Sam was used to hardship in his life- growing up in seemed loss and pain just followed his family. So, you could say Sam didn't have high expectations when it came to leaving, to going to college. He expected problems, struggle, and to feel like maybe everything wasn't worth it. He didn't believe, but if he did, the young Winchester could say that it felt like God smiled down on him.
It's been a little over a month since Sam ran into Danny, someone he never expected to see again. Things were actually going well; he made friends, his classes were going well, he hasn't encountered one case since being here. For once things felt good, like he could breathe and rest. Being on edge for a good chunk of your childhood was exhausting, it took just as much work to realize that you could relax and let your guard down occasionally.
The young college student couldn't help but smile when he heard an all familiar groan from behind him. He paused on his current essay and turned in his chair. His gaze landed on Danny, stretching out on his bed with a yawn. Lately the teen has been spending more time in his dorm room as the two would sit and do homework together. Not that Sam really minded, Brady has been spending more time with a girlfriend.
"I don't know how you do it." Danny laughed, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. Sam smiled softly, resting against his chair.
"Everyone gets their work down differently." Sam shrugged, watching the other yawn again. The Winchester felt a familiar rise of concern bubble inside his chest. He knew Danny didn't have it easy, he didn't know much details, but he knew something was still taking a toll on the other man. Danny always seemed tired, or stressed about something. Maybe that's whats taking a toll on Danny's school work and grades, but Sam was more concerned on if the other was doing okay. School didn't matter as much as that.
"You can take a nap." Sam offered, watching Danny's eyebrows furrow in confusion for a split second before relaxing. "I can wake you in an hour?" Sam finished more as a question, than a statement.
"Really?' Danny asked, Sam picked up the slight surprise that filtered in his voice. Sam nodded, offering a reassuring smile. Danny smiled, something filled with relief. Maybe a little trepidation. "Thanks Sam, don't let me sleep to long."
"Of course not, I don't need you to blame me for your bad grades." Sam joked, getting a laugh from the other. Danny mumbled a response as he curled up on Sam's bed, the words were lost beneath the blanket before Sam picked up Danny's evening out breaths. A silent sigh left the taller student, he turned back to his essay.
His hands worked on autopilot to type out an essay that would be passing, but his mind wondered to the sleeping form behind him. It wasn't hard to see that Danny has changed since the last time Sam had met him. Not that Sam stayed the same or anything, but Sam found himself worrying for the other more than he had before.
Sam wasn't a stranger to having lasting effect from his past. He found himself, more often than he'd like to admit, waking up with a start, adrenaline still pumping through his veins as a faded memory of a nightmare fizzled in his mind. The thing that worried Sam the most about Danny, was that he couldn't figure out what was going on inside his head. Sam noticed the small things, the dark eye-bags, the dazed out gaze the teen wore when silenced settled between them for a bit too long.
Sam hated to admit that he noticed bruises, or scrapes, on the other teen. It was nowhere near as bad as Sam remembered, not as often, but it was there. Every time Sam's eyes landed on a new mark, or a faded one, his tongue caught in his throat. He wanted to ask, wanted to push, but he also knew Danny would tell him if he wanted to.
It didn't mean Sam didn't vow that if things got worse, he was going to step in. Say something. Nothing ever did though, and Danny continued as if it wasn't there. So Sam worried in silence, he knew from experience it's never helpful to push for someone to talk when they aren't ready.
The dorm room was filled with the sound of Sam's keyboard clicking, and the soft sound of breaths. The faded sound of people thrumming along the hallways of the resident hall was almost a comforting lullaby, allowing Sam to fall further into his own thoughts.
Then he heard it.
It was faint, almost easy to miss if he wasn't conditioned to pick up the slightest change. A soft sound, almost like a whimper. Sam's eyebrows furrowed, turning in his chair. His gaze zero'd in on the only other person in the room, the once peacefully sleeping body was now strung out like a bow ready to fire. Movements flickered beneath closed eyelids, breathing shifted and labored.
Sam stood and silently made his way next to Danny, eyes taking in the teen's face. His experienced scream that he was in pain, and Sam felt his heart ached. "Danny." He quietly spoke, settling near the other. Sam watched carefully for any sign the other teen was waking from the nightmare that gripped at his mind. Nothing. Sam felt a jab at every pained sound that left the other, breathy but still there. Almost like the ravenette was scared to make a sound.
