A/N: Hey all, thanks for reading! I hope you're interested in chapter three! Not much to say about this one, but just read carefully, this is another chapter where a chunk of time passes within the chapter. R&R if you so choose. Peace and love and good reading!

Entry III

In the first few weeks after our conversation at the mansion, I didn't see Vlad at all. I didn't use my new power and I tried like hell not to think about it. I didn't want to accept that there was some special thing that could connect me to that mad man. And I didn't want to acknowledge that when Vlad used that connection on me, it felt too damn good.

I was determined beyond anything else to attain my goals of graduating as high up in my class as was possible. College was harder for me, I started to realize this as the weeks wore on. Even with Vlad staying away and me focusing only on my studies I was having a hard time keeping up. I needed the job and after the first week, I realized I didn't want any other job that I might be able to get.

The flexibility was as Vlad promised. I gave them my class schedule, they worked around it and I still had plenty of time to get my homework done and study for any tests that might pop up on me. It was, in a sense, idyllic and to some degree, I was thankful for this opportunity Vlad had given me.

However, no matter how hard I worked, no matter how often I shoved my head into books or my homework, or how focused I was at the office while I did what was required to keep my job, no matter how many cafes I went too or how often I went for a relaxing fly around town at night, it seemed my true enemy at the moment was my own mind.

At night, dreams came. Not all of them were sexual but they were all about Vlad. The fights we had over the years were like play by play game reels in my brain. Conversations we shared, both angry and casual, echoed through my subconscious.

I found my dream self examining every word, every tilt of Vlad's brow, every single response I gave and how he would counter. The cloning incident, the disaster that was Pariah Dark. Chasing the Infi Map and jumping from one Era to the next.

My memories of his college years, when I messed up my own future, and the terrifying moment I saw myself and Vlad become Dark Phantom. Every night it was something new and every morning I woke up begging my brain to stop.

In the end, I found myself having a preference for those nights when the decadent dreams would come. The dreams where I would once again witness when we joined, the feeling of it and how it spun me into a new plane of existence. Images of fangs, my body gently jerking and those too hot hands on me.

I found no shame or guilt in those dreams, no regret or remorse. No feelings of failure or self-doubt. Yes, by far if I had to choose at the time, I would have taken those dreams over the others. Still, I was too young to understand it, and I was more focused on school and work. I didn't want to face my fears...or my desires...but as I said before ...what had happened between us the year prior ...was something like fate, and how I saw Vlad after it, well, change is inevitable...

Chapter Three

The Chief

Danny wiped sweat from his brow as he leaned over the engine of his jeep. It was Saturday afternoon and though it was mid-November the chill had yet to really hit. Danny was in a semi-good mood. His homework was done for the week, no tests to study for and no work at the office. By this point, he had finally started to squirrel away enough money into his bank that this repair shouldn't make too big a dent in it. The only problem was, Danny couldn't find what was causing the problem.

He blew into his cold hands as frustration and annoyance swelled and as he climbed off the front of his vehicle he threw his grease rag angrily at the engine, "Ya know, a little gratitude would be nice. I did save you from a junk heap."

Danny had never really been interested in cars growing up, he could admire them and appreciate a beautiful car when he saw them but to be honest, he wasn't really a grease monkey when it came to cars. The only reason he had gotten to this level was because of his mother. Maddie Fenton loved engines and she loved working on cars. Contrary to what was his father's belief, it was Danny's mother who had built the Fenton RV from the ground up.

The only way his mother had agreed to let him get the Jeep was if Danny agreed to work with her on fixing it. Her point was made when she explained that if he couldn't fix a car engine why the hell would anyone let him work on rockets or shuttles.

Danny had caved and agreed and they had spent that particular summer slowly working to get the Jeep up and running. It turned out that while it wasn't Danny's favorite pastime, he was actually pretty good at it and his mother was amazing at it. So, bonding with her over this particular engine had been worth the headache.

