Synopsis: Vlad and Danny interaction in the worst of summer heat.

Chapter one of an all new series of oneshots, since I started my previous series over five years ago. Renaissance revival writing needs a new place.

Summer days were the best days.

Especially now. Before the accident I remember summer as a humid, sweaty and groggy experience that muddled up all of my senses. I used to complain and moan the whole time that winter needed to come back. The only good thing about summer was a lack of school responsibilities.

"You guys need to relax." I tipped my head back, enjoying the sunlight. My friends were beside me, sweating profusely and mourning empty water bottles. The bus was late and our stop had no kind of covering to protect us from the heat. Sam may as well be dying with the way she was acting.

I got glares from the both of them that I felt rather than saw. "Says the ice boy."

"The ice boy still gets sunburns and you don't see me complaining about it." I cracked one eye open to see her visibly cringe and throw a hand over her face. Sam turned into a cherry tomato in this weather. She never, ever tanned. Today she had no gothic umbrella with little skulls sprouting from each end to protect her. Apparently, this was misery. I couldn't bring myself to care.

It was such a nice day.

The sound of a wheezing, gurgling engine made us turn our heads and Tucker sighed in relief, the two of them jumping to their feet. "It's probably not air-conditioned." I muttered under my breath. Luckily, neither of them had the strength to push me for having no hope.

It was air conditioned. The cool air was cranked up so high that stepping onto the bus felt like entering a walk-in freezer. I went from relaxed to on edge in an instant, my fingers shivering just out of habit while I pulled out a bus pass. I wasn't even that cold yet. My friends mercifully didn't mock me for sitting as far away from the blowing cold air as possible, the hairs on my arms standing on end.

Sam sat down near it next to Tucker and turned around to smirk at me. The bus started moving with a jolt. "How's the ice boy holding up now?"

"He currently cannot wait to get back outside." I replied honestly.

The bus bumped and traveled at a snail's pace. Tucker was playing with his phone and Sam, finally relaxed enough to do so, pulled out her own. "I'm getting a ride home." She announced. "I'm not walking three more blocks in this heat. Any takers?"

"Me!"

Tucker and Sam both waited for my response expectantly. I shook my head, imagining getting into yet another car pumping ice-filled air at my face. "I'd rather walk."

Sam shrugged. "Okay. Your loss."

We got off and parted at the central station, my best friends vanishing into a slim black Honda while I started down the hill towards home. From this vantage point, FentonWorks was just visible over the tops of warehouses and industrial lots.

I moved slowly, enjoying the feeling of the day. In a life like mine, it was crucial to enjoy the littlest moments of peace. I'd go crazy if I didn't.

Speaking of going crazy.

There was a sleek car sitting in front of my house. I moaned, ran a hand through my hair, and checked my clothes for holes. Vlad always commented on how utterly poor I looked all the time. But this tank was fairly new, it was kind of in style to have holes in the knees of my jeans, and I was wearing a pair of shoes that weren't taped together. My fingers went to the worn, fraying strap of my backpack. I scowled.

I could ditch it as soon as I got inside, I guess.

I pushed through the front door. We had a fan going beside the staircase that blew lazily into the empty living room. I quickly stuffed my backpack in the space between the couch and its side-table before following the hum of voices and the smell of baked ham into the kitchen. There were two fans in here, humming loudly and on their last legs. I stopped short and made a choking sound in my throat, covering my mouth.

Vlad was leaning in front of one of the fans, arms propped on the counter like he couldn't hold himself upright. His eyes were half closed and for once in his goddamn life he was wearing a sleeveless top and khaki shorts. I never thought I'd be more mortified and entertained by hairy legs in my entire life.

My enemy heard me and turned his head to shoot me a lazy glare. There was sweat beading on his forehead and he seemed about to collapse. I had forgotten - Vlad's ghost core is hot.

This weather must be killing.

I couldn't help the grin that split my whole face in two. "Hey Fruitloop." I greeted, gushing. I was not only lucky, but honored to have the privilege of seeing him like this. "Nice shoes. Couldn't afford sandals?"

