Chapter 10:

Dash's arm quivered as he held it high over his head, ready to swing it down on the hyperventilating nerd being restrained in his "friends" arms. His brows knit together, his stomach knotting together as he saw the boy give out a small sob, his teeth gnawing into his lip to stop his cries from being heard...

Dash swung, and he felt his fist meet with the boys stomach. Dash's entire arm was aflame with recognition, a feeling of dominance flooding his entire body as he heard the crying boy let out a tight gasp. Dash's brought his arm back, swinging forward again to hit the boy across the face as he heard the cheers and hollers of the people around him. Dash felt sick, but he kept on, some kind of drunken plan already in its own course. Danny... Danny...

"What's wrong, Aaron-boy? Had enough yet?" Brad asked, his speech slurred and his eyes dulled. The boy, Aaron, flinched away from the sound of the voice, trying to break free from the group as everyone only laughed harder, the smell and sting of alcohol in the wind. Dash watched as Aaron ripped an arm from Jason's grasp, the only thing left in the blonde's hands were one of the boys jacket sleeves. The rest of the garment was ripped from his other limb and he tried to dart away, but the boys around his were far quicker and stronger that he was.

Dash suddenly heated, his stomach trying to eject what little food he'd eaten earlier. He wanted so badly to just turn and walk away from the boy; to do something... More than anything, he wanted to whack Matt in the throat, and make that ridiculous laugh be muted... But none of that came.

"Come on Dash! Finish this faggot off!"

Dash lifted a trembling fist, that sick feeling spiking inside him until he swayed with his influenced state. He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth together as he went in for the final swing...

Dash felt something on his jacket, and with his mind abuzz with lightening, he was thrown backwords. The jock felt his limbs scrape across slicked concrete, his jeans sliding under him as he felt a white hot flash jolt through him when his head cracked against the ground.

XxXxX

Danny hadn't meant to pull Dash that hard... but when he saw the jock towering over the smaller boy, he couldn't help but be satisfied at the feeling that bloomed in the base of his neck when he tossed the blonde aside. He watched as Dash's eyes shut in pain, and it seemed as if he were going to be pulled into unconsciousness... But in a few moments, he sat up, his eyes rimmed in redness.

A blonde haired girl with a tight shirt on and her jacket sleeves rolled up to show off her manicured nails rushed to his side, grabbing his face in her hands as realization bloomed in his azure eyes.

Danny turned away from them, seeing the blonde bend in towards Dash to steal a kiss from his stunned face. He took in two brunettes and a blonde, crowding a small, petrified red-head that he recognized from school. Aaron, his thick glasses just barely hanging from his face, was stock-still, watching Danny like he was some kind of god.

Danny met the boys gaze; he's so... Scared. The raven-haired boy frowned, his jaw clenching harder.

"Danny...-" He heard Dash say from behind him, but he just ignored him... He had to. Danny could feel his blood boiling. Was Dash really this low as to pick on another person for being gay? Danny scowled, biting his lip.

Then a thought struck Danny. Was this his fault? Had the kiss he'd forced onto Dash let loose a hatred towards homosexuals that the jock hadn't showed before? Did Dash only prey on Aaron because Danny hadn't been around to pick on?

Danny felt his back go rigid. His thoughts were ablaze with new curiosity and frustration.

A whimper from the red faced red-head brought Danny's attention to the brunette holding tighter onto Aaron's arm. Danny's eyes narrowed, and it didn't bother him that the group of a-lists were watching him. It didn't matter to him that he was about to do something stupid... It just didn't matter.

Danny stepped forward, yanking Aaron from the brunettes hands. The taller jock drew his arm back and swung, but Danny shifted to the right, pulling Aaron with him, as the fist flew past their faces. The blonde stepped forward, drawing his own fist up, swinging at him over and over, but Danny only dodged them, moving the shaking redhead this way and that, before grabbing one of each of the jocks fists, using their own momentum to push them to the side, and watched as they crashed to the ground.

