Chapter Text
“Dude, did you get into a fight with Dash or something?”
Danny almost faltered in his step, hand flying instinctively to his neck, fearful that one of the marks was showing. Luckily, his hand touched the fabric of his turtle neck shirt and he let out a sigh as relief flooded through him. He looked at his teno-geek friend. “Uhh, no. Why?”
Tucker analytically observed him as they walked the hallways of Casper High. “Cause you're slightly limping.”
Danny’s face flamed red, and he quickly looked away to try and hide it. “Uummm… I kinda got into a ‘G’ fight.” Using their code for ghosts.
“Geez, must have been some fight if you hurting now.” Tucker sympathised, referencing how some of the pain had actually translated to his human form.
“Yeah! Hahaha! I’m good though!” He tried to brush it off. Well aware of the scrutinizing stare of the goth girl beside him.
“Ahuh.” Sam interjected, obviously not convinced. “And where did you say you got those clothes again?” She glared, stopping at their lockers and folding her arms angrily.
“Eh? These?” He gestured nonchalantly at his clothing, doing his best to act aloof as he opened his locker door to get his textbook. “These are just something I got as a birthday present ages ago.” He shrugged his shoulders, not looking the girl in the eyes. “Don’t remember from who though.”
“And dude, you look smashing!” Tucker entwined his arm with his, almost making him drop the book. “We should totally go clubbing tonight! I’m sure the ladies will love the new look~”
Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Most certainly not interested in catching the attention of some girls. No. The one person who he wanted attention from was definitely not going to be at a place like that.
“Nah! Got way too much to do tonight. Gotta catch up on the math homework I missed on last Friday.” He lied, though in all honesty, he mentally groaned as he realized, he indeed had schoolwork to catch up on. The past few days, the nightmares had been killing his productivity, but he got such good sleep at Vlad’s last night. No nightmares at all.
Sam deepened her glare, but her amethyst eyes were also swirling with worry for her best friend. “Danny, I can’t help but feel like you have been avoiding us for a while now.” Her gaze softened, she sighed and she placed a hand on his shoulder as her voice became soft. “You were looking real bad lately. I admit that you are looking better today, but we are your best friends. We want to know what’s going on.”
“Yeah, man.” Tucker’s voice had also taken a serious tone. “You know we got your back, no matter what, right?” The ebony skinned teen looked at the young halfa with his green eyes, conveying his sincerity.
Danny lowered his gaze. Guilt eating at his soul. It hadn’t been the first time he had lied to them, as there were some small secrets they naturally kept from each other, but it was the first time that it was something so big.
He hadn't told them about the nightmares because of the connection to the strange feelings towards Vlad (which he now recognized as attraction). He also couldn’t tell them when he started training with the older halfa. They just wouldn’t understand! They would think he was being manipulated, controlled, or brainwashed.
And to say that he was starting some sort of sexual relationship with the older halfa?
They would suck him up in the thermos and lock away the key.
So, even though it pained him deeply. Even though he wanted nothing more to tell his two best friends, who had always been there for him in the good and bad times. Two have the two who had always had his back to be there and share in his first real experience with what might actually be real love. To be able to tell them just how wonderful it was.
He couldn’t.
A deep sigh escaped his lips as he closed his locker door. “I… I think I am doing much better now.” He looked forward as they continued walking down the school halls. “J-Just some stuff I had to… come to terms with…”
That answer did not seem to satisfy the goth girl or the tecnogeek, but they both sighed, following their friend. Resigned that for the moment, they were not going to get more out of the younger halfa.
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Once Daniel had left for school, Vlad had straightened his suit and decided to head to his mayoral office. While he had the power and the ability to call out of work whenever he needed, the billionaire was rarely known to do it these days. In the past when he had first “accumulated” his wealth, he was content to sit back on the sidelines and let the money speak for itself, but that had changed over the years. He regularly got involved with the companies and kept tabs on the ones that were doing either exceptionally well, or subpar to what they could be doing.
While his money had originated from using his ghost powers on wealthy people, and then businesses, it had developed into what it was now. He put forth time and effort into ensuring all of his companies were running smoothly, often getting numerous emails and texts a day. There were other people behind the scenes taking a look at the operation of the companies and doing work for him as well, but in the last few years, Vlad had taken his job seriously. When he lost his obsession with the Fentons, as well as the motivation to antagonize Daniel, he had turned to something else to occupy his time.
By focusing on his businesses and his duties of being the mayor, Vlad was quick to realize how much of a hassle it was, and how time-consuming it was. The only reason he had become the mayor in the first place was to make Daniel’s life more difficult, and that sent a wave of guilt through him immediately, nearly wincing at his own dramatic nature. Shaking his head to clear it, Vlad walks through the doors leading into his office, Cynthia looking at him with wide eyes.
“Sir? I thought you weren’t coming in today?” She questioned, placing her clipboard down and narrowing her green eyes at him.
“I won’t be here long. I’m here for the paper on the upcoming meeting next week,” The billionaire explained, smirking as his secretary huffed and pulled out the exact papers he was talking about.
“I was going to send them to you at some point tonight, but now that you’re here…” Cynthia shrugged and headed them over, adding another two other stacks to the first. “These just came in as well. It’s from the parks and recreation department, and the transportation department.” Sighing, Vlad took the papers as he handed her the completed documents from the other day.
“Please give these to Devon and,” He slides another stack of papers, which were encased in a folder. “Send these to I.Touch,” The billionaire asked, stacking up the new papers and placing them into separate folders. Just as he was heading to leave, Cynthia called out.
