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In Sam's cozy gaming room, Danny paced back and forth, frost coating his every step. Sam and Tucker sit on the couch, watching him with concern as he launches into his rant.
"[You know that feeling when you just can't shake the sense that someone's watching you? That's been me, all day, every day, for who knows how long now. It's like this invisible presence, this eerie feeling that creeps up on me when I least expect it. And it's not just a passing sensation—it's constant, unrelenting, like I'm never truly alone.]"
He pauses, running a hand through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts.
"[I've tried to ignore it, to brush it off as paranoia or stress. But it's always there, lingering at the edge of my consciousness, nagging at me. I thought maybe it was Wes doing his typical snooping and taking pictures of me for ‘evidence’. But when I confronted him, he looked genuinely confused, like he had no idea what I was talking about.]"
Sam looks to Tucker. “Can you understand what he’s talking about?”
“Kind of?” Tucker responded. “Either something about Wes’ Reese’s Puffs or starting a threesome.”
Sam smacked Tucker’s head. “We’re already a threesome, dolt!”
Danny's pacing grows more frantic, his words tumbling out in a rush.
“[It's affecting everything, guys. I can't focus in school, I can't relax at home, I can't even enjoy hanging out with you guys without feeling like I'm being watched. It's like this invisible threat, this shadow hanging over me, and I can't shake it no matter how hard I try.]”
Ok. Sam has had enough.
["I know you guys have my back, but this... this is different. It's like I'm being targeted, singled out for some unknown reason. I've even tried talking to my folks about it, but they just brush it off as my imagination running wild and-]”
SLAP
Danny grasped his reddening cheek, staring at Sam in a daze.
“Danny. Deep breaths. Calm down.” She pushed him into the nearest beanbag, sitting herself into his lap, Tucker shimmying next to them.
Danny didn’t realize that at some point, he had started hyperventilating. Nor the frost covering Sam’s marble floor.
“Sorry Sam,” he whispered guiltily.
“Eh, not my floor.”
“Now,” Tucker started, “can you please tell us what’s got you so worked up?”
So, Danny retold everything to them, in the correct language. All the pent up frustration and fear poured out like a tidal wave.
"I'm scared, guys. I'm scared of what might be out there, lurking in the shadows, watching my every move. I don't know if it's a ghost, or some other supernatural entity, or just my mind playing tricks on me. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm losing my mind, like I'm trapped in this nightmare with no way out. Please, you guys have to believe me. There's something out there, something watching me, and I need your help to make it stop."
He pressed his face against Tucker’s collarbone, stifling the sobs.
Danny cried himself to sleep that night, succumbing to Nocturn’s domain sandwiched between his boyfriend and girlfriend.
It was a couple of days later when Danny noticed the presence was gone. As Sam and Tucker wrapped his ribs after a rough patrol, Danny couldn't resist asking about it.
"Hey, guys, did you... take care of it?" Danny asked, his voice slurred and dreamy. Whatever was in Frostbite’s medical concoction had the unseen consequence of him being higher than the sun at noontime.
Sam and Tucker shared a glance, noticing how loopy Danny was. Tucker nodded slowly. "Don't worry, Danny. It's all taken care of," he said, trying to keep his tone light and reassuring.
Danny blinked slowly; his eyes unfocused as he tried to process Tucker's words. "Taken care of... like, with a broom?" he giggled.
Sam chuckled, gently patting Danny's arm. "Not exactly, Glowstick. We just made sure you're safe," she explained, her words sounding like a distant echo to Danny.
Danny nodded slowly, a goofy grin spreading across his face. "That's good. I like being safe," he mumbled, his eyelids drooping.
As they finished wrapping his ribs, Danny leaned back, feeling a wave of drowsiness wash over him. He looked between Sam and Tucker, his vision swimming. "You guys are the best... like, the best best," he slurred, his words barely coherent.
Sam smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair from Danny's face. "And you're the bestest, Polaris. We love you," she said softly as she gently directed him to the bed.
Tucker nodded. "Yeah, dude. You're our best friend. We'll always have your back," he said, plopping down next to them.
Danny snuggled closer to Sam and Tucker under the sheets, “I sleepy now.”
As they settled down for the night, Danny drifted off into a deep, dream-filled sleep, his mind filled with visions of adventure and heroism, with Sam and Tucker by his side.
That was the best night’s sleep he’s had in a long time.
“He’s not gonna remember this... is he?”
“Oh, definitely not.”