#danny’s just a little bit traumatised

[tsuniio]

I LOVE DEAGED DANNY AND JASON

You guys know what time it is

DPxDC Time

Okay, so de-aged Danny is captured by GIW when he meets the Batfamily. I'm talking, Oracle comes across the guys in white and informs the Batfam who uncover EVERYTHING.

~

I know what you're all thinking. Danny is perfect bat adoption bait. But it's not Batman that catches de-aged Danny's attention. It's the big bad wolf, Jason "Red Hood" Todd. Danny sees Jason through the test tub or cage he's been trapped in and can almost feel the pain Jason has felt through his life.

So when Danny is released from his "prison" he doesn't want Batman to hold him. He doesn't want Nightwing to hold him. He definitely doesn't want to be held by the Robin's who are staring at him like he's something to be stabbed or examined. No. He wants the one who looks sympathetic and looks like he knows how Danny is feeling at that moment.

Danny ignore everyone and holds his short arms out towards Jason. Silencing everyone as they stare. Danny didn't look away from those pain filled eyes. Danny knows his eyes must reflect the same way from how quickly Jason scoops him up. Once he's in Jason's arms it's like the Dam gate had broken completely.

Danny cried. He let the tears go. The tears for his parents who even if they didn't like ghosts still love him dearly. The tears for his sister Jazz who not only raised and protected him, but gave her everything to help him when he needed it. He cried for Sam and Tucker. His best friends who like his family, died trying to save him. Died protecting him from the GIW who didn't care for innocent lives.

~

Jason held the glowing child protectively in his arms. He could see how much pain was trapped behind those gates. He knew whatever this kid had been through was worse then any of the bat family had been in combined. He didn't move from his spot.

Jason barely acknowledged when Dick had tapped his shoulder to show him the tag from where the child had been imprisoned. It read "Phantom-001". But Jason knew that wasn't the child's name. It was like something inside him had clicked when he saw those glowing green eyes.

Something inside him warmed as he gently calmed the crying child. No this was his child now. He was going to protect him and keep him happy. Happy and safe from everything this world will try to put on his son's shoulders.

Jason slightly tightened his hold as he felt the steady breathing against his chest. He moved slowly as to not interrupt the much needed sleep. Leaving the room for his family to search and ultimately destroy. He knew if he stayed in that room he'd blow it up.

Seeing those machines and jars filled with that familiar green terrified him. Not from his past. But from the scars on his new son. He wasn't a fool. He could put the pictures together and he really didn't like what the picture was coming out to look like. Jason carefully made his way outside and stared at the sky making a silent promise that he will never break.

"I'll destroy those who did this to you. I'll make them regret everything and more."

[flamingpudding]

Bat dad meet Ghost dad

Several years earlier....

"JAAAAAAZZZZZZZZ!" Danny flew excited through the Ghost Zone with a little kid in his arms rushing past some of his former rogues as he made a B-Line for his sister that happened to be in the Zone too, currently in a deep conversation with Frostbite about something Danny hadn't cared to pay attention to long enough. But right now he had exciting news he really wanted to share with his sister. Even now as adults Danny tented to live out his childishness whenever he could especially when he and his family went into the Ghost Zone.

The Halfa came to a screeching halt as he grined brightly at his sister who looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, slightly amused at her younger brothers giddiness. "What is it Danny?"

"I got a son now!" Danny declared happily holding up a young ghost teen by the armpits into his sisters face.

The 'son' in Danny's hands stared at Jazz blinking owlishly as if the teen boy still needed a moment to catch up with what was going on and Jazz blinked back at the ghost and then at Danny. That was not a child but a teen ghost. Going by the size the kid was probably around 14 or 15 and he looked very much traumatised and Jazz could not tell if that was because of Danny or because of how the teen possible died.

"Danny what did you-" Her brother did not let her finish her question as he started rambling excitedly.

"He is a baby ghost Jazz! Look how young he is! I found him floating around aimlessly, his hunt hasn't even fully formed yet and when i picked him up there was that instant connection! You know the same-"

"Danny."

"I have with Clockwork and Pandora! I instantly knew he was mine! Mine to protect! Mine to guide! When I saw him I swear I just knew, I ghost adopted him the moment I made contact! He is family Jazz-"

"Danny."

"I just know he belongs with us! Look at him and tell me he doesn't have Fenton charms! I am sure Dan and Dani will love him too! He is such a cute little ghost! There is so much I can teach him! I will be the best dad ever to this wonderful little baby ghost! And-"

"Daniel William James Fenton!"

Danny bite his tongue instantly silenced when Jazz pulled out the full name call. Both him and the teen in his arms stared at her a bit shell shocked and in that moment Jazz couldn't help but hide a small amused smile at how similar Danny and the teen in his arms looked when they stared at her.

"Did you explain any of this to him?" She indicated to the teen, who's name she by the way still didn't know. Danny at least had the curtesy to look a little ashamed as Jazz pointed that out and let go of the teen so they could float on their own. She sighed with a fond smile before looking at the teen that looked a bit unsure between her and Danny now.

"What's your name?" She asked them with a friendly and encouraging smile.

"Jason...."

Current time...

Jason was in a little bit of a predicament. Originally he really thought he never would end up in this kind of situation espacially since he didn't think he would patch up things with Bruce any time soon. But we'll here he was...

Life liked proofing him wrong.

Like with he fact that Jason could use a ghost wail in dire situation. And that something like that would naturally call his ghost dad onto the scene since he collapsed after it.

And like with how he woke up in the bat caves med bay with both Danny and Bruce standing over him and glaring at each other. Or at least he thought they were glaring at each other that looked like a pretty annoyed stare in his eyes from Danny and Bruce's jaw was really tense from what was visible and not covered by his cowl.

So all Jason could do was endure at the moment. Aaaaand refuse to make eye contact with any of his present siblings. Mainly Dick because he wasn't sure how to interpret the others' smiles. For a moment Jason wondered if he could hide out in his ghost-dad's castle in the Ghost Zone for a while until whatever storm was brewing with Bruce was over.

There was also a moment in which Jason wondered if there could have been anything done to avoid this... confrontation(?). Before feeling the need to face palm because his Aunt that sort of has been giving him free therapy told him repeatedly that communication was key. He never regretted not listening to her more than he was right now.

To be fair. Communication with Bruce espacially hadn't been his strong suit for a while now before and after his death.

"So you are his Bat-Dad?" Jason did not like the way Danny, his ghost dad was using the word 'dad' right now. Oh good was he trying to challenge Bruce?

"And you are his Ghost-Dad?" Bruce grunted, oh now Jason was sure Bruce was giving Danny a glare, and Danny was getting that protective look in his eyes Jason was all to familiar with from his time as a dead baby ghost.

He groaned loudly sinking lower onto the medbed. Why did these things always have to happen to him? At least he was lucky that his Ghost Aunt and Uncle didn't show up too.

[black-rose-writings]

I absolutely love how accepting Danny is of Dani/Ellie, but I am a master of angst and I therefore must make it angsty (even if only lightly).

Consider this:

Vlad is trying to figure out why the clones keep failing (it is the food issue, but he's a dunce and won't figure that out until later), so he tries to substitute what he thinks is missing with his own material, making Ellie a mix of him and Danny.

Now, this Ellie has bits and pieces of both Vlad and Danny's memories and abilities (technically, physically, she's closer to Danny, mentally, she is closer to Vlad, but she's also very much not bound by physical rules and, conciously or not, makes herself look more like Vlad than she should in an attempt to make him less likely to dispose of her). So Vlad is trying to make her believe she is the Prime clone while he "keeps her for further study", while she is trying to manipulate him into getting attached and actually keeping her as a daughter. Vlad gets attached.

Ellie, having never been human, is very bad at pretending to be one, especially at the begining. 0 respect for gravity and walls, does not quite understand how far human joints are supposed to bend or how social norms work. Basically, she's a little eldritch freak in the body of an adorable 12yo. She does eventually get better, but she is more ghost than human and will always be off in one way or another.

Now, fast forward a couple of months. Vlad has been awfully quiet and Danny is getting suspicious. Jack decides to invite Vlad over for dinner (nobody else is too happy about it, but Jack is a stubborn bitch and Maddie eventually decides that maybe Vlad would get the hint this time). Danny is dreading what Vlad would have planned for said dinner, so when Vlad walks in with a kid that is giving him all sorts of creeps, he's on high alert.

Of course, he thinks it's a scheme of some sort. Some kind of trick to woo his mom. Is that kid some kind of ghost he convinced to help him? A creation of Desiree? His actual biological kid that he's been ignoring until now that he has decided to take in to spite Danny? (That's what Maddie thinks. She certainly looks like she could be that.) Vlad claims she's adopted, but nobody's buying that.

So, while the dinner is getting finished and the adults are chatting, Danny practically drags Ellie aside and asks her what she is, totally ready to throw hands with this child if she turns out to be dangerous. Ellie plays dumb at first, but eventually reveals what she is (Vlad had a whole speech planned for Danny. Ellie is not sorry she ruined that).

And if she was just Danny's clone, I think Danny would probably handle it well (as well as one can handle finding out your enemy cloned you, anyway), though he would have some choice words for Vlad. But Ellie is not just Danny in this version and Danny has been traumatised by TUE. So, obviously, he throws hands with a 12yo. Ellie's only complaint is "your parents are going to hear us fighting, you flatcake." Danny does eventually calm down and Ellie promises him they can beat the shit out of each other later for proper ghost bonding, but first they have to survive the dinner with their parents.

[ar3s-r4t-qu33n]

“I have my personal headcanon on what I think happens to her, Johnny, Sissy and Nancy once the Gang are dead, but that's for another time.”

What’s your head canon?

You have no idea the can of worms you have opened 😵‍💫

So,

Everyone is dead. Danny and Virginia are both dead before the game's events, and Ana, Connie, Julie, Leland and Sonny die to the Family during the game.

Maria knows about Virginia and the others. She does NOT know about Danny because she was not near Nancy's House at the time and Johnny has hidden his body somewhere for to use to get his anger issues out. Ana gets the furthest, running from the Family House to Nancy's, finding Danny's body, finding Maria, but is eventually put down (imo by Bubba).

Now, Johnny has been keeping Maria a secret from Nancy and most of the family, so the reveal to them that she's still alive is also a shock.

Now that the kids are dead, Nancy turns on Maria.

She started this mess, she's fucking with Johnny's head, she needs to go for good. Nancy begins to attack, Grandpa he damned, and Maria is just trying to survive. Eventually, they reach some sort of dead end or something where Nancy is absolutely gonna kill Maria.

And Johnny just sees red and kills Nancy.

Maria is his, she is the only thing he's ever had that doesn't belong to the family, someone he chose for himself, someone he wants. And he won't let Nancy force him to stay there again. It's almost exactly like when he was younger and he found out the truth, but now he's bigger and stronger and colder.

Johnny kills Nancy.

And then it goes one of two ways-

Either Maria dies from her injuries, bleeding out, and Johnny just takes her body, puts her in the back seat of his truck, and drives away. He can't go back to the Family House, he can't ever show his face there again. History be damned, the second he killed Nancy, he was no longer Family. So he just leaves, maybe goes off with his Uncle Hands or goes completely solo (the leather jacket makes me think he's spent at least a little time with Hands post-1973), driving around, murdering. He is part of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, killing his way through the state until we get to Rush Week, where, at the end, he is almost pathetically stopped by the Omega Sigma Theta girls and shot dead by the police, his story coming to an abrupt and bloody end.

OR Maria lives, and is completely traumatised by seeing her friends and sister die and almost dying herself, that when Johnny says they have to go, she merely follows. Again, same deal, he's killed Nancy, he knows he has to go, but he also needs to get Maria out of there; they're free. He makes a pit stop at the Family House, offering to drive Sissy off too so she can give the world another try and she agrees, tossing her blade as they drive away, planning on giving up the life entirely (and leaving Nubbins to pick it up for use in the film, being abandoned again by another sibling).

Johnny and Maria settle down, find a place of their own a fair ways away from any towns, somewhere in the woods where Johnny can hunt animals for food and Maria can take her pictures. And Johnny really genuinely tries to stop killing for a bit. For Maria. He really gives it a shot. But he can't shake that itch. Nancy was right, he wasn't born a Slaughter, but he was raised one, and that is in him forever. He begins at first with sneaking out once Maria is asleep, killing one or two people who he catches out at night on their own. But soon he needs more. Reconnects with his Uncle Hands, starts going away on weekends for "fishing trips" or "hunting trips", always bringing home food for Maria and a little something to sweeten the deal. In reality, he's killing again, bigger targets, like the Sorority. Maria is definitely beginning to suspect, but at this point they either already have children, or she's pregnant, and far too busy to deal with that.

As for how Rush Week ends, either he gets to kill a few or even all of the girls and go home again, back to Maria and their slowly growing family, or, again, he meets his match. He's gunned down, never goes home. Maybe, if Hands is around, he tells Maria what happened or some version of the truth. And she can't go home. Not now, not when Ana is dead and Danny has probably spent so long looking for her. She couldn't do that to her mother, go home with children and the news that her baby sister is dead and she chose to stay with the animal that helped to kill her. She doesn't even know why she stayed, she's traumatised. So she just has to keep going and provide for her family, whatever she can to protect herself now.

I'm not sure which ending I prefer. And I haven't played Rush Week, so maybe that would inform my decision more. But yeah, this is my ending headcanon for Maria, Johnny, Sissy and Nancy. Obviously some creative liberties taken since I truly do believe Johnny loves Maria in his own fucked up way, and I want him and Sissy to forgive each other because I love Sissy and want the best for her. But yeah, hope y'all enjoy

[thatrandomsarahchick]

When Jack was in college, he participated in a pen pal program with a lovely lady from another college. Their class were contacting people doing esoteric and obscure degrees, trying to work out what drew them to that field of study. Out of everyone in their course, only himself and Vladdie had kept in contact after the initial exchanging of letters.

After that awful incident with the mini portal - oh God, what if Vlad had something like this happen to him, too? - clad had taken it upon himself to keep himself in contact with his pen-pal as well.

When Harleen went Villain, their contact became much more sporadic. As far as Mads was aware, they weren't even in contact anymore. She would definitely be able to hide them for however long it would take, and in the meantime, she might be able to get in contact with Vladdie. He had stopped taking their calls years ago, but he was Jack's only hope right now. He would know what Jack needed to do to survive whatever was happening to him now.

In the meantime, Jazz has packed the GAV with everything she could, prioritising the necessary items and working her way down the list. It was only a matter of time until mum got free, so she needed to work as fast as possible.

Dad is directing Jack to what to grab in the lab. Their first priority was permanently disabling the portal, which was easy enough to do from the laptop. They had been worried about corporate espionage and others coming to steal their design before it could be patented, so Maddie had installed a kill code on the work computer. She also didn't know what he had done to turn the thing on, with him not having had a chance to mention the on switch before she attacked him.

Danny packed the essentials into the Fenton Porta-lab, doing his best to ignore his mum's vitriolic screeching, with tears streaming down his face. A mantra of 'gotta get out, gotta get dad safe' ran through him mind on repeat. Once he'd grabbed everything he could, he turned back to his dad. Dad who was now in a colour reverse, and floating above the ground. Oh, God, mum had killed him.

Ok. Gotta get dad's ghost somewhere safe. Everything else can wait.

Even in his ghost form, Jack was mildly delirious from blood loss and pain. He didn't know how to change back, but he instinctively knew that it was safer for him to be in this form right now. Being human with his wounds would kill him permanently. He floated - floated! - over to his precious son, grabbing the handle of the bulky porta-lab and starting to tug it towards the door. To his surprise, the lab came easily. Maybe his powers could affect what he was holding? No. Jack! Get safe, get the kids safe. Research can come later. He grabs Danny around the waist and attempts to float up the stairs. Somehow, he manages to fly them both through the walls of the house and to the car outside, before collapsing on the ground. Ok, use of powers is not a good idea right now.

Jazz and Danny work together to get the portal lab into the GAV, and their dad sort of lying down on the cot in there. Now what? They exchange panicked looks, neither fully having an idea of where to go from here.

"G'thm," their dad slurs out. "Get to Goth'm H'rlee will keep safe. Go Gotham."

He then passes out on the cot, flickering back to human again. His stomach wound starts bleeding again. The change seems to have sped up the healing, but it also corroded away the bandages. With a determined look, Jazz gets into the driver's seat and starts driving away, doing her best to keep the car steady while also driving as fast as she feels comfortable going. Danny, while holding his dad's stomach closed with his gloved hands, looks back to see their mum rush out the front door. She's still partially twisted up in Fenton Fishing Wire and is screaming vitriol at the top of her lungs.

Danny finally gets his dad all wrapped up again as they pass the other side of Elmerton

He takes a few minutes to just sit and breathe. Dad may not be conscious right now, but at least he's not actively bleeding out anymore.

It's not until they're an hour into the drive that he moves from his position on the floor. His phone ringing startles him back to awareness - how long was he disassociating for?? - and he hurriedly answers it so it won't wake up dad.

It's Tucker. The three of them were supposed to hang out tonight, shit. Apparently, they went to his house but were stopped by a police officer. His mum has told them that his dad was killed in a lab accident, and her kids had stolen his corpse and ran away. She's so very concerned and needs help to bring them back. The police believe her. Tucker and Sam are super confused.

Danny gives them a rundown of the situation and his friends - he really has the best friends - believe him right away. After everything they've seen? A part-time ghost doesn't seem too wild to them. Maybe he just got ghostly abilities as a meta power? Tucker reminds them that their phones can be tracked, so they should get rid of them. Shit.

Jazz pulls them over to the side of the road, and they go through everything, turning all the trackers off and/or destroying them entirely. Everything with GPS is deactivated or just thrown out entirely. Their phones are turned off, and the sim cards are removed. Once they can get in contact with the Justice League, they can get this all sorted, and they can turn everything back on again.

When they pass a fuel station 20 minutes later, Jazz withdraws the maximum she can from mum and dad's accounts as the van fills up. It's only a few grand, but it will be enough to get them to Gotham. They can't risk card transactions anymore. While she's doing this, Danny approaches the counter.

"Hey man, I'm really sorry for this, but you'll probably get a visit from the cops soon. My mum's gone full crazy and fed a bunch of lies about my dad and us to them to try and track us down - she told them that he's dead and we stole his corpse! You don't have to believe us, but if you could pass this letter to them when they come? I've done my best to explain it for them, but who knows who they'll believe?" He chuckles tiredly as he hands over a sealed envelope. He'd written down as detailed an account as he could, as well as what he knew about the portal. Dad was a meta now. He should be protected, not vivisected.

The cashier, a teen not much older than him, pointed to the ACAB badge on his jacket. "All good man. I've seen weirder shit. You got somewhere safe to go?"

"Yeah, dad told us to head to, well, anyway, we have somewhere we can lie low until we can get this sorted."

"Good. That's good. Hey, listen, my sister got kicked outta home for being a meta, I get it. Here, we have some sandwiches and stuff that I have to throw out soon. Take 'em, you'll need it."

Danny just about started crying with relief. He wasn't used to the kindness of strangers, and this was just one thing too many for his overwhelmed brain right now.

"Danny, come on, we gotta go!" Jazz yelled from the door.

"Thank you," Danny whispered as he laid the sealed envelope on the counter. It was time to get as far away from here as possible.

DP X DC Prompt #91

AU where Jack is the one to activate the portal. Maddie sees and the general Bad Reveal tropes happen.

Jack runs to Gotham as his powers start to manifest.

@evilminji @hdgnj @itshype @dragonsrequiem

@thatrandomsarahchick @spidori

@stealingyourbones (I usually don't ping you but I'd love to see your thoughts about this!)

[blitzwhore]

Hello! Out of pure curiousity, have you seen Sarcastic Chorus new Stolitz analysis video?

I-figured-i'd-ask-just-to-hear-other-people's-opinions-but-if-not-

What's your favorite Blitz moment?

Hi! I hadn't seen it—it's honestly been years since I've watched any videos from that channel—but I decided to check it out after I got this ask.

I only made it about 17 minutes in before I decided to close it because it just wasn't doing it for me.

Overall, the analysis was good. It was in-depth, connected the dots from different episodes, and delved into some of the problems in their "relationship" in a way that was thought-provoking. But... in my opinion, up to where I watched, it only painted half a picture and was more biased than I would like.

Personally, I don't have the energy to engage with any meta or analysis that only delves into the mistakes of one of the characters while portraying the other as a victim. That's the same reason why I've personally stopped watching Danny Mota's reaction videos, for example. I simply choose not to dedicate my time and mental energy to online content that posits either Blitz or Stolas as (however unwittingly) selfish, self-centered and completely powerful in the "relationship", and the other as a blameless victim who didn't deserve the way he was treated. I simply have bigger problems in my life and better things to spend my free time on.

My personal opinion (which I think is very clear if you look through my blog 😂) is that both Blitz and Stolas are traumatised and messed up characters, who are flawed in ways that are extremely human and relatable to the audience. And I'm not going to go more in-depth into my thoughts on them, because I'd rather do that when making my own meta posts out of excitement than as a commentary on someone else's review that annoyed me a little bit. But, yeah, my overall opinion on the part of the video that I watched was: not strictly incorrect, but biased, and framed in a way that doesn't make me want to dedicate more of my time to it.

As for my favourite Blitz moment... I have too many 😂 I really can't pick favourites. His whole existence is my favourite <333

[ivory-lamps]

A22: Secret Journal Exchange

Characters: Yodaka, Nagi, Netaro, Toi & Daniel Location: Hakodate Summary: The protagonist and co. visit the morning market and buy souvenirs for their co-workers and friends, but the pathway is small and cramped. They decide to help the tourists who are having a hard time in the area. Proofreader: Shay

ㅤ

Translator’s Notes ☽.‎˖

Arajiru: Soup made from fish bones, vegetables and konjac; can either be clear or with miso.

Daimon Yokocho: This is a collection of 26 bars and eateries in downtown Hakodate.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ📍 Location: Hakodate Jiyuu-ichiba

Momiji / Kaede: The morning markets are always so lively!

Yodaka: There are local chefs coming here to purchase their ingredients, so it must mean that it’s a great market.

Let’s buy some souvenirs for Danny and Toi.

