Chapter Text
After nearly seven hours of travelling, Dannyl was relieved when his feet finally hit the platform. It wasn't a long walk to his flat and his legs were badly in need of a stretch, even first class didn't leave a lot of room for his gangly limbs.
He hurried out of the station. It was overcast and much colder than it had been down south, but his mood was buoyant. He was glad to be back, his Mum's hadn't felt like home in a long time, and Durham had never really filled the hole that had been left behind. But being back in Edinburgh now, the eagerness and comfort that spread through him as he walked past the golden-grey sandstone buildings contained perhaps the slightest spark of that feeling. It was all he could do to keep from jogging the last few meters to the corner of his road. A wide grin spread across his face when he caught sight of his front door.
There, standing on the steps in his omnipresent big coat, was Tayend. His face lit up when he spotted Dannyl, smiling so brightly and raising one arm in a wave. He knocked the little man's glasses askew as he crushed him into a hug. He didn't care, he had missed his friend.
Dannyl held him there for what was probably a little too long, only realising when Tayend clapped him on the back a couple of times, laughing and saying "Good to see you too!"
Dannyl pulled away and adjusted the bag hanging off his shoulder. He saw Tayend looking him up and down.
"You look smart."
The outfit did make a bit of a change from his usual gym or teaching getup. Finely knit, dark purple jumper that clung across his arms and chest, over a thin shirt and brushed cotton chinos. Everything special ordered and tailored so they fitted him in a way off the rack clothing never could. Dannyl wasn't against getting dressed up, but it was a little exhausting to have to do it every single day over the festive period.
Dannyl stuck his keys in the door. "Thanks, Mum always gets me clothes. I can't decide if that's because she doesn't trust me to dress myself, or if it's just because finally I won't be growing out of them within a matter of weeks." He could hear Tayend chuckling behind him as they climbed the stairs.
"Unfortunately I think this means you'll probably make a good impression on Mummy and Hector. Unless you fancy changing into something less acceptable?"
"Oh no, I'm not about to let you use me as a pawn in some elaborate familial cold war." He looked over his shoulder to see Tayend pouting.
Inside the flat was cold and dark, and the air had that distinct thick stillness that indicated that no one had been there in a while. Dannyl busied himself opening all the windows to air the place, even though he knew they weren't planning to stay. When he got back to the kitchen Tayend had already made him a cup of tea in the purple mug, which he sipped appreciatively.
"I just need to pack some clean clothes." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Won't be a minute."
Tayend followed him anyway, bringing both their drinks. "You can get anything you need washed when we get there. The housekeeper won't mind."
Dannyl's lip curled with amusement. "Why am I surprised they have a housekeeper?"
"You shouldn't be. Her name is Moira and she's very nice."
Tayend put the cups down and straightened out the bedcovers before settling himself down. Dannyl threw himself onto the floor and unceremoniously emptied the contents of the bag. He chucked the dirty clothes quickly into the washing pile in the corner, before his friend had to witness all of his crumpled pants. He stood and started pulling clean stuff out of the wardrobe, mostly sticking to other Cheryl-approved items as, from the sounds of the itinerary, they'd be seeing people every day.
"What are you wearing tomorrow?"
"I was going to ask you that." Dannyl said. He pulled two hangers out from the very back. "I have two suits: the gradation suit, or the funeral suit." He secretly hoped Tayend would opt for the former, he'd never much liked wearing all black.
He turned to see the Librarian's face twitch slightly. "Ah."
"What's 'ah'?"
"It's black tie." There was a hint of sheepishness in his friend's voice.
"Why didn't you tell me it was black tie!"
"Well for one, would you have agreed to come if I'd told you?" Dannyl had to admit he probably would not have done. "And two, you're almost as much of an insufferable posho as I am, forgive me for assuming you might have a tux!" Dannyl was about to ask what the hell they were going to do now, but he needn't have worried. "Fear not, I already have a backup plan."
