daniel seavey.

•chapter nine•

"Daniellllllllllllll where are we goinggg?" I ask, agitated.

"Babygirl, I told you. It's somewhere special that I know neither of us have been in a long time." I search my mind, not recognizing this place at all.

"I have never been here before." I say, confused.

"Trust me, you've been here." He says. He takes me through some brush as we make it to a clearing, I immediately know where we're at.

"D-daniel. I forgot about this place.." I say, astonished. The place has changed since I was 13.

"I know, I did too. I was going through some of our old pictures with Mom and there was few of us here... She wandered where it was but I never told her." He says.

"This place holds so many promises and secrets." I whisper. "So many."

"I know. And that's why I brought you here today." He says.

"Why?" I ask, confused. (That's new 🙄)

"I want to fulfill one of the promises here." He says.

"I don't remember half of them, honestly." I laugh nervously.

"I know, this one was very important. It came in play the first time we came here." He says. My eyes go wide as I know what he means finally.

"Daniel, are you sure?" I ask.

"I know, it's only been 9 months but, I'm ready if you are." He says. "I've.. fucked you. Ruthlessly. But I'm ready to love you. And I hope you are too." He says, hope in his eyes.

"Daniel, I don't know." I start. "Like, don't get me wrong.. I love you. But, I don't know if in ready for that. Not here anyways." I say.

"I know, he did you wrong but you're perfectly fine when we do it at home." He says.

"That's at home, in a house. Not outside.. you know what that... man did to me." I say.

"Hey, no man could do that and live with it." He says. "And that's why I want it to happen here. I want to show you, that it doesn't matter where you are, love is love. He hurt you but I want to do the opposite of that." He says.

"I..." I think about it. "Ok.." I smile.

"Really?" He asks.

"I want you, Daniel James Seavey, to show me love." He smiles big, showing his gap.

"I love you, kierra." He whispers. He pulls me to a small spot I'm guessing he had set up. A small spot, dimly lit by artificial light, but the sunset ranging in colors lit it well enough. "This is gonna be... slow." He whispers. "And loving." He stops. "And it'll start, or stop, whenever you wish." He kisses my neck, lightly.

"Daniel, I love you." I whisper. I feel his lips curl into a smile against my skin. That was the first time I actually genuinely said those words to him. The first time I meant it from every bone in my body.

"Are you ready, baby?" He asks.

"Are you?"

"This is about you, princess." He whispers.

"Ok, yes. I'm ready."  I say back. He nods, leans up, and helps me sit up.

He slowly pulls my hoodie over my head, then my shirt. He smiles again. He lays me back down and straddles my waist, hardly putting any pressure over me. He kisses my neck and chest again, lightly. He smiles again, at nothing.

"Why are you smiling?" I ask.

"You said it." He said.

"Huh?"