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starswhisperwritershear · 2 months ago

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Danny was warm.

And cozy.

And only slightly sore.

Whatever pillow he was on was nice and soft. He pulled the pillow closer, snuggling into its warmth, hoping to sink back into a peaceful slumber. Until said pillow moved. Confused, he blinked his eyes open; seeing nothing but a wall of fabric at first, rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. He moved his hands, gently trailing over the fabric, feeling something solid and firm underneath; really firm. He pulled away enough to see where the fabric ended; at Dash's neck and face.

Panic flooded his veins.

He turned intangible to escape Dash's arms and rolled off the bed, turning tangible again just before he phased through the floor, making a tiny, tiny thump against the floorboards. His heart hammered against his chest, blood pounding in his ears. The room was spinning. He didn't remember falling asleep. The last thing he remembered was talking to Dash about his dad and then… nothing.

He squeezed his eyes shut trying to remember. He'd been holding Dash's hand to comfort him; had he fallen asleep like that? Had he trapped Dash there with him? Oh god, that's so embarrassing. Danny covered his face with his hands. How in the world was he going to live this down? What had he said? How was Dash going to react when he woke up?

Carefully, he sat up and peeked over the edge of the bed. Dash had shifted into a different position, having lost the support of Danny's body being there, but he was still asleep.

Danny quietly breathed a sigh of relief and sat with his back to the bed. As he calmed his racing heart, he started to notice the state his body was in. His muscles were sore and achy, not as bad as they had been yesterday. He needed food and water, but he didn't want to just disappear after Dash had spent a whole day taking care of him. He deserved better than that, no matter how awkward or hungry Danny was.

He pulled his shirt (Dash's sweater) up to check on the wound, peeling the bandages off to reveal nothing but smooth, tender skin underneath. He looked around Dash's room for a trashcan, finding one under his desk and disposing of the bandages in the safest way he could. Then, curiosity got the better of him and he investigated Dash's room. It had changed quite a bit since the last time he'd been in here; considering the last time was a few years ago and Technus had pretty much destroyed the place, it made sense.

There was a wall of different sports trophies by his desk, spanning their four years of high school and quite a few middle school ones as well. A lava lamp on his desk illuminated them, making them glint and shine. The rest of his desk was covered in notebooks, college flyers, and a few of the books they'd had to read for Lancer's class.

There was a huge stereo against the wall by his door; just like the one Sam had. Although, it was hard for him to imagine Dash blasting angsty rock music loud enough to shake his walls the way Sam did. He looked through some of the CDs sitting next to it and found some of the usual teen stuff: Dumpty Humpty, a few of Ember's albums, Big Time Rush, One Direction, Twenty-one Pilots, Fallout Boy. But he also found a surprising amount of classical music. He wondered if Dash used it to study or if he simply just enjoyed it.

A memory tickled Danny's brain and he crept over to the closet, thankful for his ghostly quiet footsteps. He slowly pulled the door open so it wouldn't creak and peeked inside. He chuckled when he saw the collection of teddy bears still sitting there. He'd have to ask Dash about them when he woke up.

His phone rang from the table next to Dash's bed, loud and startling. He scrambled to answer it before it woke Dash up.

"Hello?" He walked to the other side of the room, leaning against Dash's desk and keeping his voice low.

"Danny," It was his mom, her voice heavy with worry, "are you okay?"

He'd almost forgotten their fight in the alley. It all came rushing back to him now and he picked at the edge of his shirt, trying to keep his tone even. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"It's just," she sniffled, was she crying? "You haven't been home since the ghost attack yesterday." Her voice was shaking.

Danny fought the rush of guilt that swept over him. "Didn't think you guys would even notice."

She sighed. "I know we get caught up in our work sometimes-"

Danny snorted.

"-but that doesn't mean we love you any less. I'm, I'm sorry about yesterday. I was only worried you would get hurt because you were blatantly ignoring danger. I didn't- I wasn't trying to- I didn't mean to come across as unsupportive."

A mix of emotions hit him, making him want to self-combust. He was angry. He was guilty. He was sad. He was betrayed. How could she say that when she'd been the one causing danger? How dare she be worried when she never pays attention to him; his mom was worried about him. Enough to check on him. He sighed, chewing his lip as tears pricked at his eyes. "Listen, Mom, I- I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude. You just scared me-"

"You were just responding to our tone." She interrupted. "Oh, what was it Jazz's textbooks call it? Matching energy? Something like that. Anyway, I'm sorry I was too worried about catching Phantom and not worried about you."

