Prompt 9 –Hanging out with Friends: The thing about these prompts is that there are no guidelines. When I read a prompt my hands start writing until I find the scene and go with it. This one started because I couldn't help but create a character in the last chapter for prompt 8. Personally, I like this chapter :)

Rating: K+

9. Friendly Fire

"You said you didn't have any friends."

"I lied. Why is that so surprising?"

"It's not; I just kind of assumed you really didn't have any friends."

"That is hurtful, Little Badger."

"Truth hurts."

The conversation lingered around the same subject primarily because it pleased Danny to pester the older man. Vlad would attempt to stifle it and then suddenly Danny would be at his throat again and not in the way he wanted. Normally, car rides were great times to think and enjoy the world that went on around you; Danny's attention span wouldn't have it.

Vlad had been doing his best to keep Danny occupied while his parents absorbed the information that had been so forcefully thrown upon them. They'd spent hours in the observatory where Danny indulged in mapping out the path of something or other; Vlad paid small attention as he worked in his designated area of the room. Movie marathons had become common habit as soon as Danny looked to be thinking too hard. Spars, classes, cooking, cleaning, Vlad had considered purposefully sending one of his old minions to destroy a small city to keep the boy from moping around the estate.

When the billionaire had received a call from an old friend requesting to meet up he couldn't deny. Bringing Danny was not a decision he made, he simply told the boy where he was going and he was ready to go before Vlad could reach the car. So there they sat, Danny pestering the man on the pretense that the drive was a little more than an hour and a half and he hated sitting for too long in a stuffy suit. The arguments of 'I didn't ask you to come' would quickly fizzle into the norm and they would fall into silence again.

When they finally arrived at the small establishment, seated on the shore of a lake Danny could tell immediately it was owned by Vlad. It didn't take the fact that they were greeted by name or that Vlad had his own entrance to figure that out. No, it was the Packer green trimming everywhere that Vlad seemed to favor and while rustic it's almost modern appearance screamed Masters. Danny would have to mention that some time later.

"So," Danny started as he looked up at the lighting fixtures of the room, "who exactly are we meeting, again?"

"Finally, I feel like I've been waiting for hours. You are supposed to be the punctual one, Masters."

The voice that flitted across the room and towards the doorway Vlad was standing in was obviously female. Said female was probably only slightly younger than Vlad but barely reached his chin in height making her look younger than that. Her fiery red hair seemed to be enough to fill in the gaps however. Her dress was stylish, not like women who tended to dress to young for themselves around this age.

Danny watched Vlad bend over just enough to give the woman a polite hug.

"It's been too long, Genie. I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"Don't be silly, I can't even enjoy a glass of chocolate milk without thinking about you."

There was obviously an inside joke in there somewhere but Danny wasn't going to question it. What the boy did instead was push past Vlad and boldly offer his hand to the woman because, while Vlad was great at social niceties, Danny was good at just meeting people. There was something about Danny Fenton that a lot of people were attracted to. It wasn't his looks or his wit or charm. It was his all around being that probably came from years of putting others before him.

"Hi, I'm Danny, it's really nice to meet you."

Genie turned her large brown eyes to look up at Danny and the smile she offered reminded the Halfa a bit of his mother. It was a knowing smile but a caring one mixed with years of intelligence and experience in the real world. Danny decided he liked this woman.

"Daniel, but you obviously prefer Danny, Vlad texted me saying that he was bringing a guest. Aren't you a handsome young fellow? Although I don't see how the man let you out without a tie." The woman tsk-ed under her breath and smoothed out Danny's lapel. "I am Eugenia Blake, but call me Genie, Darling."

They shared a smile before Vlad started motioning them to a table that must have been occupied by the woman before they arrived; there was an iced tea a sketch pad sitting on the table.

"My manners must have slipped at seeing your radiant self, Genie. Daniel, Genie is the woman I told you helped me find my image when I was just starting out." Vlad, being the gentlemen, pulled out Genie's seat before seating himself. Luckily, Danny recalled that nicety and didn't sit until the woman had settled in her chair; he could only imagine the covert look he would receive for not remembering.

"I remember you mentioning her," Danny started his gaze flitting from Vlad to Genie. "I just didn't think you guys were friends. Vlad doesn't really play well with others."

Genie snorted a laugh, it wasn't unattractive but it wasn't cute either, she just sort of laughed. "I'll give you that, Danny. Vlad puts on a beautiful show for the media but behind the scenes…" she drifted off as she took a sip of her iced tea, the glint in her eyes amusing.

