February 24th, 2025
Monday; late afternoon
Ethan remembered the days when he had true passion for his craft. As a systems engineer, he used to take pride in the way his efforts lead to smooth integration of numerous independent software programs into a single, unified whole. He remembered how he had enjoyed that whole lengthy and complex process of optimization; all so his old corporation could reap bigger benefits and the customers would enjoy the seamless final product.
Of course, as they say, a life-or-death encounter really changes one's perspective on the world. Ethan had more than one.
Nowadays, Ethan Winters merely went through the motions during the weekdays. Every Monday's morning was filled with gloomy resignation, while every Friday's evening was awaited with bated breath - and everything in between was an unenthusiastic grind through the tedium.
Ethan had fought fearsome mold men, brainwashed country dwellers, mutated wolfmen (one of which savagely bit off two of his fingers, no less), insane bug-vampires and their gigantic matriarch, metal-manipulating freak and a completely batshit crazy cult leader. He saw death, and visited it himself on counts too numerous to recall. He survived by a hairbreadth more times than he'd care to admit.
After all that, his civilian work appeared insignificant and irrelevant to Ethan. Unlike some of his bright-eyed colleagues that still bristled with youthful optimism, Ethan didn't care about the fact that his team's efforts lead to an 11.7% increase in efficiency of their overall department beyond the reflection it had on his salary.
These last few years, the days at work had been long, filled with tenuous monotony and Ethan had been putting about as much effort and initiative as was required for him not to get in trouble, and not an iota more. It was not surprising that Ethan and his boss Lorenzo - an impulsive and demanding man that expected his employees to go above and beyond, did not get along. Sometimes Ethan felt like Lorenzo searched for an excuse to have him fired, but Ethan was a diligent, if not motivated, employee. He was not enthusiastic about his work, but that didn't mean he half-assed it.
This Monday felt somewhat different from countless other Mondays which Ethan begrudgingly endured, however. The wonderful memories of yesterday had an innervating effect on the man, making him work with frenetic energy for the first part of the day. After the break however, the bleak colors returned to his world, as well as a powerful longing to once again be in Daniela's joyous presence and not at his boring gray desk. This incredible, otherworldly weekend made his current activity appear intolerably dull in comparison.
Ethan desperately wanted to get out of their stuffy office, a fact which was reflected by his constant checking of time.
"In a hurry somewhere, Ethan?"
Antonio, a good friend and Ethan's coworker approached his desk with a cup of coffee in one hand and a small object clutched in another. The bags under his eyes spoke volumes about the insomnia that plagued the man, while an earnest smile that adorned his face indicated his friendly and outgoing exterior.
Ethan merely sighed, before raising his hands over his head in a dramatic fashion. "Just eager to get home, I guess." Of course, he did not mention that it was not his home he was eager to get back to.
Antonio looked surprised, "You're not coming with us to the pub today?"
Ethan wetted his lips. It was a bit of a tradition in their department to start the new week with a casual outing to the local bar. It was normally a pleasant and chill occasion, filled with good-natured banter; nobody would get completely wasted… usually. "Nah… I've got… ahm… stuff to do."
Antonio pointedly raised an eyebrow, but did not inquire further. He was not the kind of man who would dig through other people's laundry, and it was one of the reasons why Ethan appreciated his friendship so much. "Alright." The man paused for a second, before giving a look at Ethan's work screen. "Make sure to double-check everything. Lorenzo wants the project done and deployed before the week's end." The software for money transfer ordered by a major bank that happened to be their biggest client was the only thing everyone around his department talked about for the last week.
"Of course he does…" Ethan mumbled, unhappily. He had more important things on his mind than Lorenzo's precious project right now, but work was work. He wasn't paid to daydream about Daniela's striking amber eyes, smooth skin or graceful figure, after all. Giving an exasperated sigh, Ethan proceeded to stare at the screen, all but forgetting about Antonio's continued presence. He was soon reminded about it when the slightly taller man placed a small SIM-card on his desk.
"You've got it already?" Ethan turned his head to stare at Antonio with astonishment. He truly did not expect him to deliver it that swiftly, considering he asked for it this very morning.
"Sure do." Antonio said with a self-satisfying smirk. "It's not everyday that Ethan Winters himself asks me for a favor!"
Ethan scoffed in amusement. While nobody around here knew what he truly went through, most of his colleagues had an inkling that Ethan was not exactly your ordinary civilian. Perhaps his reserved bearing, or an occasional thousand-yard stare betrayed his battle-hardened and horror-scarred mind, if his missing pinky and ring fingers were not enough of a visible indication. Regardless, Ethan was well aware of the measure of silent respect that was granted to him at his place of employment, as well as the chagrin it caused to Lorenzo. His boss was definitely not happy that his American underling was likely more liked out of them two. It was another reason for Lorenzo to nitpick Ethan's work ethic, even if he could find no tangible faults with his actual results.
Ethan took the SIM-card before offering a handshake, which was promptly accepted. "Thanks, brother. I owe you one."
Antonio just waved him off, "It's not a biggie… but…" the man scratched his chin, "I can't say I am not curious about why you would need to have a SIM card registered under a fake name…"
Ethan smirked mysteriously, not worried about the man prying further than that. "A man must have his secrets."
"Fair enough." Antonio did not disappoint. Without further comments, the tall man retreated to sit back at his own desk.
The rest of Ethan's workday passed at a particularly tedious pace, with the man doing his best to push the intrusive thoughts about Daniela to the back of his mind as he focused on the important software they needed to release before the week's end. His efforts were met with mixed results. A human's mind is an imperfect thing, and it demands time to properly process the experience it lives through.
