Chapter 13

"Now that's interesting." Danny heard Vlad say. He looked up from where he knelt on the floor as he cleaned under the beds. Vlad stood in the doorway, blocking the person to whom he spoke. Danny frowned when he couldn't hear the second person whispering to Vlad. Nodding and thanking the person, Vlad closed the door.

"What was that about?" Danny asked. I know he's not the same as the Vlad in the future, but I can't help feeling he's plotting something.

"Just a little information gathering," Vlad answered as he sat down on the couch.

Standing up, Danny eyed the man suspiciously. "What kind of information?" He dropped some crumpled papers into the waste basket before he walked over to stand in front of Vlad.

"Just some stuff for a little side project." Vlad smirked slyly, increasing Danny's suspicions.

"What side project?" Danny narrowed his eyes at Vlad and tried to look intimidating.

Vlad grinned in response. Danny suspected he was about to say something then changed his mind. His expression changed into a scowl as he stood to loom a few inches over Danny. "It's none of your business, so don't stick your nose where it's unwanted."

"I – I'm sorry." Danny flinched. Why am I apologizing? I have a right to be concerned over this!

Vlad sighed. "I didn't mean to snap at you." He collapsed back onto the couch, and Danny joined him.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the rumors, would it?" Danny asked hesitantly. "It's been a few days already, and I thought you all said you weren't going to let it bother you."

"As perceptive as Maddie," Vlad mumbled. He lifted his head and stared at Danny. He remained silent for so long that Danny began to squirm under the intense gaze. "I'm still not telling you what the conversation was about."

"Vlad!" Danny shouted. He blushed darkly when he realized how whiny it sounded. Vlad smirked at that reaction, and Danny felt his inside twist. Stop staring at me like that, he silently ordered, unable to tear his gaze from Vlad's eyes. The staring continued, and Danny began to worry. Why won't he stop staring? Or say something? he thought in a panic. And why am I still staring? He opened his mouth but snapped it shut a moment later. I have to say something to break this up. But what?

Resting a hand on Danny's knee, Vlad pushed himself up off the couch. "I have some stuff I need to take care of," he announced as he walked toward the door. "And I believe there's a lot more crap under Jack's bed that needs to be cleaned up." He exited the room, not even noticing the stunned and panicked look on Danny's face.

When the door closed, Danny released the breath he was holding. What was that? screamed his panicked mind as he leaned back against the couch. He rested a hand on the knee that Vlad touched. Why did he touch my knee when he got up? Did he do that on purpose or just an accidental placement of his hand? He rubbed his thumb over his kneecap as he thought. How do I know that a small part of that rumor isn't true? He almost smacked his forehead for thinking that. Dad did say that he and Vlad "experimented." He cringed at that thought, and the image it produced. And Vlad does seem to have this unhealthy obsession with me and the French maid outfit. Groaning, Danny flopped onto his side and buried his face into the smelly fabric of the couch. Why am I even thinking about this? Vlad's not gay. He's in love with my mother. He felt an odd pull and sat up.

"No more thinking about that," Danny told himself in a firm tone. "You have cleaning to do." He walked around the couch and knelt down beside Jack's bed. Vlad wasn't kidding when he said there was a lot of crap under the bed. "I cleaned this two weeks ago! How did it get so messy under here again?" grumbled Danny as he scooped out the trash hidden beneath Jack's bed.

When he finished cleaning the room, Danny changed into regular clothes, since he was done with his maid duties for the day. He lay down on Vlad's bed and sighed as he stared at the ceiling.

If Vlad is plotting something, than he can't be over the rumors, Danny thought with a frown. Why is it bugging him so much? If he can joke about being gay with Dad, why does everyone thinking he's gay matter? He shook his head. Would I want people thinking I'm gay when I'm not? No. So why would Vlad not be angry over this? But that's the whole point of the rumors, to make Vlad angry, to provoke a reaction out of him and damage his reputation. Vlad should know not to play into that person's hand.

Danny raised his hands and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms. Vlad has become a lot less restless at night. The thought came to him suddenly, and he blinked at his hands hovering inches over his face. Why am I thinking of that? he wondered, though it was true. Vlad stopped kicking him in the back and punching him throughout the night.

"I need to stop thinking about this," Danny muttered as he sat up. "Maybe a walk would do me some good." He grabbed his shoes and slipped them on before he left the room. Before he could take two steps down the hallway, he ran into a short blond man. "Oh, sorry."

"I'm all right," the man said with a grin. "No harm done." He stared at Danny before recognition lit up his brown eyes. "You're the French maid guy, right?" He pointed a finger at Danny.

"Yeah, it's Danny." He flushed, scratching at his cheek with one finger. Great, I'm being called that now? How embarrassing! "You're Ben, right?"

"Yeah." Ben nodded. "I know we've seen each other around before and all, but we haven't exactly gotten the chance to formerly introduce ourselves before."

Danny shrugged it off. "You were with your friends and I was with mine. It couldn't be helped. And it's not your fault you were in class every time that I stopped by your room."

"But I wanted the chance to thank you for doing the laundry and cleaning that pigsty we call a room." Ben grinned. "You do good work."

"Thanks," Danny mumbled, and an awkward silence fell over them.

