daisy

Groggy and disorientated, Daisy lifted her head off the hard yet comfy chest of Seth and rubbed her eyes, trying to get a sense of where she was and what had happened.

She moaned in pain from the throbbing in her cheek, a reminder of the, no doubt, ugly bruise. But as the previous days events ran through her mind, her last memory left a smile on her face.

She was his? Why did that make her whole body tingle?

Daisy squirmed in his arms, only to brush her bare legs against his sweatpants clad leg. With widened eyes, she froze and squeaked in embarrassment, wanting to go away and hide in a very deep hole.

Suddenly the arms holding her tightened, forcing her closer to the very person she was trying to get away from.

"Why am I in bed with a tomato?" Seth groaned. He smirked and kissed her forehead tenderly. Heat rose further in her cheek when he rubbed his leg on hers, re-enforcing her embarrassment as she recalled the moment she scandalously stripped out of her pants right in front of him. Her mother would be so disappointed.

"Good morning," she whispered but then laughed loudly when his hand grazed her thigh in a teasing manner. "Stop. It tickles," she giggled hysterically as he wiggled his fingers against her skin.

Seth let out a husky chuckle, causing her stomach to bubble in a non-gassy type way. "You're cute."

"You so like me," Daisy teased with no idea where her confidence came from.

"Hmm. Maybe a bit too much," he smirked.

After a while of willing herself to get out of the cocoon of warmth and Seth unwilling to let her go, she eventually left the safety of his arms to brush her teeth. The worst thing about waking up next to him was having to be self conscious of her morning breath. When she finished, her cellmate brushed his teeth in the small sink they shared and then they resumed their previous position as if they couldn't bare to be apart for more than a second.

Which honestly seemed to be the case for both of them.

The bell hadn't rang so Daisy cherished the little time they had away from all the other prisoners. It was nice to pretend she wasn't trapped in a prison full to the brim with the most terrifying men. Only early in the mornings when it was quiet, could she close her eyes and imagine she was spooning with her boyfriend in her cosy little bedroom, looking forward to what they would do later in the day.

Oh goodness. Is he my boyfriend?

She opened her eyes and looked at Seth, who was smiling contently against her shoulder, completely unaware of her emotional distress. He had said she liked her twice and he often kissed her on the forehead in a, surely, not brotherly way. Would saying it a third time make them official? Why am I so inexperienced?!

Boy troubles should hardly be a priority in her list of worries considering the unnamed brute that tried to do unthinkable things to her.

Feeling her body stiffen, Seth asked in concern, "you okay?"

Her heart started beating faster the more she thought about the man. Nobody had told her anything when they saved her and she was in too much shock to form all the questions she wanted answered, let alone actually ask anything. "What's g-going to happen to that man? Is he going to prison?"

"Angel, we're already in prison," he replied softly.

"B-but," she struggled to form her words in her current state of worry and confusion, "So he's g-going to get a-away with it?"

He scoffed loudly in return. "That ugly piece of sh*t is not getting away with anything, love."

Oh how she loved his pet names.

"You'll take care of it?" Daisy whispered. Her hands were clutched onto his that laid protectively on her stomach.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it."

She trusted him more than she thought was capable, despite knowing he may have killed his family. Being so vulnerable at the edge of, what she thought, was death, made her realise that she didn't care about what was said about him.

Daisy didn't care that people told her to stay away and she didn't care they called him the Devil. And as selfish and bad as it sounds, she didn't care that he may have killed his family because she knew that despite everything, Seth was the kindest person she had ever known and that's all that really mattered to her.

"Can you kiss me?" Her mouth blurted out before her brain could stop it. Mortified, her shoulders raised up to her ears as she cringed at her own words.

Her embarrassment doubled when he choked on air and coughed in an attempt to disguise his laughter.

I take it back! I take it back! I take it back!

