Going Ghost! (Young Justice)

[Third Person Pov]

"Wait a minute…" Valerie said, leaning her body back slightly as she studied the way their hands were linked and their body language which spoke of how comfortable they were with anyone another. "Are the two of you like… a thing? I mean, I heard rumors, but I didn't think they were actually true."

"What?" Danny blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Oh—no. We're not dating. We simply decided to be each other's partners for the evening."

"There's rumors about us?" Sam questioned in genuine surprise. She had never heard anything of the sort before. "Who's spreading rumors?"

Valerie only met the question with a casual shrug. "This is high school. There's rumors about everyone and everything. It's just what I heard."

She studied the two of them in silence for a moment longer, her expression unreadable. 'They might not be together officially… but they definitely have something going on between them,' she thought to herself. 'Not that it's any of my business.'

They continued talking for a while longer, the conversation drifting into lighter topics, until they were interrupted by none other than Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox.

"I see you are all already friends with one another," Lucius said with a pleased smile, clearly happy to see that his niece and Bruce's new ward were already acquainted.

"No. We're not that close," Valerie said immediately, shutting the idea down without hesitation. "We're acquaintances at best. Strangers at most."

"Valerie, come on. Don't be rude," Lucius said, lightly reprimanding her.

"No, it's alright. She has a point," Danny intervened smoothly. "We just go to the same school. This is actually the first time we've actively interacted with each other outside of passing in the halls."

Bruce interjected then, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder as he began the proper introductions. "Well, Danny, this is someone I've wanted you to meet. This is Lucius Fox. I'm sure I've mentioned him before."

"You have," Danny replied enthusiastically. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I've long wanted to officially meet you. It's an honor." He had to actively resist the urge to whip out a notepad and ask for an autograph on the spot.

Lucius chuckled, clearly charmed by the boy's open enthusiasm. "So have I," he said, which left Danny briefly surprised and confused.

"I've studied your parents' ghost-hunting technology," Lucius continued, "and I have to say—it's spectacular. They were true geniuses, ahead of their time."

Danny's expression softened into a genuine smile as a warm feeling ignited in his chest. A compliment about his parents always felt personal, almost like a compliment to him as well. "They were the best at their craft," he agreed quietly.

The two of them soon fell into a deeper discussion about the technology itself. To Valerie's quiet surprise, Danny was not only able to keep up with her uncle—he was actively contributing. She had always found it difficult to follow along whenever Lucius went full gear-head, yet here was Danny casually engaging with every technical detail without missing a beat.

'He's actually smarter than he seems,' Valerie thought to herself. If Danny had somehow overheard those exact words, there was no doubt he would have been mildly offended.

"Well, I think I've taken enough of your time," Lucius finally said once their conversation reached a natural pause. "I'd love to continue this discussion at greater length when you have the time. As they say—there's a time and place for everything."

"Oh, you can bet on it," Danny replied with an eager grin, shaking the man's hand once more as they exchanged farewells.

"Well, I'll leave you children be," Lucius said at last. He gave a polite nod and walked away alongside Bruce, already falling back into conversation about company matters.

Valerie lingered only a moment longer before offering a brief goodbye of her own and slipping away into the crowd, leaving Danny and Sam to themselves once again.

They naturally found their way outside, stepping onto one of the private balconies of Wayne Manor. Side by side, they leaned against the cool stone railing and stared out over the glittering city below.

"You know, for someone who once claimed they didn't like this type of environment, you seemed like a natural back there," Sam teased, nudging him lightly with her elbow.

"Stop," Danny said with a faint grin. "That's only because the topic was something I was actually interested in. Otherwise I would've had to actively resist the urge to just space out."

"Hehehe… I can just imagine you going 'duhhhhh' in the middle of someone's conversation," Sam laughed, making an exaggeratedly blank face to drive the point home.

"Oh, stop it. I wouldn't be *that* rude," Danny protested, growing a little embarrassed by her teasing—which only made both of them laugh harder.

"Maybe not, but it's still really funny to visualize," Sam said, still giggling.

The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder against the balcony, the soft music and distant chatter from inside the ballroom drifting out into the night air around them.

Danny's attention slowly settled entirely on Sam as she laughed. His eyes softened when the soft outdoor lighting caught the dark makeup around her eyes, making it shimmer just slightly.

"What?" Sam asked with a faint smile. Then she rolled her eyes playfully. "Danny… you're doing it again."

"Doing what?" he asked, wearing a calm, deliberately innocent smirk.

"You're staring at me," Sam said. She could never quite stop herself from feeling flustered and a little vulnerable whenever she caught him looking at her like that.

"What, so now it's a crime to look at you while you talk?" Danny raised a brow in challenge. "Isn't it good manners not to look away from someone when they're speaking?"

"It *is*," she admitted, "but not the way you're staring at me with those big ol' eyes." She motioned exaggeratedly beside her own head with both hands.

Danny jokingly rolled his eyes. "And how exactly am I looking at you?"

Sam leaned closer, opening her eyes comically wide and staring straight into his. "You're like *this*," she demonstrated.

"Okay, now you're just exaggerating. I look nothing like that at all!" Danny protested, though a smile was already tugging at both corners of his mouth.

"Really? Because that's exactly what it feels like," Sam scoffed, smiling just as widely as he was.

A sudden gust of night wind swept across the balcony, disturbing the two soft fringes of hair that framed Sam's face.

"Pfft—pfft—ugh, my hair got in my mouth," she spat, shaking her head in annoyance—which only made Danny start laughing harder.

"Hahaha… come here, let me help you," he said, stepping closer until they stood face to face.

He reached up carefully, using his fingers to gently part the strands and guide them back into place so the fringes once again framed her face neatly.

His hands lingered, resting lightly against her cheeks as she looked up at him.

"Is it good now?" she asked softly, her face already warming from the lingering contact.

"Yeah…" Danny answered, his voice quieter than before. "It's perfect."

He didn't move his hands away, and Sam made no indication that she wanted him to.

His palms settled more securely against her face as the two of them were drawn together almost magnetically. Their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss—neither of them saying a word, eyes closed as they simply savored the quiet familiarity of each other.

Neither of them would ever say it out loud, but they had both missed this. Their relationship in the other timeline may not have lasted a long time, yet it remained an experience neither of them ever wanted to forget. In these private moments, they both quietly relished the feeling of having it again.

Their lips parted with a soft sound. Both of them were breathing a little heavier than before, their mouths still hovering close, already gravitating back toward each other as if neither wanted to lose the sensation just yet.

********************************************

+10 advance Chapters and my other patron exclusive content on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!