Notes: *grins* Did someone ask for some slash? Let's kick things up a notch for our two favorite ghost mates. Oh so glad to finally get this one out of my head, aha. I'm kinda antsy about this because I don't know if it crosses over to M or not. I still feel like it's alright for a T rating... but then again, I started out frequenting the South Park fandom.

Ghost Pox

Danny was sure it was karma. His little white lie when he'd told his parents everything and tried to cover for Vlad had finally come back to haunt him.

He had ghost pox.

Not only was it apparently a real disease, but there was now an epidemic afflicting the Ghost Zone... and the half-ghosts of Amity Park.

It had, not surprisingly, started out with Box Lunch. Apparently the four year old had gotten the ghost pox from some half-formed creature out in the Ghost Zone, and naturally his son had been the next to get it, given that the girl was always hanging around him. Dan had been angry, assuring his mother time and time again that he'd told Box Lunch she'd get sick from eating ghost worms. From there, Danny had gotten it. Then Vlad. Even Skulker had it and had to quarantine himself on his island.

Unfortunately, the symptoms were very obvious, and he'd been forced to hide out in Vlad's manor once again with Dan in tow. As if they were running fevers or something of the sort, Maddie and Sam had flocked over to the house and fussed over the three of them – eventually they'd ended up solely taking care of Dan, since Vlad and Danny had threatened the two women with some creatively violent uses of their powers once it became too much. Of course, they were much less quick to object after Danny got the sudden urge to ride Cujo through the halls of his old high school, or after Vlad thought it'd be a brilliant idea to use the house's electrical wiring to improve his powers. It was a very long two weeks for Danny, to put it lightly.

It was called ghost pox by ghosts because of the glowing green spots that appeared all over the body which characterized the disease. It tended to make one feel dizzy and permanently disoriented. On top of the physical symptoms, it turned out that the disease first and foremost messed with ghosts' heads. Ghosts tended to experience random bursts of energy, overly impulsive behavior, and a loss of inhibitions. The behavioral changes were akin to those of a manic episode in mentally unstable humans. In Vlad's case, he was especially prone to giddiness and hyperactivity, which is why he took to locking himself in his room whenever he could while he was sick.

However, ghost pox also had an added effect on fully-grown ghosts; the disease made one's hormones go haywire, creating an increased sex drive.

This did not bode well with a ghost's mating instincts, as Danny had the misfortune of finding out throughout those two hellish weeks. Especially when Vlad decided to keep his knowledge about that particular symptom to himself, successfully allowing Danny to think he was going crazy and starting to lust after the man.

It would be a lie to say that it started out subtly. No, it all started with a very conspicuous dream. He was eternally grateful that Dan hadn't slept in his bed that particular night, because he'd awoken from an extremely erotic situation. What had woken him up, however, were his loud moans and cries. It was humiliating, to say the least, but even worse were the vivid details which stayed in his mind long after he'd been able to settle down and fall back asleep, making it impossible to look at Vlad the next day.

It went on like that almost every night, but it all turned into a true nightmare when he started getting inappropriate urges and images in his head. The urge to jump the billionaire as he prepared tea for himself in the kitchen, to go into the bathroom as the man showered, to jump him in the hallway and either beg or make him beg.

Then there were the unwelcome mental images which made him want to bash his head against the nearest concrete wall. He tried so hard to push the whole thing to the back of his mind, but his ghost side's will and his own were two completely different things which were certainly not in agreement with each other this time around... or rather, they were in too much agreement. The fact unnerved Danny greatly.

During those two weeks, Danny's eyes were more or less permanently glowing red, whether he was in human or ghost form. Vlad's eyes were likewise permanently pink. It earned them some interesting questions from Maddie and Jack; it also earned Danny some uncomfortable accusations from Jazz and Tucker – in Sam's case, those accusations had been rather violent.

But try as he might, Danny was not able to give his body much needed release without thinking about Vlad, his not-mate. He tried everything, going as far as wandering into forbidden territory like Desiree and Kitty in his sudden animalistic needs, but it all turned out in vain.

He knew something was terribly wrong with him, but the constant disorientated state the ghost pox left him in wouldn't let him care enough to do something about it.

