A-heh-heh. Long time, no see, eh? Pleasedon'tkillme. I claim a two month lack of inspiration. And laziness. Looots of laziness.
Vlad PoV
Danny had fallen asleep in my arms last night. I called his parents before it got too late, telling them that Daniel was here in Wisconsin with me. At first, they had been frantic. I calmly explained to them that Danny was feeling suffocated at home and needed some air. He'd taken the first flight to Wisconsin in an attempt to get some fresh air and had arrived at my mansion late in the evening. After promising to give him a scolding of his life, they reluctantly allowed him to stay until Monday, wanting me to tell him he'd be in a world of trouble when he got home.
Danny is still asleep, as I knew he would be. It was only ten in the morning, and I'd just received my Saturday paper. I was quite confident that he wouldn't be angry with me for calling his parents, despite the fact that he had a good grounding waiting for him upon his return. I know he wants to stay here, if only to pretend that yesterday hadn't happened for a little while longer.
God, what a nightmare. The look on his friends faces...and the horrible things that girl had said...it was mind boggling. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Of all the people to understand jealously, I'm the expert. That still doesn't excuse her words though. I never dreamed she would actually go as far as calling Danny my "boy toy."
I glared furiously at the newspaper, just the thought making me angry enough to set the print on fire. What a pompous little brat. To have the actual nerve to say that not only to me, but her best friend. And people think I have a heart of stone.
No doubt, she'll completely ignore Danny's existence at school, not listening to a single apology he offers, even if he's on his knees. I know Daniel, he'll continue to try and be her friend no matter what she says to him. Sometimes he can be so foolish. I can only hope he's strong enough to endure the pain that's sure to come from the three people he thought he could trust.
The coffee steamed on the table next to me, untouched. A low fire was crackling and I threw the paper into the flame. It was pointless to try and focus on the daily news. I heard sheets rustle behind me and glanced over my shoulder to see Danny snuggle deeper into the pillows, mumbling incoherent words. He looks so peaceful in his sleep, oblivious to the struggles ahead. He looks happy right now. I felt my anger return, more thoughts of his friends and sister plaguing my mind.
It didn't make any sense. They all claimed to be worried about Daniel, but what was there to be worried about? He's spent the past month with me and not a single bad thing that happened to him. He's happy with me. Isn't that what they want? Him to be happy? I suppose it's the 'with me' part they're not to pleased about. How ridiculous. You don't get to pick and choose who you fall in love with, and there sure as hell isn't any use in throwing a huge fit about it.
I glared into the fire, the red embers reflecting my simmering mood. The worst part about this situation was that there wasn't even a real solution. With all my powers of being a half ghost, there wasn't a thing I could do to make this all just go away. Actually, no, there are many things I could do to make this all go away, but I'm quite positive Danny wouldn't approve of them. The only thing I can do is hug Danny when he needs it and hope it all turns out okay.
I couldn't stop an annoyed scowl from crossing my face, the discontented knot in my stomach turning the corners of my mouth down farther. I can't believe that I, Vlad Masters, feel useless. Perhaps Daniel will want to run the risk of brain damage on his friends and use the memory fabricators after all? If only he didn't have so many irritating morals.
A great sigh escaped from my chest and I leaned my head against my hand. Must it be such a big deal? Me and Danny are happy together. Why can't that be enough?
But of course, I knew why it wouldn't be enough. They don't trust me, and as far as they're concerned, I'm just a manipulative forty year old creep. I really don't want to waste my time trying to change their opinions of me. What do I care if they hate me? But, unfortunately, as long as they hate and mistrust me, it's likely they're going to hate and mistrust Danny.
Perfect.
A quiet yawn caused me to glance back at him again. I watched as he slowly pulled himself up, rubbing his eyes tiredly and hair sticking out in random directions. I smirked at the sight, grim thoughts floating away for a moment as he looked at me with a lazy smile.
"Good morning Vlad." He smiled, blinking slowly, obviously still half asleep.
"Good morning Danny." I said quietly.
Without further ado he dragged himself from the bed, taking the sheets with him, and stumbling over to my lap on the couch. Still smiling without a care in the world, he snuggled into my chest, wrapped up in the pure white blanket. I watched as he sunk back into sleep, breathing softly against the crook of my neck. I tried not to think about his less than peaceful wake that was soon to come.
