Not In Wisconsin

by Tavalya Ra

E-mail: clearbluedelphia at yahoo dot com

Rating: PG-13 (for a mild reference to sex)

Category: Romance. Slash. Pure fluff.

Summary: Danny finally finds the right finger for his father’s ring. Mild spoilers for “Flirting with Disaster.”

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is owned by Butch Hartman. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Notes: Danny’s age is anywhere from late twenties to mid thirties; his relationship with Vlad began when he was old enough that Maddie
didn't feel the need to beat Vlad with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick.

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“Danny, even though I’m really asking because it’s what your mother wants and our union wouldn’t be recognized in the state of Wisconsin, will you marry me?”

The reaction Vlad received for his proposal was not what he expected. At first, he thought Danny- he had long ago ceased calling the younger man “Daniel”- was choking. Then he realized that the other man was laughing.

“Danny!” Maddie chided. She and Jack were seated across from the pair in the castle’s main dining hall. Vlad had thought a quiet family dinner the perfect time to pop the question, especially as he knew how happy it would make Maddie. His heart might be Danny’s now, but he still felt a slight thrill of pleasure making her smile.

“Well, fine, if that’s your attitude see if I…” Vlad began to protest and stopped himself. See if I put out tonight, he had wanted to say, but not in Maddie’s presence or- worse still- in Jack’s.

Danny sighed, shaking out the last of his giggles. “I’m sorry, but… Vlad, you ask this in front of my parents, sandwiching two completely unromantic phrases- and expect me not to laugh?” he questioned.

“Should I take that as a no?” Vlad demanded irritably.

He smirked. “Hey, getting married was my idea. Well, actually it was Mom’s, but-”

“Now who’s being unromantic?”

“You’re right,” Danny admitted. Then he left his chair and surprised Vlad by taking his hand while dropping to one knee. “Yes, I will marry you. And I want you to have this. Just ignore the fact that it has ‘Sam’ written on the inside.”

He slipped onto Vlad’s finger a wide ring with a somewhat garish blue stone. Confused, Vlad lifted his hand to inspect the numbers and lettering etched on the band’s sides.

“It’s… a class ring? From almost twenty years before you were born?”

“I know. It’s not like anything you’ve given me, but…” Danny took a breath. “Many years ago, Dad gave me this ring and told me to give it to someone special… and that’s you.”

Although he found the gesture silly and was a bit repulsed to realize the ring was probably Jack’s, Vlad felt touched by Danny’s words. He looked down at the other man, who smiled back at him even while blushing furiously.

“Danny, that’s so sweet,” he said and bent down to kiss the other man- a gesture abruptly impeded by Jack, who had wandered from his seat to grab Vlad’s arm and pull him into a big bear hug.

“Isn’t this great- even if I find this strange and awkward because you’re old as me and we used to be roommates!” Jack declared happily. Then he sniffled and his voice warbled as if overcome with emotion. “We’re going to be one big happy family!”

“Not if I kill you first,” Vlad growled through grit teeth. Resisting the urge to go intangible, he tugged at Jack’s arm, hoping to loosen his former best friend’s grasp. “And not in the state of Wisconsin!”

“I knew Danny- or you, whichever one of you was going to ask the other- would say yes! That’s why I made cake toppers!” Jack exclaimed, flinging his hands into the air. Vlad, thankful to be free, gasped for air. “Look!”

Danny’s father set two tiny figurines on the table. Both were vaguely shaped like Pac Man ghosts; one was white with black horns on its head and the other black with a little white emblem on its chest.

“Uh…” Vlad began and winced.

“Dad, are you trying to tell us that you know something that we think you don’t?” Danny ventured, cringing as he spoke.

“No idea what you’re talking about, son. But I do know that the Wisconsin Ghost and the Ghost Boy have been seen together and they’re from Madison and Amity Park- just like the two of you!” Jack replied, grinning at what he perceived was his own cleverness.

“Your father and I want to know if we can invite them to the wedding,” Maddie said. “It will be the perfect opportunity to finally trap one of them and then cut him up and examine the parts!”

Vlad’s eye twitched as he heard Danny dryly remark, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m sure they’ll be there.”