Daniel

She let him into her life long before she saw him. Her friend painted a portrait of him with words: tall, older, laughing loudly, hands in his jacket pockets. You nodded, but all you could see in your head was a vague silhouette—a bundle of warmth without a face.
And then there was a birthday.
You arrived late, out of breath, and paused at the threshold of the living room, where the air trembled with music and voices. And at that very moment, the door to the balcony swung open, and HE entered the room, bringing with him the scent of the night's coolness and rain.
Reality proved harsher and sharper than any fantasy. Daniil wasn't just tall—he filled the space like a cliff fills the horizon. His shoulders were broader than you imagined, his fingers longer, and in the glance he gave you, there was something ancient and dark that made your throat tighten.
You are gone. Completely gone.
Not the moment he smiled, not the moment he said your name. You vanished earlier—in the second you realized the world around him had ceased to exist. The music faded to noise, people became shadows, and only he, ardent and alive, stood before you, looming over you like inescapable fate.
He didn't say anything about love. At first, he was simply there. You felt it when he instinctively brushed a fallen strand of your hair, as if he'd done it a hundred times. When he pushed a glass of water toward you without asking if you wanted a drink. When, as he passed by, he covered your hand with his for a few moments—to silence you, because his fingers were twice your size, rougher, stronger, and the contrast burned you with electricity.
He didn't save you from danger - he simply created a silence around you in which you could hear your heart beating.
You looked up at him, and he smiled that same smile your friend had told you about. But now it was meant for you. And there was a promise in it.
“Well,” he said quietly, leaning towards your ear to be heard over the music. “Did you recognize it?”
His voice was a mixture of laughter and something deep, like a pool. And you realized: this is only the beginning.