"I'm worried about you Danny." I said to him, petting his midnight hair.
He slept on, unaware of my whispers. I sighed, looking back at the fire and still feeling his feather soft locks in my fingers. How would he cope? What would he do now that his friends knew our secret? I suppose it all depends on how his friends and sister react. I pray they haven't told his parents. That would be a complete and utter disaster. All it would take is one angry mother and court hearing, and I'd never be able to see Danny again. Not legally at least.
I rubbed my temples, tired of thinking about it. At least I can be sure they haven't said anything to Maddie and Jack as of yet. Danny would defiantly not be sleeping in my lap right now if they had.
I sat there for at least another hour, thinking about everything I didn't want to think about. Just as I was about fed up with my uncooperative brain, Danny stared stirring in my arms again. It was the perfect distraction, and I jumped at the chance to push my darker thoughts away and focus on him.
He yawned, rubbing his bleary eyes and looking a little confused. I watched as he slowly looked around, eyes still lidded with sleep.
"Good morning Daniel."
He looked up at me slowly, recent events suddenly dawning on him.
"Vlad?" he looked around for a second time, actually taking in his surroundings this time. "What am I doing here? What day is it?" He jumped out of my lap, looking a little panicky as he clutched the long sheets to his chest.
"What happened to Sam, Tucker, and Jazz? What's going on?"
"Danny," I interrupted calmly, gently grasping his hips and pulling him back down into my lap "Hush Danny, everything is fine. I called your parents and they're okay with you staying here for the weekend, although you have a hell of a grounding waiting for you when you get back home."
Danny was still tense, blinking slowly and looking at a loss. I could hear his heart beat slowly decreasing, though his hands were still clenched.
"What..." his quiet voice trailed off, leaving the question unfinished.
I sat patiently, waiting for him to continue.
"So it wasn't a dream, was it." he said after a long silence, a depressed acceptance in his voice.
"No." I wished I was lying. "It wasn't a dream."
He sat silently for a little while longer, his eyes shadowed with despair. I hated seeing him like that, so subdued. He had such a wild and alive spirit, it should never be so suppressed. I rose a hand to his back, squeezing a shoulder comfortingly. Danny sighed, finally relaxing and leaning back into me, curling up against my chest.
"I don't want to think about that right now." he said in a stubborn voice, scowling his thoughts away.
"I thought not." I smiled gently, kissing the crown of his head.
Danny was silent in my lap, no doubt thinking about the things he didn't want to think about. His stubborn expression was slowly melting, leaving an empty look in his eyes that I didn't like. I rubbed his back, bare flesh tingling under my fingertips. He shifted closer, playing with my long, loose hair absentmindedly.
"I...I don't know what to do." he admitted quietly, a fist clenching.
I watched his frustrated expression, wondering the same.
"There isn't much you can do. What ever happens in the coming weeks all depends on your friends."
"But what if they never speak to me again? And what about Jazz? What if she tells my parents?" his voice strained. I hugged him closer, calming him down.
"She hasn't told your parents yet, Danny, and if she was planning to do so we both know she would have already done it."
He took a heavy breath, relaxing slightly at the logic in my words.
"But...but what about my friends?" he whispered.
I didn't have an answer to that.
I don't know how long we sat there, fearing the unforeseeable future. It was silly really, because nothing good ever comes from fear of what could happen. I didn't want Danny to worry about it, even though it was inevitable. I wanted him to know this was a place that he could come to and relax, a place where only the happy times existed. I'm well aware how unrealistic and even juvenile that hope was, but I wished for it all the same.
"Come." I finally cut into our melancholy thoughts, "We can't sit here and worry all day."
"So what are we gonna do? Pretend everything's just fine?" He scowled, his mood turning black.
I took hold of his chin and kissed him lightly, telling him I was still here for him. He responded instantly, letting his guard down for just a second and revealing the desperation behind his scowl.
"Chin up, Little Badger," I whispered, nuzzling his face. "They'll come around."
"Will they?" he asked sadly.
