Warnings for this chapter: none really, except for some fluff.
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Chapter eleven: Such insignificant moments to cherish.
Danny is still sitting in the room, trying to read but not really focusing on what is in the book. He is pretty sure he read the same line at least twenty times though.
He sighs, absently wondering where Phantom went before shoving the thought away. Phantom wasn't real, Danny had no proof that he was. He wasn't a kid anymore, there was no point in acting like one.
'Besides,' Danny thought, 'Even if he was real, what would the point be? Phantom was supposed to be a ghost, we couldn't have a real relationship even if we wanted to.' He turns the page of his book, still not registering the words on the page.
"Danny,"
He mentally groans, what did he want this time?
"Danny." The ghost says again, sounding exasperated. Danny continues to ignore him.
"Danny!"
"What?!" Danny exclaims as throws his hands up with a scowl in Phantom's direction.
Phantom raises a brow, looking unimpressed at the display, "Jazz is coming," The ghost states. "Well then lock the door! I don't need her analyzing me." Danny grouses.
He frowned when the other male made no move to do what he said, "What? I've seen you lock doors before, why don't-"
He gets cut off by the door slamming open, "Danny!" Jazz exclaims with an excited grin, "What now! I told you I don't need you're help! Why don't you-"
"Danny your not crazy!"
"That's what I said, I'm not-wait what?" Danny halts his rant, mouth left open and not quite believing what his sister said.
Jazz walks toward him and throws an old box on the bed, "I said, 'you're not crazy'! I managed to find the room that Phantom stayed in and found this under the carpet in the corner!" She tells him, excitement still on her face.
Danny glances between the chest and his sister, still not getting it, "You found an old box? I don't..."
Jazz rolls her eyes, "It's not just an old box Danny, look inside it!" She tosses him the key to the chest.
He fumbles it for a bit before he gets a good hold of the gold key, glaring at Jazz and a snickering Phantom who happens to be standing behind her. He looks down at the key in his hands, then to the chest next to him, fighting with himself on whether or not he should listen to her.
"Go on amore, it's something that you need to see." Phantom urges softly.
Danny gulps before taking the chest and putting it in his lap. He shakily puts the key in the lock and turns it, a resounding click seeming to echo in the quiet room. All three of them hold their breath in anticipation as Danny lifts the lid.
The first thing he sees is the gold pin, winking up at him in the light of the lamp. He draws in a breath, picking the pin up and cradling it in his hand like it might break if he wasn't careful. He thinks back to when Phantom asked him if he remembered it, now the memory was coming in crystal clear.
"Phantom gave me this pin on our third anniversary," He says softly, a lump forming in his throat as his eyes burn, "You said you had it made especially for me," Danny seems to forget that Jazz was in the room as he gazes into Phantom's eyes. The ghost smiles sadly and nods.
"It was crafted by the best metal smiths in England, I gave you that with the rose," He motions toward the box, chuckling a little, "You could never bring yourself to throw the rose away, even when I gave you more. You always insisted that you didn't need flowers," His green eyes glow brighter, "But I knew you always loved them, il mio bellissimo uccello del mare(1)."
Damn it, he was crying now. Danny wipes his eyes with his arm before carefully setting the pin down next to him. Jazz stays quiet as he roots through the letters, occasionally reading one and turning a slight pink before putting it down next to the pin. He catches sight of the photograph and his breath hitches, slowly picking it up and staring at it. A new memory comes to mind.
Into the past~
Come on Ida, I know you want to test out your camera, but I don't think this is the best way! What if someone finds out about it?"
A woman with black hair cut into a bob, turquoise blue eyes, and wearing a black dress with green-blue accents scoffed, "Oh pish posh Daniel, no one is going to find out! Now do we do this in your room or Phantom's?"
"You haven't the slightest idea how wrong that sounded don't you?" Danny cleared his throat and tugged at his blue collar, "I guess we can take the picture in Phantom's room, there's a lot more room and it's much nicer than mine."
Ida smirked, "If I didn't know better I'd think you lived in Phantom's quarters, with how often you go there."
Danny tugged at his collar again, perspiration forming on his forehead and the back of his neck, "Yes, well, it's very fortunate that you were the one to notice and not anyone else. Vlad would have my head if he found out."
Ida curled her nose in distaste as they walked down the hall to Phantom's cabin, "I do wish you'd take Baritoni's offer and get off this ship for good, Vlad always did give me the willies when I talked to him, I don't know what my parents see in the man."
Danny chuckled as they stopped at the now familiar door, "He has good charisma, there's no denying that." He knocked lightly.
Italian curses and grunts were heard on the other side of the door. Danny's face began to burn as he heard Phantom cuss out his pants in a very descriptive manner. The raven haired woman giggled next to him and he found himself thankful that Phantom wasn't speaking French.
The door finally opened with Phantom standing there, shirt ruffled and ponytail askew. He glanced between Danny and Ida, before a slow and sexy grin appeared on his face, "Why hello Signore piano man and Signora Manson, what do I owe this pleasure?"
Ida barged past the green eyed devil and made her way into his room with a big smile, camera in hand, "Thought I'd test out my new camera, and Danny was nice enough to volunteer!"
Phantom raised a brow at Danny, "Oh? You volunteered, huh?" A dangerous glint came to his eye, "I suppose a few photos wouldn't hurt."
Danny gulped, "N-nothing outrageous!" He said hurriedly, "I don't want anyone to find these!"
Ida rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip, "Please Daniel, no one is going to see these." She huffed, "Fine, just one picture. One copy for you, and one for myself. No one in America is going to know who you are and I'm not going to sell them."
Phantom put an arm around Danny's shoulders and pulled him closer, "See mio caro? Nothing to worry about."
Danny bit his lip, then gave a hesitant nod. "Okay. I-"
"Great! Now take off your jacket and go sit on the bed!" Ida said.
"Uh, What?" Danny suddenly looked like a fish with his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock.
Phantom chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "You heard the lady amore, take it off."
Danny's face burned as he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over the dresser out of the way. He yelped as Phantom pulled him onto the bed, legs on either side of his, arm around his waist. Phantom entwined his free hand with Danny's, putting his chin on the Raven's shoulder and giving him another brow wiggle along with a reasuring grin.
"Just one picture Nightingale, I would like at least one picture of us together before I have to return home," He purred.
Danny shivered as the man's white hair tickled his ear. Ida warmed up the camera and Danny smiled, just cherishing this moment with his friend and the one he loved. A moment that would be captured on film long after they were gone.
Back to the future~
Such an insignificant moment, one that was gone in a blink of an eye. But now Danny had that moment back. His vision wavers as he gazes at the picture.
"Danny?" Jazz says hesitantly, reminding Danny she was still there. He blinks, tears now flowing down his cheeks. He looks at his sister, then at Phantom, both their eyes filled with concern. He sets the photo aside and hugs her, surprising the red haired woman.
"Thanks Jazz." He says sincerely. Jazz smiles and returns the hug.
"Anytime little brother...anytime..."
Translations for the chapter
(1) "Il mio bellissimo uccello del mare." Means My beautiful sea bird.