#it would have opened the doors to vlad healing

[vladdyissues]

Still not over the fact that Vlad Masters—the dastardly evil murderous #1 primo villain in Danny Phantom—started crying when Danny said he wanted him to be his new dad.

[jnece-maharlika]

Pt2Danny Accidentally becomes the Ghost king, the president and the biggest threat to Bruce's social status.

Pt 1 link:

Part 2 Danny becomes the president.

Amity Parkers are the most adaptable people in the world. They're barely fazed by anything.

If you throw them into a situation that they are very unfamiliar with, it'll only take them five minutes to adjust before they start planning on how to live with this situation.

The Amity Parker mindset is: "Oh, I guess this is happening now."

So when the ghosts start attacking? The Amity Parkers immediately look for ways to avoid and protect themselves from the ghosts, not even questioning why ghosts are real. The only thing they think about is, "Damn, there's a ghost. I hope it doesn't attack the theater; I really want to see that movie."

When Phantom had his debut as a hero? The Amity Parkers started looking for ways to help, ways to keep out of his way (some to try and keep him away). The thought running through their minds was, "So this one is trying to protect us? Guess we have a hero now."

Amity Parkers don't spend their time getting mad at the sudden change of routine, the sudden loss of normalcy, or the broken buildings. Amity Parkers don't ask why and how ghosts are real, don't question if all ghosts are evil or if there are some good ghosts, and don't even think of how to get rid of them completely (they're part of the community now). They only look for ways to keep themselves from getting overshadowed. They definitely don't spend time thinking if the ghosts could bring more danger in the future or looking for more information for possible contingency plans. They aren't Batman; they believe that if the present is good, then the future will be better.

Point is, Amity Parkers are resilient and adaptable. They will take everything in stride and focus on the present. So what if some ghosts attack and block the street? They need to get to work, so they'll just drive around it.

After the whole Pariah Dark thing, they become liminal, gaining some form of super strength and glowing eyes (symptoms vary based on how strong the radiation on a person is). A normal human would think, "OH MY GOD, I'M DYING!" The Amity Parkers went, "Oh, cool, this is cool, but now I'm having a problem with opening doors without breaking the knob. Maybe the Fentons could do something about it, make stronger knobs or something."

When some babies started gaining some inhuman features? Some start floating? (Sharper ears, fangs. Babies adapt to things faster, so they get more ecto radiation.) The Amity parents went, "Is there a way to keep my child on the ground without leashing them like a dog?" Then proceeded to make a help blog for other Amity parents dealing with the same things.

So when the ghosts start becoming more of the community rather than enemies, the Amity Parkers just shrugged and asked for a book of ghost customs so they don't accidentally offend them.

When the Fentons started making ghost and human-safe items, no one even questioned why Danny had so much money and was funding his parents' research.

When Danny's name was almost (if not) in everything and he seemed to own most of the town, no one questioned it.

But everything changed when the GIW came again. Even the Amity Parkers weren't expecting this change.

The GIW waltzed in, claiming the liminal town was theirs to play with and started attacking everyone, including the Amity Parkers. The Amity Parkers went full defense mode, protecting the ghosts that were now their friends/neighbors/lovers, making sure that nothing would harm them.

They learned that it was Vlad who called on the GIW. He was pissed and petty that the crown was taken from him and decided to report his liminal town, pretending to be a "concerned mayor" who "wants his people to be healed."

The Amity Parkers were mad... they were furious.

And in the moment they saw Phantom fall to the ground, unconscious, and watched him de-transform from the hero King Phantom to the kid that owns and funds the most helpful companies in town, something changed. Something in the Amity Parkers changed.

Keep in mind that Amity Parkers don't change; they remain the same as they adapt to whatever change the world throws at them.

NEVER ONCE HAD THE AMITY PARKERS DECIDED TO MAKE A CHANGE THEMSELVES.

The first thing they changed? Their mentality. NEVER AGAIN WERE THEY GOING TO LET OUTSIDE FACTORS CHANGE THEIR LIVES. THIS IS THEIR TOWN AND IT WILL STAY THAT WAY.

God help the GIW for being their first victims.

An angry town of liminals, ghosts, and borderline gods, who have access to the Fentons' very destructive and effective technology.

Vs.

The regular GIW humans with anti-ghost tech they stole from the Fentons and nothing against liminals.

The battle was a swift victory, destroying not only the GIW in town but also all of its branches (and Vlad) with almost no traces of them even existing in the first place.

The change didn't stop there, however.

The Amity Parkers banded together with Team Phantom and the Fentons (minus Danny, as he is healing and shouldn't know about their plans; the hero should rest) and took out some of that ghost king money that Danny's trying to get rid of. They crashed the UN meeting while kidnapping the president of America.

The Amity Parkers have decided that Amity Park is theirs; it belongs to the people and its heroes. But how is it supposed to be truly theirs if they have to follow the rules of the country that funded the GIW?

A couple of death threats, bribing, more death threats and more money bribing to make sure the anti ecto acts are gone and the League of Bitches (Phantom called the JL that, and the Amity Parkers decided it was true) doesn't know about it, and a couple of hours in the nightmare realm (courtesy of Fright Knight, who happily participated when he found out what happened), and Amity Park was now its own independent country.

They decided that Tucker was to be a main part of security, letting him put up another firewall like the GIW did to make sure no one knows about their country. They don't want the League of Bitches or any outsider in the King's Haunt. It's theirs now; it belongs to the Ghost King of Amity Park, outsiders be gone.

And when it came to deciding who would be leader? There was no hesitation as they wrote down:

Daniel "Danny Phantom" Fenton, King of the Infinite Realms, King and President of Amity Park.

___________________

A couple of years later, Batman, finding hints of a "Lazarus pit" in Illinois, send Flash to look around for anything suspicious. Flash, hyper focused on following his gps, hits a wall, literally faceplants into it.He double checks his map, the wall wasn't supposed to be there. He goes around it, there no way in, no way out. He goes back to batman and reports.

Pt3 soon.

Tags as requested

@nana-mizu-shiki

@talia-scar123

[kettlefire]

Broken Promises

It wasn't their fault.

Vlad kept trying to remind himself of that. It wasn't their fault when the prototype malfunctioned. When Vlad was curled on the floor of the lab. When screams tried to force their way out of his throat, but all he could muster was muffled choked cries. When it felt like someone had tazed him while also throwing acid on his face.

The pain had been unbearable. He couldn't focus. The voices were barely a haze in the background. Vlad knew something was wrong. So horrible wrong. He just didn't realize just how wrong it all went.

He didn't realize it when he was being wheeled out of the building. Bodies and people moving around him. Vlad could barely see anything. Cooled products were being placed all over his face, blocking out most of his vision. The coolness of the items only seemed to make Vlad's skin burn more, the feeling sinking down to his bones.

But Vlad had seen them. The two of them, just as the ambulance doors closed. Jack Fenton and Madeline Walker. The two held each other, tears streaking their faces.

But that's not what Vlad focused on.

No. What got him was the look of unfiltered horror and disgust. A look aimed at him. At whatever that portal had done to his face. A look that cut so deep that Vlad had felt something crack inside him. The last thing he saw before everything went black.

It wasn't their fault.

Vlad reminded himself after he had woken up alone in a hospital room. Nurses and doctors fussed over him, trying to tell him what was going on. Words that went in one ear and out the other ear.

Everything hurt. Every single atom in his body felt like they were boiled, burning until nothing but ash would be left behind. The medication didn't do anything.

They had to limit him, and he understood. They couldn't risk him overdosing, but it was hard not to cry and beg for more when the relief only lasted a few hours... A few hours that quickly turned to minutes.

After the fourth day, Vlad gave up on hoping. Gave up looking up every time the door to his room opened. He was at a high risk of infection, a burn unit for a burn the hospital had never seen before.

Then it happened. Vlad woke up from another fitful, short, painful sleep to voices. Gentle hands holding his through PPE. He barely believed it when his eyes landed on Jack Fenton.

Maddie hadn't come. Jack made a hundred and one excuses why she couldn't. But Vlad knew why. She was disgusted with him. She probably saw him as broken, tainted with how much ectoplasm had hit him.

Jack had been nothing but apologetic and gentle. His usual clumsiness and heavy hands seemed to vanish. Jack had doted over Vlad for three months.

When the burns healed but turned into infectious acne. Something Jack coined as "Ecto-acne". Jack swore up and down that he'd find a way to cure it. That him and Maddie were working on something, something to fix things.

To return it all back to normal.

Long evenings of Jack's visits helped Vlad. Helped him feel less horrible about how he looked or how he felt. The pain was still there, but seeing his friend's smile and attempts to make him laugh seemed to make it all bearable.

Then, one day, Jack didn't show up. Vlad tried to remind himself that the man had other duties in life. Jack had classes still, and it's already been three months. He couldn't expect Jack to throw his life away just because Vlad's life was on a pause.

When one day turns to a week, then to a month, then to five months... Vlad couldn't keep lying to himself. He had been abandoned. Abandoned completely by the people he thought would always have his back.

The pain seemed to just get worse once Vlad fell into the solitude. Even the nurses and doctors couldn't seem to stand being around him once the bandages were removed.

Vlad felt like he was dying. His body was a nerve ending current of pain. He'd have episodes of not being able to breathe. He'd constantly have cardiac episodes, code blues, crash carts, the whole nine yards.

The doctors didn't know what to make up of it. New teams, new faces, new opinions. Yet Vlad wasn't getting better. He was only getting worse.

As a year passed, and then two, Vlad lost hope complete. He resigned himself to a short future of pain, a hospital bed, and a lonely death. The tears dried up by the third year.

By the fourth year, Vlad stopped talking. He remained curled in his hospital bed. Barely eating, being fed through an NG Tube. Psychiatrist tried to talk to him, but Vlad refused. He completely shut down.

The only noises that ever left him were his choked sounds of pain, when he was choking for air, or when his heart decided to stop beating right.

By the fifth year, Vlad couldn't remember much. He had flashes of memories. Of lashing out to the hospital staff. He was constantly restrained to his bed. He was an angry shell of his former self.

By the sixth year, it was a repeat of the fourth year. Vlad couldn't feel anything else but pain. He found himself starting to hate Jack and Maddie. Hate that it was their prototype that did this. Hate that they had abandoned him when he needed them most. It was getting harder for Vlad not to blame them.

It wasn't their fault.

The seventh year was when things changed. Vlad had been resigned to the NG Tube, having to take oxygen in through a breathing tube as well. His body was barely functioning at this point, barely keeping his heart beating.

Vlad felt something change as he saw how it affected the staff. The ones that were there since day one. The ones that had tried to hold out hope, even Vlad had given up.

He saw it in their eyes. The second-hand pain they felt watching him wither away into nothing. Even as they smiled at him, they checked in on him. The pain was always there, always lingering.

Vlad hadn't realized anyone cared if he survived until the last few moments. When his breathing was nothing but raspy harsh inhales. When the beeping in the monitors started to slow.

Then he died.

Vlad was certain he died. He felt it, his body finally giving under the years of pain and loneliness. He remembers taking his last breath, feeling his body start to shut down, and his vision fading to black.

There was no big bright light, no flash of his life before his eyes. Vlad had just faded. He heard the monitor flatline and heard the people rushing into his room. Heard one of the nurses asking him to stay with them. In the moment, Vlad realized he should have signed a DNR. That was his last thought before he passed.

It wasn't their fault.

It was unexpected when Vlad suddenly felt his eyes snap open, his chest heaving with a deep full breath. A breath he hadn't been able to take for years now. He heard the shocked cries around him, something clattering to the floor.

Vlad's eyes were wide, breathing growing labored in shocked panic. He could feel his heart. His heart was beating strong and heavy in his chest. He hadn't felt that in so long.

Then there was the aftermath. Doctors scrabbling for any scientific reasoning for Vlad's sudden turn around.

His Ecto-acne had completely gone away within the first week. His organs had started to slowly get better, functioning as they should. The only crazy split second recoveries had been Vlad's heart and lungs.

There was another year of PT, of tests, and studies. Vlad made a full recovery, at least physically. The staff started to call it a miracle after the first few months. When it was cemented that Vlad wasn't going to suddenly decline, he was free to go.

And Vlad did. He spent eight long years in that hospital, eight long years alone and forgotten.

It didn't take him long to track down Maddie and Jack. They never separated in the time he had been abandoned. Vlad found a small town called Amity Park, the place where his friends had settled down.

His friends had moved on with their lives. They had gotten married and had a beautiful little girl. She reminded Vlad so much of Maddie with her spitfire personality. Even at just the young age of four years old.

Then there was the boy. Just a small young thing at only two years old. He seemed to have his father's clumsiness.

It was then. When Vlad was watching the happy family of four at the park, hidden away in the shadows. As he watched how happy they all looked. How happy Jack and Maddie looked without him.

Vlad had shed his first tears in years.

It wasn't their fault.

Vlad reminded himself over and over again. It wasn't their fault when he had his first accident. Almost a decade in a hospital, no friends or family, Vlad had quickly realized he truly had nothing.

He had no money. No support. No anything.

Vlad had struggled all on his own, barely keeping things afloat. Barely scraping by. Barely finding a place to sleep. It was hard, and Vlad had only found himself falling back into shutting down.

And then he phased through his bed.

After waking up in a muffled cry from a nightmare. A horrible twisted recounting of the accident. Vlad suddenly found himself in the room beneath him.

Thankfully, it was empty, but it left Vlad with a whole new problem. It took months of deep personal testing and trials. Of learning about all his new abilities. Finding out about what he was exactly.

It wasn't their fault.

Vlad reminded himself as he learned the truth about his recovery. Learned that he was now essentially half ectoplasm. Half ghost. Half dead.

Abilities seemed to pop up out of nowhere. First, there was the phasing, then the invisibility, then the flying, and the next thing Vlad knew he had fire abilities too.

Things finally turned around for Vlad. After sulking for months, turning to alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs that only lasted for a few moments at a time before fading from his system.

Sure, Vlad turned to a life of crime. But he changed things. He stopped letting the actions of Jack and Maddie run his life. He became a millionaire over the course a few weeks. Then he became a billionaire.

The world was watching him. And for once, it wasn't as a medical mystery. Vlad felt on top of the world. He completed the work he had strive to do in college. He built his own portal, and it worked.

Years few as Vlad learned more. Learned everything he could about the Ghost Zone. As he established power and control over many of the ghosts. As they all learned just what a halfa was.

Dalv. Co become a national success. Vlad had stolen his money, but he had earned to keep it. Working his hardest to make a name for himself, to final be someone. Instead of just in the shadows.

It wasn't their fault.

Vlad reminded himself when he received the email asking him to host the twenty year class reunion. He reminded himself when he reacted out to Jack and Maddie, inviting them to stay with him for the reunion.

Even behind the hidden anger and pain. Vlad missed his two friends, his two best friends. If he could just get an apology, then maybe. Maybe Vlad could finally let things rest.

Except it hadn't happened. Vlad found himself feeling bitter as he looked at his friends. Looked at how much older they've gotten when Vlad barely aged a year. All that changed was his hair turning white over the years.

Bitter, as he watched them interact with their children. Children that Vlad didn't have. Children that Vlad wasn't even sure he could have if he wanted to. There was no evidence of a prior halfa, and Vlad didn't know how much that changed things.

Vlad had success, yes. But he had it completely alone.

It wasn't their fault.

Vlad barely kept a straight face in as they had dinner together. As Maddie and Jack boosted about Fentonworks and their kids. As Jack washed him with compliments for Vlad's accomplishments.

Vlad barely made it through, but he did. Kept it all together as he wished them all good nights. He kept it all together until the moment he went down for a quick drink.

He had to remind himself that he had guests. Ghost hunters in his home. Reminded himself he couldn't just fade down to the kitchen. It was smart he hadn't, considering the fact that Jack was down there. Helping himself to some leftovers.

Vlad couldn't fake it anymore. His mask slipped slowly as they sat in the dimly lit room. As Jack blabbered on and on the way he always did.

It wasn't their fault.

Vlad reminded himself again, not realizing it would be the last time. He found himself in a vulnerable moment. The pain and hurt in his eyes and tone were clear as day when Vlad finally broke the fake pleasantries.

"You promised."

The words had left Vlad as nothing but a whisper. His heart felt raw in that moment. Open and exposed as he felt those feelings. Those feelings from when Jack and Maddie first abandoned him.

Vlad hadn't meant to. He didn't want this to happen now. Not before the reunion. Not before Vlad truly got to see how much they all changed.

But it happened. And Vlad found himself aching to hear a few simple words. For Jack to apologize. Apologize for turning on the prototype. Apologize for taking four days to see him. Apologize for suddenly leaving him behind. Without so much as a word.

"I know."

All that hope, the desperation in Vlad's chest, broke the moment he heard those words. Heard the resignation in Jack's surprisingly quiet tone. A wave of pure despair and pain washed over Vlad in that moment.

Jack didn't apologize. A simple two word phrase that would have meant the world to Vlad in this moment. Jack didn't say it. Instead, he said two words that felt like a stab to Vlad's half-beating heart.

Vlad didn't say anything else in that moment. He downed the last of his drink before standing from his seat. Vlad was much too into his own feelings and thoughts to notice the shock on Jack's face. Or the way Jack's mouth opened to speak again.

