Two weeks had passed since Danny had traveled back in time. Within that week, he had started rooming with his future enemy and had befriended his parents. Danny had grown accustomed to living with Vlad, getting used to the older man's schedule. He usually woke up before Vlad and would make breakfast for him, before he walked with him across the campus, escorting him to his first class of the day. While Vlad was attending classes, Danny would usually go shopping for food or supplies that Vlad needed for school and sometimes would run errands for him. He did most of the cleaning around the apartment, keeping up with laundry and making sure that there was nothing lying on the floor. Then, depending on the day, Danny would either make dinner before Vlad got home or he would pick up Vlad from his class and then make dinner. Vlad seemed to be trusting Danny more, confining in Danny whenever he had a problem. Danny was glad that he could make the stress on Vlad's life easier. Most nights, Danny would listen as Vlad would read different poems to him as they both unwound from the duties of the day. One night, Danny had been the one to read the poems and had laughed when he looked to see that Vlad had fallen asleep on the recliner.
It was a Friday morning, marking the third week that Danny had started living with Vlad. Danny was at the coffee machine. Vlad had went out an hour ago, mumbling that Jack had wanted to tell him something before they both had to go to their classes. When Danny heard the door being slammed shut, he knew that something was wrong.
"Vlad?" Danny had called as he walked into the living room, watching as Vlad had kicked off his shoes and was now trying to free himself from his jacket.
"Damn this cursed jacket," Vlad cursed.
Danny walked over to Vlad and helped him take his jacket off, watching as Vlad walked over to his recliner. He laid his head back, resting his arm across his face, allowing himself to cry in the comfort of his home. "Vlad, are you okay?" Danny asked as he made his way over to the couch and sat at the very end so he could rest his hand on Vlad's knee.
"I fear I am not 'okay'" Vlad answered bitterly, looking at Danny with reddened eyes. His tone was meant to hurt Danny, to make him go away while Vlad was left to deal with his problems alone, but Danny wouldn't allow Vlad to chase him away so easily.
"I know you are just trying to release your emotions on me, but I'm not leaving. Now, tell me why are you so upset? You are missing your classes and we both know that you wouldn't miss any of your courses unless something bad happened." Danny rubbed his thumb against the inside of Vlad's knee, noticing that Vlad's breathing had started to even out.
The older male removed his arm from his face and sat up to look at Danny, his eyes bloodshot from crying to hard. He took a deep breath in and allowed himself to tell his story. "Jack had told me yesterday that he had something to tell me, but he needed to think it over. I didn't think too much about it because of the fact that it's Jack, he is never serious about anything. When I met up with him this morning, he had Maddie standing beside him. They both looked at me as I approached them and they both had the audacity to tell me about the relationship they've been hiding from me for three months. Three months they both lied to me and they both just thought that I would be okay with it! Madeline knew that I had feelings for her and I thought Jack was supposed to be my friend, but instead they both decided that it would have been best to lie to me instead of being truthful. It made it worse because they told me in public and I was unable to say what I wanted to about it. They both had so much pity in their eyes, they felt sorry for me."
It was odd that Vlad had allowed himself to be so vulnerable, especially since he hadn't know Danny for so long, but it seemed to be that Danny was the only one who Vlad could depend on. Danny reached forward and laid his hand on Vlad's shoulder. "I'm sorry that they told you about their relationship in such a public place, it must of been hard to be forced to control your emotions. It was wrong of them to tell you in such a public place, because you had no way of fighting back."
"Why am I not good enough for her? I was foolish and couldn't see the little signs that they both gave off when they were around each other. They both always wanted to sit next to each other and every night after we would hang out, Jack would insist on taking Madeline home without me. I was dumb and put too much trust in them. It caused me to be blind to the fact that they could have went behind my back," Vlad said, ignoring the fact that Danny was still in the room with him. He was furious with his so called 'friends' and was even more upset with the fact of how he was allowing his emotions to get the best of him. He was Vlad Masters, a man known for his money and his ability to hide his emotions. It was something he had always done at a young age, especially because of the fact that everyone he had ever befriended only wanted to use him from a young age. He had learned that those around him were just using him and once they were finished with him, he would be tossed aside. "I just thought they were different."
Danny bit the bottom of his lip, unsure of how he should comfort Vlad. It was strange, he had no idea how broken the older man was after finding out about Maddie and Jack's relationship, but now he was experiencing it first hand. He felt pained to see the man looking so vulnerable. Vlad's black hair was sticking up, his eyes were red and swollen, while tears were glued against his face. Danny got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, pulling out the container of cookies he had made while Vlad had been out. They weren't the greatest, some were even a bit burnt from the boy's inability to keep track of time. As he grabbed the jar, he heard a loud crash coming from the living room. Running in, he saw that Vlad had thrown a picture of Jack and Maddie on the floor, the glass frame scattered along the carpeted floor.
