#and spiraled so hard danny panicked and promised not to leave again

[little-pondhead]

I’m Not The Sun

—

Y'know, when Kon ‘died’, do you think a grieving Tim could have mistaken Danny for his best friend? Do you think that, in a moment of desperation and exhaustion, he might've kidnapped a floating Danny in an attempt to bring Kon home? And when he realized he kidnapped a random civilian, do you think he still kept Danny for a while as a replacement for Kon?

Do you think Danny got tired of being called 'Conner' after the first week but was too distressed himself to correct Tim? Trying to leave or tell the fellow teen his name was Danny was obviously sending the kid into a spiral. He seemed to think Danny was the dead spirit of his best friend. Maybe if he played along, this Conner guy would show back up?

Hopefully, before Tim completes his cloning research. Danny's been doing everything he can to sabotage the equipment, but even with ghost powers on his side, Tim is a smart person. Every time Danny sets him back one step, Tim takes two steps forward. And since he's well outside of his haunt, Danny is starting to feel weak and ill from lack of ectoplasm. He's running out of time.

Do you think Kon would feel upset that his best friend replaced him?

[clockwayswrites]

wc: 857

“Are you sure you have everything?” Jason fussed. “You took the Nancy Drew books, right? You have to tell me what you think of at least the first one when you visit next week.”

Danny smiled indulgently at him. “Yes.”

Danny still didn’t talk much and every word seemed to be so much effort, but they still were determined to at least speak some— even if everyone assured them that they didn’t need to. Danny and Jason both had been working on learning ASL, even if it was slow going. Danny still struggled with their hands most days, even if they were more solid than not, so signing wasn’t always an easier option than speaking. For right now, the best way seemed to be the tablet that Bruce had given Danny.

Compared to the old SGD, the new tablet was significantly smaller. It was still a bit thicker than a normal tablet to allow for better speakers and eye tracking, but not really by much. Bruce had even had a custom messenger bag made so that Danny could easily flip open a cover and use the device at a moments notice. Even now the bag was hung protectively over Danny’s shoulder.

Jason had no doubt that something similar would soon be on the market for anyone who needed it to buy at price or even discounted. The way Danny had excitedly hugged Bruce when it was handed over certainly hadn’t hurt chances.

“Okay, good. And we’ll see each other in a week. I already told Agent A that he has to make cookies for your visit and I already have a bunch of plans so WW better bring you over on time,” Jason said, fussing with how Danny’s duffel bag hung off their shoulder.

Danny laughed, the sound nearly silent, and caught Jason’s hand. Amusement sang through their bond.

“What? No I’m not fussing! I just want to make sure you’re ready to go. Going to a new home with a new adult is a big change!” Jason knew that first hand. Moving in with Bruce had been rough, and Jason just wanted to try and save Danny that. Sure, Danny knew Diana and over the last several weeks the two of them had gotten close but it would still be hard. And that wasn’t dealing with Danny destabilizing or anything! Yeah, Danny didn’t really do that anymore, but that was here at the Watchtower where Danny knew how things were and who was around. What about the first time Danny went out to eat? Or shopping! They would need definitely need to go shopping for Danny.

Jason’s spirally thoughts were cut off by Danny pressing a quick kiss to Jason’s lips. There hadn’t been many kisses and every one of them seemed to completely kill Jason’s ability to think— an advantage that Danny used shamelessly.

“I’ll be okay,” Danny said using his tablet. “And when I am not okay, you and WW will make sure that I am okay. And I will make sure that you are okay. We look after each other.”

With a huff, all of the fight drained out of Jason. “We look after each other. I just don’t like you being so far away.”

“Zeta tubes.”

“Stop being so logical.”

Danny just laughed again.

There was a knock before the door to Danny’s room— the room that Danny had been using— slid open.

“Hello Robin,” Diana said with a smile. “Have you helped Danny pack?”

“He mostly panicked,” Danny said. Somehow the mechanical voice, even if this one was more lifelike, made it worse.

Jason crossed his arms. “Traitor.”

“Ah, an important duty,” Diana said with false sincerity. “Are you ready to leave then? If you have forgotten anything, I can retrieve it next time I am up on the Watchtower.”

“Yes. Can you tell Robin that you remember about next week and we will be on time?”

Diana obviously stifled a laugh as she turned towards Jason. “Robin, I remember that you two have a play date next week and I promise that we will be on time. I would not take that day away from either of you. If you need to, you are very welcome to text Danny or call them. You are not being cut off from each other.”

“B said Danny needs time to settle in without me,” Jason grumbled, glancing away.

“I am certain he means that Danny and I need some time alone to become used to living together,” Diana said, resting a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “That doesn’t mean that you cannot text or call. I am certain that will become part of the normal rhythm, after all.”

“I… maybe.”

“If B has issue with it, you may let me know and I will talk with him.”

“You mean kick his ass.”

Diana shrugged easily as she backed up a set. The little smirk on her face said everything. “Now, with everyone assured, are you ready to go home, Danny?”

Danny’s fingers tightened around his tablet knuckle white before they took a deep breath and nodded. “Home. Yes, I am ready to go home.”

---

AN: So... I'm going to call it the end of this fic! Cause it ends on hope and I always like to end on hope. That said, we very much might get a part from Danny's POV which will go into how he got to this or something else! But that will be after I start getting this on ao3!

Much like our boys, stay delightful, darlings!

Not So Imaginary

Parts 1-3 Parts 4-6 Parts 7-8 WC: 1177

“I brought you some more books to read,” Jason said as he entered the room.

