Warning: Graphic description of abuse and trapping the abused from leaving
From: Alex
You can come into work any time today, Dash
From: Alex
Anastasia's coming in at 4 if you'd rather wait until she's here
I don't know what to respond with so I opt for nothing, closing out of his conversation. I only stare down at my other conversations for maybe two seconds before I'm opening Danny's. I could message any one of my teammates or friends instead but he's the one I want to talk to. Which probably isn't a good thing considering I'm trying to avoid pushing him about the phantom thing.
To: Danny Fenton
Are you busy today?
I stare at his name until the letters start to look weird and I end up tapping his contact before I realize I'm doing it. It doesn't look right with his last name attached to it so I erase it. When we first started talking, he was Fenton to me. But now he's just Danny. I like calling him that a hell of a lot more than Fenton.
From: Danny
Not until later. Why?
I don't want to pull him away from whatever's going on with him, especially considering he could probably use the time to himself, but… I don't want to be alone either. Kwan's still sleeping, I know that for sure. He's all about getting in early runs during weekdays but if anyone wakes him on the weekends, they might as well be poking a sleeping bear.
God, I shouldn't still be nervous when I text Danny but I am. I hate the way I second-guess myself on every word I type. I must re-read it half a dozen times before I finally push send, chewing on my thumbnail as I watch it appear on my screen.
To: Danny
I'm bored and no one's awake yet. Wanna go do something?
Danny probably has way better things to do this weekend than hanging out with me but I don't. I want to see him again, even if it's only for a little while. Hell, I'd meet him to do homework as long as it meant I got to see him. I hate not knowing how he is… especially considering our phone call last night.
Thankfully, Danny doesn't keep me in suspense for long and I'm a little embarrassed by how good it makes me feel to see his answer.
From: Danny
Sure. Meet me at school?
Danny's car is parked near the front of the school when I pull into the lot. He's leaning against the driver's door, staring down at his phone, but he glances up when my car crunches over the gravel lot. He smiles and gives a small wave when he sees me before pocketing his phone.
"I was kinda hoping you'd still be asleep when I sent that snapchat this morning. It kinda seemed like you could use the rest," Danny says when I step out of my car. I move around the hood and muster up a shrug. The bags he's sporting under his eyes are horrible but I'm distracted by the backwards cap he still has on. Paired with his dark blue shirt with various white dots that make up constellations, he's making this casual interaction harder than I thought it would be.
"Yeah… I was already up." I shove my hands into my pockets, more to stop myself from brushing back the fringe from his forehead that's managed to escape the hat.
Danny closes his eyes, turning his face up to the sky and letting out a soft breath. "Couldn't sleep, huh?" he asks, squinting an eye open as he looks down at me.
I swallow loud in the silence but I manage to find my voice before it turns awkward. "Uh… yeah. Y-You?" I mentally kick myself for the stutter but if Danny heard it he doesn't mention it.
"Mm… I barely slept," he mumbles, stretching his arms over his head. I wonder how much of that has to do with whatever phantom was doing last night. "Today's gonna be murder cause I haven't had any coffee," he continues, tilting his head back down again. He gives me a small smile and I can clearly see the bags under his eyes. Jesus, what's he doing hanging out with me instead of trying to get a few more hours of sleep?
I jerk my thumb toward my car. "Do you… wanna go get some coffee?"
Danny makes a face before shaking his head. "No… I'm steering clear of caffeine today. My um…" He drops his gaze to the pavement, shrugging a little. "My anxiety's been pretty bad lately so I'm trying not to make it any worse."
Shit, what the fuck is he doing? He didn't have to meet me just cause I asked him to. He should be home, trying to relax or whatever helps him. "You didn't… have to meet up with me," I mumble, scuffing the toe of my shoe against the ground.
"No, I wanted to," he says, glancing toward my car with a shrug. "It's not like I was sleeping anyway. And besides, it's probably better that I'm not on my own right now." He covers his mouth with the back of his hand as he yawns and I'm stuck just watching his eyes crinkle up with the movement. It's not fair of him to be this fucking adorable.
Danny looks back at me and I try not to be obvious about the fact that I was just admiring the view. "Any idea what you want to do today?" he asks, starting for the passenger side of my car. "I gotta pick my sister up later so I only have a couple hours."
"Uhh…" I try to come up with something on the spot but his words suddenly register in my mind. I remember seeing a photo of his sister at his place when he was tutoring me… "Um… what... was that about your sister?" I ask, rubbing at the back of my neck as I cross to the driver's side. There's a few seconds of silence as we both climb into the car and I start the engine.
Danny exhales softly, reaching to grab his seatbelt and buckle it in place. "She's coming home for the weekend. My parents are working for a couple hours this morning so they asked me to pick her up from the train station."
He slides his phone from his pocket and glances at the screen before nodding and putting it away again. "Her train gets in at noon so we have about three hours to kill before I gotta head that way."
I click my own seatbelt into place before glancing his way with a shrug. "I didn't really have anything in mind for today… just kinda bored," I respond. For half a second, I consider adding the fact that I don't want to go home yet but I don't know if I'm ready to tell Danny that. It was natural when I told Kwan and Paulina… hell, it even felt natural when I spilled my guts to Alex but it'll be different when I tell Danny… if I tell Danny.
He picks up on my slight wince at the thought of Alex and when he frowns, it's like my mind blanks entirely. All I can focus on is that slight pout of his lips. Ahh, fuck me, he's so adorable it physically hurts just looking at him instead of touching.
