#yeah the reveal didn't go very well... luckily Clockwork had a plan lol

[duskyashe]

NaNoWriMo Day #17

[masterlist] [part one] [part three]

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While Danny was infinitely grateful for Clockwork and all the things he'd done for him over the past three years, he was really regretting giving the ancient ghost carte blanche when it came to his safety. The dimension travel was cool, he'd been able to see a crap ton of various superhero fights since getting dropped here, he'd even got a hoodie from Captain Marvel, but the de-aging thing? He was seventeen, not ten! How did being physically younger than he was chronologically protect him from anything? He'd learned to apply his mom's martial arts at fourteen, at ten he'd still only been learning the katas! Honestly, it was a good thing his being de-aged had only taken his muscle memory, and he still had his ghost half; without his powers, he would have been roadkill by now.

He'd just flown from the shining City of Metropolis all the way to a city Sam would have loved, if only for the aesthetic, when the sun touched the horizon. Looking around, Danny figured it'd be best not to be out on the streets after dark, and started looking for a place to crash for the night. There were a surprising number of empty and deserted apartments in the area of town he'd flown into, but most of them weren't the most defensible, so on he went, until he felt something... Different, something he hadn't felt in years. Not since Ellie had almost destabilized. This, though... This was different. This wasn't a young core crying out in terror, this was a strangled core crying out in pain and rage and confusion. And it wasn't a full ghost, either. It was another halfa. Danny was phasing into a highly fortified apartment before he even knew it.

Carefully picking his way through the apartment, Danny made his way to the back room where he knew the other halfa was. He could hear them gasping and hyperventilating, their core fighting its bonds yet gaining no headway. Rounding the doorway to the bedroom, Danny froze, his core aching at the sight of the state the older halfa was in. How the guy wasn't in the middle of a murderous rampage, he wasn't sure, but helping him would be significantly easier with Danny not having to protect a bunch of civilians at the same time, so he'd take it.

He settled his feet onto the ground, rolled the sleeves of his too large hoodie up slightly, and let out a couple small chirps. The effect was instantaneous, the older halfa's attention drawn completely to him. Seeing those glowing green eyes under a patch of white hair, focused with laser intensity on him, Danny shifted a bit as he relaxed. He'd managed to break his mental spiral, now all he had to do was interact with the guy and his core would do the rest of the work. Hesitantly, he shuffled forward and chirped a few more times, trying to encourage the guy to respond.

Danny had never been more relieved than he was when the guy chirped back, tears welling in his eyes as his shoulders relaxed. A sob worked its way out of the guy as he reached a hand out, as if grasping for a lifeline, and who was Danny to deny him that simple comfort? Ghosts were nearly as tactical as humans were, sometimes more so, in fact.

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Admittedly, falling asleep cuddled up in the older halfa's arms had not been his intention, but, well... Having someone freely give him comfort in return for receiving comfort had been something he'd missed terribly. He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to his friends or his sister before Clockwork had sent him to this dimension. It had been... Way too long since he'd had a hug, especially one as warm and all encompassing as that one had been.

He didn't want to move from the safety of those strong arms holding him, didn't want to leave the comforting rumble of the older halfa's purr, but Danny desperately needed the restroom, and he still had some dignity left. Reluctantly, he tried to shift enough to slip out of the hug, only for those arms to tighten their hold on him ever so slightly. Tired blue eyes fluttered open, studying Danny's face for a moment before closing for a wide yawn.

"Where do you think you're going, kiddo?" The other halfa asked softly, his sleep-rough baritone voice weaving a layer of peace-calm-safety into the air around them.

"... I need the restroom..." Danny mumbled, fighting the urge to just stay right where he was. He hadn't felt this peaceful since the last time he'd visited Jazz at her college dorm.

The chest he was still half curled up to jiggled as the guy huffed an amused laugh. He was hugged a bit tighter for a moment before being released. "Just across the hall, kiddo. Do your business, then meet me in the kitchen for breakfast, alright? I have some questions I'd like to ask you, starting with what flavor of pancakes you like." Danny blinked but nodded. He was up and almost out the door when the guy spoke back up. "Oh, and kid? The name's Jason. Thanks for what you did for me last night."

Danny paused and turned to look back at Jason. The guy was already looking better now that his core wasn't being restrained by the sickly green gunk that had been strangling it. His blue eyes were almost glowing with life, and his skin held a warm peachy color that hadn't been there before he'd fallen asleep. Even his hair, black with a patch of white, seemed healthier. Danny smiled, small and content. "Danny, and you're welcome. You looked like you needed some TLC."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Tender love and care?"

"Nah," Danny smirked. "Tons of love and cuddles."

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Tehehe (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) I'm very happy with how this turned out! We finally got Danny's point of view! Now, admittedly, when I wrote the first part, I didn't have a concrete age for Danny, or really any backstory for him being in Gotham except for he was on the run due to a Reveal Gone Wrong™. I just really liked the idea of Danny getting de-aged and punted into another dimension for his own safety, and meeting Jason as a byproduct. They've adopted each other, now lol

Here's some fun people who asked to be tagged if I continued this! @treepainting, @fancydelusionluminary, @blacksea21090, @undead-essence, @fisticuffsatapplebees, here's part two!

Have a good morning/day/night!