Work Text:
‘Why don’t I feel happy?’ Danny thought, confused. As he continued to stare blankly at the Latina walking away in front of him. Paulina actually confessed to him. Him. Stupid, second place, nerdy Danny Fenton. And he turned her down. He turned down the girl he had a crush on since high school and he hadn’t felt bad about it. Just that something felt off to him.
“It’s okay. Let it all out, Danny.” Phantom whispered, as tanned hands moved through black hair strands.
The white hair male was sitting on the couch, tv turned on to a movie, low volume set, popcorn bowl on the coffee table with junk food surrounding it. In his lap, a crying male with black hair. His vision blurred as more tears gathered in his vision, translucent tears dripping down his face from his parents’ most recent visit. Red flushing cheeks and nose, with puffy eyes. His head in Phantom’s lap, as he cried harder at those whispered words. He felt like for once, maybe he didn’t need to be first place. He felt like he was finally releasing all those little things that piled up from high school to now. Those little insults from bullies, disappointed looks from his parents, anxious and depressing thoughts were finally given a chance to be let go. So, he let go. He cried harder than ever before in his best friend’s lap, feeling those tanned hands reassured him.
“You’re enough, Danny. You’re more than enough, alright? Don’t ever think otherwise.”
Those words that he so desperately wanted to hear being finally said, were the last thing he heard before falling asleep from the exhaustion.
No. No, he was fine. He was enough. He’s Danny Fenton and he’s enough. Danny quickly shook himself out of the flashback, feeling slightly more confident and reassured now. Maybe, he had fleeting feelings for Paulina in the past, but they were long gone now. The feelings for Paulina wouldn’t have lasted long anyway. After all, a crush was fleeting. Temporary. Danny felt a little better at that thought. Eventually, the black hair male made his way back inside the campus. His last class went by without a hitch, and off he went to his apartment. Danny continued to walk as he recalled that Phantom was probably home today, as his classes were canceled. His face subconsciously softened at that thought. The idea that Phantom was home to greet him made his heart beat just a bit.
Before he realized it, he had made it home to the apartment building. Moving up to his floor and number, he knocked before unlocking the door to let Phantom know that he was home. ‘He’s probably watching Supernatural again.’ Danny absentmindedly thought, as he opened the door and walked in. The blue-eyed male quickly shut the door and kicked his shoes off to the side. Carrying his bag with him, he made his way to the living room where he was met with the sight of green eyes staring at him.
“Welcome home, Danny. How was today? Any better?” Phantom said, smiling from his seat on the couch, tv on, with Supernatural playing like Danny predicted. His white hair ruffled like a wind blown mess, wearing a comfy black t-shirt paired with matching basketball shorts. His body relaxed and his head turned towards him. Those green eyes that seemed to shine with mischief and concern at the same time, looking into Danny’s blue ones.
Danny couldn’t help, but feel warmth spread throughout his body at that. Something about Phantom always seemed to make him feel warm, safe and comfortable in a way. As if, he could tell Phantom anything and would be there when Phantom needed an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. And he knew that Phantom wouldn’t hesitate to do the same for him. But, this time the feeling felt different. It felt like it was something more. Something so much more than before. It felt like he was burning from the inside out, like he could swim in this warmth alone and bask in it. Like it was something that he never wanted to end. It felt like his heart was beating so loud that Phantom could hear. His heart was beating. . . His heart was beating for Phantom. The reason why he felt confused earlier was because his heart had been long gone.
His heart had skipped a beat at the warm greeting like it always did before and he finally realized what was missing had been stolen long ago. He just never realized it until now. There was now a label as to what he felt before. And it rung true in his heart.
Danny could feel his face start to heat up at that revelation and knew that he’d better answer quickly to make an escape. He needed time to properly process what he had finally discovered.
“Better! I mean, it’s better now that I’m home! I’m gonna go change real quick!” Danny hurriedly said, as he turned around and walked toward the bedroom they shared together. He walked away a little quicker hearing Phantom’s response, “Alright! How do you feel about eating out for dinner, by the way?” Danny quickly said it was fine, before shutting the bedroom door, throwing his bag aside, and sliding down against the door. He pulled his knees up to his chest, curling his arms around them, as he laid his head against them. He breathed in and out, trying to calm down as anxious thoughts started to invade his mind. He silently panicked for a few minutes on the bedroom floor, before raising his head and looking at the single king size bed in the room. Without his consent, he felt his mind calm remembering how they came to only have one bed to sleep in.
He chuckled a little at the thought of early college Phantom not being used to late nights just yet. He always ended up bunking on the lower bunk bed with him because of it. It ended up being a routine for a while: Phantom ending up exhausted, too tired to get to his top bunk, and ending up sleeping with Danny on the lower bunk instead.
They both decided on getting a larger bed due to Phantom’s sleepy mumble of just getting one big bed instead for them, since he barely used the top bunk anymore and it was getting slightly crowded. Danny laughed, still remembering the confused face Phantom made the next morning, when he showed him a site of multiple mattresses to try. They spent hours arguing on the colors of the sheets and comforter, he thought as he gently reached an arm out to touch the dark emerald comforter.
Slowly, he pushed himself off the floor to actually change. Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind for now, as he dressed. Now as he wore a white hoodie slightly too big for him and a pair of black shorts, the panicked thoughts stopped a little. The comfortable clothes and Phantom’s hoodie helped a bit. Phantom’s hoodies always did help when he was feeling overwhelmed, this time was no exception. Breathing in and out once more, Danny left the bedroom feeling a bit more normal and hungry for food as he and Phantom left together.