However, at the moment, Danny was one wire away from calling his mother and trying to troubleshoot it with her over the phone. He had no clue. He had gone through all the basics. There was gas in the vehicle. He hadn't left his lights on overnight, all the wires were in place, no issues with the oil or coolant system that he could tell and the battery was charged but the engine sounded like someone had dropped a wrench in it whenever he tried to start it. He really hoped it wasn't the starter or the alternator but he had never covered that with his mom and honestly didn't know what to look or listen for.

He was about to go search the world wide web on his phone for videos on the subject matter when a sleek car pulled up beside him.

"Everything alright, Little Badger?" that familiar voice asked and Danny didn't even bother to look up as he peeked between his phone screen and the engine, going through another checklist that the wonderful internet had supplied. His heart sped up, butterflies hit his stomach and there was a very strong pull to reach out with his core, but Danny just stood like a stone next to his vehicle.

He had sensed Vlad approaching even though his ghost sense had not gone off and he said in a rather deadpan voice, "Hey Vlad." he looked at the muted video another moment before he turned and leaned back down towards the engine of the car.

"Just...nhg, come here you little...the blue one? Or red? Which fucking wire is it-" The young man said under his breath as he gently tugged at wire casings to try and see if he could-

"Would you like some help? Need a tow?" Vlad asked.

"A what? A tow? No thanks, I might not be a good mechanic but I sure as hell can't afford a good mechanic either. I'm just going to have to keep poking around until….nhga!" a chunk of wire came loose in his hand as he stumbled back and away from the vehicle, "Grrreeeat." he said with utter resolve to just sell the damn Jeep and simply take the bus downtown like everyone else.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand. I mean a tow to my house. I have a personal shop in the back." Vlad said, Danny still not looking at him. Excitement grew in his chest at the idea of going back to Vlad's and Danny's inner strength crushed it down like a bug and beat fists on its metaphorical chest as he ignored it.

Danny murmured with a sigh, "Of course you do. Look, I appreciate it, but mom and I started working on this hunk of junk nearly two years ago and as stupid as it sounds since I am a novice at best, I just don't like other people working on her. She's...kind of a gift….and my own personal curse."

Danny finally looked over to Vlad making eye contact that sent shivers down his spine before he realized the man was actually driving himself in a drop-top car that looked far too expensive to even be on the road.

"I didn't mean to imply I had a mechanic, Danial. I said I have a shop. You will have to fix it, I simply have the tools that will allow you to do so. Possibly the parts as well."

Danny looked between his precious pain-in-the-ass Jeep and the man before him, part of him wanted to go, the part of him that had been contaminated with this strange want of the man before him. Another part wanted to tell the man to fuck the hell off and punch him in the face. The conflict was real and the silence stretched on into nearly two minutes, Danny just staring at him with an expression that was rather foreboding.

Vlad's brow raised slightly as he watched the young man, completely unaware of the battle raging inside the youth.

"Daniel? Are you-"

Holding up a finger of warning, Danny said adamantly, "No creepy bad guy stuff!" and his eyes narrowed.

"On my own life. Just an offer of help." Vlad said quickly, looking rather worried at the sudden seriousness that had taken hold of the young man before.

Danny shrugged, rubbed at his eyes with dirty fingers and felt the battle end inside of him, his desire to tell Vlad to fuck off loosing to the prospect of being nearer to him, "Fine. You win. But I swear to God, Plasmius, you try anything and I will-"

"Punch me into next week, I am well aware of your view on my villainous antics. You always made them more than clear. Now get in, I will call for a tow and you can be on your way to fixing the old girl in no time."

The Jeep was dropped off promptly and even backed into Vlad's personal shop. What the man had forgotten to mention is inside the shop were about a dozen vintage cars that spanned nearly thirty decades. All of them were in peak condition and gleamed in the light. The shop itself was massive and held everything one would ever need to work on cars from any Era of the motorized vehicle.

"Jesus, Vlad. Do you really need-"

"I like working on cars. It's a hobby of mine. I buy them, refurbish them and either sell them or keep them. Actually, it was your mother who got me into it whilst we were in college together. That woman could fix damn near any engine that was given to her. Once she got a car running with a stick of gum and a paperclip. It was rather impressive."

Danny looked up from the engine of his Jeep and stared, "So wait, you know about cars and stuff? My mom taught you about it?"

