#Valentine's Core Exchange 2024 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dp-marvel94 · 2 months

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Sweet Reconciliation

Summary:

The last thing Danny expected was Phantom showing up at his front door and dragging him out for a day at the fair. He certainly didn’t want to hang out with 'Dan', much less trust him. But finding himself enjoying a day of rides and games? Sharing quips and food and heart-felt confessions? Maybe he and Dan have more in common than Danny realized.

Word Count: 9,217

Also on AO3

Notes:

It's finally here! I'm so excited to be posting my Valentine's Core Exchange. My giftee was @strawberry-avalanche . I went for a Danny & Dan centric fic, with some fluff, bonding, and redemption. I hope you enjoy this not-so-short story of Danny and Dan enjoying a day at the fair. Happy Reading! @valentines-core-exchange

Finally, it was a perfect Saturday, Danny thought. After all the chaos of time restructuring, his ghostly alter ego becoming number one on the most wanted list again, and learning how to help the ghosts instead of just fighting them, finally the half ghost had a day to himself. There was no one to bother him. His parents were out of town at a conference, his sister on a college tour. Vlad was out of his hair, busy with his new ward, a certain (formerly?) evil alternate Phantom. Best yet, he had plans with Sam and Tucker, an all day movie binge with all the popcorn and candy he could eat. Everything was absolutely perfect.

The boy bent down in his chair, tying his shoes to leave, when an insistent knocking came at the front door.

His brow furrowed; his friends weren’t supposed to be meeting him here, were they?

Another knock came, this one more forceful.

Danny stood, calling. “I’m coming.” He hurried across the kitchen, a second later pulling the door open. “Weren’t we meeting at S-”

The boy blinked, cutting himself off in his confusion. There, on the other side of the door was… himself. Or at least, the figure looked like him. The other teen wore all black, gothic look complete with eye-liner and half a dozen ear piercings. And a familiar scowl.

With that last piece of the puzzle, the answer fell into place. “Phantom?” Danny’s mouth fell open.

“Actually, it’s Dan.” His double shrugged, still scowling.

“Dan…” The boy said slowly. Was this really happening?

The other teen, at least in appearance, didn’t acknowledge the word. Instead, his eyes flickered to the house behind. An odd look flashed in them for a second before a forcible disaffection shifted into place. “You’re not doing anything today, right? Good.”

That broke Danny out of his disbelieving stoop. He stood up straighter, eyes narrowed in distrust. “Actually, I was going to-”

A hand suddenly pulled him out the door, distracting him from his protest. “We’re going to the fair.”

Danny blinked once. “What?”

“The Fair.” Phantom said slowly, like he was stupid. “What, got cotton in your ears?”

“I heard you.” Danny pulled his hand away, arms crossing. “Why?”

The other rolled his eyes. “Vlad is driving me crazy. So I stole his credit card.” With a flash of sharp teeth, he swiped out said card. “I’m gonna eat all the disgusting greasy food I want, cheat at some carnival games, and ride the squirrel cages ‘til I throw up.”

“Have fun?” Danny’s nose scrunched; why exactly was ‘Dan’ telling him this? Not that he cared, on his one day off in months. With a head shake, he pointed back into the house. “Whatever. Knock yourself out. I’m gonna-”

“No you don’t.” Phantom grabbed his arm again. “You’re coming with me.”

The movement gave Danny pause. That hand wrapped around his bicep, the solid warmth of it… he knew that Vlad had stabilized Phantom in this timeline using a human clone of himself, making the figure in front of him a half ghost again. But actually seeing the reality in front of him was another thing entirely. And the demand… “Why?”

The only answer was another eye-roll. Instead, Phantom started pulling Danny down the sidewalk. And the boy found himself following. He could keep arguing; a large part of him wanted to. He could even easily pull away – the other halfa’s grip wasn’t all that tight– but he didn’t resist.

Instead, Danny followed his counterpart into the alley beside Fentonworks.

Hand still around his arm, familiar white rings appeared around the other’s waist. They spread, the warm light tickling Danny's skin in an eerie reflection of his own transforming light. He stiffened, watching.

His double changed, corpse blue skin replacing the human tone. Shoulder-length black hair flickered to white flames. Familiar icy blue eyes became blood red.

Danny couldn’t help but flinch, the image playing behind his eyes, if in reverse. Cords of burning ecto energy binding him. A hellish warping of his own face, looming menacingly over him. Those same white rings, enfolding the figure into a smaller mirror image. So much worse than the towering monster -the nightmare of his enemy taking his place and hurting his loved ones.

The corpse-blue reflection filled his vision again. But now… they were truly eye to eye.

Phantom, teen-sized and equally scrawny, released him. His hard expression wavered for just a moment, brow furrowed, almost… remorseful. He stepped back. After a pause…

“Well? Aren’t you going to ‘go ghost’?” The air quotes were audible, with more than a hint of derision.

And yet, Danny felt his shoulders lowered ever so slightly, the anxious tamper of his heart easing. He summoned his own rings, turning into ghost form.

The two lifted from the ground, silently flying towards the fairgrounds. Danny followed his counterpart’s lead, eyes fixed on the back of the flaming head. The other ghost didn’t turn and look, gaze fixed on their destination. And that destination…

Soon, the colorful tents and rides rose into view. Music and laughter drifted through the air. Despite his swirling nerves, Danny couldn’t help the up-turned twitch of his lips.

“Here.” Phantom said gruffly, breaking Danny from his observation. The other half ghost pointed down, landing between two trailers. With a flash of light, he turned human again.

Danny did the same. A quick text to his friends to tell them where he was instead of handing out with them, and he was following his counterpart out of the fair employees’ parking lot and to the ticket counter. Phantom, surprisingly politely, bought two tickets. They passed through the gate, a cheery older woman giving the even-faced halfa a map.

“Where to first?” Danny asked, hands in his pockets. He gave a deceptively casual shrug.

The other didn’t look up for a long moment, nose buried in the map. His brow wrinkled in contemplation, like this was the most important decision he’d ever make.

Then, he pointed. “There. I need to see the biggest pumpkin in the state.”

Danny raised a brow, but he didn’t question. Wordlessly, he followed the other half ghost through the crowds and into a large white building. They passed through the door, the crowded barn smelling musty, of straw and barnyard animals.

All the while, Phantom’s even severe expression didn’t change. Flat faced and silent, his eyes flitted over the giant pumpkins and watermelons. Slowly, he walked along the rows of painted gourds and prize-winning apples. Through the bee-keeping display. Passed the glass case holding someone’s grandma’s first place honey candy.

Straw-floored pens held bleating lambs and wide-eyed calves. These didn’t crack that disaffected scowl. Nor the tiny piglets. Not even the fluffy baby chicks.

All the while, Danny’s stomach churned with conflict. Earlier he’d flippantly thought he didn’t care what ‘Dan’ did but that was a lie. Now his muscles pulled tense, ill at ease. His mind flickered back to the fight, to throwing down the thermos. The realization of how cruel, how unfair it would be to imprison the ghost in front of him again.

And now… said ghost was watching a carton of eggs under heat lamps. Around him, small children pressed curious palms to the glass.

Danny had decided not to lock Phantom up again. He’d chosen to give ‘Dan’ a second chance. He’d agreed to Vlad’s plan to help the other ghost. And he desperately hoped, desperately wanted to believe it was for the best. But…

“Mommy! Chicky!” A little girl enthusiastically pointed at one egg sporting a tiny hole.

But… Danny certainly didn’t want to hang out with his counterpart. He remembered…. The graves, the rubble, the crazed laughter. The nightmares he’d had for months after seeing that ruined future. The twisted bodies, his own hands covered in blood, the world aflame.

And now, the author of that ruin was here. And frankly, Danny didn’t trust him. Of course he didn't. And here in public, around so many children…. The thought was making his stomach turn.

A finger gently tapped the glass of the incubator. Danny tensed, carefully eyeing the other half ghost. Power swirled in his core, ready to intervene if necessary.

“There you go.” The words were almost so low to be inaudible, spoken toward the glass, to the hatching egg.

Danny’s energy stilled even so slightly. He watched his counterpart, head tilted.

Phantom just stood there, watching. “Good job, little guy.” Something sparked in his eyes. Just the subtlest wrinkle of his brow, the twitch of his lips….

The other half ghost felt something in his loosen. Hardly even realizing it, he let out the breath he’d been holding.

Suddenly, the other’s head turned sharply. “What are you looking at?”

Just like that, the moment broke. Innocently, Danny raised his hands. “What’s next?”

Phantom huffed, eyes narrowed. He whipped out the map, studying it again. “Pig races.” He answered curtly, turning and walking away without a look back. Of course, Danny followed.

