Overheard Words

Summary: Danny talks with his friends, and Vlad overhears something he said.

Characters: Dash x Jazz; Sam x Tucker; Vlad x Danny; and Jack

Originally Written: February 2014

"You know," Dash said awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck as he stood by Jazz, "I thought about, um, talking to you after the whole thing that happened with your brother." He didn't look at her, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "But I kind of figured it would be," he hunched up his shoulders, "inappropriate. In a way. Like being your shoulder to cry on so that you would foster feelings for me." He frowned when he finally lifted his gaze toward her. "I didn't want a relationship built on something like that with you."

"Ow!" Danny winced as he was led out of hearing range of his sister and Dash by the ear. When they reached the kitchen and he was released, he rubbed at his ear. "What was that for?"

"Spying on your sister now?" Sam quirked an eyebrow up as she folded her arms and glared at Danny.

Danny frowned at her. "Well, she is my sister," he pointed out in a grumble. "Dash might be a good guy, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about my sister getting hurt. Relationships aren't without their problems. I just want to be there for her the way I haven't been there since the accident."

"From the looks of things," Tucker said, peeking back through the doorway into the front room where Dash and Jazz were still talking, "I don't think you have to worry too much. Dash seems determined to air everything out so that he has no secrets with Jazz. He really likes your sister. Like a lot. He doesn't want to hurt her."

"That doesn't make me any less concerned. It's a brother thing." Danny shrugged. "Jazz is the same way with the person I'm seeing." Danny almost laughed when he remembered how she made sure to remind the older half ghost that if he hurt her brother, he would regret it. She didn't really have anything to worry about though. Vlad didn't want to do anything to hurt him.

"Speaking of that," Tucker suddenly threw an arm around his friend's shoulders with a wide grin, "when do you think you might find someone?"

Danny frowned at his friend. "I told you I already have a boyfriend."

"Who we've never met," Sam pointed out, giving him a suspicious look.

"Yeah," Tucker jumped in to agree. "You barely ever talk about him. How do we know he ever really exists?"

Sam placed a hand on Danny's shoulder with concern in her eyes. "You don't have to pretend that you have a boyfriend with us."

Danny turned his gaze away, hoping his friends wouldn't be able to discover the truth in his expression. "I haven't really even had the time to hang out with him." He shrugged, though that wasn't quite true. He did get to see Vlad often, but actual dates were fewer than he liked. "You know, busy trying to catch up on my education so I can get into college next year." He was still a little disappointed that he wouldn't be able to start college with his friends, who were leaving in a few days, which was why his parents decided to throw this little get together as one last celebration before his friends and sister went off to college. But that disappointment wasn't going to discourage him from studying hard.

Tucker lifted an eyebrow at that. "Is it Kwan?" He turned to Sam and grinned. "It's totally Kwan. You owe me ten bucks."

"It's not-" Danny shook his head then paused to eye his friends. "You're betting on who I'm dating?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "You won't tell us anything. We've only been guessing at who it could be. Tucker thinks it's Kwan. I, on the other hand, think it's Luke from our history class freshmen year."

"I haven't even seen Luke since then," Danny reminded, wondering how Sam even came up with that idea. "And Kwan is not gay."

Tucker shared a look with Sam before turning his gaze back onto Danny. "You can't really blame us for being curious. You haven't said a word about this guy you've been seeing. And like you said, you've been spending most of your time trying to catch up on your education. Which means you've left very little time for him. What if he isn't happy about that? What if he goes off to college this year and falls in love with someone else? What if you do that next year?"

"And the two of you aren't worried about the long distance thing?" Danny countered with a skeptical lifting of his eyebrows. "What exactly do you think is going to happen anyway? I head off to college next year," he kept his fingers crossed on that, "and meet someone else and fall madly in love."

"What's that about falling madly in love?"

The voice made Danny stiffen with dread. He slowly cast a glance over his shoulder as Vlad entered with his father, who was carrying an empty bowl that needed to be refilled with chips. A nervous laugh fluttered out of him at the look Vlad gave him with mouth pressed thin and his nostrils doing that little flare they did when he was displeased about something but trying not to show it. Danny swallowed tightly because he knew the comment probably hit on Vlad's fears.

"Come on, Vladdie!" His father grabbed hold of Vlad with one arm, dragging the man against his big frame. "Don't you remember our freshmen year at college?"

"Yes," Vlad answered dryly with a flat glare. "But I think we're remembering it entirely differently."

His father merely laughed and slapped Vlad on the back. Then he walked out of the kitchen with a fresh bowl of chips.

"Anyway," Sam said after an awkward silent beat, "let's go play some videogames." She grabbed hold of her friends' arms to drag them out of the kitchen.

"Uh, I'll grab some drinks to bring up," Danny offered, managing to pry his arm free. His friends exchanged a glance before shrugging it off and leaving the room. When he thought they were well out of hearing range, Danny crossed the room to where Vlad stood leaning against the counter, well out of sight of the doorway. "Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I didn't mean it like that. I was being sarcastic. They were kind of prying into it, and I didn't want them figuring out who I'm really dating." Not yet anyway.

"Danny," Vlad said, placing a hand on the young half ghost's shoulder, "I'm aware that what you said is entirely possible. You're young and you haven't had a lot of experience with dating. When you go off to college, you might meet someone that sweeps you off your feet and you fall madly in love with."

"I don't want to fall in love with anyone else." Danny frowned up at the man. "I love you."

"What I'm trying to say, Danny, is that we can't predict the future. If you were to fall in love with someone else, I wouldn't stand in your way." Vlad pulled Danny closer, brushing his lips over the young man's forehead. "I'd want for you to be happy."

Danny tilted his head up. "You're the one that makes me happy." He stared firmly into Vlad's eyes. "I'm not going to fall for anyone else when I go off to college." He knew it was dangerous with Sam and Tucker upstairs and Dash in the front room, but he didn't care at that moment. He leaned up and kissed Vlad, who hesitated before returning the kiss.


simplygay me: Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying them. 8D The length of them sort of depends on whether I get carried away with an idea or not. XD;; Some might end up being pretty short.