quixotic. ↣ d.h.

lv: powerless

 it was almost two in the morning, and it'd been an hour since zoe's mother's last check-in. she'd popped her head in the door every half hour throughout the entire night, likely to make sure they still had the bedroom door open, and that they hadn't tried to sneak out. but hopefully she'd finally succumbed to sleep now.

dan and zoe were sitting cross-legged on the rug in front of her window seat. dan was once again holding her word list, quizzing her as quickly as she could repeat the words back to him, and looking at her for a moment too long every time she closed her eyes to concentrate.

"you're going to do fine," he told her, grinning and handing the word list back to her once they'd finished.

"will you come?" zoe blurted, like she'd been holding the words inside for a while now. she wouldn't meet his eyes, chin tucked neatly against her chest. "please."

"you really want me there?"

she looked up then, slowly. carefully. "of course."

dan smiled. "then i wouldn't miss it."

a sharp knock on the bedroom door startled them. they hurried to regain the inches between them that had disappeared when zoe's mom abandoned her frequent visits.

"it's for you, daniel." zoe's mom was stood in the doorway, a fleecy pink robe tied neatly around her waist, holding an old landline phone out in his direction.

dan did not miss the air of distaste that surrounded her words, the syllables of his rarely-used full name.

he stood and walked over to her, taking the phone. "hello?" a timid voice that had become his own fell harshly into the stifling silence of zoe's dollhouse.

"where are you?" an angry voice snapped.

dan swallowed loudly. closed his eyes. bit his lip.

"you couldn't even be bothered to be at home right now, with your family?" his father snarled.

dan wanted to laugh. really, he did. because family? family? is that what they were? because the last time he had checked, family didn't make each other bleed. family didn't push away and place blame and spew vile words. family didn't cause this much pain.

"please, it's fine, i told him to-"

"mom?" dan asked, even though he already knew. who else would be around in the decrepit castle of a house his father never left?

"you what?" the voice was just as biting now, but muffled.

zoe and her mom were both watching him. they tried to pretend that they couldn't hear the electric exchange taking place, but their heavy eyes gave them away.

"no, he doesn't need an escape. how would you know what he needs? daniel, are you there? you better be. you hear me, and you hear me good. i want you home now. i don't care how you get here or what hurt little feelings you're dragging in your wake. if you're not here in twenty minutes, there will be consequences to face. do you understand me?"

dan squeezed his eyes shut tight and opened his mouth to reply, but then his mother's voice appeared again, frantic and wet as the seas.

"stay where you are, dan, baby, please. listen to me, okay? don't come home. it isn't s-" her last words were jerked away and lost in the sound of an echoing smack. a strangled cry and resigned whimper.

dan hung up before he could hear anything more. his cheeks were damp with tears, hot and stinging.

"sorry, thank you, everything's fine." he handed the phone back to mrs. woods and wiped the sleeve of zoe's old sweatshirt along his face.