Momiji / Kaede: Putting aside Chief who couldn’t make it out of bed, it’d be nice if Toi could cheer up soon.

Nagi: …… I can smell hunger.

Netaro: Look. There’s something called “[1]arajiru” and white rice being sold over there!

*Nagi inches away from Netaro*

Nagi: ……

Momiji / Kaede: Oh, “arajiru”. You can have it with squid, the local specialty, of course, but you can also have it with sashimi or ikura.

Yodaka: You can have the fruits of the sea right then and there? That’s great for tourists.

Momiji / Kaede: Yes, let’s take a look with everyone later!

(But…)

Tourist A: Hmm, there’s not a lot of space to walk…

Tourist B: It’s a popular market, so there are a lot of products here.

Tourist C: Which queue is this for? I can’t tell.

Tourist D: Kazuo! Look where you’re going or you’ll trip over the cardboard boxes!

Momiji / Kaede: (The path is blocked by the tourists and the cardboard boxes…! Alright, I need to help them out here…!)

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ🚩 Omotenashi Battle ����

Momiji / Kaede: Okay, the tourists and the cardboard boxes are all dealt with! It should make it easier for tourists to look around now!

Yodaka: Oh, Netaro-kun has disappeared.

Nagi: Ah, he ran off to the squid-fishing corner.

Yodaka: Heh… There’s an odd innocence to him – he’s like a small child.

It makes me feel nostalgic just thinking that I was once like that, too…

*A beep sound is heard*

Momiji / Kaede: (Hm? Yodaka-san’s brows are knitted…)

What’s the matter? Are you okay?

Yodaka: …My apologies. I just had a little headache.

Nagi: Oh, do you want to take a break?

Yodaka: I’m fine – it happens often. Anyway, would ten be enough?

Momiji / Kaede: Ten?

Yodaka: I’m talking about crabs. It looks like they can be sent via refrigerated delivery, so I figured we could get some for our co-workers in HAMA.

Momiji / Kaede: Uh, but that’s red king crab…

Nagi: One of them would cost half a month’s worth of food money for me…

Yodaka: Scallops sound great, too. Excuse me, I’ll take 30 of these. Maybe I should also buy some squid and salmon – I’ll ask Yukikaze to make a seafood stew.

Momiji / Kaede: A–Are you sure you want to buy so much?

Yodaka: Hm? We also have teenage boys who are going through their growth spurt, so there’s never enough.

Momiji / Kaede: (He’s so considerate…!)

P–Please let me help you with the bags! What will you do, Nagi-kun?

Nagi: Ah… I’d like to help too, but there’s a shop I’d like to visit…

Momiji / Kaede: Okay. See you later, then!

Nagi: Excuse me, I’d like one rose, lavender, wisteria and an azalea branch, please.

Yes, please send them all to this hotel. …Thank you.

(Alright… I’ve got more flowers added to the ones I need to hand out. That should be enough while I’m travelling.)

Hm?

Netaro: Munch, munch. Phew~ These ikura are so chewy!

Nagi: (Netaro is eating at the foodcourt. By himself…)

……

Netaro: Now, this is what you call eating life. That’s what it tastes like. And then we have this crab arajiru!

*Nagi walks closer*

Nagi: ……

Netaro: ARAjiru… hm, how is it pronounced again? AraJIRU? Mmm… I dunno…

*Nagi closes up on Netaro*

Nagi: It’s the latter.

Netaro: ! Gii!

Nagi: …I was just a bit curious, is all.

Netaro: Weren’t you avoiding me because I traumatised you?

Nagi: Ugh.

Netaro: You’re not afraid of me anymore?

Nagi: …No, I still am.

…… I know I could’ve ignored you but…

I realised that you might be feeling lonely usually.

Netaro: …Hm?

Nagi: I don’t know… if you’ve really come to a faraway place alone. But you’re here at a place you have no ties or connections to, and you’re eating ikura all by yourself.

…It made me wonder if you’re lonely.

Netaro: “Lonely”.

Nagi: Yeah. You must feel lonely and miss your family or friends from time to time, right?

Netaro: Friends…

Oh~!! I laughed my butt off earlier since the squid I saw at the fishing corner before looked exactly like my superior! I definitely couldn’t eat that squid, so I didn’t.

Nagi: O–Oh… I see.

Netaro: Why would you feel “lonely” if you think about your family and friends?

Nagi: Is it a feeling aliens don’t understand? Like you guys don’t have the organ for it…?

Netaro: ……

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ📍 Flashback

Boy: Netaro… you don’t feel lonely? Maybe that’s why you don’t understand.

Netaro: ……

Nagi: Netaro?

Netaro: Humans get lonely when they’re by themselves, right? A human I met before taught me that.

Nagi: Yeah. Being by yourself is lonely and it doesn’t make you happy.

There are delicious ikura here, but being unable to share that deliciousness with others makes people unhappy.

Your happiness can be doubled if you spend time with them…

Netaro: Doubled!? By what logic!?

Nagi: With 2 people, the sad things can be halved…!

Netaro: What makes you say that!?

Nagi: People feel happiness for the very first time when they share their lives with someone else. That’s what I think, anyway. No, that has to be true. It has to be right.

Netaro: How mysterious and utterly incomprehensible!

Nagi: You haven’t been on Earth for very long, Netaro. I need to teach you about these things as the representative for all of humanity.

Netaro: How trustworthy! Thanks!

Nagi: (Huh, I guess I’m not feeling so scared anymore…)

(In fact, Netaro just seems like an innocent kid.)

Momiji / Kaede: What’re you guys talking about?

Nagi: Oh, Manager.

Netaro: Gii taught me that being by yourself is lonely and that it makes you unhappy.

Momiji / Kaede: T–That sounds like a serious topic for a conversation.

Nagi: U–Uh, not really…

Momiji / Kaede: But, hmm, I think there are all sorts of different ways to live. Well, I guess that’s the common opinion.

Netaro: Mmm, I wanna learn more!

Momiji / Kaede: Oh, Yodaka-san’s coming over. If you two have finished eating, let’s get going.

Nagi: Okay.

Netaro: …Still, Gii, you…

You said the same things he did.

Toi: Ugh… sniffle…

(We… haven’t stopped our journal exchange.)

(But I wonder how many times I’ve cried seeing Aa-chama’s reply…)

Sniffle…

*Toi flips through the pages*

“Why is Ani-sama avoiding me?”

“Perhaps he thought he wouldn’t have any choices in life if he stayed with you.”

“But he cannot run away – just as he cannot change the blood flowing through his veins.”

“Shall I lend you a hand?”

Toi: …………

Will… Ani-sama come back to me if I borrow Aa-chama’s power? He won’t leave me again, will he…?

……

Daniel: PT~! Over here. Face this way.

??: “Meow~”

Daniel: Alright, alright. I’m gonna be leaving soon. Be a good kitty and wait for me, okay~?

Momiji / Kaede: Daniel-san, what’re you doin– …Oh! PT!

You were watching your pet camera video? You asked Nayuki-kun to take care of your cat, right?

Daniel: Yeah. But it just makes me wanna go home~!

Yodaka: So the little kitty I saw around HAMA House was Danny’s pet cat.

Netaro: You have a pet cat!? I wanna pet it.

Nagi: Me, too. I wouldn’t even mind getting bitten.

Daniel: Why do you think you’re gonna get bitten, Nagi?

PT’s the cutest cat in the world! I’ll introduce you guys when we’re back.

Momiji / Kaede: Shumai’s going to sulk if it realises PT is more popular.

Netaro: That green pea doesn’t want to get close to me…

Momiji / Kaede: (Shumai was growling a lot when they first met, too…)

Yodaka: By the way, what should we do about dinner tonight?

Momiji / Kaede: Oh, right. We haven’t decided yet.

You need to make a reservation to eat at the hotel’s buffet… so it’ll either have to be a restaurant downstairs or somewhere outside…

Toi: [2]Daimon Yokocho.

Momiji / Kaede: Woah… that gave me a fright. Toi-kun?

Toi: We’ll have dinner at Daimon Yokocho.

Momiji / Kaede: Huh?

Netaro: Toi~ Are you awake?

Toi: …Silence.

Hurry up and get to your feet. We’ll meet outside.

Momiji / Kaede: (He left…)

Netaro: ……

Daniel: W–What was that about? He was like a completely different person.

Momiji / Kaede: I wonder what happened. Is it something related to Ryui-kun…?

Yodaka: Did he end up like that after being so depressed?

Daniel: I dunno what’s happening to young folks these days.

Nagi: …… …He changed his way of speaking and is acting cold and blunt…

Ah…!

Don’t tell me he’s going through that sort of teenage phase…?

Yodaka: …By that, do you mean that?

Daniel: Ohh, like when a typhoon comes, they’ll stare up at the sky and mumble, “Here it comes…” or something…?

Nagi: They’ll wrap both arms in bandages and wear an eyepatch…

Momiji / Kaede: What~? Toi-kun is just a year older than you, Nagi-kun.

Daniel: It’s different for everybody.

Netaro: I have no idea what everyone is talking about.

Yodaka: In any case, it means we shouldn’t question how Toi’s acting and should go with the flow, Netaro.

Netaro: I see!

Nagi: When he turns back to normal, we’ll pretend it never happened.

Daniel: That would be the perfect adult response.

Momiji / Kaede: Okay, we’ll go with that.

(I'm worried about Toi-kun… we have to find Ryui-kun, too. I hope Toi-kun will be back to normal in a day or two…!)

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[mojaves]

some fun facs about the undead gang bc im thinking about how it's all Connected and losing my marbles as a result

so all 4 of them have scars on their neck from some sort of death related incident. well ruthie's technically isnt a scar it's just like. a permanent bruise. she got choked to death, and then eric had his throat slit open when he was murdered. same with aisling but she wasnt murdered, hers is from some sort of weird loyalty test ruthie devised once, bc aisling was like her student, training to be second in command type deal. and jason's is from another kind of test also devised by ruthie where eric had to cut his neck open. After ruthie had already carved 'your gift xx' into it bc she thougt it would be funny. a nice little surprise for eric, and to test just how much he truly loved his son

that last bit didnt Have to happen of course, it could have been way less traumatic for the both of them. BUT! it was all bc aisling decided to help jason out after he died the first time.

and THAT is bc, when ruthie/danny (she was possessing him at that point. very long story theres a lot of lore i need to write about. how the ghosts and undead and whatever works) shot jason, she completely detached herself from him, and pretty much abandoned aisling without a word. so aisling was very thankful that she had been Freed from her shackles in a sense, and so was like. i need to make this guy's transition into death as easy as possible bc he saved me (lots more i could write about there but i shant. not yet)

which basically means she's helped him skip over all the. like. tests?? the undead have to go through in order to stay alive - bc the whole procedure is very traumatising and she thought he had already been through More than enough.

and eventually they start dating. was it out of guilt?? did they really truly love each other?? was it a rebound?? who's to say!

we'll never find out! bc what aisling did was against the rules, and when ruthie finally found out about it?? she kills aisling. and sends jason off to die. again. but worse than before bc she's Mad. mad that he didnt stay dead, that he made it this far without her knowing, that he's the son she never got to have and then she killed him. and all she could see when she looked at him was herself. so clearly she just had to go make everythinf even WORSE for him than she already had

and for eric too bc fuck that guy. he didnt do anything wrong she just hates him bc he got to continue 'living' and got to have a son. while all she had was Nothing. she made him undead and he's not even thankful!! he doesn't know that though. he doesnt know how it happened. she's still mad about it though

did any of that make sense im like half awake rn. well. mostly awake actually but my brain is switched off. so if none of this makes sense or you just want to ask me about it or hit me with a stick or whatever. feel free to Hit Me. Up.

[redrobin-detective]

Reading the "Obsession Overdose" and "Danny Killing Vlad" posts back to back, including the note where you mentioned that you would see Vlad getting the other half of his death, have left me with the perfect Danny trauma.

Danny gets hit with a nasty dose of the Obsession flower. Sure he starts off just being a little overprotective. But suddenly things are starting to spiral out of control. He is beginning to almost police everyone he sees to be sure they don't do get hurt. Any ghost that even so much as litters gets brutally beaten down. His parents are starting to notice something is wrong because Danny hasn't turned human again, and there is only so much Sam, Tucker, and Jazz can cover for him. Danny's ghost side is visibly starting to look less human as time goes on. The situation is rapidly declining and the three of them are struggling to find a way to fix this mess.

Enter stage left: Vlad. Vlad would know the most about the plant and also be aware that someone needs to stop Danny now before things go too far. His idea is try to tire him out so they can administer some Deus ex Machina to bring him back to his senses. Unfortunately, Danny is not in a reasonable mood for this and he starts fighting Vlad. The two fight, and at some point one of the three gets hurt as collateral. Nothing major, maybe just a small scrape. At which point Danny goes completely feral. Instead of a roughly equal fight, now Vlad is doing everything he can to survive. Then Danny punches a hole in his chest, and they both realise the thing he just grabbed isn't a human heart. Danny pauses for a moment, the weight of holding Vlad's core almost bringing him back to his senses. And then the moment passes, and he starts to squeeze harder.

At this point I am of two minds of what happens next. This is definitely the moment someone hits him with the Deus ex Machina to bring him back. But there are two possibilities of what happens next. Either Vlad dies of his injuries and has a heart to heart where he forgives Danny and becomes a full Ghost peacefully... or Danny just straight up crushed Vlad's core and he is truly gone. Even worse, it is likely his body would have turned human after he dues, leaving a most horrific sight for Danny's parents to walk in on: Phantom covered in blood, a fist sized hole through Vlad's chest, and Vlad's body held in his arms.

So now let's tally up how horrible things have gotten:

1- Everyone likely is at least a bit terrified by Phatom going fully obsessed with protection to a most unnerving degree.

2- Vlad is dead and whether or not he comes back as a ghost, he still died fully. It is exceptionally worse if he is extra dead and not coming back.

3- Danny just killed his arch enemy, in the middle of his arch enemy trying to save him, proving he had some good in him.

4- His Parents are now determined to bring down Phantom at any cost to avenge Vlad, meaning any chance to reveal himself just went down the drain. This would be extra harsh if Phantom had made even a little progress with building bridges with them.

5- Sam, Tucker, and Jazz are all at least some degree of traumatised because watching someone Kali Ma someone else is fucked up no matter the context.

All in all, a job well done.

Hi I'm super traumatized but not as much as Danny is!!!

[geekgirles]

Your Heart

Chapter 7 -- Black Hearts

Word Count: 15131

READ ON AO3

For many, the Ghost Zone landscape would be chilling, at best, and nightmare-inducing, at worst. Unlike Earth and its well-defined limits, both natural and manmade, the Infinite Realms consisted of an infinite abyss of floating ectoplasmーif you travelled, you knew where your journey would start, but not where it ended. Most people didn’t even know when it ended, either. 

Only a few experienced visitors were knowledgeable enough to recognise each and every one of its landmarks to guide them. Fortunately for Danny, he was one such experienced visitor. As well as an inhabitant. 

Maybe he didn’t know the Ghost Zone like the palm of his invisible hand, like Sojourn had in his day, but seven years of travelling back and forth between dimensions had certainly outlined a pretty accurate map of the dimension in his mind’s eye. That, and the fact that the Far Frozen trusted him with the Infi-Map now and then also helped. 

But even he had to admit, crossing over to the other side during his first few months as halfa had been terrifying. His past self would never have been able to believe he’d one day be flying around what was on the other side of his parents’ portal like he walked down the halls of Casper High every day of the week for four years. 

Indeed. Getting to see the Ghost Zone for the first time had been even more mind-boggling than getting used to suddenly being able to walk through the walls, disappear, and fly. Compared to Amity Park, his kingdomーhe didn’t think he’d ever get used to calling it thatーwas a haunted house, sponsored by Bill Gates and provided with cutting edge animatronic and holographic technology, and open all year long. 

Well, it would have been sponsored by Bill Gates if it weren’t for Vlad overshadowing him and selling the company to himself years ago. 

Considering he’d rather die (twice) than buy anything belonging to VladCo, Danny found himself being very glad the Ghost Zone was no haunted house, after all. 

Now, however, he’d learned to appreciate the Infinite Realms for what they were; unpredictably beautiful. The once creepy light coming from the floating ectoplasm now reminded him of the groovy vibes one got from a lava lamp. Both substances were, in fact, pretty similar! Since ghosts created their own lairs, he didn’t have to worry over solving any sort of problem related to lack of affordable housing; unlike what he’d have to do had he been, say, mayor of Amity Park? President of the United States? And the repair damages were minimum! Ghosts didn’t usually throw rocks at their own roofs, so battles inside the Ghost Zone were rare. 

Of course, that last one thing was a bit of a double-edged sword. Because it meant that while he didn’t have to worry about the possible destruction of the Ghost Zone, it also meant his subjects usually blew off steam in Amity Park...which then came to bite him in the ass in the form of a very angry mob of ghost-hating citizens.

The joys of living in two parallel dimensions at the same time…

Shaking those thoughts away, Danny refocused his attention on the current task at hand; patrolling the Zone in case anybody chose to ignore his orders and go against the witches during their next visit. 

He’d be lying if he said nobody had warned him of the reaction his plan would most likely get from his subjects, both Frostbite and Clockwork let him know several times, long before he even sent the letter to Lady Arcana. Well, in all fairness, Frostbite had warned him; Clockwork just kept smirking at him with those all-knowing, secretive, red eyes of his. The only real warning he’d got from him was when he asked for his opinion on what’d happen and the Ghost of Time limited himself to raising his eyebrow at him with a, “What do you think?”

When he wanted to be, Clockwork was an invaluable ally and a great mentor. But that was only when he wanted to be, mind you. The rest of the time his smug crypticness was enough to make Danny want to throw himself off of a cliff.

But they’d both been right when they told him his subjects would not react kindly to the presence of witches in their realm. Who would’ve known phantom tomatoes acted just like the Fenton Foamer? If it didn’t put him in immediate danger, he would bring some home for his parents. 

In the end, the only way to convince them to let the witches in was to ensure a powerful ghost would keep an eye on them at all times. Skulker would escort them to his lair, and from then on he’d be watching them himself. 

Even if the spirits had eventually given in to his request, Danny knew better. He’d be a fool to think his advice would be heeded by every single inhabitant of the Ghost Zone. He had far too many enemies for that. 

While most of his adversaries had turned into more of friendly rivals than outright enemies over the years, being capable of having civilised conversations with him whenever they weren’t trying to waste him or enslave Amity Park, there were many others who refused to bow down before a halfa. Ever since Pariah Dark was defeated the first time, ghosts had got used to living in anarchy, being able to do whatever they wanted as long as they were smart enough to not invade a more powerful ghost’s turf. So following some random half-ghost’s orders after centuries of chaos and freedom was out of the question for them. 

On the one hand, many of Danny’s detractors were actually as delusional as the Box Ghost. More often than not, he’d be battling rogue spirits with barely formed physical bodies who were in way over their heads. Normally a few ecto-rays, some quick banter, and a little bit of Fenton Thermos was enough to take care of them. 

But, on the other hand, the few more powerful ghosts who weren’t members of his usual rogue gallery truly sought to dethrone him. If they eliminated him in the process, even better! 

Obviously, the most notorious member of this group was none other than Plasmius. The older halfa had orchestrated Pariah’s return with the intention of defeating him and becoming the next Ghost King himself, after all. And for what? To have his teenage, much less experienced archnemesis steal the crown right under his nose. 

Danny had to admit, if it weren’t for the high price to pay that came with the honour wearing the Ring of Wrath and the Crown of Fire (an ‘honour’ he didn’t even want to have in the first place), he would’ve enjoyed screwing over with the fruitloop like that.

Ever since he became Ghost King, Vlad’s plans had been few and in between. Maybe a few attempts at making his life a living Hell, some shudder-worthy upgrades on his Maddie Programーhe swore, if he had to listen to a hologram of his mother call that demented creep ‘lambchop’ one more time, first, he was going to barf, second, he’d see red, or in his case, greenー, perhaps a few ill-conceived attempts at getting him to join him…

Despite Vlad’s inactivity, however, Danny knew better than to think he was just getting sloppy. Knowing Plasmius and his love for playing chessmaster, he was patiently biding his time. Sooner or later, he’d hear from him, and it wouldn’t be good. 

Still, even if he was his greatest enemy in terms of personal interactions, Vlad wasn’t his most menacing foe in terms of sheer danger. 

Spectra and Bertrand also wanted him gone, due to seeing his intervention as interference with their misery-sucking plans. Indeed, since he became Ghost King Danny was extra careful with who left the Ghost Zone and who was absolutely forbidden from even looking at a portal twice.

For example, knowing Kitty, she’d just want to go out on a date with Johnny, and, on paper, there was nothing wrong with that. Trouble came when Johnny ogled and hit on other girls with his girlfriendーrightーbesideーhim! Honestly, if he were Kitty, he’d pummel Johnny, too. Especially because his actions more often than not resulted in a jealous ghost girl causing mayhem.

The most useful life lesson he’d learned while going through puberty was also one of the firsts: girls were scary. And that seemed to apply to all girls regardless of their species; humans, ghosts, witches, gorillas…

Spectra was no exception. Due to her need for misery to keep herself young and powerful, the shadowy ghost needed to learn how to get under her victims’ skin to exploit their weakness to the point of making them miserable enough to harvest. And, Danny knew from experience, that was far more frightening than any other ghostly power Spectra could ever possess. 

She saw beyond people’s masks, no matter how carefully crafted they were, and got inside your head. Not only did she know your biggest fears and insecurities, but how to exploit them and make them all come true. She forced you to live your worst nightmares over and over, almost as if she were Nocturne's far more malevolent accomplice, reaping your fears like a farmer would reap wheat. 

Spectra threw those insecurities in your face, reminding you that you weren’t good enough, explaining to you why you weren’t good enough, and assuring you would never be good enough; all in that sadistic, cheery tone of voice of hers. Just thinking about it was enough to send chills down his spine.

But what was truly the most daunting thing about Spectra was that, for years, she’d been feeding off of some poor kid’s low self-esteem and personal issues under the pretext of being a psychologist. Her office back in Casper High before he found out the truth and defeated her was full of pictures of her and sickly-looking kids; her previous victims. Dozens of kids who were completely at her mercy because she’d spent years roaming freely around Earth, blending in, long before he was even born, let alone had the accident. Dozens of kids who’d surely been as deeply traumatised as he’d been. Or, even worse, dozens of kids Spectra managed to push over the edge, under the guise of helping them. 