“Sir?” She questioned, making Vlad stop and turn around. “Uh, I know this isn’t my place to say, but you look…better?” The woman hesitated and Vlad just stared at her in confusion.
“Better?” He repeated slowly, raising an eyebrow at her blush. “How so?” Internally smirking at her discomfort, he waited on a response.
“What I meant to say is that you look happier.” She corrects herself, still flushed red. “You used to come into work with a gloomy look in your eyes, of course you were good at hiding it, but it was still there. Lately, there’s been a gleam in them. It looks like you’re just…joyful lately…content about something.” Vlad fights off the rising blush, listening to her. “I think it’s a good look for you, sir.” Again, Vlad fights off the rising flush and offers a small smile.
“Thank you, Cynthia. Have a nice day, my dear.” He gives a cordial nod to her, leaving with the conversation still running through his mind.
Did he look happier? Was it that noticeable?
His heart does a flip in his chest when thinking about Daniel and the billionaire flushes darkly, coming to the realization that yes, it is noticeable. Being around the younger halfa had raised his spirits, his loneliness no longer taking precedence over his life.
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Phantom flew towards Vlad Manor, smiling from ear to ear, his core buzzing in excitement at the prospect of seeing the older halfa once more.
His core purred once more in delight as he entered Plasmius’ territory, and he took a slightly longer route to get back to the mansion, widening his flight and covering more ground, suddenly feeling the compulsion to explore and patrol the area before he made it to the center.
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The knowledge of Daniel returning to him later is what gets Vlad through the monotonous paperwork. It might be tedious and dreadful, but he does feel satisfaction form in his chest whenever he finishes reading the papers and creating his own in response.
Fingers rhythmically type on his business laptop until the papers are done, a dull ache in his neck at having been in the same position for hours. He saves the finished documents, his stomach making a groan that causes him to look at the time and sigh.
Like most time with multiple paperwork to go through, Vlad would get lost in his task and lose track of time, like he inadvertently did now. Getting up with a crack of his knees, he heads into the kitchen to start on a late dinner.
Not in the mood for anything ornate, he decides to make a nice homemade chicken and vegetable soup with fresh rolls on the side.
Lost in the process of cooking, Vlad nearly misses the way the atmosphere around him shifts, but he catches the sensation of someone trespassing. He focuses on the signature and his core gives a soft purr as it shudders, knowing who it was immediately.
It takes all of his power to not send a deep pulse towards the younger, core buzzing with pleasure and excitement.
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Once Danny was satisfied that all was in order, he made his way to Vlad’s manor, becoming intangible and flying into the mansion feeling much like his home and not worrying about knocking or ringing a doorbell this time, changing back to human once he landed.
“Rrrufff!” “Mmeaww”
Danny gave a gentle smile as he watched the two dash over his way, spreading his arms wide for Cujo to jump in them. “Hey guys! Missed me?”
He heard another bark and a meow before he was tackled to the ground by the overly excitable pup as the ghost slobbered his face with loving kisses. “Hahaha! I see you did, didn’t you?”
A soft fur rubbing at his side let him know Maddie was just as happy to see him, and he used one of his hands to softly pet her fur as well. “You did too, didn’t you girl?”
“Meooww!”
He smiled, genuine joy coursing through his heart at this lovely greeting by these two wonderful, sweet pets. An indescribable feeling filling his chest and making his core vibrate with happiness.
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Vlad moves the soup to the counter to cool down, soon taking out the rolls once the oven goes off.
After that, he heads to where Daniel seems to be and stops in his tracks, heart and core soaring with delight.
God, Daniel looked adorable with Cujo and Maddie against him, the two loving animals happy to see the younger halfa. It makes his heart flutter as he watches the interaction, core sending a gentle pulse to the other.
“Cujo misses you all the time,” Vlad says with a small smile, watching as Maddie nuzzles her head against Daniel, purring deeply. She meows again, offering her own small lick of affection.
“Hahaha, Maddie seems to have as well, didn’t you, you sweet girl?” He gives a gentle scratch to the kitties favorite spot behind her ear, while his other hand did the same for Cujo’s favorite spot, effectively temporarily stopping the kissing assault as the ghost pup began to scratch with his hind leg in reaction.
Maddie was soaking up all the attention Daniel gave her, her body rumbling with happiness at the gentle scratches and petting. “Meow.” She responded, purring even deeper as her favorite spot was scratched, her eyes falling shut in bliss. Unbeknownst to her, her owner was watching on with a serene expression, his eyes holding a gentle light in them that wasn’t always there. Not until Daniel had sought him out about a month ago.
Danny lifts his gaze with a smile, holding the excitable ghost puppy as his heart soars and his core gives a responding joyful pulse, very much happy to see the older halfa, even if they had just seen each other just earlier that morning. He wondered if Vlad had missed him just as much? By the warm feeling he got from the fire core, he suspected that the billionaire had also missed him to some degree.
When their eyes meet, Vlad has to reign his core in once more before it sends another pulse, those beautiful baby-blue eyes always causing an emotional reaction. Daniel’s blue eyes seem to be as vast as the skies and ocean, too easy to lose himself and drown in their depth. His fiery core ignites, the warmth flowing through his body as he offers another small smile, feeling at ease.
“If you’re hungry, I just made soup and fresh bread.” Vlad hummed, content to sit back and watch Cujo cover Daniel in kisses.
