Phandom Phic Phight Entry #4 based on MarshmallowMayhem's prompt - Danny realises that the more he uses his ghost powers the less human he becomes.
Mystified by the reflection staring back at him, Danny tentatively runs his fingers through the hair behind his ear and does his best not to hyperventilate. He's doing well actually, surprisingly well. His breaths are slow and somehow also shallow. The ghostly teen tries not to think too hard about what that means.
When did this start anyway? How had he not even noticed until now? The changes must have been oh so small, so gradual. He hadn't had a second thought about it until now. Looking back, he can start to see them building up, his tongue feels heavy.
His parents were often busy when he was younger and Jazz was kind of an annoying know-it-all, well, that's still true. Point is, he had always been a quiet child when he wasn't around his friends. At some point more recently though, he'd started getting even quieter. It was a conscious choice at first, he kept slipping into ghost-speak accidentally and had thought that just not talking all together was probably safer. He started gesturing more to compensate. He doubted anyone at Casper noticed, the teens had no reason to give him a second glance and he wasn't going to give them one.
His reluctance to use language altered the ways he expressed himself though. One day, Dash knocked Tucker's PDA out of the boy's hand, smashing the screen. Ordinarily, Danny would've defended his best friend and offered comforting words. He thought he'd simply glared at the blond in response. Sam laughed at him later on, fully convinced that she had heard him hissing at the bully.
He overheard the A-listers talking another time, about how Fenton was creeping them out again. Apparently he'd been stock still and staring at them with "stupidly wide, bright, curious eyes" during class. He'd just quirked a doubtful eyebrow and moved on. His gaze had been unmoving, they'd said, he was probably just daydreaming or had fallen asleep with his eyes open. He didn't think he had accidentally caused them to have an ominous glow. What was their problem?
One night he'd had a nasty run-in with Nocturne. He wasn't scared though, not that there'd be anything wrong with it if he was, but he was fine. The ghost boy was half asleep when he got back to Fenton works. Drowsily following the neon lights to home, he'd ended up phasing through Jazz's window instead. His sister was already sleeping, because, y'know, she has her life together. Her bed was absolutely strewn with pillows, all different sizes and textures. Who even needs that many? At the time though, it looked so cosy. His bed was so far away and would be so cold in comparison. He always had a chill catch up to his human form whenever he used his ice powers.
Jazz was always telling him she was there for him. Surely, she wouldn't mind if he just- the blankets looked so fuzzy and there was plenty of room for him. Maybe he could guard her? Make sure she didn't die suddenly in the night?
Ever since he'd taken to fighting ghosts, he never got as much sleep as he'd like. He'd always end up napping at his desk at midday when the sun fluttered through the classroom windows and made the wood so comfortably warm. So, maybe he had curled up into a ball amongst his sister's pillows one night. She didn't mind. Told him she's happy for him to do so in future. She foolishly said he looked cute the next morning, which lead to him denying it had ever happened or would ever happen again. He huffed. He's not a baby and he's not cute. Stupid big sister.
The Fentons were always inventing new things. Usually they'd confine it to the lab but whenever that room overflowed with their junk they'd end up moving to the kitchen. It had happened again a week or so ago. Danny went into the kitchen for a snack and saw some giant metallic… thing gently and ornately laid out on the table. The kitchen was deserted of life, still, the ghost boy remained cautious as he padded over to it. He didn't recognise the invention. Part of the device was hovering just over the edge of the table. It looked shiny and had this incredibly distinctive aura that almost yelled "Do Not Touch". What else is a halfa to do? It felt like his hand was moving on its own, approaching the other end of the device. Danny wasn't breathing. Eyes wide, shifting rapidly between the contraption and the door to the lab. His ears rang in the silence, which he ended by letting loose a low growl. A crash sounded throughout the house as the Fenton turned tail and ran from the destruction he had caused. Don't have to learn what new ghost hunting tech does if gravity smashes it before it can be used on you.
Yesterday was when he first noticed a physical change in himself. His fingernails had seemed longer and sharper. He didn't think twice about it, though. Everyone's nails grow, it didn't even cross his mind that his specifically were more claw like. That is, not until a zombie-like spirit lurched through the floor in the changing room. It somehow surpassed his ghost sense, maybe it was too dead, or so un-dead that it wasn't dead enough to activate it. Either way he reflexively found himself on Tuckers back, his claw like fingers tore through the human's gym shirt. The halfa paid it no notice, too busy glaring a hole into the ceiling the spectre had phased through, from his perch behind his friend's shoulder. Noise bubbled in his throat, daring the spirit to come back and try that again. In the end, he had to have his attention broken and be coaxed down from his spot, to the hilarity of everyone else in the room.
Now here he is. Back at school. Wearing a beanie in April, in hopes of hiding one of the new inhuman differences in his appearance that he found in a mirror that morning. Jaw clenching, he heads to his locker to meet his friends.
"Nice hat." Sam snorts when she catches sight of him, Tucker turns and holds in a confused giggle at the sight of Danny's deadpan face. "Cold getting to ya, ghost boy?"
In response Danny just leans against the lockers, crossing his arms and pointedly keeping his head down. Sam and Tucker share a look.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
He raises a fist to his mouth, keeping his fingers tucked in and out of sight. He sighs.
"I'm really worried guys." He sighs and continues, "a-about how human I am." He mumbles into his hand.
Sam scans the area and tentatively takes a step towards him, slowly moving his hat upwards until she can see what he's covering.
"Oh wow."
"Can I touch it?" Tucker voices from behind her.
"What? No." Danny bats Sam's hand away with the one he was using to hide his mouth.
"Wait. No way." The goth whispers in awe as she reaches back towards his face. Danny simply leans away from her fingers while Tucker flanks his other side. "That's not fair! How come you got to grow fangs before I did?"
"Sam." Danny grinds out, "shut u- Hey! I said you couldn't touch them." He slaps his hands over his ears as Tucker rubs his fingers in disbelief.
"Oh my god, they're real. How did this happen?"
"I don't know! I just, woke up like this." He finishes in a hushed voice.
"You just woke up with pointed ears and fangs? Did a vampire bite you in the night?"
"Uh, I sure hope not. I'm dead enough thanks. Are vampires even real?"
Sam shrugs, "Ghosts are. Vlad is."
Grabbing the edge of his beanie, Danny slowly pulled it over his whole face with a groan. When he speaks it's muffled again.
"People are gonna start noticing that... I'm becoming less human."
"Yeah, we thought so too, to be honest." Tucker quirks a smile and lifts part of his jumper to show off the grazes on his back. "I wouldn't worry about it though," the teen continues, "people love cats."
"That's not funny." He deadpans, lifting his beanie to glare at both of his friends for their traitorous laughter.
"D'aww, it's okay." Sam draws out the last word, bringing her fingers behind the boys ear to scratch at them.
He pouts at her, looking ready to spend the day sulking. A sound stirs from his chest causing the trio to freeze.
"Did you just purr?" Tucker asks.
"What the- no. That was my core. Oh, sue me. I'm content. Please just shut it." They were quiet for a moment before he continues, "That doesn't mean you have to stop…"
Sam grins and resumes petting the other-worldly boy. Leaning into her touch, his eyes flutter shut as he purrs again.