Chapter Text
Valerie crept into her dorm, thankful she had managed a coveted single room as a freshman. Old habits die hard and even two months into the school year, she still had trouble giving up late night patrols as Red Huntress. Some restless nights, Valerie would fly all the way back to Amity. Almost a two hour drive by car but a quick 45 minute flight on her hoverboard. Enough time to beat a ghost or two into submission and stay in fighting shape with all her homework as a business major. She had made it into Beloit College, a combination of being close enough to Amity in case of emergency and their Midwest Match that helped keep the cost down since she was stuck paying for college thanks to that low down Phantom and his stupid ghost dog back in high school.
She frowned as her suit retracted, leaving her chilled as the October air crept into her room from the open window. Phantom. She had reached a tentative working truce with him whenever a ghost showed up that either of them couldn’t take down easily. They would combine forces to take down big foes in less time and with less property damage than solo. Unless it was a weak ghost like an ectopus or the Box Ghost. Then it was fair game for whoever got there first. Still, it didn’t mean she let her guard down around him and she was fairly certain the relaxed state he presented when it was just them was a front.
She glanced at the clock. 10:45. She should get some sleep but she was still too worked up to actually go to bed and it was a Friday night. Slow nights in Amity left her on edge, mainly because she always psyched herself up when she summoned her Huntress persona and without even the Box Ghost to wail on that night, she had energy in spades. Maybe she would finally check out The Powerhouse. She heard it had an indoor track and she wanted to keep her stamina up, even though she mainly flew on her board.
Mind made up, she quickly changed into a white sport bra and red track suit and left her room the same way she had entered, under the guise of the Huntress.
It was a quick flight across campus and she easily found a spot to recall her suit before making her way in to the newly renovated building. It was a nice blend of preserved history while also being a great hangout space and as she passed empty study rooms, she decided maybe she should look into new places to do her homework besides her bland dorm room. Finding the track was easy, it was suspended above the main floor and she was surprised to see a handful of students milling around on the couches as well as the sound of someone running above. Guess she wasn’t the only insomniac with energy to burn and the building was open until midnight on Friday and Saturdays.
Valerie slipped her jacket off, tying it around her waist and started running in the same direction as the other person. From the quick glance, it was a tall, lanky guy who looked like he belonged on the track team with the way his strides were eating up the distance. Not one to be outdone by the unknown guy, Valerie launched herself into a run, muscles still warm from the flight from Amity. Still, she couldn’t stay ahead of the other person forever. He eventually overtook her, not exactly an easy feat she noticed with some smug satisfaction. Say what you will, she kept herself in good shape as Red Huntress. She spared him a glance as he passed, noting he was pale with dark hair.
He reminded her of… No. She was in college now, she had to get over her infatuation with Danny Fenton. Besides, after dumping him (for his own safety, not that she could explain that to him) she felt too guilty to try again with him even as the ghost attacks lessened over the years. Mainly sticking to ‘nothing serious’ relationships meant guys got bored eventually but she at least got to experience dating in high school but Danny Fenton would remain the one that got away. Or pushed away.
She still doubted she had time for a serious boyfriend but it didn’t mean she couldn’t look at the menu. And she was looking as he lapped her again, admiring his lean muscled back under a thin white shirt. And those shorts! They may be loose but she could definitely tell the white boy had a decent ass hiding under navy blue fabric. Pounding steps echoed behind her once more and she sped up, hoping to impress the other runner. A slight intake of breath behind her and the footsteps redoubled their attempt to catch her. Smirking, Valerie managed to last longer than even she thought she would before the dark haired guy caught her. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as he drew next to her and she turned to flash the best coy smile she could muster while running her heart out.
Familiar sky blue eyes met hers as she stumbled in shock, eyes widening.
“Woah!”
She had to be dreaming as Danny fucking Fenton reached out to steady her with a shockingly strong arm. They both slowed to a stop, chests heaving as they stared at each other.
“Valerie?”
Damn him, she swore his voice had deepened even further since she last heard him speak in high school and double damn him for the way it set her chest into what felt like early heart failure.
