The Dance
The Dance
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, Danny Phantom
Danny looked at himself in the mirror. This was a bad idea. What if someone noticed the similarities? Doubtless, many others would be dressed as Danny Phantom, but Danny actually was Danny Phantom. True, he'd used a costume instead of transforming, but that was hardly the point. He had used a temporary dye in his hair, and Jazz had managed to find a black spandex shirt and pant suit that looked fairly similar to what Danny Phantom wore. She had also sewn the D onto his shirt, and Danny had found some white boots in his dad's old eighties clothes. The effect was rather laughable, but he was still worried about being recognized.
"Danny?" Jazz asked, poking her head into his room. She looked him over and smiled. "It's perfect," she announced, walking over to him to take a closer inspection. "The costume looks close enough that everyone will know who you're supposed to be, but it's imperfect enough to keep your secret... well... secret." Jazz beamed at Danny in the mirror.
"I feel like an idiot," Danny mumbled. "I don't look anything like Danny Phantom. The ghosts would laugh themselves into their after-afterlife if they saw me now."
Jazz chuckled. "Come on, Danny," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Your ghostly princess awaits, and Mom will never let you drive her car again." Danny forced a wan smile, wondering why the butterflies had suddenly disappeared at the mention of Sam.
Danny nervously walked up to Sam's door, as he had so many times before, and rang the doorbell. Slowly Sam's mother opened the door, and Danny smiled nervously at her. To his surprise, Mrs. Manson smiled back warmly, welcoming him into the house.
"I'm sorry, Danny," she said cheerfully, "Sam's still working on getting ready. She should be down soon, though. Would you like you wait with me in the living room?" Danny nodded, relief seeping through him. He'd been worried about Sam's parents' reactions to him taking Sam to the dance. He was certain that he hadn't made it onto the "Acceptable to Date Our Daughter" list, but they didn't seem to be hostile toward him.
"Ah, Danny," said Mr. Manson, looking up from the evening paper as Danny and Sam's mother entered the living room. "It's good to see you. Why don't you come over here and have a quick chat with me?" Danny suddenly felt nauseous.
Sitting gingerly on the couch beside Mrs. Manson, Danny looked at Mr. Manson expectantly.
"You see, Danny," he began, straightening the paper on his lap, "Sam is my only daughter. My only child, for that matter. And I treasure her more than any priceless gem, any expensive work of art that I have acquired over the years. This whole house," he gestured broadly at the vast living room, with its ornate fireplace and elaborate furnishings, "is nothing without my family. It would be nothing more than a cold crypt, if you will. And with that in mind, I must warn you, Danny Fenton," at this Mr. Manson leaned forward to stare intensely at Danny, "that if anything should happen to my daughter, you will pay as accordingly as I see fit." For a moment, Danny was terrified of this man, small and generally unthreatening though he was.
And then the frightening glint in the man's eye was gone, and he was smiling again. "And with that said, Danny, I'd just like to let you know that I approve entirely of this match."
Danny was stunned. "W-what?" He asked, eyes wide. "You don't mind me dating your daughter?" Mr. and Mrs. Manson looked at Danny in confusion.
"Of course not," Mr. Manson replied with a slight frown. "We didn't like that Night fellow. We're quite glad to be rid of him. But we've been harboring hopes of you asking Sam out for a while now." Danny could only stare at them in bewilderment.
"Danny, you're a good kid," Mrs. Manson said, smiling softly as she placed a dainty hand on his forearm. "You're a little rough around the edges, but you make Sam happy, and that's what counts. Besides, we've had a while to get used to the idea- Sam's liked you for ages."
"She has?" Danny asked, his mind whirling with the speed of a vicious tornado.
Mrs. Manson laughed. "Maybe neither of you noticed, but we certainly did. We're happy that it finally worked out between you." Danny smiled uncertainly, though he was elated at their words.
"Mom?" Sam asked, poking her head around the doorway. "Can you come help me with something?" Mrs. Manson smiled and nodded, walking out of the room to her daughter. Danny was content to sit in silence with Mr. Manson, thinking about what they'd said.
After a few minutes, Mrs. Manson walked back into the living room, smiling widely. "Sam's ready now, Danny," she said, stepping away from the doorway.
