danny johnson, despite his charismatic and utterly sarcastic nature, was a relatively private man.
he didn’t wear his insecurities on his sleeve, he didn’t let his heart guide his decisions.
and you got a very different version of him than others did. of course he was still witty and infuriating, teasing you with a wicked grin when his knife would accidentally slide across your skin when he walked by. he would team up with frank or susie to prank you—susie would always feel bad after, curling up into your side and showing you her new blades and small bracelets she’d made.
but, there was a part of danny that he despised.
his health.
you always noticed it when a pallet was thrown on him, a jagged breath of air. sure, you exhaled in strain and exertion when the wood thudded against you, but danny’s breathing was different. it was staticky, unstable.
it would take him longer to recollect his breath.
a particularly grueling trial had him laid on the couch, tossing the red chunk of plastic in the air repeatedly. it was a fresh fill, courtesy of julie and the ever diligent joey. they had gone out to see sally while she was in a good mood, returning with a refilled inhaler concealed within joey’s hoodie.
danny’s asthma wasn’t necessarily secret, but it wasn’t common knowledge either.
the legion knew, sally knew, you knew, and that was really it. you were fairly certain some of the survivors had caught on after their several trials against him, but you had never heard anything about it.
you sat down next to his legs, and his warm eyes met yours. “how’d your trial go, lovie? kill ‘em all?” he asked, moving to tuck the inhaler away. you reached for it, stopping him gently. danny stared at you, a flicker of insecurity and disdain.
“didn’t see you use it,” you quietly said.
“shouldn’t have to use it,” he spat, tearing his wrist from your hand, “fuckin’ weak enough to need a piece of plastic and some tinned air.” you paused, eyes narrowing, “fix that.”
danny’s tension loosened, placing the inhaler in your hand, “i’m sorry.” you nodded once, twisting the inhaler between your fingers. he glared at it like it had personally wronged him—and in his mind, it had—and you held it to his lips.
“i’d rather you breathe air into me,” he winked, tiny smile falling at your deeply unimpressed expression.
“damn you,” he muttered, lips pursing around the inhaler. you pressed on the capsule, watching him breathe deep. you repeated it two more times, pulling it away and placing it on the small side table. “good boy,” you fondly stroked his hair, your lips quirking up at the way his eyes just sparkled.
“okay, new rule,” he sat up, hands finding your waist and manhandling you onto his lap, “you must praise me every time i use that damn thing.”
you shrugged, hands cradling his face, “‘kay.”
if danny had a tail, it would be wagging.
“new rule,” you echoed, smiling at the way he groaned, “i’ll only praise you if you let me do it for you.” he visibly pondered, biting his lip until he eventually nodded in agreement, “i don’t mind. ‘s long as you sit pretty on my lap. love you sittin’ here, making me do somethin’ i hate.” you kissed his cheek, tan skin warm against your mouth, “i don’t hate it.”
“don’t say some sweet shit,” he mused, “makes me hard, y’know?”
“you’re disgusting.”
“mm, tell me that again.”
“danny,” you exasperated, feeling the way his hands gently began to massage your thighs. “yeah, baby? tell me.”
“i love you and your weak lungs, okay?”
danny met your gaze, and he looked at you like you’d hung the stars. he melted into your palms, almost purring at the sensation of your fingers running through his hair.
“you’re the best, lovie,” his lips pressed to yours, “i love you.”
you returned his affections, heart aching at the way he nuzzled into you. a quiet knock at the door made you peek up, but danny’s head remained laying on your chest. you could tell he was spent, exhausted from the trial earlier. you hadn’t even thought to ask him how it went, far too concerned with him taking his medicine.
“it’s me,” susie barely crept inside, “can i come in?”
“come on, kiddo,” danny held out an arm, and she entered. she looked upset. you frowned at the sliver of bandage peeking from under her sleeve, gesturing her over. the two of you sat up, and susie sat on the couch in the way she always took up space—small and silent. “what’s wrong?” you asked, reaching for her hands.
“julie got…mad at me,” she admitted, “i, um, messed up in a trial. i got blood hungry for one, and t—two got out. joey cleaned me up and sent me out so they could deal with her.” she lifted a hand to wipe away stray tears.
“hey, hey,” danny cooed, arms wrapping around her and leaning back against the arm of the couch, “we all have our days. did i ever tell you about the first time they all got out?”
“no,” she meekly replied, her voice watery and uneven, “all of them?”
“yep, all of them,” danny confirmed, holding the teen close. you tossed your legs over his lap, grabbing the throw off the back of the cushion and draping it over susie. you listened to danny tell his story, the dreadful trial where all four survivors escaped.
