Stigma

~*The Danger*~

It was nine at night when his doorbell rang.

Paulo never rang the bell and no one else ever came. So Devian hesitated before getting up and walking to the door, slightly worried that something might have happened to Paulo.

But when he opened the door, he was taken by surprise. The fragile looking Delia was standing with sweat beads over her forehead and a wrapped painting in her hand. Her body was leaned slightly with the weight of the canvas and she looked flushed.

Devian wondered if she walked all the way up here at this time with a heavy painting.

And yet she had a smile on her face that could light up the night sky.

"Can I come in?" She asked in a sheepish tone.

And Devian was brought back to senses.

"Sure." And he invited the girl in.

He can't believe how naive she. She was in his house, at nine and walked alone when she has already been in so many bad situations. For some reason, it angered Devian.

"You came here alone?" He asked angrily but apparently, that didn't matter to her as she smiled even wider and nodded.

Devian reminded himself to keep breathing.

She was wearing an oversized hoodie that engulfed her whole form making her look even smaller and softer than she already did. As she struggled to bring the painting in, the hood fell off her head and he was greeted by the sight of the wavy mess of hair that made her look like a puppy.

He couldn't help but think at that moment, she was so very different from the Queen. Never in her life, Queen looked so fragile like Delia looked now. He moved forward and took the painting from her.

"What is this Delia?" He asked in a stern tone not happy that she walked all the way here.

"Gift, for you." She said looking immensely pleased.

And Devian can't help but stare at her. Even in the state she was in, overtired and overworked she made him a gift. He wanted to just step ahead and grab her by the shoulder and shake it hard to make her come to her sense.

Why was she so nice?

"Why?" He asked even though he knew why.

She was just successfully falling his trap, a little too easily.

"I don't even know if thank you will be enough." She said looking uncomfortable as Devian's intense gaze never left her face.

"Do you even sleep, Delia?" He asked softly and she looked up at him happy at his concern.

"I try to."

"What do you mean?" He asked as he sat down on the couch and gestured for her to sit and placed the painting next to the couch.

Even though she contemplated for a moment but then realized she trusted him completely.

"Nightmares and panic attacks." She whispered afraid that now he would back off and consider her weird.

Devian felt the familiar ache in his heart and he gritted his teeth in exasperation. He closed his eyes and sighed feeling his chest constrict in pain.

She had panic attacks.

"You are the first person I told this to, so you are allowed to freak out or you can say if you don't want someone as weird as me to see again," She said lightly but fear was transparent in her voice.

And Devian had no words to say because nothing he could say would comfort her and even though it was against the flow of his plan, he did want to comfort her.