“I’m transferring to Windsor.” Wes had whispered one night. The only light seeping into the room was from the street lamps outside of Hanover, but it still illuminated the look on Danny’s face perfectly enough that he could – or couldn’t, more like, - read every emotion in his expression.
“Oh,” was Danny’s quiet response, his eyes wide in the dark. His hand froze where it was in Wes’ hair. “That – that makes sense.”
It was the unspoken rule between them when they roomed together – no matter the reason, no matter the time of night, no matter if one of them was asleep – they could climb into each other’s beds if needed, no questions asked past a quick “You okay?”
Neither of them had expected it to become practically every night, to the point where they had given up the pretence of climbing into their own beds, and just curling up together in whoever’s they felt like.
It was completely platonic, they told themselves. It was completely platonic when they realised they could only get to sleep if Wes spooned Danny, his arm around his waist and hand tucking beneath his chest. It was completely platonic when they would lay face to face, bodies only inches apart, fingers stroking through and playing with each other’s hair. It was completely platonic when Danny would wake up first, his head on Wes’ chest, and lay as still as he could in his warmth so as not to wake him.
“I’m transferring to Windsor.” Wes had whispered one night. The only light seeping into the room was from the street lamps outside of Hanover, but it still illuminated the look on Danny’s face perfectly enough that he could – or couldn’t, more like, - read every emotion in his expression.
“Oh,” was Danny’s quiet response, his eyes wide in the dark. His hand froze where it was in Wes’ hair. “That – that makes sense.”
It did. Recently, Wes had been spending more and more of the daytime hanging out in the other house, and over the years, his nature had only grown to be more suited to the Windsor boys. And it was no secret that David was Wes’ best friend. Everyone knew it, Danny knew it – but he knew his relationship with Wes was different. They weren’t best friends, they weren’t – boyfriends, but when you were a Hanover, you knew things about each other that nobody else did.
When you were roommates in Hanover, there was rarely something you didn’t know about each other.
“I’m sorry,” Wes looked away. “I know we only kind of discussed it, but, yeah. Howard stopped and gave me the forms this morning.”
“Wes, it’s okay,” Danny said with a small smile. He began moving his hand again, fingertips gently combing through short hair. “I kind of expected it.”
Wes scooted himself closer to Danny. They both had double beds, and yet they always seemed to end up sharing the one pillow.
“I still feel bad,” He whispered, closing his eyes and letting himself relax into Danny’s touch. “We should’ve – talked about it more, I don’t know.”
“Hey, you know you can come back whenever you want.”
“And you know I’ll come back whenever you need me?”
“I’m okay, Wes, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll be okay by myself.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“Then you know I’d go straight to you if I needed,” Danny said, moving his hand down to cup Wes’ face, and pulling them both a little closer together, noses only two inches apart. Wes opened his eyes, and Danny raised his eyebrows. “Besides, I’m not really alone. We Hanovers look out for each other.”
“But I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, but like I said-”
“I’ll miss this.” Wes cut Danny off, as he let his thoughts tumble out of his mouth.
Danny was silent for a moment before he spoke, simply pressing his lips together and stroking his thumb along Wes’ cheek.
“I’ll miss this too,” was his eventual hushed response. “But – you can come back. Any time. Sleepovers. I’ll still be here, and you know the others wouldn’t kick you out. Once a Hanover, always a Hanover.”
“I know, I know,” Wes sniffled, and Danny realised he was tearing up. “But it’ll never be the same again.”
“It won’t,” Danny agreed. “This is really what you want, though?”
“Yeah,” Wes sighed. “I love Hanover, and I love everyone here, you know that, I just -”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. As long as you’re sure and happy, then I’m happy, Wesley,” Danny laughed just a little as he said his friend’s full name, and Wes gave him a playful shove. “You fit right in with them, more than you do here.”
Wes rubbed his eyes on his shoulder, and looked back at Danny with a smile. He brought his own hand to Danny’s hair and began twirling it with his fingers.
“I’ve still got a few nights,” he murmured. “Will you help me move out?”
“Of course I will.” Danny wrapped his arm around Wes’ chest, pulling him into a tight hug. Wes moved his hand to the back of Danny’s head as the swimmer buried his face in his friend’s shoulder.
“… Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Wes asked.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just miss you,” Danny’s voice was muffled, and he lifted his head to look at Wes. “Who am I meant to cuddle at night?”
