Life is Stranger Too (Older! Daniel Diaz x Fem! Reader)

Y/n García

I slept in the same room as Daniel that night.

I felt troubled by the amount of shit I had caused that day. It was so stupid of me to get angry over something so little. I lay in Daniel's bed, unblinkingly staring up at the ceiling without any thoughts. I glanced over at Daniel who was laying on the floor with a sleeping bag and an extra blanket in case he needed it.

The nights were warm, but it sure didn't feel like it.

We had tidied up the stuff both of us had scattered across the room, luckily only a few items had shattered or broken beyond repair, none of which were that important as Daniel had told me. I couldn't help but worry that he was just lying.

Shifting in the bed, I checked the clock. 1am. I heard Basil beginning to scratch at the door of the entrance to the house – out the way to the patio where I first met Daniel and the beach beyond that. It was the dog's religious routine to be let out at that time to pee. People I told couldn't imagine getting up at that time, and normally it's annoying and I would try to ignore him, but I could use the familiarity.

Carefully climbing out of bed, I tiptoed around the room towards the door and avoided Daniel to not wake him up, leaving the room without a sound. I felt bad not telling him where I was going, but it was better not to wake him up after the stressful day he had with me. He probably won't even wake up.

I would only be gone for five minutes.

I slipped past Sean's room and made my way down the stairs towards the front door where Basil was patiently waiting. His ears were tucked behind his head, the speckles of dust that hovered above occasionally landed on his nose and caused him to shake. When was the last time these brothers cleaned? It was like they were raised in the wild.

Pedro would never let things go so messy.

Fuck man don't think about it.

The key was a little jammed, but it opened eventually and without much fuss, allowing Basil to push through the door and sprint out onto the patio, and further onto the beach. The night glow on the sand made it seem more magical than what it was, like pixie dust one might say. I found myself smiling at imagining a fairy version of Basil soaring across the beach. I've watched too much Tinkerbell.

I found myself walking out onto the patio and leaning against the frame, crossing my arms, and letting out a deep sigh. How long has it been since I've properly taken a breath?

For a long while, I simply watched. The waves rose and fell with such ease, my shoulders began to rhythmically follow it. Since the tour back when I first arrived, I don't think I've actually appreciated Puerto Lobos. The sea, the way it allowed me to relax and keep me safe. The sunny days. It's warmth, enveloping me like a hug, telling me to hush and that it'll all be okay.

Daniel came into my mind. The same way he held me in his room and apologised. Like he understood – no, he did understand – and knew exactly what to do in a moment of complete disarray.

I wish I knew more about him. About Sean too. So far, they've both shouldered my fears and problems, and I hadn't been able to reciprocate. I wanted to give them the same metaphorical safe space they gave me. Maybe I could ask Sean more about their trip from Seattle to Puerto Lobos, the sights and fun stuff they got up to. It would take our minds off of this.

Basil had returned, as spritely as ever in opposition to my eyes which were practically hanging out of my head. Man, I was tired. At least with Sean and Daniel I could get a lie in.

We both moved inside, and I locked the door, having to use some brute force to do it. For car repairers, it didn't seem like they could run a house properly, or at least up to a 'standard'. Basil moved quickly over to a mat we had laid out for him, and slumped down with a sharp sigh, his eyes unblinkingly staring at me.

When I was a kid, I was weary of Basil. He was a fast dog, and he got what dog owners famously called the 'zoomies' quite often, and at that point I hadn't fully recovered from the accident, nor the fear of stuff that was fast moving. Growing up with him has gotten me used to his antics and have quicker reactions to dodge out of his way.

I looked at the table where we had been practicing just hours ago. All of the glass had been cleaned up from the floor, as I was worried about Basil, but the pile remained neatly on the table.

I guess I could say I improved, but that was spur of the moment, and my emotions got the better of me. I was pissed off. Was it something I could even replicate again?

Fuck it.

Steadying my feet, I let my shoulders drop once more and tried to level my breathing, so my heart rate was lowered. Stay focused. Like my hand was hooked to a string, I raised it to point at the crumpled glass, the index finger raised a little higher than the rest.

Daniel told me it was like I needed to imagine holding the object itself. I attempted to picture the uneven poking of the little shards as it dug into my fingers and lifting it up. I shut my eyes. I'd imagine it to be light, easy to do. Like a chore, yet something I actually want to do.

I heard a rattle, like a sort of tick of glass moving against each other, and I cautiously raised my hand up. Nothing else sounded out.

I opened my eyes.

The pile of glass had remained the same as what I saw before. Only a few shards had fallen from the top to the bottom onto the table itself. Nothing had moved up like intended.

Fuck.

In agitation, I clench my fists and groan. Why won't it just work? Sean got Daniel moving small stuff within two months, and while I appreciated I wasn't at the same timescale yet, its still just completely frustrating.

I just need some air.

Without any more thought, I grabbed my jacket and moved towards the front door. I need to go somewhere alone.

Basil instinctively jumped up and followed me to the door. I shook my head and simply patted him on the head.

"No." I whispered gently, "I'll take you out later. I just need some time to myself."

Of course, the dog wouldn't understand me. He wagged his tail and eyed the door with knowing eyes. Sometimes I thought he was smart, knowing too much for a dog like him, but stuff like that made me realize all he wanted as food, walks and love. I turned around and left the room, shutting Basil in.

The garage was the same as I had seen it on the first day, yet it felt colder. I remembered Pedro and Sean, laughing about god knows what just a few steps away with a beer in hand.

Pedro. Yeah, he would know what to do.

Without another word, I moved to the garage side door, unlocked it with the stuck in key and left the Diaz house as quietly as I could.