Chapter Text
Danny has no idea how long he's out for. All he knows is that one moment he's passing out, and the next he's waking up with a start. He twitches a little bit, trying to get up the energy to move and see what's going on and where he is, but he just...doesn't have the energy.
Opening his eyes seems like a herculean task right now too, so instead he just breathes slowly and tries to figure out where he is based on what he can feel.
The main thing he knows is that he's in a bed. It's not in the prison, either, it's as soft and fluffy as a cloud. Unless Walker has totally lost his mind and for some reason put Danny in his own bedroom that is, but that seems...extremely unlikely? So he's probably somewhere safe. That in itself is a huge relief. But then the question becomes, well, whose bed is he in? Depending on the answer to that question he may be more or less safe than he thinks...
He swallows a bit and groans (definitely doesn't come out like a whimper at all, what?) at how miserably dry his throat is. It makes sense, he's spent the last two days in the fist of a heat while getting fucked by a bunch of overly enthusiastic men. He doesn't even remember if he'd properly drank anything during it. Ugh. But he's so exhausted, it's going to be absolute torment to try and get up and then what if he's-
"Daniel?"
Honestly Danny could sob with relief at that voice. Vlad . The two of them may have had their, uh, disagreements in the past but for the most part now they're not constantly at each other's throats. And when it comes to finding himself in mysterious places, Vlad's house is probably one of the best places. Even if he's probably going to yell at him for being stupid and not paying enough attention to his heat cycle.
"Oh, thank god you're awake." Vlad says, moving into Danny's vision. He looks...worried, which. Yeah okay fair. He probably found Danny unconscious in the middle of the Zone smelling like a week of sex. He won't be surprosed at all if it turns out that Vlad went on a fucking rampage while he was out. "You gave me quite the scare, you know."
"Mmph." Danny grimaces a bit, trying to hide from the light. Ugh, this feels like a hangover. Except even worse.
"Don't worry, I'll save the scolding for when you can actually reply and explain to me why you decided to do such a stupid thing. For now..." Vlad reaches out and gently tugs Danny up into a sitting position. It's not remotely difficult for him even when he's human. Danny tries not to think about it too hard. Vlad holds out a glass of water. "Let's get you feeling a bit better, hm?"
He tilts the glass to Danny's lips, and he has to really struggle not to be embarrassed about being that exhausted that he can't even do this himself.
Maybe it's because Danny's still pretty young, but it only takes a few sips of water and sitting up straight for him to start feeling a little better. At least it feels less like he has cotton stuffed through his head. He glances around as he takes the glass of water himself. It only shakes a little bit.
"....Thanks." He says, his voice absolutely shot to hell. He grimaces at how raspy it is and how even just that word makes his throat feel like sandpaper is scraping harshly against it. Ugh.
"Of course, little badger. What was I going to do? Leave you out for the wolves?" Vlad scoffs and sits on the edge of the bed. He's looking at Danny expectantly which...fuuuuck. "Now let's hear it."
Danny takes a few more gulps of water, trying to decide how best he can lie about this to make himself come across as super good. ...And yeah, it's pretty much impossible. Vlad will probably see right through it anyhow, considering what a smart bastard he is. And how well he knows Danny. He sighs.
"...So I may have forgotten when my heat started." He tries to keep his tone light. Vlad looks unimpressed.
"Mhm?"
"...And then I might have gotten arrested by Walker?"
"Daniel." Vlad sounds exhausted now. He thinks that's a new record. "I am a very patient man, but if you could move the story on a little faster? I'm not getting any younger."
"Alright alright..." Danny can't help the pout. Just a bit. "I didn't realize that my heat was starting until it was too late, and I couldn't leave easily this time around. There were, uh, a few interactions but other than that it was fine really-"
"And who were these interactions?" Vlad says. His tone is light and sweet like the question doesn't actually matter all that much. But, uh, Danny knows better. It's not that he cares very much what happens to Skulker or Walker, he just knows that sometimes when Vlad gets pissed off he does stupid shit and Danny does not want to have to bail him out of trouble after all this.
"Uh. I'll tell you later." Danny holds up his hands at the look that gets him. "I'm serious! If I tell you now you'll just run off and leave me all alone. And I don't want to be alone."
The gambit of big puppy eyes while saying something objectively depressing works, because Vlad immediately folds.
