The Fentons had upgraded their ghost shields. Now there was a green dome over the house and Phantom couldn't even knock on Fenton's window.

He wasn't wearing the Fenton Phones either.

It felt almost like going back in time to right after the accident. Before Phantom had mustered up the courage to show himself to his human half.

He decided to haunt the school again and observe Fenton in his classes. Watch him skip lunch and wander around the school's library.

For some reason Fenton never actually read any of the books. He'd spend a half hour reading titles and summaries instead, picking books up and putting them back down.

Paulina found him in there once and struck up a conversation. There was an eerie sense of deja vu in that. Phantom tried to fly closer to hear what they were saying, but Fenton was wearing something...

Some kind of ghost repellant? It wasn't like the ghost shield around his house, strong and solid, it was more like... Phantom felt a little shock as he approached and he knew it would get worse if he kept going.

He figured it was an upgrade on Fenton's utility belt.

So he couldn't hear what Paulina was telling him, but he could watch her point at the Harry Potter books and laugh as she grabbed Fenton's arm and led him towards them.

They're totally talking about me, Phantom thought. He decided to fly away at that point. Whatever they were saying, he didn't want to know.

oOo

Game night was Tucker's idea. They met at Sam's house, all four of them, and plugged into Doomed. Phantom was watching Fenton closely when the ghosted avatar came on screen, but he didn't react.

Tucker told him ahead of time, then.

Fenton was sitting in between Sam and Tucker and Phantom was surprised by how close he allowed Sam. They were practically thigh to thigh. And Phantom was on Tucker's other side, feeling isolated despite Tucker's best efforts.

He managed not to float out of his seat.

Sam had helped him grind his character up, so now he was nearly at the same level as everyone else. It made for a smooth mission, though everyone was tense.

Or maybe they were just cold.

Tucker made the best of it, once he realized. He asked the Butler for hot chocolate and cookies and he and Fenton ransacked Sam's room for as many blankets as they could carry.

Because the game room consisted of two couches- two seaters- instead of one long couch, Sam and Fenton ended up bundled under two blankets together.

Why they decided to stack and share those blankets instead of each taking one was beyond him. They were being oddly cuddly. And kind of whispering to each other.

When had they made up?

Tucker was stuck on the couch with Phantom and so was given the majority of the blankets.

"I'm sorry, Tuck," Phantom said.

Tucker laughed. "I got the blanket with a heating pad, dude. This feels amazing."

He sipped at his hot chocolate. "It's like Christmas came early," Tucker added.

Phantom frowned.

"Shit, watch out!" Tucker tried maneuvering his character with only one hand on his controller and nearly spilled his hot chocolate. Phantom managed to grab the drink and put it back on the table.

ghosted died for his trouble.

"Was that your last life?" Sam said.

"Yep. Looks like I'm out of the game."

"You died for a worthy cause," Tucker said, trying to reach for his hot chocolate again.

Phantom moved it out of his reach.

He watched them play for a few minutes, trying not to sulk. Trying to will the room warmer, so they'd all bake in their blankets.

Trying to keep his eyes on the screen and not on the other couch.

Finally he gave up and stared at Sam, willing her to make eye contact. When she did, with a raised eyebrow, he put his hands together in a pleading way.

She raised her other eyebrow.

He pointed at her, pointed at Tucker, pointed at the door.

She glared at him.

He put his hands back together. Please, please, please.

She sighed. "Hey, Tucker."

"Yeah?"

"Did I ever show you the bowling alley?"

Tucker was focused on the game. "Bowling is kinda lame. Plus everyone's too loud and annoying."

"Not when you own a private bowling alley."

He dropped his controller and swiveled to gawk at her. "There's a bowling alley in the house?!"

"Yep," Sam said. "My grandma is the only one who uses it, but-"

Tucker stood. "And you're barely telling me this now?!"

Fenton rolled his eyes. "Tucker, you died."

