Chapter Ninety-Five: Tending Flames
"And he…he had the nerve to…to give me chocolate and kiss my cheek!" Valerie ranted on the phone. Dan smiled as he listened, letting her get it out. "I mean, why would he DO that? He can't suddenly start flirting with me! I mean, it's not like it's the FIRST time he's done something that could be flirty, but this is BLATENT!"
"Well, did you eat the chocolate?" Dan asked, chuckling.
"Dad saw the box and suggested we split it for dessert. I didn't tell him where it came from and there's no signs of poison yet." Valerie sighed.
"You think Phantom would poison you?" Dan asked.
"Of course! He's my enemy!" Valerie insisted.
"Poison doesn't seem his style, though. Maybe a love potion." Dan hummed. "You don't think you're developing feelings for him, do you?"
"No, definitely not!" Valerie insisted.
"Sometimes I wish you didn't live so far away." Dan sighed. "I always worry, with Phantom local and me in Wisconsin."
"I'm, not cheating on you with Phantom!" Valerie insisted.
He chuckled. "I know, I trust you. It's him I'm worried about."
"Dan, phone down. Time for dinner." Danny poked his head into the den.
"Coming, James." Dan nodded. "Time for dinner, talk to you later."
"Oh yeah, you have dinner later than me because of my dad's work schedule. Alright, enjoy your meal." Valerie replied.
"Love you." Dan smiled.
"…Love you too." He could imagine her blushing as she said that and chuckled after she hung up, getting up from his chair.
"You're shameless." Danny shook his head when Dan stepped out to join him.
"Only when it comes to her. How's the tether coming along?" Dan asked.
"It's coming." Danny shrugged. "Lucretius is with Sam right now, we trust him to not wander off on us."
"Those drugs sound really good right about now." Dan said as they entered the dining room and found Sam trying to coax Lucretius off the chandelier.
"Lucretius Tucker Manson, get down from there right now!" Sam said firmly, tired of coaxing.
Dan chuckled and flew up to pull him off it. "C'mon, kiddo. Don't wanna upset your mom, do you?"
"Yeah!" Lucretius beamed.
"No." Dan shook his head. "You really don't." He flew down and put Lucretius into his high chair, locking him in. "Don't even think about leaving this chair until you're done eating, kiddo. Your dad will catch you quick."
"Aww!" Lucretius pouted.
Dan ruffled his hair and then turned to Danny and Sam. "There, that's my helpful uncle stint for dinner. Now I'm going to sit away from His Messiness." He took his usual seat next to Plasmius, frowning at the empty seat. "Is Plasmius not eating with us?"
"He's out." Vlad said. "Went to the Ghost Zone, I didn't ask why."
"He might be sulking again." Danny remarked. "You have been ignoring him."
Dan frowned. "I thought you didn't like me being intimate with him?"
"There's a difference between not being intimate and downright ignoring." Danny took his seat next to Lucretius, with Sam on the baby's other side.
Dan looked down. "…I guess I have been, huh?"
"Where's Dark at?" Danny asked.
"He took Daniel out to the city on a date. He's in human form, and Daniel also altered his own appearance a bit in case they ran into anyone they knew." Vlad replied.
Dan nodded. "Guess I'll go look for Plasmius after dinner, then."
Vlad sighed softly. "He might appreciate it, yes. He doesn't want to get in your way, though he's very jealous. Don't tell him I told you, though." He smirked a bit.
"Jealous?" Sam blinked.
"Of Valerie." Dan sighed. "After Danny died, I…lost it. Plasmius and I had a relationship, but with Danny back and me being with Valerie I've got my head on straight and don't go to him anymore."
Sam nodded. "Oh, I did notice that you two were…close."
"Yeah, but I kind of don't wanna be screwing him when she visits, and she visits unexpectedly a lot." Dan admitted.
"You wouldn't be the one screwing, anyway." Danny mumbled.
"You know what I mean!" Dan snapped.
'So, as long as you're with Valerie you'll stop destroying yourself?' Danny thought.
'…As long as I can, I want us to be together. I'm not strong enough to take my revenge yet, so getting to the point where I CAN take my revenge is right now…'
'Pointless.' Danny finished for him.
Dan gave a small nod, looking at his plate as the maid came out to put the food on the plates. Dani came out of the kitchen as well and took her seat, looking satisfied.
"Hopefully THIS time it won't burn!" Dani said firmly. "I put on a timer, just in case!"
"Still trying to make Youngblood chocolate?" Danny laughed.
"Laugh it up, funny boy, but I WILL succeed!" Dani said firmly, digging into her food.
Danny smirked. "We'll see about that!"
"What if he doesn't like chocolate?" Sam asked.
"He does! I asked him!" Dani nodded firmly.
"Okay, then!" Danny laughed.
They continued the meal with carefree chatter, but Dan didn't join in the discussion unless directly addressed. He couldn't help but think of how he'd been ignoring Plasmius. Even during the Christmas Truce, his attention was on Danny and his family.
After he finished his meal, he excused himself and left the room. He stopped at the portal, looked thoughtful, and then left the house by the front door. If he was going to see Plasmius, he should do it right.
.
"Oh, cheer up." Desiree smiled as she poured Plasmius more wine. "I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later, you just need to give him time."
"No, he's so focused on Danny and Valerie and his revenge that he's forgotten me." Plasmius huffed, glaring at the counter. "We've hardly exchanged a word in the past five days…"
"Well, let's see if we can't change that."
He blinked and looked behind him to see Dan standing behind him, grinning with a box and flowers. "Phantom…?"
