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Paulina hums to herself, sticking up another photo of her Phantom to her locker door. Sure he wasn’t really hers and she wanted it that way. She wasn’t even interested in him, in boys, but she could never tell anyone and parading Phantom around as the one who had her heart kept the boys from going for her.
After all, how could any of the boys here compete with him? By boy standards Phantom was amazing actually. A hero. A dead hero. If she were a bit less selfish she might actually feel bad about effectively using him and outright stalking him to ‘prove her love’. If she had it her way, it would be Star she’d be parading around and she’s so sure Star feels the same. Which might be because the whole skipping into bathroom stalls together to ‘do their makeup and clothes in privacy because no one deserves a show from the schools most beautiful girls’ was nothing but a cover. It was wrong to hide and sneak around like that, probably unhealthy or whatever some silly councillor would say. But as safe as Phantom kept everyone, he dealt with the ghosts not the bigotry that was so common here in this part of the world. There’s a part of her that hopes he would fight against it though, he was a hero after all. Heroes were supposed to be the good guys and good guys don’t queer bash. But she’s not about to run up and tell him her everything, if he seemed to like boys then maybe… but she knows he has a thing for the Red Huntress, anyone with eyes could see that. Of course that didn’t mean he was straight but whatever. She hopes he gets her though, he deserves something good for putting up with Paulina’s harassment and using of him.
And maybe if he wasn’t available it would be enough to push her to maybe be honest. To finally decide love trumped image, could trump hate. Before she lost her Star to university or someone else. Someone who didn’t put image above her.
But Paulina has some self-awareness, knows herself enough to know that won’t really happen. Phantom being unavailable will change nothing and maybe coming off as ‘even more hopeless’ would keep boys away from her forever. Boys don’t like clingy girls right? Well what about a girl clingy enough to keep going after a taken boy.
But well, this is just her thinking and stuff. So long as Valerie doesn’t pull her head out of the ghost-hating sand, Phantom’s as up the creek as Paulina in the love department. She did feel a little bad for Valerie too though, since Phantom actually being her soul mate was legit super obvious to her. Paulina’s keen eyes were her pride and glory, and combined with her watching Phantom so much to ‘prove her love’; well let’s say the matching injuries were obvious. Especially since the very first sighting of Phantom, that she only found out by finding Wes’s first episode of that silly podcast of his, matched up perfectly with the day after Val had come to her freaking out about the sudden Linchenberg injury.
In short, Paulina knew Phantom was dead. Knew it better than most. Because she had seen the very injury that must have killed him. And she knew how often Val would point out new soul injuries, which lessened long before their friendship soured. Back when Paulina got a nasty one of her own, a bullet hole over her heart. And unlike Valerie, she didn’t get any more soul injuries afterwards.
She doesn’t know if that’s because whoever was her soul mate didn’t become a ghost, didn’t ever get hurt as a ghost, or if Phantom was just… special like that. Either way, Val had a chance that Paulina didn’t and was nice enough to not want to upset Paulina over that. But Paulina still noticed the marks and saw the Phantom fights, and put two and two together to make four. And Valerie -not Val, because they are not friends. Not now- being the Red Huntress was just obvious, Paulina doesn’t get how no one else seems to notice that.
Shaking her head and fiddling absently with her pencil. Pausing like everyone else at the sudden shake and boom. A ping from the town chat telling her that Danny’s run off out of class again. Meaning it’s showtime for her, she has no clue why Danny was a living ghost sensor or why it made him need to pee, ew. But she’ll take it.
Time to put on her show.
Shooting up her hand, “Mr. CampBell! I left my science project thingy in my locker and it’s touch-sensitive!”. The social teacher shoos her off with a sigh, and she’s gone. Catching multiple girls rolling their eyes and boys grumbling to themselves. Good.
What she hadn’t expected was getting outside to see the Red Huntress floating in the air on her hoverboard while holding Danny Fenton on the ground at gunpoint clutching his side. What?!?!?!?!? But the green pooling on the ground, slowly being mixed with blood; and the green on his side makes things click too well.
