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stacysdadhasgotmedownbad · 1 month

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DP Mechanic AU- Part 8

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 4.5 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

It was easy to piece together what had happened, seeing the Phantom trio huddled around their cars in the school parking lot, hoods popped and jumper cables at the ready. Without hesitation, Dash changed his trajectory from his own truck to the group.

“Who’s car won’t start?” Dash asked when he was within hearing distance.

All three teens turned in surprise before offering up a variety of greetings to their newcomer.

“Mine won’t start” Danny said in answer to Dash’s original question.

“You could have called.” Dash stated as he stepped up to the cars, taking a peek under the hood.

“Eh, we at least know how to jump a car.” Danny shrugged.

“With instructions” Tucker muttered from where he stood to the side, a forum pulled up on his PDA outlining how to start a dead battery. Danny elbowed him.

Dash turned to Sam as she went to connect the positive cable to her hearse’s battery. “I have a portable jump starter in my car if you don’t want to kill your battery.”

That successfully stopped her.

“That would be great actually.” She answered, back tracking and removing the cable from both batteries. Dash nodded to her and left to track down his truck, returning a few minutes later with the necessary device,

In no time Dash had Danny’s car up and running. Nobody said it, but the trio was grateful that the professional had taken over. They could have managed eventually, but it was only due to Tucker paying for data on his mobile devices and their shoddy reading comprehension that would have kept them afloat.

As Dash was closing the hood, he turned to Danny.

“If you want, you can come over real quick and I can test your battery to make sure it’s not actually the alternator.”

Danny perked up at that.

“Yeah, sure! I just have to drop Tucker off first.” He responded.

A half hour later found Danny back at Dash’s house, his car parked in the garage and its hood popped to allow access. With a newfound familiarity, Danny found his way to the stools that had been his spot the first time he had been in Dash’s garage. Both boys could feel the lack of discomfort that had been ever present in their first car experience together.

“Good news, it’s the battery.” Dash announced as he removed the reader and put it back on the tool chest.

“That’s good news?” Danny asked, warry to hear anything wrong as a good thing.

“Yeah, they cost is about the same, but a battery is hellava lot easier to replace than an alternator.” Dash explained as he grabbed his keys. “Come on, I’ll drive.”

Without question, Danny grabbed his bag and hopped into the passenger’s side of Dash’s truck. As he buckled in, he noted the air freshener was doing a worse job than before at hiding the smell of sweat and plastic from football gear that had sat in the car a hair too long.

Feeling comfortable enough to give in to his curiosity this time, Danny reached up to grab the fuzzy dice wrapped around the rearview mirror.

“Paulina got me those.” Dash responded as he backed his truck out, his arm around the passenger seat and his focus directed out the back window.

“Hmm.” Danny hummed in response to show he was listening while he stared at the strong line Dash’s neck made while his body was turned away. He dropped the dice and looked away as Dash faced forward again and put the truck into drive.

“She got them for me when I started driving. I think she thought they were funny at first, but she ended up getting some for herself too. I do like them.” Dash continued

‘She should have gotten you pink ones though.” Danny joked.

Dash huffed a laughed.

Danny let Dash take the lead when they got to the auto store, following him as he navigated the isles with practiced ease. He watched Dash grab the right battery, present his ID number for a nice discount and manhandle his way into paying.

“You know,” Danny started as they got back into the truck, battery stowed safely away on his lap, “I know I said I’d take advantage of your offer to do everything for free, but I didn’t mean to do it this much. Mostly I meant if for the water pump.”

Dash just shrugged in answer.

“Like, I can pay for the parts at least.” Danny explained further.

“I know what you’re getting at Fenton.”

“Then I can give you money for the battery. You didn’t have to pay.”

“And I said I’d fix your car for free.” Dash returned. “If I wanted you paying for parts I would have said so. Plus, I make good money at my job, and from what I can tell you don’t make anything for being a ghost hero.”

Danny couldn’t find a rebuttal, so with a huff he turned to stare out the passenger window. If asked, he would swear he didn’t pout as he muttered “I like it better when you call me Danny.”

Dash smiled at the road ahead of him.

When they got back, Danny refrained from pulling out his homework and instead watched Dash as he worked to grab all his tools. He watched him load up a cart with a wrench, a rachet and a few other things before wheeling it to the waiting Honda Accord.

