#in a way hes a perfect capture of the younger danny

[fairlyang]

Summer Lovin’: We Go Together 🕷️

w/c: 6.9K

pairing: greaser!miguel x f!reader

tags: 18+ smut. infamous dance scene w mig proving himself (better ending), his friends are instigators, drive in, groping, exhibitionism, fingering, stroking, praise, teasing, finally fucks you, riding, missionary, sweet ending

a/n: AHHHHH after 10 months my beloved part 3 is done!!! a year ago i first thought of this au and wrote it just for fun bc i love grease, now i’m happy to close this lil chapter after putting it off so long. honestly one of my favs series i’ve written :’)

part one — part two — the dress/tl of events

kinktober masterlist | main masterlist

Four weeks had passed and Miguel had taken every opportunity possible to take you out and practically show everyone that you were his.

It was a different sight to see for everyone, especially his fellow T Birds with the exception of Danny, who was really happy for him.

Kenickie also didn’t really care, mostly because he found himself in a predicament just like yours but unlike Miguel, he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself yet.

Unfortunately the younger three T Birds couldn’t believe it and started bickering to Miguel as soon as he broke the news to all of them.

While he got wide grins and bats on the back from Kenickie, and Danny, on the other hand he just got eye rolls and scoffs from the other three who couldn’t fathom thee Miguel O’Hara was finally living down his playboy ways.

They couldn’t believe one of their leaders, who taught them how to be the way they were, was just done with fooling around with a handful of girls at a time.

The girls on the other hand were shocked, with the exception of Frenchy and Sandy who somewhat had an idea where his head was at but the other three were not expecting that from him.

They didn’t believe it at first until the first week passed and it was so obvious to anyone with eyes that he was finally done with his bullshit.

Finally having pure happiness and tranquility with him by your side was all you could really ask for.

So after a bunch of cute dates and shared kisses, it was finally the day of the dance. You ended up going shopping with Frenchy and Sandy the day after the diner date because you just couldn’t wait and were so excited. They said you had to buy a new dress, one that Miguel would love.

And you found it.

You decided on a red cocktail dress that had a black ribbon around the waist and around the neckline as well, to tie behind your neck. It had some white ruffles underneath for more volume and Frenchy said it’d work great for the dances.

You thought it was so pretty and would impress Miguel.

And it did way more than that.

His jaw was practically on the floor when he picked you up and you had to drag him to his car before your mom forced you into taking pictures as if it was prom because he wore a matching red dress shirt with a black jacket.

Plus surely the cameras would capture good ones since the whole country was gonna see everyone dance live.

Somehow this university was picked out of all the other ones.

Some kind of miracle.

Or maybe a curse.

But the T birds claimed the principal must’ve slept with the host or something to consider Rydell.

You just gave them a side eye while Miguel scolded them for being dumbasses and always thinking in the gutter.

Both friend groups were together with the exception of Rizzo and Kenickie who split up and were nowhere to be seen.

Everyone was gossiping and judging people’s outfits or people’s dates but you just made yourself comfortable in Miguel’s arms while minding your business.

You felt so happy everything ended up working out and now you could truly be yourself with Miguel without the fear of him acting like a piece of shit.

Because if you were affectionate or doing some kind of pda, he’d just follow your lead.

It was the perfect change of pace after everything that’s happened and you owed it to yourselves to be so smitten in public.

You sighed and hugged him a little tighter when finally one of the professors tells everyone to form a circle and that the cameras will run shortly but that they wanted to do a warm up dance with the band.

Everyone ran inside the circle as soon as the tune of “Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay” started playing. All the couples were already hand in hand while the singletons sat off on the benches off to the side.

You and Miguel started just by dancing next to each other before he was in front of you, grabbing your hands, moving them side to side with his. He then gave you a quick spin before lifting you up, your legs going way up almost hitting the professor, who was keeping an eye out.

Miguel then somehow lifted you over his back and maneuvered you so you’d land straight up in front of him.

The professor was nodding his head before walking away while you continued being in sync with Miguel.

Some of the couples unfortunately couldn’t do that, one guy dropped the girl he was partnered with which resulted in her yelling at him for spoiling her chance to be on national television.

He walked around the circle observing who would still be in and who he’d have to cut short for raunchy actions which turned out to be quite the handful.

He found his way back to you guys when Miguel picked up up again, your legs were around his waist then you’re back in the air before he carefully drops you to the ground and you’re underneath him.

He turns around, grabbing your hands before he picks you back up. You do little bunny skips for a few seconds before picking you up once again, your hands holding the back of his head right. He then dipped you down while your legs cling onto his waist for dear life and he luckily didn’t drop you.

And it caught the eye of the professor who was taking some notes down. Frenchy and Doodie were watching you which had the prof assume they knew you.

Course they did.

But only would Doodie’s dumbass lie when asked about your names, claiming it’s Fred and Ginger. Frenchy scolded him but he just waved her off while the prof wrote those names down.

Meanwhile you and Miguel went to sit at the benches, just to catch your breath for a bit when something came to mind. “What if I get camera shy?” You ask making him laugh.

“I’m sure you’ll be alright. We’ll be good, right? Hm?” He says and you nod.

“We’ll be good.” You answer and he grins.

“Thatta girl. Now come on let’s go.” He says and grabs your hand, pulling you up and going back to the dance floor.

Meanwhile the next song was playing, a little slower one but on one corner of the gym was Rizzo and her new boy toy because she had a pregnancy scare with Kenickie and had no choice but to drop him.

Which only resulted in Kenickie getting Rizzo’s boy toy’s ex girl as his date.

A whole mess but it should’ve been expected with the amount of toxicity Kenickie and Rizzo have shown towards each other.

Rizzo saw them and gasped before stepping in front of her new man so he wouldn’t see but it was hard not to see with Kenickie giving this girl one of his so called “rare souvenirs”.

Jan and Putzie were also dancing. Or attempting to. Jan has only ever led while dancing which had them both in position to lead which only made them look stiff.

Frenchy was asking Doodie if he could at least spin her but he was counting his steps and trying hard to concentrate. It only looked like he was marching on the floor over trying to dance.

Danny and Sandy were off slow dancing, whispering in each others faces while they ignored everyone else around them. He’d occasionally spin her then pull her towards him to snatch a kiss from her.

You and Miguel were dancing back and forth until Miguel started just going backwards while attempting to sing like the singer of the band. “You have such a beautiful voice Miguel.” You tease making him continue at a lower octave.

You laughed and you somehow landed right where half your friend group was. He stops when he sees Kenickie’s date, and he wraps his arm around your waist, pulling you close while your arm was around his waist, not questioning a thing.

“‘Hara meet my date, Cha Cha.” Kenickie introduces him to her but he just shrugs and leans his head against yours.

“What’s up ‘Hara baby?” She says making you scoff but Miguel pulls you even closer to him.

“Who is she?” Doodie asked making Frenchy scoff as well.

“They call me Cha Cha because I’m the best dancer around.” She replies with a cocky smirk making you roll your eyes.

Great.

“With the worst reputation.” Frenchy mumbles making you and Sandy snicker.

He ignored her completely and lets go of you to grab your hand again, leading you back to the dance floor. “Do I wanna ask?” You mutter under your breath making him sigh.

“Ex…. Not girlfriend.. or fling.. we’ll go with dancing partner.” He says, stopping in the middle of the dance floor and pulls you close.

“Past is in the past.” He whispers and places his hands on your waist while yours wrapped behind his neck.

“I only care about my future with the girl I’m going steady with.” He adds and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“That’s good to hear.” You say relieved.

Not that you already didn’t trust his promising words to you but because you could tell she was trying to cause something. A reaction out of either of you which she didn’t get.

The song ended and the band stops until they play the next song which has everyone sprinting to make two straight lines, one for the girls and one for the boys.

The couple at the very end walk through the middle of both lines until they get to the other side by the stage and go to the front of the line meanwhile there’s another couple a few feet from them already dancing

Miguel made sure you were directly in front of him while the rest of the guys directed their girls next to you.

The first few couples you didn’t recognize but from your group was Kenickie and Cha Cha followed by Danny and Sandy. Then it was you and Miguel followed by Frenchy and Doodie.

Then it was Jan and Putzie with Sunny by himself behind them because Marty was too busy flirting it up with the host and uninterested in his flirty attempts towards her. And lastly it was Rizzo and her man.

The song ends and the assistant principal climbs up on stage and yells, “The Rydell fight song!!”

Suddenly the principal and coach make their way through the middle of the line and as they moved the lines disappeared because people were so bumped for the cameras to finally roll.

They climbed on stage and the band stops playing their music while everyone cheers. “When you are finished.” The principal says into a mic and everyone quickly quiets down.

“You will be happy to know I am not judging the dance contest.” She says and the loudest of cheers were immediately screamed from the whole gym.

The coach grins and tries to quiet everyone down, which works out because everyone loves him.

She then goes on what seems to be a lecture to be on the best behavior because national television and blah blah blah, it was going on one ear and directly out of the other, no one gave a shit.

Then finally she introduces Vince Fontaine who was a radio dj and somehow was judging this contest.

All the girls screamed and everyone’s looking around but he was nowhere to be seen until finally he heard his name and stopped flirting with Marty. He ran off from behind some float they had at the back of the gym and ran into the crowd.

Everyone bombarded him and the guys moved him forward, carrying him until he got to the front of the stage. Kenickie and Miguel lifted him up to the stage and he immediately started thrusting into the crowd.

The coach then explains the rules which included couples for some reason had to be boy-girl, if you’re tapped on the shoulder you have to leave the dance floor, and lastly no vulgar movements.

That for some reason had people looking, pointing, and laughing at Rizzo which you found weird and oddly specific they all thought of her but there was no time to question that.

Suddenly the professor from earlier runs on stage and says, “forty seconds.” then scrambled off.

Vince then took the mic and started hyping up the crowd and telling everyone to not worry about the cameras and to just be themselves.

Then the cameras are on and he puts on his professional voice when introducing the band then student body before the band starts playing Hound Dog and all hell breaks loose.

Everyone scrambled to be in a good position, dancing in sync while holding their partner by the waist or hand.

But they stopped as soon as Doodie spotted a camera and called it out making literally the entire floor to try to be at the very front of it.

Guys were carrying their girls up on their shoulders and everyone was waving or blowing kisses to the camera.

But some of the professors were demanding the guys to put the girls down and to get back to dancing again or they’d be disqualified.

Everyone went back to dancing when Miguel grabs your hand and leads you to the very front where all the cameras would be pointing towards.

You danced in front of it and you were glad your nerves didn’t come in otherwise this would’ve been a mess.

Miguel picked you up then spun you around before dancing back and forth to the music.

The camera moved along the front and captured everyone’s excited faces as the song was coming to its end.

One of the other cameras pointed to Vince and Patty and Marty that were on either side of him while they were in the back of the gym.

He hyped up the crowd once again before randomly asking, “Hey does everybody know Marty?”

The T Birds of course yelled that they did and all kinds of stupid things before she made faces at them forgetting just for a second that she was directly on frame.

The next song starts and so many couples were already out. All the couples were in sync with the little hand motions for this specific song and Vince was walking through, now able to look at every couple.

He started off with Kenickie, who was pretending he was slapping Cha Cha while she pretended she was getting hit before thrusting towards him with Kenickie behind him.

He walked away and looked at you and Miguel while you remained eye contact, not stopping from doing the hand jive like everyone else was doing.

He walked around some more before ending up with Marty but he got distracted by Doodie’s horrific dancing in front of him he had to tap his shoulder.

He then walked to the center of the floor where he found Rizzo and her man dancing, vulgarly. He was on his knees as if he was about to eat her out and she was thrusting back and forth.

Vince instantly tapped the man’s shoulder and walked away. Rizzo and her man walked off only for her man to walk past Cha Cha and thrust in front of her which only resulted in Kenickie to jump him.

He started throwing punches and they were thrown right back making the singer of the band shout, “break up, break up, what is that?!?”

Rizzo and Cha Cha tried to break it off but it was hard until Cha Cha led Kenickie back to the dance floor to stay center stage.

That was until there was a circle of the couples that were left and everyone had a chance to be in the middle to show off what they got. Some were of course vulgar because how could they not be?

Some were very impressive and others not so much.

Patty was at the very front with Tom when suddenly Kenickie runs then slides down to Patty before standing back up while lifting her dress up.

She ran away embarrassed and Kenickie dropped to the floor and started thrusting up which prompted the assistant principal to come up and yell at him. But right after someone picked her up and shook her up and down, taking her away.

Just then Miguel pulled you to the center and you started off with more synchronized dances you’d talked about during the week. Everyone cheered and by this point most of the couples were out which was a good sign.

That was until Sunny tried to be sneaky and pull you away from Miguel when you were skipping along behind him but you stepped on Sunny’s shoe and went back to Miguel quickly.

Cha Cha was about to swoop in and take Miguel but luckily you were faster and he grabbed your hand, never a doubt in your mind that he would have picked you over her.

He led you to the very middle and you started grabbing the ends of your dress, twirling it out while you both danced in sync. You used the entire circle that formed around you and ignored everyone besides each other.

Focusing on looking good and not fucking up any of the moves but it all went perfectly and smoothly.

The chemistry through the dances was intense and very clearly unmatched when the principal came down and handed you a plaque which made you cheer and grin at Miguel who had the widest smile yet.

He was so happy and if this wasn’t enough proof to show his growth and how he now didn’t give a shit about his reputation, he didn’t know what would be.

He twirled you around a couple times before giving you a big hug in front of everyone. There were loads of cheers and screams but you only focused on him and kind of just ignoring everything else.

As if you were the last two people standing and there weren’t so many eyes on you. Even the ones from the cameras in front of you.

He pulled away first and left a kiss on your forehead but then brought a hand to your chin, lifting it up before softly pecking your lips. Even louder screams erupted but you zoned them out.

Suddenly the lights turn off and everyone who was around you dispersed, while Blue Moon started to play. Someone grabbed your plaque and you didn’t even see who it was because your eyes were just locked on him.

He stuck his hand out and you grabbed it, you spun inward into him, grabbing his other hand earning some cheers because of how smooth it looked.

Miguel then led, moving you around swiftly, one hand holding yours and the other on your lower back. He spun you in a few circles before dropping you in to a dip which you knew you had to stick a leg out.

Louder cheers echoed through your ears when he picked you back up and spun you around again slowly.

Suddenly the younger trio of the T Birds jump in front of the main camera, their jackets covering their faces, they lean over and pull down their pants and boxers leaving them bare naked, showing their asses to the whole country.

Everyone laughed but you and Miguel didn’t notice, just continued with your dancing while the lighting person focused on their asses over you two, who had won the contest.

The dance ended as soon as that happened. The cameras cut. The lights were turned back on and the “Mooners” were already long gone.

You only noticed because as soon as the lights turned on Miguel grabbed you and ran off to the exit along with the rest of your friend group. Him, Danny, and Kenickie began smacking the other three T birds and scolding them for being dumbasses.

There was chaos all over the place because the professors were trying to see who had the audacity to singlehandedly ruin the university’s reputation further.

Practically everyone went to the drive in after the dance considering it ended so early and no one was trying to go home to their parents at 10pm.

It wasn’t too packed with cars until everyone from Rydell was piling in and parking in whatever spot they could get.

Given you and your friend group were the first ones to get to their designated cars at the uni parking lot and quickly knew where you’d all go to hang and luckily got decent spots.

The girls parked in the lane behind you and Miguel, and the guys were next to them. Luckily there was still enough space between lanes in case Miguel wanted to leave and there’d be no chance of accidents unless one of the T birds did something stupid, which was highly likely.

Kenickie came up to Miguel’s window to which he rolled it down, (because Miguel finally decided to have the top of his convertible back on) and he asks, “do you want some snacks or somethin’?”

Miguel turns to you and you shake your head making Kenickie nod. He leaned in close to the window prompting Miguel to lean in, assuming he had something to tell him.

You tried to mind your business, twiddling at the end of your dress, listening to the hums of the acapella group on the radio, looking straight ahead at the large screen displaying a zombie movie they always play.

Anything to not seem like you were snooping but somehow you didn’t hear a thing when Miguel suddenly scoffs, then laughs before waving Kenickie off.

Kenickie gave him a wide grin before walking away, most likely off with the rest of the gang making you wonder what on earth just happened.

He didn’t say anything and only wrapped his right arm over your shoulder while he rolled his window up but left a tiny bit of space to at least hear the movie.

But that wasn’t top priority in his head.

Top priority was something he’s been thinking about for ages.

A long while since those days you had spent together at the beach.

And what better time to follow through with his dirty ideas than now?

So he brought his hand lower, inching closer and closer to just full on grope your right breast. You could almost sense a change in the air and that was confirmed when his hand didn’t stop it’s movements and indeed did grope you. “Miguel!” You squealed and he laughed before leaning his head down to kiss your neck.

You bit your lip as he squeezed your breast softly but left quite a mark on you. “I-It’s the way we just got here Miguel-“ you stammer as he hums against your skin, sending shivers all throughout your body.

“Do you really care about the damn movie darling?” He murmurs making you roll your eyes playfully.

“Well….”

“That’s what I thought.” He teases and pulls away, now looking at you directly.

“Now.. I had something in mind for tonight.” He says softly before taking his arm off you too.

“And what would that be?” You ask and tilt your head to the side.

What was he plotting?

“Maybe going all the way?” He suggests and you widen your eyes.

“Here?” You ask, making him nod as you laughed.

“You gotta be joking right?” You say and he shakes his head.

“Do you think I’m joking?” He murmurs before going back to kissing your neck.

You breathe in and squeeze your legs together, this man cannot be serious.

“You don’t have tinted windows-” You say but interrupt yourself with a moan leaving your mouth as his right hand went back to groping your right breast.

“Don’t worry, no one’s watching.” He murmurs nonchalantly but it didn’t make you feel any better.

“You have perverted friends Mig, be serious!!” You laugh making him snort.

“Do you want me to remind you how we met-“ he teases, making you groan.

“Fuck-“ you curse and realize it’s practically the same thing.

“This is sort of different- there’s actually people around.” You mumble.

“Kenickie will put ‘em in check and look around this is a hot spot.” He mutters and you could only hum.

It was true.

People wouldn’t exactly be peeking because they were most likely busy themselves.

And you’ve been needing him to fuck you…

So why not after he proved himself to you?

You lightly nod and he grins, “was an offer you couldn’t refuse huh?”

His teasing only made you roll your eyes but he was right. After practically dreaming of it for so long, how could you not?

And after such an overall amazing night, why not?

“You’re such a horn dog you know that?” you tease and he shrugs.

“Don’t act like you don’t love it.” he murmurs and pecks your lips.

he slowly brought his hand down, just placing it on your thigh and inching lower so he can bring his hand under your dress. “you looked so beautiful tonight.” he murmurs making you sigh.

“you don’t look too bad either.” you teased as you pulled your dress up for him and his hand started squeezing your thigh.

“gonna have to only use my hands because the car’s a bit small..” he murmured and you just nodded, “it’s fine.”

you spread your legs apart, putting your left leg on top of his right and his hand makes it way down, reaching your inner thigh, “y’know i had a whole plan for this, after a nice date, maybe some rose petals and candles…”

“changed your mind?” you asked and he shook his head.

his hand went up until it touched the waistband of your panties and whispered, “you just look too fucking good, i got impatient.”

you felt your face grow warm and you looked at him, a sparkle in your eyes and a sweet smile on your face, “so romantic.”

he fought back a smile but seeing your pretty face, he couldn’t help but smile along with you. “our second time can be special.”

you chuckle and shrug, “this is more like us.”

he grins, leaning in and letting his head rest against yours while his hand went down, now over your clothed pussy. he lightly rubs your clit with two fingers, feeling you relax as you lay your head on his shoulder. “it’s felt like ages since the last time.” he whispered and you let out a sigh.

“a whole month.” you whined, making him groan, “a month and three days.”

“someone’s keeping track.” you tease then let out a moan when he starts to rub your clit faster.

“that’s it.. let me hear you doll, i’ve missed you.” he purrs and you hold onto his arm, bucking your hips up to grind against his fingers.

“missed your touch baby.” you whisper earning yourself a moan from him.

“let’s never go this long again.” he mumbles and you quickly nod.

“it’s been torture.. but maybe worth it.” you say and he hums, “whys that?”

you tilt your head up to look at him and he looks down at you, “because it’s gonna feel so good when you’re finally inside me…”

he takes a deep breath and you move your left hand, putting it on his thigh then slowly trailing it up, “you’re actually going to kill me.”

“and you are too with how slow you’re movin’” you whine, making him scoff.

“sorry for trying to set the mood.” he says fake defensively and gives you a pout.

“mood is set, c’mon we’re doing this.” you say, moving your panties to the side with your right hand.

“yes ma’am.” he says and brings his right hand to his mouth.

he sucks on two fingers just for your viewing pleasure then gathers his saliva onto them to ensure you’re nice and wet whether you already are or not. he then pulls them away and a string of saliva connects his finger and his tongue making your brain turn to mush.

he looked so fucking good. he had no business looking so hot doing something so dirty.

he then brought his hand down between your legs again and let his fingers rub gently against your folds. your pool of slick and his wet fingers combined together, perfect for the idea in his head.

his fingers go to tease your entrance for a solid two seconds before actually slipping them inside. your walls immediately clenched against them and you moved your hand higher until you felt his bulge. he opened his mouth to complain when you suddenly started to stroke him through his pants — you both moaned, unable to hide how good it feels.

you’d only just begun but felt like you’d be able to come fast just because it was finally him touching you. you weren’t relying on your own fingers after a month and it was surreal.

it was like his touch ignited something in you that only he was able to do. you usually felt it when he held your hand or waist but this time it was stronger.

you stroked him faster as he pumped his fingers deeper, still keeping a slow pace. he was paying close attention to the wet noises, it was like music to his ears. you were slightly distracting him but he was luckily good at multitasking.

you attempted to undo his pants with one hand but struggling miserably so he helped you with his left hand. he stood up the tiniest bit just to pull his pants down over his ass and kept them by his thighs.

he went back to focusing on the pace he set but as your stroking was starting off fast, he matched your pace instead. your eyes fluttered and you laid your head against his shoulder again to be more comfortable.

you let out some deep breaths, already on the verge of asking him for more but knowing he’d make you wait. he on the other hand thought you’d need this and didn’t want to be too pushy or accidentally be too greedy so he figured he’d stretch you out with his fingers.

you let out quiet moans as you slipped your hand inside his boxers and take it out. his cock springs up and you quickly take hold of it, leaning over to spit on it then stroke it. he groans as you went back to your previous position and pumps his fingers faster, “fuck baby-“

“feels too good-“ you murmured, making him grunt, “yeah? feel good doll?”

you nod and grind your hips up, “need more.”

“you sure?” he asks and you eagerly nod.

“please.” you murmur, and he practically melts.

he slips his fingers out of you and you quickly let him go as he motions for you to get on top, “c’mere, c’mere.”

cock already out and ready for you, you nod and sit up, swinging your right leg over until you’re straddling his lap. you grab the ends of your dress and bring it up to your stomach, “hey, we’re gonna take this slow okay?” he says as you hover over him.

you pout and he just brings a hand to your face, softly stroking your cheek with his thumb, “don’t worry, i won’t keep you waiting too long.”

“better not, been waiting three months.” you whine and he pouts, “you have been so patient huh, baby?”

you bit your lip and nod, “slip it in and take your time.” he murmurs as you lift yourself up and line his cock up to your entrance.

just the tip teasing it alone was insane. after all you’re both finally getting what you’ve been craving the most.

“fuck please.” you whine as his tip slips to the side because you were extremely drenched.

he then helps you and you slowly feel it going in. you gasp and cover your hand over your mouth, “oh fuck-!”

“shhh, you have to be quiet baby, I don’t want these perverts to hear how good my girl sounds for me.” he says, making you whimper. you’ll never get tired of hearing that.

you then grip onto to his shoulders as his hands are on your waist, patiently. you slide down and more whimpers erupt from your mouth.

he was so thick.

maybe it was a good thing he fingered you first otherwise you would not have been anywhere near prepared.

“take your time baby.” he whispers and you nod.

you straighten yourself up and just stay like that, only having the tip inside, to get use to it. after a few seconds you feel fine and slide down some more slowly. you both moan and his grip on your waist tightens.

“miguel please just fuck me.” you whine and he shakes his head.

“I need you to get use to it before I do.” he says, making you groan.

“need you.” you whine and he shakes his head again.

“you’re doing so good already baby, just keep going until you can fit it all.” he murmurs and you sigh.

you know he desperately wants to fuck you, and you want the same but he also didn’t want to hurt you. he wanted it to be completely enjoyable for you so he thought having you take it in cowgirl was a good start because you had full control.

“c’mon baby, you can do it.” he murmurs as you pull yourself up then right back down.

you were able to take a tiny bit more but it was still a lot. you already felt so full and you were probably about halfway. this was a problem you never thought you’d have but apparently anything can happen.

“just like that angel, doing so good for me.” he purrs and look down at your pussy slowly taking him in.

it was quite the sight. he wasn’t so sure how he had been able to control himself around you because you were both horny people but somehow kept your hands off each other. mostly just to not rely on sexual things for your relationship.

it helped. your relationship had been thriving but now it was finally time to go all the way.

“i didn’t think i’d need to fucking practice.” you whined, earning yourself a laugh from him.

“baby you’ve got eyes, you already knew.” he murmurs and you shrug.

you lower yourself down, now feeling pleasure over slight pain so you full on sat on his lap, his length fully inside you now. you both moaned and his fingers dug into your skin, “so perfect baby-“

“so big..” you murmured and leaned your head forward towards his.

he moans and that’s when you decide to start moving. you pulled yourself up then bounced your ass down until you could feel him all inside you. “fucking shit- fuck baby.. gonna make me come so quick, just so tight.”

your eyes lit up with his words and your gummy walls clenched against him, making him twitch. he took a breather and pulled your hips up then helped you go down. he helped you for a few more minutes until you got the hang of it and began doing it yourself.

he watched you in absolute awe. he never thought he’d gain feelings for someone, let alone such strong ones that filled his every waking thought. and those feeling always seemed to keep him up at night as well.

he didn’t realize how badly he needed you like this until he looked down to watch how your pussy took his cock in. it’s exactly what he’s been desperately needing.

and it was like he fit perfectly inside you, like a missing puzzle piece. like you belonged together.

he thought it was enough teasing for the night so he quickly grabbed you tightly as you wrapped your legs around his waist. he then sat up before bringing your body down so you could lay down whilst still inside you.