Vlad sighed heavily, giving the youth before him a rather perplexed expression, "No, Daniel. I just like having all this stuff and not being able to use it. The shiny tools make me jolly." and the man actually crossed his arms and pouted.

Danny found himself laughing lightly at the sight before he turned back to his engine, "Alright then, fruitloop, what the hell is wrong with her?"

Vlad glared a moment before he walked over and leaned in, "Well aside from the fact you pulled out a chunk of wiring-"

"No, it turns out it was the old wiring. It wasn't connected to anything. Probably a previous run that was replaced with newer ones and just left inside by mom or a previous owner," Danny said with annoyance.

"Very well, give me your keys." Danny reluctantly handed them over and Vlad went and got into the vehicle, putting the keys in and trying to start it. The sound that came out made Vlad turn it off instantly. He stood and slowly walked around to the young man who looked at him sheepishly.

Vlad's tone was that of a parent to a child and Danny didn't make eye contact, "Daniel, has your precious Jeep been making a knocking sound in the past few weeks?"

"Maybe, I don't know...for a month or so-"

"And you didn't get it looked at?" Vlad asked with a frown.

"Hey, I just got my job at Vladco, and mom and dad can't afford to send me money every time I have issues and I thought...maybe….it might go away?"

Vlad brought fingers to his eyes and rubbed at them before placing a hand on his hip and giving a soft, "Alright." through clenched teeth.

After another moment Vlad started to undo the button of his suit coat and then removed it. Danny watched as each button came undone, his ghostly core twitching as he felt a tingle of energy reach his fingers. Schooling his expression into one of curiosity he ignored his body's reaction. Vlad gingerly set his coat aside before he rolled up his sleeves and pulled his phone out.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked.

Vlad didn't respond as he waited for the person on the other end to pick up, "Yes, hello Maddie dear. Yes, everything is fine, but it seems your lovely son's jeep has thrown a rod-"

Danny heard his mother's voice scream through the phone as Vlad came to stand next to him, "I knew I should have checked the lubrication!"

"Don't be too hard on yourself, it is a rather old model, you couldn't possibly account for all the... no, no, he is fine, just oblivious. Yes, I can help him fix it. We are in my shop right now. Yes, would you be so kind as to text me a list of all the parts you have replaced since he got it so I don't toss anything that's still alright to be used, I'm not sure Daniel would remember. Uh-huh, thank you, Toodle-loo!"

"Why did you call my mother? I know what's been replaced, and why did you have to tell her I threw a rod, and what the hell is a thrown rod?!" Danny was flustered and Vlad could tell.

"First off, the moment you heard the knocking you should have stopped driving. Second, did your mother ever explain to you how the engine actually works?"

Danny glared, "Of course she did. It's like you said, she's a genius when it comes to mechanics and engines."

"Right, but did you understand her?" Vlad challenged and Danny blushed and stammered out, "Sure, most of it...sort of."

"Dear god, Maddie, you need to make sure your son is actually listening to you when you speak," Vlad said to the heavens.

"Hey, don't be a jerk. Okay, I learned the basics. Changing tires, oil, coolant, washer fluid, checking all those things and I know how to change out the lights and clean the air filter and change the fuel filter and run the brake lines and pump them and stuff ...the engine mostly worked when we got it so we didn't do much with it. So what happened to her?" Danny asked looking forlornly at his vehicle.

"Alright, I will keep it simple. A rod is a connecting piece between the piston and the crankshaft. In layman's terms ...and I mean really laymen, it's what makes the engine run so the car moves. Rods translate the linear motion of the piston, up and down, to the rotating motion of the crankshaft, round and round. If a rod breaks it has one of two options. It will get pressed up by a piston and get lodged in the piston's casing or it will get shot down towards the crankshaft and can break through or crack your engine block."

Danny stared at him, looking utterly lost so Vlad sighed and grabbed his wrist, "Look here." and Vlad dragged him over to the far side of the shop where a very basic schematic of a car engine clung to the wall.

Vlad pointed as he spoke, "Piston, rod, crankshaft, and all the lovely parts that can be instantly destroyed if the problem isn't dealt with. The issue wouldn't have been as bad if you hadn't ignored the Rod Knock that was going on."

