Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Danny Phantom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Danny Phantom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dash Baxter/Danny Fenton Characters: Danny Fenton, Dash Baxter, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, Paulina Sanchez, Kwan (Danny Phantom), Valerie Gray, Pookie (Danny Phantom) Additional Tags: Aged-Up Character(s), on the way to college, mentions of child abuse, Mentions of homophobia, Redemption Arcs, Bisexual Danny Fenton, everyone becoming good friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Second Chances, lots of classical literature references, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst, Lots of Crying, Some hurt/comfort, almost everyone has shitty parents, More tags to come as I think of them, Suicidal Thoughts, This is heavily inspired by marichat, stealing lots of headcanons from tumblr, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, not entirely canon compliant, I stole the pieces I like and combined them with fanon to get what I wanted, this was supposed to be a slow burn, Dialogue Heavy, some spooky shit will be snuck in here, Mutual Pining Summary:

It's the end of senior year and Dash and Danny are having the worst time of their lives. Dash's father finds out he's queer and tries to kill him. That lands him in prison with divorce papers. Dash goes to therapy to cope and learn how to change his behaviors while taking some time off from school. He now needs to learn how to navigate the world and figure himself out. Danny fears he'll never figure out what he wants for his future beyond being the hero of Amity Park forever and he's running out of time to figure it out as he watches everyone he knows move on without him. Plus there are always the people hunting him down that he has to worry about on top of that.

~

Dash shifted his car into park in front of Fenton Works. He picked up his phone and shot off a quick text.

Dash: I’m here.

Nerd: Thank god! We’ll be right out!

Dash snorted, playfully rolling his eyes and setting his phone down. He never would have thought that if he’d already decided on ditching senior ditch day, a single text from Danny Fenton of all people, requesting an emergency ride, would make him change his mind in under a minute. Of course, he never thought he’d ever have Danny’s phone number in the first place. It used to take bribes to get him to be in the same room as Fenton without wanting to pick on the guy.

Now, he was just glad he actually had friends to hang out with. He hadn’t wanted to go and see Paulina and Kwan having fun without him. It would be like rubbing salt in the wound. But, now that he’d been invited to go with another group, he was more than a little excited.

He glanced at the clock on his dashboard and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. Should he go knock? Should he just keep waiting? Did he mean a different house? God, Dash wished he still had a lot of his confidence from before. It was easy to make decisions when you were an asshole and didn’t care about how the consequences affected other people.

He was just about to send another text when a crash came from inside the house. He startled as the three of them came barreling out the front door looking like they’d just come back from war. Danny shouted something over his shoulder and slammed the front door. He ran up to Dash’s van and clambered into the front seat- which Dash will not admit made him feel just a little special. Sam and Tucker scrambled into the back.

“Thanks for the save!” Danny smiled at him, still breathing hard from his frantic exit. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to tame the mess it was in.

Tucker leaned forward, head between the seats, and spoke right into Dash’s ear. “You’re gonna wanna go straight to the park. If we’re lucky, we’ll get there right as the busses do.”

Dash shoved him, gently, back into his seat. “This car isn’t moving until seat belts are on.” Tucker and Sam rolled their eyes but complied. “No Valerie?” Dash started driving.

Sam shook her head. “She’s gonna be at the library all day applying for scholarships, like some ultra-responsible person or something.”

“We have a plan to make,” Danny interrupted, turning in his seat to face the whole car. “Tucker, what’s the best way to maximize our time at the amusement park?”

“We should figure out everyone’s favorite rides and then find the best connecting path between all of them. Then stick to our planned route so as not to miss anything.” Tucker already had his PDA out and ready. “I’ve already got the bumper cars, the roller coaster that takes off three years of your life, and the space launcher. Dash, what’s your favorite?”

Dash shrugged, clicking on his blinker and slowing down for the turn. “I don’t really have a favorite.”

“What!?” Tucker screeched.

“It’s okay to be like other girls, Dash.” Sam snickered at him. “Everyone has a favorite.”

“I really don’t. They’re all kind of the same.”

“It doesn’t have to be a ride,” Danny offered, “it could be a game or something. Tucker’s is the bumper cars and that’s not technically a ride.”

Dash hummed, thinking back to the last time he’d gone to the amusement park. Kwan had talked them into going on the Zipper and ended up being the only one to throw up. His heart fell as he remembered the photo Paulina had taken as he dropped his ice cream cause of how dizzy he’d still been. It was pinned on his wall by his computer. “I guess The Zipper is pretty cool.”

“That’s hardcore,” Sam nodded approvingly.

“We also have to make sure to hit the games we didn’t get to last time,” Tucker added the zipper to the schedule.

“We should do the rides before lunch and games after if we can help it,” Danny suggested as he rearranged how he was sitting. “We don’t want Tucker to lose his stomach over some poor kid again.”

“That was one time! Why are you making me look uncool in front of Dash?!”

“Why do you care if Dash thinks you’re cool?” Sam teased.

“Look,” Dash interrupted before the three of them could get into it and pointing down the road, “we’re going to beat the buses.”

Danny gave his shoulder a friendly punch. “Awesome! Way to drive, Dash!”

Dash smirked as he pulled into the parking lot. He pushed the button on the ticket machine for all day. Sam tapped him on the shoulder and passed him a crisp twenty. He raised his eyebrow at her.

“What?” She huffed, face mildly red. “We’re not making you pay for parking when we forced you to be here. Just take it.”

“Uh, thanks.”Dash took the bill from her and slid it into the machine. It spat back out a ticket that he passed to Danny to secure to his rear-view mirror. He found a parking spot close by where the buses were and shifted the car to park.

“Step one is to find Mr. Lancer.” Danny chattered, basically flying out of Dash’s car. “Step two, have fun and forget the crushing realities we all have to face next week.”

“Slow down!” Sam called after him.

Dash took the time to put a sun protector up in his windshield so the seats wouldn’t scorch his skin off when they got back. He had to jog to catch up with the others at the buses. Danny was bouncing on his toes while they waited for the bus doors to open.

Mr. Lancer stepped down, clipboard hanging from his neck and box full of day passes on his hip. He rolled his eyes when he saw the group. “There’s our missing students.”

“Sorry, Lancer,” Danny’s tone was just as casual with their teacher as it was with them and it threw Dash off, “I overslept.”

“As usual, Mr. Fenton. Don’t think I’ll play favorites though. You’ll have to wait.” He started handing passes out to the students climbing off the bus.

“No problem!” Danny cheered.

Dash saw the other students climbing off the other two buses and couldn’t stop himself from looking for Kwan and Paulina. He saw them with the group at the last bus; Star wasn’t with them. They looked kind of sad. Dash’s heart tugged and he desperately wanted to go comfort them.

“You okay?” Danny whispered, looking over to where he was staring.

Dash glanced up at him, taking a deep breath. He ripped his eyes away from the reasons he hadn’t wanted to come today. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“We could try talking to them, if you’d like?” Danny placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“No. I tried that already when I gave my hall pass bingo card back. Paulina sent her dad to the door to avoid me. I don’t blame them. I probably would have done the same thing if I hadn’t changed my way of thinking.”

Danny was about to reply but Mr. Lancer turned back to them. “Alright, you three-” He cut himself off when he spotted Dash. He glanced between them and Danny shrugged, a playful grin making its way onto his face. “Interesting. Alright you four, missed the speech on the bus so here’s the short version. Follow the rules, don’t act like idiots because until tomorrow when you actually graduate you still represent the school, and be back at the gates by four.” He handed them their passes, pausing when he got to Danny. “And Daniel, try not to break anything.”

“No promises!” Danny sang back, taking the pass. Mr. Lancer sighed, a small smile on his face, and left to join the other teachers. “Okay, let’s-”

“Dash! Can we talk?”

Dash turned around to see Paulina and Kwan walking up to them. Paulina was chewing her lip and Kwan was slouched over. Dash tried to squash the flutter of hope rising in his stomach. He glanced back at Danny, Sam, and Tucker. Sam rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. Tucker looked to Danny.

“We can wait,” Danny reassured.

Dash mouthed a ‘thank you’ to him and nodded at Paulina and Kwan. “Yeah, we can talk.”

Kwan released his breath in one big whoosh, already on the verge of tears. “We’re so sorry!”

Dash blinked, completely unprepared for that right out of the gate.

“Super sorry!” Paulina barreled ahead. “Our rules are so stupid! And we miss you! You’re our best friend and we really should have thrown those rules out forever ago.” Tears started pouring down her cheeks.

“We don’t care if it’s seen as uncool or if our parents don’t approve. It’s not the same without you, bro!”