“you ready?” he asks and you nod.

without another word he starts to properly fuck you, pulling your legs back which had you thinking to hold on to them so you did.

his thrusts were fast and messy, already feeling he could explode because you felt incredible. he swore he’s never felt pleasure this god-like until he met you.

he could’ve sworn you amplified the feeling when you touched him. it was all he could ever ask for in life, someone who drove him crazy in more ways than one.

your eyes fluttered shut as he relentlessly thrusted into you, the sweet melody of your moans filled his ears and it was the only noises he’d ever need.

“fuck miguel- god- filling me up so good.” you moaned and he swore he could feel himself twitch already.

“gonna fill you up alright..” he murmurs and holds onto the back of your thighs to help stable himself.

you moaned his name and watch how he fucked you to perfection. the way your pussy took his cock in was mesmerizing and if was such a pretty view. it was all you had been wanting and you finally got it, and it was better than anything you could’ve imagined.

he lowered himself down until he got right in front of your face and he starts going harder while he leaned down to kiss you. you instantly kissed back, moaning in his mouth with nearly every thrust.

he slid his tongue into your mouth and explored every crevice as you brought your hands up to his hair. you run your fingers through it, messing up his style just because you needed something to play with.

you tugged on them, making him moan into your mouth which just had you grinning ear to ear. you pulled away and he went down to your neck, kissing and licking every inch he could before he sucked a love bite into your skin, “fuck mig- p-please don’t stop-“ you whimpered out and he took your words to heart.

his thrusts were now the perfect combination of fast and hard, making sure you’d let out any and all the noises your heart desired. the car was moving back and forth and you could only pray that everyone around you was doing the same.

“too fucking perfect doll- god you’re amazing-“ he murmurs against your skin, sending shivers down your spine.

he pulled away from your neck and looks into your eyes as he feels himself already getting closer to the edge. you could feel him twitch inside you again but this time it was enough for you to clench against him. he swore under his breath then watched your face perfectly.

your eyes were fighting hard to stay open and he was having a hard time keeping it together. but with each passing thrust he felt you getting close to the edge along with him. your face contorted and he knew you wouldn’t be able to lie so he fucked his hips into your repeatedly, desperate to cum.

he felt his orgasm building and he looked at you with pure joy in his eyes, well it was more of something else that he had never felt before, and there was no better time to admit it than now, “I love you.”

you snapped out of your hazy world and blinked, wondering if you really just heard that. his eyes were wide and his cheeks flushed into a pretty red color while you remained speechless. his thrusts were going deeper and you were glad he didn’t stop, otherwise you were going to assume this was all a dream.

you brought a hand up to his cheek, slight tears welling in your eyes as you smiled, “I love you.”

he grinned, tears threatening to fall out of his as well because he was just filled with so much love. so much love that he didn’t think was possible to feel.

you single-handedly changed him and had gotten him wrapped around your finger. the best part was he didn’t mind one bit.

right at that moment you both reached your orgasms and sealed the magic words with a loving kiss that you didn’t want to pull away from. he spilled his load as deep as he could go as you shook beneath him, holding onto him for dear life as he kissed you softly.

he slowed down and let you ride out your highs as you continued your sweet, sloppy kiss with tears running down both your cheeks. he pulled away, bringing a hand up to wipe them away while you did the same to his.

you let out a choked laugh, feeling so happy like you were on top of the world. he smiled and gave you a peck before pulling out of you then getting off you.

you fixed your panties then pulled your dress down as miguel helped you sit up then pulled you into his arms. you embraced him and cling onto him tightly to ensure he’s real. once you heard him let out an exaggerated cough, you knew he was.

and now there was no doubt in your mind that you made the right decision. that you were right to forgive him. and that you were truly, madly, hopelessly in love with miguel o’hara.

[picturejasper20]

Lets talk about Vlad and Danielle's relationship (and Danielle's character as a whole)

Danielle/Dani Phantom is a character that was introduced in the Season 2 episode ¨Kindred Spirits¨. She shows up in Danny's house and later reveals to be a half ghost just as Danny. Around half of the episode we get the twist that she is a clone made by Vlad and she is his ¨daughter¨.

We know how the rest goes, with help of Danny, Danielle realizes that Vlad is using her and in reality he doesn't care about her because she isn't the ¨perfect human-ghost hybrid clone son¨ that Vlad wanted. Dani helps Danny fighting against Vlad and she runs away after seeing how her ¨father¨ didn't exactly love her.

The episode as whole is very entertaining to watch and Vlad and Danielle's manipulative relationship is interesting to analyse. It shows how Vlad is so obsessed with his plans that he can't see that he has what he wished for so much (someone who sees him as a father figure) and screws it up. Danny gains a new ¨relative¨- someone who is just like him, human-ghost included.

The problem for me is that a lot of what happens in this episode doesn't feel ¨earned¨: The same episode that introduces Danielle it is the same one she rebels herself against her own father figure. We don't know enough about Dani aside from the fact she is more energetic and likes to eat a lot, is a girl and younger than Danny. This is one of the reasons of why some fans couldn't bring themselves to care about her or prefer to ignore her existence as character.

If this series had been more serialized, what i would have preferred was for Danielle to have her own character arc in which she grows to befriend Danny and others from his social circle and learn that she was fed with lies about the Fenton family from Vlad. Maybe how Jack isn't this terrible man Vlad told her about or just not as bad. That Jack and Maddie really love each other, etc.

We could have seen more of how Vlad and Dani's father-daughter relationship worked and how Vlad acted as a father figure to her. It would have helped a lot with giving characterization to Vlad and Danielle (specially the later). Their relationship in the series previous Kindred Spirits is ambitious, not leaving clear how Dani was raised by Masters.

In result we could have had a more interesting character than who is Dani in the series and her having a proper arc that builds to her realizing Vlad's true nature and her rebelling against him, being a better payoff than Kindred Spirits.

Leaving that aside, lets talk about the relationship they have in Kindred Spirits and some extent D-Stabilized and what could happen between the two if she shows up in AGIT sequel and Vlad wants to keep making amends.

In Kindred Spirits what we see is that Vlad sees Danielle as his ¨pawn¨. He calls her his daughter a few times, yes, and he still does after this episode. What i'm trying to say is that Vlad cares about how useful Dani can be to him and when he got his perfect clone, she would probably turn into a ¨mess he wouldn't clean up¨.

One thing i want to discuss, based on what the episode shows, is that Vlad in general doesn't raise his voice nor threatens with hurting Danielle during the episode. Most of the time he speaks to Danielle in his usual ¨normal¨ manipulative way, similar to how he talks to Valerie. He fakes caring about Dani and ¨acts nicely¨ around her, leading her to believe that he does love her as a father would.

When he notices that Danielle had been listening to everything him and Danny had been talking about the clones, he manipulates Dani by telling her she misheard what he was saying and he wants to save her from her destabilization (gaslighting)

So when Danielle goes to capture Danny and returns to Vlad, Vlad talks about how still needs to extract the mid-morph DNA example. He asks Dani to force Danny's transformation by overshadowing him. Dani points out that the other clones that did that melted and she could get hurt because of that. Vlad insists in saying that is fine, Dani questions him again and that is when Vlad loses his patience and reveals his true nature to Danielle.

As i talked about earlier, Vlad ¨cared¨ about Danielle as how useful she could be to him. Vlad believes that Dani exists to follow his own orders, seeing her as a pawn. This is a whole theme with Vlad and how he sees people, but i don't want to get too off topic.

Dani, at hearing this, she cries for a moment before getting angry and freeing Danny from his prison and helps Danny with fight against Vlad, making the perfect clone getting destroyed in the fight. She later punches Vlad (human form) in his face, telling to stay away from Danny and some hours after she says goodbye to Danny, going around to explore the world.

The fact that Dani decided to change sides for Vlad just snapping at her makes me believe that, again, he probably didn't threaten her that way before and he mostly used subtle emotional manipulation towards her as how he does through the episode. In my personal interpretation, i think Vlad was mostly very emotionally neglectful of Dani while raising her. He likely filled her basic needs like giving her a place to sleep and food but he would ignore her most of the time, avoiding to get attached to her and his focus being in the ¨perfect¨ clone. It is what makes sense to me the most me based on their interactions in Kindred Spirits

For months Vlad acted as an absent father, not caring what happened to Danielle as, again, she wasn't useful to him. Dani would go from one place to the other, having to steal food to survive on her own. It wasn't until around the events of ¨D-stabilized¨ he looked for Dani to study her ghost-hybrid structure, since she hadn't melted and lasted longer than the other clones did.

In here Vlad sees Danielle more as ¨object¨ he is looking for to get what he wants. He doesn't care about melting down Danielle and if this destroys her completely, since his goal is to study the remains of her DNA. He refers to her as his ¨daughter¨, in way like she is his own possession and he can do whatever he pleases with her.

An interesting detail is that there is a moment that Dani hints at still seeing Vlad as her parent figure, since she asks him if he is planning on looking for something that could stabilize her structure. It is a sad moment to see because part of her still cares about Vlad in spite of how he treated her.

What Vlad does in ¨D-Stabilized¨ is where he messed up the most in his relationship with Dani. All that happened previous this episode was terrible, but this is where is at its most twisted, putting Dani in danger on purpose to get DNA from her. It is a whole different level to snapping, threaten her and being manipulative.

If you were to ask me, i think Vlad's worst sin in the series is how he treated Dani. As she is his own daughter and was someone that actually loved Vlad. He really screwed up his chance to have something he looked for so long, because of his own obsession of how the clone should be ¨perfect¨.

Having all this in mind, how them meeting again and Vlad trying to make amends with her in A Glitch in Time sequel could go?

Well, for one i think Vlad should be the one looking for Danielle if he wants to make amends with her. It would be a good idea if someone else went with him, like Danny. That way Dani could feel more sure that she isn't being lead into a trap and the other person could explain the situation to her. She could feel more secure having the word of someone who she trusts rather from Vlad's and she may give him a chance to talk to her.

From there it is rather complicated to guess what could happen. The two most common brought up options is that Dani goes to live with Vlad in his mansion or she goes to live with the Fentons (if in this context Danny's secret is out to his parents).

If it is the first option, i think it would be suitable for Vlad's character if he wants to make up for how he negleted Dani all that time post Kindred Spirits. As i have talked in other post, Danielle is Vlad's daughter and it would fit hi give a place to Dani since she is his own responsibility. Of course, this is something that she herself would have to choose, since she would have a roof and a place to stay, but also she would have to coexist with the same parent figure who mistreated her so poorly. This could lead to a lot of complicated feelings and things she probably would rather forget for a long time. It wouldn't be something easy for her to deal with.

In case of the second option, she would have to live with strangers she doesn't know about, but they would be people that she doesn't exactly have a bad history with and she would feel more secure of herself rather than living with Vlad. Danny would also be there along with maybe Jazz, so she would be with someone she considers family at least. In all, i believe she would feel more happy than staying with Masters. However, i think before she fully moved in, Jazz and Danny would have to make their parents do some changes. Jack and Maddie can be... chaotic when it comes to raising their kids, unintentionally negletful and prone to playing around with their gadgets. It would be a good idea for both of them to change some habits for Dani to be safer around the house and pay the proper enough attention to her.

Another third option some people have brought up is Dani staying with someone else, usually the Grays being a possibility. I do agree with this idea, because then Dani could live with someone she doesn't have a bad history like she does with Vlad with nor they would have a not exactly safe environment like the Fentons do. If she stays with the Grays, she would be with Valerie, who is someone she is familiar with.

If Dani chooses staying with someone else that isn't Vlad, then Vlad could help with paying the things she needs (food, education) and maybe do some visits every once in a while to check on Dani, depending if she feels like it. He would still making amends with her but keep his distance if Dani wishes for him to stay away.

One thing i think it would be good is that Dani didn't forgive Vlad or she doesn't it for a long time. If there is one character that is more entitled than anybody else to not forgive Vlad, that would be Danielle. I think it would be more than fair for her to do that and it would be great for Vlad to understand that some people won't forget the things he has done to them and he has to live with that.

In all, Vlad and Danielle's relationship has to be the most messed up of the dynamics Vlad has with other characters. I already explained that my reasoning behind this is because he is supposed to be Dani's father since he created her. If Dani shows up in AGIT sequel, it is going to be interesting to see how the two could interact and how Dani is going to react to Vlad apologizing to her for his actions. It is definitely one of the things it would cost the most for Vlad to make amends for, considering how badly he screw it up with her.

[uniasus]

Yes yes yes!

------

It's the witching hour, which is the perfect time for a visit from a ghost.

The wall above Damian's headboard develops a crack that widens, revealing a swirling Lazarus portal. It had freaked Damian the first time, certain the League had figured out a way to weaponize the bubbling pool of it they controlled. He still tenses, but he's seen this before. He knows what's coming.

From the green liquid comes a black and white figure. Black suit, white gloves, white boots, white hair.

Once upon a time, his brother had black hair. But once upon a time, his brother had been alive.

"Dami!" Danny says, flying into Damian's outstretched arms.

"Hello, Danyal," Damian says softly.

Damian is, was, older by two years. He's not sure how Danny has managed to age as a ghost, but it's slower than Damian has. At eighteen, Damian has a bit of height and a developing set of wide shoulders. Danny looks fourteen, beanpole limbs and a perfect height to fit under Damian's chin.

He loves the times his younger brother comes to chat - he has a habit of appearing after a tough patrol and the conversations and cuddles help immensely, though Damian will never admit it to anyone and constantly throws off Dick's arms even as he's been reaching more and more lately.

Dick is worried. Damian is too, but every time he gets to hold Danny close he forgets that.

Danny squirms out of the hug and Damian lets him. He wants to hug his little brother for hours and hours, but he can't without remembering the last time he did it before Danny's death. How Ras sent him after a threat in Nanda Parbat, saying as heir it was his job to protect the Demon's Head, protect the current leader of the League and preserve his rank. The threat had been a clumsy assassin Damian really should have questioned - but he'd been raised to kill any target he'd been pointed at.

The threat had been an oblivious Danny, and Damian hadn't realized until he stepped out in front of the enemy assassin and slide a dagger between his ribs. Only then did he recognize the blue eyes and small build, learned how ruthless his family was. Ras and Talia praised him, but still Damian refused to share what he did with Danny's body.

He'd tipped it into the Lazarus Pits, which transported his brother into the realm of the dead. When Danny learned how to travel in and out of it, Damian had been his first visitor. And only visitor, he assumes.

Damian smiles as he watches Danny float around the room on his back. He rambles about how he fills his time - hanging out with ghostly friends and defeating ghostly rivals. League training has helped somewhat, Damian thinks, because Danny has never reported losing a fight.

"I wish you would say yes to a visit," Danny sighs as he finishes updating Damian.

"I am happy with my life, Danyal. Besides, my brothers would be sad if I left."

"You could come back! I'm not asking you to live with me."

Damian hums. Lazarus Water is fickle. It keeps his grandfather healthy far, far behind his years, granting almost immortality. It brought Todd back from the dead. It has healed Thalia, and once, he thinks, himself. But it has also drowned and burned and captured so many people he is sure bones lie at the bottom of the pit in Nanda Parbat, unless they have been eaten at by acid.

His family has been lucky, favored, but Damian is not sure he can follow Danny into the realm of the dead and not be changed. He has a strong idea that it'll make him match his brother - a ghostly inversion. He's also not sure if he'd ever make it back. It took Danny eight years to access the world of the living again. Dick would cry to lose another little brother.

Damian still thinks about taking his brother up on the offer every day.

"I don't think so," Damian answers.

Danny places a hand on his heart and swoons. Damian winces, remembering the way Danny had fallen back in his arms. The stickyness of blood. If his brother gives any indication that stepping through the portal will fix things. If the requirement for Danny to forgive him, to be at peace, to rest, Damian will take his hand.

"You could stay here," Damian offers. "Meet Father and the others."

Danny blows a raspberry, artificially elongating his tongue like a cartoon. "I have too much to do in the Zone. It's amazing I even have the time to sneak out to see you. But you're worth it, Dami." He gives his brother a smile. "Anything to see my big bro."

Damian's heart clenchs.

He has a big brother. He has four. Dick is the best though. He's the one Damian believes understands the most, picking up emotional cues like Bruce and Tim understand crimes from paper trails. Dick is who Damian visited two weeks ago to ask about Todd's death. Dick is who has been coming to the Manor frequently for dinner and trying to pull him into hugs, to talk. Who has patrolled Gotham to pick up on a hint of Damian's stress. Who has sent multiple photos and gifs of kittens and puppies.

Dick is a good big brother, he cares. He visits.

Damian has done nothing to help Danny. Not while he was alive, not now that he is dead. It is Danny who visits. Danny who soothes him after a rough night. Damian has offered nothing, and here he is again, asking Danny to do more for him. Of course, he says no.

Something beeps, not Bat gear, and Danny looks at a device on his watch. He sighs.

"Sorry, Dami. Looks like I gotta go kick ghost ass. The sandman from hell is at it again."

Above Damian's headboard, the portal cracks into being, ready to swallow his brother whole. Damian can't resist pulling Danny in for a goodbye hug. When Danny returns it, Damian squeezes tighter.

"Be safe, Danyal."

"Always. But you could come help? Sam and Tucker won't be much use if Nocture's already got to them."

Damian buries his face in Danny's hair. It defies gravity, strands tickling Damian from his forehead to his ear.

Dick told him the living take priority. If a ghost of Todd had shown up, Dick wouldn't have taken the offered hand. But Danny is going to go fight. Danny is going to fight alone. Damian is already the world's worst big brother, saying no wouldn't change that. Saying yes wouldn't change that either.

But maybe it means Danny would stop wiggling out of hugs.

Danny pulls away, floating in space before the portal. His face is hopeful. And, for the first time since he's been showing up, he begs.

"Please, Dami?"

Damian can't resist.

"Okay, Danyal."

He takes his dead brother's hand and feels gravity loosen its hold. Damian hasn't changed clothes, he'll die in his Robin gear. But he accepted that fact years ago. He wishes, for a heartbeat, that he explained things to Dick. Mentioned Danny at least once.

But then Danny flies forward and Damian takes a deep breath before the world turns green.

Dcxdp

Just thinking of like a demon twins au where danny finds out damian is no longer under their grandfathers rule and goes to visit him in ghost form.

And damian is grieving all over again. Because thats his little brother, dead at his hands. Never able to grow up and live a full life. Just this weird mirror version of it. And now that damians embraced his fathers way of preserving life it feels even more of a waste and he mourns the experiences they could've had together. It felt like less of a blow when he was still in the league and surviving wasnt much of a life. Danyal was most likely happier at rest then there, but now? Now damian wishes they had more time.

Danny not realizing hes forgotten to tell his brother hes actually still alive. keeps saying that damian should come with him. See his home, meet his friends, Etc. Damian thinking danyal wants to drag him to the afterlife. Considers it even, because he owes him that much. Scared by his own thoughts and telling bruce or dick about it. And theyre both grief stricken and furious. Just this whole misunderstanding snowballing. Another son but one whos been lost before they could ever meet. One theyd never been able to know. Who never got the chance to be a child before his time was cut short. And everyone wanting to find a way to lay danny to rest without him stealing damian away too. Bruce desperate to meet this imprint of a son he never met but terrified of it taking away the son he still has.

Lol thinking of like 100 ways this could go.

Bruce calling in constantine. Danny feeling betrayed that they called someone to banish him? He thought damian would be happy to see him? Would accept him. Thought he could meet his father as well.

Or

Damian making him a grave and showing him that he can "rest" now like hed never been properly laid to rest with the league. Danny thinking its either a) a funny joke or b) finally realizes whats going on.

Or

damian offering to go with him as long as hes able to come back? He still wants to live his life and there are others in dcu who can go between realms (sorta i guess?) Danny being like yeah? No duh we'll come back xD damian being like??? When he sees amity lol.

[redrobin-detective]

What if even though Danny Fenton could grow and change physically, Danny Phantom didn’t? 

Imagine you’re a ghost and you come across the infamous half-ghost. He’s tall, well muscled, covered in scars with body language that says he could take you down bare handed. But then he transforms into his ghost form and he becomes a 5′1″ shrimp with noodle arms and legs holding up his fists like ‘square up, motherfucker’.

[stealingyourbones]

There are plenty of fics where Jason ends up with a de-aged Danny, but what if Dick found him?

The GIW has long since run out of funding but the former agents still hold onto their ghost hunting ways in an almost crazed obsession. Most of the agents who worked for the GIW until the end have lost everything and are now more or less a gang of thugs everyone thinks are absolutely full of it. For some unknown reason the portal in Amity Park was shut down (Danny found out Gotham had a whole selection of scholarships that didn't rely on good grades or perfect attendance so he moved for school, closing the portal for the foreseeable future) Things happen, Danny is captured by the GIW thugs,  based out of Gotham now, and goes into his core needing to recover, but unfortunately for halfas this reverts them to a younger age if they are pulled out of their core before they fully recover. The bats get word there's a new 'gang' that reserve absolutely no regard for life, having blown up multiple places in Gotham and straight up abducting dark haired, blue eyed kids in the middle of the day. Unfortunately for Danny, someone ends up accidentally giving him an abrupt wake up call, pulling him out of his core while the bats try to put an end to these ghost obsessed weirdos and his brain is basically scrambled eggs because it's now a stew of vague memories and emotions due to his incomplete recovery. Insert Dick being the one to find Danny cowering in the corner of one of the rooms, maybe not being able to even control his form, flickering between Phantom and Danny, in a hoodie like six sizes too big.

[dp-marvel94]

Danny and His Blob Ghosts

Summary: When two blob find and affectionately latch onto Danny, the halfa immediately adopts the small ghosts. But things are not as they seem. With Danny's horrifying recurring nightmares, Vlad Master's ominous behavior, and the blob's strange human-like eyes, keen intelligence, and intense fear of the older half ghost, there might just be a greater connection between Danny and his blobs, one that will shake the boy to his core.

Word Count: 11,420

Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net

Note: Based on this post by @ectoblood. 

You know how I said, I wanted to write a fic about the blob clones? Well...this is so late but I've been sitting on this for a while and finally finished it. So here's the story! This is an au where this story happens in place of Kindred Spirits. Instead of trying to make half ghost clones, Vlad creates fully human clones of Danny and....well...you'll see what happens to them. But anyway, enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think!

The boy looked about 10 years old, with black hair and lilac eyes. He stood in a sterile, metal room, looking so out of place. Machines whirled around him, vials glowed with something neon green, and in the center, sat a gaping metal hole in the wall.

"You want me to put this on?" The boy asked, holding up a familiar looking jumpsuit. It was white with black accents. He swallowed nervously, pointing at the ominous opening. “And go in there?”

“Yes child.” A cold voice answered, from somewhere behind the boy.

The child blinked. “Why?” He asked innocently.

There was a long suffering sigh. The boy turned at the sound, his eyes falling on a white haired man. “Must I explain this to you again?” 

The boy looked down, cheeks reddening with shame but he said nothing.

The man stepped forward. “That is an inactivated ghost portal. A machine similar to this one gave me my abilities.” To demonstrate, he summoned a flame of red energy to his hand. “And this one will give you the same abilities. I will turn it on with you inside and you will become half ghost, like me. You will be powerful. Finally the perfect heir. The perfect son.”

The child paused, taking in the words. Tentatively, he glanced at the hole, swallowing. “Will it hurt?”

The man tisked. “Don’t worry about that. Now get moving. We haven’t got all day.”

The boy didn’t move, anxiously looking between the machine and the man. 

The half ghost looked up. “Don’t you want to make your Father proud?”

The child bit his lip. “Yes..but-”

“If you do this, I will let you go upstairs.” The man offered, coldly. “There is a room for you with a bed and toys.” He wrinkled his nose like the word was distasteful. Then he looked down, hands ghosting over the control panel. “I will tell you your name as well.”

The boy’s eyes widened hopefully. “Really?”

“Yes.” The man hummed, replying passively as if the conversation was of little interest to him. Then he looked up. “Only my perfect half ghost son is allowed to know that information.”

The child nodded. The hope remained in his eyes as he put on the jumpsuit. He squared his shoulders, walking towards the tunnel.

“Very good. Now go inside.” The half ghost encouraged. 

The boy stepped forward slowly, carefully stepping over wires.

“Stop and face me.”

The child stopped and turned around. He swallowed again, eyes flitting around the tunnel nervously.

“Now, do not move.” The man instructed. His hand moved to hover over a large button. “I will press this button. Again, I emphasize. Do not move. Do not run.”

“Run?” The boy squeaked out. “Father, maybe I shouldn’t-”

The man ignored the words, slamming his hand down on the button.

"Father, I don't wanna do this anymore." The child cried, reaching forward. He tensed, eyes widening as green lights sparked around him. “Father!” With shaking knees, he started forward. 

The man frowned. “I told you not to move.” He pressed another button and a glass wall slammed down over the opening of the tunnel.

Inside, time seemed to slow. “Father! Please!” The boy ran to the front. “Let me out!” The green light grew brighter, the smell of ozone filling the air. “I don’t wanna do this!” The child shouted. 

“Please! Father!” There was a ripping sound, quack of thunder, the smell of burning flesh. A blood curdling scream cut through the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny sprang up, a shocked scream in his own throat. His chest heaved and his hands shook. The images of the...nightmare?....rang in his head. That was a nightmare, right? But...but...the smell- ozone and citrus and chard flesh- burned in his nose. And that scream…..

Beside him, something buzzed. The boy looked down. “Oh, Aster.” His expression softened, his eyes met the blob ghost’s purple ones. The fist-sized ghost blinked at him, rubbing up against his side. “Thanks, little guy.” The blob purred, the sound vibrating through Danny’s side and his own core hummed in kind. A comforting emotion pressed into his mind from the other ghost and Danny sighed in happiness.

Not for the first time, the half was grateful for the small green blob ghost. He’d shown up about a week ago and had hardly left Danny’s side since, serving as a comforting presence in the boy’s stressful life. His name, Aster, had been based on Sam's suggestion, for a flower with purple petals much like the blob’s strange eyes.

Something brushing up against his arm drew Danny out of his thoughts. He looked down at Aster; the little ghost had flown up and was nudging his arm. In response, the boy moved his other arm to pet the blob, who again purred at the contact. 

After a moment, Aster’s eyes again meet Danny’s. "Sorry I woke you up." The halfa muttered. “I had a nightmare about my accident. Except I was younger? And Vlad was there for some reason?”

Suddenly, the small ghost hissed in displeasure at the name. He puffed up, his dim aura brightening as a clear spike of his anger touched Danny’s mind.

The halfa raised a brow. “You clearly don’t like him either. Good call.” He hummed. “That man’s a fruitloop. Insane bastard.”

Aster hissed again, something like agreement projecting from him. 

