Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You’re grounded again?” Tucker asked, the disappointment evident in his voice.

“When am I not at this point?” Danny sighed. “My parents said I’m only allowed to leave my room for school.”

“How could you get grounded this weekend? We’ve had this planned for weeks!” Sam complained. Danny shrugged his shoulders lazily and let out a humorless laugh.

“You say it like I want to be grounded. My parents are convinced I’ve been sneaking out in the middle of the night,” he explained.

“Just sneak out as Phantom,” Sam suggested.

“Won’t that just prove their point?” Tucker asked.

“No! Besides, Danny treated Fenton and Phantom as two separate beings. It’s not the same.”

Danny sighed as he listened to the two bicker about the logistics of the situation. He dropped his head into his hand and looked around the cafeteria. It was the same as always. Everyone had their own groups and their own tables to go with those groups. The one that stuck out the most was the table of the popular kids, those that the school held on a pedestal like something that deserved nothing less than every word of praise in the world. Danny hated that he believed that, too, specifically for Paulina. The only one he didn’t think deserved that was Dash. Being bullied every day since first grade changed his view of him completely. It was exhausting being hunted in the hallways for his entertainment, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

“It’ll be fine. Danny can be back before his parents even notice. They’re always too busy with ghost hunting and whining about missing Jazz anyway,” Sam argued.

“I’m not sneaking out,” Danny said. “I have to catch up in some of my classes, anyway.”

“You mean Mr. Lancer?” Tucker asked. Danny nodded his head as he sighed.

“I can’t believe I keep getting his class,” he whined. “I’ve had him every year since I came to this dumb high school. Why does he teach so many classes and grades?!”

“Calm down, dude. You’ve been kinda angry recently,” Sam said.

“Is everything all right at home?” Tucker asked as he put his hand on Danny's shoulder, mocking the conversation Danny had had to have with Mr. Lancer time and time again for years. Danny scoffed out a humorless laugh and rolled his eyes.

“My parents are just annoying me. You know how they are,” he said. “And they keep trying to catch this one ghost in particular, and it’s exhausting having to constantly save him while risking getting myself caught.” He let his head fall back, and he groaned as he rubbed his face, his back arching slightly with his movement.

“Today’s been kinda slow, don’t you think?” Tucker asked.

“Why would you say that?” Sam scoffed.

“What?”

“Now something’s gonna happen! Something always happens when you say shit like that!”

“Nuh uh.”

Danny groaned and slammed his head down on the table, making his friends jump. Sam sighed and ran his hand over his hair. “Your hair’s turning white,” she said.

“I am painfully aware of that,” Danny said, his voice muffled. It was getting harder to hide. More and more of his hair was turning white, starting with the underlair and slowly moving up. He had to constantly dye his hair black and hide any bits he missed, but it would always be white again after two or so days.

“How’s it going, hiding it from your parents?” Tucker asked. Danny only shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m close to saying the cosmetology class did it so I don’t have to re-dye it again,” he said.

“We have a cosmetology class?” Tucker asked.

“No, but his parents don’t know that,” Sam answered. Tucker shrugged his shoulders in agreement and turned his body in his seat to face Danny.

“What if you say Mr. Lancer asked you to study in his class?” he suggested.

“On a Saturday?” Danny scoffed. “Lancer likes his job, but why would he wanna be here on his day off?”

“You never know. He’s had you stay after a couple times.”

“On weekdays. And he has to be here anyway.”

“Just humor me, man. I’m trying to help.”

“And I already said I’m not going out.”

Tucker groaned and fell back into Sam, making her nearly fall off the bench. She sighed and gripped his shoulder and the table to steady them. It wasn’t abnormal to see the three piled onto each other or taking a nap together. It was normal for them, but they still got judgmental looks for it.

“Maybe we can reschedule?” Sam suggested.

“This is the only showing, Sam. Just go without me. It’s fine,” Danny replied. The bell rang loudly, and Danny stood up with his untouched tray of food. Tucker reached over him and grabbed a handful of his fries before shoving them into his mouth.

“Dude, this is one of the few good lunches. Why didn’t you eat?” he asked, his mouth still full. Danny grimaced and shook his head.

