The first thing he noticed was sand. Phantom sank into the warm fuzzy mess of it and giggled, digging his hands and feet under its surface.

Then he thought to blink up at his surroundings. The stars greeted him overhead, faintly visible despite the city's air pollution, and so did a familiar set of rusted old jungle gym bars.

"Jazz said this was your favorite playground."

Phantom startled at the voice and turned to see Fenton anxiously crouched beside him, screwing the lid back onto the Fenton thermos.

"It was your favorite because the jungle gym here was taller than anywhere else?" Fenton clipped the thermos to his belt. "That's what she said. Oh, and the sandbox. You like it?"

The sandbox was definitely great. Phantom was nearly elbow deep. He was tempted to bury himself completely, but felt a little silly on his hands and knees.

Fenton looked silly too. He was moving his hands oddly, like a mime pretending to feel up an invisible box.

"I couldn't climb for shit." Phantom turned himself around to properly sit down and nonchalantly leaned back on his hands, so he could still sink his fingers into the sand. "I made dad lift me up and then I'd walk on top of it. I had decent balance."

Fenton knocked on the air and there was a strange green reverberation. Like ripples in a pond.

Oh.

"A shield!" Phantom squinted at it. "Must have been instinctual. I'm not so great at controlling them yet."

"At least you're visible," Fenton said. "Do you feel okay?"

Phantom wiggled his toes and wished he could take off his boots. "I'm solid."

Fenton knocked on the shield again and Phantom frowned. It was keeping them apart.

Then Fenton pressed his weight against it at just the wrong moment and fell forward, landing in Phantom's lap.

Phantom giggled as Fenton scrambled to his feet.

"Aw, you could have made yourself comfortable there," Phantom said, straightening up and playfully batting his eyelashes. "Lay your head down and get a look at the stars?"

Fenton kicked sand into Phantom's face, but said nothing.

Normally he'd lecture Phantom about a comment like that. Call him a weirdo or accuse him of…

"Fenton?"

Fenton glanced around the park, as if worried about interruption, and then sat down with his legs crossed and back straight.

"You seem tense," Phantom said. "Everything okay?"

The park was completely deserted. The stars were oddly bright.

"Hey, what time is it?" Phantom said.

What day is it? He wondered. It was hard to tell how much time he'd spent in the thermos.

"It's late." Fenton scratched his cheek. "Hey, what exactly does it feel like?"

"What does what feel like?"

Fenton scooted closer and put his arm around Phantom's shoulder. The human kept getting taller and the position was reminiscent of those times Jazz had cuddled him close for late night reassurances.

Was Jazz still taller than Fenton? Or had he overshot her?

"Nevermind, Fenton said. "Let's get out of here."

"And go where?"

"Tucker's house."

Phantom tried to get a good look at him.

Fenton kept glancing around nervously. He was worried about something.

"Uh, why Tucker's?"

"He said you owe him a bro-date." Fenton shrugged. "So I just figured we should see him. I dunno."

Something was going unsaid here.

"What happened with Dash and Pointdexter?"

"Mom and dad took care of it," Fenton said. "So your stupid plan worked, I guess."

As quickly as he'd given the affection, Fenton took it away. He let go of Phantom and stood up.

"Are you mad?"

"You let yourself get caught." Fenton turned away, crossing his arms tightly across his chest. "Do you know how long it took me to steal the thermos? If mom and dad hadn't gotten sidetracked-"

His voice cracked on the word 'sidetracked.'

Phantom rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Sorry?"

A flock of birds flew out of a tree behind them and Fenton spun around and threw his hands out wide.

It wasn't a defensive pose.

It was like he was trying to shield Phantom with his body.

"Don't think those birds want to hurt us," Phantom murmured.

Fenton lowered his arms. "Right."

They regarded each other for a moment.

"Listen I-" Fenton started.

"If you-" Phantom stopped short to let the other speak.

They awkwardly smiled at each other.

Fenton cleared his throat. "Uh, let's just go?"

"Sure." Phantom opened his arms, prepared to carry the human into the air.

Fenton winced. "Can I climb on your back or something?"

Phantom tilted his head. "That would be… different."

"Is that a no?"

Phantom shrugged. "Do you need me to, like, kneel?"

Fenton walked around him. "You're pretty short." He hugged Phantom from behind and rested his chin on his head.

Rude.

"You'll need to wrap your legs around me," Phantom said, leaning forward to pull Fenton off his feet. "It's like a piggy back ride."

