a/n: a little Danny x Aspen moment for you guys. They really are iconic. Also let me know if I ever reuse a gif! There's just too many to see track of.

Also INSANE. The actors who play Aspen and Charlie are in the same movie together now on amazon prime called Birds of Paradise! The gifs ahhhhhh. 

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Air like silk kissed Aspen's cheek as a white light hazed her vision. The white marble floor beneath her was ice as she lifted her head from the floor. Her hair curtains over her face, eyes searching through strands to make out spinning figures. It was when she brushed the hair from her face did she see tall, slender ballet dancers spread throughout a circular room.

Tall glass windows lined the walls, the sound of water buzzing in the back of her mind. But she knew this was all in her mind. How deep could her subconscious descend before she was lost to it forever?

Aspen slowly got to her feet, her weight nonexistent in this world he brain sculptured. She meant for herself to walk toward a single window that was framed by golden glass. It hummed with a mystic melody she felt like she had heard before. A song she used to sleep to. A lullaby. But instead, she found herself spinning along with the dancers. They moved in tandem with the humming melody. She couldn't make sense of how she stayed in tune with the other dancers but then felt her arms lift on their own. Her leg was pointing upward on its own accord. Then she saw it. Transparent strings tied around her elbows, fingers, ankles, and waist. She was a puppeteer slave. But who was her master?

It felt like an eternity. The spinning. The trance. The movements she thought her body not capable of. Then the ground swayed when lightning struck outside. She was the only one to stop among the dancers who continued as if all was well. Her chest heaved, seeing the lighting stuck in time. Its white bolts branching across a dark sky akin to the grey veins gracing her arms.

Her feet carried her toward the golden framed window, the strings attached to her now dragging behind her. She swerved around the dancers. Or they had simply diverted her to walk a clear path. It was her dream, after all. Now she stood before the towering window, its crystal surface rippling like a stone being tossed into a still lake.

Heat made itself known by her side, and she felt her chest clench—her peripheral caught a glimpse of golden hair. The air seemed to have thickened. Aspen turned her head slowly, browns pinching curiously. The girl next to her wore a porcelain mask with a long beak so sharp, she could spill blood with a peck. The girl was tranquil, looking forward, fingers pinching the white nightgown she donned.

Aspen turned this time fully, placing her hand on the masked girl's shoulders to face her. She felt her eyes begin to sting, hands shaking as she lifted them to the mask, hands dancing delicately over the cheek area. The blue eyes behind the mask were her bleary and dull. Null of humanity.

Aspen lifted it from her face, and she drew in a sharp breath. Charlie was pale, neck an irritable red. Darkness colored under her eyes. Yet, she smiled sweetly. That was what made Aspen let out a whimper, placing both hands on Charlie's cheeks. She cradles her dear cousin like a newborn.

Aspen opened her mouth, but Charlie was faster.

"Don't," she said, her voice echoing in Aspen's brain. Her voice sounded like it was encased in water. "You wanna make it up to me?"

Aspen nodded fervently before Charlie took Aspen's hands in hers and squeezed. "Don't die."

Then Aspen was being pushed through the glass, its water-like consistency dragging her into a world of darkness. She watched Charlie from the other side, sliding the mask back on, and begin to dance along with the others.

Aspen sat up quickly, gasping, when she felt liquid on her entire back where she laid. But feeling her back now, it was completely dry. It was a foreign feeling that she was sure she would never encounter out of her dream. She looked around her, a wind from no particular direction tousling her hair. The humming from before was like a drum now coming closer and closer. She now stood in the middle of an ocean. The water was still, like a glass floor. The tiniest bit of pressure, and she would cave into the icy unknown below.

But the calm she felt was an oddity in such a situation as this. The sky was obsidian with splotches of dim stars. The hum got louder, and a red light shone over the horizon. It reflected off Aspen's eyes, her own glowing white with gold lining her iris. It was a red that burned like rubies. As if the sky was bleeding and blending with the darkness. But it was not the sun that was rising, she realized. No.