Danny's heart sank. He took a deep breath. "And dad?"

The silence hung in the air for a minute. "He's sorry too."

"Why doesn't he tell me that?" Danny wasn't sure if he should be worried for his dad or angry with him. He'd made a bunch of out-of-character comments lately and he wasn't sure if that was his dad changing his opinions or if it was just work stress.

"He's been in the lab since we got back. I'll tell him to call you."

Danny snorted again. "Don't bother. If he wants to call me he has my number."

"Your father is trying, Danny, he really is. It's just that he's been working late and you know how he is, he's never been great at the whole bonding thing."

"Sure," He sniped. He took a few deep breaths. The last thing he needed to do was get angry and go on a rampage in Dash's room. He wanted to keep Dash as far away from his anger as he could; it was never pretty and he might think differently about him if he saw.

He could hear his mom still sniffling, though she tried to force some teasing into her tone. "You and the Baxter boy were being safe, right?"

Danny groaned, resisting the urge to hang up the phone and avoid the conversation. "That's not what was about to happen, I promise. We were just…" He hesitated. It had been his best option at the time, but he hadn't thought about how he would explain this to his parents later.

"It's okay, Danny, I remember being your age. One time your father and I-"

"Ew, gross, Mom, I'm hanging up."

"Wait-" She chirped. "Just tell me if you like him! Give me the goss, you kids still say that right?"

"No." Danny panicked, biting his lips. He used to be really close with his mom, but over the years he'd learned to keep her at a distance. He wasn't exactly sure why, but it had started even before the portal incident. Maybe it was because bigger kids didn't need as much attention. Maybe it was because Jazz was more likely to help him with homework and bullies at school. Maybe it was because he liked space more than ghosts. Maybe it was because she only remembered he existed when it was convenient for her to be a parent and not when he needed her; not when he wanted her to chaperon a field trip; not when he wanted her to come to his eighth-grade play; not when he'd died and just wanted his mom to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay; not when his grades started slipping because he was trying to balance being a hero- who she hated- and being just a regular kid; not when he'd won an astronomy award his sophomore year; always when she decided she wanted to worm her way into his life- like when she wanted to know if he liked a boy or not.

He sighed. "I guess you'll know if he ever comes over for dinner."

He could hear her sharp intake of breath as she tried to keep the hurt down. She didn't respond right away. "Well, you're sure you're safe?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you." He wasn't actually sorry, but he knew it was what she wanted to hear.

"Are you coming home soon? I'm sorry if I made it feel unsafe to be here."

He had to resist the urge to laugh at the irony. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

"Okay, I love you."

He hesitated. "Love you too." He hung up, running his hands through his hair to try and shake the lingering emotions off. He felt like he was simultaneously on fire and sitting in a bucket of ice at the same time. If he could even begin to explain how he felt about his parents shooting him and then being worried that he's presumably not speaking to them over a boy to a therapist, he would. He shook his head, clearing the last of his thoughts, and turned around to finish exploring Dash's room, only to find said person awake.

"Sorry," Dash muttered looking away like he'd just witnessed a crime. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Danny shrugged. "It's not like it was confidential. Sorry for waking you."

"That's okay." Dash swung his feet over the edge of his bed and stretched, his shirt riding up. Danny immediately looked away, closely studying a sports poster on the wall. "How are you feeling? Physically, I mean. Looks like that phone call took a lot out of you emotionally."

Danny fiddled with his phone, before shoving it in his pocket. "Yeah. Uh, I'm feeling better. It's healed now, just a bit sore is all."

Dash walked over. "Mind if I check?"

"What?" Danny chuckled, nerves crackling. "You don't trust me?"

Dash frowned at him, looking torn. "Trust you with my life? Yeah, absolutely. Trust you with yours? Not so much."

Danny didn't have a response to that so he just lifted the shirt to show Dash where the wound had been. "See? All good."

Dash took a step forward, gently prodding the area, looking for signs of lingering internal damage. "Okay, I believe you."

Danny dropped his shirt, face warm and butterflies attacking his throat. Dash was close enough that if Danny just leaned down he could kiss him. "What do you mean you don't trust me with my life?" He gripped the edges of the shirt tight between his hands to keep them from reaching out.

Dash sighed, dropping his eyes to the floor as he carefully constructed his response. "When I thought you were just Phantom, seeing you throw yourself into danger with no hesitation didn't really bother me. It was scary to watch you get hurt and I wanted to help where I could, but Phantom's just a ghost, right? Already dead. There's no reason to assume you couldn't take those hits. It was a little more nerve-wracking the first time you got hit by the Fenton Venom and I saw my- the town's hero was actually capable of being seriously hurt. But, still not, not as worried as I would have been if, well if it had been you."

