On the day, Valentine, Danny stood at the back of the stage, checking his clothes out. Although it wasn't as decadent as the Mask of Red Death on Halloween, one thing he knew about Elsa was that she liked dressing things up. She's not much into street fashion but she certainly liked formal wear. Well, considering that Matthias had to help him into his, Danny didn't blame her.
This time around he wore a basic bespoke suite with purple, blue, and silver stripes over a dark grey shirt with a black tie with tiny silver snowflakes embroidery. His black hair was trimmed and gelled back but style to have the front cover the scar over his right brow. They also covered his pointed ear tips. He stared into the mirror for a moment, checking that everything was right, before standing back and waited for Elsa to appear.
When she finally did, he was speechless. He knew that he was supposed to be Gomez and her Morticia, but he wasn't confident that Elsa could pull off the Goth look. He really should learn to stop doubting her. She stood there, black and formfitting with subtle black roses brocaded over the dress. It hugged her silhouette, black lace covered her neck and shoulders. The sleeves fluttered around her wrists and her dress pooled around her legs like shadows. As for her hair, instead of dying it black, she wore it down with a black veil made of lace covering her head with a red rose tucked into her hair, black crystal earrings dangled from her pale ears. Her makeup was heavier than her usual; heavily painted eyeliner and mascara with blood red lips over skin dusted pale white.
He gulped, "...gorgeous,"
Elsa smiled in that famous Morticia Smile, "Excellent," She approached him to add a red rose into the front pocket of his coat, "There. Perfect," She looked at the stage, "How much longer before we are called,"
Danny forced his teenage mind to focus, "Right after this,"
She looked at him, "Will you be fine?"
Danny nodded, "I'm cool,"
She smirked, "You are always cool,"
He blushed, "...thank you,"
She blinked in confusion, "I mean your temperature. You're always cool to the touch,"
He tried to not make his disappointment obvious, "...right,"
After Star finished her ballet dance mixed with pop, very interesting, their names were called. Danny focused on Elsa, trying to think how Gomez was always simping over Morticia. It wasn't hard. As they stepped on to the stage, the music started. They opened the song with staring at each other like they're the only person in the universe for them. Wasn't hard for Danny. Being the one he's Bonded to, she will always be the only person in the world for him. Then as they sang together softly, they reached for each other as if entranced by the other;
[I see you like; A night with a full moon, I; Feel you like a flame; You cast a spell on me; I like how you make me weak; I play you like a game]
They took hold of each other and smoothly fell into a slow waltz. Eyes focused on the other, hypnotized;
[I hope when I die; You'll barely survive it; And I'll rot next to you; I hope that our life; Feels so good you don't mind; When I rot next to you]
Danny didn't notice when he started singing with his emotion in it. Hoping to forever be beside her, even as they rot underground. It sounded like the best thing to happen for him and her. Without realizing it, his ghost voice echoed through his human guise, causing the nearby electronics to glitch;
[I'll haunt you like; A soul cursed to shadow, your life; And I'll reach you like rain; You put a hex on me; You know I bore easily; And I don't mind the pain; I hope when I die; You'll barely survive it; And I'll rot next to you; I hope that our life; Feels so good you don't mind; When I rot next to you]
Even if Elsa couldn't understand the reason behind his song, even if she will mistook it as him being good at singing because she was competent teacher, even if she thought that he was just that into his role, he just needed her to hear his heart. At least for that moment. Even if it might never reach her the way he wanted it to.
He sang as though he really did have the right to call her so as he picked her up, twirled and put her down to stare into her eyes;
[My darling, what a dreary dreadful night]
She replied, her oceans eyes oddly bright at that moment as she searched his gaze;
[My love, your words cut through me like a knife]
She reached up to cup his jaw, singing the next words as if making a promise of eternities. One that he echoed to her like an oath that he knew he'll never break for as long as he's allowed to exist and perhaps even beyond, giving it to her like a Knight would his Queen;
[When I'm six feet below your feet; I'll wait for you, my sweet]
He brushed his knuckles against her cheek, his words louder than hers, truly promising what he did not dare to say out loud even knowing that it might not be returned;
[I'll wait for you, my sweet]
When the music trailed to a stop, it was as if a spell had been broken as they pulled away to bow to the audience and acted as if it was really just a performance. Not knowing what goes deep in the heart of their partner. While Danny resigned to a love that might never be returned, Elsa was confused by what she thought she saw in his gaze that held a ghostly glow within the depth of his ice blues.