“First of all, don’t talk with your mouth full. Second, I’m just not hungry,” he said.

“You’ve been saying that for two weeks,” Sam said. Danny rolled his eyes and tossed his tray into the trash. He wasn’t hungry. He didn’t know how else to say it, and it was getting annoying to answer that question every day from the same five people.

“Just stop asking. I’ll see your guys–”

BOOM!

The ground shook beneath them, and Danny nearly lost his balance. He groaned and pushed himself up, forcing himself to stay right up as he stumbled forward. Just then, a swirl of blue steam slipped past his lips, and Danny groaned at its delay.

“I told you something always happens when you say shit like that!” Sam yelled over the continuous sound of cracking concrete and crumbling bricks.

“Stop yelling and get somewhere safe!” Danny yelled before he rushed into the hallway, looking for the source of the sound. He slipped into an empty hallway and closed his eyes as he changed into his ghost-self.

Phantom lifted off the ground so he wouldn’t have to fight to stay up and zipped down the hall. He turned the corner and slammed into someone. He rolled back in the air and rubbed his now-throbbing head. He groaned and looked down, seeing none other than Dash Baxter. He groaned and balanced himself in the air. Dash looked up, and his eyes seemed to become filled with light at the sight of Phantom.

“Phantom! You’re here!” he said as he jumped to stand up.

“And you shouldn’t be here. You need to get somewhere safe,” Phantom said. He could barely focus on him, too worried about whatever could be causing the ground to shake. It could be an earthquake or another ghost that broke free from the portal.

“I’m safe with you, aren’t I?” Dash asked. Phantom groaned. He wouldn’t be able to get rid of Dash easily. He thought about it, wondering why Dash felt so safe with him when so many other people feared him like every other ghost that came into the city.

“I guess you are. Just stay out of the way,” Phantom said before he bolted down the hall, making Dash fall to the floor again. Phantom flew around the entire school, finding nothing but panicking students and staff. Finally, he rushed outside, finding just what he was looking for. He landed on one of the many tables, though he didn’t put his full weight on the surface in case he needed to make a quick move to run.

“Temper tantrum much?” Phantom said as the ghost slammed its fist onto the ground. Phantom pulled out the Fenton Thermos. It didn’t take much to capture the ghost, only taking a minute to catch it off guard. He sighed as he gripped the thermos tightly, and his eyes widened when he heard clapping behind him. He turned around and saw Dash cheering him on, being the only person brave or stupid enough to go into the area.

“Phantom!” Dash called out. Phantom sighed and moved to hover before the teen. He put away the thermos and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Didn’t I tell you to go somewhere safe?” he asked.

“I am safe. You’re here!” Dash beamed. Phantom groaned in annoyance and rolled his eyes. This attitude would be the death of Dash, and he didn’t want to be around when it happened, but he couldn’t seem to get rid of him.

“Why are you here?” Phantom asked. “You obviously want something.”

“A picture,” Dash answered as he opened his phone, “with you.”

“What?” Phantom asked, “Why would you want that? I’m an outcast here.”

“Please, Phantom. I’m a fan. Isn’t it obvious?”

Phantom let out a defeated sigh and moved to stand beside Dash. Dash gasped and frantically pulled out his phone. He wrapped his arm around Phantom’s shoulders and kept him closer.

“Smile!” he said. Phantom sighed and smiled with Dash. The camera flashed as it took the picture, and Dash stepped back, giving Phantom some room. He gazed at the picture, seeing how Phantom looked like nothing but a blurry, black figure with piercing green lights in place of his eyes.

“Oh, yeah. That. Sorry, man. I don’t show up well in photos,” Phantom muttered.

“No, it’s perfect!” Dash claimed, his face heating up as he spoke. “Thank you.”

“Um… Yeah. No problem. Stay out of trouble, Dash,” Phantom said before he flew away.

“And he wanted the picture for what exactly?” Sam asked.

“Just to have, I guess,” Danny answered.

“Why’d you humor him, anyway?” Tucker asked. “He could try to drag your name deeper through the mud.”

