#Danny is digging himself into a deeper hole | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dcxdpdabbles · 8 months

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Cave Boy Danny calls Batman’s costume uncool and the bats lose their minds over it. Also Alfred would totally spoil him in nostalgia. (Maybe by making the batfam let Danny out of the cage…?)

Danny tries his best not to stare at his perceived counterpart or any of the children, convinced he's their dad as a kid. He's not doing an excellent job of it, though, seeing as his eyes flickered around the room against his will.

It's almost as if the more he tries not to stare, the more he glances. It's so weird that Bruce looks precisely what he imagines Dan Phantom would have looked like if he had a human side. Knowing that Bruce and Dan look alike does not settle his nerves.

It makes him feel even more weary of the older man.

He was curious to know if they were the same person because he had made up the name Bruce on the spot since it was the most boring name Danny could think of. Yet, the DNA results showed they were the same person, not due to cloning. He knew what clones' DNA looked like from personal experience.

Especially since Bruce- why did it have to be such a boring, stupid name? Why couldn't he still be named Danny? His own clone kept his name for Pete's sake!- was sending out major Fruitloop vibes.

Not only was he rich with a secret lab underneath his house and dressed in a weird bat costume, but oh no, Bruce ate pizza with a fork and a knife.

Danny's eyes flicker over to the man just as he cuts another piece of his pepperoni pizza without a single movement wasted. He doesn't even look like he's doing it as a joke- no, the man is regal, dabbing his mouth with a napkin every third bite.

What a freak. Danny thinks, folding his pizza slice in half so he can stuff most of it in his mouth in one giant bite. Two of the teenagers gasped as though they just witnessed a natural disaster.

"Philistine." Damian- his counterpart's youngest- hisses. He's glaring at Danny, obviously trying to insult him, but Danny has dealt with bullies all his life. The kid is far too polite in his insults. Damian wouldn't last a day in public schools' playgrounds, that's for sure.

Danny looks him dead in the eye, still chewing, eyes wide and earnest, and responds with a cheerful "Gesundheit."

Damian's face clouds over in disgust. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Philistine is an uncultured person who is hostile or indifferent to the arts." Danny recites without missing a beat. He gives the other boy a pitying frown. "If you don't know the definitions of words, maybe you shouldn't use them. Might get you in trouble one day"

Damian throws a knife at him with a cry of outrage. Danny is not ready for said knife, but his ghost reflections have him moving to the right just in time for the blade to miss his head and impale itself on the back chair of his seat.

It does, however, nick his neck a little. Danny lets out what he hopes is an appropriate scream in response to the pain. He doesn't want them to know about his real name, much less his powers, but it's hard to have proper reaction times when he could already feel his healing ability numb the pain seconds after it happens.

It felt like a small prick of a sticker while walking barefooted in the grass- quick and sharp but over quickly.

Danny blinks at the table for a solid three seconds, before tilting his head as far back as it could go in his seat and letting out an even monotone cry of "aahhhhhhhhhh!"

He wishes he was better under pressure because it felt like he was attempting to impersonate a toad.

"Young Master Bruce!" Alfred- the butler that raised Bruce in their world? So his counter-parts foster dad?- cries out in alarm. He springs up from his seat, rounding the table to be at his side in seats. "My dear boy, are you alright? Does it hurt? Shall I bring the medical kit?"

Danny stops his monotone cry to blink up at the man. "I'm okay. I'm just dramatic."

Alfred's face spams before it settles in a nostalgic, fond expression. "Oh, the memories."

"Leaping Lizards, Batman," Tim whispers, gripping his fork so hard it's bending. He has a manic glint in his eye, with a smile so wide it's splitting his face in two. "Is this what Bruce was like at our age?"

"Yes, Master Bruce did have a very similar personality to our guest".

"I thought Ollie was kidding when he said Bruce was the weirdest kid in school," Dick speaks up, his face reflecting massive glee. "Does this mean it's also true he would tell people he would date them if they could beat him in a fight?"

"Yes. Alfred told me that was the only way I would be allowed to date before eighteen," Bruce speaks up, a hint of a blush appearing on his cheekbones. "I was in a lot of fights."

Alfred laughs, looking far too grandfatherly when he nods. "I would get a call from Gotham Acadamy almost every other day because Master Bruce had fought off would-be suitors. It's why no one bats an eye at his play-boy persona."

"You know what," Jason speaks up, looking thoughtful. "This explains everything about your love life, to be honest."

"Oh, so when you beat up annoying guys hitting on you, it's okay, but when I do it, it's unfair since I have training," Steph complains, making air quotes on the word training.

Bruce frowns at her. "When I was a teenager, I didn't have any of my Bat training, just what Alfred taught me."

"Alfred, the ex-British Secret Service, bulter." She counters.

"Alfred, the ex-medic in the Royal Air Force, bulter," Duke cuts in.

"Alfred, the ex-SAS Commander, Bulter," Dick tasks on with a smile

"Alfred, the ex-Spy Master for the Royal Crown, bulter," Cass cheerfully says.

"Ancients, those poor teenagers," Danny whispers, staring at Alfred in newfound respect and fear. "Did they even have a chance?"

"No, those riff-raff did not" Alfred smiles turning to the older version of Danny. "I do believe Master Bruce once threw Mr.Queen into a dumpster and left him there overnight?"

"I did. Oliver wouldn't accept no as an answer, so I put him in time-out." Bruce responds with a shrug. "If he hadn't been such a crybaby about the black eye, maybe I would have taken him up on his offer to see a movie."

Danny can't believe this. He points an accusing finger at Bruce with an unhinged look of confusion. "You had everyone falling over themselves in a world where bi-sexuality is common, mind you, and you choose to wear the lame-ass weird bat costume by choice? You chose to be uncool when you could have been in the It-Crowd!?"

The Wayne kids choked on their spit as Bruce gaped at him.

"Brucie, you are a riot!" Jason gasps, causing Danny to frown.

"Brucie?"

"Yeah, since there are two of you, I thought calling the smaller one Brucie would make it easier to tell you apart." Jason sighs wiping a tear out of his eye. Next to him, Dick is still howling with laughter.

Danny needs to keep calm and tell them he would not respond to the name Brucie. Instead, he panics and says, "I actually go by Brucie back home. I'm so surprised you know the nickname!"

He needs to get the fuck out of here.

#dcxdpdabbles #dc x dp crossover #Cave Boy #Part 2 #DC would is the gay one #Danny is so offended Bruce choose to not be a A-lister #The weirder Danny is the more Alfred is reminded of baby-Bruce #The batkids are slowly losing all respect for Bruce #Danny is digging himself into a deeper hole

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drawnfamiliarfaces · 8 months

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How would the other characters react to albedo?

um? im gonna assume you are asking about HoMies characters? so im gonna answer about them (like sorry if you meant smth else??)

tbh im not very well versed in Albedo's story arc (particularly Omniverse haha), and i dont remember enough from every show to make detailed discussion about it. Not to mention that i doubt most of them would ever meet him lol.

But if they did, the general reaction/attitude about canon!Albedo would be somewhere in realms of annoyed sympathy/pity?? Like Albedo's whole character is suffering because of his own rash decisions and irrationally blaming it all on Ben, and just digging himself into a deeper hole. Most of the main 9 had some experiences in realms of clones and unfortunate experiments, so they would be sympathetic to his plight but it would be negated by his attitude lol.

Tho honorable mention of reactions would be:

1. Rex - who is gonna be that sort of friend who is all the way on Ben's side (like, "who we hating today king? ye fuck that dude") and might feel some sort of small sympathy because technically Albedo's situation was an accident (of his own making), but the fact that he continuously blames Ben would just make Rex angry on behalf of his bestie.

2. Danny - who would feel particularly annoyed/angry with Albedo and his attitude, because he knew real clones (think Dani & her bros) who trully suffered because of the actions of others, and because Albedo's reasons and attitude reminded him a lot about Amorpho (all the arrogance and trouble caused) and also Vlad (with all the irrational blaming).

3. Jenny - because she can be a little shit and is constantly annoyed by Ben, despite any sympathy she has she wouldnt miss an opportunity to make a joke about Albedo being stuck as Ben lol

now if we thinking about fanon!Albedo (like the type that actually gets his head out of his ass), reactions would understandably be more positive i guess

#que?#hom au #hom au Q&A

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saphushia · 10 months

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...the dc/batman crossover got you too huh...

(assuming u mean dp/batman) yeah.... my ass looking for dp fics like 'FINE i'll try the crossover fic' and immediately finding it's filled with delicious character dynamics that just don't really work with solely dp cast and then realizing i've been endeared to the characters and want to know more what can i say, i'm a huge fan of danny having to put up with shit like 'welp. thats a ghost. and batman doesn't have ecto-weapons... shit that means it's my problem. oh for fucks sake now they're stalking me.' i love to see this idiot dig himself into deeper and deeper holes

#answers #dcdp #dedud3d #danphan #batstuff

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luffyrose · 1 year

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Dc x Dp Blurb #3

It's late, I'm tired and on my phone so it's weird writing here but I must share this one instantly.

So, I saw a Trans Danny AND Trans Jazz thing earlier and I lost it. The idea that they both are is so good to me, and I have so much angst for it.

Just, neither of their parents even REMEMBER that they're trans. Like Danny's their son, Jazz is their daughter....but only because they know they have one daughter one son and clearly that was correct, not because they remember they're both trans. Acceptance through negligence basically.

Also side note but totally an au where the kids at school know and are like "Hell yeah you go!" About the trans stuff. Dash will push Danny into a locker but if he hears someone deadname his nerd friend he's taking a note from the ghosts and breaking shit.

Now the crossover aspect that's been invading my brain. Danny is visiting Gotham temporarily for something and is just like not hiding that he's trans, he's got a lol pin of the flag on his bag. Class trip with the Fentons being some of the supervisors, they came along to see if Batman was a ghost, and Danny us just very tired at this point. He's king of the realms, come to a midpoint with his 'rogues' after realizing it was more a ghost thing than a hate thing for 99% of them, and finally become friends with most of his class even if Dash still liked to mess with him.

Walking through the museum they're touring with Lancer, and a class from the local high school, Danny ends up near the edge of his classmates group next to the other school group. They're not avoiding one another but also not really talking, but this one kid just goes, "nice flag pin," before showing off the bisexual and polyamorous ones they have.

It's Tim. Because he saw the flag and went :O friend time. And also no one he talked to was with the group he was in, so he'd rather talk to this stranger who probably won't treat him differently since he doesn't know him.

The two talk as they are going, some of the other Casper high students chiming in since hey if a kid is nice to their weirdest classmate they're pretty okay in the books. (50/50 if the class know Danny is Phantom but they totally know he's different from all the osha violations in his house and most of them are so worried after really paying attention after they became friends).

Randomly Jack and Maddie come out of nowhere and grab Danny talking about something to do with ghosts, much to the apparent tiredness and even slight distaste on their kid's face, which they didn't even notice. Tim is unsure what is happening but seeing the dislike on the whole class's faces and some worried looks Danny got he's now wanting to go all detective on him because hey Danny's fun to talk to! Totally not because he's very very gay-

So after they leave, he causally tries to learn more about the two and why the class seemed to hate them, even why Danny himself didn't seem to want to be anywhere near his parents. Of course he tries to be subtle.

"So you're parents seem pretty accepting of you being trans, that's good!"

Maybe not so subtle, in his defense, he hasn't slept recently. Danny tried to smile at it though but completely failed, just giving up and slouching as he shrugged.

"More like they don't even remember."

So now Tim is concerned and confused, but much to his luck, the tour is over and the Casper students are leaving. He's worried about his new friend, even if they exchanged numbers, so he goes down a rabbit hole. Not only does he find suspicious stuff about this small town that was heavily deleted from many things, but he finds that Danny has a sibling. It's evident to him they're also trans from the few pictures before and after but the sibling's name isn't anywhere to be seen so he tries to dig deeper.

He pauses before going further down though to respond to some of Danny's messages. But his sleep deprived brain decided 'let's just ask'. So he asks a bit of questions about Danny. Like what's his town like? Any other family? Are they fine with you being trans, because he'll totally beat anyone who's not, etc. Danny answers them and in turn asks about the Waynes, mainly because Danny is not entirely convinced Bruce himself isn't weird like Vlad, but he does acknowledge that he's at least not evil.

Eventually Danny offhandedly mentions Jazz is trans to, and Tim being the detective he is is like "huh..." and asks if his parents were accepting of Jazz too. It's a while before he responds but Danny just says;

"They don't remember we are trans...so no problems or anything with it..."

Tim doesn't get the chance to say anything about it as Danny asks about something about him being poly and what his dad and siblings thought. Of course he replied but his mind was also reeling from the fact that Danny's parents literally don't pay attention to their kids enough to not realize both kids are trans.

They keep in touch and Tim puts investigating on the back burner some since while kinds neglectful they seem to be decent enough parents.

He regrets that though as Danny doesn't message him for nearly a month. It worries him enough to put that investigation back to the forefront. Of course he finds osha violation city in the Fenton's house, as well as the actual paranormal activity happening. What concerns him the most is that apparently the town hero, a ghost boy, is missing...from around the same time Danny stopped messaging.

It's a week into trying to find Danny that he gets a message from his number, except it's not Danny. It's Jazz. She asks Tim if Danny had gone to him, she was trying everyone since no one knew where he was. This sparks a big ol search.

Danny meanwhile ended up with a hero (any but Clark or Bats cuz we want some rarer family dynamic, the good juice) after crash landing, most literally, right by em. The hero, I'm thinking Hal or Barry idk, is too busy trying to help this random powerful teenager who was bleeding way too too much to not have some regeneration ability.

After some drama of trying to find Danny, and Jazz, Tucker, Sam, and Tim knowing identities(Danny's included) because Tucker accidentally hacked around and found out, hero parent of Danny shows up with said boy closely in tow to a meeting after their surprise break from league work and Tim just jumps up and doesn't even remember that Danny doesn't know his identity.

Danny panics initially but quickly realizes it's Tim and finally gets back in contact with Jazz and all of his friends/classmates who had most definitely stormed a GIW lab in his absence. The league is confused and it's a whole mess before Danny trauma dumps on em and Tim as RR just admits this all started because he saw the trans pin.

My brain is rambling too much for this now, but basically lotta trauma, the league appalled and Danny getting a good family after everything is settled. His classmates so visit him and Tim, Kon, and him date because I feel like Danny would meet him, learn he's a clone (after being very gay for a moment) and just be like "heck yeah, my younger sister is a clone" which also caused more panic but like gay trio.

I'm gonna go sleep now, enjoy the angst and randomness this blurb is-

Remember these are free to take and do whatever you please with them, it's just random ideas/thoughts that I have but don't plan to do anything with for the foreseeable future!

#danny phantom #dc x dp #dp x dc #danny fenton #dc comics #ghost king danny #dc #dcmultiverse #tim drake #dash baxter #jazz fenton #jasmine fenton #I just think that their parents not remembering because they still have one son one daughter and not realizing it swapped is so angsty #like #that's almost worse than them not accepting because hey #they just don't care enough to even notice nor remember #they use the right names and pronouns sure but only because they already sometimes forget their kids names when they've been focused #tim is horrified by this #and he hyper focuses on stuff so he KNOWS you can still pay attention to others #it's like a bare minimum and they still failed it so he's baffled #then Danny goes missing #and Tim is like “welp- fuck” and chaos ensued #meanwhile Danny was crying in a blanket with a cup of hot coco with his resident new parent rubbing his back #it's the spiderman meme when Danny shows up with hero #and the whole halfa thing was already a mess to explain #so he just trauma dumped instead if explaining it to the league #didn't help much but hey at least they couldn't all adopt him #tim and kon dating him was just a lil spice and happy to the idea #also the class being chill with danny was some good spice #cuz I love dash having standards and just befriending danny after a bit because it was just teenage angst things

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new-revenant · 1 year

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A so Called Tamaranean | Part Three

Danny is in the Watchtower, and he finally gets some answers, with yet another answer to look for.

Also, NicktoonsUnite is technically cannon in this, but it is not a crossover with them because I don’t want to make this story too complicated.

Ao3

Tagging list(adding on from the list from last time, and there so many of you??<3):

@spectralstardustandphantomnights - @skulld3mort-1fan - @ballzfrog - @toomanyfandoms11 - @blueflipflops - @everest-nightshade - @terzatheunderscorerima - @thegatorsgoose - @mnemovoid - @ace-aro-as-shit - @pikakaistudios - @phoenixcatch7 - @alice-hazelwood - @idfk-man10 - @ballzfrog - @keimiwolf - @cankokingg - @dxrksong - @learning-to-fly-on-my-own - @chaoticmistake - @ectoplasm024 - @akikkobara - @nerdypaintbrush - @stargirl1331 - @treepainting - @that-awkward-fae-nerd - @kawaiikenna - @raspberry-muffin - @jaguarthecat - @busterkeel - @writer-extraodinaire - @amercurio - @gin2212 - @mj-arts-n-stuff - @wanderer-of-worlds - @sunflowershine03 - @manglethemingle - @stargazer-luna - @theauthorandtheartist - @crystalqueertea - @jotaroslooseeyebrowhair

☆★☆

Danny had no expectations for what the Watchtower would be like. He was far too tired to care anyhow. He’s been awake for what? 17 hours so far? He didn’t know, he can’t count. But he could very well see.

He was in space. There was giant window facing towards the Earth, and it was the most beautiful view he’s ever seen. He could stare at it for hours. Sadly, Nightwing and Starfire would not let him, saying that he’s “injured” and “might pass out soon.” One day he’ll return to that stellar view, one day.

Nightwing and Starfire directed him down the hallways towards the infirmary, meeting a few other heroes along the way. All of which thought that Danny was their son, and Danny didn’t blame them honestly. This Booster Gold guy gave him what was obviously half a container of leftover fries, that was nice. Danny finished it very quickly, and Nightwing took the empty container from him to put it away later.

When the trio actually got to the infirmary, Danny was suddenly hit with the realization of just much he has messed up the situation his was in. What would he do when everyone realizes he’s, in fact, not a Tamaranean? He’s been thinking about this before, but he’s actively digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself, like he always seems to do.

So there Danny was, standing right outside the infirmary doorway, contemplating his own existence. He felt like he wanted to cry honestly. Actually, it seemed like he was going to cry, as he was tearing up already.

“Are you okay Nightgale?” Starfire asked softly. Danny shook his head no before rapidly nodded yes and began to inch inside the infirmary. Starfire and Nightwing looked at each other worryingly, before Nightwing slipped inside before Danny even had a single foot in.

“Okay, there is only one person inside-say hi Green Arrow!” Nightwing said. A voice said hello from somewhere Danny couldn’t see. Granted, he was leaning away from the room, so he decided to finally fully step inside and look around.

Now, he could finally see this Green Arrow person, whose left leg was in a cast. He had a green hood and green-possibly leather-armor, with a green bow and quiver. Really living up to his name. His eyes widened under his eye mask upon seeing Danny enter.

“Holy shit, is that your kid from the future?!” Green Arrow exclaimed. Nightwing and Starfire quickly denied that, before sharing a look and looking at Danny inquisitively.

Danny repressed a smirk as he commented in a raspy voice, “I don’t think it’s-“ Danny coughed, “-very likely.”

The three all let out a sigh of relief, “I didn’t think that was true, but I’m glad that it’s confirmed that wasn’t the case,” Nightwing responded.