After they had done their part, they walked out of the hall to wander around the school. Elsa stopped by her locker to take out her lunch bag. As they headed for their usual picnic bench by the trees of the school, Elsa silently opened the back to spread out lunch. Danny gladly dig in to fill up his hunger. She watched as he ate. At that moment, Tucker's voice reached them.
He plopped down across from the two, "What was that on the stage? I thought that you're going to do some musicals parody or something!"
Danny shrugged, "Apparently dancing and singing were lot harder than we thought. I really have to give it to those people who can do that for a living live on stage,"
Sam sat next to Tucker, addressing Elsa, "You would make a great Goth,"
Elsa smiled at her, "I do not think so. I happened to like colors and life too much to fit a Goth's aesthetic,"
Sam hummed, "I guess so. I didn't think that blonds would make for a nice color on Goths," She pointed at the hair, "Nice veil, by the way,"
Elsa nodded at the compliment before looking at her, "I noticed that your parents are both blonds,"
Sam nodded, "Yeah. That was originally my hair color that I was born with but I thought that blond is too happy a color for me and not Goth enough," She looked at Elsa's hair, "Then again, your blond is cooler in tone than mine. Mine looked like yellow daisies...last I looked at the roots," She then asked, "Why Morticia, though? Also, who chose that song? It's perfect for a Goth wedding,"
Elsa pointed at Danny who was playing thumb wrestle with Tucker. The boys stopped to see the girls watching them and Danny asked, "What?"
Tucker winced, "Dude! Ow! Ever heard of nail clippers!?"
Danny quickly looked down, "Damn. Sorry, Tuck. The claws just kept coming back," He looked at his friend's thumb, "You alright?"
Tucker nodded before pulling that thumb into his mouth, "Just a little nick. Hardly bleed,"
Danny sighed before saying, "So...I was thinking that maybe I should go into psychology,"
Tucker blinked, "What? Why?"
He shrugged, "Well...all I have been doing lately is taking over Spectra's work. And I don't even get paid for it. But I think I'm getting pretty good at this,"
As he explained to Tucker why he thinks he should be in psychology, Elsa looked at Sam. She reached out to touch the girl's hand, "Sam...a moment please,"
She stood up and moved away. When Danny looked at her, she waved him down, wordlessly telling him that she needed a moment with Sam. She walked a distance away, just enough to start feeling that familiar tug in her chest conveying Danny's restlessness with her distance. That was when she stopped and waited for Sam.
The Goth stopped besides her, "What is it?"
Elsa looked at her, "I would rather not speak of this matter with you, considering your history with Danny. However, as I am sure you're aware, I do not have much friends beside Danny and only a small circle of acquaintances; namely you, Tucker, and Jazz. Due to this, I give you my apology beforehand for including you in such a troubling discussion. I do not mean any insult to you,"
Sam blinked at her, "You are being too formal, you know that?" She sighed, "So...let me get this straight; you wanted to discuss something with me about Danny that might make me uncomfortable because of my history with him, yes?"
Elsa nodded, "Unfortunately,"
Sam rolled her neck, "Okay. Okay, fine. You're just being polite...so what is it?"
Elsa looked uncomfortably around her, trying to find the right words to convey her concern to Sam without making it even more awkward. In the end, she sighed, "I...don't know anything about...attraction. I am barely familiar with affections shared between friends. However, as much as I tried to remain oblivious...I prefer truth over lies. Even to myself. That said...Danny is...I am unsure if what I am reading in his gaze is...the truth or merely a form of subconscious wishful thinking on my part being projected through his actions,"
Sam grimaced, "Okay...now I know why you stressed down that you are not being...mean to me or anything," She sighed, "So, you finally caught onto that, huh? Let me tell you, he's even more transparent with you than he ever was with me or Valerie or even Paulina,"
Elsa blushed, "So...it is not some...unaware wishful thinking on my part? That what I am seeing these past few days is really...?"
