Where We Stand (Daniel & Naomira)

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"Okay!" Naomi announced through the door, her back to the door as her heart pounded against her lungs, "we need to talk." She put extra emphasis on the "need" as she stood against the door breathing heavily trying to compose herself. She inhaled for ten seconds as she always did and exhaled for six seconds, she repeated this action for as long as it took Daniel to open the door. "I think this needs to be face to face too." She added as she leaned against the door still trying to compose herself.

Naomi hadn't been having the best of a month since school had started, since Daniel had seen the Brennham's, since "that" happened. She spent a majority of the time since "that" happened avoiding him. Of course they kept things awkwardly platonic in front of Theo, who probably got a sense of what was going on but didn't really understand it. They spoke about mundane things like how each other's day went, or had Theo speak a lot for their meals. After meals they separated, sometimes Theo would toddle behind Daniel to hang out with him, sometimes Theo would follow Naomi to get ready for bed extra early because he had a long day. At that "time" of the month, she had quietly and awkwardly asked Daniel to watch Theo closely when he got home because Theo would start to act out.

Theo wasn't overly a rebellious kid; when the time came however he started acting out in little ways like asking for thirds and forths and then pushing dinner away entirely and complaining about dessert. He started breaking things because he 'wanted' to and started having tantrums for absolutely no reason. Naomi tried to teach Daniel that the best way was through pacifying him, occasionally discipline came into it, but not all too often because Theo would beat himself up about it after. Naomi taught Daniel to then there after just sort of cuddle Theo and soothe him. It was just fine and dandy up to the day that Theo was to transform and they had to feed him his Potions during dinner.

Naomi shouldn't have been making such a big deal about it, it was so tender and small and fleeting. They both reached for Theo's painkiller potion to put into his tea as he made a fuss over drinking it, and just for a small moment their hands met and Naomi could have sworn there was just a little spark before she jolted away and towards the fridge to open a bottle of juice for Theo's sleeping draught. She did it with ease and they both were able to get him into his room with minimal thrashing so he could through his transformation in relative peace and sleep through the night. Right after Theo was asleep she gave a rushed good bye to Daniel before heading into her room to curl into a ball and cuddle with her pillow and will her heart to be still and return to it's peace.

There wasn't anything she'd give to not react the way she did to Daniel now. Now it was all back to how it was with Henry, a pounding heart, a flushed face, and runaway fantasies. Now it was all back to lying in bed and wishing for more but wondering of it would ever happen and she'd spent night wondering and nights nervously lying in bed. There was just this terrible fear and terrible excitement and it was all so conflicting and wrought with nervousness. She inhaled deeply still standing against the door.

There were moments, oh these were so more frequent, when it was the three of them (like a perfect little family, she could wish and pine for) and Theo would just do something amazing and spectacular. Then Daniel's eyes would just find hers and they'd share this small and gentle smile as if they'd been doing it for eternity. And it was those small moments that meant the world to Naomi, because it was in those moments she could create terrific fantasies that Daniel was more than a best friend who was helping another, and maybe there was more than there actually was. Gods knew how happy she'd be if that was the case. Except, she didn't know.

What if she dove headfirst in and ended up getting hurt worse than ever before? How would she be able to bounce back from it? The truth is, she wouldn't be able to bounce back from it and Theo needed a perfectly capable parent. She knew that eventually they'd talk about it, but the timing never felt right...

Until now, it had taken her so long to gather the courage to confront him and so once she took a shot after work and decided the best way to do this would be to just go headfirst into it. So she didn't bother to knock and what a mistake that was because now she was flustered from just the sight of his bare chest and the smattering of hair that perfected his rather striking body and she was embarrassed and wow she had never really imagined that he would be so toned and handsome under all that clothing... Oh gods help her now.

She could only hope for the best.

Guest

Daniel wouldn't lie about the fact he believed he'd made a mistake, because he knew he had. Not in the notion that he regretted kissing his best friend, because he didn't regret the action. It had been so very nice, for a split moment, to pretend they could be something else. But it was was a mistake because it had hurt Naomi, or so he believed from the way she was acting around him.

How they were acting around one another.

There had been so many things Daniel wanted to say past that night, to explain what had happened, and to tell her he'd meant what he'd said. Each time they'd found themselves alone, however, Daniel hadn't been brave enough to call Naomi back when she turned her back on him. It stung, but Daniel understood, in a manner.

The only hope he had now, was the fact she hadn't left. Of course, there was the fact that if Naomi did leave she would be putting herself and Theo back in a less comfortable situation, but he hoped that wasn't the reason his best friend was staying. No, he knew. Naomi would never use him, he knew that.