Sam walked through after her, and Danny's breath caught. They had decided to create a new character for her, sort of a female version of Danny Phantom. She had named herself Phantom Princess, and she was simply beautiful. She wore a tight-fitting long-sleeved shirt that tapered to points on the backs of her hands. It had two spiderweb-thin Ds intertwined in the center of her chest. She wore a short black skirt with a wide white hem over her tight-fitting pants, and white knee-high lace-up boots. She had changed her usual purple makeup to black and white, and let her hair down out of its half ponytail. She had also used temporary dye to put a white streak in her hair. She smiled tentatively at Danny, and he had to remind himself to breathe.
"Sam, you look... beautiful," he murmured, momentarily forgetting that her parents were still in the room. Sam giggled, a sweet blush spreading over her cheeks.
"Thanks," she said, "You look great, too. Ready to go?" Danny nodded, and they left, though they had to suffer through a few dozen pictures first. Sam's parents were very ecstatic about her going on her first "dance date."
"Hey, you two look great!" Tucker exclaimed with a big grin when he saw them. "The Phantoms! Not exactly a very unique idea, but it works for you." Danny grinned, looking around. The majority of the students there were either Danny Phantoms or female spinoffs of him. He did spy a couple of the more traditional costumes, such as pirates, fairies, and princesses, but they were few and far between. Tucker himself had opted for the individual path, dressed in an unnervingly accurate costume as Night.
Sam gave his costume an appraising once-over. "Nice costume, Tuck," she said with an impish smile.
"Thanks," Tucker replied, grinning.
"You're missing something, though," Sam said in a serious tone. Tucker frowned, looking down.
"What?" He asked in confusion. "I thought I had it down perfectly."
"Charm and mystique," Sam replied with a laugh. Danny chuckled, too, and the couple left a gape-mouthed Tucker to join the rest of their school on the dance floor.
"I'm surprised his costume didn't freak you out," Danny admitted as he spun Sam across the gym. "It is remarkably correct."
Sam shrugged, dancing along with the tempo of the upbeat song she'd probably never listen to otherwise. "It did surprise me, but it's okay," she replied with a small smile. "You saved me from him once, you could probably do it again." Danny smiled, fighting the urge to duck his head and stutter.
"You saved yourself, Sam," he replied firmly instead. "You got him into the canister when I faltered. If you hadn't been so quick-witted..." Danny sighed and closed his eyes. He'd been going over that possibility over and over in his mind, wondering what would have happened if Sam hadn't been able to get the canister, or if Night had been faster than her...
A soft hand pressed against his cheek, and Danny opened his eyes to look into Sam's sweet face. She was looking at him worriedly. Danny tried to force a smile, but failed.
"Danny..." Sam said softly. "It's okay. I'm fine, and Night's gone. And I'm with you. I don't want to be anywhere else. It's not your fault that you got so tired... I did, too, after fighting him. Please don't be upset." Danny searched her face, looking for signs that she believed her own words. What he found reassured him. Danny smiled shakily at Sam with another sigh. He put his hand against hers on his cheek, leaning into her touch.
"Thank you, Sam," he murmured. "That means a lot more to me than you know." Sam smiled in reply.
Suddenly the lights dimmed and the music slowed, taking on more of a dreamy quality. Danny swallowed a lump in his throat; this was the one thing he'd been most nervous about all night: the slow dance.
"Um," he stammered, blushing furiously and looking at the floor.
"Yeah," Sam stuttered, also blushing.
"Oh, please," said Tucker impatiently from a little while away, "you're nervous about a dance?" In truly obnoxious form, Tucker then stalked over, pushed them together, and stalked off, grumbling about asinine friends. Danny blushed more than before, finding himself less than a foot away from Sam.
"I... I don't suppose you'd... l-like to dance... with me?" Danny asked in a small voice. Sam smiled nervously.
"Of course I would, Danny Fenton," she replied, looking up at him through her long eyelashes. Danny smiled and pulled her to him, placing one hand on her waist as he took her hand in his other one. She placed her free hand on his shoulder.
"I've never really danced with anyone like this before, so I'm probably really clumsy," Danny admitted embarrassedly.
Sam smiled softly. "That's okay," she replied simply. "I haven't, either." Danny smiled back at her and pulled her closer.
Sam blinked in surprise, then rested her head against his shoulder as they swayed to the soft music. Regardless of their inexperience, the two were perfectly content, and even somewhat graceful.
Wow, Danny mused silently to himself, gently placing his chin against Sam's hair, This is one of the best nights of my life. Sam feels so... perfect. I love holding her like this...