Instead, Vlad turned his back on Jack. Although his tone was more hollow than Vlad intended. He managed to fake a layer of pleasantries. A second good night given that night as Vlad made his ways up the stairs.

He wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bathroom. Downing his sorrows in alcohol and maybe taking his rage out in his hidden lab below the surface.

Instead, Vlad found himself with a burning need for revenge. A burning need to break about Jack's life. Break apart Maddie's life. A life they built once leaving Vlad behind. A life they excluded from him for so long. Only just now showing interest to having him around.

No. This time, Vlad was putting himself first. His wants. His needs. His desires. It wasn't about the Fentons anymore. It was going to be about him. About him finding a family. Of having a community. A life outside of his economic and scientific success.

And maybe this time, Vlad was going to start with a certain fourteen year old boy. A certain boy that Vald had picked out at the start.

A certain boy whose heart beats half the average. Who takes in a breath every few seconds, just a tad too long. A certain boy that made Vlad's ghost sense trigger. A certain boy that reeked of ectoplasm.

A certain someone who might just know how it feels to be an abomination to science. To be so different that you may just be the only one to exist.

A certain someone that might just make his life a bit less lonely.

In this moment, Vlad finally realized the truth of his situation. Whatever has happened since that accident. Whatever happened in the years they hadn't talked. Whatever happens now, after this reunion was over. When Vlad finally made his moves. Whatever happened then, now, and in the future. He knew with unbridled certainty that...

It was their fault.

[saphiraarts]

Chapter 1: At home Rehab with the Fentons

Vlad was anxious the entire time in the hospital the week he spent recovering from his wounds. Thanks to being half ghost his wounds would heal more quickly and each confused look the doctors gave him he felt his half dead heart skip a beat. Sadly and thankfully his bones didn't heal as quickly as his flesh wounds so he didn't raise too much of an alarm. He would have to keep a low profile and maybe break his bones again to fake a normal recovery time. Luckily he can transfer his care to his normal doctor who ran a private practice and was used to his oddities and paid quite well to keep quiet. Serious injuries Vlad treated himself for this very reason. Now he was being released and he was pushed out in his wheelchair by his nurse to the waiting Maddy Fenton. It was Maddy's idea that Vlad stay with them while he recovered and despite the risks he couldn't say no to spending more time with her. The price came with the buffoon in the passenger seat holding a two year old in his lap playing peekaboo with the young Daniel. Jazz he presumed was buckled in her car seat. It stabbed his heart to see this. He forced a smile and focused on Maddy pushing those thoughts away. Maddy pushed the wheelchair to the van and opened the door and she helped Vlad in careful with his arm and leg. Vlad did his best to make it easier for her and he buckled himself in while Maddy folded up his wheelchair and put it beside him as she had folded down the seat. She climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Morning V-man! Happy to be out?” Jack asked as he climbed out and put Danny in his car seat next to Jazz in the back.

Vlad resisted the urge to groan and said, “Yes. I have had enough of hospitals.” He said simply.

“Well luckily you can get some good at home care,” Maddy said gently.

The fact he would be around Maddy was the only thing that made him agree to this and he watched Jack struggle with the buckle and Danny laughed as his father was hunched over so focused his tongue sticking out.

“Jack sweetie you have two ends that click together,” Maddy said and Jack made an ah sound and he clipped his son into the back before crawling out and around the wheelchair. He buckled into the passenger seat and Vlad covered his mouth to hide a snort and his smirk.

“Luckily our spare bedroom is downstairs Vlad so you don’t have to worry about stairs,” Maddy told him and she started up the car and began to drive. Vlad was at least relieved on that front that he wouldn’t have to try to fret with stairs or worry about the two seeing his ghost powers being used.

Vlad was on the couch while Maddy made lunch and Jack helped finish setting up his room which he supposed was the lesser of the two evils. He remembered when Jack attempted to cook Maddy and himself a meal and the pair had to pretend to eat the charcoal he served. Then order pizza as a proper meal which Maddy managed to break it to Jack: he cannot cook. His cooking is lethal. Danny was playing with toys while Jazz was reading and she looked to be struggling.

“That is a bit advanced,” Vlad noted.

“I am preparing for kindergarten tomorrow! I am studying!” Jazz said as she was determined but her furrowed brow said otherwise.

“It’s okay to ask for help. Come here,” Vlad said and Jazz held her book up closer, narrowing her eyes. “Alright alright,” He said, seeing the glare. “The offer is open.” He had the news on and he sat back.

After a few minutes he heard movement and Jazz walked over with a dejected expression and she held the book up to him pointing to the word. Vlad turned down the tv and he smiled as he looked to word.

“Ah that is beckoning,” Vlad said.

“What does that mean?” Jazz asked.

“Come to. Like you are being called by someone. They beckon you,” Vlad explained, feeling a joy he hadn’t felt in so long.

“Oh! Thank you Vlad! So you did that to me earlier,” Jazz said in thought.

She was sharp, clearly taking after Maddy and he nodded, “Yes you can say that.” He noticed her rush over to a journal and right down the word and its meaning. She was going to go far but she needed to learn to enjoy herself.

“Hehehe! Whoosh!” Danny giggled as he made a toy fly through the air and Vlad smiled. He could get used to this.

After the children are put to bed Maddy, Vlad, and Jack are in the living room watching movies. It was quiet and awkward as the three ate in silence with Vlad mentally cursing his injured state. Jack who used to be unable to shut up and commentate on the contents of a movie was quiet. It was like you could cut it with a knife.

“Well Jazz starts school tomorrow Vlad so we will be up and about early,” Maddy said looking over to the man. “Jack and I will both be taking Jazz to school and Danny will come with us. We won’t be gone for long. I am sorry.”

“It’s quite alright. She has been studying all day as she put it, having me help with words she didn’t know,” Vlad said.

“So that’s where that book went,” Maddy mused. “She took the mystery book I was reading.”

“Reminds me of someone I knew,” Jack said smiling as he looked at Maddy knowingly.

“Ah so she picked that up from you,” Vlad mused, trying for her sake to keep this awkward evening not so much.

“Oh don’t gang up on me you two! I didn’t teach her that on purpose!” Maddy called huffing as she crossed her arms.

“I will just have to teach her to loosen up!” Jack called.

“Please not to your level we don’t need her failing,” Vlad said recalling his abysmal grades for much of schooling until High School and College when he started to pick up some subjects.

“I pay attention when it counts,” Jack said in his defense.

Maddy and Vlad exchanged glances and it caused the pair to enter a giggle fit and Jack ended up laughing covering his mouth to block the sound to not wake Jazz and Danny. Jack helped Vlad to his room and into bed much to Vlad’s disdain.

“Goodnight V-man!” Jack said smiling. “It was good going back to how things used to be.” He spoke softly which caught Vlad off guard.

“Y-yes… It was,” Vlad admitted.

“I know we had our differences but it has been nice having you around our little family,” Jack yawned as he turned. “Sleep tight!” He called as he turned off the light and shut the door. Vlad was left conflicted as he lay there and would sort his thoughts out for a few hours before finally drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

It would be three months, much sooner than the doctors thought, when Vlad was out of the casts and into rehab. In reality it took two months but Vlad acted like it was broken and would distort his limbs with his ghost powers to make it feel broken. His time with the Fentons was… confusing to put into a word. Jack had made efforts to genuinely try and make up and it pained him Maddy felt the need to do so, but the pair did. They abandoned him in that hospital leaving him alone to his anger. An anger and quest for vengeance that he was beginning to think was misplaced. This feeling was amplified the more he spent with Jazz and Danny and the thought of the two grieving for any length of time broke his heart. Picturing them at a funeral having to live with that forever. He couldn’t bear to do that to them as they would forever have to mourn and learn to live without a parent even if he was a buffoon. Vlad couldn’t believe that during Christmas he had to be the reasonable adult normally it was him and Maddy both. During the extended argument during christmas dinner after the turkey became infused with Ecto energy with Jazz beating it back with a broom he stood up.

“WILL YOU TWO STOP IT!” Vlad snapped his eyes briefly turning red which caused Jack and Maddy to pause. “We will have a discussion after dinner. There is a frozen pizza or two in the fridge. How does that sound?” Vlad looked at the two terrified children even if one chose to fight.

Jazz was panting holding the broom and Danny was cowering in his booster seat. Jazz nodded and Danny meekly gave him a nod. Vlad marched over to the oven and turned it on to preheat with Maddy and Jack looking to the scene. Both looked ashamed as Maddy began to clean up.

“I’m sorry,” Jack admitted.

“After that, let's watch some movies. You and Danny can pick them,” Vlad said as Jazz climbed down from the table.

“Okay,” Jazz said as she went immediately to comfort danny seeing he was on the verge of tears.

After dinner Vlad pulled Maddy and Jack down to the lab and he pivoted sharply, “I cannot believe you two still argue like this! Don’t you see the stress it causes your children!? Do you want them to remember a joyful time of year like this?!” Vlad yelled. “Can’t you put aside your petty squabble for your kids?!”

Vlad had spent a few christmas’ in the ghost zone and couldn’t believe that those who wanted to kill each other again could celebrate and party as if they were friends or family even.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Maddy said. “You are right… We have fought like this every Christmas not once thinking how it could affect the kids.”

“They should be smiling, not look scared,” Jack said as seeing Danny like that stung.

“If I hear about you two arguing around them I will personally fly down from Wisconsin and slap you both,” Vlad said as his blood was boiling. It took so much willpower for his eyes not to turn red. His body almost recoiled at the threat being directed at Maddy but both amplified each other.

“We’ll try to do better,” Maddy promised.

“Yeah we will V-man. Fenton’s honor,” Jack promised.

“Good let’s go back upstairs. The moment either of you feel the urge to argue, leave and calm yourself down.” Vlad pointed for them to march upstairs and they followed. Vlad couldn’t believe he was giving advice on how to handle emotions but here he was. The adults returned upstairs to spend time with Jazz and Danny and give them good memories this christmas.

Vlad was watching the children while Jack and Maddy had to run some errands and it was after a chaotic holiday season. It was mid January on the weekend and Vlad was on the floor with Danny and Jazz playing with their toys. He was playing whatever characters the children told him. Presently he was General Veggiehead who wished to conquer the Candy Kingdom while Danny and Jazz were heroes of the Candy Kingdom. The battlefield was a Candy Land board and the story had gone off the rails. It didn’t matter he hadn’t laughed this much in a long time.

There was a crash and Vlad stood and Jazz looked around, “What was that?!” She called.

“Huh?” Danny asked, looking around hearing the sound.

“I don’t know but I will find out. Go behind the couch okay?” Vlad said and Jazz nodded helping Danny up.

She helped Danny behind the couch and hid with him grabbing his stuffed dog covered in stars to help comfort him. Vlad walked out of the room and out of view the black rings wrapped around him washing over him. In his ghost form now he flew through the house turning invisible when he heard Jazz scream. He rushed back to see a spectral wolf in the living room growling at where the children were hiding. He flew into the wolf making both intangible and phased through the house. He threw the wolf into the street, the pink energy wrapping around his hands. It growled and flew at Vlad and he met him with a blast of ecto energy.

“Get away from those kids,” Vlad said coldly, making a clone and flying past and striking the wolf again into the street.

The wolf vanished and lunged at the original Vlad and it bit into his arm and he blasted it at close range causing an explosion which he was caught in. He was knocked back a few feet, his arm bleeding and he sighed as he landed and he looked back and saw Jazz and Danny’s eyes watching from the window. He vanished from the view and tended to his arm transforming in the bathroom. He rushed out with one of the ectogun prototypes from the kitchen after phasing through the house.

“What happened?!” He called.

Jazz looked at him with a suspicious expression but Danny rushed over repeating, “Super super outside!” He called.

“A weird dog entered the house,” She was shaking as Danny unraveled from her arms to rush over to Vlad.

“I am just glad you both are okay,” Vlad said and he noticed her look and would have to send a clone next time to lower her suspicions. For a 5 year old she sure was sharp.

[writersarea]

The Last Belmont

Chapter 10

Overall Summary: Like any twelve year old would, Trevor ran when he realized that someone wanted to kill him. Better put, Trevor ran when he realized that the Church wanted to kill him and had been happy to light his family's home on fire.

So he ran.

Right into Lisa Tepes.  

Rating Teen Audiences and Up

Tags:    No Archive Warnings Apply, Dracula/Lisa (Castlevania), Dracula Vlad Tepes | Mathias Cronqvist/Lisa, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya & Trevor Belmont, Trevor Belmont, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya, Lisa (Castlevania), Dracula Vlad Tepes | Mathias Cronqvist, Trevor gets adopted, Adoption, death mention, Grief, Depression, Lisa can't pass up a wounded kid, Orphan - Freeform,  Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Teenagers, Dracula did not sign up for this, Canon-Typical Violence, Pre Canon, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Pre-Canon, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited  

Excerpt:

“I think it’s the day we actually try to get you out of that bed! What do you say to picking out your own books?” Adrian asked, grinning as the door shut behind him. They always kept the door shut. It made Trevor feel more secure knowing that it would have to open for anyone to come inside, namely Dracula.

Trevor blinked at him in surprise. “Your mother will kill you if I’m not supposed to be out of bed yet, you know,” he warned, though he was already swinging his feet out bed to get up.

He was so tired of being stuck in one place. Before, he had always had something to do. Chores, training, a tree to play in. Something that wouldn’t require him to wait around for his ankle to heal or the burns on his hands to go away. Even going for a brief walk sounded much better than being stuck in this room for another minute.

And it drew a laugh out of Adrian. “Then we’ll die together,” he offered, moving to steady Trevor as he shakily stood, keeping him close. “But I came up here with her permission, so I think we’ll be ok with not angering her. Plus, there’s no stairs between here and there to give you problems.” It earned him an eye roll.

“Ah, yes, stairs, the scariest thing ever,” he responded dryly.

Read More Here

[balshumetsbaragouin]

Chapter Six is out! If you haven't had a chance to read this fanfic yet, you should join us. We're two chapters from the end, but there's still about two weeks for you to catch up. In this chapter, Danny is returned to The Oven, and comes to an understanding with Plasmius about how to escape the GIW's custody...

The Climax is the next chapter, so I hope you join us before next Wednesday! Make it a Binge Weekend! Summary:

A momentary lapse of attention, a weapon's blast grounding him, an agent's boot heading towards his jaw... Danny has been the 'primary research subject' of the Area 23 facility for the past three weeks. Since he was captured, he's had no contact with the outside world, and no chance of escape. After complaining about a lack of conversational partners, his heated cage finds a second occupant: Vlad Plasmius. With his last chance at escape captured with him, Danny's hope dwindled until he heard the other halfa promise he had a plan. The only problem: He doesn't trust Vlad.

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Past Torture, Psychological Torture, Medical Experimentation, Medical Torture, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Rating: M

Still not sure if you want to join your fellow readers? Have a sneak peek of chapter six below the cut!:

He ached liked someone had scrubbed fine grain sandpaper over every inch of his bones. The skin across his ribs pulled with every shift, so he’d quickly tested if he needed to breathe in ghost form. He didn’t. He preferred it, though, and fighting down the instinct to do so every few seconds was distracting. As soon as I get out of here, I’m going to burn all of Dr. Bursen’s notes. They were digital, held somewhere in the GIW’s computer servers, but the loathsome little jerk hadn’t stopped dictating the entire time. He’d found his way to the top of Danny’s shit list, above even Vlad.

He was too weak to stand or float, and since they didn’t have the patience to wait for him to recover, his escorts had each snagged an arm and started pulling. His head flopped back as they dragged him back to The Oven, his boots squeaking across the linoleum tile in this part of the facility. They hadn’t even injected him with enough Radio-whatever to numb all the pain this time. Somewhere, dimly, he looked forward to getting back to his cell; the suppressant would leave him completely numb.

“Agent T, please prepare the door for transfer.” Danny turned his head to focus on the officer in front of him as the agent to his right dropped away. The other one’s grip didn’t budge a centimeter. The angle was starting to wrench his shoulder joint, and had already reopened a cut. The burly agent tapped into the keypad near the terminal, and the whole rigmarole to open The Oven started. The ache near his collarbone crescendoed into a burst of lightning. He bit back a groan when the returning agent jostled him when grabbing his other arm. “You’ve been quiet, HBC-1. Did Dr. Bursen really cut out your tongue this time?” The surrounding men chuckled as The Oven’s doors opened with a hiss and a buzz.

“Hurts.”

“That’s what shut you up?” The two men ahead of him parted, and the officer clicked his tongue. “Shame it won’t be for long. The scientists claim you heal quickly.”

“Maybe they can make a shock collar?”

“You’re right, Agent T, that could keep it behaved.” They tossed him through the opened passage. The ground rushed up and made friends with his nose before he could react. Their amusement echoed off of the walls of The Oven and through his pounding skull, a symphony of suffering carved into his bones. Thirty seconds passed. The vertigo and body aches abated enough for him to raise his head and look around. Vlad wasn’t where he saw him last. He turned his head to take the room, and found him slumped against the coolest wall, eyes very much still shut.

“Hey?” No response. He took in the trail of dark green painting the path from the spot he’d ended up during the fight and the wall. It was wide, bumpy, and uneven instead of a single, thin layer like the blobs left. It was a lot of ecto. “Can you hear me?” Still nothing. Something hot and needy crawled up his spine to wrap around his core.