"They're your best friends, they'd do anything for you." I smiled, "I only say this because I've witnessed it first hand."
A small grin started up on his face, I tried to encourage it.
"You'd be hard pressed to find other friends who'd traverse the realm of the dead with you and stand by your side against brilliant, billionaire masterminds."
His smile expanded and he chuckled in a relenting fashion.
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right, I'm Vlad Masters."
Danny rolled his eyes, finally pushing off my lap and stumbling to the floor. He stretched high to the sky, clad in nothing but boxers. I leaned back and admired the view, laughing when he turned around and blushed.
"You'd think you'd be used to me staring at you by now." I cocked an eyebrow.
"You've always stared at me Vlad," he waved a hand, a cheeky smirk on his face. "I'm just finally starting to notice it more."
"That's because you're clueless."
"Hey!"
I grinned, standing up and taking him into my arms in a brief hug before going to open the French doors. Bright sunlight cascaded into the room, the dark curtains thrown aside to let the heat of the day in. Danny glanced up at the sudden sunshine with a small smile before returned to the dresser, rummaging around for clothes.
"So, what are we going to do today?" he asked lightly, holding up a dark shirt and then shaking his head, returning it for another.
"Anything you want, I suppose." I called over my shoulder, tying the curtains back.
"I don't really care. What do you want to do?"
I shrugged, turning around to see him hoist a pair of dark jeans over his hips and slip into a light, button up shirt that hugged his frame. I smiled, happy to see he wasn't going for the formless t-shirts.
"Don't get used to it." he warned, easily reading my thoughts.
"I wouldn't say that, Danny," I looked down at him, "I think you're starting to like the 'church clothes'."
"Yeah, you wish." he laughed, pausing to look in my full body mirror. He was quiet for a moment, fingering the material of the shirt.
"Well, maybe I like some of the tops." he relented, a half smile on his face.
"I certainly like them." I purred, wrapping my arms around his chest and fingering the taunt material.
"Of course you do." Danny's eyes lids lowered, back bending closer to me.
I trailed a tongue along his ear, my hot breath probably sending his brain in circles. He closed his eyes, a smile on his face. I caressed his jawline, smoothly turning him around and moving my lips to his again. He snaked his arms around my neck, pulling me closer and moaning when I teased him with a light bite to his bottom lip.
"Is this what you want to do all day?" I asked through the kiss, stroking his hair.
"I'm certainly not impartial to it."
"I'm impressed. That's a big word Daniel." I chuckled, tasting the skin on his neck.
"Shut up Vlad." he gasped.
I couldn't help but laugh again, wondering if maybe it was pointless in getting dressed today. I pulled the buttons to his shirt apart, letting the light material slip off his shoulders and revealing the tantalizing skin underneath.
"You won't be needing this today." I breathed, eying his soft flesh hungrily and feeling a slight tug from somewhere below my navel.
"Probably not." He mumbled, hands moving to clutch my arms.
I'm not sure how we so quickly descended into our more lustful desires, but we did. Danny was quick to respond to my touch, melting as I landed feather light kisses on his neck and shoulders. He moved closer to me, molding his body to mine and curling his fingers in my hair. I ran a hand up his curved back, moving his head where ever I wanted, gaining easier access to his exposed neck.
"We...haven't even had breakfast...yet." Danny gave a breathy laugh, still squirming against my body.
"When do we ever actually make it to breakfast here?" I mumbled, kissing a sensitive spot behind his earlobe.
His relpy turned into a moan, fingers pulling at the shirt on my back. I moved to his lips, running a tongue along the bottom before sliding into his mouth. His fingers turned into fists, pulling me closer and jumping to returning the kiss.
I don't think I would ever get over how perfectly his smaller frame fits into my grasp, as though his waist was simply made for me to hold. He was like putty in my hands, letting me turn him every which way I desired and pressing ever closer to me, erasing the last breath of space between us.
We fell back into the bed, his body draped over mine whimsically. I ran a hand down his back, clutching his thigh and pulling it closer. Danny broke the kiss for half a second to rip my clothes through me, throwing them to the floor.
"And you think I'm being hasty?" I chuckled against his lips, opening my eyes a sliver and seeing his own lidded stare.
