Dani can’t look at Matteo, can’t risk seeing pity or fear or god forbid, disgust, on his face, but as she watches the spike retract she feels his arms close around her again. He says he’s sorry and she believes him, doesn’t bristle at the condolences like she does when they come from strangers, and Dani buries her face in his chest and lets her tears soak the front of Matteo’s t-shirt.
Then he begins his own story, steps back and takes her hand. It isn’t a surprise to hear how his foster parents had reacted; Dani can almost see Paul’s self-righteous sneer, can almost hear the fear ( half performance, half genuine ) in Kelly’s voice. She hates them for it, but at the same time it’s hard not to be grateful that Matteo has been free of them for so long. Even if… okay, living on the streets of Boston isn’t what she’d imagined all those years as she tried to picture what he might be doing. But the important part is that he made it out - that someone from Xavier’s found him like they had just found her and brought him back here, to a place with walls that feel more like those of a fortress and less like those of a prison.
When she feels Matteo start to shake Dani wraps her other hand around the one already clasped in hers. She’s still crying, tears running silently in salty-hot trails down her cheeks, and when he says the word beautiful she lets out an involuntary and extremely unflattering snort, almost laughter but much closer to distress.
“Please, don’t–they’re not, they can’t be beautiful, Matteo, I…I hurt people, when I was in there. They made me do it but I just–I got so used to it and–” Dani breaks off abruptly into another choking sob and steps forward to plant her face in his chest again - the only place she can think of where he can’t see her crying.
He hates seeing her cry. He always has; even when it was just from a scraped up knee from playing on the playground. The silent tears are almost worse then if she was sobbing loudly, because it tells him that she’s had to hide them before. Hide her feelings, stay quiet as to not draw attention. Matteo brings up the hand that isn’t currently in use and uses his thumb to gently wipe away the tear he sees falling. He doesn’t know what to say that will make this better; he’s not even sure there was anything to say at all.
Matteo welcomes her into his embrace, bringing a hand up to wrap around her back so that his hand cups her head. “That wasn’t you.” He whispers; finally finding his voice, fingers brushing through her hair carefully. “It was something you were forced to do. Something you had to do to survive.” The memories of what Milo had said about the prisoners being forced to battle against each other float in; and Matteo closes his eyes for a moment. He can’t imagine what she’s gone through, what she’s had to go through.
“But you’re not there anymore, ok? I know you, you aren’t going to hurt anyone out here. You’re a good person Danica” He murmurs, not breaking away from her. “And...we can figure something out if you don’t want the antlers anymore.” His eyes move glance towards them; trying to understand how they work. He doesn’t dare move his hand that’s wrapped around her and his other one is still locked in by her hands; though he wouldn’t just touch them regardless. Matteo returns his gaze back to Dani, or rather the top of her head. “I’m here though, ok? I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere”
