After agreeing to spend the night as a Winters' guest, Daniela did not linger for long in her own residence. She swiftly unpacked the delivered groceries and gathered the necessities for the night before locking down her house and following Ethan along to his own.
Glancing at the pale face of his companion, Ethan was satisfied to observe that her previously troubled expression gave way to a content one, almost hopeful even.
They did not talk during the short trip between the two residencies, instead taking the time to process the myriad of events that had transpired earlier today. Reflecting on it, Ethan could tell that the talk they just shared did them both some good. As grim and unpleasant that whole conversation had been, it was something that was sorely needed for them to move forward. Running from one's past rarely works out, but facing it directly like that has to offer some better odds…
As they reached the Winters family's residence and entered the house, the duo was promptly greeted by Rose and Laura.
"Daddy!" Rose happily chirped as she spotted the face of her beloved father, though the girl was a little more restrained in greeting the redhead, "Hi, Dani…"
"Hey, Rosie…" Daniela responded with a little wave, quickly catching onto the child's wariness. She appeared unsurprised by the lukewarm welcome, though it still pained her.
In turn, Laura had her mouth open as if she was about to address Ethan. Her furrowed brows implied that she was looking to vent her frustration, though confusion quickly set in as she swerved her gaze between Ethan and Daniela. After a second, her mouth closed without letting out a sound, but from her pointed glare or folding arms alone Ethan could tell that Laura had something bitter to say.
Paying the babysitter little mind for the moment, Ethan proceeded to pick up Rose, who was only too eager for affection from her parent. After delivering a loving kiss to her forehead and a couple of gentle rubs to her back, Ethan turned towards the quiet teenager and tried to give her the friendliest smile he could muster.
"Hey, I am sorry for ruining your plans today, Laura - I know the last few days were unfair to your schedule, so if I could somehow make it up to you?"
The teenager was visibly taken back by Ethan's apologetic and genuine tone, though gears were turning in her head quickly. Her lips curled into a smile that looked just a little bit sinister to Ethan. "I'll think about that, Mr. Winters..."
Apparently not wishing to waste any more of her precious teenage years with the old people, Laura proceeded to swiftly collect her belongings, bid a warm farewell to Rose - less so ones to Ethan and Daniela, and depart.
"Poor dear is so thin," Daniela spoke in Laura's direction, though with the door already locked behind her it was unlikely that the babysitter could hear the redhead. "Maybe we should've brought her that last pizza slice?" Pensively, she pressed her index finger to her lips. "I can also be grumpy when hungry…"
From her place in Ethan's arm, Rose saw fit to defend her babysitter, "Laura is not grumpy! She is just sad that she did not see the boy she liked today!"
Ethan snorted at that revelation. He was not really in the mood for teenage drama, not after bearing witness to Daniela's soulful confession. The redhead herself, however, seemed to have no daily limit on such draining topics.
"Oh, don't tell me we got in the way of the burgeoning romance between two passionate youths, Ethan!" Daniela pouted at him, making him roll his eyes at her playful theatrics. He couldn't help but grin like a fool, however.
"Looks that way," Ethan said while patting Rose's blonde locks. He addressed the tiny girl in his arms next, "You won't mind if Dani spends the night with us, sweetpea?"
Rose thought about that for a moment before ultimately deciding to nod her little head. "Okay…"
Neither Ethan nor Daniela missed the slight uncertainty in Rose's voice or body language. Ethan was certain that the child was still somewhat wary of the erratic redhead after her stunts in Bioparc Valencia. Daniela likely understood that to be the case as well, and she could not mask the hurt that notion brought her, not entirely. It was up to Ethan to break the ice between these two girls - he needed to reassure Rose that Daniela meant no harm, that she was safe to be around. Somehow it barely crossed his mind to doubt that notion himself…
Ethan smirked as an idea swiftly coalesced in his mind. He knew his child's favorite diversions and he also figured out that one of them could be something Daniela would enjoy, as well.
"Would you like to show Dani your drawings, honey?"
Rose's passion for drawing was already evident even at her tender age of four and a half. While her highly-advanced stick figures would hardly pass for art among the cultured adults, Ethan knew that her drawings were considered remarkable for a child of her age.
Moreover, while normally somewhat shy around adults, Rose would always brighten up whenever the subject of her drawings would come up and eagerly demonstrate her works to whoever would care to see them.
Ethan could see that his reasoning were solid in the very next moment, as the tiny girl in his arms visibly livened up at the suggestion.
"Okay!"
As he placed his suddenly energetic child back on the floor, Ethan was happy to see that Daniela appeared to be taken by the proposal as well, judging by her eager smile. Maybe she wasn't the recognized artist of her family but that hardly meant that she was completely uninterested in such pursuits.
