They sat together beneath the tree in this manner for a while, Vlad holding Danny closely in his arms and stroking his hair comfortingly and soothingly. They had both elapsed into silence, but this, unlike those silences before, did not seem as uncomfortable. Of course, it still seemed odd—being held by or holding someone you'd come to believe was your enemy—but that was not enough to leave either of them with the desire to break away from the warmth of the other and enter the cold that seemed to have eluded them for now. They both unanimously felt that what needed to be communicated verbally had been and that what remained to be said could be communicated through this simple embrace, this comfort they provided one another. And while Daniel might not realize it, or if he did, be able to fully comprehend it, that was the truth—Vlad needed this comfort just as much as he did.

Vlad might act in his usual composed manner, as if he had not just lost the love of his life and watched the child he considered to be his son enter a spiraling depression. He might act as if he were not bothered by this at all, but he was. It might not seem like he was devastated by this, but he was, just as much as Daniel. And while Daniel might think that he only received comfort, he would never know or believe that he gave comfort as well. And he would never know how grateful Vlad was for this. He might not have been holding Vlad or stroking his hair, but the fact that he was simply present and willing to let Vlad embrace him was enough. And Vlad derived perhaps even more comfort from Daniel than he did him, for it was the first time in a long time he had held someone so intimately, and it brought him such joy, such solace. It almost made the love of his life and all the pain she had brought him vanish, because he felt that Daniel was taking her place in his heart. Maybe she had never filled that place; maybe it had been sitting empty waiting for Daniel to do that instead.

Danny was certainly not aware of the comfort he gave Vlad, because, in reality, he had never considered Vlad to be an actual human being who needed comfort. He could not recall a time when he'd seen Vlad in any state of emotional weakness whatsoever, even on the countless occasions when he'd swooned over his mother like a love-struck schoolboy. It was hard to believe, even now, after all the kindness, and, yes, even love he'd shown him, that Vlad could have a heart beneath his chest, and one that needed to be repaired, at that. And even after his mother's death, Danny still could not imagine Vlad yearning for solace, even disregarding the fact that she had been the love of his life, the only person he openly admitted to caring for. But while he did not believe Vlad possessed such human weaknesses as longing to be comforted in times of sorrow, he could not fully believe Vlad had no heart at all, no matter how easy it would have been to do so. He might have once been so incomprehensibly evil, and Danny might still be weary of his intentions, but right now he was holding him to his chest and petting his hair lovingly, and whether or not this gesture was genuine, he felt grateful for it. Because no matter how tough and independent he tried to act, he did need comfort, and Vlad would never know how thankful he was to receive it.

They sat together like this for a long while, basking in this silent comfort, when Vlad was disturbed by the frigid cold which inhabited the air. He looked down at Daniel in his arms, and observed his distracted eyes, staring off into the vastness of space, and the way he shivered lightly. Vlad decided almost subconsciously, because it didn't really matter in the least, that Daniel must not be aware of the fact that he was shivering. It looked to him as if shivering was merely some second nature action which had cemented itself in Daniel's mind, because he looked neither bothered nor pained by the sharpness of the air. He simply looked as one does when spaced out, so far gone from reality that it is necessary to snap your fingers to bring them back. Vlad found that he was also shivering, a little more lightly than Daniel, but shivering all the same. And as much as it pained him to do so, he would have to put an end to this intimate moment with Daniel, unless, of course, they both wanted to freeze to death, because it seemed that that was where they were currently headed. He decided he would take Daniel back to Fenton Works and warm up a while, and, he hoped with his entire being, receive Daniel's comfort yet again.

So, he gently let go of Daniel and stood to his feet. "Why don't we head back, my little one? We'll freeze if we stay out here any longer."

Danny did not look up or move, and lightly, Vlad urged him, "Come, little badger, it'll be warmer inside. We can keep talking if you'd like, but I don't want you to catch a cold sitting out here."

"That's a myth," Danny said without moving his gaze from where he was still staring off into the distance.

"Well, myth or not, we need to get you back home. Hypothermia is no myth, now is it? So, come on, say your battle cry and change into Danny Phantom so we can go warm up."

"I'm never changing into Danny Phantom again." His eyes did not move. His voice was cold and held complete, morbid seriousness as he said, "Never."

Vlad frowned as he stared down at him. For a small moment, neither of them moved, until Vlad leaned down and picked Danny up. Danny's eyes widened and he gasped in surprise.

"What are you doing?" he cried in dismay.

"Bringing you home if you won't yourself. Now stay still so I don't accidentally drop you," he said, and smiled because he felt he could.

"God dammit, Vlad," Danny said, but made no real protest to escape the grip Vlad had on him, and the tone of his voice seemed to have lightened.

Seeing this, Vlad's smile grew wider and he took to the skies holding Danny Fenton in his arms.

A/N:

Hello everyone. I wanted to propose something to you all, because lately I've been feeling guilty that I've been updating with very short chapters which usually end on cliffies. As with another of my stories, I would like to begin updating this story twice a week instead of once, but I would like to make sure that I wouldn't be wasting my own time, so please let me know if this is something you're interested in.

Disregarding that, thank you so much for all the support you've been giving me for this story, it's greatly appreciated. Please review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~VC