[Third Person Pov]
When Danny arrived at the Batcave alongside Bruce and Dick, the cavernous space still humming faintly with machinery, Dick shot him a knowing look and shook his head in disbelief.
"Your luck with women is really turning into something else," Dick said, lips twitching as he tried—and failed—to keep a straight face.
Danny grinned unabashedly and gave Bruce an exaggerated pat on the back as Bruce reached up to remove his cowl. "I learn from the best, after all," Danny replied smugly, jerking his thumb toward Bruce. "Ain't that right?"
Bruce paused mid-motion and slowly turned his head just enough to fix Danny with a silent, unimpressed stare.
Dick promptly lost it, cackling with laughter and clutching his stomach.
"Get yourselves patched up and turn in early," Bruce said flatly, pointedly ignoring both Danny's comment and Dick's laughter. "You both have school tomorrow."
Dick clicked his tongue and elbowed Danny in the side as they started walking away. "See what you did? You just had to say something."
Danny leaned closer and stage-whispered loudly, not bothering to sound secretive in the slightest. "You notice how he didn't even try to deny it? That's how you know it's true."
Behind them, Bruce's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. He watched their retreating backs for a moment before quietly snorting to himself and shaking his head, exhaustion weighing heavier than the cowl ever did.
…
The next morning, Danny and Dick sat at the long dining table, both of them staring down at plates stacked far higher than anyone their age reasonably needed. The portions were massive—clearly meant to fuel vigilantism as much as growing teenagers.
As he shoveled food into his mouth, Danny flashed Alfred a cheerful thumbs-up. "Whoa, Alfred, you really outdid yourself today. I can't even taste the poison in this one."
"That would be because it's odorless and tasteless," Bruce replied from behind his newspaper without bothering to look up.
Danny froze mid-bite and slowly lowered his fork. "You know, I hope you realize you're a monster for making us go to school under these conditions."
"I've never gone out of my way to call myself a saint," Bruce retorted, tone perfectly even.
Dick just kept eating, clearly amused. Having built up a higher tolerance over time, he didn't seem particularly worried and instead enjoyed watching the banter play out—especially Alfred's serene, knowing smile.
…
"Thanks for the ride, Alfred," Danny and Dick said in perfect unison as they climbed out of the car.
"Enjoy your school day, you two," Alfred replied warmly.
"Danny!!"
"Ugh!"
Danny barely had time to react before he was tackled and pulled into a crushing embrace from both sides as Sam and Tucker collided with him the moment they spotted him.
"Later," Dick said dryly, already sidestepping the chaos. He put some distance between himself and the group, his attention quickly drawn elsewhere as he spotted Barbara. With casual ease, he walked over to greet her.
"I'm so glad you're back!" Tucker cried, actual tears forming in his eyes. "We're dysfunctional without you! She was trying to convert me into being vegan and emo—it was horrible!"
"Like you're any better!" Sam snapped, glaring at him. "I swear I had a nightmare where I was being chased by computers because of you." She turned to Danny with a pitiful look. "All he talked about was video games and electronics. I was losing my mind."
Danny blinked at them, clearly baffled. "We literally met during my suspension, and you two acted completely normal."
"That was then, this is now," Tucker said decisively as they headed inside toward the lockers. "I'm just glad lunch isn't going to be boring anymore."
While organizing his locker and casually trading remarks with his best friends, Danny's attention drifted. Across the hall, Dash was leaning against his locker, laughing with his football teammates.
"Hold up, guys," Danny said, shutting his locker with a soft clang. "I've got something to take care of."
"Danny," Sam hissed under her breath. "What do you think you're doing?" Her tone was cautious—borderline alarmed.
Danny glanced back at them over his shoulder, expression calm and oddly confident. "Being the bigger person."
Sam and Tucker exchanged a quick look as Danny started walking off, an unspoken conversation passing between them in a split second. Without another word, they hurried after him, instinctively falling into place a few steps behind as backup.
People, of course, hadn't mysteriously forgotten the spectacle from a month ago. Whispers followed Danny as he crossed the hallway, conversations lowering as heads subtly turned in his direction. Eyes tracked his every step, curiosity and expectation hanging thick in the air as he approached Dash.
One of Dash's friends noticed first. He nudged Dash on the shoulder and jerked his chin backward, muttering under his breath, "Dude… turn around."
"Huh?" Dash asked, halfway through a laugh. When he turned, his expression froze—and then he let out a startled yelp, instinctively flinching as he came face-to-face with Danny.
"F–Fenton," Dash stammered, memories of a very one-sided beatdown flashing vividly through his mind. A beatdown delivered by a boy shorter than him, no less.
"Relax, Baxter," Danny said, rolling his eyes. A faint, almost teasing grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'm not here to pick a fight. I'm here to apologize."
"Wha—?" Dash started, looking between Danny and his friends in disbelief. They only shrugged back at him, just as confused.
"I'm sorry," Danny said sincerely, lowering his head. The hallway seemed to quiet around them. "Whatever I was dealing with back then wasn't an excuse to take it out on you the way I did. I let my emotions take control and that wasn't cool. I took it too far."
Before Dash could respond, Danny dropped his backpack to the floor and spread his arms wide, staring straight at him. Dash flinched again on instinct.
"As an apology," Danny continued calmly, "I'll let you punch me in the face. Go on. I won't fight back. I know I deserve it."
A stunned silence rippled outward as everyone watched the scene unfold. Dash's jaw tightened, his hand curling into a fist at his side. Slowly, hesitantly, he raised it.
Danny squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself.
Sam opened her mouth ready to say something and put an end to his foolishness—but the protest died in her throat as Dash's fist unfurled midair. Instead of striking, he placed his hand firmly on Danny's shoulder.
"I'm sorry too, Fen—Danny," Dash said, his expression strained, like he was forcing the words past something heavy in his chest.
Danny cracked one eye open, glanced down at the hand on his shoulder, then looked back up at Dash, confused. "What are you doing?"
"The same thing you are," Dash replied. "Apologizing." He shifted uncomfortably. "I shouldn't have been teasing you like that back then. Guess you could say we both took things too far. I'm sorry."
"So… you're not gonna punch me?" Danny asked, slowly lowering his arms.
"No, Danny. I accept your apology. I'm not punching you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Because I'm not offering again."
"Danny—"
"Last chance."
"You're seriously asking for it."
"Your loss, man," Danny scoffed as he bent down to grab his backpack.
"You're really making it hard not to" Dash shot back, shaking his head. "But if I catch you being a dweeb again, I might change my mind."
"Nope. No take-backs," Danny said with an amicable grin, slinging his bag over one shoulder as he turned away. "You lost your shot."
He paused mid-step and glanced back over his shoulder, as if remembering something. "Oh—right. I accept your apology too. Hope we're cool after this."
"We're cool," Dash said, watching him go before turning back to his friends with a disbelieving shake of his head.
As Danny rejoined Sam and Tucker, Sam immediately started patting his shoulders approvingly. "That was really mature—both of you. I'm proud of you, Danny."
"Thanks, Mom," Danny replied with playful sarcasm.
Tucker laughed outright while Sam fixed him with a deadpan stare.
Across the hallway, Paulina leaned against her locker, biting on a nail as she stood between Valerie and another friend. "Is it just me," she said thoughtfully, "or does Danny look kinda cute after coming back from suspension?"
"Just you," both girls replied flatly, without missing a beat.
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