Yesterday's interactions with Daniela were not concluded with the end of their visit to Bioparc, after all. After having driven them home, Ethan still had to follow up on his promise to warm up Daniela's house, and so he had done just that. Having made sure that Rosie was comfortable watching some cartoons, Ethan had then proceeded to visit the nearby store that had the relevant goods in stock. Then, with the goods in tow, Ethan had returned to Daniela's house, where he had played the role of a handyman, to the redhead's glee.
Adding proper insulation to her bedroom's windows was not a complex task, especially with the aid of omnipresent Google; it still had taken him around an hour to do so. Daniela had taken the opportunity to ask all kinds of questions about the world during this time. Ethan was only too happy to help her acclimate further as he worked.
Finally, after having installed a small heater next to her bed, the man had bid her a good evening and a restful night.
She had not visited him during the night. A part of him was not entirely happy about that fact; though Ethan was at the very least glad about the implication that Daniela had spent the night in warmth and comfort. She deserved that much, at the very least.
Now, after finally being done with his work for the day, Ethan bid the guys farewell and went on his way back home, though not before taking a detour - this time into a well-known electronics store.
There, Ethan spent around ten minutes looking at their selection of smartphones, eventually settling on a model that was not particularly pricey, yet offered all the features one could possibly need. It might not be the most expensive flagship phone around, but that was still quite some gift to offer someone out of the blue like that; most would reasonably assume that there was a romantic interest at play - not that Ethan would boast to anyone about purchasing a smartphone for his newest neighbor, who just happened to appear as a smoking hot young woman.
Exiting the store, Ethan, after a short drive, was finally able to return back home.
There, in the living room, he was treated to a serene sight of Rosie drawing with her colored pencils on the floor while the babysitter Laura was presumably doing her homework on the couch nearby. Roxy was sleeping on an armchair next to it.
"Hello, girls!" Ethan greeted them warmly.
Laura merely quipped a "Hi, Mr. Winters." without distracting herself from her activity, while Rose swiftly rose up to her feet and rushed to embrace her dad, with Ethan only too eager to scoop the child up.
"Hi daddy!" Rose's carefree smile and affectionate voice never failed to brighten Ethan's day. Back before she was born, Ethan was certain that he was not one for fatherhood and - indeed, even had little affinity for kids in general. Now, however, he had no doubts in his mind that little Rose was his greatest treasure; the biggest joy of his life, and that he would do anything for her sake.
"Hello, sweetpea." Ethan spoke softly, while gently ruffling the girl's blonde locks. "How was your day?"
"It was fun! We played and Laura told me about the boy she likes at her school!" Rose relayed happily.
Laura huffed with slight embarrassment, "Rosie! You don't need to tell everything to your dad!"
Ethan chuckled good-naturedly, before placing a loving kiss upon Rose's smooth forehead. He was really happy to see such a good rapport being established between his precious little angel and her babysitter.
Still, while a part of him wanted to hold his baby forever, he still felt an undeniable longing to take Daniela up on her invitation today, which meant leaving Rose's presence for a couple hours. He could just take her along, and Ethan was certain that Rosie herself wouldn't mind, but after yesterday, he did feel like being cautious when it came to Daniela and her unpredictable antics. While he was sure that Daniela would never intentionally hurt Rose, she was not above acting out rashly and scaring the child, even if Daniela would come to regret it herself later. He had not missed the slightly wary way Rose had bid goodbye to Daniela yesterday. Even if she truly came to like her, the child was a little bit scared of the capricious redhead, and Ethan couldn't blame her.
Ethan was certain that once he was able to help Daniela better acclimate to the world that was so foreign to her, as well as to smooth her rough edges a little, she could become a wonderful friend for Rose due to their obvious mutual attraction. For now, however, he felt like a small break for the two of them was in order, so Rose could process everything that had already happened while Daniela worked on toning down her volatile temper and adjusting to this new reality.
"Do you mind keeping Rose company for an hour or two more, Laura?" Ethan addressed the babysitter, who still lazed about on the couch while staring at her textbook; a pink notebook clearly awaited its turn on the nearby table.
"Sure, I still gotta go through chemistry and math." It was unstated that she expected further compensation for her time, but Ethan and Laura had already found common tongue in the matter of money. Laura was a straight 'A' student, who had set her sights on a prestigious University of Barcelona; even though her family had a decent income, the teenager already possessed an independent streak, saving up money by herself whenever she could. Ethan didn't mind whatsoever donating a little to that university fund Laura had going.
"You're going to ruin your eyesight reading like this…" The father couldn't help but scold the teenager, even though she was not his own daughter.
Laura annoyingly blew her bubblegum at him, but adjusted herself to sit in a proper reading position. One wouldn't think that by looking at this petite and easygoing girl, but she already had quite the aspiration to join some large pharmaceutical corporation's research department one day. An unusual career option, to be sure, but Ethan was not one to judge, especially considering all the effort Laura put into her dream job.
Nevertheless, Ethan was glad that she did not question just where he was going right now. It wouldn't feel proper to lie to a 16 year old babysitter, but nor would it be to acknowledge the fact that he was about to visit that mysterious redheaded neighbor that she had caught with him in his room yesterday morning.
As he thought that, Rosie, still being held in his arms, asked with a child's innocence. "Are you going to go to Dani, Daddy?"
