Phic Phight 2023

~Prompt by Astaria Ghast: "Danny isn't shy about sharing most facets of his half-ghost life with his friends and family, but one thing he's always been too afraid to talk about is his need to consume emotions.
When one of his parents deduces that he needs to do so, he has to face a conversation about it for the very first time.
Maybe it's a good thing he's having this conversation, though, because he is starving and really needs help."

Category: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Family Feels, Surprise Adoption.

Trigger Warning: Fenton's B- Parenting, mention of CPS, Starvation.

Ch. 1_ The Leech's Sin

Given how much his father was always overenthusiastic around him and how his mother was always plotting and scheming intensely on her projects, Danny hadn't noticed it immediately on his own. And Jazz with her perpetual concern and worry? It simply added to the pile of a household stockpile of emotions…

…Emotions that the ectoplasm half of him craved like a plant did for sunlight and water.

Danny would have kept being oblivious of this occurrence if only Spectra had kept her trap shut.
In the heat of the final confrontation with her, the teen had done his best to ignore her taunts and (for the most part) he had been successful, but after the metaphorical dust had settled, that same night his overactive mind had started running rampant.

Among the invasive and on-point questions that he had already asked himself during the previous sleepless nights (was he a boy or a ghost? Both? Neither? Just a freak of nature? Were his parents right?) the leech of a wraith had claimed that they were the same, but he was just a dumb little shit who just hadn't realized it yet.
Her last quip had been about how he would be high on the emotions of safety from the threat being gone if he had won. And the frightening part was… she had been right!

After trapping her in the Thermos and the students had realized that they were safe, a sense of euphoria and… "fullness" had overcome him.

At the time he had thought that it had been adrenaline, but now he wasn't so sure.

Spectra ate misery to keep herself young and so she actively kept people depressed to feed on them. … Did he do the same? Save everyone to eat their relief and security? Danny didn't like where his thoughts were leading if that was the case.

His inner Jazz chided him to do experiments before jumping to conclusions and blindly believe someone who had deliberately hurt him.

Thus, Danny started small: he began to pay attention to his body after every fight. He definitely was more exhausted if no one was there to witness the victory, but those times weren't really an indicator since they happened at night.

So, he tried another approach: feel if he was actively feeding on emotions.

At first, he concentrated on the foreign background feelings that had always surrounded him since he had memory and tried to determinate if they dwindled anytime he felt less tired…

…and with horror Danny noticed that they did. It wasn't much noticeable, but the intensity of those emotions had lowered.

He had to stop this! What if it got out of hand and he drained someone until they became void husks?!

Therefore, the halfa put a clamp on his Core and forced himself to stop feeding on emotions like that leech of Spectra. He wasn't like her, and he would never be.

Sure, Danny had to drink straight ectoplasm filtered from the Portal to feel less like death had warmed over, but at least he wasn't harming anyone.

(Unbeknownst to him, due to his overwork and sleep deprivation, Jack Fenton had fallen more often in the spiral of ADHD hyperfixations and was fidgeting more uncontrollably; Maddie Fenton had started obsessing in a more unhealthier way on finding ways to hunt and annihilate ghosts; Jazz Fenton was making herself sick with worry for her whole family's and Danny's friends behavior, since Sam Manson was leaning more and more towards eco-terrorist ideals and methods and Tucker Foley was itching to hack any government branches other than the GiW.
Plus, not even raving on Danny more violently than usual seemed to satisfy Dash Baxter anymore, so he was a hair from escalating to what for anyone else would have been hospital-grade wounds.
…And if the Red Huntress was more bent into terminating his existence, it was probably because of the stress from the finals.)

The only instances when the halfa had to yield to the hunger, had been during the meeting with his future self, the second encounter with Freakshow, Pariah Dark and Vortex, though he had felt tainted by doing so, hating the relief his Core felt at the action.

However, all came to an end when Undergrowth invaded Amity.
Danny was cold, weak and unstable due to frost covering his body, but it had also given him an out from the vines trapping him.

Desperate and overwhelmed by the onslaught of terror and helplessness of the humans trapped (particularly Sam's every time she had attacked him, she was conscious through all of that, fu-!), the halfa had fled into the Infinity Realms to seek help, since his micro-attempt to feed on anyone to regain strength had backfired spectacularly and iced him more.