This backup plan hinged on the fact that Tayend had been sent to collect rental kilts for some of the guests from a shop in town on the way back. He had, apparently, warned the proprietor that there was the possibility of needing an extra for one extremely tall guest. He called ahead to confirm while Dannyl finished packing.
When they headed back out to drive over together Dannyl raised an eyebrow at the vehicle Tayend approached.
"Is that your car?"
Generally Dannyl could not have cared less about cars, that had always been his Dad's thing. But it was impossible not to comment on the low-slung, racing green soft top sticking out like a sore thumb among the unremarkable family cars.
"Lord no! This is Hector's 'weekend runaround'. Mayrie wouldn't let me drive the Land Rover." He huffed. "Which is stupid because I'm a much better driver than she is! So it was either this or Mummy's ice white range rover. I thought this was less conspicuous "
Dannyl reached the passenger door and looked down sceptically. "Am I even going to fit in there?"
"Bollocks, I didn't think about that!" Tayend ground his teeth. "If we stick your bag in the boot and put the seat all the way back..."
When that was done Dannyl was just about able to fold himself in without wholly losing his dignity, not that it was particularly comfortable. He hoped the drive wasn't too far.
Tayend slid in beside him and stuck the keys in the ignition, rubbing his hands together while the engine kicked in. "It's also bloody freezing so I'd keep your coat on if I were you."
"Goodness, you are a big yin aren't you?" The woman behind the counter said the moment they walked in. She was probably in her mid-forties, short and plump, her silver hair cut into a neat short back and sides.
"Good to see you Lorna." Tayend gave her a peck on the cheek.
"You too pet. I've got everything ready for you, I'll get it once we've worked out what we're doing about this one." She cast an eye up and down Dannyl. "You ever worn a kilt before honey?"
"No?" Dannyl said, slightly taken by surprise. Despite knowing this was a kilt shop he'd rather been expecting a more conventional suit. He shot a look at Tayend who was smiling roguishly. I should have expected this kind of scheming.
"Come through to the back, I need to work out what size you need." She started walking and Dannyl glanced back at Tayend who was plopping himself down in a chair. He waved him on his way and Dannyl had no choice but to follow.
He'd been to a Tailors before, and the back room of the shop was much the same. Lorna indicated to a table covered in heavy wool. "Tayend said you didn’t know exactly what you wanted, but suggested you might like purple. Now I don't have a lot of choice in your size to begin with but there's that one," She indicated a dark purple one with bright blue detailing. "Or this is the University one, I thought that might be fitting." The second was azure blue and bright red, jarring to his mind. "Then there's some others. Have a think while I measure you for the jacket. If you'd take your outer layers off."
"What's Tayend wearing?" He asked as he pulled off his fleece and shirt, leaving him standing in just his t-shirt.
"His family one, I would presume." She said, while stretching a tape measure between his shoulders.
"What colour's that?" He tried to sound casual.
The tape measure dropped down his arm and he saw her take note of the length. "Sky blue, I think."
Dannyl looked back at the table, considering in light of the new information. I wouldn't want to clash, ruin the pictures.
Lorna took a few more notes before she spoke again. "Made up your mind yet?"
"Let's go for the purple one."
"Very good." She walked over to a rack at the side of the room and started rifling through. "I'll find you what you need and leave you to try it on."
It took Dannyl a little while to get his head round how everything went on, and he felt faintly ridiculous as he returned to the main floor of the shop. There was no sign of Lorna but Tayend passed an eye over him and grinned.
"Looks good!" He walked over to Dannyl and tugged at the shoulders of the jacket, brushing down the sleeves as he assessed. "How does it feel?"
"Surprisingly heavy, I thought having your legs out would be cold but I'd hate to wear this in summer."
"Oh yes, they're an absolute nightmare." Tayend's eyes snapped to his neck. "Where's your tie?"
"Oh." He held out his hand which grasped the slippery length of silk. He laughed. "If I'm honest I don't know how to tie it. I didn't think it was that important right now."