[underforeversgrace]

healing the wounds we hid - 4

title: healing the wounds we hid

words: 3,067

Finally, the sequel to broken trust and the wounds hidden behind! (Refresh here on AO3 or here on Tumblr)

Story Summary: Now that his father knows, Danny's life is changing for the better. Jack encourages him to let his friends and the rest of the family into his small word. Unbeknownst to Danny, Jack is secretly worried about how Maddie will react to the news upon her return to Amity - and how to confront Vlad once Jack learns his true identity. Amidst it all, an enemy lurks and plots their revenge.

Chapter 4 of 11: Knowing You

AO3

Tumblr Chapter One

(Tumblr Chapter Four will be here)

Beta by: @probably-dead and @scarletsaphire!

Featuring art from this fic's second artist, @saxonroa!

Note: This one was already published to AO3, but apparently I never published it here! My bad!

~~~~~~

Jack stared at the mansion as the GAV idled, hesitating with his hand on the key in the ignition. It was the day after he’d learned the truth about Vlad, and now it was time to confront him. Some part of him wondered if he should let Danny know what he was doing, but he was at school. It was time for the adults to talk anyway.

With a sense of finality, Jack turned the key and pulled it out, turning the vehicle off and jumping out of it. He double checked his suit, making sure he had multiple weapons, along with two personal ghost shields. Vlad Masters would be able to get through them, yes, but it would still keep his ecto attacks from hitting or his Plasmius form from getting too close.

Confident he had enough weapons to at least escape to the GAV, Jack held his head high as he marched towards Vlad’s front door. He knocked before he had the chance to second guess himself again.

He didn’t have to wait long before he heard the sound of the lock disengaging and Vlad opened the door, clad in a red robe, his white hair hanging loosely around his face.

“Jack. What a…pleasant…surprise.” Vlad said, schooling his expression into one of mild interest.

“Wish I could say the same,” Jack said as he body checked Vlad out of his way, crossing the threshold and closing the door behind him.

“What the butter puffs, Jack?” Vlad huffed in annoyance.

“You and I are going to have a talk,” Jack said, glaring at Vlad, pulling himself up to his full height.

Vlad at least had the common courtesy to look concerned. “Whatever about, my old friend?”

“Cut the bullshit, Vlad. I know.”

“You know what?” He asked, rolling his eyes.

“I figured it out. You blame me, don’t you?”

“Jack, I’m afraid I don’t -“

“Stop messing with me, Plasmius!” Jack shouted. “I know what you are, I know who you are! But what I don’t understand is why? You reviewed the math, Maddie reviewed the chemical compositions. We all messed up! Yet you blame me? And decide to beat my son bloody because of something that happened before he was even born?”

The faux friendliness fell from Vlad’s face, settling into a scowl. “Jack, stop talking nonsense.”

Jack grunted in frustration and walked past Vlad, to the living room just beyond the foyer.

The other man groaned and began to speak but Jack cut him off.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I get Danny, he was afraid. But you? Why hide it?”

Vlad narrowed his eyes accusingly at Jack. “You never visited. Five years in that hospital and neither of you ever came to see me.”

“We tried!” Jack said, stunned. “We tried for weeks to see you but you were under quarantine. And then you were better but accepting no visitors and then you were discharged and never talked to us. We thought you hated us. We thought you’d forgiven us when you invited us to the reunion."

Vlad’s face twisted in anger. “Forgiven you? You’re even dumber than I thought you were, Jack. You killed me! Your negligence cost me my life! But I made it better, didn’t I? Turned your fuck up into a gift. Created Plasmius, created an empire of wealth for myself. I may have given the ghost a name, but you’re the one who created this!” He shouted and then black rings were around his waist, so similar and yet so strikingly different than Danny’s, and Jack could only watch while his chest ached in shame. “How does it feel to have created not just one monster, but two? Remember when we contemplated the idea of hybridism in college? All the things we could do and learn from a thing like that, before we laughed it off as a joke because how could such a freak of nature ever exist? I’ve been trying to kill you for twenty years, Jack! And now your ridiculous child can’t even keep a secret?”

Jack listened to Vlad’s rant, the heavy blanket of guilt pressing further into him the longer he talked. Plasmius breathed angrily, his red eyes burning into Jack with rage Jack had never known Vlad able to possess.

A canyon of silence stretched between them. Jack fidgeted, running his hand through his hair as he tried to gather his thoughts and break it.

“Danny didn’t tell me. I figured it out - figured out both of you. He doesn’t know I know.”

“Wow, a rare moment of Jack Fenton brilliance,” Plasmius said, mockery and anger dripping from his tone like venom. 

“Why am I here?” Jack asked.

“You practically break into my house and you’re asking me why you’re here?” Vlad asked, the shift from fury to bewilderment so instantaneous it was nearly amusing.

“Not here as in your house. Here, in general. Alive. Breathing.” He asked cautiously, wondering how much of the Vlad he had known was left in his friend.

“Daniel is quite protective,” he growled. “Constantly interferes with my plans and saves everyone. Even for people who’d kill him.”

“He’s also only fifteen. He hasn’t even been de-“ Jack choked on the word “-dead for two years. And I’m only human.” Vlad was silent as he processed Jack’s question, so Jack continued, his voice tired. “You’re one of the richest men in the world. I’m oblivious, but not that oblivious. You could’ve hired someone to murder me and make it look like an accident. But I’m still here.”

Jack felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, crushing him into dust even as Plasmius came for him, hands outstretched. He vaguely remembered the weapons he’d brought with him as Vlad grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, but he suddenly found he didn’t care to use them, even as he grabbed at Vlad’s wrists and struggled for air.

At least Vlad wasn’t as cold as Danny.

“Maybe I wanted to do it with my own hands,” Vlad hissed, lifting Jack off his feet. Jack clawed at Vlad’s hands, desperate to be let down. “Maybe I needed to make sure you hurt as much as I did, suffer as much as I did! And now you offer yourself up to me on a platter!”

Jack couldn’t speak, becoming lightheaded as Vlad continued to strangle him. Looking into Vlad’s red, pupil-less eyes full of rage and pain, Jack began to wonder if he’d made a mistake, if the friend he’d known really had become someone capable of murder, when doubt and regret crossed Vlad’s face.

“Fuck!” Vlad shouted, releasing Jack from his grip. Jack fell to the floor two feet beneath him, collapsed onto his hands and knees as he breathed in the beautiful, cool air around him. “Fuck!” He repeated, blasting some of the furniture around them into pieces with his pink ecto rays. Plasmius floated down to the floor, and Jack wasn't sure if the tears forming in the ghost’s eyes were from anger or grief.

“Damn you, Jack Fenton,” Vlad hissed. “You and your perfect life, with the woman I love and the kids I always wanted! Why do you get everything? Why do you get to be happier than me? Why can’t I kill you?”

“‘Perfect life?’” Jack asked, his voice still a little breathless as he pushed himself to his feet. “You think my life is perfect? You can have it! Along with every mistake I’ve ever made! I killed you, my best friend! I killed my son. I’ve hunted him, hurt him! I only know now because I found a goodbye video he filmed in case I killed him again! I’ve pushed my daughter away. I’m terrified my wife is going to try to kill our son!” 

Tears fell as all the pain he’d masked since the video tumbled out, finally able to let out everything he’d kept within. “Do you want your son’s blood on your hands? Do you want to remember all the dreams you had of torturing him? Do you want to know he spent almost two years afraid you wouldn’t love him enough to not dissect him?”

The room began to blur as tears clouded his vision, as he cried so hard his chest burned. “Do you want to learn that someone else did do that to him? And he still feared you too much to come for help, that he stitched up his own vivisection wound? Because if you want all of that, you can have it! All the guilt, all the pain, all the things I’ve broken. Do you still want my perfect life? Because I don’t!”

The two men looked at each other as Jack finished his breakdown, before a bitter laugh escaped Vlad. “Ironic. Of the two of us, I’m the one who wants to kill, yet you’re the one with blood on your hands.”

All the energy Jack had previously had vanished, and he sagged against the same wall he’d been pinned to. “I have to live with my mistakes. So believe me when I say living is worse, when I have to face my mistakes every day. Maybe that’ll make you feel better, Vlad.”

“Hmph,” Vlad said, black rings sweeping across him again, turning him back to Masters. “That does bring me some happiness.”

“Wonderful,” Jack said dryly, looking around at the mess - and lack of intact furniture. He sighed, sliding to the floor, exhausted after letting out all the shame he’d buried so deep.

Awkward silence settled between the two.

“I’m sorry, Vlad.”

~~~~~~

Danny yawned as his friends bickered, poking at the food in front of him. It was nice, to be back here with them. It’d been a few days since they’d found out - he’d told them on Monday afternoon and it was now Friday - and his fear had largely faded away. He’d been so worried they’d be okay with it and then realize that he was a freak, a monster, and grow afraid of him, that they’d out him to the town and the government. But they’d accepted him back with open arms, even insisting on joining him on patrol (once he showed them how to use a blaster and told them in no uncertain terms that if it got too dangerous, they needed to run). 

He felt Tucker elbow him gently. “Yo, you good? You’re playing with your food instead of eating again.” Tucker asked.

“You’ve been doing that a lot. Do you just… not eat as much anymore?” Sam added, dropping her voice at the end.

The urge to lie bubbled up against his lips, but he forced it down. He kept having to remind himself that he didn’t need to lie anymore, not to these two. “Not recently,” he admitted. “I’ve been losing my appetite the past three or four weeks. It had actually increased for a long time after the accident, but now I’m just not hungry.”

Sam pursed her lips thoughtfully. “So around the time your dad started helping you?”

Danny paused as he thought back, though he also felt an odd stirring in his core. Sam and Tucker had listened to every story he told with rapt attention and it made him feel… loved?… that Sam had remembered a detail that small. “Uh, yeah, actually you’re right. Weird. I wonder if it’s related, but how would it be?”

“Okay, don’t freak out,” Sam said and Danny was struck by how unhelpful that sentence was as his initial reaction was to freak out. “I have an idea.”

Danny glanced at Tucker to see if he had any clue what Sam was talking about, but he just shrugged. He didn’t miss the way Tucker’s eyes lingered on him a little longer than necessary before Tucker returned his attention to Sam. This wasn't the first time he had noticed those glances and everytime he did, he had to bury the fear it was Tucker doubting him. He couldn’t explain how he knew that wasn’t it, but somehow he just… knew. Besides, he didn’t… entirely mind them.

“So, you know how some ghosts can sense and feed off emotions?” Sam asked, leaning forward to whisper.

“Uh, yeah?” Danny said with a frown, Spectra coming to mind. He’d told them about his encounters with her, but that was the only feeder ghost he knew of.

“Well, I’ve been doing some reading,” Sam said, patting at her backpack, “and it looks like that’s a common trait. Let me ask - has your appetite dropped even more since telling Tucker and me about you?”

Tucker took a deep breath at Danny’s side, while Danny forgot how to breathe, both realizing what she was saying at the same time. Danny’s eyes widened as he realized Sam was right. He did have another dip in appetite after Sam and Tucker had re-entered his life.

“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” she said, pulling a book - A Goth’s Guide to Ghosts: The Symbiotic Relationship of the Dying and the Dead - out and flipping through it, looking for a specific page. She set the book down, turning it so he and Tucker could read it, pointing at the title of the chapter.

“Emotions and their Nutritional Value?” Tucker read aloud.

Sam nodded, then pointed to a passage further down. “Look here.”

Danny pulled the book closer to him. “‘While most ghosts feed on the negative emotions of people - one of the reasons why ghosts like to hang around the standard goth - some have been theorized to find more sustenance on the emotions of the happy. Therefore, when first attempting to contact your ghostly suitor, it is imperative to ensure the ghost can get appropriate energy from you and your emotions.’”

“Is this a book about keeping ghosts as pets?” Tucker asked, eyes continuing to scan the page.

Danny felt like cement had been poured down his throat. He couldn’t eat human emotions. He couldn’t.

“Honestly, I don’t know, some parts read like the ghost is the pet and others like the human is,” Sam shrugged. “But it has some good information, and that wasn’t the point I was making.”

“You think Danny can eat our emotions?” Tucker said, brows furrowed in confusion.

Danny could barely hear the conversation over his heart thudding against his rib cage, the sound of whooshing blood loud in his ears. He was human. Human. Sure, he’d come to terms with being half ghost (and therefore half dead), but he still felt more human than ghost. If he could eat emotions and not need real food, was he becoming more ghostly?

Was his ghost half overpowering his human half?

“I think so,” Sam confirmed, her voice sounding so far away. "His dad and the two of us? I think he’s sensing, I don’t know… companionship? Safety?”

“Love?” Tucker questioned. Sam nodded, opening her mouth to say something else, but Tucker had realized Danny’s silence wasn’t thoughtfulness - it was panic. “Danny?” he said, shaking Danny’s shoulder gently.

“I can’t,” Danny said hoarsely, shaking his head, refusing to accept it even if he knew it was true.

“Danny, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with it.” Tucker said gently.

“You aren’t hurting us. The book talks about how it isn’t harmful to humans. We didn't even notice it was happening until now. Spectra sought pain and depression, that’s why she was dangerous.” Sam agreed, reaching across the table and patting the back of one of Danny’s hands.

“How can you be okay with this?” Danny choked out. “You guys, my dad. I’m a freak of nature and you all act like it’s fine. I don’t understand.”

“We’re your friends and your dad’s, well, your dad. It’s fine because it’s you,” Sam said.

“So no more moping about being weird, ‘cuz everyone at this table is a freak,” Tucker added with a laugh and pulled a reluctant smile from Danny. “You’re our friend and we’re not going anywhere. Besides!” Tucker continued, pulling Danny’s plate of spaghetti from in front of him. “Now I get more free food!”

The smile felt weird on his face as he glanced between his two friends. “You’re sure? You still… want to be around me?” He asked. Even though they’d said so many times, he still struggled to believe it.

“You’re the one who can eat our emotions,” Tucker said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Are we lying?”

“Or are we just happy to be around you?” Sam added.

Danny hesitated, then closed his eyes and focused on… something. Something within him - like his core but not. There, he could feel it, feel them. Joy, respect, loyalty floated within him, though they were definitely not his own emotions. Shockingly, though, love - romantic love - was one of the brightest and strongest he sensed. He couldn’t tell how he knew, but when he opened his eyes and stared at Tucker in shock, he knew it was Tucker the love was coming from, even before Tucker gave him a shy smile.

Well. That explained the lingering glances recently.

“You’re telling the truth.” Danny said, smiling at Tucker before he turned to look at Sam. That was a conversation for just the two of them, for when they were alone.

“Told you so,” Tucker and Sam said at the same time, pulling a genuine laugh from him.

Two months ago, Danny had been convinced he’d spend the rest of his life suffering alone, especially after his time with the Guys in White (a story he hadn’t told Sam and Tucker and never planned to). 

For so long, Danny had accepted his existence was to suffer, to be bled and broken and bruised over and over, to serve his penance for opening the portal, alone and in agony until he died again. He’d accepted his friends’ hatred, his family’s disdain for one half of him and their disappointment in the other. He’d decided that while his life wasn’t worth fighting for, everyone else’s was, no one else deserved to die for his mistake.

But as he nonchalantly placed his hand on the bench near Tucker’s and their fingers entwined, as Sam changed topics as though this entire conversation hadn’t been impossible, as he remembered everything his father had done for him… he decided that, maybe, just maybe, he was worth fighting for, too.

[gabrielleraven28]

The Great Class Switch (pt. 2)

Summary: Class 1-A discover Vlad King is their new homeroom teacher, and Vlad King discovers the trauma the students of 1-A have.

Chapter 2: Day 1 (Class 1-A)

“Hey, class,” Vlad King says as he walks into his new classroom with a cup of coffee.

Iida immediately stands to say, “Sir, I believe that you are in the wrong classroom. We are class 1-A.”

“No, I’m not. Principle Nezu has decided that me and Mr. Aziawa will be switching classes for the next few days. It is apparently a good time to ‘switch things up’.”

“Sooo, that means that Mr. Aizawa is with class 1-B? Right now?” questions Deku nervously.

“Yes, Midoriya. That is correct.”

“HAHAHAHH! Fukin’ awesome!” cackles Bakugou. Vlad could only look at the hotheaded blonde in a concerned way thinking of what his class would have to go through during the swap. The nervous and sympathetic looks that the other students had adorned also did not help comfort him.

“Okaaay. Well, I usually bring my class donuts on Mondays as an encouragement for the rest of the week, so here you go. Help yourself,” Vald explains as he puts two white boxes on his desk. The students all exclaim loudly in gasps and cries that are all drowned out by Kaminari sobbing out, “OH MY GOD!! THaT iS THe NIceST THinG THat ANYoNE hAS eVEr DoNe fOR US!” before miming to faint into Bakugou’s arms. The blonde merley shoves the still crying teen off of him mumbling something like, “Stupid Pikachu and his empty brain” followed by a skolf.

The rest of the class is already moving to get a donut, Midoriya even crying as he ate it, and saying their thanks to Vlad. Even Bakugou picks up one and mumbles out a “Thanks, I guess” before passing the dessert to Midoriya, who starts to cry even more.The teacher however was still shocked by the hyper emotional teen in front of him thinking, “Oh my god… What is it usually like for y’all.”

