Chapter 4: Spiritually Out of this World

Now feeling desperate to hide, Danny looks around for some place to hide. He lands near another alley and takes a knee to breathe. Looking back, he doesn't see Starfire.

"Gotta hide!" He looks around and, to his relief, he sees a dumpster. "Well, beggars can't be choosers." He walks over and lift the lid of the dumpster with enough force that it remains leaning on the wall.

Looking around, Danny slowly starts to climb into the dumpster. Unbeknownst to him, someone else flies in. A certain alien admirer managed to do so without him noticing, because he's too busy looking around. He almost closes it, peeking out, when he feels something on his left cheek that widens his eyes. Turning in that direction, he sees a pair of green eyes looking into his own.

"You have found the proper hiding spot, for most do not enjoy seeing a couple performing acts of affection."

She closes her eyes and kisses him on the lips.

In response, Danny opens the lid again with the force needed to hit the wall and flies upwards, breaking the kiss. Starfire, undeterred, follows him.

"Come here, cute one! Return to my arms!" She shouts happily as her arms open for him.

"Ah, that's fine!" Danny responds.

"Don't be shy!" She says in what he assumes is a flirting manner.

This only makes Danny fly faster. It takes him a moment to notice his legs haven't turned into the ghostly tail it normally becomes when he's at full speed. He realizes the blast from the gadget has weakened him more than he thought.

His moment of thinking distracts him as Starfire tackles into him, making them both land in the park that she and her friends usually visit.

"Hello, my darling!" Starfire says as she hugs Danny tightly while rubbing her cheek on his own. This stops when she notices one of the stores, a grocery store, is still open. This causes her to smile and drop him. "Wait here, for there is a delicious beverage on this planet called mustard. You must try it!"

Once she goes, Danny can only exhale once before he gets up.

"She drinks mustard?"

This curiosity ends when he realizes he's alone and sees another store open on the opposite side of the park. A store for formal wear. Shrugging, Danny flies towards it for hiding.

"I have returned!" Starfire calls out. When she arrives, she notices that he's missing. "Darling?" She notices the store that is open on the opposite side. Once she sees what's sold there, she has a large open-mouthed smile on her face. "He wishes to make the date more of the romantic!"

After about a half hour, the last employee in the store finally turns off the lights and leaves, locking the door and setting an alarm.

Unbeknownst to him, Danny has been inside the entire time. He's wearing a suit, acting like a mannequin that the admittedly old looking employee barely notices. Once the lights are off, Danny exhales and walks to the window. Looking out, he notices Starfire is gone. He sighs in relief but quickly notices someone is coming. Panicking, he notices a female mannequin and decides to act like the two are set up to be a couple. He gets on the stand and holds hands with it with his left hand. Putting on a smile, he poses as the couple walks by.

"That's adorable." The man said to his wife.

"The outfits would look nice for when our daughter goes to prom someday. And props to whoever made those things, they look like a cute couple." She says.

Once they're gone, Danny sighs with relief and gets off the stand, hoping to leave via the back door even if he has to blast it off. Once he's off, he notices that the hand he was holding is still in his, actually holding him. Turning to look, he sees the figure is looking at him. The headlights of a car that passes by reveals it is Starfire, in an admittedly beautiful pink dress with white gloves that go past her elbows.

Danny blushes for a moment before remembering who this is. He tries to fly away, but her grip is too strong.

"You needn't be shy with me, Phantom. For I am very open and loving! And I enjoy the actions of dancing!"

"Wait, what?!"

Before he can get an answer, Starfire tosses Danny into the middle of the store, which has much space open for dancing like in a ballroom. He notices Starfire near what he assumes is the sound system, which is proven right as it begins playing a slow, romantic dance song.

Uh oh.

Starfire grabs his arm and wraps one around her waist and the other in her arm as she wraps her own arm around his back and pulls him in.

"Come, let us dance!"

Without warning, Starfire begins moving, spinning Danny in a circle. Recognizing he needs to play along until he can get out, he starts to dance with her.

"I should warn you!" Danny says. "I'm not a great dancer!"

"That is fine! I too am inexperienced in this!" Starfire says happily.

They continue the dance and as this goes on, Danny looks into her eyes. He sees her looking lovingly at him and this is both terrifying but also flattering. She's not hideous at all, and she's clearly being nice. But his presence causes her to be a sort of stalker thanks to the energy coming off of him.

