#I'm playing off the idea that Dora is a teenager as well if she's that upset about missing a ball

[echoghost1]

The Paleontologist and The Princess

Word Count: 2218

For: @aggressivelyclueless

Summary: Danny had one true passion; Paleontology. So can anyone really blame him for getting excited when he thinks he comes face to face with a dinosaur? Even if it isn't a dinosaur after all.

You can read it on AO3 or down below the cut

"Actually, Dad? I wanted to be a paleontologist." Danny admitted as he tried not to squirm in his seat. Sitting this close to the portal felt weird.

It felt like all his hairs were standing on end and that he’d jumped into an ice-cold pool at the same time.

“You know, dinosaurs?”

Just because both of their fields involved dead things, didn’t mean he was at all interested in ghosts. The closest he wanted to be to death was the bones of the ancient creatures who used to roam the earth, not the spooky floating scary things that went bump in the night.

His dad prattled on about the inventions that might not even work. Completely ignoring him, as per usual.

Of course, ever since Danny had got the portal to work last month, his parents had decided that meant he was their lucky charm and he needed to be around when they turned on any and all of their inventions from now on.

He hated it.

Mostly because they were right and everything just worked better, or at all, with him around. Probably because the inventions kept picking him up as a ghost.

Somehow his parents just kept thinking it was a fluke. That he only had some minor contamination and it would wear off eventually.

He was pretty sure that wasn’t true.

Especially given how he had fallen through his bed this morning and had gotten his hand stuck inside his doorhandle when it had partially phased through and then resolidified before he could pull it back out.

That had hurt.

He flexed his hand at the memory and really just wanted all of this ghost nonsense to go away.

================================================

It had been almost two months since his accident and his powers had only gotten stronger. They definitely weren’t going away anytime soon.

Although, he was starting to see the silver lining now. With his abilities, he could explore underground areas and discover fossils and specimens that no one could reach before without disturbing a thing. That was definitely a positive with such ancient and delicate things hidden deep within the earth. It was like they were waiting just for him.

So now whenever his parents called him down to the lab to show off their newest invention he’d just think about how cool and easy spelunking would be with the perks of ghost powers.

“Hey, Danny! Want to try out the Fenton Fisher?”

“Fenton Fisher?” he echoed looking from his dad’s fisherman get-up to the open portal.

“Yeah! I figured fishing and hunting aren’t too far off and I already enjoy the sport anyway. Might as well combine it with my work, am I right?”

Danny just chuckled and shook his head. You couldn’t say his dad wasn’t creative.

“Here, hold this. I’ve gotta go!” his dad said as he jumped up from his seat, pressed the fishing pole into Danny’s chest, and raced up the stairs.

Danny readjusted his grip on the pole and stared into the portal. The swirling green was somehow both super off-putting and oddly inviting.

He wasn’t sure which thought was worse.

Before he could truly think that over, Danny gasped as his ghost sense went off, “Oh no,” there was a tug on the line

The line went taut and he felt the vibration and tug of something very large.

Without enough time to react, Danny just stood there, in the open lab completely exposed, as two large clawed feet stomped out of the portal. Then a large reptilian head emerged from the vortex. Its glowing blue scales shining brightly more from the light the creature produced than from the shine of the scales as they reflected the lights of the lab.

Danny blinked at the massive creature before him. He hardly reacted at all when it spit out the hook onto his head and snarled at him.

All he could think was that there was something that looks suspiciously like someone had mixed a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a Triceratops in his basement. Or at least, the ones depicted in movies anyway.

There was a real-life dinosaur in his basement. Or a real ghost dinosaur anyway.

He didn’t know dinosaurs could be ghosts. Or that ghosts could be dinosaurs?

He couldn’t suppress the manic grin spreading across his face as the beautiful creature snorted hot breath through its nose at him.

He was so going to die.

If Jurassic Park taught him anything it was that being eaten by a dinosaur was the S-tier death.

The creature took another step forward revealing that it had large leathery wings sprouting from its back.

“You’re a dragon!?”

Forget being dino-chow, dragons were way cooler!

The dragon tilted its head at him. Like it could understand him.

It could understand him!

“Hi. You’re amazing! Did you know that?” Danny said full of awe and wonder as he dropped the fishing pole and just took in the absolute beauty of the literal dragon before him.

The dragon’s features went from confusion to surprise and suddenly instead of a dragon, there was a girl.

She wore a blue dress that went down to almost the floor, or it would have touched the floor if not for the fact that she was floating a good foot above it.

Her blonde hair was done in a braid and her bright red eyes looked over him with a mix of confusion and apprehension, “You do not fear me?” she asked with an accent that reminded him of that old Shakespeare movie Mr. Lancer had played in class two weeks ago. The movie was so old that it was only on VHS.