The rest of the class was filled with Vlad processing the situation and the students using the time as a study hall, or rather talking time for some of them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Being the responsible teacher that he is, Vlad King contacts the school nurse to help console the traumatized students he has been handed. He knocks three times before opening the door and asking, “Recovery Girl, do you mind helping me out with class 1-A?”

The older hero turns around in her chair to look at the experienced teacher before questioning, “What have they done now?”

Vlad stits in a chair near the door, expecting this to take a long time, and explains, “Well, I have been asked to swap my class with Aiziawa’s class.”

“Yes, yes. Nezu did mention wanting to do something like this soon. What is it that you need help with though?”

“They are just so stressed and anxious, Recovery Girl. I have never met any fifteen year old that is like them in all my years of teaching, and this concerns the entire class, not just one student.”

“I am aware of the metal stability of class 1-A, Vlad, but there is nothing I can do about it. Mr. Aziawa has somewhat concerning methods, but they are effective. You’ve seen how well they performed in the Sports Festival.”

“Yes, they were very skillful when competing, but they entire class, bare Shouto and two others, flat out sobbed when I told them I brought donuts. Young Bakugou and Midoriya also seem to have a concerning relationship. They got into three separate fights in six hours!”

“Verbal fights or physical fights?”

“Verbal, but does it matter? It can not be healthy for any of the students to be involved in that daily, let alone Bakugou and Midoriya.”

“If you have any concern of bullying or unacceptable behavior from the two of them, I suggest contacting Nezu. There is simply nothing I can do other than healing any injured students, Vlad.”

“I know, recovery Girls,” admits the teacher solemnly, “But can you at least come talk to them about healthy behavior, stress, and PTSD. They all seem to have some form of it and I need to help them try to have somewhat normal lives.”

The old woman considered her option for a few moments before agreeing, “Yes, I’ll come talk to class 1-A tomorrow.”

Vlad quickly leaves as lunch is about to end after saying, “Thank you, Recovery Girl.”

Hopefully, class 1-B was having a much better time with Aizawa that Vlad was having with class 1-A.

[merchantziro]

A/N: Decided to write a oneshot fic based on my comment because thinking about it more has given me inspiration.

Danny Fenton was legally declared dead.

It was certainly a hard time getting away from his parents, especially once they got the GIW to back them up.

Danny's eyes drifted upward as he enjoyed the beauty of the night sky for what possibly may be his final time. The full moon above him shined brightly as the moonlight reflecting down onto him felt almost healing to return more of his strength bit by bit. His core purring as he tries to satisfy his obsession to gaze at the stars he wanted to reach out to so bad with what little time he had left to.

All while he had thought back to how things came to this point.

Three months ago he thought it was finally time to finally tell his parents the truth. That after seeing their reaction to him and Phantom being the same during the Reality Gauntlet incident, he would have been accepted and loved.

Everything went wrong as they declared their hatred for him being Danny Phantom. Calling him nothing more than ectoplasmic scum wearing their own son's face.

After that they captured him before they and the Guys in White dragged him to their main headquarters to be ripped open and get his insides studied. It was like his worst nightmares manifested.

Sam, Tucker, even his sister Jazz, they gave it their all to help get him this far. Promises to see him on the other side, as they gave their lives up in a last ditch effort to free the Ghost Boy.

Danny fought back tears to focus on what his friends planned, they knew his parents the Fentons had upgraded their defenses to the max to make sure he couldn't reach the Ghost Portal at home.

But there was another option, one Danny didn't like but couldn't refuse. The Fentons didn't know about another Ghost Portal Danny could access. If he used all his remaining strength, he would barely be able to get to Vlad's Mansion just in time to get to his own Ghost Portal in order to escape before the Guys in White could catch up to him.

He could see Vlad's Mansion in the distance, Vlad and Ellie standing at the doors waiting for him. He was almost there.

"Daniel!"

He was almost safe.

----------

It was certainly a hard time fighting against Pariah Dark again, especially once he called the Justice League to help.

Danny turned over to look at his family and friends as they all called out for him. The Warchtower behind him was still intact as the window showed the family and friends he was fighting for and felt a surge of strength as he became numb to the pain he was in. His core purring as he satisfies his obsession to protect others he cared so much about no matter the cost.

All while he had thought back to how things came to this point.

Three months ago he thought it was finally time to finally tell his parents the truth. That after seeing their reaction to him and Phantom being the same during the time after Disasteroid incident before Dan broke free, he would have been accepted and loved.

Everything went right as they cried and hugged they declared their acceptance of him being Danny Phantom. Calling him a hero who was always their adoptive son.

After that they helped him before the Justice League eventually showed up as they took him to one of their main headquarters to be interrogated and offered a chance to become an official hero. It was like his best dreams manifested.

Jason, Cass, even his twin brother Damian, they all were proud to see him get this far. Promises to always stand by his side, as they were happy to see Gotham's new Ghost Boy.

Danny fought back his anger to focus on what he was fighting for, he knew the Ghost King was a massive threat that would be impossible to defeat with him having both the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire.

But there was another option, one Danny didn't like but couldn't refuse. Pariah didn't know about another option Danny could use to win. If he used all his remaining strength, he could barely be able to create an ice storm powerful enough to possibly defeat Pariah Dark once and for all by freezing him for entirety at the cost of him following suit.

He could see the Watchtower in the distance, his family (both biological and adoptive) unable to stop him. They was almost there.

"Danyal!"

They were almost safe.

----------

It had been one week since he managed to get into the Ghost Zone and escape the Ghost Hunters. He wanted to take Vlad and Ellie with him but...

The sad resigned look on both Ellie and Plasmius's faces as they destroyed the portal on the other side just as the Fentons and GIW burst through the doors still haunts Danny's nightmares during the few periods he's slept.

It hurts knowing that they also gave their lives to help him, he was supposed to be a hero yet everyone else died saving him.

Ever since then... he's been restlessly exploring the Ghost Zone, trying to find any indication that Sam, Tucker, and Jazz became ghosts but unable to locate them. The Infinite Realms are large after all.

He sat down on a floating rock platform to rest, his strength and energy reserves diminishing by the day.

But his hope was fading and his stomach growled louder as he searched nonstop with barely any rest or food. He couldn't keep going like this or else his friend's sacrifices would be for nothing.

As such he could do nothing else when he found a random portal to outside the realms, but walk through. He didn't care when or where he ended up, nothing could be worse than his current situation.

So without a second thought or hesitation, Danny flew right through the portal to destinations unknown.

----------

Danny landed in the middle of a dark city at night, his form became invisible to remain hidden on instinct.

Basking in the night sky, Danny felt the warmth of a full moon's light on his body gave him some energy back at a decently slow rate.

Under the light of La Luna, Danny began to fly around and get a better sense of his current location, or maybe find someone he can ask for directions.

He continued to fly around from the sky before seeing what appeared to be a figure standing on a building gazing down over the city.

They were young teen in a red, green, and yellow outfit, he was wearing a mask but seemed to be about Danny's age... Honestly could almost pass for a clone of him in human form if not for a few details.

He looked like a superhero.... Though Danny didn't know enough to say if he was a supervillain either. Either way... It couldn't hurt to ask right? Nobody would know who he was after all, and worst case scenario... They're most likely not prepared to deal with Danny's ghost powers.

The Phantom weighed his options before ultimately deciding to approach the stranger for some directions and he'll be on his way, he shifted from ghost form to human form behind a wall before slowly approaching the teen as he tried to get his attention.

"Hey... Excuse me, I'm sorta lost do you happen to know where I- WOAH!"

The look-a-like turned towards Danny with wide eyes, before immediately leaping towards the ghost boy as Danny barely dodged a slash from his blade before seeing the masked boy glare while tilting his head.

"...Akhi?"

"What?"

Danny took a step back confused, he didn't recognize the word but from his tone it seemed like he was trying to question Danny.

"Is that you... Danyal?"

This made Danny flinch in response, hearing Vlad's voice in the back of his head calling him Daniel.

"Look kid, I think you have me confused with-"

Suddenly his ghost sense went off and Danny barely had the opportunity to dodge the shots from a tall buff figure who pulled out two F-

"...Fenton Blasters...?"

Danny felt his breathing become more rapid as he tried to convince himself he should be in another dimension far from his parents... Trying to pretend he doesn't see the very obvious Fentonworks symbol on the side confirming his worst fears.

Danny's focus was on the weapons that every fiber of his being refused to look at the person aiming the guns at him. He was speaking, but the Ghost Boy couldn't pay attention he seemed to be talking with the stabby mirror.

"...Can't be sure he's not just a copy of..."

"...Looks injured Hood, like the real..."

"...Call the Fentons, they definitely would wanna..."

That last one shocked Danny back to reality.

They were allied with his parents...

They were going to turn him back in to the GIW...

They were going to make everyone's sacrifice pointless!

As a result Danny immediately transformed as there was no point in hiding if they knew who he was apparently, and flew away as fast as possible hearing them scream at him to stop before tuning then out. He needed to get far away before suddenly he felt a familiar pull, he didn't need to turn around to know it was the Fenton thermos.

So he turned and did the only thing he could in a desperate situation.

He wailed

He turned and unleashed a small Ghostly Wail, it wasn't as strong as it used to be due to his time with the GIW but it was still enough to knock the two out.

With that Danny collapsed onto one knee when it was over before immediately falling to the ground as he tried to walk away exhausted. Eventually stumbling into a graveyard as he saw numerous silhouettes in the dark fast approaching.

"There he is!"

He could almost make out the GAV in the distance as he saw two familiar silhouettes in blue and orange hazmat suits with goggles glowing red and blue respectively.

"Danno?"

The boy ran from his parents the Fentons, trying to find somewhere he could hide from the ones after him. Tears were leaking down his face as he continued to move as fast as he could in his weakened condition, passing by numerous tombstones and graves.

Eventually he froze however when he saw one name in a tombstone as he felt his blood run colder than the Far Frozen.

"What? Why is-"

Only to feel something wrap around him before suddenly electrocuting him as he let out a howl of pain, Phantom barely turned enough to see a tall dark figure with a dark black and grey outfit with a bat symbol on his chest. He heard his mother Maddie in the distance calling for him as he attempted to crawl away.

"Danny!"

Whatever he was hit by, it was causing him to lose consciousness as he fell to the ground, barely holding on long enough thanks to the Moonlight above, to take in what made him stop. A silver statue of him as Phantom holding up a globe with a golden plaque on the base.

Danyal "Danny" Fenton-Wayne

The Phantom of Amity Park and beloved brother of many. A hero who dedicated his half-life to protect the planet.

Born: 4-3-1990

Half-Died: 4-3-2004

Fully Died: 8-24-2007

Danny felt his world spinning (staying conscious only because of the moon above) as he didn't understand what to make of anything anymore, of what his apparent counterpart was like. But one thing was clear here...

Danny Fenton was still legally declared dead.

A/N: A thing I've been working on passively for the longest time since the idea was in my head. This is probably gonna remain a Oneshot though.

Bonus: DP Danny vs DC Danny differences for your convenience.

DP Danny

Composite of different Fanon Danny Phantom interpretations.

Bio-Son of Jack & Maddie Fenton and younger brother of Jazz Fenton

Bad Parents Jack & Maddie Fenton (Rips open Phantom without a second thought because they believe he's not their son anymore, just a monster wearing his face)

Phantom Planet never occurred (and by extension neither did AGIT.)

Dani goes by Ellie Phantom

Became a hero because he felt like it was his fault ghosts were loose and believed it was his responsibility and burden to carry.

Was experimented on and tortured by his parents and the GIW, lost his friends and remaining allies who gave their lives to save him from the GIW.

Space Obsession

His desire to be an astronaut and fascination with space manifested as an Obsession with the stars above.

Gives him the wisdom and desire to never stop researching all things space. It's the only thing besides Sam, Tucker, & Jazz that kept him stable with the stress of trying to hide his identity from his parents and the GIW.

The presence of moonlight or moon rocks can slowly heal himself and restore his ectoplasm, as well as giving Danny a consistent power boost depending on how much lunar energy his core absorbs. Danny sometimes wonders if in the presence of a Solar Eclipse that he would be at his most powerful, but has never had the opportunity to test that theory.

DC Danny

Composite of Canon Danny Phantom with elements of a few fanon concepts and Twin Damian AU

Bio-Son of Bruce Wayne & Talia Al Ghul and twin brother of Damian Al Ghul (Adopted by Fentons at a young age after what was believed to be his death by the League of Assassins)

Good Parents Jack & Maddie Fenton (still not the best but they try and love their children regardless, adoptive or biological)

Post-A Glitch in Time (or at least a variation of Phantom Planet and A Glitch in Time set in the DC universe)

Dani still goes by Dani Phantom

Became a hero both in inspiration of his bio father and the Justice League as well as his obsession driving him to protect those close to him from the ghosts.

Become a member of the Justice League as one of their heaviest hitters, his friends and remaining allies lost him as Danny gave what half-life he had left to save them all from Pariah Dark.

Protection Obsession

His desire to make sure others do not have suffered the agony and pain he went through when he half died manifested as an Obsession with protecting others.

Gives him the drive and desire to be a hero and protect others, never giving up no matter how stacked the odds are against him. Always willing to try to pull through until the bitter end.

Becomes more powerful and gains a higher pain tolerance when fighting to protect others. The more people he cares about protecting in danger, the stronger he becomes.

DPXDC Prompt #91

Danny was dimension hopping, his original dimension was still there but after his parents disowned him when they found out it wasn’t safe anymore especially with the GIW stepping up their game. Danny just wanted to find a dimension where he could live peacefully after all he was part human and while he loves the infinite realms it wasn’t sustainable in the long run to his human half. He finally finds one where the GIW doesn’t exist at all, but the weird part is there are actual superheroes here. The weirder part is his counterpart in this dimension is part of the Justice League! The bad part is it seems in this dimension the portal fully killed him so how was he supposed to explain to his counterpart that he was half dead.

[ordersreality]

Mjǫðvitnir ‘Wolf’

Against the Cult of the Reptile God

2023 April 09 Mjǫðvitnir .Wolf Vlad. Rogue Level 1 XP 18

The young smuggler interrupted a badly remembered nightmare of fire and wind and a lot of green djyp blood and bone. Gore covered everything. A stiletto of strange material dominated everything. The break came in the sound of little feet scratching the dirt. The scratching had a rhythm reminiscent of knocking.

He looked around and watched that ferret, I mean, weasel studying him.

The air told Wolf the sun would rise in a few hands1, though the clouds would likely keep him from enjoying it. A quick dip in a nearby stream might be a delight. Then, onward to fortune and obscurity.

Before he could pull his bedroll out he heard a voice. It sounded like a child pleading for mercy.

Wolf2 watches from behind an elm as a man, ugly even for a human with a long, badly healed scar across the right side of his face, rattles a boy like a rag doll. Something is said of an old and senile woman at the other side of the pond. All the boy had to do was sneak in, find the treasure, and get out.

The boy speaks of ghosts, and the woman talking non-stop about a world before his mother was born.

The ugly one suggests offering to clean the place, a charity offered by the town’s mayor. The ghost was just the wind in the trees or eaves.

The man drops the boy none too gently, and growls. Then walks away.

To wolf’s special eyes it was with little surprise that he watched the boy weigh a small purse that clinked as he juggled it between his hands.

Something3 interesting is going on in the town that isn’t big enough for it.

A4 voice jumps out at him from behind. Wolf spins and lands with his flint knife in hand to see a scrawny old human. He is dressed in a threadbare shirt and britches, both clean enough. His gray hair is gathered to the back and tucked under a gray, wool hat, his beard tucked into his shirt. He steps back, securing his wicker basket against spilling or pilfering.

That weasel pops her head out and hisses at the djyp.

Wolf realizes quickly that no harm was meant, and relaxed. The words, Shame that, finally processed itself.

The djyp stood, stretched, restored his knife. He salutes the elder, who added, “Care for breakfast?”

Accepted.

Wolf comments, “Interesting friend, you have there.”

“Interesting phrase you have there”

The old man traveled well enough, though one leg seemed misshaped. Was the man weighed down by age or worries?

The basket smelled of dandelions and yarrow. He watched as the man harvested rhubarb leaves, setting them into a canvas sack. Looking into that basket he noticed a bowl filled with hawthorn berries. The weasel, still in the basket, ate nothing there.

Wolf began to suspect this weasel is not an ordinary one.

They5 passed a shrine. A square stone-mason platform with a triangular slab, carved with floral petals suggested a goddess. Clean and the ground well groomed, yet no token would suggest what spirit it served.

They came upon a hut several tils6 north-west of that shrine. Set into the dirt it had turf for thatching. Rotting elm logs and a clay pipe might keep rain water from flowing into the short door. A good thing as the floor inside sat another four feet down. Stone-masonry of a quality similar to the shrine lined the walls and floor, with wood planks and a rug covering that same floor. A box filled with fresh elm leaves had a fur atop it, and a wool blanket atop that. A wicker basket rested from a hook between the head of that bed and the grain arch sitting against that wall. The simple room had no tables or chairs. Meats hung from the rafters, drying. A stone oven had a wood door, closed, and the smell of bread baking met the djyp’s nose. He sighted the hand mill sitting next to a mortar and pestle. A horseshoe hung, open side aimed at the door it graced. A stone7 triangle rested within. The token clearly resembled the shrine. The talisman over the door felt protective, gave the djyp nostalgia for when he’d toddle into the kitchen, mostly for the company, maybe a small snack.