Laura's brown eyes immediately abandoned the pages of her textbook to swerve his way. Her studies forgotten, the hunger for gossip that was so common to teenage girls reared its head even in this diligent student.
Ethan cursed mentally, not expecting such treachery from his own flesh and blood. Still, there was no way out now, so he just had to come up with a little white lie. "Yes, honey. Daniela asked for my help moving the furniture in her house." That sounded innocent enough and Laura appeared to lose interest.
"Tell her hi!" Rosie eagerly chirped, making Ethan smile as he gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Even though Rose was a little unnerved by Daniela's unpredictable behavior, it was obvious that the child wished only the best for the erratic redhead.
"Alright, hon." Carefully placing the child back on the floor, Ethan moved towards the stairway, "Just gotta freshen up a little after a day in a stuffy office."
Laura shot him a semi-curious glance at that. Freshening up before moving heavy furniture indeed could appear a bit strange, Ethan realized too late, as he could not adjust his story by then, nor could he just go to Daniela while stinking of sweat.
Moving up and taking a quick shower, only Laura's continued presence in his household precluded Ethan from applying some of his cologne as his hand hovered over the bottle. Instead, the man gave a glance to his vibrating smartphone, as the sound notification of an arriving message rang out. It was from Chris Redfield.
How about tomorrow evening?
Sure, sounds good to me. Ethan typed back with some hesitation. Chris was a good friend, but the changing circumstances made the father a bit wary of meeting with a formidable monster slayer. Still, Ethan had called Chris himself and brushing him off now would come as particularly unfriendly… maybe even suspicious. Following up on it was a rational choice.
They would have a nice beer, exchange some casual banter, catch up and go their separate ways, with the Captain none the wiser about Daniela Dimitrescu's existence.
Putting on a fresh set of casual clothing and placing Daniela's gifted book into his backpack, Ethan went down and bid the girls a good evening before departing for Daniela's residence.
The walk towards her house was brisk and uneventful, but Ethan still felt a modest amount of apprehension as he rang a bell on her door. What if Daniela was scantily clad today? He wasn't sure he could trust his own body if it came to that. He might've released the excess forbidden desire he felt for Daniela in the evening yesterday, but that hardly meant that he would suddenly become immune to her exotic charms. Her ethereal beauty, melodic voice and affectionate nature resonated far too strongly with the man; an affinity that was only compounded by their shared past.
Moreover, while it was true that Daniela kept him on his toes, somehow that particular quality felt akin to a spice on a meal - too little of it and the whole dish appeared dull, but too much of it risked spoiling it altogether.
It might sound unhealthy, but Ethan knew that he craved something in between the monotonous existence as a happily working man and the chaos of fighting for his life against overwhelming odds. Daniela was exactly that - not quite mundane, yet not outright deadly.
His therapist would surely tell Ethan that something was wrong with him if he would admit that he found the prospect of treading the fine line between the worlds of chaos and order as exhilarating, but Ethan suspected that the sly professional would say anything that would result in Ethan signing up for extra paid sessions.
Then again, perhaps it was the very human nature at work here - the forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest, as they say. Not even Ethan himself truly knew what drove him onward in pursuing this strange thing that was blooming between himself and Daniela, despite all the associated risks.
It was more than a mere physical attraction, though that admittedly played a part in it. Likewise, it was more than their mutual past or their shared suffering, but those also played a role in the affinity they felt for one another. Not even him being fed up with the monotonous tedium of his orderly life was enough to fully account for such a compromising relationship. Maybe it was all of it combined; a peculiar cocktail of factors that tied their fates together?
Regardless, Ethan had no time to muse on their unexpected amity as the door in front of him swung open, and his beautiful hostess revealed herself.
Thankfully, Daniela decided not to tempt Ethan with more glimpses of her delectable body today, as the woman chose a casual and a rather simplistic, one-piece black dress. The hems of its skirt reached just to her knees, while the sleeves went about half-way towards the elbows. A modest square cut revealed just the hint of her cleavage. The dress was a little loose, giving the impression of it being worn for both the comfort and appeal. Finally, a pair of black socks adorned her feet, adding a very homey feel to her overall appearance.
"Hi, Ethie." Daniela greeted him, before smiling at him in that special way of hers. It was a smile of unbridled affection that promised unconditional love. It was a smile that Ethan's own mother had sometimes gifted him during his childhood; or a smile of pure adoration that Rosie would often grant her dad. With a sudden realization, Ethan had to wonder if Mia ever gave him that smile. He could not recall seeing it in the last four years, not after that fateful reunion they had after escaping that Romanian hellhole. It's not that Mia's smiles lacked love or affection… but in this moment of time Ethan truly felt like they were the smiles of a person who took their relationship for granted. Was that a bad thing or merely a natural course of a marriage? He could not tell, nor did he care about it that much, as he focused his attention on the person right next to him as she spoke to him,"I am glad that you came by today." Ethan knew that Daniela appreciated him; it was obvious in her gaze as well as from her every spoken syllable.
"Hi, Dani." Ethan mumbled with a light blush tinting his cheeks, making him feel embarrassed as if he was some awkward school boy once again. Where did these silly thoughts about appreciation came from? Why now? "I am glad to be here." He had no idea, even as he took a moment to further appreciate her form himself.
Without that pink foundation, Daniela's true complexion revealed itself in all its pale glory, but Ethan found himself not minding it whatsoever. While healthy pink obviously looked good on her, Daniela's (un)natural hue had its own undeniable appeal to him. Likewise, while he had appreciated the emerald green of her tinted eye lenses, her own amber orbs were just as enchanting.
