Chapter Text
Danny woke up feeling uncomfortably warm. There was something heavy holding him down. Absentmindedly Danny noted that he didn’t feel dead at all, rather very much in pain and alive.
Opening his eyes Danny saw stars.
Frowning he squinted up at the green stars which slowly came into focus. They were glow-in-the-dark stickers that he’d put up on the celling of his bedroom when he was seven. Orion, Ursus Major, and the little dipper were the constellations he could make out among the randomly placed stars.
A soft noise beside him had Danny turn his head. On his computer chair sat Vlad, legs crossed and a familiar book in hand. Turning a page, the man looked up from his book and smirked.
Anger flared up inside of Danny and he pushed himself to sit up. His head swam. “I’mb to fight yer.” He mumbled not even sure himself what he was trying to say.
“Lay back down, Daniel. You’ve exhausted yourself beyond your ability to regenerate.” Vlad turned his eyes back to the book.
“Bugger off.” Spat Danny pushing the blankets to the side.
Closing the book with a sigh Vlad turned his full attention to Danny. “Listen up, you don’t have any power, if you try to fight me now, I am just going to throw you back into bed and maybe use the Plasmius Maximus on you for good measure. And if you by some miracles manage to prolong the fight for an hour you will find The Truce in effect at which point we can’t do anything untoward towards another ghost.”
Danny swung his feet over the edge of the bed, Vlad didn’t try to stop him. Staggering over to his desk, Danny glared at Vlad even as he pulled out the top drawer finding his hidden stash of Fenton Energy bars.
After only one of the potent Energy Bars, Danny’s head came back into focus. He ate the rest feeling strength return to his limbs even if the aches were still there. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand Danny scowled at Vlad who hadn’t taken his eyes off him while he ate.
“Why are you here?” Asked Danny noting absently that he was still wearing the same close he’d put on at Dash’s.
“You know why I am here. I’m celebrating the holidays with my best friends and their family.” Vlad’s sharp smile did nothing to reassure Danny of his sincerity.
“That’s not what I meant. Why are you here in my room right now? Why am I here for that matter?” Tugging at his hoodie Danny pulled it off over his head.
Vlad hummed and leaned back smugly. “Well, you see my dear Daniel. Your parents and I have been searching for you all day, ever since you ran off early in the morning, leaving the kitchen in quite the mess I might add. It was when a Mr. Baxter called to tell your parents that you were at his house that we called off the search. Of course, a few minutes later Jasmine got a call on her phone, and she turned to me for help.”
Frowning Danny tried to follow the story, but his memories of the day were hazy at best.
Continuing Vlad checked his watch. “She informed me that you had left your Boyfriend’s house and was somewhere out in the snowstorm. She feared you might get into much trouble and asked me to save you.”
“What did you want in return?” Asked Danny knowing that the man never did anything out of the kindness in his dead heart.
“That’s between me and your sister. Easy to say, I found you collapsed where I lost track of Skulker yesterday. Frozen to a popsicle and trying to be the hero in your mother’s eyes with a Christmas tree.” Vlad grinned and Danny’s vision turned green as a charge of energy gathered in his hand.
His head gave a warning throb and Danny let go of the power before he passed out again.
Nodding approvingly Vlad got up, smoothing out the creases in his suit. “I thawed you up and we’ve been taking turns watching over you as you slept. Your sister and boyfriend are downstairs in the living room waiting for Santa with your father. However, I suggest you go back to sleep and regain your energy, there is no Santa after all.”
Vlad turned to grab his book; however, it was no longer on the desk where he’d left it. The man frowned and turned on Danny.
Making a rude gesture at the man, Vlad rolled his eyes and left the room. With the man went the heat that had engulfed Danny, however, he didn’t start to shiver like he’d had before, he just felt cold and went to retrieve his hoodie again.
Dressed Danny opened the top drawer of his desk again and took out the book he’d phased in there. Checking the title Danny smiled. It was the same one he’d flown to Toronto and back for. It wouldn’t have surprised him if Vlad had been the one to take the book from the store where Mr. Lancer had been waiting for it.
Tentatively, Danny reached inside for his powers. The rings of light washed over him and Danny found himself in his ghost form.
Nodding he opened the book and wrote as neatly as he could. Merry Christmas Mr. Lancer, From Santa Clause. That done Danny tucked the book under his arm and jumped through the wall. He knew where Mr. Lancer lived and managed to get there without losing his ghost form or passing out.
The teacher was sitting in an armchair in front of his Christmas tree, a toy train running in circles around the tree and a glass of milk and cookies stood on the table.