“You said it.” Danny replied. Then he yawned. “I need to go back to sleep, Aster. See you in the morning?”

The little ghost’s aura dimmed and he floated down, settling back on the bed, beside Danny. He squeaked once, before closing his eyes.

Danny gave the blob one more little scratch. “Good night.” He laid down and went to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny blinked awake to sunlight streaming through his window. Even without looking, he could still feel the cool presence of the other ghost beside him. He smiled, enjoying the warm bed and the comforting presence of his companion...before he looked at the clock. 

The halfa’s eyes widened and he shot up. “Shit. School starts in 10 minutes.”

The movement shook the bed, startling Aster awake. The blob ghost squeaked in alarm.

“Sorry.” Danny muttered, jumping out of bed. “Gotta get ready.”

He scurried around, putting his clothes on while he brushed his teeth. Then he started stuffing material into his bag. “Where’s my math homework?” Rapidly, he shuffled through papers. “I know I did it!” 

Something cold nudged his arm and Danny looked down. It was Aster, with a piece of paper clutched in a mouth-like depression below his eyes. Eyes widening, the halfa grabbed the paper. 

“This is my math homework.” He muttered in surprise, looking down at the blob. “Thanks bud.” Danny gave the other ghost a pat, before Aster darted off.

The halfa shrugged, grabbing his shoes and rapidly tying them. Less than a minute later, there was a chirp in front of him. Danny looked up, again the green blob ghost floated in front of him, this time clutching a foil wrapped packet.

“Poptarts?” The boy grabbed the food. “You’re a really smart little guy, you know that?” 

The small ghost hummed happily in response. 

With his shoes on, backpack packed, and breakfast in hand, Danny stood. With hardly a thought, he summoned his transformation rings. The light passed over his body, replacing Danny Fenton with Danny Phantom. Now in ghost form, the halfa floated off the floor and towards the window. Aster followed.

Raising a brow, Danny glanced at his companion. “You’re coming with me? I’m going to school so you’ll have to stay out of sight. Don’t let any humans see you.”

The blob bristled, rolling his eyes. A very middle annoyance projected from him.

Danny held up his hands. “Alright, alright. You already know that. Come on.” He motioned for the smaller ghost to follow, both of them turning invisible as they phased out of the room and started racing towards school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the day proceeded fairly normally for Danny. He went to class, ate lunch with his friends, and had to duck out of English when his ghost sense went off. The halfa darted to the restroom to transform and Aster appeared in the visible spectrum a moment later. The little blob followed him, keeping out of Danny’s way while he quickly captured the Box Ghost. 

Once Danny capped the thermos, Aster floated down and rubbed up against the half ghost’s arm, giving a congratulatory squeak. 

The ghost boy laughed. “Dude. It was just the Box Ghost.” He gave the smaller ghost an affectionate pat anyway. “I’ve gotta go back to class. See you later.”

After that, Danny didn’t see the little blob ghost again in public, though his presence was never far away. The weak ectosignature danced at the edge of the half ghost’s perception, suggesting the blob was hiding somewhere invisibly. 

Soon enough, the school day ended. Danny said goodbye to his friends and started walking home, with the invisible blob ghost trailing him. A fifteen minutes walk later, the boy was walking through his front door. After grabbing a snack, he headed up the stairs.

Danny paused in the second floor hallway. A cold feeling swirled from his core, settling in his lungs. The prerequisite of his ghost sense. Brow furrowed, the half reached out with his core, trying to feel the signature of whatever was alerting his core. It was weak and….Danny’s eyes widened; the signature felt very similar to Aster’s but not quite the same. Confused and wary, the half ghost opened the door to his room.

Danny frowned in confusion. There, floating over his bed was a strange looking blob ghost. It was sky blue with white patches, like clouds flickering over its surface. It raced around the room, squeaking anxiously. Confusion and distress rolled off of the small ghost in waves, making Danny shiver. 

Shaking his head, the half ghost closed the door and approached. The blob froze, neon green eyes falling on Danny. Its eyes widened, before it let out a happy and relieved squeal. In a flash, it flew at Danny, thumping against his chest with such force that the half ghost stumbled. For a moment, he was stunned. He would think it was an attack except…. The little ghost was trembling against him, relief pressing into Danny from the blob. It...no….he…(Danny had no idea how he suddenly knew, but the ghost, pressed right against his core, was a boy.) was purring, his emotions practically screaming Safe. Safe. Finally safe.

With a gentle hand, Danny cupped the sky-blue ghost. “Hey, hey. You’re okay.”

Beside him, Aster warbled questioningly before floating around to face Danny. The green blob wiggled up beside the other blob, maneuvering himself so Danny was holding both of the smaller ghosts. Aster hummed, pressing into the other blob and both closed their eyes. 

Danny stumbled to his bed, bewildered by the situation. He patted the new ghost with his free hand. “Whatever happened to you, it’s okay now. I would let anything happen to you.”

At the words, neon green eyes looked up at him, eyes crinkling with adoration. He purred.

The half ghost smiled. “So...do you have a name, little guy?”

The blue blob looked down, sadness projecting off of him. 

“Oh.” Danny frowned. “How about…..Skyler? ‘Cause you’re sky blue with white patches.” The new blob looked up, confusion poking Danny’s mind. The halfa shook his head. “I know it’s not that creative. I can think of something else if you want.”

The blue blob’s eyes widened and he chirped sharply, a clear no. Instead, he pressed into Danny again, humming happily. 

“So you like the name?”

Danny didn’t know how someone without an actual head managed to nod but the little blob managed it. 

“Alright then. Your name's Skyler. This is Aster.” Danny pointed. “And I’m Danny.”

Both blobs hummed, their affection communicated loudly. The half ghost smiled. “I love you guys too.” His core vibrated in his chest, purring with the other ghosts. Finally, he pulled his hand back. “I do have homework to do guys.”

Aster warbled disappointedly but backed up. Skyler hesitated, eyes flickering to the side uncertainly. The other blob nudged the newer blob encouragingly and with the prompting, the blue ghost floated away. 

With that, Danny went to his desk to work on homework, while his blob ghosts watched, snuggling with each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skyler proved to be even more clingy than Aster. That night, the little ghost insisted on sleeping on Danny’s chest. The next day, he settled in Danny’s hoodie pocket as soon as the boy put it on. 

“Come on. You can’t stay there.” Danny said, gently pushing the blob out of his pocket. 

Skyler hissed in displeasure before burrowing himself in the fabric again.

The half ghost sighed. “Alright. You’ll have to stay invisible then.”

The blob poked out of the pocket just enough to give Danny a confused look.

“So people can’t see you.”

The confused expression remained.

Danny furrowed a brow. “Do you know how to do that?”

Skyler let out a defeated sounding sigh.

“That’s a no then. Here, let me show you.” Danny placed a finger of the blob and concentrated, turning his hand and the other ghost invisible. After a moment, he pulled his finger back. “Now you try.”

The small ghost pinched his eyes closed in concentration. He disappeared, flickering invisible and visible like a dying light blub before the flickering stopped.

Danny smiled proudly. “There! You did it.” 

Skyler remained fully invisible in his pocket and that’s how he stayed for the rest of the school day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things continued like that for a while. The blobs snuggled with Danny while he was sleeping. They followed him on patrol. They hung out with him while he was doing homework. Aster and Skyler even meet Danny’s friends and sister.

“They’re so cute!” Jazz cooed, petting the two small ghosts.

In response, Skyler purred, leaning into the contact. Aster rolled his eyes and growled grumpily.

Bewildered, the redhead pulled her hand back from the green blob. “What was that?”

Danny snorted. “Aster’s mad that you called him cute.”

“Really?” His sister looked down at the green blob. “These two can actually understand what we’re saying?”

The half ghost raised a brow. “Of course they can.” 

“It's kinda weird.” Sam said, uncertainly. 

“Yeah, blobs aren’t normally that smart. Plus….” Tucker pointed. “Don’t those weird, human-like eyes give you the creeps?”

Danny turned back towards the blob ghosts, frowning at the statement. He studied the two, with tilted head. They did have round eyes, with pupils and sclera but inhumanly colored irises “I don’t think it’s that weird….I mean….blobs having eyes isn’t common but ghosts’ eyes can look really similar to humans’”

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz looked at each other questioningly before the goth shrugged. “I guess you're right. Ghost’s are pretty strange in general.”

Danny nodded and the conversation ended. The teens all got to work on homework with the blobs settling on Danny’s shoulders to watch. Then Danny’s phone rang.

He glanced down at it and groaned at seeing the caller id. Without comment, he answered the call. “What do you want Vlad?”

As soon as the word left his mouth, Aster and Skyler startled. Both darted back, hissing loudly.

“What is that noise, Daniel?” The older halfa’s voice came through the phone.

Ignoring the question, Danny looked back at the blobs, waving down with one hand. “It’s okay. Quiet down you guys.”

Across the line, Vlad scoffed. “Is that those obnoxious blob ghosts?”

“They’re not obnoxious.” Danny huffed. “Wait, how do you know about them?”

“I have my ways.” The older halfa said cryptically, before continuing casually. “Anyway, how are you, my boy?”

At the words, the blobs ghosts both hissed again. Skyler floated farther away from the phone, higher until he’s pressed against the ceiling. Aster however pressed right up to the phone, growling lowely.

Danny lowered the phone. “Aster, Sky. It’s okay. He’s not actually here.”

Over the phone, Vlad growled. “Control your pets, Daniel.”

The younger half straightened, narrowing his eyes. “They aren’t my pets, Vlad.” Despite what others would think, the two blobs were not his pets. They were….his friends, the ghost boy supposed.

“Of course not.” Vlad scoffed. “Just like that green mutt is not your dog.”

“No, that’s not…” Danny pinched his nose. “Why are you calling me, fruitloop?”

The half ghost could almost hear the eyeroll. “I was calling to inform you, I have business in Amity Park in a few days and your dear mother and oaf of a father invited me to stay with your family.”

The younger halfa groaned. “Are you serious?”

At the same time, the blobs hissed above him.

“Yes, I am serious.” The older halfa replied coldly. “And again, can you call your pets to quiet down?”

“Again, not my pets.” Danny gritted his teeth. “And no. I agree with them. Hissing’s the right reaction to you.”

“Now, don’t be difficult, little badger. Are you not looking forward to seeing your dear uncle?”

“F*ck off.” The boy hissed, earning enthusiastic buzzes of agreements from Aster and Skyler. His friends also chuckled, giving him approving looks while Jazz frowned.

“Such language, Daniel.” Vlad rebuked. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

The ghost boy narrowed his eyes. “Will you stop talking about my mom?”

“Now, your dear mother-”

“Will never love you, because you’re a creepy old man who can’t let go of your crush on a happily married woman. Goodbye.” With that, Danny hung up the phone angrily.

The halfa put his head in his hands and groaned.

“Dude. I’m so sorry.” Tucker said.

Danny just groaned again. A moment later, the two blobs who had been hovering near the ceiling flew down to the boy. Chirping soothingly, they brushed up against his arms. In response, the half ghost raised his head. He gently cupped both blobs in his hands and drew them to his chest. He looked down, addressing the smaller ghosts. “Thanks guys.”

Sam raised a brow. “They really don’t like Vlad, do they?”

“Yep.” Danny nodded.

The technogeek half-smiled. “They fit right in.”

The half ghost nodded in agreement.

After that, there was more complaining about Vlad. And finally, at Jazz’s insistence, the teens started on their homework, with the blobs watching from one of Danny’s shelves. Once they were done, the group watched a movie. After, Sam and Tucker went home and Jazz went to her room leaving Danny alone with Aster and Skyler.

The half ghost looked up, spotting the two blob snuggling together on his shelf. Sky was trembling slightly, eyes down cast. Danny frowned, reaching up to give each ghost a scratch. “Come on guys. I’m going to bed.”

The blue blob looked up, eyes brightening. He floated down the half ghost, purring as he nudged the boy’s hand.

With that, Danny settled into bed, with Skyler laying on his chest and Aster beside him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The little black-haired boy was crying, his blue eyes filling with tears.  "Daddy, please I'll be good!”

Vlad sneared, gripping the child’s arm tighter. “Stop sniveling boy.”

He trembled, weakly pulling away. “I’ll be good, Daddy. I promise!”

The man shook him. “Be quiet.”

“No! Let me go!” The child cried, pulling harder.

“You are insufferable.” Vlad gritted his teeth. Letting go of the small arm, he roughly pushed the boy.

“No!” Snot started running down the child’s face. “Daddy!”

“If this works, it will be worth it.” The man sighed.

The boy’s eyes widened as he scrambled up. “Daddy, I’m scared!”

The man ignored the pleas, instead he pressed down a large button on a control panel.

The child stumbled forward, chest heaving as his feet quickened. His heart pounded in fear. “No! I’ll be good! Please!”

A glass wall slammed down in front of him and the boy screamed, pounding on the barrier. “Let me out!”

“It will be worth it.” Vlad repeated to himself. “He’s young and impressionable. A son I can mold in my image.” He pressed down the button and there was a flash of green.

The child panicked, the tears increasing. He pounded harder. “Daddy! Let me out!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His own heart pounding, Danny woke up to the sound of a child crying. His sleepy mind ran in circles. What was...who was...that dream….

Another wail of pure emotional agony. That little boy….he must be here…. With his eyes still closed, Danny sleepy reached towards the sound. In front of him? Above him? He needed to find the kid…

Danny’s hands reach out to comfort, falling on something cold and squishy, like jello. Wait...that doesn’t…..

Something shifted, the minimal weight on his chest increasing. He was touching something else, something fuzzy...and soft? He petted the things and the sound died down into a whimper.

Mind swimming and fuzzy with sleep, Danny fell asleep again before he could think more. In the morning, he thought it was all a dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Downstairs, the doorbell rang. It had been three days since Vlad’s phone call, three days since Danny’s half-remembered nightmare featuring the insane bastard. Below, the door opened and then closed a few seconds later. His father’s enthusiastic greeting boomed. From his seat on the bed, Danny groaned in annoyance; it sounded like the fruitloop was here.

“Danny!” Jack called. “Come say hi to your uncle Vladdie!”

The younger halfa groaned again, this time louder. Skyler, who’d been perched in the boy’s lab and purring, startled; the blob suddenly looked up, his eyes wide and fearful.

Danny’s expression softened. He patted the smaller ghost. “It’s okay, Bud.”

“Danny!” His father yelled again, this time more instantly.

The boy frowned. “I’m gonna have to go down there.” 

The blue blob gave the half ghost a wary look, nestling into the boy even as Danny tried to push him off. “Sky. Come on.” 

The small ghost whined, refusing to move even as he was trembling. Then Aster, who’d been relaxing on one of Danny’s pillows, floated up and towards the other blob. Giving the blue ghost a nudge, the green blob offered a comforting purr. Skyler chirped worriedly in response. Then Aster nudged him again, more encouragingly. With something like a sigh, both blobs floated off of Danny’s lap before setting onto his pillow.

“Danny! Come down here!” This time, it was his mom yelling with a serious tone.

“Coming!” The boy yelled back. He looked back at his blobs. “Just stay here guys, okay?”

Aster gave an agreeing if warry warble. Skyler, however, didn’t respond, still trembling slightly.

Danny sighed, his own stomach knotting with worry. Squaring his shoulders, the boy braced himself to face the other halfa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Fenton family, plus Vlad, sat around the coffee table with cups of tea and hot chocolate. Jazz and Danny traded warry looks as Vlad proved to be as creepy and obnoxious as ever. Making vague and not-so-vague ominous jabs at his dad, while paying the insults off as jokes. Shamelessly flirting with his mom. Overall making everyone, except the oblivious Jack Fenton, uncomfortable.

Danny gritted his teeth, barely holding back a seething comment about Plasmius. Oh, he wasn’t above underhanded comments about Vlad’s status as a lonely bachelor in need of a cat. But, even begrudgingly, their secrets were off the table. So no comments about the older halfa’s hairbrained schemes to kill his Dad, marry his mom, and convince Danny to be his perfect half-ghost son. The ghost boy shivered at those last words. That uncanningly reminded him of something he heard in his-

“Here Daniel. Let me take your cup.” Vlad said, interrupting the younger halfa’s thought.

Danny wrinkled his nose, giving the man a distrustful look. “Nah. It’s fine I can take it.”

The older halfa raised a brow, holding up the other mugs in his hand. “Really, it’s no trouble.”

His parents pinned him with questioning looks and the younger half ghost conceded, handing his mug to Vlad.

The corner of Vlad’s lip turned up, into something vaguely smug as he walked into the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a dinner that was as tense and awkward as Danny expected, the boy went to his room with an excuse that he had homework to do. Really, he didn’t want to be in the same room as Vlad Masters for any longer than he had to. But his stomach still flopped. He hated the idea of that insane fruitloop being in his house, around his parents. The other’s presence gnawed at him, the barely perceptible ectosignature (not weak but suppressed by Vlad’s human form) constantly putting his core on edge.

Danny shook his head, forcing the thought away. He’d just have to trust that he’d be able to hear on the off chance that Vlad tried something. The boy did actually have homework to do. And he should check on Aster and Skyler.

With a sigh, the boy pushed open his door before closing it quickly.

“Aster. Skyler.” Danny called softly, his nose wrinkling as the two didn’t appear. “Guys, it’s just me.” The boy tried again. 

Where were his blobs? With some concentration, Danny reacted out with his ghost sense. His brow furrowed, the signatures flickering into his awareness. The two smaller ghosts were close by. But where?

Danny searched, opening his closet and drawers. His eyes flickered over his bookshelf, dresser, and desk. “Come on guys.” He whined slightly at finding nothing.

Just then, a small chirp sounded. Danny turned, his eyes flickering down. There! Lowering himself to the floor and onto his stomach, he peered under the bed.

“There you guys are.” Danny rolled his eyes playfully. “Are we playing hide and…” He trailed off, finally taking in the smaller ghosts. Both were shaking, their eyes wide and fearful. Expression softening, the boy reached under the bed. He gently cupped each ghost in his hand and pulled them out from under the furniture.

“You guys are really scared of Vlad.” He said, voice only slightly surprised and pained. 

In response, both blobs whimpered.

“Shush. It’s okay.” After slowly sitting up, Danny pulled both blobs to his chest. The action was as close to a hug as he could perform with the two fist sized ghosts. “Like I said before, I wouldn’t let anything happen to you guys. I definitely won’t let Vlad anywhere near you.”

Aster and Skyler both cooed, comforted by the words. They started purring, Danny’s core doing the same in response.

For a long moment, the three stayed together in their almost hug. Then finally the halfa asked. “Better?”

Both blobs blinked, before giving affirmative chirps.

“Good.” Danny smiled, letting the other ghosts go. “I do actually have homework to do. You guys can watch or….” He pulled out his phone, offering it to the blobs. “Youtube? I can put on a video for you.”

With a hum, the blobs took the seconds option. They huddled on the bed while Danny worked on homework. Several hours later, the half ghost finished and joined the other ghosts on the bed. They watched some videos before the half ghost yawned.

“Alright. I need to go to sleep.” He stood and started towards the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Standing in front of the door, Danny reached forward for the knob. It didn’t turn, locked apparently. Inside the toilet flushed. There was the sound of the sink turning on and then off thirty seconds later. Then the door swung open. 

Danny frowned. “Vlad. What are you doing?”

The man raised a brow. “Using the restroom Daniel. What else would I be doing?”

The younger half ghost scowled but said nothing, instead stepping past the man and into the bathroom. He then slammed the door in Vlad’s face.

Danny sighed, looking down for a long moment as his annoyance at the older halfa flared. But he pushed the feelings away. The guy hadn’t actually done anything bad. Maybe he wasn’t actually planning anything worse than getting on Danny’s nerves. 

After a long moment, the half ghost looked up again. Remembering why he came here, the boy reached for his toothbrush. And….his eyes widened. It wasn’t in the cup by the sink or on the counter. Danny wrinkled his nose. Taking a step back, he looked to the floor. Maybe he...or another certain halfa….knocked it over. But nothing. It wasn’t in the trashcan either or in the drawers. It wasn’t under the sink or even in the toilet or shower. 

Danny rubbed his eyes, groaning. “Where is it? Did that fruitloop do something to it?” The boy looked up, shaking his head. No, why would Vlad do that? Well...he could take it mess with him but Danny could have left it at Tucker’s house the last time he stayed over. Or his mom or sister might have thrown it away. He really did need to get a new one anyway. He bent down, opening the doors to the counter under the sink. Like he thought, there was an unopened toothbrush. He opened the package and brushed his teeth before going to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Floating underwater. The sting of water and ectoplasm in his eyes. Gasping for breath.

The beep of a heart monitor. Cold metal on his chest. The syringe full of red blood.

Images flashed through Danny’s sleeping mind, his eyes flickering rapidly under his lids.

Waiting. Watching. Raining dripping down the window. Shivering in his thin hospital gown. Loneliness.

Green slime and sleek metal. The smell of old pennies. The roar of machinery. A scream.

The young halfa’s heart started pounding in his chest, a whimper exciting his throat.

Sudden silence. Wet leaves and earth. The sound of a shovel hitting rock.

He’s...where is he? What happened? Why can’t he...why can’t he feel his hands, his feet, his body?

The boy gasped in his sleep, his heart skipping a beat. In the waking world, there was a rustling, a soft thump.

A shadow falling over him. Red eyes loaming over him. The flash of a needle.

Several things happened at once. Danny’s eyes popped open. There was an enraged hissed and a sudden thump.

“Why you little!” A man’s voice growled.

The boy shot up in bed. It took only half a second to recognize the older halfa in ghost form. “What are you doing in my room Vlad?!” The angry demand evaporated as Danny registered something else. There, squeezed in Vlad’s hands was a trembling Aster. The half ghost’s eyes narrowed, his voice rising in hysterical rage. “Get your hands off of him!”

Without thinking, Danny transformed and flew at the older half ghost, throwing him into the wall with a punch to the face. The blob ghost squeezed in alarm while Vlad grunted. “Daniel!”

Behind him, Skyler squeaked in alarm.

The boy bared his teeth. “Let him go.”

Vlad let his eyes flash. “Or you’ll what?”

His hand lighting with ectoenergy, Danny’s eyes flickered worriedly to the squirming Aster. “I’ll...I’ll…”

Vlad smirked. “Thought so.” His hand’s grip tightened slightly, causing the small ghost to let out another whimper of pain.

Danny paled slightly, eyes widening in panic. Then the sound of feet pounding up the stairs rang out with the distant sound of his parents’ voices. Skyler whimpered.

His eyes flickering to the door, he considered for a second. Danny’s expression hardened. “I’ll expose both of us.”

For a moment, Vlad looked like he wanted to scoff, like the boy was bluffing. Then his eyes widened slightly. His gaze flicked to the ghost in his hand. “For this thing? You wouldn’t.”

Danny hissed. “You wanna test me?” 

Feet continued to pound, the sound now coming from the end of the hallway. “Danny! We’ll get that ghost!”

The two halfa’s stood off for seconds but it felt much longer. With barely a thought, Danny summoned the ring of his transformation but paused it before he could change. Vlad’s gaze flickered down, considering.

The voices were right outside the door. In a second, Vlad released the other ghost and disappeared. The moment he was out of sight, Danny transformed.

His door banged open. “Where’s the ghost?!” Dad shouted.

Danny turned around, sighing in relief that neither blob was visible. “He flew off when he heard you coming.”

“He?” Mom asked.

“Pl- The Wisconsin ghost.” The half ghost said, suppressing a smile. He might as well get Vlad’s ghost form in trouble.

Dad’s eyes lit up. “The Wisconsin ghost! Madds, let’s go! Maybe we can still catch it!”

A worried look crossed the woman’s face. “Are you alright sweetie?”

Danny shrugged. “Yeah. He didn’t do anything to me.”

Mom studied him for a moment before her expression softened, seemingly satisfied. “Come on Jack.”

With that, the adults left Danny alone. As soon as the door closed, both blobs reappeared and flew at Danny. Silently trembling, they nuzzled against the halfa for protection. Deeply troubled, he sat down on his bed with the blobs settling into his lab. He petted them as they shook with fear. 

Vlad was up to something. He must have been. He’d been loaming in Danny’s room while he was sleeping. The memory, those images kept circulating in Danny’s mind but he couldn’t make sense of them or of the strange images of his dream. Were those two things connected? And...anger boiled in him. Vlad had threatened Aster. The man had put his hand on his….not- pet. His friend? That wasn’t the right word either. There was something...more familial about what he felt for these two blobs. He loved them so much. And Danny had threatened to out himself to save Aster. It scared Danny to think...he might just have done it. But he tried not to dwell on it instead wondering what Vlad was doing. But no answers came to his mind, just more worry as Aster and Skyler remained as quiet as death.

Danny didn’t sleep again that night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vlad left early the next morning without a word to Danny. He hadn’t tried to go into the boy’s room again. He hadn’t even made so much as an insult to Jack. Instead, he seemed vaguely angry, like whatever he planned failed. But Danny couldn’t make sense of that. What had Vlad wanted of him, while he’d been asleep? And….the boy swallowed. Vlad would have done whatever he wanted if Aster hadn’t attacked him.

But what had he wanted?

Eventually, Danny got out of bed. It was a lazy Saturday, just hanging out at home as he was grounded. It would have been a decent day except…

“Where’s my mug?” Danny grumbled. He really wanted his favorite mug, the one with the NASA logo, for his coffee. But it was no where, not in the cupboards, the dishwasher, the sink. It wasn’t on the counter or table or in the living room. Eventually he gave up, realizing it was the same one he used yesterday and handed over to Vlad to take to the kitchen. Danny groaned, putting his head in his hands. The man took it, didn’t he? The petty jerk.

Soon after, Danny found that his comb was gone as well, when he went to take a shower. His stomach flopped, getting an uneasy idea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the day, Danny did homework and hung out with Aster and Skyler. The two remained silent, bodies tense with stress despite the halfa’s encouragement. That is, they were silent until...Sky finally cracked.

It was that night. Danny took the pair up to the roof to look at the stars. It was nice and peaceful for once, the dark sky full of sparkling stars. 

Then, a soft whine broke out. 

Danny looked to the side, spotting Skyler. Eyes softening, he picked up the little ghost. “Yeah. It’s okay. Let it out.” Skyler whimpered, the sound growing louder.

Soon after Aster joined in also whining as Danny stroked both of them. The boy let them cry, frowning in consideration.

Wheels turned in his head. How much Aster and Skyler hated Vlad before they even knew him. The way they’d hiss and tremble. And yet...Aster was willing to attack the older halfa for him.

Danny glanced down, studied the two odd looking blob ghosts. Their large human-like eyes, their odd coloration, the variety of emotion and the keen intelligence, their ability to telepathically communicate their emotions to Danny.

