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Description
The Suave and the Awkward: Great kissers aren't born—you need determination to take the first step, a splice of awkwardness to set the mood, and a willing participant for you to practice on. Pitch Pearl, DPxDF. Kissing scene practice; constructive criticism wanted.

Characters: Danny and Phantom.
Genre: Romance.
Pairing: Pitch Pearl
Rating: T.

---
Kissing is like drinking salted water. You drink, and your thirst increases. ~Chinese Proverb
---

Danny paced around his bedroom in an indistinct order, his hands alternating between running through his hair and fidgeting at his sides. He glanced at the Fenton Ghost Catcher sparkling innocently in the dying sunlight, winced, and quickly resumed pacing. Two minutes later, his gaze wondered back to his parents' invention.

The teen hero gulped, and then approached the Ghost Catcher like it was a volatile adversary. He lifted his hand, but faltered, his fingertips just grazing the glowing green net. Hours ago, he had decided he needed to do this, but it was just so…wrong.

Echoes of Tucker's teasing comments and Valerie's snickers haunted his ears, and Danny's hand fisted at his side. Without a second thought, he transformed and flew through the glowing net. His scream caught in his throat as each cell, each molecule was forcibly split apart. He felt himself splitting apart. The oddest sensation, when your outlook is divided by two bodies. How does one describe the process of becoming two?

It lasted only a second, but by the time that second elapsed, Danny ceased to exist.

---

"Next time," Fenton said from his spread-eagle position on the floor, "we need to prepare a softer landing for me." He spat out blue carpet fibers and then climbed unsteadily to his feet. A wave of dizziness overcame him, and he held his head steady as the rest of the world spun. Only Phantom remained stationary in the spinning world, but Fenton suspected that was because the ghost was actually swaying in midair.

"There was never supposed to be a this time," the ghost of Danny groused. He ran his fingers through his white hair, grimacing at the feeling. "And when was the last time we showered? My hair is filthy!"

Fenton leaned against the Ghost Catcher's pole for support, and soon the dizzy spell passed. He sighed in relief. "Let's not make a habit of this."

"Agreed". Phantom sagged against the upper ring of the Catcher. His ghost tail flicked behind him like a whip, displaying his agitation.

"I mean, there had to be another way to…to…to do this."

Phantom looked down at his human twin, frowning. "We went over all our options when we were one. This was the only way. Unless you want to play the fool in front of Paulina or Sam as well as Valerie?"

Fenton flushed. "No. That was…uh…"

"Terrible."

"I was going for humiliating, but that works too. But this…" Fenton waved a hand between him and Phantom. "…this is just…"

"Awkward?"

"Just wrong. Just very, very wrong."

Phantom shrugged his shoulders, but a similar grimace marred his features. "We have little choice. It's either this, or…"

Fenton squinted up at him. "Or…?"

"Or we remain uneducated and ridiculed at school. Or our reputation remains damaged. Or Valerie will never see us as anything more than a friend."

"…I can live with that." Compared to what they were supposed to do, the consequences weren't so—

"I can't."

Fenton's eyes snapped to his doppelganger's face. "What?"

Phantom landed beside Fenton on his newly appeared feet. He stared into his human twin's eyes, and said, "I refuse to be the laughingstock of the school any longer. I refuse to allow this deficiency to come between us and Valerie. We will do this."

"Whoa!" Fenton held up his hands between himself and the phantom. "Whoa, just-just slow down, okay. Can't we, you know, like, talk about this or something?"

"There's no need to talk about this. We decided we would do this before we separated, and I'm not going to let you chicken out on me now."

Fenton bristled, almost wishing his eyes could still glow. "I'm not chickening out!"

"Then relax." The skin around Phantom's eyes softened. "Relax, or this will be more awkward than it needs to be." The ghost's tone was soft, gentle. It echoed around the room and in Fenton's ears like a breeze of cold air.

A chill ran down Fenton's spine, and the boy rubbed his forearms, trying to will away the goosebumbs the ghost's creepy voice caused. "It's not that easy, okay? I mean, we're supposed to ki—" He snapped his mouth shut, blood flooding his cheeks.

"Kiss," Phantom supplied. His green eyes rolled skyward. "Oh, the horror…"

"It is horrifying! We're the same person! The same guy! We can't k-ki-k—"

"Kiss."

"—each other! It's gross! It's wrong! How can you be so comfortable with the idea?"

Phantom frowned. "I'm not. I find it just as disgusting as you do."

"Then don't do it!"

"But what I find more disgusting than kissing myself, is kissing Valerie and then listening to her laugh at me again."

Fenton flinched. The sound of Valerie's laughter still rang in his ears. She had apologized when she realized she insulted Danny, but that hadn't stopped her from blurting to Starr he was a lousy kisser, and from there it had spread throughout the whole school.

"Wrong or not," Phantom continued, "we need to do this. We need to learn how to kiss right, before our date with Valerie tonight." He brushed his fingers against his human half's cheek.

Fenton's eyes flew wide open. He jerked away from Phantom's touch and stumbled backwards into the Fenton Ghost Catcher. "D-don't touch me!"

Phantom slowly lowered his hand, his left eyebrow quirked. "Physical contact is necessary for a kiss, you know."

"I know that! It's just—you—I can't—"

"You just can't kiss me?"

Fenton closed his mouth and nodded, his nose wrinkled.

"…Pretend I'm Valerie then, if you must."