"Rod Knock?" Danny asked.

"The knocking noise you were hearing? It means there was something wrong with one of the rod bearings, and all you would have had to do was drop the engine out, take it apart and fix it. Something that would have taken a few days with my help. But now that the rod broke it could mean replacing the entire engine."

"Replacing the entire engine?!" and Danny nearly swooned at the thought of the cost, "Yes, that is why when a rod gets thrown so does the vehicle, to the nearest junkyard," Vlad said softly.

Danny walked back to his Jeep and splayed himself across it, "Oh man, I'm sorry, girl. I didn't know! Man, this blows. I was really hoping to drive you forever." and then he slid down the side of the car and hung his head in misery.

"Well, all hope is not lost. If the rod hasn't cracked your engine block then all we need to do is drop the engine out, take it apart, dislodge it from the piston and replace any pieces that were damaged. I'd also recommend lubricating all the remaining Rod joints and making sure there aren't any other issues while we have it apart."

"Great, and how long will that take?" Danny asked, well aware that it would be much longer than an afternoon.

"Well, assuming you help me, we could have the engine out of the car and partly disassembled tonight. If you don't have plans tomorrow we could get the rest of the engine disassembled and figure out how much damage was done and what needs to be repaired...you have school and work the next week so….if you don't have anything going on next weekend we could probably have the old girl up and running by a week from this upcoming Monday."

"You could have just said next week," Danny muttered.

"Yes, I suppose but I wanted you to understand the work that would be going into this. I don't mind helping you, donating parts and letting you use my shop but you have to be willing to put in the time. After all, it's a somewhat rare vehicle."

Danny looked up, "What? This hunk of junk? Rare?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, even in mint condition the most you'd get for it would only be around 30,000 but still, I haven't seen one of these in a long time ...your mother didn't tell you?"

Danny stood up and looked between Vlad and the vehicle, "T-Thirty-thousand? That thing?"

"I said in mint condition, which this thing is far from. Daniel, that is a 1975 Cherokee Chief. Not the most coveted vehicle by far but it did have a very appealing body and for a time was fairly popular if I recall correctly-"

"Let's fix her! Salvage the original engine, give her a good paint job, beat out the dents!" Danny said instantly.

"Don't tell me you want to sell her, in the grand scheme of things 30,000 isn't worth how much you'd have to put into her-"

"No. I want to keep her, if she's special, even only a little, we should take care of her. She may be one of the few Chief's still around, who knows, will you help me?"

Vlad stared at the young man's pleading eyes, understanding that his offer of help just went from two weekends to several months and the cost of said assistance just went up. Still, the look Danny gave was utterly heart-rending and Danny was surprised to see Vlad cave rather quickly.

"Alright." he sighed and Danny became so excited that he rushed forward and gave the man a hug, "THANK YOU!" before turning away and running back to the vehicle. He peered into the engine under the hood, completely unaware of how Vlad stared after him.

The following month, which sent them into December went by fast and the Wisconsin weather was quick to drop in temperature as the days gave way to winter. Vlad was good to his word and helped Danny work on the Jeep whenever he had free time. The pair existed in these moments of being elbow deep in grease, oil, and parts like they had never fought a day in their lives. Vlad taught Danny everything he knew as they went along. It was civil and strange yet comfortable somehow as they focused only on the Jeep and nothing else.

Danny was a quick study and learned fast, adapting to problems and listening to Vlad speak intently. The rod had not cracked or broken through the engine block so they only needed to take the engine apart, remove the loose piece, replace it with a new rod and fix any damage that had been done to the inside.

It wasn't near as easy as it sounded and Vlad did have to make a few calls to try and locate certain pieces that he did not have in his massive shop. However, the work went rather fast and one evening as they were taking a break Vlad brought up a rather important detail.

"So, what color would you like, my boy?"

"Color?" Danny asked as he took a swig of his coke.

"Yes, for the body. You wanted to restore her to mint condition, right? Well, it honestly looks like Chief's been handed down many a time. She has layers of paint, primer, and gloss, all that have chipped and eroded over time. I actually have a feeling this isn't the first time someone had tried to rehab her. So, since you are currently on my good side and have access to my spray booth, what color would you like?"

