My headcanon for Annie and Armin's relationship is that it's actually awful. Like, they're both attracted to each other, but one-sided talking to a frozen crystal for four years is, shocker, not a good foundation for a connection. Annie actually talks back now and she also has other people she can depend on. And Armin just isn't as open as he used to be when he thought no one was listening. Hitch lives for the drama, though.
Neither of these people know how to be affectionate romantically. Sure, some things happened in the Cadet Corps, but it's not like people ever dated. Everyone remembers what happened to those who did.
Nevertheless, they're both in their mid-to-late twenties, now, and dating is what normal people do and they're normal people, supposedly, so they go through the motions.
Both of them try to be super low-maintenance. Annie says she's fine with everything and is super closed-off emotionally. She does expect Armin to take her on dates and do "couple things", but that's about it. If something's wrong, she never says anything, but since Armin can tell something is off it's like pulling teeth every time. He never knows if he did something or if she's just having a bad day. Annie finds it weird how he cares so much, this is how she's always dealt with her emotions. It's fine. And Armin, despite what he might think of himself, is an absolute people-pleaser. He tries so hard. Uncomfortably hard, it makes Annie want to vomit, because she knows what he's really like from all that time she listened to him talking to himself. Why does it always have to be about what she wants? Doesn't Armin want anything? But she never says that, either.
It all boils over at one point and I think Armin is the one who breaks up with her. He feels so bad about it, but reasons this is what is the best for her, she deserves someone better, he's awful at this. Though, deep down, and this is something he doesn't admit to himself until years later, he just wants out. He can't take it anymore.
Armin Arlert is the first person in history to make Annie Leonhart cry. That eats away at him for a long time.
After that, I'd like to think they go their separate ways. Get to be people, for once. Annie stays as an ambassador, makes friends, learns to open up to people. She spends the first few years resenting him, how the first person she ever let close to her would so cruelly break her heart. By the first time she lets herself tell someone about it, it's different.
Armin goes off to see the world, reigniting the remnants of that childhood dream. Unlike Annie, he tries to forget as soon as possible. Keeps busy, never stopping in one place for too long. If he does, the guilt catches up to him all at once. Not just leaving Annie behind, but everything else, too. But he can't run forever. Word reaches him that one of their former comrades, who took part in the Battle Between Heaven and Earth, has died.
They both go to the funeral and meet again, now as fundamentally different people. But they still carry something inside of them, something that no one else, save for the handful of people at the function, can ever understand. They start talking, again, and think...
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I made another fanfic no one asked for! Hah! And itâs not even Miraculous this time, because I actually like a lot of stuff that isnât miraculous. Crazy right?
So this one is a goofy little continuation/next-gen fic for Star Vs the Forces of Evil, centering around Star and Marcoâs eldest Daughter Tierra. Her goal in life is to map and explore the entirety of the Unimension (which is all the different dimensions that fused with Earth after Magic was destroyedâthe world just got a whole lot bigger.) Sheâs created a comprehensive list of every dimension that fused with earth, and charted out the next 50 years of her life with a comprehensive schedule prepared for every day. Sheâs already made a map of about five parts on the Unimension by the time sheâs only 13. (Which is how old she is at the start of this fic.) if I ever write this, Iâll let you know, but for now, itâs just an idea with a couple funny drawings. So here you go.
Inspiration grabbed me by the throat the second I finished the fic@robininthelabyrinth posted today, and I just HAD to share my idea of whodunnit.
Summary: Wei Wuxian was stabbed, found barely breathing, left for dead. His would-be murderer has no regrets.
0000
The Cloud Recesses were abuzz with chaos, serenity abandoned in the wake of the attack on Wei Wuxian. The news had already spread that he would live. That soon he would be sure to wake and then to carry on with his second life. Gates had been shut, entrances and exits barred to prevent escape. Disciples were combing every building, every potential hiding place.
Lan Chaoyun was not hiding.
The knife that he had used lay before him, still stained with blood that had dried now, tacky, flaking like rust in the air. The iron scent had faded, as the blood dried, as the incense burned. It was a paltry offering, he knew now, marred by failure as it was, but it was an offering. He hoped that Lan Tianming would appreciate it, that his wife would know he had done his best to give her justice.