The boy frowned. They were strange for blobs and they were afraid of Vlad. Skyler had come to him, to him specifically. He’d been panicked and afraid. And Danny had somehow known someone had put him through something horrible, someone that the boy promised he would protect the blob from.

The question sprung up in his mind and exited his mouth before he could think. “Did Vlad….” He looked down. “Did Vlad experiment on you guys?”

Aster and Skyler’s whines cut off suddenly at the question. Both pairs of eyes looked up at him questioningly and a cacophony of emotions poured into his mind, communicated by the blobs. Fear, shock, and panic. Then rapidly, Aster’s eyes flickered between Danny and Skyler. The other blob shook, eyes watering. Huge, mounting, panicked confusion hit Danny like a train.

He gasped at the emotion. “You guys don’t remember.” His eyes widened. “You can’t remember what happened to you before you found me.”

Aster wiggled in a movement meant to be a nod. Large sadness welled in Danny at the thought. He then looked at Skyler. “Sky, what about you? Do you remember?”

The little blue ghost didn’t respond for a long moment. There was no sound, no acknowledgement until finally, the blob looked up at Danny. He trembled and a mournful sound rang out.

Danny’s heart skipped a beat. That wasn’t a whine or a whimper. It wasn’t a squeak of pain or alarm. It was a heartbroken sob. The volume rose and Danny dropped the ghost in shock. It was...it was the sound of a child crying.

The half ghost shuffled backwards, the sound ringing in his head. That...he’d heard that before. “In my dream.” He muttered. “I dreamed...I dreamed about a little boy crying in a portal, with Vlad.” The sob increased and Danny’s eyes flickered to the blob. “And you’re…. you’re crying in his voice." He stood, shaking. “After my dream, you were crying like he was but…”

Something connected in Danny’s mind, his eyes falling on Aster’s purple eyes. Purple eyes...like his first dream, the ten year old with purple eyes, the same color as his mother’s. And Skyler...with the little boy’s, the little boy who looked like Danny, his voice. And….both of those children died.

But...a horrifying idea sprouted in his mind. His favorite mug, the one he’d been drinking from yesterday going missing. His comb, his toothbrush as well. His dream (?) last night. Vlad loaming over him with a needle. What if….what if that had been real? What if the older halfa was here not to mess with Danny but to collect more...samples? DNA samples to make more, to make another….

Danny gasped, shaking as a specific word rang out in his head. No. NO. NO! His mind cursed. That could not...that was not. That couldn’t be what happened. Vlad couldn’t do that. He wouldn't do that. Yeah he was a petty jerk, a crazy fruitloop, an insane bastard. He did horrible things, like stealing and lying and manipulating. He tried to ruin his Dad's reputation. He tried to steal their portal and kidnap Mom. And he infected Sam and Tucker with ecto acne. He made Jazz and him fight each other. And unleashed the ghost king. But… he wouldn’t do this. He wouldn't clone Danny. He wouldn't kill children to make a half ghost. And yet….

Wouldn’t Vlad? Wouldn’t the bastard do anything to get what he wanted? And wasn’t what he wanted most his perfect half ghost ‘son’?

Danny remained frozen, his mind rebelling, refusing the idea. It couldn’t be...His blobs couldn’t have been-

A questioning chirp shocked the boy out of his thoughts. He blinked, finally remembering where he was. On the roof, watching the stars with…. He looked down, eyes falling on the two blobs. Aster chirped again, his eyes wide, questioning and yet compassionate. Something in the expression calmed Danny. 

After taking a breath, his gaze shifted, falling on Skyler. The boy’s brow furrowed. The blob had stopped crying, his round eyes full of guilt.

Danny’s expression softened. “Skyler.” He started.

The little ghost warbled sadly, floating into the air. Tentatively, he approached the half ghost. When Danny didn’t move to stop him, the blob gently nuzzled up again the boy’s chest in their version of a hug. Skyler hummed and an emotion….no, a word...pressed into Danny’s mind. Sorry.

The boy paused, from where he’d been gently stroking the little guy. That wasn’t a voice, not quite. But it was close, so close to being one. He could almost imagine-

Danny shook his head. “No buddy. It’s not you. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just...I think Vlad...he might have….” He swallowed. “I think you guys might be my-” The boy cut himself off, his mind rejecting the word.

He couldn’t think that, couldn’t wrap his mind around it. What that would mean for Aster and Skyler. What they were. What they are. What they lost. And...what this would mean for Danny, what these two really were to him. He couldn’t think about it all. So the boy pushed the thought out of his head. 

Instead he held Skyler closer and after a moment, Aster joined him. Danny hugged his blob ghosts until the small blue one wiggled out of his hold, complaining loudly. The half ghost chuckled at the sight but his heart hurt. It ached, torn between acknowledging and rejecting its crazy hypothesis, even as Danny was lying in bed and falling asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grainy footage played on a computer. A ten year old boy holding a hazmat suit, listening as Vlad explained how an inactive portal will grant him ghost powers. A five year old boy, crying and screaming as the man threw him into the machine.

The viewer watched with wide eyes, his hands shaking. His heart pounded in fear. “He’s going to do that to me too.” A teenager’s voice muttered.

The footage continued, both children crying for the man to stop. The teenager tensed as the portal started up, green light flashing. He covered his ears, stomach threatening to eject his dinner as the crying morphed into horrific screams of pain. But his eyes stayed glued to the screen as the light of the portal solidified into a swirling green vortex and….the screams cut off.

The teen blinked at the monitor, waiting. After a small eternity, the Vlad on the screen moved forward. Strictly, he called for a response. None came, the portal and the lab silent. Then Vlad changed, transformed. In a moment, the human was replaced by a ghost and he floated into the newly opened gateway.b 

Another long pause. The viewer twitched, his gaze flickering around the dark lab surrounding him, the same one that these videos were recorded in. His eyes moved back to the screen and finally….Vlad exited the portal.

The boy’s hand moved to cover his mouth and the cry that exited it. On the screen, Vlad was carrying a body. The charred and burnt corpse of a child. 

The teen gasped, learning over in sudden nausea. The words poured out. “He...he killed them. He’s gonna kill me. I’m going to die.”

Words exited the speaker. “Another failure.” Vlad sighed, dropping the body. “Hopefully the next one will survive and I will finally have my half ghost son.”

The boy straightened, his brow furrowing. His mind raced with thoughts and questions. But paramount- “I need to get away from him. I have to escape.”

He stood, rapidly closing the video and logging off the computer. Rapidly, his brain planned. He needed to run or find a way to contact someone. The police? Or…that boy from the older videos, the white haired one who in human form looked like him. His name was….Danny? And he lived in a place called Amity Park? The boy frowned. That wasn’t that useful but maybe-

The hydrologic hiss of the lab door turning shook the boy out of his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat and he sprinted. He was supposed to be asleep on his cot. He flopped down and pulled the blanket over himself, just as the door finally opened. The boy kept his eyes half lidded, watching the man approach him in the dark. Just feet away, he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, faking sleep.

Vlad, the only person he’d ever known, his apparent maker, his capturer, his would-be murder, leaned over him. The boy froze, hardly breathing. He waited, hoping the man would go away. But then, there was a sudden pinch in his arm.

The boy screamed, startled, and tried to sit up but sudden dizziness overtook him. His head swam, his vision blurring before he passed out.

Sometime later, he blinked awake groggily. The boy groaned, wrinkling his nose. He was lying on something cold and metal. Something was digging into his back. He blinked again, his eyes slowly focusing on the ceiling. It was metal; he was still in the lab but….he shot up into a sitting position, his heart suddenly pounding. He was in the tunnel of the inactivated portal.

“Oh, you’re awake already.” Vlad’s voice came from outside the portal. He sounded disappointed. “It’s a pity. I’d hoped to keep you from panicking.”

The boy swallowed, standing. But he said nothing, glaring at the man even as he walked up to the glass wall.

“Do not bother to pound on that. I will not let you out.” The man said calmly. Then he rolled his eyes. “And do not snivel like a child. You are better than that.”

The teen balled his fists, anger rising. Oh, he wanted to do that. He wanted to scream and cry like the others had. The ones who died without even this man’s pity. He wanted to, because he was a kid and he didn’t deserve this. None of them had and it made him want to scream in rage. Instead, he bit back a growl.

Vlad looked up, slightly pleased. “You are being pleasantly calm, my boy.” He smiled, the pride on his face sickening. “Very good. Now just stay where you are and this will be over quickly.”

 The boy scowled but kept his mouth shut. He resisted the urge to curse the man and tell him exactly how much of a bastard he was. Instead, he focused on the man with a determined look. 

“I do hope this grants you ghostly abilities.” Vlad pressed down the button and the machine started to whirl. “You appear to have the spirit for it.”

The spirit, ha. The boy bared his teeth, the sudden chill raising the hair on his arms. It was starting. The opening portal would either kill him or..."I know what you did to the others. I saw the videos." He sneered, remembering the crying kids from the videos, the bodies left behind. The machine might do that same to him or...he remembered the other boy in the videos. Danny, with his white hair and green eyes. Images of him darting around the sky, shooting opponents with green energy. Ghost powers, like the man in front of him welds. Like he himself could...no, like he would gain. The boy straightened. "When I survive this, I will stop you.”

Across from him, Vlad’s eyes widened in shock.

The green energy was building around the teen, the smell of citrus and ozone assaulting his nose. “You'll never do this to anyone again."

The man stared at him in disbelief as the roar of the machine grew. The light burned the boy’s eyes and then...there was sudden pain. Screaming. The smell of burnt flesh. His heart pounded in fear before it twitched, the rhythm failing. His lungs spasmed, unable to take in air. His vision was overtaken with black as the pain ripped his body apart. His knees buckled, mind screaming for this to end. He never felt his body hit the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny woke up, a scream on his tongue. His mind raced, confusion overtaking him. What was that? Where...who? What…?

Above him, something hummed. Danny’s eyes flickered to the source of the sound. There, floating over his bed. It looked like...a piece of the night sky, suspended in his room. The half ghost’s brow furrowed, taking in the ovalong object. It was black as night with pinpricks of light, like stars speckling its body. Slowly, Danny reached forward, his fingers brushing something cold and squishy. 

The things hummed again and Danny blinked, his mouth falling open as eyes opened above him. Icy blue eyes blinked, intelligently taking him in. Mind still trying to catch up, the boy sat up. He held out his hands for the ghost to land. Because this was a blob ghost, another one like Aster and Skyler and…..

The blob let out a soft purr, an emotion pressing in Danny’s mind. Relief. Determination. Knowing eyes focused on the boy and he swallowed in sudden dread and anxiety. It...He was exactly like Aster and Skyler.

The blob shivered, feeling the half ghost’s nervousness. A small measure of comfort touched Danny’s core. At the same time, the other two blobs who had been laying beside him, finally stirred. Both pairs of eyes flickered up to the other ghosts. Aster gave a curious buzz before floating up. A few seconds later, Skyler followed, more tentatively.

For a long moment, the new blob watched the other two, recognition dawning in his eyes. He quickly looked between the two but there was no realization, no understanding in the green or blue blob’s gaze. The starry blob chirped encouragingly, beckoning the other two forward. After a pause, Aster moved, gently nudging the new blob in greeting. Seeing it safe, Skyler hovered forward as well, greeting the new blob in kind. The dark blob hummed, enthusiastically greeting the other two ghosts. He bumped both, letting out a purr.

All the while, Danny watched, mystified. His mind sputtered, trying and failing to put the pieces together. His horrific dream with a new….clone. And then a new blob showed up. It couldn’t...it didn’t….. His stomach churned, revolting at the idea.

Finally, the new blob looked at Danny again. He sighed, pressing two words in the boy’s mind. Follow me.

The half ghost blinked in surprise at understanding the words. But he didn’t question as the blob floated up, off his hand and towards the door. Instead, he transformed. His core hummed as he hovered forward. He followed and it scared him that he didn’t hesitate. Because he should. He shouldn’t follow a ghost who just showed up in the middle of the night. Except…. While part of his mind whirled, the ghost part whispered, that  this ghost was trustworthy and familiar, someone he knew closely.

Flickering invisible, Danny followed the ghost through the house and in the basement with Aster and Skyler following. The group continued into the ghost Zone and across the empty space. Just minutes later, they came to a familiar site. There, in a cave on an abandoned rock...was the metal frame of a man-made portal. 

Danny froze. “That’s Vlad's portal.”

The dark blob stopped, turning back. He landed on the half ghost’s hand. Safe. He’s not here.

The boy blinked, understanding despite the few words. Vlad wasn’t on the other side and he trusted this new ghosts because he knew him, that he was a-

Danny shivered. “Come on.”

The group floated through the portal and into a metal covered room. The half ghost’s breath hitched and in front of him, Aster and Skyler whimpered. Danny swallowed. This was Vlad’s lab, obviously. But he...he recognized it, from his dreams. Shaking, he surveyed the room, eyes falling tubes of ectoplasm, metal and glass chambers, and...a cot in the corner.

Danny felt like he would be sick. But the dark blob nudged him onward before he could think. The group phased up through the floor and into a rustic looking cabin. This room Danny also recognized; they were inside Vlad’s cabin in the Rockies. The new ghost continued, into the forest. They flew for ten minutes before the starry blob stopped cold.

They were floating over a small clearing, tall grass surrounded by trees. Except….Danny’s eyes wandered and his heart dropped. In the light of the full moon, there were three patches of earth, each with vegetation of various heights. On one, the glass was maybe pinkie length. On the second, shoots were just bursting out of the ground. And the third….the earth was freshly up-turned.

Danny floated down, to the base on the first. His gaze flickered between the places as his eyes started to water. He knew...he knew what these were, what these had to be.

“These are graves.” He whispered, his knees shaking. His heart ached, shattering as a sob burst on his lips. “These...my dreams...my dreams they were real….Vlad really….he did….oh god.”

The boy doubled over, his stomach forcing its way into his throat. “Oh god. Oh god that bastard he-”

In front of him came a cry. Danny looked up. Aster was floating in front of him, facing away from him. The little ghost was shaking violently. He shifted in the air, gaze flickering from the ground to the next patch. And there was Skyler. The little ghost was crying again, the noise that of a young child. And...oh god. Aster’s voice….it was the same, a boy, maybe 10 years old, crying.

Danny’s eyes widened, reaching forward. “Aster...Skyler...you guys...you’re really…” He looked down, tears falling. “These...these are yours.”

Rapidly, Aster turned. His gaze flickered to Danny, below him, and then to the other two blobs. Horrified shock wavered, turning into equally horrified realization. His eyes widened, welling with tears, actual tears. He was shaking and crying and….Skyler was doing the same, an identical look on his face. And Danny wanted to race forward and hug them except for...oh god, they were floating on top of their-

There was a flash of light in front of Danny. It was...it was the two blobs. Their aura’s flared, the light enveloping their bodies so strongly that they looked like two balls of light. The half ghost’s heart pounding. What was happening to them?! What was-

The light expanded, pressing outward and up. Stretching and morphing. Growing into a shape. A shape that looked like- There was a pop as the light disappeared….and Danny wasn’t looking at blobs anymore. 

In front of him were two humanoid ghosts. Directly in front of him, the boy (because he was a boy, oh god, this was a dead 10 year old child!), the boy had white hair, light green skin, a black and white hazmat suit. He was looking at his hands, flexing his fingers in awe.

And to the side was a gasp. This boy looked maybe five, with sky blue skin and clouds shifting over his skin and clothing. Glowing green eyes looked up at Danny, green eyes identical to his and exactly the color and shape of- 

“Skyler.” Danny whispered through his tears. At the noise, the other ghost looked up. Familiar purple eyes fell on him. “Aster.”

With no more hesitation, the small ghost flew at him. He threw his arms around Danny, clinging to him in a hug. “Danny.” Skyler, because this was him, the same ghost as his little blob, whined through his tears.

“Sky.” Danny repeated, his whole body shaking. A moment later, another pair of arms clung to the older boy. “Ash.” He cried.

Danny returned the hug, clinging to these two. His sorrow swelled, tears streaming down his face. His knees shook, the weight of emotions dragging him down. The three collapsed to the ground, in a pile of limbs, tears, and sobs.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” The half ghost repeated, like a mantra. “I should have….I should have known that...that.” He should have known who these two were, not just any blobs but his...clones...his clones. These were his clones. “Oh god, Vlad he...he cloned me...and he made you guys and….oh god he killed you!” Danny’s chest heaved. “I didn’t...I didn’t know...I didn’t stop him. I should have...I should have stopped him...I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” The guilt poured out with the grief.

All the while, the other two ghosts wept in Danny’s arms. “I...I remember now.” Aster whispered. “I remember how I...I died.”

Danny squeezed him. “I’m sorry.”

Skyler sobbed, gaping Danny’s suit like he would disappear. “Why did he...why did he hurt me?”

The half ghost had no answer, not comfort. Instead, he promised. “He won’t hurt you. He won’t touch you again. I’ll protect you.”

The little blue ghost sniffled. “I..I love you, Danny.”

“I love you too.” Danny returned. “I love you guys so much.” And he did. He did so much. These two had been in his house, in his room, by his side for weeks. And he’d loved the two even when he didn’t know who they really were. And they were really his clones. His dead clones. They were dead because...he...he hadn’t been there when they needed him. He’d let Vlad kill them. They were...they were full ghosts because he hadn’t been there and…

The boy cried and his two clones cried for what felt like ages, until there were no more tears. Slowly, the two younger ghosts pulled away. Aster whipped his eyes. “It’s not your fault.” He said quietly, looking up at Danny. “You didn’t know what Vlad was doing.”

The boy blinked, his lip trembling. “But-”

A flash of light cut off Danny’s words. He turned his head, eyes falling on another morphing ball of light. The figure stretched, snapping into shape and leaving another human-like ghost. This one looked Danny’s age, like he could be Danny’s twin if it wasn’t for his starry, dark as night skin. 

The new ghost slowly knelt down to be at eyes level with the others. He blinked, fixing glowing blue eyes on Danny. “He’s right. You didn’t know.”

Danny considered, taking in the person in front of him. His heart clenched at the words, guilt swelling. But he had questions, questions that were more important than wallowing in his guilt. “So...you’re a clone of me. Like Aster and Skyler here.”

The other boy frowned, pinning Danny with a serious look for ignoring his statement. Eventually, he stated. “Yeah. I am.”

Danny blinked, taking in the information. The confirmation of what he’d already worked out. Vlad had cloned him and those three clones were in front of him, including two who had been right under his nose and this new clone. Finally, the half ghost nodded in understanding. The next important question..."And what's your name?"

The blue-eyed boy bit his lip. "I don't have one yet. But I was thinking...Orion." He paused, letting the word linger.

“Orion.” Danny tested the word out. "I like it." He half-smiled.

"Figured you would.” The newly named Orion’s lip turned up in a slight smile. “I saw the glow in the dark stars on your ceiling and the model rockets." He looked down at his starry hands. “I guess liking space is something we have in common.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” The half ghost tilted his head, not knowing what to think of that. He decided to press on. "And… that last dream I had, earlier tonight? That was you….you showed me how you…uhh...how you..."

"Yeah.” Orion confirmed softly, understanding the unspoken end of that statement.

The half ghost shook his head, stomach flopping at the thought. “I saw...I dreamed about how it happened to Aster and Skyler too. But I thought they were just weird nightmares but...those weren’t.”

“No. Those were real.” The other teen replied. “I...after I….you know... I woke up in the Ghost Zone and… I found you...I guess...I kinda sensed where you were...and I found you but you were asleep.” He looked down at his hands. “I don’t know how I did it but...I knew that I could show you what happened...so I did.”

“And you brought me here.”

“Yeah...I just...I recognized that these two” He motioned to the other clones. “Were like me.”

“But we didn’t remember that.” Aster finally offered. “I just remember finding you, Danny, and knowing that you were safe and...you felt familiar.”

Skyler wrung his hands. “I knew you’d keep me safe.”

“Of course, I would… I will.” Danny threw an arm over the two clones. “You guys felt familiar to me too but...I had no idea why, just that… I cared about you guys.”

Slowly, the younger two clone’s (in appearance at least) lips turned up into smiles. Danny gave both a pat, before turning attention back to Orion. “So you brought all of us and these two remembered so….” He motioned to all of the former blob’s human-like bodies.

“Why aren’t we blobs anymore?” Aster questioned.

“Yeah.” Skyler wiggled his fingers. “I look different.”

“I think it’s because you remembered who you are now.” Orion offered.

“And you?” Danny raised a brow. “Why were you…”

The starry ghost smiled teasingly. His aura flared, the light blurring his features. The light compressed and….a blob was floating in front of Danny. The small ghost chirped, flying over Danny’s head to ruffle his hair. He flew back around to his spot. There was another flash of light and Orion was back in front of him, grinning brightly.

Danny’s eyes widened. “You can transform back and forth?!”

“Yep.” He affirmed.

“Can you teach me?!” Skyler interrupted.

Orion ruffled his hair. “Sure thing. You too, Aster. We can try it in a bit. But yeah...I can do both. Can’t really talk as a blob but...it’s pretty cool. I didn’t show up like this, since I wasn’t sure you knew about Vlad cloning you and…” He motioned to himself. “Meeting your almost look-a-like might have freaked you out.”

“It probably would have.” Danny worried his lip. “But I know the truth now. I know who you guys really are and what Vlad was doing and….” He looked down. “I saw how all of you died.”

Orion’s expression fell, the stars on his face a green tint in something Danny thought might be a blush. Skyler and Aster also blushed guiltily. 

“Sorry.” Aster muted.

“No it’s….It’s okay.” Danny said. “I need to see but….” He looked at Orion. “I have a question about what you showed me.”

The other teen looked up. “Alright, what is it?”

"Why didn't you fight him?" The other boy asked. “When Vlad had you in the portal. You didn’t yell at him. You didn’t try to get out. You just...you just stood there.”

Orion sighed. “I knew there was no point. I couldn’t fight Vlad or convince him to let me go. I knew the portal...it would either kill me or I’d end up with ghost powers so I guess….I chose to hope I’d survive and end up a half ghost, like you.”

Danny frowned, considering the words. After a long serious pause, he said quietly.  "But you didn't survive."

The half ghost regretted the words not even a second later as Orion's expression fell. 

"You're right. I didn't come out of the portal a half ghost.  I did die." 

The heartbroken expression on the clone's face made Danny's heart clench. In response, he leaned forward to embrace the other boy. Orion tensed in surprise before relaxing and returning the hug. The two stayed like that for a long moment, the gesture gradually becoming less awkward and more comforting and familiar.

Finally, Orion whispered into his original’s shoulder. "But I'm still here, aren't I?"

Danny blinked, taking in the words. He pulled away. He wiped his wet eyes; he’d started tearing up again at the reminder of the other’s death. But….he slowly, tentatively smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. You’re still here.” He looked down at the other two clones and then over the field again. Those three graves, three clones that died but…. He looked back at the group of ghosts in front of him. The same three clones. Danny’s eyes widened. “All of you are. You’re all still here.” The words carried the weight of the realization as his heart swelled with hope. 

The boy looked between Aster and Skyler on either side of him again, his eyes shining with affection. “And you guys are my….” He trailed off, at a loss for words. He’d said it in his head before; Aster and Skyler were his blobs, his...friends? That was the wrong word. They were his clones. No, not just...they were his- “You’re family.” Danny finally said with conviction. He looked across from him, at Orion, deliberately. “All of you are.”

The teenage clone’s expression softened. “I’m...I’m really happy to hear that.” He looked down, before saying quietly. “It’ll be really nice to have a family.”

Meanwhile, Skyler blinked up at the halfa. “Family?” He asked hopefully.

“Yes. Of course.” Danny’s heart clenched at the tone but he still offered a smile, ruffling the smaller ghost’s hair. “I wasn’t there before you guys...you know but…”

Aster cut in him. “I already said...you didn’t know so it’s okay.”

“Yeah.” Orion agreed. “You don’t need to blame yourself. I don’t blame you. I’m sure these guys don’t blame you either.”

The ten year old nodded his head. “No. I don’t blame you.”

Skyler, who’d been eagerly following the confusion, leaned over to hug Danny. “Me neither. So don’t be sad.”

With that, the half ghost was won over. He sighed. “Alright, alright. I get it. But still…..I’m here now. We’re all here now...and we’re together so….we’ll be there for each other no matter what happens now. Right?”

“Right.” Aster and Skyler said at the same time.

A moment later, Orion smiled proudly. “Right.” He then floated off of the ground, offering Danny his hand to stand up. “So how about we end this tonight?” Danny took the hand, standing with the clone’s held. The other boy then pointed back the way they’d come, through the forest and into Vlad’s cabin. “We make sure Vlad never does anything like this again.” He turned back around towards the fresh patches of dirt.

Danny turned, his expression falling as he understood Orion’s meaning. Then he straightened, determination overtaking him. “Yes. This ends tonight. That man’s gonna pay for what he’s done. Let's start with….who wants to help me trash Vlad's lab?"

 The younger two full ghosts nodded while the teenage clone gave his original an eager smile. “Yes, please.”

The four set off, flying together through the sky. That’s how they’d stay, Danny hoped. He’d meant what he said. These three were part of his family and he’d stick with them. They’d stick together. And together, they’d make things right. 

[filminvasion]

Dear Evan Hansen Movie Review

“Dear Evan Hansen” has already turned into the most maligned movie of the Fall so far so will I have to consider Stephan Chbosky’s adaptation of the stage musical a guilty pleasure? Nope. I have not seen the musical  on stage but the movie is precious,  filled with themes of depression, adolscent angst, resentment, grief, and confusion, as well as the all-encompassing ones of mental illness and suicide, yet comes off like a love letter and message of healing to those who suffer, as well as an uplifting musical that hits all the right notes in what is an emotional rollercoaster of a show. 

 Ben Platt has taken some flak over reprising the role he originated on Broadway. “30 year olds should not play High Schoolers”, people say. But tell it to “Saved by the Bell” cause Platt is a revelation as Evan Hansen, and if you have not seen the show, this is the movie’s first treat. Evan is filled with social anxiety, visibly shaken when needing to be around people. As therapy he writes notes to himself, one of which is later stolen by another troubled student who then commits suicide. When the note is found by the boy’s parents (Amy Adams, Danny Pino) they assume Evan was the boy’s friend and seeing how much joy that brings them, Evan plays into the lie. 

