Chapter Text
“-ion, which leads the resulting ‘x’ equals twenty-si- DANNY FENTON! Please pay attention!”
Sky blue eyes widened as he realized he had failed to hear what his high school teacher had been talking about for the past 10 minutes. “... ah! Hahaha…” He shrunk in his seat as his classmates snickered. “...yeah… sorry Mr. Paul…”
Tucker and Sam looked at each other with worry. Danny had been acting distracted lately. Far more than usual.
When the lunch bell rang Danny and his friends sat in their usual spot on a bench next to a large tree, each having their own meal when Sam asked the same question she had been asking for the past couple of weeks. “Danny, you have not been acting like yourself lately. Are you going to tell us what is wrong?”
“Yeah.” Agreed Tucker. “No offense, but you have been a little more… spaced out… even for you”
Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Oh. Hahaha! It’s nothing. Just thinking about… stuff…”
It was the same answer he had given multiple times now. Truth was, he was getting very anxious lately.
It was all due to Vlad Plasmius.
Not that the elder had done something to increase Danny’s hypervigilance as of late. In fact, things had gotten… quiet lately.
That was the problem.
Normally, Vlad had multiple evil schemes planned and executed that Danny would foil, and more often than not the young halfa found himself in the company of the pompous jerk. But all that had been changing slowly without Danny even realizing.
But now he had started to notice.
The young halfa had confided in his friends about his fears that Plasmius was planning something big since Vlad had not made his presence known in quite a while. Not even to come over to his house in order to flirt with his mother!
At first, his friends shared the same fears and helped him investigate discreetly. But they had come up with nothing. As time went on, Sam and Tucker started to get comfortable with Vlad’s absence and even began to dismiss Danny’s fears as paranoia as gently as they could.
Danny tried to ignore that strange feeling in his gut that something was off, thinking that his friends might be right. Hell, he should be happy that the elder is leaving him and his family in peace. Right?
Then why did that thought cause him fear?
He gave up telling his friends about his anxiety relating to Vlad’s absence. They did not understand anyway. How could they, if he did not understand it himself?
‘This is it!’ He thought to himself with steel determination. ‘I’m going to sneak into Vlad’s mansion, figure out what evil scheme he is up to, and foil his plan once again.’
“DANNY!!”
“Umm… yes?”
Tucker and Sam sighed tiredly. “The bell rang, man. We need to go”
“Oh!” His plan would have to wait until after class. “Right… let’s go.”
___________________________________
The life of Vlad Masters was as boring as it ever had been-meeting after meeting, with one or two breaks for coffee. It was times like these that made him question why he had bothered becoming a billionaire of successful companies. It had its perks of course, but the meetings seemed to overshadow any positivity his wealth provided.
“Mister Masters,” His secretary walked into his office, carrying a few papers with her. “The CEO of PDA industries has to reschedule the conference until next Monday. They went ahead and faxed the information of the new contract.”
Taking the papers offered to him, his calculating eyes scanned the meticulous pile, giving a hum in response.
“Thank you, Cynthia.” He responded, resisting the urge to yawn as the papers were placed into a folder.
“That would have been your last meeting today, sir. You’re free to leave whenever.” She nodded to him, pulling out another stack of papers. “Before you leave, here’s the upcoming papers for your conference on Tuesday. It’s about the funding for the new Amity Park college.” She informed.
Putting on a neutral face, he accepted the papers and added them into a folder while standing from his office chair. “I’ll be sure to look through these when I get home. Thank you again,” His smile was still forced as he cleared his desk off.
Once Cynthia was gone, Vlad sighed softly and ran a hand down his face. This was getting tiring. Being the Mayor. Being a CEO of the richest companies in the world. Meeting with other companies that answered to him.
It was getting more monotonous the longer it carried on, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. It was his job, plain and simple.
Honestly, it made him miss the days where he had been scheming away at some convoluted plot that a mere fourteen-year-old had been able to out smart him in.
Sighing again, Vlad made his way to his car and drove back to his mansion, already dreading the papers he would have to sift through all night.
___________________________________
“So, grab a bite to eat at the nasty burger, then video games at Sam’s place?” Tucker offered after the last class bell rang.
“Sorry guys.” Danny looked at his friends with an apologetic expression, pointing behind him. “Duty calls.” Using the ‘taking care of ghost business as an excuse’, justifying to himself that he was not lying to his friends. After all, everything having to deal with the evil Vlad Plasmius was ‘ghost business’, right?
Finding the nearest hidden spot, rings enveloped his body as he felt the exhilarating rush of his ghost power take over, turning Fenton into Phantom. Turning himself invisible, he flew over to his archnemesis’ lair.
Once at the mansion, he snuck in as quietly and as covertly as he could, trying to spy on the elder halfa before he decided how to attack.
_________________________________
Vlad did not notice something was off until he reached his mansion. He could feel a ghostly presence nearby but didn’t think much about it immediately. This was Amity Park, which was known for the frequent ghost.
Unlocking his doors, a soft mewl caught his attention. Leaning down to pet his white-haired cat, Vlad smiled.
“Hello, dear. Are you hungry?” When the feline mewled again, Vlad chuckled. “Come along, then. I’ve got your favorite.” He picked her up and carried her into the kitchen, placing her down at her favorite spot as he fed her.
Just then he felt the presence again, frowning more when he realized it was closer.
“Butternuts,” He mumbled, transforming into his ghost half as he looked around for the intruder.