Phantom demanded they find some pig races to watch, and they did. A short walk found the two at the sawdust covered track. Metal bleachers surrounded the arena, crowded with people. Tired parents with strollers, carrying bags of cotton candy and huge stuffed animals. An old couple, the husband in a trucker hat, the wife carrying an oversized bag. A few twenty somethings, scandalously eating pork barbeque in front of the pigs.

The two half ghosts managed a seat on the end of the bench, beside a little boy wearing a tiny plastic pig nose and vibrating with excitement.

“When are the piggys gonna race, Daddy?” The child bothered his father, who patiently showed him the time again.

“One more minute.” The man ruffled his son’s hair.

Just then, the sound of a trumpet sounded. The announcer swaggered into the center. “It’s Pig Racin’ Time!” The southern accent came on long and thick. “Good morning and welcome pig racing fans to the Hogway Speedway…”

With wide spread arms and charming enthusiasm, their host masterfully engaged the crowd. He introduced the racers, hogs punnifuly named after different Nascar drivers. The trumpet sounded again, the crowd shouting the name of their section’s chosen racer. And the pigs were off.

Danny watched his counterpart much more than the sprinting pigs. Phantom’s eyes followed the track, lips pressed closed and even. The expression was strange; it wasn’t that ‘Dan’ didn’t want to be there. It was like he was unsure…

“Hamica!” The little boy sitting to Phantom’s side shouted above the crowd. “Go Hamica!” The child jumped out of his seat.

The sound swelled, the cheering and stomping shaking the benches. The little boy hopped up and down, small body carelessly slamming into Phantom in his excitement.

For just a moment, Danny’s breath caught again. Then….

“Number 10! Hamica Patrick wins!” The announcer shouted while the pigs gobbled up their prize of cheese doodles.

“Our piggy won!” The little boy clapped. “She won! Did you see?” He turned to Phantom, starry eyes blind to the halfa’s tense posture.

Wait. Why was the other half ghost tense?

The child continued. “She won! Everyone was cheering so loud and our piggy won.”

“Yeah…” Phantom finally answered quietly, giving an almost sad shrug.

With that, the boy lowered his raised hands. “You weren’t cheering.” Lips pursed seriously; maybe he was picking up on the seeming-teen’s odd mode. “You havta cheer next race. Everyone's supposed ta cheer!”

Meanwhile the boy’s father was giving apologetic looks, trying to get his son’s attention back to the race. “The duck’s are going next. Don’t you want to see?”

The boy pointed at ‘Dan’ demandingly. “You havta cheer.”

“Alright, Alright.” Phantom put up his hands and… he smiled. “I’ll cheer.”

Again, Danny felt like he was looking at an alternate reality. His counterpart was smiling. Not malicious or teasing. Nor mocking or crazed but…

“I’ll cheer. But…” That genuine smile cracked brighter. “You have to cheer even louder. So loud everyone’s eardrums bleed.”

Well… he was being a little macabre. But the little boy was laughing brightly all the same.

And Phantom kept his word. “Oinkheart! You better run!” He did cheer, as loud and enthusiastic as any other pig racing fan.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Danny’s own even lips cracked into a smile. He cheered too, just as loud as Phantom.

The pigs races finished, the host announcing the next show while selling plastic pig noses and pooping pig keychains to the parents of excitable kids. Then a quick trip to the ATM and Phantom pulled Danny towards the fair games.

“That one.” The black clad ghost’s eyes fixed on a wall of balloons. Various prizes including a five feet long stuffed shark hung from the stall.

Phantom handed over a few bills. He fingered the darts, carefully aiming with furrowed brow. He threw, the projectile sailing straight for its target. “Yes!” He cheered, only for the dart to harmlessly hit the balloon and fall.

Danny frowned suspiciously, unintentionally mirroring the other half ghost. Still both said nothing. Instead, Phantom just threw the rest of his darts. One by one, each failed to pop a balloon.

“Come on.” Danny shook his head knowingly. “Let’s try another game.” Trust that the first one they try would be rigged.

“No.” Phantom grumbled, giving the attendant a few more bills. “I’m going to get it.”

Again, the seeming-teen carefully tested the aim of the dart, fixed on his target. Then… his gaze shifted for just a second, fixing on the other half ghost. His eyes flashed red, a purposeful smirk in them. Danny's brows furrowed in question.

The dart flew through the air, again harmlessly bouncing off the balloon and falling. Except this time, a second later the rubber sphere popped with a startling bang.

Danny flinched, shocked. For just a moment, a misty person-shaped outline wavered in front of the wall, a long clawed finger outstretched toward the balloon’s carcass.

Phantom smirked, self satisfied. Then his knees buckled.

Before he could register, Danny’s arms were wrapping around his counterpart’s shoulders, stabilizing the other half ghost.

“Is he okay?” The attendant asked, eyes wide with concern.

Was Phantom okay? He frowned down at the pale, shaky figure. His stomach flopped, feeling unbalanced. What was happening?

Danny shook the unease away. “He’s fine. Just needs something to drink.”

The fair worker still looked worried, brows furrowed, but didn’t argue as Danny started pulling Phantom away.

“Wait. I won.” The other complained. “My shark.”

Danny gave him a dubious look but without a word, accepted the giant plushie from the worker. Holding the shark under one arm, he helped Phantom forward with the other. True to his excuse, he did steer them towards a truck selling lemonade. The two slid to the window, Danny handing over the money.

“I can stand by myself.” Phantom grumbled, just as the server handed over the two cups.

Unceremoniously, Danny unhanded his counterpart who ripped the shark from his grip.

For a few minutes, the two silently shuffled forward, finally finding an empty bench. They sat, drinking their drinks. Phantom wouldn’t meet his eyes, head fixed down, almost as if embarrassed.

Finally, Danny broke the tense moment. “What was that about?”

The other seeming-teen looked up tentatively, almost sheepish, before shrugging forcibly casual. “I said I wanted to win at some carnival games. Don’t give me shit about it.”

Danny shook his head. “No. You almost fainted. Because you were, what, using a duplicate to cheat at balloon darts?”

“It’s not a big deal.” ‘Dan’ made a point of looking at his fingernails. “Just over did it. Stupid… I need to be more strategic next time.”

“Or just.. Not use your powers to cheat?”

Phantom’s eyes narrowed. “I said not to give me crap.” His arms crossed, the perfect picture of a petulant teen. “It’s not like I started melting this time.”

Danny’s eyes popped wide. “That doesn’t make it any better!”

“Like you give a shit.” The other halfa sneered. “You’ve been avoiding me like the plague. I’m stuck here, shoved in this tiny, scrawny body. With all the hormones and the acne and my powers barely working. It’s like I actually am a kid again. The fruitloop keeps trying to act like he’s my dad now, making me go to therapy and shit.” His hands waved, pointing at Danny. “And you’re off, doing god knows what, playing the hero. Trying to completely forget about me.”

Danny’s mind spun, trying to process the onslaught. That last part… “Wait, that’s not-”

“This was a mistake.” Phantom stood abruptly. “I see how you keep tensing up whenever I do anything. Like I’m five seconds away from ripping everyone’s head off.” He grabbed his lemonade and stuffed shark. “I don’t know why I even bothered. I wanted to tell you, show you that I was-.” He growled, cutting himself off. “Go do what you want.” The half ghost turned, stomping off.

For a long second, Danny just stared after him, thoughts churning. The other’s figure grew farther and farther away. Then…

“Wait!” Danny’s mind clicked back into action. “Wait!” He jumped up, running after his counterpart. “Dan! Wait!”

Within seconds, he caught up. “Dan.” And wasn’t that strange, using the name the other half ghost had given him for the first time. Danny shook away the thought. “Dan. I’m… I’m sorry.”

Phantom… Dan stopped walking, giving him a dubious look. “Yeah right.”

“No, I am sorry. You showed up at my house and dragged me here because you actually want to hang out with me, right?”

Dan didn’t respond verbally, just gave the ‘you’re stupid’ look again.

Danny didn’t let that cow him, instead forcing himself to continue. “You’re… you’re right, I have been ignoring you. And that’s not fair. I can’t even imagine why you want to spend time with me but…” The flickers of hurt in Dan’s face, the tension like… he was afraid of miss-stepping. Reasons churned in his head, nebulous and indistinct but so close to focus. His guts twisted; he wasn’t ready to face this, whatever this was.

“But you do.” Danny continued. “And we’re here. So let’s buy some greasy food, ride some rides, and play more games. But no more cheating.” He pointed severely.

For just a moment, Dan’s hard expression softened, visibly letting out a breath. “Alright.” Then his eyes rolled, pointing back. “And yes more cheating.” The corner of his lip turned up. “I know for a fact you cheated at the spring carnival to get that stuffed bat for Sam.”

