ONE WEEK LATER - FRIDAY
Dash had been really silent lately, and it was starting to weird Danny out. In fact, he had become so quiet that anytime Danny tapped his shoulder, he motioned for the ghost boy to write it down. Today, Danny was at lunch, writing some lyrics from one of his favorite songs that he was listening to, Stay Ready by Jhené Aiko, when a sheet of paper slid into his line of vision.
"Want to come over this weekend?"
"For the love of… really, Dash? You're still not talking to me?" Danny muttered to himself angrily before writing a response and handing it back to its owner. "Not until you actually speak to me, Dash. Use that voice that I know so well."
Dash looked at Danny, smirked, and shook his head 'no.' He then wrote something on the paper and handed it to Danny.
"Please, baby. Don't you want some 'Netflix & Chill' time with me? You deserve a deep tissue massage at the very least… and you know I'm good at it."
The ghost boy rolled his eyes and wrote an answer before handing the note back to Dash.
"Yes, I know that. Although… a deep tissue massage wouldn't be bad. If you can give me a good one, you might just get a happy ending. Agreed?"
The athlete looked at his true love once again, smirked, and nodded 'yes.' Then, he wrote on the note one last time and held it in Danny's face.
"Give me a kiss?"
"Of course I will, you idiot. Come here."
Dash's smile was as bright as it could have possibly been. While he knew he couldn't let Danny know about anything until after he successfully completed his mission, their relationship always comes first. He felt Danny's hands on his face and, like he's done so many times before, drew him in for a tender kiss that lingered for longer than it should've.
"Now, say something to me, or I'm changing my mind." Danny stated.
"I love you." Dash chuckled.
"Thank you, and I love you, too." The ghost boy smiled and turned his attention back to writing down his lyrics, leaving Dash to think about what exactly it was that he was planning.
"I don't want him to know, not right now. I have to be careful, though. One minor mistake could screw all of this up." He thought. "I hate to not communicate what's going on with him, but I just have to finish my mission. Damn the consequences, I'll deal with whatever it is later. All I'm focused on is sweet, sweet revenge."
After school, most of the football guys were in the weight room, no doubt with the intention of maintaining their "physiques" that they think will attract all the girls. Ugh, men. Anyways, Dash decided to stay today and work out because he wanted to increase his already powerful strength and stamina. He was bench pressing, which is what he would usually start with after practice. That's when Dale walked up to him.
"Haven't seen you in a while."
The star player almost dropped the weights on his chest in shock. After completing a rep, he instantly set the weight back where it belonged and looked up, disdain clearly in his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, irritation and anger evident in his voice.
"Relax, relax. I'm here to workout, just like you. Where's your little friend today?"
Dash narrowed his eyes. "Why do you want to know? Gonna put your hands on him again?"
"Oh, are you still holding on to that love tap I gave you almost a year ago?" Dale snickered. "Sheesh, Dash. You have to let it go. I'm sure he has."
"Let it go?" The quarterback stood up and was now eye-to-eye with his teammate. "I'll never let go of what you and those other two did."
Dale snickered again, a smirk playing on his lips. "The kid is still alive, Dash. We just played with him a little, that's all. It's not that serious. Again, I'm sure he's moved on, and probably liked us being rough. Plus, he's cute for a scrawny little guy like himself. I bet he likes it all rough..."
Dash smiled calmly, took a deep breath, and appeared as if he would walk away, but quickly turned around and socked Dale in the face, aiming specifically at his nose. "DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT HIM AGAIN! How's THAT for 'not that serious,' you prick?!"
The other teammates swarmed around to try to diffuse the situation. "Hey, hey! Calm down, Dash!" One exclaimed in shock as they tended to a grounded Dale, who was starting to bleed.
"Dude, what the hell?" He asked, holding his nose.
"FUCK THAT! I'm not going to calm down until you and your two asshole friends get everything you deserve!" He shouted back.
"You weren't even involved in it!" Dash heard Jake's voice from behind him, and swiftly turned his attention from the wide receiver to the offensive lineman.
"I know you aren't saying anything, Jake. You kicked him repeatedly. I saw you with my own two eyes, you sick fuck!" He was really angry now. "So, I'm going to make you, Dale, and that bastard Kwan feel every inch of pain as Danny did." He delivered another punch, this time to the offensive lineman, who crumbled to the ground within seconds. He held his head and covered his right eye.
