Disclaimer: I created Danny Phantom! Yup, you heard me, I also created Fairly Odd Parents. looks at her ID card Oh wait, my name's not Butch Hartman... Damn... guess I don't own anything.
Note: I won't torment the poor boy's too long, don't worry.
Chapter Four - Company's coming!
Danny searched through his drawers for something clean and flattering to wear for his meeting with Dash. He didn't want to call it a date, because he knew that would jinx any chances that he had with the jock. He blushed as he swept through his t-shirts, looking for something appropriate yet sexy. His hopes raised when he remembered the shirt he'd gotten from Sam on his last birthday. He had never thought he'd dare to wear it but perhaps with something light underneath it would be warm enough. He took out the shirt he wanted and smiled to himself.
"Well, Sam'll be glad she got this for me." Danny grinned and set it neatly on the chair of his desk.
The pants were a little bit easier as he simply pulled out a clean pair of jeans and set them to the side. His outfit was complete. Now he just had to wait two hours to meet with Dash. The thought made him giddy and he fell back on the bed, wrapping his arms around his waist, hoping Dash might do the same later. He knew better than to expect too much, after all they'd be in public and it was bad enough for Dash's reputation that they would be seen together. The halfa turned on his side, not wanting to dwell on the fact that Dash would probably still beat him up in school. But still wouldn't that be better than both of them completely ignoring their feelings?
Danny closed his eyes, trying to picture Dash's face when he was going to kiss him. They had been so damned close!
"Shit." The boy covered his face with his hand, "What if this is just some bullshit prank?"
"Then I suppose you'll look like a fool," A cool refined voice spoke to his right.
Danny jumped out of his bed at the familiar voice, glaring at the older halfa that floated above his bed. Vlad smirked cockily down at him, his legs crossed in the lotus position. Danny narrowed his eyes slightly when he noticed that the older man had on a different outfit than normal and silently wondered how he did it. All the time that he transformed he couldn't get anything besides the stupid white jumpsuit. But Vlad had changed from his labcoat attire to an old style tuxedo with a cumberbund and frills at the neck and wrists.
"What are you doing here? You'd better not be going after dad, I warned you--"
"Yes, yes, brave heroics and all that," The Packers fanatic sighed. "But no, I am not here for your father. Or your beautious mother for that matter. Although..."
"Ew! That's my mom you creep!"
"Really Daniel, I thought you were above name calling." Vlad sighed and floated himself down on the bed. "The reason I am here is you."
"I'm not going with you!" Danny scowled.
"You don't have to."
Vlad's calmness was beginning to wear on his nerves and Danny carefully sat on the edge of the bed. If his enemy could be civil then he could do the same. This was just a week full of surprises.
"So talk." Danny crossed his arms over his chest.
The older halfa extended his hand and Danny accepted it grudgingly. The other's ghostly hand feel cool against his own and the teen shivered as Vlad ran his fingers across the top of his hand. He didn't think that the older man was trying to be romantic but it felt like that anyways. Danny chalked it up to his manners and shook it off, knowing Vlad was too obsessed with his mother to even begin being interested in him.
"I will admit, I've been watching you for quite some time. And lately you have seemed... different. More depressed, more self aware even." Vlad began, his eyes softening to look almost human. "I feel I must warn you Daniel, the person you're chasing is not what you want or need. That man will only leave you broken."
Danny snatched back his hand, getting off his bed to try to put as much distance between them as he could. Vlad sat still as a statue, watching him like a panther would watch it's prey. Danny crossed his arms over his stomach, feeling a chill from having been so close to Vlad in his ghostly body. The teen had no where to run without getting past Vlad first so he slumped against the far wall, still scowling at the older man, hoping that he'd get the hint and leave.
"You don't know him." Danny knew he was pouting but he didn't care.
"And I suppose you do?" Vlad raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the shirt Danny had picked out.
He picked it up and Danny grit his teeth to keep himself from yelling at the other man to stop. Vlad held the delicate mesh shirt carefully, like it was some kind of spiderweb. He lay the shirt down in his lap and sighed, turning to Danny once more.
