::
"Alright, if we go to Liz then that'll at least give us a little extra time before they find us," Randy peeked over the edge of the couch he and Andrew had taken refuge behind, looking for any sort of movement. "The lions have betrayed us. Vidya, too, no doubt. But if we stick together, I know we can handle this."
"I don't know," Andrew muttered, crouched down beside Randy and pressed against the back of the couch. "Considering who we're facing… I don't know if we'll be able to escape this one, grand frère. We just don't have the skills-"
"We are elite assassins trained by the most deadly organization, one that people have feared for hundreds of years and might still exist today. We were their top soldiers, and we never failed any task given to us." Randy had shifted to cup Andrew's cheeks, staring into his eyes with furious intensity. "We have been shaped by battle for longer than we could ever understand. We will not lose to them."
There was a loud crashing sound from the front doors, Randy feeling both of them tense before they were darting to hide among the shelves. They didn't get very far before the stone lions were tackling them and pinning them to the ground. Muted footsteps approached them, sounding somehow even deadlier than heels on stone would have been. "Oh, boys…"
"There's still time to let us go," Andrew spoke quickly, trying to struggle free. Randy already knew it was a losing battle. "You don't have to do this-"
"Forget it, Andy," Randy's tone was drenched with anger, the man glaring up at the woman that had them trapped. "She's already lost to the darkness."
"Honestly, you two are more dramatic than Danny," Jasmine Fenton sighed, giving a shake of her head as she crossed her arms. "Alright, come on, up. We have a thanksgiving dinner to get to, and I am not dealing with Mom and Dad and their ghost crazy on my own this year."
"But what if we don't want to go," Randy whined, not fighting as he was dragged to the Specter Speeder by Mufasa, Sasha dragging along Andrew much the same way. At least they had put up a fight in their attempt to escape. That was something. "Just leave us behind! Say we faded! Say we were captured- Say anything!"
"Mm, no. Besides, Danny's been looking forward to having his whole family with him this year around." Looking back, Jazz gave them a look, knowing her words would break them in a second. "Do you really want to ruin that for him?"
"You're so evil." Really, though. This girl was Satan. Or at least one of his minions. Randy was positive of it. "You know we can't say no to that."
"Yes, that's the point," Jazz grinned, patting the lions as the Riters were thrown into the Speeder, not much care given to their landing. "Now, buckle up. We're already running a bit late, as is."
"Please," Randy snorted, Andrew already scrambling for the seatbelt beside him, which, hm. That part was strange. "We're already dead. There's not much-" As the Speeder took off, Randy sorely regretted not putting his seatbelt on sooner.
"Good thing you guys don't really go anywhere," Jazz said once the two were no longer clutching onto the seats for dear life. "Makes it easier to track you down. Speaking of unexpected dinner guests, will it make you feel better to hear that Clockwork will be there?"
Andrew perked up, giving a sharp grin full of teeth, and, really. No wonder Danny always wore that scarf, Randy mused. "What did you have to agree to in order to get him there?"
"I didn't agree to anything," Jazz smiled, even sharper look in her eyes. "I threatened. He wisely chose to appear. Considering how we Fentons always get what we went, he probably went down the path of least resistance."
"This is why the ghosts have started fearing you more than Danny, ya know." Randy shook his head. "Right. Thanksgiving dinner with the Fentons- Should we have brought something? I feel like we should have brought something."
"Now who's the domestic one," Andrew teased, squawking as he was tackled to the floor of the Speeder, Danny now sitting on top of him in his ghost form and kissing him sweetly. Shame Danny did it before Randy could.
"Still you," Randy said, tugging Danny into his lap by the back of his jumpsuit. "Couldn't wait to torment Andy?"
"Nope," Danny preened, nuzzling at Randy's cheek with his own for a moment. "Thanks for agreeing to come to dinner. I know you guys didn't have to." At that, Randy looked to Jazz, who shot them a wicked smirk.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, petit mec. Sam and Tucker stopping by? I remember you complaining about how Tucker always eats all the pie at these things."
