Danny walked in and sat down on the bed in his new room. The room itself was lush and had a classic taste to it but Danny didn't really care at the moment. Vlad was leaning in the door way talking to Danny, not that he was listening. "Daniel!" Vlad said loudly as he placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, making him jump away. He looked up at Vlad, unable to mask the fear and sadness in the sudden reaction. Vlad withdrew his hand and looked down sadly at his "nephew".
"Daniel, did you hear me?" Vlad asked softly. Danny used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that hadn't formed yet and then shook his head no. "I was saying you could have those delinquent friends of yours over whenever you wanted. That Samantha and Tucker, I don't care much for teenagers but I know that this isn't easy on you and that you need your friends." Vlad said, showing a look of distaste on his face but also concern. "Thanks.. but my name's Danny. Not Daniel." Danny mumbled, not sure how much he should open up to Vlad.
"Well..." Vlad started, choosing his words carefully, "When you are part of the Masters household, you don't have a cute nickname like Danny. To me, you are Daniel and I will expect you to respect that." Vlad said while taking a seat next to Danny, placing a comforting arm around his shoulders. Danny had to hand it to him, Vlad was being so much more attentive than he would have given credit for.
Vlad leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, "Go to sleep Daniel." and left. The way he said his name still sent shivers down his spine, for the first time in his life, Vlad was being kind towards him.
This type of caring interaction carried on for a few months. They ran into very few problems, like bathroom space and music tastes, and somehow Danny was starting to feel happy again. Sam and tucker came to visit them one weekend a month, but Danny saw them at school a few days of the week so it was okay. The strangest thing that has happened is the way Danny is casually getting along with Vlad. They pass the salt at the dinner table, talk about their days, share their problems, rush to each others defense when needed and actually enjoy the others company. That makes Danny feel like maybe the reason Vlad had been a jerk for so long was because he was just lonely, and that makes him feel pretty bad for Vlad. Danny hadn't brought himself to tell Sam and Tucker that he was actually happy being with Vlad just yet, they still hated him. He planned to tell them today since they were coming over and Vlad would be out.
~~~~~~
The three of them were chilling out in the den playing video games and making jokes about the professors at school. Sam was casually splayed out on the sofa, laptop and text books within arms reach, Tucker was in front of the TV, gaming away, which made Danny wonder about his grades. Danny was sitting in one of the plush recliners, biting his lip from nervous habit.
"Guys... Can I tell you something?" Danny tests the waters. Sam sighs and puts her book down, looking at Danny with a smile. "Finally you decide to talk to us! Tucker, turn that stupid thing off." Sam harps at Tucker with a firm but friendly tone. Tucker rolls his eyes and turns to Danny, only pausing the game. "What's stressing you out man? You look as pale as a ghost." Tucker says, punctuating his statement with a laugh. Sam roles her eyes at him in response. "Go on Danny." She urges.
"I.. I'm happy." He says awkwardly, gripping the arms of the chair intensely. Tucker looks confused but Sam arches an eyebrow. "What kind of happy are we talking here?" She asks knowingly. Danny swallows his fear, he knew she would pick up on it. "I am happy being here with Vlad, he makes me happy." Danny says some-what confidently. Tucker faces him fully this time, "Dude, that sounded gay." He says with zero sensitivity. Sam shoots him a dirty look but doesn't say anything, waiting to see what Danny says. "Well, maybe it was." Danny says a little too fast. Sam smiles just a little, but Tucker starts with the typical questions. "You're gay?!" He asks, "Have you always been gay?" He keeps going without waiting for answers, "Were you gay for me at some point?!" He is getting louder now. Danny is cringing at the questions, he hasn't even excepted this himself and now Tucker is making it worse. "Shut up Tuck!" Sam yells as she hits him on the back of the head. Tucker stops his rant and sees how nervous and sad Danny looks. "Oh... I'm sorry Danny, I've just never..." He doesn't know how to finish, but it's okay. Danny knew this would be new territory for Tuck.
They talk about it for the rest of the evening, trying to normalize it. Sam gives Danny dating advice and good websites to learn about all things LGBTQ+ and invites him to the club at the college, Tucker keeps apologizing and sending Danny pictures of different half naked men that just make Danny laugh.
Just as they are packing up for the evening Vlad gets home and calls his hellos, "Daniel I'm back! I brought home some dessert for us for later, it's not for your friends though." At that Sam and Tucker both die laughing, thinking Vlad meant something else. "Is that his pet name for you? Daniel?" Tucker says, choking on his laughter. Danny blushes and gets defensive. "No! He just thinks it's proper. Please don't call me that ever again."
Vlad waltzes into the den, loosening his tie and taking off his suit pieces. "What was that just now?" He asks, looking to the now silent teenagers. Tucker doesn't back down for once. "Oh, I was thinking of calling Danny Daniel from now like you do." He says with a smirk. Instantly Vlad has a disgusted look on his face and Danny feels hurt. "No. It's Danny, only Vlad can call me Daniel." Danny says too fast and too loud as he stands up from his chair, knocking text books over in the process. Before Vlad can even get the words out of his mouth Sam is already packing up her stuff, "I think it's time you two went home." Vlad says, mostly looking at Tucker.