Dash looked back up, eyes pleading with Danny to understand what he was saying. Danny liked his eyes, they were always so expressive.

"But it was you. And you're not dead, at least not entirely, and you can get hurt, bad. And that makes me worried. It's awesome that you save people, hell, you've saved my ass more times than I can count, but you're selfless to a fault. Even as Fenton you're willing to just throw yourself in front of a car for a kid you've never met. Every time you do that, I'm worried I'm going to lose my friend, someone I care about. What even happens if you die again? Do you just disappear? I-" Dash swallowed, eyes falling away from Danny's again. "I don't want that to happen to you."

Danny wanted to kiss him. His heart was hammering, a strange, addicting mixture of joy and melancholy flittering around in his chest. He knew Dash had changed, heavily encouraged it even. But he had never thought that the kid who had tormented him- called him names, made his social life hell, and even on a few occasions hit him- would ever care so deeply about his well-being; or tend to his injuries with such gentle hands and tell him that because he was there everything was going to be okay.

His head was all fuzzy, making it hard to think. "Dash, I-"

A shout from downstairs interrupted him. "Dash, if you're awake I've made breakfast!" It was his mom.

Dash snapped out of whatever trance he was in and backed away, giving Danny room to breathe. He shook his head, wiping a stray tear from his face. "You're probably starving. Do you want to come down for breakfast?"

Danny was dizzy, seasick. All he wanted was to kiss Dash senseless right then and there, but he wasn't sure if that was because of his developing crush or just because he felt overwhelmed by the feeling of being cared for. He cleared his throat. "Oh, uh, that's okay. I wouldn't want to impose. You've already done so-"

"Danny," Dash's tone didn't leave room for arguments. It sent a shiver down his spine. "I don't mind. It's not a burden to take care of you."

Jesus. Danny shook his head. "What about your mom? I wouldn't want to bother her."

Dash stared at him for a long moment, thoughts churning behind his eyes; Danny was going to drown in them if he didn't blink anytime soon. Dash burst into laughter, shattering the stillness of the moment. He'd never seen Dash laugh, really laugh, before. His face turned red from the lack of oxygen and he had to lean on his desk for support as he struggled to get air in between laughs. He gripped his side as it started to ache from the force of his laughter. It was enthralling.

"What?" Danny wheezed; he was going to melt from how warm he was.

"Sorry," Dash huffed out. "It's just that I'm an idiot" He took a few more breaths to get his laughter under control. "How did I not notice you and Phantom were the same person when you use the same excuses for everything."

Danny hunched in on himself, trying to hide the embarrassment. "I do not."

"You used not wanting to bother my parents as an excuse to not sit and eat cake with me like, two months ago."

"It's true though, your mom is nice and I don't want to take advantage of that." He squeaked.

"Danny, my mom adores you. She's upset you're not in her kitchen more often." Dash turned to open his door. "So, it's settled. You're eating breakfast with us."

"Wait," Danny stepped forward, placing a hand on the door to keep Dash from opening it. "Uh, do you have my clothes anywhere? Your mom might have questions if she sees me wearing yours."

Dash gave Danny a long, slow look up and down, making his nerves catch fire; he felt himself turn invisible from the embarrassment. It's a wonder he hadn't done that in front of him before. To Dash's credit, he barely batted an eye, choosing to fiddle with the doorknob instead. "Your, uh, your clothes did not make it. We couldn't get all the blood out."

"Oh. Uh, okay." Danny chewed his lip thinking of other options, willing himself to reappear.

Dash cleared his throat. "Should we, like, pretend."

"Pretend they're my clothes?" Danny furrowed his brows in confusion.

Dash shook his head, rocking on his feet and avoiding eye contact. "Your parents already think something's happening between us. Would it be easier for you to pretend if there was?"

Danny's heart stopped, his lungs losing the ability to breathe. He wheezed, "Like pretend to date?"

Dash huffed, throwing his hands up and running his fingers through his hair, making it stick up in a few directions. "I don't know! It was just a suggestion. You didn't exactly tell your mom we weren't involved. So, how are you going to explain… yesterday?"

Danny pressed his hands over his eyes, wanting to disappear again. "I don't know? I just kind of thought they'd be used to it by now."

"Used to what by now?" Dash squeaked.

"Sam invented the fake-out make-out thing like five years ago. I thought they'd just be used to me being a whore with my friends and not question it!"