The ghost advanced on Fenton, as graceful on his feet as he was in the air, and Fenton plastered himself against the metal pole. Phantom grabbed his shoulders, and Fenton closed his eyes, frantically willing the image of Valerie to the forefront of his mind. He imagined her right before their first kiss, when her dark complexion failed to hide her blush and her beautiful teal eyes held as much excitement as he felt.

Icy lips pressed against his own, and the image of Valerie shattered into a million pieces.

"Mph!" Fenton shoved his hands against Phantom's chest, sending the lightweight ghost tumbling head over heels through the air away from him. "Gross!" He scrubbed his lips against the back of his hand, seconds away from spitting.

"A simple 'Get off me!' would have sufficed," Phantom grumbled after he had righted himself.

"It's not going to work! How am I supposed to pretend you're Valerie when you're freezing to the touch?"

Phantom floated back to his previous position, ignoring the way Fenton tensed. "I don't care who you imagine me to be, but we are going to teach ourselves how to kiss."

Fenton sagged against the bar at his back. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No."

Fenton grimaced. "I…" He shook his head. "Fine. Fine. We—I'll…" He stood up straight. He looked into Phantom's eyes, blushed, and quickly looked away, scowling. "Just do your worst…"

He couldn't see it, but he was sure Phantom rolled his eyes. "Charming…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Fenton saw Phantom's gloved hand reach for his face. He swallowed as cold fingers seized his chin and forced him to face Phantom again, a scant two inches away. The light from the setting sun accented Phantom's natural glow a warm orange hue, but the ghost's green eyes shown brighter. Too close. Too intense. The human flushed and tried to jerk his head away, but Phantom held him firmly in place.

"Relax," he whispered, his breath ghosting across Fenton's lips as he drew closer.

Fenton screwed his eyes shut. A second later, Phantom's cold lips pressed against his, and Fenton's shoulder muscles tensed, but he forced himself to relax by conjuring Valerie's image again. Except Valerie's lips were soft and smooth, not chapped from strong winds and high altitudes. Instead of detracting from the pleasure, the rough texture of Phantom's lips tickled Fenton's mouth and made the boy shiver.

Phantom drifted a little closer, adding pressure to Fenton's lips. Hesitantly, Fenton returned the pressure and tilted his head slightly to the side. Emboldened by his partner's cooperation, Phantom parted his mouth and slid his tongue along the crevice of Fenton's lips. The human chocked on his own spit and tried to jerk his head away, but Phantom's hold on his chin tightened, stopping his kneejerk reaction.

"Open your mouth," Phantom ordered, his lips sliding against Fenton's as he spoke.

"Um-umph!" Fenton mumbled. There was no way he was letting Phantom stick his tongue inside his mouth. That was just gross.

Phantom withdrew from Fenton, sighing cold air against Fenton's lower face."You are being very stubborn about this."

Fenton glared at him. "Like you're any better!"

Phantom returned glare for glare. Fenton wanted to look away from those blazing green eyes, but Phantom still held his chin, forcing him to maintain eye-contact. "I'm at least trying! What have you done except sit there and whine?"

"Hey!"

"The longer you fight this, the longer we both have to suffer. Now pucker your lips and let's get this over with!"

Fenton's eyebrows rose to his hairline, a light blush staining his cheeks. "Dude, that has got to be the most unromantic line I have ever heard."

Phantom paused. He titled his head slightly to the side, and the white strands of his hair tickled Fenton's face as he moved. "Should I be romantic?"

"What?" Fenton's blush intensified and spread to his neck and hairline. "No! No! D-don't even think about it!"

A corner of Phantom's lips turned up, an expression the human half of Danny recognized as the one they wore when they felt mischievous. "I think I should. A kiss isn't a kiss unless it's romantic."

Fenton sputtered, and he hated how his whole face felt like it was on fire. "Are you crazy? We can't—we're the same person!"

"We may have originated from the same person, but right now we are two separate entities." Phantom stroked his thumb along the dip in Fenton's chin, right beneath his lips, and smirked deviously at the human's horrified expression. "The only thing we share right now is a common goal."

"That's not how it works!"

"Isn't it, though?" Phantom released Fenton's chin, and the freed human scurried to the opposite side of the Ghost Catch's pole. Phantom's smirk grew, amused. "What you think, I don't think. What you feel, I don't feel. You don't know what I'm thinking or what I'm feeling at this very moment. By its very definition, we are no longer the same person." Phantom placed a gloved hand on the pole and leaned into Fenton's face. "So what is stopping us?" he whispered in a husky voice.

Fenton made an odd yelping noise. He backpedaled away from the ghost, but tripped over his own feet before he could go more than two steps.

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his shoulder against the pole, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his lips as he stared down at Fenton. "Is it wrong that I find your clumsiness…cute?"

Fenton opened and closed his mouth like a fish, unable to find the words he needed. His thoughts were jumbled, his mind unable to cope with this bizarre situation. Messing with him was one thing, but if Phantom was actually serious then…then…

"What are you afraid of?" Phantom asked. "We are the only ones in this room, the only ones that will know what happens behind this closed door. If, as you say, we are the same person, then there's even less to fear since to laugh or insult you would be to insult myself."

Fenton turned his head and stared at the carpet sticking up between the gap of his fingers. "I…"

Phantom's smirk slipped slowly into a frown. "Or is that what is really holding you back? That I will laugh at you as Valerie did?"

