Chapter 4, enjoy.

(Dash's POV)

I shut the door, my hand on the cool wood and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. It was easier when I didn't know him when I was oblivious to his alter-ego. Sitting here was like walking the egg-shells and I had to fight every nerve in my body not to open the door and run after Sam and Tucker. The only thing weirder than saying their first names out loud was walking back into the room. Danny was sitting there, frozen, silent tears running down his face. I'm sure I could drop a bowling ball from the ceiling and he wouldn't notice. Shit, what did you say to someone that just had their whole world turned upside down?

I slowly walked across the room. Slowly sunk down to the cushion beside him and placed my hands on my lap. Sam was right. As much as I wanted to comfort him I had been a constant problem in Danny's life, my hands bringing only pain not comfort. Dash Baxter wasn't anything close to a friend to Danny Fenton and that only made my guilt double. I didn't want to do anything, couldn't do anything and so I just sat there. Hoping that my presence was enough to comfort him. If he wanted more, like the wounded bunny I'd found when I was five I'd let him come to me. Let him make the first move.

It took longer than I'd thought. Still, it didn't stop my gasp when Danny suddenly lurched forward, placing his head in my chest. The utter soul-crushing sobs that ripped from his throat brought tears streaming down my face. Today had been too much and just like before the pain had to come out.

"It's okay Danny," I whisper, rubbing his head.

Emotional comfort wasn't exactly one of my strong suits and I couldn't help but cringe at my words. Instead of failing any further I simply scooped him up, sliding my hand under his butt and pull him onto my lap, draping his legs to the left and hug him, the tears came back as he hugged me tighter in response.

"I'm here Danny, I'm here... I'm not going anywhere."

I wasn't sure how long we stayed there. But when the sobs finally slowed my shirt was soaked and my butt was going numb. I looked down at Danny, only slightly surprised when he was asleep. His chest shaking every few breathes as acute hyperventilation racked him. His body's way of releasing the pent up emotions. Again I was reminded how small he was and the guilt hit me once again. I was the son of a world-famous surgeon; I knew what my hits did to his body. I knew the impact to the rib cage when you threw someone up against a locker and yet I did it anyway.

I picked the smaller boy up, lifting him with ease and walked down the hall. Going up the large staircase and across the second floor. The main floor had two guest rooms and a bathroom, a large game room. The kitchen was towards the back and opened up into a large swimming pool and hot tub large enough to hold twenty. The second floor had three rooms, my father's office directly adjacent from the stairs, my parent's room to the left and my room to the right. I had to walk all the way down the hall to get to my room, using my foot to push open the door. The basement had the medical lab of course and a smaller movie theatre to fit seven people and the laundry room.

I placed Danny on the bed, turning to my bathroom and pull a cloth off the wall. After wetting it down I come out, gently washing off Danny's face and threw the cloth into the bathroom as I walk over to my closet, pulling open the doors to walk inside. My closet had five sections, underwear and socks, pants, shirts, jackets and a closed-off section, the glass door locked to protect my suits and fancier dress clothes from dust. I pull open the first door of shirts, browsing through everything, I was trying to find something Danny would be comfortable in and pulled open the second set of doors. Everything was brand new, high brand names or football. I shut those two and went to the back of the closet, pulling out one of my older boxes. I had meant to donate them, the old clothes I wore in grade eight. Man, that felt like a lifetime ago. I shuffled through the bags, pulling out the vacuum-sealed plastic and found the one labelled 'shirts'.

Normally I would have ripped the bag in two but my arm still ached. Instead, I gently peeled off the plastic top and unzipped the bag, the hiss of air. I stuck my hand in, smiling softly as I felt the soft fabric. I pulled out the shirt, holding it up in the air and smiled. Perfect. I came out of the room, a shirt; sweat pants, a pair of socks and some boxers in my hand. I looked at Danny, the smaller male had curled up on the bottom of the bed, the blanket wrapped over his frame and his hands over his face. He looked like a little kid. I wanted to let him sleep but the hospital gown I'd put him in wasn't very warm.

I slid off his hospital gown, looking at his body slowly and noticed with a bit of happiness that the dark bruises were turning green. A good sign that they were healing nicely.

