SN Fic: Religious Stage

[out_there]

Title: Religious Stage
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Notes: Heh. Nine hours chatting with Celli, and four fics to show for it. Go, us?

***

Religious Stage


"Danny?" Casey asked randomly one night.

"Yeah?"

"You know I'm not Catholic, right?"

Dan twisted his head around, turning away from the baseball tape, to stare at Casey. "Yes."

"How come the midnight mass thing?"

"Casey?" Dan asked slowly.

"Yeah?"

"It's March."

Casey nodded. "So?"

"So why are you thinking about Christmas?"

Casey shrugged. "Just am."

Dan rolled his eyes and turned back to the TV.

"Why do you want to go to Catholic mass?"

"Curiousity," Dan replied curtly.

Casey narrowed his eyes, noticing Dan's slight flush. "Curiousity?"

"Just want to see how the other half live."

Casey wrapped his arm around Dan's shoulders, leaning closer. "What's the real reason?" Dan flushed a little darker, and it was enough for Casey know that not only was Dan hiding something, it was something embarrassing. "Come on, Danny. Tell me."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Honestly?" Casey asked with a sharkish grin. "No."

"If I tell you, will you promise not to tease me about it?"

Casey grinned widely. "It's good enough to tease you about?"

Dan narrowed his eyes. "Casey."

"Okay, fine. I promise not to laugh."

"And not to tease?" Dan asked pointedly.

Casey sighed, leaning closer. "And not to tease."

"Fine." Dan sighed. "I went through... a religious stage when I was a kid."

"A religious stage?"

"I went to Catholic mass every week," Dan mumbled, staring defiantly at the television screen.

"Dan, you're Jewish."

"I *know*."

"But you went to Catholic mass?"

"Yeah."

"Every week?"

"Yeah."

"For how long?"

"About four months."

Casey stared at Dan, but Dan kept watching the television screen, with his cheeks growing steadily darker. "Why?"

"Um..."

Casey poked Dan in the ribs, which at least made Dan look at him. "Why?"

"For the sake of a crush."

Casey laughed. "It's like Romeo and Juliet. Divided by religions."

"Screw you, Casey," Dan replied, somewhat affectionately.

"So, what? You had a crush on some girl and showed up to mass, for four months, just to see her?"

Dan bobbed his head, side to side. "Sort of."

"Did you get to kiss her?"

"No," Dan said quickly.

"That seems like a waste of four months."

Dan nodded sharply and turned back to the television screen. Casey watched him for a moment, and then realised that Dan wasn't telling him something. "So you had a crush on some girl as a kid? That's not very embarrassing, Danny."

"So?"

"So what's the real story?"

Dan flushed a little darker, and Casey knew he was right. "Casey..."

"Just tell me, Danny. You know this way will be easier."

Dan shot him a sideways glare. "It wasn't a girl, okay?"

Casey blinked. "It was a *guy*?"

Dan stared at him. "We're two guys, who regularly sleep together. You shouldn't be so surprised that I had a crush on a guy."

"I know," Casey said defensively.

"But you are."

"Well... yeah."

"Why?"

"Because..." Casey shrugged. "Because I... wasn't interested in guys when I was younger. I didn't notice guys until college."

Dan rolled his eyes eloquently.

"Okay, fine," Casey said, throwing his arms wide. "You had a crush on a guy and it wasn't a big deal."

"Good."

Casey turned his attention back to the game, peevishly. Staring at the screen, Casey asked one important question. "So how come you're blushing?"

"Because..."

"Yes?"

"Hewasapriest,okay?"

Casey started to smirk. "Um, I don't think I quite caught that, Danny?"

Dan clenched his jaw. "He. Was. A. Priest."

"You were lusting after some old priest?" Casey asked, laughing.

"He wasn't old," Dan responded quickly.

"I'm just imagining the priests I've known. You know, those kindly old guys standing up at the front of the church? Grey hair, a little overweight, about fifty?"

"Father Bobby was nothing like that."

Casey burst out laughing. "Father *Bobby*?"

"Yes, Father Bobby, okay?" Dan's eyes narrowed. "He was Italian and he'd only just become a priest, and he was... he was really good looking."

Casey tried to stop sniggering. He almost succeeded. "Really?"

"I was not the only person who suddenly started attending Mass."

"Uh-huh."

"Admittedly, most of them were Catholic girls, but... he was a hot priest," Dan finished desperately.

"You had a crush on a hot priest?" Casey asked slowly. "Named Father Bobby?"

Dan's lips pulled down into a frown. "You could say that with a little less mockery, you know."