That psychotic old hag and her lap dog had a special place in his black list just for their mere potential of becoming a threat, let alone when they truly were threatening. As a result, one of the things he wasted no time in as soon as he became Ghost King was to ensure they wouldn’t be going back to Earth in a very long time. 

Needless to say, his interference with their ‘feasts’ was enough to have them declare war on him. Well, let them come. He’d be waiting for them.

Another ghost who tended to give him quite a headache whenever he felt like taking his turn at challenging him was the Fright Knight. Back in their first encounter, his first Halloween after gaining his powers, Danny believed he was a formidable foe. Incredibly powerful and hellbent on turning the world into his nightmarish kingdom, the Fright Knight used to be one of his most dangerous adversaries. 

Key word being ‘used to.’ Well, that was two words, but whatever. 

In their next encounter, which, coincidentally, also happened to be when Pariah Dark was released (thanks again, Vlad), the almighty, terrifying, ‘flaming sheets of doom’ Fright Knight had been relegated to errand boy. 

As Danny would soon come to realise, the Ancient Spirit of Halloween was proud, but tremendously cowardly.  

If he believed himself superior to his opponent, he would show no  mercy. But the moment he was one-upped by someone else in terms of power, he’d cower and bow down in submission. Which made their personal relationship with each other all the more interesting. 

In terms of power, Danny knew, maybe a little too smugly, that he had the upper hand. Whereas in their first battle he managed to defeat the Fright Knight just barely, years of ghost-fighting, of developing new powers, and of being in possession of the ring and crown (which he still refused to use unless it was absolutely necessary), had shaped him into a formidable fighter. 

And the Fright Knight knew that, which was why he often avoided conflict with him. 

In terms of respect, however, due to Danny being extremely young compared to other powerful ghosts, the way he ascended the throne and, to add insult to injury, the fact he was half-human, the medieval-like spirit refused to accept him as his ruler. Hence, his rare attempts at taking him down. 

All in all, even if the Fright Knight quite wasn’t the same threat he once was, Danny knew he still should watch out for him. Because for all his self-importance, the Halloween Spirit really was undergod material, and that meant whoever employed him would be much worse than him…

Like Vlad.

Other than Plasmius, Spectra, Bertrand, and the Fright Knight, the other ghosts who challenged his rule were the god-like ones; Undergrowth, Nocturne, Vortex… But they usually kept true to their goals of world domination so it wasn’t much of an issue, in a way. 

While he hadn’t had an encounter with any of his old nemesis for a while, it was all a matter of time before they chose to use his tentative alliance with the witches against him. Which brought him to his current patrol. As he oversaw the vast infinity of the Ghost Zone, steering away from Ghost Writer’s manorーanother lovely fella who didn’t quite like  him, even if he surely wouldn’t try to usurp the throneー, Danny used his vantage point to make sure no suspicious activity was going on. 

Just as he was about to call it a night, his eyes caught sight of three familiar silhouettes standing on top of a drifting chunk of rock not far away from him. Furrowing his eyes in suspicion, he sped up to catch up with them. In a matter of seconds, he’d flown across the distance separating him from his target until he was floating above the unimpressed expressions belonging to Ember McLain, Johnny 13, and Kitty. 

The three of them seemed to be loitering around on top of the aforementioned drifting chunk of rock, looking bored and completely uninterested in anything around them. They almost looked like a bunch of teenagers just hanging out. Kitty was seated, cross-legged, on top of the bike seat, her elbows propped on her knees and her hands cupping her face. Beside her, Johnny was leaning against his bike, arms crossed. A few feet away from them, sitting on a rock with one leg crossed on her other knee, Ember was mindlessly tuning her guitar. That wasn’t suspicious at all...

Over the years, some of his most recurring opponents decided to upgrade their look, like Technusーthe guy was more fashion-oriented than Paulina Sanchez from high schoolー, while others remained mostly the same but with a few added upgrades to their modus operandi, such as Skulker. 

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, depending on how you looked at it, the hunter’s girlfriendーhe had to physically stop his gag reflex from acting up whenever he so much as thought of those two as a coupleーchose to remain true to her signature look. The same flaming, blue ponytail; the same tight, asymmetrical, black outfit; the same haunting green eyes and exaggerated make-up that contrasted greatly with her deathly pale skin… 

All in all, Ember was pretty much the same. Still loud, still vying for attention, still obsessed with leading teenage rebellion through music...And she still had the same awful taste in boyfriends. Although, he supposed, in a way Skulker wasn’t as bad a catch as her best friend’s beau. 

Kitty did change her outfit, albeit slightly. Though she still favored her signature combination of black and red with just a touch of green, she’d abandoned her classical red miniskirt and fishnet stockings for a pair of skin-tight, red leather jeans.  Instead of her mid calf boots, she currently wore a pair of black, ankle boots. She still wore a black tank top, too, only this time it was much looserーjust like she also had the same green pendant. As for her unruly, green hair...she chose to wear it up in two twin buns, fittingly shaped after cat ears, each on either side of her head; with two loose strands framing her face. A pair of fingerless, black biker gloves completed the ensemble.

Everything about her screamed ‘biker chick’, the only thing missing was her own bike.

Maybe, tired of Johnny blowing her off, she’d decided to show him she was as much of a biker as he was, if not more. Or, maybe, she opted to dress that way precisely to remind her boyfriend and everybody else just who was Johnny’s girlfriend. 

Honestly, the girl was sweet (sometimes), but she was a mystery. For all the complaining she did about Johnny, that certainly didn’t stop her from getting a 13 ーhis unlucky numberーtattooed on her right arm.  Danny just wondered if Johnny had a kitten or anything even remotely resembling one tattooed anywhere on his own body. 

...on second thought, he’d rather not think about it.

Johnny himself had changed a little, too, although nowhere near as much or as drastically as his girlfriend. To be honest, he looked exactly the same as always, except for his blond hair now being long enough to be tied in a low ponytailーKitty was right; it was greasyーand foregoing his trademark jacket, opting for just wearing his white undershirt and fingerless gloves, instead. But now that Danny thought about it, didn’t he use to wear a long-sleeved t-shirt, too? Whatever, back in the day  it was hard to tell with his jacket anyway. Other than that, he was the same Johnny 13 who once tried to trick Jazz into becoming a vessel for his girlfriend. 

Suspicion spiking up, Danny floated over towards them, still keeping a respectful distance in case Ember felt like playing a killer riff for his ears only. “What’re you three up to?” He didn’t feel like beating around the bush.

Their heads shooting up at the sound of his voice, the three ghosts looked surprised for less than a second, before adopting the same bored masks again. Though, to be honest, only the girls appeared bored with his presence, Johnny, on the other hand, looked annoyed, his eyes narrowing in distaste on him.

“What do you want, kid?” He spat. 

Danny had to hold himself back from rolling his eyes. Again with the ‘kid’ treatment. It was always the ‘kid’ treatment. Never mind that he’d been a legal adult for three years now. “I asked you first, Johnny. But since you’re asking so kindly,” he deadpanned, voice dripping with sarcasm. He really didn’t have patience for this anymore, “I’ll repeat myself; what are you three up to?” He repeated, this time sounding more serious. 

The biker ghost answered by letting out a puff of air, vexed. “What, now we can’t even chill in our own home? Are you going to give us a ticket for loitering or something?” He challenged, slowly making his way over to the halfa, trying to appear intimidating. 

He walked calmly, almost calculatingly so, with his face morphed into a wicked grin, one that promised trouble. Once he was close enough to look Phantom in the eye, the two entered a silent staring contest, the tension between them flickering up. Even if the Ghost Kid looked much calmer than Johnny felt, he wouldn’t back down. “Your precious thermos won’t be of any help now.”

Side-glancing their testosterone levels rising from where she was, Kitty let out a huff. Hopping from the biker seat, she squeezed herself in between the two and separated them, both of her hands planted firmly on their chest. “Will you quit it, you two? Nobody’s buying this faux animosity you have going on.”

Knowing they’d been busted, the two jokingly moaned in disappointment, before sharing knowing glances and breaking down laughing. And all the biker girl could do in response was roll her eyes and shake her head, letting her face fall in her hand in exasperation while her boyfriend grabbed Danny by his shoulders and pulled him down, ruffling his snow-white hair with his knuckles. Really, the only difference between grown ass men and children was the size. 

“Careful, dipstick. That techno geek of yours is going to get jealous if you keep flirting with others behind his back.” Ember said, watching everything from her rock with a smirk on her face. 

“FYI, Tucker and I have an open relationship.” The half-ghost wasn’t above blowing a raspberry at her, making her roll her eyes in irritation. He also couldn’t prevent the snickers from escaping his throat at the sight of Kitty painfully elbowing Johnny on the side when he suggested if they could have an open relationship, too.

“With the way you’re constantly hitting on other girls, one’d think we’re already in one.” She pointed out hotly, her fist on her hips. “Besides, we both know you wouldn’t be able to stomach seeing me with other guys.” 

“I can attest to that.” Danny added, remembering not-so-fondly the days he wistfully thought he was dating Paulina when, in truth, he was in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel. Johnny just rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, trying to play innocent. 

“But now seriously, what are you guys doing?”

“You know, it really is offensive that you see us doing absolutely nothing and your first instinct is to think there’s something going on.” The biker crossed his arms over his chest, displeased. 

“Oh, ignore him.” Kitty told him, putting her hand over the halfa’s shoulder. Even if it’d all been a scheme to make Johnny jealous, Kitty had sort of developed a soft spot for him. As long as he didn’t get in her way, she was one of the less antagonistic ghosts. Danny, in return, often let her and Johnny ‘sightsee’ around Amity Park, as long as they kept themselves out of trouble. “Though we really are doing nothing. Is there a reason why you’d think otherwise, Danny?”

Before the green-eyed boy could come up with a good excuse, Ember’s mocking voice beat him to it. “Oh, please, Kitkat! You should know better than that; he’s obviously got his whities in a twist because of those three harpies that so generously grace us with their presence.” She said in a fake, sugary-sweet voice. Sliding her guitar over her shoulders, the popstar got up from her seat and walked over to the other three. “By the way, shouldn’t they be gone soon? ‘Cause I’d really rather they don’t become regular visitors.”

At the mention of the witches, the easy-going atmosphere immediately tensed up. Just like Ember, Johnny and Kitty were now looking at him, expectantly. It was obvious no ghost appreciated their presence in their dimension. Coughing uncomfortable, Danny rubbed the back of his neck. How did he put this in a way they’d understand? And, most importantly, that wouldn’t encourage them to kill him? “Let’s just say...there’s no expiration date for this.”

“What?!” Growling, Ember’s ponytail flared up, a clear indicator that she wasn’t taking the news well. “What the Hell does that mean, dipstick?”

“Yeah, man! Don’t you know what those rune-reading bitches did the last time we let them near us? What do you mean you don’t know when this’ll be over?!” Johnny demanded, summoning a spectral chain out of thin air. Beside him, Kitty had a hand over her lips. But rather than looking surprised, it was evident she planned to blow his Majesty one of her famous, other-worldly kisses.

Distancing himself from them by rising up once more, his palms up in surrender, Danny tried placating them. That was the problem of having friendly rivals: everything was cool between you until you said something that irked them, then they’d try to destroy without much reservation. “Guys, trust me. I don’t like this any more than you do. But it’s our only choice! Do you seriously want to let the Ghost Zone collapse?!”

That made them settle down. But their glowing, menacing eyes urged him to go on, demanding answers. Sighing, he tried to gather his thoughts. How could he explain to them what he barely understood himself? On their next meeting he was going to demand some answers out of Lady Arcana; no way would he let her hog all the information while he remained in the dark. “Apparently, the witches are a little...rusty, you could say. They’re not as in sync with the portals as they used to be, so the Witch Queen needs to put in the effort to find a solution. That’s why it’s taken us longer than expected to put an end to this”

“And how do you know she’s not lying through her teeth?” Ember questioned in distrust. “That’s what they’re good at; if they need anything out of you, they’ll earn your trust. But the moment they’re done using you, they have no qualms as to what’ll happen to you next.”

“Ember’s got a point.” Kitty agreed. “How do we know they’re not just using us to get something out of us only to ditch us the moment they got whatever that is?” Then, she gasped as a horrible realisation dawned on her. “Even worse...How do we know they aren’t the ones responsible for everything?”

As the three ghosts began chattering and theorising amongst themselves, Danny tried to get their attention back on him. “Guys...Guys, listen...Guys, come on…” Seeing as they wouldn’t be paying attention to him any time soon, he lost his patience. “Would you just listen to me?!”

Satisfied that his abrupt outburst had shut them up, he smirked, before growing wary again. “I understand your concerns, because, honestly, they're mine, too. I know we can’t let our guards down around them; they’re not like the rest of humans. They aren’t a group of ghost hunters with advanced tech, or even more halfas who decided to turn their backs on the Ghost Zone and create their own society. They’re humans that were born with powers; they’re freaks of nature! 

“But they’re also our safest bet right now. The Guys in White are too busy looking for ways to haunt me down or for stores that sell all-white clothes to even know how the ghost portals work. Not to mention, they’re too stupid to realise that destroying our world destroys Earth, too.” He rolled his eyes at that. The only thing worse than a pain in the butt was a useless pain in the butt. “Vlad would demand I pass the throne to him in exchange for his help, and we all know how that’d turn out.” He felt a small sort of satisfaction at their cringing faces. “And no ghost understands the mysterious nature behind the ghost portals. The only beings who’ve ever been able to surpass the lass separating both worlds are the witches; I’m sorry guys, but they’re really our only hope.”

“How do we know we can trust them?” Johnny insisted, not one to back down.

“We don’t.” was Danny’s reply, and he felt more defeated than in any previous fight. 

The three ghosts exchanged glances, a silent conversation going on between them. Out of the three of them, Ember was the most antagonistic; if she really wanted to, she wouldn’t hesitate to attack him. The lovebirds were a different thing entirely. Most of the time Kitty was content just hanging out, and Johnny’s main goal was to please her, for things got ugly whenever his girlfriend wasn’t pleased… Having said that, just like they could act as just another couple of teenagers or young adults (he never really asked for their ages…), they could turn on him in the blink of an eye. 

Dreading their reactions, Danny kept himself aloft. Close enough so they wouldn’t suspect, but far enough so he’d have enough of a head start to get the Hell out of there. 

Finally, the three turned their heads to look at him. The fiery spirit was the one to speak. “And what do you plan to do about it?”

Her question sent the snow-white haired boy reeling. What did he plan to do about it? In all honesty, it was a good question. Even if he hadn’t seen Lady Arcana and her kind in actionーbeyond a floating book being shoved in his face, that isー, judging from what had been recorded in the Far Frozen’s archives and Sojourn’s journal, they were to be feared. Danny knew how to deal with rogue spirits and even ghost hunters, since his powers usually provided him with the upper hand, but actual reality warpers whose powers he knew next to nothing about? He wasn’t so sure how he’d fare in a fight against them.

Still, he was nothing if he wasn’t resourceful, and holding their meetings in the Ghost Zone gave him a certain advantage over a group of foreigners. He’d find a way. He had to. “Everything in my power.” He answered truthfully. 

“I see.” Even though Ember didn’t look particularly impressed with his answer, she let it go. Walking over to her previous seat, her friends following her example, she called out to Danny over her shoulder, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. “So, anything to report, dipstick? How’s the missus back home?”

“Har har… Very funny, Ember.” The Ghost King replied sardonically. “You know I’m single.”

“Then you’d better watch out for all your rabid fangirls waiting for their chance to claim you as theirs, baby!” The popstar cackled maliciously. “Seriously, they’re like savage beasts! Lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right time to pounce.” She sighed as her laughter died down, pretending to wipe a tear off the corner of her eye. “Sucks to be you.”

“At least Dash Baxter is not part of my fanclub, unlike some other ghost I know...” He retorted, smugly. His smirk widened at the sight of Ember physically shuddering in disgust. 

“That was low.” She accused, and all she got in response was a noncommittal shrug.

Eying their conversation with increasing interest, Johnny couldn’t help but add his two cents. “Cut her some slack, man. At least Ember isn’t responsible for the dude’s gay awakening.” 

Grinning madly, Ember high-fived him while Kitty rolled her eyes at their antics in amusement, obviously used to them by now. And Danny….Danny didn’t know why he even talked to those guys. Flinching at the implications behind the biker’s jab, he opted to not dignify that with an answer. 

“Can we change the topic to...I don’t know...literally anything else?” He begged. He’d have to bleach his brain to get the image of Dash making a Danny Phantom shrine, not unlike Paulina’s, out of his head. 

Covering her mouth to quiet her chuckles down, Kitty took pity on him. “Guess who’s going to improv classes in her free time?”

Oh, Kitty. Sweet, compassionate, clingy, jealous Kitty. That was why she was his favourite...after Cujo. And Wulf...and after Dora...she was far behind Frostbite, too, that was for sure... Basically, his favourite after any other ghost he officially was on better terms with. But, hey, the intention’s what counts. “You want to be an actress?”

“It’s a nice hobby.” She shrugged before pointing her thumb at her boyfriend, looking unimpressed. “I’ve tried getting Johnny to come with me, but he just won’t budge.”

Danny pretended he didn’t notice the way Johnny, oh so subtly, inched a little further away from her. “Sorry, Babe. You know I love you, but that’s your passion, not mine.”

“And riding bikes is your passion, but at least I’m still there to support you!”

Uh, oh. The classic bike over girlfriend argument...The ghost biker had better come up with a good enough retort or Danny would be stuck trying to do damage control when they took the fight outside. And by ‘outside’ he meant Amity Park. Landing beside him, Danny elbowed the teenager lightly on the ribs. 

At first Johnny just glared at him, but when the halfa returned his glare with a pointed look of his own, he caught his drill. “Don’t be like that, babe! You know I could never replace you. Thing’s just wouldn’t be the same without you.”

There was a twisted irony in the fact that the very same ghost who once tried to replace his girlfriend’s physical form with Jazz’s was the one saying he ‘could never replace her.’ 

Bored with his answer, probably from hearing it a million times already, the green-haired ghost just turned away from him with a huff. “And yet, that doesn’t stop you from trying. Why don’t you ask Shadow for support? I’m sure he’ll rock the miniskirt…”

Noticing Johnny getting frustrated beside him, if the way he curled his hands into fists was any indication, Danny immediately sent a panicked look at Ember, silently asking her for help. The popstar, in turn, just made herself comfortable. She stretched before leaning back on her rock, her arms behind her head. She was clearly enjoying the show a little too much to want it to stop. 

Growing frustrated himself, Danny chose to take matters into his own hands. “I think what Johnny means is that, while you’re a great help and things wouldn’t be the same without you,” he sent a meaningful look the biker’s way, daring him to try and contradict him, “he fears hindering you instead.”

That caught her attention. “Really?”

A quick jab on his side from the halfa was enough to get Johnny talking. “Yeah, totally. I...I already got in between your dream once, Kitten. I’d hate to prevent you from fulfilling it ever again.” He admitted, and the somber way he said those words made Danny realise there was much more behind those improv classes than what meets the eye. Even if it was doubtful he’d ever get a clear confirmation as to what exactly that was, he had a pretty good guess. 

“Oh, Johnny!” Tearing up, a hand on her chest, Kitty threw himself at her boyfriend’s arms. “I love you. And I don’t blame you for anything, you know that, right?”

He sent her a small smile. “Just because you don’t blame me doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven myself, Kitten.” 

The red-eyed girl felt like tearing up all over again, but for completely different reasons. Deep down, she knew it’d be a long time before she convinced Johnny he wasn’t responsible for what happened, if ever. But for now, she was happy just touching his forehead with hers, showing him she’d always be there. 

Coming to stand besides Ember, a content smile on his face, Danny just watched the couple. The popstar, on the contrary, didn’t look as pleased. “You just had to help them reconcile, didn’t you? You couldn’t let me have my fun.”

“Isn’t she your best friend?” He raised an eyebrow, looking down at her. “Don’t you care enough about her to want her to be happy?”

“I care more about her than you’ll ever know, dipstick.” Her voice was laced with venom, as if warning him to not overstep his boundaries, and...something else Danny couldn’t quite decipher. 

The few times he’d seen the two girls interact, like when they haunted Amity Park just for kicks rather than some evil agenda, Danny would get the distinct feeling that there was some sort of thing going on between them. And, he had to admit, with the way their boyfriends regularly got on their nerves, Danny wouldn’t be surprised if the two decided to be each other’s Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy and eloped. 

But then...there were moments like this. Moments where Kitty would look truly happy in Johnny’s arms, almost as if they never fought. And Johnny? Johnny looked at her like she was the most wonderful thing that's ever happened in his after-life. And she probably was. 

Whatever happened to them, it was obvious it interlinked their obsessions with each other. And given ghosts’ complicated natures, it was unlikely they’d ever leave each other’s side. Which meant whatever feelings Ember harbored, they most likely would never be reciprocated. He wondered if Skulker knew…

After what felt like an eternity to their viewers and a few measly seconds to the couple, Ember chose to continue the conversation where they’d left it, in hopes of finally breaking the ‘cute couple’ apart. “So, how’re your classes going, Kitty?”

She also chose to ignore the dipstick’s disapproving look. 

“Wha…Oh! My classes. Yeah...” She remembered; her question bringing her back from Wonderland. She cleared her throat in an attempt to clear her head and her stomach from the little butterflies only Johnny could cause her. “Most of the time it’s cool, but sometimes it’s just…” She made a face, as if that explained everything.

Danny tilted his head to the side. “How come?”

“She says the teacher’s instructions are wild.” Johnny supplied, coming to wrap his arm around her waist.

“The other day, for example,” she started, leaning closer to her boyfriend in a manner that looked almost unconscious, “he told me, ‘try to act like you care, only to don’t care at all,’” she mimicked, lowering her usual pitch to a much deeper voice, “and I was like, ‘okay...?’”

While her two friends exchanged agreements on how weird the directions were, Danny’s eyes lit up. “Oh, so like in high school!”

The three of them just stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “What?”

