Ferdinand stood beside the bed, his eyes tracing the soft contours of Daisy's face as she lay there, breathing deeply. Her body, draped under the blanket, was still, but her grip on his hand was firm, almost as if she was subconsciously trying to keep him close. She had been so vulnerable tonight, her childish playfulness morphing into something much deeper, an expression of her insecurities hidden beneath layers of wine and laughter.
He watched her for a moment longer, his thoughts swirling. He couldn't quite pinpoint the exact moment when his feelings for Daisy had begun to grow beyond a simple infatuation. There was something in the way she trusted him so completely, in how her guard fell away around him. Tonight, he had seen a side of her that was raw, exposed, and undeniably human. It made him want to protect her, to care for her in a way he hadn't quite expected.
But as much as he wanted to stay by her side, Ferdinand knew she needed rest. He had done everything he could for her tonight, and now it was time to let her sleep. He gently tried to pull his hand free from hers, intending to slip away to another room, but her grip tightened slightly.
"Daisy," he whispered, his voice soft, barely audible in the stillness of the room. "You need to sleep."
Daisy stirred, her eyes fluttering open, her gaze hazy with sleep and intoxication. Her lips curled into a sleepy smile as she looked up at him. For a moment, Ferdinand thought she might release him, but instead, she pulled him closer, her grip on his hand still firm. Before he could react, she reached up, her hands finding his cheeks, cupping them gently. Her touch was soft, but there was a certain insistence to it, as if she was determined to keep him there, close to her.
"Stay…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ferdinand froze, his heart suddenly racing in his chest. He had been so focused on getting her to bed, on taking care of her, that he hadn't expected this. Daisy's eyes were still half-closed, her mind foggy with wine, but there was a clarity in the way she looked at him, as if in this moment, nothing else mattered.
She tugged him closer still, her face inches from his now. Ferdinand could feel the warmth of her breath against his lips, and his mind raced with a thousand thoughts. He knew she wasn't thinking clearly, that this was the alcohol speaking, but in this moment, none of that seemed to matter. All he could see was Daisy—the woman who had trusted him, who had shown him parts of herself that she had hidden from the world.
Without another word, Daisy leaned up, her lips brushing against his in a soft, tentative kiss.
Ferdinand's breath caught in his throat. For a brief moment, he was too stunned to move, too caught off guard by the tenderness of the kiss. But then, almost instinctively, he found himself leaning into her, his lips responding to hers. The kiss was soft, gentle—filled with a quiet intimacy that neither of them had expected. Daisy's hands stayed on his cheeks, her fingers lightly tracing the edges of his face, as if she were trying to memorize the feel of him.
It was over in an instant, a fleeting moment of connection that seemed to hang in the air between them. But just as Ferdinand began to let himself sink into the moment, to savor the warmth of her lips against his, Daisy pulled away, her eyes fluttering shut once again.
"Goodnight, Ferdy," she whispered, her voice sleepy and content. Her hands slipped from his face, falling limply onto the bed as her exhaustion finally overtook her.
Ferdinand stood there for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind still reeling from what had just happened. The warmth of Daisy's kiss lingered on his lips, a soft reminder of the connection they had shared in that brief, unguarded moment.
He knew she hadn't been fully aware of what she was doing, that the wine had clouded her judgment. But still, the kiss had felt real—undeniably real. And as much as he tried to tell himself that it was just the alcohol, that she would forget all of this by morning, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them.
He let out a slow breath, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Part of him wanted to stay, to sit by her side and watch over her as she slept. But another part of him knew that he needed to give her space—to let her sleep off the wine and deal with the consequences of the night in the morning.
Carefully, he pulled his hand away from hers, making sure not to wake her. She stirred slightly, mumbling something incoherent under her breath, but she didn't wake. Ferdinand took a step back, his gaze lingering on her peaceful face for a moment longer.
Then, with a sigh, he turned and quietly left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. He leaned against the door for a moment, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process everything that had just happened.
His mind was still buzzing with the memory of Daisy's kiss, the softness of her lips against his, the warmth of her touch. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them tonight, that the bond they had shared had deepened in a way neither of them had anticipated.
But as much as he wanted to dwell on that moment, he knew he had other things to focus on. Pulling out his phone, he opened the notes app and began scrolling through the things he had jotted down earlier—the things Daisy had shared with him about her insecurities, her fears, the things she kept hidden from the world.
He sat down at his desk, opening his laptop and pulling up his spreadsheet. It was a habit he had developed over the years—organizing his thoughts, cataloging his observations. He had always found comfort in structure, in making sense of the chaos around him.
As he typed out the notes, transferring the raw emotions and vulnerabilities Daisy had shared into neat, organized columns, his mind drifted back to the kiss. He could still feel the ghost of it on his lips, the way her hands had held him, the softness of her voice as she had whispered "Goodnight, Ferdy."
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he typed, his fingers moving mechanically over the keyboard. Despite everything that had happened tonight—the drunkenness, the vulnerability, the kiss—he couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth, of quiet contentment.
Daisy had trusted him tonight in a way that no one else had. She had shown him parts of herself that she kept hidden from the world, and in return, he had promised himself that he would protect her, that he would be there for her no matter what.
He finished typing the last of his notes, leaning back in his chair and rubbing a hand over his face. The exhaustion of the night was finally catching up to him, and he knew he needed sleep. But as he glanced at the closed door of the bedroom, a soft smile still playing on his lips, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for what tomorrow might bring.
He stood up, stretching his arms above his head, and then made his way to the couch in the living room. It wasn't as comfortable as his bed, but it would do for tonight. He didn't want to disturb Daisy, and he needed some time to process everything that had happened.
As he lay down, pulling a blanket over himself, his thoughts drifted back to Daisy. He could still see her face in his mind, the way she had looked at him with such trust, such vulnerability. And that kiss… it had been so soft, so fleeting, but it had stirred something deep within him.
Ferdinand closed his eyes, a quiet sense of contentment settling over him as he let himself drift off to sleep. He knew that tomorrow would bring its own challenges, its own conversations. But for now, he was content to simply rest, his mind filled with thoughts of Daisy and the quiet bond they had shared tonight.
And as sleep finally claimed him, Ferdinand's last thought was of the softness of Daisy's lips, the warmth of her touch, and the quiet promise that lingered between them, waiting to be fulfilled.