"Oh, Daniel...Of course. I completely understand. But I will want to know later on, you realize..." He sighs and reaches out, settling a hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'm just glad that you don't to be too badly off, except for being a bit dehydrated. ...You weren't bitten, right...?"
"No. It was um. Threatened a few times. I don't know why it didn't happen but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, you know?" He shrugs and pretends that isn't a very concerning thing to say. Vlad sure looks like he has a few things to say about that, but he just sighs.
"Even alphas being influenced by an omega's heat would hesitate to bite you, you realize. Especially ghosts. You can't exactly just undo a mating bite that easily, and you are...mm...How should I put it..."
"A pain in the ass?"
"Well. You said it, not me." Vlad has to bite his lip so he doesn't laugh, though it's a failing attempt anyhow. The way his eyes sparkle with mirth is always a dead giveaway. "...I should leave you be. You need to rest-"
"Vlad." Danny says quickly. Way too quickly, honestly, but he doesn't want him to leave. There's...
Okay look. He knows how insane it sounds to the outsider who might be judging him. But...For all his nuttiness, Vlad is...safe. Comforting even, if he had to be perfectly honest with himself. And...Well, he doesn't want him to go. NOt yet.
"...Yes?" Vlad hasn't moved. Watching Danny with concern.
"Uh. Actually I uh...I want to talk about what I should do next time. Or to prepare for next time. I mean, uh, I won't always be lucky- Even if you're right and most people wouldn't want to tie themselves down to someone like me, someone would-"
"... Not quite what I meant but. I understand your concern. But there's very little you could do that I haven't already suggested to you and you brushed off. Or did you forget how much I panicked when you first presented and still showed up in the middle of the Zone to be a hero?"
Danny grimaces. Okay. Yeah he'd been a stupid kid who didn't really understand the kind of shit it would get him into. But...
"There is one thing." He says. "Um, I mean.....WEll, if I'm already bitten, then no one would be able to do it a second time. Right?"
Vlad stares at him. Danny tries not to sweat, and refuses to break eye contact with him.
THeir relationship is complicated. Neither of them makes it easy for the other one to deal with their antics. But Danny knows there's...something between them. Has known it for a while, actually. And he knows it's something Vlad feels, too, because the last time the man got drunk enough to slur his words he had kissed Danny, pressed his teeth against his throat, and bemoaned the fact that he couldn't mate him then and there.
Vlad had forgotten about it in the morning. Danny hadn't.
"...Yes. That would put people off of harassing you more as well. Most people instinctively avoid causing trouble with someone bonded since they don't exactly want to piss off someone powerful... But who...would you ask to do that? From what I know you aren't with anyone currently." Vlad is speaking so carefully. Danny appreciates it even as much as he kind of wants to make fun of him for it. But that would ruin the whole mood they've got going on, so he just barely resists.
"Well." He swallows hard. "I was thinking about. You?"
It's amazing the colors a human can turn when they're hit in the head by something unexpected like that. Danny watches in amazement at the way Vlad's expression goes through at least three of the stages of grief.
"...That's not very kind of you, Daniel." He finally says softly and...what? Oh no. DOes he think- "I understand that you like to make jokes but-"
"I'm not joking! VLad." He reaches up to run a hand through his hair. He can't get frustrated right now. That won't do any good. It's...just relax. Talk it out. He isn't an idiot kid anymore. "Vlad, look. You and I have gone through enough shit in our lives- most of it over the past few years- that I think it'd be way crazier if I didn't like you. And I do like you! A lot! You're, uh... ...Vlad what's with the face. Are you CRYING-"
Sure enough he is, though Vlad himself seems extremely surprised to hear that. He reaches up, touches his cheek, and blinks.
"...I didn't realize I was. ...Daniel, I... Are you sure? While it can be reversed, a mating bond is very serious. Removing it would be painful, expensive, and might not even fully take. It's not-"
"Come on man. Are you seriously already thinking about the end of a relationship I just suggested we start?" Danny crosses his arms and huffs. "If you don't want to do it that's one thing but...I'm into you. If I think about getting mated, I don't think that it would be bad at all to have you be the one to do it. And I'm outside of my heat now, so it's like. You know I'm serious, okay?"