"How often do you kiss Sam and Tucker?" Dash was trying not to laugh now; Danny's misery must have been hilarious from his point of view.

"I don't know, a lot? Does it matter?" He tugged at his sweater, desperate to give his hands something to do to shake off the shame he was starting to feel.

Dash was laughing again; that genuine and deep laugh he's had only just a few moments before. And Danny's last shred of denial crumbled away.

He liked Dash.

He really did. He liked his laugh, he liked how kind he'd become; how brave and selfless. Even with all his self-doubt he knew what he stood for and believed in. He gently touched his side, warmth spreading through his chest as he remembered how caring Dash had been. It took every ounce of strength he had not to push Dash against the wall and swallow his laughter; to kiss him in a way that took everything Danny felt for him and embedded it in his soul so he'd never forget it; to touch him in a way that made Dash feel just as overwhelmed with the emotion as he did. He dug his fingernails into his palm to calm himself down, to shove the feelings back where they came from.

Dash straightened, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Okay, so we can just make something up if my mom asks. What are you gonna tell your parents?"

"Uh," Danny blinked, clearing his thoughts, "I don't know. I'll figure it out. Sorry for dragging you into all this."

Dash smiled at him before opening the door. "I'm not. I'm glad you trusted me. Maybe I'm not such a lost cause after all, right?"

Danny returned his smile as his stomach churned and tied itself into knots. "You never were." He cleared his throat. "And I'll pay you back for breakfast, I promise."

Dash snorted, leading the way down the hall. "Not on your afterlife."

The park was chilly, covered in a light fog. Dash stuffed his hands in his pockets as he watched Pookie sniff a bush. He was too anxious to sleep. He hadn't seen Danny in a few days and except for a few stray texts, he hadn't heard much from him.

He had to wonder if he was avoiding him; and he wasn't sure if it was the kiss (fake-out make-out), or him suggesting they should pretend to date, or if it was just that Danny was still embarrassed with the whole situation.

He sighed, shaking his nerves and the night's chill from his body. He was still trying to wrap his head around the idea of Danny and Phantom being the same person. It should have been obvious to him: Phantom had Danny's humor and Danny had Phantom's courage, they made the same jokes and had the same laugh, it should have been obvious.

Apparently, Dash had a type.

But now he felt more at a loss than ever. It was clear to him that Danny just saw him as a friend; at most, he only found him generally attractive. Memories from the lake and the night they'd gone star gazing played in his mind. Danny had almost kissed him twice but had decided against it each time, pulling away like he was too close to a fire- and maybe he was; Dash had been capable of destroying relationships he cared about before, who's to say he wouldn't do it again? And it was clear he'd been rejected by both his crushes- well, one crush twice.

And he was avoiding him, in both forms.

He kicked at the dirt on the path, startling Pookie. He whispered apologies and continued down the path, letting his hand trail over the soft leaves of the bushes. The park was unusually still and eerily quiet. The only animal he could hear was the occasional owl hooting and Pookie sniffing around the ground. He didn't even see the ghost squirrels out.

Something was very, very wrong about the park if neither the living nor the dead were out. A gentle breeze grazed his skin, but he suspected it was the uneasy feeling of being watched that made him shiver. A cold pit fell into his stomach as he looked around, not seeing very far through the fog. He'd had enough moping and fresh air; it'd be safer staring at his ceiling right now.

He turned, crunching the dirt underneath his sandals, and gently tugged Pookie back the way they'd come. Thank god his house wasn't too far from the park.

He'd be fine.

In the distance, hovering just beyond the edge of the fog, he saw a tall figure materialize as it slowly walked his way. He tensed, something about the figure unnerved him; he kept his eyes glued firmly ahead. They'd pass each other by, maybe do a bro nod, and go their separate ways with no issues and very little interaction. Who'd want to talk to strangers at two am anyway?

Serial Killers.

Dash felt himself speed up; until Pookie started growling at the figure. He stopped, eyeing the figure as it got closer. He was tall, not taller than Dash, Danny was definitely taller, but he still held an imposing height. He was wearing a well-tailored suit; his greying hair was tied in a slick-backed ponytail.

A cold shiver of dread rolled down Dash's spine, not unlike the aura of fear he felt when ghosts were attacking. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen this man somewhere before. He tugged Pookie's leash, pulling the barking dog closer to him; he was barking like he had at Danny. Dash's heart beat erratically; cold claws of terror dragged across his skin, making his hair stand on end. He couldn't breathe around the knot in his throat. Whoever this man was, he wasn't human.