"What the fuck, Dash?!" Jake shouted in pain.
"That was for Danny. BOTH of you. Now, where's Kwan?"
"He's with the coach in the locker room…" Dale muttered, still trying to recover from the blow.
"Perfect. And let this remind both of you to never mess with Danny again, or like I told Tucker, I will break your faces. GOT IT?!"
"Yes…" The two injured players answered weakly.
"Good, and that goes for ALL of you. Don't touch my boyfriend, or this will happen to you. Am I understood?"
"Yes, captain." The room answered in unison.
"Thank you. Now, get out of my way. I got one final score to settle…"
Dash marched out of the weight room, knowing that there would be severe ramifications for all his actions, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was make everyone that was involved in Danny's attack to suffer just as much, if not more, than he did. First was Tucker, then came Dale and Jake. Now, he was about to take out Kwan. He stormed towards the locker room, but stopped himself for a moment. Was he actually about to start a fight in front of the coach? Someone that has looked out for him since he came to Casper High? Had it not been for the coach, Dash's scholarship wouldn't be a thing. However, Dash knew this was the last person on his hit list, and regardless of if he lost the scholarship or not, Danny was his number one priority right now. A year ago, the two wouldn't NEARLY be as close as they are now. But none of that matters to the star athlete. Their past doesn't matter to him anymore. All of their issues, out the window. Right here, and right now, the only thing that mattered was revenge. Revenge that could come at a hefty price, but revenge nonetheless. He took a deep breath, calming himself as much as he could, and walked in.
As Dash pushed open the office door, Kwan looked up, a smirk on his face that quickly vanished when he saw the storm in Dash's eyes. The coach frowned, sensing the tension.
"Dash, what are you doing here?" Coach Miller asked, his voice stern.
Dash didn't answer. He was beyond words, only driven by one goal: payback. He lunged at Kwan, fists flying, and fueled by weeks of pent-up anger. Kwan tried to defend himself, but Dash was relentless, his punches landing with bone-crunching force. The office filled with the sounds of struggle, furniture toppling, papers scattering like fallen leaves.
"Stop! Both of you, stop!" Miller shouted, but Dash was unstoppable. His mind was focused on one thing: making Kwan pay for what he, his teammates, and Tucker had done to Danny.
"This is what the fuck you get for messing with Danny! Don't you ever put your hands on him again!" Dash shouted, his vision covered by a filter of red. He drove his fists repeatedly into Kwan's face.
When it was over, Kwan lay on the floor, brutalized and beaten. He began to cough up blood, but the quarterback didn't care. Dash stood over him, breathing heavily. His eyes were burning with a ferocity that left no room for pity.
Coach Miller stepped between them, his face a mix of anger and disappointment. "Baxter, you've gone too far. You've put your scholarship and your future on the line for this."
Dash smirked, wiped his brow with the back of his hand, smearing blood and sweat, and narrowed his eyes. "I could give two fucks about that. I don't care about anything but making every single one of them suffer just as much as they made Danny suffer. They deserved it, especially this asshole."
Miller shook his head, his eyes softening. "I understand you're angry, and I'm proud of you for standing up for someone you care about, but this isn't the way to do it. Violence doesn't solve anything. It never does."
Dash's expression hardened. "Maybe not, but it's all they fucking understand, Coach. And now they know what it feels like to be powerless and weak victims." He felt tears brimming his eyes out of anger, but his expression didn't change. "I made them suffer… I did. All on my own. I made them suffer just a fraction of the pain that my boyfriend did, and I couldn't be more satisfied with my decision. Mission. Complete."
Coach Miller sighed, placing a hand on Dash's shoulder. "You have every right to be upset and explosive, son. I understand that, but I must tell you a few things. First off, you've lost your scholarship, Baxter. I worked very hard to get you recommended to some of the top schools in the country. Secondly, just so you know, you would be kicked off the team if the season wasn't over. Third, you're getting suspended for a few days. So, there's no coming back from any of this. Last thing I want you to know, however, is that I'm very proud of you for standing up for him. Just promise me that you'll find a better way to get justice next time."
Dash nodded, the fire in his eyes dimming slightly. "I promise, Coach."
"Good. Now, go home, son. Go home."
