"Be careful," Norman grimaced, standing so close your shoulders were brushing and clinging his textbooks to his chest, "I don't like him." He almost seemed possessive of you, like a mother bear- of course, Michael had those exact same vibes from his place towering just behind you radiating distrust. 

"I'll be fine, guys, I can handle myself," You say and fight the urge to roll your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips. With your backpack slung over one shoulder and your skates tied over the other, you start forwards towards Danny's motorcycle, where he's already stood and waiting. You reach the bottom of the steps and spin on your heel, flashing a farewell salute and a wide smile that you hope it reassuring. "I'll be careful, I promise. I'll try to get it done quick so I'm home asleep at a regular hour." That promise alone smoothed some of the tension out of Norman's shoulders, and he nodded his head, returning the smile with a smaller one of his own. 

"Have fun, (Y/N)." He said with a wave, and just before you turned around you heard Michael add in his usual low voice,

"Call me if you need anything. Anything at all and I'll be there." That made your heart swell, and your grin became goofy and thankful. You held out your hands in the shape of a heart, realizing that these were the best friends you'd ever had in your life and you loved them to bits. At last, you turned back to Danny and continued forwards with a new bounce in your step. Danny smiled at you as you approached, small but real, not the stupid smirk you always desperately wanted to wipe off of his face. 

"Look who's happy," He hummed as he stood up straight from his place leaning against his motorcycle, grabbing his helmet dangling off the handlebar, "Is it because you get to spend the whole evening with yours truly?" You pretend to gag and roll your eyes, shaking your head dramatically. 

"God, no, I was just savoring my last moments of freedom." 

"Ha ha," Danny laughed, sarcastic, and pressed his helmet into your chest, "You're wearing this. I'm not being responsible if you fall off the back." You were about to object when he suddenly let go, your own hands racing to catch it before it could fall. "Throw your stuff in here," Unlatching the clasp on his heavy-duty topcase, Danny flipped the lid up and motioned with one arm for you to drop your bag and skates into the storage container. It was surprisingly spacious, fitting both items with next to no trouble as well as Danny's own nearly-empty bag on the top. He had to press down hard to get it shut now that his backpack was there too, but he still go it closed and let out a victorious snicker before turning to you again. He took the helmet from your hands and set it on the seat of his bike. "Okay, base instructions- first off, do you have a hair tie?" You shook your head dumbly, and he let out a sigh and nodded his head. "Lucky for you, Mandy loses hers all the time. Here," Danny pulled his sleeve back to reveal the old, almost invisible traces of the bruises on his wrist and the scabbed over surface of his healing knuckles. His nails were painted pale blue, with little red mushrooms that looked way neater than a child could do. As you swiped the hair tie from him you also grabbed his hand and pulled it closer to inspect the pattern.

"What, did you do this yourself?" You ask with an adoring smile that you hoped passed as a teasing one. 

"Wha- No, no definitely not," Danny tore his hand away again and his cheeks went rosy, "That's, like, lame and-"

"I think it's cute. You should paint mine sometime. So, am I tying it in a bun or a ponytail or what?" You changed the topic so fast that Danny hardly had time to process the words, let alone think up a way to hide the way his cheeks heated even further at the compliment. 

"Uh- You- Y-Yeah," He stuttered, fiddling with his fingers and then quickly scraping them through his hair to regather himself, "Yeah, a low ponytail. Just to keep the hair out of your face." You hid your face by letting it fall to the floor, reaching your hands behind your head to tie your hair tight. 

(If you have short hair, just imagine that you just took his hand because you're a confident icon. Noticing his nails is 100% vital imo haha)

"Okay, now what?" 

"Now," Danny picked up the helmet again, flipping it around and setting it over your head. It fit a little loose, but he reached his hand underneath your chin to adjust the straps, "I shouldn't have to tell you not to take this off while we're driving, that's common sense."

"I'm going to take it off just to spite you." 

"Let me know if this is tight enough," Danny entirely ignored your little quip and instead clipped the straps together. It fit snug, but not too tight. You shot him a thumbs up and he smiled, taking a step back and making sure it wasn't crooked or anything of the sort. With one last nod he turned to his bike and swung one leg over the seat. "Sit behind me, please, as close as you can without it being, like... weird." 

"Why would it be weird?" You tease, unable to ignore the opportunity. Danny shrugged one shoulder and ignored you again. Reaching behind him, Danny grabbed your hands and snaked them around his waist to rest on his lower abdomen. "Hold tight and trust me. I know how to ride this thing double and even if it seems like we're tipping, we're not." Jamming the keys in the ignition and pulling back on the throttle, the engine roaring to life. 

"Oh please, I'm no wuss, I'm not gonna scream and cry if this thing tips a little oH MY GOD DANNY DANNY DANNY-" You cut yourself off as he cranks the handlebars to the left, the bike starting forwards but, yes, lurching terribly to the side. You feel like your leg is gonna scrape the concrete it's leaned so far, but Danny counters the weight by moving in the opposite direction guiding you to follow and the motorcycle stands upright once more. 

"You alright back there?" He says with a loopy grin, the air pushing against his face and through his hair already lifting his spirits sky-high. 

"Yep, yep all- all good," Your voice wavers as you speak and Danny takes one hand off the handles to pat your hand, trying to get it to loosen the death grip you had currently caught his poor chest in. 