Fenton's fingers curled into a fist around the carpet fibers. "Of course not!"

Dropping his relaxed pose against the pole, Phantom stepped towards the glaring human. "That is what you're afraid of, isn't it? Or at least one of your fears."

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is. I know it is because …" The ghost knelt on his knee beside Fenton's outstretched legs. "…I fear the same thing."

Fenton glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "You…you do?"

"Of course." The smirk returned to Phantom's face, although it was a great deal smaller. "After all, we used to be the same person with the same fears and wants."

Scowling, Fenton looked away. "It still doesn't change anything. I…I'm still…I can't…"

"We are—were the same person. If I can do this…" Phantom brushed his hand along Fenton's face until he cupped the other boy's cheek. Fenton's eyes snapped to the ghost's face. "…then so can you."

To his horror, Fenton felt his cheeks heat up beneath Phantom's cold hand. "I…that's not…it's not that simple. You—you're more confident about all this than I am. I don't even know what I'm doing!"

"That's what you have me for." Phantom's voice dropped an octave, the low pitch somehow heating Fenton's blood and making his heart beat faster. "Trust me," the ghost whispered, "and I will guide you through this."

"But—but you don't know what you're doing either."

"That is what I have you for." Eyelids lowering over neon green eyes, Phantom stared through dark eyelashes and into Fenton's contrasting blue eyes. "To tell me what feels good. To show me what makes you feel so hot you can't think. To respond when you feel pleasure." He rested his forehead against Fenton's. "I need you to allow me to please you."

Phantom's cold breath wafted across Fenton's lips, and the human boy's eyes began to close as a tingle of pleasure coursed down his spine. "But I…"

"But…?" the ghost echoed, his thumb caressing Fenton's cheek. Fenton's heart was beating so hard it almost hurt. Was this what Phantom meant when he mentioned romancing him?

"But it's wrong…"

"For one moment, we can make it right."

Phantom sealed their lips together. Fenton's hands flew to Phantom's shoulders and stayed there, immobilized by the conflicting desire to push the ghost away and to pull the ghost closer. Phantom placed his hand on Fenton's hip bone and slipped his fingers beneath his white T-shirt. The icy fingers danced across Fenton's heated skin, and it was all Fenton could do to hold onto the ghost's shoulders as a wave of pleasure washed over him. The cold touch should have snapped Fenton out of whatever spell Phantom had spun on him, but the contrast in temperatures only pulled him in deeper.

Phantom's tongue traced Fenton's lips, and Fenton parted them without thinking. The cold tongue entered his mouth and grazed over his tongue. Fenton's facial muscles twitched. He hadn't liked the thought of swapping saliva with Valerie, and he didn't relish the thought of doing so now with his ghost half. Phantom's tongue explored and prodded his mouth, but his touches were light, cautious; his tongue flinching away a little every time it touched something, and Fenton realized the ghost felt the same way.

Then the tip of Phantom's cold tongue traced the underside of Fenton's, and the human boy gasped, his hands convulsing on the ghost's shoulders. Phantom hummed in interest, and the vibration carried into Fenton's mouth. The boy shivered. He slid his arm around his ghost's shoulders and pulled him closer until their chests were pressed together.

A smirk Fenton felt through his lips was the only warning he got before Phantom's tongue danced around his, alternating between feather-light touches and firm strokes. Fenton moaned, and with a few clever flicks and caresses, Phantom baited Fenton's tongue into participating in the dance his mind insisted was disgusting, but made his body hum with warmth despite Phantom's cold temperature.

Phantom angled his head to the side, granting himself better access into Fenton's mouth. Fenton tangled his fingers in Phantom's snow white hair, absently wondering if his hair was that soft or if it was just a ghost thing. The hand resting on his hip ghosted over his skin until it lay against the small of Fenton's back. It caused an interesting sensation to crawl up Fenton's spine, and the human unconsciously leaned into the cold touch.

Soon Fenton's lungs began to burn. He disengaged the tongue war and tore his lips away from Phantom, gasping for breath. His reprieve didn't last long as Phantom attempted to pull him back into the kiss.

"Mph! Wait! I—"

"I will shoot you if you make us stop now," Phantom said, his voice almost too deep and husky to be recognizable. He recaptured Fenton's lips, but Fenton broke away again a few seconds later.

"I need to breathe!"

"Then breathe through your nose." The ghost placed his hand on the back of Fenton's neck and used his new hold to smash their lips together. They both hissed in pain as their teeth clicked painfully together. "Sorry," Phantom murmured before returning to the kiss.

Fenton yanked on Phantom's hair to show his displeasure. The ghost responded by turning his glove intangible and scraping what little nails he had against the dip in Fenton's lower back. Where Fenton felt a wave of pleasure before he now felt a tsunami that crashed against his nerves and made him tingle in all the right places. Fenton moaned and hugged Phantom to him as he leaned against his cold hand, wanting that feeling again. Startled, Phantom lost his balance and the two boys fell on the floor.

This time Phantom broke off the kiss. He half sat up from Fenton and cleared his throat. "That was—"

Fenton used his hold on the ghost's head to pull Phantom back down into the kiss. The ghost boy released a startled yelp, unintentionally giving Fenton access to his mouth. Fenton's tongue swooped inside and engaged Phantom's by using the same techniques the ghost had employed earlier. Phantom's eyes rolled closed as he returned the kiss, their tongues twisting and curling around each other.

