Another Day In Paradise | Danny Johnson x Reader

Stupid Toad, Shut Up.

(A/N): ...Danny kiss...?

Your chase had led you to McAaron park, the heart of Ashboro- The gardens were gigantesque, with neatly-trimmed hedges and overflowing flower beds and a grand fountain in the center. During the day the place would be warm, lively, loud and brimming with colour, but now as the night fell the colours had been smothered and replaced with the golden glow of of the street lights. The evening was cold, chilled winds nipping at your nose and cheeks and drawing out a ripple of goosebumps over the surface of your skin. You hugged yourself tightly, pausing at the mouth of the path that would guide your feet into the gardens, wondering if Danny had even come this way. Taking in a slow, icy breath and letting it out in a deep sigh, you started forwards. Ten minutes had passed since you had initially left the bowling alley to follow after Danny. He had been quick, sneaky, slipping out of your sight almost immediately. Not wanting to go back to the hustle and bustle of the lanes to deal with the police, you had chosen to look for him, even if you had no real idea where he was. Whether you find him or not, a stroll through the park didn't seem like a terrible idea.

Walking into the parkland was like walking into another world. Silence fell around you, the chirping of distant crickets almost drowning out the quieting sirens. The branches overhead tangled and brushed together in the light breeze, rattling like bones; it wasn't an unpleasant sound. Though the temperature dropped as you walked further, you didn't mind it. You could deal with a little cold if it meant you could hold onto this strange feeling of serenity. The gold-lit flora on your either side tinged the air with a soft, sweet aroma, drawing you further and further in. A toad croaked in the distance. Your search for Danny was swept to the side for a moment, a curtain drawn over it to allow your mind to soak in the wonderful evening as you continued forwards, further into the park. A pathway broke off to your right and you took it, head tilting back to look up at the snippets of star-riddled sky you could catch through the trees. All at once you could make out the distant bubble of water; you knew it wouldn't be the fountain, since that would be to your left, back down the main path you'd just stepped off of, but the thought occurred that it could be a stream and that sounded just as nice. Placing your feet down as quietly as you could, you walked on, head turned in the direction of the bubbling. Through the trees and the underbrush on the edges of the path you noticed the rippling of water, the yellow-hued lamps casting their glow down onto it's swift-moving surface. A smile melted onto your face, the last of your stress easing out of your features. Ahead, you could see the path veering yet again to the right, directly to the water's edge. You listened carefully to the babbling of the stream with each step you took until you came upon the corner and turned it, freezing in place as soon as you did. 

Your smile faded to be replaced by awe. Before you was an arching bridge made of a pale wood, connecting the earth on either side of the shallow stream. The water was clear and quick, dancing and sliding over a bed of small rocks. There were no fish, but there was a log caught on the edge of the streambed that housed a sleek toad. Above the stream glittered a sea of stars, the moon bathing the scene in silver. It was breathtaking. Stepping onto the bridge, you made for the railing, extending your hands to set them on it's smooth surface. With the sky a dark blue and the air crisp and clear, you could stand here forever; it was the prettiest place you think you'd ever seen in your whole entire life. You looked closer at the toad, a smile ghosting your lips. The creature let out a slow, low croak, and you couldn't help the laugh that escaped you at the sound. A twig snapped behind you. Whipping around, you were met with the sigh of familiar golden eyes, leather jacket thrown over one arm and shirt balled up and pressed to his nose with the other. 

"I didn't say you could follow me." Danny's voice was soft and tired. He started, slow, towards you, and parked himself at your side. Setting his jacket over the railing, he sighed, leaning against it.