explosive disaster

✦ CHRIS WOOD, CIS MALE, HE/HIM ✦ DANIEL ANDERSON the THIRTY-THREE year old has been in Hidehill for ENTIRE LIFE and was a CLASSMATE to Jade Parker, the missing person . Whispers on the streets are that the HACKER who lives in HOVE LAKE. He is said to be CHARMING and EXPLOSIVE but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves. 

triggers:  domestic abuse, alcoholism

Who: Danny Anderson x Syd Whitechapel Location: In Baby - somewhere on the road

After successfully fooling the town into his overwhelming grief of Heidi’s death, Danny had eagerly agreed to Syd’s suggestion of ditching town for a few days and hitting the road. It was exactly what he needed after the mess of plan at the wedding and his face didn’t need to be public right now. He couldn’t stand to pretend being emotional and heartbroken when in reality, he didn’t give two shits about his sister’s death and was only concerned that the plan had been derailed. However, even that was something he had to keep under control. Though he was getting better at hiding stuff from Syd through the bond, he knew he had to mind his thoughts. Syd couldn’t know he was the Shadow or anything involving it - not yet. 

When they hit the hour mark of being on the road, Danny rolled down the car window and closed his eyes as the wind helped clear his mind. “We should probably get gas, babe.” Danny muttered, breaking the silence that had been covered by the sound of 80′s rock coming from the speakers. “Steal some snacks or something before we continue?” He didn’t really process his words, not thinking about the fact that it probably wasn’t something normie Danny would say but keeping the mask on was getting increasingly harder around his boyfriend.

sofia: i guess..

sofia: yes please 🥺

sofia: i'm just saying, if anything it would've helped me but..i get it

danny: when are you going?

sofia: yeah...it just seems like she's back in california tbh and not, ya know

sofia: i have stuff over there that i need to get, it'll be fine...i'll be fine

sofia: of course, i'm here. if i wasn't such a mess at the wedding i would've found you...

danny: it might be easier to just think that...

danny: do you want me to go with you?

sofia: dion invited me to start doing that and i'm kinda majorly freaking out????? if you want help or whatever..

danny: I can't believe cami is gone too. i've known her...god, since high school

danny: you don't have to go; not if it's going to cause you to freak. sure dion would get it

sofia: so we can't change that or whatever? i said stuff i didn't mean

sofia: barely surviving, you?

danny: doing the best i can

sofia: to talk?? isn't that why people text?

sofia: i'm sorry about your sister

danny: yeah...when people are actually talking. last i was aware, we were not.

danny: yeah...thank you...

sofia: hi....

danny: what do you want, sofia?

A smug smirk appeared on Syd’s face at Danny’s reaction to his compliment. Just as he expected, it was enough to place a pretty shade of pink on the older man’s cheeks. What made it all that more obvious was that little nervous laugh that fell from his mouth as he scratched the back of his neck. As always, his body language had given him away no matter how hard Danny tried to play it cool. That didn’t make it any less adorable to Syd though. He was giving in to his weakness of making pretty things blush, turning it into a game, but did realize it would no longer be one-sided. Not only could Danny turn the tables on Syd like no one else could, he succeeded with ease too. Until Syd met him, he didn’t know he was capable of blushing and that was proof that Syd wasn’t dealing with just anyone. “But you are. You’re so fucking pale it’s not that hard to notice,” he jibed with the same wide smile, not acknowledging the comment about his own blushing.

Most would stop there to give Danny a chance to breathe but that wasn’t Syd. He could tease him all day until he stole the breath out of the older man. “You’re like a little blushing schoolboy. It’s so fucking cute!” He continued his verbal assault, excitement flooding his veins as he waited to see Danny’s next reaction. Knowing him, Syd knew he wouldn’t be disappointed once he saw it. “Guess I better get used to that then.” He remarked with a snort. Still, it didn’t stop Danny from flirting back without hesitation and filling Syd with a different kind of excitement. “You do, but s’not like I can’t put you there whenever I want.” He teasingly mocked, shrugging. Syd could play this game if Danny wanted but he almost ended it when the older man provoked him to actually do something. Three seconds was how close Syd had been to tossing aside the whole table and making Danny sit on his cock, whether he could take it or not, if the waitress hadn’t walked by. “Keep playing with me and I’ll do it. I won’t give a fuck who sees either.” He stared Danny down, complete seriousness in his expression but doubted Danny could handle that so he ended it there. “You’ve got a whole stack and you’re not gonna share? Fuckin’ pig.” He laughed, pretending like they weren’t about to fuck each other two seconds ago.

xx

Danny mused it was downright awful that his composure always collapsed whenever he was with Syd. He was good under pressure, controlling his body language and reactions to give away only what he wanted. Even with his explosive nature, the man typically had decent control over his portrayal. But Syd unarmed him in a way that proved to Danny that he was dealing with someone, unlike anyone he had ever met. It was exhilarating, but what made it even better was that he could do the same to Syd. It was only proven by the lingering pink that colored his cheeks. "Please," Danny scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he gwaffed. "You're paler than I am, so trust me when I say you ain't fooling anyone." Danny leaned forward, a teasing smirk on his lips. "I saw that pretty blush, babe, but don't worry, I won't tell anyone how hard you're crushing on me." Danny still couldn't wipe away his grin despite knowing well enough by now that this teasing might bring him more torment.

