Danny's Story

Free Birds Singing

It was simple, when school came to, stay with Sam and Tucker, stay out of sight, and hopelessly glance to Paulina occasionally. Somewhere he could never be, someone he could never have, a spotlight never meant to be his. But, he had it better than Mikey at least, the poor kid had bruises littering his body. But then again, so did he, even if it was from ghost fights. It was funny, Dash’s hits didn’t hurt him as much anymore, though he was still scared.

What if he went after Tucker? 

Or....

Or Sam.

Danny looked briefly out of the corner of his eyes, looking at Dash once, eyes darting away before he could be caught staring. Dash was like a dog sometimes, if you looked him in the eyes, even a second, he was on you. Hurling insults as fast as he was throwing his punches. Phantom....Phantom could easily dodge them, hurt him, bad if he wanted to. But he wasn’t Phantom right now, he couldn’t be. He was Fenton, the loser, the scrawny wimp used as a punching bag for stress relief. But he was okay with that, so long as he didn’t touch him, didn’t touch her. 

He had looked away too slow, always so slow in this human body. But he wouldn’t give it up, he was half. He was both. For Sam, for Tucker, he would be. He would be the Hero Tucker envisioned him as, be the protector Sam had grown to see him become. 

“We going to hit the Nasty Burger after school?” Tucker’s voice filled his ears, surprisingly, they had gone a day by, and no one had sought them out. Ghost nor human. 

Danny was okay with that, loved it even.

“Definitely!”

A grin so wide it could split his face, inhaling, feeding off of the pleasantries that wafted from his two best friends. He was naive, not stupid. So when Sam looked at him, her gentle touches that guided him, he devoured such love greedily. They were only shy of sixteen by weeks, and Jazz had looked on knowingly. They would always be his friends, the very best. But, he could never have a lover, a wife, if they did not know who he was. Sam....and Sam, she fit it perfectly, even if he didn’t want to admit it. But he knew, had heard, so long as the girl isn’t touched....thats the only real way to hurt him. Never Touch Sam. 

Maybe, they were right to fear him. Danny had seen the future, his older self, just twenty four years of age, and the strongest, and most evil ghost, being, creature, whatever the hell he was, on both sides of the world. 

Had Dan been obsessed with her too? 

No. 

But the way he had leered....but he’d almost killed her, them both, all over again. All for his sick, twisted amusement he called fun. 

No. Dan had lost his obsession when he’d merged with Vlad.

Had he?

Three milk shakes were slid in front of them, two chocolate, and one vegan vanilla karamel. Danny smiled, sucking eagerly at his frozen treat, the taste of chocolate was sweet, not nearly as sweet as, but sweet enough. All too soon, Jazz came in, a soda in hand as she came to them, sitting besides him, critical eyes watching the doors warily. “We need to go home, Dad and Mom want the meeting to be done.” So the sentence was sent, and Danny chugged his drink.

“Sorry guys, family meeting and all!” 

But as always, both looked at him, strained smiles on their lips as they watched him go. As predicted, his phone buzzed, vibrating in his pocket. Danny didn’t even have to look, to know. First, it would be Tucker. ‘Dude, talk later alright?’ Then Sam. ‘What happened? Tell me, and are you okay?

They were constant, and...

Danny liked that.