All of a sudden, everything was spinning. Seth had spun her in his arms and now they were face to face, nose to nose, awkward red-faced tomato to handsome smirking man. "Do you really mean it?" He asked, rubbing his nose against hers.

He was so close she could see all the all the different colours in his eyes and the pimple growing on the side of his forehead. The intensity in his stare made her feel a little dazed, like he was hypnotising her to agree.

And he probably did because despite better judgement, she nodded.

He squeezed her side gently yet with warning. "I want words, Daisy."

"Yeah, I-I meant it," she said awkwardly.

Cradling her face, he leaned in, causing to close her eyes anxiously. Could he feel her heart beating inside her chest as if trying to escape and just land in his hands? "Angel, you don't even need to ask."

And then he went in for the kill.

His lips were softer than Daisy expected and he was much more gentle than his character would suggest he would be. Not knowing what to do, she just moved her lips along with his, praying to God she wasn't doing too terribly.

Daisy felt a little intoxicated on it. She was glad they were lying on the bed otherwise she was sure her legs would've been too weak to stand.

A soft groan came out of him when he pulled her closer, as if her body wasn't already pressed against his.

As far as first kisses went, she could confidently say it was the best kiss she had ever had.

"I honestly don't know how I survived without you," he confessed after they parted.

Daisy bit her lip as she bashfully ran her fingers through his hair. "You would probably have to kiss a man."

He snorted. "Unlikely."

"What do you miss about being free?" She asked but then instantly regretted it increase freedom was a touchy subject.

There was a pregnant pause before he answered. "My car. I miss driving. Now that was true freedom."

"I miss sour sweets." She said, sounding a little forlorn but then her mood brightened when she imagined what Seth's face would look like if he ate a Tangfastic.

He pecked her lips and said, "when we get out I'll drive you to a sweet shop and you can have all the sour sweets you want."

Knowing it would probably ruin both their moods yet it was something that had to be asked, she mumbled nearly inaudibly, "when do you get out?"

His light-hearted demeanour darkened, before he rolled out of bed to stand up and stretch his limbs. Daisy wondered if he was just going to ignore she even asked her question but he must've saw her dejected expression because he replied, "it doesn't matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" She asked, completely shocked.

Daisy faintly remembered that he had a life sentence but she assumed it was an exaggeration. Did this mean she was just a prison fling to him? There wasn't much choice as far as potential girlfriends concerned so even if he got out at the same time as her, would he just move onto someone else?

Was she simply just... accessible?

Her gasp of horror caused Seth to look at her weirdly. She mentally scolded herself for giving him another reason not to date her.

His voice brought her out of her heartbroken stupor. "Hurry up. We need to leave for breakfast." The tone he used as he rushed her didn't make her feel any better.

Don't cry. Don't cry.

Grudgingly, Daisy got out of bed wincing as the chilly air hit her skin. It was nearing winter and without radiators in the cells, she was dreading how much colder it would be getting in the future.

"Here."

A white t-shirt was put in her hands. It was Seth's undershirt that was usually worn under his sweatshirt. "W-won't you be cold?" She asked timidly.

He smiled softly. "Don't you worry about me, angel. We don't want you getting a fever."

She waited a few seconds to see if he'd take it back, before quickly putting the t-shirt on top of her current one and then added her own sweatshirt over everything. After Seth turned around, Daisy quickly changed into her sweatpants. The entire outfit made her look like a large grey marshmallow but at least she was warm.

Though when she was allowed to take a much needed shower following the incident, which thankfully, Maria insisted she supervise much to the disappointment of a creepy prison officer, the short pants that Seth gave her had to be taken away to wash.

So now Daisy was back to the dangerously long sweatpants. She was frowning at them as she unhappily folded the pant legs.

"Guess I'm going back to holding you tightly so you don't trip over yourself." He chuckled, not seeing her annoyed expression.

It frustrated her that he was acting like he couldn't care less whether or not he would be released at the same time as her. It didn't feel great that she was just something to keep him warm while being in prison.