Danny lets out a quiet 'hmm' as he turns his stare out the windshield. His bottom lip disappears between his teeth again and I have to train my gaze out the window cause I can't take that sight. Not in the crowded space of my car. I put the car in drive and back out of the parking space, intent on just driving around until we see something that interests us, when Danny pipes up.
"What do you usually do for fun?" he asks, innocence all over his expression.
I chew on the inside of my cheek as I shift my gaze back to the road, offering a shrug in response. "If I'm with my friends, get wasted." I don't really do anything 'for fun' by myself. Unless fixing parts of my car counts. Something tells me it doesn't.
Danny hums softly, turning his gaze out the window as I continue to drive. After the silence has stretched over us long enough, I reach to turn the radio on. A DJ is talking at full-volume and I nudge the dial down a few notches until he shuts the hell up.
A soft song starts playing and I vaguely recognize the voice. Danny does too and he starts easily nodding along to it, his expression taking on a dreamy look. He's quiet until the song reaches the second chorus.
"Hey, turn left here," he says as we near a fork in the road on one of the back roads behind the school. I barely glance at him before I take it. He settles back in his seat, paying more attention to the road now. He gives me directions occasionally and once again, I'm heading to the edge of Amity Park with Danny riding shotgun.
I give him a look. "I thought you had to pick your sister up in a couple hours."
Danny shrugs, his stare drifting over the clock on my car's dashboard. "We still have a couple of hours," he responds, giving me a grin as he slouches down in his seat. "Besides, I doubt you'll wanna stay here long. It's kind of – oh, turn left again – it's kind of more my style?"
After a few more turns, we've evidently reached the place and I snort as I pull my Mitsubishi into the parking lot. I'm not even surprised that he's taken me to a space center. Honestly, I figured it was gonna happen at some point.
"I'm a nerd but you're not allowed to tease me. This place is amazing, okay?" He rolls his eyes at whatever expression is on my face. "Humor me, alright?"
He unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of my car, pausing only to stick his tongue out at me which makes me laugh. He grins in response before slamming my car door shut and I'm quick to follow him out.
Amity Park Science and Space center is looming ahead of us and I give Danny a side-glance and he sticks his tongue out again. "Shut up, okay? There's a lot of informational sections and the museum part's pretty cool but… I really love the planetarium and observatory rooms." Danny's smile grows as he talks and I bite the inside of my lip to stop myself from saying anything. "I'll have to bring you back here one night to see the observatory."
Danny leads the way up to the front door and he holds the it open to let me go first. The woman working behind the desk recognizes him immediately and it makes me wonder how often he shows up here. They talk for a few minutes, mainly about shit I don't understand and I let my eyes wander around what I guess is the lobby area.
Aside from the desk we're standing in front of, there's an elevator across from us, and some weird over-grown plant things beside the doors. I swear, one of the plants looks like it's trying to crawl out of its pot.
"You know it's not open to the public again yet…" the woman is saying, and I easily tune back in to the conversation. She's biting on her bottom lip and Danny's looking up at her with an eager expression. She hesitates only a moment more before she exhales softly, reaching beneath the desk. Her hand emerges, clenched around a key, and she passes it off to Danny. "Make sure you lock up behind you or Hobson will have my head, alright?"
Danny bobs his head in response, an overzealous grin taking over his face. "Right, of course. Thanks, Delilah." He glances back at me, gesturing for me to follow him. He's practically vibrating with excitement as he comes to a stop in front of the elevators. We climb into one as soon as it's arrived and Danny lets out a breath, the grin never fading from his expression.
"You… uh, you come here often?" I ask, awkwardly coughing at the way it sounds like I'm trying to hit on him. Not that I don't want to...
He glances at me, nodding again, that eager expression still on his face. "Yeah, all the time. I've been here at least three times a week since freshman year. I've gone a couple times since this year started, until-" He abruptly stops, his face coloring as he looks away from me.
I bite down on the inside of my cheek, waiting the appropriate amount of time before I prompt him to finish. "Until…?"
Danny meets my gaze for all of three seconds until he deems it to be too much and he shakes his head. "Um. O-Okay, you can't laugh or… anything but, I kinda haven't really been back since we started talking. Cause… I've been tutoring you after school or hanging out and that's… um, it takes p-priority over a few hours by myself. A-And I- what?" he demands when he looks up at me. His face is still colored and I can only guess what mine looks like with the grin I can feel taking over my features.
I have the decency to look at least a little ashamed that he caught me grinning like a fucking idiot and I offer up a shrug. He likes hanging out with me. It takes priority over other things.
He scoffs next to me, stepping out of the elevator once we've come to a stop. "You're not allowed to tease me, okay?" He sticks his tongue out at me before I follow him off the elevator. He's back to being excited as fuck and practically skips down the hall in search of whatever we're here for.
"Three twenty…. Three twenty-one…. Three- Ah, here it is!" Danny says, the smile on his face making me want to smile too. He checks down the hall before he slides the key into the lock and gives it a turn, quickly ushering me inside.
Darkness swallows us whole when he lets the door fall shut behind him. The key clinks softly in his hand and he lets out a breath. "S-Sorry… I forgot there's no light, hang on." He easily pads his way across the room and I stumble behind him.
He uses his phone to light his way and jogs up four or five stairs before he comes to a stop. "Alright. Get your ass ready for this cause it's the second best thing in the world."