 Platt, a phenomenally powerful singer and quite possibly even better actor, becomes the pillar this tricky tightrope of a plot hangs on. Pains have been taken to make him look younger and they are not especially good, but your heart goes out to Evan from the very first scene- he captures the ball of nerves and confusion of never quite knowing what to do in the moment and as the lie continues to snowball- he is continually caught between giving people the happy goodbye they want and the truth- which would be scary to admit even for a low-anxiety person but also would only make people feel miserable.  

 The cast is great across the board really, from Julianne Moore (Evan’s mom) to Adams and Pino- who reveal the quiet desperation of parents who are and were consistently at a loss in helping their troubled children, to Kaitlyn Dever as the boy’s sister (who Evan also has a crush on)- still trying to come to terms with her brother’s psychosis even after he’s gone, to Amandla Stenberg as the school president who hides her own anxiety issues. Nik Dodani (from Netflix’s “Atypical”) also provides some levity as Evan’s only (and family) friend. This also looks at family trying to recover from great loss, students dealing with hard issues, social media’s role of solidarity and hypocrisy when dealing with said issues, as well as morality vs. what people want to hear. 

 And then there are the songs, which hit a home run from the opening scene- some of the best include the heartbreaker on alienation (“Waving Through a Window), Stenberg’s inner monologue on what we hide (“The Anonymous Ones”), Evan’s idea of a perfect (and unfortunately fake) friendship (“For Forever”), and reaching out (the musical’s triumph “You will be Found”). “The Greatest Showman’s” lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul also give us love ballads and humorous asides but again i’m more impressed at the feeling they hit on with each song. “Dear Evan Hansen” is something downbeat that somehow manages to be poignant but also an uplifting piece of acknowledgement, acceptance,  and support. It may be longer than need be and Platt’s age distracts a bit. But listen and watch the kid. A hard lesson will be learned and it does it in a way that leaves us leaving on a theatrical high.

[gladly-be-the-good]

"Hi I'm Boyd, a definitely real boy! Do you want to see the lab?" Danny raised an eyebrow as his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Suuure." Jazz smiled widely at the little boy bot and said, enthusiastically,

"We'd love to!" Boyd reached out for their hands. Jazz took his immediately while Danny shoved his hands in his pockets. Boyd didn't seem too discouraged, so Gyro wouldn't eject the moody teen from his lab, yet.

As soon as they were in another room Boyd started taking.

"This is where Dr. Gearlose first thought up the Gizmoduck armor! He made it as a tool to help around the lab, but then Dr- um, I mean, someone totally random that I definitely don't know and love, nailed it, wanted to help people all over duckburg, and beyond!"

"So he's a good person then? Not someone who would be upset with another superhero reaching out to him?" Jazz asked.

This little boy was clearly incapable of subterfuge, so his goodness was genuine. She could trust him as much as she could trust any other sweet ten year old.

"Oh yes! He loves when he gets to work with other heroes! He needs breaks sometimes and is happy for any help he can get."

"Is he someone that would approve of, I don't know, magic or ghosts or underaged superheroes?" Boyd smiled at her, taking her words at face value even as Danny, who had been listening carefully, shot them both incredulous looks.

"You've never met Mr. McDuck before have you? He employs Gizmoduck and he has a ghost butler! And a niece that used to be a spirit and is entirely magic. We even have an intern here who is.... I don't actually know, but he's really nice too! And as far as thinking kids can't be heroes, he wanted me to be one! And he works with Darkwing who has a sidekick that's twelve. Here at McDuck enterprises, we follow rule 53 in the Junior woodchuck guidebook! Greet the unknown with an open mind and an open heart."

"Wow. You people are basically perfect aren't you?" Danny asked sarcastically. He didn't like where Jazz was going with this and he really didn't need a little kid, who obviously couldn't lie to save his life, knowing a secret that would get Danny killed. Or, more killed, at least.

"Oh no, nothing is perfect. Even machines are flawed."

"So Boyd, tell me about Dr. Gearlose?" Jazz interrupted, a nervous lilt in her voice.

"Dr. Gearlose is amazing!" Boyd exclaimed, spinning in a circle with his arms above his head. Danny swore he saw a rainbow in the background. "It's a secret, so don't tell him please, but I like to call him Dr. Dad."

"He's your dad?"

"Well I don't exactly have a dad, but he was the one who created me so- I mean, in the way that all kids, are, created, dude?" Little bulb smacked his head, the sound of metal hitting glass was the only sound in the room as Jazz and Boyd both looked nervously at Danny, though Boyd was looking at Jazz too.

Poor, sleep deprived Danny, who had grown up with awkward Tucker as a best friend, just blinked slowly and said,

"So, are we gonna learn about any of the science stuff here or just your family?"

"Oh! Yes! Those two things are definitely separate things! Over here we have, uh, no that's for Gizmoduck, but this upgrade is-! Oh, no, that's for me, me phone! Yup. Me phone. Ha ha hahahaha. I'm a definitely real boy!!" The kid started shaking and looked so stressed.

Jazz big sister mode: activated.

"Boyd, come here." He ran to her without hesitation. She hugged him and said, "I know you're a robot-"

"He's a what?!"

"And we don't care. Do we Danny?" Jazz emphasized her messing with a sharp glare. Danny raised his hands in submission.

"Nope. Totally cool with the robot boy. I'm just surprised."

"How? How are you surprised by this? When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

"Oh come on, Tucker pretended he was secretly a robot for nine months when we were kids."

"You, aren't scared?" Jazz cooed and held Boyd tighter.

"How could anyone be scared of someone so sweet?!"

"A lot of people used to think I was bad, a lot of people still do. Even Dr. Gearlose was worried I was going to hurt people, that that's all I could do." This was a story Danny knew all too well. He looked away and scuffed his shoe against the floor.

"So, what changed?"

"I don't know, actually. One second my programming is being overwritten to terrorise the world, the next I'm being held." Danny moved his hands out of his pockets so he could cross his arms tightly against his chest.

"And you've never worried about, I mean, the guy's a scientist, robotics especially, aren't you worried he'll open you up one day to, to see what's inside? Or break you down for spare parts?' Boyd rubbed his chin.

"I, never thought about that before. I don't think he would, because he loves me. But maybe..." Boyd's chin started to wobble. "What, what If I disappoint him? What if I hurt somebody on accident and I'm too dangerous to be online anymore!?" Little bulb burned a bright red and shook a first at Danny.

"Woah, sorry, just um, stop that? Please? I'm sure your dad loves you too much to ever turn you off okay?" Boyd wiped at his eyes, even though he couldn't cry, and said, desperation and fear in his voice,

"I'll go ask him!" He jumped out of Jazz's arms and ran to the conference room.

"Boyd!"

When they burst into the room, Scrooge McDuck was standing on the table waving his cane in the air.

"Now see here you huanter hunting hooligans-!"

"Dr. Gearlose!" Gyro, the only person in the room that had still been sitting, bolted to his feet and caught Boyd as he jumped into his arms. Gyro instinctively cradled the boy bot and glared at the other kids. Boyd was literally vibrating. Fenton, who was already standing, watched with worried eyes. This was going to end badly.

"You. What did you do to Boyd?" He growled. Little bulb hopped from the chair to the table to Boyd and pat his little brother's head.

"Our kids didn't do anything! We've raised them to be fine upstanding citizens!" Maddy insisted.

"That's right! They know how dangerous ghosts are, don't you kids?" Danny felt all the emotions, guilt, regret, bitterness, jealousy, fear, resentment, building inside of him. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for him to be angry because Boyd had parents who loved him no matter what. It also wasn't fair that Danny didn't. He was so tired of always being scared to go home. Of having to run away from his parents as they shot to kill or capture. If they knew what he was, Danny didn't doubt for a moment that the only reason they'd want him alive would be to dissect him. The fact that Jazz had been asking questions about the heroes here proved that she knew the same thing.

"In my experience," Danny said, voice carefully controlled, "ghosts are very dangerous." His parents looked over at the table of angry strangers victoriously. It was the proudest they'd seemed of Danny in a long time. Seeing Boyd, burying his face in his Dr Dad's chest, he felt the words coming out, and with them all the pain and resentment he'd felt for so long, all before he could try to stop it. "But so are people. In my experience."

"Danny, what are you saying?"

"And you don't just throw away a person because they cause you trouble!" He continued. Looking Boyd directly in the eyes as the younger boy had turned his head. "You don't break them down into usable parts, or molecules. Because they feel things and want things and love things! They're just like anyone else!"

"Danny, what has gotten into you?!" Danny walked right up to Boyd and said softly,

"The only people who don't believe that, they," Danny swallowed past the lump in his throat and the realization that came with saying the truth out loud. "They don't really love you." Boyd sniffed and held out a fist. Danny smirked wryly and bumped it with his own.

"What are you talking about? Ghosts don't have feelings, you know this."

"Do we though? Do we even know why they haunt people? Even if they are just, just bad, we don't have to tear them apart." He implored. This was the first time he'd contradicted his parents. This was the closest he would ever get to asking if they could really love him, spooky bits and all.

They weren't even looking at him anymore, they were holding at each other.

"He gets this from you, you know." Jack said, arms crossed.

"What?!"

"Well we Fentons sure don't have that kind of open mindedness."

"I'll say! Who's idea is it out Fenton before everything we own?!" Jack, clearly offended, raised his voice.

"It's called branding! It was your idea to bring the kids with us anyway! It'll be good for them Jack, they'll experience different cultures. Look at what cultural diversity did! It poisoned our impressionable son's mind against ghost hunting!"

"Well excuse me for wanting our children to be educated!"

Danny sighed and his shoulders slumped. His courage died inside of him.

"I was only kidding. Haha. Let's go back to Amity and live in ignorance for the rest of our lives." Jack's face lit up.

"Atta boy!"

"Honestly Jack, he's clearly lying."

"Danny wouldn't do that, we raised him better than to lie, at least to his old man."

"Kids, RV, now. Jack, we'll be discussing this later." She turned back to the scientists and said, professionally, "Thank you for your time, sorry it was a waste for us both." Boyd waved hesitantly, still sniffing,

"Bye Jazz, by Danny." Danny offered a single wave of his hands before slumping it the door. Jazz waited a moment after her parents were gone too. She hurried and took the card she'd made for just this purpose and handed it quickly to Boyd.

"See you soon." She whispered. She was almost at the door when Jack poked his head back in.

"Come on Jazz, we don't need these ghost-lovers."

"Coming dad." Just like that the Fenton family was gone. Scrooge, still standing on top of the table, summed up the feelings of the group pretty well.

"What in dismal downs just happened here?!"

[cowandcalf]

10.11. – Review and some musing

Since yesterday I'm thinking about how to start this review. I guess it'll end up being an ode to McDanno. Because let's be honest…still after such a long time, years of being in love, my love for the boys is a blazing fire. They make me sit on the edge of the couch, smiling stupidly, happy with what I witness what's happening between them. They make me sweat and grin and cry and gasp for air.

So, I start with the boys. Honestly, I've never expected season 10 to be so freaking full of McDanno moments. Gosh, I'm still a bit beside myself. For example, the scene in Steve's office. Danny…Danny. This handsome man (and the haircut! This freaking hot Mohawk, gah!!!) gets me twisted in knots because I try to find out what's he's up to. Danny doesn't normally admit to Steve his inner secrets. The way he confessed so openly why he has made up the mold story? Uh-huh. Intense. He shows feelings. Shows how much he was worried about Steve without being ironic and ranting and cutting the air to pieces with his hands. Intense. That what it was. And Steve? Steve takes Danny's confession in stride, kind of shifts on his seat and says he was touched. Steve doesn't really know what he should do with this piece of information even though he’s known it the whole time. It's kind of a load of emotions getting dumped on Steve only to grow in intensity a second later.

The bonsai comment? So not Danny-like, at least, not to the Danny I'm used to. He admits just openly that he's started that hobby for therapeutic reasons, telling there that he's not okay, that he's needed some support, some help from the shrink-corner and that's new. Did he visit a therapist? A psychologist? Does he still have sessions? Steve didn't ask any of this but the questions hang in the air. Danny, being just Danny, tells him of course, he doesn't normally inform everyone that he has a bonsai but he's just said it to Steve. So, he wants Steve to know and he even takes his miniature tree to Steve's house where he’s gong to trim this little precious tree with the special clipper doing this with a steaming cup of coffee beside him on Steve’s table only dressed in a flimsy shirt and old boxer shorts and Steve forgets how to breathe and decides to wear only sweat pants made of heavy cotton farbric. Not so easy to stretch. So, many hidden signs.

And what's with the burst pipe full of sewage? Yak, that's something traumatic when that happens, meaning Danny’s house was flooded with that stuff, ugh. At least, the bathroom and normally Danny would freak out, ranting, complaining, telling everyone how he's drawn the short straw from life. But none of this is happening. Danny smiles when he explains how the shit-smell has chased him out of his own home and he seeks refuge…at Steve's house. I'm sure he just made that story up, too and Steve knows this but still. Six to eight weeks! That's a long time and they haven't even mentioned where Danny would sleep. Maybe with Grace gone and Charlie growing older Danny feels lonesome and needs company.

But I can't get over Danny's sweet smile. The smile where he's asking Steve to let him crash at his place. It's a smile where one couldn't hide effectively enough the crush, they have one the one person that stands right in front of them. It's a sweet, tender, meaningful smile, uncommonly in Danny's repertoire to make faces. It's a gentle, genuine smile and it's connected to the stay at Steve's place. And normally Danny is the one who's annoyed and not Steve. Somehow the tables have turned and Danny tries to coax Steve into doing something Steve's not so fond of just for the fun of teasing Danny. Steve plays the annoyed one very well and all he can come up with are used towels. Ha!

Danny pushes boundaries twice in a short amount of time. He barges in Steve's door the first time without telling or calling or asking if it's okay with Steve. Now, just the same. He packs his bags and even takes his bonsai with him, stores his luggage in the office for Steve to see because Danny knows already Steve won't say no. So, what has Danny in mind? Living together for about two months? Jesus! I love this scene. It reveals Danny's softer side, an unexpected side. He wants to be with Steve that's a fact. And Steve lets him. I'm really curious about what's going on. Guys!!!! Ahhhh!

And the helicopter scene! That's another great McDanno moment. First, Danny jokes about animals although he loves animals. But he teases Steve about the gooses. And Steve comes up with the helicopter ride and doesn't even ask Danny if he's okay with it. He knows very well that Danny hates to fly with him. And oh, surprise! Danny goes! He jokes about the wild goose chase and Tani rolls her eyes at the boys! But Danny doesn’t scream and digs his heels in the ground just for the reason to show how much he doesn't want to be with Steve in a freaking helicopter, in the air!! Nope, he just went after Steve again with this mysterious smile.

As for the record, I…god…I loved seeing them paired up again, chasing bad guys, like in the old days. Time changes things, I get that but it was a great moment. And guess what. Steve is super correct and knows all the rules and is the pilot of the helicopter and yet he lets Danny use his cell although is highly prohibited and against the rules. But he lets Danny be. And Danny gives two shits about rules because they're in a no-fly zone because of gooses so no rules. And that's heavily teasing and an odd flirting with Steve. He dares him and Steve goes with it as always.

And I love that Steve still trusts Danny with all he's got. The Adam case bothers him and he leaves it to Danny to get through to his rogue team member. But Steve can't deny himself the comment if Danny can manage secrecy and Danny only lifts an eyebrow, tilting his head and quips a nice answer in return. Not offended in the slightest. That's really new and I freaking love it. Danny is much more relaxed and that rises my interest.

The guys going to live together for a longer time. That's going to be interesting and my heart whispers already poems of love…mm-hmm.

The half-season finale was just as good, as fantastic as every episode from season 10. I'm so in love. There's something thrilling about this season. It's heavy on the feels. The unexpected McDanno moments throw me. It's overwhelming. The cases are interesting and I never forget that it just a show and things might be bent a bit until they fit. Yes, they mess up timelines and don't follow up often on loose ends. I don't really dwell on those moments. I take what I get and I tend to extract the best moments for me. These 42 minutes and something always fills me with a giddy joy. I'm still enjoying every moment. It's still a wild ride and every episode leaves me with a lot to think about.

Lou is surprisingly fun. He's the one I struggle with the most. He's often over the top but so far, his scenes are filled with quip, pulling faces while discussing important leads, adding a lot of solid ohana-feelings and deep-rooted devotion to the team. This season Lou kind of grows on me. He's good people when he's not losing himself in some stupid, senseless explanation about how to dip malasadas in coffee or how to be a respected young man, or some stories about the good ol' days in Chicago.

The team has grown together. Tani fills her shoes and she walks tall. She's badass, proud, unwavering and would make Kono proud. She's full of admiration for Steve with the needed respect. But she's also the one who kind of sees the private person behind Steve the boss-man. She's caring and she's not afraid to show it. She loves Steve deeply, like a sister. She also breeches with ease Steve's professional persona. She expresses feelings and thoughts that have Steve gulp because it's so honest and straightforward and I love that.

Junior… man, this guy captured my heart. He's great. He's Earth where Steve's Air. They match as perfect Brothers. I'm always calm knowing Steve's not totally detached from his former, very important life as a SEAL. Junior watches out for him. Always, everywhere. He's grown a fantastic backbone and I'll never get tired of watching him morphing into a SEAL. He becomes a brother and a teammate for Steve. My heart still skips a few beats remembering the scene where they freed Joe White and Steve ordered him to stay behind, to not get entangled with the danger. And Junior's answer came sharply and precisely like a shot. "Today I'm a Seal and you're not my boss. We're a team and I'm coming with you." He said it with such confidence it blew me away. And it took Steve one second to recognize Junior as his brother. Junior is Steve's younger brother and he's always all in or nothing. I love his courage and the tender, shy side he always shows together with Tani. I love this boy and he's a good company for Steve. Keeps him sane.

Adam…Adam. Yeah, there's a lot going on. The way he laid down his gun and the badge was dramatic. I'm not sure yet what to think of that. I have always liked Adam. He fits into the team although he has never undergone any police training. He's born and bred Yakuza got taught from his father, a big name in that world. He should have had the courage to just tell Steve that things went wrong and he has to quit the team. That would have been the right thing to do.

The way he did hide information to safe his girlfriend was okay for me. Steve would have done the same, Lou and also Danny were already in such a situation and they just did what had to be done without informing anyone. But with Adam things went sideways and he went rogue, also emotionally and friendship-wise. After everything was settled he should have gone to Steve and get things out of the way. Steve would have understood. There, I don’t get Adam’s intentions.

Quitting the team like that? The worst imaginable way for Steve. You don't just quit the team and that's an emotional blow for Steve just because Steve cares for every single member on his team. But as I see it, Adam's world shifted when he lost Kono. Being an important member of the Yakuza makes you a slave, for a lifetime. You never can get out. So, they say. No freaking chance. Adam's history proves that. He killed his brother. He tried to be an honest businessman only to realize his past bites him in the ass. He ran away and tried to start a new life with Kono only to lose Kono to her obsession with a case that grew out of hand. Adam loves with all he's got. He has found new love with an old friend, unsurprisingly a daughter of a Yakuza boss. Adam grew up with all those people and now he's back in this energy. He knows the game. He's found a new woman and he loves again. For a man like Adam, he will do everything in his power to protect his woman. He won't lose again a woman he loves.

And his move to quit the team is about the woman he now loves. He has to stay close, by her side. Maybe he realized he only can really play one tune, only be fully immersed in one game, being on the Yakuza team. He betrays Five-O but as it seems Adam has reached a crossroad and his decision is made when he sits down at the head of a big table with other members of Tamiko's family and members of her father's clan.

Quinn…she wasn't in the episode and with some shame I have to admit I didn't even realize it. Not until someone pointed out that Quinn was missing. God, that's so horrible of me. She's a great team member but I seem to have a blind spot for her on the team. She doesn't leave an imprint. I can't tell you why. It's just…she's there and it's really good and she isn't and I don't miss her.

And the cliffhanger! Wo Fat is back. His name at least and seeing Steve's face when he spits his name revealed how much it pains him to just spell it. I think Steve might still have nightmares over what he had to undergo getting tortured, getting to hear dark, poisonous secrets his mother designed and everything came back to haunt Steve never to be really free of that massive emotional trauma. And now his nemesis is back in the form of Wo Fat's former wife. Just as cruel, brutal and cold-hearted as her husband. A killer seeking revenge with the deep wish to get to Steve.

Wow!

Season 10…ten points out of ten!

[five-rivers]

The last Ectober prompt really inspired me.  In fact, it inspired me so much that I wrote a dark alternate ending to my Masquerade/Laboratory story.  Here it is.  

Warning: Dark.

.

Pollux twisted and narrowly dodged the thermos's capture field. How had Jazz known? How had she found out? He had tried so hard!

Danny's dream had been right all along.

He went intangible, and dove underground, where Jazz couldn't follow him, and didn't come up until he was several streets away. He wiped tears out of his eyes. Failure wasn't a new experience for him, but it wasn't one that he liked, and he couldn't go back to Fentonworks anymore. No more Jazz. No more Mom and Dad. No more Sam and Tucker.

Hopefully, Father wouldn't be too angry.

He shot towards home.

.

Although Pollux, like Danny, could push himself to speeds of over a hundred miles an hour, his distance traveling speed was more sedate. He did not return home until late at night, and the scene that met his eyes when he did was arguably worse than what he had fled from.

Police everywhere. Father arrested. Danny in an ambulance.

Pollux dithered. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what had happened.

Father would. He had to rescue Father.

Invisible, he swooped in, and plucked Father from the car. He flew away a safe distance and set Father down.

"What happened?" he asked.

Fathers response was unintelligible.

Oh. Pollux knew using that medicine had been a bad idea.

He chewed his lip, thinking. Father could not give him instructions. But Father had taught him well.

First, he needed to get Father to their safehouse, their hideout, then he would come back for Danny.

Danny fought at first, but Pollux got him calmed down. He read his corcore and found out what had happened on the way over.

It was hard to believe Father had attacked Danny like that. Danny's actions were understandable, in context, and so, so clever, but Father had been brutal.

It made Pollux feel uncomfortable.

Danny clung tight to Pollux as the flew to the safehouse. It was deep underground, and had neither doors nor windows, nor any way to access it except by phasing. It would not be suitable for Danny long-term, with his increased reliance on his astronomy Obsession, but for now it was safe.

They could stay here until Father got better.

.

Father did not get better, and Pollux was angry at him.

There was no way for Pollux to drain and reset the bracelets without putting Danny into stasis, and Pollux refused to put Danny into a stasis he could not revive him from. Danny had been shocked several times, even though he worked very hard to avoid using his powers. Danny was always so weak after being shocked. He always had nightmares, right after.

Father should have included a back-up option, a way for Pollux to take off the bracelets.

On the other hand, Danny seemed to be adapting to his new situation. He was always finding ways to help out around the hideout. He cooked, he cleaned, he tinkered in the hideout lab, and he was always so attentive, so affectionate. His mind was clearer. More focused.

He still sometimes pined for Amity Park, which sent Pollux into a depression of his own (he missed it). But those moments became rarer.

Father was not adapting.

.

Pollux stood over Father's unconscious body. Father had been getting worse, and worse. More and more hostile to poor Danny. Yesterday, he had attacked Danny again, and Pollux had made a descision. Father had to go into stasis.

As the stasis capsule hissed closed, Pollux promised he would follow what Father had taught him. That he would continue his research into how ghostly artifacts affected hybrids. That he would work to bring their family together.

.

Danny knew what was happening to him.

But he couldn't be upset about it, not while Pollux was here, because that would make Pollux upset. He couldn't make Pollux upset.

Slowly, at first, but then more quickly, Danny's Obsession had focused on and warped around Pollux. Pollux was the only one he could help, the only one he could make happy, the only one who could offer his Obsessions any relief.

He was training himself to be exactly what Pollux wanted. He was physically changing, too, to better fulfill his Obsessions. It scared him.

But only when Pollux wasn't there.

.

Pollux carried the artifacts into the hideout lab very carefully.

He had noticed Danny growing smaller, growing softer, and it had made him happy. His core had realized that Danny was safe, and he no longer needed to fight, that Pollux would protect him.

But the change had given Pollux an idea, a theory about how he might remove the bracelets. It was an artifact he and Father had once tested on another clone.

Danny rushed over from where he had been polishing a machine. Pollux didn't even know what that one did, but it made him happy to see Danny so industrious. Danny looked at the box he had brought, thoughts bright and curious.

Pollux ruffled Danny's hair.

"Are you ready to get those bracelets off, Cas?" asked Pollux. He alternated between calling Danny Danny and Danny Castor these days. Pollux liked the nickname, and Danny didn't seem to mind.

Danny nodded vigorously.

"Okay," said Pollux. He patted a nearby examination table. "Sit here, then."

Danny complied eagerly, and looked at Pollux with an air of expectation.

Pollux put on a pair of thick gloves, and opened the box of artifacts. From within, he plucked a soft black-furred teddy bear with shiny glass eyes. He gave the bear to Danny.

Danny looked at it, confused. But then the bear's eyes began to glow, and his closed halfway. The bear began to grow. Danny began to shrink, grow younger. When Danny and the bear were the same size, Pollux pulled the bear away.

The bracelets slipped off over Danny's newly small hands. Pollux tsked at the scars they left.

Danny blinked himself back to wakefulness, and looked down at himself. Something passed through him, something huge and epic that even Pollux could only see the surface of. Then- it was gone. Danny was brighter, softer, and more childlike than ever before. He smiled up at Pollux, and hugged him tightly.

Pollux's world revolved around Danny.

Danny's world revolved around Pollux.

A binary star.

Perfect.

[flowerfan2]

Gray Skies - Ch. 6

This chapter’s a little longer - and satisfied my urge to write a New England in winter story for Steve and Danny.  Enjoy, and happy new year!

Living with depression doesn’t have to mean living without love.  An AU that branches off in Season 10.

McDanno, A03, 9k so far

Chapter 6

The ivy-clad grounds of Grace’s small New England college are as different from the tropical shores of Hawaii as anything could be.  Steve stands back and crosses his arms, content, as Danny and Grace walk ahead of him on the path through the quad, Danny waving his arms and beaming as he talks with his beloved daughter.

It’s exactly how Steve imagined.

Of course, in his vision they weren’t quite as bundled up, and he couldn’t see Danny’s breath, but Steve doesn’t mind the cold.  He even bought Danny a new coat, a short, black, slim-fitting down jacket, to replace that strange olive green thing Danny wore when he came to him in D.C.

Danny refused to wear the matching hat, though, and Steve wonders if he’s regretting it, the tips of Danny’s ears going pink in the chilly air.  Grace didn’t have any such qualms, and is sporting the pom-pom hat Steve brought her. “My friends are gonna love this,” she had exclaimed, pulling on the turquoise beanie adorned with yellow pineapples and the word “Aloha” along the bottom.  She twirled around to model it, and for a minute, she was eight years old again, showing off a new party dress.

