, meaning that most likely there was no Masters; or, Masters was inside, and wondering just what the hell this shiny white coupé was doing outside his mansion.

Dash stuck his head further over the steering wheel, looking at the windows just in case he could see a curtain pulled back or something. Everything looked silent, and Dash sighed, collapsing back against his seat and rubbed his face. He had a bad feeling about coming, and the memories of his mom with all seriousness telling him to stay behind before walking into the imposing home was almost all he needed to start the car back up again. But, with Danny in mind, Dash steeled himself before opening his eyes again.

Dash cursed as he found the man himself standing in front of his car, navy eyes piercing and face unreadable. Dash opened up the car and stumbled out of his seat. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t know if you were home or not.”

Vlad’s eyebrow quirked. “So you decided to stake out in your car, and not actually come to the door and knock?”

God, he felt so stupid. Dash felt his face heat up before he began stammering. “W-well, Mr. Masters, I - “

Vlad cut him off with a wave of a hand. “I’m joking, Mr. Baxter. I know full well of the influence my home can have on people.” He chuckled, before gesturing for Dash to follow him inside.

Through the tall, darkwood doors laid a hallway decked in green and gold Packers memorabilia. Dash whistled, and he could feel Vlad preen as he admired jerseys and footballs signed by Ray Nitschke and Willie Wood. They turned right from that hallway, and Dash could smell food cooking before they made another right turn into a room with a small table in it. Dash frowned as Vlad gestured for him to sit before walking into an adjacent room.

The window at the end of the room told him he was still near the front of the mansion, and he could see his car sitting a little off to the left. This was probably where Mr. Masters saw him come up from, and if the smell was any indicator Dash had interrupted him during lunch. Damn it.

Dash kicked himself as Vlad walked back in with two plates. Dash almost said something before Vlad hushed him, setting out a delicious looking sandwich adorned with extra fruit. Masters sat across from him, picked up his own sandwich and took a bite out of it. Dash looked at the sandwich once more before taking his as well, and immediately regretted not coming out here earlier.

“This is amazing.”

Vlad hummed. “Thank you, Dash. I do try to improve my skills in the kitchen between here and there.” He chuckled. “I haven’t seen you in a long time, nor your mother -- though I guess that could be a good thing for both of us.”

Dash shrugged. “She stays busy, but she’s always there when you need her.” Dash took another bite of his sandwich, chewing then swallowing. “I don’t remember a time she didn’t respond to the pager you gave her right away.”

Vlad nodded. “She’s one of the best, that’s for sure.”

They sat for a bit before the ache of the awkward silence became too much for Dash. “I didn’t realize how huge of a Packers fan you were.”

Vlad grinned. “Been a fan since college, sport. I was there for 1984 game against the Bears.”

“That game was crazy!”

Vlad laughed. “Oh, I was about to pull out my hair during the review. So are you a fan too?”

Dash shrugged. “I try to keep up with almost all the teams, but since going to UW Madison I’ve been leaning towards them more.”

A butler had brought out drinks, and Vlad took a moment with his water before replying. “University of Wisconsin is a great school. But, it being an hour away, I think we needn’t waste more of your time.” Vlad settled back in his chair. “What did you come talk to me about?”

“Danny.”

The room was silent. Vlad’s friendly demeanor crashed, and Dash was left squirming as Vlad’s eyes sharpened, watching as shadows seemed to stretch on his face. But, as quick as it came it disappeared, and Dash blinked as Vlad grinned and brought his hands together.

“You’re talking about Daniel Fenton! I haven’t seen him since his family came for our college reunion. He seemed like a nice boy, and if I assume correctly you both went to the same high school.”

Dash frowned. “I thought you two knew each other more than that.”

“Well, I could ask you the same question!” Vlad grinned, but it wasn’t as warm as earlier. “I know his parents, for sure. We all built the first ghost portal in college. I, unfortunately,” he picked up his glass at this, and took a drink, “I had another path that was laid out for me.”

“Are y - “ Dash started, but stopped himself as quickly as the thought finally came to mind. Danny and Masters aren’t friends, but to what extent he didn’t know. If the sour taste Danny always had when bringing up Masters....

“Am I what?”

Dash didn’t respond. He stared at the half-eaten sandwich in front of him before looking back up at Vlad. “I’m sorry, I just thought since you were close to his family you would know him better.”

Vlad didn’t do much at the statement, but Dash could feel his eyes boring holes into him. “Is Daniel in some sort of trouble?”

Dash hesitated. “No... I...” Dash glanced at the door. “I think I should go, I’ve bothered you enough.”