“He won’t. He’s actually one of the few people in this city who isn’t afraid of me,” Danny claimed. He sighed as they walked up to his house. He didn’t want to be locked in his room and under constant surveillance because of a misunderstanding with his parents who refused to listen.

“Are you sure you have to stay in your room?” Sam asked. Danny only nodded his head. He waved to his friends and reluctantly walked up to his front door. He opened it and slipped inside silently, hoping his parents wouldn’t notice, but he was never that lucky.

“Danielle?” Maddie called out. Danny sighed and slowly made his way into the kitchen.

“Yes, Mom?” he replied, forcing his voice to be a bit higher. Maddie slipped her goggles up to her forehead and smiled. She turned off her blow torch, and Danny sighed. “Should you be doing that in the kitchen… on the table… where we eat?”

“It’ll be fine!” Maddie dismissed his concern. “Your father’s waiting for you in the lab.”

“Didn’t you say I had to go to my room as soon as I got home? No exceptions?” Danny asked, trying to find an excuse not to be in the lab with Jack.

“I made your punishment. I can change it as I please. Now go to the lab.”

Danny sighed and dropped his bag by the table. He shoved his hands into his jeans’ pockets and hesitated before going down to the laboratory. He looked around, and he gulped when he saw his father standing by the open portal to the Ghost Zone.

“Dad?” he muttered. Jack turned around, and he flashed him with a wide smile.

“There she is! Come here! I’ve made a grand discovery!” he said. Danny sighed and slowly approached the portal to stand beside Jack. His eyes let off a soft blue glow under the portal’s light, and he prayed his father wouldn’t notice.

“What now?” he asked. He looked into the portal, watching the fits of green and white fight in circles.

“Watch this,” Jack said. He pulled out a remake of the Fenton Thermos, a much stronger version than that Danny carried. He held it to the portal and turned it on, causing a strong suction. Danny watched in horror as a ghost was forced out of the Ghost Zone and into the thermos. Jack sealed it shut and laughed in triumph. “This will make ghost hunting so much easier! Aren’t you excited? Now we can properly catch a ghost for our studies!”

“That’s… amazing, Dad,” Danny said, his voice trembling.

“You okay, kid?” Jack asked. “You’re paler than a ghost.”

“Um… I just don’t feel well. The flu or something is going around the school,” Danny claimed. “Can I see that? I wanna see how it works.”

“Of course!” Jack answered. He handed the thermos to Danny with pride in his eyes. “It’s so nice to see you’re finally taking an interest in your parents’ work!”

Danny smiled nervously and looked down at the thermos. He held it to the portal and pressed the release button, sending the ghost back into its home. Jack gasped and frowned.

“Why’d you do that, Dani? We needed that.”

“Sorry, Dad. Maybe you should close the portal for today? We don’t want anything coming out while I’m sick, do we?”

Jack sighed and closed the portal as Danny had requested. Danny let out a quiet breath of relief and returned the thermos to his father. He slipped up the stairs and rushed to grab his bag from the kitchen. Maddie looked up and waved at him. Danny only smiled nervously and rushed to get to his room. Danny locked himself inside and dropped his bag by the door. He didn’t think he could be so relieved to be locked in there. He felt sick as he thought about what his parents would do to any of the ghosts they caught. He knew they planned on dissecting them, but what about before and after that? Would the ghost feel pain or be able to walk away from the procedure?

Danny covered his mouth as bile built up in the back of his throat. He grabbed the trash can under his desk and vomited. He coughed roughly and groaned in disgust at himself. Danny cursed under his breath and sat back on his heels, running a hand through his hair as he tried to keep himself from vomiting again. The taste in his mouth was closer to ectoplasm and blood than anything else, and it disturbed him deeper than most things had in the past two years.

Danny’s eyes slowly moved to the window. He debated on sneaking out, doing the very thing that got him grounded in the first place. He didn’t want to worsen his punishment and possibly risk being in the Fenton Stockade. He couldn’t stand just the thought of being put in one of those things, having to stand perfectly still and straight if he didn’t want to be impaled by one of the many sharp spikes that ran along its walls. Danny shuddered and shakily moved into his bed, not bothering to change his clothes.