They were awful leather-skin-something not-breathing expensive dress shoes that hardly fit in with the rest of what he was wearing. Little white socks brightened up his ankles; it was very fashionable for men of his age, I'm sure. "Sweetie." My mother scolded, walking over to give Vlad a cup of iced tea that he grasped and seemed very close to pressing against his face to escape the terrible heat. God, if mom tested him he'd be running a very human fever right now. It was great. "Would you go outside and get the other pitcher of sun tea? At the rate we're going, it won't be cooled in time to replace the current one."

I waltzed by Vlad, making sure to shoot him a bouncy grin. "Sure mom. But I won't really need much. It's not that hot."

If looks could kill I'd be a hole in the floor.

Well, I mean technically for Vlad looks could kill. But not around my mom. I grabbed the big glass pitcher, brown with summer tea, off the back porch and brought it back in through the kitchen. Mom was gone and Vlad was lounging against the middle counter, directly in front of our biggest and wheeziest fan. His skin was shiny with perspiration. I set the giant jar down and looked him over. "So what're you doing here? Unless you think smelling like a gym locker room is somehow going to attract my mother. It's admittedly not your absolute worst plan."

"Hilarious. Your humor is never-ending, Daniel." He blinked at me, face completely drained of energy. "But I'm not here to make small talk with your parents."

"Of course you're not." I couldn't help losing a bit of my cheer. I folded my arms and tried to show that I'd grown a couple inches since we first met. "What do you want."

He considered me for a moment, eyes sweeping over my condition; a complete lack of sweat despite having just walked half a mile in this weather. He sighed in what must have been envy. "I bet winter is horrible for you."

I blinked, but didn't comment on it. It was basic instinct not to tell Vlad he was right. I would shiver violently in response to soft breezes, my teeth chattered before the temperature plummeted properly below freezing, and the ice inside of my core stretched out into my human form to turn me into a human popsicle. The horrible truth was I could sympathize with what Vlad was going through.

Vlad, who wore coats and scarves for decoration.

"I'm here to ask a favor of you." He was looking at me strangely. Calculating. It made my hair stand on end and I shifted uncomfortably.

I gave him my best annoyed scowl. It was nothing compared to what he had at full strength, but it was definitely improved. "I don't know if you noticed, but I'm probably the last person in the world willing to help you."

"What if it were mutually beneficial?"

"No."

"Daniel…"

Whatever we were about to discuss got cut off when my mother arrived back in the kitchen, carrying something from the lab. It beeped twice when it came near us and Vlad and I both stiffened. My mom only frowned, oblivious. "I thought I got all the bugs out." She muttered and set the device down, looking at the two of us. I could tell her head was still in the lab, trying to figure out faulty technology that only went faulty around us.

Vlad cleared his throat, as desperate to change her train of thought as I was. "Maddie. I heard that you got a pretty big grant recently to fortify the city. What's that all about?"

She immediately brightened. "Oh. Yes! Jack and I are very excited. He's out at Casper High right now setting it up. It's invisible paint."

We stared at her. She didn't lose her grin for a moment, going to the counter to pick up the glass tea jar I'd brought in. I saw my mother scowl. "This is heavy. Open the fridge, Danny?" I did. She went on while I made room for the new pitcher beside the nearly-empty one. "Invisible paint is what we're calling it because it dries clear, only leaves a bit of shining residue. It's completely ecto-proof.

"Ghosts won't be able to phase through any surfaces that have the paint on it, and it acts a little bit like a ghost shield. Whenever a ghost makes an impact on the paint it won't damage or dent or the surface underneath, no matter how much force they apply. It's a kind of multi-dimensional substance that completely resists and absorbs the impacts that ghosts have. So, no more destroyed walls or infrastructure as the casualties of ghost fights. The city is going to save a fortune on repairs. And it makes ghost hunting much easier!"

Vlad and I exchanged glances. "How so?" I ventured to ask.

"Even a student can shut a ghost in a room, Danny." My mom replied easily, smiling as she rearranged some things in the fridge. "If we coat every surface with the stuff, the ghosts will be foiled by something as simple as a locked door! It'll really change the tide of this little war of theirs, I think."