I looked down, too far down and smirked. It seemed all of Fenton was small. Not childishly small, looking at him like this it fit his body quite nicely. I guess I was so used to jocks; Quan would all but flash everyone as he walked to his locker, not ashamed to show himself off and I couldn't count how many times I'd seen the other guys junk. After Coach's gruelling workouts embarrassment was the last thing anyone was thinking about as we stripped out of our sweaty gear. I slip both of Danny's feet into the boxers and pull them up, again humoured by the fact that senior student Danny Fenton fit into clothes I wore in grade eight and finished getting him dressed. I placed him on a large pillow and pulled up the covers, gently tucking him in and shake my head as once more he curls into a ball.

Knowing he wasn't going anywhere I turn, walking back to the bathroom and pull off my shirt with one hand, letting it falls on the floor as I stripped out of the rest of my clothes and stepped into the shower, the large space easily fitting five people and put my hand on the electric pad, sliding my finger up to adjust the heat I want and push the circle at the top, feeling a warm spray hit me instantly. I sigh under the stream and tilt my head back, hoping the hot water would wash away some of today's emotions.

(Danny's POV) *five-hours later*

I woke up in a bed too large to be my own. It was massive, clearly, a king-sized bed in an even larger room. Football paraphilia littered the walls, trophies stood out on the large desk and I turned to find Dash lying beside me. It took everything in me not to scream. Instead, I swallowed the large lump in my throat and looked at him. My mortal enemy, lying beside me, peacefully sleeping. His face looked weirdly gentle, his lips soft not curled up in a menacing snarl, his hair sticking up on odd angles was amusing but that joy died when I noticed the good-sized cut, carefully stitched on his forehead. Looking at the cut had last night's memories flooding back and the crushing feelings that accompanied them.

It killed me. It destroyed me and I found myself wanting nothing more than to stay in bed, stay here in this odd sense of safety that I found from my childhood bully. Everything about this was wrong. Being here was wrong, but I guess for the first time everything else was more painful than dash's hatred for me and I found myself curling back into his chest. Half in fear of the outside world, half in fear of his reaction.

Thankfully Dash's arm wraps around me, shielding me in, holding me close like he would with a football. My mind fought with my feelings, stating that this was most likely ingrained in his mind and all of this was unconsciously done. A part of me still feared his anger. But laying here in this warmth, smelling Ax body wash all around me had my heart calming down. For once I was glad that Tucker wasn't here. While the other male cared for me dearly he would have ridiculed this weakness, only helping when needed. Tucker wasn't openly risking his life every day and didn't quite understand my fears.

"Danny?" dash whispers, shocking me. I thought he was still sleeping. "What's wrong?" Nothing. "Danny you're shaking…" Dash continues softly, wrapping both arms around me now "Are you scared?"

"I'm not scared," I whisper back, causing the other to jump. I guess he thought I was also asleep.

"... It's okay to be scared." He whispers back

"I'm not scared!" I hiss back, trying to shove him off but the later hardly moves. Instead, he pulls me closer to him, resting his head on top of mine like I was a stuffed animal.

"Fears." He chuckles sadly. "Everyone thinks I don't have them."

I couldn't ignore the small pain in my heart.

"I mean why would I right? I'm the captain of the football team, star quarterback. Born in a rich family with a large house and have girls fawning over me... but I do feel it. Every time I step out onto the field or go into a classroom. It's like everyone has put me up on a pedestal that I can't get down from." he swallows roughly "So if that's how I feel playing football I can't imagine how it is for you. I mean, you risk your life every day Danny. Fear just means your human."

I smile at his words, relaxing once more.

"If footballs that hard why do you do it?"

"I could ask you the same question?" He shoots back, actually chuckling.

The room falls silent and I couldn't help the hint of tension that hit the air

"Danny." Dash starts "I'm sorry." He whispers "I know that that won't make up for anything but... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."

I didn't say anything.
I couldn't say anything.
What did you say to that?

I couldn't say 'it's okay' because we both knew it wasn't. What Dash did was awful but I couldn't ignore this either. It took strength to admit you were wrong, so I simply burrow my head back into his chest and stay there in the warmth.