As Dash attempted to attach the correct socket to his rachet, it managed to slip out of his hand. A sharp metallic noise rang out as the socket connected with the floor, causing Danny to jump a bit. Immediately he slid off the stool and reached down to grab it as it rolled towards him.

“I got it” Dash said, coming forward at the same time, trying to catch the runaway tool.

Both boys moved too fast to stop from colliding into each other, an audible thump was heard as their foreheads connected. They both fell back with a curse, automatically grabbing the afflicted area as the socket lost momentum, coming to a stop between both their feet.

As Dash dropped his arm, he looked at Danny also rubbing his forehead.

“You okay?” Dash asked. Without thinking he brought his hand up to caress the side of Danny’s face, his thumb rubbing the spot where they had collided. He caught himself glancing down at Danny’s lips before making eye contact with a very flustered Daniel Fenton.

As if on fire Dash snatched his hand back and grabbed the fallen socket, his heart beating a mile a minute as he processed what he had been doing. Rather than trying to figure out an explanation, he just muttered a quick “sorry” and fled back to the car, ducking his head under the hood. His hands shook with a mortifying energy, almost dropping the socket again as he tried to attach it to the ratchet for a second time.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway brought both boys back to reality. Dash shot away from Danny like a bullet, rushing to the large toolchests against the wall and messing with anything close at hand in an attempt to look busy. He took a deep breath trying to calm his frenzied heart and will away the heat from his cheeks. He’d never felt so much like a deer in the headlights.

Danny found himself frozen against the car as he processed that he’d just made out with Dash. He jumped a little when the car door closed, shocking him out of his stupor and kicking him into gear to stumble back to his seat on the stools.

“Sorry dad,” Dash called in a shaky voice, turning to address the older gentleman walking into the garage. “I thought we’d be done before you got back. I’ll repark your car when we’re finished.”

Danny realized he’d never really seen Dash’s father. As he looked at the tall, middle-aged, all-American man, he could tell who Dash had gotten his genes from. It was hard to pinpoint the greys amongst the man’s blond hair, but he had the same square jaw and hooked nose that his son had inherited. He looked like someone who had also played sports in his prime, but rather than letting himself go as one might think, he maintained a strong stature.

Said man realized they had company and sent a questioning look in Danny’s direction. Danny gave a small wave and the man nodded back in acknowledgement.

“No need to move my car,” Mr. Baxter said, returning his attention to his son. “Your mother and I are going to dinner with the Jacksons tonight.”

“Right” Dash nodded, “I forgot that was today.”

His father nodded in response. “I take it something broke” He asked, taking in the scene as a whole.

“Battery died.” Dash answered, starting to walk back to the Honda. “I told Danny I could check it wasn’t his alternator before he bought a new one.”

Danny was impressed at how steady Dash’s voice was knowing that he himself was having a hard time wrapping his head around the very surreal experience they were having. There was a tension in the air that was almost palpable and he had to resist the urge to turn invisible. He could see Dash was also uncomfortable by the stiffness of his shoulders and his stilted movements.

“I see.”

“Figured I could help install it. It’s easy enough.”

Mr. Baxter nodded before turning his attention to Danny. “Have you been to Dash’s shop before?”

“Yes sir.” Danny answered quickly, startled at being addressed.

“What do you think of it?” Mr. Baxter asked.

“It’s nice. They’re very helpful.” Danny replied cautiously. He got the vague sense he was being interrogated.

“They are.” Dash’s father agreed. “The Harpers happens to be good friends of mine; I hope you continue giving them your support.”

Danny nodded his head. He felt like the comment was pointed, but he couldn't figure out what the man was implying.

“Dash, can I talk to you for a minute?” Mr. Baxter requested before turning and heading into the house. Dash followed at a reserved pace.

As he entered the house, he saw that his dad hadn’t gone far, choosing to stay in the small laundry room that connected the garage to the main house.

“Why’s the Fenton boy in our garage?” Mr. Baxter asked, his arms crossed but his face neutral.

Dash had to calm himself down a moment, his heart attempting to claw its way out of his throat.

“He’s been helping me with my physics homework recently, so I figured this made us even.” He lied.

“I don’t remember your grades going down.”

“No, but this unit’s been hard.”

“Hm.” Dash’s father contemplated. “Is there anyone else you can ask for help?”

“Probably,” Dash responded. “he’s just been the most convenient.”