“The club won’t even matter tomorrow! We should have never pushed you away! We’re so so so sorry!”

Dash felt tears pricking at his eyes. A small, tiny part of him wanted to tell them just how bad they had hurt him. How had it been that easy to throw away four years of friendship over some stupid rules their parents had made up when they were in school like twenty years ago?! But the tiny prick of anger was nothing compared to the sadness he felt without them and one thought of how easily Danny had forgiven him had him crumbling into their arms. “I’ve missed you guys too!”

Paulina nearly squeezed his lungs out of him and Kwan wasn’t far behind.

“I’m sorry about missing the movies,” Kwan sobbed. “I should have been braver sooner.”

“That’s okay.” Dash sniffled, pulling away from them. “It took my dad almost killing me for me to get my shit together.”

Paulina dabbed at her eyes, trying not to mess up her make-up. “And we weren’t even there for you. We’re the worst.”

“You’re like, okay, right?” Kwan asked, patting him down for broken bones.

“Kwan, it’s been months.” Dash chuckled. “I’m fine, physically at least. Therapist’s still out on mentally.”

“Oh brother,” Sam mumbled.

Dash stilled, completely forgetting they were back there. “Uh, so…”

Paulina pushed past him, grabbing Sam and Danny’s hands and looking at Tucker. “And I should apologize to you three as well. I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you over the years. And thank you, for being there for Dash when I wasn’t.”

“Me too,” Kwan pushed forward, sweeping Sam into a hug. “I’m sorry for getting you banned from goth poetry.”

“I’m not banned anymore. You can put me down,” Sam grumbled not very angrily. Once her feet were on the ground, she sighed and looked at Danny who was giving her a hopeful look. Dash held his breath as they seemed to have a whole conversation without saying anything. They looked over at Tucker who shrugged, unbothered.

Danny pivoted toward Paulina and Kwan. “You guys want to join us for the day?”

Dash released his breath. Really, he should have known Danny would be chill, but a part of him was still worried Danny was just waiting for the perfect chance to get him back. Of course, looking at Danny now, he wasn’t sure how he ever thought such a thing.

Paulina glanced at Sam. “Are you sure that’s okay? I’d understand if you really wanted nothing to do with us. I was particularly nasty to you. Sorry.” She squeaked.

Sam’s face dropped in surprise. She floundered for a minute, caught off guard by the genuine tone Paulina held. She searched Paulina’s face looking for any lingering trace of malice or deceit. She must not have found any because she dropped her defensive attitude. “Yeah, I’m sure. Thank you, for the apology. Guess you turned out okay.”

Paulina squealed and threw her arms around Sam. “You won’t regret it, I promise!”

“Wow, you guys sure are huggers!” Sam squirmed.

“Group hug!” Kwan cheered, yanking Dash and Tucker over to the girls; Danny getting pushed along into the center.

“I’m gonna vomit,” Sam protested.

Danny was the first one to start laughing uncontrollably but everyone else followed suit right after. Dash felt a huge weight fall from his shoulders despite the awkward and giggly tangle of limbs he found himself willingly trapped in.

“Wait,” Kwan chirped once he was free from laughter, “where’s Val?”

“She was busy today, but don’t worry,” Danny said, wiggling free of the group and effectively breaking everyone apart- Sam breathing a sigh of relief-, “she’ll be around some time and you guys can make up with her too.”

“What’s your guys’ favorite rides?” Tucker asked already tapping the edit button on his mock map/schedule. “I’ve got to add them to the route.”

“I like the swings! They make you feel like you’re flying!” Paulina cheered, looking over Tucker’s shoulder at the map. “Oh! He’s got the zipper on here Kwan!”

“Yes!” Kwan threw a festive fist in the air.

“That was Dash’s pick,” Danny added, also looking over Tucker’s shoulder.

“Bro,” Kwan turned to Dash with watery eyes.

Dash playfully rolled his eyes. “Keep it together buddy.”

Kwan threw his arm around Dash’s shoulder and leaned into him, resting his head on Dash’s shoulder. “How I’ve missed my bro. My light of all lights.”

“Is that a quote from Dracula?” Danny asked, eyes lighting up.

“Bro, you know Dracula?” Kwan left Dash’s side and slung his arm around Danny’s shoulders instead. “We should have been friends sooner.”

“No offense, Kwan,” Danny chuckled, “But, I did not take you for a reader.”

“Well, after Sam took me to that poetry thing freshman year, I started really getting into it. Turns out it’s exactly my jam. I’m gonna be an English major.”

“Really? How do-”

“Hey!” Tucker interrupted, throwing everyone off him. “It’s ditch day. If you get Danny started on literature or space we’ll never be able to ditch schoolwork today. Now let’s get going!”

Danny bowed low with a dramatic flourish. “Of course, my liege. Lead the way.”

Tucker rolled his eyes and took off across the parking lot, leading everyone to the quickly moving lines. They filed into separate ones to get in quicker. Dash caught Danny’s eye from the line over and sent him a grateful look. Danny gave him a thumbs up before handing his pass to the worker so she could stamp it.

“Here’s the plan,” Tucker said once everyone was in the park proper, “we start on the left side of the park where all the rides are. We’ll hit the furthest one first and make our way back here to the center where we’ll get lunch then hit the games on the right before we leave. Any questions?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Then let’s march, people!” Tucker took the lead, walking faster than everyone and carving a path through the crowd.

“Goth poetry really changed your life, huh?” Sam asked, effectively locking Kwan into a conversation with her.

Danny fell into step beside Dash as they headed down the path. He looked like he wanted to say something but Paulina spoke up first.

“I have some Phantom related news!” She cheered.

Dash glanced at Danny as if to apologize but it seemed Paulina had his attention as well.

“He’s definitely not dating Ember. I saw her and Skulker the other day and it totally seemed like they were a couple. So, we can cross her off the list.”

Danny’s nose crinkled in disgust. “Why the hell would he be dating Ember?”

Dash shrugged his shoulders, slightly embarrassed about Danny finding out about their Phantom talks. “It could have been like an enemies-to-lovers thing, you know?”

“By that logic, next you’ll tell me you suspect him and The Box Ghost.”

Dash averted his eyes.

“No, we crossed him off a long time ago,” Paulina waved Danny off. “Besides, he and Ember could have been like a hallmark movie!” She sighed wistfully.

“Yuck,” Danny looked violently ill as he mimicked throwing up.

“Oh, come on, Danny,” Paulina huffed. “Don’t you have a romantic bone in your body?”

“Yeah, but Hallmark movies are awful. I’ll take Pride and Prejudice any day.”

Dash was about to agree with him when Tucker stopped walking. “Okay, our first stop is the Roller Coaster That Takes Three Years Off Your Life.”

“Yes!” Sam cheered.

Dash did not care for this coaster, but he saw how easily everyone else got in line and he did not want to be the only coward in the group.

A choice he came to regret.

Sam was still laughing at him as they walked to the next ride. “I’m gonna die!” She mocked.

“Laugh it up, Manson.” He scoffed, face burning and heart in his stomach. “I’ll remember this.”

“Oh, so scary~!” She cackled, following Tucker and Kwan down the path.

“I don’t like that ride either.” Danny’s words didn’t feel like much of a comfort at the moment.

“I’ll believe you when I see you scream like a baby.” Dash chided.

Paulina tapped Danny on the shoulder. “So, if you had to pick between The Notebook and The Titanic, what would you pick?”

Danny chuckled. “Do you only watch tragic romance movies?”

“Of course. It’s more worth it that way. It’s an easy decision. Watch. Hey, Kwan!” She called up to the rest of the group. He turned. “The Notebook or The Titanic?”

“The Notebook!” He called back.

Sam wrinkled her nose. “Okay. Now, I’m questioning your taste. It’s The Titanic.”

“You’re both wrong,” Tucker added. “It’s Beauty and the Beast.”

“Oh, look!” Danny motioned to the swings, successfully derailing the argument that was about to break out. “The next ride.”

Paulina was right about the swings making you feel like you’re flying. His stomach sank into his toes the entire time. Ever since Phantom had flown him around the Fenton house as they tried to outrun Skulker, he’d preferred his feet on the ground. At least here he wasn’t being hunted for sport.

“Okay, spill.” Paulina cornered him as they walked to the next ride. “You’ve been wanting to tell me something all week, I can tell.”

“What? You can’t tell.” Dash sputtered.

“I can, you’ve been looking at me like I kicked a puppy. Is it related to Phantom? Oh, it is! Tell me right now.”

