In Shining Lights, Holding You Tight
AN: Hi! Thank you so much for your reviews! :) I appreciate them. I hope you're enjoying the story. Here is the next part! :D
For entertainment only! :D
Chapter 4
Daniel couldn't smack the smile off his face.
He had never realized how uplifting it felt when someone, particularly, a very special someone, said those three words he'd never cared for.
He figured this turned out way better than what could have happened.
If he was 'old Daniel' he would have hung up and not called back just sulking in the thought of Betty's secret relationship, but because he took the high road and decided to be a good understanding friend to Betty, he got "I love you" NUMBER TWO from her. He felt like his heart was full of Betty's love and warmth.
He still wasn't sure what to make of it. Betty said she loved him, not once, but TWICE, and he was no idiot, okay he was an idiot, but he could tell that she said it with utmost sincerity. He didn't understand though; she loved him, but if she did why was she with this other guy? He sounded like a decent guy. Luke Skywalker swept Betty off her feet just because Daniel Meade was too chicken to tell her he wanted to be more than friends. Daniel was still just happy that Betty was happy. If this guy treated her right and made her happy, he would be happy for her too. It still crushed him to think that he might be losing the possible love of Betty.
He knew that was something special. Anyone that had Betty's love could do anything. Her love was so pure and genuine.
He sighed. He wished he was there so he could hug her. He missed those cheerful warm hugs.
He couldn't wait to see her. Just six days. That seemed like forever though. He knew there was a possibility that this Luca guy would come with her, but he would not let that ruin everything he had planned for her. He still wanted her short visit back to be really special. She deserved to feel special after too many years of being treated like she was a nobody or picked on by other stuck-up blind people that couldn't see how amazing she was.
He was glad he apologized to Betty. He didn't want to think of what could have happened to him after all these years without her. He knew one thing for sure though that she filled his world with so much light and smiles he would never be able to get rid of that.
Betty had been lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling of her room for twenty minutes unable to wipe the smile off her face. She still felt butterflies because of his call. She never found herself not enjoying talking to him.
She felt so happy that Daniel called her back and listened to her. She knew it probably wasn't easy for him since she had kept something like that from him. He was such a great friend. She never wanted to lose that friendship; his friendship made her whole.
She couldn't wait to see him. She missed seeing his gorgeous face; sure they Skyped, but it wasn't the same. She missed those eyes; she wasn't lying saying he had the most gorgeous eyes. She loved Daniel's eyes. She felt like she could see everything in them. She could read his eyes just as good as he could read hers, even WITH glasses on.
Betty grabbed the pillow and hugged it. She missed Daniel-hugs. He was going to get the biggest hug ever when she saw him. She smiled and tried to sleep.
Six days later...
Daniel woke up with a huge smile on his face. Today was when Betty would come back. It was only for a day and half, but he would take it. He couldn't wait to see her. He was so excited that he called her father and Hilda and ranted to Justin that he was going to steal his Aunt Betty. He laughed when Justin teased him about being a Christmas thief for wanting to steal Betty away.
Daniel then called his mom to make sure everything was set up for Betty's surprise. She laughed at him for his anxiousness. His mom wouldn't quit about him acting like a schoolboy with a crush, but he knew she knew it was more than that, but he wouldn't admit that of course.
Even though Betty was bringing along Luca, Daniel was ecstatic to see Betty no matter what. And he really was curious about the guy, so he wanted to meet him. He told Betty's family about him just so they weren't too surprised at Betty bringing some guy home with her. He knew they would probably ask too many questions wanting to know everything about him just as much as he did, so he told them everything Betty told him about the guy.
They seemed happy enough that she found a nice guy, but Hilda and Justin sent him this long look, and even though he pretended not to know why they looked at him so intently, he knew. He knew they were thinking why he still hadn't made a move and told Betty how much he liked her, no, loved her. He just pretended that he wasn't crushed just a little that she found Luca. He would just have to figure out how to deal with it.