Danny sighed happily, and was rewarded when Sam smiled up at him again. He smiled back down at her, softly rubbing her back with the hand he'd placed on her waist. She giggled.
"That tickles," she admitted, leaning against his chest. Danny smiled, but he stopped rubbing her back. Instead he looked at their intertwined hands, the way they fit together so well. He raised Sam's hand to his lips and kissed it gently, watching her through half-closed eyes. Sam smiled happily in response.
"Sam..." Danny said, looking down at her. "I... Thanks."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "For what?" She asked curiously.
"For everything," Danny replied with a tiny shrug. "For being there with me, even through the Paulina phase. For being there to fight ghosts with me. And... for being with me now, like this. It's... more than I ever dreamed. I can't believe you... that you..."
Sam watched him avidly. "That I...?" Danny couldn't say it. He couldn't speak. Looking at Sam, he was just too scared. "That I... love you?" Sam asked quietly. Danny's eyes widened.
"So... you do?" He asked in shock. Sam smiled nervously.
"Yes," she replied shyly. "I do love you... a lot." Danny gaped at her for a minute, then smiled.
Unable to contain himself, Danny wrapped both arms around Sam and pulled her even closer, leaning down to press his lips against hers. Sam kissed him back ever so softly, her warm lips comfortable against his. Danny pulled back slightly, looking down at her. Sam's eyes were only half-open, and a small, albeit elated, smile touched her lips. Danny smiled and kissed her again, and this time Sam wrapped her arms around him, tangling her fingers in his hair.
"How was the dance, Danny?" Jazz asked cheerfully from her doorway as her brother passed on the way to his room. "I heard that the deejay they hired was brilliant."
Danny smiled, exhausted but pleased. "Deejay?" He asked mildly. "Oh. Yeah. Great music." Jazz grinned impishly.
"So the Princess of Darkness had your undivided attention all night?" Jazz asked, a knowing smile crossing her flawless features.
Danny blushed, but smiled all the same. "Yeah, she did," he replied dreamily. "You should've seen her, Jazz, she looked so beautiful. Even more beautiful than usual..."
Jazz chuckled. "I'm sorry I missed it. Go to bed, Romeo; Juliet won't be impressed with circles under your eyes when you whisk her away to your castle." Danny snorted, but did as he was told.
Lying in bed, Danny smiled to himself as he thought about how wonderful the night had been. He and Sam had danced all night, even after they felt as though they would pass out. Then Danny had driven Sam home. She had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, and Danny had indulged in just watching her sleep for a few minutes before getting out and carrying her from the car. She had woken up as Danny was climbing her front steps, but instead of insisting that he put her down, Sam had cuddled into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they'd reached the door, Danny hadn't wanted to put her down.
Danny leaned against the door, still holding Sam cradled in his arms. She had yawned softly, tracing soft designs that tickled over his arms.
"What are you doing?" Danny had asked with a smile. "It tickles."
"You just surprise me, that's all," Sam replied hesitantly. Danny raised an eyebrow at her. "No matter how often I see you prove your strength, I'm always amazed at how strong you truly are. You haven't even complained about my weight."
Danny chuckled softly, gently nuzzling Sam's silky hair. "And I won't," he replied. "You have no weight to complain about." Sam laughed.
"What's it like?" Sam asked softly. "To be Danny Phantom?" Danny looked up at the full moon, a soft smile playing at his lips.
"It's... wonderful," he replied. "It's like I'm invincible. I'm so much stronger than I used to be... And so much more able to protect my friends and family. It's difficult sometimes, with everyone trying to catch me, but it's worth it. And at least you and Tucker know about it, so it's not some huge secret. And you both accept it, so I have some relief from my parents." Sam smiled.
"I'm glad I can be there with you while you fight ghosts," she said. "It makes me feel important."
"You'll always be important to me, Sam," Danny whispered, leaning down to kiss her again. Sam kissed him back, cupping his cheek in her hand. When they broke apart, she smiled at him.
"I should go inside," she admitted unwillingly. "My parents will be expecting a full report." Danny laughed, setting her gently on the ground. He kissed her one last time, then watched as she went inside. Then he drove home, smiling the whole way.
Danny sighed happily. I love her, he thought happily to himself. I love her so much... And with that thought, he drifted off to sleep.
The end! It's finally complete. I really enjoyed writing this one... It was pretty fun. I actually have no desire to finish my Tenchi fanfic now... Which is not good :(. Inspiration is fleeting... Anyway, thanks for reading! Please check out my other fics now!