"I've been really bad." Dan held them out to him. "I think chocolates and flowers aren't really enough, but—"
Plasmius got up and hugged him close, tilting his head up to kiss him before the teen could resist.
"Ah, do you want your private room?" Desiree asked, raising an eyebrow.
Plasmius looked at Dan, who sighed before smiling and nodding. "Yes, Desiree." He said, looking at her.
She nodded and handed him the crystal for his room. "I'll send up some wine for you."
Plasmius nodded, leading Dan up to his private room. Dan chuckled as they sat down and the a ghost came over with the wine. "I think, for Danny's sake, I should drink myself silly before we do anything sexual."
Plasmius smirked. "That's not the only reason you've been holding off, is it?"
"Mm, true." He opened the box of chocolates as Plasmius put the crystal in place and the walls began to rise around them. "Chocolate?"
"I'd prefer something else sweet that's in front of me, but this will do for now." He picked one up and licked it seductively before he popped it into his mouth.
Dan smiled. "No more sulking, alright?" He kissed him lightly, then popped a chocolate in his own mouth, smiling at him.
Plasmius placed a hand on the teen's thigh. "No promises." He grinned.
Dan smiled and wrapped his arms around the older ghost's neck, kissing him. Plasmius returned the kiss, then wrapped one arm around Dan's waist as the other hand opened the bottle, the wine being poured into two glasses.
Plasmius picked up one of them and handed it to Dan. "To tending the flames." He picked up his own drink and their glasses touched before they drank, just the first of many glasses they would be consuming.
.
"Well, I just lost him." Danny sighed, looking up from the book he was reading. "He's drunk off his butt with Plasmius."
"At least he was nice enough to get drunk before they got intimate." Vlad remarked.
"Yeah." He looked down at Lucretius, who was trying to gnaw through his bracelet. "You're not getting that off, Luc."
"Whyyyyy?" He whined. Apparently being grounded, literally, was a big source of despair for him and he grabbed at his father's leg with pleading eyes. "Why, daddy, whyyyyyy?"
"Because you wouldn't stay put." Danny told him. "I know you like your powers, but sometimes it's bad to use them."
"Whyyyyy?" Lucretius cried again, climbing up onto his lap and placing his hands on his father's shoulders. "Wanna fwyyyyyyy!"
"I hope Samantha is appreciating us giving her a break from him." Vlad rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She and Danielle are getting spa treatment with Dora and Kitty and won't be back for a few hours. By the way, did you notice that Miss Kitty is pregnant?"
"Yes, I noticed. Geez, one ghost gets pregnant and it's a Ghost Zone baby-boom." Danny set the book to the side and lifted the crying baby into the air above him. "Here, see? Flying. Happy now?"
"Nooooooo!" He whined, apparently not satisfied with the pretend-flight.
Danny sighed. "Well, I'm not taking off the bracelet, Luc."
Lucretius whimpered and brought his clenched fists to his eyes, bawling now. Danny sighed and sat him down in his lap, rocking back and forth to try to soothe the distraught baby. "Wanna fwy…fwy, daddy, fwy…"
"And you wanted one of these?" Danny raised an eyebrow at Vlad's exasperated expression.
"Shut. Up." Vlad sighed. "I wanted to take you from your father; I never said I wanted to father one myself."
"In retrospect, might've been a good idea." Danny commented.
"Oh?" Vlad looked at him.
"Y'know, the Guys in White wouldn't have attacked me to get at you." He looked down. "Not like…they did for my dad."
Vlad sighed softly. "Still, you loved him. You still do." He looked down. "I would never win your heart, Danny."
Danny nodded, looking at Lucretius. "I love him…and that's why I forgive him for my death. Even if Phantom wants to make him pay for letting me die…"
Lucretius had stopped whining and was instead pouting in Danny's arms, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked up when he felt something wet on his cheek and blinked, tilting his head to the side. "Daddy? Are you cwying?"
Danny reached up and wiped at his eyes. "I'm…I'm alright." He pursed his lips. "I'm…okay."
Lucretius reached up to help, but found he couldn't reach and gave a futile tug at his bracelet again before slumping in his father's arms again with a huff.
Vlad set down his paper and walked over to wrap his arms around the teen. "Oh, Danny…forgive me for being so useless in your time of need…"
He shook his head. "You took in Phantom when he needed someone. That was all the help we needed. And by the time we were trapped, it was too late to call for help."
"You were lucky that Phantom escaped them, though I expect your father getting you back to hospital led to that." Vlad smiled.
"Y-Yeah…" Danny nodded, pursing his lips. "Uhm…Vlad? Can we…change the subject?"
"If you'd like." Vlad nodded, gently rubbing his head.
Danny smiled. "Thanks. I…it's too soon for Lucretius to hear about how I…how it happened." He closed his eyes. 'And I'm worried that if I keep talking about it, the truth will come out…' He thought.
Vlad sighed softly, looking at the teen. He could sense that there was wondering he wasn't being told, but wasn't going to press it. The two would tell him when they were ready, and even Samantha hadn't been told yet. "Would you like to get something for dessert?"
Danny smiled. "Let's have some ice-cream."
"Iceeam!" Lucretius cheered.
Vlad nodded, standing up and straightening his suit. "Well, then. Let's go to the kitchen." He smiled and offered him a hand.
Danny shifted Lucretius in his arm and took Vlad's hand, the two walking out to the kitchen.
Uhhh, speaking of "cheating"...oh, whatever. He's too drunk to care at this point, anyway.
Sam's getting some long-deserved R&R, leaving Danny and Vlad with the frustrated baby. Poor little Lucretius... ~ Zone