The Problem With Starting An Intensive Writing Project And An Intensive Coloring Project Is Both Needing

Y'all, i forgot to grab my computer on the way to work today and now I can't work on the chapter. Which sucks cause work has been unbelievablely slow and I would have been able to get a good chunk of it done. 😮‍💨

Chapters: 8/? Fandom: Danny Phantom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence 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, Dissection, Bad Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton, lots of astrology references, Inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), horror aspects will be in here, but also cute fluff, Asexual Character, Mentions or pevious eating disorders 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.

The ghost zone was nothing like he had expected it to be. He'd thought maybe it was a mirror reflection of their world or some spooky alternate-dimension graveyard, maybe some sort of Area 51 situation. It was way brighter than that; a void of black with glowing currents of swirling green light. There were doors floating in the air- he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating them. The ground his feet landed on wasn't quite solid, more like a firm jello and he was a little worried it might open and swallow him whole. It was a rock path that twisted away into the darkness, occasionally branching off to floating islands.

Danny yanked him forward, his grip nearing painful as he dragged him up the path. He stumbled after him, his mind racing with about a million questions he was almost too hesitant to ask. Danny was walking fast, his movements stiff; he didn't want to ask anything stupid and irritate him when he was already on edge.

A pit of guilt tumbles around in Dash's stomach. It was true that he had almost no idea what he was doing when fighting ghosts- he'd had a little bit of practice the few times he'd teamed up with Danny in their earlier years of high school, but he'd been so focused on not dying that he hadn't learned much- and he was probably going to be a weak spot for Danny. But if that was what was keeping Danny focused on not throwing himself into direct danger, then so be it.

The silence and Danny's tense aura grew unbearable after only a few minutes. He took a breath and gently tugged Danny's hand to get his attention. "What are the doors for?"

Danny glanced back, stopping in his tracks. One look at Dash and he knew he needed to calm down; he looked like Valerie had her first time in the ghost zone, terrified (unlike Val, he had an underlying sense of awe shining in his eyes). He was still clinging to his backpack and Danny's hand like his life depended on it.

Danny closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. Dash was right; his anger made him abandon caution and put the people he cared about in danger. He couldn't count the many times Sam and Tucker had made that same argument with him. And here he was scaring Dash more than he needed to. It wasn't very hero-like of him. He opened his eyes to see Dash looking more visibly relaxed.

"I didn't know you could be so scary," Dash breathed, more curiosity in his voice than fear.

Panic crawled up his spine. "Scary? I thought you said I wasn't scary." Scary was treacherously close to evil; scary pushed people away. Scary was dangerous. That was the last thing he wanted.

Dash nodded a strange look on his face. "You don't feel scary. You still look scary. But whatever happened back there changed something. That was probably the most terror I've ever felt from a ghost. I mean-" Dash let the air whoosh from his lungs, a half smile on his lips- "You didn't look even remotely human for a minute and it- are you okay?"

It was hard to breathe past the lump in his throat; the ground under him was freezing, ice forming over the gaps in the rocks. Memories of his future self and his serpent tongue clawed their way through his mind. "Um, I, that's-" He let go of Dash's hand, his throat dry and tongue heavy. He gripped his hair, tugging, desperate to get his panic under control. "That's not good. I'm supposed to be human. Human is what keeps-" He choked on the rest of his sentence.

Dash reached out, gripping his shoulders and rooting him to the spot. The timbre of his voice was comforting; Danny wanted to drown in it, drown so far that his anxieties couldn't catch him. "It wasn't a bad thing, Danny. I'm glad you showed up when you did. I'm glad to have scary on my side."

Danny shook his head, denial coursing through his veins. He liked being scary and that was far worse than simply being scary. That kind of rush was something he couldn't give into, no matter what reassurances Dash could give; he knew where it led. "Yeah," he huffed. "Til it's not on your side."

Dash's hands trailed up the sides of his neck, leaving calming shivers in their wake, and came to rest on his cheeks, forcing him to look him in the eyes. Dash's eyes were so confident and… and something that Danny thought might be familiar but he couldn't place it. "Not gonna happen. With how worried you are about this, there's no way you'd let it happen. Scary isn't inherently evil. Sometimes it's hot- cool, sometimes it's cool."

Danny chuckled at Dash's slip-up, resting his forehead against his and matching his breathing until he was calm again. Maybe he was right; as long as he was checking himself and only channeling his powers in the right ways, he could stow some worry away. He rested his hands over Dash's and forced a small smile onto his face. "You think me being scary is hot?"

Dash wanted to kiss him.

He wanted to kiss him so badly.

His thoughts should have been elsewhere, like helping Danny through his panic or maybe watching for ghosts in the ghost zone. But some dumb part of him thought maybe he could kiss that stupid idea of him turning evil out of his pretty little head. He wanted to kiss him until he understood just how good he was.

But, if he was being genuinely honest with himself, he just wanted to kiss him. Plain and simple. He'd been thinking about it nonstop the last few days, the feel of Danny's lips on his; oh, how he wanted it to be real this time, for Danny to kiss him because he wanted to, because he liked him, and not because it was his only option for survival. He wanted Danny to want him; to want him despite their history, despite him being ace, despite everything. He'd never wanted anything more in his entire life. And he couldn't help thinking that if they were in a romance movie right now instead of a horror one, they'd be kissing already. And maybe, if he wasn't ace, this was the part of the horror movie where they snuck off and got killed because fooling around was more important than surviving. He kind of understood those characters right now, being in love was something worth dying for.

His eyes fell to Danny's lips- his fangs peeking out from under his grin- and resisted the urge to pull him down right then. Briefly, he thinks a younger him would have been pissed at Danny being taller, but now, well, he didn't mind having to stand on his tiptoes. "Would that be so wro-"

"Look at these two lovebirds~!" A woman's voice cooed.

Danny shoved him behind him so fast he swore he got whiplash. Danny glared at the approaching ghosts. They were riding a motorcycle and Dash was sure he recognized them; he just couldn't remember their names.

