It's alright and it's nice not to be so alone
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses
Maybe I'm a little bit over my head
I come undone at the things he said
And he's so funny in his bright White shirt

White Houses – Vanessa Carlton

'Italics indicate thought'

Momentarily Distressed

By: Sarah Serena Rose

Sam internally cringed, as she took too long of a moment to gawk at her best friend, Danny, and his alter ego as the 'Ghost Child'. She had been shamelessly gazing at a profile view of his face while he was talking to their other best friend, the techno-geek, Tucker, about some new game that was coming out.

Danny had turned to her moments earlier, asking her a question with a bright smile on his face, but she had been paying no attention to the words flowing out of his mouth. She had been content with just gazing into his clear, blue eyes all day, until the happiness contained within them drained away was replaced with concern.

He put a hand on her shoulder and the warmth of his fingertips seemed to bring her out of the trance in which she had been encased. Instead of having pointless daydreams where her and Danny were the stars, Sam was brought back into the reality. They were all sitting in the Nasty Burger.

Shaking her head, Sam slightly parted her lips and uttered a breathless, "What?"

Danny narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you okay Sam, you've been mighty...spacey, lately."

She could have ground her teeth together in annoyance at not being able to hide her wandering thoughts these days. If Danny, or Tucker for that matter, found out about what was going through her mind, she would surely die of embarrassment. Lately her thoughts had been all over the place, mainly on the teen staring into her eyes right now.

It was slightly embarrassing, considering this little crush of hers has been going on for about two years. But in those two years since they had started fighting ghosts, they had all grown a little taller, tweaked their wardrobes and Danny and Tucker had grown more muscle. Not a lot, but she was sure Tucker would be able to take her in an arm wrestling contest now.

Sam blinked a few times, once again trying to focus on her friends. She took in Danny's appearance with the same old ache in her heart, he was wearing his usual jeans and white t-shirt.

Sucking in a much needed breath, Sam gazed upon his face and was about to utter a plausible excuse when Tuckers PDA started buzzing quite loudly, scaring his two best friends sitting across from him in the booth.

Tucker had an apologetic look on his face as he dug it out of his pocket and glanced at the message.

"Aww man! Mom sent me a message saying that my Great Aunt Margie is coming for a visit tomorrow and she needs my help cleaning the house." He made disgusted face at his PDA.

Sam hid her grin behind a hand as Danny focused his attention on Tucker. (She silently thanked the heavens).

"Dude, that bites! Meet you online later?"

"You know it!" Tucker and Danny enthusiastically bumped fists as Tucker grabbed his book-bag and exited through the doors of their regular hangout.

'And then there were two.' Sam couldn't help but think as her heart starting beating ruthlessly. She tried pulling her eyes and thoughts away from Danny, but it was a redundant action. Whenever they were alone, or she was just in his presence it made her want to do things she knew she shouldn't. Sometimes having to physically hold herself back.

When he turned back towards her, a lopsided smile on his lips, she was done for. His bangs fell swiftly into his eyes, the smile on his face turning into a smirk. Sam was taken aback, for a second there it was as if he was trying to look sexy.

Sexy?

When did that word ever come into the collection of words she used to describe Danny? Lazy, trusting, courageous and heroic for sure, but sexy?

Sam could feel her cheeks start to flush as he kept on staring at her. Danny, finally realizing exactly what he was doing, shook his head and started rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Taking Danny's moment of distraction, Sam stealthily snatched up her book bag and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. If she stayed in his presence any longer, something dangerous could end up happening. Not ghost dangerous or anything, more friendship wrecking, crossing-the-line, dangerous.

Danny suddenly broke the silence that had engulfed them since Tucker left.

"Want me to walk you home?"

She smiled at Danny's evasion tactics on not speaking about what just happened, they were much like hers. A sense of normalcy settled upon her shoulders as she and Danny made their way out of the Nasty Burger and started walking down the street, striking up a casual conversation about what they were doing on the weekend.

Sam said that she was just going to begin working on the English project Lancer had assigned, and maybe catch up with him and Tucker on Sunday. Danny nodded appreciatively and then excitedly told her that Jazz was coming down from college for a few days. He was about halfway through his story when she zoned out.

Danny wasn't boring, even though he could be a little long winded, but she couldn't focus. It was so much harder to try not to think about Danny when she was around him. Clutching her hands around the straps on her book bag, she released a huge sigh.

When she was so intently focused on trying not to think about her best friend, Sam didn't notice that she ended up walking right pass her house when Danny had stopped. He chuckled and jogged up in front of her, placing his hands on her arms so she would stop walking.

