Chapter Fifty-Three: Birthday
"Happy birthday, Phantom!" Sam ran over and hugged him. "Sorry about this morning, that was really awkward."
"Aw, it's okay." Dan smiled, then looked up at Dark. "It's his birthday too, y'know."
"Oh, right. Happy birthday, then." Sam gave him a "I don't really want to but since he said I should I will" look as she spoke.
Dark grinned. "It's fine; Daniel cares more about that stuff than I ever will." He walked off to find said man, leaving Sam with Dan.
"Shame that Valerie couldn't make it." Sam remarked.
"If she'd come, then I wouldn't have half my guests here." Dan shook his head. "We'll hang out again next time she's in town."
"Or you are." Sam looked at his expression. "What? You can visit Amity Park, you know. No one will know who you are as long as you keep the bracelet on."
"Yeah." Dan shook his head. "I just don't feel like seeing my parents, okay?"
"Well, you can avoid the Fentons just by not going to their house. Your parents hardly ever leave the house anymore, and your dad is going crazy."
"That's a new thing?" Dan raised an eyebrow.
"Crazier, then." Sam sighed. "Anyways, it's not good for the relationship if she's always visiting you but you don't do the same. Come visit Amity Park again."
"And when did YOU become an expert on long-distance relationships?" Dan raised an eyebrow.
"I'm just speaking from a girl's perspective, okay?" Sam frowned. "Pay her a visit. She'll like that. Learn to drive from Vlad and drive over."
"Or I could take a plane. Or fly in ghost form and put the bracelet on where people can't see me." Dan sighed. "You're right. I'm not really using all my options." He looked thoughtful. "The problem is getting time off from my lessons. I can only use so many of Plasmius' favors before Ghostwriter gets annoyed with me. And it wasn't easy convincing him to teach me in the first place…"
Sam grinned. "Well, you'll figure it out. Let's go blow out the candles, and you have presents to open while cake is served!"
"Yeah, okay. I can put aside worries for cake." He grinned, walking over to the table and blowing out the candles on the cake. Then he stepped out of the chef's way so they could cut and serve the cake.
"Dan, come open this one." Jazz called, holding out a box. Dan nodded and went to her, taking the box and opening it. "Oh, hey! I was trying to convince Vlad to get me one of these! Now I'm not stuck using his phone!"
"Did you have to?" Vlad looked disapprovingly at the cell phone. "He'll be on it all the time."
"I doubt it works in the Ghost Zone." Dark remarked. "And, no, you're not allowed to test that theory. Leave the phone at home when you come for lessons, little Phantom."
"Why don't you call me 'Dan' like everyone else?" Dan frowned.
"Just because I let you give me a nickname, it doesn't make it any less my name too." Dark said, smirking.
"Well, what if I gave you another name?" Dan asked. "Danny's middle name was James, does that sound good?"
"How many times will you change my name before you're happy?" Dark raised an eyebrow. "No, just can just keep on calling me 'Dark', because as cheesy as it is, I'm not Danny so I won't use his middle name."
"Anyways, let's move on to the next gift!" Jazz said, wanting to break the tension.
He'd gotten a laptop from Tucker so they could webcam like they used to do with Danny and Sam had gotten him a game he could play on the laptop. As he looked over the gifts, he heard Vlad remark "How will you ever have time for all this? You do have your lessons and other things to attend to, after all."
"I'll make time. I do have the weekends, after all." Dan assured him. "I'm gonna take these up to my room and then I'll be back." He grinned and ran off, carrying his gifts.
"Oh, Phantom!" Jazz called. "Oh, he's gone."
"You'll have to clear off the clutter on the desk." Danny remarked, watching as Dan set his gifts on the bed.
"Yeah, I'll do that later." He walked over and placed his hands against the mirror. "Sorry I've been so busy. Happy birthday, Danny."
The mirror rippled and then Danny's hands slipped out for Dan to take, their fingers lacing together. "Thanks, Phantom. It's alright; I can see everything you do, remember?"
Dan glanced away. "Then, you know that Sam wants me to visit Amity Park. What do you think?"
"I think that to visit Valerie it's worth it, but avoid anyone who might possibly recognize you don't get into any ghost fights while there. If you get attacked on a date, just let Valerie handle it." Danny suggested.
"Dan?" They heard a knock at the door as Sam spoke. "Dan, are you done yet?"
"I'll be down in a bit." Dan said, then smiled a bit. "I better go."
"Talk to you tonight, then." Danny nodded.
"You better not do what you did last night." Dan said warningly.
"I won't." Danny sighed. "She can't see me, anyway." Dan nodded and released his hands, heading for the door.
"Hey, Dan?" Danny spoke up. "Where did Dani go?"
"…Dunno." Dan frowned. "You saw her last the same I did, Danny." He opened the door and stepped out, looking around. "Sam? Huh. Must've gone on ahead." He closed the door and walked on.