I hear the sound of typing and a few clicks before the room is suddenly bathed in speckles. Tiny, drifting speckles that I almost can't see. I think a breath leaves me as I stare around at the stars covering every inch of the walls and ceiling.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Danny asks, suddenly next to me again. I almost jump when I realize how close he is and he puts his hand on my shoulder in some form of an apology. "Come on." He tugs me by the arm and sits on the floor.
He turns toward me when I sit next to him and though I can barely see him, I can hear how happy he is when he talks. "It's currently going under some changes but Delilah has been working here for as long as I've been coming and she lets me in here after hours or when it's closed to the public."
Danny quietly exhales, stretching out onto his back as he keeps his gaze on the ceiling. I stare at his body for longer than necessary, seeing the little dots of stars lazily drifting over him. The bottom of his shirt is riding up just a little and I can't help the way I want to reach out and touch his hipbones.
I lay down beside him, turning my gaze upward too. I'm afraid if I stare at him for any longer, I won't be able to stop myself from touching him and making this awkward.
"Second best thing in the world, huh?" I ask and he hums softly in response. I drum my fingers against the floor before I turn my head toward him. He's still got his gaze on the ceiling but as my eyes adjust to the darkness more, I can make out his shape easier. "What's the best – the real thing?"
Danny shakes his head, letting out a quiet breath. "No… s-stargazing in general is the second-best thing in the world…." he trails off and though the opening is right there, and I could easily ask him what the first thing is, I find myself not wanting to. If he's interested in telling me, he will.
He doesn't say anything and though I'm curious as fuck, I let it end there. Cause I don't want to push him away again like I did when we came home from the beach together. The broken tone that his voice held that day isn't one I want to hear again anytime soon.
I keep my gaze focused on the ceiling for as long as I can before I tilt my head to watch him instead. My eyes have adjusted completely and I can clearly see the contented expression on his face. He looks entirely at peace, staring up at the projected stars and a warm feeling spreads through my chest. I wonder how often he's been in here by himself, staring up at these stars and thinking about life.
"Makes you feel so small, huh?" Danny questions, his voice soft. He shifts a little, his gaze never leaving the stars overhead. "This… is what I love about space. And the outlook. When you're staring up at the stars or down at the town we live in… nothing matters. None of your shit… or anyone's shit matters… and I love the feeling of everything not mattering for just a little while."
He pushes out a contented breath, turning toward me with a genuine smile. One that makes it so easy for my eyes to trace the shape of his lips even in the darkness and makes me want to kiss him. If I could just make our shit matter for a few seconds, I'd press my lips to his and he really would forget everything else. I'd commit to memory the taste of him and the way his lips felt against mine. I want to reach across the space between us and tug him closer to me, gaze down into his eyes, and just fucking kiss him… but god, he's so happy and I have no fucking clue if he even looks at guys the way that I'm looking at him. If the lights were on, I'm sure he'd see everything I'm thinking painted on my face like I'm an open fucking book. And that thought makes me so fucking glad that we're sitting in the dark, staring up at a string of projected stars while I think about kissing someone that was just supposed to be my math tutor.
I don't know how long we stay in the planetarium but by the time we leave, I feel like some kind of mole. We're both blinking in the brightness of the hallway and my eyes have barely adjusted on the elevator ride before we're standing in the lobby, with the sun coming in through the windows.
Danny and the woman behind the desk talk excitedly about some NASA launch or something - I'm only catching snatches of the conversation. I stare around the lobby, trying to get my eyes to adjust. I'd hate to crash my car just cause I'm half-blind now. The elevator brings a couple of people with it and I watch them get off and head toward the door. I don't even realize a yawn has escaped me until Danny looks back at me.
"I think I'm boring my friend here so… I'm gonna head out," Danny says, giving Delilah a smile. "I'll see you next week or something, okay? Have a good shift."
She smiles up at him, easily nodding her head in response and offering a small wave as we start away from the desk. Danny returns the wave when we're at the door and then we're in the parking lot, trudging toward my car.
"It's gonna be jacket weather soon. I can't wait," Danny comments, giving me a smile when I look at him again. His eyebrows draw down just a little and his expression is a bit hesitant. "S-Sorry… if that wasn't that interesting for you. Um… y-you can take me wherever you want to?"
He darts his gaze away from me and I guess my squinting appears more like I'm irritated than the fact that I'm practically blind in this sun.
"Don't be sorry. I liked that, it was cool of you to show me," I say, attempting to give him a shitty smile when he looks back at me. He returns it instantly and the momentary tension between us is gone. Well… for the most part. I still want to kiss him and it's tearing at me with every beat of my heart. It's like my own body is asking me the same question I've wondered every time I see his smile. God, why don't you just fucking kiss him?
Danny turns the radio on after we leave the parking lot of the space center and he absentmindedly taps his hands against the armrest to the beat of every song. I even catch him humming along a couple of times but he doesn't notice me staring. I don't get long to look at him considering the fact that I'm the one driving but still. I love the few seconds I manage to steal a glance or two at him.
"So, where to now?" he asks, finally turning toward me once we've been driving for a while.
I shrug a shoulder, not entirely sure I know. I kind of want to default to coffee and parking my car by the outlook again so I can bitch about every horrible thing in my life but… I don't want to bring up any of my shit right now. And besides, Danny mentioned ditching caffeine for the day.
"I don't know… I'm all ears if you have any ideas," I say, paying attention to the road as I switch lanes before I glance at Danny again, offering up a shrug.