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Danny’s sky blue eyes continued to observe the older halfa, watching how the light in the room caught those delightful silken silver strands that was neatly tied back, that rare genuine smile the older halfa was displaying that had not become so rare recently, that flicker in those dark blue eyes that were as deep as the ocean and just as mysterious.
Yep, he definitely had it bad.
Now he felt bad for teasing Tucker so much when he had first started going out with his girlfriend a while back. All the tecnogeek could do was talk about how amazing she was, describing her in disturbingly detailed ease, comparing her features to many nice-looking things.
Not unlike what he had been doing recently in his own mind…
That got the younger halfa to again contemplate a question he had been asking himself all day.
What were they now?
Vlad’s statement about food brings him out of his thoughts and he gives the older halfa a bright smile. “Sign me up!”
With one last pet to both the adorable critters, he rose from the floor, dusting his clothes off as he walked to stand in front of Vlad. He looked into that handsome face, suddenly feeling a little bit shy and nervous.
Are they supposed to greet each other with a kiss? That’s generally what he’s seen couples do.
But then again, they were not a couple, where they?
Once more, the question floated through his mind, and now that he was actually in front of Vlad, he felt sorta lost as to what to do and how to act in front of the older halfa.
God this was weird…
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Seeing Daniel at ease in his home sends delightful levels of warmth to his heart and core, but it doesn’t last for as long as he would like it to. There’s something in the other halfa’s demeanor that catches his attention and causes room for concern.
He wasn’t surprised at the slight shyness behind those blue eyes, but there was something else behind them that he was having a hard time deciphering. It was something akin to confusion, something that made the younger falter and hesitate in front of him.
‘Perhaps he is unsure of how to act around me now?’ Vlad thought to himself, feeling the urge to ensure the younger that it was alright, that things wouldn’t change between them too much. Another thought hit him just as soon as the other vanished.
Things had changed drastically in the past few days, so much so that their relationship had altered.
Daniel was confused about how to go from here, wasn’t he? The teenager was likely wondering what their relationship truly was.
Instead of dwelling on it for too long, Vlad elects to carry on as normal as he leads Daniel into the dining room.
Relief washed over Danny as he felt Vlad’s hand on his back that guided him towards the dining room, the familiar gesture usually made by the older halfa bringing some sense of normalcy to their interactions.
Danny’s stomach growls as he catches the scent of the homemade food, and he coughs into his fist in an attempt to cover it up, his face tinted with a slight blush in shame.
“We can start your training at any point, but I assumed you might have some homework you’d like to get done first?” Vlad asked, glancing at him. “You’re welcome to do it here, after dinner.”
Danny frowned at the question, quite torn. He wanted to train so much! All of the past training sessions had been interrupted by something or another, and he really wanted to learn how to make a cool sword out of ecto-energy!
But, he also had a shit-ton of schoolwork to do. And he had to start being responsible.
‘Stupid schoolwork...’
He gave a reluctant sigh. “Yeah. I do have some homework to get done before we train.” Might as well get it done here. Maybe the added motivation of training afterwards will jump-start his brain into figuring out the answers faster!
Hey, one can dream…
Hearing the deep sigh is a clear sign that the teenager isn’t pleased about his missed assignments, and Vlad briefly wonders how much there is to do. He has the suspicion that the teenager missed more than he was letting on, given how exhausted he had been last week. The other day, Daniel had slept for a good portion of the morning and the afternoon, and it makes him wonder if there had been multiple other days where Daniel had also missed. The younger halfa had barely been able to fly straight the other night, let alone focus on schoolwork for about seven hours.
Maybe the younger was struggling with his schoolwork even more? There was no telling how much worse Daniel’s grades were becoming in the past few weeks, the inability to sleep likely making them fall more. A conversation he could recall from two weeks ago had Daniel admitting that he hadn’t been able to get into any of the colleges he had applied for, but there was something else that was bothering him slightly. If his grades were potentially getting worse, would Daniel be able to graduate?
While it was true that the ghost attacks had drastically decreased over the years, there were still enough to prevent the younger from studying enough. Then combined with the lack of sleep and missing school, he wondered how this would affect his graduation plans.
Then, there was the fact that those idiotic teachers hadn’t even bothered to check on Daniel, or ask if he was okay. Now that Jazz was gone, it was like they didn’t care about the eighteen-year-old, like they had given up on him after they saw he wasn’t like his sister.
Vlad nearly shook his head at the thought as he grabbed the soup and fresh bread rolls, bringing them into the dining room to place on the table, smirking when he saw the light return to Daniel’s eyes.
There was something that always brightened his day when he cooked food for someone who obviously liked it, his core warming at the light that seems to increase tenfold.
Danny’s sharp sky blue eyes watched hungry as the older halfa brought in the food as he worked to contain his excitement. He had certainly been spoiled by home cooked meals at Vlad’s lately. His mom ‘home cooked meals’ either tried to eat him or looked like they tried to disappear into the void with how black they tended to come out. So, most of his meals growing up were microwave and/or easy to make.
He was a little disappointed at seeing boring old soup, and he felt a little ashamed for somehow assuming Vlad was going to cook every meal. After all, that must be tiring as heck!
Still grateful that there was food to eat, he wondered where Vlad had bought the soup, cause it smelled delicious! ‘Probably some fancy expensive brand soup.’ He thought. Not just because it was Vlad (and the man did not seem to know the definition of cheap) but also because there seemed to be a good amount of veggies and meat in the bowl. As someone who was used to canned soup with barely anything in it and salt up the wazoo, he was pleasantly surprised.