"Shut up Vlad." he breathed, kissing me once more.
I grinned into the kiss, loving how he turned into a little nymphomaniac for me. He started teasing my nipples brashly, moving away from the kiss to bite my neck, hips grinding into mine. A groan slipped past my unguarded throat, the hands holding his waist tightening as my arousal gave another throb.
I think, somewhere in the deep recesses of my remaining logic, I noticed the more desperate touch behind his teasings, the more urgent gasp behind every kiss. It wasn't difficult to understand the sudden possessiveness he carried.
He was trying to forget.
In one swift movement, I flipped our positions over, kneeling over him and restraining his wrists above his head. Well if he was trying to use rough sex as a coping mechanism I certainly wasn't going to argue. Danny hissed when I broke his skin with my teeth, tasting the coppery tang. If he wanted it rough he'd get it rough.
I tore the remaining clothes from his body, kissing his marked neck and then moving down to his chest. His back arched when my teeth bruised his nipples, mouth turning down in a grimace and arms wrapped around me in a crushing grip. Fingers curled in my hair again as I dragged my tongue lower, leaving a long wet trail from his chest to his navel.
"Vlad..." he groaned.
He jumped and groaned much louder when I grabbed his cock, pumping his erection suddenly. Almost instantly his hips started moving against my hand. He forced his lips against mine, gasping when I dragged my nails along his length. I continued to kiss him as he gasped below me, traveling up and swirling my tongue around his ear, my breath permeating his head.
"Aagh--please..." he groaned, flinching as I scrapped the head of his dripping cock with my thumb nail. My arousal gave another lurch at hearing him plead for me, my patience slowly disappearing.
I laughed darkly in his ear, watching goosebumps rise on his arms as he shivered. He didn't notice as I inched my free hand behind him, furtively gliding it down his arched back and coming to a rest as his entrance. Danny groaned almost painfully when I pushed a dry finger inside him, hissing when I forced in a second and started scissoring his walls.
"Fuck--Vlad!" he grit his teeth, breath coming out in broken gasps as he forced himself to relax, my steadily scissoring fingers and pumping hand calming his frantic brain.
His voice fell back into heavy moans, nails tearing at my skin when I added a third. He was panting against my neck, his breath coming out in hot puffs. I forced his head back, tangling my fingers in his hair and yanking. Danny blinked up at me, vulnerable sky-blue eyes darkened with lust, his cheeks flushed red. I watched his chest rise and fall dramatically, his body flinching when I forced my fingers in deeper. My cock throbbed painfully again, itching to be pounding into the boy I was dominating.
Danny whined in displeasure when I removed my fingers, pinning him down with one hand while blinding reaching for the tube in the nightstand drawer. The musky scent of the oil didn't really register in my head, only the panting, aroused teen below me did. I threw the bottle out of the way when I didn't need it anymore and grabbed Danny's shoulders, flipping him on to his stomach and kneeling behind him.
He screamed when I thrust into him, his walls swallowing me whole. I groaned, grabbing his hips in an iron grip. Danny choked on a moan, crying out again when I pulled out and slammed back in. I felt the hot walls closing around my throbbing arousal, craving more.
I couldn't hold back another moan when Danny pressed back into my cock, burying himself deeper and dragging me down farther. He was on his knees before me, rocking back and forth against my cock. My eyes glazed over for a moment and I thrust into him again, his voice music to my ears when I hit that special spot.
"Fuck!" he screamed, arms shaking.
I pulled out and thrust in again, and again, and again. He screamed for me, my name echoing out the open French doors. Danny groaned, bowing his head and gritting his teeth. I reached down and started pumping his erection, each jab into his entrance timed with a firm squeeze. Danny's head snapped up, eyes heavy with lust. He groaned and arched his back, pressing into my erection and loosing the battle to outlast me with every thrust.
He gave a strangled cry and stained the sheets, groaning loudly. I bit his neck from behind, his hot flesh pulsing against me as he rocked back and forth, eye's squeezed shut. I let go, groaning when I finished my climax inside of him, feeling him shiver and press into me.