"Vlad," Danny called as he stepped over the glass, careful not to cut himself. He took his seat on the couch and hid the jar of cookies behind his back. He grabbed the older man's hand, finally gaining his attention. Danny looked over Vlad's hand, making sure it was free of any cuts or marks from the shattered glass. "I'm glad you are okay, you didn't cut your hand at least. I wanted to surprise you," Danny said shyly, grabbing the container of cookies from behind him, offering them to Vlad. "I know you don't like to eat sweet things, so I made some cookies for you, but I got a recipe for coffee flavored cookies, so they shouldn't be too sweet. I was hoping they would keep you energized while you attended class or did homework. I'm sorry they are a bit burnt, but I it was my first time making them. I promise not to burn them next time, so please don't cry anymore. It makes me sad to see you so upset. I know how it feels to have the love of your life taken from your hands, especially by your best friend."
It was true. Sam was Danny's first love and when they were dating, he was the happiest he had ever been. Sadly, Sam didn't feel quite the same as Danny did. She loved him, but as a little brother and she broke up with him months after they first started dating. It sucked and Danny was heartbroken, but he didn't want to hate Sam, so he accepted that their relationship would never be more than friends. Once they entered their senior year of high school, Sam admitted to Danny that she and Tucker had grown closer to each other over the summer. She then told Danny that they were both dating and had been since the beginning of August. Danny knew that Vlad was feeling the same way he had felt when Sam had told him about her relationship with Tuck, but Vlad never expressed his emotions, so the older man seemed unable to deal with them.
As Danny held out the jar of cookies, Vlad looked at the young man, surprised that Danny had stayed to comfort him. He grabbed one of the cookies from the jar and took a small bite of it, tears filling his eyes again. He was flabbergasted that Danny had went out of his way to cook something for Vlad, especially since the older man was picky when it came to eating sweets. He set the cookie down on the coffee table and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.
Danny panicked, worried that the cookie had somehow hurt Vlad. "Vlad?" Danny questioned, looking up at the older man. He felt Vlad wrap his arm around Danny's slender waist, pulling him closer.
"I'm fine," Vlad said and truthfully. He felt better knowing that Danny cared about him, even if it was only a tiny bit. The boy had stayed with Vlad, dealing with his tantrum as he complained about the boy's other two friends. "I've never had someone put so much effort into making me happy, you are the first," Vlad admitted, pulling away from the boy. He wiped at his eyes one last time before smoothing back his hair, standing from the recliner. "I know that Jack and Madeline had their reasons for wanting to hide their relationship. I'm still upset over the fact, but I will push my emotions to the side so that I can learn to accept it and move on. I still feel betrayed, but they are the two first friends I have had and I would hate to lose them over something so trivial. I guess you will need to put up with me for a little bit more though, because I'm not sure what I want to say to them."
"I know it feels like you were betrayed, but just know that they probably didn't tell you because they wanted to protect you. It doesn't justify what they did, but it does mean that they considered your feelings, if only a little bit. I'm sure you'll find someone else in which you can love," Danny said. He knew it wasn't the truth though. Vlad was obsessed with his mother, even through his adulthood. It hurt Danny to know that Vlad would never be truly happy, especially after he had seen Vlad in a different light, one in which many had not seen. "I think you need a break from everything though. I know exams are coming up soon, so you are stressing yourself out and this whole ordeal didn't help. Maybe we should go out this weekend? Nothing too expensive, but maybe we can go on a picnic at the park near the school. I can make us lunch and you can bring some poetry to read."
Vlad smiled, a genuine smile. It was odd seeing the affectionate look on the man, but Danny himself knew that Vlad wasn't completely cold. He was a kind man, at least during his college years. The experiment must have really changed him, but Danny knew that he would allow Vlad to be affected in such a negative way. He wanted the man to have a brighter future, one that was better than what was planned for him. "Thank you, that does sound like a wonderful idea. I do need to relax a bit, especially after today. I'm going to go grab a pair of gloves to pick up this glass. I don't want either of us to be getting cut by the sharp edges."
The older man walked across the living room, careful to avoid stepping on the glass as he made his way to the front door. "Don't get near that until I get back. I can't have my roommate getting hurt, I'm sure that will cause an uproar of rumors around campus," Vlad stated as he waved goodbye to Danny and shut the door behind him.
Danny waved back, watching the door shut softly. It was nice to see that Vlad wasn't so upset anymore, but the young half ghost was still worried about the man. He seemed to be so emotionally wrecked when he first came back home, but now he seemed to be a bit more cheerful. The younger man went into the kitchen, grabbing the trash can that was placed against the wall and brought it back into the living room, setting the bin beside the broken glass. He knew Vlad told him to not touch the glass, but Danny thought that if he were to be careful enough, he wouldn't have to worry about cutting open his skin.