"Good evening," the man spoke, coming to a stop right in front of him, his voice smooth, cold, and calculating.

Dash didn't respond, didn't dare take his eyes off the man lest he attack the second he looked away. He knew there was no hiding now and there was no way he'd outrun something that wasn't human.

"What's a young man like you doing out this late?"

Dash frowned. "I could ask you the same thing." He flinched at the man's answering laugh.

"You flatter me." He grinned, something evil oozing across his lips. His hands were behind his back, his posture pristine, perfect. "The name's Vlad Masters. May I ask yours?"

Dash took an instinctive step back; Vlad watching the move with a knowing eye. Dash knew that name; it had been in Tucker's slide show. He bent down, keeping his eyes on the man, and picked up Pookie, cradling the growling dog to his chest. Every fiber in his being was telling him to run, to get away from him. He took a deep breath, shoving the fear down. "Something tells me you already know."

Vlad hummed, pulling his hands around to the front to adjust his cuffs. He tilted his head, a predator about to ensnare his prey. "Very perceptive, Dash Baxter."

Dash took another step back, choking on his lungs. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Ah, perhaps not. I just have a few…" his eyes glinted in the light, "…questions about our mutual acquaintance, Daniel Fenton."

Dash inhaled sharply, eyes momentarily darting away from Vlad. He shifted Pookie in his arms, trying to get the dog to calm down but it was hard to do when he was shaking just as much. "What do you want with Danny?"

"Ah," Vlad leered at him, drawing out his syllables, "more than an acquaintance for you?"

From what he knew, Vlad was like Danny, half-ghost. Who knew what powers he had? Dash couldn't make a run for it, no way he'd make it. Even if he could run and hide, he wouldn't be able to keep Pookie quiet. "I don't know what you mean."

Vlad cackled under his breath, walking around Dash's side, circling like a vulture. "An acquaintance wouldn't know about Phantom, would they?"

"I didn't say anything about Phantom." Dash was trapped in a pit with a very hungry beast, with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no way to fight back. He turned to follow Vlad's movements, keeping the man where he could see him.

"You didn't have to. But it would do well not to waste our time playing dumb, Mr. Baxter." He sneered. "I only want information."

Dash swallowed his nerves, adrenaline pulsing through his veins. "What kind of information?"

"Yeah, Vlad," Danny, in Phantom form, dropped down between them, pushing Dash a few feet back. "what information?"

Dash sighed in relief as that familiar feeling of safety radiated from Danny and washed over him, releasing the grip Vlad's aura had on him. He stepped closer to him, unashamed of the way he was cowering. Pookie stopped barking, opting for a soft growling instead.

"Daniel," Vlad smoothed, taking an irritated deep breath and pausing his steps, "how nice of you to join us. I see you've grown taller."

"Cut the bullshit," Danny growled, glaring down at the man. "What do you think you're doing?"

Dash knew that tone in Danny's voice, had been on the receiving end of it a few times; he was pissed. And Dash, in that moment, was almost afraid of Danny too; his aura of safety weakening as his anger grew. It felt like his heart was freezing over just standing next to him.

"I'm simply making conversation, Daniel, nothing for you to worry about." Vlad took a step closer to them. Danny held his ground.

"There's always something to worry about with you. Get tired of your lonely bachelor pad in Wisconsin?" Danny's words were teasing, but they didn't mask the hatred underneath.

Vlad tsked and took another step. "Maybe I'm here visiting some friends. I hear Jack misses me."

Danny reached behind him to grab Dash's wrist and pulled them a step to the side; he had claws and they were digging into his skin. "I don't care what my dad says, you're not welcome in my town, you know that."

"Why Daniel," Vlad's teasing also carried an underlying threat, "your feathers are ruffled. Have I overstepped with this boy?" His leer slid back to Dash.

Dash was thankful for Danny's grip on his wrist, even if he was sure he'd have bruises later; he might have taken his chances with running without it. Danny's words were careful, almost practiced, like the two of them had done this dance many times before. He glanced at Danny. He was grinding his teeth, lips curled in a half snarl; how had he never noticed that Phantom had fangs? His eyes flashed at Vlad's words.

"Stay away from my people. Stay away from my town. I won't ask again." He took a threatening step forward, dragging Dash with him. Crackling and popping noises filled the air as bits of electricity flicked off Danny's form.

"Ah, the scary eyes. You know those don't work on me." Vlad flashed his own glowing red eyes; Dash recoiled a bit. "Speaking of your people, tell me, how's Valerie doing these days?"