She shook herself from her thoughts as she realized his eyes were still focused on her face, though she caught them dipping lower for a heartbeat before resolutely focusing on her eyes again. A trickle of satisfaction caught up as she purposely straightened further, if the position allowed her chest to stick out more than it naturally did who was she to complain.
“What are you doing here?” She gasped out, probably sounding a bid harsher than she intended while trying to get enough oxygen to comprehend running into the defining crush of her high school days.
He blinked, frowning at her tone. “I’m going to school here? Same as you, I’m guessing.”
“Oh, uh right.” She scrambled for something to say, unwilling for this moment to end now that she was face to face with Danny again. “I didn’t know you could run like that!” She blurted, hoping she wasn’t blushing as forced herself to keep her eyes from wandering his body. If the back looked that good, she wondered how he filled out in the front.
He scratched the back of his head, giving her a chance to admire a bicep that was definitely bigger than she remembered. “Yeah, well I figured if I was going to spend my life running from ghosts, I may as well be quick about it. Besides, while I doubt I have to worry about being crammed into a locker anymore it feels good to know I can beat Dash in an honest sprint next time I run into him.” He smirked in that familiar way that once again excited her heart in her chest. Fuck, she had better control than this!
“Danny, I think you can beat the entire football team at this point. In a foot race or, by the looks of it, even a fist fight.”
He laughed and it sent an uncomfortable feeling through her stomach as he flashed her a crooked grin. “So, um. How much longer are you planning to run? Because I could walk you back to your dorm? I-I mean, I know you can take care of yourself, but…”
She put her hand over his mouth, grinning as she cut his rambling. “Finish this lap with me and let's walk back together. Okay?”
He nodded and she took off into a run. Not as fast as before but fast enough to discourage conversation. Unsurprisingly, he kept pace easily as they finished their lap of the track. Sure, she only got a half dozen laps in, but running into Danny was taking every last bit of her focus tonight.
Slipping her jacket back over her arms she glanced at him, wondering where he tossed his jacket but he didn’t make a move to stop as they headed off the track and back downstairs.
“So, which building are you staying in?” He broke the silence first.
“Whitney Hall. You?”
Danny's face lit up. “Hey, me too! Maybe we can see each other again? Or, I mean. Run into. Run into each other again?”
Damn it, he was still as awkwardly adorable as when she had first fallen for him as a scrawny freshman even with the body of a greek athlete.
Smiling, Valerie answered while eyeing the slight blush she could see on his face under the full moon's light. “I’d like that. You still have the same number?”
Nodding, Danny pulled out his strange phone and started scrolling. Fenton phone or something like that. She was jealous. From what she remembered, it seemed to function no matter the level of ecto energy unlike her Nokia but at least it made it through her ghost fights, unlike her Motorola. Or LG. She missed that phone. Damn indestructible Nokias.
“This still you?” He flashed her his phone screen, showing her phone number and her contact picture.
“Oh my gosh, you kept this picture?” She snatched the phone out of his hands and stared at the photo. It was of her on the ferris wheel from their carnival date, he had snapped it at the perfect angle to take in her face and nothing but glowing dots of the stars behind her.
He shrugged, looking away. “Not like I had a reason to update it to something more current. Any picture I would have taken would have been creepy after you dumped me.”
“Danny…” Valerie trailed off as she took in his dejected posture.
He shook himself and shot her a small smile. “It’s okay Val, I know you had your reasons. And I don’t want to make things weird now so don’t worry. I promise not to hit on you or anything.”
She felt her stomach drop but managed to nod anyway.
“Thanks for walking me back.” She choked out as he held the door open for her. “Text me when you want to hang out. We can do homework or run or… something. Night.” She ran off up the stairs, unwilling to look back at him.
Damn it, she rubbed furiously at her eyes as she shut her door. He was right. She dumped him. She dumped him for a reason, a reason she never shared with him, but.
But wait.
She broke up with Danny to protect him from ghosts, from Phantom. They were in a different city and she hadn’t run into any powerful ghosts yet, just your average animal ghosts that barely registered with people who didn’t have an ecto alert system. She could handle that. But would he even want to try again?