Danny stumbled over a response. That was true but…

“It’s not going to kill anyone.”

Again Danny felt like he was hit in the head. The understanding, almost compassionate look Dan gave him…. It somehow wasn’t a joke.

Danny couldn’t help but notice his stomach drop. Still, he rolled his own eyes. “I guess it won’t hurt.”

With that, the two went off to find more games.

“How about this one?” Danny motioned to one stall, a line of water guns set up opposite a line of moving targets.

Dan raised an appraising eyebrow. “How am I supposed to cheat at that?” He muttered.

The teen gave him a light elbow jab in response. “I’m sure you can figure it out.” His voice lowered conspiratorially. “Plus it’s Vlad’s money. Who cares how much we waste?”

Dan looked almost surprised. “You have a point.”

The pair bought two seats. They played several rounds, not winning once.

“Come on!” Danny put up his hands. “It’s like half an inch away!” The dolphin-shaped racing marker smiled down mockingly, barely failing to reach the finish line.

The fair worker shrugged helplessly. “So close but so far. I’m sure you’ll get it next time.”

Danny’s eyes narrowed. Oh yeah, next time for sure. Then again… if they gave it another go, maybe?

“I’m bored with this.” Dan interrupted his debating, pulling him off his seat by the back of his collar. “Oh. Those headphones look sweet.”

He marched up to a set of basketball hoops, set up fair behind a metal barrier. Sure enough, a pair of sleek black over-the-headphones hung from the side.

“I see you eyeing these beauties.” The host’s voice projected. “Real Beats, would you believe it? Three shots to win them. Three in a row! Are you up to the challenge?”

Dan’s eyes narrowed, wickedly smug. “Of course, I am.”

The black-clad halfa handed over the money, receiving a ball. He stood in front of the line, lining up the shot. Again, his eyes flashed ever so subtly. And he threw. The ball sailed through the air. It bounced off the backboard. Then its edge hit the hoop and it wobbled, starting to fall out.

Danny’s shoulders fell, disappointed at the near shot.

Then, impossibly, the ball wobbled the other direction, falling neatly into the hoop.

Danny’s mouth fell open. How was that possible?

The game’s host looked just as shocked for a moment. Then, schooling himself, he collected the ball. “Lucky shot.” He handed it back to Dan, who just wordlessly smirked.

The dark-clothed halfa lopped his second shot, then his third. Each landed perfectly. Suspiciously perfectly.

“That’s three for the three.” The fair worker looked somewhere between stunned and suspicious. Still, he handed the headphones over.

Dan accepted the prize with a grin. “I guess I’m just lucky.” He had the audacity to shrugged casually, the movement in sharp contrast to the smugness radiating off of him.

Danny didn’t have it in him to begrudge the other half ghost his success though. The two walked off, in search of another game.

They’d walked for about a minute, out of sight of the basketball stall and Danny couldn’t keep his surprise in anymore. “How did you do that?” He asked, almost awed.

“Just simple telekinesis.” This time, Dan’s shrug was legitimately casual.

“Telekinesis? But…”

“Wait.” The seeming-teen stopped in his tracks, seeming to pick up on the other’s stunned confusion. “You can’t do telekinesis yet? How?” He turned to look at Danny, a mirror of his own confusion. “That’s as easy as breathing. How…” He chuckled. “How don’t you have that power yet?”

“Well, excuse me.” Danny frowned, hands on his hips; he didn’t appreciate being laughed at. “Not all of us have Plasmius’ powers and expertise downloaded right into our head.”

“What? No.” Somehow, Dan sounded even more stunned. “That’s not… Even if that was how that worked…” He looked almost… queasy saying the words. “Plasmius doesn’t have telekinesis.”

“But… yes he does.” Danny tried to argue. Vlad had definitely fought him with telekinesis before. Right?

“He can’t move things with his mind.” The other half ghost shook his head vehemently. “He’s never been able to. Not even now. I’ve tried to explain it a bunch of times.” He pointed severely. “And not out of the goodness of my heart. He wouldn’t stop annoying the shit out of me about how to do it…. And Vlad can’t do it.”

Danny blinked once, twice. “And… you’re serious. You’re not messing with me?”

“Not about this.” Dan rolled his eyes. With a quick look around, they flickered red again. An aura seeped out of his hands, surrounding the newly won headphones. “This telekinesis is one hundred percent Phantom.” The prize hovered off his palm ever so slightly, bathed in green light.

The other half ghost studied the floating object. It was an impressive show, even more shocking that Vlad apparently couldn’t do it while Dan could so easily. Speaking of easily… Danny raised a brow, teasingly. “Maybe not one hundred percent Phantom. Since you’re not the only one, what with, Box Ghost, Lunch Lady, Technus-”

“Shut up.” Dan elbowed him, surprisingly gently, not a hint of malice in the words. “And I guess we’re not the only ones.”

Danny blinked once, surprised for just a moment. Then… “Oh right. I guess I’ll be able to do that at some point.”

Dan shrugged, the light around the headphones winking out as he caught them. “Want me to teach you?”

“Really?” The other half ghost asked, skeptical.

“Somehow you haven’t figured it out yet.” The other snarked back. Was he… blushing? “And how else are you supposed to cheat at fair games?”

For just a second there was the impulse to snark back; he still didn’t really want to cheat. But Dan was offering, authentically offering to teach him something. And Danny had said he was going to actually give this hanging out thing a shot

“Sure. I’d love it if you showed me how to do it.” Danny said, surprised at his own sincerity.

Dan gave a nod. “Come on then.” He pulled the teen along, searching for an at least somewhat secluded place. After nearly ten minutes of looking… “This will do.”

They wedged between two stalls, the busy sound of fair goers waiting for food and workers calling out orders at their backs. The alley smelt of roasted turkey, cotton candy, and the sour tang of throw up. The perfect place for an impromptu lesson.

“That’s going to be your target.” Dan pointed to an abandoned beer bottle. “First…”

After about ten minutes of unsuccessfully getting his younger counterpart to understand, Dan looked just about ready to pull out his hair. “No. You have to reach out. Like the power’s an extension of you.”

“Sorry, but that doesn’t make any sense.” Danny also wanted to pull out his hair.

“Okay, fine. Here. Let’s try this.” Dan grabbed his hand and-

“The fuck!” Danny just about screamed as his counterpart’s hand phased inside his. “What…” He panted, panic suddenly clawing at his throat. “Are you doing?!”

“Bad idea.” Dan was also panting, eyes blown wide. “Bad idea. Too late now.” He pinched red-flickering eyes closed. “We’re like three steps away from being the same person. I should be able to tell your core exactly what to do.”

“Okay?!” Still, Danny’s heart pounded, mind racing back. Dan’s hand, in chest. The solid gear clicking into place. Belittling laughter.

“I’m not…” Dan growled. “That’s not me anymore. I won’t hurt you.”

That was ridiculous. This was crazy. Why did he even agree to doing this? Any of this? Hanging out with Dan, learning from him? Just letting him wander around free?! Why did he trust him? He tried to trust him and this-

Like cold water rushing over him, heavy bricks falling. An immaterial wall shattered. Emotions flooded in. Pain, fear, guilt, regret. But not… not his.

Danny struggled to force his eyes open. When had he closed them?

Dan’s eyes, the same as his own, half a foot from his. They rounded, sincere, desperate. “I’m sorry. Just let me help….”

An exhale. There was a line that had been a solid wall. There was Danny and there was Dan. And Danny could see, he could feel over the line, into his counterpart’s self. The anger, the prickliness, the spite, the smugness. It was all a cover. A pathetic cover over the guilt, the fear, the regret, the pain.

A small, tentative nudge at his own core. Comfort, reassurance. He was out of practice.

Danny looked away, at his right hand. The one uncannily possessed. His stomach lurched violently. “Do whatever it is you were going to do.”

“I’m trying!” Dan grit his teeth. “Stop fighting.”

Stop fighting? How was he supposed to-

A hand wrapped around his core, not crushing but… comfortably warm. Behind his eyes…

Rain dripping down the windows, the world dark and gray. A huge, canopied bed. At his bedside, a picture of his family, the glass shattered.

“Danny?” A voice far away. “Danny?” He couldn’t will his head to lift, not after-

“Danny?” The boy blinked and he was back in that smelly alley. Fingers snapped in front of his face. “Pay attention.” Eyes focused on… Dan. Right.

Wordlessly, Danny nodded.

“Let’s get this over with.” His counterpart shook his head. His brow furrowed in concentration. And Danny felt his own core act.