The glass was almost completely cleared, the last shard was being lightly held in Danny's hand as the door opened. Vlad entered the apartment, gardening gloves on his hands as he looked down to see Danny kneeling beside the area where the glass had been moments ago. Danny turned his head to see Vlad standing there, shocked to see the older man back so quickly, Danny let the glass shard fall from his hand, the sharp edges scraping against his skin. He didn't register the pain until he saw Vlad quickly moving to him, his eyes filled with worry. "This is why I told you not to touch the glass! Your finger is bleeding!"
Vlad grabbed Danny's wrist lightly as he pulled the boy up from the floor and walked the boy to the bathroom. The older man had removed the gloves and turned the sink on, the water rushing out of the faucet as if it were trying to escape. "Please forgive me Daniel, this is going to sting for a few moments," Vlad informed the younger man as he placed the bloody finger under the rush of the water.
"It hurts," Danny whimpered as he tried to pull away, the pressure of Vlad's hand keeping his finger under the faucet. The water was dyed a deep red as the blood mixed in.
Vlad reached up to the medicine cabinet that was above the sink and pulled out a package of bandages and antibacterial cream. He slowed the pace of the water and pulled up Danny's finger, pressing a washcloth against the open wound in hopes that the bleeding would stop. "I can't believe you purposely disobeyed me and now you've gone and gotten yourself hurt. I don't think the cut is too deep, so you shouldn't need to get stitches," Vlad explained as he pulled out a band-aid and unwrapped it before placing it over Danny's injured finger. Vlad had dabbed a small amount of the antibacterial cream on the band-aid, making sure it made contact with the wound. "Promise me you won't do anything like this again Daniel, that was dangerous and it was my own fault."
Blue eyes looked into grey as Danny nodded in agreement. Danny didn't enjoy causing Vlad to get angry, especially since he was having such a hard day already. "I promise Vlad, but I was trying to help you out a bit. I knew how hard your day has been, so I wanted to give you a day where you could relax. You've been so stressed out lately and the incident with Maddie couldn't have been good for you either."
"Daniel," Vlad said quietly, smiling softly at the boy. "I appreciate your consideration, but you have made me worry by picking up glass bare-handed." Vlad let out a small laugh because of Danny's look of confusion. "Thank you though, but next time just listen to me okay? You are the type to act without clearly thinking through the consequences of your actions. Like you didn't think how I would have reacted if you were to harm yourself by picking up the glass pieces without gloves."
Nodding, Danny looked at his wounded finger, glad that no more blood was pouring out from the wound. He was thankful for Vlad's help in fixing him up, but he knew that thanks to his ghost powers he would be healed in a short matter of time. Nonetheless, the boy was happy to see that Vlad's character was much kinder back before the accident. For the first time since he was sent back in time, Danny started to question how he could possibly achieve his overall goal. He didn't want to give Vlad the idea of creating a ghost portal, yet how was he supposed to know when the prototype would be completed? The young half ghost could ask Vlad about the different weapons he was working on, but the man seemed to keep his work to himself, though Danny was sure the older man would cave into telling Danny if he bothered him enough.
Vlad noticed Danny's empty look and softly laid his hand on the boy's shoulder, causing the boy to be disrupted from his thoughts. "A penny for your thoughts?" Vlad asked softly as he started to clean up the blood covered sink. "You seemed to be off in your own little world. Anything you'd like to talk about?"
"I'm just surprised by how quickly you've recovered from the little problem you had faced this morning. You seem to be a bit more happier," Danny answered easily, the excuse making the man nod back in agreement.
"I do admit that I was heart broken and I'm not going to be interested in anyone else anytime soon, but a part of me is relieved. I know it sounds crazy, but I had been suspecting that Jack and Maddie were in an intimate relationship. Them telling me about their relationship will make it easier for me to move on to finding someone different. I'm upset, still furious about the whole ordeal really, but what you witnessed was me throwing a tantrum," Vlad explained, throwing the soiled rag into the hamper to be cleaned. "I'm sorry you had to witness that, but I'm glad you were there to talk to me about everything. I've never really had anyone there to talk to me."
Danny smiled at the man, using his unharmed hand, resting it against Vlad's shoulder. "There's no need for apologies, I know the pain caused by heart ache. It's excruciating and causes nothing but misery. I know you'll get through it though and you'll feel better, because I'll be there with you every step of the way."
Warm arms wrapped around Danny's waist as Vlad rested his cheek against the other boy's shoulder, tears slowly traveling down his face as he felt his emotions break lose. "Thank you, Daniel. In no way do I deserve the kindness that you have been showing me, especially after I had treated you so poorly in the beginning."
"That's all in the pass," Daniel said quietly as he held the man, who's shoulders trembled as his tears fell harder.