"Okay maybe this isn't the best- hey!"

Phantom launched them into the air and Fenton had no choice but to cling on for his life. "Too late."

"Slow down!" Fenton shouted.

"Speed up? Sure!"

"Phantom!"

It felt good to fly again.

oOo

They waited for Tucker in his empty bedroom with the lights off.

Fenton stood stiffly beside the door, head tilted towards the crack to listen to the noises of the house.

They could hear silverware clinking against dishes and the soft indistinct murmuring of conversation from a floor below. The Foley's were having dinner.

When footsteps approached them Fenton held his breath.

As the door opened, he sprang. He grabbed Tucker and immediately covered his mouth, urgently shushing him.

Phantom remained invisible throughout this and kept his distance.

He had so many questions.

"Dude, what the fuck," Tucker whispered, fiercely. "Your parents are flipping out!"

"I know, I know!" Fenton glanced around the room uneasily and Phantom placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"They called Sam, they called me." Tucker finally turned the lights on and glared at Fenton. "Then they called our parents 'cause they thought one of us was lying!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Fenton said. "But I needed to get Phantom out-"

Tucker softened at that and eyed the thermos on Fenton's belt. "Oh shit, is he still in there?"

Fenton put his hand over Phantom's and gave it a squeeze. "No, he's here."

Phantom let go of his invisibility with a sheepish grin. "Heeey, Tuck."

"Hey man!" Tucker clapped him on the shoulder. "Good to see you in one piece."

"Thanks," Phantom said. "So, uh, do either of you want to catch me up? I feel like I've missed a lot."

"Well, my parents are pissed." Fenton scratched his cheek "You probably already guessed as much."

Tucker rolled his eyes. "The whole town is still panicking about that thing with Dash."

"Don't exaggerate, Tuck."

"It's not an exaggeration!"

Fenton winced at the way the other's voice rose and they both paused, glancing at the bedroom door.

Nothing happened.

Tucker lowered his voice and turned to Phantom. "They decided to cancel school-"

"We were only a month away from summer vacation anyway," Fenton interjected.

Tucker scoffed at him.

"Everyone was already kind of nervous about the ghost 'epidemic'," Tucker continued. "But now that they know ghosts can possess people, the PTA parents flipped out. They don't think the school is safe."

"Like the school is any different than anyplace else in Amity Park," Fenton muttered. "The whole town is contaminated since the portal-"

"I know, dude. Chill out." Tucker pulled his phone out and started typing away. "Sam says you're a dumbass by the way. But I'll bet she'll be happy to know you're here."

Fenton huffed, and might have retorted, but Phantom cut in to finally ask, "How long was I in the thermos?"

He should have just asked in the first place.

"A week?" Tucker said. "I honestly thought Mrs. F was gonna strap you to a lab table first thing, but-"

"It's been nine days," Fenton corrected. "And they've both been busy making ghost shields. A lot of people have them in their houses now-"

"And maybe I should get one too," Tucker said. "Who knows when Pointdexter will want another taste of the good life-"

"Shut up, Tuck!" Fenton hissed.

"He didn't get caught?" Phantom glanced between the two of them. "Pointdexter's still around?"

Fenton covered his face with his hands and Tucker raised his eyebrows.

"You didn't tell him about your little-" Tucker started.

Fenton shoved at his shoulder. "Look, he's free, but he's gone. He won't come back."

"How do you know he won't come back?" Phantom said.

"He just won't, okay?" Fenton rubbed at the back of his neck. "Sidney, he…lost interest?"

Tucker gave Phantom a meaningful look, but Phantom couldn't decipher it.

"Lost interest," Phantom echoed. "But didn't

he want-"

"Whatever he wanted before, he doesn't care anymore," Fenton said, firmly. "And he's not a problem. Just trust me on that."

Not for the first time, Phantom wished he could read his human's mind.

Fenton was holding something back, he was hiding, and Phantom couldn't understand what or why.

Had he always been this evasive?

"Anyway, what's the plan here?" Tucker said. "Are you spending the night? Cause if my mom catches you she's gonna call your parents. Guess Phantom can just invisibility blanket you, but-"

"No, I need to get home," Fenton said. "I just wanted to make sure Phantom was somewhere safe first. Considering all the-"

"Yeah, yeah-" Tucker said. "But what, are you gonna walk home? It's kind of far."

"Shouldn't I fly you home?" Phantom said.