Beautiful…
That's the only word his overloaded mind could come up with, and his tongue could only barely restrain itself from vocalizing it.
As if feeling the awkwardness in the air, the girl shied her gorgeous eyes away from him, while making room for him to pass through. "Come in, dearest guest…" She still did her best with her dramatic impression of a graceful hostess with her theatrical invitation, accompanied by a slight wave of her hands. "Would you like some tea before we begin our foray into the wonderful world of classical literature?"
Ethan was all too aware of how parched his throat became for some reason. "Sure. Thanks, Dani."
Daniela smiled again, not that Ethan could ever grow tired of that enchanting smile. "You're very welcome! Make yourself at home!" Her chirpy voice betrayed her eagerness for their planned activity for the evening. Ethan chuckled lightly, gazing at the swiftly departing form as she hurried into the kitchen.
"Rose said hi, by the way!" Ethan shouted towards her departing form.
Before vanishing into the kitchen, Daniela let out a charming giggle and responded, "Can't wait to see that sweet little angel of yours again!"
Walking inside the house and closing the door behind him, Ethan took off his shoes and moved into the living room, where the reading session would likely take place. It was not hard for him to guess that it would indeed be the case, as the living room experienced quite a number of changes from the last time he saw it. Daniela really pulled no punches in preparation for this evening, it seemed.
All the curtains were drawn, concealing this room from the outside; most lights were on, but not all - providing the place enough illumination to read in comfort but not enough to bathe it in light. A number of scented candles were lit on top of a fireplace's mantel, giving the room a very pleasant but not intrusive fragrance. A lot of extra pillows, which were likely borrowed from other rooms in the house for the occasion, were littering the furniture and the floor. The whole place radiated comfort, with more than a hint of romance floating in the air.
Ethan lowered himself onto the largest sofa, while placing his backpack next to him. He then procured the book from its compartment, but left the smartphone inside for the time being. He could already picture Daniela's giddy joy when he would present it to her at the conclusion of their reading session. Ethan smiled from just the thought.
Somewhat tired from the day at work, Ethan allowed the calming atmosphere of Daniela's welcoming abode to soothe his frayed nerves and simply closed his eyes as he lounged on the comfortable sofa. Ethan felt utter solace wash over him, banishing his worries and fears away.
He must have dozed off for a moment, as when he next opened his eyes the previously empty table next to the sofa had a cup with steaming hot tea, a small thermos of peculiar make, as well as a plate with chocolate chip cookies on top of it.
Of course, it was not the appearance of tea and snacks that woke him up, but the ten delicate, yet surprisingly strong fingers set on massaging his sore shoulders. They moved with dexterous and firm movements, providing instant relief to his tired muscles. Ethan couldn't help but lightly moan in pleasure at their masterful ministration.
"Oh, Ethie, you're so tense… You must be working too hard…" Daniela's voice was filled with care and affection, adding an extra layer to the soothing effect of her digits.
"Mhmm…" Ethan felt himself relaxing more and more as Daniela's deft fingers worked miracles upon his shoulders, before lightly pushing him forward and beginning to apply that same skill upon his back. "You're… really good at this, you know?" Ethan couldn't help but note her impressive ability.
The girl just giggled in response, before saying in a mirthful tone, "You're not the only hard worker I know, Ethie."
That piqued Ethan's interest. "Oh?"
"Bela is always working hard to obtain Mother's elusive praise. No task back home is below her attention, nor is she above performing heavy manual labor herself, regardless of how much it may wear her out." Daniela spoke with admiration, though there was a hint of sadness to her tone, as well.
"Hmm…" mumbled Ethan with some uncertainty. Even disregarding the conflicting emotions Daniela clearly felt towards her older sibling, Ethan was not expecting the Dimitrescu inhuman bodies to be as susceptible to fatigue as that of normal humans.
As if reading his mind, Daniela continued on her previous thought. "We might have some advantage over humans when it comes to strength or resilience, but we still get tired just as well. I was only too happy to provide a measure of relief to Bela… someone had to." Again, there was an unmistakable note of sorrow to the final part of Daniela's statement. She was missing her sibling greatly, there was no doubt about that.
"I am sure she appreciates that, Dani." Ethan tried to cheer up the lonely girl who left her family behind to embark upon this journey into the wider world. That couldn't have been an easy decision.
"Maybe…" Daniela responded unsurely, before concluding her impromptu massage session.
She probably worked for around fifteen minutes on his back, shoulders and neck, but it was fifteen minutes Ethan never knew he needed until now. In turn, Ethan felt his muscles rejuvenated and his accumulated exhausting melting into nothingness. He wasn't sure about Bela, but he sure appreciated Daniela's efforts, and he wasn't shy about letting her know just that. "Thanks, Dani. I didn't realize how much I needed that. I really appreciate that."
The girl hummed in satisfaction, pleased to be praised for her initiative.
Taking a sip from his cup of tea and noting its rich flavor, Ethan motioned with his chin towards the thermos. "You keep your tea warm like this?"
Daniela moved around the couch to stand next to the table and smiled at him sheepishly before responding, "It's something a little different for me this time…" A measure of discomfort played at her features as Ethan gazed at the thermos. From her tone, he was pretty sure it was not just some hot tea for her to sip from.
The mystery of the thermos got resolved rather quickly, as Daniela skittishly took a sip from it. The coppery whiff Ethan managed to catch from the brief moment the thermos was open was quite telling.