Sam nodded, "He likes you! And I think he likes you since a long time ago," She sighed, "There was a time that I thought he was seeing you behind my back and that he broke it off with me because he's more serious about you than he did with me. Well...I don't know what's worse; him cheating on me or the real reason we broke up,"
Elsa shook her head, "I assure you, Sam, that Danny is...painfully loyal. Also...our interaction prior to this year was more of me waking him up from my locker door when I was his locker neighbor," She asked, "What makes you suspect that he is seeing me? Also, why do you think he liked me even before this?"
Sam shrugged, "He's a guy. Guys like looking at pretty things and before you, Paulina was the prettiest thing in Casper High. Obviously, he was desensitized by her prettiness via exposure to her meanness through the years. Then you showed up out of the blue and then the whole school is comparing the two of you. One girl has that exotic Latino beauty and the other a curious kind of pale beauty to her? I'll be more worried about his orientation if it wasn't because he admitted to me once that you are the prettiest girl he had ever seen. That was the reason I was suspicious. Then again, Danny's honest despite all the secrets. I knew then that he didn't cheat, even though it was weird that he kept crashing on your locker all the way until he started hoarding and carrying energy bars and you moved lockers. I mean, it isn't like he didn't know which locker he was assigned to. Once was understandable, twice is weird, three times are just suspicious. Then it just keeps happening and I decided that it's just Danny being Danny,"
She laughed, bitterly, "What I'm saying is that...Danny is usually not a blond guy. He likes girls with dark hairs more than blonds. You must be really stunning to him for him to even notice you. Then there was that natural paranoia of his towards new people. Even when you are pretty, he's on guard against you. But as the year passed, he lowered it since he knew that you're not with the government, secretly a ghost, another one's of fruitloop's plans, and any of the usual suspects that he should be on guard for. But he still just keeps looking at you. But since you hardly interact with him or notice him, that we know of, I just let it go,"
She looked at Elsa, "Then suddenly you grew closer and his staring becomes more and more obvious. He was suddenly always around you. He probably didn't realize this but he's actually being territorial around you. He was probably thinking that he's being a good friend or that he was just being his paranoid self. But I know it. He was like that with me once. But it wasn't as...intense as when he's around you. If you noticed, hardly any guy ever approach you and Dash was the only idiot that still keep trying. Danny was...scary when you're not looking. He's so obvious about it but he was too dumb to realize it. Then he did and...well, it was obvious that he didn't want you to know. Probably scared that you would distant yourself and push him away,"
Elsa twisted her fingers, not knowing how to react to the things that Sam just revealed to her. It wasn't that she didn't notice, she was simply brushing it off and accepting it as something friends do for each other. Then there was the fact that his increased aggression and territorial behavior around her was seen by her as something that his ghost instinct made him do. With her lack of interest in romance, her lack of experience in romance, and the changed dynamic between her and Danny due to their Bond, there was nothing that really stood out to her as him liking her as more than just a friend.
Until the song.
When she started noticing it, she had pushed it out of her mind, thinking that maybe that was just her being a teenage girl. Danny was a very attractive boy, after all. Anna had teased her endlessly about it when she admitted the matter to her. Elsa might not be interested in romance but she wasn't blind or as cold as she portrayed herself. She had enough grace to admit when someone was physically attractive to her. She would have to be made of stone and ice to not be moved by Danny's attention towards her.
Whenever her body reacted to his presence, she chalked it up to her hormone being...well, hormonal. She prided herself at being focused and controlled. Even as a young child, though she admired the love shared between her parents, Elsa had never imagined herself being in a relationship with anyone, man or woman. Anna had always been the dreamer between the two of them. Even so, Elsa knew that one day she will have to be, at least, in a physical relationship with someone to produce an heir. Yet even then, she saw it more as a form of duty and obligation than actual union between two hearts. But she swore to be loyal and dutiful to her imaginary husband even without love between them. She only wished for him to hold the same level of sensibility as her.
She did not want to be like the Crown Prince of Britain, who was married for duty but sought love from another. She do not think someone that could pushed away duty for personal interest to make for a very good leader. If the household was a mess, then it will reflect in the way she will handle her things on a professional level. Elsa was of the strong belief that a good leader should also be a beloved head of household.