He takes a bite and damn… The flavors!
Danny honestly did not know soup could be so delicious!
Yep, this had to be homemade.
And the genius froutloop somehow made even soup of all things taste exquisite.
“How does it taste? It’s been a while since I’ve used that recipe.” Vlad smiled, sitting on the opposite side of Daniel as he made his own bowl.
Danny grinned at Vlad. “It’s awesome! I normally don’t like soup, cause it usually sucks, but this is delicious!”
Vlad felt a stronger wave of warmth pool in his chest, his core purring at the admission and barely restraining from sending a satisfied pulse. Cooking meals for Daniel was natural for him these days, almost second nature for him to cook an extra serving. He loved being able to cook for someone else, but it was especially the fact that he was making a meal for the other halfa that pleased him to no end. It created delighted jolts in his core, his delight almost pulsing forward.
“I’m glad you like it. I wanted to do something simple tonight.” Vlad admits softly, glad to know that even if it wasn’t as fancy as other meals he made, Daniel still enjoyed them. Even more so at the fact that the teenager didn’t generally like soup too much to begin with, but found his to be delicious. (There was certainly no denying that it caused his ego to boost slightly). “I don’t think you’ve had the right soup, in that case.” Vlad teased, soon growing silent as he continued eating his meal.
The companionable silence as they continued their meal was nice.
Danny had generally ate alone, as his parents were mostly busy down in the lab, and when they had eaten together, his father was rather boisterous and very talkative. It was always lively, and while it was nice, this tranquil silence was also nice.
A devious smirk crossed his lips for a brief second, but he schooled his features again. While Vlad was not looking, he pulled a piece of chicken from the soup and quickly brought it below the table, wiggling it a little.
Cujo’s ears popped up, his purple tongue hanging out and his beady red eyes sparkled when he noticed the offering, quickly dashing over to Danny.
Danny’s lips twitched when he felt Cujo eat the piece of chicken from his hand and his heart and core buzzed with joy. He had always wanted to have a pet in the house and he especially always wanted to sneak food under the table, finding the thought super cute.
He secretly grabbed another piece of meat from the soup bowl after he took another bite, making sure Vlad had not been looking directly at him as he gave the ghost pup another piece of meat under the table.
A soft fur rubbing at his leg told him that Maddie wanted some too, and he grabbed a smaller piece for her, doing his best not to grin like an idiot and give himself away.
For the most part, Vlad was completely unaware of what Daniel was doing underneath the table, too busy eating his own meal to pay attention. It wasn’t until he caught sight of twitching lips and a gleam behind the younger halfa’s eyes that he figured something was going on. He tried to ignore it for the most part, until it happened again.
Curious, Vlad discreetly observed the younger, catching the way his hand was underneath the table for a few moments longer than they needed to be.
His astute hearing picked up on the soft rumble from Maddie, and the gentle panting from Cujo, his gaze softening as understanding hit him. Smiling, he observed Daniel with a soft gaze.
“Be sure to have the chicken wet for her. Maddie loves it when it’s juicy.” He commented nonchalantly, smirking a bit at the younger.
Danny’s cheeks reddened as his hand went behind his neck, smiling shyly at being caught. “Hahaha. I’ll be sure to.”
Damn, he’s adorable. Vlad finds himself thinking, his eyes happily drinking in the image of that wonderful blush that spreads across his cheeks, gaze softening more. It made him wonder if this was something the younger halfa always wished to do, but had never been able to because of the ‘no dogs’ rule that had been enforced by his parents. It makes him feel bad for the other, starting to now see how the teenager's parents seemed to care more about their work than their son. There was always something in the back of his mind that picked up on it, but as time went on, the negligence had started to rear its ugly head.
Of course, he knew that the Fenton’s loved their son, but that didn’t mean they treated him like they were supposed to. From his days of spying, there had been the snipes that the boy should be more like Jazz and while he didn’t think much about it at the time, it truly bothered him now. That, and the fact that they didn’t even notice their own son was either absent half the time, or sleep-deprived to the point he was ready to pass out from exhaustion.
Danny’s core did a little happy pulse towards the older halfa, not at all bothered by being caught. In fact, Vlad’s reaction had made butterflies flutter in his stomach. Part of him had wondered if Vlad would have been bothered by him feeding Cujo and Maddie under the table. The fact that the billionaire did not mind and seemed to even encourage it filled him with joy. It felt as if it was another special moment they had just shared.
He returned to eating his meal with a contented smile on his face, on occasion passing Maddie and Cujo some more pieces of chicken underneath the table.
Vlad was brought out from his thoughts by the pulse that makes him smile, his own core responding with a warm pulse.
Danny smiled. “You know, I think you need to add more chicken into the soup. I just don’t think there is enough.” He teased as he discreetly gave another piece to Cujo.
“Is that so? I’ll be sure to add more next time, in that case.” Vlad smirked at the careful teasing, lips formed into a small smirk. “I might even add some beef into it as well, considering it appears to be Cujo’s favorite.” Vlad smirked more at the happy yip from underneath the table.
After the meal, he gathered both his and Vlad’s plates, taking them back to the kitchen. Once in the sink, he walked back to the foyer to grab the backpack he had dropped when he was greeted by Cujo and Maddie, sighing in reluctance to the work ahead. He walked over to Vlad, and gestured towards one of the doors. “I’m gonna use the livingroom to do some of the homework, if that’s cool with you.”