Ben ran a hand through his short hair and scratched the back of his neck. "So, um, do you want to go grab a bite to eat?"

"Well, I think Vl-" Danny hesitated. Why do I keep going back to Vlad? I've been so focused on him and hooking him up with someone. "Sure, okay." He smiled, and Ben returned it. They walked side by side down the hallway.

"So do you like it here?" Ben asked, an obvious attempt to strike up a conversation.

"The calculus class seems good," Danny replied. "That's pretty much the only class I've been too."

"Then you're not an actually student here?" Ben blinked in surprise.

"No, I'm just staying here for the moment with Jack and Vlad." Danny frowned as he said Vlad's name.

Ben stopped walking when he noticed the frown. "Having problems with Vlad?" he asked with concern in his eyes.

"Um, I guess you could say that."

Ben eyed Danny for a moment. "He's keeping secrets from you, and you're worried about it."

"How – How did you know?" Danny blinked, shocked and amazed.

"I'm a psych student," Ben said, shrugging. "My teacher says I have a good ability for judging people. But back to your problem. Have you confronted him about it?"

"Well, yeah, but he only told me it wasn't any of my business." Danny sighed. "But I know he's up to something."

"I hope he's not planning anything bad. Especially if it ended up causing your break up."

Danny jerked and blinked a few times. "Break up? What are you talking about?"

Ben stared, not saying anything for a long moment. "You and Vlad… You're a couple, right?"

"Is that part of the rumor going around?" Danny groaned in annoyance. "No, we're not a couple."

"Oh, sorry. Then, you aren't seeing anyone at the moment?"

Danny thought he saw an almost hopeful look in Ben's eyes, but he quickly dismissed it. "Nope. Not seeing anyone."

Ben stepped closer and hesitantly took Danny's hands, giving the younger man the chance to back away. "Would you mind if we made this bite to eat into an actual date?"

"Um, wait, what?" Danny blinked rapidly as he stepped backward, his gut twisting uncomfortably. "I – I'm not gay."

"I'm sorry," Ben mumbled in embarrassment. "I guess I was reading something that wasn't actually there."

"What exactly were you reading?" Danny demanded. And why am I still holding hands with him?

"I thought that you two were a couple," explained Ben. "Every time I saw you two together, you seemed like one. But since you're not in a relationship, I was thinking maybe I had a chance to start one with you." He laughed a little. "Wow! I think this is the first time I've misjudged a person's sexuality."

"What about Dig – I mean. Do I come off as gay to you?" Danny wondered, Is that why girls don't want to date me in my time? Because I seem gay?

"Dig?" The confusion lifted from Ben's face. "Oh, Digory! He's not gay." He shook his head when Danny started to speak. "He may feel some sort of attraction toward me and the idea of being with a gay may interest him, but I'm not wasting my time on a guy who would leave me in a heartbeat when the right girl flashes her big breasts at him."

"Oh," Danny mumbled dumbly.

"As for the other question, you definitely caught my attention." Grinning, Ben lifted Danny's hand and kissed the back of it. "But maybe I'm just hoping for something that's not there."

Danny freed his hands, not liking the weird feeling coiling inside him. "You seem like a nice guy and all, but I'm not really into guys."

Ben looked unconvinced. "Not like I can force you," he said, shrugging. "But if you ever change your mind about that, give me a call." He glanced at something over Danny's shoulder and smiled weakly. "I believe I should be going now. You'll have to take a rain check on that bite to eat." Waving, Ben walked away and left Danny standing there in confusion.

"That has to be the weirdest thing to happen to me since I've gotten here," muttered Danny. He sighed, his shoulders drooping. He thought I was gay! Danny turned and found Vlad standing behind him. He jumped back a step. "V-Vlad!" Danny could see anger in Vlad's eyes, though the man tried to mask his emotions.

"I was just stopping by to let you know I would be out all night," Vlad said evenly. "And I brought you some dinner." He held up a white plastic bag for Danny to take. "I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

When Vlad turned to leave, Danny seized his arm. "Wait." He gulped, trying to think of what to say. "Whatever you saw, um-"

"I didn't see anything," muttered Vlad as he tore his arm free from Danny's hold. "I still have a lot of stuff I need to do for my project."

"And what exactly is this project?" Danny demanded, feeling annoyed and frustrated. If he didn't see anything, why is he acting so coldly?

"It has nothing to do with you," Vlad snapped.

"If it's about the rumors, then it does have something to do with me!" Danny shouted. When Vlad turned and glared at him, Danny flinched. "Are you plotting some kind of revenge?"

Vlad hesitated, and for a moment, Danny thought he would yell at him again. "And what if I am?"

"What exactly is that going to accomplish?" Danny sighed. "Is that really going to make you feel better? Stooping to her low level?"

Vlad's nose flared, and he ground his teeth. "I suppose it wouldn't make me feel all that great," he ground out unhappily.

Wow! Maybe getting Vlad to do things runs in the family, Danny thought, mildly amused by Vlad's change of heart concerning his revenge plot. But I should probably keep an eye on him. He could just be saying that to get me off his back. "Why don't we go eat?" Danny grinned as he raised the plastic bag. Vlad agreed, and they walked back upstairs to their room.