“Agreed,” Starfire added, “No offense, but it would make things…very complicated to say the least. Now, how about you lie down on one of the beds and I’ll get you water and and some traditional Tamaranean food! At least, something other than a handful of fries. How does that sound?”

Danny tried to say yes, but couldn’t push himself to do it, so he just gave her a weak thumbs up. Starfire gave him a small smile before darting outside the room. Nightwing guided Danny towards the bed that almost right in front of the door, two beds away from Green Arrow. Danny lay down, trying to get comfortable.

“So, what got you in that cast?” Nightwing asked Green Arrow. Arrow groaned, loudly, a hand going down his face.

“God, where do I even start?” Arrow mumbled, “So, I was just walking around Star City, patrolling as usual. The skies were clear, I was talking with Speedy over the phone about how he was doing,” -Arrow paused, looking over at Danny- “Speedy’s my kid and sidekick and all that jazz if you’re wondering. Sorry, I’m not hope I’m not boring you kid, or something.”

“I have never been more interested in a story ever,” Danny answered very quickly, trying not to strain his voice, which obviously didn’t work. He was also not telling the complete truth, but he was definitely more interested in this then anything he had to do for school. Which is something he completely forgot about up until now.

Shoving that thought and similar ones that accompanied it down into the darkest corners of his mind, he focused in on Green Arrow’s story.

“So there I was, climbing up a fire escape, trying to figure out what-or who- I saw from a couple of buildings down. Then-and I shit you not-a god damn pirate-that’s right, a pirate-jumped down from the building with a fire escape facing towards the fire escape I was climbing, and threw a shuriken at. My. Leg.”

“A pirate threw a shuriken at you leg?” Nightwing questioned, “That’s not the weirdest thing I guess, but why a shuriken? And why your leg? Wouldn’t it make more sense to aim for your arm?”

“Yeah, it would, which is why after the surprise of him ambushing me and pulling out a shuriken at what felt like the speed of light, I thought he would aim for my arm, so I positioned my bow to deflect it since I definitely wouldn’t be able to shoot back-not at such a close distance and in so little time. That’s why I was cut off guard and got injured.”

“Oh, but why the cast? Surely you would’ve just need some bandages right?”

“I pulled out the shuriken mid-fight, like an idiot, and right after I did, he threw a sword at me. At the same leg. It was one of those long, squiggly swords, and it was honestly impressive that he managed to scrape the same leg.”

“Ouch. Throwing a flamberge at your leg? Was his whole thing just using non-pirate themed weapons to catch people off guard?”

“Yep. Anyways, after that whole thing, I captured him, and then he fucking kicked me in the leg.”

Nightwing chuckled, and Danny suddenly, loudly, burst out into laughter, doubling over. He was previously sitting on the edge of the left side of the bed, leaning way too far towards Green Arrow, which meant that he obviously fell over. Nightwing caught him quickly and put him back onto the bed.

“Woah, be more careful ‘Gale, you’re pretty hurt,” Nightwing said.

“Yeah, are you good kid? What happened to you guys anyways?” Green Arrow asked.

“I’m-I’m fine,” Danny stifled the rest of his laughter, “Not expect that guy to just kick you, sorry.” Danny coughed, his throat was hurting a lot. He definitely needed some water right now.

“Just take it easy,” Nightwing told him, “Now, I forgot to introduce the kid to you-Green Arrow this is Nightgale, he’s a Tamaranean that I found from him falling from the sky and landing in Blüdhaven.”

“Damn that’s got to hurt way more than having a sword thrown at you,”Green Arrow commented, “Then again, aren’t Tamaraneans super resilient or something?”

“Definitely more so than humans I’ll give you that,” Nightwing looked over Danny with concern. Danny could tell they were examining him for injuries, and quickly gave him a thumbs up. Would Tamaraneans know what a thumbs up mean? Eh, he can just say he saw someone do it in the warehouse.

“The blood’s not mine,” Danny said with a smile. Nightwing sighed, slight frustration creeping into their voice.

“Yes, but that bruise on your face is yours.” Danny touched his right cheek, a bruise was definitely there. Weird, since he usually healed fast enough that it would’ve already faded away. If only that meta-or at least, what Danny assumed was a meta-didn’t punch him in the face when he was just trying to help. The lack of ectoplasm in the air probably was the cause of his unbearably slow healing.

Nightwing turned toward Green Arrow, “‘Gale decided that it would be a fantastic idea to run off and fight criminals hosting a meta fighting ring to learn English.”

Green Arrow burst out into laughter, “Oh that’s hilarious,” he said with a clap, “And wait, his name is Nightgale? Are you sure he isn’t your kid from another universe at least?”

“Another universe?” Danny said. These people were aware of the multiverse? They might not be aware of how big the multiverse is, but now Dannywas regretting not telling them the truth even more. If he did, he probably could’ve been home already!

“Considering that reaction, probably not,” Nightwing answered. Boy they did not know how wrong they were.

“Sorry I’m late!” Starfire’s voice came from down the hall. That meant Danny could get some water-and food! Danny sat straight up, before falling right back down.

“I’m here!” Starfire exclaimed as she brought in a tray of familiar looking food, and some clearly alien looking food. And a bottle of water. Danny sat up again, but fell right back down again.

“Kid, you’ve gotta get up slower,” Green Arrow told him, “You don’t have enough iron or whatever the Tamaranean equivalent is. Is there iron in Tamaranean blood, Star?”

“Hmm, I can’t remember actually,” Starfire answered, “But whether or not there is iron, Tamaraneans still need to eat occasionally. So here Nightgale, eat up!”

Danny looked over the food set in front of him. The odd looking food was clearly the ones he should eat first, since it was almost definitely Tamaranean food. One of them was moving, but was certain it wasn’t reanimated, so it was free game. Honestly, he’d eat anything that wasn’t reanimated food or literal dirt. After downing at least a quarter of the water inside the bottle, Danny dug in. To his surprise, the Tamaranean food was very good, and he could feel a smile form on his face as he ate.

“Are we allowed to eat in here?” Green Arrow asked. The other two shrugged, not knowing either.

“Don’t eat too fast now, alright ‘Gale?” Nightwing said. Danny looked up at them, just now noticing how they shortened Nightgale to just Gale. Danny was not expecting to somewhat enjoy being called that but whatever. Danny nodded, before continuing to eat his food that he was already a third of the way through.

“And don’t forget to drink your water!” Starfire added. Danny nodded again, taking a few sips from his bottle before continuing to eat.

“Again, and I know I sound like a broken record, but are you sure he’s not your kid? How old is he? Where did he even come from anyways?” Green Arrow asked.

“That’s…a good question,” Nightwing responded, “He looks like a twelve year old-in human standards at least-which means he’s probably still a kid in Tamaranean years, but we don’t know where he came from.”

Danny stiffened. It kinda sucked that he looked like a twelve year old here-he was fourteen, almost fifteen! But he knew that people looked different in different dimensions based on how close the dimensions were to each other, he had some personal experience there. But that’s not what bothered him the most. Now he has to explain how he came here. Which meant more lies and half-truths for him.

“Nightgale-“ Starfire began, before Danny cut her off.

“I was chased through a portal,” Danny said, putting his food down and trying to not make direct eye contact.

“So he could be-“ Green Arrow began, before Danny cut him off too.

“No, I’m not their kid from another universe. That’s stupid.” Danny honestly did not know the possibility of that happening, but it probably wasn’t too unlikely given how the three were considering it. Still, he didn’t think that was the case for him at least.

“Well, do you remember anything before being chased through a portal?” Night wing asked, “You don’t have to tell us anything-“ this marks the third time Danny cut someone off in this chapter.

“Lab.” Danny took another sip of water from his bottle before setting it and the half-finished tray of food on a table nearby. His throat was feeling much better, so he could elaborate, he just didn’t want to.

Danny lay back down on the bed, his face scutched up, hoping to nonverbally signal that he did not want to continue this conversation. Thankfully, the trio seemed to get it, and looked at each with a lot of concern. Which was understandable, since just saying “lab” was very vague and could indicate a lot of…uncomfortable possibilities.

“Er, sorry kid,” Green Arrow said, “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine, I’m just tired,” was all that Danny said. He really was tired and definitely could use a nap any minute now. Or some actual sleep. When was the last time he had a full night of sleep?

“Alright kid,” Nightwing said softly, “You definitely need all the sleep you can get. Me and Star are going to try to figure out how to stabilize your powers, so don’t worry about it alright?” Danny hummed in agreement.

“Sweet dreams!” Starfire said in Tamaranean, a soft smile on her face with worry in her eyes. She and Nightwing departed soon after.

“Welp, good night kid,” Green Arrow said, “I’m probably going to be gone when you wake up, so don’t be concerned or anything.”

“Okay, good night-“ Danny yawned, “-goodnight Mister Arrow.” And with that, Danny swiftly fell asleep.

☁︎

There was an endless sea of stars before him, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Danny could point out the constellations spread all around him, from both the northern and western hemispheres, as if he was the Earth itself.

Out in the purple star speckled landscape, space began to distort. Up at the northern star, the lightly colored dots of surrounding it seem to combine together, creating a face. A face Danny was familiar with.

“Nocturn!” Danny exclaimed. Sure enough, the Nocturn was there, smiling at him.

“Hello ghost child,” Nocturn said, his voice calm and booming, “It’s nice to see you again, under less…aggressive circumstances.”

“Yeah, you trapped everyone in my town in their dreams, and then I beat you up.”

“Correct, but I am not here to trap you or your new friends. In fact, I’m here to help you, but we’ve haven’t have much time before you wake up. Now, ask away.”

“Ask away?” Danny didn’t expect that. But he definitely wouldn’t pass this opportunity up. “When can I get back home-how can I get back home?”

“When is not something I can answer, how, however, is that you need to pass this ‘test’ Clockwork has come up with.”

“Oh, of course it’s all Clockwork’s fault,” Danny groaned, “He’d once said that me cheating on test would cause everyone I loved to die and me to take over the world. I still don’t believe that.”

“Neither do I,” Nocturn admitted, “Perhaps he was trying to ‘hit two birds with one stone,’ he wasn’t the cause of you ending up here, but he is the reason you cannot leave yet.”

“Did he at least say what I need to do?”

“No, he did not. It was very much left out on purpose.”

Danny groaned, it’s not like he could do anything except play along. Or try to get the Justice League to help, but he’s far too deep into his lie now to do that quickly.

“Alright, fine, how about…why do I apparently look like I’m twelve to everyone here huh?”

“People tend to look different in different dimensions.”

“I already knew that, I didn’t even need to ask I guess,” Danny mumbled, “Okay, so why can’t I turn back into a human, and why does my arm hurt whenever I use my powers?”

“It’s quite simple really,” Nocturn said as stars began to move and change shape right in front of Danny, “This is your realm, or universe,” a handful of stars combined together, with the smaller stars moving out of the way, creating a huge space between the newly combined star and the other, smaller ones, “and these are the universes closest to yours, but they’re not alternate versions of your universe, that would be much too complicated to show,” a bunch of stars the same size as the big one appeared, with empty space still between them and the smaller stars, “I’m sure you’ve been to at least one of these before right?”

Danny nodded as he remembered that one time-well, it was definitely multiple times-he had saved the multiverse before.

“I thought this was the whole multiverse, but I’m guessing I’m wrong about that huh?”

“Correct. This-“ the stars shrunk and shrunk until Danny couldn’t even see the original dot that was his own, but instead a small dot resembling his own section of the multiverse was there, which another dot of the same size appearing a bit aways from it.

“This, is the section of the multiverse you’re in.”

“That’s…” Danny ran his hand through his hair, “That seems kinda…far away, isn’t it?”

“Correct again. However there is some good news-currently, every minute that passes in your own universe, a day passes here.”

“Oh thank god,” Danny heaved out a long sigh, “I wasn’t even thinking about that.”

“You think?” Nocturn replied snarkily.”

“Oh shut up you damn disgrace to space, just answer my question please.”

“Alright then. The Ghost Zone, as you may well know, is also known as the Infinite Realms, for a good reason as well.

“The Infinite Realms is connected to the entire multiverse, some claiming that it’s the glue holding it all together. Whether that’s true or not, you can travel from this universe and your universe as easily as you travel from your universe to another universe from your own section of the multiverse.”

The two dots suddenly went back to their original size, looking like they were from the same section of the multiverse.

“As you may guess, that means it is easier for ghosts to travel across the multiverse compared to others.”

“What if I came here in human form?” Danny asked nervously.

“Well, for one, you would almost definitely stick out as an ‘extra-dimensional being,’ and two, you might not survive since you traveled here from the Ghost Zone.”

“Oh.”

“‘Oh’ indeed. Your arm hurts because that was where the catalyst of your current state occurred.”

“You mean that’s where I got zapped by the portal and got turned into this thing,” Danny corrected as he waved a hand up and down his body, “My parents may be scientists, but I am a C-student and can’t understand your stupid jargon.”

Nocturn sighed, “It wasn’t jargon, I was trying to be polite, and your status of being a C-student is unrelated.”

“Just get on with the explanation please, we’re running out of time!” Danny complained.

“I was-bah, whatever, you’re a dumb, bratty child-your ghost form is trying to keep you alive even if you most likely don’t need to stay in it. Thankfully, since you are able to consume food and such because of your human form, you won’t permanently become a ghost, or disappear because of the low amount of ectoplasm needed to sustain a powerful ghost such as yourself.”

Danny gasped a bit cheerfully, “I’m powerful?”

“Compared to most ghosts in this section-and I would say most sections if not for the multiverse going on infinitely-yes, you are.”

“So basically, I’m stuck in this little loop of my ghost form trying to not get my human form killed, to my ghost form basically killing me because I can’t normally get the energy I need with it, to my human form allowing me to get the energy my ghost form needs to keep me in it. Is that right or am I stupid?”

“You’re correct. You are far smarter than you give yourself credit for young ghost.”

“That’s…kinda bad, like the system’s very counterproductive.”

“A lot of things are counterproductive, especially when it comes to humans. Now, I feel like our time’s about to run up. Ask any other questions you need to, quickly.”

“Oh uh, um, is the Justice League evil, are the people from there I’ve met so far evil?”

“Not in this universe. Now, it is time to wake up.”

Before Danny could get another word in, he opened his eyes.

☁︎

Danny barely had any time to process what just occurred in his dream before sitting up to focus on what exactly woke him up. The door to the infirmary had opened, and someone had stepped inside. It was Batman.

“Ah, it seems you’ve just woken up, correct?” Batman asked. Danny gulped. He remembered that Batman had access to his DNA, and was likely going to confront him about that. Danny looked over to the bed where Green Arrow was, only to find it empty.

“Green Arrow just left as I came inside here, he told me tell you that he hopes you’ll feel better soon,” Batman answered Danny’s unspoken question for him as the former walked further inside. Danny shrunk back into the bed as far as could while still keeping an eye on Batman. Thankfully, he stopped in his tracks once he noticed this.

“I have no plans on hurting you, I just want to talk.” Danny was surprised with how much Batman sounded genuinely concerned for him, even if it was covered in a mostly monotone voice.

Danny shifted in place, trying to think of what to say, “Well, you seem kinda scary with that mask on I guess.” Danny was hating every word that came out of his mouth, but he can’t turn back time right now, unfortunately.

Batman made a humming noise, probably thinking about what to say. He answered quicker than Danny expected, “I’d take it off if wasn’t concerned about you shooting me in the eyes.”

“Oh god Nightwing told you about that didn’t he?”

“And Beast Boy.”

“Erm, yeah you have a point there I guess,” Danny fiddled with the bedsheet, “I…don’t want to hurt you either. I just…” Danny trailed off as he considered his options. Batman definitely knew he wasn’t Tamaranean, but if Danny told him the truth, would Batman tell anyone else? Danny fiddled with bedsheets even more as he started to panic. He was panicking a lot recently wasn’t he?

“Everyone with super hearing within the Justice League is either on world or otherwise not in the Watchtower,” Batman stated, capturing Danny’s attention back to him, “The walls in the Watchtower are reinforced so that it would be easier for those with super to focus on the sound coming from the room they’re currently in. No one would be able to eavesdrop on us, so you wouldn’t need to worry about that.”

“T-thank you???” Danny was honestly surprised, yet again, about how kind this Batman was being. Like, he seemed so menacing when he first saw him-and still looks menacing-but hot damn he cared so much. And he cared this much about this random child who was definitely lying to him and everyone else.

“You’re so fucking weird, I’m lying to you, I’m lying to everyone, yet you’re so god damn nice for no reason, you’re not my dad, what the hell is wrong with you?” Danny was not expecting to word vomit all of that out, but he did just wake up. Did not help from him feeling super stupid though.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry Mister Batman sir, I uh, thanks. Please kill me-actually no, dying hurts please don’t do that, I just need to stop talking, preferably forever, just don’t hurt me,” Danny was also not expecting to be tearing up while saying that, but at least he finally had shut up.

“You are just a child, aren’t you?” Batman asked.

“Should you even believe me?”

“Perhaps not. But, that doesn’t mean I won’t give you a chance to explain yourself, ‘Nightgale.’”

Danny sighed, rubbed his eyes free of tears, and began to speak, “Danny. My name is Danny. I’m a ghost, I’m not from here, not the universe, not even this section of the multiverse, hell, I’m not even a full ghost-I’m not sure of what I am!” Danny threw his arms up in the air before letting them fall down his face.

“I’m just a freaky boy, with freaky little powers, and I was just minding my own business before I got stuck here, because some time ghost-god-thing named ‘Clockwork,’ wants me to complete this test, and I don’t even what that test is.” Danny felt tears rolling down his face as he spoke. Batman was sitting nearby on a chair, not too close, but close enough that he could probably punch him or something.

Danny finished his little rant with a sentence that was almost a whimper, “I just want to go home. And I can’t. He won’t let me. And I’m scared, I know everything back home is fine, but what about here, what am I supposed to do-what can I do?

“I’ve fought some of the most powerful ghosts in the Infinite Realms and I’ve won. But I’m weak, I’m weak now, I can’t remember half the things I can do, so how should I know what I should do?

“I’m fourteen, technical almost fifteen I guess, but here I am! Worry about how adults would feel if I tell them that I’m not actually a Tamaranean, that I’ve been lying to them, about whether or not they would fight me, and about whether or not they would be heartbroken.“

Danny curled up, pulling his knees towards him and setting his head on his knees. He looked at Batman expectingly, “What should I do?” Danny asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Batman put his hand to his chin, thinking.

“They wouldn’t fight you,” Batman said, in such a way that made it sound like the absolute truth to Danny, “They might be disappointed, or feel betrayed, but once you explain yourself, they would do everything in their power to help you.”

“I-“ Danny paused, and took a deep breath in and out, “I want to believe you, I really do. I guess…I just have a problem with telling the truth once I’ve lied enough I guess.”

“Understandable.”

“You…you aren’t going to tell anyone about this aren’t you?”

“I won’t. Not now, only if you need me too.”

“Thank you,” Danny grabbed his water bottle and took a sip. He noticed how the veins on his left hand and arm weren’t glowing as much, so he was probably fine using it for a little bit. “I honestly thought you were going to kill me,” Danny muttered as he untied his gloves from his belt and put them back on.

“I wouldn’t. There’s no reason to.”

“Oh, thanks. I wish I could repay you, but, I’m kind of trying not to fully go ghost from using my powers too much. My left arm is kinda, not great. I’m not usually like this by the way, but I dunno, I’m still really tired and I don’t know what else to say.”

“That’s alright,” Batman got up from his chair, “I’m leaving now, do you need anything?”