After the incident in the bathroom, Vlad only smiles around Daniel. Two days had passed since the unfortunate event that had occurred and Vlad had yet to speak to Jack or Maddie about it. The two friends had stopped by Vlad's apartment many times, but whenever Danny mentioned their names, Vlad always made the younger man turn them away. Maddie and Jack wouldn't usually fight Vlad's decision, but both of them would leave with frowns on their faces and tears rimming their eyes.
As Danny closed the door once more, watching Jack walk away with slumped shoulders, he knew that he couldn't let this go on any longer. The young half ghost walked over to Vlad's room, lightly tapping his knuckles against the wood door. It took Vlad a moment to answer, but Danny heard a very low, 'come in.'
"Vlad, we need to talk," Danny stated as he walked into the dimly lit room, seeing the man hunched over his desk as he worked on another ghost hunting machine. "It's been a week since Jack and Maddie told you about their relationship, isn't it about time you forgave them? They are your best friends and I know you don't show it, but you miss them too."
Vlad turned in his chair, looking up at Danny. "Daniel," he said softly, crossing his hands in his lap. "I do not hold any resentment towards them. I'm just not ready to face them yet. I have to collect my own thoughts and decide on how I'm going to go about talking to them again." Vlad turned away, his voice growing softer as he finished his sentence. He wasn't lying when he said that he had already forgiven his friends, but he wasn't used to dealing with these situations, so he had no clue on what he should do.
Danny sensed the older man's confusion and let out a loud sigh, crossing the room before he stood beside Vlad. "How about we invite them over for dinner? I can make something nice and we can ask them to bring some desserts while you discuss everything with them? They are trying their hardest to get you to forgive them, yet all you seem to be doing is pushing them away." Danny now had the palm oh his hand pressed against Vlad's back, gently rubbing circles on the older man's back.
A mumble of agreement was heard as Vlad pressed himself away from the desk and he was now leaning into Danny's touch. "You're right, I shouldn't allow this to go on any longer. I even cleaned out the storage room just so I could have a place to work on my ghost equipment, it's silly of me to be working in my own home with unpredictable equipment. At least in the science lab I have the necessary equipment if anything were to go wrong in the process of testing my experiments."
"I'm glad you are seeing things my way. If you'd like, I can go to Jack's dorm and invite him while you plan one what you need to say," Danny offered as he stopped the circular motions o Vlad's back. He rested his hands on the older man's shoulder, massaging the stiff muscles. "I'm sure that Jack will then be able to relay the news to Maddie. It's up to you though," Danny encourage, smiling as he heard Vlad let out a small sigh as Danny continued pressing his fingers against the knot's in the older man's back.
"Why do I have someone as wonderful as you around to keep me company?" Vlad questioned, not noticing the light shade of red that colored Danny's cheeks. "I swear nothing in this world that I have done has given me a reason to have someone like you around," Vlad smiled, leaning his head back to look at Danny. "If you don't mind asking them, that would really help me out. I need some time to calm my nerves and to maybe plan out the conversation. I want you to be there though, it will help to know that someone is actually on my side when I confront them about everything."
Danny looked away from Vlad, feeling a bit embarrassed by the older man's praises. He was so used to the venomous insults they would both spew at each other while fighting, he didn't know how to handle the kind words they were both exchanging. It made him a little sad to know that this kind man sitting before him would one day turn into an evil villain who was constantly trying to kill his father for marrying his mother. Danny made a promise to himself then and there, he would do his best to make sure that in the future Vlad didn't grow to be the lonely old man that Danny knew. He would work hard to find someone that interested Vlad, someone he could spend his life with and he would keep the prototype ghost portal from spitting out ectogoo at Vlad. After spending a month with Vlad, Danny knew that there was a way for Vlad to be happy and he was determined to give him that happiness.
"It's what friends do for each other, right?" Danny questioned, finally looking back at Vlad, noticing how the other man was staring at him, a small smile adoring Vlad's face. Danny felt his cheeks heat up, noting that Vlad was actually handsome, especially when he smiled. "Should I tell them to be here around six? Since it's Saturday they shouldn't have any classes today and they'll have a bit of time to work on any assignments their professors handed to them."
Vlad nodded in agreement, looking back to his desk at the pile of papers scattered around. Danny knew that Vlad was now lost in his own thoughts, probably knowing the older man he was thinking of how he was going to confront his two friends. Danny wasn't envious of Vlad, but he was just happy that the older man wasn't going to deal with the problem by himself. Though Danny traveled into the past to fix the mistakes of his parents, he planned on helping Vlad in anyway he could. Maybe he could keep Vlad from turning into the bitter old man he was in the future. "I'll be back," Danny said quietly, leaving Vlad's room and stepping into the dorms living room.