The ravenette hadn't noticed, but Aaron had attached himself firmly around Danny's waist. Danny glanced down, feeling the boy shake as he buried his face into the taller boys chest.

Danny felt his lips part, both in anguish and fascination. Dash had been the last person he'd comforted, and that was in between the screaming and the blood shed. Danny put his hands to Aaron's back, pulling him closer as he started to turn from the people he'd just left slightly bruised on the frozen pavement.

"D-Danny...!" a shaky voice shouted, and said boy turned to see Dash, the blonde seemingly passed out against his shoulder with heated cheeks and her smeared chapstick all over Dash's lips and chin. Danny returned his somewhat fogged gaze with a neutral stare, not really sure how to talk to the boy he had just kissed not a week ago.

Dash stood still, swaying slightly as his head bobbed. Danny waited for him to say something, to say anything, even an insult... But the jock stayed quiet, everyone who hadn't ran when Dash was pulled back from Aaron were passed out around him.

Danny turned, leading the sniffling redhead away and into the chilled night. Snow started to fall in gentle sweeps and a splintering silence seemed to crash around the entire city. Dash didn't know what to make of any of this, so he simply let his head grow heavier, his memories already blurring in his mind, as his torso slipped backwards and made a hardened bed from the sidewalk beneath him.

XxXxX

Aaron never really was good as talking to people. He had an amazing vocabulary, due to his endless hours of studying and reading. His knowledge on things was impeccable, and was truly a gift when it came to his school work... But it didn't seem to help his social life.

That's why it was so surprising to find himself walking down the darkened streets of Amity Park with Danny Fenton, his blue eyes aglow with what the redhead could only think of as anger. The taller boys eyes knitted together in frustration, and Aaron studied his facial expression, making mental notes of the way Danny unknowingly chewed his bottom lip as he thought.

Aaron was openly gay at school... That was no secret. He'd had boyfriends, and hadn't hidden his relationships with anyone. His family knew, his classmates, and even his teachers... And everyone had their own opinion. But Aaron couldn't find it in himself to care what others thought of him.

He'd seen Danny at school. Hell... He thought. He definitely saw Danny at school... The boy was famous for being a favorite target of the very same bullies that attacked Aaron on a regular basis... But he was also famous for his retaliation against them, though many of the jocks didn't know it was him. Aaron smiled as one of his favorite memories from his freshman year came to mind, relishing in the same successful feeling that he'd felt the day it happened.

Somehow, Danny had gotten hundreds of thousands of copies of photo-shopped pictures of the football team in ballerina tutu's into nearly every locker in the school. Aaron didn't know how he did it, but he knew he did. The evidence was there, though it was too long a thesis to state right 'd never told anyone, especially his closest friend, but that was about the same time that he'd started to have a rising crush for the raven haired boy.

Danny was a hero to all the "geeks" at school, Aaron included, and his stomach was a buzz with lightening bugs as he felt one of the boys hands still rested gently on his shoulder. He stopped, and Aaron looked up, suddenly worried that Danny had realized who he was and didn't want to be around anymore. But Danny only glanced up at a store front that was glowing just beside him, and he turned back to Aaron.

"Would you like something warm to drink..?" He hesitantly asked, and Aaron felt his face heat as he watched Danny look down at him. Was this really happening..? Aaron felt his happiness peak, something he'd never expected after getting a beating from his peers. Had the crush he had from freshman year resurfaced? "Its my treat." The boy added.

"I'd very much appreciate that..." He murmured, and together, they stepped into a small coffee shop.

Danny let Aaron order anything off the menu, and with drinks in tow, they reentered the nearly vacant streets. Danny noticed that Aaron shivered and bundled into the thin sleeves of his undershirt, asking, "don't you have a jacket?"

Realization dawned onto the boys face as he gasped. "It fell off when I tried to run!" His face fell. "They probably took it..." He continued with a pout, sadness stretching over his face. "My grandpa gave it to me."