"What do you two want?" Danny spat.

"Woah, touchy!" The man, who looked more than just a little scraggly, whistled as he pulled up next to them. "What's got your undies in a twist, kid?"

"You," Danny hissed under his breath.

"Oh, you're just embarrassed to be caught making goo-goo eyes at your boyfriend in the middle of the zone." The woman teased, leaning against the man's back.

"This is hardly the middle of the zone, Kitty. What are you two up to so close to the portal?" Danny crossed his arms like a disapproving parent.

Dash remembered; Johnny and Kitty were two ghosts who'd caused a lot of trouble near the beginning of the ghost attacks. Paulina held a particular distaste for Kitty. He hadn't seen them lately, or maybe he just hadn't seen them causing trouble.

"Us?" Johnny feigned ignorance, placing a hand against his chest. "We're not up to anything, just out for a drive. Ya know, seeing the sights, stretching our legs, the like."

Dash fidgeted; these ghosts didn't give off a scary aura, but they still made him uneasy, especially the shadow twisting under their bike. He really wished Danny hadn't let go of his hand; without it, he felt like he would go toppling over the side of the path and fall eternally into the void around them. He took a small step closer to Danny, hoping the ghosts wouldn't sense his fear.

"Do you actually expect me to believe that?" Danny snorted.

Johnny rolled his eyes and slumped against the handlebars; the shadow under him seemed to mimic his exasperation. "Oh, come on, Your Highness, we were just gonna drive around the canyon a little and come right back. No trouble-making, honest."

Danny's shoulders lost some of their stiffness. "If I hear you caused even an ounce of trouble-"

"We'll be good, we promise." Kitty held her right hand up like she was swearing an oath in court.

Danny sighed. "Fine, I'll be back in two hours, you had better be back before me or-"

"Or you'll kick my ass, yeah, yeah." Johnny grinned, revving his motorcycle. "See ya later, kid!" He popped a wheelie and sped off toward the portal, Kitty waving goodbye over his shoulder.

Dash let the tension fall from his shoulders. "I thought you kept ghosts out of the human world?"

Danny shook his head and continued down the path. "Ghosts get restless and restless ghosts cause trouble. They just want to feel alive again. And those two have chilled out enough in the last few years that I trust them not to cause issues. I just hope my parents don't catch them."

Dash refrained from reaching for his hand, twisting his fingers in the straps of his backpack instead. He cleared his throat, not liking the deafening silence around them. "So, about those doors?"

Danny turned, slowing his pace to walk next to him again. "Every ghost has one, it's like their own personal afterlife, a world just for them. Most of the ghosts in the zone are content with their 'rooms' and never feel the need to leave. That's why it's so empty out here."

Dash nodded. "So, when I die, I'll get my own little door?" He thought that was kind of nice, knowing what happens after. It didn't seem as scary.

"Yup."

"Do you have a door?"

Danny liked Dash's questions. They were always genuine, no hint of disgust or distrust in them. Right now they were keeping him from going on a panic-induced rampage at Vlad's house. It also meant that Dash wasn't panicking himself. He was glad; he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle Dash's panic on top of all his whirling emotions and trying to talk his ghost half off the ledge of protective murder.

"I'm not sure. Probably, I've just never looked. I'm not really dead yet and I like it better out here. I could always ask, I guess." They were walking past one of the jungle islands. Danny kept his eyes peeled for Skulker.

"Ask who?"

"Clockwork. He's basically the god of time, he knows everything there is to know about the zone." Danny took a deep breath despite not needing it in this form. "He's also the reason I'm not evil right now."

Dash raised an eyebrow at him. "The god of time casually cherry-picked your future? And you can just ask him whatever question you want? Just like that?"

Danny smiled wryly. "Yeah, it's a long story. I can tell you all about it once we're sure Vlad isn't-"

"Danny!" Youngblood's voice shouted from the island ahead of them. He was dressed in his pirate outfit, the ship a few feet behind him. Ember, also in her pirate fit, was playing a sea shanty on the ship behind him. "Are you here to play pirates with us?"

Dash grinned at him. "You play pirates with the ghost kid?"

Danny's face burned; he resisted the urge to cover his cheeks when he noticed Dash looking at him. "Not always, sometimes it's astronauts." He turned away to shout ahead. "Not right now. I'm on a mission."

Youngblood perked up. "Like a super secret spy mission? Can I come?"

Danny shook his head. "Not this time."

"Ugh," the kid whined, throwing his pirate sword down. "Why does your stupid human boyfriend get to go and I don't?"

Dash slyly glanced at him and Danny suddenly wished the ghosts didn't like to tease him as much as they did. He'd rather explode than have to explain to Dash why they keep referring to him as his boyfriend. "Because we're going to Plasmius' place."

Youngblood's face fell, eyebrows pinching. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Hey, Dipstick!" Ember greeted, interrupting them. "Frostbite's been looking for ya."

Danny cringed at the nickname. "Thanks, we'll stop by on our way back."

She popped a bubble of gum- where she'd gotten gum, he had no idea. "Back from where?"

"He's taking his stupid, weak, fleshy boyfriend to Plasmius'." Youngblood huffed.

"Hey!" Danny snapped.

Ember eyed Dash. "Weak?"

Dash blushed but said nothing; he frowned at Youngblood.

"Do you have a death wish?" Ember continued.

"No. He's in Amity Park, we're just making sure he's not about to destroy the world again." He shuffled his feet, eyeing the path. He should just walk away.

"Like when he released Vortex to try and woo your mom away from her anniversary trip?" Ember sneered.

"Yeah, exactly that."

"Will you and your boyfriend play pirates when you come back?" Youngblood asked, picking his sword back up.

Danny stubbornly avoided Dash's eyes. "We'll see. Ember, would it kill you to stop spreading rumors?" He regretted not flying through here. Yes, he needed his arms free to protect Dash, but they could have been at the portal by now which was probably not only safer but also would have saved him a lot of embarrassment.

"Aw," Youngblood huffed. "We'll see always means no!" He skulked off to the ship, hacking a few branches down on his way.

