Chapter Text
In Danny's defense, he was going to tell him.
Sooner or later— eventually— he was going to tell his beloved, handsome, caring boyfriend that the person he was dating moonlighted as…
Well, Danny wasn’t entirely sure what to call himself still. ‘Ferret’ was Tucker’s word of choice.
Danny could only guess what word Tim would pick now as he stood there, crouched and staring at Danny with wide eyes. He looked as if he’d suddenly spotted a rat in the apartment, which… fair.
Danny cowered into a little ball, berating his own hubris.
He just had to take that nap on his desk.
“What the fuck are you,” Tim muttered more to himself.
Danny had to resist answering that question, knowing it wouldn’t make much sense anyways. He made a small, nervous chirping sound instead and Tim flinched backwards.
“The fuck…”
Danny had seen his ghost form in the mirror many times now and he knew that he didn’t exactly look like much of a… person. Ferret really was a very apt word— if you ignored the snake-like tail where hind legs should have been.
And the luminous green eyes.
And the tiny suit.
Really, Danny wasn’t sure why his ghost form manifested so small when he knew that suit had fit his human frame perfectly well.
He could only assume the awe-inspiring power of thousands of volts of electricity had somehow shrunk it (and him) down.
(Did that make the portal a dryer?)
Never mind that Danny knew exactly one other ghost who had died by electrocution and that man was a whopping six-foot-four.
Sam and Tucker hadn’t even recognized Danny after the Accident. They spent a very panicked few minutes searching for him and avoiding the ‘weird ass weasel’ on the lab floor before Sam finally decided to take a closer look.
She said the little hazmat suit was the first hint that it was him.
The second, she said, was the pitiful little whine he made when she picked him up.
Now wasn’t exactly the time to reminisce about the Accident, however. Tim was drawing close, his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. He held a tentative hand out, as if trying to greet a stray cat that might bite.
Danny was going to tell Tim about his second form someday…
Someday.
He really didn’t expect or want that day to be today.
As the minutes ticked on and Danny kept his silence in this form, he dug himself a deeper grave. The more time that passed, the more impossible it felt to reveal who he was.
Danny braced himself as Tim very awkwardly patted his white-tufted head.
Ancients, that hole was going to be deeper than he was tall.
(Granted, that wasn’t very hard to do at present.)
Tim hummed thoughtfully, leaning in closer until his sapphire eyes were level with the desk. Danny cowered back, nervous that Tim might somehow see through his appearance and recognize him.
Only Wes and Jazz had figured it out on their own, and of the two Jazz had actually seen Danny transform.
He wasn’t entirely sure what the tipping point was for Wes figuring out his identity, but thankfully no one ever took his claims seriously while they were in high school.
“Danny is Phantom!” Wes would shout, unprompted, in the middle of one of their English classes.
“Phantom is the size of a potato and a fucking ghost. What is wrong with you?” Sam would snap back.
It was a pretty airtight defense.
Yet now, staring up at Tim, Danny feared that his boyfriend might have whatever strike of genius led Wes to connect the dots between his two halves.
Perhaps it would be for the best. It would sure save him the anguish of taking that leap of faith and telling him.
Tim took his eyes off of Danny and scanned the apartment.
“Danny?” he called, his voice tinged with concern.
Oh, Danny regretted every life choice he made that led up to this point.
He watched with a sick sense of guilt as Tim pulled out his phone, knowing even before he put the device to his ear who he was calling.
There was a quiet pause before the ringtone Danny set for Tim played. It came from the pocket of Danny’s sweatshirt, which was thrown over the back of his desk chair. Tim rooted through the pocket and pulled out the phone, his brows furrowing together in confusion.
He glanced back at Danny on the desk and he cowered down further in his nest.
“Alright… this is new,” Tim said, still speaking more to himself than anything.
He began to pace back and forth, his eyes trailing every so often to Danny. He could practically see the wheels turning in Tim’s mind. There was worry in the furrow of his brows and it made Danny’s core stutter uncomfortably to know he’d put it there.
As much as he dreaded sharing his secret under less-than-ideal circumstances, Danny didn’t want his boyfriend to worry.
Still… Ancients, there was just so much to explain, and no way to know how Tim would react. Danny liked to think Tim would be understanding and accepting of the circumstance, but…
It was a lot.
Before Danny could decide one way or the other, Tim left the bedroom and hurried down the hall. Danny froze where he still sat curled on the desk, perking his ears up to listen. He hoped Tim would leave his apartment long enough to give Danny time to reappear as a human with a credible backstory.
