Ok so I know I have two unfinished stories sitting around for another category altogether but I couldn't resist writing this story because I've been in a bad habit of binge watching cartoons and this came to mind plus I kind of lost the touch for writing the characters for my other story in a non-out-of-character demeanor. Hope you enjoy it. Nothing beyond harmless fluff and I don't even remember if I used a single swear word in this piece. Feel free to comment I'll take suggestions for changes and improvements as well as spin-offs in entirely different directions so here goes.
DISCLAIMER: Yeah I'm on fanfiction so I shouldn't need to say it but I'll say it anyways. ME NO OWN DANNY PHANTOM.
Vlad Masters looked at the weathered book in his hands and felt uneasy.
He walked over to the window and reflected on his quiet surroundings. He had always hated cold Wisconsin with its all too open spaces and his overly-spacious mansion that only seemed to take joy from reminding him of the lack of other real human contact within it's halls. It was a place that encouraged his tendency to feel alone and restless.
Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure none other than Danny Phantom also known as Danny Fenton and the only other being like him known to mankind. Vlad gulped knowing that the figure could only be here for one purpose, namely to check in on him and ensure that he was not plotting anything evil after the whole ectoranium-meteor incident.
As it had turned out Vlad didn't become a space-nomad until the end of time, but rather he was dragged back to earth by none other than his old arch-nemesis who had managed to concoct some half-assed story for the media saying that he wasn't intentionally evil and that he had some mental disorder that caused him a brief period of insanity because of an imbalance from his old ecto-acne. Even being the hero Danny Phantom was it took a long time for the media to believe the story and even longer for the rest of the world to accept it yet still the little badger had managed to pass it off and began the process of finding Vlad.
Due to a whole set of fiascos, ghost-science, and scientific theories that honestly need not be discussed in order to avoid a migraine, Danny now seemed much older to Vlad, actually everyone did relative to what Vlad remembered as if Clockwork had let time pass him by while he was gone and made it seem as if Danny and he were far closer in age, something closer to 10 years opposed to the previous near 30 year gap. That in and of itself had been unsettling for Vlad when he arrived back, more so than being accepted back into society with relative ease after a couple years in a mental institution.
He glanced at his own reflection. He was no longer the same harsh businessman he had been in his past underneath a relatively similar human exterior appearance aside from his now more common use of more greens and blues rather than reds.
Make no mistake he was still no social butterfly, but he no longer chased after Maddie Fenton or even his once beloved Green Bay Packers. Instead the man seemed to think it fit to focus on repaying society for the wrongs he had committed, working to improve his companies (that had evidently been unable to be taken from him along with the rest of his belongings due to his "temporary insanity") and the lives of the employees under them, and punishing himself with isolation from the world knowing it was what would hurt himself most.
His ghost half, unlike his human portion, had taken a drastic change mainly that the hair style had changed closer to something like his own human style and the dramatic vampire theme shifted to something more brooding version of the ghost writer featuring dark purples and blacks opposed to the old whites and reds. He rarely used his ghost form anyways but he was happy when he had managed to rid himself of the appearance that he had used to cause so much harm and no longer reflected what he wanted in life.
He was pulled from his thoughts on these matters as he remembered that he had a guest, even if the guest came because he was obligated to do so as part of Vlad's "rehabilitation" that was to end after three more random visits from his old rival who inspected the house to ensure that all of Vlad's work was suitable to a man who had tried to take over the world, well ransomed it but same difference. It was the only time anyone would visit Vlad, actually it crossed Vlad's mind, as he smoothed his suit on his way to the front porch, that it was one of the few times he would see let alone interact with anyone outside of work and shopping for basic necessities. The thought that soon he would be left to his own devices both scared and soothed the man because he would no longer feel the guilt of taking up the hero's time and he would feel the full effect.
Vlad stood stiffly in front of his now open front door as he waited for the renowned halfa to arrive, glancing at the sky Vlad noticed grey clouds blanketing the sky so that the entire world seemed like one grey expanse of dull and pointless life struggling against existence itself for no other reason than to hope for a glimpse of sunlight much like Vlad's own existence.
As Vlad looked for the fast approaching being and Danny drew closer, he could see a glint in his eye that Vlad could only assume was one of accomplishment from a recent battle.