“You know, high school. The epitome of acting like you care when you really don’t care.”

Now, instead of looking at him like he’d grown a second headーsomething he’d actually done when trying to learn to duplicate himself, as a matter of factーthey were simultaneously staring at him and exchanging nervous glances among them. The same way a group of friends would do during an intervention. It was Johnny who broke the ice. “Yeah…” He said slowly. “I don’t think that applies.”

“‘Course it does!” Danny insisted, throwing a hand in the air as if that would validate his point, the other resting on his hip. “Think about it, in high school you’re expected to care about your marks, your extracurricular activities, hanging out with the right group...But deep down you don’t give a fuck about school and all you wanna do is stay at home playing video games, chatting with your friends, eating junk food…”

There was a beat of silence. But whereas the ghost couple wondered just how traumatic his high school experience had been, the popstar looked contemplative, a finger on her chin. “...he has a point.” She said, and now Kitty and Johnny were looking at her like she needed medical help. “Take it from me, the personification of teenage rebellion. My powers would be useless if teens actually cared about their education.”

“Hm, I guess that makes sense?” Kitty conceded. “Alright, so I gotta act like a kid in high school. Got it. Thanks, Danny!” She smiled brightly at him. 

“Don’t mention it.” He waved it off. 

“Speaking of high school…” Ember trailed off, and the almost predatory look on her face was enough to make Danny want to flee right there and then. “Has the great Ghost King found himself a queen yet? I know you said earlier that you’re single but, c’mon. That can’t be right. ‘Cause I’m pretty sure your last girlfriend’s that Red Huntress chick you used to date in sophomore year.”

“Dude, you haven’t had a girlfriend since high school?!” Johnny looked both personally affronted and astonished at the revelation. “Are you gay?” 

Luckily for him, Danny wouldn’t have to blast him with an ecto-ray; Kitty already took care of it. “Johnny! Have you learned nothing from Mean Girls? You can’t just ask people if they’re gay!”

“Pretty sure the actual line was ‘you can’t just ask people why they’re white.’” Ember pointed out. 

“Oh, that’s right. Anyway, doesn’t matter. It was uncalled for.” Then she lay her concerned, red eyes on the halfa and he couldn’t help but gulp loudly. He knew that look. He dreaded that look. It was the concerned-older-sister-looking-out-for-her-baby-brother look. Jazz had put a patent on it long ago. “Is something wrong, though? Several years without a girlfriend is a little bit unusualー”

“And worrying.” Johnny added. 

“ーfor a young man. Do you want to talk about it? Or, even  better, how about I organise you a blind date, hm? I’m sure we’ll find you a nice girl in no time!”

Could there be anything worse than ghosts concerning themselves over his love life? “I fail to see how that’s any of your business.” He said flatly. 

Ember just looked at him like he was crazy. “Um, hello? For better or worse you are our king, dipstick. How do you plan on continuing the bloodline without even a girlfriend?”

“I could just have Vlad make me some clones…” He mumbled to himself. It was meant as a joke, but the mere thought of letting that fruitloop anywhere near his DNA was enough to send chills running down his spine. 

Not hearing the halfa’s poor attempt to joke, Johnny snorted in response to Ember’s answer. Shaking his head as he walked over to Danny, his thumbs hitched at the hem of his pants, the biker draped an arm over the halfa’s shoulders in an almost brotherly fashion. “Cut it out, Ember.” He chided with no real malice, before focusing on Danny. “Don’t listen to her, dude. She’s only asking ‘cause she thinks getting laid will help you blow off some steam, enough so you get off our backs for a while.”

“Johnny!” Kitty scolded him, feeling sorry for Danny.

“What? You know I’m right.”

“Actually, he is.” The popstar admitted. “Saw right through me.”

His face flushing green, Danny pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. This could not be happening. First, they try to butt in on his love life, and now they comment of his sex life?! Somebody put him out of his misery… 

“Again, I fail to see how that’s any of your business.” He groaned in dismay. He could only thank his lucky stars Sam wasn’t there to witness such humiliation. Wait a minute...Sam? Where did that come from?

As he battled with his thoughts, he’d have preferred it if his enhanced senses hadn’t caught Ember leaning close to whisper to Kitty in her ear, “Dipstick’s got no action in weeks, I tell you.”

That was it. “Okay!” He exclaimed, a little too loudly, as he clasped his hands together with a forced, cheerful grin on his face. “As lovely as catching up with you guys has beenーit was great, reallyー, I really ought to keep on patrolling. Ugh, the busy life of the ruler of the Ghost Zone. See ya!” He waved them goodbye as he took off in the direction he came from, drifting away from them. 

Before he was out of earshot, though, Ember shouted after him. “While you’re at it try to find yourself a girlfriend!” Then, she mimicked putting something on her ring finger before singing at the top of her lungs. “If you like it, put a ring on it!”

As they cackled at his expense, Danny stopped mid-air. Like he’d ever let her have the last laugh… He cupped a hand around his mouth, calling out to her, “I’m surprised you’re not egomaniac enough to only reference your own songs!”

In an instant, all traces of amusement on the popstar’s face were gone, replaced by irritation. “Fuck you!” She flipped the bird at him, while her two companions now laughed their asses off at her expense. 

Meeting her rude gesture with a mock salute and a cheeky grin, Danny turned around, flying away at top speed. Now that he wasn’t surrounded by a group of dimwits, he was alone with his thoughts. 

More specifically, he was alone with the thought of Sam. 

He really didn’t understand how her memory had popped up out of nowhere, let alone why it’d popped up right when they were discussing his love life, or lack thereof. Not that long ago, the face that would’ve made an entrance would’ve been Valerie’s. Not because he still had feelings for her, although he’d admit getting over her took him a while, but because she’d been the only girl he’d ever had a long-term relationship with. 

Okay, maybe saying ‘long-term’ was exaggerating a bit. They began a tentative relationship that lasted all throughout the astounding amount of three different dates, several shared lunch periods, and two weeks. 

But seeing as any subsequent attempt at dating someone new either ended in one-night stands, if he was lucky, or in half-finished dates after which the girls would tell him not to bother trying to call them, and that wasn’t even the worst outcome possibleーsometimes he’d been forced to stand them up altogether because of a sudden ghost attackー; he could safely affirm his time with Valerie was his longest dating experience. 

And it didn’t even count as dating because she broke things off before they agreed on going steady. Oh, joy…

So, really, even if his feelings for Valerie had long faded, there was still that feeling of familiarity bringing him comfort. 

But that still didn’t explain why he’d think of Sam of all people! Sure, they got along fine and they’d seen each other a few times already (last time at the restaurant they didn’t even need Tucker), but there was no sense of familiarity! They were friendly acquaintances, and no more. 

So Sam was funny, and smart, and probably the sassiest girl he’d ever met. Sure, her wits and snark were enough to put some of his most punny opponents to shame, and he had a feeling she wouldn’t run out of puns to make during a fightーsomething even he struggled withー, not like she was the kind to make puns, anyway. And that fire that would light up in her eyes whenever she spoke about doing what’s right, and animal rightsーbecause, really, could anyone react more adorably to a Purple Back Gorilla?ー, and the occult... Or the way she stood her ground because she knew who she was and she was so confident in the person she’d grown up to be!

...So what if he needed someone like that in his life back in high school? He couldn’t change the past!

Sam was probably one of the most amazing people he’d ever met, but that didn’t mean anything. Guys could admire girls without having feelings for them or wanting to get inside their pants, now, couldn’t they? If Sam were there, in fact, she’d point out they actually should be able to admire girls with no ulterior motive. 

Danny did a double-take, changing course when he was a minute shy of crashing against someone’s door. Sighing in relief as he wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, he felt like smacking himself. Again with Sam! There was nothing going on between him and Sam!

Just because he thought she was cool it didn’t mean he was crushing on her or looking for ways to get into her bed. Speaking of...he also had the distinctive feeling she would pummel him to the ground if he so much as thought about it. He liked the feeling of breathing without wincing because one of his ribs was piercing his lung, thank you very much. 

Besides, no matter how awesome Sam was, she just wasn’t his type. A guilty part of Danny had to admit, aside from his amazon chasing tendencies (thanks again, Dad), he had a soft spot for preppy girls. His first ever crush was Paulina Sanchez, Casper High’s queen bee and cheerleading captain from freshman to senior year. Even Valerie, despite losing her wealth over the Cujo accident, stayed true to her style from back when she was still popular, just...without the brand clothes. 

Sam was not preppy. 

He guessed that was a factor in how shocking it’d been to find out she, as a matter of fact, came from a rich family. With all the dough Jazz had later told him her family had, Sam could afford to use new shoes every single day and then throw them all into the trash when she came back home. 

But she didn’t. 

Instead, she preferred to buy her clothes from second-hand stores and add her personal touch later on, knowing the money would go to different humane organisations, or to buy them from independent stores. 

“Those are a bit expensive.” she explained the last time he and Tucker met up with her at the You Mocha Me Crazy. “But the clothes are high quality and tailor-made, so it’s worth it.”

He couldn’t help but smile at the memory. That was Sam; always grounded and level-headed, with the greater good in mind. 

On second thought, it was unfair of him to judge Sam just because she wasn’t preppy. Sure, she wasn’t his type, but she was still beautiful. How could she not be? With her sleek, black hair that looked so smooth it could put velvet to shame. Or those hazel eyes of hers that were a crystal clear reflection of her soul, full of emotion and mystery. Or her soft, plumb lips, always accentuated by her unusual purple lipstick, drawing your attention to them, almost begging you to kiss them…

The image sent him reeling, almost shooting through the eerie, ectoplasmic abyss of the Ghost Zone before he forced himself to come to a sudden halt. He could hear his heart frantically pounding in his ears.

WHOAH!

Where did that come from?!

Danny took a moment to steady his breath, using his hands to scrub his face. What was he thinking? Just like he had to tell Jazz over a hundred times in the drive back home from the restaurant, Sam was just a girl he knew. A pretty awesome girl, but just a girl. 

Even if she were more than that, which she wasn’t, his life was too hectic to involve anyone else. Especially not someone who could be used as leverage against him. There would never be anything more between them. The sooner everyone accepted his life was too complicated to have a normal relationship, the better. 

As Danny finally flew back to his lair, he did his best to ignore the way his heart was still fluttering in his chest.

............

They were back to square one.

Just like the last time, Danny had guided Lady Arcana and her entourage deep inside his lair until they reached the Council Room doors. Her Majesty’s two witches kept guard at both sides of the door alongside two of his own guards, while the two royals went inside to discuss. They were still far away but in front of each other, the same old large wooden table separating them. And Lady Arcana looked like she wanted to dissect him with her own hands while he was finding the sweet release of permanent death all the more appealing. 

 Why was it that progress never lasted with this woman?

Sitting down as regally as possible on her chair, Lady Arcana once again materialised a book seemingly out of nowhere. Only, this time, Danny noticed it was even more beautifully crafted than the last one. “I managed to bring this grimoire with me.” That must’ve been the first time she initiated a conversation. “Hopefully, it’ll have the answers we’re looking for.” Without warning, her violet eyes narrowed to slits, looking at him with as much venom as she could muster. “This is your only warning, if anything happens to this book while it’s in your territory, prepare to face the consequences.”

He’d heard of treating books with respect (mostly from Jazz), but this was ridiculous! “Wow, it must be a really important book. What is it, signed by the author?”

Sam fumed at his pathetic excuse of a joke. Great, like she didn’t hear enough terrible one-liners from hanging out with Tucker. Difference being, she actually liked hanging out with Tucker. “As a matter of fact, it is.”

That took him aback. “Wait, it’s got its author’s autograph? Really?”

She stopped leafing through the grimoire’s pages for a moment to meet his incredulous look. “Of course not! I mean it’s really important!” Bringing the book close to her face, she sneered. “What, is the crown so heavy it turns your brain to mush?”

“Oh, it’s heavier than you could possibly imagine…” Danny muttered through gritted teeth, mostly to himself. As if the Witch Queen didn’t know that already. The dark energy radiating from both the crown and the ring was pure torture, and enduring it a job made for Hercules himself. He was about to retort with a comeback of his own, when his eyes focused on the book’s cover, more specifically, on the golden letters making up its title:

Lady Arcana’s Grimoire

A spike of suspicion bubbling within him, the halfa wasted no time in pointing out his discovery, daring her to contradict him. “If you’re so smart to have a spellbook under your name, then how come you claim you don’t know how to solve the portal problem?” 

If she thought she could just trick him like that, she got another thing coming. So what if she was the leader of a group of conniving spellcasters? He’d been fighting toe to toe with Vlad, the biggest, most manipulative bastard he’d ever met, since he was fourteen. Exposing her evil plans would be child’s play. 

Slowly putting the book down, Sam looked at Phantom with what she was sure was the most dumbfounded expression she’d ever had. What was he talking about? “Excuse me?”

The green-eyed ghost edged around the table, getting close to her at a tauntingly slow pace. Maddening slow. When he was finally by her side, he got so close she couldn’t help but flinch back. “Oh, you know. Just wondering if perhaps you’re not taking me for a fool and pretending to help just so you and your witches can buy your time and attack us.” He got in her face, his neon green gaze so intense it almost burned. “Hm, Lady Arcana?”

For a minute, Sam just stood there, without moving an inch from her seat. Not understanding his sudden animosity. She’d be lying if she said there wasn’t tension in the air whenever the two met up, but most of the time Phantom acted cheeky around her, taunting her with his cocky attitude, as if gauging her reaction and trying to figure out when he’d get a reaction out of her. At most, he’d seem annoyed or resigned when working with her. 

But this?

This cold treatment that translated itself into a literal drop in temperature in the room around her? His cool, accusing voice that made shivers run down her spine and the fire of aggravation light up in her heart? The way he looked at her like she was naked in front of him, and not in a lustful way, but in a way that made her feel like he could see right through her?

This was new, and she couldn’t say she liked it. 

A dark scowl making its way to her face, the young sorceress spat. “What are you getting at?”

Danny was looking at her through half-lidded eyes, his smile more dangerous than the countless beasts lurking on the Ghost Zone’s most remote corners. “I’d suggest you undo whatever it is that your kind did to the portals, because let me tell you, I will not go easy on you just because you’re a girl.” He growled in a menacingly low tone. 

Sam could only gasp in astonishment. But the feeling didn’t last long, soon being replaced with outrage. How dare he? Who did he think he was to accuse her and her people of putting their own lives in danger?! And all for what? To get back at a group of bodiless puppets? He had a lot of nerve.

“Listen up here, you jackー!”

“Uh, uh, uh!” Phantom cut her off with a sing-song voice, a scolding finger raised up and wagging right in front of her face. “A queen shouldn’t cuss like that, your Majesty. It’s not beckoning.”

The purple-eyed witch clutched the table with her hands so tightly, she could hear it splinting under her digits. But she didn’t care. He was taunting her, waiting for her to make the first move so he wouldn’t be accused of attempting against the life of the Queen of the Witches of Amity Park. After all, the punishment was different if an attack was in self-defence, wasn’t it?

She was about to make a mistake when his cocky voice distracted her. “I’m waiting, Lady Arcana.”

Again with the sarcastic tone. Why did her name have to do with any of this?! First he said whatever nonsense of having her own book, which was absolutely ridiculous because she was an avid reader, not a writer. Then he got impossibly close and had the nerve to mock her title, right before accusing her of causing the rifts, and now…

Now it hit her. 

To Danny’s immense surprise, instead of retaliating, Lady Arcana limited herself to picking her precious book back up, her irate expression morphing itself into bored disbelief. “When you said I have my own book, did you mean this?”

“Considering it’s the only one with your name on it, then yes. That’s the one.” He deadpanned. What was she up to?

His eyebrows shot up to the ceiling when she sighed, looking beyond done with the entire situation. “If you must know, I’m not the Lady Arcana who wrote this book. She died centuries before I was even born. This grimoire,” she did the unthinkable and handed it to him, “is sort of her research journal. Everything she learned about magic during her time, it’s there. And since our respective species didn’t part ways until long after her death, it should have the answer to the portals as well.”

Listening to her explanation, he glanced down at the book in his hands. Gingerly skimming the pages, for he knew the witch would do well in her previous promise, Danny eyed its contents. Aside from the numerous runes he couldn’t understand and the mysterious drawings he didn’t know how to interpret, it was obvious that in spite of the book’s pristine condition, it had seen better days. The pages were yellowish and rough to the touch, their edges worn-out. And even if one could still make out the symbols, the ink was very washed-out. 

In short, there was no way this book belonged to the woman in front of him. 

Averting his eyes, he handed it back to get before floating over his own seat and flopping down on it. Ashamed by his actions, though not entirely convinced of the witches' innocence, he slumped down in his chair, refusing to meet her scrutinising, violet eyes.

Unfortunately for him, Sam was not having it. “Will you now stop talking about things you know nothing about?”

“I would if you at least let me know something!” He sulked, and Sam couldn’t believe to save her life that a ghost could actually act so childishly.

“Do you have the slightest idea of how frustrating it is to be at a disadvantage?” he went on. “You know what ghosts are capable of, you see them all the time on the news!” Okay, that was a wild guess, but it helped his case. “But I know next to nothing about you, and you refuse to even the ground. So excuse me for thinking you might be responsible for our current crisis because I see your name on a book that’s supposed to put an end to said crisis!”

When a few minutes went by and Lady Arcana still said nothing, he got worried. Either he’d crossed a line and ruined any chance of working together with her in the future, or he’d crossed a line and she was silently cursing him. A morbid part of him wondered if being turned into a frog would be easier than being half-ghost. Both predicaments had something in common; he could end up at someone’s dissection table. 

Then, the most unexpected thing happened. “You’re right.”

Danny was so astounded he shot forward from his chair, eyes wide. “Come again?”

The halfa resented the way she rolled her eyes at him. It was a legitimate question! “I said, ‘you’re right.’” She said, leaning forward and trying to meet his eye. She was finding it increasingly more difficult, and Sam had to wonder if it was due to his previous outburst or her own shame. “We’re both sticking our necks here, working with each other. My people might be secretive, but the least I could do is even the ground, as you say.”

Even if, ideally, Phantom was the last person Sam wanted to be honest with, having to lie to so many people in her life was taking its toll on her. And she figured, as much as she hated it, he had a point. It was hard trusting someone when they always kept you in the dark. Her own experiences with Wilhelmina proved that. 

But she had to make some things clear, first. “Before I tell you anything, however,” a small, amused smile appeared on her face when she saw him deflate, “I gotta lay out a few ground rules.”

Phantom sighed. “Fine. State your terms.”

“You can ask me whatever you want, and I will tell you as much as I can, but there are things I simply cannot divulge. You must respect that. Got it?” 

Knowing that deal could easily become a double-edged sword, against his better judgement, Danny nodded. “Got it.”

“Very well.” She leaned back on her chair, her back straight and fingers firmly clasped together on top of the table. “What do you want to know?”

The halfa didn’t even have to think of his question; it’d been plaguing his mind since he first met her. “How does your magic work?”

Well, that much she could answer. The young queen couldn’t help but see the irony in the way she was about to willingly disclose the very same information she’d viciously guarded from Danny to the Ghost King. “What you call ‘magic’ is the art of learning to control and manipulate one’s anima at will.”

“Anima?” Phantom tilted his head to the side. Sam couldn’t help but think he looked like a ghost puppy. 

She nodded as she raised one hand to her eye-level, palm up. With a snap of her fingers, the same sparkly, purple mist he remembered from the floating book accident surrounded her hand. He could only look on, stunned. “Our essence.” Lady Arcana explained, mindlessly playing with the mystical energy, watching as it slipped through her fingers like water. “Believe it or not, everyone has an anima, not just witches. The only difference is that we know how to tap into and summon it.”

“So is it like my ecto-energy?”

“In a way. There is a difference, though.”

“Which is?” He urged her, but she just shook her head. 

Danny was beginning to think that was one of the things she’d refuse to share with him when she clarified. “As with the portals, that knowledge was forgotten long ago. We don’t know what makes our essences different; we just know they are.”

“And what about the spells?” Ever since Sam cryptically told him about them, Danny’d been racking his mind for answers, trying to put two and two together. But he always came out empty-handed. He just hoped Lady Arcana had the answers. 

She sighed, and once again the halfa feared he wouldn’t get his answer after all, but once more she surprised him. “They’re intrinsically linked to our culture.” He couldn’t help but flinch when she sent him a meaningful look. “They’re also the reason why I call myself Lady Arcana...when that’s not my name.” She admitted quietly. 

Understanding the best he could do was give her time, Danny leaned forward, resting his chin on his intertwined hands that were propped on the table in front of him. He waited with bated breath for her to speak. “To do magic, you have to know the secrets of the universe.”

“The secrets of the universe?” He repeated, eyes wide. 

She nodded, pointing at her hand, the one radiating energy. “There is a secret language; the one the universe was created and communicates with. To do magic you need two things: to be in sync with your anima, and to know that secret language so you can get the results you want. Every spell we make we cast it by calling the secret name of whatever we set our minds to. Because of this system, in our culture names give you power. That’s why I go by Lady Arcana, because if anyone were to know my real name, it’d give them power over me.”

Danny had to force his mouth shut at her words. So witches were in tune with the universe on a whole different level than most people. A part of him couldn’t help but point out the similarities between the two, for if people were to find out his secret, he’d be completely at their mercy. Vlad had certainly used his secret against him in the past, the only way it didn’t do more damage than necessary was because he also knew his and could counter attack. 

A part of him wished he could ask her the true questions plaguing his mind. Mostly, why? Why did her people sell ghosts out like that? Why did they choose ruining a centuries-long alliance was worth it? Why did they refuse to acknowledge the damage they’d done?!

Just why?

But the sharper part of him, the one who usually took charge of things when coming up with puns or ghost-fighting, knew that question would most likely go unanswered. And at worst it’d bring back the tension their, surprisingly, civil conversation had dissipated. So instead he chose to be the polite young man his parents raised. 

“Thank you for coming clean to me, my lady. I…I understand it must’ve been difficult.” He tried to channel his best intentions through his grateful grin. 

