So this is something. Or nothing. I just felt like writing DP again (^.^)b I hope this sin't too boring. Anyone can take this and do what you will.

Danny finally seals the thermos lid after the ghost inside, and hopes to soon be closing his eyes just as tightly in his bed. His joints hurt from such a long day. It's night, a cold one, and he would much rather be at home than in the dark, very tarnished grocery store.

Food is all over the tiled floor; meat, chocolate, fruit and everything in between scattered the dark room. Even the walls and the windows (the ones that aren't broken) are dripping with produce. Isles of shelves are tipped over. Danny pities the employees that will have to clean this up tomorrow, and at the same time is glad he doesn't work here. He sobers at the fact he doesn't have a job at all. He considers ghost fighting, but as a job it would have to be even worse than working here. He doesn't even get paid.

Danny clips the thermos on to one of his belt loops. He should leave before he is seen in the middle of this mess. Or seen at all. But a sudden snapping of broken glass on the floor has him doubting that plan will secede.

Danny turns, and sees someone he wouldn't expect. This late? In the middle of a battle ground? What is he doing here?

"Ah…" Dash looks caught, frozen on the glass that has betrayed him. His eyes are comically wide, as wide as his mouth that won't make words.

Danny would have laughed. It isn't every day he sees Dash so meek and confused. As meek as a raging bull, maybe. But seeing him like this is just why he doesn't. It's a bit weird.

They stare for a while, Dash in aw, and Danny tired, before the ghost decides it really is time to go home now. He goes to fly through the ceiling, and Dash is snapped out of his trance, "Wait!"

And Danny does, if only to shoot the Jock another bored look. "Do you need something, Dash?"

This seems to translate as 'come closer', as Dash walks further into the store from the broken glass window he used to get in. That's when Danny sees just how badly dressed the guy is for being out so late. He is in his pyjamas. His blue, loos-fitting pyjamas and trainers.

Dash is close enough for Danny's glow to touch his face, and Danny is floating high enough to look down on Dash. He smirks at the role reversal.

"Y-You remember my name." Dash says, and he doesn't close his mouth after saying it.

"I do." Danny says, blunt. He crosses his arms.

Dash, after some time, seems to realise he is staring and then looks anywhere but the ghost with an awkward shift of his weight. Danny isn't especially surprised. He knows how big a fan Dash is, he has said so on more than a few occasions at school. Unfortunately he is also a big fan of pushing him around.

"Dash, what is it? Is someone hurt? Did you see a ghost? You're giving me nothing here." He wants this to go quickly.

Dash, alarmed, looks back to Danny, "Oh, no, no, nothing like that! I just," Dash starts checking his pockets, and Danny is suddenly curious. "I just, hang on," He reaches into his breast pocket, "Just wanted to give you, um, this!" Dash raises his arm to Danny in the air, and in his fist is something green and…

"I, ah," Danny awkwardly looks at it. "I don't get it." The money stays in Dashes hand. Dash himself is going a little red. "Do you want me to, um, do something?"

"What?" Dash straightens, but keeps his hand out. "No, you do enough already! It's for you."

"I," Danny starts, and eyes the bill, "I'm not going to take your money, Dash." It just seems kind of…wrong. Dash looks disheartened, but doesn't lower the money. Gift?

"But you, you do so much. I just," Dash looks away again. "You do so much for this town and all you get for it is beat up."

You would know. But Dash continues.

"You have saved so many people. You fight for this place so much, and you ask for nothing. That's amazing. Of course, I know you don't need to, but the media acts like it's your job. You get nothing, so, so I thought that should change."

Danny realises he's never heard Dash talk for so long about something other than himself. He also realises that this may not have been such a sudden thought. By Dash's actions and the way that speech sounded like it was rehearsed (well, for Dash standard) he must have been thinking this over for a while.

Did he race outside at the first sight of Phantom? How long has he been trying to reach him?

"So, here," Dash shakes the money, "Please take it. As a thank you."

Danny, who is suddenly not so irritated by the Jock's presence, considers Dash's words. He was right when he said the media acts like it's his job. The news blames him for the destruction of buildings instead of considering it the avoidance of the decimation of the town, which it usually is. Most people chase him down for an autograph, not a chance to say 'thank you'.

And yet here Dash was, outstretched arm with a token of appreciation. It almost made Danny's ice core go warm.

Danny smiles, but pushes Dashes fist back.

"Thanks, Dash. Really, that means a lot." And he can't believe those words left his mouth. "But your words are enough. It's nice to know somebody understands it's not easy." And he is talking to someone who really doesn't make it easy.

Dash smiles back, an awkward wavy line and burning cheeks, but a smile. He lowers his arm.

There is a comfortable silence between the two, one in which Danny considers the idea of Dash being not such a bad guy. And impossible thought only hours ago, when Dash was laughing away the splendid times of shoving Danny into his own locker. He is so different in front of him now, smiling, (blushing?) looking down and being quiet and offering a gift to someone out of a kind thought.

Did Danny bring out the worst in Dash and also the best? What an odd thought.

"This place is really messed up. Must have been some ghost, huh?" At this, Danny shows his own blush of embarrassment.

"Ah, yeah, it sure was. Should have seen it. Massive! With teeth, and claws. Yeah.." Raccoons have those, so it isn't a total lie. "Listen, it's late, you should go home."

"Right." Dash nods in agreement, but doesn't look like he wants to leave so soon.

Danny waves a short, curt goodbye and prepares to leave.

"Um, Phantom?" Dash askes, quietly, and Danny stops again, not as irritated at being stopped as the first time.

"Yeah Da- oh my God!" Being the sports star he is, Danny probably shouldn't be so surprised Dash is able to jump up to his height and grab him. Danny is pulled down to Dash's level, and Dash doesn't loosen his arms as he continues to…hug him.

"Thanks for being such an awesome dude." He says, his moth suddenly so close to Danny's ear.

Danny relaxes somewhat, feeling no threat, only the warm arms, and smiles. He feels like he should say something back.

"Um, thanks for, ah, noticing." He puts his useless hands onto the Jock's shoulders, but waits a small while before pushing him away. Dash lets him. Danny floats higher. "Goodnight, then. Don't let the ghosts bite."

Dash laughs, but it's polite, not humours. "Night, Phantom." And Danny fazes through the ceiling.

"Son of a bitch." Danny says later that night, sitting on his bed. He looks at the money in his hand with a smile.

Turns out it's nothing. *Shrugs* do with what you will.