Vlad wrings his hands, an anxious action he doesn't think the man's totally aware that he's doing. He hasn't broken eye contact with Danny, not even while he seems so certain that this is all some big joke. Danny wants to prove him wrong in every possible way.
"...You're serious." He says, quiet in a way he hasn't been before. ALmost wondering in his tone. "And if you are...Then I see no reason to hold myself back anymore."
Danny blinks and doesn't have enough time to process that sentence before Vlad is vaulting onto the bed and boxing him in in one smooth motion. Danny makes a surprised noise but unlike literally everyone else who loves to box him in, when Vlad is the one on top he doesn't feel threatened at all. He feels safe. Even safer than he did with Wulf, which...wow. He was serious before but it's still a shock for him to realize just how right it feels in this moment.
"Vlad." He says, reaching up to cup his face in his hands. Vlad hesitates, looking down at him with wide eyes, but Danny just pulls him down into a kiss. He's heard it plenty of times before, but this is the first time he can say he really understands the concept of sparks flying.
Vlad kisses like a dying man trapped in the desert as it starts to rain. He doesn't hesitate at all, pressing his tongue against Danny's lips, which Danny happily opens for him. Vlad is a lot warmer than he expected, and the temperature difference makes him moan softly. Vlad's so pressed up against him he can feel exactly how he tenses under that sound, and it makes him shiver in anticipation.
When he was under his heat, he'd had plenty of thoughts about how he would be alright with this or that mate, no matter who it was. It was so easy to convince his hormone-addled mind that anything would have been fine, so long as he sank deep into his instincts. But all of that seems like surface-level nonsense compared to how he feels about Vlad right now. This is the only thing that makes sense to him, and makes him feel a kind of warmth that any other option couldn't possibly give to him.
It's a bit of a kick to the head to realize he's in love in the middle of making out with the man, but maybe that's just the kind of insanity his life is prone to.
Vlad finally breaks off the kiss, gasping lightly for air, before kissing at Danny's jaw. There's no other way to put it, he's worshiping every inch of skin he can reach, especially as he gets down to his throat. Just like before, Danny knows instinctively that if he bares his throat in this kind of situation that's going to be it. Unlike before, it feels perfectly alright. And he can think that clearly, which is also encouraging. He tilts his head back, groaning softly.
"Vlad. Please-"
Those two words are enough. Vlad growls, a low desperate sound that shoots right through Danny like an arrow. Then he only gets a moment of warning in the form of Vlad's teeth against his skin before the junction between his neck and shoulder explodes in white hot pain.
Danny has experienced a lot of pain in his life so far- Besides being kind of a clumsy kid he's also gone through the kinds of fights that would make most grown men pass out. He's not a stranger to having to grit his teeth and bear it.
This is different. The pain is there, for sure. It's harsh, having sharp teeth sunk into your skin, even if they're biologically made to be there. But there's something in his mind that just clicks, that makes the pain go from agonizing to sweet, that makes him almost go cross eyed with how overwhelmed he is. He's heard plenty of explanations for when someone gets their mating bite, but he understands now why so many people just say that you have to experience it for yourself. It feels like everything's right, and that everything is going to be alright from now on. How the hell do you explain that without sounding completely insane?
"...Daniel? Daniel-" Vlad is touching his cheek, lightly tapping it to try and get his attention. Danny forces himself to focus again, blinking hard. Oh jesus. Vlad's chin is still dripping with blood, and it totally clashes with the concern on his face. "Are you alright? Did I-"
"You," Danny says, and wow is it an effort not to slur his words. He's really, really struggling. Maybe it's all the hormones kicking into high gear or something. "did great. Holy shit."
"Language." Vlad says, but it's more of an automatic thing than anything else. He still looks worried which just will not do. Dann doesn't want to be the only one to feel this high.
He reaches up and grabs him by his shoulders, yanking him down into a kiss. Vlad makes a surprised noise, which quickly changes into a moan when Danny presses his tongue into his mouth and licks at the blood there. It would already be pretty damn hot to taste blood on Vlad, but the fact that it's Danny's is really sending him to heaven. He could probably kiss him for hours if he really wanted to.
He does have to pull back eventually though. He's almost disappointed. Almost, because Vlad looks dazed and that's a good look on him. When he focuses back in on Danny, his gaze sharpens into something undeniably horny, and that's even better.