For a minute Sam just stared at the ghost in front of her, speechless. She had to admit, Phantom had proved he could be mature, albeit usually after enough jabs and pointless arguing, so it shouldn’t have come out as such a surprise that now he seemed genuinely grateful for her honesty. And yet, the sincerity in his glowing, green eyes, and the kindness radiating from his smile were enough to make her heart flutter, touched. The way he looked at her made him seem almost completely harmless, friendly, and caring.

It made him seem like Danny. 

The past few days, after unexpectedly running into him in Verde Que te Quiero Verde, her mind always went back to him. A nice, warm feeling would bubble deep within her whenever she thought of his unruly, black hair, or his deep, baby blue eyes, or just his general kindness and alertness to the way other people feel… Sam would feel her face heat up whenever she remembered she still had his hoodie; or when she’d admit to herself that she didn’t know if she could ever give it back. 

As nice as the feeling was, it certainly didn’t help when it clouded her judgement when she was carrying out her duties. Such as that very moment. 

What was she thinking, comparing Danny Phantom to Danny Fenton?! They couldn’t be more different! Danny’s voice was rich and soothing, while Phantom’s had a certain echo that reminded everyone of his current state of being. Danny had absolutely no interest in following in his parents’ footsteps; he dreamed of being an astronaut and the Fentons had often neglected him and his sister in favour of ghost-hunting. Phantom was both a ghost hunter himself and the very ghost Danny’s parents were after!

And most importantly, Sam could actually put up with Danny’s presence, whereas she’d more than once wondered if spirits could be strangled. 

While she appreciated the Ghost King’s bout of friendliness, she’d have to remind herself that he and Danny were two entirely different people. But for now, it wouldn’t hurt to show some gratitude in return. “Thank you for listening and respecting my request, Phantom.” She smiled back. 

The king shrugged, the grin never leaving his face. “It’s the least I could do. Hey, if you have any questions of your own, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll see what I can do.”

Sam was about to thank him for his offer but decline anyway when she changed her mind, an idea materialising in her head. Using her two hands for support to get up from her chair, she walked around the wooden table between them and towards her host. She didn’t stop until she was almost within touching distance. 

Propping herself up against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest, in the most relaxed position Danny had seen her, she spoke. “If I ask a favour of you, will you grant it?”

“Depending on what you ask.” He replied truthfully.

She guessed that was fair enough. Unfolding her arms, she used one hand to point at him. “Please, refrain yourself from wearing...” she trailed off, vaguely gesturing to the Ring of Wrath and the Crown of Fire, “that during our meetings.”

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. The only reason he wore the dreaded things in the first place was to keep her and her guards in line. If it meant not being vulnerable around them, he was willing to endure their torment. “You see, I wear these to show my very special guests just how seriously I take their visit,” Danny started, his voice dripping in sarcasm, before turning more serious with a menacing glare, his eyes glowing bright. “How do I know you won’t double-cross me the moment I take them off?”

Sam didn’t like the way this conversation suddenly turned from civil, to accusing. Again. “How do I know you won’t use them to double-cross me?”

“I believe I asked you first.” 

Growing irritated, Sam clutched at her skin. “Simple; I’m not the one wearing that.”

There was a reason purple-eyed witches such as herself or Grandma Ida were so respected in their society; only they could resist the darkness their people so feared. And the dark forces radiating from the Ghost King’s crown and ring? They were vile. The age of eternal blackness, pain, and suffering they promised were enough to make her hairs stand on end. Therefore, seeing Phantom wield them so nonchalantly was a clear indicator that he was not to be trifled with. 

Not uttering a word, Phantom got up from his chair and made his way to her. Sam had to fight the urge to flinch away from him in fright when he stood, imposing, in front of her. “Funny.” He said with a hint of sick amusement in his voice. “It was a gift from your kind.”

Sam could only gasp at his words, a hand to her chest and her feet unconsciously taking a few steps back. However, before she could fully register his words and react accordingly, the ground at her feet started moving, unprompted. Her body involuntarily swaying from the sudden tremors, she tried to keep her balance by hopelessly flailing her arms, in search of support. 

But her efforts proved themselves fruitless when another, stronger, jolt tossed her down to the ground with a low thud. The only reason she even registered she’d fallen was the sudden change in perspective; Phantom, who, seemingly on instinct, had risen up in the air the moment the room shook, went from being in front of her to horizontal. 

“What’s going on?” She choked out, too disoriented to even stand. 

Noticing the turmoil in her voice, their previous conversation forgotten in favour of the current events, Danny was by her side in an instant, gently helping her up. This could only mean one thing. “Uh, no…”

“‘Uh, no?’” Lady Arcana asked, holding onto his arm for dear life. “‘Uh, no’ what?”

Before Danny could so much as offer an answer a distinct cry in a language he didn’t understand could be heard from the other side of the door. In the blink of an eye, a gust of bright yellow wind came crashing through the door, reducing it to smithereens. What was truly unbelievable, however, was the way the wind seemed to have solidified with the intention of bursting the doors open. 

Fast as lightning, Lady Arcana’s trusty companions rushed into the room, looking for their queen. The teenagerーSusan, Danny believedーwasted no time checking over her leader. “Your Majesty, are you okay?!” As she asked, her bespectacled partner slid beside their queen, offering her to lean into her for support. “We were guarding the doors when suddenly the lair started trembling!”

“I’m fine, Susan. Stand down.” She reassured her. “Are you guys alright?”

“Affirmative, your Majesty.” The strawberry blonde one answered, adjusting her glasses with her free hand, the other still holding Lady Arcana by her waist. “But I believe we should leave immediately, whatever it is that’s going on, it’s not safe!”

“What is going on, anyway?” Susan hissed, clearly suspecting of the ghosts’ ulterior motives. 

To Sam’s surprise, Phantom actually looked sheepish. He was fidgeting with his gloved fingers with an awkward smile on his face. “This may or may not be my fault…”

The dark-haired queen was in no mood for half-assed answers like that. “Explain.” She gritted out. 

“I seem to have forgotten to take care of the latest black hole forming before it reached its mature state.” He admitted. 

There was  a moment of silence where one could've heard a pin drop, until Sam screeched at the top of her lungs, “You what?! How do you forget to take care of a fucking black hole!?”

“What did I tell you about swearing?” He tried to joke, but the scorching glare he received from her in return made him gulp. “I know, I know. I really meant to take care of everything sooner, but things kept popping up and getting in the way. But don’t worry, I’ll fix this.”

“How?” Susan asked, her arms folded over her chest and her eyes glaring daggers at him. 

“That...I don’t know.” He admitted, looking positively sick to his stomach. “I’ve never had to take care of a black hole in this state. But don’t worry, you three can go back home. I’ll manage; I always do.”

An impending sense of doom made Sam’s stomach churn. She didn’t know why, but she had a feeling Phantom wouldn’t make it if he tried to take care of the problem by himself.

And so, with a heavy heart, she turned to her witches, getting out of Stephanie’s well-meaning but suffocating grasp. “You two go back home, I’ll stay here and help him.”

“What?!” The two screamed in unison, and Sam could feel a bewildered Phantom looking at her like she’d lost her goddamn mind. She probably had. 

Lo and behold, he was right there, agreeing with them. “‘What’ is right. You can’t stay here; your people need you!”

“King Phantom’s right, your Majesty.” Stephanie tried to reason. “What will become of the clan without you?”

“It’ll be madness!” Susan squeaked, looking scared for once in her life. “If anything, we should stay to ensure your safety!”

Touched beyond belief by their loyalty and devotion, Sam gently grasped their hands in hers. She tried to convey as much calmness as possible through her smile. “One way or another, the clan will find a way to revive from its ashes, even without me. That’s the way it’s always been. But I can’t live with myself knowing I stole two children from their families, and so, I must let you go.”

“B-but...your Majesty!” Susan whimpered, tears in her eyes. 

Before she’d have a change of heart, the queen turned to the older witch. “Stephanie, you’re the better spellcaster. Take Susan with you and back to the clan.” Then she turned around and picked the grimoire up in her hands before passing it to her. “And take this with you. We can’t afford anything happening to it.”

“But what about you?!”

“I will do everything in my power to return to you.” She swore solemnly. 

With a sad nod, Stephanie let go of her queen’s hand and took the younger sorceress with her. With a finger high in the sky, she cried out, “Omnes viae Romam ducunt!” 

In a flash of forest green light, they were gone. 

Now that they were alone (for Walker’s goons had returned to their boss the moment the shaking began), Danny turned to the Witch Queen. “What’s your angle?”

“I want to help you.” She said, never taking her eyes off of his. 

“But what about your people?” He pressed. “Isn’t protecting them your top priority?”

“If what little I know of black holes and your world doesn’t fail me, letting one loose would mean the end of everything we know and love. So I am protecting my people.”

He couldn’t argue against that logic. 

The moment was broken by the unanticipated feeling of being pulled towards an unknown direction. Noticing Lady Arcana staggering clumsily on her feet, Danny rushed to grab her by the shoulders in an attempt to steady her. Immediately, her own hands were grabbing firmly onto his.

As stable as his lair was, staying inside during a black hole would be dangerous and extremely foolish. Unfortunately, there was no time to explain. “My Lady, what I’m about to do might seem a bit crazy, but I need you to trust me on this. Can you do that?”

“What are youー?”

“Can you trust me?” He insisted, his bright, green eyes begging. 

Under any other circumstances her answer would’ve been a definite ‘no.’ Phantom was a ghost and she was a witch. Her people had been foolish enough to trust them once and it cost them dearly. But at that moment, right then and there, against her better judgement, she did. When he looked at her like his life depended on her, she couldn’t deny him anything. Somehow, that terrified her more than the black hole.

“I do.” She breathed. “I trust you.”

One moment, he smiled at her so brightly Sam feared he might blind her. And on the other, he pushed her away from him, shoving her roughly to the stone wall. Fearing the worst, Sam braced herself for an impact that never came. Instead all she could feel was a tingling sensation coursing through her body before she landed on the dirt with a loud thud, but not hard enough to really hurt her. 

When she opened her eyes, she was stunned to see she was outside of the lair’s confines, completely unscathed. How did she…? Her thoughts were put to a halt when she caught something from the corner of her eye that made her blood run cold, as well as her mouth drop in astonishment. 

In front of her, in the middle of the infinite ectoplasmic ocean of the Ghost Zone, stood a ginormous swirl of never-ending blackness, engulfing everything within range. As she stood there, agape, the celestial body’s natural pull began to draw her in. Burying her heels in the ground, desperately clutching at the building’s walls for support, she suddenly felt a hand around her wrist, yanking at her in the opposite direction. 

When she opened her eyes, she saw Phantom’s staring right back. “Don’t let go!” He instructed with a strained voice. He was using every bit of strength he had to fly them both in the opposite direction. 

“How do we stop this?!” She cried out, holding onto him for dear life. 

“I’m not sure!” He called back, his own hold on her never loosening. “As I said, I’ve never had to take care of a black hole under these conditions! The universe wouldn’t happen to have a code word for stopping this sort of thing, would it?”

She could only shake her head. “If it does, I don’t know what it is!”  Oh, that was just great. The one time she needed her magic the most, and not only didn’t she have the answers, but she didn’t even know enough on the subject to find a mundane solution to it. If only Danny were there, he’d know what to do. “Ugh, why didn’t I pay more attention when we talked about Astrophysics!?”

At her words, a lightbulb lit up in Danny’s head. Astrophysics, duh! How could he have been so dense to forget his own area of expertise! All he needed to do was find a way to apply what he knew into a situation with a considerably smaller amount of money involved. To be more specific, he had about $3,75 in his pocket. As he struggled to keep both Lady Arcana and him safe, he kept looking at the black hole, studying its form and comparing it to every single piece of information he knew on them. 

It wasn’t until he focused on his movements that it hit him. “I have an idea, but it might sound a little crazy.”

“Would you look at that? It goes with the entire situation we found ourselves in!” The sorceress chided with fake cheer. 

“You can roast me with your sarcasm as much as you want later, but now I need you to listen to me.” He took her silence as a sign to continue. “I know what I have to do; I have to fly straight towards the black hole, but since I know it’s risky, I need you to run as far away as possible. Maybe even teleport yourself like your friends.”

“Are you crazy?!”

He shrugged it off. “A little. Please, it’s our only chance.”

Every second Lady Arcana didn’t answer his heart did somersaults in his chest. If it weren’t for his hands being a bit tied up at the moment, he would’ve started biting on his nails anxiously. After what felt like hours, she nodded. “Okay, but on one condition.”

“What is it?”

“Put us down somewhere remotely safe and I’ll tell you.”

In a quick succession of movements, he went from holding her wrist to holding her bridal style, his mind too preoccupied in finding somewhere safe to notice the way her cheeks reddened at the sudden intimacy. When he put her down on the floor he could only gape as she rolled her skirt and tied it up so it now reached her knees rather than the floor. But what truly caught his eye was what she was wearing on her feet.

“You wear combat boots under your skirt?”

At that, she put on a blank face. Now it was not the time for stupid questions! “Have you ever run in high heels?”

Admittedly, he had not.

“Thought so.” She hummed. “Besides, if you want me to run away from here, this gives me a greater chance at getting away. More mobility and all that.”

“Fine, I get it. So, what’s your condition?”

She looked at him. Her initial plan was to ask him to remove the crown and ring during any subsequent meetings, but now that he was staring intently at her, waiting for her answer with bated breath right as he was about to do the unthinkable, she found she couldn’t ask such a thing. Swallowing loudly, she got close to him; closer than she’d ever been. As soon as they were close enough their bodies almost touched, so close she could make out the green blush adorning his features, she placed her hands on his chest and slid them up slowly. 

Unbeknownst to her, to Danny it was maddeningly so. He could already hear his heart beating in his ears, her lavender eyes seemed to gaze deep into his soul, when he heard the distinct sound of something unclasping. Before he knew it, his cape had fallen to the ground. When he turned to look at her quizzically, she had an impish grin on her face. “In the words of the great Edna Mode, ‘no capes!’”

Despite himself, he couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics, even if said antics made perfect sense when he was about to fly into a black hole. “Okay, okay. I get it. No capes.” He grew serious again, sending her a meaningful look. “But you’d better run away, you hear me?”

“I will.” 

With that they both turned their backs on each other, about to run off in different directions when Sam had the sudden urge to call out to him over her shoulder. “Oh, and Phantom?” He raised a questioning brow. “Please, be careful.”

Her request rendering him speechless, Danny limited himself to nodding before he took off in the direction of the massive swirl of energy.

Ghostly black holes were formed when two ancient lairs came into contact with each other, resulting in enormous amounts of uncontrollable ecto-energy. The usual protocol was to evacuate the areas near the decaying lairs and destroy at least one of them before disaster happened. 

That was what he meant to do the other day before his encounter with Valerie forced him to spend the remainder of the day resting before going out with Jazz. By the time he felt better, he’d already forgotten all about it. Which meant he now needed to take desperate measures. 

A black hole’s traction power didn’t come from its Singularity, but from its Event Horizon. In other words, it came from the swirling mass of matter surrounding it. Considering this was a rotating black hole, the Penrose Process was his safest bet. He turned himself intangible, in hopes of not being pulled into due to his lack of body mass, and flew straight to the celestial body’s Ergosphere; a region of rotating space-time around the hole. 

Once inside, Danny didn’t waste a second to rev up until he’d reached his top speed, which he could only hope was enough, as he began moving counterclockwiseーthe opposite direction the black hole was rotating in. 

After what felt like hours, Danny could feel his face light up in triumph when he registered the way the hole seemed to come to a halt. That was all he needed. With renewed vigour, the halfa pushed himself a little further, breaking his personal record, and forced the massive source of matter to follow his course. Only this time, rather than increase in size, it shrank ever so slowly. 

Unfortunately, Danny was so caught up in the process he failed to see the side effect his plan was having on the black hole. With one last display of strength, it began to pull once more, except now the halfa had no place to go. Panicking, but knowing he couldn’t get away or all his efforts would be for naught, Danny resigned himself to his fate. 

“Conjunctionis ligaveris!”

“Huh?” His brow furrowing in confusion at the sudden cry, his eyes soon widened in disbelief when he felt something wrap around his ankles and tug at him and away from the black hole. 

Glancing down at his feet, he noticed the sparkly, purple, rope-like construction tied tightly around him. Trailing the rope to its origins, he gasped when he saw it was Lady Arcana who was holding onto it for dear life. 

Did she just save him?

Finally, due to Danny’s ministrations, the colossal swirling void of darkness began to curl in on itself. Then, with a deafening sound, the black hole imploded in a burst of blinding light, forcing Danny to cover his tortured ears, and Sam to shield her violet eyes. Both of them holding tight with the remnants of strength they had left onto the witch’s improvised rope.

After what felt like hours, her ears still ringing, the queen lowered her arm from her face. She blinked repeatedly, willing the dark spots filling her vision to vanish. With her vision cleared, she gasped, frantically looking around in search of Phantom. 

A voice behind her made her jump forward a few steps. “How did you do that?”

Whirling around, she couldn’t help but let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding when she saw the Ghost King looking at her. Although he looked far more surprised than she expected. “Do what?”

“You…”, he started. It just didn’t make any sense! “You grabbed me!”

There was a beat of silence before she spoke again. “...yeah, so?”

“You grabbed me and I was intangible!” He threw his arms up in the air, his mind still coming to terms with what'd just happened. 

Realisation finally dawned on Sam. “Oh, you’re right. By definition, I shouldn’t have been able to touch you…” She trailed off.

“Well,” he pressed, “how did you?”

“I honestly don’t know.” She shrugged as she noticed the rope still tied to Phantom’s ankle, before willing it to disappear. “I just saw you in trouble and I knew I had to do something. I wasn’t really thinking when I did it, I just...did.”

She saw him mumble something unintelligible before his bright eyes lay on her, hard. She should’ve known this was coming, “Look, I know I said I’d run away. But, as I said, I saw you in trouble and I had to act! So there’s no need for you to lecture me about it. What’s done is done.”

“Actually,” he began, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile on his face. “I’m kinda glad you didn’t listen to me.”

Starting at his words, the two made eye contact. As she gazed, once again, upon his grateful eyes, his expression full of sincerity, she couldn’t keep her own smile from forming in her face. As they stood there, both royals could only think that, if they could work together to stop an infinite swirl of darkness, even trusting the other with their lives, then they should be able to work together to put an end to the crisis threatening their worlds. 

[rosewatergrapefruit]

(Diff anon) I just wanted to join in on the halloween beat down discussion real quick because you got me thinking a lot lol! I think a problem this fandom has a little bit (and I’m totally guilty too!) is ignoring Daniel’s trauma? I love Johnny, like he’s totally one of my favourite characters, but I have just realised some people (me also!) treat him like “little baby who never did anything wrong 🥺” a bit TOO much sometimes? I now get that Kreese manipulated and eventually attacked him, and that’s horrible and traumatising, but it doesn’t mean Daniel deserved what happened to him, or made it any less traumatising for him? Do you know what I mean? Certain people will fight to the death trying to make it look like Daniel instigated it, but in reality, like in the real world, pouring water one someone’s head as a little bit of petty revenge for months of harassment and violence really isn’t worthy of being beaten unconscious? I think it can both be true that Johnny was manipulated by Kreese and isn’t a bad guy, AND what he did to Daniel was extremely cruel and unwarranted? It wasn’t just like... one mutual fight, like if it had have been the one incident at the beach it would have been a totally different story, but to be repeatedly violently attacked for no real substantial reason? People can say “oh Daniel was a little asshole too” until they’re blue in the face lol, but it doesn’t change the fact that Johnny not just bullied him, but the bullying was violent and probably terrifying, no one can tell me they can look at the state of Daniel when he threw away his bike and was crying and obviously distressed that this was “pull her pig tails because you like her” teasing, I think at time people (also me) start to think there was a mutual teasing/banter, or that Daniel enjoyed the attention to some extent and I don’t think that’s really true? I absolutely think it could be interpreted as Johnny having feelings of some kind for Daniel which he took out on him through violence, but that’s incredibly sad for everyone involved, and in reality is not sexy or cute? And although I give everyone the absolute right to write as much young!Lawrusso fanfiction as they want where it’s sexy and cute, like it’s not hurting anyone so do whatever, I think maybe we should also be aware that in the real world this wouldn’t be the case if you know what I mean? I don’t know what I’m even saying! Basically, although Kreese told Johnny to do it etc, Daniel being harassed, publicly humiliated, beaten unconscious, thrown off a cliff/hill whatever you want to call it on his bike, and having his knee destroyed, on top of months of fear, unfortunately means that irrespective of Johnny’s peer pressure or influence from Kreese to do certain thing, or that his step dad was a bully toward him, did not give him a right to inflict this on Daniel, and what Johnny did to him was extremely cruel. Again, I LOVE Johnny, I feel bad even saying all this about him because I love him so much lol, and I don’t think he is evil or even a bad guy by any means, but his reasons aren’t excuses, and I think maybe some people who ship them (me included!) could take a second to think of how frightening and confusing this bullying was for Daniel? Sorry sorry for the extreme long ask! You just got me thinking about this, I had never looked at it this way before and never considered this, and I don’t know, this is just my word vomit because I realised I never really considered Daniel’s end of it to the extent I did Johnny’s intentions if that makes sense? I was like “Johnny had his reasons so it’s not that bad” kind of? But that doesn’t change what if felt like from Daniel’s end! Sorry again for the long ask!

Hey anon, I totally get what you mean! I basically agree with everything you've written here, I think it's all about a balance between having empathy for Johnny and not excusing his actions.

And to be fair to yourself, the reason you probably hadn't thought so much about it all from daniel's pov is that, well, Cobra Kai is about Johnny. It's about deconstructing his side of the story and showing that everything was maybe not as it appeared, and that he was a more complex and vulnerable figure in high school than first met the eye. But also that as a premise works, imo, because it's so obvious from the Karate Kid that he's bullying Daniel. Yes I know there was a whole upswelling or whatever about how “Daniel was the real villain" but I think even then that was about extending understanding to Johnny, because, please. We've all watched the movie. They push the boy off a cliff.

In terms of his feelings toward Danny in hs...yeah now I dont see that as a pigtails thing at all, but (just speaking for myself here) I don't feel like I've seen that interpretation a lot? I feel like because of how fandom exists in 2021 most people are familiar with the whole "feelings toward other boys --> filtered through internalized homophobia --> violence" dynamic, and most HS fics I've read reflect that. But maybe there's a strong strain of that that I haven't seen, idk!