“I understand,” Mr. Baxter sighed, uncrossing his arms. “I just don’t want to associate with the Fenton’s. They’re strange people and I don’t think it’s best to be seen with their son.”

Dash nodded, keeping his head down as he waited for the conversation to be over. He heard his father sigh.

“Will you be fine on your own tonight?”

Dash nodded again, not trusting his voice.

“We’ll be back around eight.”

“Okay.”

“…Okay”

His father left the laundry room, heading into the main house.

Dash could feel his nails digging into his palm as he clenched his fists. It took two breathing cycles before he had enough control over himself to be ready to face Danny.

Dash kept his head ducked as he re-entered the garage. He was tired. Too much had happened too fast. His heart fluttered as he picked up the ratchet, remembering the feel of Danny’s lips on his own. His chest grew heavy while he loosened the battery as he remembered the judgment on his father’s face.

“Do you need me to leave?” Danny asked quietly.

Dash looked at him in surprise. “No, why?”

Danny gave him a sympathetic look, “Your dad wasn’t exactly quiet.”

Dash’s face fell at the admission.

“Fuck” he cursed. “I’m sorry.”

Danny shrugged and gave him a resigned smile. “It not the first time I’ve heard something like that. You should hear Sam’s parents complain.”

“Still. I-“ Dash stopped. He didn’t know what he wanted to say- he just felt guilty.

“Trust me, I don’t like it.” Danny cut in “but I don’t blame you for what your parents think.”

He sighed before continuing “And I know my parents. I love them but I know they’re loud and I know everyone talks… I don’t like it, but I get it.”

Dash just nodded as he fought off another wave of guilt. He had already had an excuse ready for being seen with Danny had a situation like this occurred, but it hurt knowing his precautions had been necessary. He knew years of listening to his father talk down about the Fentons had been the kindling his anger issues needed to start bullying Danny ages ago. He knew how his father still felt and he hated that Danny had to bear witness to it.

But Dash didn’t know how to express any of this, so he did what he knew he could do and turned back to Danny’s car to fix a problem that required a physical solution.

It took less than five minutes for Dash to change the battery, putting the old one in the bed of his truck so he could bring it to work for proper disposal.

“Go ahead and turn your car on” Dash instructed, is voice still subdued.

“Cool.” Danny responded, slipping into the driver’s seat.

Danny let out a small “Whoo!” as the engine roared to life effortlessly with the new battery in place. He left the car running as he got out to grab his backpack.

“Want to go on a test drive with me?” He asked Dash

Dash shot him a questioning look, knowing a test drive wasn’t necessary.

“Let me rephrase that. Dash, you don’t look like you want to be home right now and also your dad doesn’t want me here” Danny smiled slyly at him “shall we both leave on a test drive?”

Dash let out a surprised huff.

“Alright.” he replied as he hopped in the passenger seat.

Dash could feel his stress diminish the farther they drove from his house. He was exhausted all the way to his bones.

“At least it started nice” Dash thought wistfully, glancing over at Danny and remembering the noise he had made when Dash kissed the spot behind his ear.

Leaning back into the seat, Dash let his eyes fall shut as he focused on the subtle movements of the car accelerating.

Dash wasn’t quite asleep as the car came to a stop, but he still felt groggy as he took in his surroundings. Looking up, he saw the city’s most obnoxious building- the neon Fentonworks sign brightly lit despite the sun still being up.

Dash furrowed his brow in confusion.

Wow! What a fast three weeks!

Jk, I genuinely thought it was going to take a few weeks for this to get finished, but I underestimated my need to draw these two kissing. So, I hope ya'll enjoy the fast update. It's the part we've all been waiting for

There for sure is two more parts, but there's also an interlude and a few side stories I want to do that aren't integral to the story but take place between parts 9 and 10. I haven't decided what order I want to make them all, but that's at least a look at how much more we have until this AU is officially over

See ya'll next time!

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#aughhhh #theyre so everything #the kiss scene!!!!!! was so so insane!!!!!#i love this so much #danny phantom fanart #danny phantom #danny phantom fanfiction #fanfiction #fanart #art

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stacysdadhasgotmedownbad · 1 month

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DP Mechanic AU- Part 7

Masterpost

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 4.5 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Dash was well acquainted with his anger. Despite learning how to manage it better, it had never left him in its intensity. He knew how heavy it felt in his chest and how it seemed to pump itself through his bloodstream, filling his entire being with a hot white noise that screamed at him to release it all. He could barely hear his shoes slapping against the pavement as he stormed as far away from his house as he could, his breathing exercises having already failed him.

