They stumbled through the front door, the heavy silence of their earlier conversation lingering like a ghost in the hallway. Daniel and Diana exchanged a quick glance before looking away, the awkwardness settling between them like a familiar blanket.
"Okay, what was that?" Diana blurted out, shaking her head. "That felt like… I don't know, a scene from some cheesy drama or something."
"Yeah, weird," Daniel agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess we were just… caught up in it or whatever."
"Yeah," she muttered, still sounding a bit dazed. "Definitely."
They both took a deep breath, trying to shed the weight of what had just happened. Daniel made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a box of cereal from the counter and shaking it to make sure there was still something inside.
"I'm starving," Diana said, watching him pour the cereal into a bowl. She grabbed the milk and added it before taking a big bite.
They ate in silence, the crunching of cereal the only sound in the room. After a few minutes, Diana spoke up. "Can I play games on the computer? I haven't played in forever."
"Sure," Daniel replied, mouth half-full. He watched her as she started to head upstairs, spoon still in his hand.
She paused halfway up the stairs and turned around. "Aren't you coming?"
"In a bit," he said, forcing a smile.
Diana gave him a small nod and continued up the stairs. As she disappeared into their room, Daniel let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to process everything that had just happened.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt light, almost as if a heavy weight that had been pressing down on him for years had finally lifted. He stood there for a moment, letting the sensation wash over him. There was no tension, no tightness in his chest. Just a strange, unfamiliar sense of relief.
His mind drifted back to the park, to the way Diana had squeezed his shoulders during the massage, the gentle pressure grounding him in a way he hadn't known he needed. He'd felt himself unraveling, the years of isolation and bottled-up emotions breaking free. He'd almost hated himself for it—breaking down like that in front of her—but she hadn't judged him. Instead, she'd been there, holding him together with nothing but her presence and a few quiet words.
Daniel reached for a pan, a small smile forming on his lips as he turned on the stove. The smile surprised him, but he didn't push it away. As he cracked a few eggs into the pan, he replayed the conversation in his mind—the way Diana had looked at him, really looked at him, like she could see everything he was feeling without him saying a word. He let the memory flow, from the way she had comforted him, to that simple, almost casual "I love you" she had whispered.
The eggs sizzled as they hit the hot surface, but Daniel barely noticed. It was the first time he'd heard those words in over a decade. "I love you." The phrase echoed in his head, and a warmth spread through his chest, radiating out to his fingertips. He closed his eyes, letting himself feel it, just for a moment. It was like a gentle fire, filling the empty spaces inside him, making his fingers tingle and his eyes sting with something he didn't want to name.
He thought back to when he'd lost control, the tears spilling over despite his efforts to hold them back. The memory made him wince a little now. He felt exposed, almost embarrassed, but also... relieved. Someone knew. Someone understood. And that someone was Diana. She had been right there, not turning away, not mocking him, just... being there. And that was enough. More than enough.
But then he caught himself. What kind of person gets this emotional over one phrase? He shook his head, the smile fading as he turned his attention back to the eggs. He felt ridiculous for feeling so much, for letting his guard down like that. He flipped the eggs over with a quick flick of his wrist, watching them cook through.
Still, the memory lingered. It was the first time in forever that someone had told him they loved him. It felt good, maybe too good. He let out a breath, shaking his head as if to clear it. The last thing he wanted was to get lost in some fantasy that everything was okay now, just because of one moment. But for now, he allowed himself to hold onto that small piece of warmth, just for a little longer.
He finished the eggs, dividing them onto two plates. Putting the pan in the sink, he grabbed the plates and headed upstairs. As he ascended the last step, he heard Diana's voice coming from the room.
"Fing hell, are you serious?!" she shouted. "Piece of s game!"
He paused, biting back a grin. "Sounds like she's having a good time," he muttered under his breath.
Pushing the door open, he saw her furiously clicking the mouse, her face flushed with frustration. She glanced at him, eyes blazing. "I'm never playing this stupid game again!"
"That's what we've said like a hundred times," Daniel said, setting the plates down on the desk. "Every single time."
Diana rolled her eyes but her gaze softened as she noticed the two plates of scrambled eggs. "You're gonna eat both of those?"
"One's for you," he said, shrugging like it was no big deal. "Figured you might still be hungry."
"Oh…" Diana looked at him for a moment, her expression shifting from irritation to something softer. "You're… really thoughtful, you know that?"
Daniel glanced away, feeling a bit awkward. "I was just hungry. Figured you'd be too."
She smiled, a real smile, and took the plate from him. They sat on the floor, backs against the wall, eating the eggs without saying much. The game was still on in the background, its cheery music completely out of sync with the quiet between them.
When they were done, Daniel picked up the plates and set them on the desk. He glanced at Diana, who was leaning back, stretching her arms over her head.
"Want to play something together?" Daniel asked, his voice casual, but there was an underlying hopefulness to it.
Diana looked over at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Yeah, sure. What game?"
"Our favorite," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'll play on my phone. You can use the computer."
Diana's expression softened, and she nodded, standing up and moving back to her chair. "Alright, sounds good," she said, settling in and opening the familiar game.
Daniel pulled out his phone and logged in, watching as the loading screen flashed before his eyes. He glanced at Diana, who was already clicking through the menus, setting up her tank and preparing for battle.
"Ready when you are," she said, glancing back at him with a small, determined smile.
"Let's do this," Daniel replied, his fingers hovering over the screen as the game loaded.