With each day that passed, though, it was growing harder to keep to that knowledge. If anything, Daniel believed it was simply Theo keeping them together for the sake of normality for the child. Daniel would never begrudge the boy that though, Theo deserved a life that was full of support. So, for the moment, Daniel had shelved the fact he needed to sort the problem with Naomi, and instead concentrated on his nephew, waiting for the right moment to be alone with Naomi when Theo was busy, or asleep.

Their lives and feelings had been overshadowed by Theo's gift that had arrived, bringing tantrums and the kind of behaviour that Theo would never normally show. Daniel had been patient with him, despite the fact he'd broken a couple of items in the house. They were replaceable after all. When the moods had subsided, Daniel had sat down with his nephew and told him that it didn't matter about the broken things, or the tantrums. He told Theo that he understood, and he loved Theo very much. Daniel had felt the surge of affection fill him when Theo had wrapped his arms around him and told him the same.

The kid was good, sweet. And Daniel had brought him a new toy to make up for the hard time he'd just had.

It wasn't much, but Daniel was doing his best to adjust to this new life, wondering how Naomi could have coped on her own.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, as he pulled his shirt off over his head. He'd heard a voice outside, but was so accustomed to Naomi not wanting to talk to him that he'd shook it off as a house elf, or another member of staff. So when the door opened, he had started a little, looking back to the door and blinking.

"Naomi..." He breathed, pausing for a moment before he realised that her eyes... Well, they were on him, but not his face. Looking down, Daniel felt a sudden surge of embarrassment. "I am... I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you..." He explained, quickly moving to a drawer and pulling out a fresh shirt, shrugging it on and trying to do the buttons up as quickly as he could - however, speed with a shirt that wasn't put on calmly meant many of the buttons weren't in the right holes. But he was covered up.

"I... is there something wrong? Is Theo okay?" Daniel asked, looking to his best friend, worry written on his features.

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Get a hold of yourself! Naomi’s brain shouted at her worriedly. You’re a 34 almost 35-year-old woman that is far above the cliche of falling in love with her best friend! It was a valid point, but then again, did most people even get to be lucky enough to have a best friend like Daniel? She truly didn’t think half the people got the emotional depth that she did with her best friend or understood each other as well as she understood Daniel and vice versa. As of late, for Naomi it felt like Daniel was the one solid thing in her life left, and she wasn’t eager to lose her support.

Not to discard Theo, oh gods never could she imagine her son being anything but the best thing to happen to her, but sometimes he caused her more worry and concern than her job ever did. The Gods knew that she dealt with enough tragedy without her son having to add onto the list, but she couldn’t regret the birth of her son ever. For the one or two times he caused her angst, he caused her immense and immeasurable joy a hundred times more than angst. Just seeing his smile and feeling his arms fall around her waist after a long day made every single nervous breakdown and pill dosage worth it.

As Daniel breathed her name she forced herself to stay calm, to stay resilient, to stay - why did it have to sound so good on his lips? She bemoaned her luck. “No-no I don’t- maybe I should’ve- we- ugh,” she scrambled for the right words as she continued to talk calming breaths.

When he opened the door, she immediately noticed that the buttons on the shirt were undone and cursed the need for perfection as her fingers instinctively shot to his chest to start to re-do the buttons.

“I’m sorry, so sorry this is bothering me a lot, so let me just y’know,” she awkwardly mumbled keeping her head down at his feet as her fingers fixed his shirt, “Theo’s fine; always has been. But there’s y’know stuff between us we need to settle. Do you have time for that?” She asked softly looking up at him then at that last sentence.

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Letting Naomi in to his room in that moment was, perhaps, a mistake on Daniel's behalf. Trying to look apologetic as his best friend moved in to the room, Daniel wasn't even ready for her to come to him like she had, hands moving to his shirt. "You don't have t-" But he cut himself off, liking the experience, even if he shouldn't have.

It was selfish.

The apologies made him shake his head. "Please don't apologise." He murmured in response, his eyes on her hands rather than looking at the witch, afraid of seeing something in her eyes that he couldn't deal with.

Knowing Theo was okay made Daniel relax just a little bit, but of course, just because Theo was okay didn't mean Naomi was. Well that much was obvious.

"But there’s y’know stuff between us we need to settle. Do you have time for that?”

Letting out a soft sigh, Daniel nodded once. In honesty, he felt a little sick, what if she wanted to leave? What if he'd pushed her away so much that she no longer wanted to see him. His heart was racing a little at the prospect of losing Naomi, it simply wasn't an option. "I'm sorry, if I upset you, that wasn't my intention..." He explained softly, and it showed in his features that he meant it.

"I was upset, and I probably shouldn't have used that moment to act as I did. I..." Daniel hesitated for a moment, because he wasn't sure whether the truth was best right now. But he decided honesty was the best way forward. "I wanted to kiss you though. I wasn't using you. I... I like you, a lot Naomi. But if you don't want that, that's fine. I understand. We'll always be best friends. I... Please don't hate me for acting on my feelings, because they're real. But, please tell me if you don't feel the same."