Ember shrugged, a teasing grin on her face. "It might. Who said they were rumors though?"

Danny swallowed his nerves, staring her down. "You know they are."

A challenge flared in her eyes as she glanced at Dash, who stiffened from the sudden attention. "Are they?" She sauntered over to Dash, slowly, giving Danny time to admit that she was right. She reached a practiced hand out, trailing a single, taunting finger down his bicep. He flinched at the contact.

"Weak my ass." She slurred, her voice sultry on purpose. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

Danny crossed his arms, frowning, refusing to take her bait no matter how much it made his skin itch. Dash's eyes flicked to his, pleading.

"Um, I volunteered at one of your concerts a few years back." He took a step away from her. She circled him like a vulture, her hands all over him, the feather on her hat brushing his chin.

His blood boiled, urging him to step in and protect. He flashed his eyes at her. Just because he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of being right, didn't mean he couldn't give her a warning. Dash squirmed, trying to pry her hands off.

"Would you volunteer to do other things with these muscles?" She squeezed his arm.

Dash's face twisted up in disgust. "Um, I'm not-"

Danny stormed over, the comment enough to tip him over the edge, and wormed his way between them, aggressively removing her hands. "Okay, okay, back off!"

Ember's grin stretched across her face, triumph oozing from her fangs. "Rumors are always based in truth."

"Wouldn't your boyfriend be upset if I told him you were flirting with humans?" Danny grumbled.

Ember shrugged, already turning her back and waving. "Later, Dipstick."

Danny flipped her off, grabbed Dash's hand, and yanked him down the path. He was looking forward to taking his anger and embarrassment out on Vlad's house.

"She's pleasant," Dash mumbled. "Hey, why do all these ghosts think I'm your boyfriend?"

"Because they love to tease me, call me names, whatever they can to bother me 'cause they think it's funny. Sorry that she targeted you." Danny could see the branch off to Vlad's house up ahead.

"Names like Your Highness?" Dash bumped his shoulder playfully.

Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Johnny just knows I hate the title. But he's not the only one who teases me like that. You should hear how Technus talks to me. It's so much worse in his accent."

"The title? Like an actual title?" Dash blinked at him. "You're like a ghost king?"

Apprehension coiled tight in his muscles. He hated when people found out about this part; Tucker still hadn't let it go. "No, um, after defeating Pariah Dark I should have been crowned by right of succession or whatever. But, I didn't want that responsibility and the ghosts here have been governing themselves just fine while he was asleep. I refused the coronation and left Clockwork and the Observants in charge like they've been. But, I'm still technically the heir to the throne. They call me in to make a few decisions from time to time, but there's not much else I do."

Dash tugged his hand, a small, playful smile on his face. "Forgive me, I had no idea I was in the presence of a prince." He bowed low, dramatically, maintaining eye contact. He guided Danny's hand to his lips. "Apologies, Your Highness."

Danny's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. The air left his lungs in a whoosh as Dash pressed a kiss to the back of his knuckles. He was hallucinating, that had to be it. No way a few comments and weird behavior from some ghosts had made Dash this brave.

A nervous giggle bubbled up his throat, his entire body suddenly feeling very warm, and he jokingly shoved Dash's shoulder, untangling their fingers and cradling his hand to his chest. "Oh my god, you're worse than them! I shouldn't have told you shit!"

Dash chuckled, a pretty red painting his face. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

Danny rolled his eyes and started walking down the path again- like the faster he walked the faster he could leave these fluttery feelings behind. "C'mon, Val's going to kill me if we waste any more time."

He turned around, making sure Dash was actually following him.

A satisfied, glowing smile curled onto Dash's lips. "Don't worry, I'm right behind you."

The air in Vlad's house was still, quiet and stale. There was a single security light illuminating the lab; the machines casting long, twisting shadows across the tiled floor. The tools on the table glinted ominously in the dim light; Danny gave them a wide berth as he crept into the room, alert for danger in any form it might take. He couldn't hear much beyond the hum of electricity and Dash's breathing.

He motioned for Dash to stay near the portal as he checked behind every piece of equipment he could find.

Nothing.

He floated over to the stairwell, listening for any sign of life in the main part of the house. Only the creaking of a settling house answered him. Once he was sure it was safe, he waved Dash over to the computer. "Okay, I'll see if there are any weird experiments lying around, you check the computer. If you see anything strange or dangerous in any way, let me know immediately. Be careful."

"You too," Dash whispered back as he eased into the dusty computer chair.

Danny examined the array of experiments and tools lining the table; it almost mirrored his parents' lab and he had to wonder if Vlad came up with these on his own or if he'd stolen the blueprints from his dad. They had all worked together once, so as much as he hated to admit it, some of these were probably his own inventions. Some of the tools were crusted in a thick green substance; he kept his distance, not wanting to know if it was ectoplasm or Fenton Venom.

"Happen to know his password?" Dash whispered.

Danny groaned. "Uh, try Maddie Fenton or ILoveMaddieFenton. Anything along those lines."

Clacking noises rose from the keyboard, followed closely by a snort from Dash. "I cannot believe that worked."

"Unfortunately, I can."

They froze as a dull thump echoed from upstairs.

"What was that?" Dash hissed, standing from the chair.

Danny put a finger to his lips, creeping back over to the stairwell. Again, a dull thump, like someone closing a door.

"Stay here."

"What?" Dash jerked his head. "No, what if-"

"Dash, I'm not arguing with you. Stay here, stay hidden."

"But-"

Danny flashed his eyes at him, feeling the slightest twinge of guilt. Dash flinched, taking a step back. He narrowed his eyes and huffed at him before plopping back in the chair. He was pouting. Danny shook his head and tiptoed up the stairs, eyes and ears peeled.

The library was just as impressive as ever, almost as impressive as the cobwebs now decorating some of the shelves and corners. The computer in here was covered in a dusty, dust cover, untouched. Even the statues on the mantle had a thick layer of dust; Vlad hadn't been home in some time, odd for a man who valued his material possessions as much as he did.