He shook his head, “Why would I?”

“But I’m a cursed beast.” she implored almost as if she wanted him to be afraid of her.

“Well, who told you that?”

“My step-mother.”

“That wasn’t very nice of her.”

The ghost girl looked away, “she rarely spares me any kind words.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Still,” Danny took a step forward but stopped when she took one back, “If you want to talk about it, I’m all ears.”

If he didn’t have to fight he would gladly take that option. Fighting was exhausting and he always ended up getting knocked into a wall or something and his back was not at all enjoying the experience.

“You really wish to hear of my troubles? You don’t even know me?”

“That’s an easy fix,” he smiled, “I’m Danny, what’s your name?”

“Princess Dorathea of Mattingly,” she replied as she cautiously took his offered hand and just stared at their clasped hands as he initiated the handshake.

“Wow, I’ve never met a Princess before.” he chuckled as he let her hand go, “Or a dragon, but before today I figured my chances of meeting royalty were a bit higher despite not living in England.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Danny.” she curtsied and he scrambled to give a quick little bow back. “I do apologize for appearing here when I was so distraught. I do try to keep my temper in check, but sometimes it gets the better of me.” she clutched the amulet on her neck as her gaze went nowhere in particular, “But such is the curse.”

“You turn into a dragon when you’re upset?” Danny asked hoping he was interpreting what she was saying correctly. This fancy English was a bit difficult for him to translate.

“Yes.” she dropped the golden amulet back onto her chest, “But you are the only person outside of my family that does not fear the sight of my enraged form. Why is that?”

“Dragons are cool?”

She cocked her head to the side, “Cool?”

That was right, she spoke fancy English, she probably didn’t use modern slang. “Neat? Uh, awesome?”

“Do you find my other form more appealing?” she asked and her pupils flashed momentarily into reptilian slits.

“No, no! Both forms are great! You look pretty either way.” he said in a rush as he realized his earlier eagerness to die had left and he very much did not want to die in his basement.

Again?

“You think I’m pretty?” she asked as she blushed.

He blushed too because he’d never just said that to a girl before. Even if he had thought it. “Yeah.”

“That’s awfully forward of you.”

“Sorry! I don’t normally say stuff like that.” He wasn’t even sure why he had in the first place. “I just, uh, weren’t you upset about something?”

He grimaced at just how terrible of a transition that was.

“Oh right. Honestly, I shouldn’t have gotten so upset.”

“It’s okay to be upset about things.”

“Not if your me. Not if your anger makes you dangerous. And all over a silly ball.”

“Ball?”

“Yes, there was this wonderful ball I wanted to go to but my horrible stepmother forbade me to go.”

“Ah, I see she’s really trying for the Mother of the Year award.”

Dorathea just stared at him.

“Sorry. Sarcasm doesn't always work. My bad.”

“It’s quite alright. I just didn’t realize it was a joke at first. I think I get it.” She thought for a second and then smiled, “Yes. It’s funny because she’s terrible?”

“Yeah! It’s ironic.” he shrugged, “I really like puns and wordplay. Sarcasm is like my default setting.”

“There’s nothing wrong with using one’s wit. ‘Tis better to disarm thy enemy with a quick tongue than a hidden dagger.”

“Well ain’t that the truth!” he said with a smirk and a finger gun. Then he quickly dropped the finger gun, because it was both, kind of lame, and also she probably didn’t know what that gesture meant anyway.

He had a feeling that the Princess wasn’t just wearing that outfit because she was into vintage fashion.

“So a ball is like a dance, right?”

“Yes, there is dancing, and food too.”

“How come your step-mom said no to the ball? Besides just being the worst.”

“I had no escort. But it’s all moot now. The ball was ages ago. I’ve long since missed my chance to go.”

“There’s a dance at my school this Friday. It’s not the same, but-” he was cut off when she gasped.

“Are you asking me to go with you?”

Was he? “Yeah? I mean if you think she’ll let you. I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything.”

“Tell me everything!”

He walked over to the chair his Dad had previously occupied and pulled out a flyer from his backpack, “Everything you need to know is on here!” he said handing over the page.

She beamed in excitement and hugged the paper tightly. “Oh, I can’t wait! Thank you so much for this Danny!”

“Meet you here at 6?”

“It’s a date!” Then she flew off back into the portal.

================================================

The next morning Danny walked up to his friends and attempted to show off his best smile.

“What have you done this time?” Sam deadpanned before he even had a chance to get a word in.

“What makes you think I did anything?”

“No one enters this building with a smile that big. Now spill.”

“I,” he hesitated, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But you did do something, didn’t you,” Tucker added.

Who’s side was this guy on?

“I just have some news.”

His friends just stared at him.

He may be half-ghost but they certainly could give him the spooks, or Sam could anyway.