She lay on her bed, over thinking scenarios until she fell into a fitful sleep.
.oOo.
A week and a half had passed since Valerie had seen Danny. A week and a half of her staring at her phone, willing it to light up with a text from him. She couldn’t take much more of this, the silence. Maybe he was waiting for her to reach out to him? Seemed only fair considering how she had run from him that night but still. She may be the Red Huntress but when it came to guys? Still an eighteen year old girl. She opened her phone and pulled up his contact, finger hovering over the button.
Her phone chirped.
It was his alert tone she set years ago.
Okay, she could do this. It was just a text, it’s not like it was a phone call.
Hey
She snorted.
Over a week of buildup and he went with hey?
Hey yourself
Have any plans Friday night?
Butterflies erupted in her stomach. Was he asking her on a date? Would she say yes? She was still dealing with ghosts a few nights a week in Amity but so far none of any threat level had found her here in Wisconsin.
We could study?
I guess I could make time.
Meet at The Powerhouse?
8?
8. Don’t be late.
It’s a date
Study date
Definitely not a date date, that would be lame
…
I’m going to stop now. See you Friday.
See you Friday.
Dork ;)
Valerie couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She had a not-date with Danny in two days. She hoped they still had a spark, that maybe with some distance from ghosts, they could give a real relationship a try. Even if they didn’t work out romantically, maybe she could have him as a friend again. The only reason she had pushed him away as much as she did in High School was because she didn’t trust herself not to fall even harder. But now? Now she had a real chance.
Too energized to stay in her dorm, Valerie quickly summoned her suit and slipped out her window. It was too late to fly back to Amity but a good hard flight around campus was just what she needed to burn off the nerves. The night was cool and clear, perfect for weaving around obstacles while glancing up at the stars. She had only been flying for a few minutes up the Rock River toward the bridge at Henry Avenue when her suit alerted her to an ecto signature. And not just any ecto signature, but one that was overpowered and overly familiar. No. No! What was he doing here? Not now.
Sure they had a working truce in Amity Park the last two years but this? This is too much.
Using her suit to track down Phantom, she found him doing loops over the river and around the bridge. He looked… Happy? Arms out, darting around in no particular pattern, and a big stupid grin on his face. More fitting of his original self, not this muscled broad shouldered act he had adopted in the last few months. Ah well, his distracted state was easily remedied.
A purple plasma blast aimed in his direction got his attention quickly.
He pulled to a stop, eyes darting around until they locked on her. He deflated from battle ready to relieved far too quickly. Tentative truce or not, the lack of healthy respect he showed her on the regular was insulting.
“Hey Red! What are you doing up?” His stupid echoey voice called.
“Cut the crap Phantom!” She yelled, blaster still trained on his chest. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”
“W-what? No!”
“Then why are you outside of Amity Park? Isn’t that your haunt?”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s my home. And I’m allowed to have a half-life outside of hunting ghosts, you know?”
Right and a leopard could change it’s spots. And she was staring down Amity’s own apex predator. “That doesn’t answer my question and you know it, ghost.”
He let out a long suffering sigh that infuriated her even more. Self righteous prick.
“Short answer is I’m here for the same reason you are. College.”
Her brain short circuited. “They admitted a dead person?” She managed to screech.
“Ouch.” He flinched, and she thought she saw a look of genuine hurt cross his face. “Some ghosts appreciate higher education.” An annoyed look crossed his face and she almost missed the muttered: “or require it in some cases, lucky me.”
He shook his head and glanced at her again. “We have a truce in Amity. Can’t it extend a little further north? I’m no threat to you or anyone. And I still patrol Amity. Part of the reason I chose Beloit is I have a short commute between college and my day job.”
Refusing to laugh at his lame attempt at a joke and pushing down the instinct to shoot the shit eating grin off his face, she instead shook her head and turned in the direction of her dorm. “Just don’t cause any trouble or else I’ll kick your scrawny ass.”
Valerie deflated and ignored his protest that his ass was not scrawny any more. No it wasn’t, it was fine but he was a ghost and that was gross.
All she knew was her little bubble of hope that she and Danny could try for a normal relationship was gone.