p class="MsoNormal"It was late. After midnight, on the weekend. Vlad was up, sitting in his study lit only by a lamp, responding to emails that he should have responded to days ago. It was busier than he'd expected, being mayor, but the town loved him. Adored him as their mayor, for his quick clean-ups after ghost attacks and his strict, anti-ghost stance. Ironic, in his opinion, but he didn't linger on that often. No, he was too busy keeping up with the town of Amity Park./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He was halfway through an email- a very important one- when the doorbell rang. He paused, startled by the sudden noise, and then glanced at the clock on his desktop. 12:21. Who would be visiting him this late in the night? It certainly wouldn't be anything good, he decided, pushing back from his desk./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"As he made his way downstairs to the front door, the doorbell rang again. And then again… and then again, until it had rung six times total before he reached the door. His eyes flashed red as his irritation grew; this had better be an emergency, or someone was going to regret disturbing him. Finally, straightening his tie, he reached the large, wooden double-doors and pulled them open-/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"And found the *last* person he expected to come to his door, of their own free will. A teenager, wobbling on his feet, with disheveled clothes and messy hair and bright, blue eyes that were oddly glossy. Cool, summer's night air seeped in from the open doorway, and the light from inside cast their shadows across the yard and walkway. He considered shutting the door and going back to his study. He really, truly did. But the thought of the doorbell ringing over and over again was bothersome, and the goofy grin that had taken Danny's features had him curious./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Good evening, Daniel."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Hi!" Danny replied, a little louder than necessary. He wobbled again, as though the ground beneath him were unsteady./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""To what do I owe this *pleasure*," He asked, but his sarcasm seemed to go unnoticed./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I fell." Danny held up his elbow, revealing a bloody mess. It had already begun to dry, so it must have been a while ago. "It hurts." So why hadn't it healed over already?/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"But Vlad suspected the answer; during some of his worse nights, he'd sit up with a bottle of whiskey (or vodka, if he was in the mood for it). On those nights, he noticed his ability to phase through the walls of his home, to fly, and even to change forms became lacking. Not impossible, most of the time, but difficult. Danny, however, seemed a bit more intoxicated than that considering he could hardly stand up without swaying on his feet. His healing factor, Vlad deduced, was hindered by his alcohol consumption./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"But the 'why' aside, 'what' did he expect Vlad to do about it? "Am I supposed to be particularly interested in this fact?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"For some reason, this made Danny giggle, hiding his face behind one hand. "Yes." He replied, finally, muffled and slurring. "Help me." When he finally dropped his hand to his side, he was still smiling./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"It was a look that Vlad hadn't seen from him in years. Since the first time they met, when Danny only knew him as Vlad Masters, friend of his parents. A genuine, friendly smile. This, Vlad decided, was turning out to be an interesting night. Here he had an intoxicated, powerless, amicable Danny Phantom at his doorstep./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And why, exactly, would I do that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Instead of a reply, Danny took one step forward and stumbled, nearly into Vlad, but caught himself on the door just in time. He pushed by Vlad and stepped into the house, looking around curiously with his hands on his hips. "You look like a vampire and your house looks like a vampire's house." He stated, and Vlad closed the door. Now he had an intoxicated, powerless, amicable Danny Phantom in his *home*./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You're entitled to your opinion." Vlad said, flatly. He put a hand on Danny's shoulder and- slowly, so he wouldn't fall- led him from the entryway to a long hallway. He wouldn't chance taking the stairs with such a clumsy individual, so they would just have to use the staff's bathroom./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Once there, he sat Danny down on the toilet seat and took a washcloth from the closet. He ran it under the water until it was warm, wrung it out until it wasn't dripping, and then knelt down in front of Danny. He was doing this for curiosity's sake. And because in this state, it wasn't like the teen could do it himself./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Carefully and gently, Vlad cleaned away the blood on Danny's elbow, avoiding the scrape as much as he could. It wasn't a serious injury. In fact, in their many fights, he had inflicted *worse* upon him. But this was different, somehow. Maybe it was because the boy was so helpless, or maybe it was because he'd come to Vlad for