“You know how there’s a dance this Friday?” he started, hoping if he just came in real gentle they would be super understanding and not laugh in his face.

“Go on,” Sam said as Tucker looked between the two as if expecting a showdown.

“Well I got a date and I think it would be really neat if you guys came too so you could meet her.”

He smiled again and tried not to think about how much it felt like a grimace.

“Wait, when did this happen?” Tucker asked at the same time that Sam glared harder.

“Who is she?”

“Dora? She’s not from around here. I think she’s British?” he put a finger to his lip in thought, “Or at least I think that’s where she’s from. I didn’t ask, but she’s got the accent.”

“When did you meet a potential British girl?”

“Last night.”

“I thought you went home after school?”

“I did. That’s where I met her.”

“You meet a girl and immediately asked her to the dance?”

“Was she wearing a Land Before Time shirt or something?”

“No!”

How dare his friends think he was shallow enough to only ask a girl out if she happened to be into one of the best-animated movie series ever made. Although he probably would, now that he’s thinking about it.

“So what is it about her that’s so mesmerizing?”

“I didn’t say that! She was just upset because she missed this big dance a while back and I just invited her to ours to cheer her up. Plus she’s really nice.”

“And?” Tucker asked knowing him far too well.

“And she has this nasty little habit of turning into a giant dragon when she’s upset.”

His friends just stared at him.

“Also she’s a Princess.” he bit his lip and finally added, “and a ghost.”

[comfortscripts]

May I Have This Dance? ¬ Steve Rogers

Plot - After retiring his shield, Steve's partner realises that he seems to be missing something.

Requested? Yes/No

Genre - ☁️️Fluff ☁️️

Note/Warning - Steve didn't return to Peggy after Endgame (I refuse to accept that ending honestly), I think this is GN but please let me know if I have used fem!pronouns, also the reader wears a dress in this so if you are uncomfortable with that be aware.

Word Count - 1.7k

After your husband Steve retired from the superhero living, life seemed dull in his eyes. You could see that his once vibrant baby blues had lost their sparkle, their joy for life.

Whilst him having more time meant that your relationship thrived, Steve was missing something and you were missing him being truly happy.

It was Sunday and a rule of the Rogers relationship is that Sunday was an "Old School Day".

No technology, no going to the city and no current news or media of any kind.

It took a while to get use to but you soon learned to love it because it meant that you had the whole day with your soulmate, no distractions. But today was different, there was one thing that had taken up your entire focus all day.

A few days prior, you were in line at the supermarket when you spotted a flyer.

DANCE YOURSELF BACK TO THE 40s!

Have you ever wondered what a 40s dance was like?

Well if the answer is yes, get yourself down to the Michaelton Hall this Sunday at 7:30pm

The cashier was a motherly looking woman in her late 60s named Dorothy, her family had owned the supermarket here since the 1920s and being a cashier here was her first job. Twice a week she would come down and "relive her youth" as her husband always jokes.

"I thought that might catch your eye" Dorothy spoke after watching you inspect the flyer. "The old music, the clothes and just that feeling of a simpler time. I'm hoping to convince William to take me but getting him to dress up like a princess is more likely than getting him to dance."

You laugh at the woman's joke but mainly at the idea of William in a frilly dress. William and Dorothy had been married for 52 years but the only time William ever danced with her was on their wedding night, a story that you thought was sad but Dora took it in her stride.

"Well I am thinking that this might be a good way to get Steve out of his funk, even for only a night" You say with a wistful look on your face whilst piling fruit into your shopping bag.

"What a wonderful idea my dear!" Dorothy exclaimed whilst scanning the final item "There is a quaint little vintage store about half a mile out of town, I am sure you'd find a dress to knock Steve's socks off"

Smiling at the woman, you hand her some cash before taking one last look at the flyer "You are like a fairy godmother Dora. Have a lovely day and hopefully see you at the dance".

By the next morning, you were keen to start prepping for the Sunday surprise. Giving your husband a kiss goodbye, you headed off to 'run some errands'.

First stop was buying the tickets, then that left you with finding the perfect 40s dress.

You headed out of town to the vintage store Dorothy mentioned but you were not prepared for how beautiful the shop was. Flowers in corners all over the place, fairy-lights decorated the clothing racks and old pieces of sparkling jewellery was displayed throughout the store.

You could have spent hours in there, it felt like a visual time machine but it seemed luck was on your side. As you strolled further into the store, you noticed a stunning pastel floor-length satin dress with light embellishments near the sleeves. That was exactly what you needed.

Everything was ready. Tickets were bought, dress was found and Steve's old military suit was ready to be worn. All you had to do now was keep it from your husband till Sunday.

Making it to Sunday evening was difficult, you had nearly exposed the plans twice but thankfully Steve believed the excuses you came up with. But now it was time to get ready.