Danny decided he's just going to act like he's just as into her as she is to him, so that he can find a chance to make a break for it. He decides to dip down it her in his arms, but it goes too well. They look into each other's eyes and blush. Without thinking, Danny kisses her on the lips, one she returns. Once it's done, he realizes his mistake.

What did I just do?!

As he's horrified by this moment of impulse, Starfire is grinning. Her face is almost as red as her hair. If she wasn't interested in him before, she's definitely into him now.

"I knew it! I knew you shared my affections!"

Starfire wraps her arms around him and kisses him deeply. This sudden action causes Danny to let go of her, causing her to fall and take Danny with him. While on the floor, Starfire holds him tightly as she continues her kiss. Danny struggles to get up and get off of her, while getting his mouth off of hers as well. Once it's done, Danny moves quickly and lands on his rear, slowly trying to crawl away.

Unfortunately, Starfire won't let him. She then jumps onto him and proceeds smothering his face with small kisses.

My effect on her is getting worse!

Having gotten desperate enough, Danny manages to get Starfire off and flies through the window, breaking it and setting off the alarm. She follows him soon afterward.

"Wait for me, my starstruck sweetheart!"

Danny finds himself in the park again, hiding behind a tree. He peeks out to see if Starfire is still looking for him.

"I don't see her."

He flies into the trees, sitting on a branch. He sighs.

Suddenly he's tackled off and lands on the ground. Getting up, he sees his pretty stalker.

It's her!

"I have found you!"

Danny panics, but as he tries to get away, Starfire grabs him by both sides of his head and kisses him deeply. Outright afraid of her, Danny tries to run away, but she tackles into him.

They land in the bushes nearby. The sounds of kissing can be heard as she kisses his face all over. Her arms wrapped around him, Danny panics and tries to escape. Danny attempts to fly upward, but her grip is too strong. Struggling, Danny breaks free, the force causes him to lose the pants. Not seeing any point, he quickly takes off the rest of the suit and leave in his usual jumpsuit.

"I gotta hide!" Danny looks and sees what looks like a boardwalk and smiles. "There!"

From there, Danny sees a Ferris wheel. Thankfully, it's one of those boardwalks that seem to continue late at night. He flies into a gondola near the ground. Seeing Starfire nowhere, he sighs in relief.

"Finally…"

He relaxes and sits down.

She was pretty, but also pretty crazy. Maybe now I can focus on finding that thing. But first, I need to take a break from my "date".

After a while, he notices now the gondola has almost made it to the top. That's when he heard it.

"Sorry I am late, my little mate of the soul!"

Panicking, Danny looks around and realizes the voice came from above. Looking up, he sees Starfire, in her purple superhero outfit, on the top gondola, looking down and waving innocently. The color on his face draining, Danny steps back as she comes in, sitting next to him.

"Whoa, wait!"

"I know, my love!" The lovestruck alien girl says as she grabs his arms and brings him closer. "I too believe we are going the bit too fast!" Danny pulls out of her grip. She grabs both of his arms again, this time by the wrists and pulling them down. "That is why I think we must take our time go a bit slower…" Her head inches closer as she makes her bedroom eyes again. "Starting now." Puckering up, she moves in.

From the ground level, the gondola at the top can be seen rocking slowly as the sounds of kissing can barely be heard.

The couple from outside the store earlier walks by, looks up and figures it is a very affectionate couple.

"Heh, I guess they couldn't find a room." Says the husband.

"I hear this thing is popular for teenage couples." The wife says. "Ah, to be young and in love."

Starfire holds Danny closely, rubbing her cheek on his again.

Danny has a massive blush on his face from all of the physical contact he's had with her just now. He's breathing heavily.

I have got to go!

"I believe at this rate, you must meet my friends! And later, you must come back to Tamaran with me!" She looks into his eyes. "It is time to take this to the level that is the next in a relationship, no?"

His eyes widen.

"No!"

Danny breaks free and flies out.

Starfire rests her elbows on the side as she uses her hands to rest her head.

"Oh dear… perhaps we are going too fast again."

Poor Danny. This is just not his night, is it?

And for a brief moment, Danny let himself act without thinking and now Starfire has confirmation that he's also falling for her.

What will he do next?