Prompt- Spooning: WOW it's been a while guys, and I am so sorry, so let me just quickly say that I had this going in two hundred different directions but I decided to go with this one because it was short sweet and simple. So I like it :)

Rating: K+

17. Safe

"Vlad?" Danny called out the name as he descended the stairs into the lab. It smelled faintly of something like anti-freeze, he wrinkled his nose in distaste. They had been about to go see a movie with Dani and it was odd that Vlad wasn't dressed and ready at the front door waiting for him- he always insisted on being at least 20 minutes early so as to insure better seats. Though Danny had insisted it was a movie that everyone had probably already seen Vlad wouldn't hear it. If that were true, however, then where was he?

"Vlad, seriously, I know I'm not the most punctual person or anything but if you're down here and making that weird smell then we are not going to the movies. Whose gonna want to eat popcorn with that stench?"

There was no reply, despite him calling out at least ten more times. It seemed the further into the lab Danny got the stronger the smell was. He meandered through a series of cables that were dangling from the ceiling in organized chaos. He sometimes forgot the genius that lay under that head of silver hair. There was a system even where there didn't seem to be one, something he both appreciated and was annoyed with. It was why he didn't normally go further then the main room of the lab, so he didn't disturb anything that he didn't want to be explained to him in a three hour lecture of molecular physics. Nope, he stayed where it was familiar.

Not that he was stupid or anything, he was smart. He was in college and he had a system. Well not so much a system as a philosophy; a philosophy in life.

"I'm gonna touch something if you don't answer me!"

Still no answer.

"Damnit, I was sure that would work." Danny pushed down another hallway.

They expanded the lab shortly after Danny moved in so that whatever projects weren't ideal for the observatory could be executed comfortably in their home. Most of the space ended up becoming Vlad's quickly, apparently he'd been looking for an excuse to expand anyway. It bothered Danny in the beginning that his parapsychologist boyfriend was so engrossed in his science but after the first few inventions led to an almost entirely peaceful freshman year at college he couldn't argue it.

The smell got a lot stronger and soon Danny found the source. There was Vlad, button down sleeves rolled up to the elbows and boots stained white with a powdery substance that came from the vials he was slowly pouring into something that looked like a pod from some kind of alien movie.

"Woah, things just got a l little too sci-fi in here. What is that?"

Vlad's head shot up at the sound of his boy's voice and a somewhat mischievous smile broke out across the man's lips. "Daniel, I thought that I might have heard you."

Walking a little closer and tiptoeing over the cables that spewed out of the thing Danny tried to get a closer look. The pod was perhaps a little large the six feet tall and two, maybe three feet wide. It was colored a dark silver with glass tubings that mazed about the surface, residue of the powder was sporadicly stuck in places suggesting that Vlad had been playing with the pod for a while.

"This," he gestured with one hand, "is the exact pod that created Danielle."

Danny turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing, "Okay?" The word was drawn out as he tried to look for some kind of clue in Vlad's face as to why he was messing with something that had still caused a lot of conflict in their relationship. Not that he didn't adore Danielle, after he got used to her having almost all his annoying little habits, but it's not like he was vying for anymore of her.

"Don't give me that look, I've completely reconfigured it." Vlad came to stand next to Danny as he peered into the cavity of the pod, comfort seemed to be minimal but at least somewhat existent. "It's a cryogenic chamber."

The younger's head shot up, "Like frozen sleep?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"Isn't that like an urban legend or something? What would we even need it for anyway?"

Vlad reached over the opening and pressed a series of buttons. The machine whirred to life and the glass tubes started to glow a faint blue-green. Something like static electricity played up and down Danny's arms as the hum grew and finally settled into a soothing rhythm, it felt familiar. It was almost warm and inviting despite its modern appearance.

"You're using ectoplasm." It wasn't a question.

"Think of it as a giant sized version of the thermos. Your parents had begun a prototype for cryogenic sleep without even realizing it. I've been inside the thing enough times to tell you that time doesn't work the same way in there." Danny sniggered despite his boyfriends cold glare.

"Okay, okay, so why?"

"Why not, my boy?" Vlad gave him an incredulous look as he leaned against the machine. "I may have dedicated a good deal of my life to ghosts and my business but I was, no am, a dedicated scientist first and foremost. It is not unlike your love for space despite your career in engineering."

Taking a step forward Danny peered into open chamber and nodded his head along to what Vlad said. It was about that time when Danny saw something out of the corner of his eye, small and silver.

"Hey what's this-"

"No, Daniel, don't!"

In a flurry of colors Danny felt the ground beneath his feet fall through and he struggled to not transform. The world became cloudy but he could still hear Vlad yelling something muffled; he's irritated. Danny tried to shake his head but ended up hitting it on something. Taking a deep breath he tried to regain his bearings before closing his eyes really tight and snapping them open, forcing his eyes to focus.

