Danny laughed breathlessly, thousands of feet above ground with Sam securely cradled in his arms. His breathlessness was not caused by the lack of air, but rather the loving smile Sam directed his way, her petite arms around his neck.
"I love flying," Danny said, voice whipped away by the wind. Sam heard him anyways.
"I love it, too," she sighed. Danny gave her a goofy grin and flew down to the ground, landing on a small hill with a single tree. He set Sam on her feet. She sat in the tree's shade, pulling him down with her even as he changed back to his human form. She leaned against his shoulder, and he rested his cheek on her head. They looked down at the city, where a large statue of Danny himself was being unveiled. The clapping and cheering was all too audible from so far away, and Danny grimaced.
"I can't believe you didn't want to attend your own ceremony," Sam said after a moment, pulling away from him and relaxing back on her hands. Danny gave a half amused, half exhausted smile, trying to pick out Tucker in the midst of the crowd and failing. Every one of the people looked the same from a distance.
"Ah, well, you know me. I kind of like sitting on the sidelines sometimes." He pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them, still smiling. Sam gave him a fond look.
"And your folks are cool with your secret identity?" she questioned, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from him anyways, recalling just how afraid Danny was of telling his parents.
"Yeah, the time for secrets is over," Danny stated confidently. "The world is saved. Time for new beginnings. My dad even says he wants to team up now. Says I can be his sidekick." He gave Sam an exasperated grin that she returned without a moment's hesitation.
"You're a big star now," Sam observed softly, smile dropping. "Probably the biggest in the world."
"Yeah, it's weird, huh?" Danny said, shrugging.
"You'll probably get really busy," Sam continued, glancing at her feet.
"Yeah, what else is new?" Danny said ruefully.
"And I probably won't see much of you anymore." Sam looked away. Danny's smile didn't disappear and instead grew wider.
"Oh, I wouldn't count on that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar-looking blue ring. He grabbed her hand, even as he continued speaking. "Sam, I could never have done any of this without you." When he slipped it on her finger, Sam felt her eyes water. "And I don't care what's coming next. I just hope that, whatever it is, you're there to share it with me."
Danny tentatively met her eyes and gave a bashful smile. Sam stopped admiring the ring so she could meet his eyes.
"I will be," she said, blinking away her tears. She suddenly gave him a glare. "I just have to warn you, I'm no pushover, though. I have my own way of doing things." Her glare softened significantly when Danny continued to smile at her.
"That's what I'm counting on." He grabbed her hands. She let him. They leaned in closer, closing their eyes. Sam opened her mouth.
"Danny, wake up! I know it's the weekend, but this is ridiculous! Your friends will be here any moment!"
Danny opened his eyes. His glow-in-the-dark stars silently stared back. The smell of bacon drifted from downstairs and filled his room.
He blinked sleep away and pushed his covers away, sitting up slowly. He rubbed his eyes, stared at his feet, and finally rose from the warm confines of his bed. He methodically got dressed in his usual outfit, pale pink pajamas thrown into the hamper. He wandered downstairs, nearly slipping on his socks, where his mother was bustling about in the kitchen in her stained white apron. She gave him a look when he walked in.
"It's about time, sweetie. Breakfast will be ready in a few!" She hummed to herself as she flipped the pancakes. Danny sat at the table with a yawn, slouching down in his seat.
"Morning, Danny-o!" his father boomed from the living room. Danny didn't reply, and his father didn't expect him to. Jazz glanced at him over her most recent study: Understanding the Human Brain.
"Nice hair, little brother," she said in lieu of a proper greeting, turning back to her book. Danny scowled and attempted to pat down his mess of raven hair, which absolutely refused to listen to something as insignificant as gravity and stuck up in all directions. He was quickly distracted as his mother set a plate laden with breakfast down in front of him.
"Eat up!" she chirped, handing Jazz a similar plate. She wiped her hands off on her jeans and turned to prepare her own and her husband's breakfasts. Danny ate quickly, then pulled on his shoes and dashed outside with a quick goodbye and a kiss to his mother's cheek. He was just in time; Sam and Tucker were just turning the corner, playfully bantering about their diets. He donned an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression as they approached.
"Hey, guys," he said distantly, glancing back at his generic brick apartment house. His father beamed at him and waved from the window, even as his mother straightened his tie and fixed his suit collar. "I had the weirdest dream…"
"What was it about?" Sam asked, shoving Tucker one last time. "Did Tucker finally abandon his meat-eating ways like I told him to?" Tucker rubbed his arm and faked hurt.
"Did Sam succumb to my demands and finally eat a Nasty Burger?" he retorted, sticking out his tongue. Danny shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"No. First of all, there was this weird green portal in my basement. Like, super weird. It was glowing and stuff. I think it was some kind of ghost portal? Anyways, you guys convinced me to go in there…"
I'm not sorry.