"Danny Daniel! I need your help with something!", she shouted in her room and already heard him sprinting up the stairs a few seconds later.

"I need you to help me zip my suitcase. Sit on it! Your weight will press the baggage down and I get to zip it close. Perfect idea."

He pondered about it for a few seconds and thought it would be smarter to have her sit on it since he might just break the suitcase if he decides to press onto it with his full weight.

“Sia baby, don’t you think it would be better for you to sit on it? Your weight isn’t going to potentially crush the suitcase and I could just zip it for you.”

∞

He had been calling her “Sia baby” for a while now. Ever since Daniel started high school and he saw his friends calling their girlfriends “Baby”. He had started calling Sia “Baby” as a joke. But like it happens so frequently: what started off as a joke had become a habit. It was precisely his habit of calling her this lovely nickname that had let a lot of people to falsely believe that these two were a couple.

They weren’t a couple. Sia had actually had a crush on him for a short period of time during his last year of high school. She had been 16 back then, while Daniel had just turned 18. She didn’t get to act on her crush since he had just gotten himself a girlfriend at that time. So, she too moved on and accepted the confession of her classmate Hyunbin in a hurry to get over her crush on her best friend. Sia and Hyunbin had dated briefly for a few months until they both called it quits.

∞

“Oh, right. Wow, sorry I totally forgot you put on a ton of weight after high school, fattie Danny!”, She joked and cooed at him. She proceeded to quickly sit down on her suitcase and waited for him to zip it.

He started zipping it and slapped her thigh.
“Shut up, baby. I didn’t even gain that much!”, he retorted.

“Uh huh. Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, BABY.” She mocked him and made sure to elongate the A in baby.

He finished zipping her suitcase and signaled for her to get off. She complied and followed him down the stairs. Daniel was carrying her suitcase for her and loaded it in his car. Sia’s mother was already waiting for her at the doorstep- ready to let her little baby roam the world. Or just go to college. Sia’s mom had a tendency to be overdramatic. While Daniel was loading up the suitcase Sia had started bidding goodbye to her mom.

“Make sure to eat 3 meals a day, to change your underwear every single day and to always rely on Daniel if something happens. Be careful of men and always make sure to have your pepper spray on you 24/7. Promise me, Sia.” Her mom rambled on.

“Yes, of course I will. Don’t worry, I’m almost 19 I can take care of myself.” Sia tried to reassure her mom.

Just then Daniel stepped next to Sia. He had heard a bit of the conversation.

“Don’t you worry, Auntie! I’ll make sure to take care of Sia. She’s in good hands.” Daniel told Sia’s mother.

Sia’s mom sighed. “Yes, I know. Thank you, Daniel. I just can’t believe how fast time flies. I still remember you two playing dress up in the living room. It just feels weird seeing you both so grown up. Sia’s leaving her old mom alone at home and will forget me…”

“Oh, right. I remember Sia used to be a suc k e r  for playing nurse and doctor.” Daniel had said that with an undertone implying THAT, making sure Sia had caught it. (s*x games in case you don’t get it)

Luckily for Sia (and Daniel) her mom hadn’t caught it. What a little arsehole.

Sia pinched Daniel’s biceps and saw him flinch a bit. She almost smirked at his reaction but then remembered what her mom had said.

“Mom, don’t say that. You know I won’t forget you. I’ll visit you as often as I can.” She once again reassured her.

Sia’s mom pulled her and Daniel in for a last hug and proceeded to bid them goodbye for the final time.

Sia sensed her mother’s sadness and almost felt bad for leaving her mother all alone. But it was time to grow up and move out. She had to.

∞

Daniel threw his hand over Sia’s shoulder and they both started moving towards his car. He opened the door for her and she slipped in quietly.

He then went ahead and got into the car himself. He saw her being a bit gloomier than usual and asked her if she was alright.

Sia remembered his suggestive joke and started to reprimand him. He laughed and let her do so, glad to see her be her usual self again. She then suddenly turned quiet again and started talking: “Sorry, about my mom’s overprotectiveness. You don’t have to take what she said serious.”

Daniel gripped the wheel and turned his head to look at her shortly.

“No, it’s okay, Sia. I know ever since that incident happened ….” He didn’t know how to formulate his sentence the best way. So, he just continued his next sentence. “Just know that I’ll always be here to take care of you, baby. I would’ve done it even without your mother reminding me to.”

She looked at him thankfully quietly appreciating his every action. Daniel too understood how she felt even without words. The rest of the ride to their new home was quiet. Sia even feel asleep as it had already been late, about 10pm, when they set off.