Wolf set his ruck at the door, just on top of a stack of elm branches aging for the fire. He pulled a sack of salt out. News and a story would pay for more. The salt and chores might pay for breakfast.

He watched as the leaf was pared from the rubarb’s stem, each set into different bowls. The dandelions added to the stems promised an interesting wine or some soup, depending on your palate. The berries went into another bowl. The weasel watched both men doing what they might. Every offer to help with this chore or that act was kindly rejected.

Sorted, the old man retrieved three bowls and filled each with barley seasoned with goat fat and acorn meal.

Meanwhile he prattled on about the town’s business. That lady is indeed senile but not so far gone she’s left her treasure to be found just by looking. The mayor is pompous and greedy and sure would never offer a charity unless it granted him something worth more. Both inns are trouble, though the Slumbering Serpent seems homelier, but is sure to be only a lesser trap than the Golden Grain, soley from letting your guard down.

The hermit hit upon the story of Merikka, a local goddess governing agriculture and related details. He rambled on about her calendar and started in on detailing it when it occured to him the djyp might not find it so interesting. He concluded only with his fear that her temple had been usurped by the scion of the Reptile God. His final complaint, cultists often embarrass their gods with minutia and games of power.

When the story moved on to the cult devoted to the Reptile God Wolf’s attentions were wholly dedicated. Though the god, themself, remained obscure in the telling, the cult, at least in this area, seemed rather busy. They often disappear travelers to the town. Should they be seen again, several weeks later, they will seem hollow and dim. Though alive they might waste away while doing chores for folk native in town. The hermit complained that many people in town use the name of Merikka, yet seem to refer to another spirit.

While Wolf sipped his tea he listened to the telling. [8] The words were adroitly chosen to maintain interest and school a memory. He felt sure this was a briefing. Though the request might never be spoken, the man felt guarded, the hermit hoped for a cure to the imbalance of the town.

Though he didn't like plans when he had them, he still wanted another perspective. This man might be nuts, after all, or be setting a trap. One choice had been made. One more day to investigate the story, see what might be unsaid.

· • ° • ·

1 20 minutes each

2 Initiative 7+4 Encounter 5XP, information; Derek [C 16] 2+2

3 Insight 3+4 2xp

4 Encounter 5xp

5 Religion 20+3 8xp

6 1 rod, 16.5ft

7 Investigation 11+5; arcana 14+3; 8xp

8 Insight 19+4 xp10

.

[acesymmetricfool]

She Knew Those Eyes

@faedemon had an amazing prompt for the Truce where Jazz meets Dani for the first time and learns about everything Vlad did.

Charlie, let me tell you, it's been bouncing around in my head. I'll have chapter 2 up but I wanted to at least get you this first. I'm so excited to be your Secret Santa and I hope you like it!

---

This chapter is tagged for- Mentions of blood/injury, Fenton's A+ Parenting, My "How Danny Heals Fast" Headcanon, Hot chocolate/food mention, incoming angst, trauma response

-----

Danny came back home like he always did after a night on patrol. He flew to his bedroom window and transformed back once safely within the walls.

On good nights he flew all the way in landing on his bed with a thump that told Jazz that her brother had returned safely.

On less smooth nights, he would land on the floor, hopefully on his feet and go to the first aid kit in his closet.

Tonight, he knocked on his big sister's door and sheepishly asked for help patching himself up.

Jazz didn’t like to see him beaten and bruised even with his healing factor. It always made her uneasy to see specks of leftover green blood and purpling bruises on his human form.

Her gut immediately told her there was more to this night in particular. He was supposed to be on patrol with Sam and Tucker but she didn’t hear from any of them until the knock on her door. Her suspicion was that she wasn’t included in many of the adventures that they had. The ones they did report to her were certainly edited down to shiny bullet points she could digest unless her help was needed as a last resort.

It hurt. It was flattering. She sighed and brought her brother into the bathroom.

She didn’t know as much about ghosts. She didn’t have powers or experience but she was willing to learn and help any way she could. Danny might not want to tell her about every rough time, but the important thing was that he trusted her to be there on the really bad days.

She braced herself for what could be a very bad night indeed.

The damage wasn't as bad as she had expected. Jazz pulled the bandage firmly around Danny’s wrist and clipped it to hide the angry ligature marks until morning when even the worst slices would disappear. An ice pack would help with the pain and by the time it melted, the thick bruise on his stomach would be gone.

Over the spring, the two of them had theorized then tested a hypothesis about that. Danny seemed to heal faster when he was home. Whether it was a slashed abdomen or a black eye, they were always gone in about six hours or after a good night’s sleep.

The same wounds, because of course the hero was always being hit in the same places, were inflicted again and the experiment commenced. This time after patrol, Danny went to a friend’s house. Going to school the following morning, then spending the night again at Tucker’s, then going to school again and then returning home, resulted in a fascinating discovery.

Jasmine’s inspection confirmed that it had taken the full two days for the comparable lacerations and bruises to heal naturally when Danny wasn’t home compared to six hours when he was in his own bed.

Danny had suggested it was the portal leaking ecto-energy into their home. The food in the fridge was contaminated, it was almost certain that ectoplasm had seeped into every surface of the house.

Jazz wondered for a brief moment if that was why her parents always wore jumpsuits in the house or if that was paranoia. Surely if they knew they would tell their kids, right?

She decided not to think about that. Jazz led her brother down the stairs to sit on the couch with her rather than let him go to bed right away. The couch was large enough for the two of them to fall asleep on just like when they were kids. Jazz wasn’t sure if it would help, but it was also a bit closer to the open door of the lab and the burn on her brother’s waist made her queasy.

She grew up in this house and prided herself on being rather normal. The fact that ectoplasm flowed and ebbed through the house enhancing Danny’s healing ability was a boon that seemed to be harmless otherwise.

“So I was hoping to talk to you actually-” Danny started but cut off abruptly.

A clinking sound made her pause on the bottom step and her brother narrowly avoided bumping into her.

Mom and dad weren’t home. They were chasing a hot tip in Elmerton about a haunting and wouldn’t be back until morning with gas station coffee in hand.

She put her hand up signalling her brother to stop and wait for her signal. She lowered her stance and peeked around the corner.

The refrigerator door was open.

“Jazz-”

“Shh!” she pressed herself to the wall. Was the house colder from ghost activity? Did her parents leave the door open and a criminal took the opportunity to come inside? A burglar? The Guys In White?

Jazz’s eyes darted around the room searching for an explanation and a weapon at the same time. She reached up to the panel that would start up the security system. One press of a button and any threat, ghost or human, wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Jazz stop!”

A thud. The refrigerator light went out as the door slammed rattling the condiments on the door inside.

Her eyes opened wide but she did not press the red button in the wall. Danny’s fingers were wrapped around her wrist and he winced.

“She’s a friend.” he said loosening his grip. She dropped her hand and looked out again with wide eyes. She didn’t see anything as she slowly stepped into the living room in her slippers.

“It’s okay. This is my sister, Jazz.” he said into the dark.

Jazz looked over her shoulder at her brother to see where he was looking, where he was locked onto a target in the dark that eluded her. She turned back to look in the direction of the couch and yelped.

Glowing green eyes stared right at her inches from her face.

Jazz stumbled backwards, Danny catching her as her body tensed between fight or flight.

The eyes were gone. She stood up again looking back and forth but didn’t look behind her again. Danny edged in front of her putting a hand on her arm. She flushed, embarrassed.

“It’s okay. Jazz, this is Dani. It’s a long story but she needs a place to stay for at least the night while we figure some stuff out.” he squeezed his big sister's arm and she put her own hand over it. It was much appreciated. Her heart was starting to slow down.

She smiled into the empty space.

“Sorry about that. You surprised me.” she told no one.

Silence rang eerily and the siblings looked left, then right and Jazz’s smile faltered.

“Is she still here?”

“Yeah. I can feel it.”

Jazz nodded a little perturbed at the fact that she couldn’t.

A beat passed then a flash of blue light came from the corner by the potted plant.

A young girl had just materialized in the corner of the living room. She looked ready to bolt even as Danny waved at her to come closer with a smile. The girl stepped into the moonlight streaming in from the huge window enough to see the tops of scuffed shoes.

Jazz almost frowned in thought but forced a welcoming smile instead. The girl took an uneasy step and Danny turned on the light. Both girls squinted at the change putting their forearms over their eyes then lowering them at the same time. “Dani” blinked a few times and looked at the redhead through thick black eyelashes. Those blue eyes had a wariness to them that Jazz had seen somewhere, but never directed at her.

She studied the newcomer. "Dani" was small with a slight build. Thick black hair pulled into a loose ponytail under a beanie. Her clothes were well made but dirty and every hem and edge was ragged with wear. She was wearing shorts in the middle of winter and she didn’t have a coat, just a well-loved hoodie.

Jazz stared and her skin crawled.

Even in this light, just barely, Jazz could tell her eyes were glowing a faint blue.

Those were definitely her brother’s eyes.

The last time she saw those eyes was on someone who was Danny, but not Danny. Danny’s evil-future-self could imitate her brother almost perfectly but she knew the difference between her brother and the imposter.

Her heart skipped a beat and started to hammer in her chest.

Who was this girl with her baby brother’s eyes?

“It’s a long story,” Danny said putting his hand on the back of his neck. He winced as his abdomen twinged in pain and put it back at his side. “Basically she’s our cousin, Dani. She’s a half ghost like me.”

Jazz’s eyes were calculating, analytical as her mind whirled with possibilities. She forced herself to stop. Her brother trusted this girl. While she didn’t believe for a second that they were related in any conventional way, she wouldn’t let that stop her from offering the help Danny tentatively trusted her with. She would get her answers eventually. For now they were all safe.

“We can talk about it after we get her settled in.”

The girl, Dani, loosened her tight posture just a touch. Some of the tension in her shoulders leaked out and Jazz offered a small, encouraging smile.

“Let’s try this again. I’m Jazz. Danny’s sister.” Jazz wasn’t sure if she should offer to shake her hand or not so she kept the smile and gave a little wave instead.

The girl responded politely, if a little stiff.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jazz. My name is Danielle. Or Dani. With an ‘I’.” she blinked then smiled awkwardly copying the same movement that Danny did a moment ago laying her hand over the back of her neck.

“Of course, that might get confusing with two of us.” her eyes widened and her hands flew out extended in front of her in an apologetic gesture. “Two people I mean, separate and different-”

Jazz didn’t miss the look that her brother gave their ‘cousin’ that cut off her words mid-ramble, but she didn’t press.

“Mom and Dad aren’t home. We have the place to ourselves so you can relax and talk about anything you want. It’s just us.” Jazz wouldn’t make the girl talk, but Dani could at least take comfort in the fact two hunters weren’t lurking around.

Speaking of comfort…

“Would you like some hot chocolate?” she asked and Danny perked up and the younger girl looked at him. Jazz noted that. Obviously this girl valued Danny’s opinion.

“You never make cocoa anymore.” he said not judging but surprised.

Jazz smiled and turned to the kitchen.

“Yeah because Dad can smell it and drinks the whole pot.” she says lightly. “Besides, it looks like you could both use some.”

Danny grinned ear to ear and pumped a wrapped fist in victory. He went to the kitchen with a little perk in his step. Jazz watched in the reflection of the stove as Dani was encouraged to follow.

Danny made it to the kitchen table much more easily than he had made it to her bedroom door an hour ago. Danielle took the seat two down from him that put her back to the wall. Jazz didn’t comment as she took things out of the overhead cabinets for some liquid comfort.

“So how did you two meet?” she asked, forcing her tone to be easy and casual. When she looked over her shoulder the two were looking at each other so intensely that, for a moment, she wondered if halfas could communicate telepathically.

“I was patrolling and we fought a ghost together in town-”

“I’m a clone and was undercover to steal his midmorph DNA-”

Okay, they didn’t have telepathy.

“What?!” The word escaped before she could stop it. Danny sighed and the girl’s eyes widened looking at the boy completely bewildered.

“You said your sister valued honesty!”

“I also said to ease her into it!”

Clone? Mid-what DNA? Clone?

Jazz took a deep breath and managed to stay silent. Her only loss of composure was adding too much sugar to the pot but she played it off. She took a spoon scooping the white grains back into the bag and didn’t face the duo quite yet.

She could handle this. It was big news and Danny had been dealing with it already. She could handle this and help.

“Marshmallows?” she asked and didn’t wait for a response before adding a handful of tiny, fluffy marshmallows to Danny’s mug and then her own.

Dani watched as her hand hovered over the bag with the question then slowly nodded. Jazz couldn't decide whether that was an honest desire for sweets or if she simply wanted to fit in with the other Fenton siblings.

Other siblings.

"So...you're-"

"A cousin." Danny interjected and her head spun just a bit.

"I thought-"

"It's really complicated, Jazz. For now just know she's okay and safe and needs a place to stay. Please?" he pleaded and she couldn't say no to those puppy dog eyes.

She gave him a nod and kept working. There was an odd silence the whole time.

Cocoa, milk, vanilla, and heat mixed with the sugar to bind and turn the mixture into something beautiful and thick. She added a little milk to individual mugs and then fetched a ladle. Very carefully, Jazz poured boiling chocolate over the cold milk and soft marshmallows and they swirled and dipped around until the mix was dark and swirled with creamy white streaks.

She turned presenting two mugs to her companions and returned to the stove for a third helping of the spoils.

"This smells so good." Danny tried to move the conversation along. Danielle sniffed the concoction feeling the hot mug with small fingers. She smiled in thanks through the steam but didn't try to sip it. Instead, the girl studied it intensely.

The extra splash of milk thinned it from the sludge consistency on the stove to something resembling the drink people usually expected. It was the way Jazz always made hot chocolate, covered in gooey marshmallows and very much on the chocolatey side just short of melting bars into it. It was a little unorthodox maybe, but not unusual enough to stare like that.

“Would you prefer it a little thinner? Or I think we have the mix if you want that instead.”

The girl’s eyes widened and it almost looked like a flinch. Jazz blinked and backtracked.

“It’s really okay, it’s kinda weird and it’s probably too thick- it’s an old family recipe-”

“No, I’m sure it’s fine!” Dani cut her off and waved a hand sloshing the hot liquid dangerously close to the edge of the mug. “I’ve just never had… hot chocolate before.” she finished with a little shrug and started to blow on the surface.

Danny looked angry for some reason.

Jazz tried to keep some levity in the room.

“Well if you like sweet, you’ll like this.” she declared and took her own mug to the table. Danny glanced between the two of them as discreetly as he could. Considering he had a secret identity, it was not very subtle.

Jazz smiled a genuine smile and sighed into the hot steam feeling her breath mingle with the vapor. She took a tentative sip that was mostly dissolved marshmallow and licked her lip of the white foam.

Danny blew a suspiciously slow breath before taking a large gulp of his. From the condensation now billowing from the mug, she guessed it was his ice powers being used for a very domestic task.

Danielle had watched the two take very different approaches and decided to split the difference taking a mouthful. Her mouth snapped open full of too-hot liquid spitting it out all on the tablecloth. She gasped and it must have hit the back of her throat because the girl started to cough violently, tears coming to her eyes. Danny tensed in alarm half rising in his chair and Jazz also rose from her seat in surprise.

The girl wiped her mouth with a filthy sleeve urgently. Panic was so clear in her eyes looking at the soiled white table cloth. She started to shake and Danny reached out to touch her hand gently. Dani snatched her hand back close to her body and hunched in on herself away from the boy who recoiled as if she had burned him.

She clamped her eyes shut tight and turned her head to the ground. The little girl hiccuped as if she would cry.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry-”

Before Jazz could say a word, Danielle was gone.

—

Chapter 2 Coming Soon I Promise-Happy Truce!

[cerinefalls]

‎

𝒪𝓃𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝒹

An Izuku Midoriya x Reader

Summary: On the way back to UA after a weekend of field training, the bus breaks down. Luckily for classes 1A and 1B, Vlad was able to find you rooms! Unluckily for everyone, it was not a big hotel. Time to share, and your roommate was... you guessed it; Izuku Midoriya! Good thing, too, because you're not feeling too good.

Other Parts: Shoto Todoroki

Content: SFW, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Suggestive Themes

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You wandered down the halls near aimlessly as you searched for your room. It shouldn't have been so hard to find a room in a hotel, but unfortunately for you, this place had no order. Room 412 should've been right between 410 and 414, but in its place was room 416. Was your room even located on the fourth floor? You were unsure at this point.

"Four twelve... four twelve... four twelve... It should be here, but these aren't in numerical order. Maybe if I retrace my steps, I'll see that I missed something! No, these aren't in order either. Are villains trying to disorient us? Maybe I'm thinking too hard... " You overheard a familiar voice muttering down the hall. It was nearing you, but you couldn't point out exactly who it was.

As you continued down the dimly lit hallway, the voice gradually got louder. Soon, it sounded like it was right in front of you. It was right in front of you! You bumped into the source of the sound and nearly fell backward. That was an oddly soft wall you'd run into.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you, I swear! Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I-" Now you knew who it was. Who else went on and on that way? It had to be Deku.

"No- I'm fine, Midoriya." You brushed off whatever initial shock you'd felt and stood up straight again. "You said 412?" The room. That was your room, and if he'd seen it, you needed to know where.

"What? Oh, the woman at the desk told me to look for room 412, but I can't find it anywhere." Izuku replied to you without hesitation. His brain was running at full capacity at all times, after all.

