Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Danny was short. A grand total of 5’ 4” at age 15, soon to be 16. 

He knew he was below average. Most kids(read: guys) his age were shooting up into the 5’ 10’’s and 5’ 11’’s. Sometimes even into the 6 foot range. (The whole football team was taller than what Danny thought was necessary.) 

So yeah, Danny knew he was short. Jazz was concerned that he was ‘deficient in vitamins’ and ‘malnourished’ in some way. He wasn’t. They checked. 

Looking back on it, Danny’s pretty sure it was the ecto-contamination of his house that was screwing him over. He was always a small kid, but when he grew it was never very much. His Dad was a whole brickhouse of a man, 6’ 9’’ and like 3 feet across, his Dad could pick up a car for Ancients sake. And his Mom was just on the cusp of 6 feet. So it didn’t really make sense why he was so small. There had to be something else that was stunting his growth. That something was probably the ecto-contamination, if it wasn’t that then…well didn’t really know else could be keeping him so short. 

After The Accident, a little more than a year ago, Danny was pretty sure he’d never grow again. From, y’know, being dead ‘n all. He hadn’t grown really at all during those first couple months. So he figured he was going to be stupid short and made fun of it for the rest of his half life. 

So…

So it didn’t make any sense when he hit his head on the low hanging planetary system he’d rigged to his ceiling a few weeks ago. Or when his favorite shirt wouldn’t fit anymore or when could finally reach where Jazz kept hiding the Biscoff. (Without cheating of course. Ghost powers were cheating according to Sam.) 

He’d grown.

A good couple of inches. Seemingly overnight. 

It…it didn’t make any sense. And Jazz definitely noticed but she didn’t say anything, only gave him a weird look before turning back to her cereal and 1010 Psychology textbook. 

Danny was positive that he was done growing, so why was he growing again now?

It didn’t make any sense. 

Danny wasn’t taking any sertorids, but he sure felt like it. 

He’d stopped needing Redbull and coffee to get him through the day, in fact it almost felt like he was actually sleeping, instedd of fighting ghosts from 11pm to 5am every night. 

Weird. 

He wasn’t complaining but man it was weird. 

His friends noticed and boy did they say something. 

Danny just wished he could have a normal day. 

A cold puff of air yanked itself from Danny’s lungs and he resisted the urge to face plant onto his half finished study guide and raised his hand instead.

“Mr. Lancer, can I go to the bathroom?” 

(::)

Danny crashed into another car, the metal squeeling and crunching around him, glass raining down like the times when Dash would only throw gravel instead of actually rocks and baseballs. 

Skulker was at it again. And now this time he had some kind of ghost dog(not like Cujo at all) and some kind of ghost bear with him. 

Now typically Danny could take Skulker no problem, but with the animals it was a lot more tedious then it normally was. He had to watch out for random bear punches and slashes and any ghostly bites and Skulker’s lasers and missiles and bombs and—

Danny dove away from the car, a plasma beam causing the car he just destroyed to explode in a green fireball of shraple and rubber. 

“MY CAR!!” Some random lady screamed from behind a trash can. 

“SORRY!” Danny felt terrible but he couldn’t dwell on it because he had to dodge another blast of green fire. 

He swerved and flew and blasted as much as he could. But he must’ve been off his game because his Core was feeling all kinds of funky and—

“Ghost child? What ales you?” What? “You normally put up a better fight than this, how am I supposed to mount your pelt on my wall if that pelt was gained through mundane combat?” Skulker seemed genuinely confused. 

Danny grit his teeth, a rumble, a growl building in his throat. 

What was wrong with him? 

Danny just wanted to finish Skulker off, so he could get back home (there was no way he’d get done with enough time to finish 7th period) and finish that dumb study guide, so he could—

There was an itching, a burning, a burning, burning cold. His Core was burning and freezing and something was sharp and piercing and growing and building and pressing and Danny’s skin was on fire and his bones were melting and his teeth were falling from frozen, melted, shattered gums and he didn’t have a tongue anymore and his brain was dribbling out of his collapsed nose and his organs were boiling in his own fluids and his Core was breaking into a million pieces and breaking apart and his Core was so so cold and so unbearably hot at the same time it just hurt so bad—

—Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop make it stopmakeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstopmaKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEIT

His Core expanded and grew and darkened and lightened all at once. Black stars and nebulous matter built and grew and Danny saw the vastness of space, eons and eons and eons and eons and eons far away and all-consuming. Every part of him growing and expanding and adapting to the stars that made their home inside him. Cold, cold and blistering ethereal constellations and galaxies that weaved and etched, tattooed their way into his skin, eons of black matter and Nothing carved their way across his bones, space dust and comets made anew, winding and growing and sowing into his hair and dusting it with foreign stars and the phases of the moons long forgotten. Imprinting on his Soul. He saw the cosmos and he felt the cold, wonderful vacuum of space inside him, growing and growing and growing and growing until—

It stopped. 

It slowed and settled inside him. His Core pulsing with new sense of Vastness and comforting Nothing that had dispursed inside him. Something in him, slotting into place, falling alseep for the time being. 

Danny was…

Danny…

Danny blinked, his eyes blurred and his vision was absolutely shot. 

He groaned, falling on his side, curling into himself. 

What the heck was that? 

He bearliy looked up, squinting around at a landscape of ice that flower pettled out from where he lay, his arms hugging his chest as much as he could. 

Ancients, he felt terrible. 

Danny blinked again. The terribleness fading as the seconds passed. 

He sat up, his shaking arms holding much of his weight. He took that chance to look around more properly. 

He was indeed surrounded by his own ice, it layered outward from where he sat, and it was a lot smoother and…sparklier…than before?

It was best not to think about it too hard. 

Man did his head hurt. 

Danny blinked some more, seeing a crumpled metal heap just outside the ring of ice. 

He squinted, noticing a…green flaming mohawk…that…

That was Skulker…wasn’t it? 

Danny swallows, opening his mouth, hoping he wouldn’t have something embarrassing as a voice crack. 

“...Skulker?” 

Skulker's head shot up, staring at Danny, his expression twisted in awe and fear. 

“P-Princeling—I didn’t—” Skulker slowly left the ground. “My apologies—I didn’t realize you were Ascending. If you wish for me to leave then I will,” 

...What? 

What the heck was Ascending?

…

Danny blinked and Skulker continued to look more and more uncomfortable. 

He would’ve thought it was funny if it were for the fact that still felt like hit by a truck. Or a bus. Or a train. Or a tank. Heck maybe all four. (Point is he didn’t feel good.) 

“...I mean…” Danny weighed the words in his mind. “...Sure?”

Skulker’s metallic face did the equivalent of a brow furrow. He nodded slightly, probably to himself. 

He clasped his hands over where his Core would typically sit and bowed at the waist. 

“Princeling,” 

And with that…Skulker and his posie left. 

What in the Infinite Realms was that? Princeling?

Danny looked around at all the ice and sighed. 

He had some work to do. 

(::)

“That was quick,” Sam’s eyes followed Danny as he turned back into the visible spectrum and transformed back to human. 

They were walking home. 