It was the Veata Moon.

<•>

Oh, how Aspen loved sleepless nights filled with confusing dreams. After last night's vision, her eyes were wide. No matter how much she tossed and turned in the guest room at Scott's house, sleep never greeted her with its lulling embrace. Though she wouldn't consider last night's fantasy adventure a nightmare, she found her comfort in seeing the Veata Moon the most frightening. It was meant for destruction, yet she reveled in the power it would gift her to finally be free of restraint. But it was just as Mina said. In order to gain control, she had to lose it first.

When her alarm went off for school, Aspen didn't bother whining like her morning routine was used to. Instead, she stretched for a couple of seconds, contemplated whether it was worth going to school then pulled herself from bed. Her sleep-stiff legs managed to drag her to the bathroom and wince at her unkempt hair. After a short shower, she strolled down the steps; she yawned wide, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand.

The rest of the house was already alive with motion. The light from outside warmed her face, and Aspen smiled at how it melted against her cheeks.

"Well, good morning, sleeping beauty!" Stiles exclaimed from where he sat on the island counter centering the kitchen. A plate sat in his lap as he lathered jelly on his toast like lotion.

Aspen wrinkled her nose but smiled softly despite her disgust. Scott laughed at her expression as he walked past her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Hope you slept okay. I know that bed is a little squeaky." Scott informed apologetically as he sat on a stool next to Allison--

Allison?

Aspen hadn't even noticed her when she walked into the kitchen. But the raven-haired girl beamed up at her, jumping from her place on the stool and throwing her arms around Aspen. The brunette staggered back at the brute force of the embrace but hugged back to gain footing. Allison's giggle was contagious enough to rub off on Aspen.

"I'm so sorry I didn't call," Allison apologized once she pulled away, her hands still lingering on Aspen's arms. "It was just a lot that happened, and Lydia was asking a lot of questions. Then there's my dad, and you know how that goes. But are you okay? How are you feeling?"

Aspen quirked her head to the side in contemplation." For someone who nearly killed her cousin, I would say averagely decent." she answered casually. Scott nearly choked on his orange juice.

"Such a charmer, isn't she?" Stiles commented, taking a crisping bite from his toast.

Allison shook her head at Stiles and passed Aspen a gentle smile. "Have you seen her yet?"

Aspen blew air from her cheek, jumping up on the counter next to Stiles. Scott had taken the liberty to prepare a bowl of cereal for Aspen, and he placed it in her waiting hands. She smiled appreciatively before replying. "Nope. I'm apparently not a suitable visiter until further notice from my dearest aunt." she chastised sarcastically, hefting cereal into her mouth.

"Well, what about Mellisa?" Allison asked. "Can't she help you get in? I'm sure Charlie really wants to see you. She wouldn't blame you for what happened."

"Well, it doesn't really matter. I blame myself enough for the both of us." Aspen snipped, more to herself than Allison. She was glad her friend didn't take her quips to heart. Allison tenderly placed a hand on her knee and tilted her head.

"I'm sure you'll find a way to see her soon." Allison hefted a sigh, the way her brows furrowed showing her distress. "In the meantime, we should talk about what we're gonna do about Lydia. She was totally psyched that night, I didn't know what to do."

"Or the fact that her douche of a boyfriend is the lizard we've been trying to find," Stiles added, snatching the spoon that was sitting in Aspen's cereal as she listened to Allison and shoveled a spoonful into his mouth. Aspen didn't have the energy to reprimand him.

"Yeah, that's another highlighting factor in our list of issues to deal with." Aspen grumbled, "Scott? Any idea where he might be?"

Scott raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "Trust me, I've been trying. But if I miss another day of school, my mom will kill me. I'm just gonna hold off until tonight to keep looking. He can't be far."

"Until tonight then," Allison said, her tone deciding that the conversation must end. She turned on her head to Aspen with a broad smile and an ideally lifted brow. "but right now, I have to prep Aspen for school."

