Work Text:
Danny 'commit to the bit' Fenton and Billy 'I'm not at all a 10 year old hero' Batson accidentally learns about each other's second hero form when Danny is on the run in Fawcett City after he told his parents about being Phantom on his 18th birthday.
They strike a deal to get both of them off the streets and get Billy out of the foster system with Tucker's help. Billy convinces Danny to have Phantom join the Justice League for protection, using the sightings of Phantom during his time travel quests to say Phantom is an old friend of The Champion of Magic and hunted for not being human. (It, sadly, helps that Danny's parents make a death certificate for him and Tucker had to make a whole new identity.)
Phantom has a lot of fun working with Captain Marvel and being on the watchtower, he mostly keeps an eye on the younger hero sidekicks because he knows what it's like at that age. Phantom accidentally becomes like a den mother to the younger heroes because he doesn't act like they don't know anything because of their age and trusts they have experience.
Will he step in if they need help? Yes, of course he will. He will just let them know they can ask for help and he'll be there no questions asked. They'll be cautious at first, but after they need to call for him and he doesn't yell at them or berate them for being reckless they learn to trust him. All Phantom did was patch them up, make sure they were safe, and tell them he was so worried at the call but glad they were okay and able to go home in one piece.
(Take that Jazz, he did listen when she went on about teen mental health! Gentle care and soft worry might make them feel a little guilty for worrying him, but it's leagues better than the shame and feeling like they fucked up more then they already know the more aggressive worry questioning and snapping some parental figures use.)
It's the younger heroes that notice first that Phantom and Captain Marvel leave at the same time after their shifts, arrive together, and often bring the other a homemade lunch if not at the Watchtower. It's not until Kon overhears them talking about getting new clothes and school things for Billy and repairing the house after their payday that it clicks that they live together and might have a kid.
Being teens with a new mystery they, of course, want to know more! They know Captain can't lie to save his lie if surprised, so Kon and Bart go to question him the same time Tim is asking Phantom. Danny and Billy had planned out what to say if anyone asked them as civilians about living together, and default to Danny's answer in their panic.
"Billy is my adopted son." Captain Marvel.
"Billy is my adopted son." Phantom.
Cue the younger heroes thinking Phantom and Captain Marvel are gay and/or roommates, adoptive dads, and they now want to meet their son, Billy.
Notes:
- I can't keep track of the DCU timeline but I know Green Arrow was a dick to Roy after he went off the deep end when Jason died (drugs) and Oliver kicked Roy to the streets. I think it would be interesting if the only other person to know what's going on with Danny and Billy is Roy because he co-signed a lease with Danny for their apartment. They were all homeless when they met and only two of them were old enough to rent, Tucker could only help so far digitally, Danny set Roy up with Jazz to get help for his addiction as thanks. (Roy finds the whole mess with the younger heroes hilarious and does nothing to help. He even offers to be a 'babysitter' for Billy when they are both at the Watchtower at the same time.)
- Batman hears about what's going on from Tim, he was sleep deprived and chatty, and talks to Phantom and Captain about how they raise their son. Not in an competitive 'PTA mom' way, but because he doesn't know a lot of hero parents that are both 1) adoptive and 2) isn't a fuck up somehow.
Danny helps Batman with mental health stuff he learned/asks Jazz about. Billy helps with his first hand knowledge about what it's like being a foster kid and the worries/fears it comes with. Talking to Captain helps Bruce realize some ways he went wrong with his sons, especially Jason.
Captain could talk to Bruce about 'Billy' being afraid to mess up and be seen as not good enough at past homes. The fear that he'd get back from school and find all his stuff outside in bags because he is suddenly being dropped as a foster kid. (A real worry with foster kids.)
- It's not until Billy starts to hang out with the teen heroes that they realize how much Kon is hurt by Superman's rejection of him. He hides it well from the adults, but seeing a fellow kid with other fosters before Phantom and Captain makes Kon more willing to talk to Billy about it.
Danny has Ellie and understands where Superman's feelings are coming from, but he doesn't see how he could hate or blame the kid that didn't ask to literally get made. Danny and Billy make a plan to get Kon slowly moved into their house with sleepovers when Kon's teammates all go home and make a room for him that Kon decorates without realizing.
This backfired slightly when Kon realized that the house only has three bedrooms; Billy has a room, there is an office, and that leaves only one room left for Phantom and Captain. It doesn't help that Danny keeps the dangerous gifts and mission artifacts in his room along with spare uniform parts for Captain Marvel in case something needs to be replaced mid mission in his closet. Billy doesn't keep it in his room because that is his space to not be a hero, he can just be Billy in his room.