Now all he had to do was wait for Betty's flight to get in which was 10 pm his time. It was agonizingly too far away for him. He wanted her to be here now. He would just have to be patient, meanwhile he and Justin and Betty's father made cookies; well, Mr. Suarez made the cookies while Daniel and Justin decorated them, while Hilda made fun of him for acting like a big kid. He felt like he was a kid again; he couldn't help it. He never really had a family time like this and he felt like Betty's family was his family, and they always would be. He knew Hilda just thought of him like family, too, and was teasing him in jest. He decorated a snowman and made the buttons read BETTY going down. At least he wasn't sitting around waiting for Betty alone. He was with her family which made him feel like he was with her.
Betty and Luca were walking to the gate to board their flight. Betty figured it was a good thing Luca was coming so he could meet her family and Daniel could meet him. She hoped they could be friends. Daniel never really got along with her previous boyfriends and now she knew why, but Luca was sweet and charming and treated her so wonderfully.
Betty glanced up at Luca and smiled. He looked at her and smiled taking her hand. "You excited?" he asked with a smirk.
She nodded "Yep. I haven't seen my family in way too long. I miss them"
"I'm sure. Your family sounds like great fun" he said swinging her hand. She giggled at his playfulness. She loved that about him. He just did silly things sometimes. He smiled and held her hand up to his lips for a kiss.
"Thanks for letting me come. I hope your family likes me" he said with a purely genuine smile. Betty smiled "I think they will."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and stopped in her steps wrapping her arms around his waist. "I like you" she said with a twinkle in her eye. He held her face and kissed her sweetly. "I'm glad you like me. You're wonderful"
She smiled feeling her cheeks tingle. He smiled bigger "You're so charming, Betty. Come on" he grabbed her hand again and they made their way. On the flight Betty and Luca played tic-tac-toe, hangman, and other silly kid's games to keep entertained and just talked joking around. After a few hours she hooked her arm through his and placed her head on his shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled curiously. "What?" he asked
"What?"
"You're looking at me" he said looking into her eyes. She giggled "Yeah, so?" she laughed again. "What are you thinking?" he asked noticing something in her eyes. "Nothing, it's just...I have fun with you. You're not like my other boyfriends. We never really joked around and had fun out of nothing."
"That's good. I'm one of a kind darling" he said with a smirk. "Just like you are" he added. She smiled. He rubbed her hand affectionately "care to watch a movie?"
"Sure" they put their headphones on and watched Thor and then started watching Twilight. Luca found it boring and he assumed Betty did when she started dozing off and ultimately fell asleep.
Luca was sort of nervous about meeting her family, and more so to meet her friend, Daniel. He knew Betty cared a great deal what he thought, so he hoped that Daniel and he could become friends.
He could feel it in Betty when she smiled talking about seeing her family and Daniel that Daniel was just as important to her as her family. She always talked about him, and it was almost second nature; sometimes he didn't even think she realized she was talking about him. He didn't mind, he liked hearing her talk about him because her eyes would light up and she would smile. He sometimes wondered why she and he were not together. She clearly couldn't stop thinking or talking about him.
He even asked her once if they were ever involved and she laughed and said 'no, we're just friends'. She would respond as if it was a joke and that it was very unlikely to happen.
Even though, he hadn't met Daniel yet, Luca already knew that Daniel must feel the same way about her. He'd seen pictures on Betty's desk at her work of him and her.
Once he picked one up on the edge of her desk that was of her and Daniel when she had glasses and braces; he told her it was a nice picture. She explained to him that that picture was taken after she walked the runway and became a model for a day. She said she loved that picture because it was proof that she could inspire people into thinking differently than what they're used to.
Luca glanced at Betty peacefully asleep next to him and rubbed her hand. He liked her. She was so sweet and just great company. From seeing some pictures of her when she had braces and glasses he was amazed that that sweet young hopeful girl transformed into a gorgeous still sweet very lovely inspiring young woman. He placed a kiss on her hand that was wrapped around his upper arm. He was really glad he met Betty. Now he hoped there could be a place for him in her life.
AN: I hope you like it! :D I'll try and get the next part up later tonight. :P