The only light in here came from the moonlight shining in through the windows. He stepped into the room, raising his hand to illuminate the space. The only shadows he saw were from the bookshelves.

A small wisp of cold breath fell from his lips and he had only a moment to duck before a blast of ice slammed into the wall behind him, the shards clattering to the ground in a small symphony.

He turned invisible, getting rid of the light, and hid behind a bookshelf. His heart hammered against his ribs, he glanced at the stairs. Thankfully, it looked like Dash had listened to him and not followed him up.

Silence encompassed the room.

He couldn't tell where the blast had come from; whoever had shot it was invisible. He slunk along the shelf, peeking between the books, searching for any sign of movement. The smell of ozone and snow lingered in the air as the temperature continued to drop. Whoever they were, they were powerful; he could practically taste the electricity crackling in the air. It popped along his skin, tempting him to react with his own. But he couldn't give his position away until he was safely out of reach of the lab.

He crawled up the side of the shelf, pressing low against the lintel. He slithered over the bookcases, twisting his way through the darkness as a faint glimmer shone from the doorway across the room. The itch to pounce burned under his skin. He stilled, his ghostly tail coiling around a nearby pillar. The light bobbed, an angler fish waiting just beyond. He could play this game, send a duplicate to attack, draw them out, and-

A loud thump rang, followed by a quiet curse, at the top of the stairs.

Danny whipped his head around to see Dash leaning against the wall, holding his foot. Panic pierced his heart, his veins running cold; a spark of green ignited where the light had been.

He launched forward, his claws gouging the wood of the cases as he scrambled over them in his desperate attempt to reach Dash before the shot did.

Just this once, let him be faster than light.

He crashed into him, knocking him to the ground not even a second before the ball of electricity hit where he'd been standing. He rolled off Dash, kneeling on his knee, snarling in the direction the attack had come from. His arm was raised with a glowing attack of his own on his palm. Dash groaned in pain behind him, adding fuel to his panic and rage. He was a mere moment away from destroying everything in his path when a familiar voice echoed out of the darkness.

"Danny?"

Dash groaned, gripping his arm where the blast had grazed him. It burned, it burned like hell, every muscle in his body felt like it'd been squeezed and stabbed by a hundred needles.

God, he was an idiot. Fuck, he should have stayed in the lab. He pinched his eyes shut, rolling onto his side, and clutching his arm to his chest. Jesus, it really fucking burned. He drew in shuddering breaths, praying for the tingling to go away.

He heard Danny sigh, the tension in the room easing. He blinked his eyes open to see a figure materialize in the light; he had to do a double-take. It was a woman, she was tall, her hair was snow white, and she had glowing green eyes- she looked exactly like Danny. Well, exactly like Danny if he'd had more feminine features, like higher cheekbones and a softer jawline.

What he noticed most was the logo on her chest; it matched Danny's perfectly.

"Oh, thank fuck," Danny muttered. "Dani, I thought-"

"Yeah, me too." She glanced nervously at Dash's curled form. "Is he okay? Did I hit him?"

Danny spun around, yanking Dash up into a sitting position. It made him dizzy. "Oh, shit, are you okay? Let me see. What the fuck were you thinking?!"

"Danny, not helping." Dash let go of his arm to push Danny back. The wound was blistering red and bubbling. It was hard to breathe with the pain in his chest.

"Jesus, that smell," Danny, shaking, ignored his hand, tenderly grabbing his arm and inspecting the wound. "What part of stay hidden did you not understand?"

Dash hissed at the contact. "I got worried. I heard something shatter and you didn't come back. I thought-"

"For a reason, Dash!" Danny's voice was pitchy, tears rolling down his face. "How many times have I told you not to worry about me? God, it's like you don't trust me to protect you!"

A cold pit fell into his stomach, tears pricking his own eyes. "I do trust you! I just-" Just what? What was he thinking every time he jumped in front of a ghost for Danny? Was it him trying to be a hero? Was he trying to make up for what he'd done in the past? No, no it wasn't that; at least not entirely. "I just didn't want to be left behind. I'm not useless you know."

Danny sighed, relaxing his grip. "You are too smart to be this much of an idiot. Where's your first aid bag?"

He nodded back toward the stairs, butterflies brushing his insides at the statement. His muscles were finally starting to relax again. "By the computer."

"Okay," Danny slid an arm around his waist, effortlessly pulling him to his feet. A wave of nausea swept over him and he hooked his non-injured arm around Danny's shoulder, leaning into his strong grip. "Let's get you patched up."

Dani leaned around to look at his injury, worrying her lip. "How bad is it?"

Dash examined it as they slowly made their way downstairs. At surface level, it was barely a second-degree burn. The real issue was the shock that had run through his body. "Not too bad. I just, uh, need to make sure I'm not having a heart attack."

"Fuck, my bad dude." Dani shoved some papers off one of the tables so he could sit down. "I didn't mean to electrocute my cousin's boyfriend."

Danny ignored the comment, already digging through Dash's backpack. "What is this?"

"Vinegar."

"When would we ever need vinegar?!" Danny tossed it onto a nearby table and rummaged through more pockets.

"Hey! I have that organized!" Dash grabbed Danny's wrist and forced him to let go of whatever he was holding. "Look at me, hey, you're panicking. Slow breaths, okay, I'm not dying. It's just mild electric shock."

Danny blinked at him, a few more tears escaping his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut and did as Dash suggested, breathing slowly. His hand flexed under his grip, like he was remembering something painful.

"Okay, I'll talk you through this, alright?"

He nodded.

Dash glanced at Dani. She had righted the vinegar bottle on the table and was twisting her hands in her hoodie. "First, please hand me some Tylenol, I can't superman this shit like you can. It's in the small front pocket."

Danny nodded, unzipping the pocket and grabbing the pills. He found the water bottles in the second zipper area and unscrewed one, handing both it and the pills to Dash.

He didn't think he'd downed medication so fast in his entire life.