“What’s related to Phantom?” Danny dropped back to walk with them after hearing the hero’s name. Dash figured Danny might have a crush on the hero too, with how intently he was listening.

“Uh, well, there’s not really a lot to tell.” Dash was a little hesitant to gush in front of Danny. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he did not want Danny to think anything less of him than he probably did.

“Tell it anyway!” Paulina grabbed his arm and shook him. “Tell me right now, Baxter, or I might just explode!”

“I’ve, uh, talked to him a few times.”

“Ah! Shut up! Explain, right now!”

Danny’s expression was carefully kept neutral as he asked, “You’ve talked with Phantom and haven’t told anyone?”

“I mean, yeah. Not everyone needs to know everything about him.”

“I do! You’re not telling me, Dash!” Paulina was on the verge of hysterical now.

“Okay, Paulie, calm down! I was walking home from therapy a few weeks ago and saw him get hit by the Fentons.” He nervously eyed Danny’s expression.

Danny held up his hands in peaceful surrender. “Don’t worry. I love my parents but I do not support their hunting of the town’s protector. So, what happened? They didn’t kill him did they?”

Dash relaxed. “No, I distracted them while he hid. But whatever they hit him with blocked his powers. I had my first aid kit on me so I was able to help patch him up. And, uh, maybe, I got to hold his hand for a moment.”

Paulina screeched, drawing a lot of attention from the parkgoers. “Shut the fuck up! That is quite literally my dream! When’s the wedding?”

“Shh!” Dash hushed her, playfully slapping her hand off him.

“Who’s wedding?” Sam asked, dropping back to walk with them as well.

“Dash and Phantom apparently.” Danny chuckled.

“It’s not like that!” Dash whined, hands over his face. “Having a crush on someone does not mean you have to get married.”

“Oh, so you do have a crush on Phantom?” Sam teased.

“Who doesn’t?” Paulina asked seriously.

“I don’t.” Kwan and Tucker said at the same time.

Tucker giggled. “Sam, you didn’t-”

“I don’t!” Sam nearly cursed at him. “I didn’t feel like it needed to be said!”

“It’s okay to admit it, Sam.” Paulina giggled. “He’s so dreamy.”

“He’s dead though, right?” Kwan interjected.

“Hence why having a crush won’t go anywhere.” Dash hissed. “Besides, unlike someone, I’m not crazy enough to invite the guy to my birthday party.”

“It was one time and he didn’t even show up!” Paulina defended, crossing her arms. “Wait! Why are we turning this on me? You said you spoke a few times! What were the others?”

“A few times?” Tucker raised his eyebrow at Danny. Danny avoided eye contact.

Dash remembered Phantom bawling his eyes out on Dash’s shoulder and thought he’d probably prefer if Dash kept that one to himself. “Uh, people can have their secrets.”

For reasons unknown to him, Sam and Tucker started laughing like crazy and Danny covered his face.

“No fair!” Paulina whined, going back to tugging on his jacket.

“Yeah, come on, bro!” Kwan added. “I may not have a crush on the guy but I want the gossip.”

“Oh look!” Dash wheezed, stealing Danny’s tactic from earlier. “The bumper cars!”

“You’re not getting out of this!” Paulina jeered. “I’ll get it out of you one way or another.”

She definitely aimed for Dash more than everyone else on the bumper cars. Dash couldn’t help but laugh every time; it really was great to have all his friends together. Especially when Tucker and Kwan teamed up with Paulina and they started an all-out war. Needless to say, they were asked to leave the ride shortly after.

“Kwan, buddy,” Tucker guffawed, swinging an arm around Kwan’s shoulders, “you’re on my team forever now. Where have you been all my life?”

“Right in front of you, Foley.” Kwan chuckled back, jokingly swooning back into his arms.

After a trip to the Space Launcher, the scariest and most awful ride so far- which Dash would never ever say in front of Danny- they were stood in the line for The Zipper. Danny was watching it nervously as it flung its current passengers around.

“Scared Fenton?” Dash couldn’t stop some of his old teasing no matter how much therapy he got it seemed.

Danny laughed nervously in his direction. “What? Me? Scared? Nah, I’m totally normal about this.”

“Dude,” Tucker joked, “you picked the scariest ride here and this is what scares you?”

“I’m not scared! That just looks like a migraine inducer.” Danny was clutching his forearms to his stomach. “Just watching it makes me want to hurl.”

“How about a bet?” Dash challenged.

Danny grinned at him, a spark seemingly lighting his eyes. “I’m listening.”

“Here we go,” Sam breathed.

“First one to scream buys lunch for the other. Double if they also throw up.”

“Says the guy who just screamed the entire time on a roller coaster.”

“Yeah, it’s all out of my system now. Don’t think you can handle it?” Dash held out his hand.

“Oh, you’re on!” Danny, tone very teasing, shook his hand and pulled Dash in closer to whisper, “Better hope your system can handle it.”

Dash’s face grew warm. Danny’s eyes were brilliant up close. He was at a loss for a good comeback but was saved as the ride attendant called them forward.

“Ugh, I’m so dizzy,” Danny whined, collapsing in the shade of a nearby tree since all the tables were taken. The rest of the group sat their bags down near him.

“Shouldn’t have bit off more than you could chew,” Sam gently chided.

“Fuck off. Leave me to my misery.”

“I didn’t know you were such a pushover.” Dash prodded. “What happened to all that confidence you had?”

“It’s in the trash can over there if you want it.” Danny pressed his hands over his eyes, blocking out the sun. This is what he gets for trying to cheat by making his stomach intangible and then forgetting where it’s supposed to go while they were upside down. “My wallet’s in the small pocket of my backpack.”

Dash only felt slightly bad taking Danny’s money. A bet was a bet after all. “You want me to get you something too?”

“That’d be super.” He wheezed.

“Does the guardian of the bags want funnel cake too?” Tucker asked.

“You’d be an angel.” Danny really hoped everything was back where it was supposed to be. It didn’t feel like it, but maybe that’s cause his brain was practically mush at the moment.

“Thank you for your sacrifice, bag guardian.” Kwan patted him on the shoulder before following Sam and Tucker. Danny just gave him a thumbs up.

“What do you want?” Dash asked, leaning over him. Danny relished in the extra shadow blocking the sun from touching his skin.

“Whatever you get. I’m not picky. It was double or nothing so don’t feel bad for whatever you get.”

“Oh, trust me. I plan on capitalizing on this.” Dash hesitated for a moment, then shrugged his jacket off and laid it over Danny. “Don’t die before we get back.”

“No promises.” Danny sighed in relief, clutching the fabric to his face and cursing at the sun. He was definitely fighting a migraine right now and he would be hating himself later when it hit its peak. He wished he could block out the sounds of the park, it was loud as shit here. Honestly, what did Dash and Kwan see in The Zipper? That thing was practically an embodiment of hell itself and Dash hadn’t even uttered a sound. He would rather be stuffed in the Fenton Thermos and shaken around than go on that thing again.

“Taken on more than you could handle, Danny?”

Danny pulled Dash’s jacket down off his eyes and glared at Mr. Lancer as he set up a chair next to him. “Don’t go on The Zipper, Lancer. I promise you, no matter what Dash or Kwan say, it is not worth it.”

Mr. Lancer chuckled, pulling a sandwich out of his tote bag. “It is interesting to see you listening to Dash Baxter of all people in the first place.”

Danny resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing it would only bring more pain. “You’re always fishing for gossip, huh? What are you going to do without me or Jazz to provide it?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll find some poor unsuspecting freshmen struggling with their English test and start the process again. Although, I will say Jazz didn’t withhold as much gossip as you do. Tell her I miss her, will you?”

Danny sighed dramatically, pulling himself up from the ground to lean on the tree behind him. He rubbed circles into his temples hoping it would stop the ground from spinning. “He’s actually a pretty decent person now. So are Kwan and Paulina. You say something to them?”

Mr. Lancer shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“I’m the one that withholds information, huh? There’s something else you came over here to talk about, isn’t there?”

“Unusually perceptive of you.” Mr. Lancer took a bite of his sandwich before continuing. “You left the future career section of your graduation papers empty.”

Danny pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on them. He resisted the urge to hide from the sun under Dash’s jacket again. “Yeah.”

Mr. Lancer hummed at the lack of response. “Do you not want to tell people or do you just not know?”