help./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Daniel, how old are you now?" He asked, even though he knew./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""17!" Danny exclaimed, like he was proud of the fact./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah, just as I thought. Too young to be drinking." He stood up, dropping the washcloth in the hamper before opening the cabinet below the sink. He found the first-aid kit inside./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't be mean to me." Danny's voice had lowered so that he was nearly mumbling, and when Vlad looked at him, he was *pouting*. Vlad stared at him blankly for a moment, before returning to the kit to find a band-aide large enough to cover the scratch./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Just who do you think you're talking to?" He peeled the paper from the band-aide, and outstretched Danny's arm. Pressing it carefully onto the wound, he was careful not to get the sticky edges on the raw bits of skin./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He looked up and froze, startled to find that in leaning down to watch, Danny had brought their faces only inches apart. Danny grinned, that goofy, wide grin, and said, "You have pretty eyes."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Cleaning his throat, Vlad stood up and stepped away, tucking the kit back beneath the sink. "There. I've 'helped'. You may go now, Daniel."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Danny stood up too quickly and stumbled forward into the shelf, nearly dragging it down with him as he fell to the ground. Vlad just stared at him, trying to appear unamused. Somehow, he felt that laughing would just aggravate the boy, and he much preferred him passive. Danny, using the edge of the bathtub for leverage, pushed himself slowly back to his feet./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""That hurt."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I'd imagine so."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Vlad,"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He raised a brow, clasping his hands behind his back. "Yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm hungry."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Vlad scowled, no longer amused. "I didn't sign up to babysit an intoxicated brat tonight. I have work to do."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""But I just got here!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And now it's time to go."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You didn't even ask why I came,"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as the beginnings of a headache settled in his temples. He took a deep breath, and grabbed Danny's arm, leading him once again down the hallway. If this was the way his night was going, he wasn't going to spend it in a bathroom./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"They reached one of his lounges; a room with two red loveseats, across from each other with a coffee table in between, and a matching chair. There was a stereo beside the fireplace, a couple of houseplants and a bookshelf. It was one of the many staff's rooms on the first floor, decorated nicely but a bit smaller than the rooms on the second and third floor. They weren't there overnight, after all, so it wasn't as though they needed that much space./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He sat Danny down on one of the loveseats, phased his legs through the table to walk to the other, and sat down across from him. He clasped his hands in his lap, sitting up straight as the teen slouched against the back of the loveseat./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Why, Daniel, did you come here tonight?" A better question might be, *how* did he manage to stumble his way here, from wherever he'd come from, without gaining more injuries on the way./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Danny pursed his lips, dropping his eyes to the floor. He fiddled his fingers together for a moment, and then crossed his arms, and then dropped his hands back onto the cushion. For the first time that night, his eyes were troubled and Vlad was actually starting to worry- was something wrong? He couldn't imagine what it might be, that Danny felt the urgency to come to him in the middle of the night. As if it couldn't wait until morning./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"But he would never know what was on the boy's mind, unless he actually *told him*./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you planning to tell me, or should I see you out?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"For a second, Danny pouted, and then he just heaved a dramatic sigh. "What if you don't like it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Like what?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""What I have to say."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Then I suppose we'll become enemies." He deadpanned, and Danny fell into giggles again./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"When his giggles subsided, the smile fell from his face and he looked at Vlad as seriously and with as much intensity as he could muster while completely wasted. He took a deep breath, and as he spoke, he motioned with his hands for emphasis. "I don't wanna fight you anymore."