And yeah, I agree with you, I also love Johnny deeply (I love both of them!!), acknowledging that a character has done bad things does not mean you can't still sympathize with them/like them/want good things for them ETC.

I think part of what makes Cobra Kai strong is that it allows us to do all that with Johnny, while the show itself doesn't go as far to excuse his actions towards Daniel. It's good stuff.

[itwillbeall-dwight]

trials in error

danny "jed olsen" johnson | the ghost face/felix richter; fluff and angst; canon-typical violence; enemies to fwb to lovers to enemies lmao; 5677 words

a/n: did i finish two fics in the same day? yes i did. i’ve had this done since one in the morning but didn’t want to post it them bc no one would see it by the time it was flushed out of the tag bc tumblr hates fic writers for real actually.

my friend booker is to blame for this. they mentioned this pair to me offhandedly but then i turned around and made this, and basically learned 2 things. 1) writing danny is fun, and 2) i have. a lot of feelings. about them.

while i have a couple of long pieces to finish, requests are still open, so if you liked this and would like smthn written, feel free to shoot me an ask!

likes < reblogs, any comments in the tags are appreciated

ao3 mirror in the reblogs!

Preview: “Tell you what.” He folded his arms over the top of the generator, looking the man in the face as he rested the side of his head against his forearm. “You’re still a noob, and I can’t be having anything fun with that. I’ll give you, hm… 10 seconds to run and hide, phone a friend, you know… not die, but after that, you’re all mine. Sound good?” The blonde remained silent, blinking at him in bewilderment. That was as good of an answer as any. “Alright. 10-” “Ah, wait, but what about-” “-9-” He didn’t say anything after that, dropping the wires in his hands and taking off into a sprint, stumbling as he stood to his full height - and oh boy, was he a tall guy - and turned a corner of old cars. Danny chuckled, standing up to rest his ass against the side of the gen, flipping his knife in his hand as he kept counting down. “8… 7… 6-5-4-3-2-1- ok, here we go.”

Another day, another trial. As the fog cleared from his vision, the Ghostface flipped his small knife in his hand, feeling the silent breeze whistle through the tendrils on his uniform. The Autohaven Wreckers was as sorry of a sight as it always was, but one that he’d grown quite accustomed to use as his playground. From the sight of the old garage, he could almost pick out memories of all the times he’d scared the pants off of the poor survivors, which he took more than enough pleasure in doing. Danny looked around, still absently flipping his knife in his hand as he formulated a plan, taking a brief moment to watch the ever-present moonlight glint off of the freshly cleaned blade before he looked up once more, a slow grin forming behind the mask as the game began.

 Poor Meg thought he was stupid, thinking she’d lost him at a simple enough loop around a pile of tires, all up until he pulled her off of her generator with a cackle (“screw you, creep” she said as she slammed her fists into the back of his shoulder - changed her tune real quick after he slid a hook into hers). Nea didn’t hesitate in giving him the runaround, powering a generator in his face and slamming a locker door into him for good measure. Danny knew the girl would throw a palette at him if she had the chance - she was the most fun to play with. But he soon lost her, so soon after catching her, but it was that detective asshole that ruined their fun, as he’d shone a damn flashlight in his eyes while he had Nea on his shoulder, finally, enough for her to wiggle free and run off again. And by the time his vision had cleared, the both of them had gone. Danny growled - as much as he enjoyed fun, it was only when he was winning was it any good.

 It was while he was stalking around the battered old killer shack looking for the bastard that he saw him for the first time. Blonde hair, broad shoulders, and a fancy suit that just screamed rich, with a touch of “please tear me off or splatter me in blood, both sound great”. A man he didn’t recognize, sat on a generator, eyes darting around as he worked the best he could with shaking hands, clearly on edge about being left on his own to work. Whatever annoyance he had in him melted like hot wax, as he approached, slowly, knowing this guy would be a wonderful victim to mess with. The killer’s fingers curled around the edge of the wall as he watched the man, the way he swallowed and sighed, muttering to himself in reassurance in a tongue that sounded familiar to him, too quiet to tell. The generator got louder and louder, its mechanisms and inner parts in tune as the man worked his magic, almost letting himself smile in triumph as he grabbed another wire.

“Hey there, handsome.”

A voice from behind his neck, raspy and deep, caused him to jump, a spark sending the generator into smoke as he turned, face going white as he pushed his back against the wall.

Oh, he was right. He was going to be fun, all right. Danny chuckled. “Oh, sorry. Did I scare you? Tend to do that. It’s in my… nature.”

The man swallowed, glancing around for any kind of help, seeming to find none as his attention turned back to the killed, speaking in a low, rich voice, though it shook from fear. “Don’t you have… things, to be stabbing?”

“Why, is that an invitation?” He laughed again, leaning up against the generator and crossing one leg over the other. “Nah, I’m just kiddin’. Ain’t it enough to get to know the new neighbours? Haven’t seen you around before, pretty boy. They smuggled you in, huh?”

“I… suppose.”

He hummed, tapping the blade of his knife against the metal of his knife, the clanging making the survivor jump. Oh, bless him - well and truly, it was a mistake for him to get caught up here… but a happy mistake, to be sure. “Got a name?”

“Huh?”

“Like I said, I like to know the neighbours, ya know… real close and personal. A preference. Bit of normalcy. Soooo…”

He remained silent. So he was a little bit smarter than what he’d look like, from the way he was shaking in his rich white boots. Impressive.

“Tell you what.” He folded his arms over the top of the generator, looking the man in the face as he rested the side of his head against his forearm. “You’re still a noob, and I can’t be having anything fun with that. I’ll give you, hm… 10 seconds to run and hide, phone a friend, you know… not die, but after that, you’re all mine. Sound good?”

The blonde remained silent, blinking at him in bewilderment. That was as good of an answer as any. 

“Alright. 10-”

“Ah, wait, but what about-”

“-9-”

He didn’t say anything after that, dropping the wires in his hands and taking off into a sprint, stumbling as he stood to his full height - and oh boy, was he a tall guy - and turned a corner of old cars.

Danny chuckled, standing up to rest his ass against the side of the gen, flipping his knife in his hand as he kept counting down. “8… 7… 6-5-4-3-2-1- ok, here we go.”

 Curious as it was, he lost the blonde beauty soon after he let him go, instead finding Meg oddly open about where she was, spriting right into his vision. Not that he was complaining; a game was a game, and if the runner decided that she wanted to play tag, then who was he to turn her down? Especially when she was so easy to catch… though as soon as she was hooked, flashlight clicking and Swedish profanities in his ear was enough to make him chase after Nea rather than go after his original chase once again… they were painting a target on their back, and for what? To save the new guy’s skin? He wasn’t an idiot. Just surprised that some of them had the compassion.

 Well, they managed to get another generator done, but the two girls were dead, and a soon injured Tapp was surely soon to follow them. A means to an end, it seemed, as his knife plunged into the detective’s side and sent him crashing into the dirt with a grunt of pain, rolling over onto his back with one eye open, the other wincing in pain, the shadow of the killer cast over him in the moonlight as he wiped his blade.

“OK, Detective, we’ll make this real nice and simple.” He crouched down next to the survivor, taking note of how the blood pooled around him as he laid on his back, staring up at him. “Tell me where your new friend is hiding, and I’ll let you live.”

Silence.

“C’mon, it’s not that hard of a choice to make. I’ve heard getting sacrificed is long and painful, like your insides are getting ripped at over and over again until, poof, you’re back again, at that cozy little campfire, only a little bit more traumatised to show for it. Now, you want that to happen to only one of you, or both of you, hm?”

Tapp looked away, seeming to ponder the possibility.

“Self-preservation instincts, Detective. I know you have them.” He tapped his knife into the dirt. Humans were fickle beings, easily swayed when their life was on the line.

The detective sighed, chest shaking from the strain. “Fine. I know where he’s hiding. But I can’t… breathe right, with a knife in my chest, so come a little closer.”

Danny blinked, but surely he didn’t have any more tricks up his sleeve, so he did as he was told, for once in his life, letting his mask get inches away. “Yes?”

A moment of silence, before there was a whisper in reply, backed by the assurance of an idiot who knew he was going to die regardless, as he spat blood pooling in his mouth onto the mask of the ghost almost pressed against his own. “Go fuck yourself.”

He was almost stunned at the bravado, leaning away with a chuckle, though he gritted his teeth through it. “Oh, you’re a funny man. Absolutely hilarious, you know that?” But still, that was as good of an affirmation of choice as he was going to get from someone so stubborn, so Danny grabbed him by the front of his vest and hoisted him up onto his shoulder.

 The screaming echoed as the heavens opened up, the Entity surely pleased with her feast for the evening, but he still wasn’t done… oh no, far from it. There was still one more handsome devil to track down. Danny rolled his neck, grinning at the gentle cracks from the strain, strolling more than hunting, at this point, for the well-kept survivor he didn’t know the name of, but was practically dying to know. He almost skipped up the crane, looking out of the window as Rapunzel did out of her tower window, before chuckling to himself and hoisting himself out. Danny tapped his blade against his hand, almost going to begin whistling if not for the angelic cries coming from the hill just close by. A grin overtook him, as he chased the calls of cherubs from the ground below.

 He slammed that hatch shut with a satisfied sigh, throwing his knife between his hands as he looked around and arched his neck for the doors. Normally the whelps would just give up at this point, but the guy was new, and probably didn’t know what was best for him. Still, the doors were easily within view, so if he made it out of this alive… well, he wouldn’t, so no promise needed to be made. The killer chuckled to himself, finally settling on wrapping his fingers around the handle of his blade, curling one by one, slowly and deliberately for no one in particular, before setting off to take part in the real game that had begun.

 He had no idea how he did it. Perhaps Danny had become too complacent in his work. But that handsome devil slipped past him more than once, enough for him to open up a gate and tiptoe his nice ass into certain safety. The survivor stared at him from inside the gate as he walked past in bewilderment, shaking like a dog in the rain that was just waiting to be gutted, battered old medkit in hand. And while he was stunned, the man swallowed, nodded, and left the trial head high, descending back into the fog as it began to consume the old gas station, leaving Danny to stare into darkness, barely blinking.

 Well, that was interesting, wasn’t it?

—

His name was Felix, he’d learned from the pig in the meat plant, having overheard it while she watched him blow the generator out by accident and got cursed out by the familiar bane-of-their-existence Swede. German, from the way he’d spoken to Danny by the generator in their first encounter, high up on the social ladder from the way he dressed (unless he’d gotten all dressed up just to see him? Funny, that would be, but very unlikely), shaken by the fog and with a disposition not unlike a lost dog. 

 And yet, despite his nerves and cluelessness to the fog, he always seemed to escape him. He didn’t know how he did it, but from finding hatch to evading the hooks, Felix somehow managed to keep him on his toes. Trials were somehow more exciting, knowing there was a challenge, and a chance to catch he who refused to be caught. Danny knew he was going to revel in the moment, when it eventually came - there was no way someone could be better than him, when he was so in his element.

So, after not seeing the man for the entire trial while hunting through the streets of Badham, catching him at the gate seemed like a dream come true. And he was none the wiser, as Danny quickly slammed his hand against the wall next to the lever, making him jump and freeze, pulling his hand away, two bright lights reflecting onto his face. “And so we meet again.”

“S-so we do.” He ran a hand through his hair before it found a place at the back of his neck, quietly taking a few steps back.

“Aht, aht. I wouldn’t run. I’ll just find you again anyways.”

He stopped. 

“...You know, I don’t quite know how you do it. It’s like you’re avoiding me on purpose.”

“That is… the point, is it not?”

“Oh, how rude- people come here to see me, surely. I’m a spectacle; call me a master at my craft.”

Felix chuckled - god, he chuckled, though it was riddled with nerves, but it most certainly happened, and sounded great - fiddling with the cufflinks on the sleeves of his suit jacket as his back straightened a little, as if flicking a switch to go from sorry sight to professional businessman. “Well, I… don’t suppose you’d be willing to show me why?”

He blinked. “Are you… flirting with me?”

“Am I?”

Danny wasn’t sure if the question was rhetorical or not, from the way he stood beside the lever at the gate, leaning a shoulder against the brick and folding his arms across his strong, broad chest (the way his shirt was unbuttoned just so was something Danny now noticed, and couldn’t stop noticing, barely tearing his eyes away to meet his gaze again) with an almost expectant look. “You’re... a weird one.”

“I… suppose so. Anyone normal would have ignored you and already run for their lives.”

The killer chuckled. “You’re not… entirely wrong. But I gotta say, I do like that. Among… other things.”

Though his eyes weren’t visible, it was as if the survivor knew exactly where he was looking, coughing and covering his mouth with the side of his fist. How cute was that?

He almost couldn’t contain himself. But he managed, somehow, not sure where this whole thing was going, but more than ready to go along for the ride. “Say… how far are you willing to ask that question, anyway? You really wanna know that bad, huh?”

Felix swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment before looking up again, with his piercing blue gaze, lips parting just so into a coy little smile. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

Danny had never thought a man of such sophistication was willing to whore himself out for freedom, but sure enough, he himself opened the gate to let the German go, almost sad to see him leave (though it wouldn’t be for long), but very much enjoying the view.

 He paused. He was supposed to catch him and kill him, wasn’t he? Danny frowned, somewhat troubled, but tried to justify it as returning to old habits in Roseville, as he left the gate, and waited for the fog to consume him again, taking a seat just outside the battered old preschool.

—

It was like the attraction of magnets with twice the force as soon as they saw each other, wasting no time as suddenly Felix’s back was slammed into a tree, a loose and cold gloved hand finding its way up his shirt, sending a shiver up his spine for another reason as he felt lips hit his, with a hunger and desperation he was not expecting but certainly didn’t mind reciprocating, as Danny soon found out. And he wasn’t complaining; he was damn good, for a man with the disposition of a 40-year-old virgin, moving his hands to Danny’s wrist and placing his hand on his waist, which again, he did not mind at all, while the other was still halfway up his shirt. Let the man take the lead, at least for now, because it’s the only chance he’ll get to.

 Danny chuckled as a hand moved to grab his ass - quite the eager beaver, wasn’t he? He was practically purring as he pulled away, the survivor trying to follow him before reeling back as he moved to kissing up the side of his neck, listening close to the adorable little whimpers that came out of him as he squirmed in his grip. The killer then went to move his hand out from under Felix’s shirt, finally, casually undoing the buttons of his waistcoat and shirt one by one, taking the time to walk down his chest with his fingers and feel the shaking breaths of anticipation under his fingertips. Oh, the things he wanted to do-

 Distant voices were enough to make the survivor crack open an eye, pausing before he began to push the killer’s head off of his neck.

“Hey, hey,” Danny didn’t appreciate the interruption, moving to look up as Felix looked around, like a startled animal, though he still purred in the crudest fashion. “C’mon, buddy, I was just getting started.”

“Quiet.” His voice was low and commanding, still shaking from adrenaline.

And for whatever reason, Danny complied.

He swallowed, listening to the silence of the wind in the barrens of the fog-covered forest and there was another distant call, which upon hearing he began trying to wiggle out of the killer’s grip. “Off.”

“Why?”

“They’re looking for me-”

“And you don’t wanna be seen with me?” He gave a mock gasp of offence, though the grin that was slowly growing larger still remained on his face.“Oh, honey-”

“That’s exactly it. Move, please.”

That was enough to make Danny chuckle, squeezing his hips that he still held, enough to make him yelp a little. “Still so polite. If you want me to do somethin’, hon, you gotta be a little more, ah... demanding, yeah?”

Felix glared. “Alright. Get off. Now.” His voice had an annoyed growl to it, though his voice still cracked a little out of embarrassment, as he pushed down on Danny’s arms to let himself go.

“There it is.” And so he moved, standing back and sliding his hands into the pockets of his cloak. He watched the architect fiddle with the buttons on his shirt to redo them again, rushing to do so and messing it up a few times, mumbling to himself. “Need help?”

He glared again. 

Danny laughed, observing how he looked like a kicked puppy as he went back to fiddling with his shirt, pulling down his own mask again to hide what little of his face he had revealed. “You know, I think you’d look much better with it off.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, that’s not what you were saying with your eyes earlier-”

“You were a lot more tolerable when you were quiet.”

“‘Cos I never had a chance to speak, what, with you all over my mouth.” He shrugged as he spoke, as if it was a nonchalant fact, only smiling wider when he heard Felix try to stammer out a flustered reply, to no avail, choosing instead to simply huff and finish off the buttons on his shirt.

“Regardless, this affair is over.”

“Wait, hold on.”

“What?”

The killer moved his hands up to Felix’s neck, watching the man flinch and hold a breath with a soft chuckle, gently undoing a few of the top buttons that he’d redone. “You normally wear it like this.”

He gently touched at his collar, looking down at his fingers and then to the mask starring back at him. “And you’ve noticed?”

“Hard not to.” He shrugged, tugging at the shirt collar and going to fix up the waistcoat too before his hands were slapped away, which he held up in defence with a grin behind his mask. “So when are we doing this again, sunshine?”

The survivor moved away before he could’ve boxed in against the tree again, taking a few steps towards the direction of the campfire and the voices, though not too far as to disengage from the conversation, perhaps a little unsure how to. “You speak like this will be a regular affair.”

“Well, we had fun, ja?” 

“...Are you mocking me?”

“Not mocking, just… appreciating the culture.”

Felix started, smoothing down the arms of his suit jacket with a light scoff of disbelief. “Truly, you’re insufferable.”

“Can't say you didn’t enjoy yourself though, huh, mein Schatz?” He leaned his shoulder against the tree now, folding his arms across his chest, earning him a weak-hearted glare.

“Werde gefickt.”

“Gerne.”

Being outplayed in his own game of native tongues, somehow, Felix conceded, looking down at his cufflinks again. “You’re… not entirely wrong, so ...perhaps a name, so I can find you.”

“Oh, so now you want to know me? What happened to a one-time affair, sugar?” 

“When you’re so easy to please, I would be an idiot not to take advantage.”

Danny laughed, shrugging with no retort (though he was uncertain if hitting this pretty boy like a fish was just as good as getting in his pants… that much was yet to be determined). He soon trailed off, swallowing to himself, a lie escaping him as effortlessly as it had always done. “Jed Olsen.”

“Mr. Olsen…” Felix pondered for a moment. “...Ja, OK.”

—

So they’d been fooling around, yeah. Danny had always said he was willing to try it, should an idiot be brave enough, and if it was someone that wasn’t either Ace or David - he was a man with some standards, even with the blood on his hands - but never had he thought about it getting this far.

 The sun never rose or set, but people slept and woke as time passed, regardless of the light outside, and that was no exception here. If anything, it was the cold chill of Ormond that awoke him from sleep, though he’d grown complacent in it, realising the teens that called this shithole a home would probably evict him if he so much as dared to complain. Danny still grumbled, attempting to pull the scraps of the blanket over himself, but finding it unable to move. Turning over, he now heard the sound of gentle snoring, the body, next to him sometimes shuffling, but remained mostly motionless, aside from the movements of breathing from his chest. His latest fling, almost his newest obsession… god, he still looked perfect, even now, golden locks of hair falling out of form, the lighting of the shitty little cabin not enough to hide that perfect jawline tickled with stubble in all the right places, red marks down his neck and back from an encounter that had lead them right here, in the bed he was practically renting in the corner of the resort.

 They’d gotten a little adventurous, hadn't they? Banter in the trials was one thing, borderline voyeurism in the entity’s forest was another, but here? Letting himself be taken back to the realms to stay, where killers were not technically bound by rules of obedience, with Danny of all killers, a man who loved to bend the rules? Felix Richter was a smart man, that much he knew, but by god was he stupid. Maybe he thought there was a good man still in there, in the Ghostface. Well, that was his mistake; it was almost cute for him to still hold out hope though, regardless of how much disappointment was awaiting him down the road. Danny gently ran fingertips along the sleeping man’s arm, feeling the soft skin underneath his touch, smiling despite himself, only pausing at the gentle stirring he caused, practically freezing with his hand in the air as the architect moved, and slowly opened his eyes, sleepily smiling.

“Good morning.”

“...Hi,” he released a breath he didn’t know he was holding, letting his hand fall into the space between them. “Hardly mornin’, but sure.”

“Close enough.”

“Sure.”

There was a soft, amused hum from the other man, adjusting his position a little to better face him, hair falling out of place just so, like some disheveled Ken doll. “I would ask if you slept well, but-”

“Oh, very well, thanks to you. Really outdid yourself this time; I gotta say, that was almost the most fun I’ve had since I got here… or maybe even before-”

A light shove to his chest made him stop and laugh a little, feeling the slight coldness of metal from a family ring against one pec, and almost wanting the light touch of his hand to remain there, before it hit the mattress with a thump, dangerously close to Danny’s. “You’re a funny one, Mr. Olsen.”

He sat up, resting an elbow on the stained old pillow and holding his cheek with the corresponding hand, raising an eyebrow. “Thought you liked me better when I was quieter?”

Felix stared at him with those perfect eyes of his, and he laughed - like audible silk it was, smooth and defined, with a sleepy smile and everything - adjusting himself with a hand under his pillow. “Sometimes. Sometimes I like to hear you.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ve been told it’s my best quality.”

“Hmm. Is it how you make jokes to deflect, or how you talk out of your ass?”

“...Well, hey now, Princess, ouch-”

As he tried to defend himself, the survivor smirked, somehow braver here than anywhere else (and it wasn’t his persona), quipping back to match him, and as he was talking, Danny paused, watching the way his eyes diverted and how his mouth moved, how he talked with his body and the way he smiled and waiting for a small hum in response, and how Danny liked the way his name sounded coming from his mouth, even if it wasn’t entirely the true one. Almost made him wonder what the real thing would sound like… no, that was too much, right? Couldn’t get attached. He wasn’t attached, was he?

 Couldn’t hurt to wait a little more to think on that, before escorting this pretty little thing back to the campfire.

—

So he was thinking about Felix a lot more than was normal for an obsession of his. What started off as a vengeful curiosity had morphed into something else, something so ugly yet so beautiful, foreign to Danny in recent years, or perhaps his entire life. Was this how high school girls felt, chasing after the jocks for a chance to get them off, and maybe start a high school whirlwind romance? Well, he certainly wasn’t a prepubescent cheerleader, but the survivor that had caught his attention seemed just like the squeaky clean Prince Charming that girls drooled over.