Danny took in the sight of Vlad as he approached and immediately picked out that the man was paler and somehow even thinner than he had been in a long time and that though he looked generally impeccable as usual, there was a slight slump to his demeanor and definite bags under his eyes almost like the older man was only keeping himself together enough to push himself a workday before collapsing into sleepless fits at night. It was disconcerting to say the least when such a once proud man stood looking lost and utterly depressed. It broke Danny's heart that Vlad was so down that a waterlogged kitten would look happy compared to him, at least in Danny's eyes but he was determined to change that even knowing that Vlad would fight him all the way.
Danny came to a stop in front of Vlad landing with ease and quickly turning back into Fenton. It still threw Danny off to be slightly less than eye-level with Vlad and although he liked being stronger with a build like that of Dan he most certainly wished Vlad's own build would stop diminishing. "Good morning Vlad!" he said cheerily hoping that by letting his happiness to be able to see Vlad again be apparent in his voice might cheer Vlad up slightly.
Vlad nodded back, looking slightly puzzled at the happiness in the other's voice and fingering the weathered book still in his hands, "Hello Daniel." he replied.
Danny laughed softly, "What no 'little badger' nickname, Vlad? And I told you that I prefer Danny remember?"
Vlad merely sighed, "My apologies", he hesitated as if thinking that calling the boy- correction the man- before him Danny was a little too personal for him to use but continued, "I suppose I had forgotten, Danny."
They looked at each other with anxious feelings as the two went along two different lines of thought one thinking about how he didn't deserve this attention when the other could be off saving the world while the other thought about the advice his sister had given about how to deal with depression.
Danny regarded Vlad's demeanor for a moment more before sighed himself, "Well let's go ahead and do the security check okay?" to which the older nodded and gestured for the other to enter his home to which Danny responded by smiling softly and proceeded inside and began inspecting the mansion from top to bottom just as he had done for a year now using his ghost form to speed the tedious process skipping the kitchen to check the lab that Vlad had first. Unsurprisingly he found Vlad had taken a seat in said lab waiting for him to arrive at the longest part of his inspection.
While Vlad had been in space Danny had managed to graduate high-school and managed a way to get a college degree and was working on a masters all in science of course, he still wanted to be an astronaut after all which made going through the inventions with Vlad not only easier but also fairly exciting despite the circumstances.
Vlad didn't understand the depth of Danny's enthusiasm when it came to his inventions nor did Danny understand why Vlad seemed to work on anti-ghost inventions and ones that would cut down on negative environmental impacts almost exclusively but they both shared a great amount of knowledge and immensely enjoyed their conversations while going through them no matter how much Vlad tried to restrain himself. It was during these times that Danny was able to coax a few real genuine smiles out of the man if he was lucky and it made every effort he put forth to bring the man home entirely worth it when they could be so friendly despite past animosity.
When they finished with the last inventions, one of the anti-ghost ones that the older halfa had tested on himself in secret, Vlad looked afraid, or at least Danny could make out some fear in his eyes, as Vlad worried that Danny would somehow know that he had been testing inventions on himself as part of his self-inflicted punishment but it didn't last long enough for Danny to mention it.
Vlad coughed as he returned to his reserved character, which saddened Danny immensely, "So we are done yes?" Danny turned to look into the older man's eyes which had become far easier for the younger to read over time and now they showed inner conflict like Vlad wasn't sure anymore what he wanted Danny to say. The younger of course wanted to spend as much time as possible with Vlad even though he wasn't yet sure what it was that drew him to he man before him.
"Almost, I skipped the kitchen on the way down here", Danny still beamed at the other thinking that it was best to never seem upset around the other so that the older halfa would not have a reason to think the young Fenton didn't want to be there, it had happened once and it resulted in Danny being generally ignored until he finished his inspection before he was promptly asked to leave. It was something the young hero never wanted to repeat.
Vlad nodded stiffly feeling a small bit of anxiety stirring within him as the ghost boy- correction half ghost man- had never skipped a room before going to the lab and it could only mean that his old enemy was up to something. Nonetheless he led the other up the stairs and stood awkwardly for a moment not knowing quiet what to do with him so he tried to stand near the doorway as he unconsciously fingered at the worn book that had yet to leave his side.
The nervous tic didn't escape the notice of the other man as he began a leisurely search of the kitchen as was his duty in order to soothe the worries of world leaders, he grew increasingly worried for the other as he saw the rather minimal provisions the man had in the kitchen and most of it seemed to be from his last visit a few weeks ago almost as if the elder wasn't taking care of himself like he should.