“Well, I’ve got food, I still have some water, so…” Danny looked around, before looking down at himself, “I think I need some new clothes. I’ve been wearing this suit in this form ever since I sorta died, so if you could get something, that would be nice. But if not that’s fine.”

“Alright, I’ll get something sorted for you. Have a good sleep Nightgale,” Batman walked towards the door before Danny made a noise resembling a ‘wait!’ Batman stopped a turned around, one eye going up ever so slightly in confusion.

“Is something wrong?” Batman asked.

“No, but I was wondering, are you like, a vampire or something?”

“No.”

“So are you just some guy?” And Danny couldn’t have ever expected what happened next. Batman, one of the kindest and simultaneously most menacing and stoic person he’s met, smirked at him, which was gone in almost an instant. Danny had never felt so offended before, and that fact showed on his face.

“So why are you even called Batman? Are there a lot of bats where you live?”

“In my Bat Cave, yes.”

“…Are you sure you aren’t a vampire?”

“Not in this universe.”

“Okay, one of these days I need a rundown on how you guys know about the multiverse, not now though because I’m too tired to remember stuff like that.”

“Then I guess I’ll be taking my leave then.”

“I guess you will, as long as you don’t ever smirk again.” Batman turned away so Danny didn’t know if he did smirk or not, but he didn’t care all too much. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

After talking a bite of one the pieces of food that was still left and putting the water bottle back, Danny let out a long sigh. He had no idea where to go from here, but maybe some more sleep would help him sort out his thoughts. Yeah, that makes sense.

So Danny quickly fell asleep, with Nocturn fortunately not showing up again.

#danny phantom #dpxdc #dp x dc #dp fic #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc fanfic #a so called tamaranean #dp crossover #dp x dc au #danny fenton #danny phantom crossover #revenant makes fanfics

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scarletspectral · 1 year

Text

DP prompt idea:

Idea: So, AU where a halfa is something very different, i'd say it's way more in line with corpse!au, where a halfa is the result of a phenomenon where a massive amount of ectoplasm is used to bond a ghost into its corpse before it ever leaves. For ex: Danny is killed by the portal turning on but before his ghost can leave his body, the massive amounts of ectoplasm anchor it in place strong enough that he personally can't override it. The ectoplasm coalescing in his corpse keeps it from rotting like a natural preservative, but it doesn't really.. Look very nice so to say, so the main ghost power he uses is the ability to subtly change his 'human form' to look less.. Well corpse-like. As a halfa he can switch between 'ghost form' and 'human form' but really that just entails him placing his body into what's essentially a pocket dimension (maybe his lair??) and projecting his spirit where it would have been. He can't willingly leave his body entirely, meaning it can't be buried or mourned, and is mostly a catalyst to him digging the hole deeper and deeper as far as hiding what he is goes. I think an interesting way to go with it would be Sam and Tucker not knowing that's really what a halfa is, so Danny just lets them run with the theories they've decided on (that are the normal concept of a halfa) because hey, they probably dont wanna hang out or hug or hold hands with a corpse and he doesn't know what he'd do without their friendship and affection.

I think Vlad would be interesting with this concept, the blast from the proto-portal slowly killing him through radiation but also slowly locking him inside his body along with it, just creating a slow cook halfa who spends more and more energy as time goes on making himself look 'happy, healthy and alive' so to say. This could even lend to him getting control over and understanding his disguise powers way better than Danny to the point that he's able to make his 'ghost form' have a new look full time.

This was supposed to be a prompt but it's more just an AU idea, huh. I'll probably do something with it..??

#Text #Prompt #Writing prompt #Dp #dp writing prompt #Au #Dp au #Corpse au #Danny phantom #Sorry this is such a rambling mess its like 5am and i have so many thoughts #OK SO I SAVED THIS AS A DRAFT ON OCTOBER 11TH AND COMPLETELY FORGOR ABOUT IT SO IM POSTING IT NOW

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littlemisslipbalm · 2 years

Text

Why Sammy’s not allowed in the ship’s cockpit

Another 'A billion light years from here' installment!

If the Kiszkas were Aliens!AU and Danny as their human friend

Image Credit: @ofthecaravel ofc!

Heyyyy so I've been writing more about my favorite aliens and human daniel! I'll make a masterlist for this series of little stories so they can be collected in one place besides my master masterlist. The first installment is here if you want a little background but even that isn't extensive and I have wayyy more planned for this strange set of stories that I love so much. They focus largely on family and friendship and fun!!!

Once again, thanks to @ofthecaravel because Karou helps with so much of the inspiration and convos that occur in this. i love u bro <3

Enjoy and let me know what you think, give it a reblog perhaps!

Word Count: 1k | Warnings: baby Kiszkas and Daniel, alien!AU, some swearing, Jake having a potential captain kink? (as an adult ofc)

On Sam’s fifth arrival anniversary, he snuck out with his new human pet, Daniel, to the brothers’ spaceship.

Jake and Josh hadn’t noticed right away. Initially they had been happy to not have to deal with the rambunctious munchkin of a child Sam had chosen to become. They liked doing stuff on their own at this age. Their eight-year-old human bodies and minds only ever wanted to do stuff on their own or tease their little brother. But it was his arrival anniversary or as human’s called it, his birthday. They were told they weren’t supposed to be mean to him today.

But after 10 minutes passed with no interruption to the twin’s construction site in the backyard, Jake grew suspicious and Josh’s ears quickly perked to listen for his younger brother around the house at twin’s request. But he didn’t hear Sam’s breathing or heart beat even. He shut his eyes and focused his mind further out and then he heard him.

In his mind’s eye he saw an image of his baby brother, his body tiny, just the size of a five year old but the ambitions of a stubborn teenager. Sam was rattling around the spacehip, attempting to remember which switches were which. He was babbling to himself…no, not to himself.

“Shoot,” Josh mutters, eyes still closed as Jake watches him curiously. “Sammy’s in the ship.”

“He can’t fly it alone, it’s fine,” Jake shrugs, continuing to dig his hole deeper.

“He’s with Danny too,” Josh comments calmly, knowing Jake will spring to action at this addition.

“Oh, shoot. Shoot, indeed,” Jake’s on his feet, shovel forgotten on the ground as he begins marching towards the forest.

The twins make quick work of the trek through the forest. The path is unforgettable to them. In a flash, Sam is being pulled from the pilot’s seat by Jake and Josh is ushering Danny out of the spaceship, the lock twisting effortlessly behind them.

An eight-year-old Jake holds his little brother by the collar of his shirt after placing Sam onto the forest floor. Sam immediately begins to wail, kicking his feet violently at his brother.

“You can’t bring Dan on the ship, Sammy,” Jake states sternly.

“It’s not fair! It’s my arrival anniversary, I wanna show Daniel the universe!” Sam whines between watery tears.

“You know a human can’t second a ship, Sam,” Jake attempts to reason, rolling his eyes at his younger brother who continues to swing at him, the tears doing anything but subsiding. “Plus, you didn’t even graduate with a pilot’s licence and your legs are way too short to reach the pedals. Now can you stop kicking me, jerk?!”

“It’s not fair! It’s not fair! It’s not fair!” Sam continues to repeat. Jake takes a deep breath and rides out the tantrum.

Josh has the arguably easier job of talking to Danny. After ushering him out of the spaceship, Josh walked him and the younger human off to the side of the clearing, keeping them close enough to Sam and Jake to be in human eyesight but far enough to slightly drown out Sam’s wailing.

“Hey, Dan,” Josh starts as they sit down on some small stones big enough for their small bodies. “That was a spaceship, right?”

“It’s a really cool gift you got for Sam, it looks super realistic.”

“That’s because it is real,” Josh says confidently, but Danny’s chuckle makes his prideful look turn to a frown.

“Can you tell me another story about the pretend aliens out there?”

Josh sighs a little exasperated breath, his eyes going up to the sky for a moment, imagining home for just a moment. “Well, okay, but for the last time, it’s not pretend! We really are aliens!”

Danny giggles and the smile on his face is one of pure joy and delight. “You’re so funny, Josh.”

Josh grins back at the little human beside him.

He was glad Sam had found someone to befriend on Earth. He had a feeling that Danny would become an important person in all their lives, but especially Sam’s. He always worried about his younger brother having someone who was like Jake for him or Josh for his twin, someone to complete him. He had a strong feeling Danny was going to be that for him. Ever since Sam brought Danny home after his first day in preschool the notion had been there, but it grew each year and each time Danny refused to be fazed by the alien thing. If only Josh knew the amount of joy he and his brothers would experience the day Danny finally believed them. But for the eight year old twins and the five year old menace named Sam, that moment was a far ways off.

A couple decades later, the twins are reminiscing on the story. They dubbed it: ‘The reason why Sam’s not allowed in the cockpit. Ever.’ By now, Danny has finally realized that his friends weren’t joking the entire time about their true alien identities and come to terms with it – a story for another time.

“Do you remember that, Dan?” Jake chuckles while Sam has the decency to be embarassed.

“His eyes were like two full moons after I coaxed him off the ship,” Josh cackles. “But he still refused to believe me that it was real.”

“Yeah, vaguely,” Danny agrees. “I mostly just remember Sam being so sure of himself that he could fly that thing and that made me think it couldn’t possibly be real.”

“Fuck you,” Sam bites back his smile and attempts to sound a little bitter. “It’s not my fault I didn’t want to be a pilot, Jake’s schooling seemed boring as fuck.”

“You wish you could’ve been a pilot,” Jake tosses back.

“You just get off on calling yourself Captain…hate to break it to ya’ Jakey but it’s not a pirate ship.” Sam is snide in his remark and Jake’s mouth is agape.

“Sam, don’t be mean to your brother when he’s the one who put up with your tantrums the most throughout the years.” Josh is quick to intercede before anything more is said. Jake looks smug so Josh decides to add. “But you’re right, it isn’t a pirate ship and only the girls in our universe find it cool when you call yourself ‘Captain’.”

Jake uses both his hands to flip off his two brothers at once.

“I love you, guys,” Danny chuckles, grinning with that same boyish delight.

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mrsalwayswrite · 2 years

Text

Always With You (Angel!Reader x Tommy Shelby)

Summary: In some of Tommy's darkest moments, there was someone to give him hope.

This is my contribution to @retromafia Supernatural Celebration! Congrats again on your milestone and thanks for letting me participate!

Words: 5300

Warnings: canon-typical violence, war theme, mentions of death and dying, brief mention of childhood physical abuse, abandonment, swearing, results of Tommy's poor life choices

Moodboard made by the incredibly talented @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie

"Tommy, you need to sleep."

"I'm alright." He replied, wiping the sweat dotting his forehead, only to smear more mud across it.

Freddy grabbed the end of Tommy's shovel, forcing his friend to stop and listen. "Tom, when was the last time you slept?"

He tried to think about it. He really tried. But down here, in the mud and darkness where the sunlight could not penetrate, the days blurred into an endless hell. As soon as he stopped shoveling, all the exhaustion he had been ignoring seemed to finally weigh on him like iron chains. He dropped down onto his ass, uncaring of the mud beneath him. His clothes, his hair, his skin was covered in it anyway. Releasing a sigh, he ground the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"Fuck, Tommy. You can't keep going like this." His friend implored, the faintest hint of desperation in his voice.

"We're close. We're so fuckin' close, Freddy."

"Aye. Jesus. At least go lay down for an hour, yeah? Go back towards the ladder. If somethin' changes, we'll wake you."

"Or start screamin' like a little girl, eh?"

"Fuck you!" Freddy protested, wiping his hands on his filthy trousers. "That rat was the size of me forearm!"

"Think he was imaginin' it still." Danny snickered as he joined the other two, the lantern dangling from his right hand casting an eerie glow over the three tunnelers.

"Fuck you both. I know what I saw."

"Go on, Sergeant. We're good 'ere." Danny said, directed at Tommy with his off-kilter smile.

"Nothin' good down here, Danny."

Danny seemed to ponder Tommy's words for a moment before shrugging. "Me fuckin' mother-in-law isn't screamin' at me. That's good."

Freddy snorted. "Jesus, that woman is a damn menace. Should be sendin' her across the line. Fuckin' war would be over in half an hour."

Tommy snickered as he relented his position amongst the filth of French mud. Carefully, he made his way back towards the entrance of their tunnel. The ladder marked it like some kind of unattainable redemption. He remembered as a boy, listening to the priest droning on about Jacob's ladder and how it was a gateway to heaven. How angels ascended and descended the ladder in a dream while Jacob slept. But as Tommy stared at the ladder, he knew this was no gateway to heaven. It might drag him up from the mire and darkness, but only then thrust him into bullets and blood and screaming. No, there were no angels here. No gateway to heaven. God had abandoned France long ago. If the cruel bastard even existed.

With a sigh, he leaned against one of the dirt walls, sliding back down onto his ass. His blue eyes closed, eyelids weighing heavy. He tried to drown out the noise, tried to ignore the whispers of Danny and Freddy, tried to ignore the shovels and pickaxes.

Thud.

But it did not matter. The sound had wormed itself into his mind, replacing even the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears. Always the shovels against the dirt. Pickaxes when the shovels could not break it up. The repetitive sound followed him, even when he was above the tunnels, as if to remind him where he belonged. In the mud. Beneath the feet of everyone else. In the grave he was only digging for himself and the other tunnelers.

Thud.

He tried to slow his breathing, tried to close his eyes and pretend he was anywhere else beside this hell hole.

Thud.

Then little by little, like his own consciousness was being chipped away at, he was tugged deeper and deeper into sleep.

And for a moment, he was free.

*****

Tommy blearily opened his eyes with all the care of a dead man….and that was how he knew with certainty that he was dreaming.

Since being shipped out from England, he had constantly been on alert, even more so when they reached the battleground. There was no time to let down your guard. Even in your sleep. If it was not the enemy trying to shot or bomb them, it was that cloying terror, aching hunger or overwhelming despair that sunk you into the abyss.

Now his body thrummed with peace. A foreign sensation. The only time he most likely felt this was when he was still in the womb. Beneath his hands was soft, green grass. Above was open skies with only a handful of fluffy clouds to break up the endless blue.

He knew he was dreaming. Unless he had died in his sleep. There were certainly worse ways to go. But this place was too serene for what he knew awaited him in the afterlife.

Overly aware of every movement, he cautiously rolled up into a sitting position, briefly noting he still wore his grimy trousers and shirt. He snorted at himself, even in his own imagination, he was still covered in mud and blood. Still stained by the evidence of war. With his hands threaded through the lush grass, he drew his eyes up from his attire to study his surroundings.

Instead of the stench of death and despair, of soul-sucking muddy tunnels, of blood and shit and piss….he was surrounded by vibrant life.

Rolling, green hills met his gaze. Even from where he sat, he could see five horses grazing. The gentle sound of water led his eyes to the shallow stream parallel to him. On the stream's other side was a copse of trees, standing like sentries over the stream. It all felt so familiar. Like he had been here before.

In his mind's eye, he could see the grouping of vardos, the squealing of children chasing one another and generally getting underfoot of their parents. His mother had brought him and his siblings here before. When the men started demanding money from her to pay off her husband's debts. She would take her children and sneak them away in the dead of night, borrowing a horse from Charlie, and hide away with her clan and family for a few weeks.

It was here he fell in love with horses. Spent every hour on or around the majestic creatures that he could. It did not matter that the animals towered over him. At the ripe age of six years old, Tommy was fearless of the much larger creatures. More often than not, he would sleep under the stars at night, surrounded by the horses while his mother and siblings stayed in the vardo of his grandmother.

With a shaky breath, he ran his hands over his cropped hair as the memories pierced him with more damage than any bullet could.

"Hello, Tommy."

The sweet, lyrical voice washed over Tommy like a cooling balm. Subconsciously he took in a deep breath, letting the comfort settle deeper, releasing the tension in his body. Only then did he turn his head to the left, following the voice.

And stared in wonder at the ethereal creature.

She stood several paces away, her bright eyes watching him. A pure white dress adorned her, a simple piece of fabric with no buttons or excess stitching to draw the eye. The sleeves only just covered her shoulders and the hem danced around her knees, showcasing her bare feet. Yet in the simplicity was beauty.

His eyes continued to scan greedily over her, taking note of everything about her: from the way her hair looked like silk under the midday sun, the gentle smile on her face, the way her skin seemed to shimmer and glow effortlessly, how even the the sunlight cascaded over her like a caress, no shadows dared touch her for she shone like a diamond of the highest grade in the sun. Someone to be worshipped. Someone to be admired in reverent fear and awe.

It felt like a sin to rest his eyes upon her.

He swallowed thickly before speaking. "What are you?"

"I'm an angel."

He took in the information, filtered it through his sieve of an intelligent, calculating mind. And in the moment, the only thing his mind could conjure as a response was: "you don't look like one. Shouldn't you have wings?"

She gave an unladylike snort, but even coming from her, it somehow sounded elegant. "They look pretty but can be bothersome to move around in. I like to keep mine concealed when I can get away with it."

"How do I know for certain? You could be lyin', eh?" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew it was possibly the dumbest thing he had ever spoken. But there was still that hesitancy tearing at him, that dose of reality that made him question everything and take nothing at face value.

"You're really going to make me do this, aren't you?"

He responded with a blank look.

"Ugh." She groaned then threw her hands up in surrender. "Fine! Fine! But only to prove that I'm an angel. You are unbelievably stubborn. Look at me! Do I look mortal to you? No, don't answer that. You'll say something equally dumb. I thought humans were supposed to be smarter this century. Just proving me wrong." She finished her rant, slamming her hands on her hips.

"You done?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're lucky I'm your guardian angel, otherwise I'd be tempted to kick your ass." She grumbled. "Might still do it anyway."

His lips twitched in amusement but he hid it from her.

Her eyes, those orbs that shone like twin stars, fluttered closed for the briefest of moments. She breathed deep and with her deliberately slow exhale….he saw them. Two feathered wings of pure white, the color of a fresh snowfall, spread out on either side of her. What meager breath his lungs contained vanished at the side of them. A profound, awestruck wonder enveloped him in its constricting embrace. She stretched her wings out, giving him a view of how magnificent they truly were. At their full length, they were double the length of her arms, and tall enough for the lowest feathers to graze against the grass. While the backs of the feathers appeared snowy white, it was when the wings were at their full length, catching the sun's rays that he caught just another facet of their beauty. For the feathers lining the inside of the wings shimmered in the sun's rays like iridescent opals.

She was radiant. Shining brighter than the sun.

And Tommy was the scum of the earth, unworthy of being in her presence, unworthy of being witness to her illustrious glory. Yet nothing could tear his gaze away from her. Even his own dark sins felt somehow redeemable as she smiled sweetly down at him.

"Do you believe me now?"

"Yes." The word expelled from his lungs, riding on a shaky breath.

Her smile grew, almost blinding him. She closed her eyes briefly once more, this time a tremor rocked her body. Simultaneously, her wings folded back behind her only to vanish as if never there. She rolled her shoulders lazily, then walked towards him with an unnatural grace in her fluid movements. Even when she sat down, near enough he could feel the comforting warmth of her body yet not close to touch, facing in the same direction, his eyes refused to peel themselves away from her.

Her gaze drifted to the stream, watching it with a fond smile. He followed her example, forcibly ripping his eyes off her and back to the gentle water.

"You're me guardian angel then, eh? I reckon I've kept you busy lately."

"You have no idea." She rolled her eyes playfully at him. "And I suspect that won't stop even after the war."

"If I survive." He was uncertain if he actually uttered the words or just thought them.

