Dream a Little Dream // Daniel Howell x Reader

Chapter 47

"Dan?"

"Hm?"

"It's getting a little late. Should we head back soon?"

Dan felt (Y/N)'s grip tightened as she squeezed his hand, their fingers having been intertwined for the past few minutes. They stood by the railing of the bridge, leaning intently over the side as they watched the water flow beneath them, the calming ripples of the stream shining back with the remaining light in the sky. Soon the evening's autumn palette would be replaced by twilight's navy skies, bringing their eventful day to a close. Dan silently wished that the sky would hold on for a few more minutes; he didn't want this day to end. "Uhm, I guess we should get going. There won't be much light on this path in a couple of minutes." He held (Y/N)'s hand tenderly, causing her to look up at him. "Even if there was no light, I'd lead you back safe and sound."

"Aww Dan, that's so—"

"Cheesy?" snickered Dan, looking to the side as he chuckled to himself.

(Y/N) sputtered a bit, raising her head back to laugh. "Yeah. So cheesy! Damn, you sound like a bad romance character." She used her free hand to shuffle through her back pocket, fishing out her phone. "Besides, we have our phones if it gets too dark. We are fortunate enough to live in the 21st Century, y'know."

Dan rolled his eyes, smirking with how snarky this girl could be. But she did have a point; there was no use rushing if they had one source of light available. "Guess you're right. I always confuse this century for the previous one."

(Y/N) huffed lightheartedly, gently squeezing Dan's hand and pushing it into his side. "Okay, smartass. That being said we probably should start heading back before we get eaten alive by bugs. You wouldn't have a problem in those long pants and sweater. But I—" she said gesturing down to her exposed legs. "—am practically naked from the waste down." She sighed loudly. "This is what I get for trying to impress you on our 'unofficial' date."

Dan raised an eyebrow mischievously. "You tried to impress me by being naked from the waste down, eh? Pretty bold of you, (Y/N). At least buy me dinner first." He smirked devilishly at his own comment. His sudden spark of courage made him feel like teasing her a little.

(Y/N)l quickly snatched her hand away from his, a bright red blush barely visible in her dark surroundings. "I didn't mean–! Y-you are such a dork!" She crossed her arms around her body in a defensive manner, a crooked smile forming from a combination of embarrassment and amusement. "Imagining me naked are you, Howell? Pretty forward of you, don't you think? Guess Phil was right about you having a pervy streak in you."

"I— Wait, no! I don't have a... I didn't mean that! (Y/N), you sneak!" Now it was Dan's turn to act all flustered, the unexpected roundabout from (Y/N) catching him off guard. He could feel the tips of his ear light up from how abashed he felt. Though he was a little embarrassed, he couldn't help himself from letting out a few giggles as he found comfort in their light hearted banter. Luckily, it seemed as if nothing had changed between the two of them despite admitting their attractions for each other. "Ignoring your delusional claims, we should actually start going now. You'll be completely devoured by peckish bugs in a few minutes." Dan extended his hand and felt warmth envelop him when (Y/N) took it without hesitation. The best part about this was the fact that she held on.

Dan lead her out of the path slowly, making sure she wouldn't trip on any possible debris on the way back. The perks of having a secret path was that no one was ever around to over populate it. The downside was that the city wouldn't take the time to make sure the walkway was clear. A small sacrifice to make for such a magical place, thought Dan.

The two of them eventually reached the main path of the park, the humming of newly lit street lamps a comforting sight the behold. Now that the sun had gone down the vast majority of human activity dwindled quite a bit. The busy streets were no longer held up by crowds of people or the speeding figures of bikers as they raced past. Instead, it was a welcomed quiet. All Dan could hear was the gentle breeze through the trees, the sloshing waters by the stream, and the synchronized footsteps that he and (Y/N) shared together. Neither of them said a word, yet it was a comfortable silence. Just two people enjoying each other's company after such a long time.