Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or any of the wonderful characters on the show.
Summary: Daniel Meade thought he could keep his feelings a secret. What happens when the woman with the keys to his heart gets hurt in an accident?
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter's a little short, the next one may be longer. Thanks for sticking with my story.
Betty clutched the folders in her hand while readjusting the briefcase on her shoulder as she stepped off of the elevator. She surveyed the vacant Mode floor, knowing she was likely one of the first people at work.
She sat her things down in a huff, not realizing how many things they had to get done until this morning. She let her eyes to drift to the lilies sitting on the end of her desk. She leaned forward and inhaled the sweet scent, the smallest hint of a smile gracing her lips. Somehow, seeing the flowers there had already brightened her day.
Betty glanced in Daniel's office and did a double take when she noticed the small lamp on his desk was on.
"Daniel?" she softly called his name, closing his office door behind her. His head lay on his desk as soft snores escaped from his partially open mouth. Betty suppressed the urge to laugh at the sight. His hair was disheveled and he looked like a teenager who'd fallen asleep doing homework. He was so cute.
After a minute or so she let out a sigh, knowing she needed to wake him up and stop staring.
"Daniel... wake up sleepyhead," she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. "Betty…" he whispered, stirring slightly. "Yep…it's me. Rise and shine. We've got a long day and-"
"Iluuhyou," an incoherent, mumbled jumble of words came out of his mouth.
Betty paused, unsure of what she may or may not have just heard Daniel say. Well, mumble. After thinking about it for a second, she rolled her eyes at the idea and resumed trying to rouse him from sleep.
"Come on, Daniel," she said, rubbing his arm this time. Betty watched as his blue eyes opened slowly, needing time to adjust to the dim light of the office. His eyes drifted to the person who had ruined the wonderful dream he was having.
"Betty..." he sat up suddenly, watching as she covered her mouth and giggled. "Wha…" he began, then felt the post it note stuck to his cheek. He took it off, blushing slightly. "Ha ha," Daniel said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Stop acting…you know you wanna laugh," she smiled, which made him do the same.
"Do you know you talk in your sleep?" Betty asked, causing Daniel's heart to skip a beat as memories of what he was dreaming about ran through his mind.
"I- I…really?" he gave her a nervous grin, feeling his body temperature rise. She nodded, as Daniel tried not to fidget. "Huh. Did I…what did I say?" he questioned, biting his lip.
"Oh. Umm…nothing. I mean, you mumbled something but I couldn't understand it," she lied. A small lie nonetheless. It didn't really matter…why didn't she just tell him? It wasn't a big deal. She'd definitely heard him say her name. Then something that sounded a lot like…
Betty stopped her thoughts, shaking her head slightly. She knew she was being silly. There goes her Cinderella fantasy. Again.
Daniel let out a small sigh of relief. Thank God he hadn't said anything. He didn't want to say anything that would freak her out. It was freaking him out just thinking about how he felt about her.
Daniel tore his eyes away from her, wishing he could tell his heart to slow down. "Your eyes are a little red. Why are you so tired anyway? Are you sick?" her brown eyes filled with concern as she moved her hand to his forehead.
"No…I'm just tired. I'm having trouble sleeping," he admitted, touched by how worried she seemed to be. If only she knew why he couldn't sleep.
"Oh. Well I'm sure it's because you have a lot on your mind. This big issue coming out next month is kinda stressing me out too. But you shouldn't worry. If anyone can handle it, it's you," Betty cheerfully reassured him with a bright smile.
"Thanks Betty," Daniel gazed at her, the gleam in her chocolate eyes and small dimples on both sides of her cheeks making her all the more beautiful to him. At that moment, Daniel surmised that maybe his dreams weren't playing tricks on him. Maybe he really had fallen for her. As unlikely as it was, the more time he spent with her convinced him that he had.
"What is it?" Betty wondered. Daniel averted his eyes, knowing he had let them rest on her for too long. "No…its nothing. I was just thinking," he laughed lightly, sorting a few papers and standing from his desk.
"Oh," she glanced down, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind an ear adorned with a gold hoop. Daniel thought he heard a slight disappointment in her voice, but also knew he seriously needed some rest and could be hearing things.
"You want your bagel and coffee? I might have to bring you two today…we've got quite a bit to do," Betty interrupted his thoughts, moving towards the office door. "That'd be great actually…I could obviously use a cup," he replied. "Okay…be back in sec," she turned away.
Daniel watched her leave his office and walk out of his line of sight. As he stood there in the early morning hours left alone with his thoughts, Daniel realized just how quickly his assistant found a way into his heart and turned his world upside down.
He also realized that he needed to keep his feelings in check if he wanted to maintain the friendship that had blossomed between them. Daniel knew Betty would never feel the same way about him. He just needed to find a way to get her out of his mind.
Daniel let out a heavy sigh and sat back in his chair, running a hand over his face. He'd never been good at the impossible.
To be continued...
