Diana was still grinning after jumping on the bed, her laughter bubbling out as she stretched out beside him. Daniel, now sitting up, was still trying to catch his breath, the surprise having left him shaken but oddly happy.
"You seriously didn't hear me coming?" she asked, nudging him with her elbow, clearly amused by how startled he was.
"No," Daniel muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I was… distracted."
Diana rolled onto her side, facing him with a teasing smirk. "You do look distracted. Sitting there all wrinkled up like a bag of laundry."
Daniel blinked, caught off guard, and glanced down at himself. His hair was an absolute mess, and his shirt looked like it had been slept in. "I don't look that bad," he mumbled.
But as the words left his mouth, he sighed, feeling the truth of it settle in. "I probably look like a homeless person."
Diana grinned and poked him in the arm. "You don't look like a homeless person," she said. "You're just trying to look like one."
Daniel gave her a puzzled look. "What does that even mean?"
She poked him again, this time on the shoulder, as though pointing out his baggy clothes and messy hair. "It's like you're going for the 'don't-look-at-me' vibe on purpose," she teased.
"Maybe I just like being comfortable," Daniel mumbled, looking away, slightly embarrassed. He stared down at his wrinkled shirt, tugging at it as if that would somehow make him look better.
Diana didn't back off. She leaned closer, eyes twinkling with playful mischief. "Anyway," she said, her tone softening just a little, " Do you think I look good? Or... pretty?"
She already knew the answer—after all, if she thought she looked good, and she was him, then he had to think so too, right?
Daniel hesitated, his brow furrowing slightly. "Yeah," he said, cautious but sincere. "Of course."
Diana smiled, then continued, keeping her voice light. "It's pretty obvious, you know. Whoever… made me… they must've used you as inspiration." She shrugged. "Even if they got a bit carried away with it."
For just a moment, a chill seemed to pass through the room, as if a cold wind had swept over them. It vanished as quickly as it came, unnoticed by either of them, lost in the warmth of the moment and the intensity of their conversation.
Diana leaned in a little closer. "So," she said softly, her eyes meeting his, "if I look good… doesn't that mean you look good too?"
Daniel opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He thought back to the conversation they'd had in the attic, where she'd used the same kind of logic to make him see himself differently. It was infuriatingly hard to argue with her, and now, as he looked into her eyes, he found himself unable to find the words to resist.
Diana watched him, her expression softening as she noticed the way he was mulling it over. Despite his serious face, he looked kind of adorable, like a big, lost bear deep in thought. Feeling mischievous, she decided to mess with him a little more.
Without warning, she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him back onto the bed. "Gotcha!" she laughed, her voice full of joy.
Daniel was too surprised to react for a second, his body going tense as they hit the mattress. "Wha—Diana!" He squirmed beneath her, but Diana just held on tighter, laughing as she wrestled him into submission.
"You're impossible," he groaned, half-laughing, half-exasperated, as he tried to push her off. She was surprisingly strong for someone so small—or maybe he just wasn't trying that hard to escape.
They wrestled on the bed, their laughter filling the room, the seriousness from earlier fading away. For those few moments, they were like kids again, playful and carefree. Eventually, they stopped, both out of breath, lying side by side on the bed.
Daniel stared up at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. He couldn't stop thinking about what she'd said. As strange as it was, a part of him wanted to believe it.
After a pause, he spoke up, his voice softer than before. "Do you… really think that? About me, I mean."
Diana turned her head to look at him, her face sincere. "I do," she said simply. "I think you look good. And I think you're good. I don't just look like this out of nowhere, you know. If you see something good in me… then maybe it's time you start seeing it in yourself, too."
Daniel let her words hang in the air, sinking in slowly. He wasn't sure he could believe it—not yet—but maybe… maybe she was right.