#daniel le domas imagine

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Hi!! I wanted to start by saying your writing is so captivating and I’m just in love.

I’m not sure if you are still writing for him but can I request #40 Tentative kisses given in the dark or #50 A kiss, followed by more that trail down the jaw and neck for Daniel le Domas? If you don’t write for him anymore, can I ask for Art instead? Thank you!

*I'm not currently taking any more requests from this list

Nonnie when I saw the name Daniel le Domas? The gasp I gasped. The scream I scrumpt.

"Take a break."

"I'm not due for a break."

"Take one anyway."

You shot Daniel a sidelong glance before returning your focus to the drink that you were making. You couldn't count how many times you'd bartended for a shindig at the le Domas home. The catering company that you worked for was one of their frequent picks and you were where you always wound up: behind the bar.

Daniel had always been a polite and frequent visitor, but the more often you were there, the more he spoke to you. He was about the only family member that bothered to.

You'd been warned going into that evening that you were supposed to keep your head down and your mouth shut. You just weren't able to warn Daniel. You didn't have his number, and from what you could find, the guy didn't have social media.

It was strange. His life was so glamorous, but seemed so...Contained.

"Come on, go on break," He urged again.

"Daniel, I'm working."

"I can see that. Looks awful."

You glanced toward where your manager was lingering in the doorway to the kitchen, watching you closely. You smoothed your smile away, topping off your glass and passing it to the gentleman that was waiting.

"C'mon, take your break," Daniel urged. "Take a walk with me."

"Not now, Daniel," You muttered.

"I know you get twenty minutes, we'll only take ten...Five?"

You jolted at the sound of your name, straightening up as your manager came over.

"Has she served you, Mr. Le Domas?" He asked.

"Yes, she has."

"Is there an issue with your order?"

"No," Daniel's eyes darted between you and your manager.

"Excellent. I will be taking over here," Your manager stepped in pointedly beside you. "Your help is needed in the kitchen."

You nodded your acquiescence, turning away and heading to the kitchen without another word. Damnit, you were worried that this would happen.

--

"C'mere."

"Jesus!" You hissed, whirling around at the sound of Daniel's voice. When you'd finally taken your break, you'd ducked out to the service entrance to get some air, but you hadn't expected for anyone to be waiting for you.

"C'mere," He urged again, taking hold of your hand.

"You're going to get me in trouble again!" You groaned, but you didn't bother to stay put or let go. You followed him unthinkingly, glancing back toward the door nervously to ensure that no one heard or saw you before you lost sight of it.

--

"You're not planning on murdering me out here, are you?" You asked, glancing around the stables.

"No."

"Helluva place to do it, you know, if you did. Use the hay to clean up some of the blood—You probably can't put a horse on trial. Probably."

"Are you trying to give me ideas?"

"I don't think you need 'em."

"I really get you in trouble?"

"A little."

"...What're they gonna do if they find you out here with me?"

"Fire me, probably. I don't know how they'd find us, though. This place is a fucking labyrinth."

You stopped looking around as you felt the heat of Daniel's body against your back. You bit your lip, fighting to keep yourself still as he stepped around you.

"Hey, but if you are gonna murder me, could you do it quickly? I'm not really into the whole edging thing with sex so I'm definitely not gonna find it hot with, like, death—"

You went still as he cupped your face, swiping his thumb across your cheekbone. You peered up at him, taking in the sweep of his lashes as his gaze lingered on your lips. You stepped a little closer, nudging your nose lightly against his before closing the gap between you. For all of his flirting and teasing at the bar, Daniel seemed almost as nervous as you felt. You slid your hand up into his hair, drawing him closer as he teased his tongue between your lips. His hands settled on your hips, steering you back against a beam. You tipped your head back as the kiss broke, sighing as his lips trailed along your jaw.

"Daniel..."

"Mm."

"I can't be late."

"I'll take care of it."

"But—"

Daniel grasped your jaw, turning your head toward his again, pressing a tender kiss to your lips.

"I'll take care of you."

[blakeswritingimagines]

Dating Yandere Daniel Le Domas Would Include:

Yandere traits and characteristics of Daniel Le Domas include emotional and mental instability, excessive possessiveness and jealousy, impulsive behavior, obsessive and possessive with the person he loves, manipulative, obsessive-compulsive qualities, controlling, and sometimes sociopathic tendencies. He loves very intensely and doesn't want anything to get in the way of that. He may even stalk other people you may associate with.

Daniel is a type of yandere who becomes very possessive over the one he wants, wanting to keep you all to himself. He becomes very obsessed over you and your everyday activities. He grows jealous of the attention you give to others and even more jealous when you give attention to other men. When his obsessive thoughts become too much, Daniel becomes violent, acting possessive and controlling over you and making sure you aren't talking to anyone else but him.

He goes out of his way to ensure that no one will ever take you away from him. He will take any measures to keep you only for himself, even if it means getting rid of those around you as well. When the object of his affection is unable to be with him, he will become enraged and lash out with violent impulses towards anyone he can take his anger out on.

When the obsession continues to grow, Daniel can become extremely protective over you, as if you were his property. He grows overprotective of you and your everyday life, wanting to make sure you are safe from anyone who could possibly harm you. He becomes paranoid about anyone who could hurt you and will become very controlling, trying to keep you from any potential harm. He becomes completely overcontrolling of your life and doesn't let you out of his sight.

He is very overprotective of his partner because of his family being satanic. In the Ready Or Not movie, the Le Domases serve the devil, Mr. Le Bail. They all sold their souls to the devil in exchange for money and power, and Daniel is fearful that the devil might want the soul of the one he loves as well. He becomes overprotective and controlling in order to keep you safe from the evil of his family.

Daniel knows that you are unaware of the horrible traditions of his family and their games, so he does everything he can to hide these games from you. He doesn't want you to know about the horrible games that go on in his family, and he doesn't want you to become afraid of him. So, he hides everything from you related to the games.

Daniel does try to go on dates with you, but he keeps them completely tame. He takes you to nice restaurants, watching movies, and goes on outings together.

Even with his obsessive and controlling tendencies, he does care for you, so he is somewhat affectionate with you. He gives you some genuine hugs and kisses and shows you some love at times. However, his obsessive and controlling tendencies do sometimes get in the way of showing his affection, as well. When he feels particularly jealous, possessive, or angry, the affection he shows is very calculated and not quite genuine.

Daniel does cut back on his drinking a little bit when he is with you, but not entirely. He definitely drinks less while you are around, but he will still enjoy a few glasses of whisky or wine to relax. But he does make sure not to let himself get really drunk in your presence, as he knows that his behavior can get unpredictable when he's too intoxicated.

His jealousy is definitely one of his strongest traits. As mentioned before, he is extremely possessive over the one he loves and wants to keep you all to himself. When he sees you talking to other men or giving attention to anyone else but him, he grows extremely jealous and even becomes violent sometimes towards those around him. He has a hard time controlling his anger when he sees his love interacting with other people and becomes obsessed with keeping you only for himself.

He has a lot of self-hatred and a high level of anxiety. Daniel has a lot of self-hatred because he hates the type of person he is, and he feels guilty for the things he does to you. He thinks that he doesn't deserve the love and happiness that he has. He is also constantly worried about the safety and well-being of you. He can't help but feel that something terrible might happen to you if he doesn't protect and hide you from all the evil in the world that surrounds you.

He also has some issues with trust. Even though he is completely obsessed with the one he loves, he has a hard time trusting you. He always has to know what you're doing and who you're spending time with, so he can ensure you aren't hanging out with other men. He does become very suspicious of you whenever you spend time with others, thinking that you might be interested in them instead of him. He is also pretty paranoid about losing you.

He can be manipulative and deceptive as well. He will often lie and hide the truth from his partner to keep you as his own. He can lie about where he is, who he is with, what he is doing, and more. He can even manipulate his love by playing on your emotions, so you can only focus on him, and nothing else. He is very sneaky and manipulative about how he goes about keeping the one he loves to himself.

Daniel has a bit of a savior complex and a bit of a god complex. He believes that he has to take care of you and that he has to keep you safe, no matter what. He doesn't think that anyone else can do it like he can, and he has a hard time accepting that he is just as capable as anyone else of protecting you. He also feels that God has chosen him to protect and save you, giving him a divine sense of responsibility and control.

He's a bit of a masochist. Daniel enjoys the feeling that being in love with you gives him, even if it's a pain. He's somewhat of a masochist because he enjoys the pain he feels when he's in love with someone, even if his love is completely unrequited. Because he's been through so much pain and hurt, a part of him has grown to enjoy the pain and even feel it as a sign of his love for you.

His family definitely doesn't approve. They believe that Daniel has fallen in love with someone who will be nothing more than a liability to them. They see you as a threat to their traditions, and they don't believe that you are capable of living up to the demands of being a part of their family. They feel you will be nothing more than a burden to them, and they think Daniel is making a mistake by being with you. But Daniel loves you, and there's nothing they can do about it.

Daniel does want to attempt marriage with the one he loves. However, he knows it would be very difficult for you to have a healthy relationship with all the things going on in his life. His family's demands and his own issues would put a lot of strain on a marriage, and his jealous and possessive tendencies would only make it more difficult for you. But that doesn't stop him from wanting to try. In the end, he loves you so much that he's willing to try to make it work, no matter what.

Daniel is very protective of his partner and doesn't want you to be subject to any harm, including from his family's games. When it comes to you pulling a card, Daniel would be reluctant to let you participate, but he would realize he has no choice but to let you. He would be very worried about what could happen and about what you might have to go through if you were chosen. He would do everything he could1 to protect you, but deep down he would be scared and worried about the outcome.

