GILDED, daniel larusso x reader

13 | a nice thing called communication

There's something peaceful about this moment, about walking with him.

"I don't think I want to go to school tomorrow," I blurt out, the words hanging in the cool air. I didn't really mean to say it, but now that it's out there, I can't take it back.

It feels like a strange confession, but it's not just about school. It's about everything-about how exhausting it is to keep up appearances, to stay on top of everything. Sometimes, I wonder if anyone ever notices how much I'm pretending.

Daniel looks over at me, the confusion clear on his face. It's almost comical.

"Wait... you? A straight-A student with perfect attendance, Y/N? You're seriously going to miss school?" He acts like it's a huge deal, his eyebrows raised in mock disbelief.

It's almost funny the way he looks at me, as though I've just told him the world's ending tomorrow.

I can't help but laugh, nudging him lightly with my shoulder. "What, you think I'm some kind of robot or something?" I tease, my voice light, but there's a small kernel of truth hiding behind the joke.

"I don't know," he says, glancing at me. "Seems like it. What's the deal? You feel sick or something?"

"No," I say, shrugging it off as I look ahead. "Just tired, I guess. Maybe I need a day to... breathe." I know it sounds vague, but that's the truth. I just need a break, even if it's from something as small as missing a day of school. "Besides, who's going to care if I miss one day?" I add, almost to myself.

There's a beat of silence before Daniel responds. "I would."

I blink, my steps slowing as I turn to look at him. "You? You would miss me?" The words feel foreign coming out of my mouth. I mean, yeah, we've been talking more lately, but this? This is new territory.

"I would," he says, the words coming out a little softer, though his tone is still playful. "I look forward to your... annoyingness," he says with a grin, and it's easy to tell he's half-joking, but there's something about it that makes me pause.

"Really?" I push, my voice challenging. I'm trying to see if he cracks, if he's just messing with me.

"No," he admits after a beat, his grin widening at the ease with which he drops the act. "I actually hated going to school because of you. Or, well... English class," he adds with a shrug, like it's no big deal.

I stop walking, my feet almost frozen on the pavement as I turn to face him, faking a wounded expression. "Wow. And here I thought we were finally becoming friends." I'm being dramatic, obviously, but it feels good to poke fun at him, even if it's just for a second.

"No, we are friends," he says, shaking his head. "It's just... I hated you," he admits bluntly, and the words land heavy in the space between us. There's no malice behind them, but it stings a little, hearing it out loud.

"You were annoying, always killing the mood, and... honestly, you were the kind of person I'd avoid. But after you helped me with that history thing? I thought... maybe you weren't as bad as I thought. So, I figured we could stop being enemies. But then, you snapped at me." He shrugs again, the weight of his words dissipating as quickly as it came.

I nod slowly, recalling the moment at the party. "Right. The party." I glance over at him, feeling the weight of the words settle in. "When I saw Jeremy cheating on me, it... hurt. A lot. Mostly because I should've known, you know? You warned me, and I just brushed you off. So when I ran into you that night, I was expecting something like... 'Forget him. He's a jerk.' Instead, all I got was 'I told you so.' It wasn't what I wanted to hear."

The words hang there, and I can feel the tension building between us, like we're both waiting for the other to say something. Daniel looks at me, his eyes softening as he speaks again.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I shouldn't have said that. Drunk or not, it wasn't right. I'm sorry you had to see that... Jeremy's an asshole. You deserve someone who treats you better."

I nod, and it's all I can do. "Yeah, I do."

The air around us seems to still, the quietness settling in as we walk the last few steps toward the apartment complex. The evening sky has darkened now, the streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement, and I can feel the chill in the air as we reach the gate. Daniel opens it for me, and I step through without a word. We've made it this far, and maybe that's enough for now.

As we stand outside my apartment, the silence between us feels more... comfortable now. The way the dim light falls on Daniel's face gives him an almost soft, unguarded look. It's strange-he looks different in this light. Better, maybe. Or maybe it's just the moment.

"Well," I start, unsure how to end this, "Goodnight?"

"Goodnight," he responds, and for a second, there's a softness in his eyes that I haven't seen before.

But before I can think too much about it, I awkwardly throw in, "I'll see you later, friend."

He chuckles, looking down at his shoes briefly before meeting my gaze. "I'll see you, Jersey," he says, and then he turns to walk away, disappearing down the path before I can even react.

I can't help it-I flip him off jokingly, the action feeling strangely familiar and lighthearted. I watch him walk off, the playful exchange lingering in the air.

When he's gone, I open the door to my apartment, stepping inside and closing it softly behind me.

The apartment feels emptier than usual. I get ready for bed, the weight of the evening settling on me. I'm not sure what it all means, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like things are shifting. Not in any big way-just... in a small, almost imperceptible way. And maybe that's enough for now.

I slip into bed, my mind running over the night's conversation, replaying the moments with Daniel like a movie I can't quite stop watching.

And for the first time in ages, I let myself relax, letting the stillness of the night pull me into sleep.