Danny thought back to the strange encounter, absentmindedly rubbing his chest. “Yeah, it was,” There was something different about it, his Core. “Half way through the fight Skulker just…left,” Danny wasn’t sure what to make of it. His Core or the fact that Skulker did the equivalent of retreat. Which he never did. 

It didn’t make any sense. 

Sam deadpanned. “He…left?” She did not sound like she believed him. 

Danny nodded. “Yeah he…he called me princeling too,” Danny didn’t quite know what to do with the title that Skulker had given him. It was usually ‘whelp’ or ‘ghost child’ but now it was princeling. It was…

The title felt different than all the other ones. It was just… it was stronger. Somehow. It felt….important….powerful. 

His Core shuttered when he was called it. When Skulker called him it he…he liked it. 

“Princeling? Like a prince?” Tucker raised an eyebrow, he had to look up at Danny now. “Why would he call you that?”

“I dunno guys,” Danny frowned. “I dunno,” 

(::)

It's been two weeks since the...Skulker incident and Danny has been feeling…

…Hungry. 

At first it wasn’t that bad. He would eat and the Hunger would abate like normal. But after a few days the Hunger stayed a little longer, got a little more…persistent. 

So he ate more, and it didn’t help. If anything the Hunger got worse. It grew and it ached and by the time Friday rolled around Danny was eating all the time, he’d sneak snacks into class, he ate during their walks back from school, he’d shove chips in his mouth before bed. The only time he wasn’t stuffing his face is when he was sleeping and during ghost fights. 

Those were different too somehow. 

Danny found himself...staring. Staring at his enemies and just…

His mouth would water and the ache would grow. The Hunger would grow. 

Danny didn’t like it. 

He ignored it just like everything else. He’d finish the fight, suck the offending ghost into the Thermos and go back to whatever he was doing before. 

He also ignored the distorted, ininsict thoguht that was popping up, the thought that he could slurp the ghost out of the Thermos and it would be far easier then hunting them down. 

There was some part of him, the part of him that gave him flight and intangibility and ecto-blasts, that relished in each fight. That got a thrill out of beating the crap out of some ghost that was intruding on his Haunt. His Haunt, because it was his. It was his and he would destory anyone that even thought about touching what was His—

Danny shook his head, glaring at his bio textbook. 

Those thoughts also came with the Hunger. 

Danny shoved another veggie straw into his mouth, the ectocontaminationed cracker straw let out a mini scream as Danny chopped down on it. The sharp, sweet, tangy taste of ectoplasm coming along with the cracker. It helped. There was something about it…the…the ectocontaminated food his parents kept in the fridge. It helped, the food, the food that growled and moved and tried to kill him. 

The evil food filled him up more then other normal food was. It…helped more than anything else. 

Danny didn’t know what to think about it. 

He started bringing squirming tangerines and screaming hotdog chunks to school after he figured that out. 

Chapter Text

Danny’s mouth watered. 

He was staring at a shade. The little adorable green blob was doing something to him. It made the aching worse, the ecto-contaminated chips were doing nothing even as he ate a whole bag of them absentmindedly.

 Something about the shade just looked so…delicious. 

It…

It kinda reminded him of ice cream. Or jello. Regardless of what it reminded him of, he wanted to put it in his mouth. Maybe chew a couple times.  

His teeth had been all sorts of funky the past few days and Jazz said that babies had similar problems. Apparently it was called ‘teething’. Danny was no baby. (But he sure was hungry like one.)

Danny watched the translucent blob of barely sentient ectoplasm bob around the park. It wasn’t powerful enough for anyone but Danny to see and…

Hm. 

The Hunger was still there. 

He…

Danny knew that he should be feeling bad about wanting to…what? What did Danny want to do to the poor unsuspecting creature? 

Danny was pretty sure he wanted to eat it. Just put it in his mouth and swallow it whole. 

Danny turned away, staring at his empty bag of chips. 

No. 

Danny would not give in to…whatever this was. He would not eat another ghost. 

He was pretty sure that was a form of cannibalism or something. And he would not be doing that ever. 

Danny stood and the Hunger flared, forcing himself to catch the weight of his body on the picnic table. 

No. Danny was fine. He had more ecto-snacks in his bag, he would just eat those. 

Danny ignored the part of him that screamed, that begging, that pleaded for nourishment. That pleaded for a hunt. That pleaded to track something down, to chase it, to rip it apart and eat it piece by piece and slurp down its core, and lick his claws clean of the ectoplasmic blood. 

That part of him wanted so badly—

Danny left the park. 

(::) 

Danny was barely conscious the first time he ate a shade, it was small, hardly worth anything more then a handful worms nutrient wise. But it was more filling then Danny’s eaten in a long time. 

And he was barely conscious after he’d finished it, sulking off to find something else. 

He never did. 

(::)

Danny was taller than Dash now. 

It…was certainly a surprise. 

He didn’t realize it until Dash had come to do his daily wailing and Dash had to look up at Danny to punch him in the face. Dash had this…enraged expression. 

His Core was picking up singles, vibrations of anger-envy-confusion which was…weird. Was…was Dash jealous of him? Of his height? 

(Also the emotions thing was new, well, newer than all the other stuff. He could now pick up emotions pretty clearly most of the time. He now had empathy powers, great. Absolutely wonderful. Just what he needed right now, the ability to feel others emotions. Though… )

(Though sometimes Danny couldn’t really tell what was him feeling things and what others were feeling. It sucked.)

Danny wanted to be smug about it, maybe crack a joke or two about Dash being the puny one now…but…

Danny didn’t feel like it should be funny. 

Because it didn’t make any sense. 

Eventually, Dash walked away. He couldn’t exactly shove someone taller than him in a locker anymore and Danny was left just…standing there. Mouth dry, and still feeling ugly mix of jealous-rage-insecure gradually leaving, trailing behind Dash like the smell of sweaty gym socks and a particularly bad cologne. 

Again…Danny didn’t know how to feel about it. 

Dash was jealous of Danny’s height. Something Dash had always lorded over Danny, over pretty much everyone that wasn’t an A-lister or someone over 5’ 11’’. Which Danny, for most of his life, was firmly below. 

But now…he wasn’t. 

He was taller than Dash. 

And it didn’t even feel earned. Somehow, Danny being taller. Eating all the time, yet at the same time being hungry all the time.

..he..he didn’t know. 

It just…it just felt like cheating somehow. Danny didn’t know why it felt that way and he knew it was stupid that he felt that way but he just…

Danny didn’t know what to do. 

Chapter Text

“So man. Meat gummies or vegan potato chips?” Tucker held up both snacks, gagging at the second option, looking longing at the first. 

Sam wasn’t with them, her parents were having a mandatory ‘family dinner’ and ‘bonding experience.’ Which, in Danny’s opinion, sounded terrible. (Well considering his family dinner consisted of mutant meatloaf and bloodthirst roasted vegetables Danny wasn’t sure what a family dinner was supposed to look like.)

(And his ‘family bonding time’ was either monster/ghost fishing with his Dad or gun range and testing with experimental and highly explosive guns and weaponry. Along with bio ecto-chemical weapons with his Mom…Danny didn’t really know what a ‘regular’ family bonding experience looked like either.)

