Title: Quietly

Author: adorkable3

Feedback:Is always welcome.Leave a review or drop me an email.

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom belongs to Nickelodeon and all those associated with it. And remember, even if it is getting canceled, we have until February 2007 when the new episodes end. Also, if it's over, we never have to see the inevitable "Danny/Sam Break-up Because a Happy Couple Makes Boring Plotlines (a la the School of Joss Whedon)"!

Note: Thank you for the reviews from chapter 2! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it is on the shortish side.

Chapter 3

Tucker had been waiting for the past four years for Danny and Sam to realize that they were in love with each other.

Wait, that wasn't quite right. He'd been waiting three years for Danny to realize that the year before that Sam had fallen in love with him. He'd also been waiting three years for Sam to use that ferocious courage she possessed to tell Danny that herself. Neither happened.

Finally it seemed like there had been some breakthrough between the two of them. Suddenly, they got really quiet around each other. Whenever someone would suggest that they were dating, instead of loudly protesting it, they'd both blush and look at the floor.

While it was certainly a change from Danny's complete ignorance and Sam's attitude of "I don't love Danny but if you come within ten feet of him, I will cut you, bitch", he had to admit he found this stage of their non-relationship a lot more frustrating (and a lot less entertaining).

For the first week, Tucker didn't say anything. Let it happen on its own, he thought. By the first half of the second week he was getting antsy. On Wednesday, he exploded at both of them.

Sam was first. She was saying something to him about the winter dance next Friday and whether or not she should go.

"Mom's on this 'baby-steps' approach to make me more like her. She said that if I go to the dance and act sociable, she'll take me shopping to buy whatever dress I want. Of course, she's so disappointed that I don't have a date."

"You should ask Danny." Tucker suggested.

"I don't think so. I'm sure he wants to go with someone who's not me." Sam said, suddenly demure and looking at the floor.

"I really think he doesn't," Tucker responded. "Haven't you noticed how weird he's been acting the past few weeks? He's totally in love with you.

"Yeah, I've noticed," Sam answered softly. "I just don't know what to do about it."

"Sam, you've been in love with him since you were 14. I don't think words are really needed here." Tucker implored.

"Tucker, why do you think I've never made a move?" Sam asked.

"Because Danny was completely oblivious to the fact that you liked him and continually broke your heart by going after every girl that wasn't you?"

"Besides that."

"I have no idea. Do tell."

"Danny and I have known each other for most of our lives. I can't remember a time without him. If we got together and then had this horrible break-up, things would never be the same again. I don't want to risk our friendship."

"You know what I think, Sam?" Tucker said. Without waiting for her to answer, he went on, "That's just a stupid excuse. It's your wall to hide behind. You need to take a risk, Sam. Danny likes you, and I bet he wouldn't use that excuse."

"The thing is that we're such good friends I don't want anything to ruin that." Danny didn't notice Tucker slap his forehead in frustration.

"You know, if I didn't have so much invested in this, I would just give up!" Tucker yelled. "You guys like each other. Hell, you may even love each other. I am sick of seeing you two dancing around each other like this. Just take a risk."

"I don't even know if she really likes me." Danny sighed.

"Danny, she has been in love with you since we were 14. She admitted it to me. She still is. There aren't any barriers here. What's stopping me from playing the music from Jerry Maguire while you run off to declare your undying love for her?"

"Well, one: Sam would just laugh at me if I did that, and two: if she has been in love with me that long, don't you think she'll be a little pissed that I only came around now?"

"Danny, I am serious." Tucker said. "Just ask her to the dance or tell her you like her or kiss her or something!"

"Let me think about it." Danny lay back down on his bed and didn't say anything else. Tucker shook his head and walked out the door.

If things had been awkward before, they were doubly so now. They were painfully aware of not only what they themselves felt, but what the other one did too. Both were ready, but neither wanted to make the first move.

Late Friday night, after about three hours of tossing and turning, Danny went out flying to clear his head. Without thinking, he flew to Sam's house. It wasn't that strange of an action; she was a night owl and sometimes would be up when he was, ready to watch a movie or just talk.

Of course now, peering into her window at one in the morning made him feel like a creepy stalker, a point he realized just a little too late.

"Hey ghost boy!" someone yelled from below. He flipped around from looking into Sam's (empty) bedroom down to Sam herself, huddled up in the gazebo below him. Danny flew down to where she was sitting and changed back into a human. She was sitting wrapped in a pile of blankets with a book.

"I felt like reading under the stars," she explained before Danny had a chance to ask. "What were you doing?"

"Looking for you," he answered automatically, and then he added "I couldn't sleep."

"That makes two of us," she smiled. "Why were you looking for me?"

Danny took a deep breath before answering, "I think you know why."

Sam blinked a couple of times, and then slowly said, "So you're in love with me."

"And you're in love with me," he responded.

"It took you long enough to come around."

"Too long."

Sam smiled, "I won't argue with that." She looked at Danny who was shivering on his side of the gazebo and opened up her blanket some. "C'mere." He gratefully sat next to Sam under the warm blanket.

"I thought you were immune to the cold," Sam teased.

"Ha ha." Danny said. When trying to get some more of the blanket, his hand accidentally came to rest on Sam's hip. "Sorry!"

"No," Sam smiled and put her head on his shoulder, "It's okay." Danny smiled back, and summoning more courage than he'd ever had to before, he kissed her.

Danny had thought that when this moment came, there would be fireworks or an earthquake or reporters there to capture the kiss as it happened. Instead, it was the complete opposite.

There was nothing special to it, and that made it perfect. He was just kissing Sam at 1:04 in the morning as though it was completely normal. There was no big moment, no shift in the molecules, no earth-shattering event.

Danny and Sam had always been ready; it just took them a while to realize it.

One more chapter after this! Review, please!