Wondering if Phantom would experience the same sensation, Fenton trailed his hand along the ghost's spine and then grazed his nails against the dip of his lower back. Phantom gasped, his eyes flying wide open and his pupils dilating. Fenton chuckled until Phantom shoved his tongue almost down his throat. Fenton groaned and lifted his chin for better access.

The ghost shifted further on top of him and set his leg on the other side of Fenton's body, now straddling Fenton's midsection. Lightweight as Phantom was, his weight made it more difficult for Fenton to breathe, yet his position excited Fenton's body and made it difficult for him to think clearly. Phantom pulled his hands out from beneath Fenton's body and then slipped them beneath his shirt. His cold fingers caressed the small stomach muscles ghost fighting had awarded them. One hand traveled higher up Fenton's chest and the other massaged Fenton's sides.

Fenton broke the kiss and threw his head back, a breathless gasp escaping his lips. He panted through his mouth as Phantom's cold hands stroked his overheated skin, and he was frightened to realize he wanted the feel of Phantom's skin against his without any gloves to separate them—or even any suit at all.

"Ph-Phantom," Fenton stuttered, breathless, "w-we have to stop. It—it's going too—"

Phantom kissed his throat, and Fenton was exposed to another sensation that sent all thought of stopping to his internal garbage bin. Before the ghost could pull away, Fenton pushed Phantom's face back against his neck. Phantom received the silent message and started alternating between kissing and licking Fenton's neck.

Moaning with abandon, Fenton exposed more of his neck to the ghost, and Phantom responded by placing an open-mouthed kiss against the side of his neck, sucking on the skin. Fenton arched his spine, his body pressing against his ghost as his lungs fought for air. Phantom trailed the tip of his tongue around the area he was sucking, his hand drifting down Fenton's sides. Phantom's pinky slipped beneath the waistband of Fenton's pants, and the image that accompanied the touch made Fenton moan and push his hips into Phantom's hand despite the fear he felt growing.

"Wa-wait," Fenton gasped out, "we can't—"

Phantom crushed their lips together again, careful of their teeth this time. Fenton hugged his ghost to his chest, wanting to push him away but also wanting him to be closer. Much, much closer. He was already close enough to feel Phantom's core thrumming against his chest; any closer and they'd be one entity again. Phantom's pushed further—

"Danny!" Jazz shouted from outside their door. "Valerie wants you to call her!"

The boys froze, staring wide-eyed into each other's eyes. Faster than the Ghost Catcher had split them apart, Phantom flew to the opposite side of the room and Fenton scrambled backwards until he slammed his back into the bed. They stared in horror at each other as they gasped for breath, Phantom more so out of fear than actual need.

Jazz pounded her fist against the door. "Are you awake, Danny, or do I need to come in there?"

"No!" the two halves of Danny screamed.

"Call your girlfriend then! She said you weren't picking up your cell phone. You shouldn't keep Valerie waiting like this."

They heard their sister leave and then sighed in relief. They glanced at each other, but quickly looked away as soon as their gazes locked.

"I—" Fenton cleared his throat, trying to shake off the husky timbre attached to his voice. "We, uh, we should merge back before we call her."

"Yes. That's…" Phantom cleared his throat as well. "That's a good idea."

Fenton swallowed. "Uh, yeah…" He used the bed to help him stand up, ashamed and embarrassed by how uncomfortable he felt in his pants. "Let's…let's get this over with then."

Phantom nodded and flew behind him. Fenton's whole body tensed, the hairs on his neck and arms standing on end. Phantom hesitated, considering how to hold him so they flew through the Catcher at the same time. Eventually he sighed and wrapped his arms around Fenton's waist. Fenton's skin crawled, and he dearly hoped it was out of revulsion. The ghost lifted them into the air and paused.

"I…" he started. "What we did…"

"Never again," Fenton agreed. "In fact, it never happened, right?"

Phantom floated silently for a few seconds. Then he hugged Fenton close to his chest and whispered against his neck, "If you say so."

Fenton's eyes flew wide open as he felt cold lips kiss the area of his neck that still tingled. "Wha—"

Phantom flew them through the Fenton Ghost Catcher.

---

Danny pushed himself onto his knees and grabbed his head, groaning. The memories of his two halves buzzed around his mind, each one clamoring for attention like little children. Swallowing, Danny climbed to his feet and stumbled toward his mirror, disoriented by memories of two people being compressing into his single brain. He crashed into his dresser and leaned on his hands, staring down at his fingers as he allowed the memories of both entities to wash over him.

One memory of Phantom's caught Danny's attention. It was after the…kiss. Phantom was staring down at Fenton, or rather a certain spot on Fenton's neck. His thoughts and feelings had conflicted about what to make of what he saw before finally settling on a tenuous agreement.

Danny looked at the wide blue eyes of his reflection and then slowly lowered his gaze to his neck. Swallowing, the hero touched a finger to the medium sized bruise and felt a mix of pain and pleasure from the raw skin. The pleasure Fenton felt as he received the hickey and the interest and fascination Phantom felt upon seeing his mark tore through Danny's conscious mind like a train wreck.

Nausea welled up in Danny's throat, and he quickly covered the hickey beneath his hand. He stared into his reflection's eyes, nearly hyperventalating when he realized his eyes were still dilated from want.

"What…did I just do?"