He had fallen unconscious before he could have even tried to steer his route anywhere safe…

…And that was why Danny was o-so confused when the first thing he noticed when he woke up was the reassuring humming of a Core that didn't belong to him, but still felt achingly familiar. The next thing was that he was surrounded by a soothing warm cold (if that made any sense) and that his mattress had fur.

His sleep-addled brain, in order to investigate the oddity, saw fit to nuzzle the coarse fur until he found the undercoat and buried his face in its softness. His (until now misbehaving) Core began to purr in response and Danny (to his later never-ending embarrassment) started to knead slightly the fur in his grasp as an unconscious impulse and stim to seek comfort.

Something carefully buried itself into his unruly white locks and carded his hair, gently scratching him and so upping Danny's purr of pleasure.

A rumble, much akin to a laugh, made the boy blink his eyes open while still in a sleepy haze and reluctantly looked up, meeting the cool cyan warmth of Frostbite's irises.
Why were they full of mirth? He hadn't done anything funny, only sleeping…

With a jolt his brain fully booted up and Danny realized the position he was in: Frostbite was laying down on a sort of medical cot without his upper body regalia and his ice-hand was buried in the boy's hair, ruffling it gently; what the halfa had thought was a mattress, was instead the Chief's belly and chest and he could feel the other's fur on his skin because under the nest of quilts above him Danny was wearing only a pair of shorts (with his slips underneath).

The boy's yelp was cut short by a surge of Forstbite's Core hum that had the immediate effect of soothing his alarm. What the…?

– Everything is alright, Great One. – The yeti murmured low, without the usual bombastic gusto that his voice held at the appellation. – You're recovering. Are you aware of the methods of treating hypothermia?

Danny's spiral halted and he paused to reflect. Jazz had actually made Team Phantom review that one as soon as they had returned from their first journey from the Far Frozen. – Yeah, you have to… get rid of the wet or cold clothes and slowly raise the temperature. One of the methods is… Oh. – He croaked, throat dry, but realization had set in.

Skin to skin contact. Or in this case skin to fur contact.

– Now, usually we don't need to use such an ancient method, we have our Healing Tubes for excessively freezing ghosts with an Ice Core, but when we attempted it with you, it seemed to worsen your condition, so we had to resort to a more… drastic treatment. – There was hesitation in the older ghost's voice. What had happened?

Danny's Core purr stuttered in confusion and Frostbite quickly picked up his distress because he continued. – I had to perform a temporary kinship between our Cores in order to let yours recede from the defensive state it was in and accept our treatment. Basically, you'll be under my care until your health will be in top condition.

– He means he's adopted you, Great One. – A yeti doctor (who had just approached the duo) took pity on Danny, who just blinked, not computing the sentence.

– But I already have a dad? – Was the feeble protest from a still too weak halfa.
Did Frostbite successfully pull a Vlad while taking advantage of his state? He hadn't seemed the type at all the last time that had met!

– And he still very much is. – The Chief reassured, hum still present but more subtle (however nonetheless soothing). – Brinehorn misspoke. I'm temporarily fostering you, meaning your wellbeing will be under my care until I can return you to your living parents. A Core Kinship is usually frowned upon, if your close relatives are not present to pass the responsibility, sans for emergency reasons. Which was the case of your situation, Great One. You're still a minor in the eyes of Ghost Law, and I presume Living one as well. – Frostbite explained gently.

Oh. So, the yeti had become a legal guardian for him, like that one time the CPS had been called on the Fentons and people had come to investigate their lives.
(Despite their many lacks, Maddie and Jack had still been deemed fit for parenting him and Jazz, so they had been returned to their home in the FentonWorks. However, Danny still remembered from the foster home how eating without fear of food coming alive had been and emotions around him had been much more muted than before.)

– Yeah… – Danny muttered, squishing his left cheek on Frostbite's chest to look away from his caring expression (and if it brought his ear closer to the hum it was no-one's business). – Frostbite, what happened? Do you know why I was icing over?

The doctor, Brinehorn, stepped up at that. – Your Core seemed to have stabilized in its nature from being a newborn untyped one. – At Danny's perplexed expression, the yeti frowned. – Surely your caregivers explained this to you? – The boy shook his head minutely, making the doctor scowl. – Great One, pardon my rudeness, but that's incredibly irresponsible.

Any other moment Danny would have gotten angry and lashed out at the insinuation, but content and tired as he was curled up on Frostbite, he just got defensive. – It's not their fault, they're still studying ghosts. And even if they have some bias, it's just been two years since they actually met a ghost, so it's not like they could have known.