Danny raised his free arm and shot an electric-charged energy blast at Vlad who easily dodged. It slammed into a lamppost across the park; the light bulb hissed and shattered.

"You're too predictable, Daniel. You've got to control your obsession if you want to have a chance at-" Another blast from Danny hit him square in the chest, charring his skin and stealing the breath from his lungs.

Dash squeezed his eyes shut, terror flooding his veins, hating that the safest place to be was right next to the fight. Pookie whimpered in his arm. He pressed closer to Danny, willing him to calm down.

"And you've got to get your monologing under control, Vlady." Danny hissed, hand still glowing and crackling, another shot ready to go. "Now get out of here!"

Vlad rubbed the spot on his chest. His suit had burnt away where he'd been hit, but the skin underneath was already healed. "Do you know how much this suit cost?"

"Do you know how much I don't care?" Danny sneered, a twisted joke on his tongue. "Suit yourself to the door or this will be a brief fight."

How in the fuck was Danny making puns in this situation?

Vlad let another small grin cover his face. "I'm going to be in town for a few days. Your father invited me over for breakfast." Vlad straightened the collar of his shirt and pivoted on his heel, continuing down the path into the park. "Ta-ta, Daniel, see you tomorrow."

Danny growled, releasing Dash's hand, and took a few steps forward like he was going to chase after him, then decided against it and paced where he was, like a lion trapped in a cage. He was muttering to himself, anger boiling over.

Dash took a step after him just as Danny opened his mouth and screamed. Dash shrunk in on himself, almost dropping Pookie in his haste to cover his ears. Danny's wail was piercing, blood-curdling; the hatred in it enough to make him want to sprint as far as he could in the other direction. It nearly flattened the trees closest to them. Pookie buried his face in Dash's jacket.

Danny's chest was heaving and his jaw hung open, looking like he wanted to scream again as he whirled around, glaring in Dash's direction. His eyes were glowing, nothing but anger in them and his fangs were on full display, his features only looking vaguely human. For the first time in a long time, Dash found himself afraid of Phantom.

"What did he say to you?" Danny's voice was venom.

Dash released a shaky breath. "Uh, I, not a lot. He just asked what I was doing out here and if I knew you."

"What are you doing out here?" Danny was still pacing, flexing his hands, the sight of his claws sending phantom pain to Dash's arm.

"I couldn't sleep." His voice was small and he desperately wished he wasn't out here.

Danny ran his hands through his hair, nearly ripping pieces out. The grass underneath him was freezing over; electricity still popping and spitting off him, like grease in a hot pan. "I fucking hate him."

Dash chose not to speak, fear still squeezing his lungs, his heart was lodged in his throat. He watched Danny pace and mutter for about five minutes before he started to calm down and begin resembling his friend again.

He huffed, walking over to Dash a lot more calm now. "Are you okay?"

Dash nodded. "Fine."

Danny gently reached out to Pookie in his arms, petting him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you two."

Dash snorted. "Could have fooled me."

Danny flinched. He retracted his arm, letting it hang by his side. "We should get you home."

Dash nodded, but didn't turn to go; it felt too much like turning his back on a dark room. Danny noticed and took the lead, forcing himself to walk slowly and survey the area, just in case Vlad was still hanging around. Dash followed a few steps behind.

Danny reached into one of the pockets on his belt and pulled out his phone. He typed in a number and held it to his ear, tapping his finger against it impatiently. "Hey, Val, where are you right now?"

Dash couldn't hear Valerie on the other end. He forced himself to not stare at the concrete as they walked, his eyes bouncing between the buildings around them and Danny.

"Okay, listen, I have some bad news. I just ran into Vlad at- yes, in Amity Park- No, he was bothering Dash- listen, he's going to be in town for a few days-"

Dash wished he had the context necessary to follow their conversation. All he knew about Vlad was that he was really creepy and stalked Danny's family relentlessly and that he groomed Valerie during their freshman and sophomore years to be a ghost hunter and kept her family in poverty by buying her dad's company.

"Please, don't do anything crazy. Val, I'm just trying to warn you so you're not blindsided if you run into him. I don't need you to jump back into the fray. You can leave the creepy old guy to me- 'cause you got away from him! Yes, I'm going to message her now." Danny stopped, holding an arm in front of Dash, his eyes scanning an alleyway. "Colorado is closer if you really want to, but please don't let him get to you. I'll head to the Wisconsin house as soon as I get Dash home. Okay, be safe. See you later."

He hung up, dropping his hand, and typing a quick text.