The air was practically buzzing with Danny's nerves, it was like they were drowning in his panic. "Danny, I can't think with you worrying over there."

Danny shook his head like he was trying to clear something from his eyes. "How am I not supposed to worry? You were literally convulsing on the ground- I- fuck."

Dani put a hand on his shoulder. "I can take over if this is too much for you."

He shook his head again. "No, no, I've got it." He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "What next?"

"Now you need to put some medical gloves on, because unlike you, bacteria will harm me."

Danny nodded, fishing a box of gloves out of the big pocket. A Sharpie fell out and clattered across the table. "What in the world would you need a Sharpie for?" He pulled his Phantom gloves off and switched them for the ones in the box. (Dash didn't know he could do that).

Dash rolled his eyes. "Stop questioning my medical bag. There's a jug of distilled water in the biggest pocket, if you could use your ice powers to cool it down, we need to slowly run cool water over the burn to, well, cool it off." He was slightly entranced by the mist and ice forming in Danny's palms, as he did just that. "And for the record, I'm just a big baby. I was just trying to shake the burn off. I wasn't convulsing."

"You just suffered an electric shock," Dani blinked at him, concern plastered on her face. "I shot you with a huge amount of amps man. You weren't being a baby."

Dash hissed, digging his nails into the table as Danny gently poured the water on his burn. "It barely grazed me. Very mild electric shock. It's not even a third-degree burn."

Danny's hands were shaking, making the water swish from side to side. A moment from Tucker's slideshow passed through his mind; Danny had been electrocuted inside the portal. He must be having flashbacks.

"Hey," he whispered, "are you okay?"

"Me?" Danny's voice warbled. "You're the one who just got himself shot. I should be asking if you're okay."

"I'm fine." Surprisingly, he was. Everything besides the burn had faded into a dull ache, the pins and needles almost completely gone. "You're shaking."

He reached his uninjured arm out and rested his hand on Danny's arm. Danny shook his head, pouring the last of the water over the burn. "I didn't think I'd make it in time. I thought-" He inhaled deeply through his nose. "Okay, what next."

Dash squeezed his arm with what he hoped was reassurance. "There's a bottle of saline in the medium pocket, we need to clean the area before we put ointment on it. There's some gauze in there to use."

Danny nodded, turning back to the bag to find the items. Dani plopped down in the computer chair. "What are you two doing here anyway?" She fiddled with some papers on the desk.

"You didn't get my text?" Danny asked, uncapping the saline.

"You texted me?" She pulled her phone out and frowned at the screen. "Val's all by herself at the Colorado house?"

Danny poured the saline over the burn and gently dabbed the excess away with the gauze, focusing intensely on his movements. "I tried to tell her not to go. I just wanted to warn her that he was around in case she bumped into him. But I guess all my friends are trying to get themselves killed tonight."

Dash flinched, a pit of guilt opening in his chest. Later, when things weren't so tense, he might ask Danny to teach him some ghost-hunting basics- just enough that he could hold his own like Sam, Tucker, and Valerie. That way he wouldn't be such a burden on him. "There's burn ointment in the small pocket, red tube."

Danny nodded, returning the saline to where it belonged.

"Okay, but if he's in Amity Park, why are you two here? In Wisconsin?" Dani twirled in the chair, kicking her feet out and watching them narrowly avoid the desk.

"I wanted to see if he had any evil plans lying around. He said my dad invited him to visit, but I haven't heard anything about it from either of my parents." Danny grabbed new gauze and burn cream. "Usually my mom tells me so I can avoid him. So, I thought I'd see what I could find while he was away. What about you?"

Dani turned to the computer, clicking the email icon. "Same thing, scouring for evil plans. Pandora sent me. Said he was skulking around her place a few days ago and wanted to know what he was up to."

"Did he take anything?" Danny applied the burn cream to the gauze and then gently- like he was afraid to touch him- pressed it over the wound, going back for bandages to secure it.

"No, just being his usual creepy, suspicious self." She opened an email and cringed. "Your mom ever answer his creepy poetry?"

"Uh, I didn't know she was getting creepy poetry." Danny wrapped the bandages around his arm, firm but not tight. And he said Dash was the professional. He wished he'd look him in the eyes.

"How creepy is it?" Dash asked, hoping to dispel some of the building tension.

Dani glanced over at him. "Disgustingly creepy. I'm Dani, with an 'i', by the way, Danny's cousin. Nice to meet you." She held out a hand.

Dash shook it with his uninjured arm. "Dash."

She grinned, raising her eyebrow. "Oh, as in Baxter?"

"You know about me?" He swallowed his nerves, glancing at Danny.

She shrugged. "I didn't know you'd moved into boyfriend status. Last Danny told me he'd been-"

"Aren't you looking for evil plots over there?" Danny sniped, face glowing green. Dash was enamored with the way he blushed in Phantom form; he wanted to tease him all the time just to see it. It made his freckles look like tiny stars in a small galaxy.

She huffed, spinning back around to the computer. "Not my fault you don't update me on these things."

"Oh, and where have you been the last few weeks? You haven't answered a single text, it's not like I could have told you anything even if something was happening." Danny finished securing the bandage and started putting everything back where Dash had had it.

"I didn't have signal. I was rock hunting on Saturn." She opened an email and skimmed through it.

"You were on Saturn?" Dash squeaked. "How's that possible?"

"Ghosts are dead big guy." She laughed. "You don't need to worry about the effects of space on a dead body."

Dash glanced at Danny for confirmation. He shrugged. "It's true. I've been in space a few times."

"Let me guess," Dash sighed, "it's a long story."

Danny had the decency to look apologetic.

"Hey, check these out," Dani called, highlighting an email. "He's writing to the G.I.W. about something called 'Fenton Venom'. Know anything about that?"

"Yeah," Danny answered, moving to look over her shoulder. "Pandora didn't give you an antidote for it?"

"Oh, she might have. I kind of stopped paying attention after 'go kick Vlad's ass'." She clicked the forward button, typing in her and Danny's emails. She went to the outbound box and deleted the history of it.