She had noticed how Fenton had often had the same injures at Val, as Valerie. She had thought that maybe two soul mates was a thing. Partly out of hoping Phantom was queer and would be the queer hero she did actually need and also partly out of hoping for herself that there was someone else out there for her and they just never got injured or were just a lot younger than her; she could live with that. God she’d feel crushed for Star though.
But apparently not. Which is just her luck.
Watching the Red Huntress deactivate or turn off or however that works, her helmet; revealing a stunned ebony-skinned face, matching the also stunned but far more cautious looking pale-skinned face.
“DANNY!?!”.
“Er um, please don’t shoot me again?”.
Paulina can’t help but let out a shocked squeak. Making both teens snap their heads to her and go even more wide-eyed.
Danny -Phantom?- trying to save face, “uh… this isn’t, um, what it looks like? I’m totally not bleeding ectoplasm”.
Valerie’s suit goes away likes it’s almost a reflex, the other girl's feet landing on the ground with a soft thump.
She knows they’re freaking out over her having apparently figured out their secrets. But what her mind is really on now is the fact that Valerie liked and had dated Fenton. She had her soul mate… and Phantom had his. She was KIDDING earlier when she thought she wanted Phantom to find his love! And now that Phantom was actually really Fenton, wow Wes was right, there was nothing stopping them from getting together! Valerie didn’t deserve him after everything! Even if she would be willing to look past him being ‘that evil ectoplasmic Phantom’ because she thinks Danny’s an absolute cinnamon roll! Balling her fists and stepping closer to the two, “no! This ISNT FAIR!”. Both of them stare at her in confusion and concern. “You two know know now!”, practically crying, “and now nothing’s going to stop you from being together! And how am I! Me! Going to keep the boys away from me NOW! It’s! IT’S JUST NOT FAIR!”; and collapses on her knees, crying into her hands.
Danny and Valerie exchange a glance, nodding subtly and Danny pushes himself up, still holding his side. Both of them go over to the crying teenager, kneel down and rub her arms. Valerie flinching away from contact with Danny though, making him frown for a second before putting on a smile and speaking up, “Paulina, what are you talking about”.
She mutters into her hands, “you two”, sniffling, “oh come on. It’s-it’s so obvious”, sniffling again, “you’re soul mates”, and whimpers a little.
Valerie frowns, “with.. with Phantom”, scowling, “Hell no”.
“Ouch”.
Paulina shoves Valerie over aggressively, snapping at her with tears still on her face, “how stupid can you be! All your soul injuries always matched his actual injuries from fights! You said yourself the lightning marks looked like a near-death thing!”; not noticing Danny flinching behind her. Paulina turning her head on Danny, “and you! I though you were, like, also Phantom’s soul mate but you were just HIM! Mine stayed dead and you! what! Get to not!”, and grabs her shoe off to throw at him. How dare he feel bad for her! Try to comfort her! At least Valerie actually winces from the ground at that.
But Danny just looks mad, him standing up and growling at her, “don’t you dare claim I’m fucking lucky. Do you, after all this time, seriously think being fucking dead is good? That all the heroism crap isn’t happening because the so called hero doesn’t have a fucking choice because his goddamn parents thought punching a hole into another dimension was a goddam good idea! I know you have a thing for Phantom but by the fucking Zone, Paulina”.
Valerie goes a little wide-eyed, whispering, “your… your parents caused all of this?”. While Paulina glares from the ground at Danny, “I DON’T HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU!”.
“Yeah right. Because I’m Danny Fenton the loser right!?!”.
“NO! BECAUSE I’M GAY!”.
That silences everyone. Paulina realising with growing horror what she just said, being her hands up to her mouth and starting to cry hard all over again. Muttering, “oh god. Oh god”, looking desperately at the two, “please! You- you can’t tell any-anyone that I! I!”, and covers her face with her hands again and just cries. Valerie pushing herself up and immediately hugging her, “oh girl”. Paulina muttering without any real feeling, “get off me”.
“no. Not happening”.
Danny looking out to the side, sounding entirely calm, “if it’s anything, I’m pan… and societies standards can stuff it”, shrugging, “Sam’s a lesbian too and Tuck’s actually aromantic”.
Paulina rubs at her eyes, muttering at the ground with Valerie’s still hugging her, “so they’re putting on shows too, huh”.