Vlad nodded. “It’s no problem with me, little badger. Let me know if you need help with anything.” Vlad commented, gently stroking his hair for a moment, before heading over to wash the dishes.
Danny watched as Vlad headed into the kitchen, a sad sigh escaping his lips. He resisted his core's urge to send a tempting pulse to the older halfa.
He dropped the backpack tiredly next to the big coffee table, flopping onto the soft cushions and splaying himself across the three person couch, just resting. ‘Hhhmmm… this is nice…”
By no means had he even remotely recovered from his sleepless nights, having only gotten a good night sleep this morning. His body felt heavy, and tiredness started to creep up on him as his body sank even deeper into the cushions…
‘Nope!’
He shook himself awake, shaking his head slightly for good measure. No time to sleep. There was waaay too much to do. Especially math homework that needed to get done for tomorrow.
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He tried. By the almighty Clockwork, he was giving it everything he got. The coffee table was littered with papers, the textbook splayed open on the example’s page, his phone showing some online math site on the screen.
And he still could not figure out this freaking math problem!
He sat forward with his hands in his hair, tightly pulling on his midnight hair as if to yank it out, his face grimacing in the most frustrated of expressions as he glanced at the one paper in front of him. The paper was filled with erasures, having tried multiple times only to fail. He even tried other number problems, in case it was just the one that was hard, but to no avail.
And this was only a practice for the class final that was to come (and unfortunately for Danny, this practice math homework that's due tomorrow was graded). And he hadn't completed a single equation.
He was soo fucked.
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Deciding to get the dishes done sooner rather than later, Vlad sets forth on washing them slowly, deciding that he would give Daniel some time alone. After he pours the leftover soup into a container, as well as the bread rolls, he cleans the rest of the kitchen for the next ten minutes.
“Meow?” Maddie rubs her head against his legs, purring softly as she tries to get his attention, chirping happily when her owner picks her up to hold her. She nuzzles against his chin, closing her eyes in pleasure when she gets some amazing head scratches that nearly put her to sleep.
“You’re spoiled rotten.” Vlad teases, carrying her into one of her favorite rooms to place her on the soft cushion, Cujo joining her to cuddle against her side. He smiles at the sight of the animals tired after their meal from Daniel, curling around one and other for warmth and comfort.
Grabbing his laptop to look through some emails, Vlad feels the need to check on his guest, wanting to make sure everything was fine. With his laptop in hand, he heads to where Daniel is, picking up on the frustration.
Vlad walks in, taking a look at the teen who was glaring at something on the paper.
“I don’t think you’ve even glared that hard at me when we used to fight.” Vlad smiles a bit, placing his laptop down as he pretends to be insulted. “Do you need help?” He hummed, staying to the side.
Danny smirked, the older halfa’s presence and teasing quite welcoming amidst all of his stress, and his core shot out an appreciative jolt before settling back in his chest. He released his now oddly formed hair he had been pulling, letting out a small chuckle. “I knew I was going about this all wrong. Blasting you to kingdom come always worked, I should have done the same with this.” He joked back.
Their teasing banter will always be something that creates a spark of joy in Vlad’s chest, enjoying the shift from taunts into what they had now. He smirks a bit at the mention of being ‘blasted’ by the other and chuckles softly, eyes alight with mirth. The pulse from the other’s core nearly makes him sigh in pleasure, but he holds himself back and instead takes notice of how frazzled Daniel looks, hair every which way.
Danny massage his temples in an attempt to relieve some of the ache in his head as he pondered if he really wanted to share this with the older halfa.
It was embarrassing enough for Vlad to know that he was struggling in school, and he felt quite a bit of shame in that. But for the elder halfa to really know just how badly he sucked?
Danny always wanted to impress the Vlad in some way, even when they were enemies. He would internally preen when the older halfa praised him in some way and got enraged when the man would insult him, the snarky remarks making him fume even a couple of days after.
That feeling of wanting to impress Vlad had only increased since their truce, especially recently with what was going on between the two.
But even so, he was getting desperate. Graduation was coming up, and it looked fairly fine, until he began to have these horrible nightmares and sleepless nights. It had broken the fragile hold he had on his grades as it was.
His arms flopped to his sides, leaning back to sink into the couch with a frustrated frown and a resigned sigh, eyes downcast, not able to look at the billionaire in the eyes. “...Sure…”
Vlad’s chest constricts at the obvious distress, frowning to himself when he notices the shame that lingers in those beautiful eyes. Fingernails dig into his palm to stop himself from reaching forward and running his hands through the soft hair, itching to fix the strands that stick out in random places.
Then there was also the fact that he felt the urge to blast everyone who had caused those beautiful eyes to fill with disappointment. His parents and numerous, uncaring teachers constantly seemed to be the culprits behind the sadness behind those blue eyes, and Vlad wanted to make it right.
Vlad feels his heart and core catch at the way the younger halfa refuses to meet his gaze, the frown sticking out worse than usual. With a frown of his own, Vlad carefully moves closer to place a hand on the tense shoulder to give it a squeeze, his other hand absentmindedly fixing the disheveled hair.
Dark blue eyes scan the scattered papers, taking a look at the finished math problems, but soon landing on the one that was unfinished. As he took in the problem, his mind registered it as being either pre-calculus or calculus.
“What step are you stuck on?” Vlad questioned softly as he gazed at a scrap piece of paper that showed the calculation steps, looking to see where the younger was struggling.
Danny sighed, not really looking forward to explaining his dumbness, much less show it. Vlad was sure to know how behind he was in math when he pointed out which one he was having problems with, though he noticed the older halfa scanning his paper, and he winced, feeling even more shame.