"...I suppose I shouldn't argue the results when you make it so clear." Vlad says, smiling a bit. He's relaxed. Danny doesn't know if it's the bite or the heightened senses from that rush or what, but he can tell a bit more about the emotions coming off his...mate. Holy shit. He grins, giddily.
"Now I get to do it to you." He sits up straighter, gesturing broadly at Vlad. "Come on, get naked."
"Wh- Daniel!" Vlad splutters, sounding scandalized. Danny just...glances down where Vlad's dick is making a damn fine effort to split the seams of his pants. Vlad flushes a bit, clearing his throat. "...You could at least be a little more romantic about it."
"...Don't be cute? What the hell?" Danny rolls his eyes, laughing a bit before leaning in and kissing him quickly again. It sort of stings to move, yeah, but he's not going to sit back like a pillow princess. Not this time at least. "C'mon. Please?"
"...Alright give me a moment."
Vlad slips out of the bed, which makes Danny seriously consider yanking him back and complaining. He barely resists, and is immediately glad that he did.
Vlad isn't exactly shy, but maybe it's the intensity of Danny's gaze that's making him flush as he starts to strip. He could easily just take everything off with a single moment of intangibility, but Danny doesn't think he minds this too much actually. Who can say that they got to watch Vlad Masters personally strip for them?
He takes his time too. Off comes the stupid tie, and then carefully unbuttoning his suit jacket. He isn't at the level of folding everything, though Danny has a sneaking suspicion that's just because he knows that if he takes too long Danny really will just pounce on him. Vlad slowly unbuttons his shirt, and Danny's eyes aren't sure if they want to pay more attention to the bare expanse of his throat or the slowly-revealed chest. Well, he reasons, while there might only be one mating bite that's no reason he can't bite him up in other places too. Just look at him. A body like that is basically begging to be marked up, and all Danny wants is for people to look at Vlad and immediately know that he belongs to someone.
"...You're going to bore a hole into me, little badger." Vlad says, arching an eyebrow at him. "I know I'm quite the sight, but I didn't think I would elicit this reaction..."
"You're joking, right? God, do you know how long I've thought about something like this?" Danny swallows hard and sits back on his legs, trying to act like less like a starving animal. "And I mean. Now you're mine."
"...That is true, isn't it. Well. ALmost." Vlad tosses his shirt to the side with a quick movement and returns to the bed, thank god. Danny immediately has his hands all over him, especially to grope at his chest. He'd always kind of wondered if Vlad's chest would be hard or soft, since he's strong and all. He is beyond pleased that it's soft as a pillow, and judging by Vlad's pleased, soft noises he isn't displeased by being groped either.
"God, Vlad..." Danny shakes his head after a moment, just to try and get his focus back. He looks up at the other man, meeting his eyes. "Can I...?"
"...It would be only fair, don't you think?" He reaches out and cups Danny's face lightly. "Equal, really."
Danny nods and tries to remember everything he'd ever read about omega marking. It wasn't talked about nearly as much, since most people only got marked by their alphas. Any marks that omegas might give weren't done until much later in the relationship, and that's not exactly something that'd get covered in a basic class. He knows that it's supposed to be as simple as just biting, but what he just went through makes him think that it'll feel a whole lot different.
Deep breath. He can do this.
WHen he's actually faced with Vlad's neck his instincts take over immediately. He didn't expect it to be so easy, but he goes right for the soft junction between his throat and his shoulder and presses his teeth against it. He can almost taste the blood beneath, can feel Vlad's pulse rabbiting. The fact that he's the one who gets this reaction out of him is...amazing. It makes him feel smug and even more excited than before.
Still, he waits, just a moment. It feels like forever before Vlad tilts his head back, and Danny bites down hard.
He doesn't know if it's exactly the same feeling that alphas get when they bond with someone, but if everyone gets to experience this rush of adrenaline and rightness, then he fully understands why some people might be idiots and mate without really thinking about it. He doesn't even mind the taste of blood even though normally it'd make him feel sick as hell. Maybe because it's Vlad, but it just feels perfectly right.
Then Vlad makes a soft little mewl of pleasure, and Danny thinks he could probably come in his pants.