He was lying down on his back staring up at Vlad. He was in the chamber, though unsure as to how he got there. Furrowing his brows he reached a hand out to pull himself out, Vlad immediately shot away but Danny was faster and manage to grab the man's sleeve. For a second time he couldn't see and this time the feeling was followed by the air being knocked out of him and the walls coming to close to him. He forced himself to try and breath and when he opened his eyes this time he looked up to find Vlad again and glare but was disappointed. The chamber had closed.

He tried to shift but noted that he didn't have as much mobility as he had a second ago. Laying next to him Vlad opened his eyes and groaned.

"Seriously? Seriously!? What the hell just happened, Vlad?"

"Quiet your shrieking, boy, I did not expect it to hurt that much." Danny's lips slammed shut at the growl in Vlad's voice, he was obviously distressed that last part under his breath. Slowly Danny shifted on his side to face Vlad; he was already on his side. "We need to work on your patience, or lack thereof. Now we are stuck in here for the better part of thirty minutes to a hour."

Danny deigned to keep his mouth shut as he listened to Vlad mutter calculations under his breath. It was only when Vlad's eyes suddenly shot to him from their gaze outside chamber that Danny furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to say something. Vlad beat him to it.

"The sensor you decided you must put your hands on detected the ectoplasm in your blood and immediately pulled you in. I told you, I know I did, Daniel, that this was a larger version of your parents' thermos and you unknowingly took the top off."

"The thermos has never pulled you in out of your ghost form though."

"I had to heighten the amount of ectoplasm used in order to prolong stasis, this had the unfortunate side effect of detecting the ectoplasm hidden in the strands of our blood. Which explains why it waited until you touched me to close, the presence was not full eradicated. Fortunately, it will deactivate in a timely manner but we're stuck until it does."

Danny's frown deepened, "Right, no phasing."

"There isn't exactly anyone out there quite like us that would end up in the pods; phasing in or out wasn't an issue I intended to encounter." A sigh fell from both their lips and Vlad reached a hand up to run his finger along Danny's jawline. "The company isn't so bad I suppose."

The deadpanned look on Danny's face should have been enough to ward off Vlad from trying to kiss him but nonetheless he tried. Danny turned his head and Vlad stayed his lips on the younger's jawline, one hand snaking around his waist pulling them closer to each other. There wasn't a lot of room in the chamber but Danny still wriggled pressing his palms flat against the other man's chest. "Seriously? So not the place. We were supposed to be meeting Dani and now she's going to think we forgot."

Vlad knew he should feel somewhat bad about missing the day out with the young girl but he couldn't seem to build the will. All he wanted to do was wait out the next thirty minutes nuzzling the man in front of him. He could hear Danny sigh when he didn't respond and felt the man's body moved as it turned over and leaned back into him. Vlad loved this feeling. He could wrap his arms around the other and splay his fingers across the taught skin of his stomach. He loved to rub soothing circles into the skin, it often led to soft breaths of sleep and contentment; Vlad loved putting his boy at ease. He wasn't disappointed as he felt Danny's hands reach down to grip his wrist and lay there weakly.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm…" He was drifting.

"If you sleep in here you will probably remain asleep for an hour instead of a half."

"Mhmm…" Danny's mind was hazy and he knew he should have protested and fought to stay awake but the warmth along his back felt so comfortable and the hand at his stomach was safe. He almost snorted a laugh in his sleep remembering a time when Vlad holding him down was probably the last thing he'd ever could have wanted.

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"I was waiting for, like, ever and you guys are sleeping?"

"Now now, it was an accident, my dear girl."

"Excuses, another one. First I was too young to see the movie, then Danny had a mission that took him five days, five days! And then last week the movie I wanted to see was already out of theaters!"

"I offered a private screening, Danielle."

"I wanted a regular outing, not a show of how much money you make, Dad!"

Danny winced in his sleep, Danni rarely ever gave Vlad his title, she had a habit of dancing around calling him anything at all. Slowly, groggily, he opened his eyes and sat up. He was sitting on one of the couches in their study and it was bathed in the orange glow of a sunset. Great, he thought.

"I'm up, I'm up," he said as he yawned, stretching his arms above his head. The first thing he noticed was that the girl was standing right in front of him, the second thing, he was still exhausted.

Promptly he reached up and pulled the teenager towards him. Danni yipped, her small body falling back in surprise against Danny. "You seriously need to chill, I know we've got a temper but if you're gonna insist on using it against Vlad and I, how about some hushed tones."

With that Danny leaned back against the plush couch and fell back asleep.