Daled

Daled is the slash ship between Aled Last and Daniel Jun from the Osemanverse fandom.

Canon
Daniel and Aled are first seen together at parents evening. Frances notes that Aled goes to a different school and most people at school only knew Aled because of Daniel and that the two had been inseparable their wholes lives despite their differences. When asked about why Aled agreed to give a speech about university, Daniel answers for Aled saying it’s because Aled’s a turnip, and Aled murmurs a “Yes” while smiling.

The two are seen again at a club and it’s mentioned how Aled looked just as plain as Daniel did, like Daniel had picked out his clothes. While Daniel talks to Frances’ friends, Aled is silently standing behind Daniel hunched over “like he was trying to hide”. We then find out through Aled’s conversation with Nick and Charlie that Daniel convinced Aled to go with him.

Aled is later found drunk and leaning against a wall, Frances says Daniel probably put him there and found it weird that Daniel would leave Aled alone considering Daniel was usually protective of Aled. Aled asks Frances if she had seen “Dan” which confuses her at first before she figures out that he must mean Daniel. When Frances says no, Aled looks down, disappointed.

They then hear someone shouting Aled’s name, which turns out to be Daniel who was barging through some dancers to get to them, a full cup of water in his hand. When Daniel gets to them, Aled lets go of Frances and slings his arm around Daniel who staggers backwards a bit in surprise. Aled talks about how weird it is that he used to be the taller one between the two but now Daniel is suddenly taller, Daniel agrees with Aled and smiles. Aled rests his head on Daniel’s shoulder and closes his eyes and Daniel gently pats Aled on his chest. Daniel murmurs something to Aled then hands him the water which Aled takes without saying anything. Daniel seems to suddenly remember Frances is there and asks her to take Aled home. He then says to himself that he shouldn’t have brought Aled with him with a look of regret in his eyes as he gazed at Aled who was drunk, clinging onto Frances.

During class, Daniel comes up to Frances (which he usually doesn’t) to ask about Aled. Daniel asks Frances if she’s spoken to Aled lately and says that he hasn’t seen Aled much for a while. Frances says that she has and she thinks to herself about how Daniel’s voice sounded softer, and not like himself and that he seemed to be worried.

On Aled’s 18th birthday, Daniel and Aled were going to go to the post-exams night at Johnny R’s, but Aled didn’t really want to and thought it would be nice to spend his birthday with Frances. And so Daniel goes over to Frances’ house. Frances jokes about being the ultimate third wheel if she were to hang out with them and Daniel laughs. After agreeing, Frances thinks that if Daniel were to do anything nice for anyone ever it would be Aled.

The three celebrate Aled’s birthday camping, they talk about Universe City, the podcast Aled made and Daniel says he hasn’t seen the latest episode. Aled jokes that Daniel is a fake fan but  Daniel argues that he was the first person to even subscribe. Aled continues to call him a fake fan and Daniel chucks dirt at Aled. During a game of Never Have I Ever, Frances asks “Never Have I Ever broken a curfew” and Daniel takes a drink while calling Frances lame. Aled shoots Daniel and look and says, “I’m lame as well then,” and Daniel immediately looks guilty. Daniel then asks, “Never have I ever…said ‘I love you’ and didn’t mean it.” and Aled raises his cup as if to take a drank but then doesn’t and rubs his eye.

Later on, Aled lies down next to the fire and closes his eyes. Daniel rolls over, kneels up, and puts his hand flat on the grass on each side of Aled’s face and leans over him. Aled opens his eyes, laughs, and rolls over.

Late at night, Aled and Daniel are sitting at the dinner table and talking. Daniel talks about how Aled had been avoiding him all summer and Aled argues that Daniel was busy working. Daniel tells Aled that he would’ve made time for Aled if he wanted to, but it didn’t feel like he wanted to. Aled tells Daniel that he does want him to. Daniel says that if Aled doesn’t like him, he could just say so but Aled asks Daniel why they would be doing this if he didn’t. Daniel rests his head on Aled’s chest and they hug. Daniel then puts his hand on Aled’s hair and tells him that he needs a haircut before leaning in to kiss.

At Spoons, Frances sees Aled talking to Daniel. She says that now that she knew Aled and Daniel were dating, she noticed things like the way Daniel would look at Aled while he was talking, the way Daniel would pull Aled along by the arm and Aled would follow without questioning, the way when they were in conversation they lean so close together it was as if they were able to kiss.

