Warnings for this chapter: Slight mention of non/con and some slight angst.
Let's get this show on the road shall we?
DPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDP
Chapter seven: I'm not interested in anyone. At least, that's what I thought before.
There was no denying it now, Danny was going nuts.
He is sitting with his family in the dining room one minute, the next they're gone, he happens to glance in a random direction and spots Paulina and and some women sitting two tables away from him in some getup that looked like it came from the late 1930's. Now he knows that Paulina wasn't on the ship before, so why was she here now? Danny closes his eyes and shakes his head, then looks at the same table to find Paulina and the women gone and a couple sitting there staring back at him, looking uncomfortable. Danny blushes realizing that he had probably weirded them out, and grins wryly as he waves at them and they returned it.
"Danny!"
He jumps in his seat and turns his sheepish grin on his elder sibling, "Sorry Jazz, what were you saying?"
Jazz rolls her eyes and gives him a deadpan look, "You were staring at those people for five minutes! Are you thinking about Sam or something?"
Danny glares at her and says irritably, "Sam is like a sister to me! Why is everybody trying to hook us up?!"
Jazz's brow goes into her hairline in confusion as she crosses her arms, "Well, you guys are so close and you'd be good for each other, and from what Tucker told me, you two did kiss, so..."
"I'm going to kill him," Danny mutters under his breath before raising his voice again, "That was just an experiment! Nothing came out of that, not even a spark!"
Maddie points her fork in his direction, "Well what about Valerie? Weren't you two dating for a while?"
"And didn't you have a crush on that Sanchez girl when you were just starting highschool?" Jack adds.
Danny growls, gripping his knees under the table in annoyance, "Okay one, I didn't have a crush on Paulina, that was Tucker, and two I pretended to go out with Valerie because there was some creep that wouldn't leave her alone and we thought that was the only way to get him to back off."
Jazz gets a funny look on her face, "So you never had any interest in girls...what about boys?"
An image of glowing emerald eyes flashes through Danny's mind before he brutally shoves it away, "No, no boys either! I'm not interested in anyone!" He insists, his mother however caught the slight hesitance and gave him a sympathetic glance.
"Sweetie, your father and I aren't going to think less of you if you're attracted to boys, if there's someone you're interested in then tell us."
Danny abruptly stands, slamming his hands on the table, "I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ANYONE SO WOULD YOU ALL KINDLY FUCK OFF!"
Silence reigns heavily in the room at Danny's outburst. Face red, Danny runs out of the dining room, ignoring his parents and sister as they call out to him. He runs out on deck and goes into a quiet place behind some boxes of cargo he'd discovered a couple of days back so no one would see him.
He leans against the railing and breathes heavily, trying to calm down. He probably shouldn't have yelled, definitely shouldn't have cussed at his parents, but as much as they try to be understanding, Danny can't tell them he is interested in a ghost. He couldn't even understand it himself, how would his parents, who believed that all ghosts were ectoplasmic scum and evil, possibly understand when he himself doesn't?
It's not like he hadn't tried to find someone. When he was thirteen Sam had asked him to kiss her and he obliged, since everyone seemed so gung-ho about them being a good match for each other he wanted to see what everyone else saw in them. But there was nothing; no warm tingle, no 'this is the one', just detachment. Sam seemed disappointed when he told her this and they ended up avoiding each other for a while before one day she came up to him and admitted that she didn't feel anything either.
They had decided to stay friends, though Tucker and everybody else wouldn't stop thinking one day they would end up together. 'Oh they were only kids,' They'd say, 'of course they didn't feel anything, give it a few years and they'll be all over each other!'
Danny scoffs. Tucker had even placed a bet with the other kids on whether or not he and Sam would admit it, too bad he lost that bet when everybody finally figured out there really was nothing between them, though it did take a few years unfortunately.
Then when he was fourteen and had started highschool, Paulina Sanchez made her dramatic appearance. From day one she was on top of the social ladder, queen of the A-listers and one of the most bangable girls of Casper High, though Danny couldn't see why. All he saw was a stuck up rich bitch that took great enjoyment out of making everyone feel less about themselves.
He disliked her from the get-go, but Tucker wouldn't shut up about her and since everyone was assuming that Danny and Sam were 'lovebirds', Danny in his fourteen year old logic pretended to have a crush on Paulina so they would lay off, going to the extent of humiliating himself in front of the entire school and earning the titles klutz and 'so desperate to get laid he'd drop his pants after saying hello.'