Description
The Suave and the Awkward: Great kissers aren't born—you need determination to take the first step, a splice of awkwardness to set the mood, and a willing participant for you to practice on. Pitch Pearl, DPxDF. Kissing scene practice; constructive criticism wanted.

Characters: Danny and Phantom.
Genre: Romance.
Pairing: Pitch Pearl
Rating: T.

---
Kissing is like drinking salted water. You drink, and your thirst increases. ~Chinese Proverb
---

Danny paced around his bedroom in an indistinct order, his hands alternating between running through his hair and fidgeting at his sides. He glanced at the Fenton Ghost Catcher sparkling innocently in the dying sunlight, winced, and quickly resumed pacing. Two minutes later, his gaze wondered back to his parents' invention.

The teen hero gulped, and then approached the Ghost Catcher like it was a volatile adversary. He lifted his hand, but faltered, his fingertips just grazing the glowing green net. Hours ago, he had decided he needed to do this, but it was just so…wrong.

Echoes of Tucker's teasing comments and Valerie's snickers haunted his ears, and Danny's hand fisted at his side. Without a second thought, he transformed and flew through the glowing net. His scream caught in his throat as each cell, each molecule was forcibly split apart. He felt himself splitting apart. The oddest sensation, when your outlook is divided by two bodies. How does one describe the process of becoming two?

It lasted only a second, but by the time that second elapsed, Danny ceased to exist.

---

"Next time," Fenton said from his spread-eagle position on the floor, "we need to prepare a softer landing for me." He spat out blue carpet fibers and then climbed unsteadily to his feet. A wave of dizziness overcame him, and he held his head steady as the rest of the world spun. Only Phantom remained stationary in the spinning world, but Fenton suspected that was because the ghost was actually swaying in midair.

"There was never supposed to be a this time," the ghost of Danny groused. He ran his fingers through his white hair, grimacing at the feeling. "And when was the last time we showered? My hair is filthy!"

Fenton leaned against the Ghost Catcher's pole for support, and soon the dizzy spell passed. He sighed in relief. "Let's not make a habit of this."

"Agreed". Phantom sagged against the upper ring of the Catcher. His ghost tail flicked behind him like a whip, displaying his agitation.

"I mean, there had to be another way to…to…to do this."

Phantom looked down at his human twin, frowning. "We went over all our options when we were one. This was the only way. Unless you want to play the fool in front of Paulina or Sam as well as Valerie?"

Fenton flushed. "No. That was…uh…"

"Terrible."

"I was going for humiliating, but that works too. But this…" Fenton waved a hand between him and Phantom. "…this is just…"

"Awkward?"

"Just wrong. Just very, very wrong."

Phantom shrugged his shoulders, but a similar grimace marred his features. "We have little choice. It's either this, or…"

Fenton squinted up at him. "Or…?"

"Or we remain uneducated and ridiculed at school. Or our reputation remains damaged. Or Valerie will never see us as anything more than a friend."

"…I can live with that." Compared to what they were supposed to do, the consequences weren't so—

"I can't."

Fenton's eyes snapped to his doppelganger's face. "What?"

Phantom landed beside Fenton on his newly appeared feet. He stared into his human twin's eyes, and said, "I refuse to be the laughingstock of the school any longer. I refuse to allow this deficiency to come between us and Valerie. We will do this."

"Whoa!" Fenton held up his hands between himself and the phantom. "Whoa, just-just slow down, okay. Can't we, you know, like, talk about this or something?"

"There's no need to talk about this. We decided we would do this before we separated, and I'm not going to let you chicken out on me now."

Fenton bristled, almost wishing his eyes could still glow. "I'm not chickening out!"

"Then relax." The skin around Phantom's eyes softened. "Relax, or this will be more awkward than it needs to be." The ghost's tone was soft, gentle. It echoed around the room and in Fenton's ears like a breeze of cold air.

A chill ran down Fenton's spine, and the boy rubbed his forearms, trying to will away the goosebumbs the ghost's creepy voice caused. "It's not that easy, okay? I mean, we're supposed to ki—" He snapped his mouth shut, blood flooding his cheeks.

"Kiss," Phantom supplied. His green eyes rolled skyward. "Oh, the horror…"

"It is horrifying! We're the same person! The same guy! We can't k-ki-k—"

"Kiss."

"—each other! It's gross! It's wrong! How can you be so comfortable with the idea?"

Phantom frowned. "I'm not. I find it just as disgusting as you do."

"Then don't do it!"

"But what I find more disgusting than kissing myself, is kissing Valerie and then listening to her laugh at me again."

Fenton flinched. The sound of Valerie's laughter still rang in his ears. She had apologized when she realized she insulted Danny, but that hadn't stopped her from blurting to Starr he was a lousy kisser, and from there it had spread throughout the whole school.

"Wrong or not," Phantom continued, "we need to do this. We need to learn how to kiss right, before our date with Valerie tonight." He brushed his fingers against his human half's cheek.

Fenton's eyes flew wide open. He jerked away from Phantom's touch and stumbled backwards into the Fenton Ghost Catcher. "D-don't touch me!"

Phantom slowly lowered his hand, his left eyebrow quirked. "Physical contact is necessary for a kiss, you know."

"I know that! It's just—you—I can't—"

"You just can't kiss me?"

Fenton closed his mouth and nodded, his nose wrinkled.

"…Pretend I'm Valerie then, if you must."