Danny makes a soft 'hmm' sound in the back of his throat, before he glances at me. "What about… that theater you dragged me into a while ago? It might be nice to see when it's not the dead of night. Unless that's the only time you like to visit it," he says with a smirk.
I roll my eyes as a snort leaves me. I wasn't that interested in breaking into the place. I just wanted to distract him. God, that night feels so long ago but it's only been about a month.
Within a few minutes, we're on the right path and after I make a few turns, I'm pulling my car into the parking lot of the theater. There are almost no other cars around us so I park in the first space I find and kill the engine.
"At least we won't have to pick the lock this time, huh?" Danny asks, laughing a little at the expression on my face. "You can even choose what movie we watch if you want to. Even if you choose one that's really-" He stops when his phone starts ringing and a frown creases his features as he glances over the screen.
Danny looks up at me. "Sorry, one sec." He presses his phone to his ear before letting out a breath. "Hello?"
I lean back, undoing my seat-belt only cause I want to slouch further in my seat. Danny watches me for a second before leaning over to poke me in the stomach. I try to prevent him from being able to but he somehow gets his hand under my arms and jabs me with his index finger a couple of times before sticking his tongue out.
"Yeah?" he asks, easily returning to his call. He's silent for a second and I wait until he looks up at me before I lunge across the space between us and poke him back, probably more times than what's necessary.
Danny lets out this laugh combined with some kind of primal screech and he glares at me like he wants me dead. I can't help the broken snorts leaving me as I watch his cheeks flush.
"Sorry, that was Dash. So… you'll be here early?" he asks, frowning again as he nods. "Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll be right there. No, don't worry about it." Danny chews his bottom lip before rolling his eyes. "No, I don't need you to… I'm hanging up now. No, I- bye, Jazz."
He pulls his phone away from his ear and hits end on the call, glancing back to me. "Sorry… um, my sister's train got here early so I need to… go pick her up." He glances around the parking lot, probably trying to judge how long it'll take us to get back to the school and get his car.
After a few seconds of silence, he apparently decides and turns back to me with a hesitant expression on his face. "Um… are you interested in… I mean, do you like… do you want to meet her?"
Danny's face is flushed and I can't think of a reason why I'd say no. Not when he looks as adorable as he does right now with the slight flush and-
"Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun," I say, forcing a smile on my face despite the way my heart has started pounding in the silence. He gives me a smile and I'm guessing he can't hear my heart. I turn the car on again and once we're both strapped in again, we're on the way.
I don't think it hit me earlier that I'm actually meeting his sister for the first time but I'm extremely aware of the situation as we stand outside the train station waiting for her to make an appearance. I'm chewing on the side of my thumbnail and Danny glances toward me.
He looks like he wants to say something but he decides against it, turning his gaze back to the station. I'm leaning against the front of my car and he's sitting on the hood. Out of the two of us, he should be more nervous than I am. But I'm chewing on my fingernails to distract myself and he's casually swinging his legs back and forth, just watching for his sister.
"I've mentioned you to her so she might recognize you," Danny says, turning his gaze up to the sky when I look at him. He's quiet for a few seconds before he offers up a shrug. "Just as a warning, in case she tries to hug you."
I drop my hand from my mouth, purposefully shoving it into my pocket so I'll stop biting my nails. "I uhh… y-yeah? Is she a hugger or something?"
Danny nods, a smile ghosting over his expression as he looks at me again. "Yeah. Every time I see her, she insists on hugs. Been that way since I was a kid." He glances toward the station, biting on his bottom lip before he looks at me again. "Can I… be honest with you?"
Honest?Like… phantom honest?My mouth is dry but I swallow anyway, nodding. I don't trust myself to speak but apparently, he didn't need me to. He draws in a breath like he was never waiting for a response.
"I've… really missed her these past few months. It hasn't been the same at home without her there," Danny says, exhaling out a breath that holds some weight of loneliness I didn't know he carried with him. He drops his gaze to the pavement, the expression on his face unreadable as he continues. "She's only two years older and we're really close. A-And she's a sophomore now so, I've done this whole seeing her off after the summer thing before, I just… I've really missed her."
Shit. I've never had anyone like that in my life. It almost killed me when mom left but that's not the same thing. There was no chance that she was coming back. I don't know what to say to help Danny but he suddenly sits upright and practically vaults off my car. His expression immediately changes and his mouth stretches into a grin. After tossing me one final glance, he starts running toward the station and I can only watch him.
A ginger-haired girl is coming down the walk but she drops her bags on the pavement and matches Danny's pace to get to him. When they're finally close enough, she wraps her arms around him and though I'm too far away to catch what's being said, they're both grinning.
I debate on following Danny over to his sister but I feel too awkward to actually do it. I just keep my position of leaning against my car, waiting for them to make their way over to me. Thankfully, after a few more hugs are exchanged, Danny starts gesturing toward me and after the two of them grab her bags, they start heading my way.
Danny's talking with his sister as they approach my car and he's grinning but the closer they get to me, the more I can see him fidget with his sister's bag. When he looks away from his sister for half a second, worry seeps into his expression. Just as quickly as the change took place, he reverses it and gives his sister another smile when she starts talking again.
I push away from my car when they come to a stop and Danny glances between us, exhaling out softly. "Um… Jazz, this is… Dash," he says, extending his hand toward me. His gaze lingers on me, his eyebrows drawing down like he's worried of how she'll react, or maybe how I'll react. "Dash, this is my sister, Jazz."