I had gone a little pale. Vlad watched with interest, once again calculating. I was going to ask more questions, but the Fenton Family Ringtone went off and mom rushed out of the room to go find where dad had last set down the landline. I was given a considering look. "You've learned to teleport, right?"

"I'm not that great at it." I admitted, folding my arms against myself and staring at the door my own mother had vanished through. Logically, mom's invention was great. Realistically, I felt betrayed. "This isn't good."

He shrugged, frowning. "I tried to not fund any of their pet projects." He muttered. "But I got out-voted."

"You?" I snorted. "Out-voted?"

"It's hard to believe, I know." He muttered. "Life was easier when I could just overshadow everyone who disagreed with me. But your parents gave city employees these hideous specter-deflector bracelets. It was awful."

"Oh, I feel so bad for you." I muttered sarcastically.

He lifted an eyebrow. "You know everything they do impacts your welfare more than mine, right?"

"Shut up."

He smirked and leaned forward on the counter. He still looked horrible, but now he seemed to be playing with the idea that I was about to enter a new kind of hell at school. It considerably brightened his demeanor. "I could teach you how to teleport without wasting as much energy as you do." He offered, taking a sip of iced tea. "Since you're about to need it."

"I know what the price is for that. No thanks."

"The price changed. I think we can work out an exchange."

I didn't trust him. Vlad has a silver tongue tipped with poison; but I inclined my head and listened to what he had to say. "I will train you in this one skill in exchange for a sample of your core."

I stared at him, instantly defensive. "You want my what?"

"I will also give you a sample of mine; integrate it into your signature to give you a little bit of balance." Vlad continued. "A valuable trade. After all, just as winter makes you hypothermic, this exhausting heat is making me sick. I refuse to stand it any longer if there's a solution living down the street from me."

"You want a sample of my cryokinetic core?" I lifted my eyebrows. "I'm sorry, does it look like I've completely lost my memory? I know what happens when you want to play scientist with me, Vlad. And the answer is hell no. Fuck no."

Vlad threw up his hands. "I'm not strapping you to a table and forcing you to cooperate. I'd say it's not that awful of a favor to fulfill, Daniel."

"You're only not doing that because the last time you did it I set all your shit on fire!" I snapped. "I'm not your lab rat! No! I'm not helping you!"

I could see he was boiling, in more ways than one. For a split second his eyes turned red and a couple of the alarms downstairs echoed in response to it. "Will you at least think about it?"

"What part of 'fuck off' do you not understand?"

"I'm trying to be civil."

"You're terrible at it." I muttered, watching his eyes fade back to blue and the alarms turned off. "I'm sorry. The heat sucks. Your life sucks. I can't fix it." I held up my hands in surrender. "This is shit you got yourself into."

"Being half-ghost?"

"No." I shook my head innocently. "Being an asshole. I am half-living proof that being half-ghost is not a prerequisite."

He looked ready to hit me. It was the perfect time for my mom to barge in with an ecto-gun pointed in the general direction of the kitchen, waving it around in a Fenton-Style delayed reaction to the ghost alarm downstairs. She blinked at us and lowered her weapon. "Scanners said there was a ghost in here?"

Vlad shrugged. I simply poured myself some tea. "Must be a heat malfunction, mom. Everything goes a bit crazy in this weather."

I made sure to give Vlad a little hint hint kind of a glare.

He responded in kind. "But a little bit of ice could easily fix that kind of crazy, Daniel." He swirled the melting ice in his glass for emphasis. "I'd hate to see what else is going to malfunction without it. You should invest in central cooling to protect all of this equipment."

My mom was nodding and I was trying not to pull out my hair in frustration. "Fine." I muttered. I knew not to take threats from him lightly. "I'll think about it."

That was all Vlad needed to get out of my hair, apparently. He hardly stayed another ten minutes, chatting with my mother until his phone beeped; he claimed he had mayoral duties to attend to and left.

I sank into a kitchen chair and let the fan give me little goosebumps. "Why does summer have to be so complicated?"

Mom had left to go check on overheating equipment.

I was alone with my thoughts. I sighed. It was too hot for this.

I decided Vlad's car is a Rolls Royce Ghost; because when I looked up fancy ass cars it was described as "a car for the man who couldn't afford a phantom." Very fitting.

-Catalyst