Rapunzel <J. Valeska>

1.3

"Now, why don't you tell me what's really going on before I lose my patience," Jerome says, getting straight to the point.

Defeated, Daisy reluctantly raises her hands and begins to sign. Through trembling hands, she tells him letter by letter in broken spelling just what she feels. Feeling embarrassed and vulnerable, she looks up at him like she's two inches tall and bares all to her daddy.

Needless to say, what she reveals is far from what Jerome was expecting. With her scrunched posture and facial expression, he was thinking that she did something very wrong. When he finally decodes her signing and translates it into something he understands, he smiles down at her gently, compassionately lowering himself to her level and looking her directly in the eye.

"Sweetheart, there is absolutely nothing bad about wanting to get intimate, alright?" He says firmly, Daisy dropping her gaze in shame. "Look at me, princess. Let me see those doe eyes."

When she does meet his eyes again, she appears uncertain and traces of embarrassment remain in her expression.

"There is nothing wrong with you, babygirl," Jerome assures her. "I didn't want to stop either, and even if I did, that doesn't make you a whore for wanting to take things further. You are perfect, sweetie. And just because I'm not pounding you into that mattress right now doesn't mean I don't want to. We will get there, I promise, baby, so be patient. Waiting will make it sweeter, princess."

Crude phrasing aside, his reassurance soothes Daisy's nerves and forces her to stop thinking so lowly of herself. Now she feels as if her body is humming, warm currents of electricity thrumming through her veins and awakening her senses. A single warm tear slides down her face, one that she is sure must come from gratitude as she throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around her daddy in an impassioned embrace.

Jerome is startled for a moment, but quickly catches himself and squeezes her back, making her feel safe and cared for in his arms. They stay like that for a while, both taking feelings of security from each other until they feel stable again.

"Now, why don't we forget all this unpleasantness and start getting ready to move! What do you think of the new house, Rapunzel?" Jerome asks as he steps away, clearing his throat and reclaiming the file from the side table.

He opens it back up and shows the cottage to her again. Daisy tilts her head curiously, reminding Jerome of a puppy as she examines the image.

It is kinda cute, Daisy muses as she looks at the dilapidated structure. Just from the picture she can tell that it's kind of falling apart, shutters weathered and hanging on by a thread, vines and other various plants holding the crumbling brick walls together as well as the faded shingles on the roof. It needs some serious love, for sure. And Daddy looks so excited about it...

She turns and beams up at Jerome, honest this time in her approval. Even though she doesn't totally understand what's going on or why they're going to this house, she wants him to know that she's happy to sit back and trust him to take control and keep her safe. Trust means everything, and for reasons she can't fathom, Daisy trusts Jerome unquestionably, almost as much as she does Pepper.

Remembering her friend, Daisy realizes that a move will make it harder for Pepper to find her. Her face falls, but she quickly signs her friend's name to Jerome to explain.

Fuck. Jerome completely forgot about the friend he killed. Is it plausible that she "already got the letter and has sent one back"? Would Daisy believe that?

"Well," he deliberates. "We're not leaving today, probably more like tonight, so that'll give Pepper time to respond, yeah? I'll keep an eye out for anything from her. And if worse comes to worse, we can write her another letter to tell her we've moved."