The Good And The Bad {Danny Phantom Short Stories}

Dying

The crackling of the fire was the only noise within the living room despite its two occupants. Both seemed involved in their own worlds, the elder reading important files whilst the younger struggled with homework which -under the guidance of his once nemesis- were getting easier and easier.

Though not easy enough.

Danny sighed loudly and dramatically throwing his papers down onto the hardwood table then throwing himself onto the couch he leaned against while he sat on the floor. Vlad only raised an eyebrow at his antics having seen the exact same dramatics only last week.

The younger halfa ignored him to mumble into the couch about annoying old men who should help a struggling child out more if he had a heart. With a shake of his head and a smile, Vlad stood up putting his own papers on the table a lot more gently than the teen only moments before.

"What's the problem, Daniel?"

"Life." Danny grumbled, sitting up now as Vlad sunk to the floor to sit next him.

"Ah, Mathematics." The elder figured out when he picked up the discarded homework. He felt the teen nod next to him before pointing to the question that was vexing him.

"Seriously I think dying was easier then the problems they give me!" Fenton complained glaring at his papers. He grabbed the papers squinting at number ten out of the twenty problems he was given in trigonometry class. He just couldn't figure out which part of what triangle he was supposed to solve and how. Not like he had an easy time learning all this being skulker decided today was just an amazing day to try to hunt him down. Hard to learn things when you're being threatened with being turned into a pelt.

A few minutes into staring at his homework to see if maybe it would spontaneously combust he noticed Vlad had said anything. At all. No ribs at his lack of understanding nor at his father's part in his genetic misgivings with math. Danny looked up at his once enemy to see him staring off into space, an odd look on his face.

"Fruit loop?" He probed gently, poking the older halfa in the side.

"What was it like, Daniel?" He whispered, Danny barely even realising he spoke. Before he could question what Vlad meant the elder continued, the same look never leaving his face as he gave away no emotion.

" To have your friends there... when you died?"

Finally the look clicked into place in the teen's mind and why it seemed so odd. It was longing.

"Wha- I don't know man..." The teen stuttered unsure how to continue this suddenly very heavy conversation. " Wasn't Mom and Dad with you when you... ya know..." Danny gestured vaguely at his own face hoping Vlad understood.

Vlad just gave a sad chuckle, still staring straight ahead as if he could see something Danny couldn't. " No, Little badger... I didn't die then." Suddenly Vlad seemed to snap out of whatever weird moment held him for he stood up quickly, brushing off some imaginary dirt from his suit. He cleared his throat now purposely not looking at Danny but everything else in the room. " Well I believe that's enough for one night. Good night Daniel, I'm sure you know the way out by now."

The billionaire moved to walk away, clearly embarrassed by whatever mood took hold of him seconds before. Before he could walk out of the room, Danny grabbed his sleeve causing the man to look at the teen in confusion.

"What do you mean you didn't die then ,Vlad? You can't just say that and not explain shit!" The younger halfa scolded to Vlad's amusement and discomfort.

"I meant what I said, Daniel." Vlad tried to say in explanation but saw from the look Danny was giving him it wasn't enough. He sighed similar to Danny did in reference to his math work, dragging one hand through his grey hair.

" I meant my death wasn't as quick as yours, Daniel." With another sigh Vlad sat down in one of his chairs lining his living room. Danny stood standing, his hands clutched close to him as he listened to something that had clearly been bothering Vlad for years.

"The trouble with the ghost acne was it killed me slowly. Very slowly. I died in agony in the hospital as your parents planned their nuptials." Danny watched as Vlad's hands turned into fists, the anger as prominent as if it all happened yesterday. " They visited once, you know. Once and it was merely to tell me how happy I should be for them. Once to tell me they felt bad about the ghost acne but nothing they could do so why not move on from the past and embrace the future?" Vlad gave out a short angry laugh before it all seemed to drain from him causing him to slump into the chair.

" I died alone in a cold hospital the very night your parents married. My friends had abandoned me. I can see now how it was easy for you to believe yourself a hero when you had your friends there the entire time." The elder leaned back, his eyes closed as he imagined some scenario where maybe he had his friends with him the entire time or his death was just as quick as Danny's had been.

"Vlad..."

He raised his hand cutting Danny off from whatever he was going to say. " It's fine, Daniel. It was a lifetime ago. I was merely wondering at how nice it felt to have Samantha and Tucker there the entire way."

" It was even more terrifying knowing they were there."

At that Vlad's eyes opened, staring at the shaking boy next to him still standing. His fists were clenched at his side as he tried not to break down. Vlad's mouth fell open to say something to ease the child but he could think of nothing. Finally Danny continued.

" I had to die knowing my best friends in the whole world were watching me the entire time! They had to watch me get electrocuted to death because they dared me in the portal. It was quick thank god, but... I don't know I don't think it's better either way. With or without friends... dying sucks, Vlad."

The man had to laugh at that, feeling the sentiment fully. " I suppose you're right about that, Little Badger. It most definitely does... 'suck' "

Standing up, the elder halfa pulled his younger counterpart into a hug, trying to hide the teen from the world that hurt them both so easily. " You shouldn't have gone through any of that, Daniel."

"Neither should you have, Fruit loop" Danny mumbled into Vlad's suit.

The two stood for several seconds hugging before Vlad coughed and let the teen go, the same slightly embarrassed face from before rearing it's head again. Danny smiled lightly at his friend.

" Okay now that mush time is over, never say suck again. It sounds weird coming from an old man."

"I'll have you know most young people thing I am cool and very relatable." Vlad responded slightly offended

"See, that's an old person thing to say."

"You're never satisfied are you?"

"Not unless I'm bribed with Nasty Burger."

"And I'm the evil one." Vlad mumbled leading Danny out of his home to reward the teen for having to deal with him even for a second.