Danny took a steady breath in, using the key Vlad had given him previously to unlock the dorm's front door. He stepped inside, seeing Vlad's discarded coat laying on the floor. The young boy sighed, picking up the coat and putting it on a hanger so that he could put it in the closet. Walking over to the couch, Danny was quick to pack what little clothing Vlad had provided for him in an old plastic bag. As Danny finished up packing, he turned around to see Vlad standing beside him, the older man's arms crossed over his chest.
"Where are you going?" Vlad questioned from behind Danny, his hands clenched as he continued watching the boy packing. He wasn't mad at the boy, but he felt as if they were both running away from the problem presented before them. "Daniel, I think we should talk about what happened at the park..." Vlad stated as he walked over to the shorter boy and rested his hand against the boys shoulder.
Danny felt his stomach flutter as he felt Vlad's hand make contact with his skin. He turned to the man, his eyes facing the floor as he softly spoke, his voice uneven and trembling. "I figured you would want time to think about what happened. Johnathan said that I could stay with him for a bit so you could be alone." Danny felt so small to Vlad. He was hoping to run away from his problems, something he had always done growing up. He avoided telling his parents about his other half and he always ran away from any fights he had with his friends. Even when Sam wanted to break up, he avoided her, hoping the problem would solve itself.
"Daniel, we are adults we can talk this out together and come to a conclusion together. If we continue to ignore the problem I'm afraid it might hinder our relationship and cause us to dislike each other's company," Vlad explained as he pressed down on Danny's shoulder softly, wanting the boy to sit down on the couch so they could actually talk to one another.
When the younger boy complied with his suggestion, Vlad sat down in his recliner. He didn't want to scare Danny off, so he figured that sitting next to the boy would cause Danny to become nervous. Even if Danny didn't know it, Vlad was constantly putting the needs of the younger boy's above his own. Vlad folded his hands in his lap, waiting for the boy to speak first, but after a few moments of silence, he decided he would need to make the first move. He breathed in softly and smiled at Danny, something he very rarely did. "Look, what happened in the park, I want to apologize, but I don't regret what I did."
Danny's stomach clenched as he looked to Vlad, hearing the other man say he didn't regret it made him hopeful. After his talk with Johnathan, he accepted that he liked Vlad, how deep his feelings were he didn't know. "I... I don't either," Danny said softly, peeking up at the man beside him. He was worried about how Vlad would react to his feelings, but it was silly to hide how he was feeling and maybe it was possible Vlad felt the same towards him. Vlad was right though, they were both adults and they needed to talk out their emotions.
Vlad's face instantly lit up as he listened to Danny's reply. "I'm glad you aren't either. It will make this conversation go by smoother." Vlad swallowed, feeling his throat clenching. The only person he ever truly had feelings for was Maddie but he hadn't even acted upon them and in the end he lost her. While he did like Maddie for her kindness and intelligence, there was just something about Danny that made his heart race and his head a mess. While he might not have been the most intelligent person when it came to scientific theories or subjects, Danny was smart in other aspects of life. Vlad had caught Danny reading manuals about rockets and books about outer space and he just loved that part of the boy. Though he didn't understand everything, Danny still would still try to learn. "Daniel, I know that we have only known each other for maybe three months, but the connection we have just seems to be there. I haven't trusted anyone as much as I've trusted you and I can't even begin to explain why I do. I feel like I can trust you with more of my life than I can with Maddie and Jack."
The younger boy looked up, his eyes glancing into Vlad's. He knew that it was wrong to love Vlad, especially since they would one day need to fight, but at the same time he wanted nothing more than to hold the older man tightly. 'Besides,' he thought, thinking back to his previous conversation with Clock Work. 'He told me to just do whatever feels right and Vlad feels right.' Danny reached down at Vlad's hand, holding it in his own. "I know what you mean, while I'm not sure how strong my feelings are for you, I haven't felt this connection with anyone in a long time. When you leave for classes, I'm left here alone and all I can think about is you coming back to me. Usually I don't rely on others, but with you it's another story."
Using his free hand, Vlad lightly placed it against Danny's cheek, his fingers gently rubbing the boy's skin. It was strange, taboo for two men to be together, but at the same time he didn't care. It didn't feel wrong at all and he couldn't help but want the boy closer. Vlad leaned forward in his chair, his face centimeters away from Danny's. He wanted to give the boy a chance to turn away from his feelings, there was a part of him that wished he would run away. He was surprised though to feel Danny's lips pressing against his own. Vlad moved his hand to the back of Danny's head, pulling the boy closer.