Energy swirled around, flowing down to his fingertips and passed them. It stretched, ghostly fingers brushing the bottle. Then, as easy as moving his physical fingers, they wrapped around the target. The object lifted, eerily floating above the dirty ground. Gently it moved side and side of Dan’s volition. With hardly a shared thought, the black-clade half ghost gave over control. Roughly, Danny grabbed the bottle, setting it spinning in the air.

“Wow.” Danny gave a laugh. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

The other halfa rolled his eyes. “Try moving two things at once.”

The shared hand flexed, Dan guiding the movement while Danny acted. His telekinesis reached out, enwrapping a small pebble. It lifted, dipped, and spun.

At the same time, the bottle dropped. Reaching out with his other physical hand, Danny felt his power stretch. He let out a sigh of relief, catching the object.

For a few more minutes, Danny flexed his new power. His aura wrapped around handfuls of trash, the pieces bobbing in the air. They spun around the pair. First slowly, then faster and faster. Like dirty little moons circling a planet.

Slowly, a smile grew on Danny’s face. He was actually doing this! His eyes twinkled playfully, suddenly dropping all the trash.

“What? Already tired?” Dan asked.

The other half ghost didn’t dignify the question. Instead, he jerkily pulled the shark into the air. He sent it in a slow circle around them. Closer and closer, all the while humming.

“Is that the Jaws theme-”

Danny rammed the shark into his counterpart’s side.

The plush snoot had Dan bending forward dramatically. His eyes narrowed. And Danny’s smile disappeared. Maybe that had been a step too far; he was getting too comfortable. Then…

Dan rolled his eyes. “Oh, you can effectively attack me with plushies. Color me impressed.” The words came out thick with sarcasm, not the least bit amused. But underneath…

A feeling like subdued laughter brushed Danny’s core.

The smile wavered back into place. “You say that all serious but…” Just hint of a smirk. “You thought that was hilarious.”

“I did not.” Dan tried to deny. But standing side by side, core open to Danny’s prodding, he had no leg to stand on. “It’s this stupid teenage brain.” He lifted a hand pleadingly. “The meat suit thinks the dumbest things are funny. I’m…I’m a big scary grown up ghost, I swear!”

He sounded so desperate, it was almost funny. Danny struggled not to laugh. “Sure you are.”

For a moment more, Dan pouted, eyes trying to argue his point. Then… he huffed. “Fine. It was funny.”

Effortlessly, he pulled his incorporeal hand out of Danny’s. The other half ghost shivered, feeling oddly bare as the background nose of Dan’s emotions faded away.

Across from him, Dan’s arms were crossed, eyes fixed down.

Danny’s brow furrowed. What exactly was Dan’s deal? Flip flopping between emotions. He was snarking and joking one minute and then the next, clamming up and serious. He wanted to be having fun, and then admitting that he was enjoying himself the worst possible thing ever. Part of Danny was at a loss, at his wit’s end. How was he supposed to deal with this?

But another part… the glimpses he caught from the other’s core. The anger and harshness, covering all that pain and guilt and grief. That made sense. How many times had Danny himself put on a brave face while he was hurting?

There was another layer though. Uncertainty, insecurity, loneliness.

So much there and Danny had no idea where to start, what he could say to help, to make it better.

So he offered what comfort he could. “It’s okay if you thought it was funny, you know. It doesn’t mean you’re any less badass or terrifying or whatever.” He shrugged. “Plus, we’re here to have fun. Let yourself actually enjoy it.”

The other half ghost’s shoulders loosened. He looked up and… for a long moment, there was something heavy and serious in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed, chewing on the thought. Then….

“Al… alright then. Let’s go have some fun.” Dan finally said, seemingly letting the heavy words go, for now at least.

“Yeah.” Danny gave him a hearty pat on the back. “I saw one of those milk bottle toss games with a bunch of giant plushies. Wanna play that?”

“Sure.” Dan shrugged. Then pointedly. “And I expect you to use our lesson.”

“Of course.” Danny replied airly. “Can’t have you shoving your hand intangibly into me for nothing.”

“Again, I blame the teenage brain. You get forcibly de-aged and all the common sense goes out the window.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Danny waved him off. “You don’t see me complaining.”

“You haven’t been de-aged before, have you?” Dan raised a brow.

“Well no, but…” He trailed off, at a loss for a response to the seeming-teen. Or rather, just teen. The thought almost knocked him off his feet…. Dan actually was his age again, wasn’t he?

“Thought so.” The other teen snorted, ignoring the odd look. Then pointing. “There’s your milk bottle toss.” He blinked. “What the hell is that?”

Danny’s brow furrowed, just as confused at the ambiguous giant stuffed animal. “A cat? Racoon? Maybe a red panda, except… you know, green?”

Dan rubbed his chin, deadpan serious. “Ah, the famed green cacooanda. Of course.”

That earned an appreciative snort from the other half ghost. “Nice.”

Despite his earlier sarcasm and resistance, Danny fully intended to use what Dan had taught him. A few telekinesis assisted ring tosses and he was walking away from the stand with his own green cacooanda.

“I can’t believe it.” Dan said, dubious. “You actually did it.” He gave a scoff, his typical haughtiness as present as ever. But a twinkle in the corner of his eye…. Dan not-so-secretly looked proud.

More games followed. Wack-a-mole. Skee-Ball. The Shooting Gallery. Darts. Ring the Bell. Even Duck Pond and Bingo. The pair hit up every one, until all the game hosts eyed the two suspiciously, muttering about calling security, much to Dan’s amusement.

“That was satisfying.” The black-clade teen smirked, carrying his collection of cheating-won spoils. “How ya feel about getting burgers?”

“Yeah.” Danny nodded. His eyes nervously flittered over the booth, still wary of being caught cheating. But… he smiled down at his own pair of headphones and the stuffed bear he planned to give to Jazz; his stomach leapt, giddy at the thrill. Slowly, he grinned. “There’s a bunch of stalls set up by local charities and stuff near the South Gate. The food’s normally good and not that pricey.”

“Awesome.” Dan agreed with a nod.

They grabbed lunch, sitting at one of the picnic tables in front of the impromptu restaurants. Neither really talked. Not that Danny minded. That had been the pattern for most of the morning and early afternoon, conversation revolving around what game to play next, which prizes either had their eyes on.

Now, Dan chewed his burger, the corner of his lip subtly lifted. At the same time, his eyes flitted from stall to stall, drifting over the crowds of people. People watching. Just the smallest hint of awe and curiosity flickered in his eyes.

Danny watched all this, his own lips quirking slightly.

Next came the rides. After a quick discussion about what to do with their prizes – they really should have waited until after to play the games – and finding a place to phase them into the ground for later, the two hurried to the midway. So many options stretched in front of them, Dan’s eyes practically shining with excitement.

“We have to do the Gravitron first.” The black-clad teen pulled Danny through the crowds.

As they rounded the corner, the ride appeared before them. Danny could almost feel his eyes go heart-shaped. His heart picked up, airly giddy. It was shaped like a spaceship!

“Come on!” It was Danny’s turn to tug his counterpart onward.

With fastpass bracelets, the two boarded the ride. Back against the padded wall, the boy grinned as the lights started flashing and everything started spinning.

“Yeah! Woa!” People cheered and screamed as the ride rotated faster and faster.

Without even a belt to hold him in place, Danny’s back pressed against the wall, the weight of gravity overwhelming. Suddenly, the panels slid up, the lady to his right shouting in surprise. The boy’s feet rose off the floor, body held in place solely by the centrifugal force. He just shouted louder.

Far too soon, the ride slowed, the panels slotting back into place and feet returning to the floor. The spinning gradually stopped and the force of gravity lessened to its normal weight.

Danny’s ears rang slightly, balance wobbly and stomach churning; boy was he glad they hadn't pigged out on too much greasy food yet. Still, his heart pounded, a buzz with adrenaline. He grinned. “Let’s do that again!”

Ride again, they did. A second spin and then a third had Dan grinning with him, eager to try something else.

“The drop tower?” The teen pointed. And the pair was rushing off again.

The tilt-a-whirl. An upside down swinging Pirate Ship. The Round-up, the Gravitron’s almost vertically spinning cousin.

The two half ghosts took turns choosing which to ride next and excitedly pulling each other across the midway.

“What’s this one?” Danny pointed. “Music Express?”

“Looks kinda boring.” The other half ghost shrugged. “Let’s try it.”

The cars formed a circle, alternating flat and sloped sections making the track look lop-sided. The two picked a car, Dan sliding in first. Danny sat beside him, the metal bar over their laps locking them into place. Again, music started and they were off.

The circle of cars rotated, first slowly and evenly. Honestly, indeed a little boring. Then…

“What wants to go faster?!” The operator yelled into the microphone.