Daniel is hesitant to have children, largely due to his own experiences with his family's traditions. He knows that he had a traumatic childhood because of all the games and rituals that his family put him through, and he does not want the same to happen to his children. He doesn't want his children to experience the kind of pain and suffering that he had to endure, and he worries that having children would only result in his children becoming subjected to the horrible traditions of his family.

Daniel would be very understanding if you couldn't have or didn't want children. He understands that not everyone wants children, and he respects and accepts your decision. He would be supportive of your decision and would not try to force you to have children if you didn't want them. He understands that it is your choice and that he respects it, and he would do everything he could to make sure you felt supported and comfortable in your decision.

"You are mine, no one else's. There is no one more important than you in my life, and there never will be. You are my everything, and I will do anything to keep you safe, even if it means putting myself in harm's way. I will always stand by your side and protect you from everything and everyone, even if it's from my own family. I love you more than anything in this world, and I will never stop loving you. You are my one true love, and no one else will ever come close to what you mean to me."

1

[takusan-no-ai]

★·.·`¯´·.Daniel Le Domas.·`¯´·.·★

Fics (0)

Headcanons (0)

Oneshots (0)

Imagines (0)

[slash-aaa]

⭐ ( gimme all of u i’m greedy ty x )

send a ⭐ for muses i would be interested in throwing at yours / potential muse combinations.

madison montgomery & john bender - just because of the attitudes and how potentially toxic they would be.

alex russo & michael moscovitz - i just think they would absolutely vibe. they're both so chill. he can play some music and she can do whatever she wants.

aurora renaud & jack skellington - i'm imagining aurora wandering into the feywilds and ending up stumbling upon jack, who is also lost in there lmao.

verna & omen lancaster - omen is a witch and a wanderer who helps creatures and monsters where needed. it's giving kind of opposites vibes, but they'd have a mutual respect i think.

addison montgomery & mateo rivera - mateo is my ga oc who starts as an intern at the hospital and obviously moves up from there. he's an ex con, so everyone either is scared of him or whispers about him. maybe he can work with addison and she can see he's not bad.

stu macher & any of your scream muses - i have verses where he survived, so we can work with a bunch of stuff.

carlisle cullen & joyce byers - doctor moves to the small down several years ago to help out. he's probably seen the boys come through his clinic a lot and he's grown fond of joyce. he wants to help where he can.

taissa turner & natalie scatorccio - with tai paying for nat's rehab, i would just love to see their dynamic more. also when they're teens.

tatiana vasiliev & genevieve belmont - both vampires. gen is on the run and is hiding out in a poppy house / vampire lounge, so maybe tatiana can frequent there or go there for information or something.

sydney kaiser & cain fahey - can be rival assassins, or she can meet him after he goes rogue. or she can even be the one sent after him when he goes rogue.

ra mi young & rick grimes or joel miller - love me some apocalypse things, so i'm down for either ra mi young being the doctor in rick's group, or her tagging along with joel / ellie or even meeting her where tommy is.

ares asare & john wick - i didn't see any information for ares, but i'm sure there's a ton of potential.

johanna avery & dana polk or daniel le domas - take your pick of my final girl or my final boy. they can bond or hate each other. and perhaps get into another horror Together.

[the-murder-shack]

master-list | supernatural

(key...)   gender neutral--1 | they/them--2 | he/him--3 | romantic--4 | platonic--5 | familial--6 | enemies--7 | fluff--8 | angst--9 | smut--10 | horror--11 | gore--12 | yandere--13 | imagine--14 | headcanons--15

HELLRAISER: 

kristy cotton...|

coming soon...

1987 the hell priest...|

coming soon...

riley mckendry...|

coming soon...

matt mckendry...|

coming soon...

colin...|

coming soon...

nora...|

coming soon...

2022 the hell priest...|

coming soon...

2022 the gasp...|

coming soon...

CHILDS PLAY:

charles lee ray...|

coming soon...

tiffany valentine...|

coming soon...

nica pierce...|

coming soon...

jake wheeler...|

coming soon...

lexy cross...|

coming soon...

CANDYMAN:

helen lyle...|

coming soon...

daniel robitaille...|

coming soon...

anthony mccoy...|

coming soon...

brianna “bri” cartwright...|

coming soon...

troy cartwright...|

coming soon...

william “billy” burke...|

coming soon...

sherman fields...|

coming soon...

FINAL DESTINATION:

GHOST SHIP:

CABIN IN THE WOODS:

READY OR NOT:

grace le domas...|

coming soon...

GIRL FROM NOWHERE:

nanno...|

coming soon...

SKINAMARINK:

the voice...|

coming soon...

[haddonfieldwhore]

Daniel LeDomas (Ready Or Not)

Masterlist

nsfw/smut = ***

headcanons

having an affair with a servant

oneshots/drabbles

- nothing yet -

series

wicked games

Part 1 ***

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

other

song association

[ongaku-ato-kakikomi]

Can you please do an imagine for Daniel le domas where he marries the reader and they both survive hide and seek thank you💕

(A/N): I’m sooo glad you requested for him! There’s not enough content for him, so I’m very happy to provide some more! Hope you’ll enjoy <3

You hold onto each other tightly as his family scream in agony, each one of their scream being interrupted by their own explosion due to the sunlight rising on the horizon. Your body’s shakes increase at each splatter of blood you feel on your back, desperately holding onto Daniel in the fear that he might be taken from you. His grip on you tightens on you as he silently cries with his eyes shut, trying his best to protect you from this horrible curse.

You were supposed to be sacrificed before dawn, Mr. Le Bail was very clear about what he wanted, but Daniel loved you too much to have let that happen. He swore to protect you from the sick Hide and Seek game no matter what, and even now as each member of his family die one by one, he doesn’t regret anything.

“Daniel…” Your fingers dig into his shirt, feeling his bloody hand touch the back of your head. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I’m not leaving.” You bury your face further into his chest, your whimpers getting muffled. “I’ll always be here with you.”

You wanna believe it. You’re putting all of your heart and soul into believing that Mr. Le Bail won’t take him away from you, not after all this hell his family put the two of you through. All you wanted is to marry him, to bond your life with his; you knew the risks, and you accepted them… and not you’ve beaten the game.

If this curse can give you one reward: let it be Daniel’s life.

“It’s over.”

You blink a few times, noticing that no one has screamed for quite a while, then gently free your face to reveal the state of the room you’re stating: absolutely every inch of it is covered in blood and human chunks. The sight and the smell would almost make you vomit, that is if you hadn’t already seen everything you saw last night.

“You’re not gone.” You hold onto his face covered in blood, the tears mixing with the metallic taste in your mouth. “He didn’t take you away!”

“He didn’t take you either.” His lips stretch out into a sad smile, his eyes warm with love and sadness. “I love you, (Y/N).”

You love him too.

[batterycityghoul]

Reconcile (Daniel Le Domas/Reader)

Author’s Note: I’ve had this idea for about a year, and it was probably supposed to be longer, but for now it’s this. Will I be tempted to revisit this and show how things progress? Maybe. 

Word Count: 1.5k

Masterlist 

When you opened your front door, the last person you expected to see on the other side was Daniel.  

"No," you snapped before you slammed the door closed in his face.  

"Oh, come on, Y/N," he pleaded before he tried knocking on the door again. "I've got to talk to you."

"There's nothing to say," you told him as you tried to ignore the urge to open the door.  

You hadn't seen Daniel in years. With how you left things, you didn't want to see Daniel. At least, that’s what you told yourself, but even you weren’t entirely convinced of that. Even just catching one brief glimpse of his eyes was enough to send a little thrill shooting through you with the knowledge that he was so close.

As much as it pained you to admit it, Daniel Le Domas was your first and only love. You had met him when you were young and stupid and didn't know any better than to fall for his charm. You were both terribly broken when you met, but over the course of your relationship, you had foolishly thought that your broken pieces fit together. You picked each other up and never tore each other down. Daniel got you in the most frightening, exhilarating way.  

That was why it caused you such unbearable pain when he suddenly broke everything off. You found out weeks later that he was getting married to a woman named Charity. If seeing the engagement announcement in the paper hadn't felt like the biggest slap in the face, then having him completely drop you like every time he whispered 'I love you,' into your hair while he was holding you late at night was complete bullshit definitely did.  

You mourned him like you mourned no other. You didn't know how to cope with his sudden absence or the proof that he had moved on in the shittiest way possible.  

You wallowed in your grief for months before you finally started picking yourself back up. It was a struggle, but you managed to find ways to make yourself happy. You found a way to move on.  

Now, knowing that Daniel was just on the other side of your front door, you weren't really sure what you were expected to say or do.  

You were just considering turning on some music in an attempt to drown out the sound of Daniel's persistent knocking on the door when he said the one thing that guaranteed you were going to listen to him.  

"My family is dead," you heard him practically shout in an effort to get your attention. "At least give me a minute of your time."

You found yourself opening the door before you could fully process what you were doing. You wanted to scold him for lying about something so tragic just to get you to talk to him, but your words fell short at the sight of his face. There was such sorrow in his expression that you couldn't help but think that he must have been telling the truth.  

"A minute," you conceded as you stepped aside to let him pass you.  

You caught the tiny smirk that appeared on his face as he let his arm brush against yours when he stepped into your apartment. "That's all I need," he promised as he moved to settle on your couch, making himself at home like it was still his and not the one he abandoned years ago.  

"Fuck," you groaned before you closed the door. You had a feeling this was going to be the longest minute of your life.  