"What's he saying about it?" Danny rolled his eyes. His phone chimed and he opened it.

"He's trying to sell it to them. It didn't say what he'd get back in that email, but there's a whole chain to look through." Dani clicked back out of everything, leaving the computer the way she'd found it.

"What in the world could he get by working with the G.I.W?"

Dani shrugged. "Who knows? It's not like he's ever been the most sane person. It might be some crackpot plan that he won't follow through on."

"Let's hope so," Danny said, typing a response on his phone. "Valerie just got to Colorado,"

"I'll go give her some backup." Dani hopped out of the chair.

"I should go with-"

Dani shook her head. "I think you should get you and your 'friend' home to rest. We can handle it."

"But-"

"We can handle it, Danny. But call me later? I do want to tell you about Saturn." She smiled at him.

Danny forced the air from his lungs, debating on arguing with her. He glanced at Dash, then at the stairs. "Yeah, okay. If anything happens, you'll let me know?"

Dani rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Yes, Dad, I'll let you know when the big kids start doing drugs and you need to come pick me up."

"I just worry, I mean, it's Vlad-"

"I know." Dani sighed. "But we can kick ass too, okay? You're not the only one who needs to worry about him."

"Okay, I'll text you guys in an hour to make sure you're okay." Danny offered Dash a hand.

He took it and pushed himself off the table, letting go to grab his backpack.

"Make it two." Dani grinned. "Now let's get out of this creepy place."

Somehow, the ghost zone was not as creepy as Vlad's house; Dash found it a much better place to be in. He fought the urge to slip his hand into Danny's; he wasn't scared, he just liked holding his hand. He followed Danny back up the path, his feet already used to the unstable rock ground. Danny was quiet like his mind was elsewhere. Dash cleared his throat. "Didn't you want to visit someone on the way back?"

Danny stopped and looked at an island not far in the distance. He shook his head. "No, I can come back later. It's best just to get you home. I shouldn't have brought you in the first place."

Dash crossed his arms, squaring his shoulders. "Well, that's not fair. Sam and Tucker get to come here all the time. And don't give me that crap about them having more experience." He added as Danny opened his mouth to argue. "They didn't have experience at one point. How am I supposed to learn if you leave me behind all the time?"

Danny's eyes fell to the bandage on his arm. "You don't have to get experience. You don't have to get involved."

Dash scoffed. "I'm already involved. I want to be involved. I'm here to help, so let me help." He gently wrapped his hand around the bandage, hiding it. "Danny, please. I'll be okay."

Danny ran his fingers through his hair, biting his lip (things Dash had wanted to do all week). "Okay, yeah, you're right. But we're taking the shortcut. No more risks tonight."

"What shortcut-" He was cut off as Danny picked him up, cradling him against his chest, and took off flying. It was crazy to him how second nature wrapping his arms around Danny's shoulders had become. Maybe he could get used to being a princess- it wasn't a bad gig.

Danny was quiet again. Dash didn't like when Danny was quiet. "Are you okay?"

Danny shook his head. "Not really. This is probably going to give me nightmares for weeks."

Dash sighed, awkwardly patting his back where his hand rested. "I'm sorry. I just thought you might need help."

"You have helped in the past." Danny sighed, his words almost lost in the wind. "You're right. I should trust you more. I'm sorry." He set them down on an island full of snow and ice. He seemed to relax when the temperature seeped into his bones. Dash reluctantly pulled his arms back to his side when his feet were on the ground- god, he regretted not switching his sandals out for real shoes.

"Don't be," Dash muttered. "We've both learned some things today."

"Yeah," Danny shook his head, seemingly shaking any sad emotions off as well. He looked back up at Dash, a small forced grin on his face. "Do you wanna see something cool?"

Dash's heart skipped a beat, memories flashing back to the beach. He shoved his feelings down and nodded. "Hell yeah."

Danny grabbed his hand and led him into the snowy desert. He had to admit, he liked how easy this was for them now, how easily their hands found each other, how well they fit together. Paulina was right; he could hear her in the back of his mind, screaming at him to just say it. His therapist would tell him to be brave, to trust his intuition. Dash was many things, brave was rarely one of them. But, he wanted to be. God, he wanted to be brave.

"Through here," Danny said, pulling him from his thoughts. He led the way under a bunch of frozen, hanging vines, letting go of his hand to hold them out of the way for him.

Dash ducked under and gasped as he stepped into a small, snow-covered grove. It was beautiful; a frozen waterfall fell into what had once been a crystal-clear lake but was now a pool of ice. The trees hiding the grove were weeping willows, their branches hanging down like crystal wind chimes, clinking together when they moved. The green light of the zone bounced off the glittery snow and gave the whole place an ethereal, spooky glow.

"Pretty, right?" Danny smiled. "It's my favorite place in the whole zone."

Dash shrugged his backpack off, dropping it on the ground by the entrance. "Yeah, it's beautiful. Are those-?" Dash waited til Danny turned to look at what he was pointing at before kneeling down and gathering some snow in his hands.

"Ghost squirrels? Yeah. I have no idea why they have three eyes. I think they're-" There was a sharp smack as the snowball hit Danny in the face. He spluttered, wiping the snow from his brow with the most offended look.

Dash couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up his throat. He'd never seen such a look of betrayal on Danny's face. His mirth was short-lived as Danny retaliated with a snowball of his own. It hit Dash's chin, the excess snow falling down his shirt. He yelped as Danny cackled at him. He dove for the ground, making another one. "Oh, it is on, Fenton!"

"You started it!" Danny laughed, ducking behind a nearby tree.

Dash crept around the other side, snowball at the ready. He pounced behind the tree, snowball raised, but Danny wasn't there. He took a chance and threw the snowball where his footprints ended, unsurprised when it fell unobstructed to the ground.

A tree branch moved above him, the glob of snow it carried falling on him. He shrieked shaking it off. A laugh echoed above him, bouncing off the icicles, sounding like a hymn in a church. Dash grinned. "That's cheating! Get out here where I can see you!"