(Dash's POV)

I walked to the door, pulling open the large gold handle and peek my head out like I was some small child stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Turning my head left to right I took in the large empty hallways, the pictures hanging from the walls and the clean, spotless floors. It was weird. I had spent so many moments walking down these halls, wishing they would hold someone precious to me, wishing I didn't spend hours upon hours alone and now, looking at the empty hallway I found peace in it.

I knew that Danny would be safe from prying eyes.

I shut the door. Closing it gently and turned. Walking to the bathroom and pulled down the large material box from the top shelf. Grab the large medical kit from the box and a few packages of spare gauze. I tucked the box under my arm and held the gauze in my hand as I turned, using my back to push open the door. When I spin around I stop, thankful that nothing was in my mouth as I would have dropped it. Danny was sitting on the bed, sheets around his lap and my shirt on his body. Nothing was sexy or teasing about this but his soft broken eyes shook me. How many times had I watched Phantom rush into battle without a thought for his well-being, a true hero through and through but the small broken boy staring at me with lost eyes was anything but that.

Sitting here was a boy that would lay down his life without a second thought and had received nothing but pain and betrayal from it. A broken boy that had to accept help from his worst enemy because he had no one else to stand by him. I swallowed the lump in my throat and sat on the end of the bed, pushing a slow stream of air from my lips as I took in the male before me.

Danny turns away, a stray tear running down his face before its wiped away "Danny." I finally say "You don't have to be strong for me. You don't have to hold it in for me... You can let it out."

His hands move, wiping away another tear from his other eye as I open the large box, taking out a few items I'd need. I swallow, extending my hand to him and after a silent motion to his hand, he places it in mine. I worked quietly, not wanting to push the mood any more than I had. Focusing solely on removing the dirty gauze and wrapping it once more. My fingers moving expertly around his hand, small wrist and over each finger, the wooden sticks still in place.

I look up when Danny chuckles "What?"

"Oh, you're just a lot better at this then Tucker is."

I watch him slide his other hand down the white wrappings, his second hand was healing nicely, faster than most people could.

"Well, I grew up in a family of doctors Danny. I've been doing this since I was three." I chuckle, taking his second hand and slowly take off the wrappings "My parents help a lot of people but they spent so much time in the office they hardly had time for me." I pull the final circle off his finger and watch as he gently flexes the tender flesh "I started studying medicine..." I sigh, "I thought if learned what they knew they would find some time to spend with me."

I feel Danny's eyes on me "So, the big bad bully really is just a crying child on the inside."

I look up, my eyebrow-raising at his smile and finally sigh with a small smile "I guess so, yeah." I run a hand through my hair "I've been so angry for so long I'd forgotten I was angry. But seeing you in the hallway, so bright and cheerful, surrounded by real friends it made me angry… angrier." I run a hand through my hair for a second time and look at Danny, looking at the sheets in pain "fuck, Danny I'm so sorry…" I sigh, wanting to punch myself in the face "God I'm such a fucking jack ass! I mean I can't even give you a reason why I-"

I stop when his hand grabs mine.

"I'm not upset at you dash, I was just thinking about Tu-" he chokes on his words and I watch his eyes rimmed with tears.

"Danny, I'm not defending them. What they did was shitty and you should be angry at them, but you guys have been together forever. I have no right to say anything but don't write them out of your life okay?" I rip open the second pack of gauze and unroll a bit "They do love you."

Danny pulls his hand back, glaring at the sheet in silence. I exhale quietly "Sorry, I'll shut up."

I stop, looking at his hand and place the gauze on my lap. I know I was crossing a line but it had to be said. Still, the wound was new, tender and a slap in the face every time he thought of it so I shut my mouth, simply extending my hand to Danny again. When he doesn't return it I sit there, the awkward silence growing.

I sigh, going to put away the bandage. I could finish it later.

"Are you planning on being a doctor like your parents?"

I glance up at the small male before me. His question was forced; the awkward tension like this was a first date "Um, I never really thought of it, to be honest." I chuckle, taking his outstretched fingers. Gently wrapping the tender flesh "I always figured I'd get a full ride from football, maybe take it professionally. Coach has been pushing it on me lately but I don't know. I mean I should know these things right? We're graduating this year but, I don't know. Medicine hasn't really brought me closer to my parents and Quan's most likely playing state so who knows… you?"