Danny's arms were still shaking, and when I slowly dragged myself out of his entrance I noticed a few blood stains on the sheets. The pang of guilt only lasted a second though. I knew this sort of thing would probably happen. I wasn't exactly gentle. Danny didn't seem to care, judging by the smile spreading across his face. I lowered myself back to the bed beside him, pulling him to a cleaner spot and hugging him close, listening to his rapid heart beat and labored breathing die down.
"Wow." he gasped, running a shaky hand through his hair.
I gave a breathy laugh at his simple description, but agreeing with him all the same. Danny took a last deep breathe to steady his gasps and slowly turned around, wincing slightly.
"Damn, Vlad, I'm gonna be sore for a week." he leaned into my chest, giving me a look.
"You can't say you didn't enjoy it." I smirked, a shrewd look in my eye.
Danny thought about it for a moment and then gave a relenting shrug, nodding his head.
"True."
He laid on my bare chest for a while, dancing his fingers over my skin absentmindedly. I rubbed his back affectionately, my mind drifting (mostly to sex), enjoying his company while I still had it. Danny yawned quietly and settled back in, a content smile on his face.
"Danny?"
"Hmm?"
"I think I'm going to teach you teleportaion today."
His head snapped up, the surprise in his eye lasting for a second before he gave me an exasperatedly look.
"About damn time!"
I laughed a little sheepishly.
"I didn't mean to wait this long." I shrugged apologetically. "Things got in the way."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Like he didn't know the answer to that.
"Not much," I replied flippantly, playing along and pulling him into a long kiss.
"Mostly this." I hummed, glossing a hand down his back and dragging it back up.
"Ah. Well I can see how that would distract you."
"Indeed."
Danny grinned, kissing me quickly and then sitting up to straddle my waist, a pained look coming over his face unexpectedly.
"Aah-shouldn't have moved so fast." he winced, glaring flatly at my laugh.
As much as I loved his position, I sat up as well, an amused grin still on my face even as I stretched my arms and back. Danny looked up at me, the glare gone and an expectant look on his face. It wasn't hard to figure out what he wanted.
"After breakfast. Then I promise I'll teach you."
He sighed, glancing at the clock.
"It's lunch."
"After lunch then." I replied patiently, scooping him up in my arms and standing from the bed.
"Would you stop that!" he squirmed. I ignored him.
"I can't wait until I get taller. Then you won't be able to pick me up any more." he crossed his arms when he realized I wasn't going to put him down, pouting adorably.
"You have a long wait for that little badger," I reminded him with a smirk, "and even then, I'll still pick you up just to annoy you."
"Jerk."
I grinned, carrying him into the bathroom and into the shower.
Unsurprisingly, I ended up molesting Danny a few more times, dragging out what should have taken fifteen minutes into an hour. By the time we were dried, clothed (again) and walking out the door, Danny was a little dazed and it was well past noon.
"I love coming here." he wrapped his arms around my waist, smiling blissfully.
I grinned, ruffling his hair and feeling my ego rise a few more notches. We made our way downstairs, the smell wafting from the kitchens leading the way. We stayed clear of the smaller kitchen, where just last night the future had blown up in our faces. Instead we headed outside again, to the same spot where I cooked him his first meal here. Danny remembered it, laughing and shaking his head about how paranoid he'd been.
Two plates were already on the little table, having been placed there ahead of us. Danny ate his lunch slowly, compared to the other meals he'd inhaled here, taking the time to savor the food together. We talked and laughed, steering clear of any topic concerning Amity Park.
"This is a really good salsa." Danny commented lightly, popping a chip in his mouth with a grin.
"You can ask the chief for the recipe, although, judging by our Japanese style lunch, you might not want to know the ingredients."
"Hmm, probably." He nodded gravely, eyeing the dip warily for a moment before shrugging and dipping another chip.
"The chips are kinda gross though."
"That's because there not real chips."
Danny gagged, coughing.
"Well then what are they?" he choked, dropping the chip in his hand and staring at it.
"Dried vegetable crisps."
He stared at me with a moderately horrified expression.
"Vlad, that's disgusting."
"I'm not even going to bother telling you what's in the dip."
"Ah! What the heck am I eating!" Danny yelled dramatically, pushing the dip bowl far away from his plate.