"She did? That's my room too. Can we look together?" You'd been grouped with Midoriya? That was unexpected. You'd expected someone like him to end up with Bakugo or Todoroki, but it looked like he was stuck with you. You didn't know him too well, but he probably didn't mind.

"Yeah! This must be a test." He nodded, accepting your offer. Was he always thinking about hero work? That looked like what the hero course did to them all.

The two of you spent minute after minute hauling luggage around the fourth floor. After a while, Izuku offered to take your bags for you. You declined- but were starting to wish you hadn't. Double-checking, triple-checking- nothing provided results, and it was beginning to tire you.

"Maybe it's on another floor?" You pitched your idea to the now pacing and muttering mess of a boy. He'd hardly heard you through his thick thought bubble.

"Of course! If all of these are out of order, there's no telling how disorienting the next floors are. It must be somewhere else!" Had he seriously not considered that before? You hesitated to tell him because you thought he'd already checked the other floors. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time someone had to suggest something obvious to him.

Izuku led you to the elevator and pressed the button to move down a floor. One floor at a time, that's how you'd do it. The wait was long, and Midoriya appeared lost in thought the entire time. Soon, the quiet elevator ride lowered you to the third floor.

"Alright, let's check around here for the-"

"I found it!" Midoriya interrupted you with his outburst from slightly down the hall. Sure enough, on the 3rd floor, 412 was sat between 310 and 314. It made you wonder what happened to room 312.

Never mind any of your questions or concerns, it was time to sit! Finally, after all that time training, you got to sit on a sturdy piece of furniture. The odd circumstances didn't even cross your mind as you rushed past Izuku and onto the red couch that sat against the wall in the front of your hotel room.

"You're smart," Midoriya smiled wide as he shut the door behind you. After the click of the lock settled your arrangement, he too sat on the couch at the separate end. "So it... looks like we're going to be spending the night here. I'm glad Class B's teacher was able to find us rooms." He nodded to himself.

"Me too." You nodded, stretching out. As you finished your relieving movement and turned to Izuku, you were met with an intense stare. He stopped when he noticed you looking, though. "What?" You questioned.

"Oh- nothing! It's just... your side. It's scratched," He mentioned. Right! that cut you'd gotten during practice. You'd forgotten all about it when the bus broke down. It wasn't bleeding anymore, and the pain had gone away. "Is it bad?" Izuku sounded concerned.

"No! Just a silly surface wound. I'm sure it'll be fine once we get to recovery girl." You responded fine, but Izuku did not seem to agree with you. He looked worried, face sporting a frown.

"You should really make sure it gets cleaned and patched up." He stood up and walked towards the bathroom, opening the door and disappearing inside. For a while. you wondered why. What was he doing in there? All that rustling and banging had to mean something.

"They didn't really have bandages, so I-" Eventually, your questions were answered. Izuku exited the bathroom with a first-aid kit and... other things.

"Bandages? I'm not bleeding." You tilted your head a few times, trying to see what he'd come up with. Deku was surely one to know how to wrap wounds, so it couldn't have been anything outrageous.

"You were! It's important to keep it sealed, even if you aren't bleeding anymore." The reason this green-haired boy was panicking was unannounced to you, but in midst of his worry, he made a good point. Who knew what lurked in this hotel? An infection was the last thing you needed.

"Well... alright, Midoriya. How do you plan on helping this, though?" You asked, agreeing to let him help you. Izuku smiled wryly before pulling from behind him a... roll of toilet paper?

"The toiletries here aren't soft and crumbly. They're sort of like... paper. This can make a good temporary bandage when used correctly." His smile was unsure- almost as if he wanted you to fact-check him. You nodded to say you trusted him, but as for the quality of his information? Well, nobody knows.

"Okay... and how do you expect to get that to stick?" You could ask Sero- but, other than that, all options looked to be off the table.

"The first aid kit doesn't have gauze, but it does have some tape left! Skin-safe, of course!" His smile looked more sure now. It faded as he began to put together his makeshift bandaging. He looked focused as he wiped your skin clean with alcohol pads and waved them dry.

He seemed focussed- not on the process- but on keeping you comfortable. Izuku knew he had the ability to hurt you if he wasn't careful, because even though you'd felt fine before, you flinched each time he pressed around the cuts. They were not completely healed, after all.

"Normally, I'd tell you to go take a shower..." He spoke under his breath, tape holder securely between his teeth as he tore pieces to use. "But, because of how these are... I know it'll hurt if you do." Midoriya gently secured a large, doubled-over section of toilet paper to your side. He was right to say the texture was that of paper because you would surely hate to wipe with what he'd placed on you.

"But, shouldn't I shower anyway? We were training, and..." You tried to finish your sentence, but you couldn't quite bring yourself to when you noticed Izuku lost in thought. He was staring at your waist, your top moved with one of his hands as the other carefully ran across the 'bandaging' he'd just applied.

"Might need another layer..." He mumbled, not paying all too much attention to what you said- until you called him, that is.

"Izuku?" You leaned as close to eye level with him as you could and it startled him.

"Oh- sorry!" Whether it was his name or the sharp eye contact that drew his attention was unknown. What you did know was that he'd quickly backed away from you, unhanding your clothes and swiping your side a bit as he stumbled backward on the couch. You tried not to let him know it'd hurt, but you couldn't help the instinctual jolt away from him that followed. "Did I- oh no, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I was just scared I was making you uncomfortable and then you looked at me and you said my name and I got scared and..." He... was... mumbling to himself again.

"Midoriya, it's fine. I was just-" You attempted to calm him down, but he was too far gone. It appeared his stunt of focus was interrupted by his feeling of embarrassment. Maybe you should try his first name again? "...Izuku?" It worked! His muttering paused and he looked up at you. His expression was unreadable for a moment.

"You said it again..." He sat up and paused, clearly trying to deduce something. Was that seriously all it took to calm him down?

"Said... what?" You questioned, holding a hand to the throbbing pain on your midsection. He had a harder hit than you thought he would- especially for an accident. He must've really sought to keep a light hand before.

"My... name. I'm sorry if that sounds odd! It's just..." He looked away from you, not without glancing at the hand you held to your side. "Ever since Kacchan and I got to UA... Well, I guess I didn't realize people knew my name." That was true. Bakugo had given Izuku that nickname, and it spread like a rash. Midoriya was strong to have flipped it to be his hero name. Ever since then, no one had called him by anything but Deku or Midoriya.

"I hope I'm not crossing any lines by using it- it just seemed to capture your attention." Your response was direct and apologetic.

"It's not that," Midoriya shook his head. "I have no problem with it! It's just... new." He mustered another smile and met your eyes again. You quickly moved your hand but you knew he'd seen it. Your intention wasn't to make him feel bad! It just hurt, was all.

"Well, Izuku... how about we go to sleep? It's getting late," You tested him. His smile formed more properly this time!

"Yes, but I really should add another layer or two to that. I wouldn't want it to tear in your sleep." He was calm enough to say that without flustering himself. Perhaps the same focus he had earlier had returned? No, that wasn't it.

The look in his eyes as he carefully followed the same process he had before matched the look there was during training today. He wasn't just focused on helping you- he was in a hero's mindset. It would've been endearing had you not known about his crippling hero complex.

Nevermind that.

Once Izuku had finished putting a more cushiony layer over your midriff, he backed away to view what he'd done. He seemed proud of himself. Rightfully so! Because he'd truly done his best in this endeavor.

"This doesn't hurt, does it?" He moved the hand he'd used to hold up your top down to your waist, his second hand doing the same on the opposite side. Midoriya applied a gentle amount of pressure with both hands, and shockingly, it didn't hurt at all!

"Wow... it... doesn't-" You shook your head and looked down at his hands. It was a bit interesting- looking at him. He still resembled an entirely different state of mind as he sat there tending to you. After a couple more squeezes, though, your own mind wandered.

You attempted to fight it by taking a more literal view of things. You looked first at his arms. They were freckled splotchily. It was an interesting pattern in contrast to the multitude of horizontal scars on his hands. His hands... you couldn't quite see them. The fabric of your shirt had completely fallen over top of them as he continued to pressure check. This method of literal examination only worked for as long as you could focus on it, though. Once Izuku began gently dragging his hands up and down your midsection to check for sturdiness, that strategy was less effective.

"It's not slipping... I think you're good for tonight. Let me know... if it... gets..." As Midoriya lifted his head to make proper eye contact while he spoke, he noticed an all-too-familiar expression on your face. Heat had risen to your cheeks, and you were clearly averting your eyes from his own. Had he made you... nervous? He wasn't sure, but it seemed you were timid in comparison to earlier. Izuku slowly removed his hands from under your shirt and placed them on your knees, watching you closely. "Are you alright?" He asked, voice saturated in concern.

"I'm fine! Nothing's wrong." You brushed off his concern, though you were still twiddling around. "You said it seems alright?" You aimed to change the subject. It was time for bed anyway! Midoriya had to be exhausted from today's training, after all.

"Yes... I applied about as much pressure as a mattress would and you didn't flinch. I think you'll be alright to sleep," He nodded. Would you be able to get him back to his usual mindset any time soon? It was beginning to get uncomfortable– usually, Deku was the one getting flustered, but right now he was calm and you were the one stumbling over yourself.

All you could do was nod. Eventually, Midoriya backed away from you to allow you to change. It was just the break you needed. You walked into the bedroom with your bag and pulled out your bedclothes. You were met with a shock when you turned to put them on, though.

"That can't be right..." You said that louder than you'd meant to. Who wouldn't, though? This was a room for two people, wasn't it?

"Is everything okay in here?" Midoriya was approaching, but you didn't hear him entirely. You wished he'd knocked when he entered, though. Izuku walked in on you with your shirt hanging from your neck. You rushed to put it back on, slipping it onto your arms as he stepped forward.

"Only... one?" He questioned. It seemed he hadn't noticed you. It wasn't surprising because the two of you were confused about the same thing. Be it some twist of fate, or some odd plot device– the sight in front of you was absurd. There was only one bed.

"I'm sure this is a mistake. I mean, our room was on the wrong floor," You mentioned.

"You're right... but, I don't think we can do anything about it." Midoriya was shifting from foot to foot behind you. "I should sleep on the couch! You're injured, and I don't want you to get hurt any more than you are." The way he spoke was not that of his usual self. He still sounded like he was thinking tactically as opposed to how he normally would.

"No! I mean- no. Izuku, you can stay in here." You looked at the bed once again. There may have only been one- but it was huge! No reason for him to sleep on the couch at all. "Even so, what if I do get hurt? I'd rather you be here to help me." Were you doubting his toilet paper bandages?

...You were. You were doubting his toilet paper bandages.

"I-" Had you finally choked him up? Gotten at least some Midoriya-like response? You had! For once, you managed to make him think about the situation. You didn't know why, but for some reason, you were pleased by it.

"You..?" You prodded.

"Well! I suppose you may be right..." He was looking away from you now, rocking back and forth. You'd gotten him just as nervous as he'd had you. Midoriya was clearly trying to rationalize what you'd said. You were correct- his creation was his creation. If it tore or fell off, he would have to be the one to replace it. So it was settled. Midoriya would sleep on one end, you on the other.

You attempted to change your clothes once Izuku had left but soon noticed that would be more difficult than planned. When you attempted to lift your arms over your head, you felt a painful sting around you. You could hear his pacing around come to a stop when you audibly expressed distress. You'd just gotten your shirt off fine! Why was the wound hurting now?

Things began to make sense over time, though. You'd encountered a villain with no flashy or visible quirk– but they'd hit you with something unique to them. That kitty had claws, and it was looking like they'd hit you with a concealed weapon.

"Are you okay!?" Izuku rushed in soon after you'd realized what was going on. He sounded remarkably worried. Perhaps your cry of pain was louder than you'd thought...

"I'm fine... I think." You had to sit down. The more time that passed, the more painful things became. "I don't think that villain I fought had a mutant quirk..." You huffed, eyes watery. It was only downhill from here.

"Really? Did I jot it down wrong? What's happening?" He was frantic in his efforts to gather information. Midoriya sat down on the side of you that wasn't injured to avoid hurting you.

"The more... I move..." You were slowly growing out of breath. Were you panicking yourself? It felt as though maybe the venomous scratches raked harder with the rise and fall of your chest. "I don't know... I was fine until I tried to move my arms... maybe I did it too fast?"

"Oh no this is bad... the only time I've seen a quirk like this was..." No need to type out all of his panic-filled sentences. Long story short, he felt a bit responsible for your pain. You hadn't started hurting until he tried to fix it, after all.

"Izuku, I don't care." You began to steady your breathing so that you could talk to him properly, though you still sounded strained. "I just want to go to sleep, and I won't be able to get there on my own." If he really felt he was at fault, he'd likely oblige to helping you. You at least hoped he would, because the pain you felt only got worse when you attempted to care for yourself.

"Are you sure?" He sounded worried again now; not for you, but his skills. It was much like the worry he'd harbored while bandaging you. If he was not careful now, he could really hurt you. His ceaseless trembling made his unease all the more clear, and you all the more impatient.

"Hey- just think of it how you did last time. You know... like you're being a hero?" You mentioned his earlier attitude, and almost like a lightbulb had been lit, he changed his demeanor.

"I was acting like that? I'm sorry- I didn't notice." He stood up and stepped in front of you. "But, if it helped... I guess I could do it again." Izuku was visibly trying to switch attitudes again. It did not take long. Soon, he was mumbling things he noticed about the quirk's effect on you while looking for a place to start. Now, you felt the same hands that'd helped wrap you on your sides once again. This time, though, he was focused on your clothes.

"That's your pajama shirt over there, right?" He asked, voice wary. For a second you were unsure why.

"Yes, that's the one. Could you bring it to me?" You replied simply. If you kept a work-based mindset, it would help him maintain one as well.

"Of course! But, well... I guess what I'm trying to say here is that you shouldn't put it on on your own..." Though he was attempting to remain professional, he couldn't help the tint that covered his cheeks. This was embarrassing. "I'll look away! Only one of us needs to see for me to help you, right?" He was starting to let the fear seep through his voice. You brushed it off to save his pride.

You just nodded, assuming it'd work. It did work! Though you couldn't focus the entire time. Izuku ran his hands down the sides of your top, grabbing the bottom hem gently. He did his best not to bump into you or cause you to move more than you had to, knowing it'd be painful.

It was hard to get your arms up, but you did it for as long as you could while Midoriya slid off your day clothes and neatly fixed your bed shirt atop of you. Once he'd let it down, he helped you bring your arms down and laid you on the bed.

"I promise to stay close so you can call me if you need to. Only if you want to, that is! I don't know how long the effects of that quirk will last, so..." Whatever the effects were. It was a bit hard to tell. As you laid still, the pain from before began to subside. Sure enough, you were just fine to lay on the bed. Neither side of you caused trouble–

That is until you chose to remove the bottoms you'd been wearing. It was a tad warm with another person in bed, and you were under the covers anyhow. It shouldn't have mattered! Sadly for you, though, the last bit of stretch you needed to move them past your hips was too much for your body to handle. Perhaps the bend in your midsection was what caused the quirk to activate? Every time you moved your core, venomous stings prickled throughout your body. Izuku felt the sheets rustling and turned over to check on you.

"Are you alright?" He asked, sitting up on his forearm to look over you. You stopped moving, a wise decision, and cleared your throat to respond to him.

"Well, I was trying to get comfortable, and..." Your sentence trailed as you began to think this was nothing worth troubling him with. "It's nothing, Izuku. Just a little pain."

"Well, how can I help?" He sounded once again concerned, and you could feel him sitting up behind you.

"No ways you'd want to! Don't worry about it, really." You insisted, but he insisted harder. It took quite some time, but eventually, he broke you into telling him the issue. Midoriya was clearly rattled, but he also dispensed a strange look of determination. He did tell you he would be there to help you, and he was determined to live up to his word. A hero may be put in uncomfortable situations after all.

After a long list of questions asking for consent to help you with your... specific problem, he raised enough courage to scoot behind you and begin his assistance. What happened next nearly stunned you. Izuku did his best not to move you as he gently slid his left hand beneath your hips. He felt around for a moment, and you could almost hear him panicking when he couldn't find the top seem of your pants. He decided it'd be best to find the top using his other hand, and so shortly after you found his right hand slinking fingers around your waist and traveling down to your thigh.

Your face burned as he continued to feel around for your clothes. Eventually, he found what he thought to be the hook he was looking for. As he pulled and you shifted backward into  him to stop the fabric from moving, he realized he'd picked the wrong thing.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to- oh this is bad. I'm so so sorry, I didn't know that was there and I-" Boy was he good at talking. You shushed him quickly, though, feeling well enough to use your own hand to guid his down to where your bottoms really were. You attempted not to squirm as he carefully pulled them past your thighs and got them off of your feet.

"Thank you." You smiled, sporting a grateful expression. The both of you were thankful it was dark, because each of you had blushed faces due to what'd happened under the covers.

"You're very welcome." Deku sounded distant when he replied. He attempted to act as normal as possible, but the air in the room was thick enough to suffocate you. Today was eventful to say the very least.

"Hey, Izuku?" You called him, hoping you could surface his mind.

"Oh- yes?" He sounded attentive enough.

"Let's.. go to bed, yeah?"

"That... is a great idea."