Dash cleared his throat, shifting Pookie around in his arms- he was getting heavy. "You're going to Wisconsin right now?"

Danny turned to him, his nerves pulled tight with anxiety. "It's where Vlad lives. I'm going to see if he's hiding any secret plans around. He has a log cabin in Colorado that Valerie's going to check."

"Who else is going with you?" They came to a stop outside his house.

Danny bit his lip, looking away from him.

Dash huffed. "Okay, I know you like to be all mysterious and cool as Phantom, but-"

"I'm not trying to be mysterious, Dash. It's just none of your business."

Dash breathed, using some exercises his therapist had taught him; it wouldn't do them any good if both of them were losing their tempers. "Then can you at least tell me what that was all about?"

Danny sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and hunching in on himself. "I don't know."

Dash snorted. "Fine, keep your secrets."

Danny frowned. "I actually don't know. Vlad is more than a little insane, he's practically evil incarnate. He's been causing issues for a long time, both here and in the ghost zone. I didn't even know he was here."

"Then how did you know to come save me?"

Danny blushed, it was bright green instead of the red Dash was used to seeing. "I didn't. I was just passing by and saw what was happening. Look, it takes me like an hour and a half to get to Wisconsin, I need to get going. Are you going to be okay?"

The words were tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them. "Take me with you."

"What?"

Dash squared his shoulders, standing his ground. "Take me with you."

Danny exhaled in disbelief, fiddling with the Fenton Thermos on his belt. "Dash, I'm walking straight into my arch-nemesis's lair. He's almost as powerful as I am, it's going to be extremely dangerous if he was lying about sticking around. I can't just bring you-"

"Why not?" Dash swallowed against his nerves. "I can handle it."

Danny was tapping his feet against the ground, frustration building. "Vlad is lethal. You could get killed, Dash. It's not safe."

"And what about you? It's not safe for you either."

"I'm already dead, you're not. There's a lot more at risk for you."

"You said he probably has Fenton Venom, right? That means there's a lot at risk for you too." Dash hated being on this side of Danny's stubbornness. Usually, he loved it when Danny stuck to what he knew to be right, no matter what anyone threw at him; hell it was the reason they were friends in the first place. But, it was really annoying when he was the one trying to convince him otherwise.

"I do this all the time, it's part of the whole superhero thing. If it makes you feel any better, besides the Ancients I'm one of the most powerful ghosts in the ghost zone, I can handle myself."

Dash blinked, he had no idea Danny was that powerful; he didn't exactly know what he meant by that statement but it clearly carried a lot of weight. "Valerie is human, you're letting her go." He argued, stupidly.

Danny huffed, throwing his hands in the air. "She's been doing this as long as I have. She has experience, you don't."

"Well, I can't get any if you don't take me. I thought I was the team medic now. What if you need me?"

"I won't."

Okay, ouch. Dash reeled back. The hurt must have shown on his face because Danny winced and stared at the ground. Dash wasn't sure why he was so set on going with him. But he felt like Danny shouldn't be alone with how angry he was. He knew from experience that anger makes people lose focus. And losing focus as a superhero could be deadly. He took a deep breath. "Look, I was on every sports team Casper High had. I'm fast, reasonably strong, and can keep myself out of trouble. Let me go with you. Let me have your back."

Danny squeezed his eyes shut and turned away, pacing and running his hands through his hair again. His breaths were loud like he was running a marathon. He was muttering, cursing under his breath. Dash pet Pookie to relieve some of his nerves.

Finally, Danny huffed and turned to Dash with defeated eyes. "Fine."

Dash's heart jumped. He had not expected to win that debate.

"But I can't fly both of us all the way to Wisconsin. You'll get hypothermia. We'll have to go through the Ghost Zone." Danny raised an eyebrow at him. "Can you handle that?"

Dash felt the unease creep back into his veins. He shoved it down. "Yeah. Yeah, I can handle it. Let me put Pookie inside and I'll be right back. Don't you dare leave without me." He waited til Danny nodded before rushing inside his house. He took Pookie's leash off, poured food in his bowl, grabbed the emergency backpack he'd packed after the last time, and sprinted back out of the house, just barely remembering to lock the door behind him.

He thought for sure Danny would have taken off the second his back was turned, so he was surprised to see him still there. "Oh, good, you actually waited."

Danny rubbed his arm, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help. Vlad just… he scares me. You're not the first friend he's targeted. I just don't want you getting hurt."

Dash wanted to march right up to Danny and pull him into a tight hug. He settled for putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He scares me too. That's why I don't want you going alone. You have a team for a reason, right?"