Aspen drooped her shoulder and hung her head dramatically as Allison took the bowl from her hands and placed it on the counter. "C'mon, you had to expect a makeover from me eventually." Allison laughed, pulling the girl by her hands off the counter. "you can't tell me you prefer Lydia's crazed fashion appraisals."

"I prefer my friends not criticizing what I wear, but here we are."

Allison laughed as she snatched the duffle bag with extra clothes off the floor and dragged Aspen upstairs. "We'll meet you, boys, at school!" Allison yelled over her shoulder before she slammed the bedroom door behind them.

<•>

School was anything but eventful. Truthfully, when is it ever? Allison dressed Aspen in a black lacy tank top, despite her dispute with the cold weather, jeans, and a brown leather jacket that acted as her source for warmth. Aspen was most appreciative Allison didn't exaggerate as Lydia would have. But she did miss her friend dearly. After the other night, Aspen would have wanted to offer an explanation. But where could she start? "Yes, Lydia, your boyfriend is a homicidal lizard. And I am an elemantalist. But it's okay, I won't kill you. Unless I totally lose control, then yes, I will a hundred percent most likely kill you."

Coach Finstock's class was the most entertaining, with him reminiscing his glory days. Bragging about his generation is the best, and he gifted the responsibility to us to pass on his legacy. Then when someone sneezed, Greenberg said, bless you. Finstock blamed him for being a kiss ass and gave him a detention. At the end of class, Finstock stopped Aspen before she could leave. Though she wasn't the keenest of his attempt at being concerned for her, he told her she didn't have to worry about homework for the week. As long as she came to the following cross country meet, then she was set.

"Just remember Veata, you do what you do if it makes you happy. Even if that happiness means becoming a teen mom."

Aspen's eyes bugged from her head, "What! Coach--coach, I'm not pregnant!"

"Aspen, please, a girl isn't absent as much as you are if she wasn't trying to hide a little baby bump."

Aspen's lips parted in utter shock. She wouldn't bother. She only nodded with tight lips. "Thanks, Coach."

The man nodded with a broad grin as if he was a man of excellent knowledge. "I have a woman's intuition Veata. Never forget that," he told her, tapping the side of his temple.

"I won't." she mused with a fake smile before letting it drop to a silent groan as she sped from the classroom.

Aspen did well to hide her disappointment that Isaac dissed school today. As much as her pride told her otherwise, she knew she at least owed him an apology for what she said the other day. He's never opened to her about his older brother Camden. No less about his mother. His father was the one who built him up. Yet despite it all, she admired how he still kept his heart.

When lunch whirled around, Aspen took to the lacrosse field. The day was cool but grey. The sky was cloudy, and the slightest bit of sunlight could not even penetrate today's gloom. Aspen let her backpack drop on the grass before lying back. Prickles of grass tickled her neck, and she adjusted herself a few times before she found something close to comfort.

"Not fancy seeing you here, Veata."

Danny's voice sent alarms blaring in Aspen's head. Her eyes grew wide when she remembered Danny had seen her. Her power. Everything she fought to hide from the one friend who saw her as normal. How the hell could she forget about him?

Her eyes squeezed shut momentarily before she slowly sat up and twisted to meet his soft smile. He obviously followed her to the field to question her, and he could see the nervousness in her eyes.

"Hey Danny," she greeted softy with a strained smile.

"Hey," he replied, laying his bag down before taking a seat in front of her.

The afternoon buzz of insects from the forest a few yards away filled their gaps of awkward silence. Danny glanced at her face often, but Aspen kept her eyes on the grass she was currently tearing from the ground.

"I see that you care nothing about the ecosystem," Danny jested light-heartedly.

Aspen peeked up and could not resist the bubbling laugh that came from her chest. "It's just grass. It'll grow back," she assured, "with all the testosterone sweat from you lacrosse stars, I'm sure it'll get all the moisture it needs."

"Haha," Danny mocked with laughter.