Danny watched the boys limbs continue to shake slightly, and without hesitation, shrugged off the bulky jacket he'd had on and draped it over the red heads shoulders. Aaron tried to protest, but Danny only waved him off, saying quietly, "I'll be okay."

Aaron hadn't realized where they were walking to until he saw the familiar brick lining of his house. Aaron gaped at the structure before turning to Danny. "How did you know where I...?" His words died on his tongue as Danny only smiled, winking one of his baby blue eyes at him.

Aaron felt his face redden deeper, now nearly the same shade as his scarlet hair. Aaron climbed the stairs, nearly jumping from his skin when he felt Danny's hand on his shoulder. Aaron turned, peering up, and Danny raised his eye brows, noticing for the first time that the boys hands were shaking. Danny backed up, trying to make the boy more comfortable with space.

"Don't let those guys get to you... Okay?" His words were so soft that Aaron second-guessed that he'd actually heard him. Danny stared at him a few moments longer, turning to take his leave, and shaking his head at himself. Why the hell do I always have to play hero..?

Then he thought a bit longer, smirking to himself. Playing... If only. As his sneaker hit the sidewalk off of the stairs to Aaron's door way, he heard someone clear their throat, and turned to see the red faced boy playing with the sleeves of his long sleeved t-shirt. Danny saw the still half full cup of hot chocolate in his hands shaking as the boys nerves raked against his muscles, and Danny was almost afraid that the boy was going into a fit.

Aaron looked up, and he tried to maintain an even breathing level as he stuttered, "You know... It's pretty late... A-and Fenton Works is nearly on the other side of t-town..." The boys gaze fell on anything from Danny, and the ravenette straightened, seeing the boy stumble over his words. Danny surprised himself when thoughts entered his head of exactly how... Cute... Aaron was. His wide green eyes looked worried, and his stained cheeks were covered in bundles of little freckles.

Aaron gestured behind him to his now unlocked door. "My parents wouldn't mind if you wanted to spend the night..." He grabbed at his hat with one of his hands, pulling it down over his eyes. Here it comes... He thought... What excuse will it be...?

Aaron's hat was lifted from his eyes by a set of long, thin fingers. Danny smiled at him. "Thanks... I'd like that."

Aaron smiled, his face glowing as he ushered the taller boy in, and for a moment, he thanked the heavens that Dash and those other boys had decided to beat him up tonight, for they had been the villains to summon his own knight in shining armor.

Hello again :) And thank you so much for continuing to read this! ^^ I can admit that this chapter didn't turn out quiet how I wanted, and I know that its building into something that maybe a few of you didn't expect, but I'm hoping you'll ride it through, as I am, and hopefully enjoy it as it grows.

I do ask a favor...Would it be too cheesy to add Aaron to the story as a new human friend for Danny, so that his only friends aren't ghosts and he has someone to connect with outside of the ghost zone? I do like him, but I'm not sure other people will. I also want to somehow tease Dash with Danny building a "relationship" (friendship) with an openly gay "geek". Sooo... Thoughts?

Chapter 9 reviews:

YoDog41

Dash needs to beat them all to a pulp! I feel so bad for that one kid! TT ~~Indeed! But Dash doesn't have the backbone to stand up to the people who are supposed to be his so called friends xP But as always, its Danny to the rescue! But as Fenton this time ^^

YourFavoriteCONTRACTOR

i must say that i am enjoying this story. i usually don't do dannyXdash because people get too weird with it. but you've done magnificently with it. ~~Thank you very much :) I greatly appreciate the comment, and am very glad that you are enjoying it ^^ I do agree that sometimes people go into directions with the story that I myself wouldn't venture after, but I have enjoyed many stories for this pairing.. I'm very glad that my little fanfic has joined into the small pool for this pairing. :D Thank you for continuing to read this story!~