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gothams3rdrobinThis is another one I wrote some months ago, but have been tinkering with ever since.
It's a Sports Night Dan/Casey story, though there's nothing graphic. I haven't reached the point where I could write anything above a PG... *grin* I guess you could call it a song-fic - it was inspired by a song, and lines get quoted. But there's none of those irritating paragraphs that are basically just verses of the song.
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phoebesmum very kindly beta'd this for me, correcting my punctuation and offering alternative phrasing in places where I was struggling. Thank you very much hon!
Affirmation
"I believe in karma – what you give is what you get returned."
Casey stared across the office at Dan as though his friend had grown a second head. "Danny … what?"
Dan shrugged. "It's a song. Heard it on the radio this morning."
"And now it's in your head?" Dan nodded. Casey thought for a moment. "I believe you can't appreciate real love till you've been burned."
"You know it?" Dan blinked in surprise.
"Of course. Savage Garden."
Dan shook his head in bemusement. "You know what, Casey? You may not know much about music, but at least you know enough to understand what I talk about."
Casey grinned at him. "I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side," he challenged, enjoying this new game.
"I believe you don't know what you've got until you've said goodbye," Dan responded.
Their eyes met and they stared at each other, the mood suddenly changed. Then Casey looked away, focusing his attention on his fingers. He mumbled something Dan didn't quite catch.
"I'm sorry Casey, did you say something?"
"No, nothing," he said a little too quickly, jumping out of his chair as if it were on fire. "I'll … be in editing."
"Oh ... kaay …" Dan watched the door close softly behind him.
****
Casey was very tight-lipped during the rundowns that day, leaving before Dan had the chance to get his attention. And in between, no-one seemed to know where to find him.
After the final rundown, Dan managed to corner him in Wardrobe and stuck close till he could drag the other man back into their office.
"Okay Casey, spill it. What's gotten into you today?"
"It's not important, Danny. Leave it." Casey wouldn't meet his eyes.
"No way, man. It had something to do with those song lyrics. What's going on? What were you muttering before you hightailed it out of here?"
Casey sighed, "I said ... I miss you."
Dan frowned, wishing Casey would look up. "I'm right here, Casey."
"No, Danny … that's not what I mean."
"Then what do you mean?"
"I … it's been ten years, Danny."
"Yes, it has. And sometimes I wonder if I understand you at all." Dan frown deepened. "What's this about, Casey?"
Casey sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he finally met Dan's eyes. "It's about the biggest mistake I ever made."
"Well … granted, marrying Lisa - "
"Not just that!" Casey scowled in frustration. "When I married her, I gave up pretty much the best thing to ever happen to me."
"Are you talking about …?" Dan's eyes widened in shock.
"I miss you, Danny. I should never have pushed you away."
Dan suddenly found his own fingers rather interesting. Were they really having this conversation after all this time? "I understood your reasons, Casey."
"Maybe you did, but it was still unfair of me. I might have believed I needed to dress for success, but I had no right to ask the same of you."
Dan sighed, "I'll admit it hurt when you ended it between us. I couldn't believe you'd give up what we had just to play Mr Suburbia. Especially with someone like Lisa."
"Danny …"
"No, hear me out Casey. It nearly killed me to let you go, and I hated seeing what your marriage did to you. But I'm thankful for some things."
"Like what?" Casey asked, puzzled
"I'm grateful you stayed in my life – that we make such a great team. And if you hadn't made a go of it with Lisa, we wouldn't have Charlie."
Casey had to smile at that, knowing Dan meant every word. Dan smiled back,
"But it's been ten years now," Casey pressed. "We've done well for ourselves, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, we have. We may not be at the top of our game yet, but we're damn close. Plus we're getting our faces known now. The sky's the limit, my friend."
"The world is our oyster," Casey agreed, "And … I miss you."
Dan swallowed, "I miss you too, Case."
Casey briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his expression was full of hope, "So … can we try again?"
Dan exhaled shakily, "Casey …"
"Please tell me I'm not too late, Danny."
"No …" The response was whisper-soft. "Never too late, Casey."
Casey nearly leapt from his chair, scooting it close to Dan and gently gripping his elbow. Dan shivered at the familiar touch that suddenly, for the second time in their friendship, meant so much more. Casey held Dan's gaze, his thumb stroking the other man's arm.
"After the show, you want to grab a bite to eat?" he asked, hopefully
Dan nodded, and then grinned as Kim's voice rang out over the PA.
"Five minutes to air. First team to the studio please."
"It's a good thing we had this talk now instead of this morning. I don't think we'd have gotten our scripts written."
"Probably not. They're pretty bad as it is." Casey agreed, wrapping his arm around Dan's shoulders as they headed through the newsroom. It was a sign of how close the pair had always been that no-one paid any particular attention.
"I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality," Dan quoted, picking up their game again.
Casey raised his eyebrows but joined in. "I believe that trust is more important than monogamy."
"You really think that?" asked Elliot as they approached the studio.
"Quoting song lyrics," Dan offered as explanation. Elliot shrugged.
"I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul," Dan continued as he sat down at the anchor desk.
"I believe that family is worth more than money or gold," Casey responded, grinning.
"One minute to air," Dana's puzzled voice echoed as they secured their microphones to their jackets.
"I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair." Dan straightened his tie, watching Casey quickly scan through his script.
"I believe the only ones who'd disagree are millionaires." Casey looked up, and flashed Dan a warm grin before turning towards the camera, his most winning smile carefully on his face and his eyes bright. "Good evening, from New York City I'm Casey McCall alongside Dan Rydell. Those stories plus …"
It's a Sports Night Dan/Casey story, though there's nothing graphic. I haven't reached the point where I could write anything above a PG... *grin* I guess you could call it a song-fic - it was inspired by a song, and lines get quoted. But there's none of those irritating paragraphs that are basically just verses of the song.
phoebesmum very kindly beta'd this for me, correcting my punctuation and offering alternative phrasing in places where I was struggling. Thank you very much hon!Affirmation
"I believe in karma – what you give is what you get returned."