"Oh, I really don't think I could." Dan's eyes widened in outrage, and Casey dissolved into giggles again.

"Didn't you promise not to laugh?"

Casey drew a deep breath through his nose and shook his head. "I promised not to tease."

"I think you promised both."

Casey took a long swallow of his drink, and when he was sure he wouldn't start laughing, he turned back to Dan. "Danny?"

"What?" Dan asked darkly.

"That doesn't explain why you wanted to go to midnight mass."

"I just wanted to check out the old parish," Dan replied easily.

Casey took a long look at Dan's cheeky grin and made a wild guess. "And Father Bobby's still there?"

Dan grinned. "I think so."

Casey reminded himself of some important things. First of all, Danny was talking about a priest. Who was mildly attractive over a decade ago. Secondly... He couldn't think of a secondly. "You were going to go to midnight mass to check out an old crush?"

"You know," Dan said slowly, "you sound a little jealous."

Casey scowled at him. "I'm not jealous."

"I think you are."

"I'm not jealous of a hot priest," Casey said firmly but Dan just kept staring at him. "Who's probably not even hot anymore anyway."

"I guess this wouldn't be the time to mention that I stopped by for Mass there in January?" Dan asked snidely.

"You did?"

"He's still hot."

Casey folded his arms and stared at the game on tv. "I don't want to talk about this any more."

Dan cracked up. "You did ask."

"That was because I didn't know the answer," Casey replied in annoyance. Then he realised how petulant he sounded. He almost managed to ignore Dan's amused cackling.

"You know, Casey, he's still very hot."

"Well, good for Father Bobby."

Dan leaned over pressed a kiss against Casey's cheek. "But you really have nothing to worry about."

Casey watched Dan suspiciously. "Really?"

"Casey, he's a *priest*."

"Apparently," Casey replied cattily, "he's a very *hot* priest."

"Casey, you know my mom pretty much believes she's adopted you?"

"Yeah," Casey said slowly, wondering what Dan's point was. Other than the known fact that Dan's mom did like him and kept trying to feed him whenever he saw her.

"She'd have a heart attack if I told her I was sleeping with a priest."

Casey blinked at Dan. He really wasn't sure if he should be pleased about that comment or not.

The End

Comments

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

Nine hours chatting with Celli, and four fics to show for it. Go, us?

Go you indeed! If I chat with someone I never get anything written.

"Just tell me, Danny. You know this way will be easier."

Hee!

Casey grinned widely. "It's good enough to tease you about?"

I love this! And I love the way Danny turns the tables on Casey by the end.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Go you indeed! If I chat with someone I never get anything written.

Actually, it's pretty unusual for me, too.

I love this! And I love the way Danny turns the tables on Casey by the end.

Heh. Well, you know Casey would have had so much fun with it, right until he started getting jealous. *pets Casey*

[celli]

Amazingly, none of those four stories were mine. Go fig. *g*

"Dan, you're Jewish."

"I *know*."

*cracks up again*

[out-there.livejournal.com]

I stole your writerly thunder. *gives it back*

[celli]

Dude. At the very moment you sent this, I got smacked by a brand new and highly bizarre plot bunny.

That was spooky.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*sniggers* And yet, as you instantly recieved a plotbunny, I still haven't received email notification of your reply.

But, still. Very bizarre.

[laylee.livejournal.com]

God, there were never any hot priests at church when I was growing up. They were all really old and crumbly :~\

"Casey, you know my mom pretty much believes she's adopted you?"

"Yeah," Casey said slowly, wondering what Dan's point was. Other than the known fact that Dan's mom did like him and kept trying to feed him whenever he saw her.

"She'd have a heart attack if I told her I was sleeping with a priest."

Hehehe, that was fun. I always wondered why Danny wanted to go to midnight mass and this is a great answer. And Mass is actually a really good way of picking up boys/girls. It's about the only reason why I kept going for as long as I did.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

God, there were never any hot priests at church when I was growing up. They were all really old and crumbly :~\

Same for me.

This was actually inspired by me watchign the start of Sleepers last night, and being strangly attracted by Robert DeNiro as a priest. (I know. It's very strange.)

Hehehe, that was fun. I always wondered why Danny wanted to go to midnight mass and this is a great answer. And Mass is actually a really good way of picking up boys/girls. It's about the only reason why I kept going for as long as I did.

Hee! Well, I'd probably go to church if I ended up picking up. *thinks about it*

Um, no, I probably wouldn't. Weekend sleep-ins are a higher priority. *g*