The thought caused Phantom to turn into Fenton as a lead weight seemed to sink into his stomachache and he froze in the midst of his search staring at the ground blankly, "...Vlad?..." the question came out shaky almost frightened as he stared into space but no matter how soft it was it shattered the silence that had previously occupied the kitchen and Vlad snapped out of the daze he had entered as he seemed to snap to a perfectly straight posture hands at his sides as he looked at the other confused.
Recognizing the motion from the corner of his eyes and seeming to grasp without words that he had the other's full attention, Danny walked over to the other locking eyes with him and seemed to search the other for answers as questions swirled in his mind like harpies hell bent on destroying his mind's previous peace. The look had started to cause Vlad to feel nervous even though he knew he hadn't done anything wrong and the gaze he was getting from the other made him start to flush from the intensity of the scrutiny and the shear predatory air coming from the other so to calm his nerves Vlad put his hands behind his back as he had done in the past and started to grasp on wrist tightly.
Danny wanted to slap himself as he realized that he was freaking the man out before he came back to the fact that the other needed his help and even if playing the bad guy was the only way then it had to be done and then, /then/ his mind came to the thought that he should have thought of how Vlad was so obviously building a wall between himself and reality sooner because honestly as busy as he was he still heard about the man's withdrawn nature and it wasn't like he just suddenly got to the point that he was almost as skinny as Danny was proportionally before he filled out.
It was at this point that Vlad's heart was beating out of his chest because the other was truly stalking towards him like a predator with eyes dark. The man had even heard a growl leave the other even, how could one possibly stay calm when such a sight approached them especially when said sight was the strongest being on the planet (well there were possibly some ghosts who could last through a fight with the man but very few could stand toe to toe on their own let alone that such a high level ghost wouldn't bother with coming to planet earth but that's not really the point). The only small relief was that he was facing Fenton not Phantom, though that could quickly change.
Next thing Vlad knew, he was being practically dragged into his living room and pushed into a chair in a manner that seemed a little harsh to him but the slight pain in the back of his eyes, though it caused the stronger of the two a moments pause, only seemed to enrage Fenton more as he realized he had failed to help this man he had sworn to himself that he would make whole again.
"Vlad look at me.", the older hadn't noticed that he had even looked away but as his mind swam with confusion his body seemed to act in response to that voice without caring what state his mind was in. The younger took a breath because he finally seemed to realize him seeming angry wasn't getting him anywhere, "Vlad, have you been taking proper care of yourself lately?"
It took a moment of blinking before thoughts became words but he finally got his reply albeit one laced with confusion, "Your here to make sure I am not plotting to destroy the world Danny, did you forget?"
A sigh and then, "I already checked that Vlad, I wouldn't bother if the world leaders hadn't insisted you know that but that wasn't what I asked you ya old fruit loop."
Vlad looked at him trying to figure out if this was some sort of angle or some sort of way to get rid of him but none of it added up, his old enemy who pushed him away time and again in the past was telling him that he would leave him to his devices if he didn't have to and he was asking about how he had been taking care of himself. He straightened himself up before responding, "I'm fine Daniel and if you are done assuring the world that this 'fruit loop' isn't dangerous then you can leave."
"It's not going to be that easy to get rid of me again Vlad. I already can tell you haven't been eating much and though I don't expect you to take up every photo op you run across your social interactions lately, or really the lack of any, is a real problem Vlad so what the hell is wrong!?", yes blunt as ever but arguing did seem to be the way they always had to communicate.
The elder was about to say that he was fine again when the younger gave the "fruit loop" this look that seemed to promise retribution if he dare waved this off again so he paused to stand so that he might walk away only to be pushed back down to face the figured who had crossed his arms, "Enough of this Daniel, I realize that you are no longer a foolish child so you certainly know and understand what I am doing but it is none of your concern! It is no ones concern but my own and I am a grown man. While I may be under watch how I take care of myself is my business and you cannot tell me what to do with my life. I have let you and your family, and everyone else for that matter, be so why cannot you now do the same for me?"
