Blood And Ectoplasm
TheSoulOfAStrawberry
The fact Sam and Danny were synced didn’t make them both getting their periods any easier.
Not least, of course, because Sam hated their period. Not that they guessed anyone liked them, but they definitely actively hated them more than anyone else. They didn’t mark the dates down because they liked to pretend it wouldn’t happen, but of course, every month, without fail, that same cycle of pain and discomfort took them by surprise as it swung at their midriff.
That was, until they met Daniel Fenton in eighth grade. Initially, they’d have no reason to think Danny would even care about how they kept track of their period- after all, guys rarely ever knew how periods worked, let alone empathised with those having them. And yet, they’d barely been friends two months, only just starting to hang out on a regular basis, when Danny’s best friend Tucker pulled Sam aside before English, a sombre expression schooling his features.
“Look, it’s kinda weird having to tell you this but if you’re gonna be friends with Danny then you’re probably gonna need to understand what’s happening. Danny’s… Danny’s on his time of the month, so just? Yknow. I guess he might be a bit tetchy and maybe a bit of a jerk, but try not to go hard on him? It’s not a good time, and like, he’s a good guy really, he just might need some space.”
“Wait, what?”
Tucker took in their expression of incredulity and visibly cringed. “Wait, you mean you didn’t know Danny was trans? Geez, I thought you were some kinda gender non-conforming? Oh man…”
“I am,” Sam said quickly, and then, “I guess.” They paused for a second, and Tucker was silent, as if waiting for them to continue. They weren’t sure whether they should be offended by how guarded he looked right then, but they supposed Tucker had been friends with Danny for a long time before Sam had come along. It was sad that Tucker seemed so used to vetting his friends like this.
“I mean,” they started again, “I figured you were both some kinda queer anyway, but I just thought Danny was a regular cis dude.” Some things clicked into place in that moment, “Wait, does everyone else know? Is that why Dash bullies him? Man, I thought I couldn’t hate that guy any more than I already did,” they spat, clenching their fists.
“No,” Tucker said, putting his hands up in front of him as if expecting Sam to lunge at him, and then, when seeing their expression, lowered them slightly. “It’s not supposed to be common knowledge but I’ve known Danny forever so it’s really hard to tell if people can work it out or not by looking at him.” His face softened into a smile as he continued, “Though, hey, if there’s ever an opportunity for you to tell him you thought he was a cis guy, you should, he’d love to hear that from someone like you.”
Marred though it were by echoes of Danny’s struggles, there was something tender about that moment. It was a quiet statement of friendship and vulnerability about both Tucker and Danny, and wasn’t something Sam would forget in a hurry. They were still mulling it over later when they met up with the two boys for lunch, and Sam felt ease and something not unlike relief fall in their chest when they realised knowing Danny was trans didn’t change the way they thought about him, beyond empathising with the scowl he wore while he ate his sandwich on a bench round the back of the school.
From then on, Sam kept a track of their periods. They weren’t sure what they wanted to achieve with that initially, but they knew that at the rate the trio started hanging out after their conversation with Tucker, Sam and Danny were bound to sync up at some point, and it was useful to know. Even if only to quietly find ways to validate Danny through compliments or by leaving small gifts in his bag or locker.
