FIVE MONTHS AGO (CHAPTER TWO ENDING)
"Fenton." Dash started.
Danny turned his back on him.
Dash was pleading at this point. "Fenton, please. You know that even though I bully you, I would NEVER, NEVER IN MY LIFE, allow anything like that to happen to you. I-"
Danny turned around sharply and slapped Dash. "Dash, you fucking stood there and watched me get brutally and violently attacked. Not only that, but you humiliated me in front of the entire school."
Dash looked at Danny. He had seen a fire in his eyes that had never been there before. He couldn't blame Danny for being angry, he had every right to be. Dash could've done something that day to help him, but he didn't. He stood there and watched it all happen. He knew that now, he had to be honest with Danny. He knew that now, if anything, was the perfect time to be.
"Fenton, IT WASN'T ME. It was Foley."
Danny was shocked and his tears started to stop. "What?... Tucker?..."
"He came to me with the idea of having the spotlight all to himself. He said that he was tired of being the sidekick and wanted to figure out how to get you out of the picture. So, he set up a fake ghost trap and told me to stick with the plan, or else he'd tell Lancer that I was the one who incited the attack. He also told me to not get involved and play the "innocent jock" part. I should've known that this would catch up to me. I didn't want to, man. I really didn't."
"You son of a-" Danny raised his hand to strike Dash again, but he was blocked.
Dash lowered the hand and pulled Danny close to him and uttered the words he thought he'd never say.
"I'm sorry... Danny."
He shut his eyes and hugged Danny. Danny didn't move, he didn't flinch, he just looked in shock. Then, his eyes glowed as Dash let go.
"Dash. Did you just…" Danny, still recovering from his meltdown, with slightly irritated eyes still glowing, questioned Dash's actions. "Did you just… hug me? And did you just call me... I-I mean, it's okay, but did you just call me..." He blushed slightly. "Danny?"
"Yeah, I should've also told you. I like you. Like, more than friends. I... have a crush on you."
Silence.
A light flashed and Dash covered his eyes. When the light faded, Danny was in his Phantom form. Danny revealed himself to Dash for the first time.
"So..." Danny started to calm himself and blushed. "You... like me?"
"I didn't think I did, but I guess it's because of how close we always were. I always thought you were cute, too."
"I thought you liked Paulina. Or girls in general." Danny tilted his head.
"Yeah well, that's the thing. I'm bi. I never saw myself getting anywhere with the girls anyway, but you're different. It's something about you that I'm just drawn to. So, yeah. I like you and I'm sorry for being a jerk." This was a different Dash that Danny had never seen. A more vulnerable Dash. A more mature version of him. It was honestly a sight to behold.
Danny hugged Dash and responded back. "The pain will take time to fade, but consider this a start. Just promise me that this stays between us. Okay?"
Dash, for the first time in forever, smiled at Danny. "I promise."
"Also, before I forget." Danny switched back to normal and looked towards the sunset, which had faded. "I love sunsets." He smiled as he dried his face. He walked into his home, leaving Dash stunned, happy, and also… guilty.
"Danny's given me several chances to get it right, even when I really fucked him over. Now, it's time I start to change." Dash said to himself as he started to walk home.
When Dash arrived at his home, he instantly sprinted to his room and locked the door. He slid down the wall and held his head in his hands, screaming.
"FUCK!" He was so conflicted right now. "I just told him I like him… and he revealed himself to be Phantom… what the hell just happened?"
He looked around his room, trying to locate his journal. When he found it, he picked it up and sat back in his spot, flipping through the pages until one caught his attention. It was dated May 22. Dash looked closely at the date, then turned his attention to his phone. Today is May 25. That was three days ago. He tucked his phone away before resuming his attention to the page. It read as follows:
- MAY 22, 2023: 6:35PM
Finally! Junior year is over! One of the toughest years I've ever dealt with. I chose to hang out with the guys for a while today, but as I was on my way here, a dark shadow seemed to be following me. Everytime I turned around though, there was no one there. Then, I looked up and the shadow turned out to be Danny Phantom. I didn't freak out because I've seen the dude before—I mean he IS one of my heroes—but something felt… different today. He and I were face-to-face after he landed on the ground in front of me. I took a good look at him, and he looked… really cute. I never noticed that he reminded me of someone that I know, someone that I'm always around. He spoke to me with a huskier voice than the person I know of, but still sounds similar.
- "Hi, pretty boy."
- "Hey." I replied shyly. You know, I kind of like him calling me 'pretty boy.' That's all he ever referred to me as since we first met, and I was feeling nervous for some reason. He kept his glowing green eyes on me, and smiled like he had known me forever.
- "Nervous about something?" He raised an eyebrow.
- "A little bit. You remind me so much of someone I know, and you both look alike."
- "Hm." I saw his eyes glow a little brighter. "Interesting. Do you know what this person looks like, any standout features?"
- "You're both the same height, he has black hair, and-"
- He stopped me. "Wait. Are you talking about that shy kid from your school?"
- "Yeah."
- "Interesting." He mused, thinking about who I was referring to.
- "I know I'm a prick to the kid, but that's just my way of showing it to him."
- "Showing what?"
Oh shit. I let it slip.
- "Uh, nothing."
I FUCKED UP. No one is supposed to know that!
- "You sure? It seems like you had something to say. You can trust me, Dash."
I can… trust him? And… and he actually called me by my first name? Wow.