The laughter drifted off until they met each other's eyes from where they sat. Danny licked his lips, running his hand down his throat before he sighed. "So uh, you make things float," he stated slowly.

Aspen nodded, not objecting entirely. "That's part of it, I guess."

"What's the other part?"

Aspen shrugged, "Well, there's--there's this."

Aspen sat straight, calming her mind from anxiety that this could go horribly wrong. Danny leaned forward in anticipation, eyes switching from her face to her hand where blades of grass reside. A twirl of wind tickled Danny's ears as it turned solid and circled Aspen's palm. The blades f grass began twisting upward in spirals. Danny gasped and laughed simultaneously, neck craned upward, watching the twist of green keep flying upward until Aspen let go, and they settled to the ground gently.

Aspen dropped her hands in her lap, rubbing her hand over her covered wrist. It throbbed like hell.

"So you're like Sabrina, the teenage witch," Danny said, making Aspen break into a fit of silent laughter, shaking her head.

"I would say you're far off, but I'm not even sure anymore. If we were specific, air Elementalist," she explained, still in shock that she is sharing her secret with Danny. Then her smile slipped, "You haven't like... told anyone, right?"

Danny's eyes widened, head already shaking the moment she began to doubt his trust. "Oh no, no, Aspen, I swear. I didn't say a thing." he assured, each word she knew genuine. "sure, I was confused as hell why you made our chemistry appliances fly, but god, I couldn't throw you under the bus like that. But if I did, trust me, it would turn into a whole documentary series. I make bank, get you out of some Hogwarts psych ward, and we could run off to Costa Rica."

Aspen's heart lifted at Danny's nonchalantness to her confession. "You would rat me out to the discovery channel?"

"Duh. Then I could say I knew a supernatural creature."

"Oh wow, good for you, Danny. I'm glad you planned all this in a matter of a couple of days."

Danny laughed, falling back on the grass. Aspen shook her head in adoration and crawled next to Danny to lay by his side.

Together they watched the clouds part to let the sun make a debut. It was ironic, really, how the weather changed with her mood.

With her hand laced over her stomach, Aspen turned her head, a soft smile now permanently on her face anytime she was around him. "Why aren't you freaked out by this?" she asked quietly. Though she knew this lacrosse field was their sacred little space, she still didn't trust her surroundings.

Danny's shrugged, eyes lingering on the clouds. "You were too good to be true," Danny said, voice soft, "you're the most real person I know. There had to be something you were hiding. I just didn't think it would be this."

Aspen laughed, sighing deeply, drumming her fingers over her chest. "Still, it doesn't explain how cool you are about this." she narrowed her eyes playfully. Danny side-eyed her and caught her suspicious eyes, not being able to hold in a smile.

"Well, if you must know Veata-- and don't be surprised when I say this, I've seen more bizarre things in this town. And I think you have too."

Aspen's smile wavered, sitting up from where she lay to look down at Danny, who was now purposely looking away from her. "Have you now?"

"Mhm."

"And what things have you seen exactly?"

Danny sat up swiftly, hands-on his knees. "That's a conversation for another day, Veata," Danny smirked, getting to his feet and offering his hand to her. "In the meantime, I'm starving, and the cheerleaders are having a bake sale. My treat?"

Aspen quirked a brow at him but smiled nonetheless, taking his hand, and he lifted her to her feet with surprising strength. Grabbing their bags, they walked alongside each other off the field and toward the school.

Aspen kept her eyes on him, and Danny must have felt it because he barked a laugh. "Relax, Veata. Your secret is safe with me," he assured, swinging an arm over her shoulder.

Aspen gaped, "That's not why I'm--ya know, forget it. As long as you don't rat me out to the discovery channel." she pointed an accusatory finger toward him.

"I'm just saying it would be a good investment for Columbia." Aspen frowned mockingly, and he shook her shoulders. "C'mon, don't frown like that. It can cause wrinkles. I have a cream for that. Gift from Lydia."

Aspen rolled her eyes with an amused smirk. "You would have a wrinkle cream."