With that, Daniel fell silent, waiting for a reaction from the witch, his eyes searching hers for the true feelings she may or may not have. For a sign of hope that all was not lost.

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Naomi felt her heart do a crazy cacophony in her chest as she worked on each button, but the more she stood here the more mortified she felt. She’d practically fallen over herself into her best friend’s arms (after becoming a leech to him, nonetheless!) and then avoided him in her free-time. She needed to seek repentance for this; tell him that she was happy to just be best friends if that’s what he needed and that he’d always be a prominent figure in Theo’s life.

However all at the same time she was caught because she wanted to tell him how she really felt. Because when you had feelings for someone the way she had feelings for him, you wanted to shout it to the world and she did. Oh gods, Naomi wanted to tell someone, but she found herself lacking in friends unfortunately.

“No it’s okay, I wanted to.” She murmured after, letting silence enter the conversation, as her heart continued to race away. She nodded in understanding when he told her to not apologize. Even if she didn’t understand why she shouldn’t be apologizing. Once she was finished fixing the shirt, a thought came to her mind that made her smile just the slightest. This sort of tedious buttoning up thing she could do everyday. It was something so domestic it made her heart jump at the idea of being able to do it again for him.

She was about to interject and tell him she wasn’t upset, and the real reason, but he looked like was trailing off so instead she chewed on her lower lip and played the frayed hem of her sweater. As he continued on Naomi felt all of her fears confirmed for a split second before she heard the next thing he said.

I wasn't using you. I... I like you, a lot Naomi.

The smile that grew on her face was so natural and full of so much tender adoration, it was just pouring from her heart, and she nodded.

“No I wasn’t lying about that night either; I want - well - I want you.” She murmured, still smiling, “I definitely don’t hate you if I feel the same,” she reached out to grab for one of his hands and held it in between both of hers. “I like you Daniel,” she said, “and it’s not because you’ve taken such great care of Theo and I. I like the way you work, and the way you care for others; I even like it when you’re too over confident about something you big dork. I like that you’ve been there for me throughout what feels like all of my life and you understand me. I like that you like Theo so much, and that you’ve taken us both in when others wouldn’t and I - I like those things about you.” She lifted his hand and maintaining eye contact she pressed a kiss to his hand, softly to the knuckles before dropping it down between them to take a step closer.

  “The question now, is what are we?” This was the moment of truth, Naomi thought as she looked up at him, trying to gauge how he was really feeling. "Where do we stand?

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With his shirt now fixed, Daniel caught the smile on Naomira's lips, and felt his own pulling in to a similar expression. It was weird, in a sense, having Naomi dress him, but it was also nice. He hoped, oh so selfishly, that that was what her smile meant, that she also found it nice, because he needed her, he would always need her.

And, despite everything he'd believed in the weeks since he'd kissed his best friend...

Everything seemed to be working out right.

Listening to Naomira explain that his feelings weren't one way. That she wasn't angry with him for what he did. That she wanted him in something of the same way to how he wanted her. Relief flooded through Daniel as he gave her hands a small squeeze. A squeeze to convey his joy as she kissed his knuckles tenderly. It was then that he'd realised the somewhat childish statement about 'liking' her, and he kicked himself inwardly.

He knew that what he felt inside was a lot more than 'liking' her, but he figured she would forgive him for his nerves in admitting that he saw her as more, wanted her as more, than his best friend.

  “The question now, is what are we?”

The words, well, they were a bombshell that Daniel didn't know how to deal with. Looking at the witch for a moment, Daniel opened his mouth once and closed it. Merlin he wanted the world, but he was also terrified of losing everything they had. Things could easily turn in to what they had turned out like before.

Was he ready to risk that?

Was he ready to label them as something more than best friends?

"Where do we stand?”

"I don't know..." Daniel responded, because he wanted to be completely honest. Yes, he was a confident person normally, but relationships, the unknown, it made him nervous. Gently, Daniel moved his free hand to her face, using her thumb to caress her cheek ever so lightly. "I don't want to lose you, Naomira. I... couldn't lose you. I'll be whatever you want me to be, whatever you need me to be." He whispered, his voice a little shaky because he was nervous.

"Whatever you and Theo need me to be." Daniel concluded, leaving the decision with Naomi, because only she would know what was right for all of them. For her and Theo.

» Of Busy Bee's (Daniel & Naomira)
» Simplicity (Naomira, Daniel, + Theo)
» Ghosts of the Past (Naomira & Daniel)
» Kids Are Tiring (Naomira & Daniel)
» Shopping (Naomira)