(He was getting off track wasn’t he?)

The point is, Sam wasn’t with them. She’d tried a billion times and a billion different ways but it seemed her parents were getting smarter…at least in the preventing Sam from sneaking out to hang out with them way. 

So, it was just him and Tucker on a Tuesday afternoon. Danny…didn’t really feel like playing Doomed and Tucker seemed more keen in checking up with Danny which was…

Considerate. Even though it weirded Danny out a little. 

His Core hummed and sang in the presence of his friend. A mantra of protect-mine-percious thing-mine-protect-protect swirling inside him in a whirlpool of green and wanting. 

Tucker shook the options in his face and Danny realized that he’d probably taken too long to answer. 

Danny blinked, grabbing the first thing his hands came into contact with, which happened to be the vegan chips. Huh. 

His Core picked up echos of concern-amusement-distracted from Tucker. 

Danny shook his head, trying to lose the feelings that Tucker was unknowingly projecting. It wasn’t good picking up others emotions. It was invasive. 

Tucker seemed to debate something for a moment, conflict-concern-resolve, floating up and around and into Danny’s Core. (Learning to deal with the empath thing was confusing and guilt-trippy. Danny hated it.) 

“Are you okay?” 

The question caught Danny off guard. He blinked, replaying the question in his mind. 

Are you okay?

Was he okay? 

Danny…Danny didn’t—

“Is this a puberty thing man? Cuz’ I’m pretty sure that…” 

Danny made a face. “What? No-ew! Gross! I mean…probably not, it doesn’t—it’s not the same. I think,” 

Tucker laughed a little, pulling the meat gummy bag open, the plastic-aluminum stuff crinkling in Tucker’s unrelenting grip. “Oookaay? Is it a ghost thing?” 

Danny’s mouth clicked shut. 

Y’know..?

It probably was. 

Danny slumped, leaving the chips unopened, running a hand along his wrist and lower forearm, feeling the bumps and healing bruises still present. “Yeah...it probably is,”

His Core rumbled with Hunger and his mouth began salivating against his will. 

Danny looked at the chips, debating whether or not he should eat them. He knew they wouldn’t help. 

Danny sighed, picking up the bag, and decided to eat them anyway. 

“Soooo—ghost stuff?” Tucker prompted, dumping a few meat gummies into his mouth, chewing obnoxiously loud while Danny gathered his thoughts.

“I…” Danny paused, not really knowing what to say. He bit his cheek, his now (cause now he apparently had fangs.) fangs but they didn’t bite through his cheek, like it normally would’ve. Great now he can’t even do that. 

Danny mentally shook himself out. He wanted to tell Tuck, and Sam but something…

It honestly wasn't right to tell them somehow. Like, it was his duty to bear the burden or whatever. 

But…Tucker was asking, so…

Danny could probably tell him something.

“You how…” Danny didn’t know where to start. “You know how I’ve been eating a lot?” 

Tucker blinked, obviously not expecting it. “I mean…yeah? I’d be eating that much if I was growing the way you are. Pretty sure all teenagers do. What does that have to do with ‘ghost stuff’?”

Danny cringed at the ‘ghost stuff’. It was the understatement of the century. 

“I…” The chips tasted like ash on his tongue. “I’m hungry all the time right?” He put another chip into his mouth, his Core rumbling slightly and the Ache continued to…well ache. 

Danny was Hungry. 

Tucker gave him a weird look. “Yeah?”

“And...food doesn’t…help,” 

Tucker’s weird look persisted. “....Okay??” Tucker ate another gummy. “Whaddya mean dude?” 

Confusion-worry-speculation.

“It's…” Danny grunted, the words he wanted to say were just out of reach. Some part of him knew what it was but he couldn’t put that part of him into words. “I’m hungry but…not…”

Tucker nodded slowly. Putting on a thinking face. Humor-confusion-speculation.

Danny lightly shoved his best friend. “Don’t patronize me dude, this is serious!!” 

Tucker rolled his eyes. “Yeah—whatever man,” Tucker sobered. clearing his throat. “Ghost stuff?” 

Danny sighed, slumping a little. “Yeah…I think…I think I’m hungry because of the ghost stuff,” Something inside him rumbled again, Danny was hungry. “I just—Tucker I think…” Hazy memories of green, ecto, living jello. Ectoplasmic blood tangy and sweet and so, so tasty on his tongue. Dancing around in his head, and Danny couldn’t quite remember but Danny was hungry. “I—I think I...I think I ate a ghost,” 

Tucker froze. Eyes wide, a red-pink gummy half way to his mouth. “...ate. As in: Ate? You—you think you—consumed a ghost,”   

Danny grimaced. “I…I don’t really…remember per say but its…I—I guess its just something I know,” 

Tucker paused. “...Is it…like a..deja vu thing?” Concern-confusion-speculation-thinking-thinking.  

Danny shook his head. “I…maybe?” 

Tucker hummed. “And you’re sure its ghost stuff?” He popped another gummy into his mouth. 

“Yeah?” Danny frowned. “What else could it be?” 

“I dunno man,” Tucker put his hand back in the plastic bag, making a face at what was probably the low number of snack left. “So if its ghost stuff—whaddaya think that means? Like are you becoming more ghost or…”

Danny’s face twisted. He hoped not—he already had enough issues. He didn’t need being more ghost on top of it. 

“I don’t...” He hoped not, he really, really hoped not. 

Tucker must’ve seen something in Danny’s face, because the worry-concern-confusion, was almost enough to make his eyes misty. It didn’t happen. Danny was better than that. 

“Hey man—we’ll figure this out together,” Tucker paused, head tilting as he thought about something. “With Sam, of course,” Stuff always happened when Sam was around. 

Danny smiled, laughing. “Yeah, with Sam,” 

They both cheered their respective snack and the conversation turned mundane topics and Danny settled in for a relaxing Tuesday. 

Chapter Text

“Danny,” Mr. Lancer called from his desk where he was grading papers with a clunky red marker. “I’d like to see you after class,” 

Danny’s head shot up from the position he’d been half-sleeping in. They were doing end of term English exams and Danny finished a bit earlier than usual. 

Oh no, did he fail every question? Was Mr. Lancer going to hold him back or something? Would he have to retake English again? Danny hated English. 

But he was doing so well, his grades had finally picked up from C-’s to C+’s and sometimes even B-’s. It was going great, the content was becoming easier or…maybe Danny was getting smarter? 

Who knows. 

But Mr. Lancer wanted to talk to him after class was never a good thing. 

Danny put his head back down, ignoring the snickering from some of the rest of the class and mumbled out an ‘okay’. 

Danny just wanted the day to be over already. 

Class eventually ended and after the last couple of stragglers left the room, Danny slumped over to his Teacher’s desk. Dreading every second of it. 

Danny would’ve been more pessimistic about it but the interest-confusion-suspicion-pride, coming from Mr. Lancer, made Danny pause. The suspicion certainly wasn’t good. (The pride threw him off more than the suspicion.)