Perhaps it was not justice. Perhaps it was revenge. He no longer knew, just as he no longer cared. It was her birthday, and the knife, the flowers, the incense - he could only hope that all would reach her, that all would grant her peace if she had not yet moved onto her next life.
Gradually, the incense burned, one by one each stick dwindling to ash. When the last had been lit, and the last burned, he bowed low, face to the ground.
"I may be joining you, this night," he said. Her silent tablet offered no response. "Forgive me my delay."
Still, nothing. He knew there would be nothing. He knew that Inquiry had yielded no answers, that her spirit was gone from this world.
It did not stop him from wanting, aching, wishing.
0000
The noise was louder, outside of the memorial hall. It seemed the rules for running and shouting had been discarded. Lan Chaoyun was not surprised.
Many rules had been discarded for the sake of Wei Wuxian.
He walked among the hurrying, searching, worrying masses, tranquil as the feather that falls to the river and floats along its surface. His path was set, his fate lifted from his hands. He felt no fear and carried no worry, as he walked to the courtyard where discipline was carried out and knelt on cold stone.
Lan Chaoyun inhaled, filling his lungs with cool, sweet mountain air, and exhaled slowly. He would clear his mind, and he would breathe. He would wait, settled patiently.
It would not take long for him to be noticed.
0000
"Hanguang-jun! Hanguang-jun!"
Shouting at the door of the jingshi, the banging of a fist - enthusiastic or fearful or both, and Lan Wangji rose from his place as silent sentinel. The path to the entrance of their home from their bedroom was a short one, crossed in a few brisk step.
If he jerked the door open rather than slid it with grace, if wood groaned at the strength of his grip, who would complain?
"What?" Bitten out, terse. Wei Ying was sleeping and this noise would wake him. Short, yet eager. No one would disrupt them without reason. "What is it?"
A junior stood at the door, round-cheeked with youth and shaking. The top of this one's head would have barely met Wei Ying's shoulder. His name escaped him, lost to Wei Ying, his health, his stuttering breaths and still form.
"Z-Zewu-jun sent for you!" The stuttering child near-shouted, his hands coming up to his mouth in horror. He was nervous. Lan Wangji should have reassured him.
Lan Wangji did not.
"The - the culprit has been found - and Zewu-jun has called for you to -"
He did not hear the rest of what was said, either. The culprit has been found. Nothing else was as important as this.
No, one thing was as important as this.
"Where?"
0000
Lan Chaoyun held his head high. His meditation was long concluded with the arrival of so many others, but his poise still held, even - no, especially - with the weight of so many eyes on him.
Lan Qiren and Zewu-jun both stood before him, faces dark with anger. On any other day, the sight of them united against him like this would have set his guts to tightening in fear, his knees weak. It was their misfortune that this was not any other day.
It was their misfortune, not his, that he regretted nothing.
A sudden stirring behind him, the hurried rustle of fabric, the swift snap of steps across the stone.
"Hanguang-jun," was the whisper, the breaking of the heavy silence. More than one voice spoke, silent Lans set to chittering like startled birds.
Lan Chaoyun kept his silence. The arrival of his distant cousin was nothing for him to fear. He had known from the moment he woke this morning that this would break whatever remained of the tie between them, and he had made his peace with it.
Only his cousin's happiness had kept him oblivious to the fact that that bond had been one-sided, rotted from within and long decayed.
He would understand, now.
He heard those crisp footsteps falter, a brief stutter in an otherwise perfect rhythm. Were he looking, Lan Chaoyun was sure he'd be seeing the moment his cousin recognized exactly who knelt for punishment before their sect's leader.
"Lan Chaoyun," Lan Wangji said, voice tight. Nothing else followed. Perhaps he was at a loss for words.
How fortunate for him that that was his only loss.
"Lan Wangji," Lan Chaoyun returned. He did not look at his cousin. He did not want to see his face.
More whispers, at that. It had been many years since any save Zewu-jun and Lan Qiren himself referred to the great Hanguang-jun by name.
Zewu-jun cleared his throat, a quiet noise that nonetheless silenced the gathered crowd and drew all attention to himself.
"Lan Chaoyun, you confess to and submit yourself for punishment to this crime?" For all his anger, his voice was remarkably steady. Lan Chaoyun had wondered if seclusion would restore his control, his still-lake facade.