_________________________________________
Once inside the large mansion, Danny flew to the most obvious spot one would find the plans/evidence of an evil villain's plot; the laboratory.
He already knew the location. Many times in the past he, and on occasion, his friends, had searched the mansion in order to foil evil plans. Though, he had not been there in quite some time.
A part of him always wondered why Vlad, with all of his mechanical ghost countering technologies, had not simply built a forcefield like the one his parents built a long time ago…
No matter, this always made it easier to spy on the elder.
He braced himself, ready to face whatever creation or plan that was in the lab… only to suddenly stop. Danny Phantom floated in mid air, neon eyes wide with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
He had not been prepared for this…
The lab had some white sheets on many of the tables, covering multiple gadgets from dust. As if… as if they had not been used in a while…
‘What…?’
The entire lab looked almost… abandoned. As if the elder had not used it in quite some time.
‘Had he… changed the location of his main lab?’ Danny asked himself as he floated motionless, too confused to really pay attention to any movement in his surroundings.
______________________________________
As Vlad looked for the intruder, he couldn’t help but feel some sense of exhilaration about the turn of events. How long had it been since someone had tried to sneak into his house, let alone that someone being a ghost?
It was interesting, though. Most of the inhabitants of the Ghost Zone knew not to bother him, seeing as he was stronger than most of them.
He had long since stopped paying Skulker to develop new items for him, as well as Technus, so those two were most certainly not the ones to be intruding.
Following the source of the ghostly presence, he stopped with a sigh as his cat followed after him, mewling.
“Not now, dear.” He reached down to scratch behind her ear, smiling. “I’ll be back to pet you later.” Vlad promised his cat, who had taken to trying to scratch at his cape. Shaking his head fondly, he conjured an ectoplasmic yarn ball and tossed it down the hall for his cat, smirking as she chased after it.
Continuing on his way, he turned intangible and flew down to his lab, eyebrows raising when he noticed the person floating in the middle of his room.
“Do you care to tell me what you’re doing here, little badger?” Vlad asked, making himself known as he had his arms crossed.
Danny flinched, and turned around abruptly in the air to face Plasmius. ‘Shit!’ He internally chastised himself. Getting caught had not been part of the plan…
He felt a rush of excitement, his core pulsing quicker at the sight of the elder halfa.
It had been waayy too long since Phantom had a decent fight.
Now 18 years old, Danny has had 4 years to increase and sharpen his ghost powers. If he could stand his own (albeit with some luck on his side) at 14 years old, imagine what 4 more years would do.
None of the ghosts he used to fight (save Plasmius) were a threat anymore. Hell, at this point, most of his past enemies had stopped coming to Amity Park because they knew they did not stand a chance against the now adult Phantom.
And now, for the past while, Vlad had even stopped.
But Danny was not going to believe that. He knew the man was obsessive. There was no way that his arch nemesis would ever stop being evil.
Right?
Acting the ‘Hero’, Danny straightened and crossed his arms, smirking as he looked at the elder. “What else? To stop you in your newest scheme.”
Once more, Vlad rose an eyebrow at the younger halfa’s response and gave a soft sigh of indignation. While seeing the other halfa again made his adrenaline spike, the billionaire knew he had to make things clear.
He really thinks I’m up to something, doesn’t he? Vlad thought to himself, letting his arms uncross as he shook his head.
“My only scheme involves getting through conferences at work, Daniel.” While he wasn’t surprised that Daniel assumed he was plotting something, he had long since given up on those frivolous plans. It had been about a year or two ago when he realized that what he felt for Maddie wasn’t love, so he had stopped pursuing her altogether.
Not long after that, he stopped messing with Daniel as well. The only time he bothered to show up was to test the Halfa’s strength. Even that felt like years ago.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he glanced over the appearance of his intruder, noting the change in his appearance over the last four years. He was eighteen now, an adult.
“Since you likely won’t believe me,” He said, gesturing to the fairly empty lab. “Continue your snooping. Just don’t break anything, please.” Vlad hummed nonchalantly, floating back upstairs.
Danny’s jaw would have fallen to the ground if it had not been attached to his skull. He watched as Vlad floated back upstairs, flabbergasted at being so… dismissed.
He shook himself out of his stupor and frowned. ‘This has to be some sort of trick!’ He thought, trying to convince himself when everything else (lack of confrontation in a while, main lab half-deserted and almost empty) told him differently.
Rather than look through the obviously innocent lab, he floated up, following his archnemesis.
Danny floated right in front of the elder halfa, blocking his ascent, neon eyes staring straight into crimson ones with a glare. “Just who do you think you are trying to fool, Plasmius?”
Not at all surprised that Daniel had blocked his way, Vlad smirked a bit. “I’m not trying to fool anyone, Daniel. If you need to watch me, fine. All of my plans involve finishing my work.” He said, turning back into his human half as he carefully landed on the floor.
He seems desperate. It’s almost like he wants me to be up to something. Vlad realized, but didn’t bother voicing his opinion as he continued walking.
“I’ve got documents to look through. Some of us have busy jobs, little badger. If you insist on staying, make yourself at home.” He waved him off, grabbing the meeting documents that had been laid on the table.
A soft mewl came and Vlad allowed himself to smile as he once more scratched behind her ears, making the cat purr. “Alright,” He mumbled, placing her on his lap as he looked through the endless amount of papers, dismissing Daniel again.