After Daniel's college interview, Frances asks if Aled had wished him good luck. Daniel said he didn't and reminds Frances that Aled wasn't talking to him. Frances says that she thinks Aled would make up with Daniel before her but Daniel shakes his head. Frances is confused and says that Daniel is Aled's boyfriend and best friend. Daniel says that he's not, and that he's just someone Aled kisses sometimes.

Daniel tells Frances that Aled and him had been friends ever since they were born as their moms used to work together. They went to the same primary school and the boys' grammar school until Daniel moved to the Academy. Daniel says that they would hang out every day. They would play football in fields, make secret bases, ride bikes, or play video games, "Just...best friend stuff. We were best friends." Daniel explains that there wasn't really a beginning to when they started going out and that he doesn't even know whether they were going out. They would kiss sometimes, even when they were kids and that they were so caught up in each other that they didn't realize all the heteronormativity. Daniel continues, saying that once they were teenagers, it got a bit more serious. When they were fourteen, playing video games in Aled's room, Daniel asked if he could kiss him properly. Daniel had always asked him before doing anything, and told him that he could always say no if he didn't want to, but Aled always said yes.

Daniel then talks about how they didn't want to tell anyone about their relationship, because it was just their thing, and Aled didn't think he was gay because he doesn't feel attracted to anyone except Daniel. Daniel didn't want to come out either, because Daniel felt that coming out at an all boys school was just asking for abuse. Daniel says that ever since Aled's sister left, Aled changed and Daniel felt as if there was a strain in their relationship. He tells Frances that he doesn't think Aled likes him very much and that it's usually Daniel that initiates it. Frances asks why the two haven't just ended it since they're not into each other, but Daniel corrects her, saying that he is into Aled and that he cares about him a lot.

Daniel says that he tried to talk about it to Aled on his birthday but Aled just kept reassuring him that he liked him back, but Daniel says that he can tell when Aled is lying, and that Aled knows Daniel is in love with him, but he doesn't feel the same.

"My worst nightmare is making him do something he doesn't want to do...without knowing...I guess people change and we have to move on, but...He could have at least — at least broken up with me officially, instead of just leaving me like this...It's okay if he doesn't like me in that way any more...it's okay...but I just want my best friend back..."

- Daniel about Aled

Daniel admits that Aled is his only real friend and that he just misses him a lot and just wants Aled to tell him the truth. After calming down a bit, Daniel says, "You know what? The first time I kissed him properly...he flinched."

Daniel and Aled make up when him, Frances, Raine, and Carys are at Aled's room. Aled tells Daniel about how he's demisexual, meaning that he's only attracted to people he has an emotional connection with. Daniel is understanding and tells Aled that he should've just told him. Aled says he was afraid Daniel would think it was silly but Daniel asks Aled why he would judge anyone's sexuality when he's "massively gay." The two laugh and Aled continues, saying that he was just afraid he would lose Daniel and apologizes to him. Daniel says it's okay and apologizes also. They hold hands and Aled asks Daniel if they could just go back to being them again. Daniel tells him they can.

Quotes
"According to rumour, Aled and Daniel had been inseparable their whole lives, despite the fact that Daniel was an uppity, opinionated dickhead and Aled spoke maybe fifty words per day."

- Frances about Aled and Daniel

Fanon
Daled is the most popular romantic ship within Radio Silence, being on a canon couple. Fans of the ship enjoy the fact that they are childhood friends in a complicated and secret relationship. On AO3 they have 67 works. Daled usually appears as a side couple in Narlie fan works, as Aled is friends with Charlie. Although, Daled is not as popular overall in the Osemanverse fandom since Aled does not make an appearance in the popular Heartstopper TV show, and in the books Daniel only makes a cameo.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

Trivia

 * Aled is the only person to call Daniel “Dan”.
 * At Johnny R’s, Daniel was wearing Aled’s jacket.
 * Frances later notices that Aled was also wearing a jumper that belonged to Daniel.
 * Daniel is the first and only person (before Frances) to know that Aled is the creator of Universe City.
 * Daniel was the first person to subscribe to the YouTube channel.
 * In “Heartstopper” chapter 4-13, Aled tells Charlie about Daniel.
 * The only people that know about Daniel and Aled’s relationship are Frances, Raine, Charlie, and Carys.
 * They were each other's first everything, according to Daniel.