Fighting with his dad was becoming an almost daily occurrence the closer Dash got to proper adulthood. With less than a month away from his 18th birthday, his father was having a hard time coming to grips with his son’s autonomy. With the pathway of pro athlete no longer being an option Dash was interested in pursuing, he could feel his authority over his son’s future slipping out of his hands. The more Dash pushed to follow different options for his future, the harder his dad questioned his every decision, and the more they fought.

It was some time before Dash had expended enough energy to pause and become aware of his surroundings. He found his feet had taken him to a park two neighborhoods away. It was one of the nicer parks with a newer playground and a swing set that had a multitude of heights set into an area of sand. Dash took a seat on one of the swings, grateful that the odd hour kept the park devoid of other people.

Dash pulled out his phone and stared at his contacts for a minute, struggling with the desire to call Kwan. Usually, he would go to his best friend’s house while he and his dad cooled off respectively. But his friend was using the weekend to visit his older brother with his family, and it felt rude to interrupt.

His runner up was Paulina, so despite the time he pressed on her name and let the phone ring.

“Dash?” came Paulina’s voice through the line; he could hear commotion in the background and his heart fell a little knowing she was probably out.

“Hey Paulina.” Dash answered. He knew his voice sounded exhausted, but he didn’t have the energy to put up a front. Not with a friend.

“...Did you fight with your dad again?” She asked. There were few instances Dash sounded so defeated, so it was a safe guess.

Dash just sighed into the speaker as answer, Paulina humming back in response.

“It’s the opening night for Femalien 3. Me and Star just bought our tickets.” She paused “The movie is about 2 hours. Will you be fine waiting until it’s done?’

“Yeah,” Dash sighed, not sounding very convincing

“Papa’s at home. You can head to my house and hang out there until we’re done.”

“Okay.” Dash responded noncommittally. “Just... text me when you get out, yeah?”

“Okay.” Dash heard Paulina sigh on the other end. “Okay. I’ll see you soon. Remember, you can go over early. I cleaned my room yesterday.”

Dash finally cracked a smile “Thank you Paulina. I’ll see you later.”

He closed his phone and looked back up at the park, observing the dark shadows cast by the minimal lampposts. Dash was glad he had a mind to grab his sweatshirt on the way out. The nights had been warming up as spring started to work its way towards summer, but as he sighed and kicked his feet in the sand, Dash knew he would be outside long past what would be comfortable in just a crop and sweats.

The thought of spring ending brought out a slew of emotions Dash didn’t feel like confronting. Spring ending meant that high school was drawing to a close. It meant graduation. It meant his last summer in Amity Park. It meant leaving everything he’d ever known to get a degree in a new city. It meant reinventing himself- making sure no one knows he’d ever been a bully. It meant getting over his crush on Fenton.

Dash sighed. Anger, anticipation, anxiety, and joy all felt back-to-back was exhausting. He contemplated going to Paulina’s house early. He hated being alone with her dad, but he figured he might be able to bypass the man and take a nap while waiting for the girls to be done.

As Dash moved to get up from his seat, he found his vision filled with green as a huge glowing octopus came flying at him.

“FUCK-” Dash cursed as he ducked to the side, the creature racing past his head.

“Get the hell back here!” Called a familiar voice. Dash turned to see Phantom speeding towards him.

Logically, Dash understood Phantom was headed for the ghost. Emotionally, his heart kicked up as the memory of Phantom rushing him over the discovery of Danny's identity came to the forefront of his senses. Dash expected his personal space to be filled with piercing green eyes and a hand across his mouth. Instead, he found himself turning to follow the ghost boy as he zipped past and grabbed the flying octopus by its tentacles before throwing it into the jungle gym.

As it was stunned, Dash watched Phantom grab a thermos -from somewhere? - and uncap it, letting a blast of blue light pull the ghost into the container.

Dash had seen Phantom do this before- as had many others- but this time the familiarity was disconcerting. Dash was no longer watching his long-time admired hero doing his duty protecting people. This was Danny on a Friday night, transformed into his alter ego cleaning up a mess his parents probably created- with the help of his friends by the sounds of the footsteps approaching and a shouted “Phantom!” In what sounded like Manson’s voice.