Danny gritted his teeth, trying vainly to hang on to the anger he felt towards Vlad when in reality, the elder’s dismissal had cut him far deeper than any prior physical wound ever had.
There was no way. No way the Frootloop was going to ignore him!
“Fine!” He crossed his arms, floating down to a nearby couch. Once he sat down on the couch, he transformed back to Fenton, a glare plastered on his face as he stared down the elder halfa. “Then I will!” He said half petulantly, trying to call the other’s bluff.
He would sit there for as long as it took! There was no way he would let Plasmius win!
…
Though, as time went on. Even he was starting to admit that he had not thought this through.
It was boring as hell watching Vlad as he worked on paperwork. Not only was boredom killing the poor 18 year old, but his fear was increasing with every tick of the wall clock.
What if Vlad was telling the truth?
What if he really stopped scheming and was no longer trying to take over the world? (Or something as equally stupid).
But the question that scared Danny the most, was where did that leave them?
Fear rose in the young halfa as he stared at Vlad, his frown having left a bit ago, now replaced with a worried expression he had not known was showing. What if the elder just simply chose to ignore him?
The thought was terrifying. And Danny could not even begin to comprehend as to why.
_________________________________
Vlad reviewed the first documents, reading over every excruciating detail. ‘I should make this my last term as Mayor. Lord knows how I managed to do this, scheme, and attend meetings all those years ago’. He had been absentmindedly petting his cat when he noticed what time it was. A few hours had passed and that was when he remembered Daniel was still here.
“Are you hungry?” Vlad questioned the silent room, feeling the younger halfa’s eyes locked onto the back of his head. There was no doubt that Daniel didn’t trust him, but hopefully his actions would ease his worries.
He was starting to grow famished himself, actually. He hadn’t been able to eat his entire lunch because of an impromptu meeting around noon, so that had left him in a sour mood during the conference.
Turning to look at the younger man, Vlad felt himself frown when he noticed the look on the others face. It was a strange look that he had never seen on him before.
It was a mix of fear and something else that he couldn’t pinpoint, but it was hidden beneath the worry he saw.
He almost looked sad, in an odd way. Vlad couldn’t comprehend why there was such an emotion plastered on his former nemesis.
Danny was startled out of his thoughts and his eyes widened a few seconds after Vlad had turned to look at him, having now registered that the elder had spoken to him.
A strange feeling wormed its way into his stomach at receiving the other’s attention after having been ignored for so long. Ignoring that strange feeling, he forced a frown on his face, but it had little bite to it. “What? Run out of original ideas, so you decide on poisoning me?” Though the accusation did not seem genuine.
“Please, little badger, have some faith in me. Poisoning is not my style.” Vlad teased, starting to feel the tension in the room coming from Daniel. There was something wrong with the other man, but he still couldn’t pinpoint what his problem was. Knowing how the younger man was, he would never get a straight answer.
“I just wanted to know if you were hungry. I can either cook something for us, or I can order something. Your choice.” Vlad commented, letting his cat off his lap as he got up, dusting the slight fur that had been left on his pants.
He wasn’t sure why, but the fact that the younger man looked so sad bothered him. He wanted to fix it, for some unknown reason.
Danny’s eyebrow rose questioningly. “You… cook?” He said hesitantly.
Vlad nearly scoffed when asked if he knew how to cook. Of course, he could cook! Did Daniel think that he had other people to do it for him? Granted, he was more than wealthy enough to afford such luxuries, but he preferred to make most food himself.
Danny felt another strange pang when a thought suddenly struck. With a bit of shame he asked himself; What did he know about Vlad that did not involve evil schemes?
Sure, as a 14 year old, one could excuse his black-and-white thinking. How he labeled the older halfa as one of those evil villains from the Saturday morning cartoons. But now that he was a young adult, he really should know better.
Vlad was a person, too.
Still frowning, he relented. “Fine. But I will be watching your every move.” He warned. Though, truthfully (a truth he would not even admit to himself), he just wanted to stay close to Vlad.
“Be my guest,” Vlad mumbled, making his way into his vast kitchen. Thankfully, he had just done some grocery shopping, so his pantry and refrigerator were full of all sorts of food. Since he had to entertain guests sometimes, it never hurt to have enough food on hand.
Danny followed Vlad to the massive kitchen and made his way to the island counter. Though instead of sitting on one of the chairs, he sat on the island counter, more to annoy the elder more than anything else.
“Is there anything in particular you want?” Vlad inquired. He had stopped spying on Daniel years ago, so he wasn’t sure what the younger halfa liked to eat.
I really don’t know much about him anymore, Vlad came to that realization, but shoved it away as quickly as it came.
The teen smirked at the billionaire, his sky blue eyes shining with mirth. ‘He said he can cook. Let’s put those skills to the test.’
“I guess I wouldn’t mind some Boeuf Bourguignon.” Remembering that Tucker, the self-proclaimed meat master, said it was one of the most difficult dishes to master. ‘Bet Vlad didn’t even know I knew the name of such a fancy dish.’ He thought as his pride swelled. Sure, he only knew the name (much less how to pronounce it) thanks to the fact that it was his best friend’s favorite dish, but the elder did not need to know that.
Vlad was a little surprised to hear that dish come out of the younger’s mouth, but he only leveled him with a stare. This must be his way of testing my cooking abilities. He thought with a snort, using his power to make the needed ingredients and utensils appear on the counter.