"My love, guess what I found the other day in the attic" You call out to your super-solider husband. "Your old army uniform. Perfect condition as well".

Handing the outfit to Steve, you see his eyes light up with the memories of his time back in the 1940s. Although he looked only slightly older than he did the last time he wore it, it was like looking back in time.

"Wow, I didn't think I would ever see this again." He spoke caressing the material.

"Steve, do you think you could maybe try it on again? I would love to have a glimpse of what use to be the fashion" You asked carefully, trying to make sure he didn't suspect anything else.

A small smile graced his face. "Of course, I probably would have wanted to try it on either way" And with a laugh, he headed upstairs to suit up.

Whilst the super-solider was getting ready, you slipped into your dress and quickly slipped on an oversized shirt which made it look like you were wearing a long skirt and t-shirt. Applying a bit of makeup before double checking that your purse was ready with the tickets, car keys and some other essentials.

Hearing footsteps descend your staircase, you turn around to a fully suited and confident looking Steve Rogers. This man has managed to make you fall more in love every day for the past 6 years but in this moment, he took your breath away.

"You look so handsome. How did I ever get lucky enough to call you my husband?" You express as you reach up to lay the corner of his collar down. Even though you compliment your husband all the time, Steve still flushes a bit red at the sweet words.

Leaning in to give him a small kiss, you suddenly remember that you are on a time constraint. You pull back with a mischievous grin dancing on your face.

"Oh no, I know that face. What have you done?" Steve asks with a little chuckle. Instead of responding, you grab his hand and head out to the car. After instructing him to get into the passenger seat, you settle yourself in the driver's seat and start the car whilst Steve sits beside you watching like he was trying to solve a puzzle - the puzzle being you.

"I have a surprise for you but I am going to need you to put this blindfold on whilst I drive us there" With a grin on your face and your hand offering a silk blue blindfold to your incredibly confused but handsome husband.

Cautiously Steve reaches for the blindfold and puts it on, he would trust you with his life so why not trust you with a small surprise.

After driving for 15 minutes or so, Steve feels the car stop and turn off.

"Wait one second" You say before he hears you open your door.

Bubbling with excitement you quickly discard of your t-shirt, place some kitten heels on and apply a sultry shade of red on your lips before throwing anything you don't need in the trunk.

Walking over to Steve's side of the car, you calm your nerves slightly with a deep breathe. Opening the passenger door, you take a hold of Steve's hand and carefully guide him towards the entrance of the hall.

Sounds of Moonlight Serenade songs fill his ears as he enters, still completely oblivious to his partner's scheme. He notices that it is far warmer in this area and that he can smell a mix of perfume and whiskey.

"Okay baby, when I count to 3, you can take off your blindfold" You finally say.

"1"

"2"

"3"

As Steve removes the silk blocking his vision and is immediately hit with a feeling of nostalgia. The hall looked like something out of his memories; men and women dressed in 40s fashion dancing the night away, a small band playing all the most popular songs from the decade he yearned for, men who reminded him of Bucky trying to pick up girls at the bar.

Steve thought that he was blown away until he saw his Y/N. The person who made life worth living, who made everything seem light again. There they stood, looking like they had just walked off the silver screen from an old movie. Steve never really believed that he could live such a happy life but somewhere along the way, he must have done something right because now he is married to an angel.

Walking up to you, he placed his hands on your waist and looked deep into your eyes. Drowning in Steve's ocean blue eyes was a favourite past-time of yours but this felt more than that.

"I noticed you have been a bit down since you gave up the shield and I couldn't see you frown anymore." You whisper quietly as if you were nervous that this plan wouldn't work.

"I know I say it constantly but I love you, Y/N Rogers. Your kindness, your care, your effortless beauty, you." Steve recited, filling every word with pure love and appreciation. "Sometimes I think that I am no one if I am not Captain America or I don't belong in this world but you. You, Y/N, you made me realise that you are my home, not the past. You are the only one I need in this life-time or any other life-time because you taught me who I am beyond the shield."

Tears start to well up in your eyes as you hang off his every word.

"This dance is amazing but what makes me happy is that I get to spend tonight and every night with my soulmate" Steve takes a step back and extends his hand. "So, may I have this dance my darling?"

Reaching for his hand, you make your way onto the dance floor amongst the other couples. As the song dies down, Stella by Frank Sinatra starts filling the hall with a romantic atmosphere and you feel Steve place his hand on your hip before placing another in your hand. This was truly a night to remember.

As you sway with your husband, you let your eyes wander to the other dancing couples and near the centre of the dance floor, you spot Dorothy and William smiling and swaying like teenagers again.

All you can do is hope that you and Steve will be dancing together when you are old and grey.