Danny-Phantom- turned to Dash, finally taking notice of him. He perked up before saying “Hey! What are you doing out here?” Giving a quick look around, taking in the lack of other people

“Nothing-’ Dash responded automatically. He sighed and looked at Phantom. Danny wasn’t someone Dash was ready to confide in, but it felt pointless to avoid explaining why he was alone in a park late on a Friday night. “I got into a fight with my dad. Had to cool off and ended up here.”

Danny gave him a concerned look briefly before nodding. They both turned at the sounds of Manson and Foley finally catching up

“Did you get it man?” Foley asked, trying to regain his breath after the chase to catch up. Manson fared much better as she nodded to Dash in warry acknowledgment. Phantom flew to them and presented the thermos as he transformed back into Danny, his feet making a small tap as he reconnected with the ground.

Dash turned back to his phone as the trio started to discuss amongst themselves what they planned to do. The last thing he wanted was to go back and sit on the swings and look pathetic in leu of an audience. He thought about if it would be worth walking to Paulina’s house or if he should go back to his own to pick up his car.

“Dash!” Danny called. The blond turned at his name. “You wanna go bowling?”

“Uh,” Dash gave them all a confused look, processing the fact that Fenton’s group of friends were inviting him to hang out.

“Do you want me to join?” Dash asked, making a point to look at Foley and Manson. He figured Danny was fine with it after their semi-successful hang out last week during the car repairs, but he knew Manson wasn’t a fan of him and he just didn’t know Foley past being a tech nerd.

“Yeah,” Manson sighed, “it’ll make the teams even finally.”

With a quick look at his phone to skim his messages again, Dash decided it would be better to join the trio over dealing with Paulina’s quiet house and overprotective father.

“I’ll join” Dash said as he walked towards the group, following them out of the park.

“Are you any good at bowling?” Foley asked

Dash had to think over the few times he’s played. “I can hold my own.” He finally decided on.

Foley hummed and gave him a contemplative look. “I feel like you’d have a sports advantage.”

“Sure”

Foley bobbed his head like a decision had been reached. “Cool,” He turned to his friends, “Dash is on my team.”

Three pairs of eyebrows raised at the statement. Foley just turned towards his friend and said, “Danny you’re going down.”

Manson smiled at Foley while Danny started laughing at him.

“Thanks Tucker, I think this will be my first time winning.” Manson smirked.

“Nuh uh, I got the jock. That means I’m supposed to win.” Foley defended

“Yeah, but when have we ever won against Danny?” She challenged.

Dash turned to Danny surprised, “Are you really that good?”

Danny shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not hard. You just throw a curve ball and hit the pins at a 6-degree angle.”

Dash gave him a disbelieving look.

“I’m pretty good at pool too.”

Dash huffed a laugh, “I’ll have to play you at some point, cause I’m not so bad myself.”

“I’ll have to take you up on that” Danny smiled as he fell into step with Dash, Foley and Manson taking the lead.

As they were walking Dash finally noticed Danny was the only one without a jacket. He knew some people handled the cold better than others, but he didn't take Danny as one of them.

“Nah, I’m fine.” Danny said as he regained his breath.

“That didn’t feel fine” Dash complained, rubbing the very cold spot Danny left on his neck.

“Have you seen me use ice powers?”

“You have ice powers?” Dash asked, trying to remember what powers he’d seen Danny use as Phantom.

“Yeah” Danny said simply, holding up his hand and letting an ice crystal form in his palm. “I don’t really get cold now. Well, no, I do. But I’m not uncomfortable in the cold. Does that make sense?”

“I guess.”

Danny just snickered as they kept pace with the other two.

It had been about a ten-minute walk when they finally came to a large brick building that looked like someone had merged two brownstones into one large complex. The lights were on inside and Dash could see into the very lavishly decorated and obviously domestic home. He wondered who of the trio- duo he corrected; everyone knew the Fenton household- could afford to live here. He didn't know if they were just picking up a car to drive to the bowling alley, or if they forgot they wanted to bowl.