Those three words, though, haunted his every step. It was that mindset, those thoughts, that every soldier tried to ignore even as they could never be pushed too far from the mind. The high possibility that War and it's possessive lover, Death, would claim him. That he would die in this godforsaken country in a muddy tunnel or trench, surrounded by blood and piss and pain. Or even worse, having to witness his brothers or friends be chosen instead of him. That he would be left behind to rot away in the empty land of the living. He was unsure which possibility was worse- dying or surviving.

He must have uttered those three words aloud since her head whipped around, eyes staring at him with such compassion it made his heart clench.

She reached down and grabbed his hand, holding it clasped between her own soft hands. "You will. I can promise you that. You will survive this war and return to Birmingham….along with your friends and brothers. You've kept them safe, Tommy." She implored, her voice begging him to believe her.

But hope was deadly poison, sinking in and whispering promises that it could never guarantee. Yet as he stared back at her gleaming eyes, feeling the warmth of her hands clasping his, he could feel that hope, that forbidden fruit, dripping into his veins, clearing away the hollowness that he bound himself in.

"I tried." He whispered. His chest ached with something that tasted like hopelessness and desperation. "I try to keep them safe, to make sure they survive but it's war….this bloody, fuckin' war…."

"I know. You will survive and so will they."

He nodded, that little boy inside of him clinging to her words with a death-like grip. "I'm so fuckin' tired of shovels and darkness. I'm 'fraid it won't leave me head even after." He admitted in a pained whisper, his gaze watery even as he furiously tried to blink the tears away. As if the admission sucked the last of his energy, leaving him a dull shell of himself, his chin dropped to his chest, no longer even able to fight the tears leaking from his eyes. "I'm so tired."

"I know." Her hands tightened around his, bringing it to her chest. Remorse and sorrow filled in the gaps of her words. "I wish I could help."

"Could you…." His voice trailed off with a nearly silent sob.

Somehow she knew what his words failed to convey. Instantly, she climbed into his lap, legs straddling him as she wrapped him in her arms. Not for one second did she seem to care that his clothing was filthy and likely would stain her snowy dress. His head landed on her shoulder, his hands gripped the fabric of her dress like it was his last tether to this world. That without her holding him, he would drift away into nothingness.

"It's alright, Tommy, it's alright." She softly cooed, one hand massaging the back of his neck. "I've got you. I'm not leaving you. You can let go."

And he did.

As if her words were the final plug yanked away, the stronghold containing his emotions burst wide open. Heaving sobs fell from his lips. A torrent of tears watered her dress and their skin. All the pain, all the fear, all the frustration and anger and terror, everything that he had locked away deep inside his mind to appear strong and resident for his brothers and his men….it all came flowing out like a ceaseless, raging river, like pus from a wound.

As he wept, she tightly held him. The only anchor saving him from drowning. All the pain he had been allowing to fester since Greta's death, since his mother's death, since his father's abandonment, it all was bled from him.

Now he felt peace in the safety of her arms. Something he had never experienced in his life. As a child there was always the threat of his father's return and subsequent beatings. The lingering, gnawing hunger in his belly from lack of food, no matter what his mother did to try and feed all of her children. Then it was denying himself to feel anything as he was forced to provide for his siblings. That betrayal, that emptiness, at his mother's death was only an afterthought. And as if the world had not cast enough misery in his life, he found love and watched her slowly wither away as he desperately made pleas and bargains with a God he never believed in. Then War swept in like a ravenging plague to drag him into its depths, binding him in chains until Death stole his soul or War released him with a mocking smile. For who ever truly escaped War and Death? Once one was within their grasp, they would always be forever scarred.

But for the moment, for this finite and limitless break in an unforgiving reality, he was safe. In her embrace, he did not have to be strong. He could be that boy again that just wanted to be held and told that he was enough. That he was loved. So this dream, this illusion, he drank it in like a man dying of thirst in the desert. He breathed in her sweet scent and soaked in the warmth of her touch, reveling in the feeling of being held without expecting a demand in return. He could simply be.

After a time, his tears dried and his inner storm of turmoil died down. With a heavy sigh, he pulled his head back. His hands released their grip and floated down to land on her hips. Her eyes, those gleaming eyes with the light of stars in them, gazed at him gently. Not with pity. They met his own gaze as if reading into his soul and trying to implant this moment of serenity there.

Tenderly, she brushed away the residue of tears on his cheeks. "You are not a simple man, Thomas Shelby. You have the marking of greatness and destiny upon you. I cannot save you from this, but I can grant you a small gift. Something to help when it seems peace has abandoned you and the darkness threatens to swallow you whole."

At his nod, she placed her hand on the left side of his chest, over his heart. A jolt shot through him like a lightning bolt. His eyes widened and his heart raced as his body struggled to remember to breathe. Almost as quickly as the bolt hit him, it disappeared, leaving him wondering what happened.

His icy blue eyes sought hers once again, seeking understanding.

Her hand retracted from his chest, moving to cup his cheek. "Just remember you are not alone. I will always be nearby, watching over you."

Carefully he licked his lips, tasting the salt on them from his tears, before he gave a single nod. After a long second he managed to rasp out, "don't s'pose you have a cigarette."

She rolled her eyes. "Those are terrible for you. Besides, what kind of angel do you think I am?"

"I suspect not a very good angel, eh? Sitting in a man's lap like this. Givin' him ideas." He teased, giving her hips a quick squeeze.

She laughed, and whatever bottomless pit his heart resided in soared up to the heavens at the sound. He hoped to never forget it.

"Deviant." She smacked his shoulder before sliding off his lap to sit next to him, their shoulders touching. "A 'good' angel, as you say, would not be able to keep up with you."

"I s'pose that's a fair point."

"You know you've had two other guardian angels assigned to you before, but they both sought reassignment. Apparently you were more than they could handle." She lightly teased.

"Yeah?"

"Hmmm….Arthur's even worse. You wouldn't believe the number of guardian angels he's gone through. There's a few of us taking bets on how long this next one will last. You Shelbys certainly keep us on our toes."

He smirked. "My apologies."

"You're not sorry. It's alright, I don't mind. Being your guardian angel gives me a front row to watch you succeed. Now I don't have to creep around and watch, somehow Gabriel always caught me and then I would get the disapproving eyes and that shake of his head that makes you know he's disappointed without him even saying it."

"You'd watch me?"

He was unsure if an angel could blush, but when she dropped her head, shielding her face from his gaze, he knew she had not expected him to catch those words in her statement. Chuckling quietly, he wondered how he had ever earned the interest of an angel. Especially the one beside him.

"Shut up." She smacked his thigh this time.

"I don't know much about guardian angels, yeah? But I would think they aren't supposed to tell their….person to shut up or hit them. I may have to report you to your superiors."

"Ugh, Christ." She mumbled, covering her face with her hands.

"And now using the Lord's name in vain." He tisked with a click of his tongue. "You're definitely not a 'good' angel."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. That's how I've managed to stay with you for so long."

"Or when you'd creep on me."

"Shut up!" She smacked him again, both of them ending up laughing.

He snagged her hand, partially to keep her from hitting him again, and threaded their fingers together. A thrill shot through him when she did not pull away. A peaceful silence filled the air around them. For several minutes, they just watched the nearby stream together. Tommy wished they never had to leave this. That they could forever stay here.

A sullen sigh drew his attention back to her. A remorseful pain clouded her eyes as they met his. "You have to wake up now."

"No."

"I'm sorry. They need you."

"I don't want to." Suddenly he could feel it in the back of his mind, like someone tapping on a door, trying to summon his attention. He ignored it, wanting to stay here, wanting to linger in the serenity that he had never experienced before. With each passing heartbeat, the tapping got louder and louder.

"I know. But you have to."

"Please." The plea, the begging, fell from his lips before he could stop it. Maybe another time he would be embarrassed by it. Thomas Shelby never begged. Not for food, he'd rather steal and deal with the coppers. Not for his father's beatings to end, for if his father was focused on him, then his mother and siblings were safe. He never begged….until now.

"Just remember that I'm always with you, Tommy." A single tear streaked down her cheek, glistening in the sunlight. "I promise I won't leave you."

He nodded, squeezing her hand still holding his. What more could be said? This dream, this illusion, was only a reprieve from reality and now it was time to return.

Without his permission, his eyes closed. That tapping turned into a thunderous knocking against his brain. Each knock coincided with his heartbeat, feeling like a grenade going off with each one. He wanted to scream into the void, to make it stop. To promise to wake if the sound would only cease. The sound was both inside and outside him, like he was stuck inside a drum, constantly being beat upon in a slow rhythm that was building, building, building…..

"Tommy."

His mind latched onto his name, following the sound through the painful thundering. The darkness surrounding him swiftly turned gray.

"Tommy!"

His stormy eyes snapped open. He gasped as he sat up in a frenzy, almost headbutting Freddy who was knelt beside him.

"Easy, man, easy." He coaxed.

Tommy rubbed a hand over his face, attempting to dislodge the sleep, the dream, from his mind, as he returned to the familiar mud and darkness he found himself in. "What is it?"

"They're on the other side."

That simple statement made Tommy's head jerk up to stare at his friend. It was now that he could see Danny had dimmed the lantern. That a soft pounding sounded through the tunnel like an echoing of doom. The calling card of Death's arrival.

His gaze shifted to Danny who squatted nearby, watching his Sergeant, awaiting orders, even as he rung his hands nervously.

"Alright, boys, you know what to do." Tommy spoke quietly. That was enough to send the three men grabbing for what weapons they were allowed in the tunnels.

The dirt and mud at the far end of the tunnel shook with each pounding, the enemy drawing closer with each second.

His hand slid to his chest, ghosting over his heart where she had touched him. In that movement, he could feel it. As if she had branded herself to him. With his hand over his rapidly beating heart, he felt her presence, like a line straight to her. And it gave him courage. He remembered her words, her declaration. He would make it home. Him and his brothers and his friends, this War would not claim them.

"In the bleak midwinter." Tommy murmured just before the enemy's shovels broke through and all hell was set loose.

*****

The cigarette smoke curled in the air, rising heavenward. Tommy leaned back in his plush, leather chair, watching the smoke drift away until it vanished. In one hand was the lit cigarette and the other a tumbler of whiskey. His two constant vices. The very things he needed more than air and water and food. The only things to keep him going.

If he was in a better mood, he might have snorted self-deprecatingly at the thought.

At one time, what kept him going was family and ambition. To bring his family out of the slums and make a name for them.

Yet it was Christmas Eve and he sat all alone in his office in the Arrow House.

He had wealth now. He had prestige. His family no longer resided in the filth of Small Heath. More and more people knew the name Shelby now. It was everything he had wanted. And still he was all alone.

Even little Charlie had been tucked into bed hours ago by his nanny. Something a father should have done on Christmas Eve. But it never occurred to him until later, long after his boy was in bed.

So he continued to sit all alone, watching the smoke rise from his mouth and dance in the air until it vanished.

"Hello, Tommy."

He blinked slowly. It had been years since he heard her voice, even in his dreams. More than once he had wondered if she had abandoned him even after her promise.

Lazily, he rolled his head to the side, piercing her with his signature cool indifference. Perhaps if he had anymore tears to cry, he would have wept at her beauty, at the air of serenity she still carried. But he felt even more dead inside than when he labored digging tunnels. Tears were useless for the dead.

She still wore the same white dress, still barefoot and without wings. She looked exactly how he remembered seeing her so long ago. His heart clenched at the sight of her. If he had felt unworthy the first time he beheld her, now he knew his presence tainted her just by the proximity, his sins heaped upon one another to destroy anything good he touched.

With that effortless grace, she walked from the doorway further into his office. Her eyes scanned all around as if seeing the place for the first time, a small smile lit up her face.

"You know, you could make my job a little easier." She quipped, making her way over to him. She leaned against the side of his desk, just within reach, watching him with those gleaming, star-filled eyes that penetrated his soul.

"Aye. Could have." He said in an exhale, each word accompanied by smoke.

"But we all know the great Thomas Shelby lives for danger. He needs that rush to remember he's alive."

"Or he doesn't know how else to live."

A suffocating silence filled the void after he uttered the painful words. A harrowing truth he avoided at all costs. Even in the darkest of nights, when whiskey or opium blinded him but sleep refused to find him, not even then did he scratch at that truth.

With a sudden huff, she extended her hand, fingers wiggling at him.

"Wot?"

"Give it here."

A single eyebrow raised in mild shock, he handed his half used cigarette over. She immediately inhaled deeply, holding it for a moment before letting the smoke slip past her lips like a song.

He chuckled when she handed it back over. "Thought you was an angel, isn't smokin' a sin or somethin'?"

"Yeah, well, told you, I'm not a 'good' angel. How else would I keep up with you?"

They passed the cigarette back and forth quietly a few times before he broke the silence.

"Y'know, when you said you was goin' give me a gift, you never mentioned it would be tattooed to my skin."

She smirked, that twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "I think it looks good on you. Do you not like it?" She leaned forward and placed her hand flat over his heart, right where the several dark lines lay that looked almost like a rising sun.

"Startled me the first time I saw it." He placed his hand over hers, that tingle that shot through him at the touch now a familiar comfort. "Where have you been?"

"Believe it or not, but I may have gotten into some….trouble after our last encounter. Apparently I wasn't supposed to tell you that you'd survive."

"They reassign you?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I was just forbidden to show myself to you."

"Why now?"

She hesitated before speaking, her gaze dropping to their hands still over his heart before she quietly spoke. "Because you need me."

Tommy waited for the shame to sink its claws into him. That feeling he hated of needing someone else, of not being able to survive on his own. But it never came. Instead a swell of gratitude enveloped him that she was here. That for this short time, he was not alone.

He dropped the cigarette into the overfilled ash tray on his desk and set his tumbler down next to it. Carefully he shifted and tugged her closer. She willingly stepped in between his spread legs. That sense of peace he had yearned for since he first encountered her swallowed him whole, bringing tears of relief to his eyes. He dropped his head to her stomach, hands fisting the back of her dress. One of her hands carded through his hair and massaged his neck while she softly hummed a tune.

"I used to talk to you sometimes when I couldn't sleep, yeah? And the fuckin' shovels were knockin' on me bedroom wall. I'd tell you about me day or plans I had. Anythin' to get the shovels to stop." He confessed.

"I was always there. I heard you."

"But you never spoke." It would have come out almost an accusation if his agony was not apparent.

Her breath hitched, her hand stalling in the longer strands of his hair. He could feel her bend slightly to kiss the top of his head. When she spoke, it was filled with regret. "I couldn't. But I was there with you, every night and day. Always by your side."

"Everyone has left me." He pressed the side of his face further into her stomach as if to sink himself into her, desperately trying to absorb what peace she so willingly offered him. "You're not leavin' me, right?"

"No, Tommy. I'll never leave you." She promised.

He allowed her words to penetrate his soul, to let the flooding warmth in them mend his broken heart. Those simple words renewed his spirit. That no matter what happened, there would always be one person by his side. Even if he could not see her. At least his guardian angel believed in him.

Tag List:

Peaky Blinders (all): @slytherinicequeen @geekandbooknerd @lilyrachelcassidy @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie

#supernatural au celebration #mzwrites #peaky blinders fandom #peaky blinders fiction #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinder fanfic #by order of the peaky blinders #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby fanfic #tommy shelby #thomas shelby

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dannyphantom-justiceleauge · 3 years

Note

This may be a minor gripe but something that has kind of bothered me about discussions and depictions of Dan is how often people seem to forget that Dan isn't just an older evil Danny, he's a combination of Danny and Vlad's ghost sides. Like people always talk about him like Danny threw away his humanity and turned evil but that's not even true. Sure, we can say that Dan is the result of Danny's action but that's a little unfair. (1/2)

(2/2) Him cheating on a test, coincidentally putting his loved one's in a position where they could be killed, is absolutely not his fault. Letting Vlad take away his ghost powers with a strange contraption might not have been the smartest move, but we are talking about a grieving CHILD here, of course he isn't going to make the best decisions. If anything Vlad's the one to blame here, and even then, it's not like he could predict what happened

---

you aren't wrong, my friend. it really isn't entirely danny's fault and the whole 'if you cheat on a test, you'll loose everything you love' moral is confused at best. i think as fandom we find it more interesting to look at danny's potential evil and moral struggle with himself. so simplifying it to be dan is a worse case scenario of danny makes the conflict less abstract.

particularly because when it comes to self blame danny isn't going to go easy on himself just because it was excusable mistakes.

i think another talking point should be how danny is the target of the time assassination more than vlad is, even though vlad is part of the evil whole. you could argue that danny is the catalyst of his friends death and vlad inventing the claw things. but vlad invented the claw things. maybe because his human side survived and acted relatively harmless from then on? or maybe it's because the observants based on the available evidence recognized danny as more of a threat. i think that fits actually, for all vlad tried to be an evil mastermind, his achievements outside of terrorizing a teenager and theft isn't particularly impressive. danny was the one who got shit done. all his fights he finished one way or another and i could see how that would bleed into dan defeating everyone.

the real question is how to we fix this. ideally we could shape this idea so it's less confused, though i do honestly find the dynamic of half danny, half vlad interesting. if for not other reason. than two half ghosts make a whole. actually that's something else to be said about dan. his self-loathing is what led him to killing his human half, another negative aspect coming from danny.

i wonder if we could frame it like fusion, from su. obviously dan isn't stable or healthy, or based on love. he's most comparable to malichite. but with less internal debate. dan took the best and worst of both of them. danny's determination, danny's fighting ability, danny's anger, danny's sarcasm, vlad's anger, vlads lack of morals, vlads schemes, vlad's control. heck, vlads desire to rule the world. i don't think we ever got that from danny.

maybe if vlad was more involved in the fight with dan it could have been used as an opportunity to compare and contrast their characters. to go we're not so different you and i. danny gets to recognize that he has that dark potential. vlad gets to be humbled by the fact that what he wants isn't good for anyone, especially himself. and to be fair, we do see some of that humbling with future vlad, but none of that character growth is given to present vlad, so, really it's just another vehicle for danny angst. it also depends on what you want to do with vlad though. he's a fascinating character and could be given redemption under the right circumstances or be a character who has the opportunity for redemption but chooses not to be redeemed every time.

that fits him and makes him both a more pathetic and despicable villain. it's hard to pity someone who ignores the opportunities to heal and grow.

as for danny, he becomes far more aware of the consequences his actions, especially his selfish and cruel ones can have. because that potential was always there. he has a history of abusing his powers. perhaps for this specific incident him abusing his powers can be something less understandable than almost cheating on a test that he couldn't study for through no fault of his own. (maybe i just have flexible morals?). maybe it could be something more character relevant, like he did something particularly vlad like, maybe he set up a prank at the nasty burger to get dash but it set off the explosion that killed his family. or maybe he did something particularly cruel and manipulative. there are better catalysts than a test. either way he recognized that he should never go that far again and strive to avoid being actively cruel.

he also has the opportunity to recognize that vlad does have a human half, even the one he's fighting everyday. he can face some conflict in it's not entirely clear what trait belongs to vlad and what trait belongs to him. he can empathize with vlad and he can recognize that situations aren't always in black in white. those who fly the highest, fall the hardest, after all.

it can be a growing experience. and while making it solely a danny goes bad and learns not to do evil kind of story. maybe we could cut vlad from the equation and just have danny face himself, full evil refection. i think exploring both vlad and danny through this fusion is far more interesting. especially because we can build on what's revealed about vlad in these episodes, in later ones. danny sees a future where vlad chills and that maybe his vlad could get their. later he see vlads past and what he lost to become who he is.