I received a simmering glare in response to my laughter, he obviously wasn't amused.
"Oh, come now Daniel." I rolled my eyes, "Surely you can step away from American fried potato chips for a little variety, hmm?"
"Variety? Yes. Dried vegetable crisps? No."
He didn't touch the crisps or the dip for the rest of the meal.
"When are you going to teach me teleportation?" he asked once the meal was finished and we were returning to the indoors, bouncing along beside me.
"Not easily distracted today, are you little badger?" I laughed, "I suppose now would be a good time, although we might want to wait until your lunch settles."
Danny waved away the advice, much too impatient to wait. I shrugged and let him lead the way to the training room, knowing any argument would be futile. He always likes to learn the hard way.
"Now teleportation is quite possibly one of the most difficult techniques to learn." I began as we made our way down the halls.
"It took me years before I could fully master it, thus, you shouldn't be disappointed when you don't teleport today." He looked slightly put out by the news, but it couldn't be helped.
"We're just gonna be doing boring exercises, aren't we?" he sighed.
"Pretty much." I smiled apologetically, ruffling his hair when his shoulders sagged a bit.
"Don't be too disappointed, Danny. The exercises we do today will help with forming stable duplicates as well. I expect you'll be able to form four solid duplicates in about four months time."
"Four months!?" he gapped.
"Danny, you're going to live for the next millennium. Four months isn't a long time."
"Well it's long right now." he mumbled.
"We should work on your patience." I noted, smirking at his scowl.
The training room offered ample space to practice teleportation, but I lead him to a secluded corner of the massive room, where nothing but a large square of blank space rested.
"I've spent the last month or so teaching you combat and evasive maneuvers, both offensive and defensive." I began, standing in the middle of the open space and transforming into my ghost half.
A flash of light alerted me to Danny's transformation, and when I turned around I saw Phantom standing before me, a curious shine in his neon green eyes.
"Today, I will start teaching you about your powers themselves." the laws of gravity fell away as I took flight, hovering several feet above the ground. Danny lifted off slowly, following me into the air.
"You mean like Star Wars stuff?"
I rose an eye brow.
"I suppose if you want to think of it that way..." I trailed off, crossing my arms lightly.
Danny shrugged, awaiting instructions.
"As you are well aware, ghost powers take time to develop. With more time comes more matured power which allows new degrees of control to be harnessed. For example," I rose a hand in the air, palm facing up.
Danny jumped as a sudden bolt of white hot electricity spiked from my hand, the single jagged streak stretching to the ceiling and leaving a large, black mark in the white paneling.
"That alone took months to achieve. At first all I could do was short circuit my entire mansion." I rolled my eyes, smirking at Danny's dumbfounded look.
"How do I do that?" he asked slowly, staring at the black explosion mark on the ceiling.
"I'm not sure if you can. Ghosts develop different abilities just has humans are born with different talents. Perhaps you will be able to bend electricity eventually and perhaps you won't. The point is the degree of control I have over my abilities. What abilities do you have complete control of?"
"Uh...ecto blasts, shields, about three clones,a weird whip-stinger thing, and the usual invisibility and intangibility and stuff."
"As you focus more on where the power behind these attacks comes from, you will develop a certain understanding of them." I nodded, "Naturally, this will lead to better control of your powers and new abilities."
"Sounds complicated."
"Not really," I gave a small smile, floating forward and taking one of his hands.
"Form a ball of ectoplasm."
He did.
"You did it without thought because its become second nature to you, but do it again and this time focus on how your formed the ectoplasm."
He let the glowing green ball dissipate and did it again, this time slowing down and staring at his open palm with concentration, the new ball growing from the size of a cherry to a baseball.
"How did you do it?" I asked.
"It...it felt like I pulled the ectoplasm from my own hand." he looked confused, letting the ball dissipate and doing it again for good measure.
"That's because, in effect, you are. The ectoplasm used to fuel blasts, shields, and this ball comes directly from you, straight from the stream of ectoplasm flowing beneath your skin."
Danny made a face.
"Ignoring the fact of how gross that is, how am I able to blow things up and form it into shields if it's supposed to be running through my veins? Doesn't that mean I'm a walking bomb?"