She smiles brightly before stepping forward to envelope me in a hug that I wasn't entirely prepared for. I awkwardly pat her back and Danny's expression lightens and he visibly relaxes. Which makes my heart pound for some reason besides the nerves.
Danny's sister pulls away from me, shooting me a grin with the movement. "So, you're the one that my brother leaves the house for," Jazz says, glancing toward him with a sly expression on her face. It fits with the blush creeping up his neck but I'm not sure I understand the exchange.
"Th-That's not… Jazz!" Danny squeaks out, hiding his face behind one hand. He uses his other hand to grab the suitcase beside her, purposefully running over her foot with the wheels. "D-Dash… why don't you help me put this away?"
Jazz laughs, leaning to kiss Danny on the cheek before he can get away from her. He responds with another glare, dropping his hand from his face before he looks at me, nodding toward the trunk. I follow him around the side of my car and open the trunk for him. His shoulder brushes by mine as he sets her bag inside. After a second, he nervously glances at me.
"S-Sorry… I told you she's a hugger," he mumbles, his gaze darting from me back to the trunk.
I shrug, reaching up to take my keys from the keyhole in the trunk. "It's cool," I respond, smiling at him when he looks my way. He relaxes again, a smile easily pushing its way onto his face and I suddenly feel more at ease. As long as I can keep Danny smiling and not worrying about whatever the fuck he's thinking, it's a success.
"You guys coming or whaaaat? I'm starving!" Jazz calls from where we left her and Danny glances in her direction.
He looks back at me with a shrug, his smile still in place. "I guess we'd better go then," he says, his hesitance replaced now by an amazing smile. One that I'm more than happy to encourage. Cause I was wrong before, happy doesn't look good on him. He makes happy look good.
Danny rides shotgun on the way from the train station and Jazz seems pretty happy sitting in the back, pointing out every random thing she can to talk about. At first, I wonder if she's trying to make small-talk but from the contented smile on Danny's face, I'm guessing this is just her personality.
"So, where are you taking me for food, little brother?" she asks, leaning forward to stick her head between the front seats. I barely glance at her before I creep the car forward in the longest line possible.
Danny looks her way with a shrug. "Depends on if I'm buying or not," he says, cutting her off when she starts complaining about being a broke college student. "Oh please, I know mom and dad send you money like every week."
Jazz rolls her eyes before glancing at me. "Since my brother's being a jerk," she pauses to stick her tongue out at him. "You can pick where we go, Dash."
There's an air of hesitation in the car where there wasn't before and Danny slowly turns to look at me. Maybe he's trying to judge what I'm feeling or trying to guess where I'll pick but he eventually lets out a small breath, the worry creeping back into his expression.
"You don't… have to come with us. You can drop us off at my car if you want to," Danny says quietly. Like maybe he's afraid I won't tag along with them. Or maybe he's worried I will… I can't tell which one he wants me to do and I'd rather just figure it the fuck out instead of saying the wrong thing.
I turn my gaze back to the road, weighing the options of saying the wrong thing before I finally let out a soft breath of my own. There shouldn't be anything wrong with just asking. I'm guessing he wants to be with his sister for a while, instead of having someone else butt in… but part of me hopes that's not what he wants.
"Do you… want me to leave you two alone?" I ask, inwardly cringing at the way it came out. God, there's probably a better way to phrase it but Danny doesn't seem to mind.
"N-No, I um..." He's awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he works out what he's trying to say. After a few quiet seconds, he glances up at me, a hesitant smile on his face. "I-I want you there."
I can't help the way my chest aches at his smile and the way I'm immediately returning it with one of my own. The traffic has begun creeping forward again so I busy myself with driving, unable to keep my lips from turning upward.
"I-If anything, you can keep her from asking all the typical big sister questions," Danny says, glancing back at Jazz. She suddenly pushes forward between the two seats again and I'm not sure when she disappeared from that spot.
There's still pink on Danny's face when his sister starts arguing about how it's her job to ask those questions and he should appreciate her more. I'm barely listening to the exchange between the two of them because I'm focused on the blush lingering on Danny's cheeks like it belongs there. And part of me hopes I'm the only reason that his skin is ever stained with that color.
Jazz takes back the offer to let me choose where to go when I default to a fast food place I frequent on my way home from work. She informs Danny and I that all she's had for the past week is take-out. Instead, she wants an actual meal somewhere nice. Which is how we end up outside some place called Axion a few blocks away from the train station.
"I'm still not paying for you," Danny says, rolling his eyes at Jazz's attempt at puppy dog eyes. He glances at me as he unbuckles his seatbelt. "You I'll pay for."
"Hey, that's not fair! I'm related to you!" Jazz complains as she climbs out of the car, slamming her door closed. She crouches by Danny's window and sticks her tongue out before starting for the door.
Danny watches her go for a second before he looks back at me, that worry from earlier returning to his expression. "You sure you're okay with this?" he asks, looking like he's ready to call this off if I say I'm not.
"Yeah, I'm good. She seems cool," I say, reaching down to undo my seat-belt. I'm not sure why he's worried about this. I don't know his sister at all but… seeing the smile on Danny's face when he saw her lets me know all I need to about their relationship, and the kind of person she probably is.
We follow her into the restaurant and my mind wanders back to the weekend we played flag football together. How we walked next to each other to the field and I brushed my hand against his just to see what it felt like.
I don't glance his way when I brush my hand by his and I don't make an excuse for it this time. Though he looks at me, I don't turn to him. Cause his sister's waiting inside the place and as much as I want to give up and back him up against the nearest wall before kissing him over and over and over again… I can't make this awkward for him.
