Beauty And Her Beast

36 - It's Begun

Hey my little mobsters! Sorry again for the slow updates recently but, in case you haven't figured out my pattern yet, my college quarter started up again and i tend to slack off when im in classes. (irony: I'm in class right now and not paying attention at all.) So to those of you who saw my message saying there was going to be an update last weekend, im sorry, looks like I lied. But I'm working on it!

4:17am

When morning came for Ray the sun hadn't yet risen and the city trains were still silent, her breath the only noise reaching his ears. They laid in his mother's guest bedroom just like they had been the past two nights and the small bed they shared brought them closer. Her legs were intwined within his own and her small hands knotted fistfuls of his shirt between her knuckles. Her hair hung in no particular order around her head as Ray's fingers slowly disentangled the deep chocolate waves. Her lashes were long and lay curled against her pale cheeks, her lips slightly chapped from sleep and parted as her breath slowly and smoothly escaped the cavern of her mouth. Her nose remained the perfect little button for her face and her ears were perfect crescents that couldn't yet hear the sweet words he was whispering.

As Danny slept, Ray smiled softly and held close the only thing in the world that was really worth something for him. He doesn't know when it happened, when he fell for her so strongly that is, but the specifics don't really matter anymore. No matter when it took place or how, Ray was neck deep in the ocean called Daniela Grant and if he's to drown, then he'd do it more than willingly.

For Ray, love was never something to wish for or anything he'd ever craved. He'd never been a disbeliever or wished bad upon people who did love, but how was he supposed to interpret or prepare himself for his own feelings when for so long the only 'love' he'd witnessed had been conditional and only circumstantial. 

His father only love him when he was obeying his commands.

His mother only loved him when he was bringing in money to line her pockets.

Even Joy's claim of love for him was nothing more than a selfish want for something she couldn't have. 

Love isn't a craving or undeniable attraction. It isn't something you parade around or show off and it isn't a possessive need to have that person for yourself. Love isn't even a great friendship love is.....well love is abstract. It's not something that can easily be explained in words and at this point even something as grandiose and cliche as marriage wouldn't be able to properly express his feelings for Danny. 

So, he had to find a way to express his love for her in his actions. The only thing was to love someone meant not only to uplift and take care of them, but it also meant putting them through a shit load of agony and hurt as well. If he could skip all the hurt and the agony then things would be perfect, but the world wasn't exactly perfect now is it?

"Daniela...." Ray whispered, putting a bit more pressure behind his fingers as they grazed her hair. She didn't stir but the hitch in her breathing let Ray know she's awake and simply doesn't want to move. "Baby, wake up.....Daniela..." he whispered again. When she pursed her lips but still didn't let her eyes flutter open, Ray chuckled softly before closing the already thin space between them. He rolled so that she was on her back and he was hovering over her, his weight on his elbows as he peppered her face and neck in kisses. "Come on baby girl, let me see those pretty brown eyes....."

"If I open them and the sun isn't up high in the sky you're in deep shit Ray...." Danny finally mumbled and Ray's grin only widened as he chewed his bottom lip, looking down at her and memorizing that peaceful face just one more time for the morning. He'd already scarred every detail of her existence into his heart and mind, but when a person made you as happy as she made him it was hard not to simply stare sometimes.