The young half ghost pulled on the light jacket that Vlad had allowed him to borrow, zipping up the black cotton jacket before stepping out the front door into the chilly autumn air. For the few months that Danny had been stuck in the past, he had watched as the leaves changed different colors and the students continued attending their classes, many of them working ahead of time to study for the exams that would be given out before Christmas break. Danny continued walking across the campus, making his way over to the male dorm rooms. As he was walking, Danny's thoughts trailed to Vlad, hoping that the other man was okay being alone. Vlad seemed to be the type of person who thought best alone, so Danny was glad that he had offered to go invite Jack and Maddie to dinner tonight. It would give Vlad time to think and to allow him the opportunity to get his emotions in check before he would be forced to talk to his friends.
Before Danny knew it, he was already standing in front of Jack's door. He knocked twice, stuffing his hands into his pocket as he waited for someone to answer the door.
"What's up?" Jack's roommate, Robbie answered, staring Danny down as he leaned against the door frame.
Danny had only met Robbie one other time while he was getting lunch with Maddie and Jack a few weeks back. He didn't actually mean to run into Jack or Maddie, but they both saw him and wanted to explain their side of the story to Danny. Danny had agreed to hear them out, learning that they had been trying to tell Vlad for months that they had been dating, but they didn't want him to feel like the third wheel whenever they went out together, so they thought they would wait until Vlad had another friend to rely on, which to them was Danny. Robbie had been there with Jack, tagging along because he was hungry and didn't feel like going out alone for food. Robbie mainly just looked out the restaurant window the whole time, only occasionally would he intervene in their conversation, usually adding some sarcastic comment. Danny wasn't too fond of him, but because he was Jack's roommate he was trying his hardest to get along with him.
Robbie was a bigger man though, with sandy red hair that was curled so much it looked like an afro on top of his head. He wasn't big as in the sense of his stomach, but the man was part of the football team and did work out quite often. Maybe that's the reason Danny never got along with Robbie, maybe he wasn't meant to be friends with any of the football players at any school he went to. Robbie was wearing sweatpants though, wearing one of the school's many t-shirts. He glared at Danny with his brown eyes, staring straight at the boy with a bored expression on his face.
"I didn't expect company from Vlad's little dog," Robbie said. He didn't really see Danny as his own person, only associating him with Vlad because of the fact that Vlad had Danny running random errands when he was too busy with classes or homework. Danny didn't doubt for a minute that Jack was the one who told Robbie about his relationship with Vlad, not in a cruel way, but Jack was a very open person who was always talking about something.
"Hello Robbie," Danny greeted, smiling at the boy. "I was wondering if Jack was in and if I was possibly able to speak to him?"
Robbie sighed, looking annoyed now rather than bored. "Jack!" He hollered, leaving Danny on the porch as he went back into the dorm, hopefully searching for Jack
Danny stood there, taking in a deep breath as Robbie left. He was happy to spend as minimal time possible with the other boy, He didn't honestly know how Jack was able to spend so much time around Robbie, but when Danny had asked, Jake had told him that he didn't know what he was talking about. The young boy just guessed that Jack took everything as a joke and that Robbie didn't talk to Jack too much.
The door creaked open as Jack stepped on the porch, looking relieved to see Danny. "What's up Dannyboy?" he asked, smiling widely.
"Actually, I'm here on Vlad's behalf. He wanted to invite you and Maddie over for dinner tonight so that you can all talk about what happened. He sent me to ask you, because he wants to get everything prepared and he was working on homework. I was actually wondering if you can ask Maddie to come. I figured you both would want to talk about it for a bit. We'll be having dinner at around six, so if you both wanted to come feel free to," Danny explained, returning Jack's smile.
"Yeah, I can tell her. we were actually about to go out to lunch together, so I'll tell her then. How is Vlad holding up? Is he doing any better? I thought that he wouldn't care as much with you being there for him, but I guess I was wrong," Jack said, his smiled disappearing. "We never wanted to hurt him, you know that right? We love Vlad like family, but we hated lying to him and we knew he deserved the right to know."
Danny nodded, knowing that they didn't intentionally hurt him, but they hurt him nonetheless. "I know, but these are words you should save for Vlad. I'm not mad at either of you guys and I know Vlad isn't either. He misses you two, but his pride won't let him forgive you so easily."
"Yeah, I know," Jack sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Well, I should get ready for my date with Maddie. I'll see you and Vlad at six. By Danny," Jack said, dismissing the conversation.
The younger boy said goodbye, turning to leave as Jack shut the door. He made his way through the campus ground again, shivering as he felt a cold breeze brush against him. He stared at the ground, quietly humming to himself. The one thing he missed most about his time was the musicians he loved. He was curious as to why Clockwork sent him so far into the pass, why couldn't he have sent him to the day his parents revealed the prototype? Then he could have just destroyed it before they were able to use it. What will happen to Vlad once he stops them from using the portal though? As these questions filled his mind, he saw a small wisp of blue air leave his mouth, indicating that there was a ghost near by. He scanned the area, looking for an area so that he can transform. He ran behind the dorms, double checking to make sure that nobody was around before he silently transformed, the white rings glowing around his body.
