When the Lights Are Low

Summary: Date night rolls around, and Danny decides on something that he hasn't done in what feels like forever: go to the movies.

Characters: Vlad x Danny

Originally Written: March 2014

"Are you sure about this?" Vlad questioned with the slightest wrinkling of his nose like he had just caught whiff of a foul stench.

Okay. Even Danny had to admit that the movie theater had an odd odor to it, that he was currently pretending not to notice. But honestly, where was that smell coming from? The floor was a bit sticky under their feet too, so it was difficult to move about quietly. For a normal human anyway. If they really wanted to, Danny and Vlad could take advantage of their ghost powers to sneak away, especially once the lights went off and they were left in the dark.

"Hey, I never got to do the whole normal dating thing," Danny complained as he decided on a seat in the middle of the row slightly back from the center of the theater. Vlad joined him, sitting down a bit gingerly, and Danny tried not to laugh at the expression on the older half ghost's face. Vlad seriously looked like he was afraid his expensive suit was going to be ruined because some teenager left a wad of bubblegum on the seat, or something worse. "I thought we should at least have this experience once for a date." Danny leaned back happily in his seat, fixing his super large soda into the cup holder. "It's been forever since I've been to a movie. What about you?"

Vlad placed the bag of popcorn in his lap as he thought about it. "Not since before the accident. After that, well, let's just say I had other things on my mind that didn't involve spending all my time in a dark movie theater."

"Oh." Danny turned his head to the large screen in front of them and shifted awkwardly in his seat. It hadn't really occurred to him when he suggested they see a movie together for their date that Vlad probably hadn't bothered to go to a movie theater for years. "Sorry." He bowed his head, tugging at a loose strand on his jeans.

"It's quite all right." Vlad leaned back, trying to get comfortable as he watched random advertisements flash upon the screen. "I have the time now, and I wouldn't think of enjoying a movie with anyone else."

Danny hunched up his shoulders, his cheeks warming, and he was glad that hardly anyone else was in the theater. There was a group of four girls sitting several rows ahead of them. Behind them was a couple, both with white hair. A younger couple sat in a dark corner, and Danny could only imagine what they might plan on doing once the lights were off. But for the most part, he felt like they were practically alone, and when he glanced toward Vlad, his own naughty thoughts popped into his mind. His cheeks started to burn even brighter as the lights dimmed around them and the music of the movie theater intro blared so loudly it made his ears ache. He thought for sure his eardrums were literally rattling from the noise of the movie. In the glow from the screen, Danny saw Vlad grimace at the loudness too.

The trailers for movies coming out in the future flashed across the screen while Danny sipped from his soda, soaking it all in with bright burst of color and explosions. It felt a little surreal to him. Everything about the movies looked so new and shiny to him. His gaze flicked to Vlad, whose eyes were wide and his expression one of shock. Danny could only think to describe it as someone that was yanked from the past and thrust a hundred years into the future and was trying to absorb all the new technology and other advances the world had made during that missed century. Danny marveled over the new graphics and special effects they put into movies today, but Vlad hadn't seen a movie since back in the eighties where something like Return of the Jedi was revolutionary with its special effects.

The movie was sort of interesting. It had the drama and the big explosions and the chase scenes and the fights and a dash of romance thrown in that didn't overpower the whole movie. But Danny's gaze kept straying back toward Vlad throughout the movie. He couldn't read whether his boyfriend liked the movie or not since his expression remained that same stunned, wide eyed look from when the trailers started.

"Are you enjoying it?" Danny whispered as he leaned in close to Vlad's ear. A grin played across his face when Vlad jumped in surprise, jerked out of his shock at the movie.

"I think I saw a movie with this same plot years ago," Vlad whispered back, sounding rather unimpressed, "though that one didn't have all this," he gestured at the screen with one hand, "unnecessary pyrotechnics."

"They're called special effects. You know, like computer generated images." Danny rolled his eyes like he would whenever his parents showed their age by being confused with all the latest tech that didn't pertain to ghost hunting equipments. He was pretty sure that his father still didn't know how to program the DVR. But he guessed Vlad had an excuse for not knowing much about all the latest effects in movies since he used to be busy as an assassin. "If it's not to your liking," he grinned, sneakily reaching over to place his hand on Vlad's thigh, "I can think of something far more interesting we could do in a dark, nearly empty theater."

"Danny," Vlad said, his voice firm though Danny thought he heard a hint that the man might give in with a little persuasion. The light from the screen as the characters walked around in a bright white facility illuminated the older half ghost's face, giving Danny the chance to see the splash of color upon his cheeks. "I would prefer such intimate interactions to be done in the privacy of our own home."

Danny blinked then a wry smirk curled crookedly upon his face. "Really? You've never been tempted to make out in a movie theater before? This is a perfect opportunity to cross that off the list." He leaned over even closer until his lips were brushing over Vlad's ear. "And with ghost powers no one would ever have to see us." His hand slipped up Vlad's thigh, nudging under the bag of popcorn that remained in the man's lap.

"Danny." Vlad's tone was firmer than before, carrying the weight of a warning in it.

Danny liked toying with the man when Vlad was in the mood to play along, but he also knew the warning signs of when to back off. He pulled back to his own seat, turning to face the screen. When Vlad made it clear that he wasn't interested in kissing or other stuff, Danny respected him and didn't push the topic. They watched the movie to the end in comfortable silence, but Danny smiled when Vlad reached over and laced their hands together.


midnight: Tucker's been saving up. 8D He had to get the right ring that he knew Sam would love.