Hide & Seek - Daniel Le Domas.

🥀 Chapter Twelve 🥀

* Edited *

Monica could feel her walls crumble, and her emotions flood her; nothing could stop the waves of emotions hitting her all at once. No one expected the cry that left her lips as she ran at Daniel full speed with tears falling freely down her reddened cheeks.

It was one of both pain and relief. Everything had caught up. Every fibre of her body could feel it, her body ached, and her mind had finally tired. All she wanted was him and his arms around her, securing her for the rest of the days, wrapping around her like the safety blanket he had become for her.

Daniel lets out a low grunt as her body collides with his full force. Immediately, he smiles and catches her before pulling her body as close to his as physically possible. He inhales her scent with tearful eyes, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. The emotions surging through him were stronger now, heightened by the feel of her in his strong arms.

Monica pulls back and laughs lightly through her tears; unable to truly believe that he had been returned to her. She lifts a shaky hand to stroke his cheek, causing him to lean into her touch lovingly.

In this moment, she realises just how much he means to her. She had missed him more than he would ever know, more than she could ever put into words. She was simply incomplete without him by her side.

Her eyes soften, watching in complete awe as he takes her face tenderly in his hands while chuckling delightfully. His bright hazel eyes pool with tears before he leans forward, pressing his lips passionately against hers with an underlying urgency behind his movements.

It felt as though he was afraid to lose her. As though she was something fragile that could slip between his delicate fingers at any moment. It made her heart swell.

“I thought I'd never see you again.” he murmurs against her soft lips, his breathing heavy.

Grace watches them with tears welled in her eyes. She felt complete joy and relief for her friend. Mainly because Monica would be okay now. No longer would she be alone without Daniel or planning to end her own life to join him. Instead, she could be happy and grow old with the man she deeply loved.

Meanwhile, Alex patiently stands beside Grace with his arm wrapped securely around her. He was desperate to give his brother a hug. But again, he knew that Daniel and Monica needed this moment together.

“I’m so sorry. I--" Monica tries to form a sentence, but her emotions are proving to be too much. She was drowning in them. They were trying to pull her away from reality; trying to pull her into that darkness to drift further away from all she had here.

The only thing keeping her sane right now was Daniel. He was her anchor; keeping her present and strong against that darkness that called to her.

“Shh... it’s okay. We can talk about everything tomorrow.” Daniel murmurs reassuringly to her whilst pulling her in for a much-needed hug.

He feels her body melt against his, and her arms wrap tightly around him. Her tight grip reminded him just how much his temporary death had impacted her. It broke him to see her so destroyed by his death. Seeing her cry over his dead body had torn him up. He couldn’t stand it.

He had desperately wanted to make her pain go away, and thankfully, Mr Le Bail had given him that opportunity. A second chance to do things right by her.

“Daniel?”

Alex finally calls to his brother, no longer having the patience and strength to wait for the two to finish their reunion. He needed to know this was real, that Daniel was back, alive and well. His sanity was riding on his brother being real.