“I didn’t think you would be a fan of this dish. Looks like I was mistaken,” He commented, preheating the oven as he spoke. “You’re not too hungry, are you? This dish typically takes two hours to cook.” Vlad was adding the beef to a pan to sear them as he added salt and pepper, glancing at Daniel with a raised eyebrow.
Seeing Daniel sitting on the countertop made his chest warm up for the briefest of moments before he turned his attention back to the food.
Danny snorted. “I’m not a kid anymore, Vlad. I can wait a couple of hours. I’m not going to starve.” He said, a small, fond smile tugging at his lips.
“No, but teenagers are known for their appetites.” Vlad teased, figuring the other man would hit another growth spurt soon. He remembered being eighteen. He had just finished high school and was on his way to college.
At one point, the memories of his college years would have brought back unsavory memories, but now, he could look at them with a fondness that had once been lost due to his anger and resentment at Jack Fenton. If he was honest with himself, there had been some resentment towards Maddie at one point, but his obsession had looked past it.
Danny couldn’t help but smile. An actual smile at the elder’s comment about teens and food. “I will admit that you have me there, old man.” He teased right back. Actually enjoying this friendly banter that had, out of nowhere, developed between two people who were enemies.
Snorting at being called an old man, Vlad merely started to add some sauce into the pan with the beef, making sure to get an even coat. It had been too long since he had a conversation this nice. Something about the playful bickering made him smile, a soft and warm feeling forming in his chest.
Danny stared at the older halfa’s back as the man started preparing the meal. It was a little… odd to be talking to the elder halfa this way. No real animosity in the exchange of words, no threats. It felt that there was some sort of unsaid understanding between the two at this very moment. That neither would do harm to the other. It felt almost…
.... nice.
Danny turned his gaze away and looked down, a bit lost in his thoughts as he contemplated the odd situation he found himself with his archnemesis. He had also expected to get a rise out of Vlad by sitting on the counter. An attempt that obviously failed.
Confusing thoughts and feelings swirled in his brain, and he was still unsure how to deal with it all.
“Is there any vegetable you don’t like? This recipe calls for quite a few.” Vlad knew Daniel wasn’t too picky, but he wanted to be on the safe side and not add anything that would make his guest sick.
His eyes unconsciously sought the other man, looking at him from his spot.
Daniel looked happier than earlier, but there was still something clouded in those blue eyes.
Danny slid off of the island counter, making his way over to where Vlad had set the vegetables and grabbed a carrot. “I don’t mind the vegetables.” He smiled wistfully as he placed the carrot on the nearby cutting board. “Though Tucker pulls them out after the food is made.”
He was not sure why he shared such a mundane detail about someone he cared about to his nemesis. It had just… slipped out naturally.
Additionally, he was not sure why he was starting to help Vlad cook by grabbing the chef knife and starting to cut the carrot.
He frowned slightly. ‘I must be losing my mind…’
Vlad had been about to make another comment when Daniel grabbed a long carrot, going to help cut it for him. A little shocked by the action, his smile widened just the slightest as he listened to the younger male talk, even going as far as to tell something about his personal life.
“Your father was the same way in college. He hated having vegetables with his meat.” Vlad confessed, sharing something from his own memories. It had been a while since he last thought of the days with Jack as his roommate. It felt right to share the moment with Daniel, though, since the younger had shared something just as personal.
Thinking about the college days with Jack and Maddie did make him miss those days, even if he had resented him for the accident. Now that he no longer let anger cloud his judgment, it was easier to remember the fun time he had with them, Jack specifically.
There was a reason they were roommates, after all. They really had been best friends at one point, but he had let his resentment alter and twist the fond memories. He wouldn’t allow that to happen anymore.
Danny looked up, surprised the elder would say something about his father with such normalcy.
He was way too used to Vlad talking with venom and hatred towards his dad, always ending with some insult or another.
But the way Vlad just spoke, almost seemed like he was reminiscing?
He observed the older halfa closely, but found no deception or hidden insult. Then lowered his gaze back to his task.
“Do you cook often?” Vlad asked, glancing at the way Daniel chopped the vegetables.
Danny snorted at the question. “I’m terrible at it. Unless you count Top ramen as cooking.” He confessed as he cut the vegetables unevenly, not really holding the knife correctly, nor tucking his fingers in as he should.
“I can tell you from experience that ramen is a go-to meal for college students,” Vlad said with a small smirk, not surprised that Daniel was good at making such a meal. It was easy and inexpensive and from someone who grew up with not a lot, it was something he could make a lot of.
Danny blinked as Vlad mentioned the fact that he used to eat ramen. ‘...that’s right…’ Without lifting his head, he shifted his sky blue eyes to gaze at the elder covertly. ‘He was… average once…’
It was very hard for the young halfa to conceive that Vlad had not always been the pompous, arrogant, stuck up, always put together billionaire beside him. All having changed after his father’s… mistake.
He felt guilt over what his father had done. Although it was not a viable excuse in his opinion for all the bad things the elder had done, his father had messed up...
Pushing away the slight guilt, Danny focused on cutting the vegetables once more. Then, smirked, lifting his gaze to the older halfa and slightly pointing the knife in the other’s direction. “I’m only doing this because I just don’t trust you with a knife near me.” He said, joking. “Besides.” He returned to cutting the carrot. Then placed the cut pieces into a nearby bowl and grabbed mushrooms, beginning to cut those. “I have an extra defense should you try something.” Knowing full well that the knife was really not mortally dangerous to the two halfas.