Eager and willing to showcase her latest works, Rosemary rushed into the living room to recover them, giving the adults an opportunity to take off their shoes and settle down their belongings.
"Tea?" Ethan offered, keen on being a gracious host himself for a change.
Likely a little bit chilly from their trek between the houses, Daniela nodded rapidly twice, before grinning wide. "A hot tea sounds wonderful, Ethan." The warmth of her expression left no doubt about the woman's attitude towards being the object of even such a simple friendly gesture. Ethan returned her happy grin with one of his own.
"Make yourself at home," he spoke before heading off towards the kitchen to put on the kettle.
Daniela nodded once more and proceeded into the living room with tender steps, not entirely at ease despite Ethan's kind words. While he could not possibly know it, the redhead felt anxiety gnawing on her innards, caused by her fear of making a mess of this opportunity to deepen the bonds with the Winters family. What if something happened that causes her to lash out once again, which would in turn cause little Rosemary further distress? The notion of hurting that innocent child once more was unbearable. Dimitrescu had wronged Rosemary enough.
Nibbling on her lips and making sure her hood concealed her hated scar, Daniela tried to calm herself down before entering the living room where Rose was already digging through some little box, which likely contained her drawing tools as well as drawings themselves.
A peculiar whine swiftly attracted Daniela's attention and her keen amber orbs swerved to lock onto a rather modest-sized dog that occupied a spot on the large couch.
The beagle she was already familiar with stared back at her as it quickly stood up from its previous pose of comfort into one of tense alertness. Its large eyes betrayed the wariness the family pet felt towards this redheaded intruder.
Undaunted by the animal's apparent wariness, Daniela tilted her head and steadily approached the dog, one hand stretching with its palm out. "Who's a good boy?"
The dog did not respond with a playful bark like Daniela had hoped it would, instead continuing to let that whining sound that the redhead found most disagreeable to her senses. The animal took a step back but the couch's backrest precluded further retreat.
"Roxy is a girl!" Rose remarked, though without interrupting her rummaging activity.
Daniela acknowledged that fact with a soft humm; her amber orbs never leaving the dog's big brown eyes. As if feeling pressure from this unexpected staring contest, Roxy leaned her head downward.
The dog's whining was getting on Daniela's nerves. She was unable to suppress a small scowl that marred her fair features. A small part of her ached to pull out her concealed dagger and silence the Winters family's beloved pet for good. With a forceful shudder - which the dog mimicked - Daniela managed to push the vicious notion back into the depth of her psyche and instead simply tried to pet Roxy's head. "Shhh, girl…I am a friend."
Paying no heed to Daniela's words and as if scorched by her touch, Roxy leapt down from the couch and bolted away into the hallway.
Daniela was not amused at such a brazen display of defiance. Her outstretched hand remained frozen in place even as her predatory instincts demanded of her to give chase right this instant and teach this pitiful beast a harsh lesson in obedience. Thankfully, she got increasingly adept at ignoring the many voices in her head over the last four years and therefore limited herself to merely vocalizing her displeasure in a tamed manner.
"Hmph."
Now that the object of her ire was beyond her sight Daniela was able to spot Ethan's stock-still frame out of the corner of her eye. The implication that he was privy to this humiliating display caused the scowl on her face to intensify to the point where her teeth were all but bared.
She took a measure of comfort in the notion that Ethan was likely unable to see her current facial expression due to her hood, but the frustration still boiled within her stomach. It was only compounded by her sudden realization of just how easy it was to rile her up; just how natural cruel thoughts came to her.
The worst thing to Daniela was that not even ten minutes had passed since Ethan had proclaimed her worthy of a second chance, and she was already contemplating violence.
Happy thoughts
Daniela closed her eyes and took a single deep breath before doing her best to suppress the negativity. She had to do better than that. For Ethan's sake, as well - even more importantly - for her own.
Happy thoughts
After a couple of tense seconds of recovery, it turned out to be not impossible to mask the depressing musings behind a neutral sounding statement. "It appears that your cherished pet is not too fond of me, Ethan…and I had even fed it!"
A little baffled by the spectacle himself, Ethan could only offer a hopeful guess. "She'll come around." In truth, the man was rather perplexed to see something like that occur. Roxy, like most beagles, was a trusting and outgoing dog that would eagerly befriend anyone who was nice to her. Even physically intimidating men like Chris had little trouble getting Roxy to relax around them once they would demonstrate their peaceful intent. Neutral people would likely appropriately get ignored by the beagle while those with unfriendly disposition would receive a proper round of barking.