The doctor blanched and Frostbite inhaled sharply, aura flaring into such disbelief that Danny could taste it, before he realized what he was doing and immediately slammed a lid on his leech-tendencies.
However, by doing so, Danny's Core flared in agony, making him let out a strangled cry and curl in fetal position on his left side.

– Easy Great One, stop whatever you were doing. – Frostbite firmly but at the same time gently commanded and the authority in his voice resonated inside the teen deep enough that he made him comply.
(The odd thing about it was that it hadn't felt like the orders Freakshow had issued him with his evil red orb, but it was more like the strong suggestion of a worried and determined Maddie Fenton. And that was the sole reason he hadn't freaked out at how quickly he had obeyed, like it had been a reflex more than a coercion.)

(Maybe this was the power of a Core Kinship?)

Danny shuddered, as he slowly released his control on his Core's emotional-intake, and worry and fear seeped through his senses from both yetis. Those emotions hadn't the best "taste", but since he had caused those in the first place, maybe it was the chastising he deserved.

– Great One, I had a hunch last time you visited, could you answer me honestly? – Frostbite murmured, stroking his back with a soothing motion. The teen huffed an affirmation, too drained to fight, so the ghost continued. – Are you an empath?

Danny frowned, confused. – What do you mean?

– They are individuals capable of feeling the emotions of those surrounding them, young ghostling. – The doctor seemed to have shed the pedestal that the denizens of the Far Frozen had put him on and Danny would have been grateful about it, if he hadn't sensed the yeti be upset about having to impart said knowledge. – They are extremely rare even among ectoplasm-kind.

– Wait, you mean that not everyone can feel them? I thought that it was normal… – Danny trailed off, remembering how he always asked himself why the bullies enjoyed hurting him or others, since they had to feel their pain.
(When he had learned the meaning of the word "sadistic", he thought he had found the answer.)

– No, it is not a sense anyone can normally experience, Little Sn- hem, Great One. – What was that Frostbite had almost called him? Before he could ponder further the ice spirit continued. – I suppose that you always had this ability, then. – A nod. – Did it… develop further when you became a halfa?

Danny's breath hitched, mind immediately summoning the image of Spectra and his guilt and revolt at being like her.
The yeti was smart, he probably had the answer already and was just waiting for a verbal confirmation to banish the halfa from the Far Frozen, in order not to put his people at risk.
Paradoxically, as this realization settled in, Danny started to cling harder to locks of Frostbite's fur and tensed in his still curled up position.

Despite the potential risk, the boy still felt so safe here, he didn't want to be thrown away… But he did owe his friend, his temporary guardian who had helped him without asking anything in return sans honesty, an answer.

– I'm… an emotional parasite, I think. I can eat other's emotions to power up and feel less tired. – Danny reluctantly revealed, not looking at the yetis, one because he didn't need to see their faces to understand what they felt and two because he didn't want to add the visual to the incoming disgust they would feel.

The hum under him stuttered to a stop, at last, and a growl crumbled from Frostbite's throat and for once Danny's Fight or Flight instinct turned into Freeze. His own terror felt different than when his parents' weapons went off on him out of nowhere, this was more visceral and significant/important.

He was going to be treated apart!

– Little Snowflake, w̵̛͕͖̰̥̯͍̩̒͑̑̔̉̋͜͝h̵̢̻̫͉̤͉͊̆͋̈́̈́͘o̷̢̹̣̫͙̪̹̭͂ told you that? – The Chief of the Far Frozen and Protector of the Infi-Map demanded, ice claws gripping his shoulder. They didn't hurt (if fact, they cradled him more protectively than threateningly), but in Danny's panic the sudden pressure made him whimper like a kitten cornered by a bloodthirsty wolf.
The older spirit immediately let go in response, making Danny's Core shift gear without any conscious consent and the terror of being abandoned consumed him.
Before he could stop himself, he was already reaching out for the other.

He should have been more afraid of being killed a second time, not being alone! Why was he reacting like this!

– Easy Little Snowflake, you are safe. No one will bring you harm, myself included. – The hum came back in full force and the halfa latched on it and its regular pattern to try and calm down, along with the flesh hand that was offered to him. – And we will not cast you away.

Tentatively, the ice hand touched again his bare back and Danny shuddered at its smooth texture, noticing for the first time that its fingers were rounded and not pointed in claws. But before they had been present when Frostbite had stroked his head…? Maybe the full ghost was able to manipulate his limb at will… that would be soooo cool!