"Yes, you are." I smiled, proud of his insight. "If you chose to do so, and had the skill, you could turn your very body into a massive bomb. I recommend against that, but the option is there."
Danny looked a little nervous.
"I could blow myself up? But...sometimes I accidentally use powers and I don't know how I do it. I'm not gonna accidentally self destruct one day, am I?"
"No, I wouldn't worry about that." I smiled, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "The degree of control required to shift your entire being into one contained explosive is too far beyond the basic abilities of a ghost. You'd have to really be focusing on your own end for something like that to happen."
"Oh." He said softly, still looking a little troubled. "But, does that mean you could shift your body into something different? You mentioned shields. Could I, like, form myself into one giant shield?"
"Indeed you could. You can probably manipulate the ectoplasm in your body to form just about any attack you can produce outside you're body, similar to shape shifting."
"Sweet." He beamed, "But you can't do it accidentally, right?" his tone dropped into worry again.
"No, it requires too much concentration to be preformed by accident."
He nodded slowly, looking reassured.
"So how do I do it?"
"Ah, yes, the basics." I smirked at his drop in enthusiasm.
"Ugh. I hate the basics."
"I know, unfortunately they're a necessary evil in the world. Now, form another ball of ectoplasm, but this time let it grow to the size of a basketball."
He opened his palm, letting the green energy come forth and grow to the correct size with little effort.
"Let it grow bigger, but be sure to remain in control." he did as he was told and I continued talking as the swirling ball of potentially explosive ectoplasm grew.
"Notice how your body becomes more and more drained the bigger the ball gets. Your body is working furiously to cycle the ectoplasm within you, but the more you drag out the less there is to cycle."
He was sweating by now, face set in a hard glare. The ball had grown dramatically, at least as big as Daniel himself.
"The more you practice, the more your body will be able to recharge itself of lost ectoplasm. Think of your body as out of shape. The more you do this simple exercise, the faster you can recharge and the stronger you will become."
"Vlad..." Danny grunted, sinking to the ground and struggling to hold up the bus sized ball.
He looked about ready to drop the contained energy, which would have resulted in disaster. I rose a hand to the ball, placing it on the swirling, but dormant ectoplasm and drawing it in like a leech. Danny's arms stopped shaking as the ball decreased in size, letting out the breath he'd been holding.
I breathed deeply, raising my other hand and letting out the accumulating ecoplasm through a low charge ecto blast. Danny's head snapped in my direction at the noise, but he didn't loose control of the ball. Once it was reduced to a more manageable size, I let go, and Danny lit it dissipate with a sigh, quickly falling to the ground.
"Good." I stared down at him. He looked up at me, panting and sweating. "Now do it again."
"What!"
"Well you're not going to get any better if you don't practice." I smirked, crossing my arms.
"I can't do that again! I'll drop it!" he croaked, forcing himself to his feet.
"Don't let it grow that big. Hold it steady once it hits the size of a car and then draw it back into you."
Danny grumbled irritably, but did what he was told. I watched as he called the cherry sized ball back and let it expand. His stance had improved without me pointing it out, which was good. He was able to hold up the mini-van sized ball without as much straining. The ball slowly reduced in size as he drew the power back into him, his breath becoming less labored with the replenished strength. He dropped his arms when he drew in the last bit, leaning on his knees and breathing deeply.
"Again."
With little complaint he forced his arms back up, letting the ball grow for the third time, though it was slower. I had him hold it for a few minutes before letting him draw the energy back in, making sure to warn him about the the potentially explosive result should he draw it in too fast and loose control.
"And how...is this...teleporting?" he grunted as he held the ball for the fifth time, legs shaking now.
"It's not. We're simply building your strength. You can't run before you can stand Daniel."
He groaned.
"I told you it would be a long process."
He staggered around the seventh time, unable to make the ectoplasm grow past the size of a beach ball but still giving an admirable effort. Only on his instance did I let him try one last time, but he couldn't even force it to grow past a basketball now. He fell to the floor when it dissipated, chest heaving for breathe.
"This...is...hard." he gasped from his spot on the floor.
I walked up and stood over him, hands on my hips.
"Doesn't get any easier, love."