He stared at his ceiling for a few seconds before his eyes dropped to the space behind his dresser. He stared at it for a while, unaware of time passing, only looking away when he heard a knock at his door. Danny shook his head to pull himself from his thoughts and moved out of bed. He unlocked the door and cracked it open.

“Dinner’s ready,” Maddie said. Danny’s eyes widened, and he looked out his window, seeing that the sun had started setting. He sighed and nodded his head before he followed his mother downstairs. He silently took his place at the dinner table, and he stared at the space where Jazz would usually be.

“I know you miss your sister,” Maddie said as she placed a plate in front of Danny. The sight of food made his stomach clench.

“I heard she’s coming to visit soon. She’ll be here for a few days,” Jack informed Danny. Danny smiled and nodded his head. He lifted his fork, and his smile wilted as he poked at the food on his plate.

“You okay, kid?” Jack asked. “You’ve been pretty quiet, and you haven’t been eating.”

“I just… miss Jazz, I guess,” Danny lied. He pushed his plate away and dropped his head into his hand, his elbow resting on the table. “May I be excused?”

“Danielle, you haven’t even taken a bite,” Maddie said. Danny hung his head, refusing to meet his parents’ gaze.

“May I be excused?” he repeated.

Maddie sighed, defeated. “Yes. Go to your room.”

Danny wasted no time, not even bothering to do anything with his untouched plate. He rushed to his room and locked himself inside once again. He didn’t want to be around his parents, not without Jazz. It didn’t feel safe without her there. 

Danny changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed. He didn't want to think about his growing fear of his parents, the discomfort he felt in his own home, or the overwhelming feeling that he was never safe. Maybe he should have just snuck out and stayed with Tucker again. It was the only place he was comfortable in. That and Sam's house, but Sam's parents hated him, so it was rarely an option.

“Two years. Two years of this, and I still can’t balance any part of my life,” Danny muttered to himself. “Maybe death would have been better than this?”

Chapter Text

Danny felt weak as his eyes opened to his alarm blaring in his ear. He slammed his fist down on the clock and groaned. He didn’t want to get out of bed, wishing he could just stay in place and lose track of time, staring at the ceiling for hours and having it feel like mere seconds. That sounded like heaven compared to the hell waiting just outside his door. Danny sighed and rolled onto his side. He groaned as the door opened, and he closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He felt a dip in his bed, and it made him tense slightly.

“Dani? Sweety, it's time to wake up,” Maddie spoke gently. Danny huffed. His parents seemed to only acknowledge his existence at the worst times.

“I know,” he muttered. “I don't feel well.”

“You can't miss school anymore. We could get in trouble, taken to court,” Maddie explained. Danny only curled up further into his blankets. He felt his skin crawl as his mother placed a hand on his arm, moving a bit too close to his shoulder. Danny quickly sat up and sighed.

“I'm getting ready,” he said. “But I'm not eating anything.”

Maddie sighed and left without a word. Danny hated it when she pretended to care. He slowly forced himself out of bed and got dressed for school. His movements were sluggish, lacking the energy to move any quicker. He dragged as he moved to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and fixing his hair. He returned to his room only to grab his bag and keys. He slowly moved down the stairs and walked past his parents silently. None of them acknowledged the others’ presence.

Danny left the house, closing the door silently so he would go unnoticed. He held the strap of his bag tightly as he started walking. His body swayed with each step, his knees threatening to buckle beneath him. He didn’t stop moving until he heard two beeps of a car horn. He looked back, seeing Tucker's car slowly approaching. Tucker stopped just beside Danny.

“Need a ride?” He asked jokingly, already knowing the answer. Danny nodded and quickly slipped into the passenger’s seat. He leaned back and yawned, closing his eyes as he tried to get a little more sleep before he was forced to face Casper High School. He dozed off to the sound of Tucker humming along with the radio, a sound much better than his singing. His head lulled to the side, resting against the window, the car’s soft vibrations pulling him into a deeper state of sleep.

As Tucker parked his car, he took one hand off the wheel to gently shake his friend awake. Danny jolted, quickly sitting up with a ragged breath. Tucker quickly retracted his head and frowned.