It was an absolute miracle that he lasted as long as he did, what with the visceral behavior that ghost pox caused, but nevertheless Danny still lost the fight. On the tenth night, Danny's sick body and mind overpowered his self-restraint.

Vlad had almost given up hope at that point, thinking that the hypersexuality Danny was bound to be experiencing wasn't strong enough to manifest itself as he wanted it to. However, when he entered the other hybrid's bedroom to ask him what he wanted for dinner, he was pleasantly surprised.

There were no words from the younger man. He simply pinned Vlad against the wall as soon as he entered the room, crashing their lips together and moving his hips rather provocatively while a rather obvious hint as to what his problem was pressed against Vlad's thigh.

Vlad reacted immediately, not immune to the affliction of their increased hormones. Danny moaned into the heated kiss as the smell of spearmint, incense, and the ocean assaulted his senses. The older man gave a primal growl, grabbing Danny's hips and pulling him closer.

The younger hybrid wrapped his arms around Vlad and tangled his lithe hands into his white locks, yanking the hairband off and releasing them from their ponytail. The two stumbled over to the bed much the same way that they had stumbled through the room during the Truce Party four years ago. Danny's back hit the mattress first, then Vlad fell on top of him. Their movements were impulsive and rough, but that didn't make them any less intoxicating.

The two moved their hips against each other, enjoying the friction. Danny bit Vlad's bottom lip hard and the older man hissed, dragging his hand along Danny's chest below him where his hand had found itself under his shirt. Danny cried out as the other man's nail scraped against a most sensitive area.

"Vlad!" he gasped.

Meanwhile, Vlad's other hand had found the hem of his pants. Things escalated from there and the rest, unfortunately, was history.

It became a daily bedtime ritual until the symptoms lessened three days later. Danny spent a lot of time confused and angry at himself, feeling lost and violated thinking back on what could possibly have come over him. Everyone was none the wiser, but Danny still felt as if everyone knew about his moment – or rather now, moments of weakness. As if everyone knew that his own body had betrayed him in such a way, that he'd betrayed himself.

It wasn't until almost a week later, after he'd moved back to his apartment and left Dan with Vlad while he tried to sort himself out, that Danny found out about the last ghost pox symptom by definition. The billionaire wasn't there, but he'd still gone over to retrieve a document for his parents from Vlad's files, albeit without his permission. That was where he found Vlad's study on ghost pox. The manipulative half-ghost had let it happen without a word, had let Danny go after him and welcomed it knowing he'd regret it afterwards. This wasn't a simple kiss under the mistletoe – this was much worse. Danny had no idea why it hurt so much that Vlad had done this on purpose – it was to be expected, after all.

He couldn't even bring himself to retaliate with a fight like he probably would have for anything else. He simply cut off all contact with the man. He didn't talk to Vlad for months after that, instead choosing to pass on messages through Dan or his mother, the latter who pushed to get an answer out of him over the disagreement but was eventually forced to give up. The only reason why Danny reconciled – or rather pretended that nothing had happened – was because of Dan. It had been very upsetting to the boy because he was consequently spending a lot less time with his father, and he also got sick a lot more during that time. Danny had to admit that it was selfish of him to punish Vlad by using his son as leverage, and he wasn't proud by any means.

The only bright side was that, by the end of those months without contact, Vlad was on the verge of insanity without Danny and, to a certain extent, without Dan. When Danny finally showed up at the billionaire's house again, he discovered that even Vlad could be broken. Nevertheless, it was the last time he ever wanted to see Vlad in such a state. It had made for a rather hollow victory. Vlad didn't push it half as much anymore (though he still stepped over the line every now and then), and despite how difficult it was, he now heeded Danny's warnings when the other hybrid wanted his space.

Vlad had finally gotten the message.

End notes: No, they didn't have sex. They just got rather creative with their hands. Use your imaginations. Also, keep in mind that Dan's four in this, so Vlad's gotten rather bold once again with dealing with Danny where "Instinct" is at right now.

This turned out a lot more depressing than I wanted it to be, but some stories just write themselves, right?