The riders screamed their agreement, the music speeding up. The cars spun faster. Laughter and shouts rang out; Danny’s screams joined the merry noise, caught up in the joy around him.

Then, he slammed into Dan, his shout choking. The spinning force pulled him towards the center and right into his car-mate. His hip and shoulder dug into the other teen, Dan’s own enthusiastic shouting cutting out. The black-clad teen’s mouth snapped shut, face going beat red in mortification.

“Your.. your face!” Danny burst out laughing, unable to keep the amusement in.

Dan just wordlessly shoved Danny’s face away.

The ride continued for a few more minutes, the rotation even reversing and sending the cars backwards. All the while, Danny laughed, a large part of him enjoying Dan’s discomfort.

Finally, the music slowed, movement trickling to a stop. The ride over, Danny exited first. He offered his hand to help his counterpart out.

“I guess this one’s on the no list, huh?” Danny asked, taking pity.

Dan took the offered hand. “Nah. I want to go again.”

“Oh?” The other teen blinked once, surprised.

“Yes. You’re sitting on the inside next time.” His teeth flashed mischievously.

“Guess I deserve that one.” Danny chuckled.

Sure enough, they rode again, this time Danny suffering through being crushed by his seat companion. Dan laughed somewhat evilly all the while, reveling in the discomfort just as much as Danny had earlier.

Bumper cars. Three different mini-coasters. A few turns on the Racing Slide. A surprisingly disorienting house of mirrors, followed by a ridiculously lame “haunted house.” Even the good old carousel and ferris wheel.

Conversation drifted, most trivial but some… almost serious.

The fairwheel ground to a stop, the pair hanging at the apex. “So… how does it work?” Danny asked, casually looking at his nails.

Dan gave him a suspicious look. “How does what work?”

“If you didn’t just download Vlad’s expertise…then how does it work?”

The other teen stiffened slightly, eyes fixed far away on the Amity Park skyline. “It’s mainly emotions. I mean, you and Vlad figured that out. Ghosts are made of emotions. And there’s… they’re not really memories, I guess. More like… the shape of them.” Slowly, the car started descending. “Like I watch football with Vlad… because he’s into it and won’t shut up about father-son bonding.” Dan narrowed his eyes pointedly. “And I find myself liking it.” He stuck out his tongue. “And the weird images of boring board rooms. And Maddie with long hair. It was so curly then, falling against her cheeks…” He grimaced. “Sometimes I really wish I hadn’t eaten Plasmius.”

The words were so blunt, so casual; Danny choked on air. Dan ignored his hacking. “I mean… I think I would have just faded away if I hadn’t so…” He shrugged.

Danny blinked at him. What was he supposed to say to that? A response did niggle at his mind though…and to his horror, the question slipped out. “What did he… taste like?”

“The grossest cheese ever.”

Danny and Dan enjoyed all the rides the fair had to offer, the afternoon gradually giving way to evening. The sun set, the warmth of the day becoming the chill of night. The lines grew longer, teens and young adults piling in to enjoy the bright lights and music. Still, the two were unbothered by the waits, thanks to their blessed fastpasses.

The night stretched on, every ride enjoyed to the two teens’ hearts’ content. And finally…

“The squirrel cages.” Dan spread his arms, practically beaming up at the towering mess of metal. “Saving the best for last.”

“Yes!” Danny’s stomach leapt, queasily excited.

They boarded one of the odd, apostrophe-shaped cars. The plush bench sat under them, metal bars and mesh cradling the two riders. The center, oblong frame creaked, beginning to spin. The car rose into the air, swinging.

The sound of more people being loaded onto the ride rang out below. Danny held his breath in anticipation. Any second now…

A sudden jolt of movement. Beside him, Dan gasped.

The center rotated, the cage swaying violently. Rising higher and higher in the air. Danny’s heart fluttered. They reached the top… A burst of speed and everything spun. Both boys screamed, the cage flipping end over end.

A flurry of movement, the world turning. The inky-black sky flashed into view, then the thousand glittering lights of the fair loomed below. The sky, the ground, the sky, the ground. The scene flickered. On and on.

Screams reverberated, terrified and elated. Weight shifted, the car turning and flipping. Danny’s heart pounded, his stomach in his throat.

Far too soon, the ride ended. Danny looked over at his counterpart, both’s eyes blown wide. “Go again?”

Dan nodded eagerly.

They rode again. And again. And again.

Head over heels, the world turned in flashes of light and dark. Danny’s ears rang, shouts and cheers filling his brain. His head swam. Pressed side by side with Dan, hands grasps to the bars over the door. His veins filled with more adrenaline than blood. In every molecule… terror, giddiness, elation.

The joy bubbled up, first in a smile. A grin. A shout. A laugh. The cackle burst out, unrestrained. Beside him, Dan’s guffaws rang in kind. The laughter filled his world, his mind. Dan’s laugh and his… they were the same laugh, but also so different. Chests and shoulders shook, the delight too much to hold.

The two half ghosts laughed and laughed and laughed.

They laughed until they couldn’t breathe. Until the ride stopped and both stumbled out of the car. Until Danny, one arm around the other’s shoulders, helped a green-faced, wobbling Dan past the ride operator and the line of waiting riders, and the other teen threw up on his shoes.

“Stupid clone body.” Dan complained without heat, whipping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“That’s just being human.” Danny laughed.

“Well, can my body not?” He rolled his eyes, the orbs still sparkling with mirth. “Eating and sleeping are great, really, but I could do without the ability to vomit.”

“Hey, you’re doing better than my first time. You lasted for more than one ride.” The other half ghost shrugged, the movement bringing his counterpart just the tiniest bit closer. “When we went to the fair when I was eleven, I was finally tall enough. I begged to ride. Jazz and Mom absolutely refused, the chickens. But Dad rode with me. It was the best thing ever. We flipped so many times.” His speech grew faster with his excitement. “I was so dizzy after. Stumbling around like I’d just drunk a six-pack. I wobbled up to Jazz, told her she was a chicken and missed the best ride ever and…” A snort burst forth, threatening to choke his words. “I threw up all over her! I’d eaten so much cotton candy before, it was bright blue! And little bits of popcorn and hotdogs.” Danny held his stomach with one arm. “You should have seen her face.” He giggled lost in the memory, in the lingering adrenaline rush.

Beside him, Dan shook his head in amusement. “I remember. I was there.”

“Yeah.” Danny laughed. “I guess you were… there.” He trailed off, the meaning finally hitting him. Eyes trailing over, to his counterpart’s face. Similar to his, not just because the human body was a clone, but… “I guess you were.”

Something shifted between the two, in that meeting of eyes. An unspoken understanding lingered. That heaviness that had flashed in Dan’s eyes, right after their lesson…. It leered, visible but not weighty.

“Come on.” Danny finally offered, smile gentle. “You wanted to eat a bunch of greasy food today. Think your stomach is up to it?”

“Of course.” The other flashed his teeth playfully.

The two weaved through the midway, away from crowded rides. They passed tens of food stalls, visiting at least a half dozen for all the staples. Cotton Candy, Kettle Corn, Candy Apples. They got the best ice cream from a local farm’s stand and incredible homemade pumpkin fudge. And so much fried food- a red-velvet funnel cake, corn dogs, fried pickles, bacon-wrapped fried Reeses’, and the famed, delectable fried oreos.

With their haul, they walked past the fairy-light lit garden displays, plants of all shapes and sizes swaying in the breeze. Clangs sounded from the old-fashioned blacksmith’s shop, curious onlookers’ faces lit by the fire light. A bluegrass band played on the lawn to ground-shaking stomps and cheers.

“This looks like a good spot.” Danny motioned.

They’d wandered to an empty spot on the grass, near the pond at the edge of the fairgrounds. Dan gave a nod, carefully putting down his portion of the food.

And so the two teens sat and ate. Lights flickered on the water. At their backs, music spun. Fiddle and mandolin sang, soft and slow in some kind of lullaby.

The quiet weighed but… not heavy, not oppressive. It encompassed, gentle and protective, like a blanket. Dan ate slowly, unhurried. His eyes drifted over the lake, gaze on the gentle lapping water. But his mind was elsewhere.

And Danny watched his companion. Not tense and distrusting as before but patient, ready to talk when Dan needed.

The lullaby ended to cheers. The sound petered out, the set ending. The murmurs of the crowd ebbed away.

The wind picked up, movement catching Danny’s eye. At the other side of the pond, the trees swayed. Needles and pine cones ruffled, falling to the water with tiny plops.

“Do you really think I’m terrifying?” Dan finally broke the silence.

Danny turned, eyes wide. Of all the questions to ask, he hadn’t been expecting that. “Why do you ask?” He swallowed, eyes darting away evasively.