But this? This obvious fear was something Ethan saw for the first time from their beloved family's pet, and it made him wonder. Was it just because Roxy could sense Daniela's inhuman nature and was simply afraid of what was alien to her? Or was it something more nefarious at play here?
Regardless, Ethan had little desire to dwell on such topics at the moment; thankfully, Rose finally found what she was looking for and was now approaching Daniela with a small stack of her prized drawings. The tiny girl appeared both excited to share her works as well as a little nervous to close the distance with the unpredictable woman.
Aware of the girl's anxiety, Daniela did her best to soothe the child's fears away by presenting herself in a friendly light. Getting down to her knees, Daniela regarded Rose with a soft smile and said a gentle encouragement, "Don't worry, I don't bite!"
Still standing in the doorway to the kitchen, Ethan couldn't help but rub the shoulder into which Daniela had bitten him, four years ago.
Daniela must've noted his subconscious gesture out of the corner of her eye, as she briefly turned her head towards him while shooting him a sheepish grin before mouthing what he took as 'sorry!' and returning her attention towards Rose, who now appeared emboldened enough to close the distance between them.
"This is you!" Rose happily chirped while offering Daniela a piece of paper. Curious himself, Ethan also approached the pair while inspecting Daniela's face for her reaction towards the drawing.
The initial one was confusion. Daniela squinted her eyes and tilted her head to the side as she inspected the drawing. "This is me?" Appearing at a loss for words, the redhead glanced Ethan's way, looking for support or explanation.
Chuckling, Ethan sat on the floor next to the girls and gave the drawing a good look. Rose was getting better with every passing month, but she was still a young child and her works reflected that. The drawing of Daniela was understandably simplistic in nature, but Ethan still had no trouble recognizing the woman's most striking features. A long mane of auburn hair, partially concealed by a small pink hat. A pair of bright orange dots that were her eyes. A small scribble above her eyes that likely was intended to be a representation of her strange flower tattoo. A small green doodle that was her favorite emerald necklace.
There were no advanced details or any particular precision, but Rosie's drawing had already demonstrated a reasonable approximation of a human being with respect to proportions and features. Ethan couldn't help but glow with pride as he addressed his daughter, while giving a single pointed glance to Daniela.
"This looks just like Dani, sweetheart! Great job!"
Rose giggled and grinned from the genuine praise, but still looked up at Daniela, eager to hear the verdict of her model.
In turn, Daniela still appeared a little bit confused, which Ethan realized likely stemmed from the redhead's lack of contact with kids. It was a distinct possibility that before Rose Daniela had never interacted with any children, leaving her with no experience of just what one should expect from such tiny humans. Perhaps she had expected a painting of Cassandra's caliber once Rose had expressed desire to share it, and was now disappointed to see what amounted to a well-detailed doodle.
With that in mind, Ethan tried to subtly encourage the redhead to provide positive feedback by lightly elbowing Daniela's side and making yet another pointed grimace when she glanced his way.
To her credit, Daniela must have caught on to what he had in mind, since in the next second she smiled wide at Rose before starting to praise her in a manner that was just a tad overeager.
"Oh, oh yes, now I see! You have indeed managed to capture the essence of what it means to be Daniela Dimitrescu in this majestic portrait! Splendid job!"
Now it was Rose's turn to be puzzled by the array of unfamiliar words that Daniela barraged her with; though the girl was smart enough to recognize the praise for what it was, nevertheless.
Not bothering to disguise her mirth, the girl happily giggled and proceeded to show more of her works. For Ethan, however, this proved her earlier theory that Daniela was quite unfamiliar with children in general and had unrealistic expectations of their capabilities. Seeing that Rose was busy with selecting the next drawing to demonstrate for the moment, Ethan took this opportunity to lean over to Daniela and whisper in her ear, "Rose is just a child - you should use simpler words, Dani."
Daniela had no time to respond since Rose finally found what she was looking for and started showcasing a number of her drawings in quick succession. "This is daddy! And this is mommy! And this is Roxy! And this is us together! Ah! And this is uncle Chris! Oh and these are uncle Chris' friends!"
Taken by the child's enthusiasm, Daniela settled down into a more comfortable position before taking her time with each single drawing she was offered, noting various details about their individual quality and trying to gauge Rose's attitude towards the respective people from their depictions alone.
Despite the overall similar style among all the provided works, it was not that hard for Daniela to note the varying levels of apparent effort put into each individual one. In particular, Ethan's one felt most alive to the redhead. Somehow, inexplicable to Daniela, this simple childish doodle managed to convey the kindness that man held in his soul.