“Extra defenses?” Vlad asked, pretending to be intrigued, but didn’t push further as he joked with the younger Halfa as he continued to sear the meat.
Danny suddenly found himself curious to know a little more about Vlad. “Do you…” He hesitated a moment. “... cook often?”
“I do cook often. I’m not fond of going out after a long day of work, so I usually come home to cook something myself,” He said, his trained eyes catching the way Daniel was holding the knife.
“Be careful,” He mumbled, quickly moving to stand behind him and touch his hand. “You’ll cut your hand with the way you’re holding it,” Vlad informed, guiding his hand into the correct position.
Danny had been about to make a joke about Vlad doing something for himself for a change, when he noticed the other halfa standing behind him, stiffening out of instinct. He almost flinched when the elder touched his hand and started to guide it.
His heart sped up and he began to perspire. ‘Too close!’ He thought, as flashbacks from their many battles came crashing down.
He fought against that anxiety. Though they had shared many battles throughout the years, they had never exchanged violence in their human form.
There was a strange calming effect to that thought, and he was able to somewhat relax his muscles. However, his heart still hammered loudly, and there was a strange feeling in his gut he could not identify.
Vlad hadn’t noticed the younger tense in front of him, too focused on making sure the other didn’t somehow hurt himself with the way he had been holding the knife. It was a rookie mistake, but it was one that he wanted to correct before any blood was drawn.
“It’s better to hold it like this,” He informed, showing him the correct movements. “I’ve made the mistake of holding it the way you did originally, and I nearly lost a finger,” He explained softly, unconsciously moving a tad closer for a single moment.
“I think you’ve got it from here, little badger.” He teased, starting to back off once the younger seemed to get the formation and movement correct. As he went back to searing the beef and turning the heat down, he felt his heartbeat settle, a little miffed at why being so close had done that to him.
Danny’s heart had kept yammering the entire time during the contact, to the young halfa’s discomfort. He said nothing though as the elder pulled away. He would not acknowledge that he suddenly missed the warmth. Not doing it.
He kept chopping the mushrooms, using the new technique Vlad had shown him, so he wouldn’t hurt himself. The thought made that strange sensation in his gut intensify. A sensation he tried to vehemently to ignore.
“I actually learned how to cook thanks to your father. He taught me how to bake.” Vlad spoke up after a few moments of silence, removing the beef from the heat and replacing it with a pan that contained sliced bacon. “We were the ones who created his special fudge,” He had a small smile on his face, thinking back to when they had been close again.
Danny couldn’t help but laugh out loud, genuine laughter as he made sure to stop cutting lest he hurt himself. “That’s dad for you. The only requirement for his friendship is to learn how to make his special fudge recipe!” Of course, it was in jest, though he knew his dad always tried to teach everyone and their brother how to make it.
“Your dad was happy when I helped him with his fudge. I think he even shed a tear that day,” Vlad chuckled, taking the newly chopped vegetables, and adding them into a bigger pot, pouring a small amount of olive oil into the pan to help it simmer.
Listening to the younger laugh made his chest warm up again, something spreading through his body at the relaxed posture and easy laughter coming from his guest.
It was a nice change of pace, truthfully. Fighting each other had weighed on him over the years and it had got to the point where hurting Daniel had left him feeling horrible, to put it simply. Lost in his thoughts, he barely caught onto what the younger was saying.
Danny placed the mushrooms into the bowl with the carrots and proceeded to gather the next vegetable to cut.
“Sooo…” Mirth was present in his voice. “Your first cooking lessons involved baking.” He smirked at the elder halfa. “Is that why you swear in pastries like a five-year old?”
Vlad actually let a small laugh out, glancing towards Daniel for a moment with a grin. “Partially. I used to curse quite badly in college and your parents hated it.” He smirked a bit. “So, I found a better way to voice my frustrations.” He teased, finishing searing the bacon and adding the grease into the pot.
“You? Curse??” Danny questioned, eyes wide staring at the elder as if he had grown two heads right in front of him. This was shocking news, for he had never heard the elder say a curse word in his life.
After his momentary shock, he gave a sly smirk. “Well, maybe I will just have to find a way to get you back into that habit again.” He said mischievously as he finished cutting the last of the vegetables and placed the cuttings in the bowl.
The older halfa continued. “I admit to having issues with your father in the past, but he is an intelligent man. A bit foolish, obviously, but he means well.” Vlad mumbled after a moment, biting his lips. “I need to apologize for my earlier actions against him. I hadn’t realized how long I held a grudge until a few years ago. I lost my best friend because of it.” He admitted, cooking as he spoke.
The last words Vlad spoke left Danny completely frozen in place. There was no way. No way he had just heard Plasmius of all people, say such things about his father. He was completely sure that Vlad considered ‘intelligent’ and ‘Jack’ antonyms to each other.
Then he said… apologize? To his father??
Danny glared at the other beside him, Determination steeling his now bright neon eyes unnoticed by the other halfa.
With lightning-quick movements, Danny charged Vlad as bright white rings changed him into Phantom, and tackled Vlad onto the floor, catching the elder by surprise.
He pinned the elder with his legs on either side of his waist as he leaned over the other. Fisting the billionaires white collared shirt, he pulled a little as he looked down with a menacing glare. “Okay. Enough games, Amorpho. Where is the real Plasmius?”
Before Vlad could make a joke about Daniel trying to make him curse with whatever mischief the younger had planned, he found himself being tackled to the floor, an angry Phantom pinning him to the tiles in his expensive kitchen.