He didn't even know alphas could make those kinds of noises. He pulls back a bit and looks at Vlad, who for his part looks extremely embarrassed. Danny can kind of understand why in a way, but the way his brain is right now it makes no sense to him. Why would he be embarrassed when he's so incredibly perfect right now?
"...Now we're equal." He says, grinning.
"I suppose we are. I never took you to be so voracious, little badger..." Vlad stares at him, his embarrassment visibly morphing into something hungrier. It sends a shiver down Danny's spine, and he is absolutely crushed to realize that he's far too tired to do anything too much right now. As much fun as it would be, the logical part of his mind wants to kill him for even thinking about having sex again.
"...I don't think I can do anything much, right now." He says, apologetically. He wishes that he could. He feels bad, honestly, because Vlad deserves to have that kind of excitement with him as well. What kind of mate would he be, if everyone else got a piece of him but not Vlad? ...A very specific kind, he guesses.
"What...? Oh, my, don't apologize Daniel. It's not like we won't have plenty of time in the future. But...If you feel up to it, we don't have to do anything too complicated." Vlad leans in, resting his hand on Danny's thigh. "Not that I wouldn't be happy with whatever you allow..."
Danny stares at him hard, feeling horribly torn. He wants to say yes, so badly. But...Hm.
"What do you have in mind exactly?" He says, sitting up a bit. He can at least hear Vlad out, he thinks. And ignores the fact that in the state his brain is in right now, he's likely to agree to absolutely anything Vlad suggests.
"Why don't you come here. I can show you better than explain it." He pats his lap. Danny gives him a bit of a suspicious look, but does so, slowly. His body still has aches and pains, and then there's the fresh bite on his neck. But Vlad is looking at him with the kind of desperate sweetness that he just can't turn down.
Vlad pulls him into another, gentle, kiss, sliding his hand up his back slowly. Danny relaxes into it immediately, humming a bit. Taking things slower, that's nice. He does appreciate it. Judging by the bulge in Vlad's pants though he really wonders how long he'll be able to keep that up for.
"Get undressed. I won't enter you, but I think...Well, I wonder if a teenager like you knows the term intercrural?"
At Danny's blank look Vlad smothers a laugh. He guesses he shouldn't be too insulted, but jeeze. Though if it's a porn category he can understand why he'd think Danny would know a word that sounds like it would show up in an old fashioned book.
"Can you use English to describe it, or can you only talk about it in French or something?" He snarks, and jumps with a little yelp when Vlad reaches down to pinch at his side. "Hey!"
"Oh, I know very well that didn't hurt you too much. Hmph, French indeed...Well, as the French would put it-" Vlad leans in, kissing at the edge of his mouth. "It's thigh-fucking,"
Danny is pretty sure he makes a totally embarrassing sound, and he's not sure if it's more because of the idea or because of Vlad swearing so openly.
"...I genuinely didn't know you knew how to swear."
"Oh honestly Daniel." He scoffs. "The only reason I held myself back from cursing in front of you was out of politeness. Rest assured I am perfectly capable of more than sweet words with my mouth."
Danny thinks about what else he could do with his mouth for a moment, before stopping because he's starting to get lightheaded.
"Okay." He says, trying to hold onto his mind as much as he can. It feels like fighting a losing battle, because Vlad is...Vlad. He quickly squirms out of his clothes, getting into Vlad's lap. The other man takes him by his hips and turns him around so his back is pressed against his broad chest. Danny swallows, looking down. He has heard of this before in porn, but he doesn't know if it's going to feel even half as good as they make it seem like in videos.
"Relax, Daniel. I won't let anything bad happen to you, and it isn't as though this will hurt." He kisses at his neck, just above his mating bite, and it does go a long way towards soothing him. "Trust me, won't you?"
"Mm. Alright." Danny tilts his head back until it's resting on Vlad's shoulder, and shuts his eyes. Sure, he's nervous...but he does trust Vlad.
He didn't even notice before getting on his lap, but Vlad must have shoved open his pants quickly at some point. His dick's right between Danny's thighs, which is both kind of funny to see and indescribably hot. He swallows hard, feeling himself get wet again- Damn it, he just wishes he wasn't so utterly exhausted, it isn't fair. He wants Vlad's dick in him more than anything in the world.
But on the other hand, Vlad seems just as eager to slide his dick in between his thighs. For a moment Danny wonders how it could possibly feel good to rub up against dry skin, but then he sees the wet sheen on his dick and flushes. He didn't realize just how wet he was, and just how much Vlad must be enjoying it.