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"That was unexpected- so unexpected that Vlad sat there, silent and still for a moment with wide eyes and questions at the tip of his tongue. Why? What had suddenly changed? They'd just fought one another last week, while Vlad (as Plasmius) caused damage to the town for their dutiful mayor to repair. Nothing odd had happened, except maybe that Danny was on the defense more than he was normally- but that in itself wasn't especially unusual. The thought of no more fighting made a sort of dull, quiet panic burn in his chest./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Then I suppose I'll have free reign of the town, to do as I please without an insolent *brat* getting in my way." He said after some thought./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"As he expected- as he had *hoped*- Danny's face contorted into one of anger. "Don't be mean!" That, on the other hand, was not the response Vlad was aiming for. "I'm trying to-" He sighed, and ran his fingers through his messy hair. "Look," He began again, hands overly-animated as he spoke. "I don't wanna be *enemies* anymore."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And why, pray-tell, is that? Have you finally realized that you're no match for me? Or have you come to terms with the fact that your place is here with me, as my son?" He demanded, hoping that the bitterness he heard in his own voice wasn't as obvious to the boy./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He was reaching, he knew- it was more likely that the younger halfa had gotten tired of their games, of fights that ended in retreat from both sides rather than defeat, of the banter between them that Vlad had come to enjoy, that he'd come to *look forward to*. Maybe he'd finally seen the pointlessness of it all. The pointlessness of fighting battles that neither of them would fight to the end. Danny, because he was the good guy, the hero, and Vlad because despite everything, he still longed for Danny to be by his side and couldn't bear the thought of losing him completely./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"The way that he would, if Danny refused to fight him anymore./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"When Danny answered, his voice wavered, and for a second Vlad was afraid the boy might cry. "No! You… frootloop." His brows draw together in a worried frown. "Because I don't wanna hate each other *forever*."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"The emphasis on 'forever' makes Vlad falter. So Danny had noticed, too. Well, Vlad figured. It was only a matter of time. Of course he'd notice; the way he wasn't getting any taller, the way his friends had outgrown him, the way Vlad hadn't aged along with Danny's parents, over the last four years. And finally, some of his irritation at the teen melted away. He wondered if Danny had been drinking because of the realization, the way that Vlad had done. They really were so much alike, even if the boy wouldn't admit it./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"After a long, tense (and awkward) silence, Vlad said, gently, "Do you expect me to change my ways, just like that? Don't be so naïve, Daniel. Life isn't so easy, and the sooner you learn that, the better." He was, and would remain, the same person that he'd always been. A single conversation with a drunk teenager wasn't going to change that. In the morning, the younger halfa likely wouldn't even remember this conversation. He would wake up in his bed with a headache, a band-aide on his arm, and no recollection of the visit./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He tried not to pay attention to the way Danny's face fell. To the way his shoulders slumped. To the disappointment in his eyes. But when Danny's eyes watered and he sniffed, rubbing his eyes on the back of his hands, Vlad stood up. He walked through the table and, by the arm, guided Danny to his feet./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He opened a portal, and pulled Danny through and into the teen's own, dark bedroom. He silently and gently lead the boy to his bed and pulled back the blanket. Danny sat down on the edge and kicked off his shoes. The room was washed in a red glow from the portal, casting their shadows against the wall. Danny looked up at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Can I tell you something else?" He asked, and when Vlad scowled impatiently he added, "One more thing, I promise."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""What is it?" Vlad sighed, pushing the teen back by his shoulders until he was lying in bed. Then he stepped away, back toward the portal./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Danny sniffed, and when he spoke again his voice was steadier. "I would forgive you if you were sorry."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Goodnight, Daniel." And with that, he stepped through the portal and closed it./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He stood there in the lounge, his mind replaying the events of the night. What would that forgiveness mean? He wondered, turning on his heel and heading back out into the hallway. What would become of them, if they weren't enemies? Would their relationship completely cease to exist? He could let go of Maddie, for the most part, probably. He still couldn't stand Jack, and he may never forgive him for the accident that cursed him to this sort of life, but he could stop going out of his way to cause the oaf harm. But he couldn't- or wouldn't- ask for forgiveness if he felt no guilt. And he wouldn't change his ways if it meant he would lose Danny./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Vlad went back to his study to finish writing those emails./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He was halfway through an email- a very important one- when the doorbell rang. He paused, startled by the sudden noise, and then glanced at the clock on his desktop. 