"This is beautiful…" Daniela mumbled as she held Rose's drawing of Ethan in her hands.
"Daddy is the best," Rosie acknowledged with a factual tone only an innocent child could produce, causing Daniela to nod with assent.
"That he is," the redhead noted dreamily, while turning her head to gaze at the object of her desire in person; a soft smile of affection playing on her full lips.
A light blush colored Ethan's cheek and Daniela could not help but giggle as she noticed it. Somewhat embarrassed by her lingering attention, Ethan cleared his throat and stood up. "Tea is probably ready…"
The next hour went without a hitch, with the three of them just browsing through the collection of Rose's drawings, drinking warm tea and watching a couple of short cartoons - yet another piece of media that kept Daniela as enthralled as it did its target audience.
With Daniela being friendly and easy-going while demonstrating genuine interest in Rose's activities it was not surprising that the small child had quickly warmed up to the redhead once again. Apparently Daniela was fully forgiven for her lapses in judgment in Bioparc - and Ethan couldn't be happier; though, admittedly, he still kept one eye open on the capricious woman. It would also take quite some time for the father to fully trust his precious daughter to remain in Daniela's presence without his oversight. Regardless, everyone present was having a good time right now and that's what mattered to Ethan.
Of course, Rosie - being the four year old girl - was ready for bed sooner than the adults in the house and, before the clock hit nine, was already yawning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Naturally, the observant father did not ignore these signs of weariness from his daughter.
"Ah, it's already past your bedtime, Rosie. Say goodnight to Dani and let's go get you tucked in."
Rose did not appear to resent the notion, yet the girl was not without a request of her own. "Read me a story, daddy?"
The father took a moment to acknowledge the request, as it was quite late already, but as he did so he couldn't help but notice Daniela visibly perking up. By this point it did not take a genius to realize that reading was among the redhead's favorite activities. Knowing that, Ethan couldn't help but initiate a minor gamble.
"Maybe a short one…" Ethan wetted his lips, unsure if that was indeed the wisest course but nevertheless set on it, "but would you like for Dani to read you a story?"
Daniela let out a gasp of delight at what she took as a generous offer that was bestowed upon her while Rose merely chirped an "okay" since the girl simply wanted someone to read her a bedtime story.
"Do I have a story for you, Rosie!" Daniela started excitedly, bringing her palms together. "It's about a little girl, a dark forest and an evil wi–"
"Ugh!" Ethan suddenly interrupted the overly-passionate redhead, "Not that one, please."
Daniela furrowed her brows at him, confused. "But I don't even know any other stories by memory alone and I left my books at my house…"
Picking up Rose and heading for her bedroom, Ethan just waved Daniela's concern off, "That's alright, we've got several storybooks in Rose's room."
With Ethan's permission and direction, Daniela proceeded to browse through the small collection of bedtime stories the Winters had while Ethan helped the girl to prepare for the night.
As this kind of literature was not something they had in abundance back at their castle, Daniela allowed herself a moment to bask in the novelty these small and colorful books offered. Gliding her index finger across their spines brought a feeling of solace to her tumultuous mind. Just like they always did, the books offered a sense of normalcy and belonging, calming her restless thoughts
She must've been hovering over the small collection for a number of minutes as by the time she got out of it both Ethan and Rose were sharing the room with her and looking at her with queasy expectation.
"Dani?" Ethan inquired.
"I am here!" the redhead responded sheepishly. She realized that she must have looked quite silly being absorbed into a bunch of books like that - Cassandra would've surely had a mean word for her now, were she present here - a scatterbrain or a doofus at the very least.
Funny enough, normally Daniela would loathe to be the butt of Cassandra's harsh jokes, but she abruptly realized that she wouldn't have minded them if that meant hearing her older sister's voice or beholding her face again.
If Daniela herself was not beyond forgiveness; if she was worthy of a second chance - at least according to Ethan - could the same not be said of her sisters? She could not answer that question, as the redhead had yet to truly accept Ethan's words of compassion, but she wished more than almost anything to share this wonderful world with her beloved sisters. Bela and Cassandra deserved better than to be stuck in their forlorn and joyless castle forever… they all did.
The unexpected realization of just how badly she missed her sisters struck hard, causing a singular tear to trickle down her cheek. That only made it all too easy for her to visualize Bela scoffing in embarrassment and Cassandra declaring her being a hopeless crybaby. She was unable to stifle a bittersweet chuckle from escaping her throat. The image of her beautiful and strong sisters filled her with pride.
Aware of Ethan's curious glance directed her way, Daniela merely waved him off with a half-truth, "Just recalled something funny!"
