Chapter Four

Danny opened his eyes slowly. He was still feeling quite lethargic and a tad bit lucid. His brain was in a fog but his mind was reeling with all of the thoughts and events from the evening.

{Was it all just a dream? Did that ghost blast me even harder than I remember? I mean.. Kwan was saying some pretty crazy things about Dash, and Dash didn't deny any of it.. So I had to be imagining it all, right?}

Danny was startled out of his thoughts when someone began talking.

"I wasn't expecting you to wake up any time soon. How are you feeling?"

Kwan sat the book he'd been reading to the side and looked at Danny whom was now looking around the room in a slightly confused manner.

{The Vampire Lestat? Kwan reads Anne Rice? I didn't think anyone in Amity other than Sam read her books.. Huh, I should let Sam know that she's not the only fang-fanatic.}

"Do you remember anything that happened today?"

Kwan suddenly realized that Danny most likely had no idea where he was, or how he had gotten there. He was about to begin explaining when Danny spoke up. His voice was quieter than usual and there was still a slight weakness in his tone.

"I'm feeling like I got hit by a bus, to sum it up simply. But the pain isn't too over-baring.. for some reason. And I remember the fight, I also know where I'm at and how I got here. Thank you, for everything you've done, by the way."

Kwan nodded as he got up to change the fluids bag that was hooked to Danny's IV.

"I can't even begin to imagine how that feels. And you're welcome. Dash would have done the same for me if he could and the situation would have been reversed. After everything he told me, I'm glad that he brought you here instead of to a hospital. How do you know where you're at, by the way? And you said you remember the fight, so you also know that I know your secret."

Danny's cheeks pinked lightly.

"I.. uh.. heard a lot of what you and Dash were saying while I was still out of it. I'm not sure if it's a ghost ability or something than humans can do as well but it was like my body was unresponsive and I couldn't move or speak or actually wake up, but I could still hear and feel what was going on. As far as the pain and how it feels, yeah it hurts but at least I feel a lot faster than humans do.. or I usually do anyways."

Kwan looked thoughtful for a moment as he switched out the empty IV bag for a full one.

"Ahh, it could be either one or a bit of both. I don't know much, or anything really about ghostly abilities, but it is possible for humans to be able to hear and feel while their physical body is not functional. If you don't mind me asking, how does being a ghost and a human work exactly? I know you're not dead, you have a pulse and your blood pressure and oxygen levels are pretty normal for someone whom has been through severe trauma. And you feel faster than humans? That would explain why some of the wounds looked rather mild, or faded, but a few were still pretty bad.."

Kwan pointed to the machine and monitors that Danny was hooked up to. They displayed all of Danny's vitals across the screens. Where did Kwan get all of this stuff and why did he have it in the first place? Danny made a mental note to ask later.

"I'm a half-ghost. I have both a fully functional human side as well as a fully functional ghost side and I can transform between the two freely at will. If I'm seriously injured or I go unconscious, I sometimes turn back into my human form. Which is what happened earlier today. And yes, it's called speed healing, and for some reason it's not happening nearly as quickly as it usually does."

Danny felt strange, he was just sitting there talking casually about one of his biggest secrets, and to someone he wasn't even friends with for that matter. And then the panic began to set in...

"You and Dash... Uh... You didn't tell anyone else, right? And you don't plan on telling anyone else, right? Me being Phantom.. It's kinda a big secret that only a small handful of humans know about."

Kwan gave a reassuring smile and shook his head.

"You obviously didn't hear enough of what Dash and I were talking about. Dash made me basically swear on my life to never mention any of this, to anyone. He wouldn't explain anything until I promised. And despite how I'm sure you see Dash, given how he treats you in public, he's not the total hardcore douche-bag that he lets on to be."

As crazy as it sounded, Danny was starting to believe that. Dash had gone out of his way today in more ways than one all to ensure that Danny was safe and taken care of.

Danny nodded and lifted the blanket to look at his wounds. He was well bandaged up, so he couldn't see anything, but he was also quickly reminded that he was basically naked.. and that both Kwan AND Dash, most likely, had seen him that way.

He quickly put the covers back down and pulled them up tightly against himself. This made Kwan laugh to himself a little.

"Uuhm, so... all of that junk you said about Dash.. the little comments that you made about him 'stalking' Phantom and stuff.. Was all of that true? Does he? I mean... Just Phantom, right? Now that he knows it's just me..."

Danny's cheeks were glowing red once again.

Kwan turned the chair so that the back of it was facing the bed, he sat down so that he was straddling the seat, with his arms folded on top of the chair-back and his chin resting on top of them.

"He likes you, Danny. As Phantom or Fenton. He likes you. He's always liked you. Just like you've always liked him."

Danny stammered. Damn Kwan and his super smart Asian mind-reading abilities. He had always thought that he'd been pretty sneaky when it came to hiding his true feelings in regards towards the blonde jock.

"...How long have you known? About Dash? Me? Any of it."

"I suppose it's alright to tell you, since you already know the main information. Dash came out to me the summer before eighth grade began. I'd suspected it for about two years before then. That's the same summer that you and your family moved to Amity. When school started that year, I saw the way you and Dash looked at one another. I was in the hallway when you two first collided. *Kwan grinned to himself* Yes I know, stereotypical Asian sneaky ninja comment goes here. I don't know exactly how you felt, but for Dash, I know that moment terrified him. He didn't know what to do, or think, and he was afraid that everyone else would be able to see right through him. He'd wanted to be friends with you, he just didn't know how. After you started making friends of your own, Dash got pretty jealous. He's always been a bit of a sore loser. He was never used to not getting what he wanted. So he buried all of his feelings inside of himself and started being a bully. I'm fairly certain his reasoning to that was something along the lines of people would never ask questions if they were too afraid to even speak to him. When Phantom started showing up in Amity, Dash got that look in his eyes again. I really should have thought more about it and put all of the pieces together. Looking back on it now, you being Phantom.. it seems so obvious. Anyways, he had that same awe-struck glimmer in his eyes that he had when he'd first met you as Danny Fenton. And he's never had that look in regards to anyone else. Before you even ask, no, I don't believe he likes Phantom more. I only think that liking Phantom has been easier for him, because he's felt like Phantom was more unattainable, like there was absolutely no way he'd ever be able to be with Phantom, so pining from a far felt more safe. He was around you as Danny Fenton in school all of the time. I think he was afraid that his feelings for you would show if you and him were to be friends. Thus, the bullying, acting like he didn't like you, couldn't stand you, pushing you away, making you hate him... Do you get it now?"

It did make sense. All of it. And there was so much more to the story than Danny would have ever thought about. So much more to Dash.

Even after all of the years of torment and bullying, Danny still didn't hate Dash. He couldn't. He'd tried many times, but he couldn't. It had frustrated to no end, because no matter how hurtful Dash had been, Danny still continued to notice him. Watch him. Think about him. He just never dreamed that even in a million years would the feelings be reciprocated.

Danny was so lost in his thoughts that he'd barely noticed when the subject of his near insanity literally stumbled into the room.

{Dash.}

*End Chapter Four*