Hey guys I got another Vlad POV for you this time. I swear I love writing as him, it's so fun. Anyways if you guys happen to notice my grammer is about 10x better than usual, thank Techgirl12. She offered to do some Beta-ing for me and it's helped out a lot. I am very grateful and I'm sure you guys will be as well. Another this is that this chapter was supposed to be a little longer but I couldn't think of a good place to stop if I continued AND I really want to make the next part in Danny's POV anyway. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Vlad POV:
A small smile appeared on my face as I heard the water turn on down the hall. Daniel had taken the information I shared with him rather well, better than I had thought he would anyway. He will probably try to convince me not to send him to school though, which was not an option. He was going if I had to drag him there myself.
Daniel needed people, and distraction so that he wouldn't wallow in sadness all day while I was gone for work. I would be going back to work on Monday, same day that Daniel would be starting school. I had taken the week off given the circumstances. You can imagine my secretaries surprise when I made my first vacation call in years.
I recalled each document and form that would be needed to register Daniel. They were all easy enough to get and I should have no problems doing it by Friday. The day I made an appointment to register Daniel. He would be coming along as well of course, so that he could have a say in which classes he wanted to take, though I already had a set list that I think would most support the boy and his future, especially with his intellect.
There would also be a tour afterwards so that Daniel would be able to orientate himself before showing up on Monday. My little badger would be eaten alive by those kids if he where to show up ignorant of his surrounding and not knowing where to go next.
My smile widened at the thought of tomorrow. School shopping with my little badger was going to be infuriating I had no doubt. But I will be doing something fatherly with him. I could not wait.
I made my way to the kitchen and asked what was being prepared for me and Daniel. I was worried, before that a child's dish would have to be requested if the meal was too complicated. Luckily it was a simple enough dish,one that Daniel would not have to much trouble eating without complaint. I might have to convince him to try the fish eggs though. It would not have embarrassed Daniel, but I would have felt embarrassed for him, for him. I so loathe feeling such ways, but luckily the meal would be fine.
I told the chef to stick to simple things for the next week or so before gradually getting into the more complicated dishes again, just so that I could hopefully ease Daniel into them. He agreed without question or complaint, even though I knew he wished to, and I left back out to the dining room. Then I took my seat, and waited.
I registered the door at the end of the room open, and saw Daniel enter with my butler out of the corner of my eye. They would have to wait a moment though, as of now, I was dealing with an imbecile of an employee. I would have him fired if I didn't realize how hard it was to find personnel of his exact attributes in the industry.
Finishing up the 'conversation', I hung up and looked to my little badger still standing nervously away from the table. I heard a small laugh bubble past his lips at the ending of my call, and had he not looked so nervous I would have smiled. But as it was I didn't want to frighten him off. What has made Daniel so nervous? He wasn't looking at me, and stood with his hands behind his back and head down. It is not something I would expect out of him. He was not one to submit so easily after all.
So instead of prodding him for answers on him mannerisms, I tried to calm him with easier questions, like how he was feeling. Then I invited him to sit down because he obviously wasn't going to just sit himself.
He surprised me once again, by knowing to let my butler pull the seat out for him, and push him in again when he sat. Has Daniel been to formal dinners before? I doubted it.
Soon dinner was served and Sebastian announced the dish while it was uncovered. I (observed) Daniel during this, curious of his reaction. His eyebrows seemed to furrow more with each item named, and his nose crinkled slightly when the fish eggs where mentioned. Just as I thought he was going to need some convincing to try the fish eggs, he surprised me once again.
Daniel's shoulders slightly slumped, he picked up a fork, and shoved some into his mouth. I almost dropped my own fork when he did this. I was hardly ever wrong when it came to Daniel. After a few seconds a look of surprise passed over his face, before he once again became apprehensive of eating the food. Did he not like it? I was an acquired taste after all, but I would have thought Daniel would enjoy it. As he went to take his second bite I sighed, telling Sebastian to leave us.
I asked Daniel what was wrong and after a I told him of my worries he told me he thought it was expected of him to act like this. Why in the Dairy King's name did he think I want him to act like some insignificant, submissive pawn? He was showing every manner of some guest that I don't… care... My thoughts trailed of at it finally hit me.
Daniel confirmed my thoughts stuttering something about the butler. I pressed the button under the table that would summon Sebastian.