Ethan took a moment to inspect her face, not fully buying her excuse. He was not deluding himself with the notion that he truly knew what was happening in that buggy brain of hers; what lay beneath her pleasant veneer was still largely a mystery to him - even if he truly believed that she had the capacity for decency and kindness.
In turn, Daniela understood that they were both waiting on her to pick a story already. Rose, now dressed in a supremely cute dark pink pajama, was helped into her bed by her father and now stared at her with interest.
Not wanting to waste any more time and feeling a measure of anxiety resurfacing, Daniela simply picked one book at random. Hurriedly skimming through the pages, the redhead settled on what looked like a very cozy and rather short story about Winter and warmth.
Snuggletime – A Winter Meditation
She smiled at the name, humming to herself and moving to sit on a chair next to Rose's bed, with Ethan himself giving Rosie a kiss on the forehead before relinquishing space to Daniela by moving away from the bed and leaning on the doorframe.
It would not be a stretch to claim that Daniela felt honored by this gesture of trust Ethan was willing to demonstrate in this instance; a pleasant warm feeling bloomed in her chest. The redhead took but a second to resolve to do everything in her power to not betray that trust - to treat the tiny child next to her as if she was her own flesh and blood.
With that determination and her own passion for all literature-related things, Daniela found herself focused entirely on the task at hand, much like when she had read The Twelve Chairs to Ethan. Giving one warm smile to the young child and receiving one in turn, Daniela tuned the world out and just let the words flow, allowing her fervor for literature to take over.
As expected, the story was a rather simple one, with no deep intrigue, romance subplots or arcane wisdom being revealed. Nevertheless, it was beautiful in its simplicity and it did not fail to evoke a sense of wonderment in either Rose or even Daniela herself. Just like the child in the story had their heart filled with warmth by the end of it, so did Daniela feel her soul soaring into the bright future.
"...the end," Daniela mumbled softly after finishing reading the short story, becoming aware of the wider world once again as she did so.
Gracing the tiny child in her cute little bed with a kind smile, Daniela saw that the story had the desired effect and the lovely sight of Rose sleeping soundly almost made her coo with adoration. She was such a precious little thing - to even think that her family used her as nothing more than a sacrificial pawn just to appease Miranda was nauseating.
Still, to Daniela's own surprise, her ever-present troubling thoughts could not overpower her current state of near bliss. Just like the darkness is dispelled by a bright light, so did her elated mood, coupled with an atmosphere of warmth, managed to fight off the gloom - for the moment, anyway.
Turning her head around to glance at the still-leaning frame of Ethan, the redhead gave him a conspiratorial wink, followed by her index finger touching her lips in a universal call to silence. The child, undoubtedly exhausted after an activity-filled day, was asleep and Daniela would let nobody disturb her deserved rest. To care - or even to interact at all - with such a small yet priceless life was a novel experience for Daniela, and she was treasuring every moment of it.
Ethan's knowing smirk implied that the father was quite satisfied with the outcome of this particular reading session, so Daniela slowly stood up from her chair, ever-so-gently placed the book on a nightstand next to her and proceeded to tip-toe her way towards the man.
"You're a natural at this," Ethan whispered once Daniela joined him in the doorway and turned to regard the sleeping child.
It may not have been anything special, but for Daniela that compliment meant the world. The notion that she was more than a creature of chaos; that she was capable of bringing joy and happiness into the world was empowering beyond words, causing a lump to form in her throat.
She knew that she had a very long way to go if she wanted to make up for her many sins, but maybe… just maybe it was not an impossible walk after all - not if Ethan was there to gently hold her hand.
Quietly, Ethan closed the door to Rose's bedroom shut and at his suggestion they returned to the living room downstairs.
There was still a little tea left in the cups, so the pair just made themselves comfortable on the couch to enjoy the beverages and the overarching atmosphere of warmth in companionable silence.
After finishing his drink, Ethan gently reached for Daniela's hat, while making sure to establish eye-contact the moment she realized what he intended to do. As he pulled her pink beanie hat off, Daniela merely graced him with a soft smile, fully at peace with the fact that her hideous deformity was once again open to his perusal.
She could vividly imagine becoming berserk with frothing rage if some stranger tried to do the same, but Ethan's continued treatment of her - one with respect, compassion and understanding - borne fruit. Daniela Dimitrescu trusted this kind-hearted man implicitly, certain that he would never harm or mock her. Even her greatest mark of shame being revealed brought her little discomfort in Ethan's presence.
Now even more cozy, the pair continued to appreciate the wordless setting of comfort and trust that settled between them for a couple more minutes, but eventually the small talk started to bloom. Much like the short story Daniela had read to Rose, this talk was not loaded with tense subjects or resolute proclamations, instead gently touching on more mundane subjects of their respective lives.
