Layers Becoming Reeds
austinthegrouch
Danny spikes up his hair in his bathroom mirror, more nervous than he's ever been, including that time when Vlad threatened to destroy the planet. He just laughs now whenever he remembers his old adventures. Man, his teen years were wild, back when he was more vigilante than diplomat.
Ghost crime has settled down in the last few years with the forming of the alliance. He mostly works on integration now, ghost rights. The entire group's all gone onto politics. Sam's still preaching her eco-feminist principles and fighting the establishment, only now with Jazz on her side. Sam and Danny'd broken up a year after everything. He still loved her, but it was never that type of love, even if he'd tried to fake it. They're best friends, stayed best friends, and the next year Sam'd started exploring herself and her bisexuality more. He's looking forward to having her as a sister eventually, if she and his actual sister ever actually confess.
Tucker knocks on the bathroom door.
"Bro, the parade's not going to last all day! Hurry up!" Danny takes one last look in the mirror, whispering positive buzzwords to himself. He's given speeches in front of millions, seen by billions. He's fought dictators and vengeful terrorists. He has his own line of shameless merchandise. But he's still afraid about coming out in a world where being asexual or aromantic means being broken. How far does public acceptance go, even for a hero?
He walks out of his temporary safe haven (the last words he ever thought he'd use to describe a bathroom), out to where his friends and family are waiting. His dad's switched out his orange jumpsuit to one with the tackiest rainbow pattern he's ever seen, matching with his mom. He loves them both so much. As a kid, he'd have been embarrassed. He's glad he grew up.
Jazz and Sam are caught up in each other as usual, although they do make an effort to greet him. God, it's so awkward watching them interact. He walks over to sit next to Tucker instead.
Hir dreads are tied up, specially dyed yellow, purple, and black for this occasion, and ze's decked completely in agender pride gear. Tucker finally embracing hir gender identity (or lack of one, in hir case) during hir last term as mayor was one of the biggest scandals Amity Park had ever seen. But ze'd worked through it, with everyone's support along the way, and became a symbol for agender individuals worldwide. In the process, Tucker became one of the strongest people he's ever met.
He owes it to them to come out, not to Tucker, but to all the asexual or aromantic children in the future. All the ones now. To the adults who doesn't have the support he does, the understanding. To spread the word to people who might never know otherwise. His stance matters. And that's even scarier than realising he was part ghost.
Tucker reaches out and tugs his hand, as if sensing the dark edge of his thoughts.
"Don't think too much," ze whispers, serious for once. Ze stands up, dragging Danny through the door, as everyone else follows hir lead.
"Let's go already."
And to his own surprise, Danny's smiling.