Tucker solemnly removed his beanie, holding it to his chest. "Friar Tuck lived a noble life." Then he put it back on. "Let's go bowling!"

"Me and Sam are still alive," Fenton said. "We can finish the level without you."

"But I need her to show me-"

"Here," Sam said. "Phantom can take over for me."

She untangled herself from the couch with Fenton- his legs had been draped over hers, Phantom noticed- and tossed the controller.

Phantom caught it.

On her way out with Tucker she glared at Phantom. "Have fun," she said.

It sounded like a threat.

"You're real subtle, you know that?" Fenton said. He kept his eyes on the game. "I could see you in my peripheral."

"Sorry."

"I'm sure Tucker did too," Fenton added. "He's just too nice to call you out."

"He's always gone easy on me," Phantom said, poking the abandoned blankets. "Want the heating pad?"

"You want to move Chaos before she gets stabbed?" Fenton retorted.

Phantom paused the game. "How come you can forgive Sam, but not me? She kept secrets too."

He gestured at the room around them, the fancy flat screen and other equipment. "She kept one for so much longer!"

Fenton sighed. "I'm not mad about that anymore."

Phantom blinked. "Oh."

Fenton made as if to unpause the game and Phantom grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.

Fenton groaned. "What do you want?"

"Can I sit over there?"

"And freeze me to death?"

"You have blankets!"

"Why is it so cold, Phantom?" Fenton re-arranged the blankets to cover his legs back up.. "I know it's tied to your emotions, but which ones, huh? What feeling makes it cold?"

Phantom swallowed. "I don't uh..."

"Don't try and tell me you don't know."

"Well, I can't just pinpoint it like that," Phantom said. "I could say I'm sad, but it's not just sad. I've felt sad without freezing a room."

"So you're sad and...?" Fenton prompted.

"Lonely? Frustrated? Guilty? Terrified? It gets cold when there are too many things hitting me all at once. I can't untangle them."

"Jealous?" Fenton added.

"What?"

"It bothered you," Fenton said. "We could tell. Me and Sam."

Phantom took that in. Then he flew over to Fenton so fast he accidentally tackled him off the couch.

"Wh-what the hell!" Fenton was trapped in his blankets now. Like that time in the closet. But this time he wriggled around like mad, trying to get loose.

Phantom pinned him to the floor and squeezed his eyes shut, holding on with the determination of a bull rider when Fenton bucked.

"Get off!" Fenton said. "It's too hot in here!"

Easily fixed, Phantom thought. He phased the blankets and threw them away.

Now he was directly touching Fenton, face pressed against his chest. Fenton shivered under him. "Dude, you're freaking me out."

He could hear Fenton's heart beat. It was a relief, somehow. To hear his heart again.

Reluctantly, Phantom put some distance between them. But he kept his arms on either side of Fenton, caging him in. Looming over him.

"So it was a test?" Phantom said. "Right? Just a test?"

"What?"

"You and Sam. You wanted me to be jealous?"

Fenton was glaring at him. "Let me go."

"I did." Technically. But he didn't want Fenton getting too far. He needed him near.

"Okay wait," Fenton said. "Which of us... ugh, why are you grinning at me like that?"

"I missed you," Phantom said. He gave up holding himself up. He stretched out on Fenton and put his head on his chest.

He wanted to hear that heartbeat again.

"This is so confusing!" Fenton said. "Why are you like this?!"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been getting touchier and touchier," Fenton said. "It's weird, almost like..."

"Almost like what?"

He tried to shove Phantom's head off his chest. Unsuccessfully.

Phantom wrapped his arms around Fenton, really digging in his hold.

"You don't like me touching you?" Phantom said. "Is it because I kissed Sam?"

"Phantom-"

"I'm sorry I kissed her," Phantom said. "Do you like her?"

"That's not..." Fenton groaned. "Would you get off and let me sit? I don't like lying on the floor."

