ALL THE STRINGS ATTACHED | COMPLETED

10.

THEODORE.

It's the feeling that you have when you kiss someone. The butterflies in your stomach, the giddiness that comes along with being too excited.

To me, Daniel is not just 'someone'.

I'm crazy, I know it. I've known this person for only a few months and I've already fallen too deep to pull myself out.

Daniel's soft lips moved along with mine, slow and sensual. My hand moved to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. I tested my luck with my tongue and licked his lower lip. He responded to my advances by biting on my lip, sending shivers down my spine.

We finally pulled back and I gazed into his eyes. He looked at me with a hint of confusion in his eyes, like he was struggling with his own thoughts.

I internally prayed that my feelings got across to him. Don't tell me that you want us to stay friends. I'm not taking that as an answer.

"Daniel," I called out, breaking the silence between us.

He gulped down, still looking into my eyes. "Why?"

"I like you, that's why."

He licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. It is as obvious now that he was avoiding eye contact with me.

"Yeah, I got that memo."

"Did... I do something wrong?"

He was still looking anywhere but at me. "No, you didn't."

"Then look at me." I held his chin and turn his head to face me.

"If you think we can go back to how we were before this, you really need a reality check."

DANIEL.

There were many things that I wanted to say, but the words couldn't quite come out of my mouth.

It must heaven playing some kind of sick joke on me. After all these years, he will still chose me in his blank state.

He doesn't know how difficult it was for me not to go out looking for him.

Sure, the shock was evident when I found out that he frequented the cafe I worked at. I could have easily asked for a transfer but like any crazy person, I didn't.

Instead, I stayed on and found out that he only came in on certain days. So I requested earlier kitchen shifts to avoid him as much as I can.

Thankfully, we had to wear a mask in the kitchen so I was unrecognizable when on duty. At times, I would look out the side window and see him walk by the shop while working. As silly as it sounds, it would make my day.

Because even after all these years, I still loved him.

My lovestruck self loved him like an idiot, even if I couldn't.

"Did I give you some sort of wrong signal or something?"

"Just a hunch. A gut feeling that you feel the same way as me. And you kissed me back, didn't you?"

Right, I bit his lip.

"I- I was just going along with the flow."

He raised his eyebrows. "Going along with the flow?"

"Yeah." 

His facial expression changed from expectation to disappointment, his eyes squinting at me in confusion. 

"You're kidding yourself, you know that right?" 

Yes, I was kidding myself but I know that we can't be together. I don't think I can forgive myself if I choose to deny you of your happiness. 

"Theo, we can still be friends. Anything else is out of the question. We can pretend all this didn't happen." My eyes were anywhere but looking at him. 

After so many years, we were going through the same ordeal that we did more than a decade ago. I thought that when I left him at the hospital, I would never have to experience this feeling again. The feeling of loss, the feeling of wanting something that's never within your reach. 

"Daniel, are you listening to yourself right now?" He grabbed me by the arm. "What's going through your head right now? Why are you not-"

He looked into my eyes, pausing in his speech. Even though he was looking at me, it was like he couldn't see me. 

"Theo?" Was he zoning out again? 

Whenever this happened, he would take a few seconds to snap back into reality. I wondered what he was seeing, but I decided not to ask. 

"Theo?" I wave my hand in front of his eyes. When he finally snapped out of it, he tightened his grip on my arms and tugged me hard. 

"You," his voice did a one-eighty. It was no longer the pleading voice that he had a minute ago. It was deep, demanding, scary even and I gulped down hard. 

"It really hurt, you know that?" 

"Are you injured or something?" What the heck was he going on about? 

"A flight of stairs really did manage to knock me out, didn't it?" My body tensed, my eyes were wide open in fear. 

"A- a flight- what are you saying?"

"No wonder I felt like something was wrong all these years. It's because of you." 

I needed to run, now. I wanted to push his hand that was still gripping onto me away but he only pulled me closer.

"I told you not to say that to me." His voice low, yet it was louder than anything that I've ever heard. 

"Theo, let me go." 

"No!" he yelled. "You're not running away from me again, just like you did years ago! No fucking way!" 

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A/N: I'm so sorry that I missed out last week. It hasn't been the best time for me, feeling very unmotivated to do anything. But I'm back and ready to continue writing! 

How was this part for you? 

Theo definitely remembered something. What do you think about the change in him?

As for Daniel, you whipped. Hard. But still doesn't want to give in. Why is he so stubborn? -shakes head-  Let me know why you think Dan is acting this way!

Again, I appreciate all the comments and reads on the story! Let me know if I can improve in anyway! 

See you all soon! 

Stay safe everyone!