12:21. Who would be visiting him this late in the night? It certainly wouldn't be anything good, he decided, pushing back from his desk./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"As he made his way downstairs to the front door, the doorbell rang again. And then again… and then again, until it had rung six times total before he reached the door. His eyes flashed red as his irritation grew; this had better be an emergency, or someone was going to regret disturbing him. Finally, straightening his tie, he reached the large, wooden double-doors and pulled them open-/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"And found the *last* person he expected to come to his door, of their own free will. A teenager, wobbling on his feet, with disheveled clothes and messy hair and bright, blue eyes that were oddly glossy. Cool, summer's night air seeped in from the open doorway, and the light from inside cast their shadows across the yard and walkway. He considered shutting the door and going back to his study. He really, truly did. But the thought of the doorbell ringing over and over again was bothersome, and the goofy grin that had taken Danny's features had him curious./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Good evening, Daniel."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Hi!" Danny replied, a little louder than necessary. He wobbled again, as though the ground beneath him were unsteady./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""To what do I owe this *pleasure*," He asked, but his sarcasm seemed to go unnoticed./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I fell." Danny held up his elbow, revealing a bloody mess. It had already begun to dry, so it must have been a while ago. "It hurts." So why hadn't it healed over already?/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"But Vlad suspected the answer; during some of his worse nights, he'd sit up with a bottle of whiskey (or vodka, if he was in the mood for it). On those nights, he noticed his ability to phase through the walls of his home, to fly, and even to change forms became lacking. Not impossible, most of the time, but difficult. Danny, however, seemed a bit more intoxicated than that considering he could hardly stand up without swaying on his feet. His healing factor, Vlad deduced, was hindered by his alcohol consumption./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"But the 'why' aside, 'what' did he expect Vlad to do about it? "Am I supposed to be particularly interested in this fact?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"For some reason, this made Danny giggle, hiding his face behind one hand. "Yes." He replied, finally, muffled and slurring. "Help me." When he finally dropped his hand to his side, he was still smiling./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"It was a look that Vlad hadn't seen from him in years. Since the first time they met, when Danny only knew him as Vlad Masters, friend of his parents. A genuine, friendly smile. This, Vlad decided, was turning out to be an interesting night. Here he had an intoxicated, powerless, amicable Danny Phantom at his doorstep./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And why, exactly, would I do that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Instead of a reply, Danny took one step forward and stumbled, nearly into Vlad, but caught himself on the door just in time. He pushed by Vlad and stepped into the house, looking around curiously with his hands on his hips. "You look like a vampire and your house looks like a vampire's house." He stated, and Vlad closed the door. Now he had an intoxicated, powerless, amicable Danny Phantom in his *home*./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You're entitled to your opinion." Vlad said, flatly. He put a hand on Danny's shoulder and- slowly, so he wouldn't fall- led him from the entryway to a long hallway. He wouldn't chance taking the stairs with such a clumsy individual, so they would just have to use the staff's bathroom./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Once there, he sat Danny down on the toilet seat and took a washcloth from the closet. He ran it under the water until it was warm, wrung it out until it wasn't dripping, and then knelt down in front of Danny. He was doing this for curiosity's sake. And because in this state, it wasn't like the teen could do it himself./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Carefully and gently, Vlad cleaned away the blood on Danny's elbow, avoiding the scrape as much as he could. It wasn't a serious injury. In fact, in their many fights, he had inflicted *worse* upon him. But this was different, somehow. Maybe it was because the boy was so helpless, or maybe it was because he'd come to Vlad for help./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Daniel, how old are you now?" He asked, even though he knew./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""17!" Danny exclaimed, like he was proud of the