Casey stared across the office at Dan as though his friend had grown a second head. "Danny … what?"
Dan shrugged. "It's a song. Heard it on the radio this morning."
"And now it's in your head?" Dan nodded. Casey thought for a moment. "I believe you can't appreciate real love till you've been burned."
"You know it?" Dan blinked in surprise.
"Of course. Savage Garden."
Dan shook his head in bemusement. "You know what, Casey? You may not know much about music, but at least you know enough to understand what I talk about."
Casey grinned at him. "I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side," he challenged, enjoying this new game.
"I believe you don't know what you've got until you've said goodbye," Dan responded.
Their eyes met and they stared at each other, the mood suddenly changed. Then Casey looked away, focusing his attention on his fingers. He mumbled something Dan didn't quite catch.
"I'm sorry Casey, did you say something?"
"No, nothing," he said a little too quickly, jumping out of his chair as if it were on fire. "I'll … be in editing."
"Oh ... kaay …" Dan watched the door close softly behind him.
****
Casey was very tight-lipped during the rundowns that day, leaving before Dan had the chance to get his attention. And in between, no-one seemed to know where to find him.
After the final rundown, Dan managed to corner him in Wardrobe and stuck close till he could drag the other man back into their office.
"Okay Casey, spill it. What's gotten into you today?"
"It's not important, Danny. Leave it." Casey wouldn't meet his eyes.
"No way, man. It had something to do with those song lyrics. What's going on? What were you muttering before you hightailed it out of here?"
Casey sighed, "I said ... I miss you."
Dan frowned, wishing Casey would look up. "I'm right here, Casey."
"No, Danny … that's not what I mean."
"Then what do you mean?"
"I … it's been ten years, Danny."
"Yes, it has. And sometimes I wonder if I understand you at all." Dan frown deepened. "What's this about, Casey?"
Casey sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he finally met Dan's eyes. "It's about the biggest mistake I ever made."
"Well … granted, marrying Lisa - "
"Not just that!" Casey scowled in frustration. "When I married her, I gave up pretty much the best thing to ever happen to me."
"Are you talking about …?" Dan's eyes widened in shock.
"I miss you, Danny. I should never have pushed you away."
Dan suddenly found his own fingers rather interesting. Were they really having this conversation after all this time? "I understood your reasons, Casey."
"Maybe you did, but it was still unfair of me. I might have believed I needed to dress for success, but I had no right to ask the same of you."
Dan sighed, "I'll admit it hurt when you ended it between us. I couldn't believe you'd give up what we had just to play Mr Suburbia. Especially with someone like Lisa."
"Danny …"
"No, hear me out Casey. It nearly killed me to let you go, and I hated seeing what your marriage did to you. But I'm thankful for some things."
"Like what?" Casey asked, puzzled
"I'm grateful you stayed in my life – that we make such a great team. And if you hadn't made a go of it with Lisa, we wouldn't have Charlie."
Casey had to smile at that, knowing Dan meant every word. Dan smiled back,
"But it's been ten years now," Casey pressed. "We've done well for ourselves, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, we have. We may not be at the top of our game yet, but we're damn close. Plus we're getting our faces known now. The sky's the limit, my friend."
"The world is our oyster," Casey agreed, "And … I miss you."
Dan swallowed, "I miss you too, Case."
Casey briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his expression was full of hope, "So … can we try again?"
Dan exhaled shakily, "Casey …"
"Please tell me I'm not too late, Danny."
"No …" The response was whisper-soft. "Never too late, Casey."
Casey nearly leapt from his chair, scooting it close to Dan and gently gripping his elbow. Dan shivered at the familiar touch that suddenly, for the second time in their friendship, meant so much more. Casey held Dan's gaze, his thumb stroking the other man's arm.
"After the show, you want to grab a bite to eat?" he asked, hopefully
Dan nodded, and then grinned as Kim's voice rang out over the PA.
"Five minutes to air. First team to the studio please."
"It's a good thing we had this talk now instead of this morning. I don't think we'd have gotten our scripts written."
"Probably not. They're pretty bad as it is." Casey agreed, wrapping his arm around Dan's shoulders as they headed through the newsroom. It was a sign of how close the pair had always been that no-one paid any particular attention.
"I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality," Dan quoted, picking up their game again.
Casey raised his eyebrows but joined in. "I believe that trust is more important than monogamy."
"You really think that?" asked Elliot as they approached the studio.
"Quoting song lyrics," Dan offered as explanation. Elliot shrugged.
"I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul," Dan continued as he sat down at the anchor desk.
"I believe that family is worth more than money or gold," Casey responded, grinning.
"One minute to air," Dana's puzzled voice echoed as they secured their microphones to their jackets.
"I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair." Dan straightened his tie, watching Casey quickly scan through his script.
"I believe the only ones who'd disagree are millionaires." Casey looked up, and flashed Dan a warm grin before turning towards the camera, his most winning smile carefully on his face and his eyes bright. "Good evening, from New York City I'm Casey McCall alongside Dan Rydell. Those stories plus …"
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-03 12:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-03 01:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-03 02:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-04 01:32 pm (UTC)Luckily, turns out my word processing software on the other PC can cope with word files that have revision notes, so all was cool.
I agree with you about the imbalance - it would be so great to see more SN fic on there. I'm curious to see what Studio 60's gonna be like.
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Date: 2006-05-04 12:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-04 01:32 pm (UTC)