A small break took place once Daniela remarked about her growing thirst. Against his better judgment Ethan popped open a bottle of red wine, a glass of which Daniela happily accepted. It obviously contained no blood, yet it was an acceptable substitute considering her filled belly and content mind.
Enjoying steady sips of wine himself, Ethan expressed interest in more casual aspects of Daniela's previous existence, while the redhead herself still had a plethora of inquiries she was dying to make about life in the wider world.
As they talked neither noticed - or pretended to - that Daniela's frame steadily kept relaxing all the way until her head came to rest on Ethan's lap, reminiscent of their reading session the other day. Her wine glass was empty by that point.
The man did not complain and simply started to caress the top of her head with gentle strokes, mindful not to disturb her scar or the sickly skin around it with his touch, however.
This rather intimate pose persevered for more than an hour as the duo continued their casual conversation about the unusual existence in the village under Miranda's rule and the life in the wider world in all its many forms. Both of them steered clear of any potentially uncomfortable topics, further enhancing this companionable atmosphere they had.
Fully at ease with each other, they spoke in low voices with an occasional chortle or a giggle when a humorous topic was touched. Ethan could scarcely recall a time when he was this comfortable around any person that was not his wife or child. Despite their rather short acquaintance, Daniela truly felt like an incredibly close friend… or something more, even.
In turn, Daniela experienced an utter sense of solace, comparable only to a small number of instances of unconditional family love, such as when she had gotten sick after an exposure to cold and her mother and Bela took turns sitting at her bed and reading her favorite stories until she had recovered.
Nevertheless… she wanted more.
She knew it in her heart that it was not a mere short-lived crush or silly obsession she had. Daniela truly loved Ethan Winters and she wanted nothing more than to be with him forever. To experience his loving touch, to receive his gentle smiles, to bask in his compassion until the sun would set on her life. And she knew that he sensed it too; that despite his proclamations of loyalty to his wife Mia, Ethan felt something special towards Daniela. An affection that could not be dismissed so easily by mere words or morals.
Daniela knew that he desired her, not just as a friend, but as a woman as well - just like she desired him.
Still, as much as she ached to force him to admit it; to finally consummate their relationship in a physical way, Daniela knew that it was not the time. She had made far too many mistakes in her life from being impatient with her desires; drawing from that vast experience of failure taught her the virtue of patience - even if it was still a struggle to act on it.
The success in this endeavor was instrumental and this time the failure was not an option. She was not going to push Ethan, but she was determined to become an integral part of his life - a certain someone he himself could not imagine living without. He'd be the one to make the next move, and she would be there to reciprocate.
This is why Daniela contented herself with Ethan's limited affection for now and simply enjoyed their comfortable state as they continued to hold their small talk and expand the boundaries of knowledge they possessed on one another.
Regardless, even though Daniela was not entirely fulfilled, this rather simple interaction was still more than she could've hoped for back in her old life. Moreover, despite the casual nature of their discussion, it proved to be quite enlightening for both parties.
Ethan learnt that it hadn't been just death and misery for the countess's daughters - there were also episodes of genuine familial love and occasional light-hearted outings of distinctly non-murderous variety during the warmer seasons. In turn, Daniela became more aware that the outside world was not all sunshine and rainbow either - bioterrorism, corrupt or warmongering politicians and violent criminals were just the tip of the iceberg; rampant inequality, climate anomalies and social upheavals were all par for the course for the 21th century.
They came to the conclusion that neither world was entirely just black or white, yet both Ethan and Daniela conceded that his one was of a lighter shade of gray.
Of course, as fascinating as it all was, Daniela eventually found sleep calling to her. The frequency of her own questions slowed down while her answers to Ethan's queries became slurred and sluggish. Soon after, silence reigned supreme once again as Daniela found herself struggling to remain awake. Today was an eventful day for the redhead, but even beyond that her overall energy levels were rather low for the past weeks.
Ever since Camelia's treachery and the subsequent invasion of Dimitrescu castle by her thugs, Daniela struggled to find an uninterrupted night of rest, causing her to spend more than ten hours in her bed daily, much of it simply wasted tossing and turning. Her relocation to Valencia only exacerbated her insomnia, as the unfamiliar environment and existential uncertainty did little to calm her frayed nerves.
It was no wonder that she was all but exhausted even before the clock hit eleven, especially after the emotional toll of this day.
Comfortable, warm and imbued with a sense of security, Daniela felt like falling asleep right there on the couch, with Ethan's lap serving as her pillow.
Naturally, the man himself had one small objection for this particular course of action.