An involuntary shudder passed through Ethan's frame. "It's blood..?" He couldn't help but mumble out. He wasn't judging or condemning Daniela for what her unnatural body craved, but the memories that smell invoked made his question sound more pointed than he'd intended to.
"Yes." Daniela shied her eyes away, clearly suffering from a measure of guilt. "Blood mixed with some chemicals that prevent clotting and keep it liquid." She specified, awkwardly.
Ethan realized that he'd better reassure the girl that he did not hold her body's needs against her. Not unless she was harming innocents to get her way, at least. "Hey, whatever keeps you going, Red. I am not judging you for what your body craves." Daniela's expression brightened noticeably at that, though now Ethan couldn't help but vocalize his curiosity. "Where did you get it?"
Daniela hummed in contentment as she took a sip from it, now more at ease. "The Duke stocked this house with essentials for my stay here, as per our agreement. I don't know where he got it."
"Ah." Hardly surprised the Duke was involved, Ethan attempted to swerve the conversation to a more casual direction. "So… is it any good?" The man waved a hand towards the thermos.
The woman giggled gleefully, appearing no longer tense whatsoever. "It's not as good as when it's straight from the source, of course, but it does the job… most of the time." A hint of sorrow crept right back towards the end of her sentence, crossing out the initial joy.
Ethan didn't allow the implication that some of the time Daniela had to directly prey on humans to get to him. In fact, the man felt a sudden urge to volunteer his own body whenever Daniela struggled to control her bloodlust. He was a perfect donor due to his enhanced regeneration after all, wasn't he? A common Green Herb-derivative medicine would get rid of the bite wound in minutes, while a hearty meal and plenty of liquid would help his body replenish lost blood within hours. Finally, it's not like he was a stranger to pain, so he doubted that her teeth ravaging his flesh would be too much of a discomfort… even back then, four years ago, her bite wasn't particularly agonizing, especially when compared to that of her bitch of a sister.
The notion that he was seriously considering voluntarily allowing a vampire to drain his vital fluids struck hard in the next moment, but his rational mind pushed back just as hard. She isn't just some blood-drinking monster… Daniela is a friend, and I want her to be happy and content. A small sacrifice to ensure that doesn't sound too bad, does it?
Regardless, offering his blood to her outright was too insane even for Ethan, but the man found himself certain that he would not leave his strange friend hanging, were she to become desperate for it. "Well, whatever." Ethan patted a spot on the sofa next to him, inviting her to finally join him. The remnants of guilt faded in an instant from her expression, as they both dismissed this less-than-comfortable topic from their minds. Much like yesterday they had a wonderful time at the Bioparc despite some setbacks, today they were eager to have a wonderful evening together, simply enjoying classical literature and each other's company.
Eyes sparkling with giddy joy, Daniela swiftly found her way to a spot on the sofa right next to Ethan, her amber orbs soon fixating on the book he left on the table. In turn, Ethan immediately noted that the fragrance exuded by Daniela herself worked in perfect harmony with the one produced by the scented candles.
This certainly felt a little more intimate than a mere reading session. Ethan found himself lacking the desire to complain about that fact.
Daniela picked up the book with certain reverence; her graceful fingers treating its faded cover with respect one would reserve for a treasured and fragile object. "This wonderful satirical novel narrates a grand adventure a couple of rogues undertake across the USSR in the 1920s in their selfish pursuit of greed. It includes imposed friendships, cunning cons, heart-wrenching betrayals and bone-chilling conclusions! A true masterpiece of satirical comedy, interlaced with wise allegories and parables!" Daniela's passion was undeniable as she summarized the book, making Ethan let out a chuckle as well poke a little fun on her.
"No romance, though?"
Daniela wrinkled her nose a little, "Not really, but a book doesn't necessarily need to have a romance subplot to tell a captivating story."
That surprised Ethan more than he'd cared to admit. Somehow he figured Daniela as a hopeless romantic that did nothing but read cheesy romantic novels. Their first encounter in her library certainly did much to reinforce that notion, but it seemed like once again Daniela proved herself to be a multifaceted person. "Alright… so, how are we going to do it anyway?" Ethan hasn't had the chance to learn Russian, after all.
Daniela gave a mysterious smile at his reasonable inquiry, before responding in a sing-song voice. "Worry not, dearest Ethan! Trust your beautiful guide as we travel into the last century in the guise of treasure hunters!" The girl offered him her free palm as a symbolic gesture, likely meant only to underline her theatrical line. Ethan still took her hand in his own, regardless, though the reasoning for such an act eluded his conscious mind. He just felt like doing that, and so he did so.
Her hand was slightly cold, though it warmed up swiftly from their shared contact.
The silence that enveloped them was sudden, as Daniela likely hadn't expected him to so brashly grab her hand. In turn, Ethan took the moment to simply marvel at her dainty hand as he slowly rotated it around. Her fingers were long and graceful, while the skin of her hand was so silky soft and smooth Ethan felt like he could hold onto it forever. A part of him wished for nothing more than to bring the delicate hand up to his lips, and to grace its soft surface with a kiss of affection.
Ethan had to expend an effort to prevent himself from acting further on his seemingly base instincts; his gaze turned upwards to glance at her pale face. Her eyes were frozen on her own palm, still held within his larger hand, while her lips were slightly parted. A light pink blush gave color to her otherwise pallid complexion.