On reflex, he had changed into Plasmius, the dark rings flashing as his human features were replaced by blue skin. ‘Why am I not surprised? This change in my behavior must be baffling to him.’ Vlad thought, not making a move against the younger.
“While I am pleased to see how your powers have grown, I hadn’t thought I would be on the receiving end today.” Vlad couldn’t help but smirk at the glowing green eyes, the image causing him to think back to when Daniel had first gotten his powers.
“Ah, the scary eyes. Been a while since I’ve seen those too,” He still made no move to fight back, his eyebrow raised at the anger that was leaking off of the younger.
“But in all honesty, I’m not Amorpho. I am Plasmius, little badger. It might be hard for you to grasp, but people change. I’ve tried to change, at least.” He said, looking into the green ones.
Phantom scoffed. “Yeah right. Cut the crap. The Vlad I know would never in a million years say what you just said in the same sentence.”
This man below him had to have been an imposter. There was no other explanation in the young halfa’s eyes as to the abrupt change in behavior.
He raised the hand not holding the other’s suit high, green ectoenergy enveloping his fist and ready to strike. “Now, I would suggest you tell me where the real Vlad is before I spill your ectoplasm across this perfectly clean floo-” His sentence was cut off as he glanced to the elder’s left.
Maddie had padded up to the two men on the floor, sitting down next to Plasmius and looking up at Phantom. “Mmeaaow!” She mewled happily.
Danny blinked as Vlad’s cat started rubbing up against the elder halfa below him, pawing at the other’s side. A plea for handouts of the food her owner was preparing.
‘Butternuts, he really doesn’t believe me! What am I going to-’ But of course, his darling cat made her appearance, nuzzling him like she always did. Trying to not the fur tickle his face, he was able to move to his hand and pat her side, smirking as she purred against him.
Dany watched the scene thoughtfully. There was no way Maddie (and teen shuddered everytime he thought why Vlad chose that name for his cat) would act this way towards Amorpho, a complete stranger (and ghost), as if she trusted him. Animals had keen senses that would easily alert them to imposters, especially ghost-related.
This had to be Vlad.
Slowly, he lowered his fist as the other released the elder’s suit. “...”
Phantom looked down, embarrassed to have so quickly jumped to conclusions. Finding old habits of distrust die hard. He couldn’t meet the other’s eyes. “... s-sorry...” He said in a low voice.
“You’re a spoiled thing, aren’t you?” He mumbled softly, smiling at her as she only purred deeper. He almost forgot about the other halfa on top of him, before the younger ghost managed to get out an apology.
“Daniel, it’s alright.” Vlad let himself say, not wanting to imagine what was going through the other’s mind, which had to be a jumbled mess. “I’ve given you too many reasons to doubt me in the past. There’s no wonder that you distrust me.”
He could admit that he had caused a lot of problems the past two and a half years, only cutting back about a year or two ago. If he had been in Daniel’s shoes, he wouldn’t have trusted himself either. Wanting to get through to him, Vlad offered a small smile, his hand carefully touching the other’s shoulder.
“How about we finish cooking dinner? I’d hate to let it go to waste.” He spoke, not changing back into his human quite yet. “I’d need you to get off me, first.” Vlad teased him with a playful smirk.
Bright green blush covered Phantom’s face, the words of the elder halfa redirecting his attention to the position they were in. And how he was… on top… of Plasmius.
There was that feeling in his gut again…
Along with quickened pulsing to his core reminiscent of accelerated heartbeat. Why was his anxiety rising like this? It was similar, yet different to the thrill of battle…
Nothing was making sense to the poor halfa.
He had frozen in place, overwhelmed by all the chaos and confusion he was facing, until he felt the soft warm hand on his shoulder.
Which only served to make those odd feelings worse.
He bolted off of Vlad so quick as if the other’s touch had burned him, starting Maddie with his abruptness. Putting a bit of distance between himself and the billionaire.
Danny desperately looked around for anything to change the topic. To distract from all of this craziness. ‘His frootloopyness must be rubbing off on me.’ He thought to himself with slight amusement.
“I-I’ll be sitting over there, if you need any other help making the food…” He said lamely as he sat on one of the swivel chairs next to the island counter. Unable to meet the elder’s gaze.
He did not think about how caring and gentle Vlad had been towards the cat. How Plasmius’ voice had taken a gentle tone. How genuinely open with defenses lowered the other had looked in that moment.
At least, he tried not to. And he certainly tried not to analyze the weird feelings it caused.
Vlad didn’t dare allow his mind to dwell on how warm Daniel’s presence had been on top of him, or how his core had pulsed at the closeness. It had happened a few times whenever he thought of the younger halfa, but it was never this strong.
No matter. Vlad thought, watching the way Daniel had scrambled away from him, momentarily confused at the sudden skittishness the teenager displayed. It was likely that he was still embarrassed from his outburst a few moments prior. The bright green flush on the eighteen-year-old only proved to cement his answer.
For the first time since they had known each other, Danny transformed back into human form before Vlad.
Vlad had been pleasantly surprised to watch Daniel transform in front of him, despite the fact that he was still Plasmius.
Now that Phantom was gone, Vlad’s transformation rings appeared as he turned back into his human self, dusting his rustled collar and sleeves.
