#don’t worry danny just don’t blow your civilian identity

[finemeal]

DP x DC Prompt #5

Inspired by this Tumblr post:

Danny was getting used to his new role in the Wayne family, especially as another meta in Gotham (if being dead counted, that is). It was taking even more adjustment to be a part of the Justice League.

It’s why he was a lil surprised when, before his First Official JL Meeting ™️ some of the heroes decided to pass time with a game. Fuck, Marry, Kill. He didn’t know how to answer when his partner’s civilian identity was brought up as one of the options

[wastefulreverie]

another revelation (draws us closer)

written for day 4 of @ghostgothgeek‘s Shiptember 2021: Awkward

Valerie didn't have time for this.

In theory, escaping the broken elevator should be a piece of cake. With her blasters, she could pull apart the doors no problem and then maneuver her way up onto the next floor. All it took was one small mental command for her suit, letting the metal wash over her civilian clothes. Then she could join Phantom in the fight against whatever ghost had decided to wreak havoc at her school this time.

But as luck would have it, Danny Fenton was in the elevator with her. His eyes darted around the elevator, scanning for some way out. She didn't doubt his resourcefulness, he was a Fenton after all, but Valerie couldn't wait that long. She needed out of this damn elevator and she needed out now.

"This isn't good…" he muttered. "There's ghosts out there."

"Yeah, no shit. We need to get out of here before they bring the fight to us."

Or so she could bring the fight to them, but Danny didn't have to know that. She just had to act like she was worried for their safety and he wouldn't question why she was really eager to get out of the elevator.

Ever since her alliance with Phantom, she tried her best not to let the other hero take on too much of the workload. She felt like shit, just standing here while Phantom was out there fighting the battle all alone. There wasn't much that kept him away from a fight. She envied him for not having to deal with all this secret identity bullshit.

"Maybe my parents will take care of it…?" he suggested.

She scoffed. "Your parents' reaction time is crap. Phantom will be here long before them."

"Ah… yeah."

He didn't look like he had much faith in the ghost kid. Odd. Unlike his ghost hunting parents, Danny usually supported Phantom. At least that's how he made it sound in school—maybe he was just putting on for his classmates and shared more of his parents' beliefs than he let on?

Outside of the elevator, there was a crash. Danny jumped back, almost sending Valerie falling to the floor.

"Sorry…" he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're good," she insisted.

It didn't sound like Phantom was doing a good job with damage control today. All more reason for her to get out of this elevator.

Her partner needed her.

Fuck this. Danny Fenton knowing her secret wasn't ideal, but she was out of options. Maybe since his parents were ghost hunters, he'd be somewhat understanding...

"I have something to tell you!"

Valerie did a double take.

They'd spoken over each other at the same time.

"I'm the Red Huntress!"

"I have a crush on you!"

Danny's eyes blew wide in shock and Valerie had to make sure that her feet were still on the ground.

Oh God. That was not what she was expecting.

She cared about Danny, she really did, but she didn't feel the same way. Maybe the shock of the first revelation would soften the rejection?

"I have a crush on Phantom!" "I'm Phantom!"

… what.

WHAT.

"Uh… I was not expecting you to say that," he admitted. "I wouldn't have… wouldn't have said that if uh. Yeah."

"I'm sorry," she grabbed him by the arm, "you're WHAT?"

Her face was hot and she had no doubt she was blushing. He could not be serious right now. He was just fucking with her, messing with her head. Because that's what Danny Fenton did!

He tensed in her grip. "I'm sorry, I wasn't uh. I mean, you said you're the Red Huntress and I already knew so I just thought it was fair to admit it because that wasn't fair to you to blow your secret while I kept mine and I've really been meaning to come clean since our truce and I've been putting it off because I was afraid that I'd make things weird between us and now I have and—"

She put her hand over his mouth. "Shut up."

He gave a muffled, "Mm-hm."

"You're not Phantom. Phantom, if you haven't noticed, is a ghost. I don't know why you're playing with me, especially after I just told you I'm an actual ghost hunter but it's not funny at all. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go take care of that ghost—"

She watched in horror as the hand held against Danny's mouth pushed through his head and into the space behind him. Danny stepped to the side, far too calm for someone who'd just had an arm pass through his skull. "Yeah, so about that. I am a ghost."