It was always a thrill transforming. His hair changing from it's charcoal grey to a white as bright as the moon. His eyes changed from their normal sea blue, to a bright green. It was as if his eyes were radioactive. He had made a few accommodations to his outfit, the logo no longer in the middle of his chest, but now was resting against his heart. His shoes had changed to combat boots, now black in color. Though he still had a slim figure, he had gained muscles over years of fighting. As his transformation finished, he looked to see Clockwork himself standing above him, his child form looking down at him.
"I know what you are thinking young boy," he greeted, watching as Danny floated up to him. "I guess I should have made myself clear as to why I sent you back here, but there's only so much information I can give you. Just know that you are meant to be here now, so don't second guess yourself. When Vlad and Maddie finish the calculations for the prototype portal, ask Vlad to double check the math, only then will he catch the mistake. You yourself should know I can't allow you to destroy the portal though, Vlad needs to become a halfa like you. If he doesn't, how do you expect your pass self to grow stronger? Trust me when I say this, I know what happens before it even does."
"Why can't you tell me anymore?" Danny questioned, looking to see unaware students passing below them.
Clockwork sighed, his body shifting to that of the older version, his body looking old and decrepit. "If I tell you anymore, the future will be changed. I even knew that I would be having this conversation with you now. Don't forget Daniel, I know all and see all." Clockwork's body soon disappeared, a soft glow being left in his place as he returned to his realm, leaving Danny alone and even more confused.
Danny turned invisible, floating through the air as he made his way over the campus. It had been awhile since he had been in his ghost form and he knew that his other half was getting a bit frisky. It's not like there were two parts of him, but he did feel a bit suffocated if he wasn't able to transform into a ghost. As Danny was standing above Vlad's dorm, he looked past the outside walls, checking inside to see where Vlad was. Since Vlad was still in his room, Danny decided that it would be safe for him to change back into human form in their bathroom.
Floating down to the dorm roof, the half ghost turned intangible, easily passing through the brick surface and landing in the bathroom. He stood a few inches in the air, changing back into his human form, his feet making contact with the sturdy ground under him. Danny looked in the mirror, fixing his hair before going back to see Vlad. He frowned, messing up his hair. Why did he feel the need to look nice for Vlad? He left the small room, taking the few small steps needed to stand before Vlad's door. He knocked, hearing a silent 'come in' from Vlad.
"You returned later than I thought you would," Vlad commented, turning to Vlad as he straightened out his button up shirt. Vlad had decided he needed to actually clean himself up. He had locked himself in his rooms for the past few days, only coming out to use the bathroom and attend his classes. Danny had been bring Vlad's food to him so he could eat. Part of the reason was because he had homework to do and he needed to study for his upcoming exams. The other reason was because he didn't really want to deal with anyone, instead he preferred drowning himself in his work and thinking about equations, instead of thinking about his own problem. Once Danny had left, Vlad had decided to go shower and then picked out clothing that would be suitable for a nice dinner. He needed the confidence and even if he didn't feel it, he definitely was going to pretend by dressing as if he was.
"I ran into someone and we got into a bit of a discussion. Is little Vladdy sad because he missed me," Danny teased, walking over to the older man to fix his collar.
Vlad coughed, almost chocking as he did so. "That's absurd! I was only worried that you had gotten bullied by someone or maybe you could have been kidnapped."
"I'm fine Vlad, I'm not that much younger than you," Danny said, reminding the junior that there was only a two year difference in their age. It was nice having Vlad worry for him, even if he was gone for less than two hours. He could be gone all night and his parents never noticed that he was gone. Sometimes he would even tell his parents that he was coming out and would come back hours later, they never cared about where he had gone or what he was doing. In a sense he was glad he had the freedom they gave him, but he sometimes wished that his parents would have paid more attention to him and less attention to their contraptions. "Thank you for worrying about me though, I can promise you that nothing went wrong and I just ran in to someone."
The older man rubbed his chin skeptically, wondering who Danny had met that occupied so much of the boy's time. He didn't want to ask though, fearing that the Danny would get annoyed with his constant worrying. "Alright, just know if anyone was picking on you, you can tell me. I'll put a stop to it, because you don't deserve to be treated poorly by the insignificant fools that sadly attend this college." Vlad walked up to the boy, ruffling his hair by running his fingers through the soft strands. He smiled softly, continuing the motions, playing with the young boy's charcoal hair could become an addiction. He shook his head, quietly cursing himself as he placed his hand to his side. Vlad shouldn't have played with Danny's hair, he didn't want to invade Danny's personal space. "Shall we make go out and grab stuff for dinner tonight? I finished the majority of my homework and studied what subjects I wasn't feeling as confident on."
Danny rested his hands on top of his head, working swiftly to fix the stray strands caused by Vlad messing with his hair. He looked up at Vlad, wondering about his actions. Danny knew it was probably an action of affection, but he couldn't ignore the feeling of his stomach twisting in a knot. He nodded, his mouth too dry to speak as he walked out of Vlad's room, the older man following behind him.
