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rsadelleSummary: In which Hartsy is confused and no one got divorced.
Story on AO3
Danny doesn't expect to see Hartsy's name on his phone. They're teammates, sure, and they hang out with some of the other guys sometimes, but Hartsy doesn't call him up.
He's really not expecting the first thing Hartsy says to be, "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Danny says. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"
There's a pause, and then Hartsy says, "I heard G moved out."
"Yeah," Danny says. "He bought a great condo in Cherry Hill."
"You've been there?"
"The boys and I helped him move." Danny chuckles. "They've already made him promise they can come over for a sleepover."
"And you're okay with that?" Hartsy asks carefully.
"Sure. They'll stay up too late and eat nothing but junk food, but they'd do that at any slumber party."
There's a moment of hesitation, and then Hartsy asks about the boys, and they speculate about the rookies coming in. It's strange, but not unwelcome.
Twenty minutes after he hangs up, Claude calls him and says, "I just got the strangest call from Hartsy."
"Did he ask you if you're okay?"
"Yes! Did he call you? Does he really think I can't live alone?"
Danny laughs. "You're not going to live alone. One of the rookies is going to complain about not having anywhere to stay, and he's going to end up in your second bedroom." He stops and considers for a moment. "Or one of the boys will run away from home and end up at your place."
Claude laughs too and says, "You're going to end up with the hard-luck rookie, and if one of the boys ends up here, I'm not returning him."
"Good," Danny says. "Three is too many anyway."
They talk about the boys for a while, conditioning for the season, and Claude's adventures in home ownership, and Danny forgets about Hartsy's call.
*
"Jesus, Briere," Hartsy swears at him in the locker room. "You are on fucking fire."
Danny grins at him. It was a good practice, no game today so he could go all out.
"I don't get it." Hartsy keeps talking, even as he strips out of his gear. "When Sylvie left," and it's been long enough that Danny doesn't flinch anymore, "you were a wreck for a whole season. But now you're fine."
"Yes?" Danny says. This doesn't make any more sense- He follows the direction of Hartsy's look and sighs. "Look, I know there were a lot of jokes, but you do know Claude and I weren't actually married, right?"
Everyone who isn't involved in horsing around with Claude is listening to Danny and Hartsy.
Hartsy looks at Danny for a long moment, and then he calls across the room, "Hey, G!" It makes everyone who wasn't listening before start listening now.
Claude looks up, glances at Danny before he says, "What?"
"When's Carson's next hockey practice?"
"Wednesday at six," Claude says. "Why?"
Hartsy turns to Danny, arms folded over his chest.
Danny just laughs. "He lived with us for a year. Of course he knows that stuff."
"Carson's in a different division this year."
Danny rolls his eyes. "Claude keeps up with the boys. He's their favorite adult. So what?"
Claude makes his way across the room to stand next to Danny. "What's up? Why do you want to know about the boys?"
Danny sighs. "Hartsy's concerned that I'm not upset about you moving out."
Claude throws his arm around Danny's shoulders. "You should be upset. I'm awesome."
Danny laughs, and Hartsy stares at them.
"I don't understand your divorce," Hartsy finally says. "How can you still be all," he gestures at them, "when you split up?"
Claude frowns and says, "You know we weren't really married, right?"
Hartsy throws up his hands. "Fine. I give up." He points at them. "But when you decide this trial separation isn't working and get back together, I'm going to say, 'I told you so.'" He stomps off toward the showers.
Claude looks at Danny, who shakes his head.
"I don't have any more idea than you do," Danny says. "Want to come to Caelen's practice? We can get dinner after."
"Sure." Claude squeezes his shoulder before he moves away. "I'm going to run home for a nap, but I'll meet you there."
"Sounds good," Danny says. "The boys'll be glad to see you."
Story on AO3
Danny doesn't expect to see Hartsy's name on his phone. They're teammates, sure, and they hang out with some of the other guys sometimes, but Hartsy doesn't call him up.
He's really not expecting the first thing Hartsy says to be, "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Danny says. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"
There's a pause, and then Hartsy says, "I heard G moved out."
"Yeah," Danny says. "He bought a great condo in Cherry Hill."
"You've been there?"
"The boys and I helped him move." Danny chuckles. "They've already made him promise they can come over for a sleepover."
"And you're okay with that?" Hartsy asks carefully.
"Sure. They'll stay up too late and eat nothing but junk food, but they'd do that at any slumber party."
There's a moment of hesitation, and then Hartsy asks about the boys, and they speculate about the rookies coming in. It's strange, but not unwelcome.
Twenty minutes after he hangs up, Claude calls him and says, "I just got the strangest call from Hartsy."
"Did he ask you if you're okay?"
"Yes! Did he call you? Does he really think I can't live alone?"
Danny laughs. "You're not going to live alone. One of the rookies is going to complain about not having anywhere to stay, and he's going to end up in your second bedroom." He stops and considers for a moment. "Or one of the boys will run away from home and end up at your place."
Claude laughs too and says, "You're going to end up with the hard-luck rookie, and if one of the boys ends up here, I'm not returning him."
"Good," Danny says. "Three is too many anyway."
They talk about the boys for a while, conditioning for the season, and Claude's adventures in home ownership, and Danny forgets about Hartsy's call.
*
"Jesus, Briere," Hartsy swears at him in the locker room. "You are on fucking fire."
Danny grins at him. It was a good practice, no game today so he could go all out.
"I don't get it." Hartsy keeps talking, even as he strips out of his gear. "When Sylvie left," and it's been long enough that Danny doesn't flinch anymore, "you were a wreck for a whole season. But now you're fine."
"Yes?" Danny says. This doesn't make any more sense- He follows the direction of Hartsy's look and sighs. "Look, I know there were a lot of jokes, but you do know Claude and I weren't actually married, right?"
Everyone who isn't involved in horsing around with Claude is listening to Danny and Hartsy.
Hartsy looks at Danny for a long moment, and then he calls across the room, "Hey, G!" It makes everyone who wasn't listening before start listening now.
Claude looks up, glances at Danny before he says, "What?"
"When's Carson's next hockey practice?"
"Wednesday at six," Claude says. "Why?"
Hartsy turns to Danny, arms folded over his chest.
Danny just laughs. "He lived with us for a year. Of course he knows that stuff."
"Carson's in a different division this year."
Danny rolls his eyes. "Claude keeps up with the boys. He's their favorite adult. So what?"
Claude makes his way across the room to stand next to Danny. "What's up? Why do you want to know about the boys?"
Danny sighs. "Hartsy's concerned that I'm not upset about you moving out."
Claude throws his arm around Danny's shoulders. "You should be upset. I'm awesome."
Danny laughs, and Hartsy stares at them.
"I don't understand your divorce," Hartsy finally says. "How can you still be all," he gestures at them, "when you split up?"
Claude frowns and says, "You know we weren't really married, right?"
Hartsy throws up his hands. "Fine. I give up." He points at them. "But when you decide this trial separation isn't working and get back together, I'm going to say, 'I told you so.'" He stomps off toward the showers.
Claude looks at Danny, who shakes his head.
"I don't have any more idea than you do," Danny says. "Want to come to Caelen's practice? We can get dinner after."
"Sure." Claude squeezes his shoulder before he moves away. "I'm going to run home for a nap, but I'll meet you there."
"Sounds good," Danny says. "The boys'll be glad to see you."