In the stoic silence of your room you eventually found yourself drifting into sleep. Izuku hadn't moved his hands from around your waist when he brought them up from your legs. You were glad, because had he made any sudden movements in his startled state he would've done more harm than good. It wasn't like the position of his hands was uncomfortable, either. Soon enough, both of you were unconscious. It would be a shame if someone walked in that night... oh well. Not like they could find the room.

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[five-rivers]

Now i would like to see prompts of a curious benevolent eldritch being coming to visit Amity Park and coo at the baby eldritch (Danny) and tech him how to access his eldritch powers.

I know this is probably supposed to be about some more traditional and tentacle-y eldritch abomination, but this is essentially what I’m writing Grandfather Clocks as (not to mention assorted other oneshots and everything happening in Mortified).  I’m too invested in Lost Time to clearly imagine anyone but Clockwork in the Adult Eldritch Abomination role...  at least from a more general prompt like this one.  

... on the other hand I now have Vague Ideas (tm) about a full AU where Danny has eldritch abomination powers instead of ghost powers and all the eldritch abominations he’s ‘fighting’ are just coming to play with the baby.

WARNING this is for real written as horror, since it’s from Danny’s perspective.

.

Time seemed to congeal as the shadow in Danny’s soul stretched backwards.  This one had a name.  It skittered between the dark and the part of Danny’s mind that still resembled a human’s.  He breathed in, slowly, then out, tasting it on his tongue.  Once, it had been two.  

Finally, it coalesced into something he could actually speak.  “Skultech,” he said.  

“Relative of Skulker?” asked Tucker.  “Or Technus?”  He didn’t look at them or at Danny.  He had protections, but they weren’t perfect, and he’d already taken a step away from the light.  

“Yes,” said Danny, internally translating the vibrations of air into something with meaning and weight.  

Skulker.  The hunter, fleshless and tireless.  A pursuer of the mind more than the body.  Almost sporting in his own way.  The library with all its labyrinthine but immaterial paths was the best place to lose him.  

Technus.  A horror that lurked in the depths of the internet, luring in deep-web users and more than a few unluckly click-bait and phishing victims.  Technus didn’t kill them, did very little to them, really, but there was a reason there wasn’t a computer club at Casper High anymore.  

They had been two.  Now they were one.  Part of Danny was fascinated.  Another was thrilled, happy, as it always was when these dark things manifested themselves in Amity Park.  

His shadow stretched, whispering over his features.  He could feel curl over the texture of the ground beneath him, grasping at grass and bark and soil as if it were possessed of a thousand thousand tiny fingers.  It wanted to open up and play.

(’It,’ Danny said, as if it weren’t him, an extension of himself.)

“What do we do?” asked Sam.  She, unlike Tucker, looked directly at him, even half-shrouded in shadow as he was.  She always did, even if she averted her gaze from the likes of Skulker and Technus.  

Near the beginning, Sam had made the connection between the others, especially ones like Ember, who were as beautiful as the were dark, and cults.  She had started a joke about making one for Danny.  Over time, it had become less of a joke.  

Danny tried to ignore the pleasant buzz of his skin as he imagined a cult attempting to do something as sweet as bind him to their will.  

Because, really, he shouldn’t be thinking of something like that as ‘sweet’ at all.  

“It’s still Skulker and Technus,” said Danny, even if he had never seen them like this.  “I think... the same type of thing should probably work.  I distract, Sam gets people out of the way, Tuck, you get the computers at the library ready and tell me when to lead them there?”

“Do you think it’ll really work when it’s both of them?” mumbled Tucker.  “I don’t know if I can even do both of the things at once...”

“The alternative is not doing anything,” said Sam, “and considering that they seem to be after Danny...”

Tucker made a face, the glow from his PDA reflecting from his glasses.  “Yeah, I know,” he said.  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t try.”

“Remember,” said Danny, “don’t give me the go-ahead until you and everyone else is out.”

“Yeah, I remember, I remember,” he said.

“Go do your thing,” said Sam.  

Danny nodded and left the shelter of their hiding place.  He did not stand up, or walk, or move.  He simply stopped being there and started being in front of Skultech.  

From a distance, he probably still looked human.  

They fought.  

It was hard to describe how they fought, exactly, in human terms, but they did.  Right up until one of Skultech’s three-fingered hands wrapped around Danny’s ankle and his shadow vanished.

He, breathing hard and falling, remembered what it was to be human.  To be vulnerable.  His shadow came back to him, flickering.  He came back to himself.  

There was a darkness that was himself, and he was so relieved.  Why?  How often had he wanted this gone?  But he was whole, and like that he was half, and-

He’d gotten distracted.  

Skultech had surrounded him, a hunting ground strobed with lightning.  This kind of fight was an oddity to both Skulker and Technus, this kind of movement, this kind of strategy.  Danny began to doubt that his earlier plan would work.  

What was a library but another kind of forest?

With only enough warning for his self to wrap around him protectively, Skultech yanked him down into the Dream.  The pale seaweed threads of human consciousness gave way to the dark and the other.  He fell to the floor of a midnight palace and rolled to his back, coughing up not-water from the idea of his lungs.

Here, said Skultech, in something that wasn’t quite language.  The True Voice.  Danny had seen people fall to their knees when the others used that.  Had seen sane men turn into blind faith worshippers.  Had heard lies that became true in the speaking, or near enough that it didn’t matter.  

He had never quite managed to speak that way himself, no matter Sam’s cajoling.  

Danny managed to open his eyes.  He did not come to the Dream often, no matter how much it called to him.  Both his halves agreed, here, where every place was also a person, it was dangerous even in the shallows.  

The ceiling was covered in layers upon layers of spiderwebs, and he did not like what that meant.  Skultech was nowhere to be seen.  

He pulled himself up and got to his feet.  

The floor beneath him was glass.  Beneath that was clockwork, but the gears were galaxies and solar systems, the springs were entropy and enthalpy, and the chains were the laws of physics themselves.  Clockwork.  It was...  It would do, as a name.  

The distant sense of amusement was disturbing.  

Danny looked around.  He needed a way out, a way back up, to where he could leave the Dream.  

Why did Skultech bring him here?

Spiderwebs and gears.  Symbols of control, of interconnectedness, of carefully laid plans.  Was he stuck in a web he couldn’t see?

He spun, slowly, trying to see if he could see any doors or other openings.  Something flashing, moving, in the distance caught his eye.  His first instinct was to move away, but...

But it was like he was being drawn in.  Like he couldn’t turn away.  It was a mirror.  A window.  

It showed him himself.  At first, a hundred paces away, just himself, as he was, but then at pace ninety-nine it changed.  Mirrors did that, in the Dream.  Everything did that, in the dream.  

Time sped up.  The mirror reflected not just light, but sound and feeling.  He could see himself, his shadow, and-

He felt it when all the little Loves that kept him tethered to his humanity snapped, the lives they were anchored to burning up as they met their deaths.  He screamed and heard it echoed back to him a thousand times over.  

He could not stop walking.  He could not stop watching.  Ninety steps away.  

His shadow in the mirror was wild.  Unbound and grieving.  Flesh and blood and bone existed, but his two part mind was unbalanced and divided from itself.  He sought aid from the only other like himself and received a knife, received Hate to replace love and at seventy-five steps he watched as what he had once been embraced Vlad and devoured him whole, eating and becoming everything that made him him.  

The shadow unfurled, hungry and seeking.  The memory Love it once had and the Love it had desired for so long driving it onward and outward, the center pulsing like a diseased star.  Seventy steps.  It had eyes like constellations.  

The mirror showed the Dream, now.  Veins of sickness wound through the garden of human thought, through the tangled vines and twisted paths.  What it found did not satisfy, and it sought more, and more, delving deeper.  Sixty steps, then fifty.  

It ate at the best of people, of others.  The singers fell silent.  The doctors could no longer heal.  The kind became cruel.  

Darkness fell.  Then war.  The shadow ruled all from its misery.  

It was not enough.  

Forty steps.  It’s eyes met Danny’s.  It knew he was here, knew he was watching.  It began to speak in its True Voice, and Danny could not cover his ears to keep it out.  

It spoke of the things it had done, of the things it would do.  Danny watched as it carried out its plans, and even more.  It spoke of how it, he, was Danny, and all this destruction, all this suffering was wrought by his own hands.  It spoke of Love Danny did not cherish sufficiently, of fragility, of how it was determined to Be rather than Be Not even though its every moment was loneliness and Hatred to the point of agony.  

Danny’s ears were bleeding.

Thirty steps.

It spoke of how it would hurt Danny, in particular.  How it would rend his shadow, wound so there was no hope for him to escape his fate, even with foreknowledge of it.  It spoke of how, with Danny watching, the mirror was a window, was a door it could reach through and Danny saw it reaching.  

Saw it reaching out and in and towards now and those that he Loved, those that he cherished and Danny would have pushed himself to run but he couldn’t stop walking.

Twenty steps.  It could make itself look like Danny, and even though it was wrong, Danny was wrong too, he was so, so, so, wrong and his wrongness was going to get them killed.  It was going to get everyone killed.  

They were looking at it, not him, speaking with it, not him.  His darkness was covered.  With it, these things were like staring at the sun.

It tore away the protections he had so painstakingly layered over those he Loved.  

Ten steps.

He saw his parents with a bomb made by their own hands, one that would devastate the Dream for miles around, killing anything that dared to imagine, the culmination of their work.  Nine steps.  He saw Mr. Lancer writing lesson plans with his own blood, each sentence less English than the last.  Eight steps.  He saw Sam with the ritual knife, her smile full of blood and sacrifice.  Seven steps.  He saw Tucker clawing out his eyes, surrounded by computer screens flaring with symbols humans were never meant to use.  Six steps.  He saw Jazz-

He saw Jazz notice.  

Five steps.

He could have wept.  

She armed herself with stories and legends and saltwater and truths that made Danny seize and the fact that this thing was not her brother.  Four steps.  

He watched her confront it.  

Three steps.   

He watched it toy with her, her machinations only delaying her doom.  

Two steps.

He watched it k-

One step.  

No!

For the first time, he screamed in his True Voice.  His fist snapped out, striking the mirror dead center.  It shattered.  

Was that enough?  Was he in time?  He- He couldn’t feel them.  He couldn’t-  They couldn’t be dead.  They couldn’t be gone.  

He dropped to his knees.  The shards of the mirror glittered up at him, calling him.  His hand shook as he reached out and picked one up.  Slowly, he raised it to his lips.  He opened his lips and as soon as the shard was even with his teeth, he bit down, the glass crunching like thunder.  

Already, he was reaching for another piece.  He swallowed.  His hands went out, nails scrabbling along the floor in his hurry.  Mirror shard after mirror shard was shoved into his mouth and choked down.  

There was something around his neck.  With one of his many hands he reached up, feeling up his chest to throat.  There was a collar there.  It felt like control, like ownership, like Love.  

Something liquid dripped from his eye.  

Even as he gagged on glass, two of his hands, his human hands, explored the circumference of the metal piece.  There were delicate fractal patterns on the surface that had double on the interior.  As his fingers pressed down on them, they in turn pressed on the skin of his neck, sending pleasant curls of thought down his limbs.  

His questing fingers found the collar’s lead.  It was at the same time, like the spider silk above and the clockwork chains below.  Flexible.  Strong.  Indelible.  It was as inevitable as gravity that he should Be Loved and Love in return.  

He licked the last powdery pieces of mirror off his fingers and his extra arms slowly evaporated back into the Dream as if they never were.  

Who would Love him like this?  Love him to the point that it manifested in the Dream like this?  The answer was all around him, was inside him, as his heart echoed back the Love as best it was able, but he could hardly believe it.  

The sound of footsteps on the hard floor jolted him out of his reverie.  He looked up and met the red eyes of Clockwork’s avatar.  

It had the appearance of a blue-skinned man wearing a cloak and festooned with symbols of time.  A few long white hairs peeked from beneath its hood, and a painful-looking scar laid over its eye.  

For a moment, Danny was stunned, because this was a true avatar, an extension of Clockwork himself, not a human hollowed out for use as a vessel.  For someone as powerful as Clockwork had to be to be so vast in the Dream to bestow such attention on Danny-

He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but the only thing that rolled off his tongue was blood.  Shame crept up his cheeks.  He didn’t know if it was his use of his True Voice when destroying the mirror, or consuming all those shards afterwards, but his normal voice was gone.

Shh, soothed Clockwork’s avatar, gloved hands cupping Danny’s cheeks and forcing his lips closed.  You need not speak, child.  Those who love you will know your intent.

Danny nodded slowly, beginning to feel dazed.  He remembered the scenes in the mirror.  Remembered what the shadow-him had done.  His fingers bent around the lead- it was almost as thick as his wrist- and looked up at Clockwork’s avatar.  

Clockwork could strike him down, now, could destroy him so completely that even the merest memory of him was gone, and he would not care, because he would know it was done out of Love.  

The lead shivered against his palms and grew.  

No need, said Clockwork’s avatar.  You have devoured your destiny and become free of it.  

That sounded reasonable.  The avatar brushed a thumb across Danny’s lips and smiled.  

You have given yourself fangs.

Danny blushed again.  He hadn’t meant to.  

The avatar released Danny’s cheeks to reach for his hands, arranging them in Danny’s lap and rubbing circles into his palms.  Then the avatar gently brought Danny’s attention to the door in its chest.  

The door was glass.  Beyond the glass laid an approximation of a heart made of the same elements as what laid beneath the floor.  A metaphor for Clockwork’s heart, Danny guessed, though what laid in the avatar’s chest couldn’t be anywhere near as grand as the real thing.  

The avatar nodded, and then leveled a gloved finger at Danny’s own chest.  He looked down.  

There was a door, there, too.  

His breath caught in his throat and he tried to scramble away, some still-human part of him objecting strenuously to whatever was going to happen.  

All at once, the whole of Clockwork’s attention turned in on him, and for an infinite moment of time he was held in a perfect embrace.  His thought from earlier returned.  Anything, and he would not object, because it was done out of Love.  

His edges, usually so sharply defined, even in the Dream, went fuzzy, almost blending with his surroundings, those surroundings being Clockwork.  

The avatar reached for Danny’s door and opened it.  It hurt, but not as much as he thought it would.  Within, laid his heart. 

The surface, the shape, of it looked human enough.  The veins and arteries were all in the right places.  The atria and chambers all looked to be the proper sizes.  It beat an even rhythm.  

But inside it was as black as night and something like a star twinkled in its depth.  

It was... odd, how closely it resembled Clockwork’s galaxies while being at the same time so different.  

Clockwork’s avatar opened the door to its own chest, pinning it to his cloak, then he reached into Danny’s chest.  

There was the pain he had been expecting, radiating from his core to the very tips of his fingers and toes.  If he were not held immobile by the sheer force of Clockwork’s regard, he would have arched backwards and screamed.

Methodically, the avatar cut and tied off every one of arteries, veins, and nerves that led from the rest of Danny’s body to his heart.  Finally, the heart excised and cradled in its hands, it drew back.  

Danny should be dead.  The Dream did not follow the same rules as the reality he had been born into, but his mind would not let go of the fact that he had no heart.  He should be dead.  

The avatar inserted Danny’s heart into its chest, next to its own, and closed its door.  Slowly, the image of Danny’s heart faded into metaphor as it sunk down into the deeps to nestle next to Clockwork’s true heart.  

Danny understood, then, that from this moment on, Clockwork would decide the direction of his heart, would determine who he Loved and who he Hated.  If he should Love or Hate.  Danny rather doubted Clockwork would let Danny do anything so damaging as Hate.  

I shall keep it safe for you, said the avatar, something more profound behind its words that might have been Clockwork himself, until you are old enough to protect it on your own.

Danny understood, too, that although this promise was not a lie, he would never be old enough to reclaim his heart, no matter how much time passed or how powerful he grew.  Clockwork’s Love and protection would keep both him and it safe, young, fragile.  How could it do otherwise, when time itself would flow around him?  When Love would keep him anchored to one form?

Clockwork’s attention relaxed, then, and Danny could move again, curling around the gaping hole in his chest.  The avatar ruffled his hair and, with his other hand, held something out to Danny.  

Six paired sets of life and death glimmered against the lavender of the avatar’s glove.  Danny recognized them.  They belonged to the people he Loved.  He had not realized he Loved Mr. Lancer, but he could see now that it was true.  

Moving slowly, as if underwater, Danny held his cupped hands beneath the avatar’s.  His breath caught as the avatar tipped the lives and deaths into his hands.  

So precious.  He brought them down to his lap and, with painstaking care, began to peal the deaths away from the lives.  Each death he ate, consuming it and breaking it down into nothing.  Each life he placed in the hollow that had once housed his heart.  

Like this, they would not die, they would not leave him.  They would be with him, always, just as he would always Love them.  

Exhaustion hit him all at once, and he slumped forward to rest his head on the Avatar’s shoulder.  It laughed, lightly, and helped him close the door in his chest.  Then, it took a heart-shaped padlock from within its cloak and threaded it into the latch of Danny’s door.  The click as the padlock closed echoed off the floor and distant walls.  

With a kind of detached curiosity, Danny watched as the edges of the door, latch, padlock and all, melded into his skin and vanished as if they had never been there at all.  He knew that he would not be able to find the door again without help, and that, even then, to open the door he would need the padlock’s key.  A key he had not yet seen.

But what reason did he have to open his chest?  Others might have cause, those who wanted to hurt him, or those that he Loved.  This was another protection, another way to keep him safe.  