Dash stood up, not waiting for Vlad to answer before heading to the door. The air seemed to be getting colder, and Dash walked swiftly through the hallway before near sprinting upon hitting the foyer. The air seemed to buzz as he got to the door, and as he made to open it the door halted.

Vlad stood next to him, hand on the door, and the other holding a small, open box that still held his sandwich. “You’re going to be hungry on the way back, I’m sure.”

Dash stared at the box, stared at Vlad, and then stared at the box again. “Uh... thanks.”

Vlad’s mouth twitched up into a smirk that sent a million alarms off in Dash’s head, and patted the boy on the shoulder when he finally took the box before opening the door the rest of the way.

Dash stepped out, warm air rushing to greet him and the sun still high in the sky. He stepped out from underneath the overhang and walked straight to his car, not looking back even as his hand brushed against the car handle to unlock it.

“Have a safe drive home, Dashiel.” He heard Mr. Masters call, and Dash finally looked back and nodded, slipping inside the car to hit the ignition.

Dash woke to Danny curling back up beside him on the couch, the TV on mute playing late-night cartoons. He can’t remember when exactly he dozed off, but now that he’s awake Dash yawns, stretching his arms up high before settling again - one arm around Danny, the other reaching for the remote to turn it off.

Danny doesn’t say anything as the room becomes dark. Dash is used to it, and doesn’t question when Danny pulls his arm tighter around him. He looks down to see that some of the light from the window is reflecting off Danny’s blue eyes, and wonders how the hell he ever managed to hate the guy.

“Hey,” Dash whispers, “It’s late. Did you want to go to bed?”

Danny closes his eyes before shaking his head. “You can go. I’ll come in soon.”

Dash frowns. “You ok?”

“Yeah.” Danny unwraps from Dash’s arm and stands up, stretching as well before walking to the kitchen on the other side of the room. Dash sits there for a moment, watching Danny fish a water bottle out of the fridge.

Danny’s newfound friendship with the ghost was odd, he must admit, but he rather enjoyed having Phantom along with him. The ghost himself was a decent navigator, and while the Speeder had enough power itself to handle a ghost attack, the added protection of an actual ghost - one that has demonstrated numerous times just how powerful he is - was something Danny couldn’t shake a stick it. But having Phantom around also made him realize just how little even his parents understood ghosts, or ghosts understood humans.

Phantom was studying the clock display on the dashboard again as Danny finished up the last bit of the algebra homework Johnson had given for the day, before the ghost turned in his seat.

“So this time concept...”

Danny groaned. “Look, I’ve already tried explaining it and we both ended up confused. Why don’t you ask about easier things to explain, like the toaster you found in the Storage Room.”

“Realm of Lost Things.”

“It’s a storage room.” Danny repeated. “Reminded me of that TV show Hoarders.”

Phantom blinked, and Danny sighed, dropping his homework to the floor and taking the wheel in his hands. “Ok, well, this is going nowhere. Let’s try to find a place I haven’t sketched yet.”

“What did your parent’s think of Boxy’s lair from the other day?”

“I didn’t show them.” Phantom hummed in disapproval, and Danny shook his head. “Showing my parents there’s a giant warehouse in the Ghost Zone because there’s a ghost obsessed with boxes? I couldn’t believe it with my own eyes.”

“They wanted a map of the Zone.” Phantom said idly, floating out of his seat. “What were they expecting?”

With nothing to do - no cell service meant no distraction to lull him to sleep - Vlad pushed his phone away, rolling over in his sleeping bag so that he was facing Daniel. Even through the dark his friends face was recognizable, and Vlad watched as his nose slowly flared open and closed as he breathed. It was so calm, Daniel was so calm, and despite it being so hot Daniel looked comfortable to sleep fully clothed, while Vlad was only down to his last layers.

He shifted through the sleeping bag, moving and rustling and trying to at least find something comfortable so he wouldn't have to stay so vexed throughout the night. The bag was sticking to his legs, and with more noise he wrestled out of it; finding himself on top of his makeshift bed with a frown before moving again.

This time he felt something brush against his hand, something nice and cool and Vlad had barely time to register it was Daniel's before it curled around his own. Vlad turned his head to find Daniel staring at him through the dark. Vlad could feel a blush rise to his cheeks, and for once, was glad that the darkness of the tent was able to hide the color in his face,

"Are you alright, Vlad?" Daniel whispered, his thumb beginning to stroke the back of Vlad's hand.