and then there's vlads turning point episodes. i don't know when motherly instinct took place but maddie fully recognizing he's a bastard and rejection him, was a turning point for his sanity, and danny helped it along. then we have danny rejecting him repeatedly, then we the clone episode, which we can all agree was a desperate move on his part, that danny once again thwarted. and we can all agree that this was the cannon turning point for his character where he stopped fighting for a family and started trying to be danny's villain. in that episode, i think danny could potentially pity vlad enough to try and reach out. he's not going to justify what vlad did and he's not going to apologize for stopping him. he went too far. he hurt danny and dani, he crossed a moral line that can't be justified even with his desperation. but if he changes...

he lost this time but if he changes, maybe they'll reach the point where they're ready to accept him.

i think the same thing could be said about his relationship with jack and maddie. if he changes, if he reaches out. if acts like less of a crazy fruitloop, his friends would be there for him. jack is still trying to be there for him, even if he's being oblivious about vlad's faults. vlads the one driving wedges into his relationships and pushing everyone away.

and that's so freaking human and understandable.it would be such a cool thing to explore with his character.

i could also see a potential arc where after valerie finds out vlad and masters are the same person she tries to get close to him, both to sus out how evil he is and to understand him as a halfa. afterall danny got her to acknowledge dani as human enough, the same would apply to vlad/plasmius, right? only he's a bad person and the more she uncovers about vlad masters the man, the more she realizes it's not the ghost half that's evil. but this is a double edged sword because, vlad is getting attached to her and encouraging her to be more evil. he's encouraging her to go darker and darker in her fight against ghosts and her fight specifically against phantom. to the point where she finally draws the line and says, i'm not doing that! boom exploring the moral ambiguity of her character and getting her to take a hard stance on her morals, because there's a line too far for her.

and boom a further breakdown of vlads character because he finally had someone outside the fentons to redeem him. she could have helped pull him out of the hole he'd been digging himself into. she wanted to help him. he got attached to her, but he and his bad decisions decided to dig himself deeper instead. so once again he's 'abandoned and betrayed'.

from that point, i think it'd be time for him to finally face jack head on. not through manipulative schemes. not through veiled threats and insults. but the full confrontation of 'i always hated you. you ruined my life. you're the reason i lost everything'. which is really just his own self loathing speaking. and jack... empathetic jack can see that vlad desperately wants help. and jack would offer it to him. jack would try to hug it out and apologize and give vlad the love and friendship vlad's been fighting to steal this whole time.

and vlad would reject it.

he'd probably lash out a jack and go into a full breakdown/world destroying attack. could finally put the stolen crown to use and try declaring himself king and embracing his megalomaniac thing and actually be a threat this time. and THAT would be our series finally. everyone teaming up to fight 'king vlad'. danny probably finding out that he's technically king because he beat pariah dark but the matter being a bit confused because he had help. val and danny trying to find the ring of rage or at least find someone who can make one. secrets are out. i imagine vlad, upon revealing himself to jack would out danny to make danny as sad and alone as him. except nope, his family still loves him and val has had the character development to come around to him. (she's still gonna punch danny for lying for so long.) the ghosts will come and help because no one wants another tyrannical kind and vlads obviously off his rocker.

ah, the could have beens

anyway, i didn't mean for this to become a full vlad character analysis and rewrite when we were supposed to be talking about dan, but hey, i'm a simple creature. i like good writing, and i have to rewrite things myself, so be it. - Hestia

#dpjl #hestiawrites #danny phantom #vlad masters

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aggressivelyclueless · 3 years

Text

burial

in which danny’s death is 110% wes’ fault

contains: hiding the evidence

Wes was in far deeper than the body would ever be.

The moon overhead glowered down at him as he dug the hole, his shovel biting square-edged marks out of the sides of the earth as he went. He wasn't going to cut it the full six feet - no, he didn't have the time to do that - but it had to be enough that no one would find it or dig it up by chance.

This far out in the woods, he hoped they wouldn't.

Panting and running out of steam, Wes heaved another shovelful of dirt over the top of the hole. Would this be deep enough, he thought; the paranoia of being discovered now if he kept digging, and the paranoia that the body would be found later if he didn't, were at odds. Eventually, the former took over, and he stuck the shovel into the pile of earth beside the hole and clambered out of it.

An accident, Wes told himself over and over again, hoping maybe it would stick. Something went wrong; it shouldn't have ended up like this.

It shouldn't have killed him.

But the blood was still on hands. If anyone found out - well - he didn't want to imagine what would happen then.

The body lay beside the hole, tied up with garbage bags and duct tape. Wes stared down at it, catching his breath from the effort of digging out a makeshift grave by hand. He ran a sleeve under his eyes and told himself the tears only stung because of the cold. He'd been seeing his breath for the past hour-and-a-half; it occurred to him that he'd been lucky the ground hadn't frozen yet.

There'd be no way to dig that hole if it had.

Wes got down on his knees and took hold of the foot end, shoving the body slant-wise over the edge and watching the top half go a second later. It made a hard thud and he winced. Peering over the side, the body almost disappeared into a puddle of darkness - almost, save for the bright silver lines of tape - and for the first time Wes thought that maybe no one would find it at all.

Not that that made him feel any better, though.

The hard part was going to be keeping his mouth shut and pretending nothing had happened at all. At least, pretending he didn't know exactly what had happened, that he hadn't seen it, that it hadn't been because of him.

He wasn't sure he could do it. Looking down at the body, leaning up against the side of the hole and all wrapped up in plastic, made him want to puke. Maybe he would.

That was a corpse in there.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, thinking anything more than that would somehow condemn him further. It was stupid; the body couldn't hear him; he was sitting here and wasting his time crying about it.

But everything about this was wrong - and that wrongness had to be acknowledged.

It shouldn't have killed him, he kept thinking. It shouldn't have.

But it was still his fault.

He pulled himself back to his feet, taking the shovel again and ignoring the cold blisters that had begun to form on his hands. He hesitated, with the first scoop of earth held over the hole, and almost burst into tears all over again. But he had to do this - and he had to crawl back home afterwards and wash off all the dirt and then he had to go to school tomorrow and pretend to be surprised when Danny Fenton didn't show up for class.

It only took ten minutes to cover the body, and by the time Wes was finished, he felt like he was dead on his feet. Not as dead as the guy under your feet, though, needled the guilt, and he didn't have it in him to try and shut the voice down.

"I'm so fuckin' sorry."

By the time he got home, the cold had numbed him. He couldn't feel the weeping blisters on his hands, or the hard pavement under his feet; he ran the shower as hot as it would go, letting the water run over him until it turned cold, ignoring how his shoulders and the back of his neck were burned pink by the end.

And he went to bed, wishing everything had been a nightmare and he'd awaken in the morning and he wouldn't be a murderer.

#Ectober Month 2021 #Ectoberhaunt 2021 #Ectoberhaunt Trick #Ectober Week 2021 #ectoberweek2021 #danny phantom #fanfiction #ectober #stay tuned for: cobwebs

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feelin-woozy · 3 years

Text

Title: I'm Your Man

Word Count: 2,562

Pairing: Danny Johnson x GN reader

Warnings: Gunplay, referenced knife play, very toxic relationships, impact play, some violent imagery and threats of violence, under negotiated kinks. They making love but they're being freaks abt it,,,,, making love in a rly fucked up way.

[AO3 LINK]

What you're doing is stupid, it’s dangerous, it’s audacious, it’s a million other adjectives that display your sheer stupidity, but most notably, it’s exhilarating. It makes your thighs quake, and your breath catch in your throat. Even when you have the upper hand, something about Danny never fails to deconstruct you to your more baser desires. And you know it’s not just you who feels this; as much as he loathes to admit it, you did something to him as well. It’s how you got him in this position in the first place.

Danny stares up at you, strands of blonde hair falling into his face and making his nose crinkle. There’s a murderous look swimming within his blue irises, like the moment you let your guard down, he will take matters into his own hands. To reaffirm that he is the one who holds power, not you, never you. To mold you back into that subservient little thing he’s worked too hard to force you into, but then there’s this spark within his eyes that overshadows the dark intent. It’s the look of how you feel, pure exhilaration.

His sharp cheeks are dusted with pale pink, jaw clenched till veins pop along his neck, and you can hear his teeth gnash together. In the dim lighting of the room, he looks dangerous, sharp edges highlighted by the way shadows dance over your face. It excites you all that much more, a true testament to how utterly fucked you were.

“I got a surprise for you,” You swivel your hips, leaning down to drag kisses along his jaw, the stubble catching along the soft skin of your lips. Despite the way his body tenses, his hips still involuntarily rock up into you, his cock throbbing. You lean back and smile at him before you pull off of him with a wet squelch. His cock bobs, the flushed skin shining with the remnants of lube.

Your legs wobble for a moment as you straighten yourself, the chilled floorboards creaking under your weight. You stumble over the clothing that litters the floor, your barefoot catching in the leg of tartan printed briefs. You kick it off to the side, clearing your path to the dresser across the room.

You feel his eyes on you as you walk away, and the air shifts around you. It becomes dense, and with each step you take, it feels as though you’re walking through jelly and over eggshells. You don’t let it deter you; you can’t. You were too far into this to back down. It would only reaffirm that you were nothing more than self-abasing, a toy that he could toss aside when he grew bored. You needed him to know you were more than that, that you were an integral part of his being. That throwing you away would be the same as throwing a few pieces of the jigsaw away, leaving him incomplete.

You rummage through the drawer of your shared dresser, careful not to crease the carefully folded dress shirts within. Spindly fingers wrap around the cool metal. Upon contact, you feel a sudden rush. Power swelling within your chest like an over filled balloon. It’s nearly suffocating as it scrapes along your ribcage, and you find it difficult to determine if you like the feeling. If you liked the side that Danny dragged out of you in the name of love.

Turning around, you look at him with as much of a neutral expression as you can muster. Trying not to convey fear or excitement to feed into his reaction. Your eyes carefully rove over his face.

Danny’s lips part slightly, and there’s something new within his eyes. Fear maybe? No, it was closer to indignation.

“Gunna kill me, baby?” He speaks with a sharp rasp, words dripping with equal parts venom and arousal. His brows knit together, a deep groove forming along his forehead as he stares at you with a narrowed gaze. You watch him try and get a read on you, trying to determine if this was how he’d meet his bitter end if he’d finally pushed just a little too hard and sent you tumbling down into madness like Alice down the rabbit hole. He settles his nerves, letting his words wash over you coldly. “I’m hurt you’d use a gun for it, after all we’ve been through together and you chose something so… Impersonal..”

You’re not sure what he’s trying to accomplish in saying this. Was he trying to goad you on? Send you into an uncontrolled frenzy that he could redirect to gain control? Was he trying to scare you? To make your hands tremble and quickly fumble with the zip ties that dug into the flesh of his wrists, constraining him to the wooden dining chair. Did he want you groveling at his feet and begging for forgiveness that he likely wouldn’t be kind enough to bestow? That one felt like a safe bet.

“No, I need you.” You let the words drip off your tongue like honey, lips twisting into a smirk as his hips buck up into nothing and his jaw goes slack. You walk back to him and situate yourself within his lap once more. Using the hand not wrapped around the grip of the gun, you position him carefully before sinking down onto him once more in a quick sudden motion.

The two of you moan, the sound melding together into something harmonious and beautiful. His arms flex against where they’re restrained, muscles rippling below pale skin. You know he must be going near crazy being unable to touch you, to have his way with you. To tear into you like a soft peach and have your juices messily dripping down his chin as he devours you.

“I love you,” You murmur, carefully dragging the barrel of the gun down along his jaw. His head tips back, letting you move the gun freely as a shaky exhale passes through his lips.

“Is it loaded?” Danny breathes, hips mindlessly rocking up into you in a steady rhythm. If it didn’t feel so good, you likely would have chastised him for doing so. After all, you were in charge. But you knew you were already toeing the line of what you could get away with; it was better to pick your battles than to face his wrath.

“Wanna find out?” You hook your index over the trigger as you drag the barrel carefully and nudge it against his lips. There’s a brief moment of hesitation before they part, and he slowly lets you force the pistol past. The two of you lock eyes for a moment, and you watch the way his tongue glides along the underside of the slide, taking the gun in till lips meet the trigger guard. “It is. Could blow your brains out right now if I wanted to.”

He moans at that, hips bucking up in a way that has you jolting, knocking the gun within his mouth and making him gag. A part of you expects anger to flood his face, for him to pull back and spit out the safeword, but if anything, it spurs him on more. Eyes closing as his cheeks hollow.

“You look so good like this, baby.” You whisper, raising yourself carefully before dropping once more and impaling yourself on his cock. You move at a leisurely pace, not entirely chasing your pleasure and more so fixated on the sight of him sucking on the barrel of the pistol like his life depended on it. And to some extent, it did; the looming threat, the implication that his brains could paint the wall behind you only served to turn the air heady with dangerous electricity. Danny didn’t seem to mind all that much at this moment, not with the way he bobs his head hastily, mindless bliss curling over his features and smoothing his brow.

You pull the gun out, making a note of how the color on his cheeks has deepened into a dark red. His pupils are blown till the blue no longer exists. His lips are slicked shiny with spit, and his chest rises and falls rapidly. “Gunna fuck me now? Done playin’ your little game?”

“Can I hit you?” A sliver of your usual timidness sneaks its way in, making your words falter enough that the glimpse of a predator can be seen in his eyes once more. He remains silent for a moment, letting your request roll around within his mind. You rock your hips, rolling yourself deeper on his cock and allowing an obscene little noise to tumble past your lips. “Please?”

“Fuck.” He grits his teeth, head tipping back as he soaks up the feeling of your walls clinging to his cock. After a moment, he looks at you once more, that dangerous look within his eyes that told you to tread lightly. “You’re getting too comfortable with this, babe.”

“You can carve me up real good next time,” You promise him, the words tumbling out almost desperately. His lips quirk slightly into a curve as you lean down, peppering the column of his throat in kisses and bites. You drag your nose along the curve of his neck affectionately, inhaling the scent of cigarettes, aftershave, and cologne and allowing it to wash over you like a blanket fresh from the dryer.

“Fine.” He lets out a sigh, trying his damndest to sound like this was more of a favor to you than it was exciting for him. You watch the way his face melts. An almost soft look crossing his features when your face lights up with the sudden excitement. “Be fuckin’ careful though.”

You let out a hum, moving from his neck to his face to capture his lips in a frantic kiss as you bounce eagerly on his cock. He meets your unbridled passion with his own, teeth sinking into your lower lip brutally till the taste of copper fills your mouth, and sticky warmth dribbles down the curve of your lip. You draw back, fingers curling around the grip of the gun in a firm grip.

Before he has any time to prepare himself, to think twice and go back on his word, you raise your arm before swiftly bringing it down with careful precision. A loud crack can be heard as the butt of the gun collides with the side of his face. His body thrashes, arms pulling uselessly against his restraints as his heels dig into the wood below. It makes the feelings of power wash over you once more in a torrential downpour, drowning you with the force of it and how it so thoroughly saturated your nerves and set fire to them.

The guttural moan that leaves his lips reverberates through his chest, and it catches you slightly off guard. You should have expected it, really; it wasn’t shocking that something like this was making Danny’s cock throb within you or having butterflies dancing within his stomach. You catch a dazed expression plastered over his face as his head lolls back on his shoulders. Unconsciously, you grip the gun again, finger curling over the trigger. As if waiting for him to lash out, to give you an excuse to fill his body with holes. Not that you could, the thought made your mouth taste of decay, and when he lifts his head and locks eyes with you, it only solidifies that you couldn’t do it.

There’s something beautiful about the way Danny looks with a busted visage. An angry medley of reds and purples has already begun to bloom over the right side of his face, the skin splitting and dripping with thick rivulets of red. It’s angelic, and you almost want to ruin this moment by asking to take a photo.

Your lips part, and a shaky exhale rattles through your diaphragm. You toss the gun aside, not bothering to flick the safety. All you do is pray it won’t discharge in a cruel stroke of misfortune. It bounces on the bed twice before settling without any issues.

One hand comes to cradle his face, fingertips pressing into the tender flesh as your lips meet his in a ravenous and all-consuming kiss. The way he winces under your touch momentarily before kissing you back makes your heartbeat a little faster, and you can’t stop the way you tighten around him like a vice.

“You’re fucking insane,” The words are panted out between kisses; they shake and fall so deliciously close to unhinged. “Like hurting me baby? Rile you up?” The comments are rambling, a true tell that he was just as delirious on pleasure as you were. You nod your head eagerly, the hand not on his face gripping into his shoulder as the two of you set a brutal tempo, the sound of your skin meeting echoing obscenely off the walls of the bedroom. “Should bring you with me one day, let you gut someone. Bet you’d look so fuckin’ sexy covered in someone’s blood.”

The proposition has you crying out, teetering so close to your release. It tears out a hysteric laugh from Danny, his hips faltering and becoming jerky and erratic.

One more thrust is all it takes for you to let a myriad of indiscernible noises, some sounding damn near inhuman as your orgasm, overtakes you. The force of it, the way your muscles tremble and you clench around him, drags him down just as violently. A cry of your name rips through the air, and you feel the way his cock throbs, painting your insides.

“You’re perfect.” Danny concludes with a wheeze as you slump forward. Your bones feel gelatinous, and you don’t want to move from where you were. Wanting to forever be suspended at this moment where you and Danny are so intimately connected. You feel the gentle dragging of his lips against the side of your head, the action so tender and only feeding into your desire to remain. “Need you to cut me free, baby.”

The way he speaks is commanding, and you know better than to ignore it for your own selfish means. Especially after something like this, you know you need to willingly hand the power back to him to soothe wounded egos and dark thoughts of losing control over you. So with a whine, you pull off of him. The wet noise that rings through the air as you pull, accompanied by the slow drip of sticky, viscous fluid down your thighs, makes your face scrunch up slightly.

Danny laughs fondly at you for it, watching you bumble around the room on shaky legs while you grab a pair of scissors before returning to cut free where each wrist was restrained to the back of the chair. You watch as he rolls his shoulders, trying to work out the stiffness that crept into the muscles and joints before he rubs at the red indentations that mar his wrists—another mark of imperfection that sends a strike of lighting through your nervous system.

You reach down, fingers carefully encircling his wrists as you drag the limb up to meet your lips. You press a gentle kiss into the angry red mark, smiling softly as you look at him. “Could never leave you, Danny.”

“Yeah. I know.”

#The name sake is leonard cohen pls listen 2 the song its bomb #Danny Johnson x Reader #Jed Olsen x reader #Danny Johnson x you #Jed Olsen x you #dbd danny johnson #dbd jed olsen #dead by daylight #dead by daylight x reader #dbd x reader #slasher x reader #slasher x you #danny johnson #jed olsen #ghostface x reader #ghostface x you #my writing

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abbystanaccount · 3 years

Text

Owen’s Aquarium Analysis

I was thinking about the various aspects of Owen’s Aquarium when it’s at its peak, during the Winter visit, and I just wanted to talk about it, throw some of my thoughts and interpretations out there.

This is where Owen has frequented for the past three years whenever he wanted to get away from the WLF. Abby has maybe been there a few times since their first discovery, but she hasn’t been in a long time. Personally I LOVE the way Owen reacts when he first sees her at the door. He’s very surprised, she asks him a question and it takes a second to answer because he’s busy thinking of how happy he is that she showed up at his home, the place he’s found solace in for the past few years.