He gave another frustrated sigh, eyes downcast as he pointed at the paper, his voice low. “I can’t seem to figure out number 5…” The area he indicated having multiple erasures and a couple of question marks below the problem.
Hating the look on Daniel’s face, Vlad stands behind the teen and sends a comforting pulse, wanting to show his support in any shape he could. There was no denying that this was a sore spot for the eighteen-year-old, so Vlad decided to tread carefully and keep an eye on any reactions. Blue eyes scan over the fifth question, which involved completing the square of a quadratic function.
Looking over the work, Vlad tries to see where the teen was getting confused, noticing the multiple examples he had set up on the table, all similar to the problem he was working on. He looks to the formulas and hums, realizing part of the issue.
“You need to cancel the common factor before adding it back into the equation.” Vlad pointed out, catching on where Daniel was getting messed up. “Then you can substitute the values into the formula.” Vlad smiled, letting his hand carefully touch the dark hair for a moment, happy to spend time with the younger.
“Other than that, you got the steps right.” He mumbled, hoping Daniel understood that he didn’t think any less of him.
Danny listened as Vlad explained the error, trying to wrap his head around the mistake, a frown on his face as he bit his lower lip in thought.
It didn’t really make any sense to the poor teen. He was half afraid to even try at it at this point, half debating just feigning understanding, saying that he got this and just turning in the incomplete homework, and possibly failing the class.
And not graduating.
But, did it really matter? In the grand scheme of things?
He had already been rejected in every college he applied for, so why the hell did it matter if he graduated high school? It wasn’t if he had any shot of ever going to college. And many successful people dropped out of high school to become successful.
Actually, what did his future even look like?
As a child, he had always thought of the cliche of ‘nerd/outcast now, major successful later’ type of trope, and had always thought that he would eventually have a bright future in NASA space programs or something. That was, until the accident…
Since then, his life had been a spiral of chaos and disaster, barely keeping his ghost life and human life in order. After some of the ghost attacks stopped, it looked like he would have a shot at going to college and making something of himself, but the truth was that he was too far behind to catch up. And no one was really there to help him.
Jazz had gone off to college, and yes, he had Sam and Tucker, but he was already a burden in their lives as it was, with all of the ghost stuff. Asking for more help on school work would be placing even more on their plate. Especially as of late, Tucker now having a girlfriend and preparing for college and Sam also preparing for college along with her recent activism.
And now he was bothering Vlad with his stupid teenage troubles.
*You cause so much trouble to those around you, Daniel. However do you live with yourself?*
His core constricted painfully as he stared at the paper, his eyes beginning to moisten with frustration, shame, disappointment, and hopelessness.
At least, he could spare the older halfa the waste of time trying to explain something that he probably just won’t get. It wouldn't be the first time he’s been dumb enough not to get something even though it was just explained to him. The problem that most did not catch was that he had never gotten the basics down (he had been Phantom since 14) so he struggled even more with difficult concepts.
He changed his expression, feigning surprise. “Ah! Your right!” He then forced himself to smile up at the older halfa, doing his best to look like he understood what he needed to do from the verbal explanation alone. “That’s the mistake I didn’t catch. Thanks.”
Though he made no move to correct the problem, as it would have been obvious that he did not understand at all. Instead waiting for Vlad to leave and go do something else.
Vlad wasn’t sure what it was, but there was a definite shift in the atmosphere that signaled something was wrong, that there was still an issue. He feels a lingering sensation in the air that makes him frown with worry, looking to the tensed shoulders of the younger halfa, realizing the teenager hadn’t made an effort to correct the mistake. Wondering why, Vlad was suddenly left feeling like an absolute idiot, soon understanding his mistake.
If Daniel were struggling with his classwork, it was likely that he wouldn’t understand the concepts without being shown first-hand. There was also no telling how far the other was behind, and if he potentially didn’t understand the basics, it would make everything hard to understand.
Then there was also the possibility that Daniel was more of a hands-on learner and learned from example more so than being told what to do. Perhaps he just needed guidance and patience, something those idiotic teachers were incapable of, it seemed.
When those bright eyes look at him, his core gives a deep pang of sadness at seeing the slight dampness that was inside them. It takes all of his restraint to stop himself from reaching forward and rubbing the wetness away with his thumb, not wanting the other to realize he knows.
He’s embarrassed. Vlad muses to himself, still watching the way the question isn’t completed. With a small smile, he reaches forward to grab a pen and start the problem on a scrap piece of paper. Not wanting to make him feel worse, the billionaire sets forth to explain the steps, writing down everything.
Math had always been a subject he excelled in, so going over all the steps and details with the younger halfa was easy for him. He made sure to put emphasis on certain parts of the formula and certain steps, one hand carding absentmindedly through the hair while the other wrote down all the steps in detail.
“Does that help some?” He asked with a small smile, offering a gentle pulse from his core.
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Danny had expected the older halfa to just nod and leave, or something. Like all of his other teachers and even parents. Give instructions, then be off to do more important things. And surely Vlad of all people had better things to do than bother trying to explain boring math to a failure like him.
So he was actually surprised when Vlad took a pen and started showing him the steps.
The teen watched with a rapt, determined stare, taking everything the older halfa was saying and processing it as he watched the steps of the problem get solved. The feel of his hand through his hair was not distracting at all. On the contrary, Danny found that it helped relax him enough to increase his attentiveness.
It… it was actually making some sense for once!
