Tumblr prompt from thenerdycupcake.
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The first thing most did when they crossed over, when they stopped being here and started being there, when the word 'mortal' ceased to apply, was shed their names.
Danny did not have that luxury.
His name was known, and it itched.
"Daniel," purred Vlad, draped with incongruous elegance over the arm of the stained and frayed living room couch.
Danny twitched. "Vladimir," he responded, not even bothering to hide his venom.
Vlad frowned.
This was their stand off. They each knew the other's true name, their full true name, ironically enough, from the same source: Danny's parents.
Thus, they had a deal. They wouldn't use their names against one another in their disputes so long as the other didn't first.
That deal said nothing about using the names to annoy one another for petty purposes or posturing. Vlad had made this quite clear shortly after the inception of the deal.
"Don't be like that, dear boy," said Vlad. "Come, sit with me while your parents show off their latest ridiculous invention." He sipped at his glass, the level of the blood-red liquid inside not lowering even by a hair.
Interesting thing was, Danny's parents weren't bound at all by the deal. Danny suspected their inadvertent use of Vlad's full name was responsible for Jack's continued life.
Among other things.
"So," said Danny, "how long have you been there?"
"An hour," said Vlad, upper lip curling. "I should have known they would get distracted down there. Especially your oaf of a father."
"You know," said Danny. "There's a very simple solution to this problem. One that would prevent it from ever reoccurring."
"If my decades of research have failed to reveal-"
"Stop coming here. Seriously, it's like you're punishing yourself or something. They're the only people in the world who still know your full name and use it. If you just stayed away, poof! The problem would be gone."
"I could say the same for you, little badger," said Vlad, swirling his glass.
"I'm fourteen and they're my parents."
"With enough money and power," said Vlad, the liquid in his glass slowly rising, as if to illustrate, "anything is possible."
"Except getting off the couch, huh."
The scowl on Vlad's face could have killed small mammals. Luckily, it was too late for Danny.
He rolled his eyes. He didn't want Vlad stuck in his house until his parents emerged from the lab, which could be hours from now.
"You want help?"
"What's the price?"
"No evil plans for the next month."
"Twenty-four hours."
"Two weeks."
"Two days."
"The next week. Or I leave you here. Odds are even I'll have more peace that way."
"Oh, alright, alright. You free me from this predicament, and I'll refrain from enacting any 'evil plans' for the next week."
"Great," said Danny, starting to walk away.
"Where are you going?" demanded Vlad.
Danny smirked over his shoulder. "To remind my parents of your existence. It's a lot easier than trying to countermand whatever they told you to do."
Vlad looked like he'd been bitten into a lemon.
Danny continued to the basement door, waving over his shoulder. It was a lot easier. It also meant that his parents would waste even more of Vlad's time showing off their latest half-finished and theoretically unsound invention.
A win-win situation. For Danny, anyway. He might not have any great skill at chess, but he could certainly use the cards dealt to him.
"Mom, Dad?" he called down into the basement. "Vlad's still here!"
There was a thump and a muffled oh no. Danny's smile broadened, and he walked away, a spring to his step.
A whole week, free of Vlad's evil plans. There were so many things he could do!