"Bullshit," you accused over an hour later after Daniel finished telling you a wild and crazy story you weren’t fully sure you believed. "Human sacrifice and deals with the devil? For fuck's sake, Daniel. You expect me to believe this shit?"

You saw him grimace before taking a sip of the glass of whiskey he had been nursing since you offered it to him. He looked like he wasn't sure whether to find your disbelief amusing or annoying. He sighed and leaned forward, placing his glass on the coffee table. He reached up to begin unbuttoning his shirt, pulling aside his collar as he went.  

"Whoa," you said in an attempt to stall him. "What are you doing?"

"If you won't believe me, then will you believe this?" He asked as he turned his head to the side and bared his neck, giving you a good view of the barely-healed wound on his neck.

"What the hell happened?" You couldn't help but blurt out as you moved to get a closer look.  

"I told you," Daniel said as he finally angled his head to give himself a better view of you. "My ex-wife shot me in the neck and now she's dead. I shouldn’t even be alive right now, but it turns out I had more of a soul than the rest of them," he confessed with a grimace as if he couldn’t quite believe that deep down he might actually be a good guy.  

You huffed out a disbelieving breath, but you couldn't quite stop yourself from reaching for him. To see the proof that he had been so grievously hurt had you wanting to seek reassurance that he was really there in front of you and not dead like the rest of his family.  

Before your fingers could brush against his neck, he reached up to grab your hand. "Y/N," he said, bringing your attention back to him. "I'm here," he reassured you as he squeezed your hand, obviously not intent on letting it free of his grip. "I've got a recently widowed sister-in-law who can back all of this up," he told you as he leaned forward in his seat, his eyes meeting yours as he silently implored you to believe him.  

"Don't give me that look," you chastised him as you hastily glanced away from him.  

"What look?" He asked, the faux innocence in his tone giving him away.  

"That look," you stressed as you nodded at him. "The big, wide eyes and the kicked puppy look. You know what it does to me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he dismissed with a tone that told you he knew exactly what he was doing to you.  

"Daniel," you sighed, finally meeting his eyes again. "Why are you here?"

Daniel studied you for a moment before he finally let your hand fall from his grasp. He scooted closer to you on the couch, his knee just barely grazing yours. He didn't say anything for a few moments, making you wish that you could look away from him, but you felt oddly transfixed. After years of banishing every stray thought of Daniel Le Domas from your mind, you couldn't help but notice it was remarkably easy to let him into your space. A small part of you couldn't help but wish that he had never left.  

"I did it for you," he finally murmured, catching you off-guard.  

"Did what?" You couldn't help but ask, even though you knew. You knew he was about to pull some kind of self-sacrificing bullshit and claim that he only broke up with you to save you. Maybe you would have thrown him out for that whole spiel just hours before, but after the tale he just finished telling you, you couldn't quite rule out the possibility that it was actually true.  

"They would have killed you. Crushed you," he amended with a grimace before he took another sip of his whiskey. He glanced towards your fireplace, carefully not meeting your eyes as he spoke. "Even if they didn't hunt you down like Grace, I couldn't make you go through that.  The choice between me or your soul?" He let out a humorless little laugh before he finally looked back to you. "I couldn't have done that. Not to you," he insisted with a shake of his head before he drained the contents of his glass.  

"Daniel," you found yourself saying, not quite sure which words were supposed to follow. You believed him? You forgave him? You still loved him? None of it felt right, but when Daniel's fingers laced with yours, you couldn't help but think that it felt better than anything you could possibly say.  

"I'm not asking for a second chance, but..." he trailed off, fixing you with his signature look that was bound to make you weak.  

"But you're asking for a second chance," you finished for him, a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of your lips.  

"Sounds about right," he added with a smirk as he leaned in closer to you. "So, how are my odds?"

You couldn't help but glance down at where he was still clasping your hand in his. Sitting on your couch with Daniel wasn't where you thought the evening would go when you woke up that morning, but you couldn't help but concede that it was just about perfect.  

As you leaned in to finally close the distance between you, you couldn't help but think about all of the long talks and revelations that were yet to come. Daniel had just lost his family in a violently gruesome way and no amount of puppy dog eyes would erase the years of hurt and heartbreak between you.  

But now, as your lips pressed to his and you let yourself fall into him, you couldn't help but think that maybe, for once, everything would be okay.

[dietcokeangel2004]

Stuart Twombly x reader.

Honey

I’d walk through fire for you

Just let me adore you

Oh, honey

I’d walk through fire for you

Just let me adore you

Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do

Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Wicked Game

Pairing: Daniel Le Domas x Reader

Rating: Explicit- 18+ Only

Warnings: Angst; fluff; infidelity; explicit sexual content—vagina sex, oral sex. Not beta-read.

Notes: You can venmo me that soul whenever

Length: 6.9K

Summary: “Hey,” He murmurs, “You trust me?”

You shouldn’t. Daniel Le Domas has never given you a good reason to trust him. But you find yourself nodding. He gives your hand a squeeze, your arm a tug, and leads you into the trees. 

He thinks about it.

As the others stream into the room, chattering frenetically, he thinks about. He looks at the box, and he thinks about it. If he brought her home—if he brought her in—what would she draw?

Old Maid?

Chess?

Bridge?

Checkers?

Or…

Daniel winces at the thought, turning his head and raising his glass to his lips. He drains the contents, revels in the burn, and shakes his head a little, trying to knock the thoughts away. He’s already let this go on too long if he’s even worrying about this. She’d seemed so damn putout when he’d told her that he didn’t think it was a good idea for her to come home with her for Thanksgiving. 

He couldn’t blame her for her upset. Thanksgiving is no intimate affair for the Le Domas family—so few things are. And he hadn’t brought her home for it last year, either—or for Christmas, New Year’s, the Fourth of July, birthday parties, none of it. He’s been keeping her away from his world, tucked in their own private corner of his life.

His family knows that there’s someone, but they haven’t discovered her yet. He’s been careful. But she deserves to be with someone that can love her openly, not covet her in the shadows.

Maybe next Thanksgiving. 

-- 

You don’t recognize the house until it’s too late. You’d only been there once, three years ago, but it’s unmistakably the same house. A steady welling of dread is beginning to flood you. Your boyfriend, James, doesn’t notice—he’s still going on and on, reminding you of things about his business’ silent partner—topics to hit on, topics to avoid. You hadn’t taken a look at his business partner’s instagram, but now you’re wishing you had. 

Maybe your boyfriend’s business partner just knows the Le Domas family well enough to be invited to their annual Christmas party, and a brief stay at the gargantuan house. It’s a massive affair—well-to-do people, business moguls, politicians. It’s more a wander-around, eat-canapes, sip-champagne sort of thing. It was the most uncomfortable party you’d ever been to. You’d felt like an outsider, and like Daniel was ashamed to have you on his arm. 

You only half-hear James’ notes and order. You’re not really listening. You’re bracing for the inevitable flood of them out through the front door, the surprised smiles, the backhanded comments, the forced geniality—the sight of him. He’s married now. They’d made sure you’d known that. You’d even gotten an invitation to the wedding.

You’d coped by setting it on fire.

“...Babe?” James plies when you don’t answer him. “You alright?” 

“...Fine,” You manage. “Think I left the iron on.” 

“Can we call someone to go check? We’re gonna be here a couple’a days,” He reminds you. 

“Yeah,” You manage, “Yeah, I can…Actually, I think I ought to head home after the party tonight.” 

James sighs heavily, as if a child has left their toys strewn across the floor again. 

“Babe,” He presses, “We’ve talked about this. You know you need to stay through the weekend. Besides, it’s a three hour drive back home, and it’ll be late. We’ll go back on Sunday.” He reaches out, patting your thigh. “I know you wanna make this perfect for me, and I know that that’s why you’re so nervous, but you’ll do just fine. Okay?” 

Fine. 

You don’t tell James that it was like this the last time you were there. It had been different then—your third Christmas with Daniel, and your last. You hadn’t been the only trepidatious one in the car. Daniel had been just as nervous as you were—but he’d put his hand on your thigh and told you that it would be alright—even though he didn’t seem to believe it himself. 

--

You’re on tenterhooks. You can’t help it. In the sea of pristinely attired people, you find yourself looking around warily, fingers flexing in the bend of James’ elbow. The three champagne flutes you’ve downed on an empty stomach are beginning to bubble and make their way back up toward your head. 

You haven’t seen any of the family yet. You think that you may get out of this without seeing any of them, but—

“There he is—Daniel! Where have you been keeping yourself!” James crows, letting go of your hand to lightly and fleetingly embrace his business partner. 

The champagne is beginning to drop away from your head and back toward your stomach in the worst way. 

Then again, if you get sick, maybe James’ll concede that you heading home is for the best. 

Daniel is staring right at you, even as James extends his hearty thanks for the invitation, his admiration of the house, the hospitality. 

“Anytime, man,” Is Daniel’s flat, canned answer before he gives a nod toward you. “You gonna introduce me?” 

Your eyes narrow at the implication, anxiety turning to anger. Introduce—like you’re new to him, like he’s never seen you before. You can’t call him out on it now; you didn’t mention to James that you knew one another—how could you have? You didn’t know that his Daniel had once been your Daniel. James introduces you like it’s nothing. He curls his arm around your middle and draws you into his side the way he always has—like you fit, like you belong there. 

“How are you finding our little party?” Daniel asks you. You want to punch him in the face and pour your drink over him. In your mind, you’re doing much, much worse to him. But you force a straight face, and tell him, “Fine, thank you.” 