For some reason, Ethan recalled how shameless she had been four years ago, and the image of the shy girl that sat next to him now evoked a small, mirthful chuckle. It was obvious that Daniela had come a long way from that base creature of instinct with the insatiable need for instant gratification. She had matured much from that spoiled, petulant child stuck in an oversized body. Was that maturation forced, Ethan wondered, or was it by her own choice; her own desire to finally work on becoming a better person.
Regardless, that little chuckle Ethan let out was enough to break the spell that bound Daniela. The woman slowly, almost painfully, withdrew her hand from his grasp. Her eyes wandered from his hand, up to his face and then back to his hand again. These signs of genuine, mutual and intimate affection were as foreign to her as was this whole wide world, making the once flirty girl shy in confusion.
"I am ready if you are, Dani." Ethan gently reminded her of their planned activity, hoping to both alleviate the suddenly loaded atmosphere as well as move past his own rash blunder. Why'd he have to go and grab her hand like that, and to hold it for so long? What would Mia think?
At his reminder, Daniela's widened eyes moved from Ethan to the book she still held with her left hand. Much like it had done in the past, too many times to count, this rather simple object helped to ground her erratic mind and raging emotions down.
For some, books were a mere entertainment; a minor diversion or a way to kill time as they commuted from school or work to their homes and vice versa. Ethan suspected that this was not the case with Daniela; for her, literature had been an island to which she could escape from the horrors of her daily life. A safe haven.
It was not surprising that a true passion was born somewhere along the way, and now Daniela's eyes relaxed in a comfort that this innocuous square object was able to provide to her. Her mind sharpened once again, with her thoughts getting in order.
Daniela's elegant hands unhurriedly opened the first page of the book and a soft smile played on her full lips. This was her comfort zone, a refuge from the cruel world and it showed in the composure she was suddenly able to produce.
Daniela adjusted her sitting position to be more comfortable, with one long leg crossing the other as her back pressed against the sofa. She remained close to Ethan, though their bodies were no longer touching, returning the sense of decency that had to be enforced between a faithful husband and his female acquaintance.
With firm gestures of one in control, Daniela skipped the book's foreword to get straight to the start of the actual story. She reached forward to take a quick sip from her thermos, before placing it back on the table; Ethan mirroring her gesture, though his sip from his cup was a much less restrained one, leaving half of the cup drained in one go.
Clearing her throat and not sparing him another glance, Daniela appeared in a peculiarly intense state of relaxed focus, appearing fully at ease yet completely absorbed in her current task. It was a strange look for a normally erratic girl, but a look that Ethan thought suited her just as well. Without further ado, she started reading.
"In the provincial town of N. there were so many barbershops and funeral parlors that it seemed as though the town's inhabitants were born solely to get a shave and a haircut, freshen up with some Vegetal, and then promptly expire."
For a moment, Ethan found himself stunned as he stared onto the pages from where Daniela was reading with such fluent certainty. All he could see was some gibberish in Cyrillic, but clearly the language was truly no barrier for Daniela Dimitrescu. With smoothness that could only be born from years, if not decades of experience and practice, Daniela instantaneously translated the Russian text in her mind, only to communicate it in clear, uninterrupted English. As she read, Daniela did not hesitate or pause for longer than was required to convey the appropriate level of dramatism, implying that her mastery of the two languages involved was close to perfection.
Beyond her obvious linguistic proficiency, however, was another aspect that made Ethan particularly attentive to the words that flowed out of her month.
Perhaps he shouldn't have been too surprised that Daniela possessed such impressive oratory skills, yet the way she relayed the immutable text into flowing words still captivated his attention in its entirety. Daniela did not stammer or stutter as she delivered the lines of text with perfect and smooth pronunciation, laced with varying levels of emotional undertone, while pausing for appropriate lengths to let her sentences properly sink in.
That masterful oratory skills and fluent proficiency with languages were further combined with her undeniable passion for this activity, making it appear as if she was reading from the heart. With such extraordinary delivery, even something relatively mundane such as book reading became captivating, enchanting Ethan and all but transporting him to the provincial town of N.
Listening to Daniela with rapt attention and utterly entranced both by her delivery and the wonderful book itself, Ethan could barely notice the passage of time. Minutes became an hour, with the duo remaining seated at the sofa, hardly in need of a break beyond what was already on the table.
Without interrupting her reading, Ethan would frequently reach towards the table to take a sip from the cup of tea or grab a cookie or two. Sometimes, at her slight motion with her head, Ethan would catch her unspoken request and feed her a cookie which she would consume with a mumble of gratitude. These moments when she would eat a cookie in such a way, as well as the times she would reach out towards her thermos herself, were the only times she would pause her narration. It wasn't long before the supply of delicious cookies was exhausted, while Ethan's cup was drained dry, though neither of them felt like taking a break to replenish the stock. The story, narrated by Daniela, was just too damn captivating.
As she kept reading, Daniela would occasionally glance Ethan's way, as if to make sure that he was still listening to her and that he was still interested. A soft smile that would then play at her lips implied that she liked what she saw.
In turn, Ethan would from time to time make a comment when a scene caught his attention in particular, or ask a question when a character did something otherworldly. Daniela did not appear to mind his interruptions whatsoever, gleefully responding to any and all of his inquiries, though she was adamant about not spoiling the overall plot. After providing a response, she would look at him, silently asking his permission to continue, which he would give with a simple nod and a soft smile.
Minutes kept passing, though Ethan was only tentatively aware of the passage of time - he was more interested of what lay in store for the protagonists of the book - haughty but dull-witted Ippolit Matveyevich "Kisa" Vorobyaninov and his roguish comrade-in-crime Ostap Bender. What Ethan was passingly aware of outside of the novel, however, was the increasing proximity between himself and Daniela. As if they were a pair of old magnets, it appeared that their bodies slowly but steadily gravitated towards one another.