"Yeah, they usually eat dinner with their own families and then show up around dessert, so it'll probably be the same this year-" Danny paused, beaming as he seemed to remember something. "Hey, did you hear Jazz convinced Clockwork to come? Isn't that great!"
"You spoil him," Andrew accused, finally moving to sit in the seat beside Jazz in the front. "You spoil him horribly."
Jazz gave a sharp snort, raising an eyebrow at the ghost, "I don't even want to start to hear that from you." Well… She had a point. Andrew and Randy would do anything for Danny, no questions asked.
::
"Andrew, Randy! It's so nice to see you two again!" They had barely gotten out of the Speeder before Maddie and Jack were sweeping them up into a hug. While Randy looked amused, Andrew felt like he was about to phase out any second. "I heard you took over the French class."
"I didn't take it over, they forced the position onto me," Andrew calmly explained, quickly moving to stand behind Danny once he was released. "Thank you for having us over today, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton."
"Andrew, we've been over this," Maddie looked 'stern', although even Andrew could see she was trying not to laugh. "We've known each other for years, you can call us Maddie and Jack."
"We are around the same age," Randy helpfully spoke up, Andrew pleased to note that he and Danny had hit Randy at the same time. "Aging doesn't count with ghosts and you know it!"
"Well, now that we're done horrifying each other," Jazz snatched Randy's shirt, dragging him up the stairs. "C'mon, you're the one who cooks, from what I hear. You can help finish dinner before something comes to life."
"I'd say that's impossible, but I heard about the Christmas turkey." As their voices faded up the stairs, Andrew looked down to Danny, ready to say something before squeaking as they were made intangible, Danny flying them through the house and to his room.
"Is there a reason I've suddenly been kidnapped?" Andrew raised an eyebrow, trying to not laugh as Danny transformed and let them both fall the short distance onto the bed. "I assume there's a reason, but with you it's not always clear."
"I find it highly insulting that you would accuse me of kidnapping you-" Cutting the teen off with a kiss Andrew had been wanting to give him for hours, he swiftly sat up and pulled Danny into his lap. "Apology accepted, and be grateful. I saved you from hours of small talk until dinner."
"Oh? Hours, hm…" Andrew really couldn't resist the urge to pull the familiar scarf aside and press a kiss against the side of Danny's neck. It got the desired reaction, Danny squirming in his lap and pressing into the touch at once. "It'll be a while before we're missed, then."
"And- And you call me incorrigible." It was easy to hear the hitch in breath, Danny's face a bright red as he bared more of his neck and arched into the touches. Smirking, Andrew was all too happy to cover Danny in open-mouthed kisses, as well as give a flick of his tongue against a still healing bruise. The simple touch had Danny whining, squirming and twisting in Andrew's lap. "Andy."
"Something wrong, mon cher?" Letting his hands clasp Danny's arms, Andrew slid his palms across the bare skin before dropping down to encircle his wrists. "You're the one who brought me up here, after all." He made sure to pair the words with a sharp nip right under Danny's jaw.
"You- You have no shame at all." Cute. It was as if Danny was only just now noticing. Smirking, Andrew twisted them over in a flash, pinning Danny to the bed by his wrists.
"Mm, no. Not when it comes to you." Or Randy, it seemed, but Andrew would much rather focus on Danny at the moment. Especially at the way the teen was squirming underneath him and trying to wiggle free. Andrew quickly silenced him with a deep kiss, withholding a chuckle when Danny opened up to him at once. "Now, I believe you said something about how we had hours before dinner?"
He could tell Danny had heard the lock of the door flipping shut just by the way the teen's eyes widened by a fraction. "Ah, hm. Ye- Yeah."