As he fiddled with the furred paw before him, Danny slowly calmed down, tension unwinding from his tense muscles and Core tentatively starting to purr again.

– I apologize for upsetting you, Little Snowflake, my rage wasn't directed at you. – Frostbite murmured after a while.

– 's fine, Frostbite. I should have known better. You've always been so nice. – Danny slurred, completely drained by the emotional rollercoaster (that he had refused to banquet on).

– That is not the issue, ghostling. Whoever made you think that those who have to feed on emotions are parasites, has committed a grave injustice to you. – The doctor took advantage of this occasion to jump back into the conversation, making the halfa blink lethargically at him. – There are different diets among the denizens of the Infinite Realms and while it's not completely uncommon to eat emotions and specialize on certain ones, yours seems to be one of a kind.

– "Much more unique than the other guys"… – Danny huffed mockingly under his breath the joke theme-song that Tucker had made him while they had been trying to study together unsuccessfully. One more quirk to add to the pile, it seemed. – What changes? I still eat emotions and I could dry someone if I'm not careful. – He countered, almost petulant. His choice was the right one, because no one had to suffer beside him.

– I doubt that this is the case, Little Snowflake. – Frostbite raised his flesh index and that made the halfa look up at him. His eyes, if possible, were even kinder. – Becoming your guardian has allowed me access to your medical file and that confirmed what I already suspected: one of your obsessions is protection. Thus, you're physically unable to drain to death anyone with this ability. If anything, you're what my people call "Peacemaker". – He paused, almost dramatically to create suspense. – Tell me, Little Snowflake, did you notice anything different about those around you between before you started fasting and after?

At this, Danny paused, bitter comeback ready on his tongue, but not spilling over because the yeti's feelings had a bit of sting in their taste, like a warning to give it a thought.
He hadn't noticed anything different, had he? Or had he been just clueless?

The memories of having to separate several times his friends from what had felt more like full fights than the usual friendly bickering; Dash slamming his head so forcefully inside the locker that he had had a concussion for three hours instead of the usual mild headache for thirty minutes; dad resembling more and more a coke bear than just a caffeinated squirrel; mom being so dead set on waging war on the ghosts that sometimes she forgot to eat; Jazz worrying so much that she was getting eyebags that rivaled his own from the lack of sleep; Valerie's suit AI seeming one step from gaining sentience from how many times it was online and so able to gain the necessary Exp. to Level Up and Evolve.

Okay, maybe Frostbite was onto something here.

– What if that's the case? – He asked instead, practically responding at the same time.

– Then before you started starving your Core, – the tone was stern and a little disappointed here, making Danny shrink down, – you were just consuming the excess of the emotions from those around you. Taking off their edge, so to say. This is why we call individuals like you peacemakers: you can defuse high tension situations from the background before they could even start.

– Oh. – Danny breathed, stunned by the revelation. So he actually wasn't like Sp-...

– From how you're reacting, it's evident that you didn't know this… – Frostbite interrupted his train of thoughts before they could spiral, – however, you knew enough to form a prejudice against this part of you. Who told you to fear who you are and what did they say?

Danny swallowed, averting his gaze and fixing it on the furry paw still in his grasp, starting to fidget with it to discharge a bit of tension. – There's this ghost, she's more of a wraith we think, that to gain a human disguise that looks young and flawless has to consume the despair and depression of her victims. – He shuddered at the memories. – She actually fed on me and the school for a whole week last year, then tried to murder my sister because she had tried to cheer everyone up. When I finally discovered and defeated her, she told me that we were the same, but my "favorite" emotions to get off on were safety and relief and that's why I defended Amity.

The halfa could tell that the Chief of the Far Frozen was getting angrier and angrier from his words, but was doing a fantastic job in repressing those emotions because he was barely able to feel them.
The same couldn't be said for the doctor, because he swore in the background, cursing Spectra with a few choice words that would have made a sailor blush.

– Little Snowflake, no, Great One, you are the least "like her" person I've ever known in my entire existence. – Danny looked up into the other's eyes and read sincerity in them even without needing to feel it with his Empathy. – You are a hero even more thanks to this ability of yours. Thus, stop trying to suppress it or you'll starve yourself out of existence, please.

Danny got a little choked up at the sincerity he felt from his foster dad (Ancients, Frostbite had temporarily adopted him!) and he let out a strangled "okay", before hiding his face in the other's chest fur.