"Daniel--"
"Danny." The teen muttered.
"Danny..." Vlad spoke softly, practically tasting the name. "I have met these kinds of men before and they are all alike. He will only want one thing from you and then he'll simply toss you aside. And I know you want more than that."
"You don't know me." Danny curled inwards on himself, his body shaking slightly as he kept control over his ghost side, wanting to disappear and fly away. "I don't care if it's just once."
Vlad got off the bed, fluidly changing to his human form as he did so. Danny looked up and went to move even as the older man crouched beside him. Vlad put his arms on either side of Danny's body to keep him from running in his human body, confident he could change quick enough to catch the boy if he decided to bolt in his ghost form. The teen could feel Vlad's warm breath on his cheek and he was partially glad that he was human. It didn't feel as sureal or cold when he was 'normal' and Danny wondered for a moment if Vlad ever felt the same.
"Daniel... Danny, I know you because you are like me. We share more than just our dual bodies."
"I'm not like you," Danny whispered, edging closer to the wall.
"You may not agree with my methods, but we are similar." Vlad's voice was soft, like a hypnotist.
Danny's fingers clenched on the soft carpet beneath his fingers. He saw Vlad extend a hand and flinched when he set it on the teen's shoulder. He looked up at the older man, expecting him to attack but was only met with kindly eyes. It was unnerving and not like Vlad at all and it disturbed him. It wasn't the passion bordering on obsession that he'd seen when Vlad looked at his mother, and it wasn't the distaste and pain when he looked at Danny's father either. It was as if there was something lurking in his gaze, watching for the right moment to show itself to him. Danny shivered, his eyes darted to the hand on his shoulder, not used to being touched by anyone. He didn't know what disturbed him more, the fact that Vlad was touching him or the fact that he didn't want the older man to move his hand.
"Give me a chance to prove he's not worth it." Vlad hissed, his impatience flaring for only a moment.
"How?" Danny declaired darkly.
"We can go invisible and watch him." Vlad suggested, his hand sliding down the boy's arm to his hand, squeezing it softly.
Danny let his hand be taken. "That doesn't feel right."
"But if I'm wrong then won't you feel better? You'll know for sure that he wants you."
Danny could have sworn he heard longing in Vlad's voice and looked at the floor. Perhaps Vlad was changing for the better? Maybe he remembered how much it hurt not to be able to have Maddie and just wanted Danny to be happy. The teen stood up and Vlad followed suit, moving liquidly like he was still a young man himself.
"I have to get changed. I'm meeting him in an hour or so..." Danny rubbed his arm.
Vlad took his hand with a smile and then looked at it, subtly feeling his soft skin. The older man opened his mouth to speak and let go of Danny's hand, a look of guilt crossing his eyes. He bowed low and turned invisible before leaving the room to give Danny privacy. Not worried about the man peeping Danny stripped out of his shirt and picked up the mesh one. It would probably be a bit cold, but then again maybe Dash would put his arm around him if he shivered.
He didn't want to believe Vlad but Dash had never been nice to him. It was depressing but he had to think realistically. The mesh shirt slid over his skin a little roughly and he blushed when he felt the coarse fabric rub across his nipples. His jeans pooled at his feet and he kicked them into a corner, reaching for his other pair of clean jeans. The teen paused a moment before shucking off his briefs as well, trying not to think of what it implied. The cool air brushed across his bottom and he held the jeans to his body, turning around to see if Vlad was there. It was a ridiculous thought, but the chill air had reminded him of ghosts. Quickly he put the tight jeans on, hoping Vlad wouldn't make a comment about them.
The teenage halfa opened his door and opened his mouth to whisper for Vlad to come back. He was surprised when a wisp of blue air escaped his mouth and he glanced around, waiting for the older man to show himself. Danny could feel a difference in the air to his left and turned to face it. Vlad came partially into sight and made a motion with his hand for Danny to come with him. The blue eyed boy glanced around quickly before making his body intangible and floating after his would be mentor. Vlad looked back and took him by the hand, floating them both up through the roof. Danny shivered as he passed through the electronic devices on top of his home and crept a bit closer to Vlad, unsure if they would set off any detectors that his parents had made.