 And he couldn’t have that. Not at all.

 The fog cleared out of his vision slowly, and he opened his eyes, almost rolling them as the field of corn came into view. Coldwind - the rotten fields, it looked like, from the wide expanse of produce hiding his vision. Despite the cards not being in his favour, a game could still be played here, if he played his hand, carefully. And he was planning to. He’d let himself get distracted. But not again.

 Getting back into the routine of the hunt was like sliding into a comfortable sweater, blood shedding with no tear from him. Laurie was always a thrilling chase, her determination being almost cute. Quentin was similar, though the boy with insomnia had a lot less appeal than the virgin final girl, to be sure. David, of course, was David - loud, frustrating to deal with, and incredibly annoying. And… Felix. He knew how he felt about Felix already.

 As well as he tried to play it, this time, the game was not in his favour, and quite quickly generators across the field were powered, with only a few hooks under his belt. Getting to a gate, it was already beginning to open, three of them already filing into the funnel of the exit. But Felix, he was lagging behind, and without thinking, Danny took a swipe...

 ...No one escaped death. Not even the man he may have fallen for.

 As he wiped the blood from his blade with a gloved hand closed around it, he watched the architect grasp at his side and stumble, leaning a shoulder up against a wooden wall for support.

“Go.” He called to the woman in the blue shirt, standing at the gate.

“Felix, we can’t-”

“I said go, Laurie!”

She gritted her teeth and went to ignore him, running back into the cornfield, but a grip and pull on her arm from David stopped her, as much as she tried to fight against it. Quentin was the last to leave, watching the two of them for a moment before he swallowed, and chased after them, a medkit in hand.

 “Alone time, eh? Hon, we’re on a time limit here-”

“Just get it done.”

Danny tried to laugh. But it didn’t… feel right, somehow, even if it was the same as it always had been. As Felix leaned against a wall to support himself and slid down, knees buckling underneath him, he crouched down to meet him. “I dunno… no fun when they don’t squirm, you know?”

“...Jed-”

“Danny.”

He paused. “What?”

“It’s Danny Johnson. My name, I mean. I lied, when we first met. ...Surprise!” Knife still gripped, he tried to do a small jazz hands movement, though it seemed a fall flat. Only hurt more with what came next.

“...I figured as much.”

“Oh yeah? And why’d you set yourself up for failure like that, sunshine?”

“Because… I don’t know. I thought you were like me.”

The killer deflated a little, tilting his head to one side.

“I… maybe, I thought you were playing something up. I always felt… something else, there. Maybe something even you didn’t know about. Under all that ego, Mr Ol- ...Mr. Johnson, there was a man who cared, once.”

He tapped the blade of his knife against the floor. “...Maybe. I dunno.”

“Do you think he’s still in there?”

Danny didn’t reply right away, dragging his blade through the dirt by his feet absentmindedly. He didn’t entirely know, at this point. Normally this would have been the end of their little game - it was over, he had caught him and won - but something was stopping him. The ground shook, reminding him of that first moment where this fascination had started to plague him. “...You’ve done something to me, Felix.”

He hummed, trying to shift where he sat, holding his side where the blood had stained his very nice suit. “Have I?”

“Must have done. Because this isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.”

“That’s the reality of most things, I’m afraid.”

“I hate it.”

The survivor almost laughed, though it was pained and strained, clearly struggling… but was the sliver of it that made it, that small smile on his stupid, perfect face - that was enough, it seemed, to make Danny smile too.

He pulled up his mask entirely, tugging down his hood and fixing his hair with a quick ruffle, feeling the cloth tendrils on his sleeves whip behind him from the movement. The killer took a second to stare at Felix in front of him, before he moved his hand up to his face, watching him flinch. “Hey- relax, baby, I’m not gonna hurt you yet.”

“Yet.”

Danny hummed, cupping his face and wiping away the blood starting to dribble out of his mouth with a finger. “There. You’re a messy little boy, aint’cha?”

A cough, more blood involuntarily spilling out from his mouth now, this time splashing onto his shirt and the front of Danny’s suit. “My apologies. I’ll make sure to bleed less next time you stab me.”

“‘Ppreciate it, babes.”

Though he thought the man would shove him away, he instead seemed to lean into the touch, moving a hand to hold onto Danny’s wrist. “You still smell like cheap cologne.”

“It’s the only thing they sent me here with. ‘Sides, your scent goes away after a while.”

“Gross.”

“The one and only.”

And despite his small smile, of both annoyance and amusement, the third overwhelming emotion behind his eyes was that of sadness. The ground shook around them, but they didn’t seem to care, not until Danny moved his hand away and stood to his feet again, grabbing his knife from the floor and wiping the dirt off of the blade on his thigh.

 “Is this it, then?”

“��Fraid so.”

“...It was fun.”

“Oh yes, it was.” He looked down at his knife, pressing the tip of the blade against his finger and twisting it, the moonlight and bleeding of the ground catching the light of the metal. “...For what it’s worth? You were close.”

“Close to what?”

“Makin’ me a person. Ya know, not a prick, like… an actual loser, with empathy. Almost had me for a sec, hot stuff.”

“Is that why you’re stopping this? Are you scared?”

Danny swallowed down a reply. He took a moment to look down at Felix, who’s eyes had followed him the entire time, making a small ‘call me’ sign with his free hand and forcing a smirk. “If you ever decide you wanna make a mistake again, you’ll know where to find me.”

“...Goodbye, Danny.”

He walked off into the corn, not wanting to see the way those blue eyes stared at him anymore, only stopping at the pained screaming that followed. The shaking of the ground had stopped now. She had come to feast.

 As he stood in the middle of cornfield, he looked up at the sky of the farm, overcast and grey, tendrils of the Entity reaching down to claim her prize, and fog swirling around him to take him back, to lay in wait, until the next time.

 He was right. His name did sound nice coming out of Felix’s mouth. 

[hwu-adventures-blog]

Okay so Chapter 13 was a rollercoaster... so much happened but at the same time it felt like nothing did (which isn’t always a bad thing, and was actually a feeling I needed after the last two chapters)

I’m all for this friendship, especially them fighting over Stanley Kubrick! 😂😂

...well, someone’s clearly in need of another fist to the face! (F**k, actually that was some pretty clever foreshadowing, Levi does die but MC doesn’t kill him, Esme does)

Oh Ethan....

YES SIENNA! (I mean I did click the option to try to calm you down because that’s what my MC would do, since Sienna is clearly still effected by Danny’s death) BUT YOU TELL HIM!

Naveen! Glad you’ve returned after Pixelberry clearly forgot to (minus a brief mention) put you in the last two chapters when MC almost died and everyone attended a funeral!...Even if the appearance is because Esme killed Levi (potentially an assisted suicide? Like million dollar baby, situation?)... also Esme asked for advice on doing the right thing and I picked the option to say to do the right thing even if it puts your career at risk and then this happens... DID MC JUST HELP HER MAKE THAT CHOICE?! I mean, I’m pretty sure Levi told Esme to do it and the parents aren’t going to let this go...

Speaking of MC, is she okay? I mean I was expecting a panic attack or something this week, but she’s still traumatised over the attack and nobody stopped her coming back to work and she’s acting as if she’s fine and she’s having to deal with Esme’s situation which parallels hers. Damn she’s going to break at some point, isn’t she?

Also Ethan’s got a right to be angry, his mum who he hasn’t seen since he was 11, phones up out of the blue telling his dad she wants to talk to him which he refuses, then she makes MC an unwitting accomplice in stealing food from a store (which MC told him about), then he almost loses MC and was terrified of letting her out of his sight last chapter, in case something happens again and he can’t save her and THEN a few days (I estimate it to be a week or so after the attack) later his mum resurfaces having had an opioid overdose and almost DIED!.. so yeah, Ethan it makes sense that he’s angry and I’m not blaming him for it at all and he’ll talk about it when he’s ready, I’m sure.

(Also also, am I the only one who kind of feels mixed emotions towards Louise Ramsey? I feel angry at her for hurting Ethan but I also feel a little bit sorry for her, not because she abandoned her husband and son although there was most likely a reason for that probably to do with the drug addiction that we’ll find out later but because addiction well known to be terrible and hard and something must have driven her to do that)

[stilesxeveryone]

The Rewatch, pt3

Again, I’m very open to have any discussions about anything I’ve said here! Please feel free to message me or comment anything!

Spoilers throughout for the end of season 2

Season 2, episode 1

Love starting off a new season with Jackson in a ditch, Scallison making out, and Chris shoving a gun in Scott’s face

I will always and forever ignore the whole “Stiles major crushing on Lydia” thing tbh, like I just do not enjoy their relationship being romantic at all

Scott with his head out the car window like a dog, oh my god

Isaac! My beloved! I didn’t realise he was first episode! 

God I hate Harris, I wish I wrote him more often tbh. I think he’d be an interesting character to write and add importance to, maybe as an enemy at some point

Chris Argent in a black suit? Sign me up

I really need to make a season 1 rewrite where Stiles and Lydia are best friends honestly. Like one where maybe some people find Stiles annoying but he isn’t an ass like Jackson, and Lydia likes him so he’s popular. In this case he wouldn’t be friends with Scott so there’d probably be a lot of canon divergence in the beginning

Oh buddy you know I hate Gerard 

Season 2, episode 2

This whole scene between Isaac and his abusive dad is so tense and uncomfortable and horrifying, good job

I really don’t understand the timeline of this season honestly, I thought Matt and the kanima bonded later on? Like when Jackson gets him to come over with his camera? But Isaac’s dad’s death suggests they’ve already bonded? Idk man idk 

I can’t believe Chris and Victoria Argent straight up torture the school’s principal to get him to quit his job, like please, that’s so unnecessary, just pay him off, or pay someone higher up off or whatever

The entire lacrosse team now think Stiles is into chaining people up during sex now, don’t they

Scott can smell a werewolf in the gym locker room but has to get two centimetres from their faces to tell if they’re a werewolf? Kinda weird bro

Derek asking for help? Man, I’m proud of him

Derek and Stiles little bit flirty vibes, good for them (also Derek’s smile is so cute)

The kanima is kinda ugly but like at least it looks better than the beta shifts

Season 2, episode 3

Idk if I’ve ever mentioned this but I’ve been planning a fic for ages where Matt (or technically anyone) is into Stiles and stalking him, and when the person bonds with the kanima they use it to go after everyone close to Stiles. Don’t know if I’ll ever actually write it

Oh hey, just the Argents traumatising Allison

I wish my school had a rock climbing wall 

Jackson is a really bad liar

Also yes I love Erica and Boyd and I need to write them more, I think I say this about every character, apparently I just need to write more in general

I just remembered the first time I ever watched teen wolf I didn’t understand why Sterek was so popular, because literally all I could see was Scerek, that’s so fucking funny

Season 2, episode 4

This is the episode that inspired the fic I was just talking about! Stiles at the mechanics, getting his car fixed, and the mechanic gets killed. The plan was like the mechanic harassing or flirting with Stiles, and Matt (or whoever) is waiting at the mechanic and sees it happen, and later that night gets the kanima to do it’s thing. Again, don’t know if I’ll ever actually write this so feel free to do it if it sparks inspiration

Also oh my god that murder is kinda fucked up, just not being able to do anything as a car slowly lowers onto you

God, Gerard grosses me out so much

I completely forgot how creepy young Peter is. I see his face, his fucking stare, and I just feel uncomfortable 

Yessssss, more Stiles and Lydia comforting each other and being supportive and being friends!

The pool scene! I forgot all about the pool scene! Where Stiles treads on water for ages while holding a paralysed Derek up. Just a fun scene tbh

Also another inspiration for the kanima fic because it kinda feels like the kanima is following Stiles around a bit

Season 2, episode 5

I miss the Stiles/Danny/Jackson fanfic I wrote that got lost when my laptop broke, it was almost finished and the suddenly gone, I was so upset

I literally hate that Derek tips the paralytic venom down Jackson’s throat, like okay, what if it affected his lungs and he stopped breathing??

I haven’t written any Stiles/Isaac have I? I should do that

This whole scene of Lydia giving the key back to Jackson and saying “I should hate you” is so good, v well done

Also I think Erica has been called a bitch three times now and I don’t appreciate that

I kind of wish they told Lydia what was going on sooner, I mean everyone around her having secrets and knowing what happened to her has gotta be rough to go through, and probably feels isolating and scary

Season 2, episode 6

Bless those drag queens that immediately attach themselves to Stiles

Lydia with her puppy is so adorable

Listen I know I’ve already written a “Stiles turns into a cat” fic, but that one was Steter, and I kinda want to write one where Lydia takes care of transformed Stiles

Also I appreciate that the jacket that young Peter is currently wearing ends up being adult Peter’s jacket in a later season

Oh god I still cannot believe the best plan that Stiles and Scott could come up with was kidnap Jackson and steal a prison transport van, how fucking stupid can you be

Gerard (Michael Hogan) does a very good job of being creepy and making me incredibly uncomfortable any time I see him

“So long as you stay strong, we won’t have to kill a 16 year old boy” wow okay, thanks mum for blaming your daughter for you wanting to murder a kid

How many times has Scott been too busy with Allison to notice something bad happening, or almost being too late to stop something because of it? Too many times

[strongsassysexysloane]

Bring your family to work day, it’ll be fun they said.

This came to me one night, have been going back and forth about posting it... youll understand when you get to the end. ;)  Warning: The rating gets hotter the longer you read. . . Shall I shamefully suggest not reading this in a public area, not that you should be out and about right now. 

. . . . 

"So how are you liking the tour so far?" You look across the lunch table at your kid sister.

"It's pretty cool, can we go to the armoury next? Or the morgue?" She jumps up and down on her seat with excitement.

You can't help but roll your eyes. For a barely teenager she is very interested in the harder more gruesome side of your job. Always asking about the dead bodies. "Mum suggested you see a therapist yet?" You laugh and she just pokes out her tongue.

"Funny! I'm just curious, that's all." She bites into her sandwich.

"Planning any murders that I should know about?" You flick through the magazine you found on the table when you sat down. Some trash mag.

"Nothing I'm going to tell you about." You look up to see her smirk and you huff out a laugh. That's when Jack walks in, you smile at each other as she walks past to the refrigerator. "You going to introduce me?"

"You going to be semi polite?" You fire back and hear Jack's laugh from behind your left shoulder. You could pick out that laugh in a crowded, loud room. It always made you smile.

"She carrying?"

"Only my whip smart personality." Jack interjects and you laugh. Your sister, Taylor, just roles her eyes. You feel Jack come up beside you before you can see her. "Agent Jacqueline Sloane and who might you be?" She places one hand on her hip and the other on the back of your chair, you can feel her body heat and it takes everything in you not to lean in closer.

"Taylor L/N, Agents Y/n sister." Talyor shoots out her hand and Jack takes it with a short, firm shake.

"Nice to meet you Taylor. Enjoying your day at NCIS?" The microwave beeps and Jack moves and you instantly miss her closeness, Taylor must notice your change in behaviour and she raises an eyebrow at you.

"Sure am, we are about to go see the armory or morgue." She grins her cheeky, I'm smarter than you are grin.

"I never confirmed that." You shoot at her and take a sip of your coffee.

"You never said no either." Her grin only getting bigger.

"She's got you there." Jack's back, this time taking a seat next to you.

"You're not meant to be helping her, Jack." It almost comes out as a growl as your squint your eyes slightly at your friend.

"Wait, you're Jack?" Taylor eyes beam and you shoot her a warning and shocked glare.

"Okay, time to go. Lunch break is over." It bursts out way to quickly and coolly. Jack looks between you both and her eyes land back on the person she knows she'll get more information out of. Taylor.

"Yes, my friends call me that. Why?" She's got her smirk on her face, the one that you usually find tantalising and sexy but right now it's going to get you killed.

"It's nothing, come on Taylor. Let's leave Agent Sloane to her lunch." You get up and tug on Taylor's shoulder a bit to roughly and she shrugs you off. If only you had your gun.

"I'll come only if we go to the armory or-"

"The morgue, fine, fine. I'll see what Jimmy's up to. Now get your arse up and mouth shut." Taylor does as she is told, almost. Jack is eyeing you suspiciously. She won;t let this go.

"She just mentioned having a huge crush on someone named Jack that she works with." Taylor shoots over her shoulder as you two are almost out of the room. You instantly freeze, not daring to look back at Jack and you look down at Taylor as she walks off.

"I may leave you with Jimmy. Forever." You grumble, still standing in the doorway to the lunch room. You dare to look back at Jack and see she has a huge, smug grin plastered on her face, her eyes dancing over your features. "Now you have nothing to say?"

"Wasn't sure you were talking to Taylor or me when you mentioned Jimmy." Her laughter laced into every word.

"Right. I better go before Taylor starts telling the whole agency about my personal life." You give Jack a small, embarrassed smile and start walking out the door again.

"Want to grab a drink later?" Jack shouts as you are about to round the corner but you don't stop. Too flustered with what's just happened and too embarrassed to check if that was to you or someone else that had just walked into the room.

You catch up with Taylor in the bullpen where she is talking with Ellie.

"So let me call Jimmy first otherwise we can check out the armory if he's got something going on." You huff and sit down at your desk, Taylor has perched herself on the front, looking across at Ellie's desk.

"Wait you're still going to take me there after I completely embarrassed you in front of Jack?" She hops up and turns around to face you, folding her arms.

"Wait what happened?" Ellie pipes up and walks over to you.

"Oh you know that thing I've kept secret for several months now. My sweet little sister here just blurted it out in front of said person in the lunch room for all to hear." You grumble dialling the phone.

"And?" Ellie's trying her best to look concerned, maybe comforting but her smile keeps growing. She;s the one person on the team you;ve confided in over the secret crush on Jack Sloane. She pointed a few things out that was your give away about the crush and you just let it all out to her one night working late on a case.

"And she never answered if she wants to have drinks with me tonight?" Jack appearred at the side of the bullpen behind Ellie. Both women, Ellie and Taylor, spin around to see Jack and just as you were about to say something Jimmy picks up.

"Thank god. Jimmy, is it alright if I bring my big mouthed, annoying sister down for you to traumatise forever?" You look from Jack, to Taylor and down to your phone.

"I mean that's one good offer there y/n so how could I refuse?"

"Thanks Jimmy, we'll be down in a few." You hang up and are confronted again by everyone looking at you. "I-" You can't find the words as you look over at Jack.

"She'd love to." Taylor pipes up and picks up you hand to drag you to the elevator.

"I swear to god." You grind your teeth and whisper so only Taylor can hear.

"You'll thank me later."

"Or kill you." You mumble and the elevator doors ding.

The rest of the afternoon tour dragged on, Jimmy kept Taylor entertained for a good hour or two while you went back up to work. Thankfully there was a tonne of paper work to get done so Ellie didn't mention anything about earlier when the boys came back in from their lunch break. Taylor, messaged you saying Kasie was taking her on a tour of her lab and she would come up when it was time to go. You finished the last report an hour early and decided to bite the bullet, you;d seen Jack walk past the bullpen twice already, knowing she wanted to ask but didn;t want to in front of everyone. Ellie smirked when you got up and you just shook you head when she was about to say something.

"What is going on?" Nick saw your interaction but you were already half way up the stairs to answer him discreetly.

"None of your business, Nick." You heard Ellie reply, thankful she's still keeping your soon to be found out secret still a secret for now. You walk down the corridor to Jack's office and knock quietly waiting for an answer.

"Come in, y/n." It's like she can ready your mind.

"I don;t even want to know how you knew it is me." You smile and close the door behind you.

"Cause the last three guesses were wrong." You both luagh and you take a seat in the chair across from her desk. "So about-"

"Yeah look, I didn't handle that well. Obviously." You sigh and look up at the ceiling. "Don't feel obligated or anything, I-"

"Have you eve known me to do something I didn't want to do?" You eyes snap back to hers and you see comfort there, maybe even nerves.

You shake your head. "No, so drinks?" a smile starts to curve your lips and your stomach feels like its full of butterflies all over again.

"Think that's what I said." Her sass is back and you can't help but laugh. "No Taylor though."

"Definitely not. I'll drop her off at home and meet you at Danny's around 1800? We can grab some dinner as well if you like?" Jack nods and you get up to leave. "This is a date right?" You turn around just as you reached the door. Jack's already up and closing the distance between you, she stops about a metre short.

"Think that's what the kids are calling it these days." She laughs and you just shake your head with a sigh.

"I need a drink." You murmur and walk out the door.

"I'll buy you a few later." Jack shouts down the hall before she closes her door.

On queue, Taylor arrives at your desk just as you're walking back down from Jack's office and she has a big grin on her face. You motion to her to keep her mouth shut and she just nods. You start packing up your desk.

"Reports done boss, alright if I take Taylor home now?" You look over to Gibbs and he nods.

"Have fun today Taylor?" Gibbs smiles over at your sister.

"A lot, thank you."

"Oh sure, be a nice polite, angel to him."

"He's actually carrying a gun, sis." Everyone laughs and you just shake your head.

"Yeah because the water pistol I just strapped to my side is just for show." You roll your eyes.

"Give it a few more years and I'll want to see an application, ok kid?" Gibbs nods at Taylor.

"Not sure about that Agent Gibbs but thank you. Watch my sisters back out there." You look at her wide eyed. It's probably the first time you've actually heard concern in her voice and her to worry about you and your job.

"Always do." He smiles and gives you a look.

"Alright. Enough emotions for today. Lets go." You wrap your arm around her shoulders and walk to the elevator. "Didn't know you were so worried about me kid?"

"Always am, but someone's gotta tell the mad guys where to shove it." You both laugh and step into the elevator. "You make a time with Jack?" She asks as the door close in front of you.

"Yep, going home to get changed and then going out for drinks and a meal at Danny's."

"Danny's? Really?" You can hear the disgust in her voice.

"Yeah it's where we usually go for work drinks, she likes it. Why?" It's the Agent's local watering hole and when you suggested it you didn't really think too much of it being an official date, date. Now that Taylor's questioning it, you think about reconsidering.

"Seems a bit, dingy for a first date but whatever you are comfortable with."