∞

“That incident” that Daniel talked about. That was her losing her father at around 15. Her mom had been so devastated back then. Though she had tried to be strong for Sia and her older sister Sana. Sia herself oddly enough didn’t feel as much grief. The only reason she had cried was because of the heavy sad atmosphere. Sia herself had found it weird and thought it must have been either due to her still being too young to comprehend it all or just due to her being on the colder side – personality wise. Ever since then her mom had been a bit overprotective, but Sia had learned to deal with it.

∞

Sia had always given off cold vibes. Which was part of the reason she didn’t easily make friends. It took Sia a long time to open up to strangers or new friends. Not everyone has the patience for it. But the few friends she has made are really the closest there are. They definitely are friends for life. Daniel was one of those friends. Honestly Daniel was, apart from Sia’s own sister, probably the one person she was closest to in her whole life. He knew almost everything about her – just as she knows about every little detail there is to know about him.

They knew everything about each other except their life. He had never talked to her about his nightly activities and Sia was glad he didn’t. She would’ve felt uncomfortable listening to him especially considering how she herself had never gone beyond kissing. So even though there barely were any boundaries between Daniel and Sia they still made sure to keep some topics to themselves.

∞

When they had arrived, it was already deep night. Daniel turned off the engine and gently shook Sia awake.

“Wake up, Sleepyhead. We’re here.”
Sia slowly pried her heavy eyelids open. She was too tired to even walk.
“Daniel…” She whispered his name sweetly.

“Hmm?”, he hummed.

“Can you carry me upstairs?”, she asked in the sweetest manner possible, while still half asleep.

He sighed. He could have predicted this was going to happen considering how late they took off.

“Sure, baby. Everything for you.” He breathed out and quietly complied with her request and crouched down in front of her.

She slung her arms over his broad shoulders and hugged him tightly. He gripped both of her unclothed thighs, as she had been wearing shorts and an oversized striped red t-shirt, and got up carrying her into their new shared apartment.

He fished out the keys from his shorts’ pockets and inserted the key. Daniel pushed the door open and took the stairs. Their apartment was on the first floor so taking the stairs with Sia on his back was no problem.

After getting into the apartment, which had been previously owned by him and other roomates, who had graduated by now and hence had no need for a shared dorm anymore, he slowly took of Sia’s sneakers first and then he slipped out of his own sneakers.

He walked into his room and softly let Sia down on his bed. Sia’s own bed hadn’t been made yet as she had ensured him she would do so herself. She had been sure she was going to be awake enough to do it herself when they arrived. Daniel himself had no idea why he had decided to trust her words. Knowing Sia he should’ve predicted she was going to be dead asleep by the time they both arrived. It was already 2am.

He let her sleep on his bed first and went down the stairs to his car once more. Daniel still had to get his babygirl’s luggage. Surprisingly she only took one (fully stuffed) suitcase with her. He heaved it up the stairs easily and decided to leave it in the living room. He was going to help Sia unpack it tomorrow.

Daniel took long strides to the bathroom in order to brush his teeth and take a shower. It had been a hot summer day and he had sweated a lot. Sia herself had taken a shower before setting off so she would not have to shower at her new home.

He washed his hair and body using Sia’s favourite bodywash. She had gifted him an amount that would last at least a year for his last birthday. She made sure to jokingly tell him he’d need this much of bodywash since he smells like poop. She hadn’t meant that at all since Daniel always smelled good and they both knew it. He had laughed it off and told her she wasn’t one to talk when it comes to smelling awful. That’s what these two besties were always like. They always bickered back and forth and teased each other. But at the end of the day they still loved each other as best as best friends could.

∞

Daniel had just finished showering and he stepped into his room with a towel wrapped around his hips. Sia was asleep so his get up was no problem. Normally she would’ve thrown pillows at him telling him off for walking around not dressed properly in her proximity. He picked out a grey oversized sleeveless t-shirt and threw on some boxers and shorts. Had Sia not been sleeping in his bed he would’ve just thrown on boxers and went to sleep shirtless – as he normally does.

He lied down onto his bed next to Sia and hugged her. She hugged him back in her sleep, breathed in his scent, hummed and muttered something along the lines of “You smell so good.”.

He chuckled throatily and fell asleep with her petite frame in his arms.

__________________________________

Author's Note:

Done with the first chapter! The story is probably going to be kept pretty non sm u t ty for the first few chapters.

I don't want to have the characters plunging into something and regretting it.

By the way as this story is going to have two male protagonists I'm already going to tell you in advance nothing is decided.

I don't know who'll get the girl  just yet.  

Do comment  and subscribe, please!! I would appreciate it. I'm already thanking all readers and future readers (if there even will be any) in advance. Lots of love from your girl, kangdaddies on AFF.