So I do what I do best and pretend that my heart's not trying to beat its way out of my chest just cause his smile is really fucking cute.
Danny and Jazz keep me talking and laughing throughout the meal and by the time we leave the place, none of us are sure if it counts as breakfast or early lunch. Jazz mainly talked about college and how much she's missed being home but she managed to tell a couple of stories about Danny when he was younger. And as we climb back into my car, I feel like I know him a little better now.
I kind of zone out while I'm driving, barely listening to their conversation. It doesn't take long to get to the school and I park next to Danny's car, the familiar tension creeping back under my skin. Shit… was it really just this morning that dad woke me up? Feels like it's been a lot longer than that.
The three of us leave my car and hover outside Danny's. He unlocks the doors but neither one of them make a move toward it. Jazz glances between us for a second before smiling at me.
"It was nice to finally meet you, Dash. Gotta admit, you're not what I was picturing when Danny told me about you," she says, bringing that slight flush back to his skin. He rolls his eyes but doesn't deny that he's been talking about me.
I can't help the smile or the ever-present pounding of my heart at the thought of Danny telling anyone about me. "It was nice to meet you too," I tell her, accepting the hug she gives me a little better than the one at the station. She squeezes me gently before pulling away with a grin.
She shoots a look toward her brother, that same concern he wears around me easing its way into her expression. Jazz glances at me again, her eyebrows pulling downward.
"Can you do me a favor?" she asks, waiting until I nod before she continues. "Look out for my brother, will you? Make sure he doesn't spend too much time cooped up in the house."
Danny scoffs, dropping his gaze when we both look at him. He toes the ground with his shoe before looking up and jerking a thumb toward his car. "We should probably get going, Jazz. I'm sure we've taken enough of Dash's day already." His gaze lingers on me when he looks up and I can feel the breath caught in my throat at the hesitance in his expression.
I want to say that I'd rather stick around with the two of them but I really should leave them alone for a while. I imagine Danny wants that time with his sister now. He immediately looks away from me when I meet his gaze.
Jazz gives her brother a small nod but I speak before either one of them can leave.
"I will," I say, watching the confusion on Danny's face before he gets it. But they should both know that I'm not planning on letting him stay stuck in his house forever. As often as I can, I'm dragging him out of his place.
The grateful look Jazz gives me makes me wonder if she knows about phantom. Or if she's never gotten as far as I have and questioned the bruises only to get no explanation. Danny said they're close but… I wonder if they're close enough for him to talk about that with her. Unless… was he born this way?
"Thanks, Jazz," Danny mumbles, running a hand down his face as he glares at her. His bangs have fallen completely from his hat and I almost can't stop myself from brushing it away from his skin just so I can watch that pink flush meet his hairline.
He glances at me, letting out a soft breath as he offers up a shrug. "She worries about me too much. Tried to tell her in the past that I'm okay and she never believes me."
"I'd believe you more if I knew you were hanging around people more often," Jazz says, cutting him off before he can argue. "And yes, I know you skype with Sam and Tucker all the time but it's not the same."
Danny mumbles something about it being exactly the same but she won't hear it.
"Oh please, it's not. Dad was telling me that you actually went to a party a little while ago. A real party, Danny. You haven't done that in like two years." She glances at me, a smile easily taking over her expression. "Am I right in assuming that you had something to do with that?"
"Can you not, please?" Danny asks, glaring at her. The smile doesn't leave her face but she holds her hands up in mock surrender. He rolls his eyes at the gesture and exhales out before nodding toward my trunk. "Can you um… can you get out her bag? I'm gonna… put her in the car," he says, glaring at his sister and she can only grin in response.
He leads her to the passenger side and I focus on getting her suitcase. I slam the trunk door shut just as Danny rejoins me. His skin is still flushed as I hand him the bag. I try not to let my eyes linger on him too long but the striking of his pink skin framing his blue eyes has me caught in some kind of trance.
Danny looks away from me, an embarrassed smile crossing his face as he tugs open his trunk door. "Thanks for uh… for coming with us today," he says, glancing toward me.
"I had fun," I respond, leaning against his car when he shuts the trunk. I shove my hands into the depths of my pockets, giving him what I hope is a good smile. "Any time you need me there to distract attention from you, let me know."
He scoffs, shaking his head as his smile widens. "Sounds like a sweet deal on my end but I'm sure you'd want something in return."
"What, like fixing cars to impress girls? Nah, I got that on my own," I respond, probably a little over-confidently considering the wink I give him.
Danny laughs then, rolling his eyes as the sound plays in my ears on repeat and I can't help the grin that's gonna become a permanent part of my face at this point. His expression is so carefree and despite the lingering bruises, his face manages to hold a bit of that contented look he had earlier. God, I fucking love the way he looks right now.
"Speaking of," Danny says, crossing his arms as he joins me against his car. "We should really do that again sometime. Think you're gonna be allowed around the garage anytime soon?" he asks, nudging me with his elbow. He's still smiling but it's a little more hesitant now. Like maybe he's afraid that I'll ask about the car again. Or about phantom. About any of this fucked up shit. But I'm not pushing Danny right now.
I rub the back of my neck, offering up a shrug and hoping that's enough. I'm still grinning but I think he catches on to the tension in my movements cause he puts his hand on my arm. When I look back at him, his smile is gone completely and I don't think I'll ever understand how he can switch expressions so quickly.