"Oh, shut up!" Danny complained, ignoring how he could the heat rise in his cheeks, and flipped him off. He was a fucking schoolboy right now, but he didn't need that reminder, though he had grown to know Syd enough to realize the teasing wasn't going to end any time soon. "Who said I'd let you?" Danny hummed the question, eyebrow arched high in query, as if he hadn't just been offering to do so later tonight. Syd suddenly changed; Danny watched as his expression turned feral and his gaze turned hungry. He knew if they hadn't been in such an open space, things would have taken a shift, and Syd would have had Danny pinned down. It made a flash of heat go over him at the thought. They'd fooled around since the hotel but had yet to take it further. "Who said I would have stopped you?" Danny met his gaze, not backing down from the heat that seemed to pour from Syd's eyes. For a second, Danny hated the waitress he had called over. Still, it was enough to provide some distraction from what could have been an arrest of public indecency brewing. Clearing his throat, Danny tried to shift gears again. A grin cracked his features, and he rolled his eyes at Syd's dramatics before waving the waitress away. "Oh? You want one of these?" Danny pointed at his pancakes before grabbing one and flinging it at Syd again with a laugh. "Another?" He grabbed and threw another one, watching in amusement as Syd tried to stop the onslaught of breakfast food. "Two enough?"

“we’ve known each other for a while danny. if there’s one thing i know it’s that you could never do anything like what they were accusing you of.”  yasmin knew danny wasn’t that type of person. if he was, she wouldn’t have talked to him. or told the other people in there to shut up.  finishing her own food, she placed the fork on her plate before pushing it away.  "don’t let what they say get to you. if you do that means they win.“ another life lesson her dad had taught her growing up. never let anything someone said get to them.   "who ever made the report should really do some reading on how it’s unlawful to lie. i didn’t study law or anything but i do like to do read up on some things every so often.”

xx

It was appreciated that some people could see that about him and see past the rumors and crap that this town loved to create. “Thanks, Yasmin. I might have to quote you one day.” He joked, but if things got any worse, he would probably need character witnesses. It was relieving to know that there were some people he could rely on. “I know - but it’s difficult. People don’t realize that being accused of murder has actual consequences on a person’s life. It affects everything but I’m trying, really hard, to not let it get to me too much.” Danny snorted, thinking of Sofia and Katherine and how they should suffer some consequences at the hand of the law for what they had done. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like that was something that was going to happen. “I highly doubt the cops are going to do much for my honor or against Sofia and Katherine; it is fucked up but it’s reality.”

✻ ✻ ✻

She had always been the more affectionate one between the two of them and over the years they had known each other, she had witnessed Danny warm up to this being how she was and slowly accepted her affection. Although it had been a while, she was glad that it felt just like old times when his arms wrapped around her and he gave her a squeeze. She smiled and giggled when he lifted her off of her feet just like he had done many times in high school. Outside of looking more like a man these days than the little neighborhood boy she had grown up with, Danny still seemed the same — goofy and armed with that charming smile — to her. 

“I guess there’s nothing else to do around here but gossip,” she joked, “and in that case, you probably heard about my argument with our shitty police.” Millie’s eyes rolled as she still couldn’t fathom how they could’ve thought Danny would be a suspect. Yes, she knew he could have a temper and act impulsively sometimes, but he wasn’t his father and he wasn’t a murderer.  “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that and I can’t believe anyone would go to the police suspecting you.” She shook her head and stopped herself there because she didn’t know if he would want to talk about it. “I just hope you’re doing okay and if you want to talk, I’ll listen.” 

It felt right to leave the ball in his court, letting him know that he could lean on her if he wanted to but not pressuring him because it had been so long since they had last talked, but she wanted him to know that she’d always be there to listen and to have his back. “Yeah, I remember this beach was like our safe haven. Forget tree houses, we had the waves and sand,” she smiled at the nostalgic thought.

It wasn’t surprising that he might want to come somewhere peaceful to escape from life for a moment after everything, and she hoped maybe she could add some of her trademark brightness to the day. “We both came to run, right?” She mused as she thought of a dorky plan, “so, why don’t we race to the end of the beach and then I’ll tell you why.” She moved to his side now so they’d start off equally parallel. “Plus, I bet I can beat you,” she teased, gently nudging him in his side.

xx

Millie was one of the very few people that Danny would ever consider special in his life. The lost short - exceedingly short. Syd, Ronnie, Heidi and Millie. So, it didn’t surprise him much that their relationship had not suffered in the absence of nurture for the last 15 years. 