Seeing the redhead all but asleep, Ethan gently nudged her in a bid to get her to stand up. While a part of him wasn't too opposed to the notion of spending the night on the couch like that, the man knew that their current entangled and bent frames would not be conducive to a healthy and restful slumber. "Come on, Dani. We've got a nice soft bed in the guest's bedroom waiting just for you." He prodded her side with his index finger once it became apparent that she ignored him.
"Mhmm…" the sleepy redhead obeyed the incessant nudging and prodding only to get them to stop. Ethan's lap was as comfortable as a pillow in her humble opinion. It may not have been as soft, but the added warmth more than made up for it, not to mention his subtle scent that her nostrils found quite soothing or that calming presence of his caring fingers that gently combed through her hair. Her eyes remained closed even as the rest of her body allowed itself to be guided by his motions.
"Come on, sleepyhead." Ethan managed to get her to straighten into a sitting position while standing up himself. "Your mom taught you to eat only in the kitchen, surely she also insisted that you should sleep only in a proper bed."
Ethan wasn't wrong, but the reminder of how strict the rules had been did not have the uplifting effect he was likely aiming for with his softly-spoken words. Daniela frowned. She did not make an effort to stand up or open her eyes.
"Fine. You asked for it!"
Curious at his subdued yet playful voice, Daniela cracked one eye open, yet it was too late for her to do anything as a pair of strong yet gentle hands enveloped themselves around her slender frame.
Daniela gasped as she felt herself being lifted from the comfortable couch and a modicum of her drowsiness was swiftly replaced by shyness as she realized that Ethan decided to carry her to the bed himself… bridal style.
"Ethan…" the redhead could feel warmth tingling her cheeks. She dreamed more than once of being in this exact position, but the real thing put even her vivid imagination to shame. The sensation of being securely held in his strong arms was beyond any of her expectations. She felt safe and loved, like never before. If there was ever any doubt that they were meant to be together in her mind, this singular moment swept it all aside, leaving nothing but certainty. Her socks-clad toes curled in pleasure even as her suddenly restless mind concocted all kinds of wonderful scenarios that depicted her future. Their future.
Not blind to the light blush that colored her pale cheeks, Ethan suspected that this brazen move of his was quite ill-advised, yet he did not even fathom the extent of the effect it had on Daniela. Regardless, it was too late to back down now, so the dutiful father and loyal husband carried the beautiful redheaded woman upstairs into the guest bedroom.
Carefully placing her weary frame on the bed, Ethan swiftly realized that it would probably not be entirely cozy for her to fall asleep in her layers of outdoor clothing. Dozing off, Daniela did not appear in any particular hurry to do anything about her predicament.
His hands briefly hovered over her slightly oversized hoodie before gently gliding over her denim jeans. The man found himself unsure of the next course of action he should take as his desire to make Daniela as comfortable as possible warred with his rational reasoning that he was dangerously toeing the line towards something that was hardly appropriate.
Awake just enough to comprehend Ethan's conundrum, but not his anxiety, Daniela peered at him with a single open eye, struggling to stifle a giggle at how cute he appeared to her. In her drowsy state she did not register the entire weight of her next mumbled words, or how they threatened to annul her previous unspoken resolution.
"Ethan… could you help me out of these…please?"
The man gulped, knowing that he could not back out of this now. Nodding, he went for the 'safe' article of clothing first and after manipulating her unresisting arms for a few seconds managed to liberate her upper body from the restricting confines of her hoodie. Underneath it was a thick black t-shirt that made Ethan roll his eyes.
I HATE BEING
THIS DAMN SEXY
BUT I AM
ROMANIAN
SO I CAN'T HELP IT
He had no doubt that it was the Duke who sold Daniela this t-shirt; more than that Ethan suspected that it was a distinct possibility that it was provided to her for his benefit, rather than her own.
Regardless, the alluring shape of her fair bosom was no longer concealed by her oversized hoodie. To Ethan's chagrin and joy alike it served to augment the thesis postulated by her t-shirt. Moreover, while Ethan was careful not to touch her intimate spots when he was relieving her of the hoodie, he was unable to avoid brushing his fingers over the side of her torso. That brief touch gave him enough information to assume that she was not wearing a bra underneath that shirt.
Armed with that knowledge, Ethan did his best not to stare at her breasts despite the temptation to do just that and instead moved on to the next article of clothing he had to remove.
With hands that were less than perfectly steady, Ethan took his time pulling her denim jeans down, making sure that she actually wore something underneath them. He couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief as the contours of a modest piece of white underwear was revealed to his sight. Of course, that relief proved short-lived once he started pulling her jeans further down, unveiling a pair of long, toned and smooth legs. As he pulled the jeans down to her knees, Ethan had to bite his lower lip to stifle a wince evoked by what he saw as the vision of perfection.
