I know, I know! I'm so late with this and I know I promised to update twice a day the other week, but right after that (almost quite literally) I got grounded for sneaking out with my friends. Updates will continue to be sparse as I don't have much time, I'm afraid. I'm busy juggling studying for the SAT, working to get some money for a trip to see my best friend this summer, tons of homework (what is it with teachers and dumping on a ton of homework at the end of the school year?), and a whole bunch of emotional baggage. So I apologize beforehand about any further delays in updating. None of them, however, will be nearly a year long again... Heh.
- RupertLover09

Fireworks

Danny sighed and stretched out on the blanket-covered hill. People were packing up their belongings and trooping down the hill, chattering lesiurely about plans for the rest of the evening and the brilliant show that had just graced the sky. The blue-eyed boy closed his eyes and tucked his hands behind his head.

"You coming, Danny boy?"

Danny cracked open an eye at the sound of his father's voice. He, Maddie and Jazz were standing a few feet away, waiting for Danny's response.

"No thanks, Dad. I'm gonna hang here for a bit. I'll fly home."

Maddie smiled fondly at her son. "Be careful, sweetie."

"I will, Mom."

The three Fentons trooped down the hill, and Danny watched them go with a slight smile of contentment on his face, thankful for their trust and acceptance. He couldn't believe he'd been so worried about their reactions to his secret. He'd kept it three years too long, he guessed. Life probably would've been a lot easier with them backing him all that time.

"Bye, Dan!" Tucker hollered from the bottom of the hill, waving his hand frantically in goodbye. His parents flanked his sides, looking weary and eager to get home as little kids rushed around playing a game of tag.

Danny chuckled and waved back. "Later, Tuck!" He lay down again, staring up at the sky. The smell of barbecue floated passed his nose, as did the smokey smell from the fireworks. Traces of chemicals from those brilliant lights still clouded the atmosphere, blocking some of the stars from Danny's view. Danny closed his eyes, a smile lighting up his seventeen-year-old face. Scratches covered the tops of his tanned arms and there were several stitches on the right one, the price he paid to save the city he had come to love.

"Cool show, huh?"

"Yeah." Danny pushed himself up on his elbows as Sam sat down next to him. "If you like your name in the sky like that."

Sam laughed. "I'm sure it was all with good intent, Danny. Sort of like a tribute."

"It was embarrassing!"

"Well, at least it wasn't what Paulina said it was going to be."

"What?" Danny looked at Sam, startled. "What were they gonna do?"

"Your face."

"Wha-?"

"Your face in fireworks."

Danny paled. "Thank God it was just my name."

"I knew they wouldn't. I've never trusted what that skank said."

Danny heard the bitterness in his girlfriend's voice and caught her hand up in his, pressing a kiss to the pale but freckled skin. "Hey now..." He let his sentence trail off unfinished as he played with her fingers, admiring the way the Casper High class ring he'd given her glittered in the dim light, the green stone refracting the light into brilliant, little specks of color not unlike the fireworks display.

Sam sighed and smiled at Danny ruefully. "Sorry. I just-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Sam. You know that. It's okay. I understand."

"I don't trust her," Sam continued, staring at their intertwined hands. "She's been toying with your emotions since Freshman year."

Danny frowned. "Sam, believe me, I never really liked her in the first place. She and Dash deserve each other." There was a pause and Danny pushed her shoulder with his ever so gently. "Hey, cheer up. I'm not going anywhere." A drop of water hit Danny's cheek and he looked up at the sky as the clouds prepared to empty a mid-summer's rain onto them. He started as Sam wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her head in his neck.

"I trust you, Danny."

Danny smiled softly and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Come on. I wanna show you something." He stood up and pulled her to her feet.

She cast him a curious glance as he guided her through the trees and bushes. "Where are we going? In case you didn't notice, it's kind of raining."

"It's prettier in the rain," was Danny's mysterious reply. "Besides, we're almost there."

Five minutes later found the two teens in a small clearing with a river cutting through it. Trees and bushes surrounded the area in a near-perfect circle. The river was a tumultuous purple-blue at that moment, waves crashing repeatedly up onto the banks as raindrops plinked into the waters. Little purple flowers dotted the grass in the clearing and Sam smiled as Danny picked one, twirling it in his fingers before tucking it behind her ear. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in what she meant to be a soft, short kiss... One that soon found Sam pressed more than willingly to a tree by Danny, bark raking roughly against her back as her shirt rode up. She sighed as his lips and teeth grazed her collarbone, the strap of her tanktop sliding down over her shoulder.

"Found this place a couple weeks ago... Reminded me of you," he murmured between kisses, his voice ragged.

"It's pretty." Kiss. "I like it." Another kiss. Sam broke away from Danny and sat down on the bank of the river, just out of the way of the tide. He sat down next to her and she leaned into his arms, listening to his heartbeat calm and soothing, mingling with the sound of the summer rain.

"Sam, I-I wanted to tell you something."

"Okay. Shoot." Sam heard his heartbeat speed up in his chest and felt hers do the same. She pulled away from him and he stared intently into her eyes, his face flushed.

"I'm in love with you."

Sam inhaled sharply and grinned as his eyes broke away from hers as he suddenly took an interest in the dirt and grass beneath them. She laughed and his head snapped up, hurt filling his eyes. "That's funny. Because I'm in love with you."

Danny stared at her wide-eyed, his mouth hanging open comically. "Sam!"

"Since ninth grade," Sam continued, smirking at Danny's deer-in-the-headlights look. "And I've liked you since sixth."

He groaned and let himself fall backwards, his arm flopping over his eyes. "Ugh! I'm so slow!"

Sam laughed and tugged him up. "Come on, Romeo. Walk me home. It's eleven fifteen and I've got a curfew to keep."

So I've shortened this collection to twenty-five one-shots and drabbles. One-hundred and five was just too big a commitment for me right now as I'm working on an excessively long Harry Potter piece (thirty plus chapters!) that I would simply love for you guys to read and review for! It's called Moments, check it out through my profile, okay? Oh, and also check out the Flying Solopoll as well. Did I mention that I'm also working on my first chaptered DP fic? It's really cute, if I do say so myself. I'll post a preview in my profile as soon as I can. I'm iffy on the title I have for it right now, so I can't even release that info! But I'll start posting little bits and pieces of news in my profile soon, so keep an eye out for that!
Toodles,
RupertLover09