As he walked out of the office, Dash felt a strange sense of peace. He had kept his promise to Danny, and nothing else mattered. He was willing to face whatever consequences came his way. In his mind, he had done the right thing, and for Danny, he would do it all over again.
That night, Dash went to Danny's house to talk to Jazz. He felt more relieved than anything. He knew the ghost boy was home, and probably taking his usual after school cat nap, but that's okay.. Jazz was in the kitchen doing homework for her nursing program, enjoying the peace and quiet until there was a knock at the door. She went to the door and opened it. There stood a drained, angry, and silent Dash Baxter. He was covered in blood, sweat, and tears.
"Dash, what happened?!" She exclaimed, stepping aside to let him enter.
"At one of the biggest prices of my career, I kept my promise and completed my mission." He answered quietly.
Jazz looked at Dash's hands. They were bruised and still had some blood remaining. "Dash, what did you do?"
"I got into a fight with Kwan in front of the football coach. He took away my scholarship, and told me I'd be suspended, but I don't care. I broke a teammate's nose, and gave the other one a black eye. As for Tucker… I let him off a little easy, but I told him if he even so much as looked in Danny's direction, I'd break his fucking face. I know Kwan is your boyfriend and all, but he had it coming. They all did."
"Oh my, take a seat on the couch. So you really… you really threw your future away just to… to protect my little brother?" She asked as she went to retrieve the first aid kit.
Dash did, and his lips formed a weak smile. "Yes, I did. Your little brother means the whole world to me, Jazz. When I found him after it was over, my heart felt like it had broken into a million pieces. He looked…" His voice started to strain. "He looked lifeless, dead even. No one deserves to endure what he went through, Jazz. He didn't deserve it. Danny is legitimately one of the nicest humans I've ever known, and while I did bully him for a while, I would never do anything to traumatize him. I kept my promise to him."
The daughter of the most world-renowned ghost hunters studied Dash closely for a moment, seeing pure sincerity in his eyes. She knew that Danny meant a lot to him, and now knew that he would fearlessly and fiercely protect the ghost boy at all costs. She felt an immense amount of respect for him now. She began to clean and bandage Dash's hands, being gentle and careful with every movement. "I know he means a lot to you, Dash. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. However, what about your future? Your dream to play football?"
"None of that matters to me if I can't keep your brother safe, Jazz. My future isn't about football anymore because he is my future. He's more important to me than a scholarship." The athlete answered tiredly, shaking his head.
"You know, you're a good partner, Dash. Danny is really lucky to have you." She remarked. "We're going to figure this out, okay? I'll talk to Sam's parents, see if they can help. Mine may be ghost hunters, but her mother was going to be a lawyer before she married Sam's moronic yet sweet dad. There might be a way to appeal the suspension and the scholarship decision."
"Yeah, maybe so. Thanks for everything, Jazz." He smiled weakly, feeling very tired.
Jazz knew Danny was resting upstairs, blissfully unaware of the events taking place below. She always prided herself on being a woman of intellect, which led to her choosing to join the medical field. However, she could now pride herself on being a woman of love. There was a sense of appreciation for the connection they all shared together, knowing that they could face any challenge, as a unit. She began cleaning up the first aid supplies, and allowed Dash to rest. As she did, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey."
"Hmm?"
"You're not alone in this. We're going to get through this, all of us. Now, get some rest."
"I… I know, Jazz." Dash nodded gratefully, his drained but calm blue eyes filled with respect. "Thank you."
A sense of determination washed over the elder Fenton kid. She now knew that they were a team, a family. And as such, they'd protect each other no matter what happened. She finished cleaning up the supplies, stored the kit back in its safe place, and resumed her homework. A smile formed on her face, reminding her that not all heroes have superpowers.
SATURDAY MORNING
The sun brightly shone through the windows of Fenton Works. Dash opened his eyes, the room illuminated in the sunlight which blinded him. He attempted to move, but something was attached to him. More like someone. As his vision became clearer and he looked around, he realized that he was in Danny's room, in Danny's bed, and had the ghost boy himself clinging onto his body and curled up under his arm like a kitten, sleeping calmly.
"He's so cute when he's asleep… I almost don't want to wake him up." Dash said to himself quietly. He tapped Danny's shoulder lightly and kissed his forehead. "Rise and shine, my love."