fact./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah, just as I thought. Too young to be drinking." He stood up, dropping the washcloth in the hamper before opening the cabinet below the sink. He found the first-aid kit inside./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't be mean to me." Danny's voice had lowered so that he was nearly mumbling, and when Vlad looked at him, he was *pouting*. Vlad stared at him blankly for a moment, before returning to the kit to find a band-aide large enough to cover the scratch./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Just who do you think you're talking to?" He peeled the paper from the band-aide, and outstretched Danny's arm. Pressing it carefully onto the wound, he was careful not to get the sticky edges on the raw bits of skin./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He looked up and froze, startled to find that in leaning down to watch, Danny had brought their faces only inches apart. Danny grinned, that goofy, wide grin, and said, "You have pretty eyes."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Cleaning his throat, Vlad stood up and stepped away, tucking the kit back beneath the sink. "There. I've 'helped'. You may go now, Daniel."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Danny stood up too quickly and stumbled forward into the shelf, nearly dragging it down with him as he fell to the ground. Vlad just stared at him, trying to appear unamused. Somehow, he felt that laughing would just aggravate the boy, and he much preferred him passive. Danny, using the edge of the bathtub for leverage, pushed himself slowly back to his feet./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""That hurt."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I'd imagine so."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Vlad,"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He raised a brow, clasping his hands behind his back. "Yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm hungry."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Vlad scowled, no longer amused. "I didn't sign up to babysit an intoxicated brat tonight. I have work to do."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""But I just got here!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And now it's time to go."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You didn't even ask why I came,"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as the beginnings of a headache settled in his temples. He took a deep breath, and grabbed Danny's arm, leading him once again down the hallway. If this was the way his night was going, he wasn't going to spend it in a bathroom./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"They reached one of his lounges; a room with two red loveseats, across from each other with a coffee table in between, and a matching chair. There was a stereo beside the fireplace, a couple of houseplants and a bookshelf. It was one of the many staff's rooms on the first floor, decorated nicely but a bit smaller than the rooms on the second and third floor. They weren't there overnight, after all, so it wasn't as though they needed that much space./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He sat Danny down on one of the loveseats, phased his legs through the table to walk to the other, and sat down across from him. He clasped his hands in his lap, sitting up straight as the teen slouched against the back of the loveseat./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Why, Daniel, did you come here tonight?" A better question might be, *how* did he manage to stumble his way here, from wherever he'd come from, without gaining more injuries on the way./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Danny pursed his lips, dropping his eyes to the floor. He fiddled his fingers together for a moment, and then crossed his arms, and then dropped his hands back onto the cushion. For the first time that night, his eyes were troubled and Vlad was actually starting to worry- was something wrong? He couldn't imagine what it might be, that Danny felt the urgency to come to him in the middle of the night. As if it couldn't wait until morning./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"But he would never know what was on the boy's mind, unless he actually *told him*./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you planning to tell me, or should I see you out?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"For a second, Danny pouted, and then he just heaved a dramatic sigh. "What if you don't like it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Like what?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""What I have to say."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Then I suppose we'll become enemies." He deadpanned, and Danny fell into giggles again./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"When his giggles subsided, the smile fell from his face and he looked at Vlad as seriously and with as much intensity as he could muster while completely wasted. He took a deep breath, and as he spoke, he motioned with his hands for emphasis. "I don't wanna fight you anymore."