The Aquarium is basically representative of Owen’s mind and his headspace. Owen’s in a pretty good spot when Abby comes to visit him in this flashback. He has games set up, he’s completely cleaned up the Aquarium trying to making it homey. But the fantastical set up is also a bit of a façade, Owen still has some issues with where he is in the world. His relationship with Mel is good (she can be really sweet sometimes), but Owen is hesitant to talk about Mel because whenever Abby is here, that’s all he can really focus on. When Abby gets there, all he wants to do now is hang out with her because he missed her. They’re playful, bantering, flirting a little, giving each other a hard time, it’s the Abby/Owen way 😌. He has a “selective memory”, and this Aquarium has many of his good memories.

The hooch. In this flashback and the present we see Owen drinking his homemade hooch, here it’s in celebration that Abby came to visit, later it’s because he’d drowning his sorrows. The fact that he makes his own alcohol, has a beer pong table, and can stand the taste of the hooch while Abby can’t, points to him drinking at least somewhat frequently.

I’d also like to equate the hooch to his dreams of sailing away from it all and finding the Fireflies again. Owen has been making his own hooch and has also been trying to convince the other Salt Lake Crew that they should all look into the leads about the Fireflies. Up at the cafe when he offers Abby some, he enjoys it and he invites her to stay and see the view, Abby rejects both things like she did his notion of finding the Fireflies. Later on the boat he is consumed in his idea to leave and find the Fireflies (parallel to his drinking), then when he offers Abby some and to come sail away she declines.

Owen’s mural... he adds to Max’s mural and creates Salt Lake City on the wall, you can see the zebra’s and giraffe’s from Abby and Ellie’s memories in the foreground. The zebra memory and being in St Mary’s with Abby before Joel arrived were the last real happy memories they had, the last time they were still innocent and carefree. Owen memorializes these happy times through his art and puts it in a place he can look at frequently.

Abby also has a similar landscape painting she took from her dad’s office, it might also but of Salt Lake City, so she much like Owen kept those memories close. However I don’t know if Owen painted this one too, might be a little weird to paint your supervisor and secret gf’s dad a painting, idk. 🤷‍♀️

In relation to the Aquarium being like Owen’s mind, Owen projects to the world he’s happy with Mel, he tries to not think about Abby and get hung up on her, but because she still exists, she’s still around, that’s very hard for him. He is hesitant to write Abby on the board even though he says Mel won’t care, he knows that Mel will a bit, because it’s announcing that Abby was here. I feel like it had often been a discussion between Owen and Mel whether or not Owen was over Abby and Owen tried to convince her and himself he was, but it’s really not true.

Owen is a really sweet and creative person, he’d much rather be chilling in his Aquarium, getting it nice, or painting a mural or sketching (like his drawing of Abby). He warms up the entire place, except for maybe the hole in the roof he thinks it too much work to finish. That’s probably very true, he is only one guy, but even besides the hole Owen shows an intense dedication to making the place fun, he lugged over party supplies seemingly by himself.

Owen also doesn’t let anyone really know about the Aquarium. Manny only knew at the end because Abby told him, and Nora only knew from Manny. So for years it was just Owen’s thing. He offers to let Abby come “if she’s nice to him,’ he does want to share with her. It’s open to interpretation that maybe she never returned until this point because of her “skeleton” comment but I don’t like that so I like to think she did come back at least a few times, maybe it was less cleaned up though. It seems like since they broke up though, Owen has dedicated time to improving his Aquarium and starting anew. Once Owen starts dating Mel he eventually shows her the Aquarium and he hopes she’ll embrace it more than Abby did, which she does.

Their relationship became draining because of Abby’s revenge mission, and after they break up they both dedicate themselves to new things, Abby really ramps up her training and Scar killing, Owen tries to build a relationship with Mel and transform his Aquarium into something he can enjoy and live it. The issue there is Abby’s mission is just digging her deeper into a hole, and Owen can’t move on with Mel when Abby exists and he’s still in love and hung up on her.

This shot is pretty obvious, Abby is right in front of the Mel stocking, blocking it out. In another timeline where she wasn’t so caught up with Joel, it would have been her stocking there instead of Mel’s, Owen would have decorated the Aquarium for her and not Mel, and I think she sees that here. She’s even facing the Ferris wheel where they first ran away to. Owen is looking at this entire scene, and he can see it as well, it’s a gut punch to him that these are the circumstances.

Owen still wants Abby to move on, he was overjoyed to have her visit him, play his archery game, just chat. It’s a rude awakening when he finds out she was there to just tell him that they’d found a lead on Joel, and that she’d already told the rest of the Crew including Mel about it. He’s feeling a bit betrayed by Abby here and pressured to join them. Owen wants what Abby wants, but he already sees how much pain its caused her and he doesn’t want more people than necessary getting hurt. But everyone else already said they would go and at one point or another he promised Abby they were in this together, and he’d never go back on his word for her.

I just want to touch on the state of the Aquariums when we see it, when we first see the Aquarium it’s not really Owen’s yet, it’s been abandoned and he had yet to put his work into it. Then three years later, it’s full his and representative of who he is. We see it after Jackson too, but it’s much more subdued and dreary because he’s been suffering mentally. If you focus on Owen during the Joel torture scenes you can really see how shook he was seeing Abby shoot Joel’s leg off, and he had to leave the room with Mel while she tortured Joel. Owen blames himself for not stopping her on this revenge quest, she’s finally doing it and it’s horrible to watch.

Afterwards, Owen has retreated from others completely. The others are pissed at him when he disagreed about letting Ellie and Tommy go. How Abby behaved scared him. He doesn’t even want the new life with Mel, he just wants out of here by himself, everything else is too painful. When he shoots Danny, Owen realizes leaving is his only option is to go because he can’t stand to be in the WLF anymore. Owen wants to go back to a time when he was happy and working towards a real cause: the Fireflies. He still faces major hurdles though, the boat is broken and the WLF are going to come after him. Abby finds him curled up, retreated as far as he can go into his safe place. Waiting for someone to come and kill him for what he did.

Then last time we go to the Aquarium, it is completely silent, eerie, and dead, Owen’s dreams of escaping to a better, happier life, shattered.

Sorry to end it on depression but that’s how it is 💔 except in happier au’s like mine lol.

Also side note, Abby saying “of course” when she sees the boat light on and not assuming he’s in the cafe or something, makes me think they returned there together at some point and more spent time there. So maybe that’s a less sad note.

#meta #analysis #Owen Moore #abby x owen #owen

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thedaughterofkings · 5 years

Note

lgbt headcanon for Derek?

I’m very attached to ace!Derek, especially, but not exclusively demi!Derek! (and have not written it enough!!)

I can see a Derek where his asexuality is a consequence of his trauma, but that’s not my favourite.

I think what’s a very plausible (and angsty and that’s always a plus, isn’t it) version is a Derek who has never gotten what all his sex obsessed peers were talking about. Like, his friends talk about the boobs of the swim teacher and the butt of the secretary, and well, he can see them, and they are ... proportional? Round? The colour of freshly fallen snow? But he just doesn’t see what the hype is about.

Perhaps it’s the werewolf thing?

But Laura has composed sonnets about the swim teacher’s legs, too, so probably not.

Then there’s Paige and she’s pretty and so talented and takes no shit, and he thinks: “Perhaps.”

But then she dies and it’s all Derek’s fault.

Half a year later, Kate arrives in town. And she’s everything Derek should dream off. So when she cocks her hip and smirks, Derek decides to try.

It goes up in flames and ends in ashes and Derek’s body is nothing but a weapon to him from then on. What he wants or desires does not feature in that. It’s not even a question he asks himself. Laura tries to talk to him sometimes, but Derek blocks all of her attempts.

He doesn’t think about it again until he’s hiding in Stiles’ room and there’s this pink, purple and blue flag on his wall that reminds Derek of Laura. Google tells him that it’s the bi flag, and then leads him down the rabbit hole of pride flags and what they all stand for. Some terms he remembers from talks with Laura, others are completely new to him.

And one that resonates with him.

Asexuality - the lack of sexual attraction.

It’s not an immediate thing, no angels singing from high that he’s found his place. But it nags at him and he keeps thinking about it and the more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. And he also remembers Laura’s attempts to talk to him. It’s probably not exactly what she had in mind, but Derek still regrets not talking to her. It’s another one in a long line of regrets that marks his life so far. But he’s not going to disappoint Laura again, so Derek digs deeper.

He finds online communities and learns about identities that only a handful of people seem to know about, but they are important to them, so Derek tries to remember the distinctions. And offline, he talks to Stiles. About Stiles’ flag, and about Danny, about Stiles’ drag queen friends, and about Derek. Even if that mostly feels like a question mark to Derek. But it’s a question mark that’s slowly being coloured in purples and greys and black.

For his next birthday, Stiles gets him a flag. A small one, easily hidden, should Derek wish it, but Derek hangs it up in his living room, where everyone can see it.

And he looks at Stiles and thinks: “Perhaps.”

#Derek Hale #teen wolf #Sterek #clotpolesonly #I sort of ficced #sort of #lessa says #my tw fic #my Sterek fic #my fic #asks

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doof-doofblog · 4 years

Text

"I Want To Cash In!"

Tuesday 15th September 2020

Good evening folks! The majority of you will know I've already posted once today, this is going to be my second post of the day following up tonight's episode, so I'm completely up to date with you all! The previous episode (last night's) was a bit of devastating blow for Chantelle, Gray is just finding ways from stopping her leaving, it seems each time she's attempted to leave he's managed to take it one step further and stop her in her path.

Let's jump right into it, oh my gosh how heartbreaking is the opening scene!!! Chantelle has gone off on a holiday with her family but she has devastatingly had to leave her children behind, she's in the seaside cafe all on her own, staring out the window. All you can hear is the sound of rain against the glass window and the sound of seagulls. She looks like she's lost everything in the world. At the holiday apartment, the rest of the Taylor family are playing games and having fun, Mitch is videoing them to remember the memories, but he is just as miserable, he claims it's the same and as much fun without Chantelle. He can't seem to understand what's bothering his daughter, he decides to leave the fun and goes off to find her.

Back on the Square, Ian is finding every opportunity he can to dodge Max! Pretending to be on the phone and then having to hide behind the door of his house! Sorry, but it's pathetic! Why doesn't Ian just be the bigger man and come clean and just apologise and be truthful about what he's done! He's digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself! Meanwhile, Ruby has gone to visit Martin in the hospital, fantastic news is that he's awake and he's up and out of bed! The main thing he wants to know is if the Police know who it was who attacked him, fortunately for Vinny, Martin didn't see anything! Ruby is completely over the moon to see Martin looking well, so much so that she drops the L-Bomb on him!! But before he gets a chance to reply, he is wheeled off in the other direction. Did Ruby mean to say the L word? Or has she come to realise her true feelings for him during recent events. Another big question is, does Martin feel the same way about her?!

Hmmm, so is Ian actually struggling financially? It's probably understandably that his businesses aren't coping at the moment, possibly due to the current pandemic? But also the fact that he now owes Max some money, will this meeting be the only opportunity he has of getting things under control?

In time, Mitch eventually finds Chantelle. He finds in her the seaside cafe and he comes in tow with a huge elephant teddy for her. It's clear she's been crying, he gently places it on the table in front of her and she scoops it up and holds it as if picking wanting to hold her children ever so tightly. Mitch pulls up a chair and joins his daughter, she is looking so heartbroken and lost. Mitch begins to apologise for not being there for her as much as he should've been, but little does he know that's not the thought that's on his daughter's mind right now. He promises that he'll always be there for her from now on, Chantelle stares at him with tears filling her eyes, he softly asks her the most important question "What's wrong?" ... she sighs and tells him that she's missing her children. Now, of course she is missing her children but she hasn't given her Dad the main reason as to why, she hasn't given him the full story. She claims she just wanted them all to be together, Mitch then takes it upon himself to go back to Walford to collect her kids! Much to Chantelle's shock, but deep down as he goes and promises he won't leave without them, part of me believes she actually has hope that her Dad will return with his Grandchildren. Once again, Chantelle's hopes are lifted at another chance of getting away from Gray, but this is EastEnders - we know what's going to happen, right?!

Meanwhile, in the Vic, Ian is having a meeting with Douglas on his potential chance of becoming a part on the Planning Committee. Sharon is chatting away with Tina about Frankie when Ian enter's the pub. I feel sorry for Sharon really, she is doing everything she can to make it up to Ian. Giving him compliments and speaking highly of him in front of the fellow businessman. Ian is just shutting her down over and over again, not even saying that they're even friends anymore. In all seriousness, Sharon has done nothing wrong! She can't force feelings that she doesn't feel. If there's anyone Ian should be angry with, it's Dotty, for serving him stories and making him believe something that wasn't true. Sharon is literally just wanting her old friend back, but Ian seems to be having none of it! In the cafe, Max is on his phone to someone, does he owe someone money? He make the odd one-liner joke about having to hold Ian upside down and turn his pockets inside out to make sure he gets his money back. I'm sure the longer Ian tries to dodge the bullet and hide from Max, the more suspicious and angry he's going to get! Only, Kathy seems to overhear Max's phone conversation, and says states that he shouldn't be pestering Ian for his money, but Max makes the perfect point and claims that they were businesses partners. Kathy suddenly let's slip "He doesn't need this right now!" ... Bang! Max is suspicious, what did she mean by that?! He moves in closer to her "What has he done with my money, Kathy?!" He knows something isn't right! Kathy stands her ground and doesn't give anything away, she just tells him he'll have to wait, just a little bit longer!

At the Mitchell household, it looks as if Ben has now dragged in Jay to help with getting hold of Danny. I'm quite surprised as Jay has never been one for trouble. He's always stayed clear of Ben and his dodgy deals and gangsters. Jay makes it perfectly clear to Ben that he's not happy about it, he even asks if Phil is aware of Ben's plan. Suddenly, Callum joins them in the room, he can sense that he's walked in on a conversation between them. He asks if everything is okay and Ben assures him that everything is and that Jay is helping him with something. As Jay leaves the room, Callum then also asks Ben if he and Phil are okay with starting a war against Danny? It's a difficult situation for them all to be in, no one wants to get anyone else hurt, but I think that they know that Ben needs to go through with this to clear his name, he really does not want to be going back to prison!

Back at the holiday venue, Chantelle is packing her children's toys in the suitcase. She finds the lucky poke chip that Kheerat gave her and she sighs deeply. Suddenly a knock is heard on her bedroom door and her mother, Karen, appears. Karen sees that Chantelle is already packed and ready to leave. She's shocked to see her daughter packed already before her children have even arrived. Chantelle asks desperately to her Mum whether Mitch has been in touch. Karen confirms to her that Mitch and Chantelle's children are on their way! Chantelle's face is in utter shock! Gray has let them go? Could it be possible that Mitch has persuaded him to let them come? Could this be the last chance she gets of making her escape with the children? There's the tiniest smiles that grows on her face as Karen tells them that they'll be able to enjoy their holiday as family and make some wonderful memories. Chantelle must feel so relieved, she decides to go and buy her children a treat for when they arrive!

On the Square, Ruby is back and giving Kush an update about Martin, everyone seems very relieved to hear that Martin is doing okay. Kat shouts from across the Square that she's managed to pay Kush's rent for his stall! Kush is over the moon and he declares his love for her, as he does so, Ruby looks slightly disappointed - Why didn't Martin say the L word back to her? Does she feel silly for telling him that she loves him? Suddenly Suki approaches her, asking her how Martin is, at first it all seems rather polite but then Suki drops the bomb to Ruby that she knows about the insurance fraud. Ruby is ready to state that it was her son who attacked Martin in the first place, of course Martin is unaware of what actually happened, and Ruby wants to keep it that way. She informs Suki that Vinny is safe, she won't be going to the police and she wont be claiming on the insurance. But what I want to know is, is this going to turn around and hit Ruby where it hurts? Is Martin going to become aware of her and Vinny's plan? Will he blame her for being attacked?!

In the restaurant, Ian is continuing his meeting with Douglas, he's trying to prove a point that he's able to cope in awkward situations. Unfortunately the main thing on the other fella's mind is Sharon. Ian then literally tells him about all her failed relationships, in an attempt to warn him off! Mentioning that she had an affair with her husband's brother, to then Dennis being murdered and then finally - i'm assuming he means, Phil - a gangster?! Or was that somebody else that i'm unaware of?! Anyway, Max finally catches up with Ian, he wants his money and he wants it now! He refuses to leave the building until Ian tells him exactly what's going on! He makes himself known by dragging out a chair and sitting with his arms folded, staring at Ian! I think he knows he can't escape Max now, it's time to tell him the truth!

Oh great! Just what Walford needs, Danny Hardcastle then decides to pull up in the Square. Is he looking for someone? Does he know that the police after him? What an Earth would bring him back to the Square? As he locks his car walks away into the distance, the camera angle moves as if someone is watching him from behind the wall. At first, I thought it was going to be Ben, only Jay appears and shows that he has a screwdriver in his inside coat pocket. Is he going to scratch his car? Or perhaps stab his tyres? I feel sad that Ben has dragged Jay into this, of course Jay would do anything to help his brother out, but surely not in this way?! Ahhh so Danny has come to meet with Ben? Or did he actually believe it was Phil he coming to see?! Danny makes a snide comment saying with Phil not being there, is that his way of apologising?! These two haven't seen each other since that job in Stratford, i'm quite surprised neither of them are putting their fists up. Ben claims that he and his Dad don't owe Danny anything! Ahhh I see, so while Ben and Danny have their little catch up - Jay is planting the stolen money in Danny's car. Danny informs Ben that the money they nicked is traceable, so the police will be all over it! Jay can be seen then trying to close the car boot frantically! At this moment when Danny is walking back to his car, his keys jingling in his hand, I am so worried for Jay as Danny gets closer and closer, Jay is pushing the boot repeatedly trying to get it shut! Luckily he manages to get it shut completely just a few seconds before Danny gets to his car. He quickly walks away and calls the police! Have they really gotten away with setting him up?! My heart was in my mouth when Jay was doing that! I hope to God nothing bad happens to Jay after this!

Back at the restaurant, Max is waiting for Ian to get his money. He appears to be on the phone to a lawyer, of course a fake lawyer! He comes up with a story about his lawyer chasing some thieves and apparently he was attacked on the head. Not realising, as Max points out - that its exactly the same of what happened to Martin! Ian can't play any more games, he knows he's been sussed out. The lies he's building is just getting worse and worse, Max just wants to the truth, he slams the kitchen units, he's had enough of Ian's lies! Ian then states that his money in a high-interest account and he can't get to it quickly because of penalties. Max can't believe what he's hearing, he's devastated that his business partner could do this to him! He gives Ian one last warning, he wants his money by the following week, otherwise Ian is going to be the one needing major surgery! Ian has once again lied his way out of another situation to by him some time to get some money for Max, but in all seriousness - how is he going to get it?!

The Taylor family are still on their holiday, Keegan announces that the children have finally arrived! But they didn't come by train, Mitch appears with luggage and asks where Chantelle, Bernadette informs him that she had gone to buy some doughnuts for the kids. A voice from the hall then echo's the word "Doughnuts!" - Gray has only gone and wormed his way in! Even though the family are all delighted to see him, we know Chantelle is going to be scared and worried and stuck yet again. Karen makes a comment "Chantelle is going to be so happy to see you!", he has a really smug grin on his face as he replies to her that he didn't want to miss out on the family fun! Ooooo Gray is just getting darker and darker, his anger at Chantelle is getting worse and worse and her fear of him is just growing and growing. It's still SO devastating that the Taylor family have no idea what's been going on behind closed doors, which I think is going to make Chantelle's death far more devastating and heart-wrenching to watch.