"I do," he confirmed, locking eyes. Zewu-jun too was his cousin. Younger, though their cultivation meant that such distinctions were impossible to see and their status meant them inert. "I stabbed the Yiling Laozu. My regret is only that he lives. I should have cut his throat instead."
Lan Qiren flushed with anger at Zewu-jun's side, his nostrils flaring. "Have you no shame at all for what you've done?"
Of all things, this was what sparked the smile to Lan Chaoyun's face.
"My only shame is that I waited until A-Tian's birthday to take justice for her," he said. If he relished in the surprise that spread over Lan Qiren's face, in the realization that filled Zewu-jun's eyes, for the anger the tightened Lan Wangji's jaw -
who here could justly blame him?
"Did you forget?" He asked, knowing he was being cruel and caring not for it. What was one more broken guideline in this place that bent to the whims of any ruling Lan? "I understand. It has been fourteen years. I didn't."
Zewu-jun drew breath, undoubtedly intending to begin a pacifying speech on the nature of rules and grief and the unjust nature of revenge. Lan Wangji spoke first.
"Wei Ying did not kill Lan Tianming," he lied, his hand clenched around his sword's hilt. Perhaps he didn't know he lied. Perhaps he thought he spoke the truth.
"His fierce corpses did. Perhaps you did not know. I understand you were busy ferrying him from the battlefield that night, but I bore witness to my wife's murder. I know who is responsible, and the corpse of our shidi was only Wei Wuxian's murder weapon."
The sight of him, white robes stained with blood and draped in black, arms filled with the body of the man responsible for that unending hell, had been the second worst of Lan Chaoyun's life.
Lan Tianming's face as she breathed her last, their shidi's clenched fist still driven through her chest, had been forever seared into his eyes, haunting his waking days, his dreaming nights, but his cousin's back as he fled that field of death with the murderer in his arms was not a sight he could forget.
All these years, he'd kept silent. Wei Wuxian was dead. His cousin may have betrayed them, but it had been for nothing, and the punishment had kept him off his feet for years. Lan Chaoyun had never forgiven it, but he had been willing to keep his peace.
Ruining Lan Wangji would not have brought Lan Tianming back to him, would not have restored the laughter in his life, the song that matched his guqin, would not have re-lit the flame of their small dreams, their hope of a family.
But Wei Wuxian was no longer dead. Wei Wuxian breathed this earth's air and ran through the Cloud Recesses and his laughter rang through every corner of their home and Lan Tianming would never breathe or run or laugh again.
His home, her home, every corner of it tainted by her murderer's life, his joy, his happiness, as if a single brief lapse (what more was a death that ended than a lapse?) were enough to account for her death.
Lan Wangji's throat worked but no sound left his lips. The knuckles of his sword hand were white where they gripped at Bichen.
"I attempted to murder the Yiling Laozu," Lan Chaoyun said again, voice raised. He met Zewu-jun's gaze once more. "I submit myself to punishment, Zewu-jun. I do not regret offering my wife justice. I do not regret the knife that now rests before her in offering. I regret only that she is dead and her home is defiled by the presence of her killer, who failed to so much as kneel before her tablet and beg forgiveness."
Whispering. No amount of throat clearing now would silence them. Zewu-jun seemed to know that - his eyes were hard as he bowed his head.
"Lan Chaoyun. The punishment for raising a weapon to one of our own is -"
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A continuation of @beaaaaaxâs fic (idk why but your account isnât linking)Â because iâm me and couldnât help myself. Characters by @lumosinlove like always. Love you all <333
The streets were empty as Finn drove, Logan silent in the passenger seat. Street lamps shone onto the wet pavement, glinting back at them through the windows. In the sky, the moon hung low on the horizon, nearly full and silvery white.
âLo?â Finn asked eventually, eyes on the road.Â
âYeah?â His voice was tired, distracted.
âDo- do you wanna head back to the house? Itâll be daylight soon.â Logan just shook his head.Â
âNot yet.â
He didnât elaborate, and Finn glanced over at him, noting the sad expression on his face, the downcast eyes and wrinkle in his brow.