They both grabbed their jackets from the closet beside the front door, slipping them on before they stepped outside. Vlad stopped outside the door, making sure to lock it before they set off on their journey.
As they walled across the campus, Danny noticed everyone starring. He was used to them watching him whenever he was walking with Vlad, but he just seemed more aware of them looking now that the sun was shinning brightly. He grew anxious, knowing what the stares meant. All through high school he was the outcast, everyone watching him, yet never approaching him. Of course once he left high school, he didn't think he would ever be in that situation again, but he seemed to have been wrong.
"Daniel?" Vlad questioned as he leaned down, whispering so that Danny himself only heard him. "Are you okay? You look pale as a ghost." It would be stupid of Vlad not to notice how uncomfortable Danny was. The boy was practically trying to retreat against himself. He was like a snail trying to hide from predators in his shell.
Danny looked up, leaning closer to Vlad. "It's just that everyone is staring and they're not even trying to hide the fact that they are staring at you," Danny told Vlad.
Vlad looked around, noting all the people that were actually looking. He never really minded the attention before. He just pitied those he felt the need to judge him, because it just proved that there life was so boring that they needed to judge others to waste time. Vlad sadly looked down at the boy, feeling a strong need to protect the boy. Vlad himself had never been physically abused by any of his fellow students, but they would constantly watch him and it seemed that their was a new rumor about him once a month. "I know, but just ignore it, okay? They won't hurt you and if they feel the need to judge, let them. They aren't worth our time and you are better than them. You are smart, creative, empathetic, kind, and so many more things. They are nothing compared to you."
The young ghost boy was shocked to hear Vlad talk so highly about him. He smiled softly before looking down at the ground. He couldn't look up at Vlad, instead he would follow the movement of Vlad's feet, using them to continue walking beside the boy. "Yeah, thanks."
They both stayed quiet, Vlad content with the silence so he could be alone with his thoughts and Danny was happy to just focus on the human beside him. Sometimes silence is comfortable as it is and words can ruin the peace silence brings.
~~~~
Shopping had been an experience. Vlad was constantly wanting to purchase the most expensive ingredients, while Danny would talk him out of it, telling the junior that he should save up some of his money for other stuff. Vlad would just laugh, but nonetheless he allowed Danny to have the final decision.
It was now four-thirty, both men were standing in the kitchen. Danny had offered to cook while Vlad studied more, but Vlad had denied Danny's request and was keen on helping him make dinner. Now they both were wearing white aprons, surrounded by the ingredients needed to cook.
With both of them in the kitchen, it was a bit challenging. They both had their own way of doing things and they would on occasion bump into each other, a variety of ingredients falling to the floor. Though Vlad would be mad by the fact that his kitchen was getting covered in food and in return that would attract ants, he couldn't help but laugh and smile. He never realized how much fun it could be to cook with someone before.
Dinner was finished and the table was set. Now all that was needed to complete the evening was Maddie and Jack. Danny had changed into more formal clothing, borrowing one of Vlad's many white button up shirts and a pair of his khakis. As the younger boy looked over at Vlad, who was siting in his usual chair in the living room, Danny could tell that the older man was growing more stressed as the time approached six. Vlad was holding the edge of the recliner, his knuckles turning white as his grip would tighten. "Vlad, you okay?" Danny asked, standing beside Vlad and resting his own hand on the other's clenched fist.
"Fine, Daniel," Vlad answered, looking up at Danny with a slight smile on his face. He was nervous, but he felt like he could do anything with Danny at his side. If he was facing this whole ordeal alone, Vlad was pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to think so calmly and clearly. Vlad was happy he had Danny to help him through everything, because with the boy beside him, he didn't feel lonely any longer. "Thank you though, for everything."
Danny opened his mouth to argue that Vlad had no reason to thank him, but there was a hesitant knock that sounded from the door. Danny looked at Vlad, seeing that the older males face had the same white color as his knuckles. "I'll answer it," Danny offered, removing his hand from Vlad's and instead walking to the front door.
He breathed in deeply, placing his hand on the door knob and turning it, opening the door to see Maddie and Jack standing beside each other, both dressed in formal attire. "Hey guys, glad you both could come," Danny greeted, taking the box of cake that was offered to him. He smiled and moved to the side, allowing them both to enter. "Dinner is ready, so we can go ahead and eat."
Vlad was now standing, his signature smirk now adoring his face. He was standing up straight as he approached his two friends, but inside Danny knew that he was still nervous. "So glad you two could join us for dinner. Danny and I worked really hard to make it, so I do hope that you'll like it," Vlad said, leading the two through the house and into the kitchen.