Danny was happy to know that Vlad was giving him a choice. He knew that he could turn away, ignoring his feelings for Vlad in hopes that they would one day return to that of nothing. Maybe he was mad and while it didn't make sense why he wanted the man so badly, nothing in his life seemed to make sense. His body moved automatically and he soon felt Vlad's rough lips against his lips. Danny's hand was still tightly holding onto Vlad's, afraid of falling from the toxic kiss. It was unlike anything he had experienced before. He was burning up, but still left feeling cold. It felt like his body was floating, but the hand holding his own told him that he was still grounded, it was thrilling.
Vlad pulled away first, but quickly reattached his lips to Danny's, the kiss rougher than the first. He didn't want to be dreaming, for the mind was a cruel man and always seemed to be playing tricks on him. He felt Danny's hand leave his own and before he could panic at the loss of the boys hand, he felt the boy's arms wrap around his shoulder. Human were weak to addiction and they all picked their own poisons and Vlad was sure he had found his. Kissing Danny was different from the other kisses he had shared with others in the pass. The ones void of emotion were nothing compared to one shared with someone you cared for. Before he allowed himself to get sucked up in the action, Vlad pulled away, his lips slowly leaving Danny's.
The younger boy's arms were still wrapped around Vlad's neck, but his eyes were facing the floor, his face red from the kiss. His heart was beating fast, but he wasn't scared about Vlad finding out, he wanted to hear the beating because he knew that he was alive in this moment, his arms wrapped around Vlad.
"Daniel," Vlad called out quietly, his lips playing against the other boy's forehead. He left feather light kisses against the smooth skin, moving his hand to press against Danny's back. "Be mine," he asked. He pulled away from the boy, wanting to look at Danny.
Danny looked up at Vlad, his eyes resembling glass as he stared up at the older boy. He was never pursued in his life, only ever being the pursuer. He nodded, "Okay," he answered. He stood up and wrapped his arms tighter around Vlad, happy that they were able to fix the problem and come to a solution together. He knew that he would have to go back to Johnathan's dorm room to clear everything up, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to leave Vlad so soon. Feeling the warmth shared between their bodies, Danny felt no reason to leave and all the fears he possibly had before their talk, vanished.
Vlad pulled away from Danny, softly pressing his hands against the slimmer boy's hips to create a small distant between their bodies. "I don't want us to become too serious right now," Vlad started to explain, watching as the boy's face instantly fell. "That's not what I mean Daniel. I don't want you thinking I'm only with you because I'm still feeling upset about Maddie and Jack dating. I want to prove myself to you before I ask you to truly be mine and the first thing I'm gonna do is cook you a nice dinner so that I can make up for our missed meal in the park."
True to his word, Vlad left the room, smiling softly at Danny as he headed into the kitchen. Danny was left in the living room, his semi-packed bag resting on the floor. He quickly picked it up, removing the items and putting them back into there proper place. Once the job was completed and he had taken over Vlad's living room again, Danny decided to go see what Vlad was up to. When he entered the kitchen, Danny was not prepared to see Vlad in a bright pink apron, chopping a variety of vegetables against the cutting board. The shorter boy leaned against one of the counters, watching Vlad work.
His heart fluttered watching the older man and he knew that this wasn't a little school boy crush. Maybe there was something in the future Vlad that appealed to Danny as well and that's why it was so easy to be caught up in the younger versions charms. There were so many similarities to the two versions, yet they were so very different. While they both shared the love of learning, Vlad in the future was more concerned in gaining power, yet past Vlad just seemed to want to better himself.
"So" Danny wondered out loud, pressing up against Vlad. He was now pressed against Vlad's back, watching the other man's hands move with the knife from over his shoulder. "I know that we aren't official or anything, but I feel like I know so little about your past and how you came to be who you are."
Vlad let out a soft chuckle, stopping his movement to turn to the boy, his signature smirk replacing the smile he had only moments ago. " I could say the same about you, my little badger."
Danny sighed, knowing that Vlad would ask more about him in return. "I guess I should tell you a bit more. It would be awfully awkward for us to be together while knowing next to nothing about each other. So Vlad, what would you like to know?"
Author Note: Alright, yeah I have no excuse for my absence besides school is stressful, depression is a bitch, and work is killing. (Also my mom threatened to kick me out, but that's a daily thing.) Anyway, I know this is short and I'm sorry, but I thought I would upload this bit just to give you guys something. The next chapter will be longer and hopefully won't take me as long to write. I'm almost done with my first semester of college, so I'll have time to write soon, I promise!