Til Death

18. Blake/Daniel

BLAKE

Gasping for air, Blake snapped upright in bed, flinging off his bed sheets. He half coughed, half screamed and fought for gulps of breaths. Kicking the rest of the sheets off, Blake ran to the nearest window. He threw the doors open and a swirl of cold air and flecks of snow rushed inside. Blake gripped the edge, bracing himself so he wouldn't fall through the world.

It felt like ages before his heart settled. He thought maybe he'd spend the rest of his life wracked with these nerves. That this panic would never go away. Taking another deep breath, Blake finally detached from the window and pulled the curtains closed. He rested against the velvet fabric.

"It was just a dream. It was just a dream," Blake told himself, kidding himself. He could still feel Edward's hand around his throat and squeeze. Nervously, Blake went to the bathroom and check his neck in the mirror, turning around all the way to search for bruising or any mark at all.

Nothing. It was a dream.

"I'm losing it," Blake whispered.

Shaking his head, he walked back into the bedroom, but hit the door fumbling backwards. He forgot about Ignacio. Instead of doing his normal disappearing trick, tonight Ignacio slept on Blake's couch, wrapped in blankets with little clothing on. While asleep, he couldn't conceal his red skin, his tail, or the horns.

Like this, curled up like a cat and hugging a decorative pillow, Ignacio could've been a completely different demon than the one in Blake's dream... which was fine. Since it was just a dream. All at once, Blake had the overwhelming feeling that he didn't want to be alone. He grabbed the white robe Adele had given him when he arrived and took one step outside when he realized he didn't know where he was going. He wasn't sure who he was running off to find.

Daniel was probably in his office, but no one ever told Blake where that was in the castle. As quietly as possible, Blake tip-toed back into his room. He crept around a snoring Ignacio to grab a pillow and a pair of scissors.

With his stash, he walked back into the hallway and whispered, "I don't know which Bellerose picked out the pillows, but I hope they don't mind what I'm going to do next... and if they would mind, I hope they're not invited to the wedding."

Blake cut through the belly of the pillow, uncovering its goose feather stuffing. "Help me find Danny," Blake asked the feathers, calling upon his own magic. All the anxiety riddling his body, the feeling of flies beating down the window of his body calmed and faded, replaced by a warm sensation. A handful of feathers trickled out of the pillow, somersaulting into the air. Blake grinned.

One by one, the feathers flew out of the pillow and made a trail. Blake ran after the feathers, sprinting through the hallways of the palace, lit only by the moonlight. Every light in the castle was off, so he could see the sliver of golden light from a mile away. It came from a small crack underneath a great oak door. Blake could hear the faint hum of music. The feathers lost their life before they hit the door, scattering across the checkered marble.

Suddenly nervous, Blake glanced down at his Star Wars pajama bottoms and his old college T-shirt and felt his face warm. He closed the robe and tied it shut. Maybe he should've let Michael pick out some sleepwear too. He curled his toes on the cold floor.

Blake supposed it wasn't the stupidest he ever looked in front of Daniel...

Still, looking ridiculous felt like a better option than being alone. He knocked on the door, expecting "a go away" as if the teen Daniel was going to pop out.

Instead, Daniel said, "come in" from the other side.

Taking one more deep breath for strength, Blake crept inside to find a much longer room than he expected. That was when the realization hit him and his face warmed. There was a chance those feathers would lead him to Daniel's bedroom in the middle of the night too... thank God it was Daniel's study.