“Better than fine!” James hurries to correct. “It’s great.” 

“You two have a chance to look at your room yet?” Daniel presses. 

“Not yet.” 

“It’s a nice one. Big bed,” Daniel winks at James. Your stomach churns. 

“Excuse me,” You mumble, beginning to step away from James. 

“Where are you going?” James frowns. 

“You’re looking a little green around the gills,” Daniel tacks on. He’s goading you, and he’s enjoying it. He must be. 

“Where’s that wife of yours?” James adds, turning back to Daniel. “I’m sure these two will be fast friends.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Daniel chuckles. “This one seems nice, and, well. You’ve met Charity.” 

The two share a hearty laugh, complete with an arm slap; James tips his head back with the force of it. It’s too loud, too fake—just like this whole damn party. You mumble your excuse again, citing the need for a new drink. 

“Aw, thanks, babe, I’d love one!” James says, pressing his empty glass into your hand. So much for a clean escape. 

You dawdle at the bar, lingering behind a large group before stepping up. You request another champagne, and a scotch for James. Once you’ve got it, you direct a waiter over toward James with his fresh drink, and mumble your thanks before escaping outside. 

It’s chilly out, but you manage to draw in what feels like the first deep breath since you arrived at the house. You raise your glass to your lips, taking in a deep pull. When you lower it again, it’s half-empty. You sigh softly, looking down at the contents. You can’t just make a run for it—a hired car wouldn’t be there before James came looking for you. You lift your head, eyeing the lit pool and fountains. 

“Looks nice all lit up, doesn’t it?” 

The voice makes your stomach churn, your shoulders going tight. You can’t run; the shoes you’re wearing won’t allow it. You could throw your champagne in his face—but by god, would that be an awful waste of champagne. 

“Course, you’ve seen it like this before,” He goes on. His voice is drifting closer; you can hear his approaching footsteps. “Does it hold up to your memories? Better? Worse?” 

“...I don’t know,” You manage. “I blocked that night out.” 

“Pfft, what?” Daniel chuckles. “You said that was the best night of your life.” 

“I lied.” 

“Why would you lie about that?” 

“I had to put on a brave face after you’d spent the night pretending I didn’t exist.” 

You don’t turn to look at him, even as he comes to stand beside you. The sleeve of his suit jacket brushes your chilled bare arm. 

“...Your boyfriend’s a shithead,” He offers.

“I guess I have a type.” 

You hope it’ll sting him, but Daniel just laughs. 

“You invested with that shithead,” You remind him. 

“He’s a shithead with a good business model. Fingers in different pies.” 

“And you always were the type to prefer quantity over quality.” 

Daniel huffs another soft laugh, stepping up to the marble railing and leaning back against it and facing you. 

“You’re going to stretch a muscle, reaching for those insults.” 

He looks as smug as he sounds as you turn an irritated eye toward him. Something softens in his expression within a couple of blinks, his eyes wandering you. 

“You look good,” He murmurs. 

“I know.” 

“Cold, though.” 

“I’m fine.” 

“So you’re shivering for fun?” 

You say nothing. You just raise your glass to your lips and drain it. Then, unable to help yourself, you fling the glass over the side of the balcony. There’s something oddly gratifying about the sound of it crashing on the walkway below. Daniel’s smile widens, and you have to clench your jaw. You only just manage to halt your own smile, and you damn the fluttering in your stomach at the sight. 

You hate that you know it’s one of his rare, real smiles—one that you’d been privy to at the very start of the relationship. They’d dwindled as you’d grown more serious, and damn near disappeared by the time he’d finally brought you home for the holidays. Yours had disappeared, too. 

“...You look good,” he murmurs. 

“You said that.” 

“I mean it.” 

“Bullshit.” 

“You don’t think I think you look good?” 

“I don’t give a fuck what you think, Daniel, I really don’t.” 

“You never did lie well. It’s one of the reasons you didn’t fit in here.” 

“Oh one of the reasons,” You laugh a little hysterically. “My god, just list them all out now, why don’t you.” 

“Sure, I can do that—” 

“I’m being sarcastic, asshole.” 

“Well, there’s the fact that you don’t know how to have fun, your complete lack of skill at Jenga—”

“Oh, fuck you, I’m great at Jenga.” 

“You are not.” 

“I am!” 

“Your hands shake when you’re nervous.” 

“You were all staring at me!” 

“It was Jenga.”  

“Oh—For fuckssake, I could kick your ass at Jenga—I could kick anyone’s ass at Jenga.”

“We’ll pencil it in for tomorrow night, then.” 

Your fire is sapped at the reminder, and you glance away from him, arms folding across your chest. 

“I’m not sure I’ll be staying that long.” 

“Really.” 

Daniel’s tone is a touch too joyous. You want to punch him. You want to slap his gorgeous, vaguely sad face. You glance over as Daniel gets up, and you frown as he shrugs out of his jacket. 

“What are you doing?” You shake your head. 

“You’re shivering.” 

“I’m fine—”

“Sure.”

You open your mouth to argue, but fall silent as he wraps his warm jacket around your shoulders. You anger is sapped, replaced with surprise and nerves at his sudden closeness. You look at Daniel almost nervously, eyes wandering his face. He’s focused on tightening the jacket around your shoulders, but as his eyes catch yours, he goes still. His gaze searches yours as you watch one another. He’s so warm, and so close—and he smells so good. Daniel always smelled so good. You used to cuddle up with him and press your face into his shoulder, breathing in the warm, woodsy scent of him. You’d had a sweater of his after you’d broken up, and kept it long after the smell of his cologne had faded. 

Daniel takes a step closer, hands settling on your shoulder, the heat of him bleeding through the jacket. Your heart leaps into your throat as his gaze drifts, then lingers on your lips. 

And then the call of, “Honey?” Cuts over your head, and you take a large step back. Your gaze drops to his chest, arms tightening around your chest as the click of heels grows closer. You can feel Daniel watching you still before he finally tears his gaze from yours. 

“Sweetheart,” He bats back. “Come meet James’ girlfriend.” Then, “Remind me what your name is?” 

Your gaze shoots to him, your anger and fire burning any warm, cuddly feelings you had for him just moments ago. 

“I’m not sure that’s important to you,” You shrug the jacket off, flinging it back at him. He catches it without a flinch, without missing a beat. The woman that comes to stand beside him is frigid in her beauty, her eyes sweeping yours as Daniel wordlessly puts the jacket around her shoulders in turn. 

“This is my wife, Charity,” Daniel tacks on. 

“Nice to meet you,” She offers. She has that same veneer that other members of the Le Domas family had when you met them—shiny and bright, but hollow. 

“You, too,” You nod before taking a step back. “Excuse me—I should find James.” 

“Sure,” Charity nods, speaking over Daniel’s, “Great idea.” 

You turn from the two of them, gripping at your dress skirt and drawing it up from your shoes to avoid tripping up the scant steps to get inside. You move with careful determination, not wanting to trip in front of either of them. You have two more days worth of this mess—of needling teasing. It won’t do to fall apart now. 

--  

You manage to keep out of the family’s way for most of the following day. You hide out in the library for the most part. It had been your only safe haven the last time you were there, too. James has spent most of the day rubbing elbows with the Le Domas family. In truth, you’re already thinking of the best way to break up with him once you’re home—and Considering the frosty reception you’d gotten when you’d gone to bed, you’re certain that James is considering the same thing. For now, there’s a silent, knowing accord—grin and bear it. 

But you have been wrangled into going on a hike with the family and a few of the other guests that afternoon. 

Charity sidles up to you before you can say or do a thing. She has a glint in her eye that wasn’t there the night before—one that’s no doubt a result of Daniel filling her in on some particulars.

You think, maybe, that she won’t be like the others. 

You hope, truthfully, that when she persuades you to leave the group with her, to look at an old hiking trail Alex and Danny used to love, that she’s legitimately planning on showing you. 

And you realize, fully, when she ditches you, that she’s just as nasty as the rest of the fucking family. 

-- 

When she doesn’t come back with the others, Daniel’s hackles are raised. He asks James casually where his girlfriend’s gotten to, and the jackass simply says that he’s not sure—that she must be wandering somewhere, that she must be admiring nature. 

Daniel lets it go for a bit—and then it starts to get dark. He lingers by the windows, scotch in hand, eyeing the treeline. 

She’d never liked it out there. She’d told him last time that the grounds around the house gave her the willies. He couldn’t imagine that it was any different this time. He can’t shake the sinking feeling that something is deeply, worryingly wrong. It doesn’t help that Charity has a sinister little curl to her lips when she tells Daniel that it’s time for dinner—and that there’s no use waiting by the window. 

Daniel slams back the rest of his drink, setting it on the windowsill. His wife makes no effort to stop him, just watches as he grabs his coat and goes out into the night. 

-- 

He sees a panic in her eyes at the sight of him, one that he once had nervous nightmares of. He'd always been afraid of his family getting to her like this. Some nights, he dreamt of her stumbling into him, an arrow piercing her side, a growing stain of blood marring a white wedding dress.

Daniel can't speak for a moment, but he doesn't have to. She's darting to him and hooking her arms around his neck as she sobs into his chest. Her dirt-riddled fingers curl in the fabric of his pristine Armani jacket. He can barely make out the words she's spluttering—"Lost," and "Cold," and "Abandoned."

Daniel's body snaps into action. This hand holding the flashlight drops it automatically, plunging them into partial darkness as he hurries to wrap his arms tightly around her.

"It's okay," He soothes, pressing the promise against her temple. "You're alright. I've got you."

