Enchanted Au: Part 31
mob wife Daniel tried to derail meeeee but I'm still here!
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Part 31
Max leaned against the patio door, staring sadly at Daniel who sat on the daybed. He was mindlessly stroking Sassy, who hadn’t left him alone for a second. It had been a few days since…that morning. Since Daniel cursed himself, they’d all managed to figure out a system of sorts.
Daniel had complained of feeling empty, silent. So the only solution was to get him a pair of headphones. He wore it everywhere, and what he listened to varied from simple brown staticky noise, to podcasts and music. He was used to having a brain full of sounds– voices, and it was very jarring to be without all of a sudden.
Michelle had suggested that they go as normally as possible, do what they would do daily. So Max texted the boys who confirmed they were all back in town and set up a day. He warned them to be careful around Daniel, that he was ‘sick’. And they promised to not be assholes. That was to be determined.
Max stepped out onto the patio, this got Sassy’s attention who in turn got Daniel’s attention. Listless brown eyes looked up questioningly. They haven’t spoken yet, not really. Daniel hadn’t truly allowed them the time. Too afraid to be left alone with Max again– not after last time. Not after being so distraught he did this to himself.
Daniel was also embarrassed that he managed to do this. Who curses themself? Who knew that magic was strongest when the caster felt heightened emotions? He for sure hadn’t. And now that he was back at a fairly baseline level of feeling (under baseline if he were being honest with himself) he didn’t have enough of anything to reverse it. Not a drop of magic in his blood.
So he avoided Max as best he could, because he really couldn’t manage Max seeing him like this. So boring and useless. Dull and no longer bright. Because who was Daniel if he wasn’t magical? No one.
Daniel pulled the headphones off of his ears and Max could hear the heavy, steady tone of the brown noise sound he used the most.
“Do you want to go for a drive? The guys are back and are thinking of going karting.” Max offered.
Daniel bit his lip, that did sound fun. But that also involved people– people who knew what he was supposed to be. He thought there were worse things he’d rather sit through thankyouverymuch.
“No, I’m ok. Thank you.” He shook his head, looking away when Max frowned sadly. He couldn’t bear it. Sassy chirped and Daniel yanked the headphones over his ears again almost violently.
Max sighed and walked back into the living room. He took out his phone to maybe cancel their plans when Michelle put a hand on his.
“We’ll get him to go. You go get ready.” She smiled a quick upturn of her lips before walking out onto the patio. Max nodded and went to his room, snorting when he heard Daniel’s indignant cry of Chelle!
The car ride was quiet. Max chose to drive the Ferrari, thinking it would at least cheer Daniel up a bit. He’d made a small happy gesture when he got in, but had been staring out the window since.
“Daniel.” Max whispered, almost desperately. “Please talk to me.”
Daniel wasn’t wearing his headphones, Grace forbade it, so he heard the small crack in Max’s voice and flinched.
“I– what’s there to say?” Daniel asked helplessly. He fiddled with his fingers.
“Anything. I would listen to you say anything right now. Just… please don’t shut me out.” Max knew he was pleading, but he didn’t quite care.
“I’m sorry– about all of this.” Daniel said after a while.
“Why are you sorry?”
“I messed up–”
“No actually.” Max cut him off. He glanced over quickly at a stop light to see Daniel still staring at his own fingers. Max rested his hand on Daniel, causing him to look up quickly– then away. “I’m sorry.” Max said.
“What?”
“This is my fault.”
Daniel went rigid before sinking into the chair bonelessly. Resigned. He nodded.
“Right.. It’s ok that you like don’t feel the same way. My reaction was a bit overdramatic I guess.” Daniel chuckled humorlessly to himself. Max felt like rolling his eyes, instead he squeezed Daniel’s hands.
“No. You are not listening.” Max barely stopped himself from sighing. This wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when they were going to have this conversation, when he was finally going to be able to say it to Daniel. He could think of a thousand other ways and times.
The dash lit up with a phone call from Charles and Max wanted to groan. He glared at the contact before pressing the deny call button. Perhaps a bit too maliciously. He didn’t want any more interruptions. God only knew when he’d have another moment alone with Daniel. Without him running away.
“Daniel, I love you. Of course, this wasn’t exactly how I wanted to say that but it doesn’t change the fact that I do.”
Daniel inhaled sharply and looked over at Max who was looking at the road and trying to glance at him at the same time. Daniel knew his eyes were wide.
“You don–”
“I do. I love you. And I was trying to tell you that how you found out was a mistake. I didn’t mean to just blurt it out to your sister and have you overhear it. But your sister is scary, I think. She does that thing with her eyes.”
“Yeah… she can be like that. The eye thing isn’t even her powers, she just…does that.” Daniel mumbled, his brain felt scrambled.
“I should have I think, been more clear. Of course you are misunderstanding me if I am not speaking clearly y’know. You can’t read minds I don’t think– wait, can you?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Okay. So yeah– I should have been more clear. And I wasn’t and I’m sorry I hurt you with my carelessness. I’m sorry you felt you had to do this to yourself.”
Max pulled into the parking lot to see that it was empty, no one else had arrived as yet. He put the car in park and turned to look at Daniel who was looking at him stricken, with tears in his wide eyes.
“Max…”
Max grabbed Daniel’s hands and rubbed his thumb along the unmoving rose. “You mean so much to me Daniel.”
Daniel untangled himself from his seatbelt and threw his arms around Max’s shoulders. He pressed his face into Max’s neck. Max loved him, he truly did? His body felt like it was vibrating with energy. His chest felt too big. He could cry. He was crying. He mouthed against Max’s neck, singing a wish, clenching his eyes shut. Maybe this emotion was enough to wish himself back.
There was a knock on the window and Daniel looked up to see Lando trying to peer through the dark tint of the car. He looked behind him to see Charles trying to do the same on his side. A giggle bubbled up and out of his mouth.
“They are such idiots.” Max mumbled, stroking along Daniel’s back.
“Yeah, but they’re our idiots.”
Max huffed a laugh and agreed. He pulled back and searched Daniel’s eyes before smiling a small smile. “I told them you were feeling sick.” Max shrugged and Daniel nodded.
Daniel pulled him in for another tight hug, even while the boys’ knocking got incessant and annoying. “I love you too.” Daniel mumbled into Max’s neck before pretty much bolting out of the car. Max watched him tangle Charles in a hug with a slack expression before his soft smile returned. He got out of the car and rolled his eyes as Lando and Charles bickered about something, Daniel squished happily between them. Alex was standing off to the side, he raised a brow and Max shook his head with a smile.
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