"I'd planned on going to Cornwall with Sam. It was close enough to the city should trouble arise but far enough for me to get away from…"

"Me. Right?" I smile softly at his silence "Look, Danny, I don't blame you okay? And I certainly won't get mad at you for speaking your mind. I owe you at least that."

Danny chuckles, going to rub the back on his head with his injured hand and winces in pain "It's not just you. Okay yes, you were a big part of it but I needed to get out of the city. I needed to find out who Danny Fenton was and I found out long ago I couldn't do that with my parents around."

"Yeah, your parents are a bit… odd."

He snorts "Try living with them. I'm half-ghost and living with two full-time ghost hunters who take pleasure in dissecting the undead."

Though it was said causally his words held the weight of a truck. Though I finally understand why Danny leaned so much on Sam and Tucker.

"Oh my god…"

He was a living or undead target for his family. His own parents had tried to kill him on several occasions. Would talk about finally catching and dissecting him while he sat at the dinner table. To make matters worse he had to play it off as if nothing had occurred. That also explained why Jazz was so protective of her little brother, I could still hear her angry yelling the one time she caught me beating up Fenturd –I mean Danny. With her gone with was just the three of them. Now…

"Danny…" He takes in my pained expression and mirrors one of his own "How have you done this all these years? How are you still alive? Attacked at school, threatened at home, and attacked outside or any other place a ghost shows up."

"Well, I'm half dead remember?"

His smile didn't reach its usual height.

"Fucking hell Fenton." I exhale, running my hand once more through my hair

"Hey, you keep doing that and you'll start going bald."

I peek at him through my fingers and against my better judgment find myself smiling with him. That smile turned into a chuckle and soon enough both of us were laughing.

"Ow ow ow fuck," Danny laughs, holding his ribs as tears streamed down his face "Laughing hurts." Despite his words, the laughter continued and we both laid there quietly wiping tears from our eyes.

My eyes rose to the door as gentle knocking echoed through. I saw Danny tense, going to move when I hold up my hand, a gentle smile on my face as I motion for him to stay where he is. It wasn't my mother, she would have barged into my room, probably wanting to check over my handy work.

"Master Dash?" a woman asks, her voice had a heavy southern accent "May I come in I have fresh sheets?"

"No, sorry Margret but I have a friend over right now," I state, cringing at Danny's face

"Oh! Is it young Master Kwan?" she chuckles "Would you boys like me to bring you breakfast then?"

"That would be wonderful." I sigh, already preparing for Danny's oncoming teasing "You can leave the sheets in the hall."

"Of course not, I will change them later. That's not something master Dash should do." She chuckles. I turn back to Danny as she walks away.

"Fresh sheets huh?" Danny muses "How many 'friends' do you bring home Dash?"

"The sheets are just a precaution," I snap back, feeling a slight blush on my face. No one had called me out on it before "And if I were in need of fresh sheets I would have said I was entertaining a guest, not a friend." I yawn, lifting up my shirt to scratch my stomach "Paulina and Star don't eat nearly as much food as I do, plus Margret would leave different soap in the hall as well."

"And Star?!" Danny gawks, that amused judgement back once more "I thought she was Kwan's woman?"

I almost chuckle as the realization hits him.

"Mhm, well. We tend to trade back and forth or join up together if we're in the mood." I groan, stretching my arms after that long sleep. It was nice to get the other half of my blood flow back "It's whatever the girls want to do really. It's their bodies after all." I looked back at Danny's flabbergasted face and inwardly groan, my face clearly showing my feelings "I know okay? The upper circle, we're all giant whores…"

I waved him off as Danny smiles

"Dash I'm half dead, it's not my place to judge what you do with your life." He sighs, stretching slowly. He hid it well but being around doctors so often I noticed the small twinges of pain and how his hands didn't go as high as they should have "Besides if I could find someone to sleep with I would do it too. We're seniors. It's not exactly weird."

I looked at him, lying on my bed. I wasn't very shocked that Danny was a virgin. I mean he was a dork and with ghost fighting, school and homework, there wasn't much time to sleep around. I also had a hunch he'd been waiting for Sam. Wanting to make their first night as special as possible.

Danny was a true romantic through and through. And in a sex-crazed world like this, where a twenty dollar meal, a six-pack of beer and a back seat counted as a date -I couldn't help but find that extremely brave.

Read and Review people. Peace out.