39.

**Daya**


Pain...

The only ever-persisting, all-too-familiar and nagging feeling once again made its presence known inside of me, this time taking the form of a dull headache, rather rudely waking me up from that dreamless and peaceful slumber.

Gradually regaining awareness of my own body, my fingers lightly twitched before my eyes slowly opened, greeted by the simple whiteness of a ceiling.

Slowly turning my head to the side I then hazily took in my surroundings, and with a slightly blurred sight I could notice the burgundy-colored wallpaper and dark furniture, completely failing to recognize anything at all.
And since my mind continuously refused to give me a single hint of what transpired before finding myself in this unfamiliar room, I wobbly rose myself into a sitting position, not failing to also notice the stinging sensation prickling my skin, right in the middle of my chest.

With a frown followed by a slight hiss, my fingers gently traced over the area, lowering my sight to take a look but obviously failing so I carefully climbed off the large bed -since I still felt so incredibly and inexplicably weak- and dizzily made my way towards the dark-colored vanity.

Only once the first few buttons of the black large shirt covering my body flew open, my mind completely blanked as I stared at the visibly fading burn scar, engraved in my skin in the form of a distinct symbol.
And like suddenly struck by one of Zeus’ lightning bolts my mind’s sight was being greeted by the image of a monstrous and utterly terrifying titan-like creature, accompanied by the screeching sounds of my own desperate wails.

Feeling something wet and warm trail down my cheek my gaze refocused on my reflection in the mirror, watching the small tear make its way down my ill-looking and visibly tired face, almost failing to acknowledge the barely audible sound of a door closing.

“Red...”

My every action suddenly stilled, my eyes widening at the sound of that particularly changed voice. The air refused to go past my throat anymore whilst my hands lightly trembled at my sides, finding myself simply unable to look past myself through the mirror, let alone move.

So I tensely stood still, feeling my heart-rate increasing with each hesitant thud of his boots until I could vividly feel the warmth his body was emanating, barely touching my back in a gentle caress.

“Please, just look at me...” My lips let out a shaky breath after hearing it again, this time so close, its softness almost making me melt inside.

Still, I didn’t even dare to raise my sight and take a mere peek at those beautiful features, even though my traitorous heart absolutely longed to.

Only the moment I accidentally noticed his hand on the verge of touching my shoulder I instantly grew alarmed, quickly remembering how we shouldn’t touch. Ever again.

So I fastly tried to avoid it and stupidly moved forward, almost driving my hand through the vanity mirror if it wasn’t for his insanely quick reflexes.

No...

“Whoa, easy there-”

The audible shriek escaping my lips abruptly drowned down his words, startled by the sudden feeling of physical contact.
And completely ignoring the small tingles crossing my womb and the oddly pleasant sensation enveloping my entire body, I started struggling to get as far as possible away from him and his touch.

“Wait, please don’t do this-”

“No! Don’t touch me!” I screamed as I finally ripped myself free from his embrace, barely standing on my own two feet as I turned around to face him.

“W-we’re not supposed to, remember?” My voice wavered as I finally took a look at him, shocked to notice the visible change in his entire appearance.

How can he look even more beautiful?

I watched how his perfect lips formed a warm and candid smile, finding myself completely stunned by the mere sight.

“It’s okay. It’s not affecting me anymore, if that’s what you think,” He calmly explained as I gazed into his now dark brown eyes.

“In fact, I believe it never did, actually,” My brows furrowed at his statement, noticing how he carefully took a step closer, as if not to scare me.

“It’s been real, Daya. Everything was real. From the very beginning, to this day. Even though your father claimed otherwise, I can assure you that it’s been nothing but real...”

“No, don’t say that,” I quickly stopped him, taking a step back as I could notice him attempting to move even closer, feeling tears threatening to gather and spill as the painful memory of him actually confessing his true feelings towards Blake resurfaced.

“It’s n-not true...Y-you’re lying...” I whimpered between tiny sobs, watching his expression turn so pained at the sound of my words.

“But I’m not, it’s true!” He sincerely said, pleadingly gazing right into my eyes as if begging me to believe him. And oh how I wanted to.

“Daya...” My name rolled off his tongue like a gentle caress, for once making me stop and stare as he slowly approached, feeling my heartbeat literally stop inside my chest as those words left his lips,

“I love you...”

“I’ve been in love with you from the very first time I laid eyes upon you, but because of my stupid idiocy and selfishness I couldn’t see that. I didn’t let myself see that.
I kept thinking and thinking over and over again that love hurts, so that’s why I shouldn’t accept my grace back ever again.
I thought that if I got it back I will start suffering again over unshared love...”

By now, my legs were already lightly shaking as I widely stared up at him, too stunned to even dare breathe, let alone move, barely feeling the back of his fingers gingerly trace over my cheek before he continued,

“But what I couldn’t see, was that love was already making its crib inside of me...Little by little, every time I got closer to you, with every small moment we shared...”

“You managed to make your way straight into my dark and hollow heart when I thought that no one could...”

“You’re the one who fixed me, Daya,” He truthfully said, feeling small tears already trailing over my cheeks, only to be gently wiped away by his thumbs.

“Even though Blake gave me my grace back, you’re the one who mended me,”

“It’s you...It’s always been you...” Those dark brown eyes longingly stared right into my own as he said those words, the blurry image of a pair of pure white and absolutely beautiful wings now flashing before my eyes, making me momentarily wonder if I did actually seen this happen or it was just a figment of my wild imagination.

“So that’s why I’m here. To apologize,” I suddenly heard him say, my brows furrowing in confusion.

“I want to apologize for everything I did to you. Every vile, horrible thing I did to you. Every forced touch, every cruel thing I said to you.
I’m so sorry, Daya,” His voice wavered a little bit as he whispered those last words, feeling my own lips quiver as I desperately fought with my sobs and whimpers, barely breathing with that huge lump already formed inside my throat.

“I’m so sorry, I can’t even begin to describe how sorry I am...”

“Hell, it makes me feel so disgusted, every time I remember how I...” The words suddenly died in his throat, visibly fighting with himself as he only tried to continue,
“How I...”

“God, I can’t do this...” He whispered, mostly to himself, watching him frustratingly run a hand through his jet black tousled locks, only now realizing he was actually talking about that sole magical and intimate moment we shared in the forest after my last and most hurtful encounter with mother.

“Raphael...” I finally found the courage to speak, watching how his attention quickly perked at the sound of his name escaping my lips, intently gazing right into my eyes like staring into my very naked soul as I timidly whispered,
“It was not forced,”

“I gave myself to you, because I wanted to.

It was our magical moment, and no one could ever take it away.

It will always be there, forever engraved as one of my most cherished memories...”

My breath caught up in my throat, the moment that single tiny stretch of wetness trailed down his cheek, forgetting how to even blink as with a slow move, he bent even closer but instead of feeling that oh-so-familiar sweetness I secretly longed for, those perfect lips pressed against my forehead instead, right before he turned around and quickly stormed outside that room, leaving me standing there all alone with a tingling sensation over my skin and a tug inside my chest.