Ethan wasn't sure whose motion was finally responsible for their shoulders brushing. He found himself not particularly caring about that irrelevant detail. What he couldn't fail to notice, however, was the way Daniela readjusted her position for a more comfortable one - by pulling her legs up from the floor and letting them rest on the couch. That innocent-seeming motion marked the start of a creeping descent that saw Daniela's head on an inevitable collision with Ethan's lap; though she still kept the book with both hands as she unerringly continued her narration, pausing only for a moment to better adjust for her now mostly horizontal position.
Ethan did nothing to stop it, not when Daniela's ear rubbed against his chest, nor when her left shoulder finally came to a rest on his lap. Instead, the man pointedly ignored the forbidden closeness of their bodies, while secretly enjoying every second of it. Her lush red hair dominated his view and the sweet aroma of her shampoo teased his nostrils. In turn, Daniela appeared perfectly comfortable with her knees half bent and her upper body pressed tight against his own.
Daniela continued to read the story, with Ethan listening to every word, genuinely interested in how the plot would develop further; though he was a bit wary of making any motion with his body, afraid to disturb the woman.
At a moment where nothing of particular interest was happening in the book, Daniela made a pointed pause, while letting out a certain high-pitched noise of indiscernible meaning, which, nevertheless, Ethan somehow took as a demand for his attention.
More out of feeling than reason, the man responded to it by putting his hand around her shoulder, then slowly gliding it down her torso, with his fingers coming to rest at her hip; the smooth fabric of her dress providing a pleasant cool sensation to his palm. A hum of deep contentment coming from Daniela's frame implied that his instinctual gesture was the correct one. As if to up the ante, Ethan's left hand reached out to gently pat Daniela's head, with his three fingers brushing her long locks of hair and lightly touching her scalp. The purr of delight that soon escaped her mouth made Ethan's own lips widen into a carefree smile. He could scarcely recall the last time he was this comfortable.
Apparently satisfied with his ministrations, Daniela continued reading the story, with Ethan continuing to lightly play with her hair. The scented candles still burned, while the warm and soft body of Daniela was still snuggling close to his own as she kept narrating the captivating story with her enchanting voice. With the shaded curtains drawn, Ethan had completely lost the track of time; the notion to check his smartphone was about as far from his mind as was his wife from his body. He was fully at ease and comfortable like rarely - if ever - before. Was Daniela cuddling to him like this for an hour as she read the book? Two hours? Maybe even three? Ethan couldn't tell, nor did he care. For as long as his body was not starving, dying of thirst or in an immediate need to answer the call of nature, he was just fine sitting where he was, with his arm around the redhead's body and her head on his lap.
Of course, neither of their bodies were completely immune to the passage of time, and soon Ethan found his eyelids growing heavy, while Daniela's diction slowly shifted from flawless to sluggish. A large yawn escaped her mouth as she finished a chapter and paused, and Ethan couldn't help but reply with a yawn of his own. The hour was growing late, there was no doubt about it, but both of them stubbornly refused to acknowledge that unfortunate fact, knowing that it would lead to Ethan leaving and Daniela remaining alone once again.
A couple more minutes passed and more yawns than sentences were leaving Daniela's mouth, with Ethan all but falling asleep himself. Barely managing to finish the next chapter, Daniela finally made a narrative-breaking pause, "Sorry, Ethie… I think my eyes need a break… just a minute…" The girl sounded on the verge of falling asleep on the spot.
They were both obviously worn out, but in a very good way; Ethan and Daniela alike felt comfortable enough to simply fall asleep as they were - a tangle of two bodies on a living room's sofa. In the back of his mind Ethan was aware of two facts - that Rose was likely already sound asleep in her own bed, courtesy of Laura, and that Mia was far away and could not possibly learn about this compromising position he had found himself in. That was good enough for him to snuggle Daniela's body closer to his own and finally close his own eyes.
The reality of him being a faithful husband and a responsible father demanded for him to brush the sleepiness off and return to his own household, but the combined effect of Daniela's warmth, the room's pleasant aroma and the sense of utter contentment he experienced in that moment pushed that reality aside, to be replaced by this wonderful fantasy that somehow coalesced to this material plane.
Of course, reality would not be brushed aside that easily. Its unwelcome reminder came suddenly and it could not be ignored, not when it took the shape of a persistent and loud vibration coming from his jeans' pocket.
The dreamy haze parted, allowing Ethan to reach a sluggish hand inside the aforementioned pocket, grumbling all the while. Likewise, Daniela groaned in annoyance at the shattering of their fragile illusion of peace.
As his fingers retrieved the source of disturbance, Ethan's eyes widened the moment they gazed upon the vibrating phone's screen. Oh, shit!
23:05
Babysitter Laura
Reality struck back hard, as Ethan immediately recalled that he had promised Laura that he would be back in 'an hour or two' - four hours ago. He was not normally one to throw his words around, but Daniela's enchanting presence truly made him forget all about the teenager.
Sheepishly mumbling an unintelligible apology to Daniela, the man accepted the call. "Hi, Laura…"
"Hello, Mr. Winters." A note of annoyance was plain in her voice, "Have you gotten yourself stuck under a collapsed wardrobe? Do I need to call emergency service on your behalf?"