Steve had made sure to capture the moment, quickly getting pictures of Danny and his grown-up daughter, arms around each other and broad smiles on their faces.

Now they’re on their way to lunch in Grace’s dining hall, after a morning spent at a welcome presentation and a talk about “making the most” out of the college experience.  After lunch, there are a handful of classes they can visit, and seminars about a variety of topics, including a panel on public service that has caught Steve’s interest.

The dining hall is packed with people, and Grace leads them through the tables until she gets to the one she is looking for.  A tall girl with long blond hair pops up and squeals at Grace, while two people that must be her parents look on indulgently.  Another girl yells from a few tables away and soon joins in the hug, several more family members tagging along behind her.

 After they all find seats, Grace introduces her roommates.  The tall blond girl is Hannah, from L.A.  Maritza, who has her mother, grandmother, and two younger brothers in attendance, is from Texas.  “Sam and Alaina are at the Athletics lunch,” Grace explains to Steve, as she passes around a pile of napkins, “but they’re going to try to catch up with us later. Alaina’s mom grew up on Kauai, she really wants to meet you.”

 With that the topic of conversation turns to Hawaii, and what Steve and Danny do for a living.  Steve tries to let Danny carry the conversation, but Danny keeps getting distracted by his daughter, who is proudly pointing out other people in the room that she wants them to meet.

 Before they’ve even finished their lunch (fairly mediocre soup and sandwiches, but that’s not really the point), Grace is up and dragging Danny over to meet one of her professors.  Steve picks at his turkey and cheese and watches them, Danny’s blond head and Grace’s dark one, leaning together as Grace whispers to her dad.

 “Grace is a lovely girl,” Maritza’s grandmother says.  “We met her when we visited in the fall.”

 Steve turns to the woman sitting on his left.   Her dark hair swings around her face in a tidy bob, and she looks way too young to be someone’s grandmother.   “Thanks.  I’m Steve, by the way.  Isabella, right?”

 She smiles.  “Yes, that’s me.”

 “You’re lucky that you got to visit already.  This is my first time.”

 She nods.  “Must have been hard for you both to come all the way from Hawaii for all those college tours.  Maritza managed to see about half of the ones she applied to.  For the rest, we figured we’d worry about it if she got in.”

 Steve takes a moment to wonder what Grace has told people about him and Danny.  He’s not even sure what she knows about their change in status, so to speak. Steve didn’t come along on any college tours, although he and Danny texted so often when Danny was doing them he almost feels like he was there.  Steve decides to change the subject before he puts his foot in his mouth.

 “Where in Texas do you live, Isabella? I have a former teammate who did his training at the Naval base in Fort Worth.”

 They stretch out the day as long as they can, wanting to spend as much time as they have with Grace, but by evening Danny and Steve are both lagging.

 Grace shakes her head at them as the waiter brings their check.  They’ve spent the past two hours in a cozy restaurant that is apparently the place all the kids go when parents are the ones footing the bill, and it lived up to its reputation.  Danny is still trying to figure out how to make the potato ravioli that came with his short ribs, and Steve was very satisfied with the scallop dish he ordered. He even split a dessert with Danny, a dark chocolate whiskey cake that was served warm with espresso ice cream, and snuck bites of Grace’s creamy cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.

 “You guys are done for tonight, you know,” Grace says as they stand up and start pulling on their coats.  “All that’s left is the freshman musical showcase, and no one expects their parents to come to that – at least not unless they’re performing in it.”

 “You could perform in it,” Danny says, unwilling to admit that there is anything his Grace can’t do.

 “I could, but I’m not – I’m going back to my room to finish my chem homework, and then I’m going to sleep.”

 “All right, all right,” Steve says, putting an arm around Grace’s shoulders and hugging her close.  “We get it.  We’ll let you get back to your life.”

 “See you tomorrow for breakfast?” Danny says.  “At that diner, right?”

 “Right.”  They exchange more hugs, and then Grace is skipping off down the street, turning to wave just before she turns the corner and disappears out of sight.

 Back at their B&B, they chat for a few minutes with a few people who are socializing in the living room on the first floor, Steve poking at the logs in the fireplace and generally scoping out the place while Danny questions another parent about his student’s experience with a seminar Grace is interested in, and then they climb the stairs to their third floor room.

 They had arrived late the night before, and hadn’t had much of a chance to appreciate the charmingly decorated room. More than the antique furnishings, however, Steve is excited to get back into the king-sized bed, with its ample down duvet and piles and piles of fluffy pillows.

 Soon enough, he tells himself.

 “You wanna have the first shower?” Steve approaches Danny, who hung his coat in the wardrobe and then stood staring into it for long enough that Steve wonders if he fell asleep on his feet.

 “What?  Oh, yeah, thanks.”  Danny smiles at him, tired but obviously still happy, and grabs his kit bag out of his duffel.  “I won’t be long.”

 Steve takes his turn in the bathroom after Danny, and when he gets out, clad only in his boxers, he dives under the covers as quickly as he can.

 “Oh my god, you’re insane,” Danny says, opening his arms and pulling him close.  “Come here, come here.  Your feet are like ice.  You’re ridiculous.”

 Steve grins and burrows into Danny, who is giving off heat like a stove, as always.  “I can’t help it.”

 “You just took a hot shower, didn’t you?  How can your toes still be this cold?  What’s wrong with you?”  But Danny’s actions show he doesn’t really mind, as he gathers Steve close to him and wraps the heavy comforter around them both.

 “I can put some socks on, if you want-”

 “Socks, maybe some pajamas?  You are completely lacking in sense.” Danny’s got their legs twined together, Steve’s wet head tucked up against his t-shirt clad chest.  He doesn’t actually seem that interested in Steve getting out of bed to put more clothes on.  

 Steve kisses his collarbone. “You’ll keep me warm.”

 “I’ll try.”  Danny shuffles them some more, getting comfortable, and Steve can feel himself relax into his hold.

 “Grace seems really happy,” Steve comments.  It’s true, it couldn’t be more obvious that Grace is thriving here, despite being so far away from home.

 “Yeah, she’s doing great.”  Steve can hear the pride and relief in Danny’s words. “Thanks for bringing me here, Steve. I mean it.”

 Steve presses another kiss to Danny’s chest, then lays his head back down.  “It’s my pleasure, Danno.  I had a good day today too.”

 “Yeah, we did, didn’t we?”  Danny opens his mouth to say something else, but his words are lost in a jaw cracking yawn.

 “Get some sleep,” Steve says. “We’ll see Grace again in the morning.”

 “Hmm, okay.”  

 Steve tugs the blanket a little higher around Danny’s shoulders, making sure he’s covered up, and lets himself drift off to the sound of Danny’s gentle snores.

 Unfortunately, despite the absolutely perfect feeling of being warmly wrapped in Danny’s arms, Steve can’t stay asleep.  He chalks it up to the time difference, and after an hour of trying not to move and wake Danny up, he reluctantly climbs out of bed.

 The floor is freezing, where it’s not covered with a rug, and Steve hastily pulls on his jeans and sweater, and takes his coat with him just in case.  He’s got it in his head that he’s going to go for a walk, but when he gets downstairs and pokes his head outside, he changes his mind.

 The porch is lit with twinkling white fairy lights, and the outdoor heaters are still on.  There are three small tables with chairs tucked in around them, and a porch swing adorned with festive cushions.  Jackpot, Steve thinks, and claims the swing, moving it gently back and forth.

 The clearing in front of the B&B is framed with pine trees.  Steve imagines they would look lovely dusted with snow, although he’s just as glad it’s not quite that cold yet.  He lets his thoughts wander, thinking over how well the trip has gone so far.

 It’s only been a week since Danny kissed him, but Steve considers it one of the best weeks he’s ever had. Danny had bounced back quickly from his slump a few days ago.  Although work got in the way of their lunch with Kono, they met her at dive bar on the north shore that night, and took up a corner booth all evening long, trading stories and enjoying each other’s company.  

 Steve had thought about inviting the rest of the team, but after a little while he was glad he hadn’t. There was something about being together, just the three of them, that seemed right.  They had experienced so much together that the more recent members of the team had only heard about.  Steve feels a little selfish, keeping Kono for themselves, but he figures it won’t do too much harm.  And when he sees Danny leaning into Kono’s shoulder, talking in low tones about how he’s been feeling, he figures Danny is probably glad they kept the group small as well.

 Steve is startled out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder.

 “Hey, what are you doing out here?”

 It’s really a rhetorical question, and Danny doesn’t wait for an answer, shoving at Steve’s leg until he slides over on the swing and makes room for Danny to sit down.  Danny gives the swing an experimental few rocks, and then sighs, leaning his head back.  Steve wraps his arm around Danny and they swing together, Steve pushing at the floor with one foot to keep them moving.

 “You doing okay, babe?”

 Steve squints at Danny.  “Yeah, I’m fine.”  He is, he just can’t sleep.  Nothing new.

 “You really hit it off with Maritza’s grandmother.”

 Steve can’t tell if Danny is trying to make a joke or not.  “Yeah, she seems like a real nice lady.  Close to Maritza, too, and her younger brothers.  She watches them afterschool.  Apparently likes to play baseball with them.”

 Steve had been impressed by Isabella, and Maritza’s mom, too.  Single parenting didn’t seem to be too much for either of them to handle.  Maritza’s mom worked full time, but was still very involved in the lives of all three of her children, driving carpools, helping with the school play, and coaching little league on weekends.

 Isabella wasn’t the only grandparent at family weekend, either.  Danny’s mom and dad had even planned on going, until Steve had gotten tickets for him and Danny and they decided to let them have all of Grace’s attention.  The only reason Rachel isn’t present is because she caught the flu from Charlie.  Grace is surrounded on all sides by people who love her – moms and dads and grandparents who want to be there for all the important events in her life.

 Quite a contrast with Doris.

 Steve feels that ache in his chest again, and he looks up to find Danny studying him closely.  

 “You have a terrible poker face, you know,” Danny says.

 “No, buddy, that’s you.”

 Danny huffs.  “It was a lot of family stuff today.  Thanks for putting up with it.”

 Steve frowns.  “I love family stuff – especially your family stuff.  I didn’t have to put up with anything.  I mean, it’s not like I’m going to have any kids of my own.  Might as well live vicariously.”

 The words come out as lightly as he can manage, but Danny squeezes closer to him and lays his head on his shoulder.  “My kids love you, you know that.”

 Steve shrugs, ignoring the hot feeling behind his eyes.  

 “You’ve known Charlie for as long as I have,” Danny goes on.  “You’re as much his dad as I am.”

 This clearly isn’t true, and Steve says so.  “Besides, Charlie already has two dads, and a mom as well.”

 “There’s no limit on how many people can love a kid.  Charlie’s luckier than most, that’s all.”

 Steve scrubs at his face and takes a deep breath.  “Today was a little hard,” he finally admits, voice quiet.  “I think about it, sometimes.”

 “Having kids?”

 Steve nods.  “Yeah.  Not now, not really.  I’m too old. But… what might have been, if I had found someone sooner.”  He thinks of little kids who might have looked like Catherine, dark haired and bright eyed.

 “Not that I would have been a very good dad.”

 Danny shoves him and stands up, knocking the swing back.  “What the hell are you talking about?  You’d be a great dad.”

 Steve stands up too, one hand on the swing to stop it from knocking into the side of the building.  “Keep your voice down, it’s the middle of the night.”

 “I’ll be as loud as I need to,” Danny exclaims, although he does quiet down somewhat.  “Fuck, Steve, how you can think that about yourself?  You look out for Grace and Charlie as if they were your own, they know they can trust you, rely on you.  They love you.”

 “I didn’t exactly have the best role models, growing up.”

 “Well it didn’t matter, not for this.” Danny paces across the porch, silently fuming.

 It warms Steve, even though his sadness.  “I appreciate your show of support, Danny, but it’s water under the bridge.”

 Danny stomps a little more, and then sits down on the swing.  Steve joins him, bumping him with his shoulder.  Danny bumps him back, then goes still.

 “It doesn’t have to be,” Danny says quietly.

 “What do you mean?”

 “You said it’s water under the bridge – it doesn’t have to be.  If you really wanted kids – more kids than Grace and Charlie,” Danny gives Steve a meaningful look, daring him to argue about his status with the Williams children, “you could still have kids.”

 “That’s not how biology works, Danny,” Steve says, waggling his eyebrows at him.

 “I didn’t mean-”  Danny huffs.  “You’re such a child.  But be that as it may, you could still have kids, like with a surrogate.  Or adopt, like Mary did.  Even foster.  Think of the difference you made in Nahele’s life.”

 “No, honestly, Danny, that’s not what I want.”  At his age, with his health problems, Steve really can’t see himself having a baby, or even an older child.  It wouldn’t be fair.  “I just think about what it might have been like, that’s all.”  

 Danny considers this.  “Promise to tell me if you change your mind?”

 Steve quirks his eyebrow at him. “Why?”

 “I like kids,” Danny says. “Babies.  Toddlers. Hormonal teenagers, take your pick.”  Danny shrugs.  “I come from a family of four siblings, you’ll recall.”

 Steve feels his heart swell. “Are you saying you want to make a baby with me?”  He’s being silly, but it’s more to cover up his ridiculous feelings than anything else. Is Danny seriously proposing that they have kids, or foster, or something – anything – together?

 Danny fixes him with a determined stare, the fairy lights reflecting in his blue eyes.  “I’m saying that you should let me know if you change your mind.”

 Steve wraps his arm around Danny and pulls him close.  “I won’t, Danno.  But – thank you.”

 They cuddle on the swing for a few more minutes, then go back upstairs, strip down, and get into bed.  Steve really doesn’t want to have kids of his own, not any more.  But he realizes he misspoke before, when he said he didn’t have a good role model for being a dad.  Because one of the best dads he’s ever met is next to him right now, curled up heavy and warm against his chest.

 “Stop worrying, Steven,” Danny says, reaching up to run his hand over Steve’s head, and cup his cheek to bring his face to his for a kiss.  “We’ve got plans with our girl tomorrow.”

 <i>Our girl.</i> Steve can’t remember if Danny has called Grace that before.  Maybe he has, and Steve is just now noticing?

 On that note… “I think Grace’s roommates think that we’re a couple,” Steve whispers.  Isabella certainly did.  

 “We are a couple,” Danny says, squirming closer and kissing him again.

 “But that just happened.  Does Grace even know?”

 Danny pulls back and looks at Steve. “Babe, she knew it long before we did. Now, do you want to keep talking about Grace, or do you wanna-” Danny throws a leg over Steve’s thigh, and it’s clear which option Danny wants Steve to choose.

 Steve still has more questions. He’s not done thinking about Danny’s children, and what the change in his relationship with Danny might mean to his relationship with Danny’s kids (does it mean he’s more of a dad?  A step-dad?  Is being “Uncle Steve” enough, or better?).  But Steve is only human.  Danny is hard and hot against him, and Steve isn’t about to look this gift horse in the mouth (at least not until he’s done checking out some more demanding parts of Danny’s anatomy).

 “Fool around now, talk more tomorrow,” he decides, tugging Danny’s boxers down over his ass.  From the indecent noise Danny makes when Steve takes him in hand, Steve’s certain he made the right choice.

[montyprescottjoy]

Blood Orange

Para: Blood Orange

Who: Monty Prescott & Vitya Cristo @vityacristo

When: June 13th, 2020

Where: Vitya’s apartment 

What: Vitya gets under Monty’s skin and forces him to talk about Schuyler, both boys experience unusual feelings.

Triggers: Suicide, Drug use, Abuse 

MONTY

Monty was fuming after the fight with Schuyler. The redhead had managed to press all his buttons and wound him up so tightly he'd exploded, in public, spilling his emotions where everyone could see. Nothing had been able to numb the fear and pain coursing through him. He'd smoked half a packet of cigarettes, a bottle of Jack, and three joints, and yet he was still feeling the pain but now with a sore head. He was already out of E from the fights with Nikko and he couldn't get hold of his usual supplier. Monty needed a distraction, he needed a good fuck. He also needed someone he could be honest with, or at least someone he could be around without having to go through the exhaustion of putting up his walls with. Nikko and Sam were still in Tn, Danny was in Colorado... that only left Vitya. The younger man had about as many issues as Monty himself and was in no place to judge, he was also a great lay. Monty picked up his phone with a tremor in his hand and hit call. "Yo, Vit, ya busy or got time for a fuck?" He tried to sound seductive but the emotion was heavy in his voice.

VITYA

Vitya had been home a day or two, enjoying his privacy and quiet. Most of his time was spent relaxing, catching up on easy chores, like laundry. He was not a domestic person, but also did not feel well enough to go to a bar or club. The hospital had drained him. Still, when his phone began to ring, and he saw who was calling, curiosity getting the better of him. He answered, and a smile cracked onto his face. "Careful, you come around any more often, I may just need to give you your own key," he joked, holding the phone to his ear by shoulder to fold a shirt in his hand. "So, what brings you my way this time around? You fucked me, like yesterday. A great home-warming present, by the way."

MONTY

Monty couldn't help the small grin that Vitya's sarcastic greeting put on his face. It was easy being around him, things weren't complicated or messy, they were just themselves and that idea alone had Monty relaxing a little. "Don't be makin' ya'self too available, ya poor ass is gonna be so sore ya wont be able ta sit for a week." He chuckled, grabbing his phone, wallet and keys. Vitya hadn't told him to fuck off, in fact it basically sounded like an invitation to him so Monty headed out in the direction of Vitya's place. "For an invalid ya took my dick like a champ, gotta see if it's a fluke or if all them needles they've been stickin' in ya really worked." Mont lied easily, covering up his own need and the small flicker of concern for his friend? fuck buddy? After finding out just how much time he'd spent in the hospital.

VITYA

"Isn't that the whole point?" Vitya said back, starting to move all the clothes to his bedroom. Vitya could hear something off in Monty's voice. Something visceral was there. The words were Monty's normal, sarcastic self, but the tone felt too open. "Practice makes perfect- Also being a pillow princess is, like, easy. And we have done it enough times, you know it ain't a fluke." Vitya sat on his bed, leaning back on his hand. "Oh, when you get here, keep your clothes on. I'll handle that," Vitya said in his low, wispy tone, hoping that would convince the man on the other side that Vitya couldn't hear his different tone.

MONTY

"Mm ya wanna feel it the next day, I got ya, figured ya might wanna go easy on ya crippled ass but fine we can go hard, I know exactly how ya like it." Monty didn't even try to keep his voice down as he walked across campus, all he concentrated on was keeping his tone even and teasing. "As much fun as I have poundin' ya ass we gotta get ya back ta full strength so ya can ride me hard." He taunted, more of his mind slipping from his pain and concentrating on what was in store for him as it seemed he had Vitya fooled that everything was normal. "Pillow princess puttin' in some work today, sounds good ta me, want that mouth." Monty groaned quietly as he reached the door to Vitya's apartment.

VITYA

Vitya could hear the desperation growing in Monty's voice over the phone. On one hand, it was such a turn-on. Vitya loved this, being able to wind someone up, have them wrapped around his finger. But between talking to Anthony, and his latest stint with death, whatever empathy that was still buried in him was rearing it's pretty little head. "What, and have you sit and wait like a good little boy? You're too impatient for that." he teased again, keeping the conversation going. He heard Monty from the other side of the door as well as through the phone, Vitya walking over, opening it, and tugging Monty inside by the shirt collar. With a bite of his lip, he tossed the phone to the side and shoved Monty onto the couch. He took his hair, yanked it back, and with a look of complete seriousness on his face, Vitya stared Monty dead in the eye. "What happened?"

MONTY

"Come on now, ya know I can still fuck ya hard even when ya ride me, I ain't waitin', an' I definitely ain't a good boy, ya know that ya filthy boy." Monty taunted, keeping focused on the conversation and begining to feel very hot and flustered, Vitya knew exactly how to get him going and his cock responded to the words quickly as blood began to rush to his groin. "Impatient hm?" Monty grinned at the surprising strength in the lanky young man as he was caught off guard before he even had a chance to knock. A pained groan escaped Monty's lips as he was manhandled. "What the fuck do ya mean what happened, I should be the one askin' you. What the fuck are ya doin'?" He seethed, brow furrowing in confusion and fists clenching ready to attack.

VITYA

"I mean, why are you calling me, on the edge of a meltdown?" Vitya said back, releasing Monty's hair and standing up straight, crossing his arms. "I am going to fuck you, you're here so it's happening, but you are going to tell me why I could hear you holding back baby-tears. Like it or not, Monty, you aren't getting this-" he said, motioning to his body. "Until you tell me what happened. It was the redhead, wasn't it?"

MONTY

"Fuck you, asshole." Monty yelled. He hated this, hated when people could see through his defences, hated showing any signs of vunerabilty, any clue that he was human and could be hurt. "What if I don't fucking want ya, huh, ever think of that?" He growled, standing up and begining to pace the room. He could leave, he could run back to his hiding place in his own room, Vitya wasn't stopping him, but some how he couldn't bring his feet to move more than a few steps in each direction. "It's always the fuckin' redhead." He ground out.

VITYA

Vitya laughed under his breath. "That's a damn lie, you're still tenting," Vitya said, clearly as a joke and not an actual dig at Monty. He left the man pace, seeing the seething anger. He wasn't leaving, proving Vitya's idea right; this was going to be an angry, vicious fuck. He was fine with that, normally, but he was not exactly normal enough to take that. That, and Monty was somehow becoming... significant to Vitya. He wasn't sure why, but it was something. "Mind telling me what the history is? All I ever see is you, being a dick to him, him telling you off, and then his ball and chain holding him back." Vitya paused, licking his lips. "Is he an ex? Do you even have exes?"

MONTY

Monty moved forward in a flash, grabbing Vitya by the hips, pressing the length of their bodies together, and capturing his soft lips in a hard kiss. It was rough and deep and unrelenting; the only way he could expel some of his feelings."Yeah well ya ass get's me all worked up." Mont tried to tease but it came out flat so instead of sounding sexual he just sounded tired. Monty rubbed a hand over his face, vision blurring when he pressed the heal of his hand to his eyes. He wanted to throw himself into Vitya's body and forget everything, take his pain out on the boy, but somehow he didn't have the strength, he craved human touch, the warmth of another body to take away his pain completely not just forget for a few moments the way Schuy had for a short time back when they had been together. It felt wrong to want that again after all he'd done to destroy what he and Schuy had tried to build. But Vitya was the same as Monty; he was broken too not some untouchable thing like Schuy; he was real. "Ex. Singular."

VITYA

Vitya didn't fight it when Monty got close and kissed him. In fact, he was too shocked to react. They had kissed before, usually mid-fuck, clearly just to enhance whatever they were doing at the time, but this... This was different. When they broke apart, and Monty rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand, Vitya took his hands off and put them at his sides. "You'll go blind doing that," he mumbled, fixing the mess he had made of Monty's hair earlier when he grabbed it. Vitya nodded, laughing low in his chest. "Guessed that much. I take it the two of you ended things poorly, and now you see how good you had it and want it back." Vitya took a few steps away, sitting himself down on the couch to give Monty room to pace, breathe, talk, whatever he needed. "Can't say I don't relate. Not a day goes by that I don't miss home. I take it he was yours?"

MONTY

The kiss had loosened some of the tension in Monty enough so that he didn't flinch away when Vitya touched his hands. Mont stretched his neck out, almost like a cat being petted, as Vitya played with his hair; it felt soothing in a way he wasn't used to, a way he hadn't felt since Schuyler. "Dunno how much of that fight ya saw but yah, fuckin' shit. Caught me cheatin', he beat the guy with a fuckin' camera then went to fuckin' Israel." Monty replied flatly, scanning the room for alcohol if only to keep his eyes from Vitya, not understanding how or why he was spilling information he never expected to share with anyone. "Dunno about home man, ain't never had one of 'em before. Ya miss the Bratva, huh?"

VITYA

Vitya could see it; the starvation of touch, the blatant want of affection without saying it. Humans were social creatures, and Monty was no different. Monty was being open, so open it nearly weirded Vitya out. But this wasn’t like Benji, spilling every little detail worth telling. Monty only said what he wanted, when he wanted. Vitya pulled his legs up and under him, patting the spot next to him on the couch. This wasn’t the first time that, as a prostitute, a client needed to vent to him. But this was the first time Vitya... cared? Payed attention? Who knows. “I saw enough.” Vitya was not surprised that Monty was a cheater. The fact he admitted it was new, a spark of humility showing in Monty’s words. Vitya smiled to himself, looking down at the hand he had resting on his thigh. “Perhaps I do. Or maybe I simply miss my ponytail.” He joked. “So, if you know he is taken, and has refused you several times, why do you keep going after him? What about him is special to you?”

MONTY

Monty bit is lip, looking between Vitya and the open spot on the couch, he stood still for a long moment in silence before breathing out heavily and sitting down beside the younger man. It was strange to have someone that wasn't Nikko asking and listening and allowing him to share at his own pace. Even wanting to share was so foreign. Somehow he felt it easy to share. It was still painful and confusing but he didn't feel judged or humiliated. “Miss that ponytail, fuckin' badass ponytail man." Monty chuckled. “Can't fuckin' tell ya why man, never felt shit for anyone but ma brother Nikk, scared the shit outta me, but without it I'm fuckin' terrified, dunno what I'll be without ever havin' that shit again, I don't wanna find out, I ain't a good guy, I don't wanna be ma Pops."

VITYA

Vitya let Monty sit and talk at his own pace. Unlike his clients, he didn’t touch him on his back for fake comfort. When the revelation about his father came out, all made sense. Monty was a gang kid, and his dad was no better. Vitya looked him up and down, biting his lip. Yeah, they had a lot in common. “...I get that. A lot more than you know.” Vitya ran his fingers in Monty’s hair again, same way as before. “If you are that fearful that you’ll end up like him, best to look at where you are. So, example; I left the country, cut my hair, have sex for a living, and am-“ Vitya chuckles sadly. “I’m basically just waiting to die instead of fighting it. All to tell my dad to fuck off. I know I’ll never be like him because nothing can drag me back there... What do you do? Ignore other people, ignore your brother a moment; what does Montgomery do to not be his father?”

MONTY

A shiver ran through Monty and a soft moan escaped his throat with his permission as Vitya ran his hands through his hair. It felt so fucking good. He felt so touch starved, not realizing it until this moment and he had to clench his fists to stop himself reaching out and grabbing onto Vitya. “Wait in’ ta die, what the fuck?” Montys eyebrows shot up in surprise and confusion, his own problems pushed to the back of his mind, refusing to concentrate on anything else, ignoring Vitya’s question.