Danny shrugged, pulling at the blades of grass at his feet. Really, what was he supposed to say? Sorry Lancer, but I’m kind of trapped in town because I died here, and even if I could leave, I would leave everyone practically defenseless against stronger ghosts. And there’s not a whole lot of careers that will accept ‘sorry I’m a part-time superhero so I won’t be coming in today’ as a good enough excuse to constantly be missing work. He’d gotten let go from a few of his part-time jobs because of his attendance. Honestly, it’s a wonder it didn’t make him fail high school. All of his friends had it figured out and he was getting left behind. He didn’t need his favorite teacher pointing that out to him. “I don’t know.”

Lancer let the silence hang between them for a moment, before reaching into his bag and handing Danny a sheet of paper. “Have you considered teaching?”

Danny took the paper, glancing over its contents. It was an ad for Amity Park’s Community College’s teaching program. He chuckled. “With my attendance? I don’t really think I’d be cut out for it.”

“Why not? The only things you really need are patience and compassion. And considering that you’re hanging out with Baxter now, I’d say you have plenty of both. If you really wanted, you could go for being a professor and make your own schedule. Fixes any issues with attendance, don’t you think?”

Danny glanced at the paper again. “What would I even teach? No offense, I like English and all but I don’t think I’d be any good at teaching it.”

“I have it on good authority that starting next year, the Planetarium is going to be building a new hall for the science department. They’ll probably need an astronomy teacher.”

“Astronomy?” Danny perked up, staring at the paper in his hands. Him, a teacher? His parents were inventors and his sister was on track to become a famous Yale psychologist; would they be disappointed that he didn’t choose something as grand? Or would they be more disappointed if he chose nothing at all? “I do like astronomy.”

Mr. Lancer, now done eating his sandwich, smiled and started packing up. “Just something to think about. You might not think so, but you have the potential to be great at anything you choose, Danny. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’ll see you on stage tomorrow.” Lancer waved as he walked away.

Danny safely tucked the paper away in his bag and slid back down, pulling Dash’s jacket back over his eyes. His muscles ached, his head was swimming, and his stomach was cramping. What he wouldn’t give to exist as Phantom right now to shake this pain away. Being dead had some privileges.

Astronomy teacher, huh? It did sound kind of neat. And it would mean he had a justification to go to college. It wasn’t like he was worried about being left behind physically; Sam and Tucker were both attending colleges in the area. They didn’t want to deal with the problems that came with leaving town.

Amity Park had this weird effect on people ever since it came back from the ghost zone; it didn’t like people leaving. It was possible to leave, but once you crossed the town lines, something under your skin just itched and clawed to go back. Vacations were nice mentally, but it always felt better coming back physically. Immediate relief hit as soon as you were back, days of aching sloughing off like it was never there in the first place. How Jazz had spent two years on the other side of the country was beyond him.

It was worse for him, he could leave but his ghost half squirmed under his skin, repulsed at the air anywhere else. Something about unfinished business or whatever kept him anchored there. It’s why Vlad stayed in Wisconsin. Clockwork had tried to explain it to him once a few years ago, but he hadn’t been paying as much attention as he should have. He could at most, last two weeks outside Amity Park before he drove himself crazy.

He was worried about being left behind emotionally. Once his friends were busy with college, they’d have an experience he couldn’t hope to understand without being there with them. He would be left out of jokes and conversations and study groups and parties and everything. It wouldn’t be on purpose, but it would happen and he dreaded it; he just hadn’t had the willpower to go for a general ed degree that didn’t really mean anything. It felt like a waste of time to him. But, astronomy teacher? That might not be the most horrible idea, he’d ever heard.

“Aw, look, Tucker,” Sam’s voice came from somewhere to his right, “he’s got his boyfriend’s jacket to protect him from the sun.”

“Not my boyfriend,” Danny grumbled, not quite ready to leave the safety of the darkness.

“Dude,” Tucker whispered, ignoring Sam’s jokes for once, “are you freezing the grass on purpose?”

“What?” Danny sat up entirely too fast, clutching at his head. Beneath him, the grass was frozen solid; like a crisp January morning frozen. “Shit.” He swapped places with everyone’s bags, hoping they’d be enough to hide the frost.

“What’s got you in a mood?” Sam sat next to him, passing him a plate of funnel cake.

He draped Dash’s jacket over his head, using it as a makeshift visor. “Just trying to put my insides back where they go. Nothing major.”

“Shouldn’t have tried to cheat, dude.” Tucker shrugged, digging into his sugary treat.

“I thought I had it! Not my fault gravity is stupid.”

“Ever thought of acting like a normal person and leaving your organs alone?” Sam suggested all snark and no help.

“Yeah well, normal people aren’t dead, Sam.” He said it a bit harsher than he’d meant it.

“You’re not dead, Danny.” Sam was pretty firm in her opinion that Danny wasn’t a walking corpse. He wished she’d just accept it. He could feel it in his bones. He knew what he was. He also didn’t blame her for it. But, he knew she blamed herself.

“Not yet he isn’t,” Paulina giggled sitting down next to Sam, a bowl of ramen in her hands, “but if he goes on one more ride like that he might be.”

“I’m over rides,” Danny groaned. “Where’s Dash and Kwan?”

“Kwan went to find Dash,” Tucker said absentmindedly.

“They’re over there.” Paulina pointed to the two struggling to carry food and drinks back over to the group.

“Wow, he really took advantage of winning that bet, didn’t he?” Sam sang.

“I did tell him too.” Danny took advantage of everyone eating their food to send a quick text to their group chat.

Danny: As part of my promise to consult the group on decisions, can I invite Kwan and Paulina to our graduation party?

Tucker giggled from his spot before typing a reply.

Tuck: You sure Sam will survive that?

Sam: Kwan’s actually grown on me a lot. Paulina’s fine I guess. You’re taking responsibility for them though.

“You guys having a secret conversation?” Paulina asked, drinking some of her soup.

“Sorry,” Danny gave her a small smile. “I-”

“Danny, please take this burger from me before I quite literally drop it on you,” Dash interrupted.

Danny took the plate from him and steadied him as he sat down. Kwan handed him a drink before taking his seat. “Thank you.”

“Your dollar man.” Kwan beamed.

“So, Kwan, Paulina,” Danny started, “would the two of you like to come to our graduation party next Saturday?”

“Danny Fenton inviting us to a party?” Paulina gasped. “Toto we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

“It’s not a party like you’re used to. It’ll just be us here and Val. But we’re meeting at Sam’s house to have a movie night. Interested?”

“I’m so down!” Kwan cheered.

“That sounds nice, actually.” Paulina pulled out her phone. “What’s your number so you can send me the details?”

“Paulina Sanchez asking me for my number? We’re nowhere near Kansas!” Danny typed his number into her phone.

“Hand it here,” Sam demanded, also typing her number into Paulina’s phone.

“Don’t leave me out of this.” Tucker joined.

“Wait, I want your numbers too,” Kwan pouted.

Dash leaned over and whispered into his ear as Kwan’s phone got passed around. “You didn’t have to do that. But thank you.”

“What,” Danny whispered back, “think you can hog Kwan and Paulina all to yourself now? Sam’s about ready to steal Kwan for another poetry night. You guys are stuck with us now.”

Dash smiled at him, all tension finally leaving his body. “Not a bad thing to be stuck with I guess. Eat your food before it gets cold.”

Danny felt something squirm in the pit of his stomach as he thought about how nice Dash’s smile was. It was probably just the nausea. Yeah, let’s go with that.

Dash closed his front door behind him. He was completely exhausted and probably sunburnt. They’d forgotten to put sunscreen on after they ate. He regretted that so much.

“Dash, I forgot to get some things for dinner!” His mom called, walking out of the living room. “Is it okay if I steal the van from you?”

“Yeah, sorry I was gone for so long.”

“No worries. If I’d get the truck fixed we wouldn’t have to worry about who has the car. I’ll be right back. Did you need anything special for the chicken or just the same as last time?”

“The same. Thanks, Mom.”

“Be back in a bit.” She gave him a quick hug on her way out the door.

Pookie stumbled out of his mom’s room, blinking his eyes as he rushed over to Dash. He bent down to pet the dog. “Sleepy, Pookie? Do you need to go potty?”

Pookie yipped at him and ran for the back door. Dash trailed behind, dragging his sore muscles as fast as he could. He closed the door behind Pookie and toed his shoes off, having forgotten to at the front door. He walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

There was a knock at the front door. He eyed the clock as he passed it to peer out the peephole. It was probably a door-to-door salesman this late.

It was not. Danny sat there on his porch, rocking on his feet nervously. He opened the door.

“Fenton, didn’t I just drop you off at your house like half an hour ago?”

Danny smiled at him, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot my bag in your car.” He coughed to clear his throat and pulled his other hand out from behind his back. “And I forgot to give you your jacket back.”