"You ready?" He held a hand out to her after the doors opening and the bell rang.

Wordlessly, she nodded and stood up, rubbing her hands together as if she was cold in order to disguise the fact she was ignoring his open hand.

Seth pursed his lips together but didn't say anything either and walked out. Despite feeling a little mad at him, she was still petrified of going anywhere on her own so she quickened her pace to catch up with him.

He placed a protective hand on the small of her back as they walked but the distance between them was much more than what she was used to.

The unsettling feeling that had found its way in the pit of her stomach made her completely oblivious to the fact that Seth wasn't actually leading her to the canteen. She gave a frightened yelp when he pushed her into a dark unknown room.

The air escaped her chest as she heard the loud click of the door locking. Looking around, she saw they were now in a tiny storage cupboard with cleaning supplies.

"W-what?" Daisy murmured in confusion. It was getting harder to breathe in the enclosed area and it didn't help that Seth's anger was radiating off him in waves. She took notice of the broom that could be used as a weapon... if the occasion called for it.

He stepped closer, forcing her to back into the wall as he put his hands on the wall either side of her head, effectively caging her in like a frightened animal.

"S-Seth?"

"Why are you ignoring me?" He finally asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm n- "

"Don't lie to me Daisy," he said calmly.

"When are you getting released? Why do you think it doesn't matter? Am I only a fling to you? Did you really kill your family?" Daisy asked, her eyes welling up with tears as she imagined the worst possible answers he could say.

His beautifully tattooed hand cupped her cheek, covering it entirely as his thumb softly rubbed her skin. "I just don't want you to hate me."

At the pure vulnerability in his voice, her heart squeezed in her chest. "Please." She just wanted answers.

With a sigh, Seth pushed himself away from her and slid to the ground, before gesturing for her to sit with him. They ended up in a comfortable position where he sat behind her with his legs spread and Daisy's back resting against his chest.

She held his hand for support, both for him and herself, because something told her it would be a difficult conversation to have.

"Firstly," he said as Daisy held her breath in anticipation, "you're not a fling." The way he said the word in disgust almost made her laugh. "You mean everything to me."

She smiled to herself as he kissed the side of her head lovingly.

"I don't want you worrying about when I'm being released. We'll worry about it when the time gets closer but I don't think we should be counting down the minutes we have left together. Do you agree?" He explained and Daisy couldn't disagree with his logic so she nodded.

He pulled her closer to the point she could feel the rise and fall of his chest through her back. "I'm sentenced for life in prison for killing my family."

The surprised gasp that escaped her made both of them wince. Daisy was shocked she reacted in that way as she had already been told what his crime was. But, it was much different hearing him confess for himself.

She gulped. "W-what happened?"

Seth groaned and laid his head on the wall, looking like he couldn't believe he was actually telling her. "I guess we should start with who my family are," he began.

"My mother was the most loving and caring mother you could ever ask for. But, that didn't mean she couldn't keep my father in line." He let out a painful chuckle as if the memory hurt him. "The most feared gang leader would gladly bow down to her every whim. I respected my father immensely for the love he wasn't afraid to show and the fairness he gave his men. He was an amazing leader and an even better father."

"They sound lovely," Daisy whispered.

She could feel him nod behind her. "They were. I never wanted to disappoint him but that day I did. I was getting reckless with our deals - losing money and losing men. He called me into his office that day and told me that if I didn't get my act together, Tyler would take over the gang. We had rivals and he had gotten the location of them. It definitely got him bonus points."

"Tyler?"

"My best friend, or I guess you could say brother. My father saw a fourteen year old kid smoking sh*t in the streets without parents. He took him in and Tyler became family to us." He laughed sardonically. "And then he goes and kills my family. My little brother was only eight, Daisy. S-Sammy was just a kid." Seth's voice wavered and she could only assume how much it must've hurt him to talk about his brother in the past tense.

Daisy pressed her lips together to stop them from wobbling. She wanted to be strong for him so he could be weak.