"Perfect." Because Danny had been acting far too stressed for his liking over the past few days, and it was about time it was put to rights. If that involved Andrew pinning Danny down and leaving bites and kisses to every patch of skin he could reach, well. It didn't seem as if Danny was complaining.
"This had better be going where you're taking it, Andy, or I swear-" Cutting the words off with another kiss, Andrew smirked as he felt Danny press into it at once, another whine at the back of his throat.
"Ssh, don't worry mon cher, don't worry. I'm right here to take care of you," Andrew let his voice go soft and warm, trailing his kisses up to skim behind Danny's ears before he was nipping at the tip and giving it a tug. "I'll take care of everything, my darling."
When Andrew pulled back, it was to see Danny had twisted enough for his shirt to be hiked up to his armpits, eyes swirling with green and breath coming out in sharp pants. "Oh, my poor dear," Andrew cooed, capturing Danny in another kiss, working a leg between Danny's. It was easy to see how excited he was, the poor thing. "Let me help you my sweet. Let me take care of everything…"
::
Tapping his foot against the floor, Randy leaned against the stairwell as he kept an ear on all the sounds in the house. Jazz was finishing up the main course, it seemed. Maddie and Jack were in the basement exclaiming over something - a new invention that turned out right? They had started descending into scientist gibberish, and there was only so much Randy could understand of that.
"Are Andrew and Danny downstairs yet?" Ah, and there was the reason Randy was guarding the stairs and doing his absolute best to keep a neutral, almost bored expression on his face.
"They sound like they're finishing up. Danny usually has trouble with the classics anyway, so I'm not surprised he asked for Andrew's help just to get it out of the way." Yeah. They were certainly finishing up alright, judging by the choked whimpers he heard Danny making every few seconds.
"Dinner will be done in another twenty or so minutes. Make sure they're not late!" Responding with a vague hum, Randy shook his head as he finally let a small blush take over his cheeks. He had always been cautious when visiting Vidya and he didn't automatically see the two, but this… This was just ridiculous.
Throw in their questioning relationship which Randy was still uncertain of and this was just, well. There was a reason Randy was trying to keep his mind off such things at the moment. Sighing, Randy planted himself down on the bottom stairs, absently counting the heartbeats of everyone in the house. Steady, steady, steady, rapid pulse that slowed more and more and… Ah, Danny was finally relaxed, then.
Interesting on how his core beat faster than the average ghost but his heart was so much slower. If he was remembering correctly then Plasmius was much the same, one of the reasons Randy had been cautious of him even before his half-ghost secret had come out into the 'public'.
"Hiding from Jasmine?" A foot had barely nudged him before Randy was snapping out and grabbing Andrew by the ankle, jerking him down to where the man was landing on the step with a small thump. Core still beating a touch too fast, definitely noticeable marks, and a flush on his cheeks and ears that was only just starting to fade. "Randy-"
"Ghost hearing, frérot." He'd say one thing, the two certainly had stamina. They were also quick to piece things together, as Danny was blushing red to the roots of his hair and Andrew was looking a mix between horrified and intrigued. "You two are damn lucky I love you enough to play interference."
"For the whole two hours?" Oh, no. No, no, no. Randy did not like the smirk that Andrew was giving him. Nor the fact Andrew was pressing up against his side and it was really not fair how he still looked messy and thrown together. "Désolé, grand frère. Next time, we'll be sure to invite you along-"
"Nope, no, wow, aha. Okay." Randy slipped off the step at once, trying to ignore Andrew's satisfied smirk and Danny's stifled laughter. "Subject change. Let's talk about the fact that dinner's almost ready to start and our dear Master of Time is-"
"Right on time?" No warning. No core or heart beat, no sound of footsteps, no breathing, no warning. A wave of cold ran down his spine, his entire body tense and breath hitching at the one that had just appeared from nothing-
"You know, one of these days you're going to do that and you will float away with a bullet hole." Even with his act of dry humor and partial amusement Randy had a feeling that Andrew had picked up on his distress. Danny, as well, gave him a quick look from where he was jumping down the rest of the stairs. "I'm accusing you of abusing your powers over time."