Once he got here I explained to him who Daniel was to me. A son, in everything but name. I was a little nervous at saying this in front of Daniel, but he took it in stride,only coughing slightly while drinking his beverage, and said nothing. That made me happier than anything he could have said. Even if he was just doing it to humor me, he accepted the title.
Sebastian quickly apologized, and Daniel accepted it easily. From there I allowed Sebastian to leave, only telling him to send someone to collect our plates soon. He would surely tell the other staff who Daniel was to me, and so I would not have to worry about the others treating him in any way less than a Master.
After a small while I finished with my food, and looking at Daniel, he seemed to have also finished. His plate was not nearly as empty as I wished though. I expressed my concerns to him and he assured me that it was to his liking, but he was not used to eating so much.
That worried me. How much did he usually eat that his stomach could not even eat half of what he was given? He should be eating at least as much as me if not more to account for all the fighting he's been doing. Even with a body as small as his, ghost energy burns through food quite quickly. Even I ate more than what a normal person my size should, and I don't go around fighting every ghost in my path. This would need to change ,but not tonight. It would take some time.
With that in mind I asked if there was anything else he wanted to talk about, not quite wanting to leave him for the night just yet, and clearly he wanted to say something.
I was correct in my earlier assumptions that he would try to convince me to not put him in school,but I would have none of it. I assured him that he would be going to school, andnd even had to assure him of his own intellect. Considering he thought he was not smart just because of his grades.
The conversation turned to a subject I had wished, would stay secret a little while longer, but I had said to much already, and he had caught my words when I said 'taken care of'. This only proved me right about his intellect. He caught things others would not have thought about while focusing on other matters entirely. I would not lie to Daniel if it could be helped. So I explained to him how I had been supporting his family financially for at least a year.
His imbecile of a parents had cost me a pretty penny throughout this time and if I was anyone else I would have had to stop, considering how much they spent a day. Daniel began to cry as soon as I had finished telling him my story. Unable to do anything else, I went and hugged him to me.
Did he think he had to pay me back? It would surely be cause for concern as he could never do such a thing without help. Maybe he thought I would make him work for it myself. I reassured him otherwise. Instead of answering me like I expected, he wrapped his arms around me and whispered a choked, thank you.
I held him like that for a while, my hands stocking through his hair. Calming him to the best of my ability. At one point I had suspected that Daniel had fallen asleep. I was elated that he was comfortable enough around me to let himself sleep, but I did not want to be here all night. So I suggested that we retire. He agreed and I took Daniel back to his room.
"Come now dear boy, stop fussing, it will only be a little while longer." I told Daniel as he stood on a podium with his arms spread in a T form so that the clerks could take his measurements.
I watched the boy squirm as the tape measure was pressed against his chest and wrapped around his body. It would be comical, had I not noticed how his eyes flashed green and he flinched every now and then when the seamstress touched certain areas of his body.
He was obviously not used to being in contact with others, unless they were trying to kill or capture him. I must admit that Daniel was very good at hiding the full extent of his discomfort, but I could not blame him for squirming every now and then.
Daniel glared down at me for my words, I merely smirked at him in turn causing him to grit his teeth and almost snarl at me. Which successfully distracted the boy while the employee (or employees or tailor/s) did his/their job. I heard him grumble something under his breath and huff.
"What was that dear boy?" I asked with my hands professionally clasped behind my back.
"Nothin'." He answered with another glare in my direction.
"Why Little Badger, with that attitude I don't think we'll ever make it to the observatory today." I told him my smirk still in place.
"What?" He said with wide eyes, his attention now solely on me.
"I did plan on bringing you to the observatory nearby, but with the way you are acting it looks as if we won't get to go." we stared at each other for a while, daniel in some kind of state of awe, while I just continued to smirk at him.
"Fine." He mumbled lowering his eyes. By the time our conversation was over, the seamstress had successfully finished all the measurement she needed. He looked mildly surprised at this and lowered his arms hesitantly. I watched as his eyes widened and he looked back at me. He must have figured out what I was doing finally.
"Wait… Did you-...Vlad?" Daniel was at a loss for words.
"As a reward." I told him once the seamstress left to go collect a few sample suits and a catalog for us to look at.
"For what?" He asked still surprised. Before I could answer him, the seamstress wondered back over with a number of suites draped over her arms, and the catalog balanced expertely on top of them all.
And now the fun begins.
What did you guys think? Let me know. If you want to know when I update next make sure you follow down below. I hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you guys in the next one
~Dragon~