By the time he got the article of denim clothing fully off he could register his own heartbeat quickening. He could only be thankful that he limited himself to just one glass of wine, else he would not trust his hands to resist the temptation to glide across that expanse of enchanting pale skin that was now open to his hungry gaze.
Despite her overall pallor complexion, the virile male in Ethan couldn't help but note just how healthy and inviting her hips appeared. Their lush contour spoke directly to the primordial instincts encoded in his DNA, bypassing his rational thoughts completely. It was not a stretch to state that this moment proved to be quite a test of his willpower.
In a bid to quell his filthy mind, the man focused his sight on her sock-clad feet. As he tried to pull them off, however, Daniela resisted the motion by pulling her legs closer to her body while mumbling nigh-incoherently, "...mhm, keeps my feet warm…"
Not wanting to press the issue and continually nibbling on his lip, Ethan took a step back to appreciate the fruits of his labor. Daniela, lying on the bed in just her provocative t-shirt, underwear and socks.
In an act of mercy towards his rapidly-draining willpower, Daniela appeared too sleepy now to act in any seductive capacity whatsoever. Still, even with her lack of motion, the man would be a liar if he claimed that he found Daniela as anything but drop-dead gorgeous. Not even her horrific scar or pallor complexion could detract from her beauty in any meaningful manner.
Clearing his throat like an awkward schoolboy, Ethan decided to preserve his remaining sanity by finally covering the redhead's alluring body with a thick blanket.
Apparently, Daniela took her newfound warmth as a clue that her long and clearly tiring day was finally at its end. "Thanks, Ethie…G'night…love you…" she mumbled her goodnight and seemingly fell asleep the very next moment.
"Good night, Dani…"
No longer exposed to the sight that tested his fortitude, Ethan could finally breathe easy. The man took a couple of steps towards the door before turning around to glance one last time today at this chaotic woman.
The snuggling form of the redhead that brought no shortage of mischief into Ethan's life appeared fully at peace. Seemingly warm and cozy, Daniela's expression was one of contentment, with her breathing calm and steady.
She looked happy, and in that fact alone Ethan found a measure of happiness of his own. Not wanting to be a creep that stares at a sleeping person or further entertain an errant thought that involved planting a kiss on her smooth cheek, the man proceeded to vacate her room after flickering the light switch off.
"Sleep well," he whispered before quietly closing the door, a soft smile adorning his face. Truthfully, the man was quite exhausted himself after the hectic events of this day.
Nevertheless, before deciding to retire for the night, Ethan was unable to resist the impulse to give himself a hand at working through some of the lingering sensual desire he experienced and then taking a quick shower.
While that little act of gratification made his body feel good, his restless mind was of a more ambiguous opinion.
Ethan was not above admitting that he would occasionally spare some pretty girl a passing glance to admire her assets in what he hoped was a subtle way. That did not make him doubt his commitment to his marriage, however; he was always certain that at the end of the day the love of his life was Mia Winters and none other - even though the flames of passion between them had died down a little over the years. But now..? Now he was not so sure of anything anymore. Spending time with Daniela brought him joy - there was no mistaking it; but as if it were a potent drug it also carried a number of severe side effects: uncertainty, shame and regret.
In his far-too-large bed and warring with his inner turmoil, Ethan must have tossed and turned for a better part of an hour before slumber finally claimed him.
Author's Note: I do apologize for such a short chapter after such a lengthy delay, but I just really didn't like how the flow was going with the next part I've already written, so I decided to cut it short. The good news is that I have about 2/3 as much as in here already written, but the next chapter is likely gonna be on the large side.
Hope you are still enjoying these slice-of-life chapters guys and gals! I've decided to cut this story into 'parts', as well, the first part being 'Stranger' and acting as a prologue that takes place in Romania and start of Valencia (chapters 1-3), the second part will be "Neighbor" and which includes everything after chapter 3 and up until a couple more chapters... Maybe you can see where I am going with that :P
Snuggletime – A Winter Meditation is an actual bedtime story which you can google if you feel like reading its content properly - it is rather cute :)
As always, thank you everyone for reading and feel free to drop a comment to tell me which parts you are enjoying and which you find tedious. As I am not sure when I'll be dropping the next chapter, I also invite you to give 'Fragmented Fear's by cr0ssb0w25 a look - it is a new Bela/Ethan story which takes place in a very unique and unusual AU, complete with beautiful artworks by that same talented writer! :) Stay safe out there!