“Danny,” Mr. Lancer folded his hands over a couple of half graded exams. Danny caught a glimpse of an ‘F’ and a ‘B-’. He wondered whose those were. With his luck the ‘F’ was probably his. “I’d just like to say I am very glad you’re taking your studying seriously again,”

Danny blinked. “Sir?” Danny wasn’t studying better, in fact it was probably worse. Or at least Danny thought his studying habits were getting worse.

“Your exam, you did very well and you should be very proud of your score,” Mr. Lancer opened a red-plastic folder and pulled out an exam, a couple pages stapled together, with an absolute mess of scribbled answers and graphite doodles overing almost every inch of white paper. 

Danny hesitantly grabbed it and he recognized it as his test. 

And there was a big, circled ‘A-’, right next to his name. 

Danny was baffled. 

Mr. Lancer raised an eyebrow. The Confusion-interest-hesitancy-lingering pride, coming in thick waves, made something inside Danny churn. “This is your test, right?” 

Danny swallowed. Looking down at it, eyebrows scrunched together. “...Yeah, it is,” 

Mr. Lancer nodded. “Well done Danny—I’m sure your parents will be very proud,” 

(His parents didn’t really care about his school work.)

Danny just couldn’t wrap his head around it—it just didn’t make any sense, it just— 

“Are you sure you graded this correctly?” Danny wanted to slap himself. 

“Yes,” Mr. Lancer gave Danny a look that made his skin crawl. It was searching, too searching. “...Do you think I gave you the wrong score?” 

“Ummm…” Danny gripped the test a little tighter, the pages crinkling under his grip. Why did this feel so wrong? “...No?” 

Mr. Lancer sighed. Resigned-tired-curious. “You can run along to your next class now Danny, please don’t dawdle,” 

Danny nodded mutely, grabbing his bag and leaving, the test crumpled and cramped into the bottom of his bag. 

Hopeful he’d never see it again. 

He didn’t like what it represented. 

(::) 

Surprisingly, nothing of note had happened in the week since exams. A new term started and Danny was pleasantly surprised at how his grades turned out. Not bad, not bad at all. 

The daily ghost fights had dwindled down into an only 3-4 times a week thing.

It was great. 

But then Star ran up to him. Tear streaked and obviously scared. Nauseating waves of hurt-fear-hope rolling off her and Danny immediately tensed. 

“Star what’s—?” 

She slid behind him, pressing her back to his locker, using him as a barrier between her and whatever had her so scared. 

She was trembling, her breath scared and erratic. She looked up at him, it was a look Danny was intimately familiar with. 

Please help me. 

Danny blinked, already nodding. Star was a tough girl, so whatever had rattled her so bad—

“Star!” Dash’s anger tinged voice echoed down the halls and kids were lingering in the hall, sensing a fight. “Quit hiding behind Fenton and just come talk to me! It wasn’t even that bad babe, I don’t see what the problem is,” Anger-annoyance-lust. 

Danny bristled. Star was vehemently shaking her head, desperate to stay away from Dash. 

Danny straightened up, conjuring some of the heroism that he used on a near daily basis to stare Dash down. 

“She obviously doesn’t want to, Dash. Leave her alone,” Danny's voice was cold and uncompromising, Dash raised an eyebrow and Star looked openly surprised.

Dash scoffed. “Oh come on Fenton, we were just having a little fun,” Dash sneered. “And it's not like it was even that bad, Star’s the one who decided to freak out on me,”

Danny Core rumbled with hot-hot-cold anger. Some part of him whispered, sharp and dangerous. Protect-protect-hurt him-make him stop-protect her-protect. 

“Leave her alone Dash,” Danny growled. An almost unconscious icy reverb making its way into his syllables. He didn’t care enough to hide it, or the way temperature dropped slightly. 

He wanted to scare Dash. 

Dash scoffed again, but there was something nervous about the way his eyes rolled. “Oh come on Fenton—what'd ya gonna do? Tell a teacher?”

Danny tilted his head. He might, but it certainly wasn’t the first thing that came to mind. 

Protect-protect-protect. 

Dash laughed but it sounded more nervous than mocking. “Or are you finally going to man up and hit me back,” He crossed his arms, trying to look intimidating. “Just ‘cause you're taller than me doesn’t mean you’ll get away with it,” 

Y’know?

Danny thinks he will hit Dash. 

Right in his stupid freaking nose. 

Dash shifted a little, probably becoming uncomfortable with Danny’s lack of retort. “Not gonna say anything?” 

Danny frowned, his body shifting slightly, getting ready to deck Dash in the face. No. he really didn’t have anything to say to him.

“Just as I thought, once a weakling, always a weakling. Y’know Fentina, I’m glad you grew a pair, because wailing on you’s been getting boring and I thought maybe I would move to that goth chick of your’s—”

Dash crumpled to the ground. 

(::)

“Mr. Fenton—” 

“Danny,” 

The Principle sighed. “...Danny,” He paused, taking a moment to look Danny over. Who was sporting an already healing bruise on his face. “Do you know why you’re in here today?” 

Danny wanted to scowl but he knew that wouldn’t go over well, so he took a deep breath and said, “Is this because of Dash?” instead. 

The Principle(Danny never bothered to learn his name.) sighed again. “Yes, Danny this about Dashiel,”

The Principle waited, looking at Danny expectantly. Danny caught glimpses of tired-wary-annoyed-expectant. Danny wasn’t sure if he wanted Danny to fess up or break down crying about some issue or something else—but whatever it was Danny wouldn’t do it. Danny promised Star he wouldn’t tell anyone, he didn’t like it but he would respect her privacy. Though he firmly believed that she should tell someone about it, Danny wasn’t going to be the person doing the telling. 

The Principle sighed again (again! What was with this guy and sighing?). “Danny. I understand your going through a hard time right now and—”

“What?” 

“And your going through some…changes,” 

Danny made a face. Not the puberty thing again. 

The Principle held up a finger, as if to scold Danny. “But that doesn’t give you the excuse to attack another student unprovoked,” 

Danny gapped. “But Dash—!” 

His tone was firm. “I expect you to write a formal apology to Dashiel and for you to attend detention until you’ve learned your lesson,” Scolding-annoyed-tired. 

…

His Core was rumbling again, buzzing, tapping but angry. Something inside was angry at the Principle—at this-this-lesser being daring to tell him what to do. To try and punish him for doing what was right. For doing what he was supposed to do. Danny was angry, Danny wanted to rip his throat out. Danny wanted—

“...Yes sir,” 

The Principle nodded, obviously happy with himself. (Danny didn’t need to be an empath to know that.) 

“Good,” The Principle hopped up from his seat, waddled to the door. Opening it for Danny. “I’m glad we had this chat, I’m looking forward to your reforment in the future Danny. Have a good evening,” 

Danny nodded, only to be polite. (He wasn’t an animal.) “...You too sir,” 

Danny walked out of the Principal office, his knuckles white at his sides, unnaturally pointed nails digging into his calloused palms. 

Some part of him was angry. Angry, angry, angry. How dare such a puny fragile thing delegate himself above him. Danny was more powerful than that thing could ever know.  Could ever hope to be. Danny could snap his neck, he could claw his heart out he could—

Danny walked with his head low even though that very same part of him wanted to tug his head high, to show his prestige, to show his power, the confidence he’s supposed to have.