His highschool career ended before it even began and the jocks definitely helped with that. If it wasn't for his friends Sam, Tucker and Valerie and his dream of being an astronaut he may have dropped out.
Speaking of Valerie, he wasn't lying to his family about that either. In his sophomore year, a new guy had transfered into Casper high calling himself Gregor. Even Sam went out with him for a couple of weeks before finding out that all he wanted was to get into her pants (though, now that Danny thinks about it, it probably didn't help the rumors of Sam and Danny being an item with him following them on their dates). When Sam dumped him 'Gregor', who's actual name was Elliot, targeted the A-list girls and Valerie in particular. After her dad got demoted, she got kicked out of the popular squad and Elliot still went after her.
When Danny and Valerie became friends, Valerie asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend so Elliot would leave her alone. Danny had ended up breaking Elliot's nose when he grabbed her arm while they were walking to class. Danny got let off because he was protecting Valerie, and Elliot got transferred to a different school. The two had been close ever since.
Then, when Danny turned seventeen, a rumor started going around that he was gay. Danny didn't confirm nor deny the rumor, thinking that it would go away after a while, not realizing the extent that the jocks would go to torture him.
Dash Baxter himself did it, cornering Danny in the boys locker room and basically forcing his tongue in the raven's mouth. The feeling of wrongness was so intense that Danny took time off of school for a week, during which he showered five times a day and brushed his teeth until they bled, thinking 'WRONG, WRONG, WRONG' over and over again.
He even went to Jazz for therapy; and by that he meant he cried and spouted nonsense as she held and rocked him in her room. When Danny asked her what he told her later, since he was so out of it at the time, she said that he told her what happened, and said it wasn't him, which confused him and even now Danny couldn't tell you who 'him' was.
His friends came over to check on him and he told them what happened too. Sam and Valerie looked about ready to hit something when they found out, especially when Tucker clued them all in on something.
Line break
It was a dare?!" Sam screeched, gritting her teeth so hard Danny thought she might crack a tooth.
"Yeah, the whole football team was in on it, I heard the A-listers talking about it," Tucker inched away from the girls, a dark aura so thick around them that the boys could see it. "Paulina and Star were laughing their asses off, saying that Danny probably liked it so much he had to go home from passing out."
"So I like feeling violated is that it?! How does that make any sense?" Danny shivered and turned green just thinking about it, "Is it really so hard to think I'm not interested in dating or sex? And why Dash?! If it had to be anyone why that jackass?!"
Tucker shrugged, typing away on his new iPhone as he said with slight bitterness, "It was was either going to be Dash or Wes Weston, Dash must of gotten the short end of the stick."
"So how are we gonna get 'em back?" Valerie said cracking her knuckles, a vengeful gleam in her eye.
A sly smile appeared on Tucker's face, "Don't worry about that, I already handled it."
"How?" Danny said with a suspicious frown.
Tucker's grin went from sly to positively smug as he tapped a button on his phone, "Can you say, viruses on their phones and computers that can sense when they get new tech and move to the new ones regardless of ID changes? And sending out emails to the football team and coach supposedly from the school board, saying that if the team bullies anyone they'll lose their scholarship?"
"What if the school board finds out about the fake emails? Or the A-listers find out where the viruses came from?" Valerie questioned with hands on her hips and brow quirked.
Tucker scoffed, rolling his eyes, "You don't know me well enough do you? My viruses are untraceable and so are the emails, if they try tracking them, they would find a fake account that's been deactivated for years."
"Tucker, you scare me sometimes," Danny commented as he glanced warily at his best friend, "But, if it works, I won't have to worry about the jocks for the rest of highschool," They all grinned at the thought.
Line break
Danny chuckles at the memory. When he went back to school, the popular kids were all in a panic. Some even had to call their parents on a land line (well, the kids who could remember the phone numbers anyway) demanding they find out where the viruses and emails came from. It was such chaos that none of the A-listers even thought about Danny or the other geeks and nerds again.
Needless to say, Danny managed to graduate with no more problems and grades just high enough to go to college so he could get into the space program. He also graduated thinking that he was aromantic, that is, until now.
When Phantom started showing up, Danny felt something he'd never thought he'd feel: attraction. He felt safe with Phantom, and when Phantom kissed him, it felt like they had kissed a thousand times before.
Danny absently puts his hand on the Specter Deflector, tracing the lines on the silver and green belt. He started wearing it because it made a barrier between himself and Phantom, but he has started getting second thoughts. Sure Phantom and Vlad couldn't touch him, but then again, Phantom couldn't touch him. Lately he finds that he wants the green eyed devil to touch him, to hold him again, to...kiss him again. "Get it together Fenton!" Danny mumbles angrily, "You don't even know him! Why would you want these things from a complete stranger..."
