Silken onyx hair cut into an adorable pixie style, full violet lips that he couldn't get out of his mind. And those eyes. Those beautiful amethyst eyes, so full of warmth and humor and mischief.

She had no friends and no suitors (though he couldn't imagine why). She was beautiful and smart and unique and-

"Danny!"

Danny yelped in surprise at the voice of his best friend, Tucker Foley.

"Hey, Captain Danny, where ya at in space?" Tucker asked, folding his arms over his chest. He followed Danny's dreamy gaze over to the local Goth girl, Sam Manson, who was digging through her black and purple messenger bag.

"You've had a crush on her forever, Dan. Though I wouldn't have pegged you as the Goth type." Tucker said skeptically, watching as Danny's cheeks burned red and the ghost boy scowled.

"I don't like her just because she's Goth, Tucker." Danny retorted, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"Whatever, ghostboy." Tucker rolled his eyes.

Danny ignored him and turned to throw a sidelong glance at Sam, then sighed and walked to class.

xoxox

"Damn ectopuss with advanced powers!" Danny muttered, wincing and crying out in pain as the ectopuss wrapped a tentacle around his arm and electrocuted it, leaving a huge burn mark. Danny ecto-blasted the tentacle, causing the ectopuss to roar in anger and retaliate by zooming at the phantom, sharp teeth bared and ghostly skin flashing with electricity. Before the ghost got close, though, Danny quickly pulled out a Fenton Thermos and sucked the ghostly pest inside while breathing heavily. He then flew down to Fenton Works, phasing into his room.

Danny turned human and padded wearily into his bathroom, the one Jazz had insisted to their parents that he have all to himself, thanks to the difference between red blood and green ectoplasm, both of which flowed out of Danny whenever he was seriously injured. Of course, they didn't know that, so they agreed.

Danny twisted the silver faucet, sticking his hand under the running water and sighing with contentedness. He slowly tugged off his shirt (-drool-) and the rest of his clothes as the tub filled up with the mildly hot water. When it was filled most of the way, Danny shut off the tap and stepped into the tub, hissing in pain at the throb in his arm, the burn protesting against being touched. Eventually the water soaked in and Danny sighed, a smile tugging up at the corner of his mouth as his soft cerulean eyes slid closed.

xoxox

About 20 minutes later, Danny stepped out of the tub and drained the water, stretching out his sore muscles as he wrapped a soft white towel around himself. He dragged his fingers through his thick black hair and rubbed his eyes, yawning. Man, all this ghost fighting is really getting to me. He thought spiritlessly, trudging into his room and pulling his dresser door open. He pulled on clean boxers and blue jeans and he shuffled through his closet, pulling out a light blue long-sleeved shirt to hide the burn mark, and throwing it on.

Danny padded softly downstairs, intent on getting some grub.

"Hey, Jazz-" Danny came to a standstill, shock clear on his face.

"Hey, Danny. This is Sam Manson. I'm tutoring her." Jazz replied casually, but Danny felt like he was going to die. Again. He must look like an idiot to Sam, standing there and staring at her, because if he moved he couldn't be sure that he wouldn't try to kiss her.

"Uh...um...yeah, I know her." Danny stammered, blushing. Sam was still just staring at him and he fidgeted, biting his lip.

"Sam, let's go in the dining room. We can study there." Jazz implored, stacking their books and heading through the doorway. Sam seemed to come out of her stupor, smiling and blushing bashfully at Danny. "Um, I should...probably go, with, you know, her." Sam remarked, then gave him a little wave and turned for the dining room.

Danny just blinked and then collapsed against the doorframe, leaning his head against it and sighing, blissful.

xoxox

Sam's heart pounded in her chest and she felt like she'd just run a marathon. Wow...She thought, shaking her head slightly. No guy had shaken her up like that and actually made her stutter.

But oh my god, that shirt that perfectly matched his eyes and his midnight black hair with bangs that swept over those deep eyes made her knees weak and her heart hammer.

"So that was...your brother?" Sam inquired to Jazz, blushing when Jazz raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. You two know each other?"

"Well, not really. I mean, I know who he is, but I didn't realize you were brother and sister..." Sam trailed off, cheeks burning at her babbling. Yes, she'd seen Danny Fenton before and she knew his reputation as the local loser/clumsy guy that always got in trouble with Lancer. And she also knew that whenever she saw him around the halls her heart beat a little faster and her breathing a little shallower and her mind a little more muddled, but they'd never actually had a conversation.

She also knew that he had only one best friend, Tucker Foley, official Techno Geek, while she, Sam, had no friends. But it wasn't like she cared. Any friends her mother deemed 'appropriate' was always snobby and as boring as watching grass grow. And everyone at school was either:

A: Boring and/or annoying

B: Popular AKA Snobby

Or C: Hated her.

But Danny seemed...different. He and Tucker were always having fun, from what she saw, and he didn't seem to hate her, so maybe she could talk to him.