"It's not cheating! I'm using my natural abilities." Danny giggled from somewhere nearby. Dash turned, trying to track him down. "Boo!"

Dash whipped around, shoving a snowball where he thought Danny's face was. Danny turned visible, shaking his head to clear the snow from his eyes.

"Ha! Gotcha!" He took his chance to run while Danny was distracted, ducking behind a different tree; he grabbed a low-hanging branch and pulled himself up, his arm aching a little where the injury was. Two could play this game. He gathered the snow on the branch into a small pile and waited.

A snowball smacked into the trunk where he would have been hiding. Danny appeared below him, a confused tilt to his head. Dash dropped the snow on him, barely keeping his laughter from giving him away. Danny stared up at him, his mouth hanging open, eyes wide in shock, snow dusting his eyelashes.

Dash shrugged smugly. "Natural abilities."

Danny quirked an eyebrow at him, a teasing smile replacing the shocked look. He leaned against the tree, arms crossed. "Right, I forget you're actually ripped. What other natural abilities do you have?"

Fuck, he had to be flirting with him, right? A comfortable heat made its home on his face and in his chest. What did that even mean? How did he flirt back?

The tree under him disappeared and he screamed as he suddenly found himself falling the small distance to the ground. The thick layers of snow cushioned his fall. He propped himself up on his elbows, playfully glaring at Danny who was laughing by his feet. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of the sound of Danny's laugh.

"Not many I guess."

He wanted to frame this moment, Danny laughing against the backdrop of the frozen, glowing trees; he was beautiful, even if he was making fun of him. He pushed himself up, grabbed onto Danny's belt, and yanked him down, wrestling him into the snow. Danny yelped and pushed back, the two of them rolling around, trying to win whatever contest they'd started.

Danny managed to get his hands on Dash's shoulders and effortlessly pushed him back, pinning his hands to his sides. The thought occurred to him that Danny could throw him across this clearing without batting an eye; and it should not have been as attractive as it was.

"Not fair," He huffed, leaning his head back into the snow to catch his breath. He did his best to ignore how close they were, not wanting to get his hopes up a third time. "You've got crazy ghost strength."

Danny's smile was blinding as he leaned down, so close they were bumping noses. "Maybe you're just out of practice."

"Maybe you're just cheating." If Dash's hands had been free, he would have reached up and tugged Danny down to him and kissed him right then because he couldn't take it anymore; his thoughts a single sentence on repeat.

Please, kiss me.

Danny's eyes drifted down to his lips.

Dash's insides squirmed, nerves lighting on fire.

"Dash," Danny breathed, "there's something I want to tell you."

Dash's air escaped from his lungs, it was hard to breathe past the emotions in his throat. "Yeah?"

Danny's hands flexed where they were pinning his arms down. "There's- there's a reason I was freaking out so bad about you getting hurt. And I- it's because I-"

"Great one! I finally found you!" A voice Dash hadn't heard before boomed.

Danny lept away from him, turning invisible in the process. (Dash found Danny turning invisible when he was embarrassed to be the most endearing thing he'd learned about him and his ghost half). Dash sat up, heart beating out of his chest as he gazed up at a huge, furry beast. It stood about eight feet tall, covered in fur, giant fangs peeking out of its maw. He froze, too paralyzed to scream.

The beast laughed. "At least I thought I did."

Danny reappeared in front of Dash, face glowing bright green. He coughed, rubbing his neck. "Heyyyyy, Frostbite. I didn't, uh, I didn't know you'd be out here."

The ground was much colder without Danny near; his fingers were tingling near numb. Danny turned and offered him a hand. Carefully, slowly, without taking his eyes off the creature, he took it and got to his feet. He stood behind Danny, cowering only a little. This creature, though massive and intimidating, clearly meant no harm. He tried to shove the fear coursing through his veins back where it came from.

"The fiery one told you I was looking for you, yes? I sensed you nearby, however, I was unaware you had a partner with you." The beast raised an eyebrow at Danny.

Danny cleared his throat. "Um, Dash, this is Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen. Frostbite, this is Dash, my…friend." He averted his eyes, hesitating.

Dash's heart nearly stopped as Danny stumbled over what to call him. They had been seconds away from changing that, hadn't they?

"Um, Ember said you were looking for me?"

Frostbite nodded. "Yes. However, it looks like your partner could use a fire. And a feast! We have one awaiting at home." The yeti reached an open hand down, waiting for something.

Danny grabbed Dash's hand, flashing him a reassuring smile, and pulled him over to the hand. They climbed on, Dash only slightly hesitating at the sight of the yeti's sharp claws glinting in the light. He clung to Danny's side as they were lifted and sat on his shoulder.

He could check getting a ride from a Yeti off his bucket list.

Danny had felt bad about not giving Dash a warning about the Yeti's culture. He hadn't wanted to leave Danny's side but they'd dragged him off, bundled him up in furs, and gave him the best seat in front of the fire faster than Danny could keep up. When they'd placed as many plates of food in front of him as their table could manage, he looked like he was about to throw up. His eyes begged Danny for help.

Danny leaned over, subconsciously resting a hand on his thigh, and whispered in his ear. "It's okay, Sam and Tucker have eaten here many times. It's perfectly safe."

Dash scoffed back. "I would not call a lot of things Tucker eats 'perfectly safe'."

Danny hadn't meant to put his hand on Dash's thigh.

Did he move it?

Would that send the wrong message?

He was trying to flirt with him.

He left it there.

He hadn't meant to be so touchy all day either; but he was comfortable with Dash, and a little in love, he couldn't help it. He'd been silently cursing Frostbite for showing up when he had. That had been the perfect moment to tell Dash he liked him, to kiss him- assuming Dash liked him back. It sure seemed like he did.

He had been flirting earlier right?

Oh, god, what if he'd been misreading everything all day? What if he was just teasing him?

Dash nudged him.

He snapped his attention back to the table to see Frostbite staring at him. "Oh, sorry, what was that?"

The yeti gave him a good-natured smile. "I asked if you'd seen Pandora lately."