-- 

You’re freezing, irritated, tired. You don’t argue as Daniel bundles you into his jacket and guides you back, but you go still as you catch sight of the house. You tighten his jacket around you, anger and annoyance and fatigue beginning to well in you. Daniel glances between you and the house for a moment before he says, “Okay…Okay. Wait here.” 

You frown, brow furrowing as he jogs to the house. You move to cower by the treeline, keeping yourself out of sight. You jump whenever you hear a branch snap, heart rabbitting in your chest. It’s ten minutes before you see Daniel leaving the house, a dufflebag in hand. He glances back toward the door before he waves you closer, taking your hand and leading you away. 

“What’ve you got?” You ask. 

“You’ll see.” Daniel smiles back at you before he guides you toward the trees again. You freeze, nervously digging in your heels, and Daniel stops fully. 

“Hey,” He murmurs, “You trust me?” 

You shouldn’t. Daniel Le Domas has never given you a good reason to trust him. But you find yourself nodding. He gives your hand a squeeze, your arm a tug, and leads you into the trees. 

-- 

You’d never seen the two-floor pool house when you were on the property before. The house had seemed so damn expansive that you’d never thought to look elsewhere. Besides, anything beyond the treeline had given you the willies. 

“I couldn’t get to your stuff, so—You gonna be okay with these?” Daniel asks, lifting a pair of sweatpants and a henley of his out of the duffle bag. You glance down at yourself, eyeing your dirt-riddled clothing. 

“Do I have a choice?” You counter, taking hold of the clothes before nodding toward the duffle. “What else is in there?” 

“Go shower,” Daniel waves you off without answering. “You smell like sweat and mud.” 

You huff, turning and looking for the bathroom. 

“Upstairs,” He says, waving toward the staircase. “First door on the left.” 

“I bet your fucking garden shed has a wine cellar in it,” You grumble as you go. 

You take your damn time showering, washing off the outdoors, and the hours of frantic worry and searching. As you clean yourself up, the stress of the day, and the situation, finally take you over. You lower yourself to the tiled shower floor, letting the tears that you’ve been holding back since you first saw the house flow free. You press a hand back against your mouth, stifling your whimpers and sniffles as the warm spray mingles with your tears. 

When you finally pull yourself together and towel yourself dry, you reach for the clothing Daniel handed you. You can’t help the urge to raise the henley to your nose, taking a whiff. It’s that same warm, clean, woodsy scent. It makes your shoulders relax, though it shouldn’t. You draw in one more sniffle as you get dressed, buttoning up the henley and reveling in the comfort. 

When you open the bathroom door, you’re greeted with a surprising, delicious scent. You frown, taking slow, careful steps down the stairs, as if you’re wary of spooking someone. You can hear the odd clink of glasses, dishes, and plates. You pull the sleeves of the henley down over your hands as you spot two plates, two glasses, and a bottle of champagne on the kitchen counter. 

“What’s this?” You ask. 

Daniel glances back from the stove, then toward the stove again. 

“Grilled cheese.” 

You grin. You can’t help it. 

“That always was the only thing you could make,” You chuckle, walking closer to him. “Are these floors heated?” 

“Yep. We sold our souls for heated floors.” 

“Ha-ha. I’m opening the champagne.” 

“Knock yourself out.” 

“Nearly did when I fell out of the tree,” You mumble.

“You climbed a tree?” Daniel frowns, glancing back toward you again. 

“I was trying to see if I could spot the house.” You reach out, unwinding the foil and the muselet.

“Did you see it?” 

“I saw the sky, I saw some branches—” You twist the cork, wincing at the pop of the bottle. “And then I saw the ground.” You take up your glass, filling it, waiting for the foam to lessen, and then topping it up further. “You want one?” 

“You think I got that other glass down for you to double-fist?” 

“After the weekend I’ve had, I deserve it.” 

You push yourself up onto the wide marble counter, swinging your feet back and forth. You watch Daniel for a moment, taking him in. He’s so far from where he is around his family—around his wife. 

“Where’s the bitch think you are, anyway?” It’s out of your mouth before you can stop it, but you’ve had a long day. 

“Probably out drinking somewhere.” 

“Which isn’t untrue.”

“It is not.” 

“I want bacon on mine.” 

“It’s in the other pan.” 

“Good boy.” 

You raise your glass to your lips as Daniel throws a stunned, amused glance back at you. 

“What gives you license to talk to me like a dog?” 

“The fact that you’re acting like one.” 

Daniel’s smile wilts before he turns away from you. You resolve to not feel bad for the comment, or his reaction. 

“...I’ve been a shit, huh.” 

“You’ve been worse than a shit.” 

“But not worse than your boyfriend.” 

“The two of you are on par.” 

Daniel opens his mouth to argue, but you’re cut off by a pounding knock on the door. You nearly choke as you inhale your champagne. Daniel shuts up the oven off, taking the glass from your hand and gripping your wrist. You wobble as you’re tugged off of the counter and down the hall, into a back room. 

“Daniel, what are you—” 

“Ssssh!” He hisses, nudging you into a closet. He passes you the glass of champagne back,wide-eyed and harried. “Stay in here, and don’t—don’t move, don’t say a thing. Okay? Just keep quiet and hold still, no matter what.” 

“But—” 

Before you can argue, Daniel shoves the closet door shut, plunging you into darkness. You frown, pulling your phone out of your pocket and shining it up and around. You’re surrounded by designer gowns and coats—things that are surely worth more than you make in a year. You huff, shuffling to the back of the closet and carefully lowering yourself to sit on the floor. You shine the light up toward the nearest dress. You lean up, squinting at the still-attached tag and balking at the cost. Christ alive.

You lean back, raising the glass to your lips and draining it. You swallow roughly, clapping your hand over your mouth as you hear Charity’s voice grow louder. Her heels click along the pristine hall floor. Daniel’s just behind. You can hear them arguing; you can hear her opening and closing doors roughly. 

“What makes you think she’s here?” You hear Daniel snap. 

“So you haven’t seen her?” Charity’s tone is rife with disbelief. 

“By all accounts, you’re the last one to see her. Why don’t you tell me where she is.”

You hurriedly shove your phone under your thigh, hiding the shine of the flashlight before you tuck yourself up more tightly into the corner of the closet. Your heart thunders in your chest as you hear the floorboards outside of the closet creaking. 

“...You really think I’d shove her in a closet?” Daniel asks dryly. 

“Why are you out here instead of at the house, then?” Charity bats back. Through the slats in the door, you can see her turning back to Daniel, her hands planting on her slim hips. 

“I needed a break from the circlejerk of thankfulness.” 

You press your hand more tightly against your lips, shoulders shaking with a laugh. 

“Are you coming back?” Charity asks. 

“Eventually, yeah. Gonna have to. All of my shit’s over there, and I’ll never hear the end of it from dad.” 

Charity turns to look at the closet again, her eyes sweeping the doors. Your stomach churns with nerves as she raises a hand to the doorknob…

Then lowers it, and strides to the door.

“Come back soon, alright? That business partner of yours is a fucking creep.” 

“I only deal with creeps, darling. That’s how I met you, remember?” Daniel retorts dryly, shutting the door behind the two of them. You let out a slow, relieved breath, the panic beginning to trickle from you. You tip your head back against the wall, keeping yourself tucked tightly into the corner. You draw in deep, steady breaths, trying to calm your pounding heart as you wait.

You go stiff and nervous again as you hear the thudding of footsteps, then the closet door being thrown open. You bite your lip, watching as the dresses above you are shifted and tugged—and then Daniel comes into view, poking his head between and a Dior dress and a Chanel trenchcoat. 

“Jesus,” He holds a hand out to help you up. “Thought you’d moved somewhere else for a second there.” 

“Nah. Find a good place and stay there,” You wince as he pulls you to your feet. You breeze past him, tacking on, “First rule of hide and seek.”

--

All of the shades in the pool house have been closed, the curtains shut tightly around them. 

“They’re gonna be watching for you,” Daniel warns. He plucks your empty champagne flute out of your hand, heading back for the kitchen. 

“How are we gonna get out of here?”

“Don’t worry about that. I know a way.” 

You follow him back to the kitchen, watching him fling the unfinished grilled cheese into the trash. 

“Dude!”

“We’ve got more,” He waves you off. You shake your head, looking around for the dishes. 

“What’d you do with the—?” 

“The plates? Stashed ‘em in the oven.”

“Wow,” You mutter. “You work fast.”

--

“Want another one?”

“No, god. I’ll burst,” You mumble, still chewing the crust of your second grilled cheese. Daniel takes up your plates, walking over to the sink. You watch him for a moment before you reach out, taking up the champagne. It’s the second bottle—the two of you practically decimated the first one before you’d even started eating. Your head is beginning to feel a little fuzzy, and heavy from fatigue. 

“Daniel?”

“Mm.”

“Why’d you come looking for me?” 

Daniel doesn’t answer right away. He just focuses fastidiously on getting the pans and cooking utensils into the sink. 

“I may not have a soul, but I still have a heart.”

You grunt, topping up both glasses before setting the bottle aside. 

“News to me.” 

He turns to face you slowly, hands braced on the edge of the sink. He’s looking toward you, but not really looking at you. 

“Would you rather I left you out there?” He asks. 

“You sure as hell left me out to dry at the party last night.” 

“Well, you weren’t at risk of dying of exposure at the party.” 

“...What’d you tell Charity about me?”

“Just that we were together for a while. Mom and dad corroborated.” 

“A while,” You repeat with a scoffing laugh. “Three years is more than a while, Daniel.”