– Just start consuming emotions slowly, ghostling, or you'll make yourself sick by gorging on them. – Brinehorn recommended. – When we found you half-frozen, we had to purge the excess of converted-ectoplasm from your stomach because you were having an indigestion that had an adverse effect on your Core Powers.

– Is that why I iced more when I tried to eat Sam's terror to power up? – The teen asked, still half-buried in the white fluff.

– It's likely, given that your Core is an Ice typed one. The excess of energy worsened your already overwhelmed Core that generated a surplus of ice. – The doctor agreed.

– Wait, I have an Ice Core? But I eat emotions? – The teen asked, confused.

– Indeed you have, Little Snowflake! – The gusto was back in the Chief's voice. – Like all the denizens of the Far Frozen! You just have a different diet, one does not preclude the other. – He explained. – By the way, why did you have to consume Lady Sam's terror? I was under the guise that you despised your dietary needs out of misinformed bias.

Realization slammed into Danny, making him yelp and try to disentangle himself from the quilts with urgency. – Amity is under attack from Undergrowth, I have to get back!

– Undergrowth? What's the Ancient of Plants doing on the Mortal Plane? – Brinehorn asked, confused.

Frostbite put his ice paw on the mound of quilts to stop Danny as he spoke. – You are still not recovered, Little Snowflake. You cannot sustain a battle, let alone one against such a powerful entity. Icefang! – He bellowed, summoning a scarred yeti from outside the infirmary. – Gather a platoon of our best warriors and head to the Great One's Haunt. It has been invaded without a motive by Undergrowth, the Ancient of Plants. Annihilate him with extreme prejudice!

– Yes, Chief! – The warrior saluted, hastily departing before Danny could have a word otherwise.

– Wait, Frostbite! You don't have to get involved! Amity is my responsibility! – The halfa protested.

– And you are mine now. We have a Kinship Bond, your battles are my battles. Besides, you already largely demonstrated your capabilities when you defeated Pariah Dark and Vortex, but you don't have to, right now. You are still half-starved and weakened, plus you have still no control over your Ice Core Powers. It'll take you time to learn and you'll be miserable all the while, knowing that your haunt would still be taken over. So, please, let me take care of this, Little Snowflake. – Frostbite seemed to voluntarily inject as much pleading in his words as he could, now knowing that the halfa could feel that.

Despite being frequently called the Clueless One, Danny did know when a battle of wills was lost from the start (Jazz had been a harsh teacher of that), so he relented, slumping on the other's chest in defeat.
A pleased hum picked up under him and the boy tried to hide how his tension melted at the sound and vibration, still trying to appear a little miffed from the situation, but failing miserably.
Frostbite's chuckle rumbled along with the hum, shaking him and making him pout more at his foster dad.

Oh, Ancients, he had been adopted by a responsible adult. Someone who didn't judge or threaten him. Who visibly cared for him, so much that he was putting his people in danger for his wellbeing.

– Will they be okay? Your warriors, I mean. – A bit anxious, Danny clarified when an inquiring "uh?" was intoned by the yeti under him. – You said that Undergrowth is an Ancient and I remember how strong Clockwork or Pandora are.

– Usually you'd be right, however a squadron of my warriors consist in thirty of my strongest yetis and we have the element of surprise and advantage. After all, plants do not well with cold temperatures. – Frostbite grinned, perhaps a little ferally, making the boy smile in response. – Sleep now, Little Snowflake, we'll take care of you and your haunt. – The older spirit encouraged, stroking the younger's hair.

Danny yawned, spent by the whirlwind of emotions, and curled better on the soft fur of his foster dad. – Only if you call me Danny.

As he closed his eyes, Frostbite hesitated, but the following humming was filled with fondness. – Of course, Danny.

A/N. Hiya y'all, it's been so long since I published something and I'm so sorry! (TT﹏TT)
Unfortunately real life is a bish and inspiration and spoons are low, but the Phic Phight is a benevolent provider of ideas!

The Leech mentioned in the title is Spectra and her sin is to have mislead Danny into thinking bad of himself, but I wanted to be vague enough so that y'all would think it was about him...
Yes, I'm evil. ꒰( ｀w´)꒱

Hopefully I'll be able to finish this Phic in time for the end of April and get the points for completion, so wish me (oh no, abort abort-!) good luck!

Type ya soon and enjoy the Phight! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و