“Earlier…you said having fun doesn’t make me any less terrifying or whatever. But that’s not…” Dan looked down, picking at his nails. “I don’t care about being scary. I don’t… I don’t wanna be like that. That’s not why… I don’t deserve… that’s not…” He stumbled over the words, finally gritting out. “Just answer the question.”

For just a second, Danny’s stomach twisted; his impulse was to lie. But… back in the alley, his core brushing Dan’s. A door opened between them. And… a door, once opened, may be walked through from either side.

He couldn’t lie, not about this.

Danny swallowed, nodding. “After I saw your future and the CAT and everything… I had so many nightmares. Mostly about you escaping.” The evil laughter, terror on his friend’s faces, Amity Park in rubble. He’d wake up sweating, heart pounding and ecto-blast in hand. Ready to defend. Now… his mouth felt dry, an odd feeling squeezing his core. “Those went on for months.”

“And then it happened.” Dan’s knees pulled his chest, eyes wide, haunted, and… guilty.

Numbly, Danny nodded. It had. He remembered; the rubble, the cries for help, the flames. He shivered. That reality had been erased. Clockwork fixed the timeline, like he had the first time. But it still happened. The monster from his nightmares returned, more powerful and dangerous than ever. And now….

His eyes focused. On the boy sitting across from him. That monster was here and… he wasn’t a monster at all.

And that was the hardest part. The Phantom as evil incarnate. As a twisted, unfeeling abomination. That was easy. But this Phantom? This oddly human reflection….

“I’m sorry.” Danny found himself saying.

Dan looked up at that, blinking at him startledly. “Why the hell are you sorry?”

In a less somber setting, he might have laughed but now, Danny just shook his head. “After the CAT, I kept telling myself that I promised I’d never be like…like you.” The odd feeling squeezed again, something like guilt. “I’d never let that happen. Because… because I promised.” His head fixed down, gnawing on his lip. “Because I was stronger. I knew better now. I was better. I was… I was different somehow. But that’s… that’s a lie.” He forced his gaze back up, focused on the wide-eyed boy in front of him. “We’re… three steps from being the same person. If things had been different…”

The rain, the bed, the shattered picture frame…. That terrible scene from Dan’s memory. It was so easy to imagine that as his reality. Losing everything, his life destroyed… A twist of fate and their places could have been swapped.

“So… I’m sorry. I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry that you lost everything and that you’re stuck here. And having to deal with being 16 again and Vlad thinking he’s your dad. And…” Danny wrung his hands. “I’m sorry that I forgot…”

After the fight, when he’d thrown down the thermos, he’d realized, he’d seen it. That Phantom was hurting, in pain. That he was still just a grieving kid. But in the months since, he’d lost sight of that. “I’m sorry that I forgot you’re a person too. I forgot who you really are.”

Dan stared at him for a long moment, brow wrinkled. His mouth opened and closed a few times. Then… “You are so stupid.” Somehow, no heat was in the words. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be saying sorry. I’m supposed to be groveling, on my knees, begging. I…I destroyed the world, Danny.” His voice started to tremble. “I killed so many people. Maimed so many ghosts. Tried to kill Valerie, my only friend, so many times. I…I tried to kill Mom and Dad.” His eyes shone, taking on a glassy sheen. “Jazz, Sam and Tucker. I tried to kill all of them twice. Twice. And…” His face paled, almost queasy. “I am horrified. I am disgusted. I… It makes me sick. I hate… I hate what I did. I hate who I was. And…” Finally, tears started falling. “I don’t deserve any… any of this. I definitely don’t deserve you saying sorry to me. You… you idiot. You’re too good for your own good. And I’m… I’m just…”

Dan stuttered to a stop, words choking as he furiously whipped at his face.

And it was Danny’s turn to stare stunned. What could he say to that? Nothing was good enough. Nothing would ever be good enough. By all accounts, Dan had done horrible things, unforgivable things. Danny had every reason to still hate and fear him. No reason at all to offer forgiveness or sympathy. But…

The empathy was there, twisting Danny’s heart into knots. Somehow, he understood. Far too well.

“Do you want a hug?” The question slipped out before Danny really considered it.

Dan, apparently completely stunned, nodded immediately.

What he’d asked hit Danny just as the response came. For a moment, he mentally berated himself; what a stupid thing to ask. Dan didn’t actually want a hug. And what was he doing trying to comfort his formerly evil, formerly older alternative self? But then again…

Danny’s resolve crumbled. He leaned over, wrapping his arms around Dan’s shoulders.

The breath-hitching sob caught Danny off guard. Dan letting his walls crumble in front of him had been unbelievable just this morning. But after the rides and games, sharing quips and food and heart-felt truths…. Now it all made sense.

The pair sat for a long time, Danny hugging his counterpart. Dan’s shoulders shook, hands balled in the back of his jacket. Tears wet his shirt. And the only sounds were his own heartbeat, Dan’s pounding right next to his. And the dark-clad teen’s soft cries.

Gradually though, the tears slowed. The sobs quieted. The shaking stopped. Breathing slowed and evened.

Taking a deep breath, Dan pulled away. “I… Sorry.” His face burned red, embarrassed. “That isn’t… I didn’t want to break down on you.”

“It’s okay.” Danny shook his head. “Maybe it didn’t go how you wanted. But this is why you wanted to hang out with me, right? To apologize, getting everything out in the open.”

The other half ghost nodded. “And show you that I’m…I’m different.” He wiped his eyes. “I’m trying to be better.”

“I can see that.” The skin around his eyes crinkled, dawning smile genuine.

And Danny meant it. In a dozen little ways today, he’d witnessed it. This Dan was a far cry from the Phantom he’d fought all those months ago.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Dan gave a watery smile.

Just then, a loud boom cut that air. Lights flashed in the sky. Fireworks above the pond.

“Look at that.” Dan’s eyes widened, voice breathlessly awed.

The two sat, side by side watching the fireworks. Sparks danced across the sky, spheres and swirls and spirals of every color.

And Danny could never have been happier he opened that door and let Dan drag him here. He didn’t know what the future held for them, where exactly his and Dan’s relationship stood; were they friends now? Family? But…

“Cotton Candy?” His counterpart offered, holding open the bag.

“Sure.” Danny nodded, taking the last handful.

There had been tears and apologies. A release of tension and fear and bitterness. New discoveries made and old similarities uncovered.

Danny tore the piece of floss in half, giving Dan back the other piece.

And most importantly, the incredible chance to start again.

Dan accepted with a nod and a smile. “Thanks. For everything.”

Reconciliation was indeed sweet.

#Danny Phantom #Valentine's Core Exchange 2024 #Dan Phantom #Dan Redemption #my fic

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creoastra · 2 months

Text

I wrote a fic for the @valentines-core-exchange event!

@nightwanderers12081 is who I made it for! They've got excellent taste in fics omg.

This fic is not beta read so I apologize for any bad pacing or grammar lolol

Past Curfew - A Phandoms Valentines Day event Danny/Valerie shipfic

That ghost- “Ah, sorry Dad, I zoned out.” That's what she gets for trying to trust a ghost. “I am studying at…”

“Danny Fenton’s house.”

“D-Danny’s house! Danny Fenton… We have a Biology project together.. I got caught up working on it so that's what I have been.. Doing….” She spun around to try and catch Phantom and question how he knew who Danny was, but she wasn’t able to catch anything because just like earlier, he was gone. She scowled into the night air, fist clenching and unclenching rapidly.

Floating invisible a few feet away from Valerie, Danny smiled to himself for being able to help her with her problem before the reality of the situation sank in. He nearly hit himself for how stupid he was for suggesting himself. She didn’t know that Danny is Phantom, and that could seriously blow his cover.

-----------------

‘Why do I even bother? There’s hardly ever any ghosts out at this time.’

Phantom groaned inwardly as he flew across Amity Park. The air was chilled with early autumn winds, but of course he still found himself out and about at night despite the cold. The stars blinked in understandment and pity. Orion bowed his head in apology as Danny raced past his school. Well, he didn’t actually bow to him, considering he was a cluster of stars after all, but Danny felt the sentiment within himself anyways.

Honestly, he had no idea why he still did this, patrolling the city. There were hardly any ghosts out at night since all of them fed on people’s attention and love and emotions. But he has happened upon a few in the past so he can’t let himself stop now. It’s also become part of his routine. He plugs in his earbuds to his shitty ipod, hums along to this playlist Sam made him, and scopes the city.

Amity Park was peaceful at night. Like he said, there were no ghosts and it was all just empty streets or the occasional cat roaming the streets. Lamp Posts were the only light to be seen, and it was rather serene. The air smelled less like car emissions and more like fall. Danny appreciated it, even though the act of being out this late directly cut into his sleep time.