"Think I should call her and ask if she wants to go somewhere else?" Not the panic is starting to rise, dam Taylor.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry, geez. Be chill. She seems to really like you." The elevator doors open to the lobby and you walk out.

"You met her for like two seconds."

"She came down when Kasie was working on something and showing me stuff. We chatted." She laughs as your face obviously goes bright red with shock. "I only answered what she wanted to know." Taylor puts her hands up in like a surrender position as you unlock your car.

"And what did she want to know?" You mind flashes back to your interaction with Jack in her office, it must've been after she went to see Kasie. The drive home in filled with everything Taylor said to Jack and what she noticed. Thankfully nothing embarrassing was said, Jack just asking what your likes and dislikes are, Taylor giving Jack an interrogation into what her intentions are and you groaned at that.

Taylor didn't let you drop her back home first. She wanted to help you with your outfit. So you drove back to your apartment and Taylor made you feel like your wardrobe needs a massive over haul. Thankfully you eventually decided on burgondy ankle laced boots with black skinny jeans and a deep red blouse to finish. You add on your classic leather jacket and run Taylor out the door because you're running late.

"Have fun." Taylor winks as she closes the door and you watch her walk up the driveway and into the house before you drive off. The ride to Danny's is filled with nerves and they don't fade as you pull into the parking lot. Jack's car is parked further down and you feel relieved she's here first. Checking your face in the rear view mirror you hop out and head into the bar.

"Hey stranger." You smile, hopefully you aren't as flushed as you feel and Jack smiles up at you.

"Oh hey." She gets up and leans in for a hug, something you've both done numerous times before but this time is feels different. "You look very nice." You catch her eyes give you a once over before you sit down. She had picked a table towards the back of the bar, its a small four seater but instead of sitting across from her, like you probably should have, your body sits in the seat closer to her.

"Not too bad yourself." You smirk and you catch her eyebrow raise before you turn your attention to the drinks menu.

"Didn't get a chance to go home unlike you." She knocks her knee against yours.

"Oh, I noticed." You wink at her, unsure what's gotten into you in the last few minutes but you're glad your mouth is more confident that your body feels.

The drinks menu takes your full attention for the next minute before a waitress comes over, you hear her and Jack chat for a bit before you look up to order. If this wasn't a date or something of that nature you probably wouldn't have noticed the way the woman hung around Jack and kept overly smiling at her. But considering this is a date, any person that looked at Jack was going to grind on your nerves.

"How's the drink menu looking?" Jack thankfully noticed when you looked up and smiled over at you, relieving some of that growing jealousy that was brewing. What surprised you was the hand that she placed gently on your knee. Clearly she'd seen the emotions in your eyes and the waitress noticed the hand under the table.

"I'll have a (your favourite drink) thank you." You give the waitress a polite smile and look back over at Jack.

"Want to grab food yet?"

"I'm good if you are." The hint that you want to drag this on longer made Jack smile wider and you couldn't help but do the same.

"In that case I'll get another one of these." Jack  brings up her glass to her lips and nods at the waitress. She takes the hint.

"I'll be back with the drinks." You expect when the waitress walks away that Jack's hand will retreat but it doesn't at least not right away.

"How was your day with Taylor?" To your surprise the conversation is easy, you chat like when the team goes out for drinks except this time in glaringly obvious it's just you and her. You get to spend more time watching her and you expect she;s doing the same. Her hand eventually moves from your knee but then she touches your wrist, your forearm. It's like a branding iron to your skin every time she touches you but she doesn't notice, the action so simple.

The night flows on, you're a few drinks in now, your brain getting fuzzier each sip you take but the food comes out which takes a bit of the edge off. You eat in mostly silence, looking at the TV thats on above the bar and sneaking peaks at Jack who catches you on more than one occasion. Soon the food is gone and Jack's hand is back on your knee, well more like mid thigh. You hold in a groan as she moves her hand millimetres higher.

"So, do you want another drink?" She asks after a few beats of silence.

You look down at your glass, you havent touched it in a while, her hand too distracting to think or do anything else. "Sure, I'll get the next round." You give her a lazy smile that you hope came off as cute. Her hand gently squeezes your thigh before letting go and getting up.

"Deal." She winks and starts walking to the bar.

"Fuck me." You sigh, possibly a bit too loudly but don't notice the falter in Jack's step as she walks up to the bar. Your eyes are on the ceiling, trying to regain some composure as your thigh all of a sudden feels cold.

It doesn't take Jack long at the bar, it's middle of the week so only a few locals are still left. She places your new drink in front of you and sits back down. You notice a spark in her eye that wasn't there when she left. "So what was that about me fucking you?"

The drink that was in your mouth is now sprayed out across the table and thankfully Jack is laughing at your expense because your face has just gone bright red. "You weren't meant to hear that." You wipe your mouth with a serviette and want the floor to swallow you up whole.

"I hear everything, you know that." Her hand runs up your thigh again, this time sitting slightly higher and you realise for the first time tonight she is fully aware of her actions.

"I sure do. So what about those questions you asked my sister today?" You smirked when Jack's face fell and she knew you'd caught her.

"Wow, Taylor really doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut." Jack takes a swig of her drink.

"Yeah because when you first met her she displayed all the trustworthiness that you thought she'd keep your conversation a secret?" Said with a note of obvious sarcasm.

Jack laughs. "Point taken. That ok?" Her cockiness from earlier is stripped away, she's genuinely asking.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Ok, only im allowed to answer a question with a question."

"Says who?" You get a pinch to the thigh for that but it's totally worth it.

"So you going to finish that drink anytime soon?" Jack looks at the drink you've been swirling in your hand for the past few minutes.

"Maybe, why? We going somewhere?" You smile, the spark lighting in Jack's eyes, her hand placing slightly more pressure on your thigh and you swallow.

Jack leans in slightly. "Well you did make a very good suggestion earlier." It's a whisper which makes you lean in closer.

"What-" You cut yourself short when you look into her eyes, those golden orbs that have all of a sudden gone whiskey brown. You reach down and grab Jack's hand. You both laugh as you get up and you catch the waitress's eye. "Thanks for a good night, ours is about to get a lot better." You throw a few large bills on the table that should cover the nights intake. Jack slaps you on the shoulder with her spare hand as you walk out the door.

"That was petty." There's laughter in her voice.

"Maybe but I wanted to poke her eyes out the way she was looking at you." So the alcohol had definitely gone to your head.

"Someone's possessive."

"That ok?" Jack pulls you by the hand and you tumble into her. Her hand coming up to cup your cheek while the other one is laced in yours. She doesn't say anything, just captures your lips with hers, your free hand grasping at her waist. Her tongue runs along your bottom lip and you grant her access, her tongue gliding along yours at first before she lets go of your hand and her fingers dig into your hair, she takes control, its smooth, fast and spine tingling.

"Guess it was ok." You mumble against her lips as you pull apart far enough to catch your breath.

She laughs and grabs your wrist, tugging you in the direction of a cab thats just pulled up. You slide into the seat beside her, she gives the driver your address and you don't even comment. Her hand still in yours.

"Having a good night ladies?" He looks at you both through the rearview mirror.

"Absolutely." You smile at him and then look over at Jack who is looking out the window. The street lights flying by lighting up her face. The ride to yours is quick, you think for a second that's why she's chosen your place instead of hers and hope that you're right. You quickly pay the driver before Jack reaches for her wallet and hop out the car.

"Have good night." He chuckles, obviously noticing how close you two have been.

Jack follows you up to your apartment on the second floor. You push open the door after a little struggle because she has her arms wrapped around you and it kissing the back of your neck.

"That took you a while..." She hums.

"I wonder why." You drawl and chuck your keys on the table as you walk in, shucking off your jacket and placing it on the chair by the couch, Jack does the same and then turns her attention back to you. "How drunk are you?" It had to be asked. You couldn't go any further thinking she'd sneak out of bed half way through the night and you wouldn't discuss this night ever again.

Jack closes the gap between you. "Enough to know I couldn't drive but not enough to forget about this in the morning when I wake up beside you and do it all over again." She's so smooth and you hope it isn't just the alcohol talking. "You?" Her hands snake around your middle, pulling you closer.

"Enough to question this before going through with it." You drop your lips to hers. Your hand finally getting to thread through her hair and pull her closer. She moans and it eggs you on, you slide your tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss and walking her backwards towards what you hope is your couch. Her knees bump against the couch and she falls back into it and you laugh at her giggles. You follow her down, but she quickly flips you over onto your back and you moan as she kisses down your jawline and neck. Her hands skimming under your top, your hands start roaming and find the hem of her top. She stills, breaking her kiss against your neck which you know it going to leave a mark. "Jack.." You whisper and she kisses your lips, you can tell she trying extra hard to distract your hands and it almost works. Your hands coming up to her neck and putting pressure to make her pull back. "I know."

"Then you know why I don't want to take me shirt off." Its more clipped and final than you expected. You bring her face back down to yours and kiss her forehead. This action you can tell mellows her again.

"I won't pressure you but I wouldn't be in this position right now if I didn't want all of you. Every scar, sassy comment and wrinkle." You get a smack to the shoulder for the last word and it works.

"I don't have-" You shut her up with a kiss and her body melts into yours, you slowly move your hands down her back and rest on her butt for a while before testing her shirt again. She breaks the kiss and sits up so she's straddling you. You watch as she crosses her arms and brings her blouse up and off. Your hands automatically run up her sides and back down, resting comfortably at her waist.

You sit up and she leans down to meet your lips half way, the kiss is full of all the emotion that neither of you can say. She reaches down and runs her hnads under your top, you gasp at the contact and it breaks the kiss. She tugs at the hem of your shirt and you take the hint, raising your arms above your head and she pulls the blouse over your head. "Better?" You bring your arms back down as you throws your blouse somewhere on the floor.

"Only seems fair." She smirks, the fire lighting up her eyes again. You lay back down, bringing Jack with you, she places her hands either side of your head but you pull her closer making her fall and rest her full body wait on you. "You ok?" She asks.

"Perfect. You?" You whisper against her lips, brushing yours over hers waiting for her answer.

"I will be if you kiss me." She smiles and you kiss it away, drawing a moan from deep within her. Nothing more is said, you run your hands down her back, tracing her scars but not lingering feeling her tense under your touch and you cup her ass, she bucks in at the touch and you groan. Her body weight still not enough to calm the fire that is growing between your legs. Like she's read your mind she breaks the kiss and starts a trail of wet, open mouthed kisses down your neck, to your breast, sucking your nipple between her teeth and doing the same to the other one before continuing her assault further south.

"Jack.." You try to say something but her fingers are undoing your jeans and she's peeling them off you before you can say no.

"I can stop if you want." She smirks, standing up and your flick off your jeans with your feet and she drags your panties along with them before hopping back on the couch.

"Bedroom." You breath and she nods. You take her hand and lead her down the hall, flicking on your bedside lamp before turning to find her raking over your body. "Take your clothes off now."

"So bossy." She pouts and you suck her bottom lip between yours and quickly kiss her before running your hands down her sides and stripping her pants and panties in the process. You're on your knees in front of her and you lean in. "y/n" She hisses as you kiss her pussy, running your tongue over her clit, you feel her legs shake and your hands come up behind her knees, holding the back of her thighs, stabilising her. You tongue stroking her, her moans only spurring you on. "I'm going to." You use your hands to pull her legs slightly apart to gain better access and you let one hand drop and slip a finger inside her, her muscles instantly clenching around you. "Jesus." She hisses.

You moan and it sends shock waves through her, you bite down on her clit and she comes apart around you. You moan, sucking on her clit and coaxing her through her orgasm. You feel her hand pull at your hair but you don't move. Swiping your tongue over her clit a few more times before she really tugs you up. "I-" You are cut short by Jack crushing her lips to yours and tugging you back and you fall onto your bed. You shift up the bed and watch her climb up above you.

"You enjoy yourself?" She looks down at you, her eyes still glazed with desire.

You lick your lips, the taste of her still there and her eyes dart to where your tongue just was. "I can do it again if you'd like?"

"I would but right now, I want to taste you." You groan at her sultry words and she moves back down the bed. You watch her every move, her eyes boaring wholes in yours as she leans down and licks over your centre. Your whole body bucks, her hands come up to hold your hips still and she repeats the action over and over and over. She slips two fingers inside you, slowly stroking you while her lips suck your clit and your whole body convulses. You can't help but close your eyes, her hand moves up your body to grasp your breast, flicking your nipple between her thumb and forefinger. You moan, her fingers working you closer and closer.

"Jacqueline." You breath and she picks up the pace, biting slightly at your clit and you come. "Fuck." You swear as you collapse around her, all of her strokes, touches are too much, you wanted to hold on, to savour the feeling but she's too skilled, her fingers working you through your high and her tongue stroking over your clit. Your world crashes down around you and your breathing starts to even out before she pulls herself up the bed. That smug, sexy smile planted on her face.

"Think that was successful." She bites your earlobe, her tongue running over the sentitive spot. You groan and she rises above you again with that smug lustful look.

"Shut up." You pull her down to you and kiss the smug smile off her face. Her body giving in and molding into yours. You kiss each other lazily, both exhausted and sated from sex. It feels like hours until you pull the covers up, covering you both as you feel Jack start to shiver.

"Remind me to thank Taylor the next time I see her." The mention of your sister instantly killing the growing ache between your legs again.

"Don't give her all the credit." You feel her laugh, the movement of her body against yours sending tingles up your spine. Jack kisses your neck, nuzzling into you more.

"She gets some." Her arm draped across your waist tugs slightly. You just hum in reply and wrap your arms tighter around her waist, one of your hands absentmindedly tracing her scars. "Doesn't feel painful under your touch." Your heart melts.

"I'm glad." You swallow hard and drop a kiss to her head. Sleep calling you both and you hope that the morning will just be as easy as how this feels right now.  

. . .

So yeah, I have no excuse for how this ended :D *awkwardly walks away, smirking to myself* I will be updating my other story soon. 

[mylittlenovathings]

𝓗𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷'𝓼 𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓕𝓾𝓷 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓨𝓸𝓾

Sam Alexander x OC

TW: Slight swearing(less than ten, more than one)

(one shot for upcoming fic. First time, don’t judge)

Summary: Basically Sam/Nova is trick-or-treating with his sister and Jade(OC) comes to embarrass him but they just have a lot of fun together.

Jade’s POV.

IT IS SPOOPY DAY! I’m probably gonna go try and scare the A-Team later. I can’t wait. FINALLY THE DAY I CAN PUT MY HAIR IN FULL BLUE and no one will stare. Well, they always do. I’m Tony Stark’s daughter. Maybe I could get Danny into this. He probably would say no. Eh,I’ll go see Kamala first. Or text her. She doesn’t really celebrate Halloween.

The A-Team Chat

Jade:ANyone Trick-or-Treating tonight?

Sam: Thanks for reminding me, Stark

Sam: You wanna join, Jay?

Peter:( ͡• ͜ʖ ͡• )

Luke:( ͡• ͜ʖ ͡• )

Jade: Luke and Peter out here on the same wavelength.

Sam: I forgot I was supposed to chaperone my sister

Jade: Such a big word.(¬_¬ )

Sam: So I’ve gone out in my onesie. Honestly, Jade, please come embarrass me loudly. Everyone is staring.

Jade:Give me a sec

I laughed and threw on my uniform. It’s Halloween! I ran out and jumped into the night sky. Oh god. I was supposed to scare people not embarrass Sam today but hey, I get to embarrass my boyfriend. That’s fun. IN FRONT OF HIS SISTER! Holy-this is gonna be fun.

I landed behind a bush to catch my breath but laugh at the same time.Sam’s head popped out. He was wearing a multi-coloured unicorn onesie. He looked pretty cute in it.

“Lazy ass costume.” He rolled his eyes.

“Better than yours.”

“Just embarrass me please.”

We popped out of the buch while I was openly laughing at him. Kaelynn smiled and wrapped her arms around me. Kaelynn is the sweetest. I heard our friend, Peter behind us.

“Hey.” I waved.

“Hey Jade.” He nodded. 

He was wearing an Iron Man hoodie. I laughed really loudly. Sam rolled his eyes. I laughed and set my head on his shoulder. Peter made a fake gagging noise while I didn’t care. We were fine like this. We kept walking as some of our other friends joined. We were all laughing loudly at him. All of a sudden, he intertwined his fingers with mine. No one noticed but he smiled at me like asking me if it was okay. The fucker knows I’m okay with him. He’s the only one I fully trust. Well, we thought no one noticed.

“Sam and Jade are holding hands.” Kaelynn said.

Sam glared at her but still firmly gripped my hand. I frowned mockingly at her. I rolled my eyes and kissed Sam. Full on. Kaelynn looked away, almost traumatised. The A Team gasped. I smiled and I could feel Sam grin too. I giggled like a little girl. I never was allowed to be a little girl. My face apparently visibly darkened because Sam stroked my nose. I scrunched up my nose. I did that and Sam does the nose thing cause...I don’t know. It was a weird thing. 

After a while, we dispersed. Sam and I dropped Kae at home and we just walked around without the costumes. “Nice night, huh?” He smiled.

“Full moon, full moon!” I pointed at the sky.

He laughed at my child-like wonder.I never saw the moon until I was ten. It was Nova who showed me the planets in depth. I laughed and started waving my hands up and down. He just smiled. Then sighed.

“What’s up?” I put my hand on his.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m guessing you don’t want a two-faced assassin who is liable to suddenly turn into a killing machine as your girlfriend, huh?”

“What?! No! Well, yeah. But not for that reason. It’s...that place. They’re gonna come for you. I might lose you. I don’t want to.” 

I nodded. “I-ok. Sure. I know. But I'm much stronger than any of them have ever trained for. Sam, I won’t die in that battle. They would.”

He sighed and took me by the hand.I got up and spun him. Whenever no one was looking or listening, Bucky(or Dad, as he is apparently my dad)would quietly speak in English. I was raised in German and Russian but was made to understand any language with the add-ons of mythical languages for other reasons. He would remember vaguely whatever was happening. Kinda hurt though. I don’t know. I suddenly felt my phone vibrate. 

INHABITANTS OF AVENGERS TOWER

Tin Man: Midnight kid.

Patriotic Pants: Yeah, where are you?

Tin Many:Kid. Where are you?

Aunt Nat🖤: She’s with Sam.

Patriotic Pants: Kid, it’s midnight.

Dad: Yeah, Halloween is basically over, doll.

I yawned and looked at Sam. “I need to go now.” He smiled and put on his helmet. Was that even there in the first place? We were still holding hands amazingly. OH AND SHOULD I MENTION THAT THEY STILL THINK SAM IS JUST MY FRIEND NOT MY BOYFRIEND?

Jade: Don’t worry, I’m on my way.

Patriotic Pants: You’d better, your dad is pacing the floor.

I sighed before taking off with Sam. No one could see us. “Are you fine with me introducing you as my boyfriend to my family?” I looked at him.

He looked kinda shocked. I stopped in the middle of the New York sky. He looked so scared. 

“You don’t have to!” I replied.

Sam nodded. “Get it done and over with right?” He sighed.

I tilted his chin up. Being an inch taller than him was an advantage. You know that moment when your heart starts swelling up and your face gets all red and-just AAAAAHHHHHH.That? It was that moment. We were about to kiss but we both started laughing and just couldn’t actually do it. I don’t know. I wasn’t very sure what we were laughing about exactly. I think it was the fact that what we were doing was awfully cheesy and we weren’t the overtly romantic type of couple. The only people who know we’re dating are the A-Team and the Secret Warriors. The Secret Warriors don’t even know I’m Jade Stark! I’m surprised Doreen doesn’t know yet. I mean, she knows about Kamala but not me? Dammit Doreen,get your head in the game. 

After the whole laughing thing was over and we both fell a few times, we reached the Tower, and guess what? THE AVENGERS WHO WERE AWAKE WERE THERE.Nat, Dad, Steve and Tony.

“Henlo!” I exclaimed.

“Doll…” Bucky took on the edge of cautious anger in his voice.

“Hi.” Sam gripped my shoulder.

“You’re Sam, huh?” Steve asked.

“You’re the one my daughter’s dating.” Dad said with a hint of realisation.

“YOU KNEW?!” I yelled.

“It was obvious, kid. The way you light up when you talk about that specific member of your team, how you want to beat him up yet wanna hug him. You speak differently about him. Also when you talk to him, you get all silly and bump into stuff.When you first introduced us to your team, you explained the rest haphazardly while you gave us a full damn case file about Sam. Pretty obvious” Dad shrugged.

The rest of the Avengers just got it. Steve looked embarrassed by not realising it. Aunt Nat’s smile definitely said that she wasn’t expecting me dating. Tony was clapping. Sam was blushing and laughing because NOW HE KNOWS HOW I TALK ABOUT HIM, GODDAMNIT DAD.

“Doll, besides from that, can you come with me for a bit?” Dad nodded towards the entrance into the main building.

“Oh,ok.” I walked towards him.

He put his metal arm around me.

“Kid?”

“Mhm.” I was already worried.

“Sam’s a good kid. I like him. Only doll,you know what happens…”

“Of course, I know. But Sam knows everything about me. I know everything about him. I know he isn't lying. Even if he is,I can just y’know...scare him.” I pushed my hands in front of me, making an explosion sign.

Dad smiled. “Course you can doll. Now let’s go see if the rest have killed Sam yet.”

“When did you realise I was with Sam?” We walked back to the “balcony”.

“I mean, probably the day you let him lift you up.” 

I nodded, remembering that day. We walked through the door and Sam looked tad bit terrified and Tony was laughing.

“You good Sam?” I asked while keeping a laugh quiet.

“Yeah. I’m gonna head home now Jay. I’ll see you tomorrow? For training?” He smiled.

“Duh.” I rolled my eyes.

He laughed. I smiled. The adults all signaled to each other to leave. I pulled my hoodie over my head. He just stood there. It was those awkward bits in movies where the two protagonists realised they liked each other all over again and one side of the relationship just told their family about the secret things they’ve been doing.Suddenly, warmth splashed over me. Sam kissed me. Of course he had. I smiled.

 “Good night, Jay.” He put his helmet back on before jumping back into the sky.

I sighed. I’m so fucking lucky to have Sam.

                           THE END I posted this on my main but decided to repost it here