The older halfa gave his ghostly arm a soft tug and nodded towards the town to indicate that they had to go. Danny sighed and nodded, taking his hand from Vlad's and rubbing it gingerly as he floated in the direction of the Nasty Burger. Quietly the younger boy wondered how long Vlad had been in town and if he knew his way around. If they eventually got into a fight, Danny wanted the advantage of knowing all the short cuts through his home turf. It was a bit dispiriting to think of fighting Vlad again, since Danny knew he'd probably get his butt kicked but he had to face reality.
The pair floated side by side and Vlad smirked before turning over and crossing his arms behind his ethereal head.
"There's faster ways to go about this."
"What do you mean?" Danny quirked an eyebrow.
"Sprout wings, it will carry you faster."
Danny's shoulders slumped and he pointed at his bare back. "In case you havn't noticed, I can't just 'sprout' up a pair at random times."
"Only because you're not trying. But then again, I suppose that's too advanced for you isn't it?" Vlad goaded him, loving the fact that he could get under his skin.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
Vlad said nothing but slowed his float, forcing Danny to stop with him. The older halfa stretched his arms up and grimaced slightly, like he was pulling a muscle. The tuxedo he now wore in ghost form slid apart along his spine to release a large set of dark green wings. Danny watched in awe, still surprised everytime he saw Vlad show off a new trick. He had expected the wings to be leathery like a bats but they were actually layered with feathers and Vlad flapped them to test their strength. The older man crossed his arms over his chest with a triumphant smile and then reached for Danny.
"Now you, just concentrate on your body and how each limb feels then create another. It's truly exilerating." Vlad's smile broadened.
"It looks hard." Danny rubbed his arm, nervous about trying something new in front of the experienced man.
"You won't know until you try." The older halfa frowned.
"I don't think I can do it."
Vlad rubbed his temples in frustration and slid his body behind Danny, making the younger boy spin around to try to keep him in his eyeline. Just as the boy was about to ask what he was doing the elder halfa reached to Danny's spine and trailed his fingertips along his back. Danny was fairly sure that if he was human he would have had goosebumps from the touch but as it was, all he felt was a warmth spreading over his body. The white haired teen sagged forwards, a rush of dizzyness passing over him as he looked into Vlad's eyes.
Danny gasped when he felt wetness seeping down his back to the base of his spine, trickling between the cleft of his bottom. It felt vaguely erotic and he blushed before looking over his shoulder to see a pair of light green wings, as large as Vlad's but bat like instead of angelic. The younger boy's jaw dropped slightly and he turned to glare at his would be teacher.
"That's not fair, how come you've got those wings and I'm stuck looking demonic?"
"Because things are not always as they appear. Be thankful, if your opponents think of you as demonic it might shake them up and make it easier to fight them." Vlad gave a small grin before motioning for Danny to continue leading the way.
"Thanks." Danny looked at him warily, flapping the wings he'd just aquired.
"Just giving you a push. Next time you have to do it yourself though."
The older halfa pumped his wings once, propelling his body forwards quickly. Danny was curious to see the wings flex and bend with Vlad's will. Gingerly he pushed and pulled with the new appendages and then grinned when he thought he had gotten the hang of them. Much like any other teenager with a new opportunity to zip along at high speeds, Danny let out a whoop of joy and darted ahead of Vlad.
The older halfa was surprised to hear laughter and then a loud utterance of 'SWEET' as Danny zipped ahead of him. Slowly a smile spread across Vlad's face and he let his wings carry him towards the young boy. He knew the boy didn't trust him, but that would change. And then he could get what he came for.
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Dash: scowling What the hell was that? The date was suppose to happen in chapter two!
Danny: And what's up with Vlad clueless
Vlad: Nothing Daniel, now go eat this popsicle will you? drools slightly
Nika: Pervy old man, this is Dash/Danny not Vlad/Danny!