“Oh,” Dash gingerly took the jacket from him. He hadn’t even noticed its absence. “Um, my mom just took the car to the store, but you’re welcome to wait here for her to get back.” He stood to the side, so Danny could come in.

“Oh, okay.” Danny took his shoes off the second he was inside. “Sorry, you’re probably tired of me by now.”

“Not really.” Dash hung his jacket up, trying to ignore how he sounded. “How’d you get over here so fast?”

Danny shrugged. “I walk pretty fast. Sam says it doesn’t match my P.E. performance.”

“Huh,” Dash was too exhausted to try and do that math so he just took him at his word. Pookie scratched at the back door. “Hang on, gotta let Pookie in.”

Danny froze as he made eye contact with Pookie. The dog narrowed his eyes, drawing a growl from deep in his tiny throat.

Danny tensed.

“Pookie, calm down,” Dash commanded a bit too late. Pookie was already charging at Danny, howling and barking faster than should be physically possible for such a small dog. Danny shouted, stepping to the side as Pookie slipped on the tile and slid past him.

“Down, Pookie! Down!” Dash cried chasing after the dog. Danny was desperately trying to keep Pookie from sinking his teeth into his ankles without accidentally stepping on him. Barking and shouting rang off the walls.

Danny yelped as he slipped on the rug and went tumbling to the ground. He threw his hands up to protect his face as Pookie scrambled over him. Pookie sank his teeth into the tender flesh of Danny’s forearm. “Dash, help!” Danny cried, pushing at the dog.

Dash finally grabbed him, prying Pookie’s jaw apart and releasing Danny’s arm. “I’m so sorry,” Dash huffed, wrangling Pookie into what looked like a toddler pen in the living room. Danny cradled his wounded arm to his chest, scooting up to lean against the wall. “I swear he’s never like this! The only other time he’s been like this is with Ph-” Dash coughed, cutting himself off. “With my aunt. I promise he’s a good boy.”

“I don’t believe you,” Danny wheezed, holding his wound as blood started oozing out. He knew some animals were extremely sensitive to the dead, but this was frankly ridiculous.

“Oh god, are you okay? How bad is it?” Dash yanked Danny to his feet, making his dizziness slightly worse. Gosh, Danny was never going to want to come over again. This sucked.

Danny cursed, covering more of the wound so Dash wouldn’t look too closely and see it already healing. “I’m fine. How much damage can little Pookie do anyway?”

Dash didn’t laugh at Danny’s attempt at a joke. Instead, he dragged him over to the stools at the kitchen table and forced him to sit down. “It’s a dog bite. We need to at least disinfect it.”

“Dash, it’s fine re-”

“You’re bleeding, Danny!” Dash snapped, immediately taking a deep breath to calm his panic and grabbing the first aid kit from under the sink. “Sorry. It’s not fine! Now sit there and shut up while I fix this.”

Danny closed his mouth, fighting every urge to tell Dash he’s had worse and this was practically nothing. He glared at Pookie still barking across the hall.

Dash grabbed a cotton ball and drenched it in cleaning alcohol. He motioned for Danny’s arm and Danny reluctantly held it out for him. Dash dabbed over the puncture wounds, relieved they didn’t seem to be as deep as he first thought. “I don’t know why he jumped you like that. He’s usually so well-behaved.” Dash muttered, throwing the cotton balls away and grabbing some antibiotic ointment to dab on his skin.

“You’re really good at this, you know.” Danny switched the topic as Dash placed some gauze over the wound and then wrapped it in bandages to keep it in place.

Dash ducked his head, securing the bandages in place with medical tape. “It’s just basic first aid.”

“Still,” Danny poked at the bandages, “it looks like a professional did it.”

“My mom’s the professional.” Dash took a deep, hesitating breath, “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“Had to patch Phantom up a lot?”

Dash could tell Danny was joking, but he shrugged it off. He knew he was bringing the mood down, but it was hard to shake off the bad vibes once they tainted his memory.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. Forget I said anything.” Danny straightened his back, pulling his arm away.

Dash sat- more like collapsed- on the stool next to him. He pushed all the air out of his lungs and stared up at the ceiling for a while. He could tell Danny was tense and he gently bumped his knee to disturb the air. “Are you in a place to hear some potentially triggering shit?”

Dash knew he looked like he was about to cry as he met Danny’s eyes. He must look so pathetic. But the emotions were just welling up and he was having a hard time shoving them back down. Especially with Danny looking at him like that.

Danny nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

“I-” Dash started and stopped. He took a deep breath. He hadn’t told anyone but his therapist what he was about to tell Danny. “I-.. it got bad with my dad way before I told my mom. It was actually why I asked her to teach me first aid. So, I could hide what he was doing. It was part of the reason I started leaving you alone during sophomore year.”

Dash glanced at Danny, gauging his reaction. He couldn’t quite decipher what he found, Danny looked sad and angry at the same time. He placed a comforting hand on Dash’s knee.

Dash trudged on. “He always told me that people who were weaker or appeared weaker deserved it. When he started hitting me, I felt like I had done something to deserve it. And that’s why I hid it from my mom. And it’s why I was so angry. People don’t really look too closely at anger and it kept them from finding out I was weaker than the people I was picking on.”

Danny squeezed his knee, wanting to say something to make him feel better, but also not wanting to interrupt.

Dash looked away. “But it didn’t really do anything, did it? All I did was hurt people; my mom, you, and everyone else at school. All that anger and hiding just turned me into what I hated most.” He was crying now, voice breaking. “And it’s so, so hard to forgive myself for not understanding what I was doing. I should have seen it. How could I have not seen it?”

Danny placed his other hand on Dash’s other knee, squeezing and ducking his head to catch Dash’s eyes again. “Dash,” he spoke slowly, like Dash was something fragile about to break. Dash hated that coming from Danny. He didn’t want Danny to see him as someone who could fall apart so easily. “I’m not a therapist or anyone who has an education on how to talk you through this, but you were a kid. It wasn’t your fault that your parents weren’t the safe place they were supposed to be. Sure, you made some bad choices, but what kid hasn’t? You’ve got to let that go or life is going to be hell. We don’t hate you for it. I like being around you now. And hey, even if it was for shitty reasons, your first-aid skills have come in handy a few times, right?”

Dash sniffled, a little embarrassed at having broken down over something so simple. He rubbed the tears out of his eyes like he could erase that they were even there to begin with. “Sorry.”

Danny chuckled, shaking some of the tension from Dash’s knees. “For what?”

“I didn’t mean to unload on you like that. Ugh, I’m a mess.” Danny’s hands were still on his knees and he didn’t really know how to feel about that. But it was kind of nice, other than the fact that they were chilly as hell.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s what friends are for.”

“Dude, your hands are fucking freezing.” Dash grabbed Danny’s wrists and held his hands up to inspect them. “Are you having an allergic reaction or something?”

Danny yanked his hands away, face burning red, and dodging Dash’s raised brow. “Uh, yeah, sorry. It just kind of happens. We don’t know why.”

Dash was saved from having to respond by the front door opening. His mom walked in and Pookie started barking again. “They didn’t have any cashews! So, I got almonds.” She walked by the living room and into the kitchen, two big paper bags in her hands. “Why’s Pookie in time out?”

Dash stood and took one of the bags from her, going to set it on the counter so he could start putting it away. “It’s the strangest thing, mom. He bit Danny.”

She looked around the room and startled when she finally noticed Danny sitting on the stool. A look of shocked horror twisted across her face as she stared at him. Danny was tall and had broad shoulders that should have made him easily visible in a room, but sometimes it was like your eyes just drifted over him without his presence even registering in your brain. And when you did see him, something was horrifyingly wrong. Like he was human, but the longer you stared the longer he wasn’t. It was hard to tell what was off but it unsettled something in your bones. But it was only for a moment, once you knew it was Danny you were looking at, the feeling almost vanished. Dash could pinpoint the moment the fear left his mother.

“Hi, Mrs. Baxter,” Danny waved almost shyly, like he was apologizing for scaring her.

“Oh, hi!” His mother placed a hand on her chest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there, dear.” Then she seemed to remember just what it was Dash had said. “Pookie bit you!? Are you okay? What happened?” Her last question was directed at Dash as she dropped her bag on the counter and rushed around to look at the bandage on his arm.

“I don’t know. I just let him in from outside and he went crazy the second he saw Danny. I had to pry him off of him.”

“That’s so strange,” she muttered. She nodded at the bandages approvingly and gently grasped Danny’s hand between her own. “I’m so sorry, I promise he’s usually a very good boy.”

