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Blue eyes opened to a dimly lit room.
There was silence. Sweet, blissful, silence. Which was mildly irritating to the half-ghost as he lay in his own bed, in his own room, under his warm bed sheets. The only light in the room was from, well the fake starts that littered his ceiling, and his digital clock, which was calmly flashing the time in a dull red, 2:31 am.
It’s okay. Everything’s okay.
Around him, the air was cold, but the soothing cold that showed that it was finally fall, summer was ending. School was approaching, Danny’s senior year would actually start next week, and he would finally be out of the house. Not trapped with his parents inside the house that still haunted both his dreams and waking moments, much to his parents’ ignorant bliss.
There was absolutely nothing that should have woken him.
Why was he awake? Why was he awake at 2:33 in the morning? Mother and Father both calmly asleep in their own room, hell he could hear Jack snoring from where he lay. The only true emptiness in the house was Jazz’s room because she was away at college. Probably also sleeping. Sweet, blissful, sleep.
Why was he awake?
In the last almost worry free, because ghost attacks were not exactly worry free, week before school. When he could do nothing, but sleep, only he would be the one to find himself awake for no reason at the infuriating time of 2:35 in the morning. Of course Danny Fenton would find himself awake for no reason. There was a groggy blink. Something was sticking to his face, but at the same time moving?
Was he crying?
The warm tears sliding down his face had almost gone unnoticed. There was hardly a reason for them to be there. Did he have a nightmare? Or was it the memories that haunted him showing their ugly face? Of course it would happen. At 2:40 am. With no one awake to comfort him.
Pathetic, Fenton.
Danny curled up on himself, covering his head with the pillow. He wasn’t some baby who needed to be coddled by their mother. He was Danny Phantom. The Protector of Amity Park. Who was finally being accepted by both the citizens and even by his ever skeptical parents. Only Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Valerie knew his secret. Well, Vlad too, but that was a different story. But, there was still no reason for him to be crying. So…
Why on earth was he sobbing into his pillow at 2:45am?
The silence ended with movement outside his room. He hadn’t even heard anyone move, at least not over his own crying. Muffling himself with the pillow the teen could feel himself tense. Was he awake for a reason after all? Had he woken someone up? That was the last thing he wanted to do. Disturb someone from the sweet, blissful, sleep that was robbed from him since the accident seven months ago.
“Danny?”
Maddie was at the door. The teen didn’t move, hardly daring to breathe. Some twisted part of him reminded himself that he didn’t exactly need to breathe as Phantom. A soft sob betrayed him just as his mother opened the door. Her form was next to him shortly after. Gently running her fingers through his hair as she gently shushed him.
Trust her.
Slowly, Danny allowed himself to relax at his mother’s touch. Maddie understood that he couldn’t speak about what was bothering him. However, even with the comfort, the tears still left him, exhausting him, burning his eyes even though they were closed. The near silence was comforting. The gentle breathing from his mother was comforting. The half-ghost realized that for the first time in a long time, the presence of his mother was comforting. His breathing slowed as he began to drift back to sleep.
Everything is okay right now.