My Sunshine (Danielle x Reader)

Chapter 11

(A/N): Trigger Warning: Foul Language, Derogatory Terms

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Narrator POV

"Truth is...." Y/N started as Danielle patiently waited for him to open up. "I wasn't always like this..."

"What do you mean by 'like this'?" Danielle tilts her head curiously.

"Although I am naturally quiet, I wasn't always cold and reserved towards other people, you know?"

"Wait, were you really?" Danielle asked softly.

"Yeah. Shocker, huh? I used to be in a loving family, too..." Y/N chuckled bitterly.

"Well, "used to"," Y/N confessed with a broken smile on his face.

Danielle's eyes widened a bit, clearly not expecting such a revelation from Y/N.

It was definitely shocking, but she still nodded in understanding, giving him the space and time to comfortably share his past. She had no idea how hard it must be for Y/N to deal with serious family matters at such a young age.

"I.. I'm so sorry to hear that, Y/N," she muttered. For the first time, Danielle couldn't find the words to say. It's as if something was telling her that words of encouragement weren't exactly what Y/N needed...

It's someone who could and would listen to him.

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault," Y/N reassured, his tone genuine yet sad which made Danielle's heart crack even more. "We were happy once, my dad used to be the most supportive dad you could ever find and my mom was the sweetest human to ever grace this world... It was all perfect for me and I wished that we'd stay that way forever but of course, the universe had other plans."

Y/N's eyes started to glisten with unfallen tears. The memory of his past is still fresh in his heart and mind but he still continued to open up.

"My mom cheated on my dad with his best friend; the person my dad treated like he was his own brother. The person my dad had trusted the most turned out to be the same person who would destroy our family completely."

Danielle was speechless. Just how bad was his mother for her to do that to her own family? Y/N's past hurt her heart more than she thought, and she couldn't imagine how Y/N is able to cope with that memory constantly burning in his mind.

"After my mom left us, Dad was never the same again..."

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"Useless!" Y/N's father shouted as he scanned all of his report cards. Every grade that he saw were all non-satisfactory for his own standards. "What the actual fuck have you been doing at school for you to not even get an A+ average?!"

"But... I was doing well with my classe-" a 14 year old Y/N tried to reason but his father quickly interjected.

"Doing well?! You call this garbage 'doing well'?! Are you fucking kidding me?!" He screamed, ripping all the report cards in his hands and throwing it directly at the boy's face.

"I'm not paying your tuition for you to perform like a lazy fucktard at school!!" He took a swing at Y/N, hitting the boy clean on the face.

Y/N squirmed in pain on the ground while his father towered over him with rage.

"If I don't see you improve these garbage that you call "good grades" and become a good-for-nothing, deadweight like your whore of a mother, consider yourself disowned!" His father spat before turning his steps out the door, leaving him bruised and in pain on the ground.

His father was always strict with his academic performance, but it's even worse whenever he was under the influence. He'd either lock Y/N out of the house for a whole day or he'd beat him with a belt or his own hands, like what he just did.

Y/N stood up and walked his way to the bathroom to treat his bleeding nose and lip. He was sure that his dad almost knocked a tooth or two, as well.

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"A few weeks after that, he had stayed true to his word and disowned me as his child," Y/N sighed painfully. It's as if he was reliving that very moment again.

He wasn't sure if he could even keep going because the pain of the past was too much, which is exactly why he didn't want to open up in the first place. What if it puts an unnecessary weight on Danielle's shoulders? What if he would just be treated like charity after exposing his vulnerability to her?

"I'm sorry... It's probably uncomfortable for you right now—" his words were cut off by Danielle pulling him into a warm embrace.

Danielle held Y/N tightly, feeling the weight of his pain in her arms

"Danielle?" He froze, not sure what to make of the situation, but he felt comfortable. He felt safe and secure in her arms and with gentle reassurance, Danielle whispered softly...

"Shh, it's okay... You don't have to apologize for anything. I'm here for you."

Her words were like clear skies after the storm—calming, reassuring, and filled with a promise of better days.

And with that, Y/N, the epitome of stoicism, the fortress of solitude, succumbed to the overwhelming weight of his emotions. In Danielle's embrace, the walls he had painstakingly built around his heart crumbled like ancient ruins, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.

Tears streamed down Y/N's face, his tough exterior crumbling as he allowed himself to feel, to be vulnerable. It was a raw, emotional moment, one he had been holding back for so long.

As Y/N trembled in Danielle's embrace, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. For the first time in ages, he was free from the burden of pretending to be strong.

Seeing Y/N break down in her arms, Danielle's heart shattered into a million pieces. She held him tightly, feeling the tremors wrack his body with each sob, and she wished she could take away all the pain he was feeling.

In that moment, she saw beyond the facade he had carefully constructed, glimpsing the vulnerability and hurt hidden beneath. It tore at her own heart to see him in such anguish, knowing that he had carried this burden alone for far too long.

"It's okay, Y/N. Just let it out. You're safe with me," Her arms enveloped him, providing a safe harbor from the storm raging within. The warmth of her embrace was like a warm, protective blanket, giving him a break from the tough world outside.

In that tender moment, she became his support, keeping him steady amidst his swirling feelings.

"It's fine if you're not ready to open everything today. We can take it one step at a time, and in every step of the way, I'll be here for you no matter what. Okay?" Danielle's voice held a promise of steadfastness, her commitment unwavering.

Y/N hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of her words sink in. But as he looked into her eyes, he knew that Danielle was being true. With a soft but grateful voice, he replied...

"Okay..."

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(A/N): How was it?