Chapter 37: The Best Gift [Bonus]

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: The Best Gift [Bonus]

Daniel walked through the streets of Fallbrook. The town was quiet now. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. Most people had gone inside. The streets were empty.

He reached the town gate. Lyra and Fluffy were waiting for him. Lyra was pacing back and forth, her hands clenched at her sides. Fluffy was sitting on the ground, her ears drooping, her tail wrapped around her legs.

Daniel smiled. "Hey. I’m back."

He didn’t get to finish.

Lyra’s fist connected with his stomach.

The punch was hard. Strong. It would have doubled over any normal person. But Daniel barely felt it. His stats were too high. His body was too tough. He just stood there, looking down at Lyra’s fist pressed against his abs.

But Lyra? Lyra felt it.

She gasped. Her hand recoiled. Tears welled up in her eyes. Not from sadness. From pain.

"You idiot!" she shouted. Her voice cracked. "You absolute idiot!"

Daniel blinked. "What?"

Lyra’s tears spilled over. She clutched her hand, her knuckles red and throbbing.

"You didn’t let us fight because you think am useless! Because you think am weak!" She was crying now. Real tears. Angry tears. "I told you! I told you I would follow you! I told you I would fight for you! And you just... you just sent us away! Like we were nothing!"

Daniel opened his mouth. "Lyra—"

"No!" She cut him off. "You don’t get to explain! You just... you just left us here! Waiting! Not knowing if you were alive or dead! Do you know what that was like? Do you know how scared I was?"

Her voice broke. She covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders shook.

Daniel stood there. He didn’t know what to say.

Then he punched himself in the face.

Lyra’s head snapped up. Her eyes went wide. "What are you doing?"

Daniel punched himself again. Harder this time. His lip split. Blood trickled down his chin.

"Daniel! Stop!" Lyra grabbed his arm. "What’s wrong with you?"

Daniel looked at her. His eyes were steady. Calm.

"I’m beating myself up," he said, "for being a dumbass."

Lyra stared at him. "What?"

"I just wanted to keep you safe." Daniel’s voice was quiet. "I didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t want Fluffy to get hurt. I sent you away because I was scared. Not because I thought you were weak. Because I was scared of losing you."

Lyra’s grip on his arm loosened. Her eyes were still wet. But the anger was fading.

"You didn’t have to punch yourself," she said.

Daniel shrugged. "I was in the moment."

Lyra stared at him. Then she laughed. A wet, broken laugh. She let go of his arm and wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him tight. Her face pressed against his chest.

"I’m glad you’re alright," she whispered. "I don’t know what I would have done if... if you hadn’t come back."

Daniel hesitated. Then he hugged her back. His arms wrapped around her. He held her close.

"I’m sorry," he said. "I won’t do it again."

Lyra nodded against his chest. She was still crying.

Fluffy was watching from a few feet away. She was shaking. Her ears were flat against her head. Her tail was tucked between her legs.

Daniel looked at her. He gestured with one hand. "Come here."

Fluffy flinched. She looked at him. At Lyra. Then back at him. Slowly, hesitantly, she shuffled forward. She stopped just out of arm’s reach.

"Fluffy was scared," she whispered. "Fluffy thought Master wasn’t coming back."

"I came back," Daniel said. "I’m here."

Fluffy nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Daniel. Her body was small. Fragile. She held onto him like he was the only thing keeping her upright.

"Fluffy is happy Master is alright," she said.

Daniel felt something wet against his leg. He looked down. Fluffy was holding something in her hand. A piece of meat. It was covered in sand. Dirty. Ruined.

"Fluffy saved this for Master," she said. Her voice was trembling. "It fell down. Fluffy tried to dust it off. But it wouldn’t clean. Fluffy is sorry. Fluffy knows it’s dirty. Fluffy knows it’s not good anymore."

She held it out to him. Her eyes were wide. Desperate. Her hands were shaking.

Daniel looked at the meat. At the sand. At the dirt. At the sad, pathetic offering.

He took it.

"Thank you," he said.

He bit into it. Chewed. Swallowed.

It was sandy. Gritty. Almost tasteless. The worst thing he had ever eaten.

"This is the best gift anyone has ever given me," he said.

It was a lie. Fluffy didn’t know that. Her ears shot up. Her tail started wagging. She smiled. A real, genuine smile that lit up her whole face.

Daniel patted her head. Fluffy hugged him tighter.

Lyra pulled back and wiped her eyes. She looked at Daniel. At the blood on his lip. At the sand on his chin. At the rabbit girl clinging to his leg.

"So," she said. "What about my cousin? Is he still going to come after us?"

Daniel smiled. A calm, reassuring smile.

"Don’t worry," he said. "We reached a mutual agreement."

Lyra frowned. "A mutual agreement?"

"Yeah." Daniel nodded. "He won’t bother us anymore."

Lyra looked at him. Her eyes narrowed. She didn’t believe him. But she didn’t push.

"We should get out of this place quickly," Daniel said. "Before anything else happens."

Lyra nodded. "Where are we going?"

Daniel looked at the horizon. At the setting sun. At the road that led out of Fallbrook.

"Anywhere," he said. "As long as we’re together."