DannyMay Oneshots (2020)

Gentle Clouds

Sky |  Paulina was having a bad day. Guess who decides to cheer her up.

A/N: Yes, I do kinda ship these two together haha :') Lemme know what you think about it! It's my first time writing this ship actually so I think criticism will be appreciated!

~~~

Danny hadn't been paying attention to the A-listers for a while. Ever since he got his ghost powers, his views have started to change. He began to cherish the memories spent with his family and friends, he learned new things and visited new places. He'd been too absorbed in his own world that he'd completely forget all about the popular kids in school, and they noticed that.

The boy didn't seem interested in joining them anymore, he made no effort to blend in or try to get their attention. And Paulina especially, noted how he no longer showed any form of attraction towards her like every other boy. And she found it weird that it bothered her...

But that wasn't true. Danny still liked her, and his silly little crush on her hadn't worn off a bit as he'd hoped to. He would glance at her occasionally during class doing her makeup or talking to Star. He noticed how she acted on certain days where she was upset, and others where she was happy. And it seemed like her crush on his ghost-half hadn't worn off either. In fact, it may have increased.

However, today was different. Paulina was feeling down and no matter how much she tried to mask her sadness with makeup and a gorgeous smile, Danny could see right through it.

He was currently sneaking peeks at her every now and then during English class, checking to see if she had gotten better. But she wasn't, she was hiding something. And he didn't know what it was, but he wanted to find out.

The girl caught him staring at her and Danny quickly looked away, trying to prevent the blush from creeping on his cheeks.

But how was he going to talk to her when she'd push him away without uttering a single word? Paulina ignored him all through freshman year, and now sophomore year. And although she didn't glare or make snarky remarks at him anymore, he knew that in her eyes, he was still a 'loser' and not someone worth her time.

The teen sighed and lightly tapped on his desk out of boredom. Why was he so upset over it? They had nothing in common, he barely talked to her! He'd be lucky if she acknowledged the fact that he existed. He really wanted to help her with whatever she was dealing with, but what could he do?

'Why would she even tell me anyways...?' Danny thought to himself. They were practically strangers and knew nothing about each other.

He was about to give up on the problem when something clicked in his head. Of course, she wouldn't talk to him as Fenton, however...

The bell rang signalling the end of the day and Danny was the first one out, heading straight to the washroom. He didn't need to wait for his friends because he knew they were sick after last night's patrol and took the day off.

"I don't suppose she'd reject the idea of talking to her favourite idol," Danny grinned, transforming into his ghost half. The boy knew how much Paulina loved Phantom, so why not use it to her advantage? At least then he'll understand how to help her.

Danny flew out of the school and watched while invisible as Paulina chatted with her friend group and then later departed, walking home alone.

The boy frowned, he knew how much the Latina loved hanging out with her friends and going bowling with them occasionally. Something must really be wrong if she was willing to go back home early, on a Friday, with no friends to tag along.

'Guess that makes my job easier, ' Danny thought to himself. It would've been difficult to talk to her if she had people surrounding her. The half-ghost turned visible and casually flew near her, hoping she'd take notice. But surprisingly, she didn't, so Danny flew a bit faster until he was the one in front. Again, she paid no attention. It looked like she was immersed in her own world.

Phantom sighed and landed right in front of her. "Paulina?" he asked, interrupting the girl's train of thought. She jolted at the sudden familiar voice and looked up. She did another doubletake and soon her solemn expression was replaced by a joyful one which made Danny smile.

"Ghost Boy! What are you doing here?" she asked, still processing the fact that the boy who she'd been crushing on for ages was standing right in front of her.

"I just happened to be in the neighbourhood and noticed you walking by," Danny grinned. "But please call me Phantom."

The girl giggled. "Okay, Phantom. Did you just come here to say 'hi' to one of your greatest fans?"

"Sort of," Danny nervously scratched his hair, to which Paulina thought was cute. "I saw you walking alone and was just curious why you didn't have any company," the boy coughed awkwardly. "I mean, you're always surrounded by people, and today, you look really gloomy..."

Paulina just stared at the half-ghost in front of her, wondering if this was a dream. Was it really happening? Phantom? Amity Park's hero? Concerned for her? That look on his face no doubt looked like worry.

"I, well, I guess I was feeling a bit down, yeah. But I was really hoping it didn't look obvious," Paulina mumbled and looked down as Danny nodded.

"I see. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, hoping to offer some support.

"That would make me the happiest girl in the world," Paulina smiled but hesitantly rubbed her arm. "But don't you have... you know, ghost stuff to do? I just don't want to get in your way..."

Phantom raised an eyebrow. Something was definitely up with her.

"I don't see any ghost problem here," he grinned and gently took her hand. "We'll take a short trip."

Paulina stared in awe, making sure to rub her eyes again. 'I totally thought this day was going to be terrible, but it's turning to be the best day of my life!' Paulina thought to herself, beaming with happiness. She couldn't imagine the last time she'd been this happy before, it was better than winning any beauty pageant!

So with a final nod, she let herself be swept by the guy of her dreams.

~~~

The sky was cool. Paulina felt she was part of the wind while Phantom carried her up and up. And although she got anxious every time she looked down, she couldn't help but feel excited, and free. It felt like she was a little girl all over again.

She lifted her fingertips to touch the soft clouds and felt her hands get wet. She squealed in delight when the cold breeze gently whipped her face, too caught up in the moment to notice her hair was a mess. She just enjoyed the feeling while it lasted.

At the end of the trip, Danny still didn't know what the girl was dealing with, but what he did know was that she was happy. And that was all it mattered to him.

"Hey, Phantom?" Paulina said after he'd dropped her off right in front of her house. "Thank you. I really appreciated your help today."

Danny smiled. "Anytime, Paulina."