"Stop that."
White eyebrows raised. "What?"
Dan lifted his head and rubbed his forehead slowly. "Winking. It feels like your flirting with me."
"Dan," Clockwork said slowly, as though speaking to a small child, "I am flirting with you."
"Well stop. It's creepy. Besides, we're alone. Why would you wink when there's only one person in the room?" At Clockwork's stormy expression, he quickly added, "It's- it's the beard. And the wrinkles. It's weird."
Clockwork allowed a moment to turn the thought over in his mind. "I'm old," he finally stated, the tone sounding somewhere between factual and revelation.
"Yeah. And it's the most unsexy thing ever." Dan gave Clockwork a cross look, as if to scold the time master.
Clockwork huffed loudly and left without another word, substituting a foot-stomp with an aggressive spectral-tail that weaved out the door.
He snorted at the display and turned back to his book. There wasn't too much to do in the tower for entertainment, and while he wasn't an avid reader, he would browse through various tomes on occasion.
Today's choice was a J to P encyclopedia of monsters that could be seen in the ghost zone. He had found his place and was just starting to get into it when a pair of arms wrapped around his neck.
"Stop it."
A mirthful voice tickled his ear. "Do you not enjoy the youth of now?"
Interest finally piqued, Dan grew a devilish smile and turned his head toward the ghost.
A glimpse of disproportionately large teeth and round cheeks were all the warning he had before the wettest, sloppiest kiss assaulted the side of his face. It was as if someone had scooped warm pudding on him and completed it with the pop of an octopus releasing a sucker.
Dan shouted in surprise and quickly rose, toppling his chair and rubbing his face viciously against his cape, expletives falling faster than they could fully form.
The assailant quickly moved back and shot out of the room before Dan could even decide to give chase. The time master had the advantage of knowing Dan's location at any time, but luckily for Dan they were on even footing. The loud cackling filling the halls was better than any tracking system available.
A/N: Because they need more love.