“Alright, little badger. I’ll let you know when the food is ready.” His eyes trailed back to his cat, who mewled again, pawing at his pant leg lightly. “Alright, alright.” There was a fond huff as he gave her a small piece of one of the cooked slices of meat, watching with amusement as she ran back to her usual lounging spot.
Danny made his way to the island counter and sat on the chair as Vlad continued to cook, lost in his thoughts. Why was he even here, again? Oh, yes… trying to foil Plasmius’ plans of evilness…
The thought even sounded childish to his own mind.
Vlad had done nothing today that could even be counted as remotely bad. And hell, his lab looked like it had not been touched in years!
Now that he actually thought about it, Vlad had not done something villainous in a long, long time. Hell, he hadn’t even tried to come over to his home in an attempt to flirt with his mother.
Had Vlad actually started to change? Why? What in the world brought that on? What could possibly end 20+ years of obsession?
Had he… had he stopped obsessing over his mother because he started to feel attraction to someone else?
Somehow the thought made uncomfortable knots form in his gut as anger rose, suddenly feeling confused about his reaction. He should feel happy and relieved that Vlad finally found someone else.
Right?
Vlad was still a little worried about his silent guest. Daniel wouldn’t even look at him now, and the thought made him frown.
“Are you sure you don’t want to help?” He asked, observing his reaction.
Danny almost did not hear the elder’s question, so lost in his thoughts. However, once it registered, he took a moment to think about it.
And realized that yes, for some ungodly, unfathomable reason, he did want to help Vlad cook.
But the thought of being near the elder halfa had him very unsettled at the moment.
There was only one thing that came to his mind of what he could do that still let him help, while maintaining the distance he wanted. “... I-I’ll set the table…”
Still avoiding looking into the elder’s gaze, he rose from the chair and began to rummage through the cabinets, cursing the eccentric, excessive and unnecessarily large kitchen.
Vlad tried to dismiss the disappointment that welled inside his chest, but it settled there for a moment as the other pulled further away from him, obviously distancing himself. There was something inside of his being screaming at him to be closer to Daniel, but he managed to ignore the insistent pull by focusing all of his energy on cooking.
Perhaps the younger halfa needed time to understand his change? It was a shock, wasn’t it?
Is there something else bothering him? Vlad thought to himself, forcing himself to not glance at the other as he finished chopping the other vegetables. It's not like he would tell me...
Deciding to not push it, Vlad glanced at Daniel with a small smile.
“Thank you for offering to set the table-“ Vlad stopped what he was doing, withholding a laugh as Daniel fruitlessly tried to find his plates. “Having a bit of trouble?” He asked, trying hard to not grin at the other’s frustrated expression.
“Second one on your right has all the plates. The silverware is right below it in the drawer.” Vlad informed, forcing himself to not go to the other halfa’s side.
If Daniel needed space, he would give it.
“The glasses are in the cabinet beside the plate,” He added, starting to combine all the ingredients before finally placing it in the oven.
“Thanks…” The teen mumbled as he headed in the direction of the cabinet indicated by Vlad. Grabbing plates first, then the glasses, finally moving to grab the utensils and stilled, a sole eyebrow rising as he gazed at the stupidly numerous sizes and types of forks and spoons. “... this is ridiculous…” He declared and just grabbed the first type of fork and spoon that looked as similar to a ‘normal’ one it could.
Snorting at Daniel’s comment, Vlad didn’t have to be a genius to know the other was referring to the variety of different forks and spoons. He thought it was quite ridiculous himself, but etiquette had been drilled into his head once he became a billionaire and was forced to attend certain galas or charity events. Those loathsome nights were still too frequent for Vlad’s taste, but his secretary and chairmen knew what they were doing. They ensured that he had been seen at the most important or ostentatious gatherings.
Whatever boosted his political image, he was there. And with being a successful mayor, it was often.
Which left the question of whether he wanted to run again next year or not. While he would likely win in a landslide, the mayoral duties combined with his other businesses were getting too much for him to handle.
Maybe he was getting old.
Still, there was something keeping him at Amity Park. While he didn’t want to address it, they were in the room with him.
Perhaps if he told Daniel about his indecision to run for mayor again, it would allow the younger halfa to rest in knowing that he would be back in Wisconsin.
That was if he could force himself to leave or not.
Danny made his way to the adjacent dining room. Once there, he stopped a moment to gaze at the large ornate table that had enough chairs to seat 12 people comfortably.
A pang of sadness hit him as he slowly placed the two plates down on the wood. The table was so big. Didn’t Vlad ever get lonely eating at this large table alone?
Did Vlad even eat at this table?
His mind wandered, thinking about what he knew about the older halfa. Vlad probably ate at his work desk, lab or something. Then again, Danny had no idea the man actually cooked. Maybe he ate on a couch in a living room? Or maybe he did eat at this enormous table alone?
He looked down at the plates, then the table. How would he set up these plates?
Should he set them so they were facing each other? Somehow… that thought brought a little bit of that strange sensation in his gut and promptly pushed it away.
Should he set one plate at the head of the table and the other beside it?
Nah… That man did not need his ego boosted anymore by sitting at the head of the table.
Side by side?
No. He wanted to keep an eye on Vlad should he try something suspicious.
So… Face to face it is.
He set the plates, glasses, and utensils, heading back to the kitchen and sitting down on the same chair next to the island counter. This time he was less disturbed and raised his gaze to watch the billionaire as the other continued to cook.
Unaware of the gaze on him, Vlad started to clean the mess they had made, putting the knife and other pots and pans into the sink. He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows as he began to wash the dishes.
