This Is Home [Danny/Dash]

Chapter Four: Starry Night and Dim Lights

I pulled my hood up just enough to be able to confirm if the voice truly belonged to him. Yup, this was Dash alright, sat manspreading on the ground with his varsity jacket wrapped snugly around him. I could see the faint green glow on his skin start to appear as I leaned in closer. I started to panic a little, remembering that Dash had just called me Fenton. Did he know? If he didn't would he now?

"Oh, it's just you." Dash sighed and propped himself up with his arms behind his back. Of course, he didn't know, and there isn't much way that someone like him could fit two and two together. Dash let his rather tense face fall and I wondered what was up with him lately.

"Haha, yeah, just me," I replied. "So what are you doing outside this late?" I curiously asked, knowing that Dash would feel more comfortable talking to my ghost form more than my human one. All of the conversations we have had when I'm Danny Phantom have always been much more relaxed. But this question seemed to strike something in him that made his face scrunch up. He paused for a long while and I thought that he might be ignoring me for a second, but then he spoke.

"Tell me... Do you think I'm a bad person?" He questioned, seeming to not only want to reach me but to reach something deeper inside of him. I wanted to laugh at him then and there; of course he was a bad person! The years of bullying that I, along with so many other weaker kids at Casper High have had to deal with. Not only that but the things he has said to my friends. Of course, he was a bad person.

But something inside of me was pulled to sit down next to him. I yanked down my hood all the way and made sure there was a good foot or two between him and I. Calming down the anxious voice inside of me, I reminded myself that I was Phantom here and that I could be confident in this moment.

"Why do you ask?" It was the only thing I could think of saying without blowing up in his face, and therefore blowing my cover.

"Well..." He trailed off, but I waited patiently for his response, looking up to the stars. "Something happened today that's kind of hard to explain. But there is this kid." Dash started, his eyes following mine to the stars to avoid any unnecessary eye contact. "I've been kind of an ass to him for the past year or so, but I am kind of starting to worry about him." Dash is worried about someone? Not even just that, but someone he has been bullying? Maybe he was finally starting to grow a sense of morality and humanity.

"Oh yeah, why is that?" I wondered curiously, trying to think of what sort of colossal event must have happened to him to make him rethink his choices.

"His back." Dash flatly stated.

"His back?"

"Well, not only his back but his everywhere. He is covered in cuts and bruises and I am worried about how he is getting them. You'd think he was out doing the same work you do with all those injuries." I felt myself growing colder from the inside and bit my lip.

"How many of those were from you?" I asked quietly, not entirely wanting to be heard. Dash turned to face me.

"So you know about my reputation huh?" He sighed again and went back to gazing at the night sky. "Too many to say I am proud." He breathed out and let himself fall to the grass while propping up his head.

"Then why are you worried now? I mean, if you've done it before, why would it matter to you?" I was getting resentful, but the longer we talked the more curious I became. Nothing like this should matter to the Dash Baxter. Nothing.

"I don't know, maybe it was the way he sang. He sounded so sad and... it hurt." My eyes widened. I remembered how I was singing in the showers after I thought everyone had left but... There is no way he could have been there without me knowing, right?

"Singing, huh?" My voice faltered a little. "You couldn't be talking about-"

"Fenton, yeah. I guess he has just been on my mind today." Dash seemed too far off in thought to really notice anything weird about how Phantom would know about Fenton's daily life, but that didn't really matter right now.

Dash and I continued to sit in silence for a while longer, just watching the stars go by. Strangely enough, having someone else with me made me feel a little bit better. Stargazing by myself can get kind of bland sometimes. It's nice to feel the world spinning with someone next to me.

"I want to change." Dash choked out. I whipped my head around to see that his eyes were becoming slim as tears started to spill out. His mouth was shaped in a strange way as he was trying to be silent. At that moment I could see myself in him, so confused and full of regret. I have so many things about my life I want to change, but that just is not possible for me right now.

"Hey, come on Dash, it'll be okay." I tried my hand in comforting the strongly built athlete. Kneeling up and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, I pulled him in for a side hug. Dash just sat there, not reciprocating or denying the embrace, wiping away his tears.

"It's just, the longer I think about it, the more I can see the terrible things I have done." He sniffled, "All of the people I've hurt..." He shook his head trying to remove the thoughts from his head. "I'm pretty pathetic, huh?" He looked at me with a grimacing smile. I could feel the tugging on my heartstrings in empathy for the poor guy. Thinking about it more, though he has done some pretty shitty things to me, I can't help but want to believe him when he says he wants to be different.

"Than be the change that you want to make." I told him. "I couldn't just sit by and watch ghosts terrorize Amity Park. I wanted there to be a change and so I made it happen. It may be really hard and taxing on me, but I still want to try my best to do what I can for everyone else." I stood up, stretched out my back, and turned to face Dash.

"You can do it too." I held out my hand for him. He chuckled to his side and took my hand, letting me pull him up. Once he got his footing, he squeezed my hand as if we shook hands.

"Thanks man, I wish I had more people in my life like you. Not many people can be real to me like that." He looked a little embarrassed, probably because he had just cried in front of someone he doesn't know well.

"It's no problem, that's what I'm here for." I replied. "But we might want to think about heading home soon." Dash pulled out his phone and winced at the sudden bright light. Seeing that it was past 11, we both figured now would be a good time to leave.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later." Dash started to walk away down the path, but I decided to stop him.

"Wait! Did you, um, want a ride?" I asked, wanting to make sure he got home okay after the heavy conversation we just had. I know that there have been times that I wished someone would be with me after an emotional conversation, so offering it just seemed right. His eyes lit up and he walked right up to me.

"Absolutely." Dash excitedly exclaimed. I grabbed one of his hands and started to let the ectoplasmic power flow vigorously throughout me.

"Hold on tight." And with that, I started to raise us both slowly into the air. Once we had reached a level over the trees, I started to head in the direction of the town. I could tell Dash was getting a little bit nervous so I tightened my grab on his hand a little bit more and wrapped my free hand around his waist.

"Don't worry, you won't fall. But you might want to point me in the direction of your house, I'm getting a little lost here." I nervously said, making Dash laugh a little bit. He pointed out the direction of his house and I made a quick time of getting him home after that.

Setting him off by his front door I waved him goodbye. But as I started to leave he grabbed my wrist.

"Would you mind if I got your phone number? Just in case I need you." He asked quietly as to not cause a scene on the streets with the "ghost boy" being there.

"Sure, why not?" Dash passed me his phone and he put in his contact info. I figured that Dash would never have a need for Danny Fenton's phone number, so giving it out like it was Danny Phantom's shouldn't be a problem. And with that I was off, flying quickly back to my own house. I remembered the homework I still had to get done. Feeling tired, I groaned as I landed back safely into my room. 

But not a moment had passed before I felt a chill down my spine and saw a bluish mist escape from between my lips. Hearing the cries of people in the city and hearing the Box Ghost loudly proclaiming his name, I figured that I wouldn't be finishing my homework or getting any more sleep.