“You know what I mean.” 

“That’s all you told her? That made her lead me into the middle of the fucking woods?”

Daniel’s lips press into a thin line, his gaze dropping to the floor as he seems to consider his answer.

“You’re the only other woman I’ve ever brought home, and she’s…She’s accustomed to a certain standard of living. Guess she felt threatened.”

“There’s no way a woman like that could feel threatened by me.” 

Daniel smiles a little bit, shaking his head and turning back to the sink. 

“Oh—don’t pretend you’re gonna do the dishes, Daniel Le Domas. You’re not fooling anyone.” 

Daniel chuckles, turning from the sink and nodding, “Yeah, alright. What do you wanna do?”

“...Honestly?”

“Yeah.”

“I just wanna go to bed.” 

Daniel nods, hands tapping on the counter. 

“Alright. Let’s go over how to set the security system, and then you can just sleep in whatever bedroom you want.”

“You’re not staying?” The question leaves you with a nervous tone. Daniel’s mouth moves wordlessly for a second before he admits,

“Uh…Wasn’t planning on it.” Then, after a moment of apprehensive silence between the two of you, “Do you want me to?” 

– 

He sets the alarm ahead of the two of you going upstairs. You find yourself lingering in the stairway, watching him. Some nervous little part of you is terrified that he’ll simply leave, that he’ll raise the alarm to his family that he’s found you. But he comes to join you at the stairs and sets a hand on your lower back, guiding you upstairs. He leads you to the master bedroom, and lingers in the doorway. 

You think for another panicked moment that he may not join you, but he walks the rest of the way inside, shutting and locking the door behind the two of you. 

“Don’t turn the light on,” He urges as you reach for a lamp. 

“You think they’re watching that closely?” 

“Who fucking knows with them.”

You lower yourself onto the side of the bed. 

“What exactly do you think they’ll do if they find us?” You frown.

“Make us go back. What, you dying to see James right now?”

“We’re adults. We can do whatever the fuck we want.” 

“Sure.”

“...Daniel.” 

He doesn’t answer you this time. He just sits on the edge of the bed and tugs his shoes off. You sigh, pushing yourself back against the headboard. 

“You never could stand up to them. That was the problem.”

“That was half the problem,” He argues. 

“Oh yeah? What was the other half?” 

“Don’t. Don’t start.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“You really wanna do this now?” 

“Can’t think of a better time.”

Daniel hops up from the bed, beginning to pace irritatedly. You watch him as he goes, back and forth, back and forth. 

“What was the other half?” You press.

“You’re not like us!” 

It leaves him in a manic burst, and it sucks the air out of your lungs. You know that you’re not like them. 

“No, I’m not,” You agree, irritation surging through you. “I’m not rich, I’m not from a fucking legacy, I’m not—”

“That’s what you think this is about?” Daniel laughs a little hysterically. He whirls toward you, crossing the room in quick, steady strides. You’re stunned as he sits beside you and takes your hands in his. 

“You’re not ruthless,” He swears, eyes wide. His hands begin to shake around yours. “You’re not self-involved, you’re not…You’re not hollow.”

Your eyes search his palid, stricken face. 

“Daniel,” You breathe, drawing a hand from his and cupping his cheek. “Neither are you.”

Daniel doesn’t answer. He just tips his head forward, resting his forehead against your shoulder. You can feel him pulling in deep breaths, trying to steady himself as his hands tighten around yours. You slide your hand to rest on the nape of his neck, smoothing your thumb up and down. 

You should be more irate. Your welcome during the weekend has been less than hospitable. Daniel has been an asshole—an aloof shithead, and a complete moron.

But he came looking for you. 

James would never come looking for you. 

You dip your head, nuzzling his dark curls gently. You suck in a stunned breath as his arms curl around your middle, drawing you closer. You feel Daniel tip his chin up, feeling his nose brush your jaw. A familiar anticipatory tingle makes its way through your belly. You turn your head down toward him, intent on saying that you ought to go to bed—but Daniel’s nose brushes yours. You hold one another’s gazes with steady, nervous care. Daniel’s fingers curl in the fabric of the shirt you’re wearing. 

This is a bad idea. You’re technically still dating James, though he’s got a sense of inflated ego, and an absolute disregard for you. Daniel is married. 

Daniel’s eyelids flutter slightly as you nuzzle your nose against his. His hand slides down, fingers skimming tantalizingly along the bare skin exposed between the henley and the sweatpants. 

“I always liked you in my shirts,” He mumbles, sending a shiver down your spine. 

“Daniel—” 

“Loved it when I could see that you were mine.” His teeth graze your jaw, making your shoulders tighten, your stomach churning with surprise. 

“Daniel,” You repeat weakly. “We shouldn’t. I—You’re married—” 

Before the protest can leave you fully, Danicel reels back. You watch him tug off his wedding ring, flinging it into the far corner. You hardly have time to hear the gold ping against the ground before Daniel is grasping your face and drawing you in. 

You go. You shouldn’t, but you do. You lean into Daniel, a shivering moan leaving you as he laps lustily across your lips. You know that him throwing his ring off makes no difference to what you’re doing. If anything, it simply means you won’t have the band of metal pressing into your skin. But you push yourself up, kneeling to straddle his hips. He tips head back, mouth opening in a groan as you cradle the base of his skull in your hands. You can’t help the wiggle and twitch of your hips down against his. Daniel tips back against the mattress, drawing you down with him. 

Kissing Daniel is at once foreign and familiar. You know the favored tipping of his head, the slide of his lips. You know the way his hands shift and slide and squeeze as he likes and where he likes. But you haven’t been kissed or held or touched like this in such a long time. Sex with James is a dispassionate; kisses are perfunctory; touches are rare, and fleeting. 

Daniel rolls you over, climbing over you. His knees press into the mattress, pushing you further up the mattress as his hands brace on either side of your head. He grips the hem of the henley, shoving it up to your neck. You wriggle it off, tossing it over the side of the bed and whining as Daniel dips his head to your breasts. His tongue flickers out, tipping back and forth, swirling and teasing your pebbling nipples. You whine, pressing your hips up against his and tightening your grip in his hair. 

You can still stop. You can tell Daniel that you shouldn’t do this—that it’s wrong. You do raise your hands, pushing at his shoulders. Daniel reels back, lips pinking and swollen as he straightens, watching you. You raise your hands to the buttons of his suit pants, hurriedly unbuttoning and unzipping them before shoving them down around his thighs. He steps out of them, kicking them away. You lean up, undoing the buttons on his shirt from the bottom as he undoes them from the top. Your hands meet in the middle, and you push at the shirt, shoving it off of his shoulders. You lower a hand to the growing bulge in his briefs, swiping your tongue along your lower lip. You slide your fingers into the waistband, tugging them down around his thighs. You take him in hand, sliding your hand over his hard length. You turn your head, tongue flicking against his glans. He groans low in his throat, hand flexing against your shoulder. He watches you intently as you take him between his lips, bobbing his head and moaning around him. 

“Fuck, sweetheart,” He mumbles, “Just—Fuck—Just like that.” 

You preen under his praise, picking up your pace and swiping your tongue along the underside of his cock. He rests his hands on your cheeks, holding your head still as he controls the length and pace of his pleasure. You let him draw you deeply onto his cock, and struggle not to choke and gag on him. You draw back with a wet gasp, tongue swiping along your lower lip as he peers down at you. He gives your jaw a shove before he bends down, hands tucking beneath your thighs and easing you further back against your bed. You hardly have a moment to adjust before Daniel is diving between your thighs. He spreads your lips, lapping broadly against your wetting pussy with a groan. 

You pull in a stunned little breath, the sensation trickling along the base of your spine. He sucks a kiss to your cunt, then another before swipes his tongue along your clit. Your thighs tense, heels digging into the mattress. You use the leverage to roll your hips down against his hungry mouth. His stubble catches against your tender skin. He seals his mouth over your pussy, nose brushing your pubic mound. He watches each twitch and grind, eyes half-lidded and hazy as he draws back with a slick suck. He leans back just a touch, easing two fingers into you in one firm push. Your jaw drops at the stretching sensation, cunt fluttering around his thick digits. 

“Dan—Daniel, fuck,” You whimper. He hums encouragingly, tongue making firm, upward flicks over your throbbing clit. He leans back, eyeing your spit- and cum-slicked cunt before he draws away, slapping your hip. You roll over, pushing yourself onto your hands and knees. Daniel is on the bed and behind you before you can draw in a deep breath. He curls his arm around your neck, steadying you as he eases into you. Your head hangs heavy, eyes slipping shut as you revel in the press of his thick cock, and the pressure of his arm against your neck. 

Daniel presses himself flush to your back, nipping and sucking across your neck and shoulders. You grind back against him desperately, pussy dripping and gripping at him. 

“Fuck,” He groans into your neck, breath hot against your neck, “Fuck I missed you, baby.” 

You can feel tears welling in your eyes, and you squeeze them shut tightly. Your bodies move as one. You revel in the press of his chest against your back, and the dip and slap of his fingers against your nipple. You tip your head back against him, whining as he takes your nipple between his knuckles, twiddling it just enough to make you throb around him. 

“Daniel,” You whimper.

It’s too much—missing him, seeing him, being held in a way that you haven’t been held in years. 

--  

“...I think I can see the sun,” You mumble. You’re boneless and sleepy, worn out as you eye the windows. Daniel sighs softly, nuzzling against your stomach. 

“We’ll have to go soon,” He mumbles, “But hey. ‘Least we made it to morning. It’s possible.” 