Dash watched as Manson pulled a key ring out of her pocket (that answered that) and unlocked the front door- the rest of his companions following behind with practiced ease. Manson called out a hello to an older woman in a motorized wheelchair and led them through an expensive looking midcentury modern living room with a long leather couch and art deco chairs sitting on a rug that probably cost more than a year's worth of his paychecks. The furniture looked immaculate, but there was a slight musky wood smell that insinuated the pieces were antique rather than reproductions. The whole house felt expensive.

Dash was experiencing the same surreal emotions he’d had with Danny as he realized he knew nothing about the girl he has been in school with since third grade. He just hoped Manson didn’t have an alter ego superhero persona as well. He probably would up and move out of Amity from the shock of it all if that ended up true.

Despite the awe, he was confused that Manson was leading them to a set of stairs at the back of the house that seemed to head for a basement rather than a garage. He followed regardless.

“Holy shit” Dash thought to himself as they reached the end of the stairs and walked into a home theater unlike anything he was used to. It felt like walking into a commercial- albeit small- theater with a large screen set into the main wall and a row of recliners facing the screen with little side tables sat next to every other chair. A small arcade and professional concessions stand stood in the corner oozing the smell of popcorn despite the belly of the machine being empty.

Dash thought Paulina had had money when her father bought a flat screen tv and blue-ray player for her room. But everything in this basement was so much grander than anything he was used to. He couldn’t fathom how the weird eco-goth girl came from all this. But as impressed as Dash was by everything, he was still confused.

“I thought you guys wanted to go bowling?” He finally asked, his patience to see everything play out finally at its end.

“We are” Foley said matter-of-fact.

Dash sent him a frown, irritated at his tone and how it indicated that he really was the only one out of the know.

“Give me a minute” Manson said as she went to the far-right wall and opened a panel. Dash couldn’t see what she was doing, but as she was shutting the compartment, a mechanical whir started up. The wall containing the movie screen started to roll out of the way receding into the concrete, exposing a 4-lane bowling alley just behind.

“Holy shit.” Dash said out loud.

Danny seemed to take pity on Dash as he came to stand by the boy “Yeah, it’s pretty insane the first time you see it.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Dash muttered.

As Dash was goggling, he didn’t notice Manson had approached him until she was in front of him holding two pairs of bowling shoes. It was easy to guess that the black and purple ones were Manson’s. Dash could feel the skull motif on them laughing at him as he moved on auto pilot to take the much more standard shoes Manson was holding out.

“They’re my dad’s, but they should fit you.” She said as he took them.

Dash felt out of his depth as he watched the casualness that was Danny and Foley meandering to the same shoe rack Manson had come from and choose equally as personalized bowling shoes. He followed the boys back to the recliners while Manson went to a screen in front of the ball dispenser and started setting up the game.

“Should I categorize this one?” Foley asked as Danny placed the thermos down on one of the tables while they all stripped off their jackets and shoes. “I know it’s just an ectopus, but it was way bigger than the other ones.”

“Can if you want.” Danny said nonchalantly. “Did you get a picture?”

Foley snorted before pulling out his PDA to show off a picture of the ghost squirting ectoplasm in Danny’s face like it was ink. Danny gave him a flat look in return as Tucker set himself to updating the ghost compendium they had started keeping two years ago. Dash looked over Foley’s shoulder out of curiosity to see him flipping through some familiar faces.

“Are those the ghosts that attack Amity?” He asked

Foley turned to Dash, surprised to see the jock showing any interest in something he’d made.

“Uh, yeah.” He said as he turned the pad to Dash, letting him take the device and swipe through the profiles.

“Ugh,” Dash grumbled. Danny took a peek and saw Skulker on the screen.

“Not a fan?” Danny grinned, reveling in the pleasantries of having another person he didn’t need to keep his secret around.

“After he chased us around your house at a microscopic level, I can’t say I like him.”

“Oh man, I almost forgot about that. That was what, like three years ago?”

“Yeah well, I don’t think I can forget. My mom just watched Honey I Shrunk the Kids for whatever reason and I swear I got PTSD from it.”

Danny started laughing at the concept. “I bet that’s where my dad got the idea for his shrink ray in the first place.”

“It was your dad’s fault, wasn’t it?”

“Mhhm, unfortunately half the battles I’m in are created by my parents.” Danny said sagely before turning to Manson. “Can I have a hair tie?”

“What happened to the last three I gave you?” She asked in mock annoyance while removing one of the many black ties around her wrist, holding it out to Danny.