Danny sighs and looks out into the distance. He senses eyes on him, but refuses to turn around; he knows exactly who it is. He stands with the other in complete silence, just staring out at the sunset as it casts the scene in deep shades of blue, pink, orange and purple. A romantic scene, but neither person feels the mood at the moment.
Finally breaking the silence, Danny says, "What are you doing here?"
Phantom continues to gaze at Danny, making pleasurable shivers run up the blue eyed boy's back which he tries to ignore, "You say that you don't know me, but you do."
Danny huffs and rubs his eyes, tired of repeating himself, "No, I don't Phantom, I've never met you 'till now."
Phantom walks closer, but makes sure to keep space between himself and the blue eyed man, "Yes you did, you met me long ago, before you were born."
Danny turns and glares hard at Phantom, shoulders tense and back ramrod straight with hands clenched at his sides, "That's not possible."
Phantom sighs and shakes his head, neon green eyes dim in sadness, "I'm not lying to you, we met on this ship long ago amore, back when you were a ship pianist under Vlad's thumb and I was a Marchese's heir trying to escape my future."
Danny's eyes widen as he remembers his first hallucination. He takes a step back and shakes his head in denial, "That's not true! You're lying!" Danny gives him a look of accusation as he says wildly," You're doing this, you're giving me these hallucinations so you can trick me!"
Phantom's eyes widen, "Hallucinations?" He asks, startled.
Danny takes another step back, forgetting the railing behind him, "With the piano, and the names and seeing people who aren't even there, your doing this!" Danny exclaims, "You're a ghost, how do I know that's not one of your powers?!" Danny points at Phantom, anger and fear in his eyes.
Phantom steps forward putting his hands up in a calming gesture, "Danny I'm not the one causing that! Please, amore-"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Not even realizing that he understood the endearment, Danny does one final step back before teetering and falling over the rail. He screams in fear and braces himself for the plunge, before he realizes he suddenly isn't falling anymore.
Danny slowly opens his eyes, seeing Phantom's face and feeling the ghost's arms on his back and behind his knees. He then notices that they are floating in midair, 10 feet between the ocean and under the place he fell.
'He...he saved me?' Danny thought. He remembered his parents saying that ghosts took pleasure in destruction and havoc, so why was this one helping him? He would think that Phantom would laugh as Danny plunged into the unforgiving ocean, not save him from death. Phantom starts to slowly float back up to the deck, seeming to be in a lot of pain which also shouldn't be possible according to his parents. It takes a bit but Danny finally realized why that is.
'The Specter Deflector!' Danny feels his heart squeeze painfully at the thought of Phantom hurting. He reaches down to remove the device, but draws his hands back hissing when the belt shocks him. Ignoring the sting of the burns on his fingers, he tries again, this time able to get the belt off and letting it fall in the ocean.
Phantom lands on deck and gently puts Danny down before collapsing. "Phantom!" Danny cries as he kneels down next to the ghost, clasping his hand in his own.
Phantom smiles shakily, "Are you alright, Danny?"
"Don't worry about me! Are you going to be alright?" Danny asks, eyes filled with concern.
Phantom chuckles, his form fizzing like bad TV reception, "I'll be fine, though I'm afraid I won't be able to help you as much as I'd like for a while."
Danny's frowns, his brow wrinkling, "What do you mean?"
"I've been keeping that shadow away from you all this time...he has been after you, since before you were born, and especially now..."
Danny squeezes the ghost's hand, "Phantom, you need to rebuild your energy, don't worry about me," Danny glances away for a moment before locking their eyes together, "I'll find a way to keep Vlad away."
Phantom gazes into Danny's eyes, seeing the determination in them. He smiles and tightens his grip slightly on Danny's hands, "I know you will. You've always been strong," He sighs, using what strength he has left to lift his hand to Danny's face, as he seems fond of doing.
This time, Danny leans into the touch, subconsciously needing the comfort. Phantom's smile grows ever so slightly as he says, "Even if you don't remember me, it seems your heart does. I'll return soon, my Nightingale," He fades away.
Danny stays on his knees for a long time after, before standing and putting on a grim scowl. His cheeks feel tight so he rubs a hand across his face, not realizing that he'd been crying. He takes a deep breath and begins looking for his parents to explain what happened to the Specter Deflector and to ask for another weapon to defend himself.
Better to be safe than sorry after all.