Hope flared in his core as he considered the possibility of somehow getting out of this situation without revealing himself.
That hope withered a bit as he heard what sounded like one of the kitchen cabinets opening.
It died altogether when Tim came back into the bedroom with a clear plastic bin and stalked towards Danny with it.
He didn’t have much time to think before Tim flipped the bin upside down and brought it over Danny, trapping him on the desk.
He might have hissed on instinct as it happened.
Danny scampered in a circle, startled by the sudden entrapment. He was just about to phase his way out when Tim lowered himself down, his eyes practically glued to the plastic bin as he got a closer look at Danny.
“It’s alright; I’m not going to hurt you,” Tim said quietly.
Danny froze, considering the situation. Tim clearly saw him as some sort of animal and phasing his way out of the bin would probably freak him out. He hadn’t exactly told Tim about ghosts— in fact, he’d done his best to avoid the subject altogether. Jazz and him didn’t work their asses off to carve new identities in Gotham for nothing. He also couldn’t be sure how Tim would react to a small creature he assumed was safely trapped suddenly disappearing.
If he played his cards right, Danny could keep up the premise of being a strange animal and wait for a proper opening to slip away.
What was the worst that could happen?
Danny noticed, idly, that Tim had even jabbed a couple of air holes into the bin. It was a bit ironic, all things considered, but a thoughtful touch.
Tim stood back up, one hand still planted on top of the container. He had Danny’s phone in his other hand and tapped away at the screen before placing it to his ear.
Danny had a feeling he knew who Tim was calling even before he heard the answering voice.
“Danny?”
Of course he’d check in with Jazz.
“Hey, Jazz, this is Tim,” his boyfriend began, pausing to look down at the container under his hand. “Do you know where Danny is?”
“Oh, hi Tim. Uh, I haven’t heard from him since this morning. Where did you find his phone?”
Danny could hear the worry in Jazz’s voice and could just imagine her already running through contingency plans and preparing supplies.
“I’m at your apartment now. His phone was in his sweatshirt, but he’s not here… there is something else, though.”
He looked down at the container again and Danny had to resist the urge to bury his face in his little clawed paws.
“What?” Jazz’s voice sounded wary.
Tim tapped the container and Danny ducked down, wincing as the sound clapped his ears. Tim noticed and quickly stopped, giving him an apologetic glance.
“There’s… an animal? I think. I don’t really know what kind. It sort of looks like… a weasel?”
“Oh…” Danny could feel his face burning green as he heard Jazz’s voice do a complete 180 from concerned to humored. “Is it black and white with green eyes?”
Danny was going to die a second time. He was going to die and Tim would have to bury him in this plastic bin in the shitty little patch of dirt behind their apartment. Maybe if he was lucky he’d get a headstone this time.
“Yeah, actually,” Tim said, squinting down at Danny. “Do you know what it is?”
Jazz laughed. Danny knew he would never live this down in his entire afterlife. Assuming Jazz became a ghost— a threat she had made many times, and almost a certainty with her proto-core— he could just imagine her bringing this up every year like clockwork for millennia.
And what would Clockwork do? Probably watch it happen with a smirk on their face.
“He’s, um, Danny’s. We’re not really sure what he is, but his name is Phantom.”
Oh, that teasing tone in Jazz’s voice. He was absolutely going to set all of her hairbands on fire the moment he got out of this.
“He’s never mentioned having a pet…” Tim said skeptically. “You really don’t even know what he is?”
Danny distinctly heard Jazz snort on the word ‘pet’. This wasn’t the first time he’d been accused of owning his tiny spectral half, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
Danny really thought he’d left those strange rumors behind in Amity, though.
“Well, no, but… ah, it’s hard to explain. Danny knows more than I do.” She put a lot of emphasis on his name, raising her voice, and Danny wanted nothing more in that moment than to turn invisible and sink down through his desk.
Tim hummed thoughtfully. “Alright… do you know where Danny is, though? I’m a little worried that he left his phone.”
Danny waited impatiently for Jazz’s response, dreading what sort of lie she’d cobble up.
“Oh,” Danny already didn’t like where this was going, “oh, wow, I can’t believe he forgot his phone today . He said something about going out of town to visit our friend, Dora. Sorry, I honestly forgot. Visits with Dora are usually… unpredictable.”
She was totally overselling it and Danny was cringing with every word. He commended her on at least picking a friend that Tim couldn’t call on his phone.
“Okay… Do you know when he’ll be back?” Tim asked.