Danny thought about it a moment before asking, "What color would she had been back in the day?"

"Hmm, let's see. Well, there was the ever-popular fire engine red and pearl, copper and cream, baby puke green and brown or powder blue and-"

"What about black and white?" Danny asked.

"Black and white? Well, I'm not sure if it's traditional but-" Vlad made a face when the bright light of Danny transforming into Phantom hit his eyes but as he opened them to glance at the boy he smirked, "Alright, black and white it is." and the boy gave a rather smug smile.

"Why must everyone in your family be so theatrical."

Danny gave a knowing smile and said "My father-" just as Vlad said, "Your father."

That same night, after they had put their tools away and closed down the shop Vlad had invited Danny in for dinner. Thus far when they finished Danny went home, whether Vlad took him or the young man chose to fly, he never stayed after they were done working on the Jeep.

However, on this particular day, neither had eaten since breakfast and so Danny decided to accept the offer of a home-cooked meal. Each went up to shower, Vlad in his personal bathroom and Danny in one of the many guest bathrooms. His clothes were still clean thanks to the mechanic overalls Vlad had let him borrow so he didn't need to worry about getting anything in the pristine house dirty.

Dinner was calm and casual, both of them once again focusing on the Jeep and not any other subject. The meal was delicious and Danny was glad for it. He had been surviving off fast food, the dining hall, and cereal. This was not to say that Danny didn't have money, thanks to the job Vlad had given him he had plenty, but he was desperately trying to save as much as he could for after college.

When dinner was finished Vlad offered Danny tea and desert in the sitting room to end the night and once again Danny accepted. Everything was going smoothly when suddenly Vlad asked something unexpected.

They had been sitting in comfortable silence, Danny eating a piece of cheesecake and drinking his hot but sweet tea calmly while Vlad was glancing over some paperwork from one of his companies when the man casually said, "Daniel, I have a favor to ask of you."

The young man had just finished his desert and set the plate aside when he looked up with a small smile and asked, "Yeah? What is it?"

"I don't want you to get angry when I ask. And I want you to understand I'm not forcing you too...but...well-"

"Spit it out, Vlad." the young man ordered good-naturedly with a small chuckle.

"Daniel, I would like you to consent to work with me to hone this new power of ours." and Vlad looked up from his paperwork slowly, studying the boy's reaction carefully.

Danny stared for a moment before he took up his teacup and murmured into it, "Why?" his eyes downcast as he took a drink. Thoughts and feelings along the line of panic and excitement swelled inside him. The past month had been perfect. No fighting, no discovery of evil plots and Vlad had been exceptionally well behaved. Danny was growing more and more comfortable around the man and so such a request was greeted with mixed emotions.

"Why? Well, because it's a new power and I wish to learn more about it. Unfortunately, I can't actually use it on anyone but you. So...if I wish to do any sort of tests or experiments...I need your consent."

"Wait, you can't use it on anyone else? Like, ghost or human?" and for a moment Danny was seemingly interested in this new information.

Vlad set his paperwork down and looked at Danny earnestly, "No, I can't. And believe me, I've tried."

"Wait...did you bite someone else?" Danny asked and for some reason, the thought of Vlad doing so made Danny somewhat angry. He didn't want to acknowledge said anger but it was there. The idea that Vlad might bite someone else or might share his innermost existence and feelings with another sat like a repulsive stone in Danny's gut. He didn't like the idea of Vlad being with someone else but he didn't want to admit that it bothered him either.

"No. Of course not. To this day, only you have had to endure the outcome of me downing a bottle of Jack Daniels. I don't think the bite actually had anything to do with our connection anyway."

"Really?" Danny asked in surprise, having felt very certain for some time that the bite had been what caused their main link and continued connection.

"Yes, really. When I told you the bite was the catalyst I simply meant that moment when I bit you was the moment the power was activated. More than likely due to stress and our core desire for self-preservation. I don't know about you, but after our little fight, I was barely able to stand. You did a number on me, Daniel, I would not have been able to carry on much longer."