"Because you crazy old man I care! And I told you it is Danny not Daniel!", by this point they were staring each other down, "And yeah I know that you are punishing yourself or something for what you have done, you always have been too narcissistic to keep to yourself, but you were alone in space for years to think about what you have done wrong and how to fix things. Clearly you have had a change of heart and you are acting upon it but isolating yourself from the world does nothing! And neither does wearing yourself out and weakening yourself past your limits."
"You are wrong boy! I may have had a 'change of heart' but did you consider that maybe I want things this way!? Maybe I don't like the attention anymore! And who says I'm wearing myself out anyways? I eat when and what I want to and the same goes for what I do with my life.", even Vlad seemed less than convinced by his rant but he tried to pull it off with an old triumphant smirk.
"Ha yeah that's definitely it. Come on Vlad you have got to move on!"
"Why! No one loved me before, I was just alone as before! Now I'm just less feared than before that's all so nothing changed, nothing EVER changed, and NOTHING WILL change."
"...Vlad...", the name was barely whispered as it would seem that his outburst had made his eyes tear up a little thinking once again about the emptiness of his so called home and how no matter how he tried no one, not even his once beloved Maddie, most certainly not his cat(s), or even his failed clones of the man before him, had ever truly been able to fill that empty void in his heart.
He couldn't take anymore he felt so empty, so void of everything, but for some reason he felt arms around him attempting to soothe him and they just felt so warm that even though he felt sure that they were just another dream, maybe a hallucination, anything but real. Vlad couldn't resist responding by wrapping his arms around the other as if holding on would make the apparition stay even a moment more. When he finally was able to breath normally he was surprised that the arms were still there.
"You crazy fruit loop, just because you didn't feel loved before doesn't mean you can just give up.", a shaky intake of breath was the only sound in the room before a dry chuckle followed, "I never thought I'd say this but, Vlad I think I love you."
To which the response was unexpectedly a laugh followed by the two pulling apart with a pouty looking Danny Fenton watching none other than Vlad Masters whipping tears away, "I never thought anyone would say that little badger and I thank you for trying to cheer me up but I think you should go before I think that was sincere and you get hurt."
Danny frowned and crossed his arms again, "You? Hurt me? You are beyond crazy, I barely used a finger to push you back into that chair and besides that was serious."
This left the other floundering for something to say as he looked at the other who was now smirking almost seductively down at him and Danny leaned in placing his hands on either arm of the chair effectively trapping the other in as the other began to fidget nervously, "Come now Danny it was funny at first but you can stop now."
The smirk only grew more predatory as the younger crawled into the older's lap, "I told you I'm serious Vlad so what are you going to do?"
"Get off Daniel! I'm sure there is some damsel who needs your help right now."
"Yeah there is actually, I'm looking right at them and they are going to be in deep trouble if they don't stop calling me by the wrong name~.", the statement was practically purred to the other.
Vlad nearly chocked, "I am no damsel!"
"Maybe not but you do need my help and if nothing else at the moment that is going to include making sure you start eating right again."
Vlad smirked at that knowing that these inspections were soon to end meaning that the Phantom would soon have no authority over him beyond the fact that the man already had a schedule more packed than anyone's, "And how exactly are you going to do that?"
As if reading his thoughts the younger responded, "Well for one thing I am more powerful than you physically and politically Vlad so I could say any number of things to keep an eye on you. And then there is also the fact that while you might not be as possessive as you once were but I am and I would go to great lengths to make sure you regained your strength. No excuses because the world can cope just fine without Danny Phantom for a little while."
At this Vlad couldn't respond as there was simply no counter to that look in Danny's eyes that seemed to claim him and yet also promise the other to him, he shockingly had to admit to himself that it was extremely attractive and he knew the other could tell he thought as such, " Come on Vlad, it's time for lunch."
He was coaxed off of the chair he was on and into the kitchen. Where he soon enough found himself cooking with the other halfa and even enjoying doing so immensely, "Thank you, little badger."
"What for fruit loop?", he was shot a confused look and a smile from the other.
Silver hair was jostled when the older shrugged, "For caring I suppose." The two continued in comfortable silence after that as neither could seem to think of anything else to say but each was very glad that Danny hadn't given up that day as it soon led to Vlad and he becoming closer from a sort of trust. Not to say that this was all it took, far from it the both would have to endure many painful experiences with each other in the future but they clearly thought it was worth all the secrets shared and tears cried so that they could be with the one person that made them whole.
~Fin~