“You okay?” he asked. Danny swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded his head. He sighed as he unbuckled his seat belt. “Maybe you should stay here for a little while?” Tucker suggested.

“I can’t miss any more of Mr. Lancer’s class. He’ll call my parents if I do,” Danny muttered.

“I can tell him you’re here, you just need to take care of something urgent,” Tucker offered.

“Like what?”

Tucker pointed to Danny’s sleeved shoulders, referring to the many scars he had on them. “You’ve been hurt. The scars will make it easy to pass it off as the truth.”

Danny winced. “I don’t know how good an idea it would be to use these as an excuse. What if he thinks they’re something else?” And they were. Tucker and Sam had no idea where the scars came from—assuming they were from Danny’s many battles with ghosts—all they knew was that they existed, that it was something Danny would live with forever.

“He won’t. Just get some rest,” Tucker said. He grabbed his bag and got out of the car, leaving Danny alone. Danny sighed and moved to the back seat, where he could lie down without being seen. He rested his head against the car seat, trying his best to get comfortable in the cramped space that allowed him no leg room. Still, it was better than nothing, than being awoken in the middle of class by Lancer’s yelling about the importance of staying awake in class and paying attention to the material if he didn’t want to end up with a dead-end job like Nasty Burger. Danny huffed as he closed his eyes, struggling to fall asleep without the aid of Tucker’s humming or the car’s soft rumbling.

Danny yawned softly as he sat up, unsure of how long he had been there. He looked outside, seeing that the sun was only slightly higher than it was when he had lain down to rest. He sighed and got out of the car. He pulled his bag out of the passenger seat and reluctantly walked into the school, not bothering to check in at the front office. He looked at one of the few clocks that were hung up in the hall. First period wouldn’t end for another half-hour, which meant he had to go to Lancer’s class. Danny groaned and turned on his heel to walk to his class. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door, waiting to be let in. Lancer opened the door.

“Late again, Daniel?” he said. “What’s your excuse this time?”

“Didn’t Tucker tell you?” Danny gulped. He looked past Lancer, meeting Tucker’s nervous gaze.

“No. Where were you?” Lancer asked. Danny sighed and gripped his arm, slowly pushing his sleeve up to reveal the many scars tracing his skin, praying no one in the classroom could see it.

“There was an emergency, Sir,” he muttered. “Can I go to my seat now?”

Lancer’s eyes widened at the sight, filling with concern and a hint of pity. Danny hated it. He let his sleeve fall back into place, not wanting to feel Lancer’s gaze on his scars any longer. This was a terrible idea. He knew it was a terrible idea—why did he listen to Tucker?

Lancer turned to the class. “I will be taking Daniel to the front office. Stay in your seats and work on the assignment I passed out.”

Danny’s heart stuttered in his chest. Lancer closed the door and put his hands on the boy's back as they began walking. Danny’s shoulders tensed, and Lancer pulled his hand away.

“Daniel, care to explain?” The man asked. Danny only shook his head. “You can’t just show me something like that and not explain. You know what that looks like, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sir,” Danny muttered. “But it isn’t. I swear. I’ve just… been getting beaten a lot. You know. School bullies.”

“Those are cuts, not bruises. Unless they’re coming at you with knives, you can’t expect me to believe that.” Lancer stopped Danny and gently gripped his shoulder, turning the boy to face him. “This is serious. What if they become infected or worse?”

“Mr. Lancer, I'm fine. It isn’t anything extreme,” Danny claimed. Lancer sighed and gently grabbed Danny's arm. He pushed up the boy's sleeve and sighed.

“You know I'll have to report this, right?” he asked. Danny shook his head, looking at his teacher with pleading eyes.

“You can't tell my parents!” he said. “They'll send me away to some freaky hospital that will do nothing but shove pills down my throat!”

“Daniel, they won't admit you unless it's deemed you're a threat to yourself or others. But I could lose my job if I don't report this,” Lancer explained. “I promise you; everything will be fine.”

“You’re grounded,” Jack said firmly. Danny froze where he stood, backing away from the stairs and turning to his parents. He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from getting so angry that it affected his core or turned his eyes green.