"So it wasn't the bite." Danny murmured to himself as he brought his hand to his forehead and rubbed it through his hair, "But wait, you bit me multiple times that night, it was only when your fangs...were...in me that I was able to...to really feel...stuff." and Danny felt a blush come to his cheeks as he realized he had inadvertently opened the door to a discussion the pair had never had and that Danny had wanted to avoid.

"Perhaps the pain of the bite heightened your senses and made you more receptive to me. Either way, the only person I can reach out to, the only core I can access is yours. Now, whether we decide to ignore this power or embrace it, I leave up to you, but I want to know more about it and figure out what is actually happening to us when our cores touch. The only way to do that is to study it, to experiment. I can't force you to agree, but...I want to know."

Danny thought about it a moment, once again he realized it was one of those times where his instincts said no but his curiosity said yes. On top of that, Danny could get some of his own questions answered if he agreed. They may even be able to find a way to cancel this connection altogether so that Vlad couldn't connect with him. There were more pros than cons to this scenario and Danny also realized he might be able to get something out of it too.

"I will agree with a few conditions." Danny offered.

"Name them," Vlad said quickly.

"I have a few questions I want you to answer. And I want you to answer them truthfully. I also want you to agree that if I say stop if I tell you it's over, that I am done...you listen. I want you to agree to let it go if I don't want to continue."

"Yes. Very well. That is a wise addendum. Anything else?"

Danny didn't want to say it, but honestly, he felt like he had no choice, it was embarrassing and voicing it was going to be extremely uncomfortable but he needed to know he was going to be safe if he agreed to this.

"No...no sex. If things get to...intimate...we need to call it a night and come back to it later. Alright? I need that promise from you and I need you to keep it." and his face was hot and red as a strawberry, his heart hammering and his stomach felt sick but he managed to make eye contact with the man whose eyes were wide and brows raised.

"Oh...right ...of course. I didn't even...yes. I understand Little Badger. You have my word, on my own life, nothing like that ...it ...it won't happen again." His voice sounded a little disappointed, or perhaps just sad. Perhaps the only reason Vlad wanted to do this was for that reason. Danny understood it to a degree. For the first few months when he was trying to break away from the potent draw, he felt a little disappointed himself that he couldn't just give in and hunt the man down.

But once that withdrawal passed, once that urge to seek Vlad out and join again had passed he was glad he had stood his ground. Danny was too old to be scared or shy of such a thing as sex, and right now his feelings about his old arch-enemy were still too confusing for him to let something like the "joys of sex" get in the way. The ONLY reason he was agreeing is that in doing so he may find a solution to end this.

He'd be nineteen in October and while Danny wasn't opposed to sex, having it with someone like Vlad, no matter how intimate and enjoyable it was proven to be, he just wasn't going to allow the thought to even cross his mind.

"Alright then. We can figure out this new power together. Honestly, I have questions about it myself, especially now that I know I can do it too. But first, I'd like to ask my questions."

"Yes, please do," Vlad said, sitting up straight and giving the young man his full attention.

"Okay. Well, I don't know how much of last year you actually remember. You were really drunk, but...you said some things that concerned me and I need you to clarify. So, what actually happened to Danielle?"

Vlad sighed, "I figured at some point you would ask. I don't know. I saw her one day in the Ghost Zone. I thought to pursue her but in the end, decided not to. I don't know if she went through your parents portal or my own but she was there and she flew off towards areas unknown. I left surveillance bugs, waiting to see if she ever returned, at both your parent's portal and my own, but she never came back. It was Skulker who told me she ran into a Guardian Beast. He said she was destroyed. Part of me thinks that perhaps she is still alive, but I've yet to find any evidence nor have my cameras picked up any sight of her."

Danny digested this a moment before he said softly, "So, she could still be alive. A body was never recovered. So...maybe-"

"Yes, there is always a chance. A very small one, but a chance." Vlad offered.

"Okay. Well...good." though Danny didn't feel very good. Honestly, he felt guilty and horrible and like a very bad friend. If he had known, he would have gone looking for her. Tried to help her however he could, "How long ago was all this?"

