daniel, in the margins

Before Norah Bishop almost ruined his life (affectionate), Daniel Cohen had already been in love with her for approximately eight unnecessary years.

This was not just romantic.

It involved:
• aggressive observing
• long-term emotional repression
• a completely one-sided rivalry with Sebastian Iver
• and the deeply unsettling suspicion that something about Norah wasn't right when she came back different

He didn't chase her.
He didn't confess.
He just quietly spiraled while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

These are the years before anyone called it a love story.

Locker rooms.
Early morning runs.
Passive-aggressive jump shots.
And the slow, humiliating realization that loving someone quietly does not make you noble. It just makes you tired.

This is Daniel's side of the story.

It's sarcastic.
It's observant.
It's occasionally unwell.

And unfortunately for him, it still leads back to her.

--

Norah & Daniel Universe - Companion Collection
- Prequel pieces & Daniel POV chapters but can also be read on their own