"No!" Fenton and Foley both said at once.

Phantom frowned.

"They've got a tracker now-" Fenton started.

"It has a limited range, but-" Tucker took off his beanie and nervously flapped it against his hands, glancing between Phantom and Fenton. "Sorry, you explain it."

"It's just, they're probably in the Fenton RV looking for me." Fenton grimaced, as if the idea were distasteful.

"Yup, they are," Tucker said. "They were here for a bit, interrupted dinner. We had to reheat everything and man, meatloaf does not taste the same out of the microwave…"

Tucker often fell back on humor in stressful situations. It was something he and Phantom had always had in common and usually light hearted nitpicks like that could be the start of an irrational giggle fest.

But this was not just a stressful situation. What would happen if his parents caught him, and kept hold of him this time?

He'd be lucky if they tossed him in the ghost zone.

"Anyway, we don't want them catching us together," Fenton said. "I'm just going to walk for a bit and then I'll call them. They can pick me up. But I want you to be out of range."

And then what? Phantom thought. Go back to business as usual?

They all just stood looking at each other, then. It was like they'd finally realized something was wrong here.

And someone was dead.

Phantom could see their breath as the two humans in front of him breathed in the chill of him, the cold he'd stirred up once again just by existing for too long. By feeling too much.

They stood stiffly and didn't comment on the temperature. But Tucker couldn't conceal a big shiver.

Phantom cleared his throat. "I'll just fly you back outside, then."

"R-right. Thanks." Fenton didn't quibble about being carried this time. He allowed Phantom to scoop him up and carry him like a bride.

When he deposited the human onto the sidewalk, Phantom was granted a lingering hug. "Stay safe, okay?"

"You too," Phantom said.

He flew back to Tucker and they watched Fenton from the window. He walked away with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"So what really happened with Pointdexter?" Phantom said.

Tucker chuckled. "He dumped Danny."

"Dumped him?"

"Yeah, it was kind of hilarious how pissed off he was about it. Danny, I mean." Tucker theatrically glared to the side and waggled his finger. "You think I look different, Sidney? How does that even make sense! You're the one with a different face!"

Phantom processed that for a moment. Really tried to wrap his head around it. But the idea was baffling.

Fenton had, what, gotten a crush on that ghost? On that guy?

"So then..." Phantom scratched his head. "So then Fenton's gay?"

Nothing wrong with it in and of itself, but wasn't gayness genetic? Phantom himself had always liked girls.

"Nah, he's bi," Tucker said, offhandedly. He was typing away at his phone again, unconcerned by the dilemma.

But then he looked up and scrutinized the look on Phantom's face. "Oh," Tucker said. "Does that mean you're bi too? Since you're both kind of… the same person?"

"I'm straight!" Phantom said. "I've never…"

Never looked at a guy that way, he wanted to say.

Or had he?

Tucker hummed thoughtfully. "I guess you guys are more like brothers, or something. Even with twins sometimes one is gay or bisexual or something. It's not unheard of."

Brothers. Were they brothers? Not clones, not two halves of the same person?

The idea was unsettling.

"Anyway, how about a movie marathon?" Tucker said. "We can stay up all night, maybe play some video games too. It'll be just like old times."

There was no point in dwelling on it, Phantom supposed.

"That sounds great," he said. "We'll pretend it's summer vacation."

"For all intents and purposes, it is summer vacation," Tucker grinned. "And summer is early this year! Just goes to show there's a bright side to every natural disaster."

"And the unnatural ones too," Phantom quipped.

"Especially those!" Tucker dug out a crate of DVDs from under his bed. "So are we thinking alphabetical or by year?"

"Surprise me."

Tucker closed his eyes and stuck his hand in the box, randomly selecting a movie.

Whatever it was, Phantom knew it would be good. Tucker had the best taste in movies.

"Little Shop of Horrors," Tucker said. "Killer effects, morbid storyline and it's a musical."

"I've seen the movie, Tuck, you don't have to sell it to me."

"Right. You have." Tucker sat back on his heels and regarded Phantom. "I kind of got used to having to explain things to Danny from scratch. He hasn't seen a lot of these yet."

Phantom looked into the box. Every DVD was familiar to him. He'd watched and re-watched them countless times.

"Do he and I have the same tastes, do you think?"

"Good question," Tucker said. "Very good question."

But Tucker didn't have a clear answer for him.

Some questions just hung in the air like that. And they moved on, as if they hadn't been asked.

END PART FOUR