"You're, uh, suffocating me a little there sweetheart. Maybe lighten up just a tad more." 

"Right, sorry," you do as Danny tells, letting your body relax enough not to kill him. 

"There you go, look at you! You're on a motorcycle and you're not dead!" A giddy laugh escapes you at his words that blends perfectly with his own, but it's still airy and a little spooked.

"Just drive a little faster, please. I don't wanna be on here longer than i have to." The two of you fell into silence, the bike roaring smoothly down the quiet residential streets. You noticed him cutting stop signs and almost spoke up, but you cut yourself off and buried your face as much as you could with a helmet on in his back as he took a sharp right and tilted the bike again. 

"Almost there, darling, don't worry." Your stomach did that butterfly thing and he must have noticed your grip around him going tighter because he let out a little laugh and removed his hand from the handlebars to pat your own again. That made the butterflies crazier. Another three minutes passed and then you were entering a thin forest, the road getting a little bumpier but the light bustle of Ashboro fading away completely, leaving only the cat-like hum of the motorcycle to soothe your ears. It was strangely therapeutic, having the same effect that rain might have. "Mind if we make a quick pit stop?" Danny asked, voice raised over the buzzing. You nod into his back and he pulls slowly on the brake, coming to a stop on the side of the road and kicking out his kickstand. "We should try to be quick, I don't like leaving her alone," He pats the handlebar, signifying that 'her' is his bike. He lets you hop off first then follows after and takes your helmet off for you. 

"Where are we going?" 

"You'll see." 

"That's suspicious." Danny doesn't answer and just shrugs one leather-clad shoulder before grabbing your hand in a 100% non-romantic way to bring you towards the treeline. There's a little path, gently trodden and almost invisible, that led you to a small dilapidated shed with a tin roof and a shattered window, though there was no broken glass to be seen. Danny held out a hand to stop you, then took a few more steps forwards before sitting cross-legged on the ground. He reached into his jacket, pulling a small plastic bag out of the inner pocket that was filled with something pale brown. Whistling a melodic three-tone tune, he tilted his head to listen carefully in the direction of the shed. Something shifted and your eyes darted towards a hole in the bottom right of the door where weather has chewed the wood away. A nose poked out, small and black, and then two glittering green eyes followed right after. 

"Hey there, Kiwi," Danny cooes, and your heart just about melts. Taking a tentative step out from the shadow of the shed, a little tortoiseshell kitty stepped into the light, her small paws crunching on the mid-fall leaves. "Wanna come say hi?" He ripped open the bag of what now seemed to be treats, glancing over his shoulder at you and patting the spot next to him. Slow and careful, you come forth and take a seat at your friends side. 

"Her name is Kiwi...?" You ask, holding out a hand as she crept forwards, sniffing it nervously. 

"No," He laughed, "It's Pandora. Here, take a treat." The bag held out to you, you reach your other hand in and pull out three of the little fish-shaped biscuits. "She's totally friendly, but a little scared." 

"She's beautiful..." You sigh, and hold out the hand with the treats in them. 

"It's okay, Ki, you can take em." Danny scoots forwards and reaches out to stroke her long-furred back. She began to chomp on the treats in your hand, her pupils blown wide and scared. 

"How'd she get her nickname? Kiwi?" You reach your own hand to scratch at her head. 

"It's what I fed her the first time she came by my house. We were short on groceries, and it was all we had other than stale cereal and a slice of spoiled lunch meat." You crack another smile as Pandora takes another treat from your hand, creeping a little closer to brush against Danny's knee and walk a slow investigatory circle around you. 

"So... If you found her all the way at your house, what's she doing out here?" This question seems to strike a nerve. Danny freezes, his hand pausing halfway through a stroke of Pandora's fur and letting her slink away. "You don't have to answer, I'm sorry I shouldn't have-"

"Allergies. My sister has allergies." You knew it was an excuse but you nodded your head and accepted the explanation without hesitation. You weren't going to push him. 

"Of course. Well, that's a shame. She sticks around here? She doesn't run off?" The topic change was the right move, and the tension eases from Danny's shoulders once more. He shakes his head and sets the bag of treats down for Pandora to help herself. She crawls into his lap and does just that as he pets her head absent mindedly. 

"She wanders sometimes, but she can hear my bike coming from miles away and always meets me back. She knows the sound."

"And... Is it safe?" This time he shrugs.

"More or less. There are coyotes, but she's fast and she's a great climber. Any sound startles her up the nearest tree, and the hole in the shed door is too small for most things to slip through." You let out a hum of acknowledgement and watch with a grin as she takes one more treat and then hops to her paws again, stretching them out before her and arching her back in a stretch. "She looks tired. We should let her rest, but I can bring you to check up on her again sometime, if you... I dunno. If you wanted to, but that's kind of stupid-"

"I'd love to, actually."

"Yeah?" Danny's gold eyes brightened, glowing, and he showed you the most dazzling grin you'd ever seen adorn a human face. The corners of his eyes crinkled gently, his teeth all straight and white and perfect. He was perfect. 

"Yeah." You return his smile with your own, and you totally miss the way his lips wobble as he fights back the urge to cry because you're just so goddamn beautiful. "Come on, stupid," You climb to your feet and hold out a hand, "We've got a project to finish." 

(A/N): I. LOVE. THIS. CHAPTER.