"A sentiment that has been shared by countless others throughout the millennia." It was always amazing how Clockwork had the same shit-eating grin that Danny did. No wonder they were semi-related. "You have no need to worry, Randall. And it won't be a joke."
"Nope- No. Aha, no, just- No." Randy could feel himself bristling, hackles raising as he glowered down at Clockwork. The elder looked as if Randy was nothing more than a blustering puppy. "No vague hints. You're fully aware I obsess over small, inconsequential details- Jazz! Come control the ghostly menace that you invited!"
"Which one? You or Andrew?" Jazz walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishrag before she was giving a short squeal at seeing Clockwork. "You made it!" A flash and Jazz had one of the most powerful ghosts to ever exist in a tight hug, jabbering on about any and everything as she led him to the kitchen.
"Honestly," Randy tsked, reaching a hand down to finally pull Andrew to his feet. "I can't believe they've only been dating the last few months. They've been making passes for the last year now-"
"Jazz and Clockwork are what?" Danny's eyes were wide and genuinely startled, the teen looking between Randy and the kitchen before running after Jazz and Clockwork. "I wasn't told about this- Why wasn't I told about this? Jazz, Clockwork! Why didn't you tell me you were dating!"
"It's nice, isn't it?" Looking back to Andrew, he noticed the man had gently twined their fingers together, soft smile on his face. "Thanksgiving. Actually spending it with a family."
"Spending it as a family," Randy corrected, quickly kissing Andrew's cheek before tugging him along. "Come on, we can set the table while Jazz fends off Danny from picking apart everything we cooked."
"I wish her luck in that aspect," Andrew snorted, purple energy wrapping around the stacks of plates and utensils before a quick hand gesture had them flying to their proper place. "Randy, is it just me or has Danny been using his ghost powers more than usual, lately?"
"It's not just you," Randy sighed, using his own powers to lay out napkins and glasses. It took a bit more concentration since he wasn't used to lifting so much at once. "His ghost powers seem to be bleeding into his human side more."
"I can understand them getting away from him in, hm, extenuating circumstances-" Like when it came to Andrew fucking Danny senseless, no doubt. "-but it's as if it's starting to happen in relaxed moments, as well."
"We'll keep an eye on him. Bring it up to Plasmius if it starts getting out of control or dangerous- Did you just lay out the wrong type of fork?"
"Randall. They're forks. There's no such thing as 'the wrong type'."
"Blasphemy." And yeah, dinner as a family just couldn't be beat.
::
"I'm never going over to your house for dinner again." All three of them were hidden away in one of the rooms in Vidya, collapsed in various positions on the couches and chairs. "How did… It was going so well."
"If it helps, this is normally how thanksgiving dinners end," Danny groaned from where he was lying on top of Andrew, who was near unconscious as far as Randy could tell. "Things go fine in the beginning, a fight about something starts up, food comes to life, and we have a battle royale to destroy everything before it takes over Amity Park."
"There was a time in my life where I could never imagine how stuffing could be terrifying. Now I can imagine it so well." Shuddering, Randy shook his head. Clockwork had been vicious, as well. "It only got worse when Sam and Tucker showed up."
"I'm up for pretending this day never happened if you are," Danny muttered, Randy pleased to note that Andrew was just as quick to agree as he was. "Next time, we should go out to a diner or something."
"Next year, I'm cooking dinner and keeping you two away from the possibility of another death," Randy yawned, flicking his hand and teleporting a blanket over to fall over Andrew and Danny, the former of which was now really asleep.
Watching them for a moment, Randy couldn't stop the small smile that took over his face. It was nice having a family again. With Danny here, things were better than they had ever been. For all of them. "Bonne nuit, mes chers."