Danny couldn’t tell if he was convinced with Jazz’s story. Tim’s voice was even, his tone giving nothing away. From Danny’s obstructed view from the desk he couldn’t make out much of his expression.
He really wished Tim would be nicer to his boyfriend’s pet and lift up the damn bin.
Jazz made a thoughtful sound, humming to herself. “He said he should be back later tonight, but it’s hard to say sometimes with Dora. Danny should be back by tomorrow at the latest, though.”
There was a sharp edge to Jazz’s voice and Danny imagined it was taking every bit of her control not to speak directly to him. She knew how good his hearing was, after all.
“Okay, thanks Jazz,” Tim said. He bent low to look through the plastic bin again, frowning. “What should I do with, uh, Phantom?”
Danny pressed himself against the back of the container, praying to the Ancients that Jazz would tell Tim to just leave him alone.
“If you’re not too busy today you could take him with you? Phantom’s pretty friendly and Danny really doesn’t take him out enough. He probably shouldn’t be by himself as much as he is.”
Danny was going to ensure Jazz became a ghost.
Tim’s frown pulled into a strange grimace. “Are you sure? Do I just… pick him up? He hissed at me earlier.”
“Phantom’s harmless, don’t worry. You probably just startled him. If you’re worried about transporting him, there should be a cat carrier in Danny’s closet.”
Oh no. Tucker had given Danny the cat carrier as a joke for Christmas and he had just stuffed it in his closet, not thinking much of it. (Figuring it would be good to have on hand to nap in if nothing else).
He really hadn’t expected it to be used against him.
Tim nodded his head and stood up. He glanced around Danny’s desk and grabbed a raven statue Sam gave Danny. He set the statue down on top of the container like a paperweight before wandering over to Danny’s closet.
He was really going to have to give Tim a lecture about how he treated little helpless animals once this nightmare was over.
Tim dug through Danny’s belongings, pushing aside jackets and boxes until he found what he was looking for. Danny heard something heavy shift, followed by the telltale rattle of the cat carrier’s metal door.
“You’re sure he won’t bite me?” Tim asked hesitantly, still on the line with Jazz. He had Danny’s cell phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. He turned the cat carrier around in his hands, inspecting it, before setting it down on the seat of Danny’s desk chair. The thing was bright purple and had the words ‘Gay Baby Jail’ painted in green on both sides. Despite his boyfriend’s obvious unease, Danny definitely heard Tim snort in amusement at that.
“He shouldn’t,” Jazz said.
“Shouldn’t, or won’t?”
“He won’t,” Jazz said more firmly.
Danny growled slightly, his tail twitching unhappily. Maybe if he was quick he could dart out when Tim lifted the bin and make his grand escape.
“Got it?” Jazz asked.
“Yeah.”
“Alright. I need to get going, but call me if you need any help.”
“Will do. Thanks, Jazz.”
“No problem, Tim. If you see Danny before me, tell him to call when he can.”
Just like that, Danny’s only ally in the situation hung up, leaving him to the single most awkward situation of his afterlife— since that time he got stuck trying to sleep in a ghost-proof box in the lab.
Tim pulled the phone away from his ear, staring pensively at the screen. He then sighed, shoving it into his pocket, and turned back to look at Danny.
“Alright… this is going to be a mess.”
Danny sat up straight, alert and waiting for the moment Tim lifted the container. His tail twitched with anticipation, watching as his boyfriend opened the cat carrier and then settled his hand on the side of the bin.
Danny expected him to lift the bin up by the corner and gently coax him out. What he didn’t expect was for Tim to grab the carrier with one hand and slide the container forward along the desk.
Danny could only hiss indignantly as he was unceremoniously scooped off the desk, nest and all, into the carrier.
By the time he shook his little nest blanket off of his head the door of the cat carrier had been shut tight.
Danny was really going to have some choice words with Tim.
The carrier jostled as Tim turned it properly upright and lifted it to eye-level. Danny glared at his boyfriend, resisting the urge to hiss again. He really didn’t need Tim thinking he was dangerous on top of everything else.
“Jazz says you don’t bite, but I really don’t want to take any chances. I don’t even know what you are . Hell, she doesn’t even…”
Tim trailed off, his brows furrowing as he stared back at Danny’s desk.
“This is weird…”
Tim leaned over and grabbed something off of the desk. Danny heard a metallic jangle and froze when he saw his keys in Tim’s hand.
“I don’t like this.”
The carrier jostled some more as Tim placed it down on the desk. Danny hurried to the back of the container so he could peer through the holes and see what Tim was doing. His boyfriend had his own cell phone in his hands, a deep frown creasing his face as he tapped at the screen.