Wes bit his lip, and Danny sighed, pulling away and looking at Wes with a grave expression.
“I guess I’ll have to move in with Thor.” He said, and Wes burst out with laughter.
“Screw you, I thought you were being serious!”
“I am! I’m going to have to become a poor stable boy where the only nutrients I’ll get are salt blocks and hay, because God knows Justin doesn’t know how to look after him.”
Their shared laughter was cut short by a knock on the door, and Justin’s voice calling through.
“Guys, go to sleep, lights out was an hour ago.”
“Sorry Justin!” Danny called back, desperately trying to cover his giggling. Wes had had to resort to burying his face in their pillow.
Their laughter resumed when they heard Justin’s door close at the end of the hall, and when they calmed down a little, they took a few minutes, simply smiling, running slow hands up and down each other’s backs and waists.
“It’ll be a big change, I won’t lie to you there,” Danny finally spoke up. “It’ll be a big change for us both, obviously.”
“I know that,” Wes responded. “But we’ll still have – us.”
“We will.”
“And we’ll both be okay?”
He hadn’t meant for it to come out sounding like a question. Danny squeezed him a little tighter.
When Wes had fully moved out, there had been a moment when Danny had found him stood in their room, the both of them realising there was nothing left to take. They had stopped and shared a look that they both understood. That nights were going to be lonely from now on. They shared a long embrace, with only a few tears, that came from a mixture of emotions for the both of them that they didn’t quite understand.
When Danny went to bed on his own that night, he rolled over, pulling the blanket with him, and tucking a hand under his pillow, the one he and Wes had always shared. He found something small and cool beneath it, a familiar shape. He pulled it out, and stared at the Hanover badge Wes had left him. He smiled.
From the next day on, both of them went to class wearing different badges.
A/n : In case anyone wants to read about Drew and Satoru and the cake incident, refer to "A normal day in the Windsor household."
“Hey. Um.”
“I’m up. “ Wes said groggily into the phone. “See you outside in a few minutes.”
“I’m...”
“No sorries from you remember.” He got up and shrugged his coat over his pyjamas while his other best friend, David, slept deeply in the bed opposite his.
“Ok, see you soon.”
*
“So did you hear about the latest Windsor antic.“ Wes nudged the pale boy next to him. “Danny, hey.”
Danny looked up to see his best friend’s smiling at him. “No.” he sighed putting his hand down and walked beside his best friend.
”Drew and Satoru decided to bake a cake.”
“And then you know what.” Wes took a dramatic pause. “It blew up.” He deadpanned and nodded seriously. Danny chuckled. “So that was the commotion.” and Wes smiled softly.
“It was for Chaz, for Mother’s day.”
Danny smiled, “How long do you plan to torture him again.”
“Hey, this is his last year with us, we plan to make it memorial.”
“So you’re sure the cake was not your idea then.” Danny smiled at his best friend and Windsor’s antics.
“Please, our plans will be much more grandiose than a mere cake.”
“Gentlemen.”
They stopped talking to find Derek walking past them, on his way to Stuart.
“You’re home early.” Danny noted, acknowledging Derek with a tilt of his head and Derek nodded back.
“So, who was it this time?” Wes scowled, clearly smarting over the loss of Tabitha.
“No one you know.” smirked Derek and whistled and walked away.
“So.” Wes sighed and turned towards Danny who was now looking much calmer, colour back on his face. “How’s everything in Marmoreal.” and Danny laughed, “Merril is still not convinced that Cheetos is a food group.”
They soon came across Dwight who stood outside the old school chapel. “Stay away guys, I am getting a bad aura from this place. There seems to be something malevolent over here.”
“Dwight.” Wes sighed and walked up to him. He took a look at his friend who had a trench-coat on over his pyjamas, armed with a bag of salt, holy water, a cross and a few medallions. “You should finish whatever it is you’re doing fast as Mr. Tamerlane is on the prowl.”
“But exorcising the chapel will take time.” cried Dwight, “No evil force will deter me.”
“Evil force.” mouthed Danny and Dwight nodded and spritzed them with holy water. “There. You are now protected, no harm shall befall you. You may pass.”
“Thanks, Little Knight.” Wes grinned and dragged a slightly confused Danny. It was just a normal night in Dalton.