“Sam’s parents know, but they threatened her with a pray the gay away camp. Tuck’s just a flirt though”.
Valerie squeezes Paulina a bit harder. Paulina giving up a little and leaning into it, talking at Danny, “that’s what I’m afraid of. And-and I have an i-image”, sniffling, “why-”, clearing her throat, “-why aren’t you out?”.
Danny shrugs, still looking away, “too busy with responsibilities I guess”, looking to her and smiling a little, “but Phantom could totally come out as a Pan-tom if it makes you feel any better”.
Valerie snorts, “fuck you and your puns”, muttering with out any feeling behind it, “stupid ghost”. Paulina actually chastises her, “stop being so mean to your soul mate”, managing to smile a little, “it’s exhausting watching you beat him up and hate him for three years”. Valerie just huffs but relaxes her grip some, sitting back on her knees but still touching the other girl.
Danny sighs, moving to kneel down himself again, “look, I’m sorry for yelling at you and about your… soul mate. I’d offer to look for her but that’s just… not a good idea”.
Paulina shakes her head, rubbing her eyes again, “no that’s alright, I was just- just taking things out on you. Could you even actually do that anyway?”.
Danny flicks her forehead with a smirk, “if you think all Phantom does is fight ghosts here then you’re kidding yourself. I’m a busy guy”. Valerie groans, “Zone we need to talk about this”.
“Or we could not”.
Paulina and Valerie both glare at the boy. Him just… being a stupid silly boy trying to avoid girl issues oddly makes her feel better though.
He quirks an eyebrow, “what. It’s an option”.
Valerie scowls, “a bad one”.
He shakes his head and his smile looks rather sad, “no. I’m better off staying just some ghost who fights ghosts in a small silly town and some lazy teen who’s a little clumsy”, pushing himself up, “ask Sam and Tuck, they know how hard it is to give a damn about me”, eyeing Valerie, “Plasmius knows you know about him, the only reason he didn’t tell you about me is because he actually cares about you in his own way”.
She scoffs at that.
Paulina shaking her head, “no. Hiding yourself sucks. Stop it”.
“It’s dangerous-”.
Paulina pushes herself up at that, hands on her hips, cutting him off, “no you silly stupid boy”, gesturing with both hands at Valerie, who’s now getting up herself, “you think she isn’t already doing the danger”.
Danny looks uncomfortable, “I try to stop her-”.
Valerie snorting, “yeah not happening”, frowning, “but I still can’t believe you. A ghost!”.
Paulina scowls in her practiced pretty way, promptly grabbing them and dragging them both back into the school by the wrists. The two bumping into each other, looking completely bewildered and blushing slightly. Paulina smiling to herself, just knowing your soul mate was your soul mate had an effect, everyone knew that so who were they kidding?
Dragging them into her next class and practically forcing Danny to sit in Valerie’s lap. Paulina nodding proudly to herself and announcing very loudly to the class that, “I’m just trying to force two soul mates together”. The two looking at her in shock making her smirk, “there. Now you have no choice. I can’t have what I want so don’t mock me by refusing to have each other”.
Valerie frowns a little sadly, “Paulina-”.
“Oh don’t Paulina me. Just congratulate yourself on finally catching that stupid spook”; and walks off to her seat, painted on smile in place.
Maybe she shouldn’t be too upset… or too hard on either of them. It hurt and it was unfair… and she didn’t really know what she was going to do now. But… Danny was right, him and Valerie didn’t have things easy. Sometimes it was easy to forget that dead meant dying and that heroism meant injuries and pain.
They were alone in the world… more than she was. And now at least they had each other like she had her Star.
And… later that evening Phantom was seen rocking a pink, yellow, and blue flag as a cape. The gossip over the next week was wild with both Danny’s and Valerie’s renewed and apparently mate-bonded relationship, and with Phantom being a queer hero. Paulina didn’t admit it, but she was touched really. She hopes the best for them and maybe she just made two… or four… new friends, the real kind. The hero in red happy to rekindle old friendships and the dead hero gracious enough to accept her after everything; both heroes honestly needing as many people in their corners as possible, regardless of what either of them said. As for the other two? Lesbians had to stick together after all, and the geek… well he just had zero standards.
End.