- "You promise not to say anything?"
- "Yes." That damn smile of his… it almost drew me in to kiss him. But that'd be weird. Right? Yeah, it'd be totally weird.
- "Okay. Me being a prick to this kid, his name is the same as yours, I think. Well, first name anyways. His name is Danny. So, me being a prick to him is kind of just me showing my interest in him."
- "Interest?"
- "I… I think I like him."
Phantom just looked at me with the most calming expression on his face. He appeared to be completely fine with what I just told him. Then, he spoke again.
- "That's fine, Dash. I'm sure he'll be okay with it."
- "How?"
- "Believe it or not, I know this kid. It is a little weird seeing someone that looks exactly like me, but I know him. He's really… well, he's been going through a lot lately. His girlfriend cheated on him yesterday with his best friend." There was a change of tone in Phantom's voice that I didn't notice at first. He sounded hurt, betrayed even.
- "And I'm sure I didn't make it any better by bullying him today." Now I was the one who sounded hurt. What could drive me to hate the person that I potentially like? Am I just being delusional?
- "Well, Dash, you kind of did. He's grown used to the bullying, and sometimes thinks that when you're really close to him, you should kiss him."
- "HUH?" I'm shocked.
- "Yeah, but I mean, that's just how I think he feels about you. I can't say for sure." He responded quickly in a slightly nervous tone, as if he had just revealed a secret to me that I wasn't supposed to know.
- "Hm."
- "Anyway, you must be tired from your long day. I'll let you get home, see you later." He turned to leave, but I had to stop him.
- "Wait a minute, Phantom."
- "Yes?"
- "If you talk to him, could you tell him that I need to speak with him about something important… please?"
Phantom flashed his smile and nodded. Then, he took off in the sunset skies and left me to continue walking home. It felt good to see him. Although, I now know that he knows that I like Danny. No sense in worrying about it, though.
"There's no way." Dash muttered to himself as he closed the journal. "How the hell did I not put two and two together then?! Danny Fenton… Danny Phantom… they're the same person! Which means… I've had a crush on my hero for a whole year, and didn't even know that he was the same person that I bullied for longer than that."
The thought of Danny Fenton, a shy and quiet kid who literally doesn't talk to anyone except Sam and Tucker, being Danny Phantom was messing with the football player's head. His hero at night… was his archnemesis during the day? He thought back to his interaction with the ghost boy earlier, more specifically, when Danny transformed in front of him. That black and white outfit, the white hair, and those glowing green eyes…
"He revealed his secret to me tonight…" Dash concluded, feeling a mix of regret and peace. "Jesus, that kid has been tormented by me for years, but after I tell him that I have a crush on him, he reveals himself to be my hero? Something I don't think anyone knew but his friends and family? Wow…"
He flipped to a new page in his journal, grabbed his pen, and began writing the new entry:
•MAY 25, 2023. 8:45PM
FUCK! I just figured out that the white-haired ghost boy that I find so charming and dreamy… is the SAME PERSON that I've been bullying for the better part of almost ten years! Danny Fenton is Danny PHANTOM, and I have a crush on him! What should I do? Should I tell him that I've known his secret for a year now? Should I tell him that I think he's cute and that me bullying him was the only way I could be close to him? I don't know.
He closed the journal and set it down in his safe spot. Then, as he stripped down to his tank top and underwear, he jumped in his bed and scrolled through social media. Celebrity fights, sports, the football guys getting drunk… a post from Danny? Dash blinked twice and sure enough, there was a post from the aforementioned shy ghost boy. It was a quote that read: "Trust no one." That broke his heart because while Danny during the day doesn't trust Dash, Phantom does.
In mere seconds, his mind refocused on reality and he shut his phone off. A few hours ago, Dash wouldn't even think to care about Fenton at all, but he cared a lot about Phantom. At that moment, it registered in his head that they…Danny Phantom and Danny Fenton…were the same person. He knew what to do now. As he stared at his phone, he picked it up and immediately went to Danny's number. He typed out a message to send.
- I might be blocked, but I need to get this off my chest to you. I'm sure you can't trust me, or anyone judging by your post, but I know you aren't 100% rn, Danny. I know she cheated on you. Like I said, you can text or call me anytime. -
He hit send, turned his phone off, and got comfortable so he could go to sleep. Just as he shut his eyes, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Danny.
- everything is fine, dash. i'm fine. -
Dash knew that was a lie. He had just seen the ghost boy earlier in the night, so how could he say everything was fine? Especially knowing that
- Relax, Danny. You seem on edge, you sure you're okay? -
- no. but i don't want to talk about it. thx for checkin on me tho -
Jeez, this kid has been hurt beyond belief. All Dash could do was respect the fact that Danny didn't want to talk about anything right now, and that's okay.
- You don't have to. Now, go get some rest, Danny. You've had a long day. -
- i… thx, dash. i will. goodnight. -
- Night, Danny. -
Dash felt conflicted about everything. He was able to confess his feelings for Danny, but he knew the shy boy's secret. Danny never really appeared, to Dash at least, as someone that would be as guarded as he is; however, knowing that his girlfriend cheated on him with his once-upon-a-time best friend, it would make a lot of sense.
"Don't force him, Dash." He told himself. "Don't force him. He's going through more than enough right now, and he doesn't need you making it worse. Just let him rest tonight." He turned his phone back off, set it on the charging dock, and drifted off to sleep.