His sky blue eyes shined and a small smirk appeared on his lips as Vlad finished his explanation. His core sending a spark of excitement towards the billionaire as he quickly grabbed his own pencil and started on the problem on the paper, energy and excitement bouncing off of him in waves.
“Yes!” Danny fist-pumped the air when he finished the problem, a bright smile on his face, feeling accomplishment for once. But the true test, would be the next problem, which was similar, yet with different numbers.
Danny scrunched his face in concentration, and sometimes paused to bite the end of the pencil as he pondered his next move. Then a lightbulb would go off and he would write the step down.
And successfully completed it as well.
“I got it! I actually got it!” He exclaimed almost incredulously with a brightness in his smile, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment for himself that was in short demand these days. His core buzzed with happiness and he tackled Vlad on the couch in a grateful hug. Feeling beyond thankful that the older halfa had taken the time to try and explain it properly to him, core sending many joyous pulses.
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In this moment of watching and feeling the excitement roll off of Daniel, Vlad could do nothing but let his core momentarily pulse and wrap around the other. It retreated after a few seconds, but it was enough to leave him feeling at ease and complete again. As he witnessed the excitement, his core and heart fluttering with delight, Vlad sighed happily as he took in everything. From the beautiful gleam in the baby-blue eyes, to the joyous pulses that were making his own core drunk with love.
He wasn’t sure how, but he had the inkling that he had just fallen harder for the wonderful halfa. And when he sees that bright smile aimed at him, Vlad feels his breath hitch in his throat, warmth flowing through him as his core gives a pleased pulse, lost in the bright smile that took his breath away.
As Vlad begins to comment, he feels his body being enveloped in a tight hug, the impact pushing him into the sofa. He chuckles, another wave of warmth flowing from his core as it wraps around the icy one, purring in pleasure.
“You’re extremely smart, Daniel.” Vlad hums, smiling more as he hugs back, pulling the younger closer. “All you needed was some guidance.” The billionaire hummed, letting his arms fall after a few moments, breaking the hug.
Happiness blossoms in Danny’s chest as he hears words that he hasn’t heard in a long time, and he squeezes his hold, before also letting go, shifting back to his side of the couch.
“I’m more than willing to be a tutor, if you’d want. Math has always been my strong suit.” Vlad suggests offhandedly, not wanting to pressure the younger into something.
A thought crossed the young halfa’s mind, and he almost chuckled at the irony. The one person to take some time and really help him in a way that was not dismissive or a way that did not make him feel like a bother was his ex-nemesis. And Vlad was also offering to help him more? To use up some of his valuable time just to help him succeed in school?
Vlad had no idea what that meant to him.
His heart swelled with joy, core purring in delight as he stared into those dark blue eyes. He loved Vlad so much, and every day it seemed that the older halfa was doing something that just made him love the man even more. And these things were by no means grand gestures or by no means considered to be super romantic. It was the little things.
Little things like sharing a favorite dish, remembering Cujo’s favorite food, offering his help on school work. The simple gestures making him feel so many emotions and sensations that were impossible to describe.
Now, he truly understands what was meant by love being something you do, and the ‘do’ is the sum of many small acts of love.
Vlad keeps himself planted on his side of the couch, so he doesn’t pull Daniel in for a kiss, those beautiful blue eyes calling to him to give in. Combined with that bright smile and the iridescent gleam in the blue eyes, Vlad knows for a fact that if he had any less restraint, he would have already given in. Instead, he settles on enjoying the wonderful sight beside him, happy to simply witness the display of raw emotion. How many others have been granted the ability to observe the wonderful emotions from the younger halfa? How many others had seen such a display?
Danny gives the halfa a bright smile, though mixed with a hint of mischief. “I thought your strong suit was baking. Are you telling me you actually have multiple talents besides cooking and sucking blood?” He teased.
Looking into those eyes will forever be one of his weaknesses, the power they held over him was immeasurable, but entirely worth it. He loved looking into the depths and seeing the numerous emotions that were expressed, loving the way they outshone the sun and all the stars in the night sky.
And even then, it was the way those eyes looked at him that would forever leave him breathless, heart aching with need at the emotion directed at him. How anyone like Daniel could look at him with such love, he had no idea.
Danny’s expression then turned a bit serious once more, tied with a bit of sadness as he looks down, averting his gaze. “But yeah. I wouldn’t mind some help with this.” He admitted.
Vlad’s slightly deprecating thoughts leave him when he sees the resemblance of sadness start peeking through those eyes, the one emotion he hates seeing in them. On instinct, he reaches forward to tilt Daniel’s head up so the younger will once again meet his gaze, hating when he avoids looking into his eyes.
As his thumb stroked the cheek gently, Vlad spoke up with a soft tone, hoping to convey his message. “It’s okay to need help, Daniel. I’d never think less of you for needing it.” He mumbles, feeling the urge to clear that as soon as he could, not wanting Daniel to worry needlessly. “I’ll never think less of you.” He says again, love shining in his eyes.
The look of pure sincerity and deep affection in those dark pools takes Danny’s breath away. His face softens as he feels the gentle caress to his cheek, gazing at that handsome face he has come to love, a part of him almost unbelieving that all this was real.
Slowly, he leaned forward, arms wrapping around the older halfa’s neck as he pressed their lips together in a sweet, chaste kiss. His core wrapping lovingly around Vlad’s in a soothing gentle hold.