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"That was unexpected- so unexpected that Vlad sat there, silent and still for a moment with wide eyes and questions at the tip of his tongue. Why? What had suddenly changed? They'd just fought one another last week, while Vlad (as Plasmius) caused damage to the town for their dutiful mayor to repair. Nothing odd had happened, except maybe that Danny was on the defense more than he was normally- but that in itself wasn't especially unusual. The thought of no more fighting made a sort of dull, quiet panic burn in his chest./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Then I suppose I'll have free reign of the town, to do as I please without an insolent *brat* getting in my way." He said after some thought./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"As he expected- as he had *hoped*- Danny's face contorted into one of anger. "Don't be mean!" That, on the other hand, was not the response Vlad was aiming for. "I'm trying to-" He sighed, and ran his fingers through his messy hair. "Look," He began again, hands overly-animated as he spoke. "I don't wanna be *enemies* anymore."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And why, pray-tell, is that? Have you finally realized that you're no match for me? Or have you come to terms with the fact that your place is here with me, as my son?" He demanded, hoping that the bitterness he heard in his own voice wasn't as obvious to the boy./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He was reaching, he knew- it was more likely that the younger halfa had gotten tired of their games, of fights that ended in retreat from both sides rather than defeat, of the banter between them that Vlad had come to enjoy, that he'd come to *look forward to*. Maybe he'd finally seen the pointlessness of it all. The pointlessness of fighting battles that neither of them would fight to the end. Danny, because he was the good guy, the hero, and Vlad because despite everything, he still longed for Danny to be by his side and couldn't bear the thought of losing him completely./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"The way that he would, if Danny refused to fight him anymore./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"When Danny answered, his voice wavered, and for a second Vlad was afraid the boy might cry. "No! You… frootloop." His brows draw together in a worried frown. "Because I don't wanna hate each other *forever*."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"The emphasis on 'forever' makes Vlad falter. So Danny had noticed, too. Well, Vlad figured. It was only a matter of time. Of course he'd notice; the way he wasn't getting any taller, the way his friends had outgrown him, the way Vlad hadn't aged along with Danny's parents, over the last four years. And finally, some of his irritation at the teen melted away. He wondered if Danny had been drinking because of the realization, the way that Vlad had done. They really were so much alike, even if the boy wouldn't admit it./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"After a long, tense (and awkward) silence, Vlad said, gently, "Do you expect me to change my ways, just like that? Don't be so naïve, Daniel. Life isn't so easy, and the sooner you learn that, the better." He was, and would remain, the same person that he'd always been. A single conversation with a drunk teenager wasn't going to change that. In the morning, the younger halfa likely wouldn't even remember this conversation. He would wake up in his bed with a headache, a band-aide on his arm, and no recollection of the visit./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He tried not to pay attention to the way Danny's face fell. To the way his shoulders slumped. To the disappointment in his eyes. But when Danny's eyes watered and he sniffed, rubbing his eyes on the back of his hands, Vlad stood up. He walked through the table and, by the arm, guided Danny to his feet./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He opened a portal, and pulled Danny through and into the teen's own, dark bedroom. He silently and gently lead the boy to his bed and pulled back the blanket. Danny sat down on the edge and kicked off his shoes. The room was washed in a red glow from the portal, casting their shadows against the wall. Danny looked up at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Can I tell you something else?" He asked, and when Vlad scowled impatiently he added, "One more thing, I promise."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""What is it?" Vlad sighed, pushing the teen back by his shoulders until he was lying in bed. Then he stepped away, back toward the portal./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Danny sniffed, and when he spoke again his voice was steadier. "I would forgive you if you were sorry."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Goodnight, Daniel." And with that, he stepped through the portal and closed it./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He stood there in the lounge, his mind replaying the events of the night. What would that forgiveness mean? He wondered, turning on his heel and heading back out into the hallway. What would become of them, if they weren't enemies? Would their relationship completely cease to exist? He could let go of Maddie, for the most part, probably. He still couldn't stand Jack, and he may never forgive him for the accident that cursed him to this sort of life, but he could stop going out of his way to cause the oaf harm. But he couldn't- or wouldn't- ask for forgiveness if he felt no guilt. And he wouldn't change his ways if it meant he would lose Danny./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Vlad went back to his study to finish writing those emails./p