âLo, what is this about?â he asked, breaking the silence. âNormally you canât wait to get back.â
Logan shrugged. âNot tired.â
âYes you are.â
âNon, Iâm not.â
âI can hear it in your voice.âÂ
âHmph.â
âCome on. I can tell when somethingâs bothering you.â Finn had pulled into the parking lot of some 24/7 restaurant, the lights illuminating Loganâs face. It turned his golden, a glowing halo around his face. He was looking at Finn now, eyes bright, haunted.
Without thinking, Finn reached a hand out to cup his cheek, wanting to comfort him and not knowing how. Logan leaned into him, eyes slipping closed. Finn brushed his thumb across his cheekbone, nearly sighing at the devastating feeling of Loganâs soft skin beneath his thumb.Â
âFinn-â
Somehow they had leaned closer to each other, now only a few feet apart. Finn studied Loganâs face, the tan skin, the messy curls, the shadows under his eyes. His lips were chapped, slightly parted. Finn stared at his mouth perhaps longer than he should have, but Loganâs eyes were still closed, and Finnâs gaze went unnoticed.Â
Finn wanted to kiss him.
Their breaths were mingling when Logan opened his eyes, looking deep into Finnâs eyes. His hand had gotten tangled in Finnâs hair, pulling him even closer. Finnâs brown eyes were fixed on him, worried and kind, looking at him with such softness Logan wanted to melt.
Logan was impulsive. He was a hot-head, easily worked up, rarely thinking things through. But this he had thought through. What it felt like to be this close to Finn, feel his breath on his face. What if would be like to feel Finnâs lips against his own, the taste of Finn in his mouth. This he had thought about, late at night when he couldnât sleep with Finn in the next bed over, on the bus home from games as they sat beside each other.Â
Logan was impulsive. He knew this. But not when it came to Finn.Â
This time, he wanted to be impulsive. He wanted to take what he wanted, no regrets, and worry about it later. Taking a breath, Logan leaned forward and kissed him.Â
Finnâs lips were soft beneath his, hand still cupped against his cheek. Logan wrapped his arms around Finn, pulling him as close as he could. And it occurred to him, with such clarity that he wasnât sure how he hadnât realized before, that he was in love with him.
He was in love with the Bambi boy in his arms, who kissing him back with a kind of fire Logan rarely saw from him, the boy who pulled him close on the ice after a win, who got him coffee and in the mornings and lent him his sweatshirt when he was cold.Â
Finn pulled away gently. He looked at Logan, eyes wide, pupils blown, breathing heavy. Their foreheads were pressed together.Â
âLogan...âÂ
âJe tâaime,â Logan breathed. He kissed him again, softly this time, needing Finn to understand him, understand everything overflowing in his heart.
âI canât understand you,â Finn sighed.
âThatâs okay,â Logan whispered, âYou donât need to.â He kissed him again, pulling the words from his mouth before he could respond.
They didnât talk about it, that night. And Finn never did find out what Logan had said to him in the dim light of the restaurant parking lot. In some ways, Logan was glad for that. But sometimes, lying in bed at night, watching the sleeping figure beside him, he wondered how things would have been different it Finn had understood.
A/N: I really loved writing my latest Chris fic where he becomes a father figure for the readers daughter so I decided to do my own headcannons for him as a dad! My requests are still open and will be for a couple more weeks so please go ahead and request something, you can request multiple times if you like (don't be shy!). Iâm getting to my other requests and am in the process of writing them up, so please be patient with me!Â
Chris is such a push over, especially when it comes to your daughter Lottie. She has him wrapped around her little finger.Â
If Lottie wanted, she received. Chris adored her and would do anything for her..and you of course but Lottie was the princess.Â
Before Chris came along, you were Lottieâs best friend but now she would tell you straight to your face that Chris was her best friend. You would be lying if you said it didnât upset you, but you knew that at the end of the day she was always your little girl.Â
When Lottie turns three, Chris buys her a princess outfit but Lottie insists that Chris wears the matching prince costume. The costume was obviously way too small for Chris but he made one. They sit in her room for hours playing dolls in matching costumes.Â
When she did something wrong, you and Chris switched roles between good and bad cop. The majority of the time you had to be the disciplinary one because she would run into Chrisâ big arms and hide from you. But on the off occasion that Chris had to discipline your daughter, he would give in after her eyes started to water. He would kiss her and say sorry for shouting before making sure she apologised to you.Â
Chris really liked to wind you and Lottie up. He would use your full names to piss you off. Lottie hated being called Charlotte but Chris still did it sometimes. When he did, the young girl ran to him and crossed her arms over her small chest in an attempt to look tough before pouting her lips. She would sometimes hit his calve but it wouldn't hurt him. She would then get told off for hitting and run back into the large manâs arms like nothing had happened.Â
When you and Chris started to talk about kids, he always thought about how Lottie would react. She had the two of you to herself and she might find it hard to deal with the attention not wholly going to her. They made a decision to sit the girl down and just ask her. She was three and she knew what she wanted,
The conversation would go something like, âLottie. Me and your mommy would like to ask you something. Would you like a bab-â
âYES!âÂ
So you two took that as a solid answer and you started trying for kids. It was tough though. Lottie loved sleeping in your bed, although she slept in her bed 90% of the time, she would find her way into your bed by the morning. You blamed Chris and told him that if your daughter caught him having sex with you, it would be his fault. So you were very careful. You decided to send Lottie off to playgroup during the week for a couple hours. Not only did you and Chris want some alone time but she also needed to socialise with more children her age before school. But she kicked up a fuss when you took her for the first time.