Vlad swallowed, closed his eyes and nodded. "Y-yep. I'm fine." He tried to whisper back, but his throat was still dry. "I'm just.... uncomfortable. Hot."

"Hot?" Danny parroted, and Vlad could hear the amusement laced in his whisper. "Are you bothered as well, Vlad? What were you thinking about? You know you can always tell me."

"It's nothing like that, Daniel!" Vlad shot back quickly. "I just don't feel good. I'm hot, and camping is getting less and less appealing as another antagonizing minute goes by..."

Daniel was silent, and Vlad knew he was probably mulling over his response in his head. He felt kind of guilty saying that - he was the one that wanted to go out camping with the rest of the class that weekend, not Daniel - and almost apologized before he heard Daniel stir, and suddenly an entire, cold weight settled on top of him.

Vlad's breathe caught in his throat, as sudden nice and cold settled across his skin, and instinctively wrapped both arms around Daniel to keep him there, like he was afraid it would be only temporary.

"Is this better?" Daniel breathed, and slowly did his lips press against the side of his neck before moving up to press against Vlad's lips.

"Yes." Vlad nodded, and wrapped his arms tighter around his boyfriend. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Daniel laughed, pushing a little bit off so he could look down at Vlad. "You can't blame yourself because your core is making you too hot. Sometimes, you just got to let loose a little steam." He laid back down, so close to Vlad that his head rested against his shoulder. "Goodnight again, Vlad."

Danny's nostrils flared. "I told you not to call me that." But, when the man raised a condescending eyebrow, Danny groaned and brought his hands up. "OK OK, call me whatever you want. Listen though.... who's that girl over there?"

"You mean Valerie?" Vlad said, and rolled out his newspaper again, already bored with where this conversation was going.

"Valerie..... Yea yea, OK. So, like.... what's her story?"

"Her story?"

"Y'know," Danny did something with his hands, and Vlad glanced up to see them waving dramatically. "Her background, her drive, or just something I could just so happen to bring up so that I can really talk to her. I can't just ask her about the weather, that's boring."

"I happen to think the weather is pretty nice today, and Miss Gray would probably agree."

"So she likes the weather?" Danny asked a little too fast, a little too enthusiastically.

Vlad sighed, and pinching his nose, said "No, Daniel. I don't think the weather is something she's particularly interested in. And while I would love to have you saunter over there so that you're away from me, I must admit I can't expect you to stay stoic and non-intrusive while you're here." Vlad stood, and, beckoning for the boy to follow, walked back in front of the counter and stepped outside.

The weather was nice, as Vlad had said earlier. The morning fall air had a crisp breeze to it, that made Danny cross his arms and rub them to create some heat. Vlad, unfazed by the temperature, turned left and started walking.

Danny straggled behind, seemingly half frozen and half confused. "Uh, Mr. Masters, what are we doing?"

"We're going for a walk, dear boy."

"Why?"

"So full of questions, you are." Vlad stopped to look at Danny. "Most of the time, you're not going to get an answer."

"And what does that mean exactly, Yoda?" Danny retorted.

"It means you do not bother Miss Gray with your questions as you do with me. I am tolerant of you because I see your potential. I didn't take you into my gym and home just because I felt sorry for you, Mr. Fenton."

Danny's mouth dropped. "You know my - "

"Daniel, I unpacked all your stuff while you were passed out." Vlad pinched his nose. "It wasn't hard to figure out what you're last name is when it's on the travel tag inside the suitcase."

"OK, fine." Danny said. "That still doesn't explain why I can't talk to Valerie."

"For the same reasons you don't want to explain why you decided to run away from home, Daniel." Vlad countered. "She has had a troubled past. But she's respectable. I don't bother her, she doesn't bother me." Vlad grabbed Danny by the shoulders and leaned in. "I repeat, do not antagonize Miss Gray like you do with me, little badger. She's not as forgiving as I am." With that, Vlad stood back up straight, and continued walking.

"She's like a junior, dude."

Tucker shrugged. "She's hot. I'm not going to let something like grade stop me."

I grinned, mouthing "thirsty" before Tucker threw his straw at me. We both laughed for a moment until his phone buzzed, and my eyes roamed the room as he began texting.

There was a TV hanging just over the bar for all the patrons to see, but it was tuned into the Amity News. I was tempted to ask the waitress when she came back to change it into something more interesting - hell, even golf would be better than watching the Snowstorm drone about something Vlad's done now, or any gossip about Phantom. Anything was better than hearing gossip about Phantom.

I heard Tucker cough, and I looked back to see him staring at me attentively. I quirked an eyebrow, and he sighed, looking ready to give one of those "Danny, I care about you, but..." I had already heard from both Sam and Jazz.