"When you turned sixteen. Over two years ago." Vlad said softly and Danny saw in his eyes a sort of honest sadness, though it was faint. Perhaps he had cared about her in some way, some weird twisted Vladian way. Though Danny supposed it didn't matter now.

"Next question. Why were you drinking that night?" Danny asked with a narrow-eyed stare, watching for any evidence that Vlad might try to bend the truth.

"Why does anyone drink a bottle to themselves? To drown out their feelings and dull their own sense of reality. I wanted to be numb and I wanted to get you out of my mind."

"But why. Up until that point, nothing truly bad had happened between us. Like you said, you stopped being a bad guy. You hadn't done anything really evil in nearly two years. You even moved back to Wisconsin and aside from the occasional run-ins, which weren't even that bad, you were...well...behaving."

Vlad sighed and stood, walking over towards the fireplace which was crackling and washing soft warm light across the room.

"Exactly. I had been behaving, as you so rightfully put it. But I had been behaving for you. Behaving in hopes it would draw you closer to me. So that you would see I could change, that I was trying to change. I wanted you to see we didn't have to be enemies. But, as your senior year came to a close, and I attended your high school graduation I found that my desire simply for friendship had changed. I wanted more from you because I loved you and I knew that such a relationship between us was impossible. I buried myself in work, in my real businesses. And every time I had an opportunity to use my powers to make my company stronger all I could think about was how you wouldn't approve. I lost several rather nice business deals because of it. In the end, I tried to focus on myself, on regaining the fire and desire for power I once had. At one point, I thought I was getting close, ready to return to my old ways, but when the time came to go in for the kill, I still couldn't do it. I realized at that moment that I was no longer the man I used to be and was now a man of morals and principles and yet, I still had no place in your life. I had become everything you would have wanted me to be, but I was nothing more than a bad memory to you. I was drinking because I wanted to push away how painful it was to once again try and succeed only to have it ripped away from me because of the actions I had taken. I was halfway through a second bottle when I sensed you. In my drunken stupor, I thought that perhaps I could kill two birds with one stone. That night, when I went out to wait for you, I planned to kill you. Then I'd kill myself. I would both regain my power and will and also put an end to this cruel life of loneliness and suffering. But once again, as I looked at you, so close to death by my own hands, I just couldn't do it. I still loved you and I was still this new version of myself. I didn't want to kill you and I didn't want to end my life, I simply wanted you...and wanted you to want me too."

Danny had half turned in his seat, hand resting on the back of the chair as he listened intently and watched the man's somber face.

"So, you really love me? It wasn't just the booze? I mean, somehow, somewhere along the way...you...but what about my mother? And my dad, don't you still love her and hate him?"

"No." Vlad said with surety, "The love I had for your mother died out quickly when I started to focus on trying to change for you. And Jack, well let's just say I don't really care anymore. He is your father, you love him and taking him away from you would hurt you in ways I can't even...it wouldn't make you happy and unfortunately, that is all I care about anymore. Your happiness."

Danny stood and slowly walked over to him, placing a hand on the man's shoulder and despite the layers of clothes between his hand and Vlad's skin that soft hum of a connection made his body tingle, "No, Vlad. Not, unfortunately. Everything you've just said, well, it's good. It's very good. And, while I know it doesn't mean much coming from me, I am really proud of you." and he gave the man a soft smile.

Vlad's eyes met his, the look of surprise on his face lingered as he raised a hand to Danny's face and the young man gave a soft gasp at the touch. Danny was distracted by the unnatural amount of heat coming off his hand and in that moment a flare of energy from his core seemed to press from his chest and instantly go to Vlad.

Danny felt his energy caress Vlad's core and the man pulled away from him quickly, gasping and closing his eyes, "Pull back, Little Badger, that's a bit...much. I...it makes me want to...just pull back." Vlad requested through clenched teeth quietly.

Carefully Danny tried to focus and pull back the energy he hadn't even realized he had released and after a moment Vlad seemed to calm though there was the faintest trace of sweat on his brow.

"Are you alright?" Danny asked.