Floating down onto the edge of the town’s radio tower, Danny leaned back and closed his eyes for a minute. He would often sit up here and watch the stars on more boring nights, but he was particularly tired tonight. A part of him wanted to retire early and head back home, but the core within him buzzed angrily at even the smallest thought of that. He couldn’t rest after making sure that Amity would be okay while he slept. He couldn’t let her down like that, even though his eyes begged to stay closed.

He could lay up here for a second longer though. Or at least that was what he thought until a sharp clang echoed from behind him.

Instantly he jumped up, clumsily ripping out his earbuds and shoving them into his jumpsuit’s sole pocket. Danny whipped around, shooting up into the sky to try and catch whatever made the racket, yet nothing was there.

What the hell?

With slight hesitance, he lowered himself down to the top of the radio tower again. Taking a few seconds to glance around, his hand automatically reached for his thermos. The radio tower was all steel bars from the top to the bottom, so he could see all the way through it. And now that he was closer, he could see a figure hiding down at the layer right beneath the one he stood at.

Without thinking, Danny became intangible, dropping through the bars and down to the layer below him. Instantly he was on top of the ghost that was stalking him. Pride erupted in his core as he launched both him and the ghost off of the tower. The scenery around him was practically glowing to illuminate their match of strengths. The ghost yelped and started grabbing at Danny as they fell quickly towards the ground.

A second before they crash landed, his opponent wrestled with him, easily flipping him to become underneath them with a growl. A second too late, Danny turned intangible, his back aching from the impact. He shakily pulled them both deep into the ground before soaring back up into the sky. The ghost grabbed onto Danny’s hair and ripped at it, while screaming at him.

“Phantom you horrid beast, let go of me this instant!!”

Gasping a pained breath of air, Danny took the opportunity while the ghost was focused on yanking out his hair- which really hurt by the way- to throw them against the ground. Unfortunately Danny got dragged with them, a factor he upsettingly didn’t consider, and they both went tumbling through a patch of dirt and grass.

Danny rolled through the dirt, clovers flying everywhere and his entire outfit becoming grass stained. His body skipped a few times along the ground like a rock thrown against a river before he finally came to a pained stop. His bones ached and his head got rattled around from the fall. Every fiber of him screamed at him to just lie there for a second before he hurt himself more, but there his core was, still loud as ever.

Now is your chance. Destroy that ghost for even raising a hand against you.

Power surged through him, and suddenly Danny was standing, stalking over to where his opponent- his prey- laid recovering. His nails turned claws bore outwards. They ached to carve into this feeble ghost who dared to challenge him with so little power. Just look at them laying there, glow already so weak, nearly nonexistent…

Nearly…?

“Valerie?”

At the mention of her name, Valerie, the Red Huntress, shot up and launched herself at Danny. Her mask was damaged in their fight, so her hair billowed out of the broken glass, eyes sharp and promising to stab literal daggers into her own opponent, Phantom.

Without warning, her fist collided directly with Danny’s nose, forcing him backwards with a loud yelp. Her leg then kicked outwards, intentionally tripping him back even further. Falling right onto his ass, Danny’s head hit the ground soon after with another loud collision. Pain instantly shot down his spine.

“Huntress wait-”

“How dare you attack me, Ghost! I knew you were nothing but evil, all of you.” Danny held his head in his hands, cradling it as Valerie threatened him. Most of him felt guilty for attacking a human, but the rational part of him said that it was just Valerie and she could take it, and barely counted as human at this point. Most humans aren’t half nano-bot robots or even full vigilante ghost hunters.

Danny finally opened his eyes to look up at her, just to see a Ghost blaster pointed directly at his face. With no more than a scowl, he rolled to the left, dodging her attack. Not even sparing a glance to the grass remnants that burned slightly from where she shot.

“I thought you were a ghost!” Danny shouted as he flew upwards, dodging another shot from Valerie. “You were literally stalking me earlier!”

A blast ricocheted off the radio tower in the background and barely missed Danny’s leg as it came shooting back.

“That's because you are up to no good, ghost!” Another shot was fired that promptly missed. Valerie scowled at the disadvantage she had from being on the ground. She quickly released her hoverboard and hopped onto it, now racing after Phantom. “I was trying to see what you were doing!”

“I was-” He quickly ducked under an ecto shot. “Just doing my patrols!” Danny’s legs merged together, becoming one ghost tail. He zipped past Valerie, circling around the tower climbing up in height at the same time. “I do this literally every day!”

“Therein lies the problem, Phantom.” She hissed his name with pure venom. Head shooting from side to side trying to find where he went, she stood still on the Hoverboard, flying in one spot. Blood thrummed in her ears, adrenaline and hatred pushing her to keep fighting. One hand on the trigger, she began to point it at every little movement she saw.

“You are not fit to be doing patrols. A ghost fighting other ghosts? No one knows your motives, and while you may have the rest of the town tricked, I will not believe that you are a fit ‘protector.’” She quickly whipped around, shooting right behind her, just for it to go through nothing. With a frown she lowered her blaster slightly. “It's all some act you are putting on for whatever it is that you are trying to do.”

Despite her attempt at trying to antagonize him, there came no response, just silence. A bird in a tree nearby, chirped to his children. A few grasshoppers could be heard singing together. Even her hoverboard was emitting a low hum. But no Phantom.

Now frustrated with the games he is obviously playing on her, Valerie shot angrily into the sky. Just aimlessly shooting. It helped release a bit of the anger that she held for the ghost. She was too busy destroying random clouds to notice that her hoverboard buckled slightly under the weight of another person.

A chill swept over her neck suddenly, making her hair stand on end.

The air turned stiff and sour as she finally felt the dry breath of a ghost behind her.

“V a l e r i e . . . “

Her heart raced as she found herself unable to move.

“Y o u r . . . ”

My…?

“Phone is ringing. You might want to answer that."

She was suddenly snapped out of her stupor. Spinning around, she pointed her blaster at Phantom who smiled innocently and simply pointed to her back pocket. Valerie glared at him, and with her free hand, she felt behind her just to find that her phone was indeed ringing. Now directing her glare at her phone, she nearly hit ignore until she caught the name of the caller ID.

Shit! It's her dad.

Fumbling with her phone, she clumsily dropped her blaster, which Phantom picked up to her dismay, and rushed to answer the call.

“Hey dad. Sorry I didn’t see your call sooner, I was..” Phantom caught a kick in the shin, which he inhaled sharply at. “..busy.”

See, Danny was above interrupting one of his classmates while they were on the phone with their parents. Unlucky for him, this specific classmate wanted his pelt on her wall. Still, manners come first, so he chose to float aimlessly and be vaguely distracting while she was on call.

He watched as she spoke in hushed voices to her phone. She kept shooting annoyed glares at him before worriedly turning back to her father.

“No, I know I am out past curfew- I am sorry, I-I just got caught up…”

Her voice trailed off, and Danny could tell she was being scolded by her father. She looked more defensive than he had ever seen her. It was kind of sad to watch actually. His heart panged for the girl.

“Oh- doing what? Uh- I was just…” Her words fumbled around in her mouth, unable to come up with an excuse off the top of her head. Valerie couldn’t help but look over at Phantom for any sort of help, but he was not there.

That ghost- “Ah, sorry Dad, I zoned out.” That's what she gets for trying to trust a ghost. “I am studying at…”

“Danny Fenton’s house.”

He rubbed his eyes in frustration before glancing back over at Valerie. While she seemed more confused than anything else, a bit of tension seemed to leave her shoulders. She was talking more fluidly to her dad, explaining the made up Biology project to him now that she had an idea to build off of.

Part of him wanted to stay to make sure she got everything covered with her dad. While he had no obligation to make sure she was okay, especially since her life was in danger, he still wanted to, as her friend.

Even though they weren’t friends. Not when he was like this.

“Yeah, uh.. You can pick me up at his house…”

Wait what??

Danny shot a panicked look at Valerie who was quickly powering back on her hoverboard, nodding along to the phone. “Yeah, you can come get me now, we just finished up.”

Goddamn it Valerie! He did not expect her to offer to be picked up. Doesn’t she walk home and stuff? He knows it’s late but it’s not like it’s midnight.. Yet…

He was hoping to get at least a final word in to her before he ran off, but she is already soaring up into the sky. No matter what, he can’t let her beat him home. And what is he supposed to tell Jazz?

How does he always get himself into these stupid situations?

With that final thought, he launched off ahead of her, racing back to his house.

—

How does she always get herself into these stupid situations?

That's the exact thought Valerie had as she found herself soaring through the sky above clouds heading directly to FentonWorks.

