"Clockwork?" Vlad asked after a few seconds of silence. He couldn't really turn to look at the ghost. But his best guess was that his admission wasn't being taken all that well. It was a pretty heavy thing to drop on a person, but of all people Clockwork would understand, right?

"Clockwork, say something please… I feel like an idiot."

"You got in a car crash because you realized you… Vladimir I cannot believe you!"

Vlad flinched slightly.

"Where is your face?" Clockwork asked, with a glare.

"Why?"

"I want to smack it! You couldn't wait until you got home?"

"Erm… That probably isn't a good idea. I'm pretty sure my nose is broken." Vlad tried to joke.

"I cannot believe you. You could have waited just until you were home. It was a five minute difference! There was one small future where you worked it out in the car and you just had to figure it out then?"

"So… You aren't mad at me for… Liking you?" Vlad asked timidly.

"No, I am mad because you have to always pick the future I expect the least and this time your stupid cosmic drive to be unique nearly got you killed!"

Vlad couldn't help but laugh, even if it hurt his throat. The way Clockwork phrased it, he sounded like a teenager desperate to be different, he didn't try and pick the least likely futures, he didn't know of any futures except for the ones that came true!

"I can't control when things happen, I'm pretty sure that is an ability you alone possess."

"If I could change what happens you wouldn't be lying on a hospital bed right now." He deadpanned. "I can nudge events and futures around, or change the likelihood of something happening but the final decision is up to the person in question, meaning you in this case you cracked walnut." Clockwork softly bonked him on the head with his hand.

"Oh… well that makes a bit more sense I suppose." Vlad was still feeling quite vulnerable from his declaration. "So...:"

"So?"

"Do you… like me back?"

"Oh… Well…" Now that the moment was here, he wasn't sure exactly how to phrase it.

"I mean I understand if you don't. I know I'm not exactly an easy person to like and…" Vlad trailed off, looking at him uncertainly.

"Vlad… you can be a complete fruitcake sometimes, and you make it extremely uneasy to like you."

"Wow, thank you." Vlad mumbled.

Clockwork gently covered Vlad's whole face with his hand since he wasn't really sure where his lips were. "I'm not done yet."

Vlad sighed and there was a muffled "Go on."

Clockwork took his hand off Vlad's face and began holding his hand again.

"But somehow despite all of that, i've liked you for quite some time now. I've just been waiting to tell you until you realized it yourself. Which, by the way, had a strong chance of happening anywhere but your sports car on a freeway but you make the impossible happen apparently."

"So you like me?" Vlad clarified.

"Yes, Vladimir, I like you."

"And you aren't pulling some kind of prank?"

"You are broken in several meanings of the word I think I would have to have a very poor sense of humor to do that to you." Clockwork said in a level tone, the idea of doing such a thing to Vlad was awful.

"Are you sure?"

"Are you trying to convince me otherwise?" Clockwork asked with a slightly amused tone.

"No! Of course no it's just…" He was wondering if this wasn't some sort of pity situation, for heaven's sake, he was this amazing time ghost and Vlad was just some pathetic hybrid. "Do you actually like me… or are you just saying that to make me feel better, or just because I'm in the hospital?"

"You know, even though you have a huge ego, your self esteem isn't all that great, why is it so hard to believe I love you?" Clockwork asked, head tilted somewhat curiously.

"Because you are amazing.. and I'm so… subpar."

"Vladimir, what about you is less than amazing? It isn't the way you always explain things to me, no matter how stupid it might seem, it isn't your laugh that makes me feel like sunshine every time I hear it, it isn't how even though you work so hard to make people think you don't care, you care a lot that I can see you actually care about me; it isn't how every time I hold your hand time seems to stop in a way I could never make it, and I just know that everything will be okay. You treat me like a person, not some god, and some helpless disabled nobody. I feel like a real, worthwhile person around you. You brought back a spark to my existence I haven't felt in millenia. You did that! You are amazing and beyond Vlad Masters, and I love you for it."