"Danny." Sam spoke a little louder, placing a light hand on Danny's shoulder. The shift was immediate, Danny jolted. Blue eyes burst open, and the trembling shoulder flinched away from Sam. The Winchester leaned back, watching Danny's eyes go from fearful, to confused, to understanding, and then apologetic.
"Sorry." Danny muttered, breath still labored. Sam shook his head, slowly resting a hand on Danny's slightly trembling hand, the other other glance briefly to their hands before meeting Sam's gaze. Before the taller could respond, Danny continued. "Sorry, I-I didn't mean to distract you. I-"
"Danny, stop." Sam shook his head, gripping the other's hand reassuringly. "Don't apologize, you don't have anything to apologize for."
Danny silently nodded, swallowing. Sam can still see the tears silently filling the teen's eyes, whatever nightmare that was plaguing him was still clear in the forefront of his mind. That, or he was embarrassed that Sam was there. "Do you want to talk about it? Or do you want to get something to eat?" Sam asked, leaving the choose up to Danny.
Danny sat silently for a moment, confusion barely clear in his eyes. Then a soft smile slide on to slightly shaky features. "Can we get Chinese?" Sam smiled, letting out a light chuckle.
"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything else."
"It wasn't easy, things got... rougher after you left." Danny confessed, breaking the silence. After eating at a local Chinese buffet, the two found themselves back at Sam's and settled on watching a movie. One of those thrillers about a kid being kidnapped at birth, and later in the middle of people trying to kill him. The acting was a little cheesy, although the action scenes weren't that bad. "It didn't have anything to do with you leaving though."
Sam swallowed, he wanted to say something apologize for not being there. But he knew saying something wasn't going to help, and he didn't want Danny to close off. Sam caught Danny's eyes, giving him an understanding and encouraging nod. Any closer he could get to understanding the other man, the closer he got to getting to know him better.
"Charles and Pandora, they helped as much as they could, but... I didn't want to leave, I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to finish at Casper. It was my... home." Danny took in a shaking breath, pulling his knees closer to his chest. Sam wanted to reach out and physically comfort him, but he wasn't sure that was the best course of action. "Don't get me wrong, I wanted to leave... I just, I don't know this world." Danny groaned, resting his forehead against his knees, pulling his gaze away from Sam's eyes.
"College isn't easy." Sam offered, Danny gave a small shake of his head in response.
"I know that, it's just... Sam we've only had classes for basically a month and it's already bad." Danny pause, shaking his head. "It's not that important-"
"Danny, if it's bothering you it's important." Sam cut in, turning to face Danny full on. "I'm not going to make fun of you or anything, you can talking to me." He reminded Danny, knowing that maybe his good grades in classes might be a little intimidating.
"My grades are shit." Danny finally spoke after a pause, taking a breath. "I've missed more classes than I'd like to admit, and my grades are barely making passing. The closer mid-terms get, the less likely it seems I pass..."
"We can work on it, I know we already do homework around each other," Sam started, watching Danny's face shift a bit to confusion. "But I can try to help you find ways to keep on track."
"Why?" Sam felt his heart crack at the pure confusion that drip from those words. Like Danny didn't think he deserved his help, like he wasn't worthy. Sam swallowed, he never realize how little Danny thought of himself.
"Danny, you're my friend." Sam spoke, voice solid in honesty, he placed a comforting hand on Danny's knee. "I want you to succeed in everything you try to, and I care about you. If you want my help I'll always be there." Danny's confusion slowly melted into a small, grateful smile. Sam figured the conversation of both their pasts was for another night.
"Thank you."
AN: Heyia guys, I hope you guys enjoyed today's chapter. I know some of you guys want to know what's going on with Danny, and I want to first say I kinda wanted to show two different way someone can grow when leaving off to college. Stuffs stressful you know? So I figured to get into that a little bit, I also don't want to lie so I'll be honest I might be projecting on Danny a little bit *Sweatdrop emoji*
A reminder that the next few chapters are honestly mostly just focusing on college and Sam's and Danny's relationship growth.
Disclaimer, All OC's are solely for the purpose of college life having different people. Example like Danny's upcoming roommate, and Tina from Sam's last chapter.
Anyways, I hope you guys are all doing okay, and staying safe in these trying times. Let me know what you thought in the reviews!