The ghost advanced on Fenton, as graceful on his feet as he was in the air, and Fenton plastered himself against the metal pole. Phantom grabbed his shoulders, and Fenton closed his eyes, frantically willing the image of Valerie to the forefront of his mind. He imagined her right before their first kiss, when her dark complexion failed to hide her blush and her beautiful teal eyes held as much excitement as he felt.

Icy lips pressed against his own, and the image of Valerie shattered into a million pieces.

"Mph!" Fenton shoved his hands against Phantom's chest, sending the lightweight ghost tumbling head over heels through the air away from him. "Gross!" He scrubbed his lips against the back of his hand, seconds away from spitting.

"A simple 'Get off me!' would have sufficed," Phantom grumbled after he had righted himself.

"It's not going to work! How am I supposed to pretend you're Valerie when you're freezing to the touch?"

Phantom floated back to his previous position, ignoring the way Fenton tensed. "I don't care who you imagine me to be, but we are going to teach ourselves how to kiss."

Fenton sagged against the bar at his back. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No."

Fenton grimaced. "I…" He shook his head. "Fine. Fine. We—I'll…" He stood up straight. He looked into Phantom's eyes, blushed, and quickly looked away, scowling. "Just do your worst…"

He couldn't see it, but he was sure Phantom rolled his eyes. "Charming…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Fenton saw Phantom's gloved hand reach for his face. He swallowed as cold fingers seized his chin and forced him to face Phantom again, a scant two inches away. The light from the setting sun accented Phantom's natural glow a warm orange hue, but the ghost's green eyes shown brighter. Too close. Too intense. The human flushed and tried to jerk his head away, but Phantom held him firmly in place.

"Relax," he whispered, his breath ghosting across Fenton's lips as he drew closer.

Fenton screwed his eyes shut. A second later, Phantom's cold lips pressed against his, and Fenton's shoulder muscles tensed, but he forced himself to relax by conjuring Valerie's image again. Except Valerie's lips were soft and smooth, not chapped from strong winds and high altitudes. Instead of detracting from the pleasure, the rough texture of Phantom's lips tickled Fenton's mouth and made the boy shiver.

Phantom drifted a little closer, adding pressure to Fenton's lips. Hesitantly, Fenton returned the pressure and tilted his head slightly to the side. Emboldened by his partner's cooperation, Phantom parted his mouth and slid his tongue along the crevice of Fenton's lips. The human chocked on his own spit and tried to jerk his head away, but Phantom's hold on his chin tightened, stopping his kneejerk reaction.

"Open your mouth," Phantom ordered, his lips sliding against Fenton's as he spoke.

"Um-umph!" Fenton mumbled. There was no way he was letting Phantom stick his tongue inside his mouth. That was just gross.

Phantom withdrew from Fenton, sighing cold air against Fenton's lower face."You are being very stubborn about this."

Fenton glared at him. "Like you're any better!"

Phantom returned glare for glare. Fenton wanted to look away from those blazing green eyes, but Phantom still held his chin, forcing him to maintain eye-contact. "I'm at least trying! What have you done except sit there and whine?"

"Hey!"

"The longer you fight this, the longer we both have to suffer. Now pucker your lips and let's get this over with!"

Fenton's eyebrows rose to his hairline, a light blush staining his cheeks. "Dude, that has got to be the most unromantic line I have ever heard."

Phantom paused. He titled his head slightly to the side, and the white strands of his hair tickled Fenton's face as he moved. "Should I be romantic?"

"What?" Fenton's blush intensified and spread to his neck and hairline. "No! No! D-don't even think about it!"

A corner of Phantom's lips turned up, an expression the human half of Danny recognized as the one they wore when they felt mischievous. "I think I should. A kiss isn't a kiss unless it's romantic."

Fenton sputtered, and he hated how his whole face felt like it was on fire. "Are you crazy? We can't—we're the same person!"

"We may have originated from the same person, but right now we are two separate entities." Phantom stroked his thumb along the dip in Fenton's chin, right beneath his lips, and smirked deviously at the human's horrified expression. "The only thing we share right now is a common goal."

"That's not how it works!"

"Isn't it, though?" Phantom released Fenton's chin, and the freed human scurried to the opposite side of the Ghost Catch's pole. Phantom's smirk grew, amused. "What you think, I don't think. What you feel, I don't feel. You don't know what I'm thinking or what I'm feeling at this very moment. By its very definition, we are no longer the same person." Phantom placed a gloved hand on the pole and leaned into Fenton's face. "So what is stopping us?" he whispered in a husky voice.

Fenton made an odd yelping noise. He backpedaled away from the ghost, but tripped over his own feet before he could go more than two steps.

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his shoulder against the pole, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his lips as he stared down at Fenton. "Is it wrong that I find your clumsiness…cute?"

Fenton opened and closed his mouth like a fish, unable to find the words he needed. His thoughts were jumbled, his mind unable to cope with this bizarre situation. Messing with him was one thing, but if Phantom was actually serious then…then…

"What are you afraid of?" Phantom asked. "We are the only ones in this room, the only ones that will know what happens behind this closed door. If, as you say, we are the same person, then there's even less to fear since to laugh or insult you would be to insult myself."

Fenton turned his head and stared at the carpet sticking up between the gap of his fingers. "I…"

Phantom's smirk slipped slowly into a frown. "Or is that what is really holding you back? That I will laugh at you as Valerie did?"