“You find out I've been cutting, and your first response is to ground me?” he asked.

“What else do you expect us to do?”

“Get me some help?”

“And be unable to watch you? Absolutely not.”

“Well, I'm already grounded. You can’t ground me twice.”

“Then you're grounded for a month instead of two weeks!”

Danny rolled his eyes and turned to the stairs. “Whatever,” he muttered. He slowly moved up the stairs and hid away in his room. He felt like he was at his lowest point, like nothing mattered anymore. He sank into his bed and stared at the ceiling, seeing the soft glow of the stars Jazz had placed for him years ago. It amazed Danny how they still managed to glow warmly after so much time, but he could barely focus on that. All Danny could think of was how his parents had reacted to the news.

Jack and Maddie had forced him to show them every self-made scar, making him roll up his sleeves and pants without bothering to let Lancer leave first. It was exhausting, being held down as he cried for them to stop, not to do something so invasive in front of his teacher. But they never listen—never had, and it wasn't likely that they ever would.

Danny's body trembled as tears came to his eyes. He hugged himself as tears began to fall. His own home was a nightmare, and he was blocked off from the world. No phone, no way of leaving the house. Not even his sister was there to comfort him. Danny's eyes slipped to the window. He contemplated running. Not forever, just until he could calm down. He slowly sat up and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall.

“Maybe a flight will clear my head?” Danny muttered to himself. He slowly got out of bed, and two familiar rings moved up and down his body as he shifted into Phantom. With a deep breath, he phased through the window and took off into the sky. He closed his eyes as the wind ran through his hair and caressed his skin. It was refreshing, more than anything had been for him in years.

Is that why hours passed like seconds?

Phantom came to an abrupt halt when he realized he was at the edge of Amity Park. He stared at the ending of it, wishing he could go further, leave to be himself, but then he'd be leaving the city to defend itself. Phantom shook his head, finally seeing that the sun was setting. He groaned to himself, wondering how he kept losing track of time like this.

I'm such a mess, he thought. Phantom turned around and started heading home. He tried to stay high enough to keep anyone from seeing him, but the cloudless sky made it hard. Giving in, Phantom moved lower to the ground. He knew his parents would be in their lab, too engrossed in their studies to notice his absence, so he didn’t have to worry too much about being shot out of the sky.

“And be unable to watch you? Absolutely not.”

It was such a sick excuse, one Phantom had run through his head on a loop. His parents didn't want to help him, not properly, anyway. They'd probably have him on a spinning table by the end of the night, claiming to “shake the depression away.” He hated that curséd lab. It only brought him so much pain and suffering, isolation and neglect, and he was forced to go down there nearly every day. It was sickening, exhausting, and enough to make Phantom consider permanent death.

Like a slap across the face, Phantom was pulled from his thoughts by a short call of his name in a familiar voice that made his skin crawl. Phantom stopped and looked around, seeing Dash leaning out his bedroom window with a wide smile, happily waving to him. Phantom sighed and slowly made his way to the window, much to Dash's surprise.

“Dash,” Phantom spoke softly, the tremble in his voice still there despite his crying having stopped hours before. Dash stared at the ghost, unable to pull his gaze away from those bright green eyes. Phantom watched as his cheeks started to turn pink, his pupils growing in size as his eyes filled with adoration.

“Phantom!” Dash cleared his throat. “I didn't mean to stop you. I just wanted to say hi. Um, what are you doing in the area?”

“Just… roaming,” Phantom answered. He crouched on the windowsill, and Dash stepped back to give him some space. He couldn’t believe it. Phantom was so close to being in his room. He was an insignificant part of the world, of the city, yet Phantom was here with him, giving him the time of day he craved.

“Do you want to come inside?” Dash offered, his voice cracking with nervousness. Phantom looked over his shoulder, seeing how much sunlight he had left. He sighed and slipped into Dash's room.

“I can't stay for very long," he said.

“That's fine! Any time with you is perfect,” Dash laughed, though it quickly faded with the slightly disturbed look on Phantom's face. Was it his fault, or did something else happen before he had arrived?

