Disclaimer: Danny Phantom—copyright Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon. "This is Me"—Dream and their record company.
A quick note: I have been 18 for not even an entire day, and so far... I don't feel very different. Darn...
Reviews: Nobody is Somebody, bunnychica9, Samantha-Girl Scout, moe and me, Blood of a Tear.
This is Me
He hadn't been the same since the break-up. His crystal-blue eyes had lost their usual sparkle, and he kept nervously running a hand through his raven hair. His friends had noticed, especially Sam. Her lilac eyes watched him worriedly, knowing how much pain a broken heart could be. So, she was more than surprised when about a month later, he asked her out—and not as "just friends" like he usually did. Sam had been more than ecstatic. She'd had a crush on him for as long as she could remember. A little life had seemed to return to him when they got together, but it didn't last long.
It didn't take her long to notice that he was suspicious of her. He called at all hours, wondering where she was, and when they were out on a date, he'd ask her what she thought of such-and-such guy. Sometimes it got so annoying that Sam wished he would just come out and say, "Are you cheating on me?" She had tried to reassure him so many times, and no matter how much it annoyed her, she knew she wouldn't leave him. That would only confirm his fears, and she would not be the one to do that.
Instead, she worked harder on making him realize that she was different. She called him every time she left the house and told him where she was going, and she called him when she got back. As a result, he stopped calling in the middle of the night to ask her where she was. At school, she would greet him every morning with a light kiss; the surprised look on his face the first time she had done that had made it totally worth it. He knew as well as she did that she wasn't big on displays of affection at school simply because of what their classmates would say.
That one kiss in the morning would get him through the entire day, and it made her heart swell to see the happy smile on his face when he walked around campus. When they walked around town together, she would slip her hand into his, and he would respond by wrapping his arm around her waist instead. Each thing she changed made an impact, but she danced around the words "I love you" knowing that he had believed his last girlfriend had loved him. She had said the words, at least, and he had said them back. So, Sam knew those words were the last he needed to hear right now.
The two of them spent a lot of time together, pushing Tucker to the side. After a long talk between she and Tucker, however, he understood. Once Danny's heart had healed, they would include him in the things they did together, but right now, Danny needed this time of just the two of them. Of course, intermixed with all the good were the bad times too. Sometimes Danny would make the most bizarre accusations—including claiming that she was cheating on him—and they cut her deep. However, Sam knew better than getting angry and blowing up at him. Instead, she would back off until he calmed down and wait until he came to her and apologized. He always did because he knew she would never do that to him.
Now, the two of them were lying in the grass gazing up at the clouds in the park. He had his arm around her waist, lying on his back. She lay on her side, her leg crossed over his and her head resting on his shoulder. They were simply enjoying the companionable silence, knowing they had overcome many obstacles. They had been going out now for exactly a year to the day, and it had been almost two months since Danny had last accused her of anything drastic like cheating. Sam raised her head, kissing him lightly on the lips before returning her head to his shoulder. She smiled as he tightened his hold on her then ran his free hand through her hair.
"Sam," he whispered so softly she almost didn't hear him.
"Yeah, Danny?" she whispered back.
"I love you."
For a moment, she didn't think she had heard him correctly, but when she raised her head to gaze into his eyes, she could see the honesty shining in them. She smiled then kissed him again, pouring as much of her love as she possibly could into that single kiss.
"I love you too," she whispered when the kiss ended.
It had finally happened. All her hard work had finally paid off, and he trusted her once more. After everything they'd been through, the only way to go was up.