He kept it down, hoping his thick hair would cover the slight green-ish hazy that had overtaken his normal, unnaturally glacier blue eyes.

Danny wanted to punch something. Some part of him wanted to destroy something. 

…But he didn’t 

Danny had more self control than that. 

Danny didn’t hangout with his friends that day. 

Chapter Text

It was Ember again. She’d come back for the seventh time that week. And it was only Thursday. 

She wouldn’t really do anything but try to get Danny’s attention, then just start attacking him viciously. 

It was getting very annoying. 

“Come on Babypop! I know you have more juice than that!” Ember strummed her guitar, a shockwave of green-blue shattered a round of windows behind Danny just as he ducked out of the way. “Hit me harder!” 

..And she was doing that now too. The last 2 or 3 times she’d been goating him into attacking her—well, more than he already did. 

But Danny didn’t want to attack her with everything he had. Something inside him was growing and the ache was growing. His need to feed was growing. Something inside him wanted-wanted-wanted, but Danny didn’t know what it was. Something inside him was angry and hungry and wanting so badly and—

Danny resisted the urge to release the piercing coldness, and dove out of the way of another blast of musical energy. 

He wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t kill her. 

But something inside him wanted—

Danny slowed, grunting and hunching just a little. It was beginning to hurt. The Aching usually only hurt just slightly, sometimes it would flare but it was never this bad. It—

Danny wanted—

“Babypop?” 

Danny’s head whipped up, she was floating there, not attacking him just…floating there. A couple yards away, her guitar hanging limp where it would sit when she wasn’t using it, her curling, flaming hair more tamed then anytime Danny’s seen it. 

Danny grit his teeth, hating the way his now multiple carnivorous, canine like teeth, ground together. “What?” 

For some reason biting her seemed like a really good idea. She looked tasty. 

Ember raised an eyebrow, interest-confusion-exasperation, playing between her Core and his. (Danny hated how clear other ghost’s emotions were.) 

“Phantom, I know you’re Ascending n’ all, but this is getting kinda ridiculous. You won’t attack me like you should, you're not bothering to try and Command me, like at all, and you haven’t even tried to take a chunk out of me,” She shook her head. “And your doing this whole ‘hunger strike’ thing, which—dumb by the way,” 

Danny blinked. Hungry strike? And there was that word again: Ascending. 

“...Wha—” Danny choked as the Hunger flare and something lost and rabid lodged itself in his chest. It spiked and hurt and crawled and was so so cold and—

Danny hurt and he was Hungry so, so hungry. He wanted to eat and eat and eat—he wanted to pop Cores like gummy bears, he wanted to bite and suck and drain Life-Death and ectoplasm in one sitting, he wanted to rend glowing flesh from metaphysical bones and he wanted to eat those too, the metaphysical bones and marrow. He would get to them, he would, he would. He so, so Hungry, Danny would eat just about anything, maybe even humans—

“Sheesh kid, I didn’t know it was this bad, how are you even conscious?” Ember grimaced, hovering in an almost…concerned way. 

Danny growled, claws digging into his sides as he hugged himself, the pain barely keeping him grounded. 

His Core shuttered and creaked and was so so Hungry. Danny was Hungry. The thing inside him was Hungry. Danny wanted—Danny wanted so bad—

He wanted and wanted and wanted and wanted and wanted and something inside him snapped—

Snapped and growled and Danny knew no more—

DANNY WANTED, HE WANTED SO BADLY, HE—

…

He was going to eat Ember. 

“Kid?” 

Danny uncurled, his spine going pop-pop-pop. The thing inside him was black and silver, starred and dead. Growing and expanding, Old Change came and went and Danny was expanded more than what his body should contain. 

And he was very Hungry. 

“Babypop?” 

Danny looked, eyes full of Souls and past remembers, green, filled with life and death. Chaos and Balance, Negentropy and Entropy. Everything and Nothing. 

Filled with More. 

“...Princeling?” 

Danny was H̸̛̤u̵̦͆n̶̥̽g̷̳̾r̵Í̺y̶̻͒.̸Í̪

There was a thing, a little, little thing. A Soul of small and Green. Music and Fire. Blue tinted love and past long heartbreak. 

And it looked very tasty. 

And Danny was very, very Hungry. His Core rumbled and crooned and wanted. Danny wanted too. 

The small Soul was mumbled making strange not-Core-rumble sounds. How strange. 

It hardly matters. 

Danny was Hungry. 

Chapter Text

Danny woke up in his bed, not knowing how he got there. 

It was nice waking up. Slow, and comfortable. 

Danny blinked, turning his head, thoroughly confused.

…How did he get here? 

…

Better question: Where was he before he was here?

Because Danny had no idea how he got here. 

Danny raised an arm, flopping it over his eyes. It was heavy and Danny was…tired. But comfortable. Danny hadn’t felt this comfortable in a long time. 

Danny frowned, feeling his Core rumble and purr in his chest. The sense of More pulsing steadily. The Extra parts of him, the ghost part of him existing and swirling inside him. 

Huh…

That….for a while his ghost half felt…deprived almost. It shuttered when he used his ghost powers, it felt oddly hurt when he would ‘go ghost’. It was piercing pain that had steadily gotten worse over time. And even went to turned human again it….it still hurt and always came with the Ache. The Hunger. 

Speaking of which….

The Hunger it…

Hm. 

Danny rubbed his chest, sitting up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed. 

He didn’t….really feel all that hungry any more. Well he still did, but it was almost ignorable. He could almost just forget about it he tried. It was basically gone.

He wasn’t hungry. 

Why wasn’t he hungry? He was always hungry. He was always—

His bedroom door opened. 

Danny’s head snapped up and—

It…it was Jazz. 

Her hair was a mess, her eyes rimmed with tears and she froze, like a deer in head lights when she saw him. 

“Danny!” 

She flung herself at him, arms latching around him and she choked on a sob. Danny latched onto her on instinct. 

Jazz was crying. His sister never cried. 

Why was she crying? why was she crying? Why was she crying? H e’d kill whoever made her cry—

“D-Danny, y–you, you–”

Danny held on a little tighter, feeling his Core grow with anger and heat and cold at the despairing sounds his sister was making. At the viscous waves of hurt-scared-worried-relived, that his sister was wearing like a second skin. 

“Jazz?” 

Jazz pulled herself from Danny arms and Danny’s heart clenched and his Core buzzed coldly in his chest. 

Jazz was glaring now. Anger-hurt-worried-relived. 

Danny gulped. 

“Y-you were g-gone for s-six days! Six DAYS!” Jazz practically yelling. 

Danny paled. 

“N-no call, no text, S-sam and Tucker had n-no idea—where, where you were and—!” 

“...Jazz I….” 

“N-NO!” More tears slipped down her face and Danny hated himself for it. “Y-you do NOT get t-to d—do this, you don’t—” Jazz began pacing, keeping a tearful eye on Danny. “Y-you run around, g-getting hurt a—all the time and I– can’t do anything about it and—” 

“...Jazz—” Danny didn’t know what to say. 