She grabbed Chrisâ neck and wouldn't let go. It was embarrassing but you wouldn't lie, you did the same when Chris went on missions without you. When you finally got her off, she ran into the room and started to play. She had forgotten about you two before you even left the building.Â
You remembered one day you had to get Claire and Leon to take Lottie out for the day because she wouldn't leave you two alone. So they did. And you two spent hours trying to make Lottie a baby brother or sister.Â
But then Chris got the call. He had to leave for a mission and when Lottie found out her Chris was leaving her, it was like her whole world was crumbling down round her. He was only going for a weekend and would be back by Sunday night but she couldn't stand being away from him. Chris gave the two of you a kiss before leaving.Â
(Side note, yes she called him her Chris, not your Chris but hers).
You slept with Lottie in your bed that night and gave her one of Chrisâ t-shirts to sleep with. The smell of the shirt helped and soon Lottie was pacified. She slept so much that night that you actually had to wake her up, all the crying tiered her out.Â
That weekend, you were so sick. It was unlike anything you felt before. Lottie was crying because she was so worried for you so Claire had to come over for the remainder of the weekend to make sure you weren't dying and that Lottie was taken care of. You felt like a shit mother but you didnât know what else to do.Â
After a weekend of throwing up and being unable to leave the toilet most of the day, Claire bought you a pregnancy test. You didnât think you were pregnant, you just thought you had the flu because you weren't this sick with Lottie, but you took the test anyway. And when it came back positive, you almost passed out. Not from shock, from exhaustion.Â
Chris came home on Sunday night and wasnât shocked to see the two of you cuddled in bed. He awed at the sight and quickly got showered and changed before joining you in bed.Â
The next week was the toughest in a while. Hiding your morning sickness from Chris was almost impossible since your daughter made such a big deal every time you threw up. Claire came over and told him that you had the flu and that she took you to the doctors and they gave you meds for it. Thank God for Claire Redfield.Â
You didnât have a plan about how to tell Chris. Claire came up with the idea to get Lottie to tell him. It would be cute and Lottie was so into their business anyway that keeping this a secret was hard.Â
You were wearing a long maxi dress that showed off your bump, the bump you had been hiding from Chris with his shirts and big hoodies. You put Lottie in a top that said âBig Sister to be!â on it and told her to go tell Chris that mommy was pregnant. And she did exactly that.Â
âMy Chris!â She shouted as she ran into the room and into his lap. âMamaâs pregnant!â She told him. You wished you had taken a picture because his face was unreal. He read your daughters top and placed her off his lap before he looked over at you. You were stood there in your dress with your hands on your stomach. She felt your eyes water as he jumped up, running towards you before slowly down. He took you into his arms before showering you with kisses. His hands went to your swollen stomach and kissed the material of the dress and praised you. Lottie didnât know what was going on but she just giggled from the couch, clapping her hands.