This time you devoured your destiny, said the avatar, petting him.  The sick futures have been cut away.  Next, we shall remove the presents where you Are Not.  After that...  The sentence trailed away in a buzz that made Danny’s thoughts go quiet.  

The avatar began to do something that could only be described as singing even though neither voice nor sound were involved.  It was a lullaby, and Danny felt himself become even heavier and softer than before.  He curled into the avatar’s side, feeling small.  The pain of his missing heart eased itself into something more bearable.  The threads of love that kept him from becoming a monster wound tighter around his limbs and sewed themselves deeper into his skin.  

His eyes drifted closed.  

When he woke, he was in his bed, in Fentonworks.  He blinked several times at his ceiling, and leapt to his feet only to be waylaid by dizziness and static across his eyes.  He brought a hand up to his neck, half expecting to feel metal.  

He didn’t.  

He shifted, pressing two fingers against an artery.  No pulse.  He switched his grip to his wrist.  Nothing.  

Right.  No heart.  

No heart but six lives and-

He stumbled out of his room and started banging wildly on her door.  Jazz threw it open and froze.  

“It’s really you?” she asked, voice quivering.  

Danny opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out.  It didn’t seem like Jazz really needed a verbal response, because she threw herself at him, enveloping him in a hug.  

“I was so scared,” she whispered.  “The- the not-you-” She sucked in a shuddering breath.  “Everyone was dying, and then- and then it was just-  It was like a dream.  Like it didn’t happen.  But you were gone.”

Danny nodded, even though she couldn’t see him.  

“I’m so glad it’s you,” she said.  “I’m so glad it’s you.”

Her love, so tenuous and slender compared to Clockwork’s, but no less genuine, wound around his wrist.  He hugged her back.  

If he had been able to speak, he would have said, Me, too.  

[antihero-writings]

Would it be possible for you to write some Dracula/Lisa pregnancy fluff?

Yes, yes it absolutely would!!!

....Though apparently not without time...

Me: I want to get better at writing shorter things faster. Like actually answering people’s prompts in decent time.

You: *Sends me this delightful prompt, when I was already contemplating writing some Draculisa pregnancy fluff*

Me: What a perfect opportunity!!

Me: *still takes absolutely forever to write it*

Needless to say, I’m so so sorry for the delay. But thank you so so much for sending me this, this prompt really was a delight!! 😘💕 I hope you like it!!

*

A bat soars above the moon kissed trees, dives down, swoops up to the sill of a castle window. Framed within it’s pane a woman with golden hair is laying on a couch, the tips of a book visible, her lips moving as she reads aloud. It would seem she’s reading to no one, but he knows better; she’s reading to the dream of a thing growing inside her belly. If one were to look in front of the couch they would see she was more than a few months pregnant.

His wife.

He half wonders if the scene is a snow globe; if he’ll have to shatter the world to touch anything within.

He still can’t quite believe this woman is his wife. That she’s carrying his child. This human woman. This mad, wonderful, beautiful human woman, who showed up at his door asking if he’d teach her how to be a doctor. He’s a king, yes, but not one women are particularly fond of courting, nor vice versa. All alone in his castle, he never had time or care for courtship. What vampire could be good enough for the king?

None indeed.

He clicks the window open, and upon entering in a puff of smoke he is a vampire; human in shape, but little else, incredibly tall and dark, and, sure, handsome to some, whose footsteps sound against the floorboards as he walks up beside her.

“Good evening, darling—or should I say morning?” Lisa twitters from the couch.

“Good evening.” Vlad steps by her head, leaning closer.

She reaches out her hand to take the edge of his cloak, looking at him upside down.

“Before you get settled, would you be a dear and get me some cheese? You know, one of those little platters?”

He stands back up to his full height, raising an eyebrow. “Let me guess, you want pickles on that platter too?”

She grins. “The baby asks for so little in life.”

He has a thought, maybe he ought to mention how he is a king, a vampire king no less, not to be ordered around to do petty things like run errands—for human food at that.

But she’s his wife. And running cheese errands is small price to pay for this scene to be more than glass.

He sighs. “Fine, I’ll get your pickle-cheese.”

“Thanks, Dearest.” She says overly sappily and blows him a kiss.

“Yeah, yeah.” He waves her off as he steps out of the room.

As Vlad leaves, Lisa’s grin fades into a satisfied smile. She runs her hand over her belly softly, thinking of the child, wondering, as she often does, just what kind of person they’ll be, what kind of life they’ll have.

“I know he looks scary, but your father’s always a sap like that.”

He comes back a few moments later—(smoke in his wake)—with a platter of cheese and crackers and pickles, all in neat little slices.

She props herself up with a pillow as he hands it to her, thanking him again.

He sits on the floor beside her head, and she lets one hand drape over his shoulder, and he reaches up to hold it.

“You should tell them a story.” Lisa says through cracker.

“Who?”

“Adrian.”

“Adrian?” He pauses, tastes the word on his tongue. “I thought we liked—”

“I like Adrian better.”

“Adrian.” He pauses again, seeing what kind of aftertaste it has. “…What kind of story?”

“Something nice. A fable maybe? Mustn’t scare the kid too early in life.”

He takes on a false voice. “Once upon a time a brave knight saved a princess trapped by an evil dragon, and they got married, the end.”

Lisa smacks him with the book. “Come on! I know you can do better than that. Has this giant library taught you nothing of how to tell a story?!”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “Over half of them are scientific journals.”

She rolls her eyes. “Fine, don’t blame me when your child thinks of you as an old codger who doesn’t know how to have fun.”

“Alright,” he concedes, pauses, pondering where to begin. “Once…there was an old king.”

“Not bad.” Lisa reasons.

“Centuries old.”

“Better.”

“He was a fearsome creature, not quite human, made of blood and twilight. Once he ruled the world with a fist of iron and tongues of fire. Everyone knew his name, and everyone feared him…and he reveled in it.”

“But…once the world was his, sitting in his huge castle, he couldn’t help but feel like it was rather small and…lonely.”

Lisa raises an eyebrow.

“One day, after years—more—of sitting alone in the castle, a woman knocked on his door. She was brave, determined…beautiful.”

Lisa scoffs.

“She said she’d heard he had secret knowledge—foreign, forbidden. The instruments of healing, the ones that had to be kept secret, for fear from those who thought all the worlds answers were in the sky.”

“She asked the king—this terrible, sad, lonely, demon—to teach her how to heal people.

“Most fearsome creatures would have laughed in her face. Most of his kind would have turned her away, turned her into a meal, or turned her into one of them. Not this king. He could tell from the moment he met her she was different. He didn’t like most humans upon meeting them—long ago he had a nasty habit of putting them on stakes. But he was instantly taken with her, and he accepted her request.

“And…though he thought happily ever after only existed in the most ludicrous of fairy tales…together they lived in his castle…and, yes,” he leans his head back to look at her, “they were happy.”

She leans down to kiss his forehead, before the baby in her stomach kicks.

“And that’s where you come in.” Lisa continues for him. “You see this king isn’t just made up. This is the story of your mom and dad. And you…you are a product of this happiness. You are born from a rare collision of worlds, and that can only mean you are destined for great things. We believe in you…” she pauses, trying to think of a name to try out.

Vlad looks at Lisa, and says with confidence: “Adrian.”

When he says the name, for the first time in centuries, Vlad thinks he can taste sunlight.

[balshumetsbaragouin]

Daily Excerpt: Hybrid Affinity

The story continues with the next chapter of HA promising some angsty content involving Danny's return to The Oven. We are quickly approaching the climax, so I hope everyone enjoys the sneak peek of Chapter Six: Reciprocity

________________________________________________________

“You’ve been quiet, HBC-1. Did Dr. Bursen really cut out your tongue this time?” The surrounding men chuckled as The Oven’s doors opened with a hiss and a buzz.

“Hurts.”

“That’s what shut you up?” The two men ahead of him parted, and the officer clicked his tongue. “Shame it won’t be for long. The scientists claim you heal quickly.”

“Maybe they can make a shock collar?”

“You’re right, Agent T, that could keep it behaved.” They tossed him through the opened passage. The ground rushed up and made friends with his nose before he could react. Their amusement echoed off of the walls of The Oven and through his pounding skull, a symphony of suffering carved into his bones. Thirty seconds passed. The vertigo and body aches abated enough for him to raise his head and look around. Vlad wasn’t where he saw him last. He turned his head to take the room, and found him slumped against the coolest wall, eyes very much still shut.

“Hey?” No response. He took in the trail of dark green painting the path from the spot he’d ended up during the fight and the wall. It was wide, bumpy, and uneven instead of a single, thin layer like the blobs left. It was a lot of ecto. “Can you hear me?” Still nothing. Something hot and needy crawled up his spine to wrap around his core. They would melt if they died in ghost form, right? He wasn’t breathing, but they didn’t need to while transformed. The thought didn’t help the fluttery bugs wrapped around his core calm down, though. I need to get over there. His legs still refused to work. He reached out an arm, and pressed it into the rapidly heating floor. It took ages to drag himself over in an army crawl, but he managed. This close, he could see the glow off the other halfa’s body. He felt cold. That’s probably a good sign. “Plasmius!” This time, he did get a response, a low, pained groan. He shouldn’t waste energy and ecto on tears, but his heart and his rational brain were having a disagreement about that. “Hey, wake up.” 

[urlocalbunny]

My request is... Boys making reader cry. It could be in an argument, by accident... As you want! 💗💗

Aaron:

You and him were arguing because you had a few disagreements over the last few days where he took more days than normal to come back home after full moon.

"I mean, where have you been this whole time?! This isn't fair at all. I was worried sick about you and you're still here trying to sound right."

The thing is, it got very cold over the days and he was practically freezing, so he stopped by some places he knew to camp while coming back home at night. He got pretty upset when he found out you and him would fight.

"Well, maybe if you stopped to listen for five minutes, you would understand that it's snowing like crazy and I went too far, that's something I have no control over and it happens time to time. I can handle myself, y/n. I'm sorry if it's not the same for you. I know I'm too much already."

You felt guilty when the silence showed the window slamming against the frame. Snow poured inside but nobody bothered to close it. He was, indeed, having a hard time coming back home. You immediately started crying because you were so worried about when he would be back, that you forgot about how he would come back. In fact, he should still be on the road. He hurried home for you.

As soon as Aaron sees the tears threatening to spill, his voice also cracks. "No... What have I done... My beloved, please don't cry. I'm so sorry. I did my best and the fact that you seemed to be angry with me frustrated me, but please... Don't cry. What can I do to make it feel better?"

You hold him tight, apologizing and explaining how worried you were and how you didn't even care about the snow outside. He let a single tear fall into your cheekbone, as you hugged and apologized to each other.

Raphael:

The fight of the day was when Raphael had one of his days where he would think about Mag again. You felt insecure while you watched the scenes unfold, and how much he still felt attached to the woman he once loved.

Raphael barges in the room, making you stop the keys on the piano and watch him, but his face didn't look so happy. He leaned against the door frame in such a weird way that it looked ominous.

You both started an argument because apparently, Raphael could feel your self-loathing over the whole situation and he seemed angry because you interfered with whatever it was that he felt. He was trying to get a point across that you didn't quite understand, until Raphael groaned and looked at you dead in the eyes as if he could see you and said it.

"Y/n. You will never be like Mag. Get this through your head once and for all!" Now, what Raphael was trying to say was that you didn't have to worry because you had another space in his heart that Mag wouldn't take away from you even if she was alive and tried, but you was so drunk in your own insecurities, that the remaining thought was the exact opposite.

When your sobs filled the room, Raphael dreaded the very first day he thought about Mag after meeting you. He ran towards you, cradling you and explaining he loves you now, and Mag was a part of his past life. But that's another story and he misses the life around that time and her company rather than her romantically.

You slowly feel the parts you didn't understand making some sense. "You are not understanding what I mean." "You are special to me, but it is different." "Mag is not here anymore, you are. I just miss her and need some time." "You are here in front of me, what are you scared of?"

You sighed in shame because you had made a mistake when it came to his healing, but Raphael didn't budge as you held each other close in the small bench.

Beliath:

Again, Beliath didn't spend the night at home and you were starting to get pissed. It's not that you cared about his parties, but damn, you were supposed to at least kiss and hug for a while, right?

"We're night creatures, Beliath. Night. It means we're only awake at night. Can't you spare some time for me? This is starting to get ridiculous." "Well, why don't you come with me instead?! You're saying this, but you're also barely making an effort too!" "So at least you're admitting you're lacking?!" "Don't be silly."

You sniffle, then attempt to strom off, but that's not on Beliath's plans. He blocks the door and you yell something he doesn't comprehend because of the sobbing. You are still young as a vampire and pushing him off proves itself hard while trembling in anger.

He sighs and rubs his face while his voice softens. "I'm an asshole, right? I just don't know what to do now that things changed. I thought you didn't need me anymore and I wasn't there for you... The truth is that I miss you every day. Not being able to sense you is... It's weird. I'm so sorry, baby. I've made you cry..."

You look at him, surprise in your eyes as you feel more tears prickling your eyes. You touch his face as he frowns and his sorrow surfaces. "I told you before... I don't know what to do with this and now that I'm feeling things for myself, I... I feel like you'll hate me."

"Beliath. I've seen you with purple eyes, all white and with weird ass veins in your body, clutching your stomach and being a drama queen. You're my man now." You look at each other for a while.

"You sure know how to cheer a man up." "..." "Don't you dare laugh at me." "I'm not g-HAHA-"

He hugs you to muffle the sound, sighing as a smile graces his face.

Vladimir:

Vladimir really didn't mean to be this negative on you and he didn't realize how much his whirlwind of emotions could resonate on you. He just wasn't sure of how much you loved him.

The argument started for a stupid reason. It was just a bunch of chores that he got into and he got a little weak from hunger. He didt realize he skipped a bite and you went to check on him after feeling rather weird.

The thing is, you tried to make sure he wouldn't skip meals anymore and it turned into an argument because he can't seem to understand that sometimes, he isn't being judged. People just genuinely love him.

After a while of slamming doors and arguing, Vladimir rubbed his face and sighed.

"I think you could understand that I'm over three hundred years old, y/n. I'm not stupid!" He sat down in the bed, glowering at you.

"Good God, Vladimir, that's not what I mean!" You sniffled, grabbing onto your pants and squeezing them. "Can't you just see I'm trying to take care of you?! I'm your partner, for fuck's sake. I honestly don't get you and I'm not capable enough to get through to you, a-and you're so over your own head that it gets hard for me to help you. Am I- am I even doing this right?"

He simply shuts you up with a kiss that knocks your breath out of your lungs and makes your head spin sweetly when you open your eyes. He's looking right at you, palms drying your tears and running on top of your face and neck.

"... I am sorry for doing this to you. Confusing you. It is being hard for me too, so please, just- please wait a little longer. I should not have worried you. You are more than what I could have asked for, my love."

Ethan:

Not understanding your man is something you had to get used to at first with Ethan. He didn't want to be understood and you had to deal with it for a while now.

The thing is, you never really knew when Ethan could strike with his good mood either. Sometimes it would be a little scary given your rough beginning. So when Ethan suddenly popped out of your door and caged you in his arms, you were a little scared.

He let a big, long sigh out, resting his chin against you for comfort. He seemed to be panting and that was all you needed to know that he was probably having a hard time keeping it together.

"It's going to rain. Don't leave me alone. Please." You didn't realize it, but you'd started sobbing. That was the first time you felt like Ethan really needed you. He cupped your face, a worried frown gracing his features.

"Babe, are you alright?" "It's just that I... I thought you'd never ask me to stay with you." This answer doesn't make Ethan happy. He closes the door, heading towards the bed and sitting with you, scoffing. His eyes scan your face as he dries your eyes.

Guilt crawls up his whole body, eating away at the little sanity he's saving. His arms tighten around you as tears stream down his face. He feels safe, sorrowful, small but at the same time, your protector.

He wasn't open to this things before. But, as the rain falls against the walls, he realizes it doesn't matter as long as it's good for you and him.

Ivan:

Being a chalice was stressful. Especially when you were a young vampire's chalice and significant other. Sometimes, Ivan didn't quite measure how he expressed his anger, and a hungry youngling was equally disastrous.

While Aaron and Vlad did their absolute best to handle the situation with you, it was hard for them to mingle into your affairs when you were romantically involved.

That's why Ivan was baring his fangs at you as you spoke to him as if he was a five year old to try and get him to move his ass off the bed and do something about his life.

That wasn't really nice of you considering he was having a really hard time with his maturing right now, you could confess, but he was really getting stressed out. You wanted to stop and admit you were wrong, but the pride swelling inside of you stopped you.

Although you felt your emotions as a human girl, Ivan was not a human anymore, when he finally snapped at you and calmly told you to stop trying to control him and changing him to your benefit, your next best reaction was to sit and cry.

"Why do you always have to be like this?!" You yelled, sobbing uncontrollably and fisting your pants angrily. "I can never win, right?! Ever since I tried to get my life together it seems... It seems like I'm supposed to be dead. But guess what? I am!"

Ivan stood there, quiet. You kicked and screamed, ashamed for throwing a tantrum, but you never really had the opportunity before in your life. He sat down beside you, holding your hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I understand you, love." He said, as he dries your tears. That was enough for you to apologize and make amends. Tomorrow was a new day.