VITYA

Vitya kept his touch going, gently coaxing Monty into a more relaxed sate. He rolled his eyes at Monty's surprise at what he said. "What, did you think I was in the hospital for the fuck of it? It doesn't matter, this isn't about me. I'm fine, you aren't." Vitya moved so his legs were crossed. "I did what I could to get to where I am. I'm not happy, but I'm content. What about that redhead is keeping you from being content? Why aren't you letting go?"

MONTY

Monty glared at Vitya, eyebrows still raised, “Aye figured ya went too hard on the drugs an’ booze been there done that but the fuck ya dyin’ fuckin’ explain that shit!” He growled, refusing to let it drop, though not entirely sure why. Monty rubbed a hand over his face again, clearly Vitya was not going to drop this. “Al’ight, go with the ignorin’ ma brother thing Red is the only one who ever gave half a fuck about me. Pops ain’t just some street thug, he’s mob, he’s a fuckin’ Don, an’ he don’t give a shit who he hurts ta get more power. With Red I didn’t have ta be the son of the Don or hide.” Monty responded, apparently finding the hem of his shirt endlessly fascinating so as to not look at Vityas expression. Monty couldn’t believe he was sharing his deepest feelings and was sure he would be laughed at for his pathetic admission. Then again this was Vitya... a guy who never judged just like Schuy... but unlike Schuy this guy had experiences of his own... maybe he understood Monty in a way Schuy never could.

VITYA

"Yes, I am, it's a stupid heart condition. Ventricular tachycardia. Had it all my life, it will kill me, end of story." Vitya said in a snappy tone. Much like Monty's reaction to Vitya's inquiry into is emotions, this was Vitya's soft spot. This was his Schuyler, in some twisted way. Vitya got it a lot more than Monty knew. He nodded, shrugging in understanding before licking his lips. "Russia is anything but legit in it's government. The state controls everything. Kind of like a mafia. Say the wrong thing, you disappear." Vitya pet at Monty's hair, this time lower, toward his neck. "If he isn't willing to make you feel the way you want to, then maybe you should go looking somewhere else. Besides, love, romance, dating- It's shit. A messy load of shit, and if it makes you feel like this-" Vitya motioned to Monty. "-Then that just proves how much it isn't worth it."

MONTY

Monty furrowed his brow, “don’t know what that is but pretty fuckin’ sure it ain’t good an’ all the booze an’ drugs ain’t helpin’. Ya said ya waitin’ ta die but man it sounds more fuckin’ like ya tryin’ ta kill ya’self!” Monty yelled, surprised by the force in his own tone. Since when did he give a shit what other people did to themselves. “Sounds like my fucking family, at least my pa is the one that makes people disappear so I ain’t goin anywhere but fuck it might be better if I did. There ain’t words ta describe how much of a prick he is.” Monty groused but relaxed again under Vityas touch. It was reassuring and yet terrifying that he seemed to be able to control Monty’s emotions this way. Yet the feeling of giving up control is was almost welcomed; he didn’t have to fight to stay in control and it gave him room to breathe. He idly wondered how Vitya had gotten out of Russia but couldn’t bring himself to ask, that seemed too much like being interested or caring. It was bad enough he’d let himself slip and ask about his illness. “It’s all bullshit. Love an’ dating an’ all that. Just made me feel fuckin’ weak an’ just waitin’ to be punched in the gut when he walked away an’ then he did walk an’ I felt like dyin’. I fuckin’ hate how he made me feel man. Never want that shit again. Never!” He ground out with a hard expression, going back to repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists to avoid lashing out.

VITYA

"They aren't, but I'm not going out with a whimper, either. Fearing it, trying to push it back, just prevents the inevitable. I want to be here for a good time, not a long time." Vitya shook his head, throwing a hand in the air as if to give up. "Maybe I am trying to kill myself, at least I am doing it on my own terms. And I'm not jumping off bridges or that dumb shit. I'm just having fun. Like, when you decked me, and cut me with your ring, I walked away because, finally, someone did it. It made that night fun, I felt alive. If I was worried about dying all the time, I never would have gone." Vitya nodded, laughing at their similarities. "My father runs the largest pharma and drug development company in Russia. I am untouchable, back home, thanks to him. I called myself the Prince of Poison in middle school. Edgy bullshit," he said with a laugh, his hand now tracing circle's in Monty's nape, twirling the hair around his fingers. His then placed his other hand on Monty's thigh, doing a similar circular pattern. "Then maybe it's time to move on. Because if he makes you feel like that, and you hate that, running after him is fucking stupid. He doesn't want you, and you don't like how he made you feel, so what's the point?"

MONTY

“Then why the fuck are ya at college then? Ya plan on dyin’ so why do ya want a degree huh?” Monty snapped back, “sounds like ya plannin’ a future.” He raised an eye brow in an accusatory fashion. “I’d still have beat the shit outta ya even if I knew then ya dying, nobody gets near Nikko and I ain’t apologizing for that.” Monty shrugged, he wasn’t ashamed of loving his brother and wanting to protect him. “Prince of poison.” Monty barked out a laugh shaking his head. “Thought you were hot shit, huh?” He rolled his eyes. “Spent my time yellin’ at anyone who called me Montgomery, eventually they learned an’ just called me Prescott. Fuckin’ teachers spent all their time yellin’ at me anyway doubt they cared what ma first name was. Two older brothers went through the school before me, they saw a Prescott on their ledger an’ knew exactly what they were in for.” He snorted, remembering homeroom teachers giving him talkings to at the beginning of the year expressing their ‘sincere hope’ he wouldn’t be like his brothers. “Not so easy to get that fuck head outta my mind no matter how much I fuckin wish I could. Wanna forget it all.” He whispered, staring down at Vitya’s hand on his thigh. Vityas touch was beginning to make Monty hot again, heat pooling in his stomach and groin, especially once the hand was on his thigh. Monty leaned in and kissed at Vitya’s neck, just below his ear, nipping and sucking, “tell me us fucking doesn’t make ya feel alive. Tell me ya don’t feel like ya world is gunna implode if ya don’t cum. Tell me ya don’t hold me like ya might die if ya don’t when ya finally cum from my cock poundin’ ya ass.” He whispered, lips grazing the shell of Vitya’s ear as he spoke.

VITYA

Vitya's voice caught in his throat, freezing a second. He really had no reply to that. For all his spouting about not caring about his end, Monty saw right through it and asked him the one question he coudn't answer. He just shook his head, and shrugged. "Was bored," he said quickly, knowing that wasn't enough of an answer, but hoping it would slide by as if it was. Vitya laughed with Monty, smiling and biting his lip in embarrassment. "Oh yeah, I really thought I was. It was kiddy nonsense," Vitya mumbled, his smile sticking in place as Monty recounted his formative years. Little things, like homeroom teachers, stick with the strangest people, and Monty was no different. "Did you surpass your brother's before you? I would, I'd see it as a challenge. I'm the youngest, so it would be my mission to out-do my siblings." Vitya admitted with a mischievous look in his eye. "If you forgot, you'd just do it again. Best to remember, so then you know you'll never do it again," Vitya stated back, speaking a low enough tone, as if the walls could hear. And, in a split second, the air went from a freeing open space, to clenching his chest, when Monty looked down to where his hand rested. Vitya, satisfied with all the answers Monty gave, let the man have his way with his neck, angling his head just so to give him all the freedom he needed. He let out a breathy, distracted chuckle, the hand that was calmly dancing in Monty's hair now gripping a bit tighter. "If I did, I'd be lying," Vitya whispered back, uncrossing his legs. With a seductive slowness, practiced and natural, Vitya slid one leg over Monty's legs, slotting himself in Monty's lap. He took Monty's hands and placed then on his waist, where his shirt was hiked up just enough so skin touched skin. "Don't be gentle."

MONTY

"Sure bored, not thinkin' about the future at all." Monty snorted, the disbelief clear in his tone but he could read Vitya like a book the way he stumbled over the words. This would be a conversation for another day, not that he really understood why he wanted to press the issue. Monty rolled his eyes, laughing easily, feeling relaxed. "Tough guy, huh? If ya didn't look like I could break ya in two right now I'd put ya tough guy act to the test." He taunted like a school kid on the playground. "KT and Thatch are morons, not exactly hard to out do 'em. Teachers never believed me when I said I didn't cheat on exams, they always made me take 'em away from other kids with some fuckin' supervisor." He laughed remembering the first time he got 100% on a physics exam and had been accused. It had felt awful and wonderful at the same time. "Of course you wanted to make more trouble than your siblin's, you're a sucker for a bad rep aren't ya?" He chuckled, enjoying this easy banter. "Wanna forget him, all the shit I liked about him, but I'll never forget that horrible feelin' that makes my skin crawl, I'll never let myself see all that good shit in anyone again cause it ain't worth it." Monty shook his head with a deep sigh.

A hum of satisfaction escaped Monty as Vitya presented his neck, allowing Monty to have his way with him was the control he needed right now after losing his reigns on his feelings for Schuyler. Monty moaned at the tug on his hair, another flash of heat shooting through his body. "So ya don't need me to hit ya ta make ya feel alive. Don't need ta be playin' with death. Just need my cock in ya ass." He continued, biting on Vitya's lip. It wasn't a gentle nibble it was sharp aiming to cause a quick sting of pain. Monty ran his hands down the younger man's body to his ass, squeezing his butt, enjoying the feel of the muscles under his hands before forcefully pulling Vitya down so their crotches rubbed together. The pressure on his dick made Monty moan but it wasn't enough and something tripped a switch inside him so he was thinking entirely with his cock. He grabbed at Vitya's sweatpants and tore them away so he could finally get his hands on that firm, smooth bubble butt.

VITYA

Vitya laughed along with Monty. "Yeah, you probably could. I'm not the most robust guy," he said, softly. It was interesting to hear more about Monty's life growing up. It sounded individual, singular proving more and more that he was not like other people. Vitya could see that 'shitty school life' was something they shared. The only contrast was Vitya being an absolute demon at his school on purpose. "I am, the worst the rep is, the more people gossip. And I do love gossip. It's politics for the powerless." Vitya, in the hope that he could say one final thing to truly get to Monty's core on his inner drama, tucked some hair behind his ear. "Then fuck him, and the high horse he rode in on." "In the end, Death fucks us all," he whispered quickly, knowing that after this, there was going to be less and less talking. Vitya gasped at Monty biting his lip, his eyes rolling a moment before he made it an actual kiss. He slid his tongue into Monty's mouth, giving him no option but to let him in. He moaned in delight as Monty touched him, taking hold of his waist and pulling him down. Vitya's eyes went wide when he felt, and heard the sound of tearing, looking back and seeing what Monty did. "Oh, I am going to make you regret that-" he said, swiftly tearing open Monty's dress shirt. His hands overtook the new open space, his hips sliding forward to grinding against him, then back into his hands again. Vitya leaned in and kissed Monty again, giving him some payback for biting his lip by doing the same. Vitya's hands went at Monty's belt, doing what we promised earlier and starting the process of getting him out of his clothes, of which there were way too many. He had done this too any times, able to get his belt out of the loops in one swift tug, palming Monty through his jeans before starting on the button. "Fuck, how are you this hard already?"

MONTY

"I bet ya a scrappy little fucker when ya not right outta the hospital though." Monty chuckled, lightly punching at Vitya in a playful manner just to tease. It was rather odd talking about his childhood, especially school, but it was kinda nice, and he did always enjoy showing off how intelligent he was. "Always been in trouble? Makes sense, hell in high heals an' all that shit. But ya ain't exactly powerless though are ya? Bein' a Prince an' all." Monty retorted, rolling his eye again for effect before breaking down and laughing again. Monty nodded, feeling a sense of closure on todays Schuyler chapter. No doubt the pain would come again, it was like the tide in that sense, the way it came and went; but now the tide was out, his feelings were being forgotten in favour of losing himself in Vitya. "It fucks us all in the end but who said we can't go out fightin'" Monty murmured against Vitya's lips. A groan rumbled in Monty's chest feeling the force of the kiss and the demands of Vitya's tongue against his. Sometimes he needed to take control for himself, and sometimes he needed to give it over and somehow Vitya was able to give him both. Vitya's moans caused Monty to buck his hips up and increase the friction between them. Monty tried to laugh as Vitya ripped open his shirt, sending the buttons flying but it came out more like a whine, he couldn't deny how hot it was that even in his state Vitya could still do this. Mont kept his hands on his ass, working with him as he moved his hips, letting his hands roam the now exposed flesh. He grabbed the cheeks and pulled them, letting his finger tips graze his hole. A shiver ran through him at the efficiency of Vitya undoing his belt and jeans, it was speed that only came with practice and it served as a reminder of all the times they'd done this before and how good it was. "Fuck." Monty swore under his breath as the feel of Vitya's hand. "Ya got me this hard ya fuckin' dick." he groaned, as his head fell back.

VITYA

Vitya was anything but distracted. He was laser sharp was Monty's hand groped at his ass, eventually propping as his hole, making him shiver. He bit his lip and smiled as Monty lost himself to such a simple thing as a grope through his jeans. He pushed back into his hands hoping to wake the other man up a bit. Vitya carefully undid Monty's jeans, and with seasoned hands, slid his cock free from their confines. Vitya gave a fake, innocent look. "Oh, did I?" He teased, sliding his hand up and down Monty's shaft at a delicate, slow pace. He leaned into Monty's ear, nipping the lobe a moment. "So sorry about that..." "Come on, be a good boy and open me up. Want you inside me," Vitya whispered, licked down to Monty's neck, where he promptly kissed and sucked a deep, purple hickey into existence. He even bit, just for a moment, to make sure it stuck. He began to twist his wrist as his hand slid up and down Monty's shaft, encouraging him to keep going. "Are you going to pound me into the floor, or am I gonna ride you till you whimper? Decisions, decisions..." Vitya teased even more, his free hand now joining in on his jerking of Monty's cock.

*fade to black*

[shreyamistry]

Valentine’s Day Together - It Lives Series

Pairings: Ava, Andy, Dan, Danni, Imogen, Lily, Lucas, Noah, Parker, Stacy, and Tom x MC

Summary: How you spend Valentine’s Day together. 

Word Count: 5.4k+ All Together

A/N: Hi all, happy early V-Day!! This is my Valentine’s Day series, if you recall I wrote ‘Realizing You’ve Fallen In Love’ - ILITW edition back in October for ILITW Appreciation Week and dedicated I wanted to another one of those, but for Valentine’s Day. My friends voted and Spending Valentine’s Day Together won the vote! Includes all It Lives Series LIs (Does not include Connor, because I don’t know how to write for him. Sorry about that). With that said, each ficlet is about 500 words and is in alphabetical order (excluding ava & andy, i forgot my abcs it seems lol.)! Hope you like it, thanks for reading! Find the first one and this one on my masterlist, link in bio!

Thanks for reading! I hope you like it!

Ava:

Ava invites you over to her apartment on Valentine’s Day, she promises to watch movies with you and enjoy the ‘commercial’ holiday with you. When you get there, she has bowls of candy on the table along with an array of pizzas from Pizza Overlord. She’s even gotten your favorite toppings on the pizza.

She wraps the both of you in a blanket and turns on her favorite Valentine’s Day movie, The Silence of the Lamb, she doesn’t even flinch during the scary parts or suspenseful parts. Instead, she laughs at you any time you jump and throws candy at you when you least expect it to freak you out. By the end of the movie, you’re certain you’ll have nightmares about this movie but at least you got to spend time with Ava wrapped up in her blankets cuddling.

“That was a good movie.” She says as she slides off of the couch approaching her Blu-Ray player. She rummages through a few select films before holding them up in your direction a wicked grin on her face. “1981 My Bloody Valentine or Let The Right One In, with subtitles. The remake was garbage.”

“My Bloody Valentine, I guess.” You reply and she pops the movie into the Blu-Ray player with a smile you rarely see before she falls onto the couch beside you holding a twizzler between her teeth. She raises her eyebrows at you, earning a laugh from you. You take the other end of the candy into your mouth meeting her in a cherry flavored kiss before she pulls you into her arms kissing you.

She presses your back into the couch leaning over you, her kisses on your neck and jaw, as the movie plays on with a lot of screaming. Not that you’re bothered to look when you have your goth girlfriend on top of you. After a while, she pulls away a smile on her lips before she leans over grabbing the remote off the table.

“You hear those screams, makes it sound real.” She hits the volume button a few times. You watch the film a few moments seeing a woman in paled by a man on a spike. Ava shakes her head with a laugh, “That’s a classic. Want to recreate it?” She pretends to stab the remote into your chest causing you to scream in surprise leaving her to fall into a fit of laughs. You shove her shoulder pouting at her.

“I hate you.” You huff, taking a handful of M&Ms tossing them into your mouth.

“Happy Valentine’s Day babe.” She replies, laughing to herself as she tunes into the movie pulling you back into her arms, snuggling up against her form as you finish watching the movie the both of you falling asleep before the movie ends.

Andy:

Andy invited you on a date to play Paintball for Valentine’s Day where his team practices. They held a couples competition for anyone interested with a grand prize of a gift card to a restaurant and bouquet of roses to give to your significant other. Andy and you decided you needed to win and try out this place for a free dinner date. When the match starts the two of you pair up together and explore the arena to take out your enemies. Before long the two of you have dominated much of the field together, luckily you’ve been able to be a strong distraction so he can get precision shots in.

The both of you finishing wiping out another team, you get the final close-range shot on the girl who stepped into your way by accident trying to flee from Andy. She smiles and congratulates you on the shot before making her way off the field. You and Andy pant catching your breath.

“You’re fucking killing it.” He grins, he gives you a high five. “If I knew you were this good, I’d have added you as the new team member when Jason quit.” You smile in response leaning onto Andy’s frame for support,  running a hand through your hair to brush it out of your eyes.

“How many people are left?” You ask as Andy inspects the leader board on his phone.

“Two people.” He replies, “We have 12 points and they have 12.”

“You ready to kick some ass than Kang?” You grin at him and he grins back.

He pulls you close to him, his hands around your body holding you close to him. “They don’t call me King Kang for nothing.” He laughs, brushing his fingers over your face, tucking your hair out of the way of your face. You can’t help, but smile at him leaning in slightly, his lips brushing against yours as his hands fall onto the small of your back. His mouth moves against yours perfectly, making you dizzy and intoxicated with the scent, feeling, and taste of Andy.  He lets out a moan, as you tug on his lower lip with your teeth before pulling away from him with a smirk.

“You’re going to give away our position, Kang.” You warn as he shrugs, trapping you against the wall, both arms on either side of you. You wrap your arms around his torso as he captures your lips in another kiss, enjoying the feeling of his kisses. Your hands running over his back with excitement, as he flicks his tongue across your lower lip when you hear someone tripping coming from the column beside you. You break apart sharing a secret smile, he nods in response, raising his paintball gun. “Give em hell, Kang.”

“Naturally.” He radiates confidence, turning down the other side of the column. You wait for him to reach the end, giving each other thumbs up before jumping into the other lane surprise attacking the team from both sides leaving them splattered with paint as you and Andy cry out in battle.

Dan:

Dan’s roommate leaves for the night to stay at his boyfriend’s house leaving the two of you to stay in his dorm alone together. He gathers a bunch of blankets and sheets building the both of you a tent out of the furniture in his place, cozying up with you on a homemade bed made out of pillows and his thicker blankets he didn’t use to make the canopy. He sneaks his tiny TV under there along with a cardboard box loaded with foods and snacks.

He cuddles up to your side, taking a handful of cheese off of the tray popping them into his mouth as your favorite Disney movie plays on the screen. You can’t help but stare at him. Your heart weighed down by how much you loved him as you stare at his handsome features, ducking your eyes down from him when he notices you staring.

“I’m glad we got the place to ourselves.” He takes your hand into his own, threading his fingers through your own. You rest your head on his shoulder nuzzling up against him. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you.”

“You say the sweetest things,” You kiss the football captain on the lips. His free hand falling onto the back of your neck holding you to him as tilts his head to the side granting him easier access to kissing you. His lips are sweet and gentle against yours, the hand on your neck sliding down to your shoulder and down your arms resting on your shoulder. You break the kiss with a soft pant as he leans in kissing your nose. “I love you, you know that?”

“I love you more, you know that?” He smiles brightly. “You’re perfect in every way.”

“Flatterer.” You grin, kissing the corner of his mouth. “You make me want to be my best self.” He smiles at you, brushing the back of his hand against your cheek lovingly. You brush your nose against him at the closeness. He reaches out to take another few cubes of cheese off the table popping one into your mouth and the other into his own.

“This cheese is fantastic.” He comments, “Almost worth the twenty dollars I spent.”

“You spent TWENTY DOLLARS on cheese!?” You ask in shock as he blushes with a laugh.

“Guilty as charged. I wanted today to be special for you.” He shrugs, “And my therapist says it’s nice to splurge on yourself and your loved ones.” You brush your hand against his cheek this time, laying a sweet kiss to his lips.

“You being here, makes it special enough for me.” He smiles at your words cozying up to your side against letting your head fall onto his shoulder as the both of you continue to snack on cheese and grapes, ignoring the shitty wine he stole from his roommate content with your boyfriend and Disney film.

Danni:

It surprised you to find Danni invited you on a late night hike for Valentine’s Day, the air was cold and crisp and you were both bundled up in sweaters as she leads you through a patch of trees. When you realize you’ve stumbled upon a meadow out of bloom.  You notice the blankets, a glass of sparkling cider, and a cookie tin.

“Danni?” You ask as she grins at you with no words leading you up the path to the blanket. She pulls you onto the blanket the both of you cuddling up to one another as she encases you with blankets. Your head on her chest listening to her beating heart in her chest as you stare at the sky. The sunset nearly there as the skies hues of purple fades a deeper shade as the sun disappears.

“I love coming out here,” She says, “the view is stunning. I wanted to share it with you, it means a lot to me. My mom used to take me here when I was younger.”

“Danni.” You whisper in response kissing her cheek. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Someone’s gotta appreciate the view and I sure as hell wasn't going to bring Eagle Scout here.” You laugh at her comment thinking of her and Parker sitting quietly watching the sunset and then going home without saying much else. “The view is better from here. Okay, that was so cheesy, I feel stupid saying it.”

“I hope it was worth the endless teasing the group chat will give you.” You laugh, as her hand cups your cheek brushing your hair out of your face.

“Not the group chat.” She reigns fake horror and the two of you laugh until your stomachs hurt. “Do you care if I take a picture? This scenery and that outfit are too good to pass up.”

You shove her shoulder playfully as she fishes her phone out of her pocket opening the camera app. “I demand you be in the picture too.” She rolls her eyes, but obliges anyway, she holds the phone out in front of the both of you and just as she captures the picture you catch her lips in a kiss. She gives in instantly after stiffening being caught off guard, her free hand on the back of your neck and she snaps a few more pictures. You relish in the moment, her lips are soft and sweet, she smells delicious as her perfume catches in your nose. Your hands running over her sides, holding her close to you by the waist.

You break the kiss to catch your breath and Danni can’t stop staring at you. She brushes her thumb along your lower lip, kissing you again gently. “I love you.” She whispers against your lips.

“I love you more.” You roll on top of her straddling her hips as the two of you plant sloppy kisses on one another, her hands in your hair and yours cupping her cheeks. After your make-out sessions, she insists on doing a photo shoot of you and the view, the two of you spend a lot of the night cuddling under blanket taking pictures and enjoying yourselves together, laughing into the wee hours of the night. You don’t even mind the cold you’ll get in the morning.

Imogen:

Imogen invites you to an ice cream parlor for your date, she buys the both of you the extra large cones of your favorite ice cream. After paying the tab and loading up your cones with different toppings, she walks hand in hand with you down the town square telling you her adventures of Pine Springs she and Kyle had together.

“Look at this!” She pulls you towards the edge of the town square overlooking a cove leading to the beach. She smiles brightly as she turns to you licking some of her ice cream that dribbles down her fingers. “This is where we ran away too. I forget what happened, but Mom was mad at the both of us and she asked him to go home and I said I wouldn’t let her do it. And she sent me to my room. He stood outside hiding, and I snuck out of the window and we met down by the cove and planned our new lives in that cove. That was my rebel moment.”

She laughs excitedly. You can’t help, but smile leading her towards the steps off towards the side leading down to the cove. She giggles chasing after you before the both of you fall into the sand looking at the sky keeping your ice cream from spilling.

“What’s our future look like?” You ask, turning to look at her. Her eyes are sweet and kind as she smiles at you, brushing her hand against your cheek, stroking your skin for a few moments before turning her attention to the sky.

She smiles, “We’ll have a horse. And a kitty cat or two.”

“Two kitty cats?”

“Obviously.” She laughs, “And we’ll be happy. Yeah, most importantly we’ll be happy. We’ll have a cute little town house big enough for both of us and Elliot, maybe even kids. We can always adopt.”

“It sounds like a perfect future, Genny.” You grin taking her face into your hands. “Because I’ll have you.” She blushes leaning in and kisses you sweetly on the lips, her hand holding up her ice cream cone from falling as she delves your hands into her hair kissing her deeper. You break apart briefly to grin at one another brushing a few strands of hair out of her face.

“I love you.” She whispers.

“I love you too.” You whisper back, kissing her nose.

The both of you untangle yourself standing from the sand and she looks at her ice cream that’s mostly gone. She frowns softly turning to you with a hopeful smile. “What do you feel about another ice cream cone?”

“Hell yeah.” You smile, throwing your arm over her shoulder leading her back towards the ice cream parlor. She goes back into another story about her and Kyle, enjoying the warmth of your body against hers in the breeze of the February cold.

Lily:

The cat café near the gaming studio Lily works at was hosting a lover’s tea set party with cats evening. Lily was super excited to go, and she knew you’d love hanging out with cats with her. You met Lily there since she had to work beforehand and find her wearing a pretty laid-back with her hair up in a cute style.

She blushes as your mouth falls open, “Oh hush!” She pushes on your arm. “The girls at the office heard we were coming and thought it’d be cute to do my hair for me.”

“You look stunning, babe. As you always do.” You place your hands on her forearms holding her there, smiling at her as you lean in to kiss her sweetly on the lips. “I feel underdressed now.”

“You’re gorgeous, you always are.” She smiles back, encasing you a hug. She tears away from you, taking your hand before leading you into the cat café. She talks to the hostess and before long the two of you are in the café sitting by yourself with cups of tea and cats surrounding you. Dewey the Cat naps in Lily’s lap, occasionally waking up to lick her paw or glare at Lily for laughing too loudly at your jokes.

You pet the cat that continues to brush against your arm, taking a sip of the sweet berry flavored tea. “I can’t believe you managed a reservation here, on a Valentine’s Day special.”