“Small town mindset.” Danny offered as an explanation because it was all that was needed; everyone knew how small towns worked. A huff of a laugh escaped Danny then, shaking his head as he shifted his weight. “I didn’t hear you at the station but I heard about it afterwards.” It didn’t surprise him at all that Mille had done that. She had always had his back, no matter what. “From what I heard, you were quite the spit fire and gave them hell. I wish I could have seen it!” But from knowing her so well, Danny could practically envision it. “But thank you for that, Mills. Not many would ever do that.”

There was a flash of annoyance that burned through him and Danny had to bit his tongue and look away from her for a second. “Sofia, my recent ex, and her best friend went to the cops with false allegations. The police bought it cause you know, I’m a damn hot head.” He was still convinced that Sofia only fed into it because she was being petty and vindictive - Danny had never given her a reason to doubt his character and Kat was just crazy. “Kat is going back to retract all the false statements though, so we will see what happens.” He wouldn’t believe it until it happened though. He didn’t trust Katherine Vega as far as he could throw her. 

A flash of memories went through his head quickly, and he smiled at Millie. Though having grown up in Hove Lake, the two had always found escape in the sandy waters of Fig Beach. Being drawn from his thoughts at her question, he quirked an eyebrow, recognizing that tone. A grin stretched across his face at the challenge and more as she gave him a playful shove. “Oh, you’re so on!” Danny agreed, turning to face the direction they’d be running. Looking at her, he got ready, “On three.” He began, “1...2...3!” And he took off in a full run, managing to laugh because Millie was not that far off pace from him either. 

xx

Moving in kindness was the only way Nancy knew how. If she coped by walking in anger, she wouldn’t have been able to live such a blissful life, and honestly given the family she came from, it was her only hope. Her focus on him remained soft, eyebrows raised out of curiosity as she listened to him speak. Being the type to fix others up was the duty she’d assigned to herself, her obsession with perfection being projected onto those around her that she deeply cared about and Danny was one of them. Even when the town banded together to vilify Danny, Nancy knew deep down that he wasn’t completely capable of the horrid things that everyone accused him of. “Just looking out for you, Dan.” Nancy retorted quickly with a warm smile. “I.. yeah he’s been a close friend of mine since high school. We worked at the school newspaper together.” and their careers went in vastly different directions. She’d always seen him as being capable of accomplishing more than her, so she wondered what really happened. 

xx

“That’s...” Danny searched for the word to describe her kindness but struggled to find one that captured it and also described how he felt about it. “Nice.” He finally settled, giving up on a more in depth word. There wasn’t any, really. “I don’t think many have ever actually tried.” And if they had, Danny certainly had never allowed them to. Shooting her a look, softer than before, Danny even managed to give a small smile. “Thanks.” Nancy Von was truly a rarity - even Danny could admit that. He listened to her describe the nature of her relationship with Bandon and shook his head. The kid might have been quiet from what he had heard, but it seemed like he had made an impact. “I’m sorry, Nancy, that can’t be easy. Have you checked on him?” He asked, curious because he had yet to make his way to the hospital to check in, despite Gloria’s insistence. 

syd: i know you want to, baby ;)

syd: when have i ever denied that? told you i like it when you follow me around, puppy. you're /so/ cute and dainty. just want daddy to protect you, don't you, sweetheart?

syd: not when i make you choke on me, you won't. i know how much you love that

danny: you should have before leaving but your loss babe.

danny: did you just fucking call me puppy???? just for that, im not calling daddy ever again

syd: but i can. plus, you know how much i love it when you choke

syd: yeah, you do. it's so fucking obvious how much you like being around me. keep hoping for one of those days cause they'll never happen. you're cute and dainty, babe, just accept it

syd: i'll believe it when i see it. like you won't get on your knees to suck me the second you touch my dick

danny: 🖕

danny: uh-huh. that seems to be double sided babe. oh fuck off - i am /not/ cute or danity. you're danity, please.

syd: the only thing i care about you giving me is head

syd: no, it's how you follow me around like a little lost puppy. i'm not complaining though, it's cute. and no need to bet when i'm already right, sweetheart

syd: then that means they're mine if i shove them down my pants

danny: you can't just say things like that! I just choked! /again!/

danny: i do not follow you around like a puppy. one of these days im going ot make you eat your words. tickle my fucking ass.

syd: then don't think it's a gift next time and you won't have any problems

syd: cause you can't stand being away from me for too long and you know all your hits would do was tickle

syd: oooo! well i'd never say no to that, babe ;) might even shove it down my pants next time

danny: i'll keep that in mind, gee thanks, baby. I'll remember that when i /give/ you something too.

danny: this is because i asked you if you missed me when i was locked up, isn't it? tickle??? do you wanna bet?