Danny blurts out how he feels one day, when Phantom was cooking dinner for them. It had been nearly a month since his revelation and acceptance of his labelled feelings. And something about the air and comfortable, familiar scene made him want to say it aloud. It was like everything, but Phantom has disappeared from his peripheral vision. All he could see was Phantom in their tiny apartment kitchen, black apron covered in bits of flour, hair clips in his hair, holding back white bangs. Green eyes focused on the pot of noodles for the chicken alfredo for tonight. He absentmindedly asks Danny about his day in a soft tone. Danny replying in an equal soft tone, as he watches Phantom’s back while sitting at the counter. He watched as furrowed brows start to show Phantom’s concentration at transferring noodles to the Pan with sauce. His blue eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled, when Phantom turned around grinning like he was making sure Danny’s attention was on him. As if he was excitedly saying, “Did you see that? I am amazing at cooking!”
The words slipped out before he could stop it. Those three little intimate words. But somehow. . . Danny didn’t mind as he looked at those flushed tanned cheeks and surprised Green eyes that practically lit up the whole kitchen at the admission.
“ I love you. . .”
Phantom reacted so flustered at the barely audible confession, his hands starting to sweat and repeatedly clutch at the strainer. He turned around quickly, but that didn’t stop Danny from seeing the red blushing tips of his ears. The red flush obviously seen against the pure snow white of his hair. Danny lowered his head to rest against his arms on the counter at the sight, shyly using them as a hiding place. He patiently waited for Phantom’s response, sky blue eyes still trained on his back as he cooked. Phantom’s eyes were slightly unfocused, they moved around the pan unable to stay in a single spot, as he tried to make sense of what just came out of Danny’s mouth. His mind would repeat those three little, meaningful words again and again, even as he tried to mix the pasta into the sauce properly. His mind trying to see if they were truly meant. Phantom so caught up in the clouds, flinched a little as he heard Danny get up and start setting down plates and silverware at the small dinner table. Just a wooden table large enough to fit four seats. Though, they only ever needed to use two seats.
He wanted to reply. He wanted to tell him just how long he needed to hear those words.
“ Say. . . Say it again? Please. . .”
Danny looked up from the plate he had set down directly next to the other set. 2 dinner plates beside one another. They always did prefer to sit next to each other when they were together. Big blue eyes widened as he heard that little hesitant whisper from him. So softly spoken, as if Phantom had meant to speak beneath his breath. But, no. Phantom wanted Danny to hear him. Phantom wanted Danny to say it again for him, to have Danny prove he meant what he said. Phantom was giving him a way to back out if he hadn’t meant it. But he meant it. He meant it so much. Danny started to feel his nerves start up again, but quickly forced them down. He came this far, he wasn’t going to chicken out. Danny made his way back to the counters, making them the only barrier between him and Phantom.
He wasn’t going to back out. He was going to show that he would love this beautiful white hair, green eyes, funny dork. And he does. So, he took a deep breath, steeling himself to repeat those words more confidently this time. He turned his eyes to the back of that beautiful white hair man and said it again for him.
“ I love you, Phantom.”
A few minutes passed by, without any verbal words being said. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of a stovetop being turned off and the pan lifted away from it. Pasta being quickly sectioned into 2 shares and separated to set upon two different plates side by side of each other. The clattering of the pan and pot soon being left in the sink to be washed later. An apron being taken off with soft ruffles and folded away. The soft steps of 2 sets of feet walking to the dinner table. One set from the kitchen and the other from near the counter. Both steps slowly matched together as they took their seat at the table. Elbows touching and knees bumping together just as every other dinner before. Not a new feeling or sight to both of them. Tension rose as the silence continued before the silence was finally broken.
“ I love you, too.”
And just like that, the built up tension dissipated. A familiar comfortable silence between the two replaces it. They look at each other. Toxic green eyes meeting their match with sky blue ones. Eyes so familiar, that seemed to be filled with something different this time. Eyes that they’ve both stared at before seemed to have softened with love. Affection and endearment that had grown into love.
Slowly blue eyes lowered to their left hand, as it reached out to take Phantom’s right one. Both pairs of eyes now focused as their hands melded together, fingers slotting into place as they fit like a missing puzzle piece found. They took notice of it.
‘His hand is tanner than mine. I never noticed just how much before.’
‘How are his fingers so thin and pale?’
‘ This feels right. They feel right clasped together like this.’
They hold each other’s hands for a little longer, before Phantom eventually chuckles. “Danny, I can’t eat without my right hand as much as I want to continue to hold onto you.” His green eyes sparkling with mischief as he smiled at him, warm tanned hand squeezing gently at its pale counterpart’s.
Danny flushes and quickly withdraws his hand, turning his head to the right to try to unsuccessfully hide his red face. Phantom just laughed a little more at that cute move. Flustering Danny seems to be easier than before. ‘Maybe that isn’t such a bad thing.’ Phantom thought, as he openly admired the rosy blush. “Thanks, now let’s hurry and eat before the food gets cold. Besides, I want to try holding hands again later.”
Danny nods, avoiding a verbal reply because he was sure that he would’ve squeaked at that shameless, honest statement. He wasn’t expecting Phantom to be so honest, though he agreed with it. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed to their usual warmth. Only, it was a little warmer. A little more homey. As if they’ve finally found the final missing piece for their little home to be complete. It felt as if their love was manifested into the very space they resided. Their apartment suddenly feels even more like home than before. The two chat and enjoy their dinner together as they energetically talk about things they experienced today.
They laugh at the conversation with a gentle tug at their hearts, as they move their ankles together underneath the table. Still not willing to let go just quite yet.
Our little haven together. Our little home together.