When their lips meet in the chaste, but emotion-driven kiss, Vlad feels his core purr in pleasure as he presses back. His core responds to the other by wrapping around it as well, offering warm and comforting pulses. It happily presses against the icy core, soaking up the coldness while offering its own warmth, purring in content.
Danny then pressed their foreheads together and just held there. Feeling the warmth and spicy scent that was so unique to Vlad Masters. A hand moving to gently free soft sleek hair, then threading between those silken silver strands. Caressing the hair from the scalp down in a steady rhythm as he hugged the older halfa, simply basking in the other’s presence in this wonderful moment.
Vlad lets Daniel pull away from the kiss, smiling softly when their foreheads are pressed together, the intimate gesture always creating waves of warmth through his chest. Like this, they share the same breath and the same emotions, the adoration they feel for each other practically tangible. His eyes were shut in pleasure, his thumb continuing to stroke the younger halfa’s pale cheek, his heart beating happily. And when a slightly chilly hand threads through his hair, stroking his silver streaks slowly, Vlad almost breathes out an embarrassing confession, the touch sending gentle tingles down his scalp.
Fuck. His love for Daniel seemed to be brimming from his very essence, each pulse saturated in the raw emotion. It would only be a matter of time before those words slipped past his lips, the confession sure to make things awkward for the teenager.
Danny never wanted this to end. The calm companionship even started to make him a bit sleepy, exhaustion slightly returning, and he then knew it was time to break this serenity. As much as he wanted to stay there like that forever, there were things that needed to be taken care of, and a part of him cursed that responsible part of himself. After a few minutes more, he reluctantly moved away, his core giving a final happy, reluctant pulse before the teen settled back on his side of the couch, grabbing his pencil once more. “Okay. Let’s get this over with…” He declared none too enthusiastically. Help or not, school work sucked, and he couldn’t wait to be done with high school for good.
Instead of dwelling on a confession he refrained from saying, Vlad allows Daniel to pull away from his arms as his core gives a gentle pulse before retreating. He stands from the sofa and takes a look at the other problems Daniel was having trouble with, teaching him the same way by showing steps and examples.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
Danny gave a long stretch, his muscles popping slightly from crouching down to look at the paper for so long as Vlad helped provide directions and explanations when he needed it. The billionaire’s tutoring style was easy to grasp, as the man was able to instruct in multiple ways if the teen did not grasp the concept in one way. Surprisingly, he found himself learning so much more about math than what he had learned in the past month. The whole math assignment completed far faster than he could have believed possible.
He turned to smile at the older halfa, quite grateful. “Thanks!”
A soft smile broke free on his face once the work was complete, a proud gleam in his eyes as he stroked Daniel’s dark hair. Truthfully, the eighteen-year-old was a fast learner, but if his hunch was correct, then the useless teachers were partially to blame for the poor grades.
It would be a little too obvious if they suddenly…disappeared from Casper High, so he had to be more subtle about how to deal with them, if he was even able to. Daniel would only have to deal with the inept teachers for a few more months, but that didn’t mean Vlad liked it. He could use his political powers to end their careers…
That didn’t sound too bad, actually…
He’s pulled from his plans when Daniel beams at him again, a soft smile resurfacing. “It was no problem. I’m glad I was able to help.” Vlad hummed.
Danny’s eyes took a glance at the clock (9:40pm) his lips turning into a smirk, eyes flashing neon green. “Just in time for our training~” He leaned close to Vlad, body almost leaving no space between them. A mischievous glint in his eyes.
White rings formed around his waist, and he purposely slowed the transformation time. The rings parted slowly as he watched Vlad’s reaction, having caught on to the older halfa’s reaction to him changing into Phantom when they were near. His core purposely flicking and teasing against the hot one with its icy cold touch.
Vlad’s cheeks started to flush slightly as his breath hitched, almost shivering when Daniel transformed, tingles shooting down his spine.
Daniel would be the death of him.
Following the lead, Vlad also transformed, blue eyes changing to dark red. Instead of forming his legs, his ghostly tail slides against Daniel’s almost wrapping around it.
“Come along then, Daniel.” Vlad purrs softly, tail stroking once more before he flies to the training room.
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Danny’s smirk widened to a grin as he watched Vlad’s blush with satisfaction, preening over the fact that he was the one to cause such a reaction in the older halfa.
However, his smirk fell when the bastard did the same, his body shivering from the electric spark and the rush of heat that flowed from those two black rings as they grazed his skin from how close they were.
But nothing could have prepared him for when Plasmius wrapped his tail around his. His eyes snapping shut as sharp pleasure shooting up his spine as his core both purred and flashed at the fire core, wishing to draw it close. His body trembling as the tail slithered against his own, and he swallowed hard, keeping his mouth very much shut because the last thing he wanted was to make any of the embarrassing sounds that threatened to escape his lips.
Fffuuuck… That tail of Vlad felt so sleek and gentle, yet clear strength behind it and it was so warm and thick and ddaaaammmnnn...
That had felt far too intimate than he ever thought it would be.
He knew his tail was kinda sensitive, but he never would have imagined this feeling at having it touched so deliciously…
He just floats there as Plasmius flies off, mind half in a daze and working to recollect his thoughts and calm his overexcited core and dick.
He glared at the floor where the older halfa had disappeared into. Just like the bastard to up his challenge. He teased Vlad, so what does he do? All but wrecks him.
Danny’s frown shifted into a smirk as his eyes glinted with mischief.
‘Well see who can win this seductive game, Plasmius~’
And he flew down to the training room, ready to begin the training while plotting Vlad’s downfall.