Ordinarily, Ethan would not be particularly happy about a 16 year old girl talking to him in such a passive-aggressive manner. In this particular instance, however, the man realized that he might have deserved a healthy dose of biting sarcasm. He did lie to Laura about coming here to help move furniture, after all… a lie she clearly saw through by now. "There will be no need for that. I am on my way back. Is Rose asleep?"
Daniela abandoned her attempts to fall asleep and after wiggling her way out from Ethan's lap positioned herself to sit on the sofa normally, though her sleepy eyes were locked upon the man next to her.
"Just tucked her in." Laura responded without missing a beat, her tone neutral but soon adopting more accusatory notes, "could've just locked the house and been on my way without bothering you if you've lent me a copy of the key, Mr. Winters."
The tranquility of the evening pacified Ethan enough that he didn't feel upset about Laura's belligerent attitude, so instead of telling her to mind her tone, the father responded in a more restrained manner. "I'll have to discuss that with Mia." Understandably, neither of them were too keen to have others be in possession of keys to their property; though Laura was a somewhat trusted individual by now.
The teenager said nothing, though a mocking half-laughter that she promptly stifled spoke enough. Ethan could easily imagine a question akin to 'shouldn't you discuss Daniela's proper furniture arrangement with Mia, as well?' instead of that giggle.
"Alright, see you soon." Ethan spoke and ended the call before she could respond.
Standing up from the comfy couch, Ethan smiled when Daniela mirrored the gesture to stand at his side. While the reality check toned his mood down a little, it could not hope to overshadow the incredible evening he had shared today with Daniela. Despite their activity being rather mundane in nature, the two of them had a truly wondrous time.
Likewise, Daniela smiled at him with nothing but warmth in her expression, "Gotta go, huh?"
"Yeah…" Ethan wasn't able to conceal the notes of regret from his voice. It was truly a shame that their wonderful evening had to come to an end, but like all good things tended to, it eventually did.
"I see…" Daniela wasn't entirely happy, as was clear from her face, but it was an eventuality she had to respect, nevertheless.
The man reached out to grab his backpack before putting it on; deciding on not to present her the smartphone just yet. It would be a bit thoughtless of him to just shove it in her hands now and tell her to figure it out, instead Ethan felt like the more appropriate occasion would be to make time later to properly introduce Daniela to the world of modern consumer electronics.
With that in mind, Ethan slowly proceeded towards the house's entrance, though it was admittedly hard to fully break the entrancing hold the comfortable sofa held on him. Daniela trailed along, the wonderful book they spent the evening with still clutched in her dainty hands.
At the doorstep, Ethan turned around to regard his generous hostess, who took the opportunity to offer the book - her gift to him - back to him with her outstretched hands. Ethan smiled, but shook his head. "Wouldn't you want to continue this later this week? I am dying to know whether they will find the treasure in the end."
Daniela beamed up at him, while placing the book on a nightstand nearby and engulfing Ethan in a warm hug in the next moment. "Oh, Ethie, I had such a wonderful time today! Thank you so much for coming!"
Ethan did not hesitate in wrapping his own arms around her slender body, eager to return the affection in kind. Whatever it is their relationship was, it was clear that it would involve a lot of hugging. He didn't mind that one bit. "Why thank me? I just came along for a visit, you're the one who took the pains of inviting me, providing the reading material, setting up the room and the snacks, and reading the book yourself - for hours! I am amazed your tongue is still attached to your mouth, Dani!" Ethan didn't even mention the impromptu massage session, though his shoulders and neck were still grateful for that.
The girl giggled, hugging him tighter. Ethan continued, while gently rubbing her back, "So, thank you, Daniela Dimitrescu, for such a wonderful evening!" The man spoke from the heart, truly feeling like they had shared a special evening today. Nothing exceptional might have occurred, but even the mundane could occasionally turn out to be extraordinarily enjoyable. Moreover, Ethan realized that it was probably the first time in their acquaintance where Daniela did not express visible signs of her distress whatsoever: no buzzing flies, no wild mood swings, no thinly-veiled or open threats, no violence of any kind. That, more than anything else, meant that Daniela simply had a wonderful time much like himself, just like she said, with nothing to spoil it. Ethan found himself happy from that fact alone, as few deserved an evening of uninterrupted joy as much as Daniela did in his eyes. Finally, today would certainly make him more at ease from the notion of Daniela and Rose sharing the same space.
Gently breaking out of their embrace, Ethan bid the charming woman a farewell.
"Good night, Dani. I'll be busy tomorrow, but should I come by Wednesday? I'll have a little present for you before we continue our reading session."
Daniela's sleepy eyes glittered with excitement. "Yes! I'll be waiting for you! Goodnight, Ethie."
Ethan didn't expect the girl to lean forward and place a quick kiss on his cheek, but he did little to stop it, instead he just awkwardly smiled, mumbled out, "sweet dreams…", turned around and marched towards his house; a pleasant feeling of warmth having taken root in his chest.
Author's Note:
Sorry for the delay, I've been somewhat occupied by other stuff, unfortunately :( Likewise, I will continue to be more busy than usual in the next month, so probably expect the next update in 2 weeks or something.
Nothing really happened in this chapter, but I do enjoy these small slice-of-life moments, so I hope you guys don't mind too much that the plot is moving forward so slowly for now. For the next chapter, we will have a brief change of scenery, however, as I am thinking of paying a visit to a certain locale far away from Valencia...
As always, feel welcome to leave any piece of feedback that may come to your mind! Regardless, thanks for reading and I wish you all the best!