Sam stiffened instantly and was quite out of it. One percent because of getting the wits scared out of her, and the other ninety-nine because of his hands wrapped around her arms.

"What's going on?" She managed to ask, slightly dazed, before Danny's eyes turned concerned. He didn't speak a word and just pulled her along , one hand still wrapped around her arm.

Sam squeezed her eyes shut, knowing he was going to ask, she just knew it.

Danny guided them to behind her house, she was more partial to using the back door. She could still hear faded voices in the background, along with cars passing by on the street.

She opened her eyes when they stopped moving and was met with an ice blue pair of eyes.

Sam almost wanted to close her eyes again and fade into the background.

'Danny's ghost powers would definitely come in hand right now. He's going to ask whats wrong and I'm not going to have an answer...at least a honest one.'

She bit her lip as he started enquiring about her strange behaviour.

"Sam, whats been going on with you lately? Its like you're in your own little world half the time, totally dazed ."

'Shit.'

She started fidgeting under his scrutinizing gaze, not being able to meet his eyes. At this moment, lying would be futile.

Sam had the sudden urge to tell him, her whole body egging her on. The secret was starting to take a toll on her, eating her alive, mentally and physically. Being dazed half the time, not being able to sleep at night.

But she was afraid.Afraid that if she spat out all of her feelings, Danny would totally freak out and their friendship would be awkward. Afraid, that she would be left alone.

Tucker had tried to assure her, a few weeks back, that if she ever managed to tell Danny her feelings, she wouldn't be disappointed...

It was just so hard.

Its not like expressing her feelings was one of her special skills or anything.

Sam realized yet again, that she had been thinking up a storm after catching a glance at his sneakers, while he stood in front of her.

Pulling her head up, she solemnly looked right onto his face and took a deep breath.

'Here we go..."

Danny raised an eyebrow and was about to ask what was wrong again, but Sam cut him off.

"Danny will you...can you just not say a word until I'm done explaining? Please?"

His eyebrow dropped, shocked at her using the word 'please', but nodded nonetheless.

Sam could feel her voice starting to falter as she continued speaking. The bag on her shoulders felt like a ton of bricks and she eased it to the ground.

"There's been a...secret I've been keeping from you, for years now. I wanted to tell you soo badly, but I didn't want to...to mess everything up."

Sam turned her head away and started to pace, thinking of how to continue. Danny watched his distressed friend walk back and forth, a pallet of emotions flickering on her face, with confused eyes. He wanted to reach out to her and say that everything was going to be fine, but to him, it looked like whatever Sam was going to tell him was a matter of life or death.

"I've been so conflicted on whether to tell you or not. I can't go on anymore I have to say something. I like you Danny, a lot. Its just...I have these severely strong feelings...which I know you don't return."

She ended the last part in a whisper and stopped pacing, trying to calm her pounding heart and the blood rushing throughout her body. Without even giving him time to comment, or even glancing at his face to see his reaction, she began walking past him to the door.

It was only when Sam heard him quickly spin around and mutter something under his breath

that she froze, every molecule in her body turning to ice. Danny stood behind her and she could hear the emotion thick in his voice when he repeated the same words. "What if I do?", his breath coming out in a cloud, whisking over her shoulders.

Sam almost fell to her knees when he spoke, his breath on her shoulders making her face flush. Even though she couldn't see him, Danny sounded as if he was in pain. But there was only one word bouncing around in her head.

'What?'

She was blank, it felt like her world had been toppled off its axis. Sam was about to turn around and ask him what in the hell, he had meant, but seconds later Danny came up from behind, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a backwards type of hug, pulling her closer.

Even though she had stiffened up instantly, the heat radiating off him slowly eased into her muscles, giving her a sense of security.

Her face reddened even more when she felt him lean his head on her left shoulder, his hair lightly caressing her cheek. She could still feel the warmth of his breath when he spoke in barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry I've been so dense Sam, I should have clued in a year ago and told you then. Not hide my feelings and be terrified to tell you just because things might have been awkward."

Danny tightened his grasp on her and continued, shifting his head slightly.

"I'm sorry it made you so stressed." He added, in an even softer tone than before.

She softly smiled and brought up a hand to cover his.

He was silent for a long time before she noticed that he had bent his head and placed a light butterfly kiss in the crook of her neck near her shoulder.

Sam half laughed and sighed, knowing full well that she wouldn't be stressed any longer.

Danny smiling into her shoulder was all the affirmation she needed.

A/N: Just a shot one-shot that has been running through my mind for a while, this is also my first DP fic, so I hope you guys liked it! Feedback would be appreciated :D

Also I don't own 'Danny Phantom' or the song 'White Houses'.