After his encounter with Max, Ian makes his way back to the Vic. He pulls Sharon to one side, she's asks him how the meeting went, trying to be the best supportive friend she can be. But it looks as if Ian is tired of feeling let down, because his heart has been broken, yet again, he's taking it out on his friend! He claims to her that if it wasn't for him she wouldn't have the pub! He decides to make it perfectly clear to her that the pub is his business alone, she is just his employee. Sharon knows that he is saying this out of spite, just because she doesn't feel the same way about him. He's angry, he's upset, he's embarrassed so he wants to have the upper hand! He's wanting to feel powerful! He warns her that he going to be setting her some targets, and if she doesn't meet them he will find someone else to run the pub! Sharon can barely believe her ears, she has always told Ian how grateful she has been to him over the past few months, he took her in when she had nowhere to go, he comforted her when Dennis died, of course we know it was out of guilt, but now saying he could potentially make her homeless is such a horrible curve-ball! Will she ever be able to find a way to make it up to him? Will Ian finally come to his senses and realise he's in the wrong?!

The last scene of tonight's episode, Chantelle is seen in the seaside cafe buying her children their treats. Its the first time we've seen her happy in a long time. She makes a phone call, it's Kheerat she calls, she's sounding so relieved and so happy. Its the first time we've seen her smile in a long time! She believes her children are on the way to her and she can finally find some happiness with Kheerat, she assures him that everything is fine and he has no reason to worry. She then says that she's ready, she's ready to cash in! Little does she know that Gray has been stood behind her, listening to her conversation. How is he going to know what "Cash in" means? This is going to be the thing that rages him more than anything! He believes his wife is having an affair, even though we know nothing has happened between Chantelle and Kheerat yet, it's going to be the first thing that jumps into his head! Is this what makes Gray lose his temper with Chantelle so much that it comes to the point he commits murder?!

As the episode gets closer of Chantelle's death, the more worried and scared I am of how it's going to happen. I truly believe it's going to be a devastating, harrowing episode. I do believe some viewers will find it incredibly hard to watch, the past few episodes I've been getting very nervous for Chantelle as I know what's coming, but seeing it all unfold - all the events leading up to her death and hearing the news of the aftermath of her death. It's going to be very hard viewing! I know I've said it once, but I can't praise Jessica Plummer and Toby-Alexander Smith high enough! Their performances have been phenomenal this week!

I hope you're all preparing yourself for what the next few episodes hold. It's going to be a tough few days that's for sure! I hope you've all enjoyed reading, thank you all for taking your time to read through my blog. It really does mean the world! Enjoy the rest of your week and i'll be back very soon! Love you all xXx

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goliath-de-senfina-sango · 4 years

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Local Teens Break Into Highschool and Fight Slime Monster, Self Esteem Issues Galore, Worried Parents Scold Stubborn Hacker, Strange Tech Geek Has Epiphany

Flying with their hoverboards to the school was both insanely fun and much easier than Danny expected - once Sam and Tucker were drilled on how to fly them properly. They landed on the roof, Danny slid them all into that space between spaces where the real was illusion and the unseeable was reality and they sank down into the school easily. Slowing their descent with a tug on the dark strings of gravity, Danny dropped everyone back into their natural solid state and waited for Sam and Tucker to take a deep breath. "I'm wondering if I even need to breathe cause I didn't have a problem with air passing through my whole body instead of in and out of my lungs."

"Speculation later," Sam said with a hand over Danny's mouth. "Let's go, alright? We need to find the security office, which should be this way." The goth lead the group and Tucker pulled out the USB with the data they needed on it.

"Why do you know where that is, Sam?"

"C'mon, Tucker, you do after school stuff in theater, you know how boring it is to wait for clubs to start. I just wandered around a bunch cause it's healthier than idling with some game."

"So you walked while playing a game?"

"Oh shut up," Sam rolled her eyes, nudging Tucker with her elbow. Once they got to the security room door, Sam reached for her pocket before pausing and turning to Danny. "I brought my lock pick for nothing when you can just walk us through the door."

"Why do you know how to pick locks?" Danny examined the door and pressed his hand on it. He could see the strings that wove together to make it, vibrations slow compared to the ones in the air. Curious, Danny plucked one of the threads and watched as the door became as solid as air. Tucker and Sam walked right through but Danny could see the door settle back into its proper state after just a moment. Danny slid into that breathless darkness beyond the door entirely and walked into the room, dropping into corporeality's warmth to see Tucker's PDA jacked into the main computer and pulling up the details on the Fenton tech installed.

Tucker's foot was tapping as he examined the layout of the security system and frowned. His fingers flew over the keyboard and the deeper he delved the less he liked. "Alright good news: I can get it done. Bad news: gotta shut down the entire system for a whole five minutes to do it, and that's a pretty long time for it to be down in case something attacks us now."

"What are the odds of something attacking us right now, Tucker?" The geek arched a disbelieving eye brow at Sam, who shrugged with a sigh. "Point taken. How about this? I stay here with you and Danny patrols the halls for a ghost attacking? He can sense them, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Great as a point as that is, if I just close my eyes I can look around for a ghost right from here. Do it Tuck, I'll know if anything comes for us." Tucker nodded and got to work on his update of the system, inserting the USB after a frustrating fumble with it. Danny closed his eyes and looked around with more than his limited human senses. Electrical currents ran all over the school to keep the Air Conditioning running right, or as right as a high school could get it, and the power stored in the lasers hidden all over the school lit up like tiny lamps in the shadows surrounding them. But then the computer went dark and Danny felt a tug in the back of his head, pulling him toward an empty spot in the world.

There, off to the side, Danny could see a gap, a void where the snapping threads of electricity and heat should've been. He let that tingling emptiness build up in his center and spread outward, until it blanketed every atom of his being and the faint and distant chorus of Starsong echoed in the back of his mind. "We've got company. I'll go and chat, see if we can get through a ghost encounter without fighting first."

"First time for everything Danny," Sam encouraged - or at least he thought she was trying to encourage him - and Danny followed a current he guided to the source of that blank spot, where light and heat and power collapsed inward. When he got closer, Danny saw what looked to be an office and a few framed pictures of depressed teens with an overly perky ginger woman. He didn't have time to linger on that, though, because a green blob with arms and bright red eyes was staring at him. Danny waved with a smile.

"Hi there." The creature turned to stare at Danny and for a long moment, nothing happened. Then a maw of razor sharp teeth was bared his way and a guttural, bestial snarl hit his ears and Danny had to move as fast as he could. A clawed hand slashed at his side and Danny sucked in a hissed cry as the jumpsuit gave and his nicked skin was exposed. "Well fuck you too then."

Raising the wrist ray Danny caught the thing in the shoulder with a shot before it rolled out of the way and punched him in the gut, waves of pain spreading out as the fucking stretchy arm pulled back. Grabbing onto that rubbery green goo, Danny jabbed at the creature's center when he was yanked close enough. Unfortunately it opened up a hole in itself and Danny's fist sailed through that hole harmlessly. His arm was trapped in goop and the blob roared in his face, encompassing Danny's body and lunging into a wall, slamming Danny against it and ringing his head like a gong.

While Danny tried to get his bearings within the slime monster he felt it turn and something inside of him rang out in horror. He looked, past the monster and walls, and saw it looking in Sam and Tucker's direction. A bubbling fury boiled in Danny's chest when the blob started moving toward them, and the ghost boy reached inside of himself past the shows and whispering dark void, reaching for the light that filled the shadows and pulled it into himself and let it build and build up until every inch of his body shone like a star. Bright green and silver light poured out of Danny from every molecule of his body, sending the goo monster in every direction to splatter on the floor, walls, and ceiling.

Danny hovered there for a moment, taking deep superfluous breaths and pulling the strands of crackling pale light to his fingertips. Silver gave way to green and shined through his glove and Danny stared at it in awe. "Holy shit!" A fist collided with his face, knocking Danny into a chair. He groaned and raised a hand, cold light gathering until it burned brighter than a torch and flew from his palm to turn a chunk of the monster's arm into green vapor. "Back the fuck off flubber, I'm packing heat!"

Blank red eyes narrowed at him and Danny rose to his feet with his fists in front of his face, glowing green with wisps of white at the edges like smoke. The monster snarled at him, countless predatory roars and howls layered upon each other in a headache-inducing din before flinging itself back through the wall behind it and quickly leaving Danny's sight. Danny moved to chase after the thing and found that his body didn’t agree with that idea. “Fuck.” Great, ok, pain. No more talking, though the world shall mourn my silence. Danny flew slowly back to his friends, on the alert for the blob of ectoplasm, and flopped onto Sam’s back when he got into the security room. Sam started and aimed her wrist ray at him before seeing that it was just him.

“Gods, I hate you sometimes. Are you ok? You would’ve laughed by now if you were.” Sam looked down and watched Danny’s hands moving, and frowned. “A blob did this to you?” It was a smart blob. “That says something about you, genius boy.” Dig the knife in why don’t you? “Left it at home. Tucker, how’s the program going?”

“One full minute left.” Tucker spun around in his chair, Wrist Ray™ whirring up and ready to fire. “So a sentient blob monster was hangin out in an office at school. Wonderful. What next, Cthulu decides to take a nap in Lake Eyre and we have to go and deal with him?”

Don’t tempt fate, Tucker, Danny signed. We might actually have to deal with that after what we’ve done to those ectopi.

“That is both an exciting and depressing thought. How are we gonna deal with Cthulu?” To answer Sam’s question, Danny stood up and pulled a bit of heat and light to his hand, and it glowed brighter and brighter until a ball of ectoplasm burned in the palm of his gloved hand. “I’m not trying to be as blind as Tucker, Danny, please put that away. Thank you. That as fucking awesome! What, you can shoot plasma out of your hands now?”

There is a tiny portal to the Ethereal Realm in the center of my ghost, where my consciousness is stored, and I can pull extra ectoplasm out of it to burn and attack with apparently. Danny tilted his head and added, I think that’s how our more effective weapons work. Dad only made so many rifles so far.

“You know what? Good. I’m glad he didn’t make too many of those,” Sam said with a shudder. “Imagine him selling that technology to the military so that they’d be armed against ghosts. I don’t wanna know what would happen if we had that kind of power enmass.”

Before uncomfortable truths about their home could be brought up further, the computer screens all lit up and Tucker spun around to check on them. “Looks like everything is set up, and Danny can come back to school. Makes it a lot less lonely for us.” Tucker stood up and stretched. “The robotics club just can’t keep up with me sometimes.”

Awesome. Can we go now? I think I can fix myself up back at home, I have a first aid kit in my workshop.

“Wait, you have your own workshop?” Tucker lunged at Danny, who hissed and slipped around his fingers to hover out of reach. “Sorry. But for real, you have a workshop? Since when? Why have I not known about this?” Danny shook his head and chuckled, then clutched as his chest in throbbing pain. I better not have to take off my binder for this, or I’m gonna shake the thermos when I catch that thing. Reaching up to touch the ceiling, Danny grabbed onto the thread of energy running through the concrete and tried to pull it into him. The line of electricity snapped at his fingers and zapped him to the floor, bringing a keening whine from his throat as the pain radiated all over his body and the hand that had reached out looked to be glitching out, morphing into a dark swirling mass of cold.

Past the ringing in his head and blood - ectoplasm? - rushing through his ears, Danny could feel himself being lifted up and carried out of the room. He did his best to make that easier, unweaving the shadowy tendrils of gravity pulling on his body, and soon it was just Tucker’s familiar and warm hands holding him up like a balloon. While Sam was working on the lock between barely opened doors so they could get out the old fashioned way, Danny pulled those lingering shadows back together until they were his hand again. But then his other hand glitched and he groaned in frustration. Looking all around, Danny sucked in a sharp breath and reached down to tap Tucker’s Wrist Ray™, which had the other boy whirling around with it aimed.

Tucker fired off a ray at the ghost, who snarled at him for burning off an arm, and swiped out a claw at Tucker. Danny pulled on the power inside of him and pushed it out of his still stable hand, building a wall of green around them that the claw smashed into, shattering it and causing Danny’s legs to dissolve. Tucker fired off another shot that pushed the blob back and shouted. “¡Tíranos hasta el techo!” Danny sucked in a sharp breath and concentrated. His lower half was dissolved into a nebulous cloud of shadows beneath him but he had both hands, and now he was grabbing up Sam and Tucker in his arms and pulling them through the door and up. He dropped back into solid space and saw Tucker and Sam calling their boards to them, and when he felt Tucker solidly on stable ground, Danny’s vision went dark, and the last thing he saw was the light of his transformation and Tucker’s chest in his face.

Unraveled and broken down and broken free into yet another star among the endless diamond sky. He can see it, the threads connecting every constellation. Chamaeleon calls to him, and he can see the kaleidoscope of flames weaving between the stars, crackling and vibrating in harmony to sing the most beauteous song. Just beyond it, he faintly sees the tangle of verdant greens that wove themselves with shadows into his friend. And she was not beyond the stars but before them, before him, and she was calling out to him and that was right, he was needed on the ground. He can reach out and dance among the stars another time, he knows they will be there for him, as they have always been there for him. It takes an eon, but mere seconds too, for Danny to remember how he is supposed to fit into the small confines of his body. He holds up his hand, turns it this way and that. Is this his? How has he ever considered himself something so… so small, so simple and well-defined?

“Danny? Danny, can you hear me?” He turned to Sam’s voice and reached a hand out, gently gripping her shoulder and nodding with a small smile. “Thank gods! Danny, are you ok? Can you speak?”

Danny tugged gently on that care concern help love that came through his bond to Sam and guided it to his jaw and chin. Letting out a sigh and snapping back to reality he nodded again. “Fornax, Sam that hurt. What happened? I passed out after Tucker got his board under him.”

“That blob thing attacked us while I was picking the lock, and Tucker got you to pull us out so we could get to our boards. Once you blacked out - bleeding, by the way, your head had been busted open - Tucker and I shot the thing until it left. When we got here, I started working on you while Tucker worked up a convincing lie to tell your parents.” She pointed at the door. “He’s right outside, but that’s as close as he can get without having a breakdown.” Danny nodded and slowly got to his feet. “You know that’s a dumb idea, right?”

“Isn’t that like, my middle name?” Danny chuckled. “I need to make sure Tucker is alright. And uh, Sam? Where’s my-” Sam handed over his binder and Danny smiled, slipping it into that in-between space and letting it solidify around him.

“Thankfully you don’t have a broken rib or that might just make it worse.” That was true. Danny easily could’ve been making his wounds worse with the constricting force on his ribs. Glancing down at himself, Danny tried to look just sideways of the world like he did when looking for ghosts, but when he did all he saw was his phantom jumpsuit. Huffing a breath he shook his head.

“I don’t feel like my chest is hurting much so I should be good.” Danny walked out of the door and saw Tucker sitting next to it. "Tucker, bro, thanks for saving my ass back there. Heard you did a great job flying, keeping me on the board And shooting the evil blob monster."

Tucker snorted, setting down his PDA. "That's cause I'm TF for Too Fine at a lot of things. Coulda done better by programming a remote activation for the security and lighting the thing up with it though."

"Surf lessons and videogames can't help you prophesy the future, Tuck." Tucker scoffed, shaking his head.

"No, my inherent genius does that. Calculating the odds."

Danny cocked a brow at him, unseen since Tucker was staring at a wall. "Oh, a gambler I see. Did the loot crates get to you? Do you need an intervention? Is it like the coffee thing?" Danny put his hand on Tucker’s shoulder, gently squeezing as he spoke.

Tucker finally looked at Danny, expression and tone flat. “You literally learned how to make the highest caffeine content cold brew coffee possible and drink it daily, there is no room for argument there Danny."

"I remember you helping him, Tucker." Sam sat next to the geek and nudged his arm

“Your point is?"

"You might be addicted to gambling and caffeine but we definitely can help Tuck." Danny and Tucker laughed, Sam and Danny wrapping their arms around Tucker’s shoulders in a group hug that was only somewhat awkward.

"Seriously though, Tucker, you did perfectly fine. I dunno how you manage to do all of what you do."

"It's how I'm gonna kick your ass in videogames one day."

Danny smirked. “I'll record it."

"I will destroy you, both of you know that." Sam turned her head up, looking all the world like the quern of destruction they knew she could be.

“We will conquer! Right, Tuck?"

"Yeah!" The boys pumped their fists in the air and all three of them broke down into a fit of laughter. They disentangled and got up, Danny wincing at the aches exasperated by sitting like that.

“Alright guys, let’s head to sleep and then like, tell Danny’s parents we beat Skulker and that’s why he’s all roughed up?” Everyone agreed with Sam’s idea - they usually did - and headed up to Danny’s room to pass out for several hours.

Shadows illuminated from within by starlight collected over countless eons swirl like smoke around him, letting him see the stars themselves weave together into beautiful shapes and beings just on the edge of imaginable. He can feel it, past the cold shadows in his mind, the fire in his soul that he can pull out, weave it with his shadows to make something new if only he knew how. If only he dipped his brush into that well of fire and plasma and life within him and painted the empty air with it. He can, he just needs to move his fingers, the small heavy things they are.

“Danny, honey! Breakfast is ready!” Danny felt himself groan at the sound of his mother’s voice and buried his head further into someone’s arm. The air shifted, the door open, and Mom gasped. “Danny! Oh Danny, what happened?” Right, he’d forgotten he had a few bruises left by that blob. It’s too early to remember things though. The concern worry fear pinging in his head was enough to drag Danny to full consciousness and address the mounting panic his mother was diving into.

“Good news is: I can go to school again. Bad news is: I can go to school again.” Danny propped his elbow on Sam’s side as his friends got up. “But uh, we turned the ghost to goop. I’m mostly fine. Only sting a little.” Danny groaned as he was shoved by Sam into Tucker who fell off the bed with his hand clasped around Danny’s shoulder. “What’s for breakfast?”

It turned out they were having waffles, eggs, and fruit salad for breakfast. Danny ate like there was no tomorrow, Tucker doing much the same while Sam went at s civilized pace. Must be years of being in a ‘proper’ home. Cutting out Danny’s powers they regaled how they beat Skulker and Danny held up the thermos full of ectoplasm they removed from the zoo. “So we’re safe now.”

“I expect you to contact me and your father next time you do something so dangerous, young man!” Danny could see the blue bleeding through the yellow in her aura and nodded dutifully. Mom relaxed into her seat and sighed. “I’m proud of you for taking down your first ghost though!”

“Thanks, Mom. He was a pain in the Apus.” A spark of yellow that had him grinning. “It’s a constellation o-”

“Trust me, Danny, I know.” Mom kissed his head and Danny rambled away about the constellation anyway. “I’ll let the principal know that the ghost is dealt with. You three eat up and do whatever it is you kids do after fighting an evil monster.” Mom walked away and Danny looked over at his friends.

“What do we do once we beat a bad guy?” Other than worry about the next one. I’m almost starting to think Agatha is a rarity. “Cause I kinda wanna try beating Sam in something.”

“You poor naive boy, you think you can actually win.” Sam shook her head and patted Danny on his shoulder. “One day you’ll learn.”

“That day is not today!” Tucker shouted around his eggs. “To victory!”

“I’m painting something on the loser’s back, just so you know.” Danny waved his fork menacingly. “If you squirm from being tickled by the brush then I will have to start over.” The three of them laughed, finished up their breakfasts, and headed to the living room to start up a star finder videogame for Tucker to try and beat Sam in. Tucker lost and Danny tortured him with the cool ticklish strokes of his paintbrush while he put down a painting of a toucan on his side.