She has too many questions and she is beyond confused, but she doesn't really have the chance to answer any of them right now. She needed to get to Danny’s house before her dad got there.

While flying, she took a quick second to ponder why the hell Phantom suggested she show up to Danny’s house. Did he know Danny? Was he waiting there to surprise attack her? Or is this just an elaborate set up to get her laughed at by a cute boy from her class.

All were perfectly plausible to her and it infuriated her that she could pinpoint which reason it was. God forbid that he was trying to help her. That wasn’t how Phantom worked.

What a fool she was to trust him.

She quickly arrived at the large half-laboratory-half-house. Dropping onto the sidewalk and ducking into the alleyway closest to the building, she deactivated her Red Huntress outfit and shrunk away her hoverboard.

Working up the nerves, Valerie walked up to FentonWorks. She stared up at it before going to knock on the door before she hesitated, hand paused right before knocking.

A large part of her still screamed to run, but she knew she couldn’t afford to do that right now. She would just explain to Danny that she needed to use him as a cover, and he would understand. He skips class half of the time and she is sure he wouldn’t want his parents to know that.

A shiver washed over her and she quickly whipped around, expecting to find Phantom but there was nothing there but the night air.

God, she must be going crazy. First trusting a Ghost, now feeling things that aren't there. With a loud huff, Valerie finally knocked on the door.

The door instantaneously swung open to reveal Danny who seemed beyond out of breath.

“Ah, Danny!”

“Val-” He wheezed out, clutching his stomach. He held a hand up to ask for a second as he panted against the door frame. Valerie just watched with awkward helplessness as he caught his breath.

It took an embarrassingly long second for him to look back up to her, his face flushed. “Sorry- just uh.. Went on a run, then…. Ran down the stairs.. To…” He stared at her for a second with a vaguely confused look. “Answer the door… What are you doing here?”

“Im…. working on a group project with you apparently.” She put it bluntly, hoping he would catch on fast enough.

“But we don't have a project together?”

Of course this couldn’t have been that simple. “No, just- ugh.” Valerie nearly slapped herself in the forehead. Why was this so stupidly difficult? “Can I just come inside to explain it? My dad will be here soon.”

Danny slipped backwards into the house, holding the door open for her. Inside the house she was greeted with a living room littered with family pictures and random ghost hunting equipment tossed to the side. One photo caught her eye of who she assumed to be Danny from when he was in middle school.

He had longer hair then but seemed to be shrunk into himself. He donned a dark blue NASA hoodie and a crooked smile. The hoodie seemed too big, and the smile seemed too forced. Something about the photo shot a slight pang in Valerie’s chest. He just seemed unlike himself there.

“Ah, don't look at that one. I keep telling Mom to take it down but she insists on keeping it.”

Glancing up at Danny, she had to remark that he seemed to grow into himself over the years. She didn’t know him when he was younger, but he seemed happier now. Mostly. Right now he seemed embarrassed and a bit annoyed, but overall he didn’t seem to curl into himself as much.

It made Valerie happy that he was able to find himself.

“You had longer hair back then.” She offered with a teasing smile. He simply frowned back at her, though it didn’t seem to meet his eyes which shined brightly. “What? I like it!”

“Well you would agree with my parents then.” His hand moved to scratch the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly. There was a second of silence before he dropped his hand and turned to Valerie fully. “Soo, what is up?”

Right, back to why she was here. “You skip school a lot so I assumed you would understand that I needed a cover for my dad.” She explained, watching as he frowned again at her comment. “Don’t even pretend it’s not true. You run out of class every other period.”

“Yeah well…” He didn’t have an argument to that, but she didn’t have to point it out like that. “I have things I need to do…..”

“Oh yes, I am sure you do.” Valerie rolled her eyes. “Unlike whatever you ‘have to do’, I really was busy today. So please cover for me when my dad gets here. We were just working on a biology project together. I will do the talking so you don't have to worry about anything.”

She pushed past him and set her bag down on the couch, pulling out her phone checking to see if her dad texted her.

The room seemed to flicker slightly before another shudder washed over her. Her heart rate spiked as she quickly spun around to punch the ghost sneaking up behind her, just for her to make direct contact with Danny’s nose.

The force of the punch made Danny trip over his own feet, falling straight onto the floor with a loud yelp. Valerie gasped and quickly ran over to him.

“Danny! Oh my god I am so sorry-”

“Man, what is your problem?? I let you into my house, I cover for you, and then out of nowhere you punch me!!” He exclaimed while holding his nose in his hand. A bit of blood dripped past his fingers onto the floor.

“I really didn't mean to, I just thought you were a ghost.” She attempted to explain, but it just seemed to make him more upset.

“Oh and that justifies punching me??” He began to pull himself up off the floor, before Valerie leaned down to try and help him up but he just pushed her off of him. “Don't. We don’t need you thinking I'm a ghost again and jumping me.”

He shoved past her, heading into the kitchen. Valerie quickly followed after him, abandoning her bag on the couch. “Look, I said it was an accident. I have been on edge recently. I didn’t mean to attack you.

“On edge of what Val? What has got you so freaked out that you had to take it out on me?” The sink began running as Danny wet a napkin for his nose. The air was thick with tension on both ends. While she was trying to apologize, he just kept antagonizing her.

She really thought she liked him and now he just keeps getting on her nerves. She really didn’t mean to hurt him, but she would have sworn she felt the chill of a ghost behind her. That was something she had gotten really good at detecting recently. It is nearly never wrong so god forgive her for trusting it.

Before she could answer, Danny turned around to face her, shooting her another glare. He seemed beyond disheveled now that she was getting an even closer look at him. It all seems well hidden but he has a poorly hidden bruise on his cheek that must have been cleaned off with the napkin. It made even more guilt eat at her for hurting him when he already seemed off.

Right now he seemed to resemble the Danny she saw in the photo earlier. How did she mess it up with him that fast?

Hesitation raced through her before she pushed through it, walking up to Danny. He winced away from her, but she just took the napkin gently from his hands. As softly as she could, she leaned his head backwards a bit and held the napkin up to his nose. It was a bit of an awkward position, but she knew this helped keep the blood from spilling the best.

“I really am sorry Danny.. I took up….. Another job..” She stared down at the bloody napkin with a frown. “It has been stressful but I really wanted to help my dad however I could. He doesn't want me to so I have been having to hide it, but… it really isn't fun. It's stressful and has been wearing on me a lot and has left me paranoid I suppose.”

Danny watched her with a slight hesitation as she spoke. She was just glad he wasn’t pushing her away. “It is no excuse, but I just thought you would want to know.”

While it wasn’t the whole truth, it was the closest she has ever gotten to telling anyone. It lifted a bit of the anxiety that laid on her heart.

A moment passed between them before Danny spoke up. “I understand. I really do Val. I am sorry for lashing out at you as well.” He gently motioned her to step back as he took the napkin back. He pinched his nose for a minute before standing up straight again. His eyes softened from the glare he previously held. “It's not easy holding onto a secret that big and not being able to tell anyone, even your closest friends. I get it.”

Tossing the napkin out before grabbing another one, Danny sighed to himself quietly. Valerie just stood there as he took a second to think. “I know I am not the most ideal person to talk to, I bet. There's probably loads of people you would wanna talk to about your stuff before me, but I understand you, I really do, and I am here to listen if you ever want to talk.”

There weren’t many people Valerie would trust talking to about any of her struggles, but especially not Ghost hunting. Danny wasn’t on that list either, at least not until tonight. She has her doubts about how well he actually understands, but there was something so genuine in his eyes that she couldn’t help but trust him.

“...Okay.. Thank you Danny, I appreciate it.”

He shot her a slightly bloody thumbs up and a goofy lopsided grin. “Anytime Val.”

They held eye contact which made Valerie feel soft inside in a way she hasn’t felt in a long time. In perfect timing though, there was a knock on the door.

“Ah, I bet that was my dad, I should get going.” She explained, nodding towards the entranceway.

“Oh definitely.” Danny said, following her out back into the living room while she grabbed her bag. He beat her to the door and opened it for her. “It was nice having you over, to work on the project.” He quickly added as she left.

She just rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Of course. Thanks for having me.” Valerie waved goodbye to Danny as she walked down the steps to the street with her dad. She loaded her stuff into the front seat with her as her dad started the car.

Finally she could relax.

“What happened to his nose? It seemed busted up. Did you do that Valerie? I thought you stopped the whole ‘fighting your classmates’ thing.”

Nevermind apparently.

#Valentine's Core Exchange 2024 #danny phantom #danny fenton #valerie gray #fanfic #dp fanfic #dp fic #danny/valerie #not beta read #im not a writer so im sorry if this sucks lol #creoastra

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