You frown, shifting your head on the pillow to get a better look at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Daniel doesn’t answer. He just takes hold of your hand, toying tenderly with your fingers. “...Daniel.” 

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” 

“Better button-up on the petnames,” You warn, “And better figure out where the heck you threw your ring.”

“I’ll just get another one. It’s not the first one I’ve lost.” 

“Not the first one you’ve lost, or not the first one you’ve thrown?” 

“Same-same.” 

You roll your eyes, resting your hand beneath your head and peering up at the ceiling. 

There have been moments throughout the night that you’ve felt like you once did with Daniel—cared for, buoyant. Happy. 

Maybe it’s been his enthusiasm. Maybe it’s the almost absolute certainty that this is the last time you’ll see him. Either way, you’ve found a spot of joy in this hellish weekend. Daniel pushes himself up over you, hands on either side of your head. 

“Promise me something,” He murmurs. 

“What?” “Promise me you’ll find someone good for you.” 

“...James hasn’t been all that—” 

“Promise me.” 

He’s so firm about it, so insistent that you can’t bring yourself to tell him that he’s someone good for you—that you want him and only him, if he can shake himself from the grips of his family. So you raise your hands, stroking gently over his cheeks. 

“Alright,” You murmur, nodding. “I promise.” 

Daniel nods, lowering his forehead to yours. 

“Promise me something else,” He murmurs. 

“What is it?”

“Never, ever play hide and seek.” 

“Why not?” You pout. “I’m good at it.” 

“Promise, or I’m not letting you out of this bed.” 

“You’re giving me fewer reasons to promise.” 

“...Please.” His voice is quiet and wavers like a frightened little boy’s. You nod a little despite yourself and murmur, “Alright. Alright, I promise.” 

Daniel sighs softly, lowering himself against your again and nuzzling into your neck. The two of you lay together, eyeing the window and watching the sky lighten. Daniel’s hands smooth up your sides and thighs. You hear him sigh heavily, and peer down at him. 

“What is it?” You murmur. 

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen a nicer sunrise.” 

[bellamuertes]

the love you have for Daniel Le Domas is *chefs kiss* and i just know i followed someone with TASTE!! what a queen you are <3

ahsdjfk you’re too kind!! he’s just SO GOOD!! he has everything i love in a character: snark, Trauma, sibling bonds and sense of older brother responsibility, a cool outfit, etc. some part of me likes to imagine that le bail resurrected him before the house burnt down because he beat the game and broke the curse somehow and he gets a second chance. i guess that’s what fanfiction’s for lol. 

[chrmatiica-moved]

@whatscanon​  ;  daniel  :     long  hug  ;  to  give  my  muse  a  long  hug  to  comfort  or  protect  /  meme : accepting.

     THIS  WAS  DEFINITELY  NOT  HOW  SHE  IMAGINED  HER  WEDDING  DAY  GOING,      her  dress  in  completely  tatters,  her  converses  on  her  feet,  covered  in  blood  and  with  the  home  of  the  family  she  had  been  marrying  into  burning  down  behind  her  as  she  sat  smoking  a  cigarette  on  the  steps,  ignoring  the  officer  who  was  trying  to  ask  her  questions.      grace  couldn’t  even  believe  that  this  had  even  happened.      she  hadn’t  even  been  married  twenty  four  hours  and  she  was  now  a  widow.      she  had  gone  into  this  wanting  a  family  and  had  come  out  of  it  knowing  that  being  alone  really  was  the  safest  thing  for  her.      yet  when  a  different  officer  shouted  out,      “      WE  FOUND  ANOTHER  SURVIVOR!      ”      she  didn’t  know  if  her  heart  was  beating  out  of  fear  or  hope.      it  didn’t  stop  her  from  getting  up  and  running  over  in  the  direction  of  the  officer,  unsure  if  she  was  ready  to  keep  fighting  or  to  finally  be  able  to  relax.      shock  and  surprise  fills  her  body  as  she  sees  daniel  being  put  onto  a  stretcher,  about  to  being  loaded  into  an  ambulance  and  she  runs  to  his  side,  eyes  blurring  with  tears  as  she  looked  at  him,  blood  stained  hands  gripping  one  of  his.      the  last  she  had  seen  him,  she  had  thought  he  was  dying,  shot  by  his  horror  of  a  wife  and  he  had  told  her  to  keep  running.      grace  didn’t  know  how  he  was  alive,  not  when  the  rest  of  his  family  hadn’t  made  it,  but  in  this  moment  she  didn’t  care,  she  was  just  so  glad  that  he  was  alive.      hands  move  to  cup  his  face,  giving  him  a  kiss  that  caused  tears  to  finally  escape  down  her  cheeks,  tears  turning  pink  as  they  slipped  through  the  blood.      she  pulled  back  slowly,  giving  him  a  smile  and  she  allowed  him  to  pull  her  into  a  hug,  her  head  resting  against  his  good  shoulder.      this  was  the  safest  she  had  felt  since  she  had  stepped  into  the  le  domas  home.      it  was  the  tiniest  amount  of  comfort  that  she  needed  to  remind  her  that  they  had  made  it,  they  were  alive  and  she  didn’t  have  to  be  alone,  not  if  she  had  daniel.

[haddonfieldwhore]

Wicked Games

Part 6

relationship : Daniel LeDomas x reader

movie: Ready or Not

warnings: angst, swearing, mentions of death and violence, suicide

Part 5 is here

Thank you to everyone who’s been reading this. This is the final part and I hope it doesn’t disappoint 🖤

“Daniel, baby, I don’t know how much longer I can do this.” you said, stumbling slightly behind him. He turned to you, placing his hands on your shoulders to steady your balance.

“Hey, I know you’re tired, but I need you to keep going okay? I won’t let them find you.” he kissed your forehead. As he turned back around, and you tried to follow him, but your vision clouded and you fell to the ground. Daniel turned around to see Stevens standing with a tranquilizer gun, and noticing the dart sticking out of your shoulder blade.

“Y/n!” Daniel tried to help you up, but he was stopped by his mother, Becky, who pointed a bow and arrow at him. He put his hands in the air. “Just let me help her.”

“Daniel, you know she has to die.” Becky said, as Stevens picked up your sleeping body. Daniel moves forward but stopped again as Becky raised the bow again.

“Please.” Daniel pleaded, his eyes filling with tears.

“I’m sorry.” Becky said. Daniels face contorted into an expression of hatred as he looked at Stevens holding you in his arms, and he raised his shotgun, earning an arrow in the leg.

“Fuck!” he yelled out. He was lifted off the ground, his arms pulled behind his back by Alex. “Let her go.” Becky brushes his curls from his face.

“I’m sorry, my darling but you know we can’t do that. We have to do what’s best for the family.”

“She’s my family. Not you.” Daniel spat, earning a hard slap across the face from Becky.

“We’re running out of time.” Stevens spoke.

“You’re right. Bring them inside.” Becky spoke, turning away and walking back towards the house.

•

You woke up strapped to a round table, the Le Domas family surrounding you wearing dark cloaks, and your eyes frantically searched for Daniel. They landed on him, his face solemn and a worried look crossed it as he realizes you were awake. He tried to walk towards you, but was stopped by Alex. Daniels father began speaking some ritual nonsense behind you, and you stared up at him with hatred burning in your eyes. You struggled against your restraints as they began chanting around you and drank from goblets. Mr.Le Domas held a knife above you, before everyone started choking and spitting up blood.

“Poison!” Aunt Helene yelled, before everyone collapsed to the ground, except Daniel, who rushed over and freed you, leading you out of the room and into the hallway.

“Did you kill them?” you asked.

“No, they’ll shit funny for a week but they’ll be fine.” he explained, ducking down behind the stairs and pulling you with him as someone ran by. “I’m getting you out of here.”

“I knew you would.” you smiled, kissing him on the lips.

“I didn’t. I thought I really fucked it all up.” he said.

“You didn’t, Baby. I’m right here.” you pulled him closer and waited until the sound of footsteps disappeared. He looked over the bannister before standing up, grabbing your hand and pulling you with him. You started towards the door when you heard a voice behind you.

“She has to die!” It was Emily, shakily pointing a gun and the two of you, and Daniel immediately stepped in front of you.

“No. She doesn’t. Put the gun down, Emily.” Daniel coaxed, his hands raised, trying to calm his erratic sister. “Do you really think she deserves to die?”

“My kids don’t either.” She spoke, and you almost felt bad for her.

“Emily-“ Daniels voice was cut off by a groan, and you screamed as the bullet fired from Emily’s gun lodged itself in the side of Daniels neck, and he fell to the ground. You looked at Emily, a look of shock on her face, as she stared at her brother, bleeding out in the floor. Her attention quickly shifted to you as she aimed the gun but you were faster, grabbing her arm and causing the bullet to hit a wall instead. You managed to get the gun from her, but before you didn’t anything with your new upper hand, your focus returned to your husband.

Kneeling on the floor next to him, you placed your hand over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, as you clung to him.

“Hey. Hey hey look at me. Baby you’re gonna be okay, you gotta stay with me okay? You can’t leave me.” you were a shaking and crying mess as your hand turned red with his blood, and his eyes began to glaze over.

“I’m sorry.” his voice was raspy as blood began to fill his mouth. You peppered kisses over his cheek and temple as you held onto him as tight as you could, trying desperately not to let him go. “I love you.” he spoke, quieter than before.