"Y-yes, just need to sit...down." and Vlad plopped down in his previous seat as he took out a handkerchief to wipe at his brow.

"I don't understand, what...what did you feel? I've never had a reaction that strong before when you did it to me." Danny asked as he sat down across from the man.

"Yes, well, there is quite an age difference between you and me, Little Badger and your emotions are a bit less...mature than my own."

"Hey, at least I'm not the one who tried to off both myself and my own counterpart. I think my emotions are pretty well mature, thanks."

"A good point, but that's not what I meant when I said mature."

"Oh. What did you mean then?" Danny asked as he cocked his head and studied the man who looked far less in shock now that he had sat down.

"As healthy as I am, your emotions are sharper, more clear cut and far less jaded than my own so the feelings I receive from you are more poignant."

"I still don't understand," Danny said, looking embarrassed as he scratched at his neck.

"Let me ask you this. Whenever I have touched your core before, how would you describe it? What does it feel like?"

Danny thought about it for a moment and then said, "Like a warm blanket, soft and gentle, fresh out of the dryer."

"Yes, well, the two times you've managed to touch my core it's more like a bucket of ice-cold water. A rather large shock to my system and makes me feel quite a few years younger."

"Hm, wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I have a cold core and you have a hot core. I mean, your hands always feel like they are on fire like they might burn my skin."

Vlad made a face at the young man's omission as if he had never even thought about it before.

"That's a valid point and one I wish I had thought of sooner," he said begrudgingly before he looked at the young man and stood. "Well, I suppose that's all for tonight. I best get you back to your dorm. Unless you have anything else you want to ask me?"

"No. I can't think of anything."

"Well if you do, you are always welcome to ask. I will see you next weekend to work on our lady the Chief and to start figuring out what exactly this power is."

Danny stood, giving a nod before he headed for the door, Vlad following close behind. As Vlad drove him back to the dorm Danny took the silence of the ride to think about everything they had talked about.

He didn't feel so worried about his situation now that he and Vlad had talked about it. It was an interesting outcome, the fact that neither could use this power on another. Danny did have more questions about it, but Vlad was apparently just as much in the dark as him. It had also been the first time the pair had really addressed anything about what happened that night and aside from the fact Danny had been uncomfortable admitting the truth of the matter out loud that he and Vlad had sex that night, he also felt a little better now that it was out in the open.

Vlad pulled up outside Danny's dorm and the young man got out, but before he closed the door he leaned back down and asked carefully, "Hey Vlad? You're not still...I mean you don't want to still...you know, uh…" and he cleared his throat, a little worried about saying something that might upset the man.

Thankfully Vlad gave a shake of his head, "No Daniel, I no longer want to off myself. It was a fleeting desire when I was in my darkest moments. But I am better now. Especially since I have you to talk to."

Danny smirked, "Ok, cool. Have a good night."

"You as well, Little Badger."

As Danny lay in bed, his roommate below snoring softly with earbuds playing music too loud in his ear, Danny lay on the bottom bunk and stare at the bed frame above him. Pale light from the street barely made it into the room and as Danny tried to calm his mind something caught his eye.

Taking his phone from the nightstand he turned on the flashlight and pointed it at one of the wooden slats above and saw, among many other names carved into the wood a rather fancy VM that was slightly bigger than the others.

In all his months here, Danny had never taken the time to really look at the copious amounts of names that had been etched into the slats of the upper bunk. A small mischievous chuckle hit him and he took a picture of the initials before sending it to Vlad with a caption that said, Whelp, looks like you finally got me into your bed. DF

He waited a moment to see if the man responded but instead of a text, he felt Vlad's energy suddenly appear outside his core and give it a rather playful push though it did not wrap around nor did it stay long.

Danny looked at his phone when it pinged, Very funny, go to bed Little badger, it's late. See you next weekend. VM

As he continued to gaze at the carved initials his small smile faded and he realized that given his desire to not encourage the man's feelings for him, he probably shouldn't tease, flirt or make such lude jokes. He felt slightly bad but in the end, Vlad seemed to find it amusing so perhaps it was alright.

Danny fell asleep that night rather content with the way things had turned out. It had been a good day, and he hoped things would only get better.

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