“I know at least one of them is on my bathroom sink.”

She huffed a laugh in return, sitting down to swap shoes while Danny put the top of his hair into a little half bun.

“Serious mode activated.” Danny deadpanned

“No” Foley called, “Give me Fun Danny. He’s probably easier to beat at bowling.”

Danny cackled as Sam rolled her eyes. The joke had never died in the years since Danny split his personality with the Fenton Ghost Catcher and it always landed with a mixed review.

Tucker turned to Dash to fill him in. “Another parent experiment that went weird.”

Dash gave him a skeptical look, unable to decide if he wanted to hear the absurdity or keep his blissful ignorance. As everyone continued to get ready for the game, Dash decided to let it go and finished tying his shoes.

He and Manson were up first and took their places at the top of their respective lanes, both managing to knock all the pins down within both turns. As they were sitting back down to let Danny and Foley take their places, Dash turned to Manson.

“How come you’ve never flaunted any of this?” He asked, gesturing to the whole double room.

“Why would I?” She questioned in return, raising a cynical eyebrow. “Last thing I need is people only liking me for money.”

Dash could feel how pointed the comment was, but didn’t bother replying. He knew Manson had always held this opinion of him and his friends. He couldn’t blame her really; despite how close knit he and the popular kids had become over the years, he knew they had bonded initially from being in the same tax bracket. But he was now impressed by Manson's held fast ideals after realizing she could have easily paid her way into his group of friends had she wanted to.

“Besides,” She continued bitterly, slumping further into the cushioned chair, “It’s not even mine, it’s my parents.” After a beat she continued, “I think I’m going to have to learn how to live without it anyways. If I don’t choose a degree they like, they’re not going to pay for anything college related.”

The sound of the pins being knocked down was booming in the silence that followed Manson’s confession as Dash debated on how much he wanted to share himself. He looked at Danny as the boy celebrated his strike, much to the chagrin of Foley. Dash knew he was excited at the budding companionship he and Danny were establishing- something he never would have been able to fathom only a few years prior.

As he looked back at Sam, Dash realized he was ready to leave any lingering animosity in the past.

“I made sure to get a full ride in case my parents ever pulled their support.” Dash opened up

Sam schooled her expression but was surprised to hear Dash trying to relate to her.

“I thought you just loved football.”

Dash just shrugged. “I like it enough, but my dad’s the one who pushed me into it, and then when I realized I could use it to pay for my college I figured I’d put all my effort into it.”

“...I’ve been thinking about getting a degree my parents want me to get and just using it for non-profit work in the end.” Sam explained bitterly. “They want something “reputable” like a doctor, or lawyer. Hell, they’ll even work with a business degree. And I can make some of those work for my own goals, but I don’t think I want to live in a constant fear that they’ll pull the rug out from under me if I do something they don’t like.”

Dash nodded along finding himself reminded about why he was even bowling with this trio in the first place.

“That’s part of what I fought about with my dad tonight.”

“Is that why you were in the park?”

“Did you think I just like walking around in my PJ’s?” Dash snorted, “Danny didn’t say anything?”

Sam just shook her head. “He just said you looked sad and like you needed a place to hang.”

Dash managed not to roll his eyes at the description. “I usually go to Kwan or Paulina’s, but Kwan’s in Minnesota and Paulina’s at the movies.”

“Hmm” Sam responded. She got up to take her turn as Danny walked back to the recliners. Dash looked to his teammate throwing his second ball and got up as well, stepping up to take his spot as Tucker managed to down two more pins, only one left standing before the automated bar swept it into the ether with the other pins.

As the game played out Dash came to understand why everyone made such a big deal about beating Danny. After the fifth strike in a row Dash relented his hold on the idea of luck- Fenton knew how to bowl.

“How the hell do you do that?” Dash finally asked as he picked up a bowling ball for his own turn.

“It’s easy when you get a handle on it” Danny said as he went over to Dash’s lane. He grabbed one of the other balls from the dispenser and showed off his hold, poised as if ready to throw.

“You’re right-handed, yeah? So-”

“Hey!” Sam interrupted, “you’re helping the enemy!”

Danny snorted and turned to her “I’ve literally shown both of you how this works. I think it’s only fair”

“I second that!” Tucker piped up, ready to take any advantage over Danny, even if he was the one helping. Sam just rolled her eyes but ignored them as she stepped up to take her own turn.