Danny's eyes fluttered open. He yawned and stretched the same way a kitten does, and looked up at the muscled athlete. "Hmm? Oh, good morning, Dashi."
"How did you sleep, Dan-Dan?"
"Like a baby. I wasn't expecting you to be here, though. What happened to your hands? They weren't like that when I saw you yesterday."
Dash thought long and hard about his answer. He didn't want to make Danny upset first thing in the morning, but he didn't know if he should tell him exactly what he did. "Well, Danny…"
"I'm listening, baby. Tell me what happened."
"I lost my scholarship for football, and I got suspended."
Danny was shocked. "What?! Dash, you worked really hard for that scholarship! You just won the championship for our school a few weeks ago. What did you— Dash… did you do what I think you did?"
"Uh… maybe."
Danny's expression hardened. "Dashiel Jeremiah Baxter, what did you do?"
The star quarterback was anxious. Danny never said his full name when he was upset, and the only time he did say his full name was the first time he came over… almost six months ago. "I, uh… I…"
"Well?"
Fuck it. "Okay, fine. I broke Dale's nose, I gave Jake a black eye, and I almost killed—I mean, I brutally bashed Kwan's face in. I also gave Tucker a busted lip after I punched him in the stomach twice. I made them suffer just like they made you suffer, Danny."
The expression on the ghost boy's face changed from stern to soft. "You did what?"
"I kept my promise to you, love. I completed my mission, and just like I didn't care yesterday, I don't care now. Fuck all four of them for what they did to you. Had Coach Miller not stopped me, I would've probably pummeled Kwan into oblivion and been hauled off to prison. I needed to get my revenge."
"Dash, you did that…. for me?"
"Yeah." Dash sighed. "Look, Danny. I meant what I said about protecting you at all costs, and defending you regardless of what happens, and I did just that."
Danny was quiet. He processed everything that Dash just told him. "You didn't have to…"
"Yes, I did."
"No… Dash, you didn't have to." Danny repeated, now feeling guilty. "Your future… your dream…"
Dash could hear the guilt in his boyfriend's voice. "Hey, listen to me. You're my future and my dream. You are, not football. I don't care about losing that scholarship, and I don't care about being suspended for a few days. Like I explained to your sister last night, I'm okay with facing every consequence in the book so long as I know that I did my job as your partner."
"Dash… you–"
"No, Danny." The quarterback cut him off. "Don't say that. I did what I needed to do. Honestly, those three assholes on the team and your ex-friend would have suffered an even worse fate if I didn't have any control."
"But you threw away something you loved…"
"All for you." Dash finished. "I know you feel guilty, I can hear it in your voice. Danny, don't be upset about what I did." He gently wiped some of Danny's tears away with his finger. "I meant what I said when I told you that you're special. I meant what I said when I told you that I'd do anything for you. Those are promises that I will keep until my last day on this planet, okay? You didn't deserve what happened to you. No one should have to experience anything similar to that and have to see their abusers walking around like nothing ever went down. Yes, I may not have gone about things the right way. I do know that. But they only understood violence, so that's what they got in return. Karma's a bitch, Danny, and they got theirs when they least expected it."
Danny felt a multitude of emotions surge through him. He felt guilty because he was the reason Dash lost his scholarship, sadness because he wouldn't see Dash for a while in school, and finally, he felt peace wash over him like a tidal wave because now, he could start healing from that day. He wasn't weighed down by the pain anymore. "Dash, I…" He tried to find the right words. "I feel so many emotions right now. I feel guilty because football was your dream for as long as you've been alive, and now, you've lost your golden opportunity. I'm sad about you being suspended, and I feel at peace now with myself because I'm no longer weighed down by that night."
"It's okay. I'll be gone for a few days, but I promise I'll be with you in your heart."
"Dash?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Revenge was the only thing on his mind for a few weeks, but now, the only thing he could think of was Danny. The suspension would be hard, but it was worth it because he kept his promise to both Jazz and her little brother that he'd protect the ghost boy, no matter what. He smiled and held Danny close to his chest. "You're welcome, Dan-Dan. I'll always protect you, regardless of the repercussions I have to face."
Danny smiled, feeling the warm comfort of his boyfriend wrap around him like a sheet of love. "My fearless Prince Charming."
"Yes, I am."