"How could this happen?"

Sam rubbed soothing circles against Tucker's shoulder blade, surreptitiously shooting a look at Danny over the distraught teen's head. The other boy's expression was caught between pity and amusement, and when Tucker heaved another despairing sigh he slung his arm around his neck in a gesture of solidarity.

"Aw, c'mon man, you really didn't see this coming?"

That only served to make it worse. Tuck hiccuped a dry sob and Sam glared daggers at Danny. He flushed, tripping over his words in order to correct himself, "I didn't mean it like that! You were totally great man it's just- it's a little different and maybe they weren't ready for it-"

Tucker leveled a glare at him that rivaled Sam's, making Danny flinch back. "Dude. You unveiled yourself as a half-ghost superhero and they put up statues for you. You're trying to tell me it's because I'm different?"

"What Danny was trying to say, Tuck," Sam cut in to ameliorate, "Is just that there's a difference between fighting ghosts and trying to be mayor of a town. Holding office when you're fifteen is really hard- and no one wanted you to succeed more than we did!"

She looked hopeful, eyes alight with patience, but Tucker moaned even louder and fell back against the grassy hill- trapping Danny's arm underneath him. He winced and made to phase himself free but was halted by his girlfriend's withering gaze.

Resigned, Danny stretched out beside his best friend and let his gaze travel to the sky. Cloudless and blue- in darker circumstances it might have seemed mocking. Now, though, Danny closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy to warm, late summer breeze that ruffled his hair.

Obviously, jumping into the comforting without thinking it through was doing more harm than good. Even though Tucker was fairly inconsolable either way, that didn't mean Danny's duty as best friend was diminished any.

"Just think about it this way, you're the first fifteen year old ever to be appointed to office! That's something they can never take away from you!"

"Yeah, and the first to be impeached. And probably be the first elected official to ever be impeached in a month!"

"Okay that's definitely not true- I'm pretty sure there's been a president in officer for shorter a time than that," Sam supplied, causing Tucker to whine at her. "Right, sorry. Not helping."

Danny sighed and stretched out, readjusting his arm so that his hand fell across Tucker's shoulder. Sam finally followed suit, laying out beside them and resting her palm on Tucker's head. The two on the outsides curled in slightly, knees pressing against the third's legs gently enough to remind him that they were there.

As companionable silence curled amongst them, Danny felt Tucker relax little by little. He smiled softly, meeting Sam's gaze on the other side. She flicked off the teen's beret and gave him a noogie that even elicited a chuckle. The sound swelled, happily complementing the serene scene that stretched out above the trio. Feeling a little bolstered, Danny ventured to ease the tension a little more.

"And seriously man, Tech Town? Even you had to see the error in that."

Beside him, Tucker gave a half-laugh. "Yeah, well, it's not like I had anyone to tell me that wasn't a good idea! Technology makes things easier and more efficient. So it made sense at the time to redirect funds there."

"Yeah- all of the city's funds."

"Thanks Sam. I'd totally forgotten."

"Just sayin'."

Danny couldn't help but laugh at the exchange. Two pairs of eyes swiveled to him and their blank curiosity made him chuckle all the harder. A wide grin split his face, and his head lolled back against the knoll.

"I'm just-" He said through gasped breaths, "-Surprised you didn't- start shouting out your plans! I'm Tucker Foley, Amity Park's greatest mayor! I hold dominion over- all ill conceived- business proposals!"

Danny's nasally imitation of Technus brought forth a few airy giggles from Sam, and their combined mirth even roused Tucker from his melancholy. It wasn't long before the weight on their chests had dissipated, lost to the sunshine and gentle camaraderie of the afternoon. Danny expected that there would still be some fallout, but he let himself relax and enjoy the moment of blissful comfort shared amongst only the three of the them.

"Fear my technological epicenter of doom!" Sam's rendition of the box ghost's booming tone was even more spot on than the previous, and Tucker curled his legs against his stomach to brace himself against the force of his howling.

They took a long while to quiet down, and even once they had they were left breathing deeply and trembling in a way that only the most bellowing laughter could inspire. Slowly, Tucker stretched out and linked his arms around his friends, drawing them in a little closer.

"Thanks, guys."

Sam smiled softly, laying one arm across Tucker's stomach and taking Danny's hand in hers. It wasn't a gesture for the couple- it was simply a way to complete the connection between the three.

"It's no problem- like, literally," Danny supplied. "It's what we do."

Sam nodded. "I like to think that after surviving this long, we've learned a thing or two about putting ourselves back together."

"Well I can't argue with that," the former mayor offered lightly.

Danny watched the two in profile, observing how the sunlight played off of the panes of their faces and the grass outlined their frames. A rush of intense gratitude warmed him, pooling in his chest and spilling out to his limbs. While he had promised the two he'd never take them for granted, he knew that he needed these moments just as much as they did. It was nice to be reminded of what was really important.

Still, he couldn't resist one last jab- "Man, you know you're going to have to face everyone in school on Monday, right?"


A/N: In which Tucker Foley is the Ben Wyatt of Amity Park. There's always a lot of angst in the phandom, and while that's totally delicious I decided I needed to contribute a little shmoopy friendship fluff full of hugs and awful impersonations! :'D

Thank you for the reviews, lovely people! Also, if any of y'all are also Puella Magi Madoka Magica fans, I'm in the process of writing a ridiculous and incredibly angsty fusion. The first chapter is up now if you want to check it out! (It can be read as more of a straight AU if you're not familiar with PMMM.)