As the months went on and your stomach swelled more, Chris got more and more protective over you. He was protective over you anyway but now you were carrying his baby, he was over protective. He would make sure he was doing all the hard-work around the house, including cleaning and fixing anything. He allowed you to do stuff like laundry and shopping but he had to help you.Â
When you were pregnant, Lottie struggled to realise what was happening until one night the three of you were on the couch and your stomach moved. Lottie screamed and pointed at your belly. âAlien!â She shouted and hid in Chrisâ chest before you started to giggle. âLottie. That was the baby kicking.â Chris put his hand on your stomach as the baby kicked again, this time pushing Chrisâ hand. âIt means that they are happy and saying hello.â He took Lottieâs hand and placed his hand over hers on your belly again as you felt the baby kick once more. They then moved inside your belly and pushed its face to your stomach, showing the outline of a head. âThatâs my baby in there, Lottie.â Chris smiled and kissed your bump, where they were pushing against your stomach. Lottie couldn't get over what happened and proceeded to tell everyone that her âbaby brother or sister kicked herâ from your belly. Simple to say, all her fellow three year olds at playgroup were confused.Â
Your waters broke at home. You never thought Chris would look as worried as he did when he heard the yelling from the bathroom. Chris ran around the house, calling Leon and Claire to come pick up Lottie. He grabbed the hospital bags as you sat on the couch, humming through some contractions and Lottie watched the chaos unfold.Â
She held your hand until Claire got there and she packed Lottie a bag and swiftly took the girl to their house. She protested, of course, saying she wanted to stay with you but you explained that you couldn't but you could come to the hospital and see the baby after they were born. She agreed and went away with your friends.Â
You made it to the hospital where you were told you were four centimetres dilated, meaning you should probably stay in hospital in case things went fast. Four hours in, you wished things were âgoing fastâ. The contractions were painful but Chris breathed through them all with you. He was amazing. The best you could have asked for. He made you laugh between contractions and supported you.Â
After seven long hours, you laid there holding your newborn in your arms. Chrisâ face lit up when he was told by the nurses you had a baby boy. He always wanted a son. He couldn't get over his face and cheeks and small body. And you couldn't get over how much he looked like Chris.Â
A few hours and many naps later, Leon and Claire came to the hospital with Lottie and Sherry. Claire cried as soon as she walked into the room. Seeing her big brother with such a small newborn just got to her. Chris then introduced your son. âMeet Issac Luca Redfield everyone.âÂ
Lottie sat on the bed and waited patiently to hold her baby brother. The girl held her brother in her arms, with the help of Chris. âHeâs so cute.â She spoke out and looked at you then at Chris. âDaddy I want another one.âÂ
The room fell silent. Your daughter had just asked for another sibling hours after Issac was born. And she had just called Chris daddy. He could have fallen to the ground crying if he wasnât holding his son.Â
Leon spoke up, âMaybe we should give mommy and daddy a bit of a break first.â He laughed and looked at the scene in front of him, holding Claireâs hand.Â
âI want one.â Claire whispered in his ear and smiled, looking at her brother.Â
And he had every right to be. Ever since ghosts became a much more known thing in their town, Phantom had been able to interact with people other than Jazz and in his own body. Most notably being Jazzâs younger brother Danny, whom Phantom had developed a hopeless crush on not long after being introduced to him through Jazz.
Danny didnât know that the ghost heâd shared a few conversations with was actually sharing a body with his sister, and therefore, shared the same memories of those interactions. And in fact, the awkwardness that stemmed from that is one of the main reasons Phantom had been trying not to interact with the boy.
But he hadnât been counting on Danny seeking him out. And the chance to be able to interact with Danny as his own person had been too good to pass up, even if it did strengthen his crush.
Something Jazz had very conflicting emotions about.
Especially when, during a conversation earlier that day, Phantom had offered to take Danny on a flight later that night without thought. Jazz had immediately started lecturing him, but the hesitant yet hopeful response Danny gave knocked down half of her grievances on the spot.
But that didnât mean she was going to let Phantom go without some ground rules. Or embarrassing him first.
âYouâre not allowed to hold him in any way more intimate than necessary.â She listed, making Phantom blush even as he checked his appearance in the mirror.
âO-okay. Thatâs fair.â
âYouâre not allowed to kiss him.â
âI w-wasnât thinki-!â
âKeep your emotions in your corner and Iâll stay in mine until this whole thing is over.â
Phantom let out a shaky breath. That would be the hard part. âIâll do my best.â It was all he could promise.