"Did something… happen?" he asks, seeming to know the answer already. His fingers rest delicately over my wrist and I stare down at them, trying to find the words instead of imagining the way his fingertips would feel against my lips.
I don't want to drag Danny into this shit cause I know he'll feel awful for being the reason why Alex and I aren't really talking right now. Or maybe I'm the one who's not talking? He texted me after I left the garage and he seemed like he wanted to talk when I was there… ah fuck, am I just making this more complicated than it really is?
"It's not… that big of a deal. Things are just a little tense between us, I guess," I say, wishing I was better with words. If I was, I could say everything the way it is in my head and it'd be better. Or at least, less shitty.
Danny closes his hand around my wrist, his expression still concerned when I look at him. "You guys seemed really close when I met him," he says softly, looking up at me like he's waiting on the answer. Sorry, Danny. I'm not dragging you into that.
I nod, looking away from him again. I can't tell Danny why things are tense cause he's at the center of it. Cause Alex knows that there's something different about Danny and I can't tell him the truth. I can't tell Alex that my stupid, fucked-up heart fell for the guy that was just supposed to be my tutor but it turns out, he's so much more.
"You'll… you'll figure it out. I-I know you can," Danny says, gently squeezing my wrist while I resist the urge to hold his hand. Because I know if I do, I'll kiss his fingertips and tell him that he makes stardust look dim.
So I nod again and force a smile on my face. I don't know when I started getting good at faking but pretending that I don't like Danny is the hardest thing I've ever pulled off. I can only hope that one day, he won't be fooled by it any longer.
Even though I don't want to face dad just yet, I find myself parked outside my house, looking between his car and the front door. God, I really don't want to see him so soon. I'm sure I'm gonna fuck up somehow and he'll hate me again. Still, I can't sit in the fucking driveway all day.
I force myself out of my car and into the house before I give myself time to think about it. I can't see around the staircase but I can hear dad at the kitchen table, talking on his cell phone. He pauses briefly in his conversation when I shut the door, but he effortlessly picks up where he left off.
Despite my best efforts to go unnoticed as I creep toward the stairs, dad waves me over as soon as I'm in his sights. He holds up one finger before continuing with his conversation. He talks only about a minute longer before he hangs up the phone.
"Didn't get to see you much this morning," dad says, leaning back in his chair and looking up at me. I hate the way my throat is instantly constricting under his gaze. I feel like he's watching me and just waiting for me to fuck up.
He's silent for a couple seconds before he glances down at his phone, seeming to choose his words carefully. "I heard you got into some trouble. Toby was telling me you got arrested," he says, glancing up at me with a lifted eyebrow. "He said that those government investigators got a hold of you too."
My stomach bottoms out as he looks up to watch me again and I feel like some kind of specimen, there for him to decide what to do with. I want to be able to answer him, talk about those government agents, but he seems stuck somewhere between curious and not caring.
"I got you out of the court date," he says, like he went with the latter. Considering the expression on his face, I'm guessing he really doesn't care. "And all of my officers are now completely aware of what'll happen to their jobs if they ever hand you off without talking to me again."
Wait… he does care? He wants the officers he works with to keep me away from the government agents unless… dad signs off on it? He actually cares what the hell happens to me? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say or if I should thank him so I just end up nodding, hoping that gets my point across enough. I resist the urge to drop my gaze to the floor when he looks back at me but my stomach twists.
"There something you want to tell me, Dash?" dad asks, his voice sounding more like a death sentence than anything else. He lets out a soft 'hmm' when I shake my head but he doesn't say anything else. He easily returns to his phone and I don't know what to do. Fuck, I wish I hadn't come home yet, the day's still so fucking early.
Dad looks up at me, still awkwardly standing there, thinking about everything the agents said to me. The pictures they showed me of my parents. Of dad. God, they could have hurt him in a second and I wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop them. Despite how fucked-up things can get between us, I don't want anything to happen to dad.
"You sure there's nothing you want to tell me?" he asks and I shake my head again.
"No. I'm just… gonna head upstairs. Do some homework. I've got a lot to focus on," I mumble, taking a small step backward before I gesture to the stairs. "If you need me, I'll be up here."
He barely acknowledges me with more than a nod and I quickly take the exit. I've been so used to no one being here when I come home, it's almost like I've forgotten how it feels to have someone else in the house. Which is probably why focusing on my homework is so difficult when I get to my room.
I eventually take a photo of my algebra page and send it to Danny with a bunch of question marks in hopes that he can explain it. God, I don't remember it being this difficult before. Maybe it's cause I'm not focusing on it that well. My mind's running with thoughts of phantom and Danny's sister and processing the fact that dad's home.
From: Danny
I'm sorry, my sister's distracting me a lot right now. Raincheck and I can help you with this later? Possibly tomorrow?
Just as I text back that it's fine, my door opens and I don't know how I didn't hear him coming up the stairs. My heart crawls into my throat and all I can focus on is dad standing in my doorway. His face is expressionless and the sight makes my stomach turn. What the fuck is he doing in my room right now?
"Wh-What's up?" I ask, clenching my hand around my phone in the silence. Fuck, maybe he's just here cause he hasn't seen me in two weeks and wants to know how I'm doing. Knowing my dad, that's the furthest thing from the answer.
Dad shrugs, stepping further into my room, clasping his hands behind his back as he glances around my walls. I can't understand why my gut is clenching the way it is until dad stops next to my bed and drops something on top of my algebra book.