Phantom floated them up and onto the couch. He let Fenton sit and sat behind him, wrapped around him like a human backpack.

"Wow," Fenton said. "There is something seriously wrong with you."

"What? No, there isn't."

"Like now you got zapped by Ember's guitar."

Phantom considered this. "No, I think I just... Didn't know, before."

"Didn't know what?"

"How good this feels." Phantom gave Fenton a little squeeze. "Maybe it's like Vlad was saying. It's like I'm attached. Or I'm supposed to be."

"Don't even say that name," Fenton said. "I don't want to think about-"

"Maybe you don't feel it because you're human," Phantom said. "But for me it's like... A magnet."

"A magnet," Fenton echoed. "So then it has nothing to do with me as a person."

"What?"

Fenton shook his head. Abruptly, Phantom let go of him and flew overhead, landing in front of him.

Fenton was glaring at his hands.

"Wait, I didn't mean-"

"Do you fly around town kissing every girl that'll let you?" Fenton said.

He wouldn't look up from his hands. His fingers were tightly twined together. Squeezing.

"Paulina told you we kissed?"

Fenton laughed, bitterly. "No, but you just did."

"I'm sorry," Phantom said. "Do you want me to-"

"No," Fenton said. "You can do whatever you want."

"But then-"

Fenton put his hand over Phantom's mouth.

"Let me get one thing straight," he said. "You can't get that cuddle bug out of your system with just anyone. You want to touch me because... Because this was your body?"

Phantom shrugged.

"And you've had a massive crush on Paulina since the 6th grade," Fenton said. "But now, even though you kissed, you're avoiding her."

Phantom nodded. He thought of Paulina and Fenton in the library together and looked at Fenton's waist.

The belt loops of his jeans were empty.

"And with Sam...?" Fenton prompted.

Phantom lifted his hands, palm up.

Clueless.

Fenton rolled his eyes. "You aren't allowed to hurt Sam," he said. "She's my friend."

Phantom nodded.

"I'm not saying you aren't allowed to... to kiss her or whatever," Fenton added. "If that's what she wants, then fine. But you can't just jerk her around."

Phantom nodded so quickly that he accidentally dislodged Fenton's hand from his lips.

There was a warm spot left behind.

"Down boy," Fenton chuckled. "You think you can keep your hands to yourself when we're hanging out with Sam and Tucker?"

"Well yeah," Phantom said. "But when will we be alone?"

"I dunno."

"The new shield-"

"I know," Fenton said. "I don't know, maybe we can hang out... Uh..."

He trailed off, smiling in a way that Phantom couldn't decipher.

Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Fenton phones. "I'll call you sometime," he said. "So don't worry."

And he ruffled Phantom's hair, then walked towards the door. "Let's go bowling."

It was a strange attitude change.

Kind of dismissive. "But Fenton-"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Fenton said. "You need to disappear while I look for that butler."

So he disappeared. Then he put his arms around Fenton's shoulders, floating along as he'd done many times before.

When they made it to the bowling alley and the butler was gone Phantom put distance between them and re-appeared.

And then... well, bowling was kind of lame. Especially when Sam's grandma showed up.

He had to disappear again.

Sam was still wearing the Fenton phones. She was the only person, besides himself, who never took them off.

"I'm going to head out," he told her. He was floating against the ceiling.

"Aw, but we could just go back to the game room?" She said, tapping the earphones when Tucker gave her a questioning look.

"That's okay," Phantom said. "Have fun bowling. I'm gonna... Fly around."

"Alright," she said. "Have fun."

But he didn't leave. He stuck around until Fenton went home. He followed all the way to his house, without touching.

Watched him walk through the green shield.

Then he flew around. Found the box ghost. Tussled.

But his heart wasn't in it.

He felt like he had missed something important.

There had been something in Fenton's face when he was glaring at his hands.

So then it had nothing to do with me as a person.

Phantom knew he'd said the wrong thing. He didn't know how he would fix it.