"Look, Tuck, if half of the reason you wanted to hang out is because either Sam or Jazz has asked you to talk to me, can we pretend that already happened? I'm really sick of it."

He opened his mouth, closed it, and then shrugged, taking a drink of his water instead. "How's Phantom doing."

"Also off-limits."

"Oh come on, Danny." Tucker groaned. "It's not like he's able to be any more pretentiously obnoxious than he already is. I'm just glad he was able to finally get over those stupid alliterations."

It felt weird to hear Tucker say that about Super. Like, I almost wanted to punch him for it, and I didn't know why. I thought the same thing about Phantom too, especially after the prick had come back this morning from whatever patrol/ghost attack had happened during the night without even opening his obnoxious mouth. I wanted to hear his voice, or just see some annoyed twitch in his eye seeing me standing there in just my boxers.

Still, I grinned along with the comment. "He's still got the bedsheet though. I don't think I can break him out of that."

"Still thinks he's got to be some sort of Clark Kent?"

"Mhmm."

Tucker nodded, and his phone buzzed again. Looking down at my water, I smooth away some of the condensation that was beginning to form on the side of the glass. It was cold, and my skin prickled with the same familiarity as when Phantom sometimes grabbed my arm when he was trying to get my attention. I stopped running my finger against it.

"Do you guys ever feel like you're not whole?"

I glance up. Tucker must have finished texting while I wasn't paying attention, and his question had caught me off guard. I shift in my seat, and I rub my face. "Not really. Why."

"I don't know. I was curious."

I peek at him through my fingers, watching him text something on his phone. "You know why we split again."

Tucker looked up from his phone in surprise. "Of course, I do. It's the same reason you did it last time, except, this has actually been working out for a good bit."

"Then you're not worried like Sam and Jazz are."

"You said you didn't want to talk about this."

"It was going to come around eventually." I grumbled. "I'm pretty sure I know who you're texting."

The food came before he was even able to speak, and I took my burger and promptly removed the pickles. Unfortunately the waitress was gone faster than I hoped, and Tucker caught me before I was even able to take a bite.

"I thought you liked the pickles."

"That didn't carry over to my side."

His mouth made a small 'o', before he looked down at his own food and began eating. The headache that had started since I left the apartment this morning had faded a little, and the food was actually enjoyable without Tucker still prying. I was glad he knew when to back off.

My eyes traveled back to the TV, and I watched the closed captioning scroll at a snail's pace compared to how Tiffany was speaking. Soon, however, Phantom's face appeared on the screen, and I scowled around my food. The burger suddenly became less appetizing, and I set it down to turn to my fries, lazily dipping one into the ketchup.

Tucker must have noticed my loss of appetite for he too turned to the screen and frowned. "Another ghost attack?"

"Who cares."

"...You should."

"Why." My scowl has deepened, and I try to hide my annoyance by picking up more fries and cramming them into my mouth, talking around them. "You don’t need to worry about Phantom. He’s got it."

Tucker sighs, and I knew that we have finally reached the unavoidable. "Danny..."

"He’s got it." I repeat, daring him to bring up the argument again. Tucker sat there in silence, glancing between me and the battle on the TV, before he sighed and picked up his burger again.

"That used to be you, ya know. He’s still you, too."

"That’s not me, Tucker. I’m right here."

"Yes, and no." He took a bite with careful nonchalance, and chewed for a moment before swallowing. "You two are definitely different, but Phantom was still you. I can’t help but to worry, ya know. Even if he isn’t you, he’s still a friend I care about. Someone you should care about.”

I say nothing, as I find myself staring at the action unfolding on the screen. Phantom was firing another blast at some contraption Technus had built himself again, before a giant mechanical arm slapped him out of the sky. I cringe only for a moment, before he’s back again, eyes turning frosty before freezing the ground underneath the machine. The thing slipped and slid, and finally toppled over onto the street with a crash. Only a moment later was the ghost trying to escape the beam of the thermos, and Phantom’s back slumped with relief.

Green eyes met the camera for only a moment before the hero was speeding off again, and I sigh, swirling another fry in the ketchup patch. I did care. I cared a lot. I'm going to return home to Phantom sitting his chair, reading yet another book, looking after another bruise.

Tucker seemed to be waiting for me to respond, but I only shake my head. "You wanna go see that new movie? I still have time before I have to get back home and try to catch up on work for class tomorrow."

His eagerness deflates, but agrees. I stand up, taking a last look at my half eaten food, before walking away.