“A–and I know you w–want t—to prot-tect people but—” Jazz breathe shuttered. “B–but who’s going to p-protect you? Y-your getting i-into all t-these fights a-and y-you get thrown i–into buildings. BUILDINGS DANNY!” 

Danny swallowed, he stood up slowly, trying to console his sister. “But I’m fine though Jazz, really. Ghost me can take a lot of hits, so—”

“G-ghost you is stil–ll YOU!” Jazz was still crying, Danny’s not sure he’s ever seen her so upset before. “ You still g—get hurt! I thou-ought you got hurt! I t-thought you d-died! Danny! I–I thought you w-were gone f-for real this t-time! I thought my baby brother was dead!” 

Jazz glared and sobbed and hiccupped and—

Oh. 

Danny….Danny screwed up. He screwed real bad. 

He didn’t know what he could say. How could he—? 

How could he fix this? 

Suddenly his questions didn’t seem so important anymore, suddenly his own reasons didn’t seem so important anymore. 

He just needed Jazz to feel better. He needed His Precious One to feel better. He needed—

Jazz shook and Danny caught her before she crumpled to the ground. Holding onto her, making sure she wouldn’t fall. 

Danny held her and a swirl of protect-protect-protect chanted inside him. Danny knew he screwed up, he knew, he knew, he knew—

“I—I th–thought….” Jazz leaned in, shaking in his hold. Danny held her tighter. “I thought you d–died Danny,” She was calming down now (she was still crying but atleast she wasn’t screaming anymore) and Danny didn’t dare open his mouth. “I thought….I missed you,” 

Danny swallowed. He took a deep breath, knowing his words wouldn’t be enough. 

“...I’m sorry,” 

Jazz huffed, her red curls tickling his nose. “You b—better be,” 

Danny smiled, it was a small, fragile thing but Danny was just glad that his sister was calming down. “I am,” He tucked her in a little closer, embracing in the slow tides of hurt-sorrow-love. “...I am,” 

“Good .” 

There was silence, where they just stood there, holding onto each other. 

Jazz’s cries tapered down to small, wet hiccups and even those came to a stop eventually.

All Danny could think about is how badly he screwed up. 

Jazz inhaled, it was shaking but much better then before. Danny recognized his sister coming back to herself. Coming back into control. “This conversation isn’t over Danny,” 

Danny huffed out a laugh. “Yeah—I figured,”

“You’re going to tell me where you were and why you didn’t tell anyone,” 

Danny bit down on the snarky comment he wanted to make, going with the peaceful option instead. “...Okay,” 

“And you’re going to call Sam and Tucker, they’ve been hounding me all week about you. They were planning on sending out a search party to find you, Star was a big advocate of it as well. When did you become friends with her?” 

Danny’s eyes widen. “Crap! Sam and Tucker!” Danny fell and away from their hug and Jazz laughed at him, trying to hide it with a half-hearted scold. “They're going to kill me!” 

Jazz’s expression sharpened. 

Danny winced. “Too soon?” 

“Much,” Jazz’s voice wobbled. “Much too soon,” 

Danny looked at her in earnest. “Sorry, I really, really am, but—”

Jazz sighed. The scared-hurt-worried older sister bled away into the loving-exasperated-relieved older sister. “Go call your friends, we’ll talk after,” 

Danny popped a thumbs up and went to go find his phone, which was probably down stairs the last he’d seen of it. 

“OH! And your teachers as well!” Jazz called after him, her voice lilting happily. 

Danny groaned.

He probably had so much homework. 

(::) 

He called Tucker first, Danny hoped he’d be more chill about it. Tucker was a chill guy, hopefully….

Danny winced and Tucker picked up on the first ring. 

“ Where were you dude!?” 

Danny laughed nervously. “Hhheyy Tucker, so funny story—”

“DUDE! You we’re gone for six days! Where’d you go?! Florida?! Alaska?! The moon?!” Tucker practically screeched into the speaker and Danny winced. 

Yeah..he guessed that justified not being… chill. 

“I…not the moon…no,” Levity, Danny levity. He began to pace his Core buzzing with worry and confusion and a strange sense of Knowing. 

Tucker huffed, hot and angry and Danny’s sense of ‘screwed up’-ness only got worse. “Where did you go then? I couldn’t find you and your tracker went offline day one and—” 

Tracker? 

“—you know how much it freaked me out that I couldn’t find you Danny? I couldn’t find you. I always find people! I….” Tucker sighed, angry draining out of him. “Just…just tell me where you where and I’ll leave you alone and maybe I can convince Sam not to kill you or whatever,”

Danny swallowed. He couldn’t lie, something inside him twisted at the thought of lying to his best friend. “...I…” Danny didn’t know where he was before 20 minutes ago. “...sleeping..? Probably?” He did ‘wake up’ after all. 

“...” 

Danny could practically hear Tucker’s disappointment over the phone. 

“Sleeping?” 

Danny winced, something sharp hitching in his chest. 

“Really man? That’s the best you came up with? Sleeping?”  

Danny inhaled. “... probably?” He tried to reiterate the point but Danny knew it was moot. 

“...Probably? You were probably…sleeping?” Tucker sighed again and the thing in Danny’s chest pierced a little deeper. “Look Danny, I….” The angry huff was coming back. “ Where were you?” 

And that was the gold ticket wasn’t it? The question, the thing in the fog. The thing Danny couldn’t for the life of him figure out. 

Danny thought back, back to the hazy. The Green, the Warmth and the Chill. The feeling of More . 

The thing inside him squirmed sharp and cold. And Danny didn’t know what to do about it. 

It was almost like…

“I…” Acidic Cold swirled and bled inside him and Danny had the distinct feeling something was wrong. “...I think I ate another ghost…” There was something brittle about that…about the hazy memories of satiated hunger. Of something More . There was something distinct about it. Something…permanent almost. Something that…

Something that sang in his blood, something that burned so thoroughly through him, something felt like warm silk and acidic promise. Something cool and distinguished, something clean and pure and so, so much more then human. 

“Danny?” 

Danny blinked. Right, he was on the phone.

“Y-yeah?” The acidic Green in his chest dug a little deeper, burrowed a little deeper, seeped a little deeper. “Sorry—w-what you were saying?”

“Just…I’ll talk with Sam first and I’ll get you copies of all your missing assignments,” 

Oh that was really thoughtful of him. His Core rumbled and purred, and something electrically cold sang in his bones. “Tucker…” 

There was a voice, a chattering, a beautiful whispering. Mine–mine–mine. Danny breath hitched and his Core pulsed with Claim. 

“...Thank you,” Danny meant it. He meant every word. 

A pause and Danny knew the moment Tucker forgave him. “Sure thing man, I’ll see you later, yeah?” 

The call clicked off before Danny could mumble out his reiterated thank you. 

Danny sighed, the phone slumping to the side. 

…That could’ve gone better.

…

But it also could’ve gone worse. Tucker was being awfully chill about it…or not. Tucker when he was mad, he was mad. And most of the time you wouldn’t even know until you’re social medias where trolled, doxxed and scrubbed of all the good content and replaced with garbage that made you look like an idiot. 