“As fun as kicking your butt has been, I think I’m gonna take off,” Sam said as she collected her helmet and new magnetized boots. They did just as much damage as her old combat boots, but these let her stick to her hoverboard. “And I swear if you make that a pun, Danny Fenton-”

“Take off into the sky and make sure not to crash land!” Danny was knocked back by his jacket being thrown at his face and Tucker wheezed out a laugh next to him. The door closed and Danny pounced, pinning Tucker to the floor. “And so the jester took down the friar, twas hardly a fight.”

Tucker pushed Danny up and off of him, rolling over to sit on his friend and crossing his arms. “I am triumphant and rose to the position of king! As such, I’m gonna see if I can crack that idiot’s code. Mind if I use your little workshop?”

“As long as you don’t try to leave through the portal to the moon, it’s perfectly cool dude. Best of luck with the metal head.” Danny squirmed free and headed up the stairs. “I just realized I can paint over those glow in the dark stickers on my ceiling now!”

Tucker shook his head and headed upstairs as well. He grabbed his stuff, got on his board, and flew home with a quick text to his parents to explain that he’d been at Danny’s house again. Tucker shook his head and headed upstairs as well. He grabbed his stuff, got on his board, and flew home with a quick text to his parents to explain that he’d been at Danny’s house again. Once Tucker reached his house, touching down in his backyard and pulling the hoverboard into the garage to idle, he headed upstairs immediately to grab Skulker's head. When he got to the ladder that leads up to his trapdoor, Tucker was met with his parents and upset faces. "Uh, hi?"

"Young man, why were you out all night without telling us first? That dangerous... ghost thing is still out there, hunting you and your friends. Your leg has only barely gotten any better!" Wow, Tucker definitely needed that reminder of the dull throbbing ache that the Advil was masking just well enough for him to ignore on the way here. Moms were the best at unwanted reminders, Tucker was beginning to think. "You could have gotten hurt!"

"Well, would it make you feel better to know that I am 100% sure that Skulker isn't a problem anymore?"

"If you could give us proof of that, maybe." Dad frowned. "That doesn't excuse not telling us that you were staying the night with Danny. We were worried sick."

"If you let me up into my room I can show you that proof." They conceded and let Tucker climb his ladder, following up immediately after. "I've spent like half my nights at Danny's place anyway." Tucker rushed over to his closet and pulled the helmet to Skulker's suit out of the pile of clothes he'd been hiding it under.

"That's no excuse young ma- Tucker what in god's name is that?" I've never seen Dad so close to cussing in front of me before. This is a true milestone.

"Tucker Malik Foley is that the head of the robot ghost that shot at the targets in the backyard?" His mom didn't sound very thrilled, and Tucker could admit that he should've seen that coming but he needed the head anyways.

"I told you that the Fentons have great hologram technology and you saw that I have Sharon back, right? See, the hoverboard, some holograms and the kind of backdoor that opens up when you put someone else's things into your own stuff lead to us taking Skulker down. He's back on the other side where he belongs. And I thought 'hey, I could shut it down and eject him through my PDA, what can I figure out with my laptop' and I can see that you're not happy with the idea, which makes sense, but if I can figure out how Skulker's armor works then not only could I make something insanely effective at deterring ghosts from attacking us, but I'd also be able to make something that I can sell! And just imagine what kind of things we can get if I made money off of this." His parents had one of those silent conversations people had with looks and Tucker scrambled for something to add, something that would stop them from taking this away from him when he was on the edge of a breakthrough. "I'm close to breaking down all the firewalls, I know I am. I made an entire cybersecurity system for Dad's job, I think I can manage to crack a firewall."

"And how," Dad asked, "are we to know that you're doing this safely? You might trigger some sort of self destruct in the thing if you do this." Mom gave Dad a look, and Tucker almost snorted. "What? Angela this is like we stepped into a sci-fi world and I have no clue what to expect, so why wouldn't an evil ghost have a self destruct inside the robot suit it was possessing?"

"Valid enough concern, Dad, but I already disabled that and I uh, I'll do it at Fentonworks. They have all kinds of stuff for volatile experiments there. If something is about to blow, I'll get behind a blast shield and be as safe as possible." Another long moment of silent deliberation and his Mom sighed.

"Alright, we'll allow it. But if you at all get hurt then all of the suit that I know you're trying to hide from us is going to the dump, you understand me mr.?" Tucker put the head on his bed, launched himself at his parents, and hugged them both tight. "This doesn't excuse you getting into a fight with a ghost young man." They were both hugging back, so Tucker laughed it off. That was a discussion for later.

Before his parents could make it a discussion for then and there, Tucker grabbed the head, slid down his ladder, and got to his board as quickly as he could. Taking to the skies, Tucker zoomed straight for Danny's workshop building instead of going through the Fenton's house. Opening the door, he rode the board in and blinked a couple of times as he looked around, getting a better chance to take it all in. "So this is where he does all of that art. It looks like Dr. Fenton put every painting or doodle Danny's ever done on the walls in here." There were very few empty spaces on the walls of the very first room, easels and framed paintings and even first-grade doodles that Tucker recognized were hung all around the room. Dismounting the board, Tucker headed down the stairs and plopped himself in Danny's wheely chair, spinning around a couple of times before setting down Skulker's head and opening a drawer. "Danny and I are gonna discuss him moving my stuff when I leave it here."

With Skulker’s helmet on the table and connected to his laptop, the room was full of the hum and buzz of electricity, the clacking of his fingers on the keys and Tucker lost track of time. Sure, he’d managed to shut it down and open up the thing to force Skulker out of the chest but those were the easiest things for him to access even with a backdoor. “There’s no way someone like Skulker could’ve made something with this much protection. I usually have something like this dealt within two days tops.” He hit enter once more, running his firewall crack and leaned back. “There’s gotta be something useful in all of this.”

Ding! Humming, whirring, buzzing, the head came to life with emerald flame and something clicked. Tucker saw the programs pop up on his screen, the programs, the blueprints, and weapon schematics, and the code sang to him, how to do what Skulker did with just a bit of energized ectoplasm! Music filled his ears, his soul, his fingers. His human mouth could not sing the melodies, but metal could and metal would.

"The world is just vibrating strings, you just gotta know how to play the universe's song." Tucker took special note of one piece in particular. “Intangibility modulater huh? Thank you Hunter Grovsner, you’re so pathetically weak of a ghost your suit has to compensate. Now then,” Tucker thinks, thinks of all the things he could do with something like that, thinks of how to best make it convenient, and he starts designing, letting the music of the universe guide him, “let’s get to work.”

#Danny Phantom #Danny Fenton #Sam Manson #Tucker Foley #Bertrand #Maddie Fenton #Angel Foley #Maurice Foley #Fanfiction #Phanfiction #fanPhiction #PhanPhiction #Fanphic #fanfic #Phanfic #PhanPhic #Monstrous Chosen Spellslingers #MCS #Rexy Writes

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flowerfan2 · 4 years

Text

Affinity - Ch. 9 (10.09)

McDanno, A03. Read from the beginning here.

A continuous story of season 10 episode codas. Steve may describe their relationship as a dysfunctional marriage, but at some point, will he and Danny take a closer look at what it really could be? (The answer is yes).

Chapter 9 - 10.09

“Okay, so I know that was awkward,” Steve says, as he joins Danny in the kitchen. It’s not his best opening line, but Danny has been quiet ever since the guests left, and it makes Steve’s nerves twitch. A quiet Danny is an unhappy Danny.

Danny reaches up to put away the last of the dishes, his black t-shirt pulling tight across his back, and then turns towards Steve. His face is studiously blank.

“What was awkward?” Danny leans against the counter, hands gripping the edge.

“Your conversation with Quinn. About Rachel.”

Danny shrugs. “It’s what we agreed.” Danny pushes past Steve and out of the kitchen.

They had decided not to tell the team about them yet, to let them keep thinking that Danny and Steve were just best friends, as utterly inadequate as that term was even before the events of the last few weeks. But when Quinn caught Danny by surprise with a question about his ex-wife, Danny had maybe dug the hole of misdirection a little deeper.

Steve grabs two beers out of the refrigerator and follows Danny to the living room. “I know you’re bummed about Charlie and Grace not being here today,” Steve says, handing Danny a beer.

“You could say that.” Danny’s dejected expression says it too.

“It’s making it all seem harder, I know. But they’re still coming over tomorrow, right? The weather’s going to be great – we could go for a hike, make a picnic with the leftovers.”

Danny flops down on the couch. “I’m sorry, it’s not that big a deal. I’ll get over it.”

Steve sighs. Now he’s just made Danny feel guilty. He sits down on the couch, lengthwise, and drops his bare feet on Danny’s lap. This has the desired effect of making Danny grumble.

“I’m not the only one allowed to be down on Thanksgiving,” Steve says. “You can feel sad about stuff too.”

Danny’s shoulders sag, and Steve can see his defenses crumbling.

“Come on,” Steve wiggles his toes. “Foot massage. You promised.”

Danny snorts. “I did not.” But he lays his hands over Steve’s left foot and starts rubbing anyway. “Junior looked baffled this morning, when I came over with my bags,” Danny says, seeming to change the subject. “I thought he had caught on.”

“To us?” Steve asks. “Nah. Junior’s really kind of oblivious.”

“You don’t think Tani has clued him in?” They’ve discussed it, and Steve knows that as far as Danny is concerned, Tani is the best detective in the group when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Steve isn’t so sure.

“No,” Steve says. “Junior will believe you’re here because your house is dangerously contaminated with mold until he actually catches us in the act, and even then, he might never say anything out loud.”

“Some kind of Navy loyalty? Respect for a superior?”

“Maybe.” Steve shifts so his other foot is on top, letting Danny work his magic.

“I’m glad he went to Tani’s tonight,” Danny says softly.

“Yeah, me too.” Steve thinks back to what Lou said to him just before their impromptu football game. “Lou doesn’t buy the mold story, though. And he thinks it’s just a matter of time before you realize that I know there’s no mold.”

“So he suspects that we’re…?”

“Nah. He just thinks you’re worried about me.”

Danny stops rubbing Steve’s foot and looks at him. “I am worried about you.”

Steve brushes it off, but the admission makes him feel warm nonetheless. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not. You’re grieving, and that’s okay. It’s not the same as fine.”

Danny returns his focus to Steve’s feet and digs a thumb into Steve’s instep, making him groan.

“How can you have so much tension in your feet?” Danny asks. “Your feet are like other people’s shoulders.”

“You can do my shoulders now, if you want,” Steve replies easily. “Test out your theory. Or I can do yours.”

Danny lolls his head in Steve’s direction. “Sounds like a plan.” Danny gives Steve’s foot a final squeeze and scoots over on the couch, shoving Steve’s legs out of the way.

Steve twists to get his hands on Danny’s shoulders, but the angle isn’t great, both of them half on and half off the couch. “Let’s go upstairs.”

Danny’s bags have been stowed in the guest room to keep up appearances, but Steve never had any illusions about where Danny would be sleeping, despite their bickering in front of Junior. The chore wheel, though, that he was serious about. He’d already put a draft together while Junior finished setting up the chairs and tables earlier today.

Danny sits on Steve’s bed, running his hands over the quilt. Steve comes near, and Danny looks up, his face open and suddenly very close to a certain interested part of Steve’s body. “How do you want me?”

Steve’s heart races, and he has to force himself to remember that they were talking about back rubs.

“Um, on the bed, on your stomach?”

“Okay.” Danny strips off his t-shirt and climbs on to the bed, pressing his cheek into the pillows. Steve straddles him, one knee on either side of his narrow waist, and lays his hands on Danny’s warm skin.

Danny’s shoulders are definitely tight, taut muscles worked into knots. “Wanna talk about it?” Steve asks. He starts by running his hands up and down Danny’s back, establishing a rhythm.

“About?”

“Whatever’s bothering you.”

Steve can feel Danny tense, and he thinks he’s not going to get an answer, but then Danny twists around onto his back and stares up at him. “Do you think we’re doing the wrong thing?”

Steve almost leaps off of the bed, but Danny stops him with a hand to the thigh. “No, you doofus, not this. This is right. With… keeping it secret.”

Steve feels the adrenaline seep out of him, and he flops down on the bed next to Danny, rolling on to his side to face him. “We both thought it would be best, at least for now.”

“I know. But were we wrong?”

“Do you think we were wrong?”

They’re at an impasse, and Steve can tell Danny is trying to work his way through it. “Tell me again why we thought it was a good idea.”

Steve thinks back to their conversation. It had seemed obvious at the time. “One, it’s really new. Two, it’s private. Three…” He’s not sure what three was, or at least, he’s not sure he said it out loud at the time. “It’s private.”

Danny grins. “So it’s very private, is that it?”

Steve leans forward and pecks him on the nose. “Yes. Do we need another reason?”

“I dunno. I just don’t like lying. It feels too much like…” Danny trails off, but his tone sets off some kind of alarm in Steve’s chest.

“Like what, Danny?” Steve nudges Danny’s hand until his fingers open and he can hold it properly. “Tell me. Feels like what?”

Danny is looking fixedly at their clasped hands, lying on the quilt between them. “Like we’re ashamed.”

“I’m not ashamed,” Steve says quickly and firmly. “Are you?”

“No-”

“I didn’t think so.” Steve scoots closer, poking Danny’s foot with his own. “What’s this really about?”

Danny squeezes his eyes shut. Steve pulls their entwined hands up to his chest, and ducks to kiss Danny’s knuckles.

“You don’t have to say if you don’t want to. But you’re making me nervous.”

“Well then that’s two of us,” Danny says with a rasp in his voice.

Steve runs his hand up Danny’s arm to his shoulder and cups the back of his neck. Danny opens his eyes and meets Steve’s gaze.

“What if I screw this up, like I do everything else? What if it doesn’t work?”

“Danny, you’re not gonna screw this up. It’s been ten years, and we’re still talking to each other.” Steve sends a meaningful glance down their bodies and up again. “Looks like we’re doing okay.”

“Yeah, but…” Danny lets out an embarrassed sigh. “It’s not as if I have any experience with… this…”

“More than me, I’m guessing.”

This seems to catch Danny off guard, and he shifts backwards, enough to look at Steve without his eyes crossing. “We’ve never actually talked about this, have we?”

“About what?”

“Our, um, experience. With guys.”

Steve shrugs. “I’ve fooled around some. Never let it get too serious. Too much of a risk, in my line of work.”

“You’ve been out of the military for years.”

Steve almost argues back, but then realizes his traditional career-based excuse really hasn’t held water for quite some time. “True.”

“So why haven’t you dated any guys, once you could?”

“I dunno. I guess it was just easier to date girls.” And because you were the only guy I wanted, Steve thinks, whether I admitted it to myself or not. “What about you? Did that crush on the outfielder on your baseball team ever go anywhere?” Steve wiggles his eyebrows a little.

Danny snorts. “You’re ridiculous. And no, that particular crush did not go anywhere.” Danny draws his finger on the leaf pattern of the quilt. “This may come as a surprise to you, but I’ve never done anything with a guy. Except you.”

Steve is surprised. Danny has been so confident with him, so open and relaxed in their physical relationship, relatively chaste though it’s been. But Danny seems anxious about it now. Steve is far too familiar with having to fake it ‘til you make it, and he doesn’t want Danny to feel that way, not with him.

“So,” Steve says softly, finding Danny’s eyes. “I’ll be your first?” He tries to pour all his care for Danny into his voice, not teasing now.

Danny gets it. “If you’re lucky,” Danny says in a whisper.

“I’m definitely lucky,” Steve responds, pressing in for a gentle kiss, then nuzzling Danny close.

“You’re such a sap,” Danny says into Steve’s cheek.

Steve pulls back, still keeping his arms wrapped around Danny, one hand moving up to squeeze his shoulder. “We should get tested soon.”

Danny’s brow wrinkles. “We don’t need to, I trust you.”

“Let’s do it anyway.”

Understanding dawns in Danny’s eyes. “You think I’m nervous because of Teddy?”

Danny had an uncle that died of AIDS related complications, back when Danny was in junior high. He was his dad’s youngest brother, and hadn’t lived nearby, but his loss had been a shock for everyone. Danny had told Steve years ago, after a tough case with a victim that apparently looked just like Teddy.

Steve shrugs. “Would make sense.”

Danny bites his lip. “The last time I saw him was at a Thanksgiving dinner, at my grandma’s house. I remember she kept trying to get him to eat her famous stuffed shells.”

Fuck, it would have to be Thanksgiving, Steve thinks. “Sounds like a regular night at the Williams’ house,” he says lightly.

Danny smiles weakly. “Yeah.” He lets out a long breath. “But really, Steve, I’m not worried about that. We’ve both been tested before, and you and I haven’t exactly engaged in any high risk behaviors – at least not that kind.”

“But when Teddy died, AIDS was this terrifying, uncontrollable epidemic that was killing gay men. And you were just a kid. It had to have affected you.”

Danny acknowledges this with a nod.

“So we’ll get tested. No big deal.”

Danny looks at him, his blue eyes wide. “Okay. Yeah. Thanks.” Danny surges close, digging his face into Steve’s neck. “How the fuck do you know me so well?” Danny asks, but it isn’t even really a question.

It’s why Steve feels so sure with Danny, why he doesn’t think for a minute that they are going to screw this up. Because they do know each other, heart and soul. Steve doesn’t think there’s anyone in the universe that knows him as well as Danny does. It’s what he’s most certain of, especially these days.

Steve hugs him tighter. He strokes the back of Danny’s head, then around to the sides, where the shaved sections of hair are growing back. “You know, if there’s stuff you don’t want to do, that’s cool too. We can talk about it, whenever-”

Steve is interrupted by Danny jerking away, an affronted look on his face that quickly turns into… something else.

“Oh no, no, you’re not getting off that easy,” Danny says, a mischievous look in his eyes. “There is…” Danny sends his gaze slowly down Steve’s body, “nothing I don’t want to do with you.”

“Oh, is that right?” Steve finds his voice has risen inexplicably.

“Yes, babe, it is.” Danny shifts up on an elbow, and runs a finger teasingly from Steve’s lips, down his neck, and then slowly continues south to his belly, stopping at the waistband of his pants. He fixes him with an appraising look, tongue darting out over his lips. “Have I ruined the mood, or can I give you a demonstration?”

Danny’s voice has gone throaty, and Steve’s body throbs in response.

“The mood’s fine, no problem,” Steve stutters out.

Danny smiles, his confidence returning full force. “Good.” He leans in and kisses Steve with intent, tongue darting and teeth clacking, as he curls his body against Steve’s from head to toe. When they come up for air, Danny presses Steve on to his back, and straddles him just as Steve had done to Danny earlier, but this time with an entirely different goal in mind.

Steve breathes hard as Danny deftly unbuttons his shirt, then gets impatient and rises to tug it off over his head. His movement brings his lower half into firm contact with Danny, and they both freeze for a moment in excitement at the evidence of obvious arousal on both their parts.

Danny slinks down, laying himself over Steve. The brush of his chest hair against Steve’s naked skin makes him shiver deliciously. Danny reaches up to cup his cheek, and Steve’s eyes flutter closed.

“Oh, babe,” Danny says, rocking his still clothed groin against Steve’s, “we are going to have so much fun.”

#H50 #McDanno #McDanno fic #Hawaii Five-0 #Affinity #my fic

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