Danny Phantom.exe Oneshots~

Bookworms and Cigarettes 3✨

(A/N): HIYA EVERYONE!! Here's another update for 'Bookworms and Cigarettes'! I hope you all like it, too. I enjoyed writing it a lot! Enjoy <3

Six pairs of eyes, five racing heartbeats, and one very confused and suspicious older brother.

That was what the situation looked like after my brother showed up to our impromptu study session. My brother wasn't supposed to be home for another week, so he wasn't the only one feeling confused at the moment. I looked around and noticed the closeness between Danny and me before clearing my throat. I stood and walked over to my brother with a bright innocent smile in hopes to diffuse the sternness growing in his eyes. My brother never liked the thought of me hanging around boys.

"Hi, Leland!! You came home early, yayy!!!", I cheered while hugging him tightly and praying that the show of affection would be enough to distract him from the current situation. "Hello, Squishy! I figured I come home a bit earlier to surprise you, and it would seem that I've succeeded.", he said with an eerily calm tone.

I pulled away just in time to see him smile down at me. "Why don't you introduce me to your friends!", he subtly demanded with a polite smile at the boys. They visibly relaxed but I knew not to. "Sure! These are my new friends William, Brandon, Arny, and Danny. We're working on our Senior graduation project.", I said while gesturing to the various notebooks we'd opened. Leland nodded before picking up his suitcase and heading toward the stairs. "It was nice meeting you all, but I'm gonna go crash upstairs! See you boys around!", he said while offering a friendly wave to the boys and nod in my direction. With that, Leland ascended the stairs without another word spoken.

There was a small silence amongst us before the sound of an upstairs door closing roused us  into a whispery conversation. "Dude! I thought you said no one would be here?!", Arny whispered shouted in confusion drawing a confused nod from me. "I had no idea he'd be coming home early! He never does that!", I whisper shouted back. Brandon shook his head before drawing our attention to him with a 'psst'. "It doesn't matter that he came home early or not. What matters is whether we continue working or not.", he whispered calmly.

Danny nodded in agreement before checking his wristwatch. "Guys, it's almost six! We were supposed to be gone an hour ago.", he informed them which shocked them into a hasty race to see who could pack their bags first. I looked at my wall clock to see that it was indeed almost six o'clock. Had we really lost track of time while studying and goofing around?

Within the next few minutes, I was walking the boys to their cars and saying my goodbyes. "Sorry for that back there. I didn't know he'd show up.", I said with an apologetic shrug. William beamed at me before ruffling my hair a bit. "It's fine! We had fun here, so it's all good!", he chirped happily before getting into his car. Brandon sent me a tiny wave and wink before closing the door of his car. "Thanks for making us feel at home, love! I promise to do the same when we hang out at my place next week.", Arny said while making an X motion over his heart. I raised a brow as he slipped into his driver's seat.

"You still wanna hang out with me?", I asked with a confused head tilt. He rolled his eyes before smirking at me. "Well duh! You're nice, quiet, and cute. Why wouldn't we want to hang out with you.", he said cheekily while closing his door and rolling his windows down. "See you tomorrow!", he exclaimed while buckling his seatbelt. I nodded before walking towards Danny who appeared to be waiting for me.

"How was that for a first day, partner?", I teased earning a gentle chuckle from him. He raked a hand through his fluffy hair before answering. "Not bad at all. If you keep this up and manage to not piss me off, we should be good... partner.", he said with a shrug of his shoulders and a soft smirk. I nodded and looked up at the sky with a sigh. "I guess I'll be seeing you around then.", I said while still starring at the evening clouds. The sound of Danny starting his engine followed by the click of his seatbelt brought my eyes back to his. "Of course you will. I'll be making sure of it, darling.", he spoke smoothly before shutting his door.

I took a few steps back and waved them all goodbye as they slowly pulled out of the driveway, each honking twice as they turned onto the main road. A few moments later, they were gone and the only thing solidifying their absence was the high-pitched creak of the shutting gate. I nodded to myself before facing the house to see Leland leaning against the threshold with his arms crossed. I sighed yet again before slowly making my way towards him and mentally preparing myself for the interrogation that was to come.

* TIME SKIP BROUGHT YOU BY DANNY AND OTHER DANNY *

The sound of quiet fork clanking and gentle sighs echoed through the dining room as my father, brother, and I ate our late supper. Leland had spared me of all the embarrassing questions, but I had a feeling I knew what was coming. It was rare for dad to eat with us since he was so busy, and our usual dinners often concluded with us sharing the events of our weeks.

I looked around to see dad gently wiping at the corners of his mouth and setting his plate aside along with Leland. Once he wiped his hands, he sighed and looked between my brother and me. As usual, his grey-blue eyes were observant and calculating. "How was your week, children?", dad asked and leaned back against his chair. Leland locked eyes with me and I subtly glared at him earning a small smirk in return. "My week was pretty good! There was a bit of trouble back at the dorms, but I was fortunate enough to get that sorted out before my flight's departure. How was your week, Squishy?", Leland inquired with an innocent smile and a not-so-innocent gaze.

"It was okay. Classes have been average, so my grades are good. I had a few friends over to study earlier, too.", I informed with my eyes still trained on my brother. Dad hummed a bit before Leland turned to him and added, "They were some pretty nice guys dad. They're all working on their senior project like I did in my high school days.". My dad raised an eyebrow before looking at me.

"Guys? Your friends are guys?", dad asked with an even tone. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms before harshly leaning back in my chair. It had been a while since we had the 'no boys allowed' conversation, so it would seem a refresher was overdue. "You know how I feel about you hanging around boys, (Y/N). Especially without supervision.", he spoke while leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. I scoffed and sent him a look. "I am more responsible than most kids my age, dad. They didn't mean any harm. Do you not trust my judgment?", I asked while trying to keep my tone as even as his.

Dad sighed and dropped his face into his pale hands. "I trust you not to make mistakes that can easily be avoided.", he started, "You remember what happened in Osaka, right?". A shiver ran down my spine and a lump formed in my throat. "How could you bring him up so easily?", I whispered while standing and preparing to leave the dining room. Dad cursed under his breath and called for me as I turned the corner. "Wait, kid, wait! I'm sorry, that didn't come out the way it was supposed to.", he spoke and I could hear the internal cringe he was fighting off.

I stopped and sighed before turning around. My vision was blurry from tears that had begun to pool in my eyes. "I trust your judgment more than I trust my own, but I just don't want the past to repeat itself. Do you understand?", he asked with a gentle sternness. I looked at Leland then back at him before sniffling a bit. "I understand it just fine.", I answered before nodding and making my way upstairs to my room. I ran a shaky hand through my hair once I made it to my room. I stood for a moment before sitting on my bed and falling backward. I was too exhausted to mull over anything that had transpired today. Without a second thought or a moment's hesitation, I let myself drift away into the land of sleep.

Maybe tomorrow would be better.

THE END

(A/N): THANK YOU FOR READING, Y'ALL! I hope enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to vote, share, and comment your thoughts! I'll be trying to update regularly but if I'm a day or so late, just know it's because of school lol! Also remember to drink water, eat healthily, and take care of yourselves... or else (¬_¬ ). BYE ILYSM <333

thesmolbean out.