"I am starting to think that the two of you meeting is not one of my wiser decisions." Vlad signaled the waiter and ordered a soda for Danny and another iced tea for himself.

"From what I read it wasn't your decision at all." Genie pulled her phone from the little blue purse at her side and wiggled it around before speaking, "and I quote, 'Daniel has stowed away in the limo'."

Danny raised a brow at the older, "I didn't stow away. He said if I made it to the car in time than I could go. It's not like I hopped in the trunk or took the driver down."

"That would make you a hijacker, not a stowaway," Vlad corrected, the smile on his face one of ease. Danny paused in his retort to simply admire that smile. When the two were in public it was not uncommon for Vlad to still have half a mask sitting over his visage but between Danny and Genie they'd erased all that. This smile made his midnight eyes shine and his face warm, he didn't become Vlad Masters as soon as they exited the confines of the limo he'd stayed Vlad, Danny's boyfriend. Danny really liked this Genie person.

The conversation was light and perfect. Danny's youth was appreciated between the two who had no problem making references he would never get just to see the look on his face. They talked about Danny's lack of fashion sense which in turn came down to stories of Vlad and his problems with ivory and white. Vlad would comment often about Genies eccentricities and love for all things vintage to which she would retort with comments about the man's obsession for a sports team.

When food was served Danny was reprimanded for his eating habits by both Genie and Vlad; of course this only made him want to eat with his fingers more. However, Danny was shocked to watch the woman complete a steak and two baked potatoes leaving her pre-dinner salad untouched.

"Do you know how many carbohydrates that is?" Vlad was picking at the steamed carrots in front of him, eyeing the woman who was trying to wave down the waiter for another potato.

"Nope," was her response as she finally caught the waiter's attention.

"So then what's your secret?" Danny finished the last bite of his own potato and couldn't help but note that Genie was a very thin person to eat the way she did. "Yoga?"

"No, but now I want a pretzel."

"She's got an intense metabolism," Vlad said as he bit into another carrot, swallowing before starting again. "Food never seems to stay in her stomach for very long before she's hungry again. It is not an excuse, however, to eat so unhealthily."

"Do they serve soft pretzels here?" Genie said, deliberately not listening to Vlad's griping.

When dessert was served Danny was content to slowly eat through his fudge filled chocolate cake and ice cream. To his dismay Vlad had settled with a slice of apple pie but Genie, as she had all night, ordered in excess.

Conversation carried over until eventually Genie turned her brown gaze up to catch Danny's speaking a sentence that almost made Danny to spit out the ice cream already melting in his mouth.

"You guys don't seem much like a normal couple."

Vlad patted his boy's back when he saw the slight distress his small smile becoming a full blown grin. Thankfully the table they sat at was fairly secluded so there were no onlookers to throw disapproving glances at them.

"Excuse me?" Danny wasn't used to just anyone knowing about his and Vlad's relationship, in fact he was very sure he was careful to not show any adoring looks or touch the man's hand like he might if they were alone at home. The public, he knew from experience, did not always understand. As soon as he was finished dying Danny looked up at Vlad who immediately knew that accusing glare and back away.

"Now now, Vlad didn't say anything, Darling." Genie plucked a piece of white chocolate off of her cake and savored it before responding to the dumbfounded look on Danny's face. "Oh no, it's not your fault, it's his." She pointed at Vlad with her fork.

"Mine?"

"You've practically been ogling the poor guy since you got here," she said before turning back to Danny. "He follows your every motion you know. It's like you are two very in sync magnets. I wasn't sure for a minute because most couples tend to look as if they are ready to defend their partner. Vlad just looks like he needs to be able to catch up with you at the last minute; you must be very capable."

"Y-you could say that." Danny's voice sounded awkward to him, like it'd grown smaller.

After popping another piece of chocolate into her mouth Genie pushed her chair back and tapped the green tablecloth in a matter of fact motion. "Well, you two don't have to worry about a thing. It looks as if you aren't really up for telling the entire world yet and," she took a moment to wink at Vlad, "I don't blame you."

When Genie stood so did Vlad but Danny had remained seated his mouth just slightly open in his shock.

"Off so soon, Genie?"

"I would stay longer, Vlad, but I have my own business to attend to. My plane leaves in an hour. I am so glad we got to do this and it was a pleasure meeting Danny. Good day, Darlings."

Genie turned on the heel of her black pumps, red hair swinging behind her like fire. She was tiny in figure but until she left the room Danny couldn't breathe. Perhaps he should have left Vlad's friends as nonexistent.