“Daniel please. I need you, you can’t leave me. Please. I love you so much.” you rambled, stroking his hair as he slipped away. Your heart shattered as you realized he was gone, and hearing a sob from Emily, you filled with rage. The footsteps of the rest of the family sounded behind you, quickly approaching, as you pointed the gun at Emily, sending a bullet into her forehead and causing her to fall to the ground. Becky screamed as she approached the scene, and you began to panic. The Le Domas’ surrounded you, some had looks of horror on their faces, others seemed unbothered. What made you the most angry was the look of pure boredom on Mr.Le Domas’s face.

“Well this certainly is an unfortunate turn of events.” the lack of interest in his voice only angering you more.

You felt someone grab you by your arm and pull you off of Daniels motionless body, but as you swung your head back their hold on you loosened and you heard Alex groan as his hands quickly covered his surely bleeding nose. You raised the gun, pointing it straight ahead at Daniels father, who only chuckled in response.

“You really think you can kill all of us?” he challenged. He was right; there was no way you could fight them all off with a single pistol.

“No,” you laughed, which took Mr.Le Domas by surprise. “But you’re all going to die.” you spat, before placing the barrel of the gun against your head and pulling the trigger.

Your body fell backwards to the floor, landing next to your husband’s, you hands only centimetres apart, as if reaching out to eachother.

The last thing you saw as your eyes closed was the blood soaked face of your true love, and taking your final breath, you hoped that you would see him again.

To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poor, ‘till death do us part

I do.

[heartbetween]

𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚍 ❔ 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒’𝚕𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒’𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜!

We definitely have some good ideas going already (and i need to mcheckin respond and not be so damn slow bc they’re golden and i love them) but !!

Allison Reynolds for John Bender. Just the way they interacted in the beginning and such and some of the phrases kind of gave me the idea that they’re more familiar with each other than just being thrown together into detention. Imagine if she thought dating or hanging around a “criminal” type would get her parents attention? she tried everything im sure to get them to even notice her. maybe a friendship semi formed beforehand. or maybe for Patrick Verona. i love mixing and crossovers so that could be interesting as well !

Alice Turner for Daniel Le Domas. There was a hint that there could be other families under this sort of curse. Alice came from a wealthy family and they ended up losing everything and she’s the only one left alive... maybe because she played a game and won... interacting with another person from a family dealing with something similar??? hmmmMMMM???? or even for Hannibal Lector because the amount of trauma she went through, having an eidetic memory, the scars, everything. i think she’d be an interesting case for him, depending on where you write him timeline wise. 

Deputy for Quentin or Simon because this boy is investigating after the baghuul and then coming across other cryptids? He’s relatively calm but i’m sure he’d be a little freaked out but intrigued all the same and it could be fun !

Marty Mikalski for Velma. bc uhhh what’s better than one shaggy? TWO SHAGGY’S!! he’s pretty much like a shaggy boy but him solving crimes with them? comes on as a consultant every so often? I mean, he’s not one to run away from a fight and will square up for sure

@nostlgic​ sent in  ❔    no longer accepting !

[ongaku-ato-kakikomi]

omg you write for daniel from ready or not?!?! can i just get some cute stuff with him. maybe like it’s their wedding day or something or he doesn’t die? idk i just really loved him haha

(A/N): Thank you so much for requesting this! I hope you’ll like this

He went up to his bedroom to ask you if you’d be ready soon for the wedding, but he couldn’t let out a single world when he stepped in.

Because you were absolutely breathtaking in your wedding dress. You were turned from him, but you were fixing up your hair into the ancient full-on mirror, and so he could see you n all of your glory. He couldn’t believe that someone as kind and beautiful as you could love him as much as he loved you, and frankly, he didn’t think he deserved it.

“Daniel!” His lips stretched out into a fond smile when he heard you say his name, and he chuckled when you turned towards him with surprised eyes. “What are you doing here? You know it’s bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony!”

“I-I’m sorry, I…” His expression slightly faltered at your words, the man remembering that you both needed all the luck in the world for tonight. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“Love.” You took a few steps towards him, your expression turning to worry. “What’s the matter?”

He had let out a sharp breath, his chest feeling heavier than what he has been used for his whole life.

“We don’t have to risk it, (Y/N).” He took your hands in his, his eyes begging you as he talks. “We don’t have to get married. If you pick… if you pick that card, I don’t know what I’ll do. I-I don’t want you to die-”

“I know, Daniel.” You had free one of your hands to cup his cheek, your eyes saddening. “I know.”

He closed his eyes and had let himself melt into your touch, yours fingers against his skin comforting him in some way.

“But I’ll risk it.” He opened his eyes to look into yours, the passion you had for him in them making his heart ache from both love and pain. “I wanna be yours forever, Daniel. And if I die tonight, at least I would have had the chance to be your wife for a little while.”

He breathed in with difficulty. “(Y/N)…”

“We’re soulmates, remember?” You tilted your head at him, your smile widening as you take in his features. “And if Mr. Le Bail has a heart, he’ll let us be together.”

“You’re naive.” He had put his forehead against yours, already knowing that he cannot change your mind. “You’re so naive.”

“I’m in love.” You gave his lips a quick kiss, feeling him relax with each of your actions. “And love gives you the power to believe that anything is possible.”

He really didn’t deserve you.

But he was glad you chose him.

[virginiakings]

for: anyone who loved Ready or Not (2019) and Daniel Le Domas as much as me

UP IN FLAMES (read on AO3)

        I am not who you think I am.

        Daniel Le Domas is rotten. The image of privilege and wealth and nobility in ruins. The wings were ripped from his back long ago, and he’s been healing backwards since. His wounds are scabs nursed with alcohol. They fall off again, and again, and again, dripping blood on his parent’s oak flooring all the while.

        He’s not a good husband (he fell for a woman who’s never loved him back) or a good son (first son, second best), at least not by the standards everyone expects of him. The only thing he’s ever been good at is being Alex’s brother – tonight, even that seems like another failure. He’d let Alex walk away from their family and out of his life so that he’d escape all of this shit, and ultimately accomplished nothing. They were still fucked.

Maybe he should’ve kept Alex close instead. He could have convinced him to marry a social climber (like his wife), not for love but for convenience, and protected him from their father by having him at his side. Instead, he grips the barrel of the gun and stares with drunken, hooded eyes at his brother’s bride, bloodied and broken in the dark of the woods.

        So he believes himself when he tells her I am not who you think I am.

He is not brave. He’s a coward. The alcohol doesn’t change that, even if it comes off that way. The alcohol makes him crass and crude. It takes the parts of himself he recognises and stretches them until he’s a caricature of Daniel Le Domas. He’s not the hero of the story, he’s a passive piece of the puzzle just trying to survive. Though, he’s not even sure if it’s worth that anymore. Survival is seeming less and less worth it.

Grace is too good for his family. The moment he met her, he wanted to shout leave. Shake her shoulders and show her the door. Of course, she’s everything Alex deserves, but Alex is too good for the Le Domas’ too. They’re a perfect match. Daniel has too many edges.

He can’t get her laugh out of his head, unabashed and loud, full of attractive charisma. She’s not laughing now. At the wedding ceremony he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, which he’s certain Charity noticed. Not that his wife cared; if she had any love for him, he’d be converted to a believer. Daniel’s hand starts to feel numb from how tight he’s holding the gun.

“Alex is the one who got out,” he tells her. Grace’s lip trembles, but she maintains a shocking amount of composure for someone who looks half dead. She’s begging for him to spare her life. With her eyes and her mouth. “If anyone was going to save you, it would’ve been him.”

That’s the truth. Alex is the hero, Alex is the good one, Alex is his little brother who he tried so desperately to shelter from the wickedness of their family. The faith Grace seems to have in him makes him feel tenfold more than anything he’s ever experienced with Charity, even if he doesn’t really believe her. Even if she’s just saying it to save her skin.

Of course he flirted with her; she’s fucking beautiful. It was just fun, though, because she belongs with Alex, if she was to ever belong with anyone from their godforsaken family. Daniel Le Domas is just selfish. Selfish for liking the way she’d roll her eyes at him or her cheeks would tinge pink at his comments, and for imagining her on his arm – not his brother’s.

And the rot inside him is too much to bear; he feels the weight of his missing wings. Daniel raises the barrel of the gun and bluntly hits it against Grace’s head before she can say another word in protest. She crumples to the floor. Still breathing.

He stares at her body on the mossy floor, wedding dress in tatters, looking as if she’s a forest nymph asleep atop the leaves. In another life, Daniel would drive her off the estate and far away from here. In another life, he’d be a good husband and a good son and a good brother. Too bad he’s stuck in this one.

“You can come out now,” he calls out to his father, who’s been hiding in the darkness.

“You knew I was here,” Tony remarks, brows raised.

Daniel flashes his father a dry smile, “I’m drunk, I’m not blind.”

Before Tony can pull out the coin from his jacket pocket again, Daniel drops his gun and crouches beside Grace. He scoops her into his arms – bridal style. She seems more delicate than ever in this state, even though he’s well aware of her ferocity, if this night has taught him anything. Whatever his father says next, he doesn’t hear.

I am not who you think I am.

It’s a lie and the truth. Perhaps the person she thinks he is exists somewhere in his psyche, and maybe he’s the one who carries Grace 2 miles back to the house by himself. That man may have existed if not for the night he hid his brother from the violence of their murderous family. He’ll never know.

The darkness is lifting and the pressure on his chest becomes heavier. She still looks like she’s sleeping, and he lingers outside the front door. Mud and blood have dried on her face. Her eyelashes flutter softly against her cheek. He hopes she’s dreaming. No more nightmares.

Before he crosses the threshold, Daniel’s made up his mind.

He will not let Grace die tonight.