~~~~
After some rushed and awkward goodbyes, and an encouraging pat on the back from Sam, Danny and Vlad are staring at each other awkwardly in the entrance way. "So... What dessert did you bring home?" Danny asks, wishing away the awkwardness. Typically he would just go ghost and run away but he hasn't gone ghost since the accident. Vlad looks at him annoyed. "Really Daniel?" He says flatly, stepping towards him. Danny freezes, Vlad was saying his name that way and it was sending chills up his spine. Danny would be lying if he said that he hadn't gotten off thinking about that voice before.
Vlad ruffles Danny's hair in a friendly way, then drags his hand down to caress his jaw line in a more intimate way. When he drops his hand Danny exhales a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Why? Why didn't Vlad do anything?
"Vlad..." Danny breathes out as he is walking away from him. Vlad stops and looks over his shoulder, eyes glowing in their ghostly way. Vlad only does that when he is fighting to control something.
Danny starts to step towards him.
"Don't Daniel!" Vlad says in a thunderous voice that stops Danny in his tracks. Typically Danny would leave him alone when he got like this. They both got ghostly rages sometimes but typically they were easy to predict. This one just sprang up out of no where and he couldn't understand why.
"Why Vlad?" Danny asks calmly, he was back into his comfort zone and that made him feel stronger and more confident than he had felt since the accident.
"Why the sudden rage? Why the insistence to take me in? Why did you always chase after me?" Danny finds himself walking forwards as he asks the questions that he has been fighting to not ask this entire time. Vlad leans on the wall next to him and stares Danny down, searching for the words and deciding if he is going to answer.
"Why you ask?!" He growls, scratching into the walls. "Because I'm dangerous right now." He says, his voice sounding more controlled. Danny laughs at this, "You literally spent years trying to kill me and now you are worried about hurting me?" Danny asks in between laughing fits. Vlad visibly bites his lip and Danny's eyes go wide. That was hot.
"Things are different now Daniel, I feel different now." Vlad admits the last part in a quiet voice. This stops the laughter and gives Danny the push he needs. He rushes over to Vlads side and pulls him down by the collar of his shirt and kisses him. Not in a desperate or hungry way (even though he wanted to) but in a tentative and bashful way. This could get him kicked out, or picked up.
Danny starts to pull away but then he feels Vlad nip at his lips, Danny opens his mouth letting out a silent gasp and Vlad takes the opportunity to slide his tongue inside, instantly deepening the kiss. One of Vlads hands finds the small of Danny's back and the other finds his hair, he reverses the position and pushes Danny up against the wall. This makes Danny release a moan that he really didn't mean to let out. Vlad pulls away and looks at Danny with a terrified expression. "I'm sorry about this Daniel, you know how the rage can make you do stuff that.-" Vlad was starting to make an excuse as he backed away but Danny grabbed his hand and interrupted, saying "Stuff that you really want to do any other time of the month!" Vlad doesn't say anything to this but tries to straighten his clothes and Danny's.
"Vlad, I am sorry if this bothers you but.. I like you, and I don't mean as a caregiver. I know that you love, er..-" Danny faulters as he remembers the situation, "Loved my mom but that just means that you should understand how it feels to fall in love with someone you shouldn't.
POV SWITCH TO VLAD
Vlad looks down at Daniel and notes the defiant look on his face. The words that the 18 year old just spoke stung; however, they belonged to an old wound that had already healed. Vlad no longer cared about Daniels mother, the only Fenton he cared for now was Daniel himself. That was the only one he had cared about in a long time. During one of their first few fights where Daniel got injured and was obviously in pain, he looked up at Vlad with those piercing blue eyes. Vlad's first thought was that they looked like just Madelines but the more he saw them, the more he realized that these eyes were better. It didn't matter what Vlad did to Daniel, he would always meet him head on even if there were tears streaming from those beautiful eyes. There came a point when Vlad had abandoned his original goals all together and only continued his villainous ways because that was the only way Daniel would see him. Then one day the boy called him up out of his own free will and explained the situation. Daniel had been experiencing signs of new ghostly powers, ones that he hadn't encountered yet, and when they were out on a family hunt something went wrong. Daniel wouldn't tell Vlad the details but he did tell him that it was his fault, the reason his parents were dead was his fault. As horrible as that was Vlad couldn't help but feel glad when it was him that Daniel turned to, never did he think it would lead up to this moment where he had Daniel Fenton pushed into the wall wish his clothes rumpled and hair a mess.
"Daniel, you're wrong. I only have eyes for you, but that is the problem. A grown man shouldn't be lusting over an 18 year old that is the child of his late best friend!" Vlad exclaims, hating how desperate he sounds. He sees a small smile play across Daniels swollen lips and knows he should run. That child always smiled like that before he got what he wanted.
"But you aren't lusting over me. Do you love me?" Daniel asks, his grip tightening on Vlad's wrists like he is afraid to let go. Vlad uses his free hand and gently grabs Daniels chin, admiring the face that is offering him what he wants the most. "I love you more than you could ever know, Daniel."
Potential future fics in thus AU:
Vlad asking Danny why he is the only one who gets to call him Daniel and feeling proud when Danny tells him why
Vlad and Danny devling more into "the Accident"
Vlad with a possessive kink and getting mad at Tucker and Dash
Danny getting further picked on by people for being gay and Vlad uses his ghostly abilities to "get even"
Danny and Vlad have a dessert night ;)
Danny gets an F on a science thesis about ghosts because the teacher doesn't believe in ghosts so Vlad decides to inspire the teacher.
Danny goes to the LGBTQ+ meeting at the college
Danny tells Jazz about Vlad
Vlad helps Danny feel comfortable with going ghost again