So..yeah.

Either: Tucker was fine and chill and Danny would escape with his dignity intact.

Or Danny was screwed. 

…

But at least it was better then what Sam would do. Danny would be glad if he still had all his bones by the end of the encounter. 

Danny's breath hitched as the tone for Sam’s number pierced the air. 

He stared at his cracked Fenton-Phone screen and watched the phone ring once, twice—

Danny jammed his finger down on accept, tearing it to his ear before he could think of it anymore. 

Time to face the music. 

(::)

“I’m mad.” 

Danny swallowed, subtly leaning away from Sam. Who was glowering and glaring and if Danny didn’t know for absolute certain that she was very, very much alive and very, very human; Danny would’ve assumed she was some terrifying female version of Fright Knight.

Danny fiddled with the hem of his shirt. “I know,” It was best just to let it run it’s course. But hey! At least she stopped yelling. 

Sam sent him a scathing glaring and Danny shrunk back. The thing inside him was oddly silent. 

But Sam’s emotions were not . 

Anger-hurt-protectiveness. “And I want an explanation ,” 

Danny blanched and Tucker wisely kept his mouth shut. Danny was just glad they were at Sam house, they both came to her. And it was better then Tucker’s and at the moment it was so much better than Danny’s. 

Danny opened his mouth, paused, then shut it. He needed to tread carefully. Danny, thought about his words and hurried to speak at the growing impatient look on Sam’s face. (And her emotions. It was mostly her emotions.) 

“I…d-do you want the version you’ll like or the honest version?” Danny cursed his stutter, but dangit! Sam was scary. 

Danny knew she would appreciate the honesty and the given choice, though she would probably be madder in the short term. 

Sam’s eyes narrowed. “...How about both?” 

Danny inhaled sharply and nodded. “..okay…both, I can do that,” He could feel Tucker’s poorly hidden amusement from his spot on Sam’s bed. He didn’t even need to look. He wanted to glare at him, but looking away from Sam was like looking away from a panther. Or turning your back on the ocean. Or ignoring your girlfriend. (Well less of the last one and more of the other two. Considering he and Sam weren’t dating and were never planning to.) 

“...both…” Danny paused, not really wanting to continue. 

Irritation–anger-impatience. “Well?” Sam crossed her arms, leaning back, pinning Danny with a somehow even sharper look. If Danny had any less control he probably would’ve peed his pants. 

Danny wet his lips, the wording still working it’s way through his mind. “I…guess I’ll start with the one you’ll like…” 

Sam raised an eyebrow and Danny flushed. 

“Right, right—so basically, I went on some crazy ghost hunting spree and I lost my phone and I didn’t bother with finding it,” Danny didn’t like how easy the false words felt, but it didn’t exactly feel like lying. 

Some part of him knew it was true.

Sam huffed, a syrupy vortex of exasperation-amusement-anger wafting around the room, and Danny thought it felt a little different the everything else.

“ Really Danny?” She drew out her vowels and Danny honestly thought he could taste her sarcasm. “That’s what you're going with?”

Danny resisted the urge to swallow again, the thing inside him knowing the fear Sam was looking for and refusing to give it.

He shrugged instead, his features smoothing out and his voice leveling. A weird, but distinctly familiar burning authority rumbling through him. 

“That’s the version you asked for,”

Sam gave him a flat stare, and Danny noticed how pretty her eyeshadow was today. He elected to not comment on it, for some reason girls tended to freak out when you said they were prettier then normal, or that their hair looked better then it did yesterday, or really anything in that same stream of comments. (Danny stopped trying to understand it a long time ago.)

“Well then—” She made a sarcastic gesture. “What’s the version I don’t like ?” 

Expectation-irritation-impatience. 

Danny froze. Right, right. “I…” His eyebrows scrunched up, a cold realization settling in his gut. “...I think I went feral,” His Core buzzed truthfully in his chest and something about that just sat right. 

“...Feral?” Tucker’s voice piped up when Sam’s didn’t. 

Feral would make more sense than anything else. Do ghosts go feral? 

Danny frowned. “...Yeah, that’s…the best descriptor I got for you: feral,” 

“Like…rabid animal feral?” Tucker continued to talk and Sam’s emotion wound up and splayed out. Confusion-disbelief-irritation. 

“Danny, what do you mean? Feral?” Sam sounded oddly thoughtful. 

Danny paused. He…he really didn’t know. 

The word ‘feral’ came with images of brittle dogs foaming at the mouth, stray cats that got into something that left them less than cognitive, images of fanged teeth, glowing eyes and desperation. 

Images of Wulf trapped and injured, snarling and growling as he was jabbed with the equivalent of a ghostly cattle prod. Images of Tucker possessed with ghostly energy and magics, never realizing who or what he was hurting, just knowing that he had to hurt . Images of his neighbors, family, friends, overwhelmed with sickly Green, wandering around aimlessly, destroying everything that wasn’t Green, attacking him relentlessly when he came to help. That no matter how much he asked, begged, pleaded they still attacked him, please Sam no stop pleASE—!

Oh. 

…

Maybe he could go feral. 

Maybe he did go feral.

“I…” Something clicked into place, and his Core rumbled with pleasure at the acknowledgment. “I went feral,” 

Some part of him didn’t want to believe it, but there was something about that just made sense. 

“Danny?” Sam's tone was hard to place but her emotions were not. Confusion-worry-interest. 

“The Hunger.” That thing that clicked buzzed and knew he was on the right track. “That must be it. The Hunger, I go feral when I get too Hungry, that—that must be it,”

“Danny what—?”

“You’ve gone feral before—?”

“Guys,” Danny pinned them both with his words, that same Burning Authority making his fingers tingle and his voice turn to silk and honey. “I’m changing. I’m different now.” That was it, there was that indisputable fact. That knowledge that was the key to everything. 

Danny knew. 

“Wha…” Sam was startled by something and her emotions hitched, confusion- calm -anger. “First of all: never do that again,”

Danny blinked. Never do what?

“Second: what do you mean you’re changing? Is this a puberty thing?”

(Tucker was oddly quiet.) 

Danny made a face. Not again. “I…no, not…not puberty,” He didn’t understand why people kept bringing that up. But then again…

Did…did ghosts go through puberty?

“Then what do you mean ?” Sam's voice was muddled with desperation and sharp with irritation. Confusion-irritation-wanting. 

“I…I don’t know,”

“Then what—“

“Not yet.”

Stillness. Sam blinked and Danny smiled grimly. “Not…not yet, I’ll figure it out,” He has to figure it out. He just has to.

Confusion-wanting-interest. 

Danny raised his head, looking at his friends. “I–I don’t have this figured out but I will, I…” Danny needed to figure this out, his Core rumbled with something Other and something stab somewhere inside him. “I just need time,” 

His two friends glanced at eachother and Danny couldn’t but feel like they knew something he didn’t. 

“...Okay Danny, we’ll give you time but—” 

“But you’ll have to go to that ghost doctor ASAP,” Sam stepped closer and Danny looked up at her. “If you’re going figure this out, it’ll probably happen quicker if you get the help of a professional,” 

Danny blinked. 