He groaned again, rolling over and covering his head with his arms. I chuckled quietly before reaching down and helping him to his feet, transforming back into my human form. Danny followed my lead instantly, letting go of his ghost form almost with a sigh of relief.
"Are we done?" he breathed.
"I expected you to force out another attempt." I teased.
Danny glared weakly at me, pushing away to stand up on his own two feet.
"I'm tired. Like, really tired. This is worse than four hours of sparring." he took a deep breath, running his fingers though his midnight hair.
"At least you're finally acknowledging your limits. I wouldn't have let you continue anyways."
I caught a challenging gleam in his eye, but he relented, his fatigue getting the better of him. He sighed, looking thoughtful for a moment before placing a hand on his stomach.
"I'm hungry."
Danny grinned sheepishly at my laugh, following me out the door and leaving the training room behind. I brought him down to the kitchens where he rummaged through my living room sized pantry, muttering about finding real chips and what not.
"Sorry my boy, but you won't find your beloved sour cream and onion in there." I smirked, leaning against the door frame.
"Sour cream and onion? Gross." his muffled voice came from within as he dug through the shelves.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, actually, I doubt you'll have-ah! Never mind, found'em!"
He pulled out a bag of chips, holding them up as though he'd found the holy grail. I squinted into the light and had to hold back a gag.
"Salt and vinegar? Good lord Daniel, who eats those?"
He left the pantry, cackling and ripping open the bag, offering a rancid chip. I felt my stomach turn, making a mental note to keep tabs on the inventory of my pantries.
"I'm not kissing you until you drink a bottle of mouthwash." I grumbled, the pungent vinegar oder burning my nostrils.
Danny just grinned, crunching loudly on a handful of chips.
Some time and several bottles of mouthwash later, we both found ourselves once again outside, the warm sun kissing our flesh and reflecting off the crystal clear water of the pool. We ended up taking a swim, and I molested Danny again. It was a most enjoyable way to spend some time in the sun.
"Thanks for stopping the ghosts in Amity." his voice floated up, serene contentment in his tone.
I squinted down at him, sprawled so perfectly across my naked chest. The gently swaying leaves of the willow tree islanded in my pool secluded us from the mansion, allowing flickers of sunlight to brush over his wet back. The droplets of water glistened like diamonds and I ran a few fingers up the moist skin, feeling him shiver.
"You're always so gracious after sex." I smirked, propping an elbow up in the grass to get a better look at him.
"I would compliment you here, but I don't wanna feed your ego."
"I bet I could change your mind." I grinned, bringing his lips tantalizingly close to mine.
"Ah-I bet you could..." he breathed, and in moments we once again sunk to the base of our desires.
It wasn't until the sun was behind the trees and the warm breeze turned chilly that we headed inside, settling down for the last few hours of the day in front of the fire place. Danny, clothed in loose pajamas as usual, curled up beside me, laying his head on my shoulder. He was quiet, lightly playing with one of the buttons of my suit.
I was still worried about him, his quiet demeanor doing nothing to help quell my concern. I wouldn't be there to hold him on Monday. He'd be at the mercy of his hard headed friends then, alone. He looked up at me with a wane smile when I kissed the crown of his head, his own unguarded fear easy to see in his eyes.
"We still have tomorrow, little badger." I said quietly, running my fingers through his hair.
"Yeah..." Danny sighed, pausing for a moment before scooting closer.
The utter silence of the house was empty, filled with a kind of hidden dread. The distractions of the day seemed to be thinning, the veil hiding us from the uncertain future growing transparent. It was a long while before Danny spoke up again, his voice small in the surrounding space of the room.
"You think they'll ever change their minds?"
Honestly? ...No.
"Give them time, I'm sure they'll come around eventually, at least for your sake."
"But what if-"
I reached down and kissed him full on the lips, stopping his worries in there tracks.
"I'll always love you Daniel."
He stared at me for a suspended moment, a smile breaking way as he let go of his fears for just a little bit longer. I wished I could do more than provide petty distractions. I wanted to take all of the problems away. Unfortunately, for all my money and power, I couldn't change the opinions of three teenagers, no matter how much those opinions hurt my Daniel.