The Linguist tutted. "Come on now, I need to see the full picture."
Dannyl let him pull the thing out of his hand and loop it round his neck. He tied it with what looked like a practiced ease, though the crease between his brows betrayed the level of his concentration. He pulled the bow in tight to the collar and adjusted Dannyl's lapels for a moment. Dannyl thought Tayend's face looked a little redder than usual when he took a step back.
"Go, take a look." He pushed Dannyl towards a mirror in the corner.
He had to admit he did look striking. The epaulettes with their shiny buttons drew attention to his broad shoulders, and the dark purple kilt looked tasteful without being dour, even if he thought the furry bag on the front was a little much. Tayend hovered just over his shoulder, craning his neck to catch Dannyl's reaction.
He pulled his phone out and snapped a picture in the mirror. Tayend's eyebrow shot up quizzically. "Verity will want to see this."
He fired it off to her and was immediately met with typing.
Cousin Verity
> lol you look ridiculous!
> scoOOOTTLLAAANNNDD!!!
> wait
> who's mr right in the background???
Cousin Dannyl
> That's Tayend
Cousin Verity
> put in a good word for me would you? 😍 🤤
Tayend was trying to get a look at his screen. Dannyl laughed and pointed it his way so he could see the reply he typed out.
Cousin Dannyl
> He's gay V
> Very gay
When he saw the response Dannyl pulled it back out of view.
Cousin Verity
> i'll leave him to you then 😜
Cousin Dannyl
> Very funny
Cousin Verity
> who could say no to a face like that??
"What did she say?" Tayend begged, reaching for the phone.
Dannyl yanked it away and held it well out of the Linguist's reach. That didn't stop him from trying though, jumping up and making to grab for Dannyl's wrist. He started pushing him away with his free hand.
"Everything alright for you?"
Dannyl jerked his head round, still pushing Tayend away while the Librarian continued to hold his elbow in a vicelike grip. He only let go when he realised how childish they must look. Lorna had reappeared with an armload of garment bags. She looked at them both with a critical eye.
"Think so!" He coughed, tugging the sleeves back down.
"Well I can see that you can move in it at least." She had him hold his arms out anyway and walked around him once to inspect. She nodded, satisfied. "Go and change, then I'll get it all packed up for you."
After they carefully stowed the kilts in the boot they got back in the car. Dannyl had been told that the drive was only a little over an hour, but he still wasn't looking forward to being cramped up for so long. Tayend fished around in his pocket for his phone, fiddling for a moment before tossing it to Dannyl. He only just managed to catch it.
"Stick something on will you? I hate driving in silence." He started the engine and looked over his shoulder to check they were clear before pulling out of the car park.
Dannyl scratched the back of his head. "I'm more of a podcast man."
Tayend rolled his eyes. "Why does that not surprise me? Just pick one of my playlists if you're struggling."
He frowned down at the handset and started scrolling through, immediately vetoing the Christmas music. He flicked through a few of the other playlists until he spotted an album cover that made him remember something. He located the one he was after and hit play.
Tayend looked away from the road for long enough to catch his eye. "The Smiths?"
"Mum used to play this in the car." He explained, relaxing back in his seat and tapping his hand along.
Tayend let out an amused breath. "Cheery."
"That's the best part, it's cheery and depressing at the same time." He grinned. It occurred to Dannyl that, just a few months ago, he might have hesitated to share something like that. But at this point talking to the Librarian was so easy he barely even thought twice.
When the guitar started on the second track, Dannyl laughed and said "This could be us, y'know?"
He saw Tayend suddenly tighten his grip on the steering wheel, an odd look on his face. "What do you mean?" His voice was stiff.
"Charming, rich man, picks a chap up in his flash car. I didn't have anything to wear..." Dannyl shrugged. "And I do ride a bicycle."
"Dannyl, do you know what this song's about?" He kept his eyes on the road but his eyebrows rose until they were sitting high on his forehead.