“ain’t a thing wrong with havin’ a bad day,” danny soothed, feeling how susie began to relax against him after crying her heart out, “even excellency like me and perfect geniuses like my girl have rough trials.”
“what happened to your arm, hun?” you asked once danny had concluded, gently rubbing her back. “one of the guys,” she answered quietly, “jumped at me through a window.”
“ouch,” danny winced.
susie hummed, and you watched fondly as she drifted to sleep. you and danny exchanged worried looks, a silent understanding that the two of you would have words with julie. susie was a sensitive girl, and you understood her beyond belief. she didn’t like solo trials, she hated to be left alone against four survivors she really didn’t want to kill.
a firm knock made you carefully climb off the couch, and danny kept susie warm and comfortable as you shifted. he, however, did not pass the opportunity to land his palm against your ass, to which you glared as he snickered.
you cracked the door open, spotting frank.
“is she okay?” he asked. frank wasn’t kind necessarily, but he certainly cared for his friends. he was murderous and malicious, but his heart was soft for sweet susie.
“she’s sleeping,” you allowed him to look inside, and he nodded at the sight of susie curled up with danny. “we talked to julie,” frank sighed, and you sent danny a thumbs up as you stepped out. you tilted your head in question.
“julie’s…a lot,” he said, “and she’s passionate, which i love about her, but sometimes she gets fuckin’ mean. i can handle it, but susie can’t.”
you nodded for him to go on.
“she had a bad trial, and it wasn’t even that damn bad. she ain’t gone solo in months, ‘nd she got two out of that thing. julie’s on a streak, so her performance wasn’t good enough, i guess.”
“that’s not an excuse to berate her,” you sighed, “she bawled her eyes out, frankie.”
he nodded solemnly, and he looked genuinely apologetic. you tensed when the door behind you opened, danny leaning against the doorframe. “heya, frankie,” he greeted, and you peeked back in. susie was still fast asleep on the couch, hugging a pillow beneath the blanket.
“she’s gonna stay the night,” danny’s tone left no room for arguing, “tell julie she’s comin’ with me next trial.”
frank dipped his chin. he and julie idolized danny, and you often saw the resemblance in the way they carry themselves in the trials. “yes, sir,” he grunted under his breath, “tell susie i said sorry, and that we talked to julie.”
“will do,” you patted his head playfully, and he grinned as he walked away. danny redirected you back inside the room by your waist. you returned to the couch, pausing when you saw susie lying awake with teary eyes.
“oh, honey,” you whispered, arms dipping beneath her and holding her against you. she hugged you, her pink hair tumbling from under her hood. you gently tucked it back, feeling danny slide in behind you. his arm tossed over you, his hand tenderly rubbing susie’s back.
“i’ll set her straight, kiddo,” he teased, “she’s gonna hate trials with me after tomorrow.”
a watery laugh rumbled from her chest, and you smiled at the sound. it was quiet for a minute, and the door made a sound again. danny groaned, nearly faceplanting in the process of getting off the couch. he swung the door open dramatically, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
julie stood there, pill bottles in her hands.
“susie’s meds,” she said shortly, “she’s won’t sleep all night without them. she gets antsy.”
“hm,” danny hummed, taking them from her, “see you tomorrow.” she didn’t reply, but danny caught the worried and remorseful glance she sent susie before walking away. he caught joey standing at the bottom of the stairs, a clean blade held loosely in his hands. he figured the boy must have a trial soon.
“susie-q,” danny cooed, kneeling over her. she peered up from her place in your arms. “got your meds, need t’take ‘em.”
she sat up without fighting, but her face showed her obvious distaste. counting out the pills from each bottle and tossing them back, you handed her a bottle of water from the side table, watching her drink them down. “back to sleep now,” danny coaxed her back into your arms, “it tastes real bad, but medicine makes ya strong.”
he froze, his inhaler practically laughing at him from its place on the wood. you gave him a look, lips pursed to keep from giggling.
“oh, does it now?” you mused.
“lovie.”
“no really, i mean, if you are advocating for medicine, it must be life-altering stuff—“
danny slapped a hand over your mouth, unable to resist a smile at the way your eyes glinted with mirth and the way they crinkled as you grinned. “go to sleep, baby, y’gonna disturb susie-q over here,” he practically pleaded, laying down next to you.
he hoped he wouldn’t have to get up again.
he reassumed his position of the big spoon, you as the middle spoon, and susie perfectly safe and warm as the little spoon.
he sighed.
damn that inhaler.
riotrants: reader and danny are the parents of the legion i do NOT make the rules. susie is my BABY.