Danny tilted his head in curiosity. It was so… odd to watch Vlad doing something so mundane as washing dishes. Cooking had already hit the limit of oddness for the pompous billionaire, but washing dishes? Somehow, to the young halfa, it seemed… below the elder.
Of course, thinking harder about it, of course Vlad had to do mundane things. He somehow always imagined Vlad always waking up perfectly, not one hair out of place. Always having others do the standard, normal people things while he remained immaculate.
Danny suddenly realizes just how much of an unrealistic view of the elder halfa he really had.
The thought left him feeling hollow and ashamed of himself.
With a tired sigh, he moved next to Vlad, grabbing a towel and hand drying the wet dishes. Settling into a companionable comfortable silence.
Though he vehemently ignored his accelerated heart beat and strange feelings at being next to the other caused.
“It should be ready soon,” The elder commented offhandedly, still lost in his own thoughts for the most part.
Danny just nodded, finishing up with drying the dishes. He let Vlad gather the now finished Boeuf Bourguignon while he gathered a water pitcher from the fridge and brought it to the table.
Vlad took the food out of the oven when the timer went off, bringing the pot and placing it in the middle of the table for them. It had been a while since he last cooked for a single person instead of groups of people, but he certainly didn’t mind the domesticity of it.
Danny sat in his chair, keeping silent as he took his portion of the food onto his plate. Not quite sure what to say.
It was not everyday he sat to eat dinner with his archnemesis...
Danny used his fork to grab a bit of the food from his plate. It looked like Boeuf Bourguignon. ‘Well… I guess we will see if Vlad was telling the truth about him being able to cook…’. He rose the bite to his mouth cautiously and chewed slowly with a thoughtful expression.
He heard Vlad say he had not made the dish in years with surprise. The Boeuf Bourguignon tasted delicious! He hated to admit it, but dammit! That man can cook!
Which made him wonder what other dishes the billionaire could make. And he realized with a start that he wanted to try them all.
Maybe... maybe he could find some excuse to stop by the elder's mansion more often. After all, it was his duty as town hero to make sure Vlad did not succeed in his evil schemes. Trying more dishes made by said villain was just an added bonus.
“I hope it’s to your liking. It’s been a few years since I’ve had to cook this dish.” Vlad admitted, slowly eating at his own plate. It wasn’t too bad. Had he made this more often, it probably would have been better, but it wasn’t bad for not making it in about two or three years.
A small pleased smile graced Danny’s lips as he swallowed the bite, then turned into a smirk as he looked at the elder with mirth. “It’s decent. But you will get my full review in a few hours if I hadn’t died from food poisoning by then.”
Though after a couple more bites, looking down at his food, he admitted in a low, almost timid voice. “... It actually does taste good…” A small blush tinting his cheeks.
Vlad felt immense satisfaction swirling in his chest when Daniel admitted to having enjoyed the food, which left him wanting to cook for the younger halfa more. It wasn’t too often that he was able to cook for someone who he cared about. Sure, he was required to cook occasionally for the events hosted at his mansion, but needless to say, Vlad didn’t care too much about his associates. Not in the way he cared for the man sitting adjacent from him.
They continued eating in silence. It was not fully uncomfortable for Danny, just that he had no idea what to say. Nor did he feel the courage to break the silence that had settled between the two.
Vlad knew it was almost time to bring up the possibility of moving away from Amity Park. He was on the fence about it and for some unbeknownst reason, he needed Daniel to know.
I don’t know why I think telling him will make it any easier. Vlad thought to himself, placing his fork down slowly.
“Daniel,” Vlad began, trying to figure how to word it. “I’m not sure if I plan on running for Mayor again during the reelection.” The older halfa confessed, feeling a wave of anxiousness form in his chest. “I might move back to Wisconsin after my term is up.” And when he thought of it, his term would be up in a few months.
He needed to make a decision soon.
Danny had felt a slight rush as he heard the elder call out his name and breaking the silence. Realizing that, strangely, he wanted to have conversations with his long-time enemy.
But what the elder had to say, caused him to freeze in shock.
Time seemed to stand still as the room became ice cold. He suddenly felt his anxiety rise, knots twisting in his gut, and perspiration lining his skin as fear gripped him.
Vlad was going to move back to Wisconsin??
That feeling of emptiness, one that he did not fully recognize had been present for a little over a year, reared its ugly head and made its presence known with a vengeance.
Vlad had been a constant for so long since he had received his powers. The only other halfa in existence. The only person who challenged him with witty banter and filled him with satisfaction when he was able to successfully one up the other. The one person left in the ghost zone who challenged him to become stronger and, ignoring the bad qualities, someone who he unconsciously looked up to. Someone who gave him a sense of purpose. Plasmius was a villain to his hero. His ying to his yang.
Without him, what did he have left? Who was he?
His fear turned to terror.
He couldn’t think. Couldn’t hear. Couldn’t see. His ears were clogged as if someone had stuffed cotton in them and his mouth was dry.
He couldn’t breathe…
His body began to shake as he began to hyperventilate. Trying in vain to gasp for air that would not come to his lungs as he gazed forward in a daze, not really seeing anything or registering anything anymore. Head pounding as if someone was hitting it with a hammer and feeling like his whole body was on the verge of death.
Like that time in the portal four years ago.
Sky blue eyes rolled back and he collapsed, the world going black as he succumbed to unconsciousness.
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