[ Glow ] ~ Anthony Lockwood x OC

XIII - Shiny Reasons

Everything was so dark, all Daniel could see was the outlines of where the walls connected to the roof. Roof. She wasn't outside, there was no igniting shine of warmth. Her eyes continued to fall shut, blinking open to try and stay awake. Her throat was sore and scratchy as she tried to breath, but it didn't taste of smoke. She turned her head to the side, letting her cheek come in contact with a pillow. She was in bed. She was in her bed at Lockwood and Co. She wasn't back twelve years prior, her dad wasn't yelling for her. She wasn't warm, in fact she felt freezing. Daniel let out a tight sigh, her lungs panged with the action. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the door creak open. Someone pushed through the doorway, blocking the light in the hallway before the door came shut behind them and cut the gleam off completely. Without a sound, they shuffled over to the side of Daniel's bed, sliding a mug onto her bedside table. The person sat down with their back facing Daniel, hunching themself over with their elbows on their knees and their hands running down their face. A heavy sigh left their lips and Daniel couldn't miss how tense they looked. The smell of sage, firewood and books wafted over her.

"Locks?" Daniel practically had to croak the words out, her vocal chords putting strain on her voice.

Lockwood's shoulders tensed further before he snapped his head around. His eyes met Daniel's, deep pools of brown clashing against her blue gaze. "Dani?" His entire body relaxed, a deep breath leaving his lungs. Lockwood twisted around, wrapping his arms around Daniel's shoulders and practically crashing his weight on top of her. She let out a hiss of pain, her entire right side and chest rocketing with pain. "Shit- I- I'm sorry." He propped himself up on his elbows, relieving his weight from her body.

"No." Daniel shook her head, wrapping her arms up and around his back to pull him back down onto her. She felt grounded with him there, safe.

"Dani, I'm hurting you." He didn't fight her though. If he wanted to, he could've been off her in a moment. But he just laid there on her, letting her hold him against her body and soaking in her cold. She shook her head, taking in the comfort of him being there.

"What happened?" She mumbled, breathing in his smell of old books at black tea.

"You passed out. From pain, most likely." He mumbled, digging his head into the crook of her neck. Her hair tickled his nose, but he didn't dare to move even an inch away.

"Pain?" Daniel's brows pinched as she pulled herself back into the bed to look at his face.

"You don't remember?" Lockwood frowned, scanning over her expression. She shook her head again. "Someone broke in, they pulled you out of bed and practically threw you down the stairs. You have a cut on your back from their rapier and your shoulders are taut. And, on top of that, you're still recovering from being ghost touched."

"Oh." Daniel's frown mirrored his own. "Do we know why they were here?"

Lockwood laughed, shaking his head. "We need to teach you about self preservation, Dani."

"I preserve myself just fine." She countered, "I'm still alive now, aren't I?"

"Hardly." Anthony scoffed, burying himself back into the icy feel of her skin.

"Are George and Lucy okay?" Daniel mumbled, bringing one of her hands up from his back to rest in his hair.

"They're fine." He nodded.

Daniel paused for a second, thinking again about her sore throat. "Can I have some tea?"

"I brought you some." Lockwood went to push himself up but Daniel kept her arms around his back. "You have to let me up, Dans." He sighed, he didn't want to get up either. She grumbled before letting him up. Daniel pushed herself to sit upright with a slight groan, she hated the pain but she needed to be properly up if she were going to drink anything. Anthony wordlessly held out a purple mug and two white pills.

"Painkillers?" Daniel looked up to see his eyes, sipping on the tea with the medication in her other hand. His brown eyes glossed in a shiny finish.

"Paracetamol." Anthony nodded with his words. "Not the best, but it'll help."

She took the medication down with her tea, letting out a deep breath in hopes to help with her slight headache. "Do we know why the person was here?" Daniel repeated her previous question, still having no clue.

"We think he was-" Anthony started, drawing his brows together. Couldn't she just focus on feeling better?

"She." Daniel abruptly cut him off.

"What?" Lockwood shook his head, blinking before looking back at her.

"It was a woman, I heard her voice." Daniel shrugged, biting the inside of her lip before going to sip at the drink again.

Lockwood smiled slightly. "Okay, well, we think she was looking for the ring."

Daniel raised her brows for a moment as she nodded. "Did she get it?"

"No, Lucy stole it." Lockwood smirked with an airy laugh.

"What?" Daniel's nose scrunched as she ran her gaze over his features, searching for any hint of a joke. There was none.

"Lucy had it the whole time." 

Daniel hummed, gulping down the rest of her drink and letting the warmth flood her throat in a soothing heat. There was a beat of silence where the only sound was the two's breaths in the dark room. Daniel could feel the cold of the room grazing her bare skin and only then realized she was in a tank top, the fact that under her right side and upper back were melted ice packs wrapped in towels, and that behind her drawn curtains the sun peeked out. It was morning. She started to drift again, letting her mind wander back to that night all those years ago. She should've stayed in her room like her father asked. Then she wouldn't have had to see her dad like that; so scared. Broken from the realization he couldn't save his family. 

"How are you feeling?" Lockwood's sudden voice caught Daniel by surprise and she jumped slightly.

"I'll live." Daniel shrugged with a slow frown, Lockwood could hardly see it with her head angled toward the window.

"That's not what I asked."

"I know." She took in a deep breath, turning her body so she was facing Lockwood. "Can we go downstairs?"

"Why?"

"Would you rather be up here in the dark?" Daniel gave a light chuckle, shaking her head. She pushed herself so that she was sat beside the boy before standing up and off her bed. Lucky for Daniel, she had somehow refrained from hurting her legs and was only slightly wobbly from being in bed for so long. She made it to her dresser with Lockwood's eyes trailing her every move. On top of the dresser was the hoodie Anthony had given her the night Annabel Ward showed up in their home, which she was quick to pull on over the tank. "You coming?" Daniel looked over her shoulder, a tiny smile playing at her lips.

Lockwood shook his head, clearing his thoughts and snapping his attention away from how his hoodie looked on Daniel. He pushed his hands against his knees and forced himself to his feet. "I guess I am."

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Word Count - 1,254

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Published - July 2, 2023

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