I don't own this show, you don't sue me. It's FANNNNN-fictionnn, people. Just read & enjoy.

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Commotion

A Danny Phantom one-shot

By Charli Jay

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After so much commotion that night at the dance - between fighting dragons and trying to keep his dad away from his teachers, - just relaxing and going home were the first thing on Danny Fenton's mind. Little did he know, his racing pulse was yet to slow down to a healthy pace...

"Look, the deejay's still playing... and I think there's time for one last dance," said a beautiful, black-haired girl that wasn't the ever-popular Paulina. Paulina, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall with a look of disgust on her face, due to her company: the also ever-popular Dash Baxter.

Danny looked at the girl who had just offered him the thing he had wanted most – Sam.

"I'd love to," he said on impulse. Just as he had become more comfortable in his own skin, he wound up in another dangerous situation.

How do I get myself into these messes? He thought, bewildered.

Sam smiled at him and asked playfully, "Promise me you'll keep your pants up?"

Danny laughed. "I'll do my best!"

Thank goodness nobody else heard that little remark, or they would have thought some things. It was merely a private joke, one nobody else would really understand. Sam laughed with him as they swayed in time to the music. Tucker was screaming about something nearby, but everything else just seemed to fade away. Danny looked at Sam, who was just a tad shorter than him, and suddenly his heart began to pound so hard he swore she would hear it. Even at arms' length, close enough to touch but not so close that he would lose his cool, she seemed to see right through him.

Oh no, he thought, horrified. Maybe I'm going ghost! Maybe my pants fell down again! Maybe in my overactive state of mind I'm losing it and I'm going to turn invisible and drop her! Maybe...

"Danny?" Sam asked.

"Yeah?" he replied, snapping out of his nervous string of thoughts, and sounding very hopeful.

"You're stepping on my foot."

A deep crimson flushed from Danny's forehead down to his chin.

"Sorry," he moved and chuckled softly.

The song was just midway, and Sam scooted a bit closer to him. Danny sucked in a sharp breath that he prayed was silent. She rested her head on his shoulder, obviously worn from the crazy and tiring day. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to breathe again. When he did, he inhaled the scent of Sam's shampoo. She didn't have on ten gallons of perfume like most girls at school, she just smelled lightly of wildflowers...

His thoughts were interrupted yet again by mumbling in his shoulder.

"What, now?" he asked Sam, who still rested her head on his shoulder. He swore he faintly heard her mutter something like "this wasn't supposed to happen like this..." He pulled her gently from his shoulder and looked at her face.

"What wasn't supposed to happen like what?" he asked nervously, his heart hammering into his ribs like it driving nails into walls.

"Nothing!" the 'Ultra-recyclo vegetarian' stammered.

"Oh," Danny said, almost sounding disappointed.

"I'm... I'm sorry about the whole Paulina thing. I shouldn't have given you a hard time about her. It's not up to me who you date and who you don't," Sam laughed. She looked down nervously at her shoes, probably hoping Danny would step on her feet again --- hard.

How many times had they been alone like this? Well, like this? Never. But had they ever been really truly alone? Sam glanced over Danny's shoulder to see where Tucker had wondered off. She then realized that the whole gym was empty, minus the deejay packing up his stuff.

She and Danny were still swaying silently, and she prayed silently that they would for a short while. But, to her dismay, she closed her eyes and held her breath when he stopped moving. He must've been lost in thought, too, because he hadn't realized the song ended, either. They stood there, with his hands on her waist and her wrists grazing his neck, awkwardly for a moment.

"I think the song ended," Danny smirked.

"I think so too," Sam laughed, and dropped her hands carefully.

"So I guess I'll be heading home." Danny said, shrugging.

"Yeah, I guess I will, too." Sam nodded. They slowly moved from their spots in the middle of the dance floor and headed for the exit doors.

"Thanks for the dance," Sam smiled. "How did you know I wanted to go, anyway?"

"Oh I didn't…" he started.

She rolled her eyes. "Tucker had bright green eyes, AND he had pupils. Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"I guess I did," Danny blushed again, scratching his neck.

"But I forgive you. You made it fun anyway." Sam smiled at him.

He smiled back at her wistfully, wishing he could stop the world for just a moment. But it was getting later and later, and if his hidden feelings had stayed hidden this long, they could at least wait overnight... or maybe longer. It all depended on when he sorted things out in his head.

But when they reached Sam's house, where they had finally ended up, he looked at her in the glowing moonlight and almost melted in a puddle on her porch.

"Danny, you okay?" she asked him curiously.

"Fine!" he said, too quickly, and smiled broadly.

"Okay then... night," she said, opening her door.

"Night," Danny said, sticking his hands in his pockets. And as she shut the door, he walked down her front steps, and they both sighed loudly. But just for the sake of the moment, he turned and glanced over his shoulder, and found her standing longingly at her living room window. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

And whether he liked (or knew) it or not, something was definitely going on here... and it wasn't invisible anymore.