In a flash of light, Danny's clothes began to darken and stretch—skin tight. His eyes glowed toxic green and all remnants of color were stripped from his hair, leaving it stark white. In a matter of moments, Danny Fenton became the striking image of Phantom.

His feet left the floor and Valerie's whole world spun on its axis.

"And a pretty good-looking one, I may add," his voice dripped with cheekiness. "Given that I've captured the affections of one gorgeous ghost hunter~!"

Holy shit.

He was Phantom.

She'd just… she'd just told her crush she liked him.

He was never going to let her live this down.

"No!" she bemoaned. "Not you!"

Phantom frowned. "Uh… that wasn't. I'm uh, sorry if I wasn't what you expected..."

"This is humiliating!" she cried. "I just told you to your face and—and—"

There was another crash outside of the elevator. Valerie spun toward the noise, danger forgotten. Phantom reacted as well, raising his ectoblast-charged fists toward the commotion.

"We can talk later," he said. "I'll get us out of here."

Before Valerie could protest, Phantom pulled her toward him and she felt her insides chill. They flew through the elevator door, and as fast it had come, the foreign feeling ceased. Phantom lowered her to the floor and gave her a knowing nod before flying off toward the battle.

Well, it was now or nothing.

If the fight wasn't awkward, then the conversation afterward definitely was.

She and Phantom—Danny?—managed to catch the ghost in under five minutes. It was all contingent on Valerie capturing the ghost in her thermos while Phantom kept it weakened. The specter struggled as it was pulled into the capture device, but they were victorious nonetheless.

Well, if they could call this a victory. The ghost, a vengeful lioness, had wreaked an unprecedented amount of havoc on the school's east wing. Several classrooms were missing walls and rows upon rows of desks had been decimated. If only they'd left the elevator sooner…

"This is going to take weeks to repair," Phantom commented. He hadn't been injured much during the fight except for a thin scratch across his forehead that bled green. If she remembered correctly, it was an injury he'd gotten during their last fight. It must've opened again. "Good thing winter break is just around the corner."

Valerie's mouth suddenly felt dry. "Y—yeah."

"So uh, about this. You… are you okay with this? Like, we're not going to break our alliance now that you know I've been lying to you and—" he blushed a furious green "—and about what I said earlier."

Phantom was Danny Fenton and he liked her back.

Valerie didn't even know where to start. Obviously, she still liked him. Being Danny Fenton didn't change much, given that she'd fallen for him once before and only broke it off because she didn't want him to get hurt because of her ghost hunting. Except, now she'd fallen for him twice and she hadn't even known it because Danny was also a ghost hunter and a ghost and—

How was it even possible?

How could someone be a human and a ghost at the same time?

"I don't get it," she blurted. "How are you the same person? Like, not that there's anything wrong with you and Danny being the same—our alliance is fine—but I don't get it."

In the air, Phantom sat cross-legged and raised a hand to his chin. (It was so cute when he did that—!)

In a rush of words, he explained his lab accident and how he'd stepped up as the town's ghostly protector. It was an eye-opening revelation that provided context for so many things she'd taken for granted. He explained how he'd known she was the Red Huntress since the beginning and how hard he'd fallen for her when they'd first dated, how he still liked her even though he respected her breaking it off.

"I just don't want to make this awkward if you don't feel the same way anymore," he said. "I know that you said you liked Phantom, not me as Danny. I'm just some dork and I get that."

She scoffed. "Yeah, you are a dork!"

Something in his resolve deflated, but she continued.

"You're a dork as Phantom too, you know? Why would that change anything? I said I like you and I meant it!"

She was blushing again, she knew it, but she couldn't quite find a reason to care.

"For real?"

Phantom let himself lower to the floor and in another flash he was Danny again. Just plain old Danny Fenton with black hair, blue eyes, and a loose T-shirt that seemed to swallow him whole.

Valerie leaned forward and grabbed his hands, looking deep into those blue eyes—which now that she looked, had small flecks of green.

"For real, Danny."