Clockwork smiled gently. He carefully moved a hand back to Vlad's face and used it to find his mouth. When he did, he leaned in and gave Vlad a gentle kiss.

If Vlad had any doubt left, it was erased with the kiss. Clockwork liked him. Clockwork actually liked him. He wished he could hug him, but he would just have to deal with what he had, not that he was going to complain too terribly much.

It was right then that Danny walked back in, this time as Fenton. Vlad idly wondered who was in charge of security because they weren't doing the best job. It wasn't like he was annoyed Danny had thought to come back and visit him, it was actually quite touching. It was just… inopportune at the current moment.

"Hey Vlad, I bugged my dad for some Packers games. He has almost all of them… on…" He looked between the two and dropped the tapes. "Who's the heck is this?"

Clockwork winced and broke the kiss. He kept his face turned away from Danny, blush spreading quickly in his human disguise. He was distracted he didn't realize Danny was going to be coming in or he would have left.

"This is my friend Daniel, the one I was telling you about?" Vlad said with a grin, though there was a bit of a blush on his face. At the very least now Danny had to believe he was real.

"Mr. Work?" Danny asked. Pieces of the puzzle quickly coming together.

"You told him my name was... " Clockwork gave Vlad an exasperated look. "No wonder they didn't believe you! Mr. Work? You couldn't make up a better name?"

"I was on the spot, okay? I don't do well if I don't plan."

"Clockwork?" Danny finally asked, looking more confused, and somewhat concerned by the second.

Clockwork turned around with what he hoped was a somewhat composed expression, though he could still feel his face burning red.

"Hello Daniel, how are you doing this afternoon?"

"What the hell is going on here?"

"We're dating." Clockwork said bluntly.

"Since when?"

"About… 50 seconds ago now. My how are we ever going to celebrate our one minute anniversary in time?"

"Well, it's the longest time i've ever dated someone, so i'll get back to you on that when we get there." Vlad blurted out, and then covered his mouth with his one good hand. Maybe he shouldn't be allowed to talk while on so many painkillers.

"So you two know each other?" Danny finally asked lamely.

"No Daniel, we met a few minuets ago and proceeded to immediately suck face." Vlad once again spoke without thinking.

"That was hardly sucking face." Clockwork objected.

"I know, I was trying to be dramatic. He's a teenager, they respond well to drama. I suppose you also know him Daniel?"

"No duh!"
"Okay, you both know me, can we bring this down a notch before someone tells us both to leave? I'm pretty sure Vlad is supposed to be in a relatively stress free environment right now and this is not helping."

Danny picked up the tapes and put them in an empty chair. He sat down with an dazed expression. This was really weird to think about; on the one hand this probably meant he wasn't going to be going after his mother anymore which was a big plus, but on the other hand, Vlad and Clockwork? It was weird to think of Vlad ending up with anyone, let alone a ghost like Clockwork. They seemed to be happy, and that's what should matter, right?

"You weren't lying about having a friend." Danny ventured

"I was not."

"A boyfriend even."

"Yes, I was not lying about his name, or his gender."

"No, I mean… a boyfriend." Danny couldn't help but laugh a little. He had been right yesterday, even if he could have never guessed who exactly caught Vlad's affections.

"Oh right, I suppose that is also true." A slight blush returned to Vlad's face.

"It is very true." Clockwork agreed with a smile.

Danny looked over to the bag he brought with him and back. "Oh, right! My dad told me to lend these to you, he said that you'd probably want them." Danny grabbed it and walked over to Vlad, showing him the wealth of packers tapes.

"Oh, that was… thoughtful of him. Why don't you put one on and we can all watch?"

Clockwork cleared his throat and gave Vlad an expectant look

"Oh right! I'll tell you what's going on, okay?"

"I'd like that very much."

A/N

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this story, for me it marks the biggest work I have ever written and I am very happy with how it turned out! These guys will most likely be returning in the future, following a much needed break.