They were now al seated, Vlad sitting at the head of the table with Danny beside him. Maddie was on the other side of Vlad, while Jack was sat between Danny and Maddie. It was quiet, nobody knowing what they should say first. Danny planned on speaking up, but he didn't want to overstep his boundaries and cause more trouble. He did though intend for Vlad to speak first, so while he was eating spoon full of mixed vegetables, he lightly tapped Vlad's ankle, indicating that he needed to start.
With a loud sigh, Vlad nodded his head though it was useless because Danny wasn't paying attention. "So we can stop dancing around the matter that's at hand."
"Vlad, you have no idea how sorry we are. We didn't really think about how to address the matter, so we were out of line telling you in public, especially since everyone is always watching the three of us. We both thought about it and we agree that it would have been better to tell you in private. To be honest we didn't think that you would react the way you did, we thought that you had found a friend in Danny so we hoped our relationship wouldn't make you feel lonely," Maddie spoke, reaching a hand towards Vlad, but pulling it away quickly as soon as Vlad moved his hand away.
"I know," Vlad stated, setting his utensils down and folding his hands in his lap. "I'm glad you both told me. I was suspicious that something was going on between the two of you, but it was my own blind love that kept me from realizing. I do agree that you both went about telling me in the wrong manner, but at the same time I overreacted. When I came home, Danny was here to talk some sense into me and he's the one who persuaded me to make amends with you. Though I know I would have sooner or later, but probably later. I want to be happy for you guys, truly I do, but at the same time can you both understand that some time is needed for me to think everything through."
Jack spoke now, his usual cheerful demeanor, now serious. "We you'll need time to adjust, we just hope that you'll still hang out with us and that you'll come back to the lab to help us with our experiments. Maddie and I have both agreed to keeping ur relationship professional around you for the time being, just please say you'll work with us again."
Danny who had been quiet the whole time, looked up to see that Vlad was now silently thinking to himself. He reached his hand under the table to lightly pat Vlad's knee, offering the boy a smile that spoke a thousand words. The gesture in return made Vlad smile.
"I forgive you both. If I'm being honest with you two, I've missed having you both around. It's not the same researching ghost technology alone and it takes twice as long not having three brilliant brains," Vlad answered, looking up at his two friends.
Maddie cheered quietly, smiling at Danny and giving the boy a quick wink. She would one day need to properly thank the boy for helping them rekindle their friendship, but for now she planned on focusing her energy on fixing what she had wronged. She was well aware it would take time for their relationship to be as it was before, but it wasn't an impossible quest. "Well, I bet we can all agree that we now have four brilliant brains working towards our goal of one day discovering ghosts."
"Yeah! I'm sure Danny can help us out with some of the equipment, especially since he said his parents specialized in ghost hunting!" Jack exclaimed, his serious demeanor now gone and replaced with the goof everyone loved.
Vlad turned to Danny with a smile, quietly thanking the boy. "Yes, I'm sure that would be nice, but I'm not too sure if he would want to help us. He actually wants to be an astronaut when he grows up, so I'm sure he'd be more interested in studying that than ghost technology."
"You want to be an astronaut?" Maddie questioned, looking up at Danny.
Everyone had resumed eating their food, so Danny quickly swallowed what food he had in his mouth and nodded his head. "Yeah, I've always found space to be marvelous and I just know that we aren't alone in this universe. It's so vast, so there has to be another form of life somewhere out there," Danny explained, a large smile on his face and his eyes glowing. His parents from his timeline never really expressed interest in what he wanted to be when he grew up. They were always talking about how he would one day take over the family company and carry on their legacy while never listening to what he said.
"That's very similar to how we feel about ghosts. Think of how sad it is to think that we just die one day and leave this earth. What if you have a loved one you want to watch after, but you are forced to leave their side far to early," Vlad mentioned, looking towards Danny. He was amazed with how the boy felt about space and he couldn't help but to compare it to how he felt about ghosts. The world was far to big and their were too many people who died with regrets for ghosts to not exist. Vlad felt less lonely knowing that there was someone with a similar viewpoint to his.
Danny looked away from Vlad, a light hue of pink spreading across his face. He instead focused on his food. Danny wasn't too sure why he was so shy whenever Vlad complimented him, he assumed that it had to do with the fact he had never been complimented sincerely in his life before. He couldn't help the queasy feeling spreading through his stomach though as he thought about Vlad.
Author's note: So I'm sorry there is no rhythm to the length of my posts, but I'm trying to regulate it between 5,000-10,000 words per chapter. Either way, I'm not really trying to focus on the relationship Vlad has with Maddie and Jack or the relationship between Danny, Jack, and Maddie. This story is mainly going to focus on the relationship development between Vlad and Danny, so if you weren't looking for that, I suggest looking to another story. I hope so far you are all enjoying it, it has been a lot of fun to write. I'm hoping in the next chapter there might be a bit of a surprise, but who knows. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. Review if you want, they make me happy. Anyway, have a good week guys. :)