Oh. 

That…that….

Huh. 

Sam huffed out a laugh, expression easing. Amused-worried-exasperated-fond. “You dork ,” 

Danny gasped, mock offended. “ Dork ? Tucker’s the dork!” 

Tucker sputtered, almost falling off of the chair he was perched on. “I’m not a dork. I am a highly educated technician of the highest prestige—” 

The rest of the night was nice. Danny got some homework done. Talked to Jazz. 

It was nice. 

Too bad he promised to go see Frostbite tomorrow after school. 

(::)

“Ghost hunting in Ohio?” 

Danny nodded and Mr. Lancer raised a skeptical eyebrow. The confusion-disbelief-worry-skepticism making Danny rethink his story. 

“Uh–yeah! You know my parents, always ghost hunting. They heard about this ghost that’s been terrorizing the good-ol people in Ohio and they brought me along for some ghost hunting experience,” Something in Danny knew that part of it was true. The hunting. It made something inside him purr, something inside him desire more, something inside him want—

“Hm, really?” Mr. Lancer brought something up on his computer. He took a moment to skim through something before bringing his attention back to Danny. “I don’t see ‘ghost hunting’ excused absences Danny,” 

Danny resisted the urge to swallow. “...I…was gone?” Danny smiled, hoping it came off as genuine. “Maybe my parents forgot, you know how they get when it comes to ghost hunting,” It was a weak excuse and both of them knew it. 

Mr. Lancer narrowed his eyes, suspicion–interest-confusion making Danny sweat-drop. 

“Alright Danny, but just to be sure, I’m going to confirm you’re story with your parents,” Mr. Lancer picked up the blocky phone and started dialing. “I just want to make sure you’re being honest Danny, and if you are telling the truth we’ll have no problem,” 

Danny heard it ring.

Danny held his breath, eyes wide and dartting. 

It rang a second time. 

Danny’s parents didn’t even realize he was gone. They just assumed he was a friend’s house the whole time. Not e ven the whole time. Apparently they didn’t even realize he was gone until the fourth day. And didn’t even start to worry until the day he came back. 

It rang a third time. 

They hadn’t gone ghost hunting in Ohio. Danny had gone feral ghost hunting who knows where . He’d eaten ghosts. Danny was a predator for Ancients sake.

It rang a fourth time. 

How could he explain that to Mr. Lancer? ‘Hey teach, just thought you ought to know that I’m actually half ghost and now apparently I eat them too? But don’t worry I don’t eat humans and I also have the capacity to throw cars and level buildings. Thanks for being so understanding.’ 

Yeah no. 

That would not go over well. 

It rang a fifth time and Mr. Lancer frowned. 

Danny swallowed 15 years worth of manners and blurted out: 

“They don’t have their phones on them but you can call my sister! She was there,” He felt bad. Really really bad. 

But if his parents did answer there’s no telling what they’d say. 

Mr. Lancer paused, the phone leaving his ear and Danny heard it go to voicemail. Danny almost collapsed in relief. Confusion–suspicion-worry. 

That was fine, it was fine. His parents hadn’t answered, Mr. Lancer was going to call Jazz, and it was all going to be fine. 

Mr. Lancer stared at Danny and Danny remained stoic. He couldn’t freak now. 

“Your sister?” 

Danny was already nodding, he felt sick. “Yeah, yeah she was there,” 

Mr. Lancer sighed, the clunky phone clicking back into place. He settled his hands on his desk and frowned. “...You we’re ghost hunting in Ohio with your family?” He sounded like he didn’t believe it. Danny couldn’t blame him. 

“Mhm,” Danny felt like he might throw up. He was horrible. 

Mr. Lancer sighed again. “...Alright Danny,” He typed something up on his computer. “I’ll put it down as an excused vacation but until I get confirmation from your parents, I can’t permanently excuse your absences,” For that many absences in a row, it would go on his record. 

Danny was miserable. He bowed his head and his Core rumbled ominously in his chest. Something inside him hissed at the thought of being subservient to anyone. 

“..Yes sir…” Danny lumbered back to his seat and the bell rang five minutes later. They ran through chapters that Danny never read. 

He could be grateful Mr. Lancer didn’t call on him. 

The bell rang and he slumped to next period. 

(::)

Star cornered him when he was switching out his books. 

“Daniel Fenton,” 

Danny stared down at her, hand half way to his locker. “Hello Star,” 

Star frowned, arms crossed over her frilly top. She smelled nice. “Don’t hello Star me Danny,” 

Danny blinked and tried to think of what he did—

Oh. Oh yeah the ‘going missing and nobody knowing where he was for six days’ thing. 

Star raised an eye. Worried-scared-longing-exasperated-relief. 

Danny finished pulling his book out, plopping in his fringing bag, stray paper crunching under the weight of his math textbook. Star was good at hiding her worry. 

“..I’m..sorry?” 

Star huffed. “Sorry doesn’t cut it Danny,” She took a step forward but Danny didn’t move. His Core hummed in his chest and something in him knew something he didn’t. “Sorry doesn’t cut it when it’s been six days!” 

He knows it’s been six and he feels bad for it. But there was something else..

Danny looked at Star, pausing for a moment to feel Star out. 

Exasperation-worry-flustered-relief. 

Hm.

Danny opened his mouth but the ‘I didn’t know you cared so much’, caught in his throat. That probably wouldn’t make the situation better, so he just settled for another:

“I’m sorry Star,” Danny looked her in the eyes and her ears turned a little pink. “..I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, that was my bad,” He didn’t know where the words were coming from but they were coming from somewhere. But he knew he couldn’t make excuses for himself. It never really worked out with girls. 

Star froze, blinked, then bit her lip and nodded. “...Okay…” She fidgeted in place for a moment. Hesitation-flustered-worry-longing. Danny was surprised she accepted the answer so easily. 

Danny slowly zipped up his bag, still looking at Star. She was being awfully quiet. 

“You..okay..?” 

Star startled and the pink from ears bled into her cheeks. “Um…y-yeah, I am..” Star fumbled with herself. She wanted something. 

It was getting awkward though. 

Seconds passed and the one minute bell went off.

Danny hauled his bag onto his back, glancing down the hallway then back to Star. “Sorry—I have to go Star, don’t wanna be late,” He laughed nervously and Star’s eyebrows furrowed. “You known how it is,” 

Danny turned to leave but Star grabbed him the collar of his shirt and—

—Suddenly he was tasting peppermint and cherry and liquid gold. Something warm pressed against him and his Core eprupted into purrs and rumbled and a wonderful chill swept through him. Something in him buzzed with excitement and wonder and—

Danny pushed Star away. 

He froze and stared. He didn’t…

(The bell went off but neither of them moved.)

Danny didn’t…

Star was staring at him aswell. It wasn’t the good kind of staring. Hurt-Confusion-wanting-longing-worry. 

Danny swallowed. 

Danny…

He…

…

Did Star just…?

Danny touched his lips, hand shaking and slow.

“I…” Danny swallowed, instinctively wetting his lips. He didn’t know how to respond. “I have to go,”

Danny left. Leaving Star wide eyed and aching behind him.