"No," Danny shook his head, taking a bite of the stew in front of him. "But I just saw Dani, she told me Plasmius was lurking over there?"

Frostbite nodded solemnly. "Yes, he was around here too. He took the infi-map."

"Again?" Danny huffed. "I swear I'm going to kick his ass."

"No need to worry, Great One. It always ends up back where it belongs. I simply thought I should let you know he has it. I hear you're keeping a close eye on him again."

"News travels fast," he sighed, "He was threatening someone important to me. I want to know what he's up to and why." He involuntarily squeezed Dash's thigh- he swore he heard Dash whimper the tiniest bit. He removed his hand, hoping his claws hadn't done any damage.

Frostbite stood from the table. "I understand. I'll talk with the Observants and see if we can set up a watch here in the zone for him. If the map brings him back anytime soon, we shall do our best to capture him."

Danny leaned back out of the way of a smaller yeti who was clearing their plates. "Be careful, he has poison on him that can do some serious damage. You have antidotes from Pandora, right?"

Despite himself, Dash yawned, quickly covering his mouth so they couldn't see. Danny gave him a pitying look. It must be around eight a.m. by now.

"You do not need to worry about us, Great One. Although I do appreciate it." Frostbite gave Dash a playful glance. "I do believe it is getting late in your world. We should get you back."

Dash stood and started removing the furs they'd stuffed him into. Frostbite shook his head and yanked them back over him. "These are yours to keep, little one. Consider them a gift."

Dash blinked up at the yeti. "Oh, thank you. That's very kind."

"Thank you for keeping our savior company."

They said their goodbyes and once outside the cave, Danny scooped Dash back up and started flying back to the portal. "Sorry to keep you out so late."

Dash shook his head, his hair tickling Danny's chin. "I insisted. What's the infi-map?"

"It's a map of the entire ghost zone. It can take you anywhere you want to go here. But it's extremely dangerous and Vlad is always fucking shit up with it. It used to just be an annoyance, but he's gotten increasingly violent and murder-y in the past years. I'm worried he's going to get someone killed." Danny was ready for bed. Now that there wasn't anger or panic running through his veins, he was just plain exhausted. He could sleep for a whole week. But, he needed to get Dash home and text Dani and Valerie to make sure they were okay.

"Extremely powerful ghost artifact, got it," Dash muttered.

"You can fall asleep." Danny hummed. "I'll get you home safe."

"You don't have to take me home." Dash was drifting, his eyes having a hard time staying open.

Danny shook his head. "If my parents found out I let a boy sleep over without telling them, they'd ground me for life. They already think I'm the world's worst influence."

Dash chuckled. "I meant I could walk home."

"Oh," Danny's face burned. He fixed his eyes on the portal that was getting closer. "Yeah, no chance of that. Vlad could still be out there and you reek of ghost zone. Not to mention you're tired. Just get some sleep, I'll make sure you get home safe."

"Okay," Dash sighed. "I trust you." He relaxed into Danny's hold, falling asleep within moments.

Danny knew he'd have to come back to the zone early tomorrow. They'd forgotten Dash's medical bag back at the grove, and he'd have to check in with Johnny and Kitty.  But for now, he just needed to get Dash home safely and then get some sleep himself. He turned them invisible- so his parents wouldn't see them in case they were in the lab- and flew through the portal.

He made sure to tuck Dash in and feed Pookie a treat before he left.

Danny: U guys alr?

DanI: No, Dad, actually I think they have alcohol here N I'm scared

Danny: :(

Val: We're fine, worrywort. We didn't find anything unusual.

Val: How's Dash? ;)

Danny: Traitor

DanI: Oh, come on! U're so in love that it's nauseating. Y haven't U told him?

Val: Girl, you haven't had to listen to him talk about 'how kind he's become' or sit there and watch him stare into his eyes instead of doing homework. That's nauseating.

Danny: I almost told him. Frostbite interrupted me :(

DanI: U let a yeti stop U? How R we rel8d????

Val: If I have to sit through this any longer I won't survive. Tell him tomorrow istg

DanI: Tell him now coward

Danny: He's asleep. Like we all should B. Glad ur ok. Review those weird emails l8r?

Val: Yeah, we need to talk about that. Night

DanI: We should talk about Saturn first. U would not believe what I found, dawg.

Danny: Cringe. I'll call you 2morrow

DanI: I know U R but what am I?

Danny: If I'm cringe, ur cringe. Kinda the point

Val: Go the fuck to sleep

DanI: Night, Val <3

Danny: Night Val <3

Okay, guys, I need yall to remember something important.

I am a writer, not an artist.

I wanted to color so damn bad. And I wanted to get the images of the character designs I had out of my head.

But I'm so bad at drawing and you can tell which characters gave me major issues.

@inkedbyash had to fix a few of my issues but I'm a hopeless case.

Anyways, the writing of my story is better than my drawing skills, but here's how I imagine the crew when they're older. (The popular kids will be in a second post)

bring back tumblr ask culture let me. bother you with questions and statements

I think she has eight gold medals now? Yeah.

I’m gonna draw all of the coral island romanceables! Starting with our boy Wakuu.

I'm so obsessed with canon Mr. Lancer. He's a gamer. He dresses in drag. He's fat with lots of body hair. He has a vanity plate of his own last name. He was Casper High's first male cheerleader. He's committed tax fraud

Just concepts. I was trying to write a scene and was getting caught on the logistics of it

Y'all, i have a very important question

What does "going ghost" do for Danny other than change his body from human to ghost?

Cause it's shown many times that he doesn't need to be in ghost form to use his ghost powers. Does it give him the super strength or something? Like what does it do?

I love drawing Danny with the stars

The hardest part about starting a new chapter is deciding what events are important to start with and whose perspective to put it in. And sometimes the perspective determines what events are important but then I'm like "am I picking favorite characters cause I use this perspective a lot" but then I'm like so much of who we are is determined by how people see us and chose to love us anyway but then it's also how we see ourselves and trying to compact both views from the same event into a paragraph that flows is really hard