“I may have woke up at 6am to call as soon as someone got in.” She giggles, taking her half-eaten finger sandwiches popping it into her mouth. “My girlfriend deserves it.”

“You’re the best, Lil.” You smile as you place the mug of tea back onto the table. You lean down and place a chaste kiss to the top of the cats head half in your lap before crawling over to Lily’s side of the table. She smiles as you slide up next to her, scratching the chin of the cat in her lap your other hand falling on her cheek. “I’m happy we got to do this.”

“Me too.” She smiles, leaning in close to you. The warmth of her breath on your skin and yours on her. She smells sweetly like floral and roses as she meets you for a kiss. Her hand on your elbow as you cup her cheek with one hand and the other moves to the back of her neck holding her close to you. Cherishing the feeling of your girlfriend’s touch and kiss against you. 

She pulls away after a while, her teeth digging into her lower lip hiding her blush and smile. “I’ve been looking forward to that all day. I almost coded a character kissing a character they shouldn’t in the game!”

“You’re a nerd.” You smile brushing your nose against hers. “I love you with my whole heart.” She smiles back kissing the tip of your nose before saying it back. The both of you sit in a comfortable chill environment talking about anything and everything, treating yourself to cute sandwiches and cats to tasty fish flavored treats 

Lucas:

Lucas invites you on a date to his favorite museum near his university. He leads you through exhibits telling you the history behind it, listing off facts you’ll never remember and have no difference in your life. Despite it, you can’t help your growing smile your hands threaded together looking over the vast historical setups.

“Did you know-”

You cut him off quickly, “Every time you say that I do not understand what you’re talking about.” He laughs in reply running his free hand through his hair to fix the loose strands. “I love you, but you forget I’m kind of a dumbass.”

Lucas rolls his eyes in response, a soft smile spreading over his lips, “You’re not a dumbass. We're getting towards the end of the tour, want to hit the gift shop?”

“Do you think they have food there, I’m starving.” You reply exaggerating the word starving. “Typically, Valentine’s Dates include food for your hungry significant other. No?”

Lucas laughs, pulling you close to him. “I promise we’ll get food after this. The rainforest cafe is towards the entrance.” He kisses you gently on the lips, walking backwards as he faces you holding your hands in yours towards the gift shop. “Starvation takes 30-45 days to kill you if you hydrate correctly. Hopefully, you’ve hydrated before this or you might lie down and die here.”

“Now that you say that, I’m feeling feeble and weak.” You sigh, pulling the both of you to a stop. You pretend to trip over your feet falling into his arms, he catches you quickly his lips curling into a smile. “How will I go on, I am starving and weak. Lucas avenge me.” You lower yourself carefully onto the floor getting a few looks from people passing by.

“So, I lied earlier. You are a dumbass.” He nudges you with his foot. “Are you going to die, baby?” He squats down low to hear your response as you dramatically whisper to him peeking one eye open to look at him.

“No, I need kisses to save me. You wouldn’t let me die would you?”

Lucas laughs at your comment before pressing a kiss to lips softly and sweetly. His hands cup your cheeks and the scent of his cologne register on your nose. You inhale the scent of Lucas and fall into the kiss before he finally pulls away a blush on his cheeks as he glances around at the few people ‘awwing’ at the both of you. “Get up.”

“Fine. But you’re buying me something epic in the gift shop.” He helps you up, wrapping an arm around your waist leading you towards the gift shop with a laugh. The both of you enjoy the rest of your date at the museum ending with the tastiest sandwiches you’ve ever eaten in your entire life.

Noah:

Noah invites you to a concert to see one of his favorite underground artists. The drive there is silent besides their music playing as the both of you enjoy each other’s company without words. Once there, the show is in full supply and you and Noah find yourselves front row. He can’t stop smiling and it makes your heart flutter in your chest as you pretend to know the lyrics while the singer holds the mic out towards the audience.

Noah grabs you by the waist pulling you in close to him whispering the lyrics between the two of you, moving to the beat as he sways you. “You look happy.”

“I am happy.” He smiles, leaning in close to whisper in your ear so you can hear him over the music. “I’m with my favorite person at my favorite show, it doesn’t get better than this, kid.”

You smile back at him, “You should smile more. You look beautiful when you do.” He brushes his hand against your face, letting his cheeks grow red with a blush.

“Shut up.” He shakes his head, despite his words you can still see the corner of his lips curled upwards in a cute smile that he’s desperately trying to ward off. “You shouldn’t tell people to smile more, they’ll think you’re a freak.”

“You already thought that, dummy.” You laugh, the distance between the two of you, even more, none existent. His fingers thread through your hair as you are drawn together into a kiss as the band crashes down the chorus of their best song. The words swarm in your head mixing with the excitement of his lips against yours.

His lips are soft, but you can feel where he bits at the skin on his lip when he’s nervous. His hand on the small of your back the other on your cheek. Yours on either side of his neck holding him close a fear of losing him. The kiss lasts for an eternity and you swear you’re holding the entire world in your hands.

When you break apart you lean your weight against him and he holds you as the band switches to one of their slow songs. A steady sweet rhythm with romantic lyrics fills the room as the lead singer encourages everyone to dance with their partner and celebrate their love this Valentine’s Day.

“Thank you for inviting me,” You glance around at the ground before settling your gaze back on him, his eyes full of emotions he can’t express properly, “I love sharing your world with you, baby.”

“I like having you in my world.” He whispers back before the two of you fall silent enjoying the embrace of one another, the music, and the love in your heart long into the night as the band plays.

Parker:

Parker being the gentleman he is invites you to a small restaurant that he’s been going to since he was a child. He tells you stories of his youth his face bright with excitement and you listen intensely to his story happy and content to be on a Valentine’s Day date with the perfect man. The food comes out and you talk more.

“Do you like it?” He smiles politely.

You take another bite speaking with your mouthful, “It's deliahcous.”

Parker laughs, before taking a fork full of his favorite chicken pasta. Before he can even take a bite, you snake your hand onto his own, taking his fork stealing his food. His eyes widen in surprise before settling into a smile. “Really?”

“Mmmmhm.” You manage out, the hot food burning your tongue slightly, “Perfection.”  Despite himself, he smiles, plucking his fork out of your hand shaking his head. “What?” You ask at the look he gives you, his eyes glossed over with a look you’ve never seen before, but it’s healing and makes you feel loved. He smiles softly from his resting face casting his eyes down at his food before speaking.

“I just love you a lot.” His voice faintly above silence sharing the intimacy of his words between the two of you, a faint blush on his cheeks as he meets your eyes a sincere look in his eyes making your heart flutter in your chest unsure of how to respond his random declaration of love. He reaches across the table taking your hand into his own before scooting his chair towards the side closer to you. He meets your lips in a passionate kiss that tastes like chicken and sends your heart flying. His hand cups your cheek letting his tongue brush against your bottom lip. Before the kiss can last too long he pulls apart. “Wow.”

“Almost as good as the food.” You grin, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before taking another bite of pasta. He laughs to himself, tugging on his tie to reposition it back into place. After the both of you finish eating he invites you back home. On the car ride to his house, he holds your hand in his lap, brushes his fingers back and forth over your skin absently as he concentrates on the road.

You finally break the silence, “You know, I just love you a lot too, Officer Shaw.”

“You better.” He breaks into a grin back, he brings your hand to his lips kissing it. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in life and then some.” His eyes turn back to the road as the light turns green driving the both of you back to his place in a comfortable silence the radio purring a romantic song as you hum along to the beat feeling content and love pouring through your heart, trying to stop yourself from smiling which never happens. You’re too in love with him for your own good.

Stacy:

Stacy invites you to her house, she meets you at the door with a kiss on your cheek. She takes you by the hand leading you into her apartment. Her house smells of fruit and cinnamon and she leads you to the table where she has a set up of a cooking sheet and a microwave and a few bags of groceries.

“I thought you might like to make Chocolate covered strawberries with me.” She pulls out the chair beside her patting it for you to sit down. Her hands pull on the sleeve of her purple crop top blushing softly. “Felt tacky to buy them pre-made.”

“Sounds fun, Stace.” You smile taking the seat and she sits beside you preparing the skewers as you measure out the chocolate into bowls, she bought a variety of colors to make it more fun for the both of you. Shades of pink with matching sprinkles. The two of you melt the chocolate laughing and having fun, stealing chocolate melts while Stacy isn’t looking. She skewers the strawberries and the two of you continue to decorate your Valentine's Day treats.

While she puts them in the fridge to cool, you find a box of Valentine’s Day cards for kids on the table a grin growing on your lip as you think back to your youth of passing them out in elementary school to all of your friends; you remember giving your favorite one to Stacy every year and she’d do the same.

“I thought it might be a good laugh,” She replies seeing you look over the box. She saddles up behind you, resting her hands on your shoulder placing a kiss to the top of your head. She moves her hands up your neck to brush her fingers through your hair styling your hair to her liking giving you a head massage with her fingers.

You open the box, “I think it will be. If they’re anything like they were when we were kids, I’ll give you a vaguely flirty one since I didn’t realize I had a crush on you.” She laughs in reply reading over your shoulder as you show her the first card. “You’re the apple of my eye, Valentine.”

“Shopkin Valentine’s Day cards are so cheesy.” She laughs, taking the next card from your hand. “This one has a smiling strawberry. Have a Berry Happy Valentine's day!” You laugh in reply and she leans against the table.

“Are you having a berry happy Valentine's Day?” She asks.

You think for a minute, “A few kisses would make it even better.” She grins in reply leaning in to meet your lips in a sweet kiss. The taste of strawberries and chocolates on your mouth, as she delves her hands into your hair you arms moving to encase her body holding her firmly against you, enjoying the moment. Before long you break away smiling and blushing at one another and she suggests watching a movie and you curl up on the couch with your treats watching her favorite Rom-Coms.

Tom: 

Tom invites you over to his house the night of Valentine’s Day, when you get there you’re overwhelmed by the smell of chocolate - burning? - coming from the kitchen. You walk into his apartment finding him a mess with hair down falling over his shoulders a burnt tray of brownies in his hands.

You can’t help, but laugh as he turns around and he has chocolate frosting on the corner of his lips and he startles noticing you nearly dropping the brownies onto the floor. With a laugh you take an oven mitt off the counter taking the tray of brownies from him, kicking the oven door closing.

“Wait! I’m treating you, stop doing stuff.” Tom whines, trying to take back the tray.

You lean in placing a sweet kiss to his lips, “Were a team, baby.” He smiles in response taking a breath of relief as he steps out of the way, letting you place the warm tray onto the stove balancing between a tray of Dino Nuggets and tater tots. “Dino Nuggs and Tater Tots?”

“A restaurant seemed above our pay grade.” He blushes, “We can go out if you-” You break him off with a gentle kiss against his lips, your hands grabbing the front of his shirt holding him close to you a few moments enjoying the sweetness of the chocolate on his lips.

“It’s perfect, Tommy.” You kiss him on the forehead. “I’m gonna kick your ass in Lookout.”

Tom laughs shaking his head, “No way in hell.”

“We’ll see!” You grin, grabbing two plates out of the cupboard for you as he grabs two glasses. The both of you load up on food and sweets and the drink of your choice he always carries your favorite drink in his house. Carrying the food you leave to the living room laughing about a stupid joke he made.

Settling onto the couch next to each other yelling and playing videos games, he surprises you with a gift! He gives you a fuzzy stuffed bear holding a heart with a cutesy handmade card. You kiss him and thank him for the gifts giving him your gift before the two of you get back into your intense game play. You try to steal his control away from him when he starts to win the both of you fighting over it laughing until he’s on top of you, looking into your eyes with his sweet smile before he leans in capturing you in a kiss, as both of your characters die on screen, not that either of you notice currently; being preoccupied and all.

“You’re too good to me, Tom.” You whisper as he breaks the kiss, your foreheads against one another. He shakes his head no giving you a quick peck on the lips before climbing off of you.

“You’re too good for me, if anything.” You grin at each other before returning to your gameplay stealing smiles,  distracted kisses, and looks at one another that makes your heart flutter and Tom blush late into the night.

[romancandlemagazine]

An Interview with David Uzzardi

David Uzzardi is an American photographer.

Without going too overboard, he takes the kind of pictures that more idealistic types might call ‘timeless’.

From candid snaps of back-street brawlers to straight-up portraits of the man on the street, his black and white photos have a certain classic quality seldom seen in modern times – a long way from the brash and bratty hyper-action of Instagram-friendly street photography.

Here’s an interview with him about his photos…

Starting at the top, how did you get into photography? What made you want to start taking pictures?

My high school had a photo class which I took. I was lucky enough to have a really good teacher. I always shot Polaroids growing up, but this class inspired me to take photography more seriously and consider it for a career. Nowadays it's a lot easier to get 'into stuff', due to the internet and the endless information on there - but how did you find out about photography and stuff back when you were starting out? 

Mostly indie book shops and libraries. I grew up very close to Manhattan, so I would go into the city and spend days in vintage book shops discovering photographers. Is it almost too easy now? 

Yes, it’s crazy. While everything was much harder when you couldn’t just google, I am happy I grew up in a more analogue time. I think my photos are better because of it. Not to say there aren’t amazing younger photographers coming up now, because there are.

Do you go out specifically to take photographs, or are they just products of you already being out and about?

It’s a bit of a mix. There are trips I take specifically to shoot, but then some of my favorite photos were taken when I wasn’t expecting it. I basically lurk around. Nothing specific, I just venture out and observe. Some people probably think I’m a creepy dude checking them out, but that’s just me finding my next photo. Are there certain things you look for?

Yes, definitely. The ordinary, everyday moments. Moments I think other people miss, but there is so much beauty in the classic, mundane moments. Also, I’m big on composition so everything needs to line up perfectly. Are there things you try to avoid shooting too?

Drugs. Posers. Nothing to put down street photographers that shoot more of the raw back alley content, it’s just not my thing.

You shoot a lot of people – and a lot of actual portraits rather than just spy shots. What’s your techniques for getting these type of shots?

Lurking. Haha kidding, sort of. I must have a friendly face, or disposition, but people seem safe around me, and inviting. A lot of people out there are perfectly content just shooting endless photos of the backs of peoples’ heads and spy shots from miles away – do you think they should try a bit harder?

If you can’t see a face, there must be something else about a photo that makes it special, otherwise it’s a worthless picture. I would suggest editing your content more and waiting for a better moment to capture that same pic. Or just getting closer. So yes, put more effort into it

You live in Los Angeles now, but you spent a long time in San Francisco. A lot of people talk about how San Francisco has changed over the last 20 years due to the influx of tech companies – what are your thoughts on it? Did you see a noticeable change?

Yes, it’s completely different now. I left at the right time, right before the shift, so I didn’t stick around to see the city lose some of its magic. I still love San Francisco and it holds such a special place for me, but I’m happy I made the transition when i did. How does Los Angeles differ to San Francisco?

L.A. gave me the chance to make a living shooting photos. There is much more opportunity here. I worked at a photo lab in San Francisco, and I work behind the camera now. Also, I drive a lot more now. Does location influence the photos you take? I’ve noticed that no matter where I go, my photos always look pretty much the same.

I don’t think so. In San Francisco, with it being such a small city geographically, I found myself shooting the same content — it got stale. So L.A. was a blank canvas for me. My photos look the same, just with different people and backdrops.

Do you think going out and taking photos has changed over the years? It seems like there’s a lot more people snooping around with little cameras nowadays.

Yes, definitely. There is such a larger community now, I think it must be the digital aspect making it easier to shoot. I love it, there is much more of a community. Unlike a lot of so called ‘street photography’ that’s around now, your photos have a very classic style. Is this a conscious thing? I might be wrong, but to me they’re not tied to any particular age or era like a lot of photos are.

Thank you very much for that. Norman Rockwell's paintings are definitely an inspiration. As is the music of George Jones. I am drawn towards those 'timeless' moments. Do you still mess with the dark-room?

I actually don’t process at the volume or even near the volume I used to. I went digital when I moved to L.A. for my commercial work, and started shooting more digital street stuff. I’ll never give up film, but you cannot beat the convenience and speed at which digital photography provides. The chemicals were literally destroying my hands, and who knows what else. I had to take it easy, as I’m still feeling the effects of the 15 years I processed film professionally.

You used to work in a photo lab. What was that like?

Very fun and easy-going. I learned more working in a lab than I did in four years of art school. You basically get to learn directly from some of the best artists in the world, seeing how they shoot. I personally developed film for some of the world’s best photographers like Bruce Weber, Sante D’orzino, Duane Michals and many more. Have you got any tips for success under the red bulb? What makes a good print?

I tend to overexpose, which makes my film denser and gives it more detail. I also pull most of my film a stop to build up my mid-tones and then pump the contrast while printing.

I often think that with photography, the pool of influence is relatively small – most people out there are into Robert Frank and Walker Evans. Have you got any names for people to look into that they might not have heard of? Who else deserves some recognition?

Danny Lyons is famous, but I feel like he still isn’t as well-known as he should be. Bill Owens and WeeGee of course. Working with Bruce Weber’s negatives over the years, his photos were the most well-composed, perfect exposed pics I've ever worked with. I am still blown away by that, nothing compares, he’s a technical genius.

What sort of work do you do now with photography?

While I still shoot street photos, professionally I'm actually a product photographer. Which is kind of crazy seeing as some of my best work is of living people, but I also love working with objects. They balance each other out. 

Do you ever get burned out on taking pictures? What with working as a commercial photographer, and then taking you own personal shots – does it ever get a bit much?

No, never. Professionally I shoot on average over 1,000 a day and it never gets old. I sometimes can't believe i found a way to make a healthy living shooting photos. 

What keeps you out there taking pictures?

Fear of missing the shot. 

Do you keep in touch with the people in your photos? Or are there regular people who you bump into often on the street?

Funny enough, when Hamburger Eyes' SF Eyes came out recently, one of the guys I shot over 15 years ago as a young punk emailed me. He asked if I would send him an autographed photo. So crazy, and of course I sent it to him. I do wonder though what everyone is up to now. 

What are your thoughts on how people view photos these days? Is there a perfect way to present a photo?

It's definitely different than what I grew up with, but as long as people are enjoying photos it really doesn't matter to me. 

Following on from that, do you think Instagram algorithms and the allure of the shock image can sometimes mean that a lot of good photography is now ignored or under-appreciated?

It's pretty gross to me that shock images and a horrible picture of a boob or a pic of someone smoking weed for example, will get someone a huge art show or recognition just because it's hyped. I don't get it nor will I ever. 

Vague question, but what makes a good photograph?

The subject.

Very true. Have you got any words of wisdom to end this with?

Don't leave home without your camera. I guess no one does now since we all have smart phones, but if that's what you use, then always have it handy as you'll forever regret the photo you didn't take. 

See more of David’s shots here. 

[hatmanreviewsmovies]

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Hat 1- Story: Jimmy is a third generation San Franciscan, who cares for the house his grand father’s house, even while it’s owned by other people. When these owners disappear under somewhat mysterious circumstances, he and his best friend move in of their own accord. What follows is a meandering, somewhat story somewhat atmosphere driven portrayal of the reality of most San Francisco natives. The story itself takes a good amount of time to get going, but what the first half or so of the film allows you to do is understand San Francisco, as an atmosphere, as a culture, as a city and it is really a character in this film. For natives, it will be a beautiful telling of the story that we have seen played out so many times, and for those not acquainted with the city, it will be a perfect portrayal of a powerfully human story in a fully fleshed environment. 1/1 hat

Hat 2- Performances: There actors, across the board, are fantastic. Jimmy Fails, playing an assumingly fictionalized version of his own younger self. Jonathan Allan as his artist best friend, Danny Glover as the grandfather of the best friend and Rob Morgan as Jimmy Fails the fourth. A fantastic cast that delivers their all. 1/1 hat

Hat 3- Craft: The best thing in this film is its writing and direction. Written by San Francisco natives, and directed by one of the writers. The experience, understanding, and love of their home town are in every shot, every line, every theme, every individual frame of this film. It is these things, more than anything, that makes San Francisco a living, breathing place for this film and help deliver characters and a plot that, while incredibly simple, captures the incredibly sad tale of what happens when a city is changed, and those it leaves behind. It is these artists that make this film so perfectly well made. 1/1 hat

Hat 4- Entertainment Value: As it moves very slow in the beginning, there will be people who can’t get into this. It’s more of a poem than a film in some moments, being extremely visual, and metaphorical with monologues of very heightened language. But the characters, the city, and the story keep you invested, and when the story truly kicks in, erupting into a massive emotional powder keg, you’re in it. And that is what makes this film worth seeing. .9/1 hat

Hat 5- Memorability: This film is a masterwork of filmmaking. For fairly young filmmakers, this is a true announcement of fantastic artists. It captures the story of a city and the people within it, so truthfully while still being artistic and poetic in a way that is impossible to comprehend. It must be experienced. And it absolutely should be.  1/1 hat

TOTAL: 5/5 hats

[inmyblindspot]

picture perfect family (jane/kurt + avery + bethany + danny drabble+ #bspromptchallenge)

project: @blindspothiatusproject 30 day gif/fanfic prompt challenge

day 10. family

A/N: saaaaaaapppppp ahead. My dream for them.

 picture perfect family

 Danny’s cries rang through the monitor, stirring Kurt awake. He felt Jane sit up beside him but reached over, gently pulling her back towards him.

 “Go back to sleep,” he murmured into her hair, pressing a kiss to her shoulder before he rolled over and sat up himself. “I’ve got him.”

 She mumbled her appreciation, curling up against his pillow and pulling the sheets back over herself. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled as he saw her already dozing again. He knew it wasn’t a deep sleep – she’d never really been a deep sleeper but that had been especially true since Danny had been born six weeks earlier. So, he took every opportunity he could to find her a few extra moments of rest.

He padded down the hallway to Danny’s nursery and was surprised when he saw Bethany, standing beside his crib in her pajamas.

 “Hey Bee,” he whispered and she whipped around to face him, her eyes wide.

 “Why is Danny sad?” she asked, turning back towards his crib and reaching out to take hold of two of the wooden spindles as she pressed her face up against the side. “Is he OK?” she asked worriedly, tilting her head back towards Kurt as he walked up beside her.

 Kurt smiled and leaned down, pressing a long kiss to the top of his little girl’s head before he reached in and picked his baby boy up in his arms. She had slept through Danny’s middle of the night feedings on her first two nights with them but on night three, stood wide awake and wide-eyed, worried for her new baby brother.

 She was there with them for a few weeks, Danny’s early summer arrival perfectly timed with Bethany’s summer vacation from school. Avery had come to stay with them too, and she and Bethany were sharing a room, much to Bethany’s delight. They’d been having nightly slumber parties, just the two of them.

 After helping put Danny to bed, Jane and Kurt would follow them into their room. Bethany would allow them in for a few minutes each night, sitting on Jane’s lap as Kurt read them all a story. Then she would kiss them each goodnight and usher them out, proudly announcing “no grownups now!” as she and Avery would then commence their slumber party activities.

 On the first night, they had painted each other’s nails, Avery proudly showing off her alternating pink and green polish – Bethany’s choice - at breakfast the next morning. On night two, they drew pictures, one for Daddy, one for Mama Jane, and one for Danny, the third one now proudly hanging over his crib.

 And as Kurt reached down to take Bethany’s hand, he guessed that night’s activity was hair-braiding, with her hair in two neat French-braid pigtails that hadn’t been there when he’d kissed her goodnight.

 He gave her hand a squeeze, holding Danny against his chest in his other arm as he gently soothed him and his cries started to subside a bit.

 “It’s OK Bee,” he reassured her softly as they took a few steps towards the door. “Danny’s not sad, he’s just hungry.”

 “Hungry?” she asked, confused. “But he had dinner!”

 He chuckled and nodded, leading her towards the kitchen, where he gave her hand another squeeze before he let go. He smiled as she grabbed onto the pocket of his sweatpants, holding on tight as she stayed at his side.

 “He did have dinner, but Danny’s still little so he needs to eat a lot so he can grow big and strong like you,” he explained as he opened the fridge door and pulled out one of the bottles Jane had prepared earlier in the day.

 “Oh,” Bethany said, nodding as she shuffled along beside Kurt as he put Danny’s bottle in the microwave to warm it up. She waited patiently beside him, keeping hold of the pocket of his sweatpants as he gently rocked Danny in his arms. “It’s ready!” she exclaimed in an excited whisper as the microwave beeped and Kurt chuckled, taking out the bottle and gently leading her towards the couch.

 He sat down, cradling a fussing Danny in one arm and opening his other as Bethany crawled up onto his knee, snuggling against his chest. He smiled and leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she leaned over and gently rested her hand on Danny’s chest.

 “It’s OK, Danny,” she whispered, trying to soothe him. “Daddy has milk for you!”

 Kurt chuckled and nodded, letting Bethany help him hold up the end of the bottle as he offered it to Danny.

 He felt Bethany rest her head on his shoulder and after a moment, felt her grasp on Danny’s bottle loosen as she dozed off. He rested his cheek on the top of her head as Danny finished eating, dozing off himself as he neared the end of the bottle.

 He set the empty bottle down on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch, holding Bethany in one arm and Danny in the other.

 “You have your hands full,” he heard Jane say and looked up to see her leaning in the doorway, smiling at them. He returned her smile and glanced down at the two sleeping children in his arms, pulling them both a little closer.

 “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he murmured and she chuckled, taking a few steps forward and curling up beside him. She leaned over and brushed her lips against Danny’s forehead, lingering for a moment and taking a deep breath, inhaling his perfect baby scent.

 “Me either,” she whispered, resting her head against his other shoulder as they watched their two youngest children sleep.

 A faint “click” brought their attention to the doorway, where they found Avery standing, holding her camera up in front of her face. Kurt grinned as he noticed the messy braided pigtails her hair was in, no doubt Bethany’s doing.

 “Sorry,” Avery said sheepishly, lowering the camera to her waist and turning it off. “It was too perfect not to capture.”

 Jane smiled and waved her over, scooting to the side as Avery perched herself on the arm of the couch.

 “Just missing one person,” Jane said, resting her hand on Avery’s knee and Avery smiled, leaning in towards Jane ever so slightly. “Take another one,” Jane said softly, nodding towards the camera in Avery’s hands. Avery chuckled and nodded and turned the camera back on.

 The three of them leaned together slightly, careful not to wake the two sleeping little ones, and Avery turned the camera around, holding it out to take a selfie of the five of them. As she flipped it back around and looked at the display screen, she felt Jane peer over her shoulder to get a look too.

 “Now it’s perfect,” Jane murmured and Avery smiled, leaning back against the couch as she looked over at her two younger siblings, still fast asleep.

 “It really is,” she agreed.