It seemed to satisfy Jazz enough though, because she continued. âAnd above all else, make sure he has a good time.â
Phantom blinked, not expecting the rule but not surprised by it either. âI will.â He said, âI hope, at least.â
Jazz sighed in his mind and levelled all the seriousness she could at him. âIf you mess up anything tonight, I will never forgive you and I promise it will be hell.â
Phantom gulped at the threat. He knew she meant it.
 Knocking on Dannyâs window, Phantom tried his best to calm the racing of his core. It would need to be at reasonable levels or Danny would feel it when he⊠heldâŠ
Oh. Shit. Itâs going faster again.
He felt Jazz give him the equivalent of an eye roll and a comforting pat on the back. Her reactions were limited, tucked away in her safe spot of their shared consciousness as she was, but he was grateful for the awkward support before she would try to bury herself deeper.
âTryâ, because, as theyâd learned, they could be pulled to the front of the mind more easily if the other was feeling emotional distress. And given the state Phantom was in, Jazz would be in for a hell of a tug-o-war game tonight.
Phantomâs thoughts completely froze when Danny opened the window, greeting the ghost with a bright grin that reflected the excitement he felt.
âPhantom, you came!â
He grinned back, âOf course. Iâve been looking forward to this.â He tilted his head as he looked at the boy. âWere you expecting me not to come?â
Danny blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, âI was worried that something might come up and you wouldnât be able to make it.â
Phantom smiled at the shy admission, âWell, Iâm glad nothing did. Are you ready?â
After a bit of awkwardness in trying to find the best way to hold Danny, they settled on a side by side position where Dannyâs arms were around Phantomâs neck as the ghost held onto his waist. Less than a minute from there, they were flying high above the city and giggling in euphoria.
âSo, what do you think?â Phantom asked the human that clung to him tightly.
âThis is amazing!â Danny laughed. âHow high can you go?â
âUntil the oxygen runs out, I guess. Wanna go?â
âYes!â
Phantom laughed at the enthusiasm and brought the two of them high above the clouds. He stopped before they could get too high, not wanting to actually take Danny to the point his oxygen ran out (and his too. Sharing a body with a human made things like breathing necessary). But Danny didnât even notice, too caught up in staring at the stars in wonder.
âIâve never seen them so clearly before. Itâs like theyâre all around us.â While Danny continued to turn his head in all directions to take in the sky, Phantom never once took his eyes off the boy in his arms. He was so entranced by the sight of his crush; he didnât fully register when Danny eventually looked down and smirked. âHey Phantom?â The ghost hummed, âHow do you feel about free falling?â
âI do it all the time.â Phantom answered easily. âI love how itâŠâ He looked at Danny, seeing how wild his grin really was. âNo.â He said simply.
âPleeeaaasse.â
âItâs reckless.â
âYou just said you do it all the time.â
âIâm a ghost. I can fly.â
âItâs not like you wonât catch me.â
âOf course, I will. But what if something hits you on the way down? Like a bird or a plane?â
âPretty sure youâd see a plane coming.â
Phantom sighed. It was hard to dissuade the boy when his own resolve was crumbling. He did love free falling, and he really wanted to share the experience with Danny. âOkay, fine.â
No sooner had he said it was Danny laughing and enveloping him in a tight hug. âThank you!â
The ghost laughed back, and just to scare the apparent daredevil in his arms, he allowed his body to return to the laws of gravity. Dannyâs grip tightened automatically at the sensation of falling but he lifted his head with a grin as they tilted upside down. He started laughing as they broke through the clouds, Phantom joining him as he began to pull back after a cursory glance at their surroundings. Grinning widely, Phantom let go of Danny, watching as he spun and laughed falling through the sky.
There was no fear at all in him, and Phantomâs core thrummed at the trust that was being shown to him by this action. After a long moment of just falling, the two came face to face again and for a while, they just stared. Both of them had a soft smile on their face as they gazed at each other.
Phantom was the one to move first, reaching out to hold Danny as he slowed them to a stop and righted them. The tops of the tallest buildings were still a fair way away from them, but Phantom wasnât taking any risks.
Dannyâs smile widened, âThat was the best.â He said breathlessly.
Euphoria bubbled in his entire being and came out in giddy laughter. Taking in his crush, red faced and hair messy from the wind while beaming at him with pure delight, Phantom decided the flight had turned out even better than he had hoped.