That was why, when she saw passion in Danny's eyes as he sang words of an oath to wait for her even as he rot beneath her feet, she was shaken. Because she knew truth when she saw it. That he will wait for her, no matter how long it will take him. Even if it meant that she will never answer him, he will wait. And Elsa found herself torn between duty and love. Because she had accepted her role to protect him as he protect others. Binding themselves together that not even death may part them.
He will that do, with or without her consent.
Could she make him wait eternity for something that was less than a dream?
She knew she cared for him as a dear friend, dear enough that she will do much for him. That was why, she thought that his oath was a cruelty upon himself. His devotion to her would be wasted. Because she cannot be with just any man. Her duty demanded that she find a man of an honorable lineage and good standing to be with. Someone with an outstanding reputation to further strengthen her standing. That would mean that Danny will have to watch the woman he loved marry another and raised the child of another man.
She mumbled, "He wanted to work with my bodyguard,"
Sam blinked, "I thought he said he wanted to pursue psychology?"
Elsa shook her head, "He only said that because...because to work with Matthias will require more than signing up. It will demand him to give up everything he ever knew. I don't...want to demand anything of him," She looked at Sam, "I don't know...if I can return what he felt for me. And I'm afraid that...my decisions might hurt him because of this...devotion of his,"
Can she do that to him?
Can she make him watch her be with another, care for another, defer to another, and carry the child of another that wasn't him?
Just thinking about the position that she may one day be forced to put him through hurts.
Already, her tears fell, "I can't...do that to him. Danny's a good man. He will grow to be a greater man. I could never lower him to such a station. But pushing him away is impossible. Not with...our Bond. This Bond I made to protect him..." Will it be the one to doom him to a world of endless heartache?
Sam frowned, confused, "You just have to be with him,"
Elsa shook her head, "My situation...my position...it is a lot more complicated than just being with him. Whatever choices I made, in regard to myself, have to be weighed carefully. Especially since...this will carry into the future. I understand that I was impulsive when I decided to Bond with him. But I do not regret it as it saved his life. I..." She sighed, "I will need to discuss this carefully,"
Sam cocked her hip as she put her hand on it, "What? Why? It's your life. Why should anybody have a say in it?"
Elsa frowned, "Because some people...can never live for themselves, Sam. Not truly," She looked at her, "You are fortunate in ways that I am not. You are free to choose your future. You are free to choose your partner. Your parents might be annoying to you, but ultimately they do not have a final say in anything you do. You are born with the freedom of choice. I am...not as fortunate," She sighed, "Anyway, thank you for confirming what I suspected. I will figure out...how to bring Danny happiness. Somehow..."
With that, she left Sam to her thoughts. Elsa thought that she had spoken much. If she wanted to live however she pleased, she might bring great misfortune on others. If she insisted, she might bring great discontent and ultimately caused many problems. Lives could be lost. Every decisions, every choice, they needed to be weighed carefully.
If for warriors, their hearts must be held under blade...
Then for those born in positions of great importance, they will have to sacrifice and gives parts of themselves away for the sake of a nation...
She never knew what will be asked of her, what sacrifice she must give, when her time came to take on her father's role. Even just being born with her gift, her country fell into a time of unrest. Her family had to be separated for their own safety. She was born with an ability that demanded for her head, for her blood to be spilled, for her life to be snuffed.
Danny wanted to protect her the way that Matthias did.
She will never ask that of him. She will not make him a murderer. Because that was what Matthias and the guards were, killers with license. As much as Danny had fought, as much as he had experienced, he was not a killer. He was a Hero. She wanted him to remain so.
She did not want to taint him in that manner.
As she looked up to see Danny playing around with Tucker while they waited for the event at the school to come to an end, she remembered promising herself to protect him. But she had not expected for it to be far harder than just keeping an army of capable men between him and the ghost hunters. She had not weighed what it meant to for him should he fall for her. Love was never in her calculation. She was unfamiliar with thoughts of romance.
Part of the reason was her fear of touching another.
She cannot hurt him...physically. But if she wasn't careful, she could hurt him in a manner that no one deserved to be hurt. To place him in the position that he asked for, how could she do that? Although Sam had the right idea, that she only need to love him back, could she even lie to herself enough to fool herself into loving him when she was sure that she didn't? Could she love Danny in the same manner that he did her?
Danny...deserved nothing but the truth from her...