Danny smiled at him. "Yeah, I guess I do." He reached out and scooped Dash, who yelped in surprise, into his arms. Danny picked him up like he weighed nothing- Dash tried to not let that thought linger. Danny floated off the ground, making Dash cling to him for dear life, and started flying toward Fenton Works.

"Hey, what did you mean by the whole 'my people, my town,' thing?" Dash asked to distract himself from the heat crawling onto his face.

Danny was quiet for a minute, so long that Dash thought he hadn't heard him over the wind. "You know how people who lived here when the town was pulled into the ghost zone get the 'Amity Park Jitters'?"

"Yeah."

"So, well, there's a lot of things wrong with me. Those jitters are really bad for me. Since I technically died here, my ghost half is really fond of the place and doesn't like leaving. When people die and become ghosts, some of them develop these obsessions. That's why a lot of the ghosts that attack here are usually after the same thing every time. For Skulker, he's obsessed with hunting and collecting; for Desiree, it's granting others' wishes because hers wasn't, et cetera. Mine is protection, protecting the things important to me. So, my family, my friends, my town… when people threaten those things, my ghost half doesn't take it too kindly."

"So, that's what the whole rage episode was about? And why Vlad said you needed to get control of it?" Dash made the mistake of looking down. He clung tighter to Danny and buried his face in his shoulder. He was nauseous.

Danny's voice was small. "Yeah."

"Well, at least you have a better way of taking your anger out, on trees and not people." He felt a small amount of residual guilt hit his chest.

"I used to. Mostly on the ghosts that were attacking. Sometimes on you. I'm not really proud of that."

A memory flashed across Dash's mind from the day Danny had asked him to join their study group. "Those pranks you mentioned?"

"Yeah," Danny squeaked, turning them intangible, and flew through the wall into his room. "Sorry."

Dash shrugged as Danny set him down. "I probably deserved it."

Danny shook his head. "Yeah, but bad things happen when you use your powers for bad reasons. It corrupts your soul, just look at Vlad."

Dash frowned. "Is that why you were saying not all the ghosts were evil? Cause only the corrupted ones are?"

Danny nodded. Dash took a moment to look around his room, he'd never been in here before; Danny's house sure, but not his room, at least, not when he could see the whole thing at the correct size. There were textbooks and books on astronomy littered all around the room, some had notebooks next to them with Danny's pretty scrawl covering them. There were model spaceships on his bookcases and glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to his ceiling. His computer desk was littered with stray papers; Dash smiled at the doodles of rockets he saw on one of them.

"Okay, I'm going to make us invisible so we can sneak downstairs. We'll have to be really quiet, I don't know where my parents are and we can't have them catch us. Once we're in the ghost zone you'll have to stick close by, I can't carry you. Not every ghost is friendly and I might have to fight some off. Vlad's portal is close by, but it will take us about twenty minutes to get there on foot."

Dash couldn't ignore the prickles of unease in his spine anymore. He chuckled to relieve some of the pressure. "Is this going to be like an Orpheus and Eurydice thing?"

That pretty green glow was back on Danny's cheeks. "Kind of. Except I'll be able to look back, and keep you safe." He held out a hand. "If you're sure about coming with, we need to get going."

Dash didn't hesitate to take his hand. He felt a little tingly when Danny turned them invisible. He couldn't see Danny and when he looked down, couldn't see himself. Danny gave his hand a little tug and Dash followed.

They moved slowly, Dash navigating by the pull of Danny's hand alone. Danny phased them through the door so it wouldn't creak. The lights were all off and he couldn't hear the Fentons anywhere.

Dash only tripped once at the bottom of the stairs. Danny caught him, the two of them freezing to listen for footsteps. When nothing happened, they continued on to the lab.

It was just like he expected it to be, scary; big imposing machines lined the cold gray walls and the tables were covered in tools and half-assembled experiments. Once Danny was sure his parents weren't in there, he turned them visible. Dash blinked, stumbling once he could see his limbs again.

"Ready?" Danny whispered, standing in front of the portal. The glow from the machine illuminated his hair, his silhouette glowing eerily like some kind of terrifying angel.

Dash swallowed, wishing he could take a picture, and nodded. He gripped the straps of his backpack and followed Danny into the portal.

#of all the stories in the stars ours has yet to be told #danny phantom #danny/dash #teddy ghost #swagger bishie #whateever other ship names they have #Guys look I figured out how to format these posts #now I have to go back and fix all the other ones

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