Warnings: Vlad is horrible. Danny is also horrible. And nothing really explicit, but there's mentions of sexual activity.
As far as he was aware, Daniel's past conquests had all been female, and exclusively attractive ones at that, so he'd always assumed Daniel's sexuality aligned with the norm. There was no suggestion in the year Vlad had known Danny that the boy would ever respond to a demonstration of the playful flirtations he had in store for his mother with anything but revulsion.
It was quite a surprise, then, when Danny merely offered a grin and floated just that little bit closer, before abruptly realizing the words hadn't been directed at him. He'd retreated at the speed of a bullet before Vlad could offer any sort of response. But he'd seen the interest, the silent proposition, and Vlad wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip through his fingers.
Now, he was by no means a decent man, but he wasn't a pedophile. He wasn't going to engage in anything sexual with a boy almost three decades his junior. Manipulating the boy into a sham of a relationship, however? Perfectly acceptable.
Over months, moving into years, they exchanged flirtations at every opportunity. Primarily verbal, on Vlad's part, but physical – and desperately so, at times – on Danny's. The lingering fingers in his hair and at the small of his back and occasionally his jaw took some getting used to, but he was able to tolerate Danny's affection for the sake of his plan. It was even nice, sometimes, if he could deceive himself into believing it was entirely familial affection.
Soon he would be such a significant figure in Daniel's life that Daniel would have no choice but to consider him as a potential mentor when he unveiled a lack of interest in pursuing a sexual relationship. 'It just happens, Daniel – the spark disappears, and not necessarily in both people involved'. Daniel was an empathetic boy, he would understand. Even better, he would believe it was a heartfelt confession, that Vlad had tolerated and reciprocated the past month of flirtations just to protect his feelings. As Danny was already starting to become pliable to his suggestions, exhibiting qualities of viciousness and wit that he hadn't prior to Vlad's subtle manipulations, it would be easy to guide him into the role of a protégé from there.
There was only one fatal flaw in his plan.
Danny was going on eighteen, hormonal, and assumed Vlad had as much interest in initiating carnal activities the moment he was legal as he did.
On Danny's eighteenth birthday, he goaded the boy into a confrontation, strapped him to a chair, and they both briefly pretended they were hero and villain while a bright red box of heart-shaped chocolates sat in clear view of them both. He'd expected Danny to break free, accept the chocolates, and fly home after a short, coy exchange. What he hadn't expected was Danny to break free, shove him into the chair, strap him down, and promise a gift of his own while simultaneously winking and dropping to his knees.
He told Danny 'no, but thank you'. Playfully, at first, but becoming slightly more insistent when Danny's hands found his knees. It became an outright demand when Danny leaned up to kiss him on the mouth, a playful smile tugging at his too-young, too-boyish lips. Vlad jerked his head as far back as he could, much to Danny's surprise. The speech he had prepared to end their 'relationship' stumbled out of his mouth in an attempt to salvage the situation, but it sounded fake, rehearsed. This wasn't going at all how he had intended it to.
Danny's eyes began to widen, realization flooding into the irises, pupils constricting.
"You never liked it when I touched you," he whispered hoarsely. "From day one, you never liked it. I thought it was my age, but— Oh God. Oh God." Vlad opened his mouth to respond, but Danny forestalled him by abruptly fisting his hands, "You can't fake the disgust you just showed there, so don't even try."
The heartbreak in his voice almost made Vlad regret his manipulation of the boy. But Vlad wasn't a man of regrets. He was a man of opportunities, and he could see one in Danny's heartbreak. "Daniel, it isn't like that," he said low and soothingly, attempting to lean out of the chair; the bindings prevented him from getting far. "I want you, Daniel, just not in the manner I proposed. I want you as my protégé. I always have. Don't you think it's flattering, the lengths I'm willing to go to earn you?"
Danny's throat bobbed, tears gathering around his eyes. "You bastard, you sick son of a—" He inhaled deeply to prevent himself from outright swearing, and it was a wet sort of sound. "You made me love you."
"I did- yes, I did, but it's not an issue," Vlad said quickly, leaping on the opportunity to twist the conversation to his favor. "You can still love me, Daniel. And I can love you, platonically. The lack of sexual element is the only thing that needs to change between us."
Danny closed his eyes, fists shaking. "I'll never be your protégé. I won't give you that satisfaction."
"But after all our time together, can you really evict me from your life? I can still be there for you, to hold you and love you as a son, as I have these past two years."
The grinding of Daniel's molars was clearly audible, and his eyes were downcast, but the crackling green could be seen in his reflection on the tiled floor. "Yeah, because I'm definitely going to allow someone who straight-out lied to me for over two years back into my life with any degree of influence!"
"Don't pretend you don't want me in it. I know you do." Vlad smiled toothily, teeth impossibly white. "You would have left by now if you truly wished to have me out of—" He was silenced by Daniel finally taking a swing at his face. Not just once, but several times. So many times, for so long that Vlad was utterly disorientated when Danny finally withdrew and allowed his head to drop forward, chin landing on his collarbones. The amount of blood on his lips was surprisingly minimal despite the intense throbbing of the lower half of his face. His jaw, however, felt as if it were on fire, reddened with indents from Danny's fist.
The boy was snarling and panting, flexing his sore fingers when Vlad finally managed to look up. "Maybe I do," Danny hissed so furiously, so dangerously low that the fine hairs on the back of Vlad's neck began to stand on end. "But I've waited about three years for this, and if you've taught me anything, it's that I should take what I want." He bent, hands coming to rest on either side of the chair Vlad was strapped to. His knuckles were turning white with anger. "And I wanted you vulnerable, for once. I thought I could help you let go."
The dread at such a thought was visible in Vlad's expression. "Your mother – Maddie – she is, and has always been the only one able to bring out any vulnerability in me."
"Are you sure about that?" Danny snorted. "Pro-tip: I wouldn't refer to your creepy little fantasies for accuracy. My mom pretty much hates you."
Danny walked close enough to stand between Vlad's legs. Swallowing at their close proximity, Vlad tilted his head back to look up at him. "What about that gothic girl? There was a spark there."
"I pinched that out so I could be with you." He knelt, and all Vlad could do was watch him while his hands trailed up to the insides of his thighs.
"Oh," Vlad replied, occupied with attempting to wiggle further into the chair and away from Danny's hands when they trailed up his body, under his jacket and towards his chest. The quick tweak the exploring fingers gave his nipples was actually more painful than stimulating. Vlad grimaced, while Danny's expression twisted into something that looked inappropriately vicious.
"If you think that's uncomfortable, just wait until I start shoving fingers in your ass."
Vlad already had a pale complexion, but somehow managed to take on an appropriately ghostly pallor at that particular comment.