"He asked me to play with him but there was an altercation with one of our weapon shipments and dad sent me to check it out. It was a complete waste of time and if I was there," he paused before saying in a much stronger voice, "if I was there, I could've saved them."

flashback: seth

"Seth? Come home now! Something's hap- "

Several gun shots sounded in the background before the line went dead. Tears stung in his eyes at the fear in her voice, something a son should never hear from his mother.

Conscious of the men staring at him curiously as they awaited orders, he sniffed nonchalantly before putting his phone away and told them that they were being attacked at the base while striding to the car.

Fortunately, they went through a more secluded route to the house so they weren't caught in the busy traffic that would usually happen mid-day. In less than ten minutes, Seth was at his family home, quickly noticing the dead men on the drive way and the blood coating the ground.

"I'm sure they're fine," Aiden said matter-of-factly, though Seth hardly registered his words.

He strode into the house with his gun pointed at every moving thing, only to find that everything that had once moved, was now dead, staining his mother's cream coloured carpet.

Seth's head snapped to the direction of his father's office at the sound of something smashing. Ignoring everything else around him, he ran into the room, unprepared for the horrific sight in front of him.

His mother and brother were both laying unconscious, swimming in their own pool of blood. A deep pain buried itself in his chest as the contents from his stomach threatened to make an unwelcome appearance.

"Oh sh*t. No. Please no," he mumbled through his hand. "No," he said louder, his voice cracking.

"What happened, Seth?"

He whipped around to see Tyler with a gun in his hand and mock sympathy on his face. Seth's father was tied on the floor with duck tape covering his mouth and wet tears streaming now his face. The usually well put together leader looked like he aged twenty years in just a few hours.

"You? Why would you- " he began to ask with betrayal dripping from his voice. Seth blinked several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating because he just didn't want to believe it. Never would he have imagined his best friend of many years to be pointing a gun at him in a room of his murdered family.

"You mean, why would you." Tyler emphasised, much to his confusion.

Bang.

With no remorse to the man that saved him more than once, Tyler shot Seth's father in the head in an execution manner, giving no hope to Seth that his last living relative would survive the fatal wound.

He didn't even have time to process his mourning, nor the police sirens in the background, when Tyler pointed his gun to Seth but instantly, the grieving man shot him repeatedly in the chest until there were no bullets left.

Seeing him fall, Seth took the gun away from Tyler and shot him with it again to take out his anger.

But when Tyler stopped responding, his anger swiftly switched to sadness and he was choking on his tears. His knees buckled, dropping him to the ground in the middle of his entire family, all with blood spilling out of them. He begged hysterically for them to wake up. He sobbed and held a fist to his chest as if in physical pain.

For the first time, he yelled for someone to help him - he yelled for anyone to help him.

But nobody did.

Instead they saw the blood on Seth's hands and the gun by his side, and arrested him for the murder of his family.

flashback ended: daisy

Daisy could hear him sniffling and see him lift his arm, no doubt to wipe his tears and by the end of the story, she was doing the same.

Although, it wasn't a story - it was real life and it had happened to Seth. He had to go through that all on his own and it physically crushed her that she couldn't take his pain away.

"If only I had gotten there sooner. They'd still be alive. Sammy would be twelve. They put me away to think about what I had done. They called me a monster." He said hoarsely. His grip around her weakened and he sounded exhausted from just reliving the memory.

Daisy turned around and knelt in front of him, crying harder as she saw his red tinged eyes and broken expression. Placing both hands on his face, she forced him to look at her and swallowed the lump in her throat before saying, "Seth, look at me. None of it's your fault. None, ok? Please stop blaming yourself."

He gave her a small smile and rested his forehead on hers. "You didn't stutter."

Realising that he was right, she answered truthfully, "because I'm not afraid of you. And you shouldn't be too."

~~~

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WORD COUNT: 3526

Much love <3

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