“So, I’ve been told.” Danny smiled at her. “It’s okay, he didn’t get me that bad. And Dash has already taken good care of me.”

She dropped his hand and sat on the stool next to him. “I’m glad. Would you like to stay for dinner so we can make it up to you?”

“Oh, uh,” Danny glanced pitifully in Dash’s direction, completely unprepared.

Dash just shrugged at him. He didn’t mind if he stayed but it was up to Danny, he didn’t want to force him into accepting his mom’s invitation out of politeness.

“That’s okay,” Danny settled, “I wouldn’t want to intrude.” He shrunk in on himself, clearly undecided and uncomfortable.

“You wouldn’t be intruding at all, dear. Dash hasn’t had any friends over in ages. He’s making his famous asparagus stuffed chicken~.” His mom was a master manipulator.

“Mom,” Dash whined, turning to wash his hands in the sink.

Danny was staring at him now, without looking uncomfortable in the slightest. He looked like he was remembering something and making a decision.

“Look at him, he’s all skin and bones!” His mother defended.

“He is not skin and bones, Mom.”

Danny’s face turned red at the comment which made Dash a little flustered. He really needed to think before speaking.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Danny smoothed.

Dash shrugged, gathering all the ingredients onto the counter. “It’s just something my therapist suggested I pick up last year. It’s not a big deal.”

“Well, for something that’s not a big deal, I already know you’re baking is amazing so your cooking must be on a whole other level.”

Dash looked up at him. “How do you know I bake?”

Danny panicked, grin dropping from his face, and he picked at the hem of his shirt. “Oh, uh, Paulina told me about it earlier at the park.”

“Paulina?” His mother questioned, giving Dash a side-eye.

“Oh, yeah.” Dash threw away the extra plastic around the vegetables, glad for the distraction. “I was going to tell you, she and Kwan apologized and we’re all friends again.” Dash looked at her, pleading with her to understand that they could talk about this later.

She seemed to understand and turned back to Danny. “Well, that settles it. If Paulina was talking up Dash’s skills, then you’ll be able to tell her if she was right or not after tonight. I’ll get started on the rice.”

Danny stood from his seat as well, hands now picking at his fingernails as they hung at his sides. “How can I help?”

His mom waved him off. “You’re a guest, Danny. Don’t worry about helping.”

Danny shuffled his feet, gaze turning to Dash. “I’d feel bad if I didn’t help with something. I mean, if you’re feeding me I shouldn’t just sit here and freeload.”

Dash chuckled at him and gestured to the sink. “You can start by washing your hands and getting a pot to boil water.”

Danny instantly relaxed and moved over to the sink, completely focused on his task.

Dash was surprised by how easy it was to have Danny in his kitchen. Usually, he hated when anyone other than his mom tried to help because they were either overbearing or it was just easier for him to complete the task without trying to explain it. The worst was when they tried to give advice or change his recipes because they did it a different way at their house.

But Danny didn’t do any of that. He was comfortable around kitchen knives so dicing wasn’t a hard task for him and if he had any, he kept his opinions to himself. He was quick to help his mom when she asked for help too. And he waited patiently for another task to be given to him, without trying to jump in where Dash didn’t want him. It was actually very nice to have his help and Dash wouldn’t mind cooking with him again.

“What’s this plate for?” Danny asked, motioning to the plate of unseasoned, fatty chicken on the edge of the counter.

“Oh, that’s for Pookie,” Dash answered, stacking the dirty cooking utensils in the dishwasher.

“Can he have some now?” Danny glanced at the dog in the living room. “Like, can I give him some? Maybe then he’ll understand that I’m not a threat and won’t attack me on sight.”

Dash handed him the plate. “Sure, just don’t lose a finger.”

“No promises.” Danny took the plate and headed into the living room.

“I like him,” his mom whispered, setting a timer on the oven and rinsing a rag to wipe the counter with. “He might be my favorite of your friends. You should bring him over more often.”

“Careful,” Dash chuckled, “he’ll get a big head if he hears you.” He leaned around the wall to check and make sure Pookie wasn’t going on the rampage again.

“Do you like him?” There was a teasing tone to his mom’s voice that he refused to acknowledge.

“Of course, he’s my friend now after all.” Dash grabbed the plates out of the cupboard and began to set the table.

“Okay, I’ll let you get away with that,” she raised her hands in defeat. “So, you and Paulina and Kwan are okay?”

“Yeah.”

“They actually apologized? You’re not just letting them back in because you miss them, right?”

Dash sighed. “Yes, mom. They felt really bad. There were tears involved.”

Dash’s mom gave him a look, like she was about to press the issue further but Danny came back into the kitchen.

“Look who’s changed his mind,” Danny chuckled, holding a very calm Pookie in one hand and a clean plate in the other.

“Glad to know Pookie can be bribed.” Dash laughed.

“We should watch an episode of The Bachelorette while the chicken’s in the oven.” His mom clapped her hands cheerily.

Danny raised an eyebrow at him.

Dash covered his face with his hands. “Mom, please. You’re ruining my street cred here.”

“What?” She looked between the two of them and then blinked like maybe she understood something. “Oh, we can watch The Bachelor while Danny’s here.”

Danny laughed, setting Pookie on the ground. “Either one is fine, Mrs. Baxter. I swing both ways.”

“Oh.” Realization dawned on her face. “Oh! Perfect!” She ushered them back into the living room. “Then you can help me convince Dash that he’s wrong about Adam.”

Dash wanted to die. He wanted to curl into a ball and combust and have his ashes swept away into the garbage disposal and buried in the Arctic where no one would even know he existed. Danny was never going to let him live this down.

Danny watched Dash say something to his mother from the side of the van. Dash had insisted on driving him home because it was so late and what if there were ghosts out?”

Dash unlocked the car and Danny slid in, immediately seeing the bag he had left in there. He clicked his seat belt into place, waving goodbye to Dash’s mom.

“Your mom is super cool.” He muttered as Dash backed out of the driveway.

“You’re not allowed to tell anyone about The Bachelorette.” Dash hissed back, no real fight in his words.

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” Danny picked at his nails, looking out the window. “And again, thank you for dinner. You’re seriously a really good cook. You should bribe people with food more often.”

Dash had his gaze fixed firmly ahead, red still dusting his cheeks. “I didn’t really bribe you. My mother kidnapped you.”

“And I’m glad she did. I wish I had half the cooking skills you do. I was getting kind of tired of french toast.” Danny had meant it as a joke, but he watched as Dash’s eyebrows furrowed. He was apparently really bad at jokes today.

“Your parents only make french toast?”

“Uh, no. I only make french toast. It’s easy and fast.” He hoped Dash would just drop it. It wasn’t a huge deal and he shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.

“They don’t cook for you? Is that some, you’re nineteen you’d better learn how to do this on your own thing?”

Danny shifted, dropping his gaze to the stereo clock. “Uh, they used to cook when I was little. But, mostly Jazz and I had to learn how to make dinner 'cause they would be down in the lab so late they’d forget what time it was.” Danny barreled ahead. “But you know, sometimes that was better than having them cook. They’re kind of bad at it. Once when I was four, they accidentally animated the Christmas turkey and it tried to kill us.”

“That-” Dash glanced at him, quickly returning his eyes to the road, “That’s really fucked up, dude.”

Danny shrugged. “Eh, it could be worse. It’s not really a big deal.” The air in the car turned heavy. Danny wanted to disappear. Even if Dash wasn’t looking at him, he could feel his attention sinking into him, and not in a way he wanted. He didn’t like when people started looking too closely at his parents. A neighbor had called CPS once and that had not gone well. Danny loved his parents despite their quirkiness and he really didn’t like when people insinuated they weren’t the best. He already knew that, but they still loved him. That was enough. It had to be.

They pulled up outside of his house. Danny felt himself hesitating to get out. He didn’t want to leave Dash on such a sour note. But, he wasn’t sure how to fix it now that he’d effectively iced him out. “See you at graduation tomorrow?”

Dash sighed, his shoulders drooping. “Yeah, though honestly I feel like I’ll wake up tomorrow and me actually making graduation will all have been some cruel joke.”

Danny released his hold on the door handle and turned sideways in his seat, facing Dash. “Me too. I thought for sure I wouldn’t graduate with my grades.” He sighed, trying to ignore the way Dash’s eyes were picking him apart.

“You, the kid who comes from a family of geniuses, were worried about not graduating?”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know. But somehow I think the genius gene ended with Jazz. I’m a C-average student at best. If it wasn’t for our study group, I might not even be that.”