“Anyways,” Danny said, turning back to Dash, “you have to flick your wrist up as you release it, and it puts a curve on the ball.” He mimicked the motions as an example.

“The goal is to have it run from the left of the lane to the right and then curve in at the end, hitting the middle pin at an angle. If you go straight on, the main pin only pushes the ones directly behind it, but at an angle it slides out more horizontal and hits all of them.” Danny finished and set the ball back on the dispensar.

“Why do you know this?” Dash asked out of genuine curiosity

“Mmm, after playing pool I had a theory about angles working to your advantage for bowling as well, so I looked up a YouTube video about it and I was right. So, I just copied what they were saying and it’s been working ever since.”

Dash gave a hum in response, and tried out the wrist motions Danny showed him. It felt odd.

“That looks pretty good” Danny observed

Dash stepped up to the lane marker and flicked his wrist as he released the ball. He watched as his attempt to mimic Danny curved too far and landed in the gutter without hitting a single pin. To Danny’s credit, he didn’t laugh, but he was clearly amused as he stepped back up to offer feedback.

“Honestly wasn't bad” He started, “You did the right motion, it was just too much.” Dash gave him a flat look in return, annoyance written all over his face that the new technique didn’t work. “It also needs to cross the whole lane diagonally so try starting farther to the left.”

Dash didn’t look excited but stepped up and tried again, following the corrections. Dash watched as the bowling ball skated across the lane from one side to the other, hooking at the end and running into the back pins. It wasn’t a strike by any means, but Dash was surprised to see it worked at all

Dash stepped back with a pleased “Huh.”

“Haha, see!” Danny said, clapping Dash on the shoulder “You just have to get used to it!”

Dash smiled at Danny.

Sam's turn ended and Danny went back to the dispenser to get ready for his turn.

Dash could feel his face heat up as he whipped around to look at Danny, but the boy had already stepped up to the lane, adjusting his wrist and getting ready to throw. He couldn’t tell if Danny meant his comment to be funny or flirty. Dash had long since observed that Danny had grown more confident and a bit cheeky in comparison to the short insecure freshman he had been. But right now, Dash was having a hard time figuring out if this was from confidence or if his heart could run with the idea of Danny flirting with him.

Dash tried to crush the hope it was flirty. He already knew he wanted to try and get over his crush, so this line of thinking wasn’t helpful. With his heart still beating a mile a minute, Dash took his seat and waited until Tucker was finished throwing his second ball.

As the game was coming to a close- Danny and Sam winning by a landslide- Dash’s phone vibrated in his pocket. A message from Paulina informed him that the movie was finished and she was headed home. By then it was well past midnight, but Dash’s anxiety peaked for a moment at the thought of going home.

He looked back up to the trio as they were discussing another game before shooting a response to Paulina.

“Paulina’s done with her movie, so I’m going to head out.” he said as he started untying the borrowed shoes.

Dash could feel three sets of eyes turn to him. Sam exited out of the new game she had be queuing up.

“Ooh, we’re not cool enough for you?” Danny teased as Dash put his sandals back on

Dash smiled to himself before turning to Danny and raised an eyebrow, not commenting on what was both a jab and a joke.

Dash perked up at the sound of “next time.” He surprised at how grateful he felt that this night had gone so well there could be a next time.

“Hey,” Danny said, extending a hand and pulling Dash out of his head. “Give me your phone.”

Dash sent him a puzzled look but passed the device over anyways. He saw Danny flip it open and bring up the contacts list, making a new profile and inputting his number into it. Dash’s heart skipped a beat as Danny handed the device back over with a smile.

“There, one more person to get a hold of if you need it.”

Dash was embarrassed at how genuinely he smiled at Danny, but he couldn’t stop it if he tried.

“Thanks.”

---

Hot diggity!!

Another writing heavy part, but I wanted Dash's insightfulness to really shine through, so it's not very image heavy. I think part 8 is going to have the most comic pages though :) :) :)

Anyways, thanks for waiting! I know I always say this, but it'll probably be a long wait for the next part (like 3-4 weeks)

Hope ya'll like this one! I made some pretty self-indulgent choices in this part. See ya next time!

Masterpost

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 4.5 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

#dawwww theyre so cute #especially that bit at the end #danny phantom fanfiction #danny phantom #fanfiction

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