He made a short call to Alfred, asking for a ride back to the manor, before stuffing the phone back into his pocket. He then grabbed the cat carrier and headed for the door. Danny clung onto the little blanket with his claws, rocking with the carrier as it swayed in Tim’s grip.
Danny’s mind raced a mile a minute as Tim descended the stairs of his apartment building and stepped out onto the street. It was getting dark out, but Danny still wiggled under the blanket to hide himself, peering out just enough to see where they were going.
He tried to reassess all of his options, but it was difficult when the carrier kept bouncing, jostling him. Danny was vividly aware of his options closing in on him as Tim walked down the street.
They were going to Wayne Manor and, knowing Danny’s luck, Tim’s entire gaggle of siblings would probably be waiting for them there. Danny liked his boyfriend’s family, but… they could be a lot.
He really wasn’t looking forward to being scrutinized by all of them. Damian in particular, animal-lover that he was, would probably try to figure out what he was. And if Jason was there…
Ancients, Danny didn’t want to consider that. He wasn’t sure what Jason’s deal was, but the flutter he felt in his core whenever he was near Tim’s second-oldest brother always put him on edge.
He still wasn’t sure if Jason felt something around him, and he wasn’t prepared to find out now. If he felt anything when Danny was human, he sure as shit would sense him as a ghost.
Tim walked up to a fancy black car pulled up along the sidewalk and opened the door. He set the carrier in first, pushing it into the far seat before climbing in after it.
“Master Tim, what do you have there?” Alfred asked, glancing over his shoulder with a quirked eyebrow.
Danny slid along the bottom of the carrier as Tim turned it and positioned it more firmly on the seat. He grabbed the seat belt and pulled it around the carrier, pinning it in place.
“Danny’s sister asked me to take care of his… pet,” Tim said awkwardly.
“And what sort of pet would that be?” Alfred asked.
“Um… I think it might be a ferret. Maybe.” Tim leaned down, peering through the holes in the side of the carrier. “That’s actually part of why I agreed to take him. I’ve never seen anything like it and I want to see if I can figure out what sort of animal it is— or if it even is an animal.”
Danny tensed, his core thrumming with unease. Tim was a smart person. He had a knack for solving puzzles and was the sort of person who put entirely too much energy into figuring out the resolution of mystery movies. Danny knew all of this, but he had not bargained for that curiosity to bite him in the ass.
He also didn’t like the implication that Tim was already suspicious of Danny not being an animal. If he suspected that, then what sort of creature did he think ‘Phantom’ might be?
Alfred merely hummed thoughtfully. The car rumbled to life, much smoother and quieter than any of the vehicles Danny was used to. He couldn’t see, but rather felt, as the car sped along, turning through the streets of Gotham and towards the manor.
Danny wondered if one of Tim’s siblings would be foolish enough to accidentally open the carrier and give him a chance to escape. At the rate things were going, Danny was either going to have to pray for a miracle or ghost his way out of the carrier and face the consequences later when Tim grilled him about his mysteriously vanishing ferret.
Honestly, curiosity was now keeping Danny in the carrier just as much as his fear.
~*~
Tim didn’t know what the hell Phantom was, but he was about 96% certain he wasn’t an animal, and even more sure that something was going on with Danny’s sudden disappearance.
Regardless of what Jazz said, Tim didn’t think it was characteristic of Danny to leave his cell phone and keys in his apartment. His boyfriend could be forgetful and clumsy, but he was always careful with his supplies— almost to a paranoid degree. Hell, Danny even carried around rolls of bandages half the time. He seemed as prepared as a vigilante, and Tim was still trying to guess what trauma had led him to pick up those habits.
He wasn’t about to pry— at least, he didn’t want to.
But if there was any chance Danny was in trouble…
Tim might have felt better if it wasn’t abundantly clear to him that Jazz was lying over the phone. Jazz was many things, but a good liar wasn’t one of them. Her voice had wavered too much, and the pauses between those uneasy answers told Tim she was grasping at straws for excuses.
If it weren’t for the strange animal— no, creature— in the cat carrier, Tim would start his investigation with her.
Investigation… He grimaced, hating how suspicious and nervous he felt over the situation. He wanted to trust Jazz just as much as Danny, but how was he supposed to do either when Danny was MIA, Jazz was lying to him, and he had only the sorriest excuse for a ferret he’d ever seen to show for his efforts?
Tim wasted no time dawdling upstairs in the manor when they arrived. He hurried to the study, determined to slip into the cave and get to the bottom of whatever was going on.