Placing the book under the tree Danny helped himself to the cookies and milk before returning home.
He collapsed onto his bed, limbs heavy and a growing headache. He’d not been home more than a minute before there was a knock at his door and Jazz poked her head inside. “Danny, you still up?”
Groaning Danny rolled over wrapping his blanket around himself. “Yeah.”
Pushing the door open, the light from the hallway making her ginger hair look almost like fire, Jazz walked forward and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You doing okay?”
“Sleep and food, and I’ll be alright.” Danny rubbed his head and caught Jazz watching him with a knowing look.
“Mr. Baxter is downstairs to pick up Dash. I thought you might want to say goodbye to him.” She met Danny’s eyes with a meaningful look of her own.
Sighing Danny rubbed his face and pushed off the blankets. He didn’t need Jazz's help to make it down the stairs, stopping two steps before the end.
Dash stood by the door thick varsity jacket on over a hoodie. Mr. Baxter was having an energetic conversation with Danny’s dad about the snow-moving work he was doing for the city. Spotting Danny Dash looked up at him his shoulders sagging, and he smiled up at Danny.
Taking a step towards the stairs Dash stopped when Danny leaned back. “Do you have to make me worry about you?”
Danny shrugged and caught sight of Jazz stopping at the top of the stairs. “You don’t have to worry about me. I know what I’m doing.”
“Clearly.” Scoffed Dash. “I told you you’d freeze if you went out in this weather. You should have stayed with me and watched a movie.”
“You shouldn’t have tried to manipulate me.” Retorted Danny his voice sounding a bit harsher than he’d intended and Dash took a step back before raising his chin.
“You weren’t listening to reason.”
“You weren’t listening to me!” Danny’s head was pounding, he really shouldn’t argue but he needed to get his feelings out.
“You lied to me.” Dash lowered his voice and moved forward taking one step on the stairs.
“So you called Jazz.” Danny crossed his arms.
“So? Was I wrong to do that?”
Danny’s shoulders sank and he shook his head. “You should have done that from the start.”
“I’ll remember that for next time.”
The room had gone quiet, and Danny was painfully aware of everyone staring at them. Dash was the first one to break the silence.
“Are we good then?”
“Not in a million years.” Smiled Danny closed the distance he draped his arms over Dash's shoulders.
“Good thing we’ve got time then.” Said Dash kissing Danny lightly. This time there was no desperation, only an affirmation that they were okay again.
As they parted Mr. Baxter cleared his throat. “Well son, you coming home?”
Dash bit his lower lip and met Danny’s eyes.
“Stay.” Breathed Danny.
Dash kissed Danny again. “I’m staying, dad.” He bent down and lifted Danny up.
Locking his legs behind Dash Danny held on to the larger teen.
“Thought so. Merry Christmas everyone.”
There was a chorus of “Merry Christmas" from everyone but Danny and Dash. Their lips were locked together as Dash carried him back up the stairs.
There had been many Christmases Danny despised which was why he hated the holidays more than any other time of the year. This one was different. His parents were preoccupied with Vlad around. The man was playing on the adult’s favourite past time hobby, board games. Usually, Danny’s mom would win, and his dad would pout and be sour until they started talking about ghosts. With Vlad around he was as likely to be victorious as the others.
Although still being cold, Danny’s body didn’t ache as much as it had the day before and without the need to go ghost, he was starting to feel more like himself again. And it had nothing to do with him cuddling up to Dash, watching a Christmas Romcom that allowed him to snooze until Christmas dinner.
At some point during the day, Danny received a text from Mr. Lancer wishing him a Merry Christmas with a picture of the book he’d left under the man’s tree. A paper lay beside it with what Danny recognized as his last English test. Across the image was a short line of text. “Santa’s Handwriting resembles yours a lot. Wouldn’t you say?”
Danny wasn’t sure what time it was when there was a loud knock on the door. Before Jazz could get up from the armchair she’d been sitting in, with a book, the door opened.
Dash went very still and the hand which had been drawing circles on Danny’s back stopped. Opening his eyes Danny saw why.
“Merry Christmas everyone!” Called Sam entering with a cloud of snow and colourfully wrapped gifts in her arms.
“Sorry to barge in. It’s cold outside.” Said Tucker closing the door after himself.
“Sam, Tucker. What are you doing here?” Smiled Jazz glancing over her shoulder.
“Spreading holiday cheer. How is Dan-“ Sam stopped in the middle of her sentence mouth falling open as she spotted Danny and Dash.
Smiling Danny tugged the blanket over his shoulders. “Busted.” He said snuggling up against Dash.