"Mm..Daniel...You feel amazing." Vlad is nuzzling at his neck again, practically purring with how pleased he sounds. "Every part of you is so perfect..."
Danny swallows hard but can't stop the soft sounds from escaping his lips. He didn't expect it to feel this good, but maybe it's helped by how intimate this feels. He moves his hands so they're over Vlad's, and groans quietly. Vlad just chuckles against his skin, adjusting them just right- And Danny moans in surprise when the head of Vlad's dick presses against his clit. Oh. He gets it now.
"Vla-aad-" He moans, jerking his hips up roughly. He doesn't care how much of a whore it probably makes him look like, he won't stop himself from chasing more of that pleasure.
"Oh, listen to you...See what trusting me gets you, little badger?" Vlad sounds smug, but breathlessly so. It's definitely an improvement to his normal tone.
"Ah- Shut up- Just keep- Mm!" Danny is going to be embarrassed at how little he's able to string words together, later, but for right now he thinks if Vlad stops touching and grinding against him he'll just die. It's not intense and insane like it was during his heat, but that doesn't make it feel any less amazing. He's still sensitive, too, the jolts of pleasure from every brush against his clit making him dizzy.
Maybe it's because he's been having too much sex in such a short time, but he feels insanely sensitive. So it's a bit of a surprise when he jerks suddenly and his orgasm grabs him by the throat, thoroughly wringing him out. He makes a truly embarrassing noise, a squeaky half-yelp, and grips tightly onto Vlad as he shakes weakly in his hold. Fuck .
Even though he's sensitive he doesn't give Vlad any indication that he should stop yet, and he's relieved that Vlad doesn't immediately start fussing over him. As nice as that would be in a few minutes, he really, really wants to see Vlad come. It's been the focus of most of his very shameful fantasies over the years, so he turns his head to watch Vlad's expression carefully.
God, he's gorgeous like this. He's so focused, and is biting his lip hard enough that it's drawn a little bit of blood. His hair's gone partway out of its normally tidy ponytail and has fallen into his face a bit, which just...Yeah. Danny thinks this is one of the hottest moments of his life. He should work as hard as he can to make Vlad disheveled more often.
"Daniel-" Vlad grunts and after another moment comes hard, spattering Danny's stomach with cum. His expression is almost enough to set Danny off again, he's so gorgeous . "Fuck."
Danny laughs, in absolute shock. It's one thing to hear Vlad swearing in the context of explaining something, but it's a totally different thing when he's just swearing to swear. He doesn't hate it.
"Fuck is right." He agrees, tugging him down into a heated kiss. Vlad hungrily kisses back, squeezing his hands tightly on his hips. "God, Vlad..."
"-No, I know what you're doing." Vlad pulls away, but their mouths are barely inches apart. "And I won't have it. You need your rest, even if you're going to be grumpy about it."
Danny pouts, and then pouts harder when he realizes Vlad is completely right about him. Ugh...
"But-"
"No buts." Vlad says, a different tone to his voice now. Danny shivers. This must be what it's like to hear a direct order from his alpha...wow. His instincts are at war between obeying his alpha and being more annoying towards Vlad. But...it's not like he's wrong. He's exhausted. He does deserve at least a little bit of rest.
"Alright..." He grumbles. He can't be too mad, because Vlad immediately kisses his cheek and tugs him down onto the bed. Even if he wanted to throw a bit of a fit and be annoying, that all kind of goes out the window when he's met with such...simple warmth and love.
"I'll be sure to take good care of you from now on. In every way possible. But for now..."
"Yeah yeah. For now I have to rest. I get it." Danny complains, but there's absolutely no heat behind his words. Vlad just chuckles, and nuzzles up against him closer.
Man. Later on he's going to have to figure all of this out. Getting all his injuries cleaned up...explaining where he's been...how to tell people he's suddenly mated to Vlad...... It's going to be a serious pain in the ass. But even though he's not looking forward to the more difficult aspects, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to doing it with Vlad by his side. He looks at him, before nuzzling closer against him, feeling the warm hum of Vlad's core under his skin. It's extremely comforting.
He drifts off, content with the knowledge that he's safe and comfortable forever now.