100 ways to say i love you • daniel seavey

2: i won't let you get hurt

" I won't let you get hurt. "
[ d ]

Growing up, they've always had their roles.

Daniel was the quiet one. The creative, reserved, reflective, perfect image of a boy next door who spent most of his time with his sister or playing whatever instrument he wanted to play in church that week. He was wholesome and every mother in the neighborhood absolutely adored him.

Then there was McKinley, the loud one. She was the adventurous, spontaneous, and mostly reckless fireball who parents only liked because Daniel hung out with her. She did't have an awful record (she was quite known for being friendly) but her image wasn't spotless. Her character was definitely more appreciated by kids her age rather than the families she was forced to have lunch with on Sundays.

That's how their relationship worked most of the time. A proper balance that got Daniel's name around their school as 'the one McKinley always hangs out with' and in return, got her in the good graces of the elderly within their block.

But then, of course, there were many times when they fell out of character. Sometimes, even, they would switch roles.

One Saturday, when they were sixteen, McKinley was exhausted from staying up too late for a History paper and it was Daniel who texted her only a few minutes past midnight.

open your window

It was three words they both knew too well and despite the fact that McKinley was dead tired and only a few more seconds from dozing off, she rolled off her bead with a groan and hauled herself to her window.

When pushed her curtains aside, Daniel was already leant up against his window sill, a sly grin on his face.

"This better be worth it, Seav," She called as she pushed open her window, "I climbed off my bed for this."

"It is," He assured her as his grin widened, "You'll never guess what I just read."

"Oh, god," She rolled her eyes, "What is it this time? Anna Karenina? Hunchback of Notre Dame?"

"Hey," He protested with an affronted scoff, "I'm not that pretentious. And I read Hugo once, thanks."

She rolled her eyes fondly, remembering how Daniel read Les Misérables for fun, the absolute nerd.

"What'd you read, then?" She asked, stifling a yawn with her fist.

"A knock knock joke," He declared proudly with a wide, toothy grin, "Knock knock."

McKinley abruptly stepped back from her window and moved to shut it close before Daniel let out a loud laugh (too loud for a midnight conversation) and yelped, "I'm joking, wait!"

"I swear to God, Daniel," She snarled, "I love you to death but if you made me stand up from my bed for a damn knock knock joke, I will strangle you."

"Relax, I didn't actually read anything," He laughed but it died in his throat only after a second, "I wanted to go somewhere."

"Really?" She whined and stepped back a little to show him what she was wearing. She was already prepared to sleep with too-long pajama pants that pooled around her bare feet and an oversized shirt that said 'I heart New York!' which used to belong to Daniel, "I'm already so comfortable."

"Please, Ken," He sighed and it took one look at his nervousness for McKinley to fully concede, "You know I wouldn't ask if I didn't need you."

McKinley bit the inside of her cheek.