"Beyond that?"
Tayend laughed, shaking his head. "You never cease to amaze me with how oblivious you can be!"
They drove on until they got stuck in traffic on the motorway out of the city, joining the reams of people travelling to see friends or relatives for the bank holiday. Tayend drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel while the music played on in the background.
"Anything else interesting happen while you were down that you didn't already tell me about?" He asked, sounding bored.
He really cannot cope with sitting still, Dannyl thought with amusement. He racked his brains. Nothing immediately came to mind, since they'd only spoken on the phone the day before yesterday. Wait actually...
"You'll never guess who messaged me." He said, mouth pulling upwards just at the memory.
Tayend shot him a curious glance. "Who?"
"Gao!" Dannyl didn't try to contain his excitement.
A smile spread over Tayend's face. "Really? What did he want?"
"He's just moved back to be with his boyfriend. They're hoping to come up to Scotland in the New Year, he asked if I wanted to see him."
"Oh that's lovely, I'm so happy for you!" He let go of the gearstick for a moment to pat Dannyl on the thigh. "What's he like? I've never actually asked."
"I mean, I don't know if I know anymore. It's been so long..." He chewed on his cheek, doubts starting to creep in. "I've changed a lot, he might have too."
"Well he was still thinking of you, that's got to count for something." Tayend pointed out. "So what was he like then?"
Dannyl furrowed his brow and let out a short, breathy laugh. "Strangely enough, he reminds me of you."
Tayend's eyes darted to his for a second, expression inscrutable. But quickly he was grinning and dramatically pushing his hair back from his face. "What, dashingly handsome and exceedingly clever?"
"He was clever, I'll give you that." Dannyl chuckled. "But I was more thinking... excitable, and prone to being silly."
Tayend shot him an indignant look. "I am not silly!"
"Oh you absolutely are! Riding backsies, and pushing me into the sea and the snow, to name just a few."
Tayend tried to maintain his annoyed expression but Dannyl could see a small smile breaking through. "I didn't hear you complaining."
"I think you'll find I did!" Dannyl corrected him.
"And yet you keep coming back for more." He waggled a finger at him. "Will I get to meet him, when he comes up?"
Dannyl made a noise of consideration. "If you'd like. He's bringing his boyfriend so I might need some backup."
"Correct answer." He flashed a devious grin. "I need to hear all the embarrassing baby Dannyl stories."
Oh dear God, If Gao is anything like the way he was at school the two of them together will be a match made in hell.
They finally left the jam behind, speeding out onto country roads between fields and high hedges. The sound of the tyres on the tarmac and the wind whipping over the softop meant it was a little too loud for comfortable conversation. Instead they enjoyed the music and passed occasional observations.
"This one's my favourite." Dannyl commented as the opening lick to Ask started to play.
There was almost sad look in Tayend's eyes as Dannyl caught them in the rearview mirror. When he noticed Dannyl looking he quickly blinked it away.
"What? It's a good song." Dannyl said defensively.
"Aye, it's a tune." Tayend agreed. Then he suddenly turned to Dannyl.
He recognised that expression well enough. "Oh no, what are you thinking?"
Tayend licked his lips and nodded up to the canvas flapping slightly overhead.
It took Dannyl a second to catch on to his meaning. "Are you mad? It'll be freezing!"
Tayend fixed him with a manic grin. "Baltic!" Then he hit a button on the dashboard.
With a slight shudder and an electric whine the cover began receding. Though they weren't going fast the wind whipped viciously at his face in a blast of cold air. Tayend turned up the music until it was blaring over all the other noise.
"Are we pretending we're in the Perks of being a Wallflower or something?" Dannyl shouted.
Tayend threw back his head, shaking out his hair and laughing clear and bright. "'And in that moment I swear we were infinite!'"
Dannyl laughed with his whole chest. Thinking that he'd never felt as happy as he did when he was with this man.