After Danny had shown that they were clearly a person (a kid at that) and answered a few questions, they had been moved to an actual room on the Watchtower. Jason was pretty sure part of it was how he refused to leave the cell until Danny was moved, but he didn’t really care as long as it got his friend safe.

Danny looked up with a grin. They were pretty solid today, sitting cross-leg on the bed with feet and everything.

“You’re back,” the artificial voice spoke out from the tablet like device in Danny’s hands. It was a version of something called a SGD, Bruce had said, and was used by people who had trouble with verbal sounds. They didn’t know if Danny would always need it or if they’re vocal cords would come back as they continued to solidify.

“I am. B said I could stay a whole three hours today too as long as I ate a snack while I was here,” Jason said, holding up one of the bags he had.

Three hours still wasn’t a lot, but it was better than the one it had been the rest of the week. It took a lot of begging, but B finally agreed that Jason was well enough for a test to see how it went. Danny was still draining life force from Jason, and only Jason, which made certain Leaguers nervous about letting the two of them close. Jason had done everything he could to let it happen: he’d begged and argued, he’d eating everything Alfie wanted him to, he rested whenever Bruce wanted him too which was all the time, and he even agreed to stay benched for as long as it took.

That last one had really helped convince Bruce and Dick that Jason wouldn’t back down from helping his friend.

“Good. I am happy. What do you have?”

“You liked the Hardy Boys, right? I have a few more of those and I found you some science mags you might like,” Jason said as he flopped onto the bed next to Danny. He could feel the odd tingle travel up his arm as he leaned into Danny.

“Thank you,” Danny said with a wide smile. The tone of the electronic voice didn’t match the brightness of that smile, but it was alright. Jason could also feel how happy Danny was.

“You’re doing okay?”

“Yes.” There was a long pause as Danny found the right words. They were pretty quick already with preset phrases, but odder things still took longer than regular talking would. “WW took me to observation deck. We watched stars. She told me stories of stars from her home.”

“Yeah?” Jason asked, trying to keep his voice from hitching around the word. He couldn’t bug Danny with that yet. “You like her? Wonder Woman?”

“Yes.” The reply was quick, but Danny was watching Jason with furrowed brows. They pushed a sense of question through their bond.

“I’m fine. Just thinking through some shit,” Jason said with a wave of his hand. “But Wonder Woman is really cool. She’s my favorite too.”

Danny set the tablet aside so that they could run their fingers through Jason’s hair. It felt odd, what with not all of the fingers always being all of the way solid, but a good sort of odd. It seems Jason couldn’t just Danny’s concern aside.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay?”

Danny let out what for anyone else would have been a sigh and gave a little nod. They shorted through the bag of books Jason had brought and found a Hardy Boy’s to hand over to Jason.

“What me to read to you?” Jason waited for the nod. Apparently it was really important to let Danny choose things right then, or so the adults said. “Okay, move over a bit, yeah? You’re hogging all the bed.”

Danny placed their hand to their chest, face screwing up in an affronted expression. It didn’t work though when Jason could feel the amusement through their bond.

“Yeah yeah, I’m a brute, now shove over,” Jason said with a laugh. He worked his way up until he was lounging against the head of the bed.

Danny didn’t move.

“You’re a brat,” Jason accused.

Danny gave a silent laugh, humor bumbling up in their bond, before they flopped over right onto Jason’s chest. Jason let a huff of a sigh, but ran his fingers through Danny’s hair like he knew they liked before he opened the book to start read about another adventure of the Hardy Boys.

It was easier to feel the drain like this, when they were so close to each other and touching. Jason had tried to avoid spelling that out too much to Bruce. He got that his dad was just worried, but he was afraid if B knew he’d tried to keep Danny away.

As it was Bruce was trying to send Danny away.

Jason brushed the thought aside, focusing on doing his best to give the characters good voices for Danny. At least it was a distraction from all the rest of Jason’s thoughts. Two chapters later the stopped to ask, “Want a break or do you want another chapter?”

Danny rolled over and off Jason’s chest to flop onto the pillow next to him and Jason froze. His shock must have been clear because Danny scrambled up off the bed until they were floating above Jason.

“No! It’s a good thing. Just… you’re getting some of your color back,” Jason explained. He should really stop staring. He should take Danny to a mirror to see or something, but it was just that… Danny was beautiful right then. He found himself reaching up to brush his finger tips of the bright freckles that were scattered across Danny’s cheeks and nose like a galaxy of stars.

Bright teal eyes blinked back at him.

Jason cleared his throat. “Right, sorry, let’s go let you look.”

Danny floated to the side, landing on their feet as Jason stood, and followed behind behind to the small attached bathroom. Jason guided Danny in front of the mirror. White was spreading into their hair now.

For a moment Jason was worried that Danny was frozen in shock, then the other leaned in close to the mirror, touching the surface before bringing their hand up to their own face. Suddenly Danny was moving, spinning weightlessly around Jason as they gave a soundless whoop.

“I know,” Jason said with a grin of his own. “Look at you! You’re really coming together now! I knew you could do it. I knew that you could come back.”

Slowly, Danny drifted back down so that the tips of their toes brushed against the floor. They rested their forehead against Jason’s.

He didn’t need words to understand what Danny was trying to say.

“Don’t have to thank me, stardust. I’ll always come for you just like you’ll always come for me.”

--- AN: Oh ho, is Jason starting to realize he has a crush? And what isn't he telling Danny? Hopefully this part is good, the weather is giving me such a migraine/making me super dizzy so my eyes are crossing some! (Yes, I'm resting, on the couch with a cat!)

I really should have made an update post for this... this supposed ficlet just keeps going! 7K now! Aaaah well. Anywho, stay delightful, darlings!