Fenton's fingers curled into a fist around the carpet fibers. "Of course not!"

Dropping his relaxed pose against the pole, Phantom stepped towards the glaring human. "That is what you're afraid of, isn't it? Or at least one of your fears."

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is. I know it is because …" The ghost knelt on his knee beside Fenton's outstretched legs. "…I fear the same thing."

Fenton glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "You…you do?"

"Of course." The smirk returned to Phantom's face, although it was a great deal smaller. "After all, we used to be the same person with the same fears and wants."

Scowling, Fenton looked away. "It still doesn't change anything. I…I'm still…I can't…"

"We are—were the same person. If I can do this…" Phantom brushed his hand along Fenton's face until he cupped the other boy's cheek. Fenton's eyes snapped to the ghost's face. "…then so can you."

To his horror, Fenton felt his cheeks heat up beneath Phantom's cold hand. "I…that's not…it's not that simple. You—you're more confident about all this than I am. I don't even know what I'm doing!"

"That's what you have me for." Phantom's voice dropped an octave, the low pitch somehow heating Fenton's blood and making his heart beat faster. "Trust me," the ghost whispered, "and I will guide you through this."

"But—but you don't know what you're doing either."

"That is what I have you for." Eyelids lowering over neon green eyes, Phantom stared through dark eyelashes and into Fenton's contrasting blue eyes. "To tell me what feels good. To show me what makes you feel so hot you can't think. To respond when you feel pleasure." He rested his forehead against Fenton's. "I need you to allow me to please you."

Phantom's cold breath wafted across Fenton's lips, and the human boy's eyes began to close as a tingle of pleasure coursed down his spine. "But I…"

"But…?" the ghost echoed, his thumb caressing Fenton's cheek. Fenton's heart was beating so hard it almost hurt. Was this what Phantom meant when he mentioned romancing him?

"But it's wrong…"

"For one moment, we can make it right."

Phantom sealed their lips together. Fenton's hands flew to Phantom's shoulders and stayed there, immobilized by the conflicting desire to push the ghost away and to pull the ghost closer. Phantom placed his hand on Fenton's hip bone and slipped his fingers beneath his white T-shirt. The icy fingers danced across Fenton's heated skin, and it was all Fenton could do to hold onto the ghost's shoulders as a wave of pleasure washed over him. The cold touch should have snapped Fenton out of whatever spell Phantom had spun on him, but the contrast in temperatures only pulled him in deeper.

Phantom's tongue traced Fenton's lips, and Fenton parted them without thinking. The cold tongue entered his mouth and grazed over his tongue. Fenton's facial muscles twitched. He hadn't liked the thought of swapping saliva with Valerie, and he didn't relish the thought of doing so now with his ghost half. Phantom's tongue explored and prodded his mouth, but his touches were light, cautious; his tongue flinching away a little every time it touched something, and Fenton realized the ghost felt the same way.

Then the tip of Phantom's cold tongue traced the underside of Fenton's, and the human boy gasped, his hands convulsing on the ghost's shoulders. Phantom hummed in interest, and the vibration carried into Fenton's mouth. The boy shivered. He slid his arm around his ghost's shoulders and pulled him closer until their chests were pressed together.

A smirk Fenton felt through his lips was the only warning he got before Phantom's tongue danced around his, alternating between feather-light touches and firm strokes. Fenton moaned, and with a few clever flicks and caresses, Phantom baited Fenton's tongue into participating in the dance his mind insisted was disgusting, but made his body hum with warmth despite Phantom's cold temperature.

Phantom angled his head to the side, granting himself better access into Fenton's mouth. Fenton tangled his fingers in Phantom's snow white hair, absently wondering if his hair was that soft or if it was just a ghost thing. The hand resting on his hip ghosted over his skin until it lay against the small of Fenton's back. It caused an interesting sensation to crawl up Fenton's spine, and the human unconsciously leaned into the cold touch.

Soon Fenton's lungs began to burn. He disengaged the tongue war and tore his lips away from Phantom, gasping for breath. His reprieve didn't last long as Phantom attempted to pull him back into the kiss.

"Mph! Wait! I—"

"I will shoot you if you make us stop now," Phantom said, his voice almost too deep and husky to be recognizable. He recaptured Fenton's lips, but Fenton broke away again a few seconds later.

"I need to breathe!"

"Then breathe through your nose." The ghost placed his hand on the back of Fenton's neck and used his new hold to smash their lips together. They both hissed in pain as their teeth clicked painfully together. "Sorry," Phantom murmured before returning to the kiss.

Fenton yanked on Phantom's hair to show his displeasure. The ghost responded by turning his glove intangible and scraping what little nails he had against the dip in Fenton's lower back. Where Fenton felt a wave of pleasure before he now felt a tsunami that crashed against his nerves and made him tingle in all the right places. Fenton moaned and hugged Phantom to him as he leaned against his cold hand, wanting that feeling again. Startled, Phantom lost his balance and the two boys fell on the floor.

This time Phantom broke off the kiss. He half sat up from Fenton and cleared his throat. "That was—"

Fenton used his hold on the ghost's head to pull Phantom back down into the kiss. The ghost boy released a startled yelp, unintentionally giving Fenton access to his mouth. Fenton's tongue swooped inside and engaged Phantom's by using the same techniques the ghost had employed earlier. Phantom's eyes rolled closed as he returned the kiss, their tongues twisting and curling around each other.