Phantom hovered in place and crossed his legs, trying to take up as little space as possible. He looked around the room, noticing the little details. It was a little bigger than his own, and he couldn’t help but notice the logo Phantom had on his jumpsuit, poorly drawn on a sheet of paper, hanging on the wall by Dash's door. He glided over to it and carefully pulled it off the wall, not wanting to rip the paper.

“What's this?” Phantom asked.

“That's? Just something my little sister drew. Our parents aren't the biggest fans of you, so I just keep it in here,” Dash explained. Phantom looked back, a look of slight shock in his eyes.

“You have a sister?” he asked. Dash nodded, a smile forming on his lips. That was a shock. Phantom had always assumed Dash was an only child, and if he were to have any siblings, he never thought he'd treat them too well.

“She's taking a nap right now, otherwise I'd let you meet her,” Dash said. “Maybe next time.”

“Next time,” Phantom said. Dash's eyes lit up. Confirmation of there being a next time! He had to be dreaming. All of this felt too good to be true, at least for Dash. But Phantom was still a little anxious, both about being around Dash and the inevitability of needing to go home eventually. “Your room is nice,” Phantom said as he put the drawing back in its place.

“You think so?” Dash asked. “Thank you! I just remodeled it, actually. Or, I rearranged it, I guess.”

“I like it,” Phantom said. Dash's smile grew, and he took a seat at the edge of his bed.

“I like you,” Dash said confidently. “You're amazing! Saving the city and our school from ghosts nearly every day? We'd be goners without you!”

Another reminder for Phantom as to why he couldn’t leave, run away from his personal hell that was Amity Park. He sighed and slowly sank to the floor, sitting on his knees and hunching over to hide his face.

“Phantom?” Dash said softly. He slipped off the bed and kneeled before the ghost boy. “Are you okay?”

Phantom didn’t answer. He just stared at the floor, his hands resting against his knees. His fingers closed into shaking fists. He didn’t want Dash to see him so weak. This was the only time he saw him as anything more than a weak nobody who deserves nothing less than death.

“Phantom, look at me,” Dash said. He gently cupped Phantom's cheek and lifted his chin. Their eyes met, Phantom's filled with tears that he desperately tried to keep from falling. Dash's heart ached at the sight. Gently, he guided the ghost into his arms, holding him against his chest in a warm embrace, something Phantom hadn’t felt since Jazz left. It made him break, quietly sobbing into Dash's shoulder, just like he did most nights with Sam and Tucker.

“You don't get comfort often, do you?” Dash asked, his voice the softest Phantom had ever heard. Phantom shook his head, and he shakily gripped Dash's shirt, his body trembling with each agonizing sob. He felt so pathetic, like everyone who had ever called him worthless was right.

How low does someone have to be to let their bully hold and comfort them? Even if said bully didn't know it was them.

Phantom couldn’t see himself getting any lower. He closed his eyes as his body slumped against Dash's. He felt the boy's hands run through his hair, soothing him enough to stop his crying after a few minutes, reducing his sobs to nothing but shaky breathing.

“If you ever need a break, my window's always open,” Dash whispered. Phantom breathed out a soft laugh, and his grip on the boy's shirt lightened.

“Thank you,” he said. “I needed this…”

“Of course,” Dash said. He slowly pulled back just enough to look at Phantom's face. He wiped away any remaining tears with his thumbs and smiled softly, but it faded with a thought forming in his head. “You know, you kind of remind me of this boy at my school.”

“What?” Phantom asked, a lump forming in his throat.

“Yeah. His name's Daniel Fenton. He's such an annoying little pest,” Dash scoffed. “No offense. You just resemble him.”

“I don't know what you're talking about…”

“No, really. You have a similar nose and the same eye shape. But your hair's a little longer than his and lies more to the right. And… Your skin is a bit more tan.”

“You pay that much attention?”

“I've known him for years. It's kinda hard not to notice the little details.”

“Then what about me?”

Dash's face flushed red. He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “What can I say? You're an eye catcher.”

“Thank you,” Phantom said. “Um… I need to go.”

“Oh. Will you come back?” Dash asked hopefully.

“I… Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow night.”