I don't want to break eye contact with him, afraid of what's gonna happen when I do. We end up staring at each other for a few minutes until the tension in my gut begins crawling up into my throat and I finally look away from him.
There, lying on top of my algebra book, is a crumpled envelope with my name scribbled on it, a little heart beside it. And my stomach hits the fucking floor as I hesitantly lift my gaze again.
Dad just stares back at me, offering me nothing but a blank expression in response. Shit. I don't know what to do. My mouth opens but no words come to me. I have no fucking clue how to deal with this but dad apparently does.
"Were you ever going to tell me about this?" he demands, the casual tone from earlier completely gone now. He holds my gaze as I try to sputter out a response but I still can't come up with anything.
He crouches down to look me in the eye and a broken gasp leaves me. God, I'd take the awkward conversation with Alex over this. It'd be a thousand times easier than dealing with dad right now. His anger has never been this quiet before and I don't know how to fucking handle it.
"I-I…" is all I manage to get out before his fist swings and connects with the side of my face. I try to scramble away from him but my bed only provides so much room and he instantly closes the gap between us, his hands doing what they do best.
Dad anticipates my every move and though I try to block him, he manages to get to my ribs and the pain from September is almost renewed as the breath is knocked from me. Every time I try to breathe in, dad manages to land another hit.
"So," he says, grabbing onto my calves and jerking me off the bed. My head hits something on the way down and I fight to keep my eyes open against the sudden blackness crowding the edges of my vision. Dad pauses a second before kicking me in the ribcage and I can't help the garbled noise from leaving me. Holy fuck, my ribs ache already.
Despite the amount of pain it brings me, I flip onto my stomach and try to crawl toward my door but I only make it a few paces before dad's laughter rings in my ears.
"You're not running away like a little fucking bitch," he spits out, clamping something cold around my wrist. I barely catch the glint of silver before he drags me backward and fastens the other handcuff around one of the legs of my bedframe.
It takes me a few stunned seconds to realize that I'm actually chained here and I look at my wrist as I give an experimental tug against the handcuff. I don't get long to process it before dad crouches next to me again. He looks fucking evil as he stares at me, the malice in his tone almost tangible as he speaks.
"So, let's talk about the letter, Dash," he says, making my name sound like a swear. I don't have time to respond before he punches me in the gut. Fuck, every hit hurts worse than the last. If he keeps at it, I won't be able to breathe by the end of the day.
The blackness is still distorting my vision and for a few seconds, I lose complete sight of him. It doesn't last long and when I'm staring up at him again, he manages to hit my face a few times, only increasing the blackness trying to suck me in.
"She's been talking to you, huh?" dad demands, his hand or foot hitting me again. I don't even know where his hits are landing any more, there's just pain. I'm struggling against the handcuff around my wrist but dad notices and somehow manages to tighten it until it's scraping my wrist every time I move my hand.
He kicks me in the stomach a couple more times, dragging out a gasping breath or two from me. "I asked you a fucking question."
A groan leaves me as I draw in a staggered breath. "I-I didn't… even… write… back," I wheeze out, squeezing my eyes closed against the pain. Goddammit, I forgot about this stupid fucking letter. I knew I should have torn it to shreds the second I was finished reading it.
I squint my eyes open and glance around for my phone. If I can just call Kwan, I might get out of this alive. Cause right now, I don't think dad's interested in stopping until I'm dead.
He notices where I'm looking and kicks my phone away from me, snorting when I groan. "What? Were you thinking of calling someone? Like who?" dad asks, punching me when I don't respond. He glances toward my phone, his eyebrows drawing downward. "You have her in your phone, don't you?"
I try to tell him no but it's too late. He's starts calling me every name he can think of and when he continues kicking me, I find myself choking and gagging as I try to draw in oxygen. I fight against him as much as I can but the combination of pain and blackness is too much.
Everything suddenly stops hurting, and the blackness overtakes me. The last thought in my mind is a question. One I've thought of every time I've found myself in this position but this time, it holds more weight to it. Is he going to stop before I die?
A/N:
Yoooooo! how much do you hate me?
Welcome back to another week of this angst. I'm sure most of you saw the ending scene coming BUT… was it everything you'd hoped for? ;p it's been so long since the last beating, hopefully you guys can forgive me…? maybe?
So hello! Dash hanging out with the space nerd huuuh? He's more than happy to encourage Danny's love for space considering the smile that nerd always wears when he talks about it. also I just really wanted to write these two idiots hanging out in a planetarium… though I should really explore the observatory option at some point
Did you guys like my few subtle canon references in this chapter? Let me know if you found them, I didn't realize I had done them until after I was finished writing this chapter so… I'd love to know if you caught them
What'd you think of Jazz and her relationship with Danny? I really like writing about her and any scenes where she's interacting with Danny are just even better in my opinion. The sibling bond is strong with these two nerds
The title of this chapter comes from Sleeping with Sirens 'A Trophy Father's Trophy Son'. It's. So. Dash. I can't even describe how fitting this song is for how Dash has been feeling lately. (I hope I haven't used it before but I don't think I have?) Also it's a bit of a sneaky mention to the ending, huh? ; Oh, also the song Danny and Dash hear on the radio is Missing You by All Time Low. It could definitely fit earlier parts of this story but personally, I feel like it fits later parts a lot more.
As always, I love hearing what you guys have to say so let me know what you thought of this update or where the story's going in general. I appreciate all of you so much, thank you all for the support – I'll see you next update!