“C’s are still passing and good enough for graduation though.” Dash was trying his best to be comforting. He really was.

“Fentons are supposed to get A’s. I tried, I really did. And I could do it if I just had the extra time to study. But, with all the extra help I need…” He trailed off, a familiar ache gripping his heart. “Maybe that’s why they like Jazz better. She doesn’t have to try to be a genius. She’s just cool that way.”

Dash shifted the car into park, turning to face Danny. “I’m sure that’s not-”

“It’s true. They’ve said it a few times. Sometimes I think I like Jazz better than myself so I can’t really blame them.” He met Dash’s eyes. He was fighting some internal battle over what to say. Danny went to apologize but Dash spoke before he could.

“So, would you like my therapist’s number? You might need it more than I do.”

Danny stared, mouth wide open in shock for a moment. Dash squirmed.

Danny broke down laughing, grabbing at his sides to ease the ache it brought to his muscles. He was gasping for breath between his laughs with how hard his shoulders were shaking.

Dash was staring, enraptured. He’d never seen Danny laugh so hard in his life and he thought if he blinked he’d find that he’d imagined it.

“I’m sorry,” Danny heaved, trying to regain control of himself. “I didn’t mean to just trauma dump like that.”

“It’s fine.” Dash smiled shyly. “It’s what friends are for, right?”

Danny felt really lightheaded and warm in that moment. “Right.”

Dash cleared his throat. It was getting pretty late. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Danny snapped out of whatever trance he’d worked himself into. “And at the party, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Okay,” Danny nodded, shifting back to the door. “Awesome. Thanks for the ride.” He closed the car door and waved.

Dash waved before pulling back out into the road. Danny watched him as he realized he’d forgotten to grab his bag again.

Danny chased the eel ghost through the trees. Cursing as it bobbed and weaved trying to throw him off. He almost lost it a few times.

It was fast.

It curved toward the lake suddenly, causing Danny to shoot past it. He kicked off a nearby tree so as not to lose too much momentum catching back up to it. He flew parallel to it, regaining his speed and not letting it out of his sight. God he wished Sam or Tucker were awake to help him.

They broke free of the trees just as Danny caught up. He grabbed the eel’s tail and dug his feet into the air, putting on his ghost brakes to halt its speed. It screamed at him, twisting its spine around and headbutting him away.

He crashed into the icy water of the lake, pulling at the plants in a desperate attempt to slow his descent. His lungs heaved for air he didn’t need at the moment. The cold water did feel nice against the inside of his lungs though. He flew forward, breaking out of the water and looking around for the eel.

It flicked a wall of water at him, sending him back down into the lake. Danny swam back up, wiping the water from his eyes.

“Hey, ugly! Over here!”

Danny whipped around to see Dash, of all people, running down the beach and trying to get the eel’s attention. It screeched and adjusted its trajectory straight for him.

Shit!

Danny flew as fast as he could toward the beach, heart pounding. He needed to get to Dash before the eel did. His wet hair whipped into his face, stinging. He strained his muscles to go faster.

The eel opened its gaping maw as it got close to Dash- who for some reason was now frozen and staring right at the thing he’d baited-, prepared to snap him in half the second they made contact.

Danny crashed into him, turning both of them intangible as he fell on top of Dash. The eel plowed into the sand, an enraged howl ripping from its throat. Danny scrambled to sit up, effectively pinning Dash under him, and unhooked the Fenton Thermos from the belt Sam had made him.

The eel pivoted back toward them, ready for another pass just as Danny slammed on the button and sucked it into the Thermos. He secured the cap and hooked it back into his belt before whirling on Dash. He grabbed the collar of his jacket hard in each fist.

“What in the hell were you thinking!? Do you have some sort of death wish?! What is wrong with you, putting yourself in danger like that?! What are you even doing out here this late?”

Dash blinked up at him, face completely red and eyes wide as he stammered. “Sorry, I, you, the fish, thanks!”

Danny huffed, releasing Dash’s jacket and sliding off him to collapse on the sand next to him. He glared at the sky like it was to blame for all this. “Sorry,” he muttered, “are you okay?”

Dash took a few deep breaths, trying to calm both his racing heart and the heat in his face. “Uh, yeah. Thanks for the save.”

Danny waved him off, fighting the exhaustion creeping into his bones. The last thing he needed was to transform back in front of Dash and have him find out that the hero he had a crush on and his new friend were one and the same. He’d probably freak out and never speak to him again and Danny really didn’t want that.

“Sorry, again.” Dash still hadn’t moved. “I was just trying to help.”

“I know. Sorry, for getting mad.” Danny sighed, resting his hands on his stomach. “I’d just prefer you alive over your help.”

Dash didn’t say anything. The two of them just lay there, letting themselves cool off from the attack. The sound of the water against the sand and the birds in the trees was almost enough to put Danny to sleep. If Dash wasn’t radiating an insanely anxious energy, he probably would have.

“You didn’t die, uh, again, did you?” Dash whispered, finally breaking the silence.

Danny shook his head. “No. Just tired. I think I’ve been chasing that thing for the better part of an hour.”

“No offense,” Dash heaved a huge sigh of relief, “but you sleep like the dead. I guess, you are dead so it makes sense, but I thought you were a goner.”

Danny chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t need to breathe like this. So, there’s no movement in my body for you to really see as ‘living’.”

“Right, well, it’s terrifying. You looked like a corpse that’s been frozen in the woods for a few days.”

Danny laughed. “Not going to lie, that sounds like the dream right now. Nothing like good old rigor mortis to reset your sore muscles.” He could practically hear Dash shudder. He grinned wildly at that.

“How does that even work? You’re dead but you still experience exhaustion? The other ghosts don’t seem to have that issue.”

“Tragic isn’t it? I’m not like other ghosts.” Danny giggled at his own joke. Sam would have loved that one.

“Is that why you don’t feel as scary as the other ghosts?”

Danny stretched, feeling every bone in his body crack. “What do you mean? You just said I was terrifying.”

Dash turned on his side, facing him and busying himself with drawing little shapes in the sand. “Well, yeah, you look terrifying, but you don’t feel that way. The other ghosts have this our- ou- oura-”

“Aura?”

“Yeah that, about them that just screams danger and sends your whole body into a panic and nowhere feels safe until they’re gone because you can feel their energy in the air. With some of them, it’s bigger and scary than others but it’s the same bone-chilling fear.”

Danny shifted onto his side as well, watching Dash’s face as he grimaced at the memory of the feeling he was describing. He had no idea the ghosts had that huge of an impact on people. “And you’re saying I don’t make people scared?”

“Not really. Sometimes looking at you feels wrong or off or you look scary, but you don’t have that same aura. Instead, you kind of give off this protective vibe. Once you show up, it kind of pushes the scary feeling away. It’s still there but it’s not as strong because whatever you’ve got going on is stronger.”

“Huh, I had no idea.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, usually people find me off-putting like you said. I am dead and that makes people uncomfortable, whether I just saved their lives or not.”

“Is that why the Fentons don’t like you? Because you make them uncomfortable?”

Danny drew in a deep breath, flopping back over onto his back. “They’re a bit more complicated.”

He could tell Dash was brimming with more questions. He was practically begging him for an explanation with the way he looked at him. But he stayed quiet. Maybe that’s why Danny kept going. For once, answers weren’t being demanded out of him, so he was more willing to give them.

“I think they mean well. I am a ghost and to them, all ghosts are inherently evil, so why should I be different? And their inventions are actually pretty helpful sometimes.” He pointed to the thermos still attached to his belt. “Wouldn’t be able to do my job without this, so that’s a point in their favor. But, I admit, it would be a lot easier to do my job if they worked with me instead of trying to catch me so they could rip me apart molecule by molecule.”

He sighed, sitting up and shaking the sand out of his hair. Dash followed suit.

“That’s also a part of the reason I don’t leave the ghost hunting to them and the Guys in White. To protect the ghosts from them.”

Dash’s voice was incredibly soft as he spoke. “Why do you want to protect the ghosts?”

“They’re just people who’ve died. Yeah some of them cause chaos over here, but it’s usually the ones who have unfinished business or died violently. Ember, for example, died in a house fire before she even graduated high school. Why should she deserve to be strapped to a lab table and experimented on just because she wanted people to love her?

“Death isn’t pretty or peaceful a lot of the time. It can be ugly and violent and lonely and it leaves a scar on people’s souls. It’s hard to find peace or let go of life after something like that happens. They’re not all evil, they’re just sad, angry people. We don’t even know what happens to ghosts if they disappear. No, they don’t deserve that.”