Sam waited until Dan had gone back downstairs and then went into his room, looking around. "Danny? Dan was definitely talking to Danny, right?" She wrapped her arms around herself. "But, why wouldn't he tell me? And where…where is he?"
She walked over to the mirror and frowned. "He was definitely standing here this morning…talking to someone."
"Sam?" Tucker called. "You gonna have cake?"
"Coming!" Sam called, heading out of the room. As she ran, she failed to notice the mirror rippling as Danny looked out at her.
"Come on, sing something!" Tucker said, grinning. They'd gone to the game room after having cake, where Tucker was delighted to discover a karaoke machine and jumped on right away. He was now trying to coax any of the others to get on and – as Dark put it – embarrass themselves.
"Tucker, you can just play on that all night long as far as we care." Plasmius said, smirking. "Everyone likes a clown, after all."
"A clo—that's it! You're singing next!" Tucker declared, pointing a finger at Plasmius.
"Whoa, Tucker! I don't know if you want him to sing!" Dan cried. "I mean, I don't know if he can!"
Plasmius raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you challenging my talent, little Phantom?"
"See? He calls you that, too." Dark smirked. "In fact, I don't think anyone here has called you 'Dan' more than 'Phantom'."
"I'm not challen—you, shut up." Dan pointed a finger at Dark, frowning. "I'm not challenging you Plasmius. I just don't know if you can!"
"Very well, then." Plasmius stood up with a dramatic swish of his cape and walked over to snatch the microphone from Tucker. "Move aside, boy. It's time to show you how to actually sing."
"Should we get earplugs?" Tucker asked, walking over and sitting in his chair.
"Pleasant." Plasmius rolled his eyes and then walked over to pick a song.
"This one's decent." Plasmius commented as he picked one of the songs.
"So, how did you feel when you found out Plasmius was your brother?" Tucker asked Vlad.
"Well, it was…bizarre." Vlad commented.
"Shh." Dan looked at them. "We were quiet for your song, Tucker."
"Oh, please. I am a man of talent. Plasmius is—"
"If you want me to listen, whisper." Plasmius started to sing, his rich voice reaching across the room ."If you want me run, just walk. Wrap your name in lace and leather. I can hear you, you don't need to talk."
"Okay, so he's better than I thought." Tucker remarked.
"Let us make a thousand mistakes…'cause we will never learn." Plasmius continued. "You're my obsession, my fetish, my religion. My confusion, my confession; the one I want tonight! You're my obsession – the question and conclusion. You are, you are, you are my fetish, you are…"
Dan sat back in his chair, ignoring any further comments from Tucker on Plasmius' singing.
"You can kiss me with your torture. Tie me up to golden chains. Leaving me begging undercover; right or wrong, it's all a role-play." Plasmius focused his gaze on Dan as he spoke, though Dan wasn't sure if anyone but he and Vlad – and possibly Dark and Daniel – noticed. "Let us make a thousand mistakes…'cause we will never learn."
He paused when the song did and then continued. "You're my obsession, my fetish, my religion. My confusion, my confession; the one I want tonight! You're my obsession – the question and conclusion. You are, you are, you are my fetish, you are…"
The song picked up with a faster drumbeat and he started to sing again, stretching out each word as he sang. "Cooooooooooome toooooo meeeeeee. Coooooome to me….toniiiiiiiight!"
The song slowed down again and he began to sing again. "You're my obsession, my fetish, my religion. My confusion, my confession; the one I want tonight!" The song picked up again. "You're my obsession – the question and conclusion! You are, you are you are my fetish you are…" The song slowed again and he smiled. "You are…"
The song finished, he flew off the stage and landed in his seat next to dark, the two sharing a high-five at Tucker's dumbfounded expression.
"That's it. Plasmius is not allowed to sing right after me anymore! That was just NOT fair!" Tucker huffed. "Why didn't you say you sang like the Phantom of the Opera?!"
The others laughed at his fuming, and then it was someone else's turn. Dan took the chance to slip out and sneak to the kitchen to snag a plate of cake for Danny – after all, surely he could pull it in somehow, right? Or he could…try.
"What are you up to?" Plasmius asked.
"Wha!" Dan turned around, bumping against the kitchen table. "Uhm…uh…"
Plasmius walked over and wrapped his arms around him, kissing his ear. "I meant what the song said." He murmured. "I want you to come to me tonight, my little Phantom."
"Nn…" Dan blushed. "Uhm...can we…talk about it later? I was gonna…see if Danny could eat any cake."
"If he can, then that would mean he can access the real world some more. Very well, I'll accompany. I'd like to see this." He smiled. "Besides, your bed is so soft." He stroked down Dan's body.
"I don't wanna be gone too long." Dan said, shaking his head. "Uhm…after everyone's in bed, okay?"
Plasmius smiled widely and kissed him. "Good, then I will be patient and wait. Now, you wanted to get a piece of cake?"