Wondering if Phantom would experience the same sensation, Fenton trailed his hand along the ghost's spine and then grazed his nails against the dip of his lower back. Phantom gasped, his eyes flying wide open and his pupils dilating. Fenton chuckled until Phantom shoved his tongue almost down his throat. Fenton groaned and lifted his chin for better access.

The ghost shifted further on top of him and set his leg on the other side of Fenton's body, now straddling Fenton's midsection. Lightweight as Phantom was, his weight made it more difficult for Fenton to breathe, yet his position excited Fenton's body and made it difficult for him to think clearly. Phantom pulled his hands out from beneath Fenton's body and then slipped them beneath his shirt. His cold fingers caressed the small stomach muscles ghost fighting had awarded them. One hand traveled higher up Fenton's chest and the other massaged Fenton's sides.

Fenton broke the kiss and threw his head back, a breathless gasp escaping his lips. He panted through his mouth as Phantom's cold hands stroked his overheated skin, and he was frightened to realize he wanted the feel of Phantom's skin against his without any gloves to separate them—or even any suit at all.

"Ph-Phantom," Fenton stuttered, breathless, "w-we have to stop. It—it's going too—"

Phantom kissed his throat, and Fenton was exposed to another sensation that sent all thought of stopping to his internal garbage bin. Before the ghost could pull away, Fenton pushed Phantom's face back against his neck. Phantom received the silent message and started alternating between kissing and licking Fenton's neck.

Moaning with abandon, Fenton exposed more of his neck to the ghost, and Phantom responded by placing an open-mouthed kiss against the side of his neck, sucking on the skin. Fenton arched his spine, his body pressing against his ghost as his lungs fought for air. Phantom trailed the tip of his tongue around the area he was sucking, his hand drifting down Fenton's sides. Phantom's pinky slipped beneath the waistband of Fenton's pants, and the image that accompanied the touch made Fenton moan and push his hips into Phantom's hand despite the fear he felt growing.

"Wa-wait," Fenton gasped out, "we can't—"

Phantom crushed their lips together again, careful of their teeth this time. Fenton hugged his ghost to his chest, wanting to push him away but also wanting him to be closer. Much, much closer. He was already close enough to feel Phantom's core thrumming against his chest; any closer and they'd be one entity again. Phantom's pushed further—

"Danny!" Jazz shouted from outside their door. "Valerie wants you to call her!"

The boys froze, staring wide-eyed into each other's eyes. Faster than the Ghost Catcher had split them apart, Phantom flew to the opposite side of the room and Fenton scrambled backwards until he slammed his back into the bed. They stared in horror at each other as they gasped for breath, Phantom more so out of fear than actual need.

Jazz pounded her fist against the door. "Are you awake, Danny, or do I need to come in there?"

"No!" the two halves of Danny screamed.

"Call your girlfriend then! She said you weren't picking up your cell phone. You shouldn't keep Valerie waiting like this."

They heard their sister leave and then sighed in relief. They glanced at each other, but quickly looked away as soon as their gazes locked.

"I—" Fenton cleared his throat, trying to shake off the husky timbre attached to his voice. "We, uh, we should merge back before we call her."

"Yes. That's…" Phantom cleared his throat as well. "That's a good idea."

Fenton swallowed. "Uh, yeah…" He used the bed to help him stand up, ashamed and embarrassed by how uncomfortable he felt in his pants. "Let's…let's get this over with then."

Phantom nodded and flew behind him. Fenton's whole body tensed, the hairs on his neck and arms standing on end. Phantom hesitated, considering how to hold him so they flew through the Catcher at the same time. Eventually he sighed and wrapped his arms around Fenton's waist. Fenton's skin crawled, and he dearly hoped it was out of revulsion. The ghost lifted them into the air and paused.

"I…" he started. "What we did…"

"Never again," Fenton agreed. "In fact, it never happened, right?"

Phantom floated silently for a few seconds. Then he hugged Fenton close to his chest and whispered against his neck, "If you say so."

Fenton's eyes flew wide open as he felt cold lips kiss the area of his neck that still tingled. "Wha—"

Phantom flew them through the Fenton Ghost Catcher.

---

Danny pushed himself onto his knees and grabbed his head, groaning. The memories of his two halves buzzed around his mind, each one clamoring for attention like little children. Swallowing, Danny climbed to his feet and stumbled toward his mirror, disoriented by memories of two people being compressing into his single brain. He crashed into his dresser and leaned on his hands, staring down at his fingers as he allowed the memories of both entities to wash over him.

One memory of Phantom's caught Danny's attention. It was after the…kiss. Phantom was staring down at Fenton, or rather a certain spot on Fenton's neck. His thoughts and feelings had conflicted about what to make of what he saw before finally settling on a tenuous agreement.

Danny looked at the wide blue eyes of his reflection and then slowly lowered his gaze to his neck. Swallowing, the hero touched a finger to the medium sized bruise and felt a mix of pain and pleasure from the raw skin. The pleasure Fenton felt as he received the hickey and the interest and fascination Phantom felt upon seeing his mark tore through Danny's conscious mind like a train wreck.

Nausea welled up in Danny's throat, and he quickly covered the hickey beneath his hand. He stared into his reflection's eyes, nearly hyperventalating when he realized his eyes were still dilated from want.

"What…did I just do?"