Dash sighed heavily, slumping his shoulders. “Wow, your job sucks ass.”

Danny chuckled. “Only a little. It’s not all bad. Sometimes it can be fun. And really, I’ve been able to learn so many things about how the ghostzone and ghosts work and how that affects this side of things. Pros and cons.”

They sat in silence a moment more; Dash not sure how to respond and Danny having said all he needed to. Dash stood, brushing the sand from his clothes and offering a hand. “You wanna see something cool?”

Danny, finding zero hesitation in his body, took his hand. Dash pulled him to his feet. “This way. It’s in the tide pools over there.”

Dash picked their way across the sand and over the craggy rocks at the edge of the beach with practiced ease. Danny slipped a few times and eventually just decided on flying next to Dash.

“Show-off,” Dash teased.

“Why struggle when I don’t have to? You seem like you know your way around here though.”

Dash nodded. “Yeah, I come out here when I need to think.” He slid down the small hill in front of them, catching himself at the bottom and waving Danny down.

The tide was high; the pools brimming with water and life. Dash sat down on one of the smoother rocks closer to where the lake and tide pools met. He patted the spot next to him.

Danny raised a teasing eyebrow at him. “You’re not gonna push me in are you?”

Dash jokingly rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m gonna push the guy who just saved my ass for like the twentieth time in my life into the super cold lake.”

Danny chuckled, sitting down and wishing the water was just a bit higher so he could dip his feet in. “Is this the super cool thing you wanted to show me? Tide pools?”

“It’s what’s in the tide pools. Just wait, they’ll show up in a second.”

“They?”

Dash pointed to the opening of the tide pool. Danny squinted into the darkness convinced Dash must be seeing something he wasn’t until a subtle, green glow started to creep out of the deep waters.

He watched as several glowing ghost fish made their way into the tide pools, swimming in happy little circles and occasionally jumping out of the water. Following them were lots of starfish and urchins; they crawled over the rocks and settled into the sand.

“Are those… ghosts?” Danny breathed, leaning over the edge of the rocks to see better. If they didn’t live in Amity Park, Danny would have just assumed they’d found a species of bio-luminescent fish. The living fish didn’t seem to be bothered by their presence.

“I think so,” Dash whispered. “They show up every night, swim around for a few hours, and then disappear before the sun comes up.

“Wow,” Danny leaned back, looking over at Dash. “How long have they been out here?”

Dash shrugged. “Who knows? My best friend Paulina and I found them here about a year and a half ago. But who knows how long they were showing up before that.”

“You’re not here with your friend?” Danny looked around, half expecting to see Paulina launching herself at him.

Dash shook his head. “Paulina doesn’t come out here much anymore. It’s still our spot, but she’s been busy lately.”

Danny bumped their shoulders together and very teasingly said, “You guys come here to make out?”

Dash snorted. “Oh yeah, you know how best friends are. We just make out all the time for fun.”

Danny rolled his shoulders. “It happens sometimes. I’ve kissed my best friends a few times.”

“Are you serious?”

“Hey, don’t question the validity of a fake-out make-out.”

Dash cackled. “A fake-out make-out? Really? That’s what you call it?”

“Yes, really! It’s a real thing!” Danny protested, pushing Dash’s shoulder as the other kept laughing at him.

“Okay, sure. Whatever you say, Phantom.”

They were close enough now that Danny could feel Dash’s warmth radiating into the air. He pressed closer. The cold might not affect him, but being warm was still nice sometimes. And Dash’s warmth was somehow extremely comforting. “Okay, so if you weren’t making out, what were you doing all the way out here?”

Dash cleared his throat, watching a starfish phase through a rock. “It was mostly a quiet place to complain about life and scream where no one could hear us. Or just to sit and think. Once we discovered the fish though, Paulina wanted to see if there were more like them. So, we took to adventuring in the woods.

“There’s some ghost deer up near the base of the mountain. They’re scary as fuck though, would not recommend checking them out. We also found some rabbits and a badger near the old Marlowe place. Eventually, school just got too busy and Paulina stopped coming. So, I just come here when I want some space to think.”

Danny subconsciously leaned in closer, making Dash’s heart rate spike. “I can’t believe I’ve never seen them. You’d think I’d spot a few on my patrols every once in a while. Guess, I need to start paying more attention.” He lifted his head to laugh in Dash’s direction.

“Well, you are kind of busy…” Dash trailed off as he turned to look at him too.

Danny sucked in a breath as their noses bumped together. He hadn’t realized just how close he’d gotten. Dash’s eyes reflected the water and the glowing fish, making it hard for Danny to look away from them.

Dash was pretty. How hadn’t he noticed that before? Despite his better judgment, he let his eyes wander down to Dash’s lips.

A mistake. He bit his lip, willing himself to back away and failing miserably. He was thoroughly entranced by the person in front of him and he wasn’t really upset about it. At least he wasn’t right now. Right now, he kind of wanted to be impulsive.

Dash was frozen still, red painting his face. He curled his fingers closed, nails biting into his palms. Phantom was so close and was getting closer. (He had freckles, Dash noticed. And they were glowing like tiny stars scattered on his skin.)

He desperately wanted to lean forward, but he was a coward. Something about the way Phantom was looking at him had him rooted to the spot. It was like he was really looking at him for the first time. He let out a shaky breath.

Dash’s breath ghosting across his face should have been enough to snap him out of his trance, but it wasn’t until one of the ghost fish splashed in the water did he slam back into reality. He jolted backward, scrambling over the rock. “Sorry, I wasn’t think-” He slipped on the edge of the rock and tumbled backward into the lake.

As embarrassing as it was, Danny was thankful for the cold rush of water. His mind, now clear, was racing a mile a minute and sounding every alarm bell he’d muted before. He was about to kiss Dash! As Phantom! What was wrong with him? God, he was such an idiot. What kind of consequences was he going to have to face from this? There was no way he’d be able to face Dash as Phantom again.

Maybe, he’d just stay down here til Dash went home and forgot he even existed. Then he wouldn’t have to face the consequences of his actions and they could go about their separate ways.

In fact, he’d take it a step further; he was perfectly content to spend the rest of eternity at the bottom of this lake.

A splash above him startled him. Dash was swimming down toward him. Or at least he was trying, it looked like the cold took an immediate toll on him. Danny panicked, shooting up toward him and grabbing him by the shoulders. “Are you crazy?” He warbled.

Dash’s eyes went wide and he looked like a chipmunk with the way he was holding his breath. Danny dragged him up to the surface, Dash coughing and spluttering to get air into his lungs the second he was able to; the chill of the lake making it hard as every blood vessel in his body shrunk.

“You can talk underwater?” Dash clung onto him as they treaded the water- well, Dash treaded and Danny floated, unaffected by gravity.

“I don’t need to breathe, Dash! We established this!” Danny resisted the urge to shake him. “What were you thinking jumping into a freezing cold lake?!”

“I panicked! You were under for a while and I forgot you didn’t need to breathe! I just...” Dash was shivering violently, his eyes roaming Danny’s face.

Danny sighed and scooped him up, one hand on his back and the other under his knees. “Thanks for the concern, but let’s get you out of here before you freeze to death.”

“My car’s in the parking lot. Only one there.” Dash stammered clinging on for dear life as Danny flew them up and out of the lake.

“Yeah, because everyone else is smart enough not to go swimming when the lake is under twenty degrees.”

“Har-har,” Dash muttered. He hissed as the wind blistered across his wet skin and clothes. He wanted to peel his skin off from the sensation.

Danny set Dash on the ground and overshadowed his van. He unlocked the doors and started the heater on full blast. Dash was cradling his arms to his chest when he exited the vehicle.

“I didn’t know you could overshadow cars.”

Danny shrugged, opening the car door for him. “I guess there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

Dash climbed into his car, flinching away from the air. He turned the vent streams slightly to the side. Danny leaned into the space between the door and the car.

“Are you going to make it home okay?”

Dash nodded, shaking like a leaf. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m not far from here.”

“Okay,” Danny sighed. “Um, sorry, again. I’ll, uh, see you around.” He didn’t wait for Dash to respond before he turned invisible. He waited, watching to make sure Dash was actually okay and not passing out at the wheel. Once he pulled his car out of the parking lot, Danny flew off toward his house.

Oh, he had made bad choices. How was he even going to face Dash as just Danny after this? He was a mess at talking with people once he found them pretty. Valerie said he had a staring problem.

He needed to get this ghost back to the ghost zone and wallow in his room for the next few hours. Then he could decide how much of this he was going to tell Sam and Tucker. And just how he was going to handle this.