SN WIP: Homophobic - Part Fifteen
Jul. 26th, 2004 02:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
out_thereConsider it a mini-update. Just one scene. *g* (Previous bits here.)
***
One day blurred into the next, and half of the Olympics passed in a haze of sporting enthusiasm, misdirected lust and constant tiredness. He was pretty sure that Danny wasn't suffering from the misdirected lust but he was certainly feeling the tiredness.
"I'm exhausted," Dan announced after yet another Olympics-flavored rundown.
"Then it's just as well it's your naptime."
"Really, Casey, I'm exhausted." Dan yawned and Casey found himself yawning in sympathy. "Even with naptime, even with going home straight after the show and not getting until I absolutely have to, I'm so tired I could sleep for a week."
Casey nodded, grabbing his jacket and making sure his wallet was in the pocket. "That could be because it's naptime," he suggested helpfully.
"Sleep. For a week." Dan dropped his head to the back of the couch, blinking as he kicked off his sneakers. That, in and of itself, was a sign of how tired Dan was these days. Dan was a big believer in undoing the laces first. "That's what I'm going to do after the Olympics."
"Sleep for a week?"
"Uh-huh." Casey found himself watching Dan's legs as he stretched out on the couch, and then pulled half-heartedly at the blanket.
Casey leaned back against the desk, mainly to make sure he didn't walk across the room and tuck Danny in. "Didn't Isaac say three days?"
"That's a general policy," Dan muttered, resting his head on the pillow. "I'm a special case."
Casey snickered. "I'm not denying that. But Isaac made it pretty clear that we take turns at taking three days off." Apparently, it was new network policy, and it made enough sense that Casey didn't even have the heart to begrudge it.
"Me and Isaac have a special bond," Dan replied sluggishly, and Casey knew Danny was fighting sleep. "He'll let me..." Dan tailed off and Casey allowed himself a moment of watching Dan's eyelashes shadow his cheek, his slightly parted lips; the curve of Dan's jaw, half-hidden by the blanket drawn up to his neck.
When the urge to touch was almost overwhelming, Casey pushed himself off the desk, tightly wrapped both hands around his jacket and walked purposefully out the door. Dana was meeting the tech crew until six, so he headed off to Isaac's office.
Isaac was sitting at his desk, reading over some report. He looked up as Casey came in and said, "Roger Bannister."
Casey blinked and sat down opposite Isaac. "Roger Bannister?"
Isaac nodded. "A man who proved the impossible was possible."
"Roger Bannister," Casey said again, trying to place the name. "The first man to break the four minute mile?"
Sighing, Isaac leaned back in his chair. "Did you know that back then, we believed that the human body couldn't run that fast? That your heart would literally explode in your chest?"
Casey tried not to snigger at the mental image of track runners exploding with a cartoon-like 'kablam!' "Now we know better."
"Do you know how long it took for someone else to break the four minute mile?"
Casey shook his head. "Not a clue."
"Three weeks." Isaac smiled and tapped his pen on the report in front of him. "Three weeks later it was broken again. Nineteen people broke it in that year alone. Now, high school kids run it."
"Yeah."
"Just goes to show," Isaac said with a broad grin. "It's only impossibly the first time you do it."
"Huh." Casey smiled, liking the sound of that. "I guess that's an important thing to remember around here."
Isaac chuckled. "It gives me hope that one day the lot of you will do something impossible – like making sense." Isaac closed the report and pushed it away. "So what did you want to see me about?"
"Vacation time."
"You were there when I explained how it's going to work."
Casey took a deep breath through his nose, and then stated optimistically, "Dan wants a week off."
"And again I say, you were there when I explained how it's going to work," Isaac said firmly. "Why am I repeating myself?"
Casey shrugged. "Early onset of senility?"
"You've been spending far too much time around Dana," Isaac replied evenly, but Casey could hear the smile in his tone.
"I get bored during naptime."
Isaac stared at him for a moment. "I don't want to know."
"Naptime was Danny's--"
Isaac held up a hand. "I really don't want to know. I think there are some things about this office I'm better off not knowing."
Casey felt his brows rise. "Plausible deniability?"
"Something like that. Give me one good reason why I should give you two a week off."
"Not both of us," Casey replied quickly. "Just Danny."
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"He's exhausted, Isaac. And three days is barely enough to get our sleeping patterns back to normal, let alone actually catch up on the two weeks of sleep deprivation."
"So I give him a week, and then you take a week?"
Casey shrugged. "Three days'll be fine." When Isaac just kept watching him, Casey quickly explained, "Danny sleeps more than I do."
"Am I about to find out he's booked a week's holiday in Bermuda?"
Casey laughed. "Dan's far too superstitious to go anywhere near the Bermuda Triangle. It makes the inner-sailor in him want to start tying things down to the hull."
"You've never been sailing, have you?"
"It shows?"
Leaning closer, Isaac whispered conspiratorially, "Stay away from the boating metaphors, son."
Casey raised his hand in a mock-salute. "Aye, aye, Captain."
Isaac chuckled warmly. "Why are you in here asking for Dan's time off?"
"Because Danny needs it."
Isaac narrowed his eyes, and Casey wondered what he suspected. "Does Daniel know you're in here?"
"Danny's asleep," Casey replied casually. It was true.
Isaac kept watching him. "Hmmm."
"So can Danny have the time off?"
"You know that thing about telling people how much you care for them...?" Isaac asked casually and Casey willed himself not to flush; willed himself not to think about Danny, and to just concentrate on the fact that he was sitting here talking to his boss. His boss's boss, technically. "That still applies, Casey."
"I'm asking for an extra few days off. I'm not asking for his hand in marriage," Casey bit back, just a little too sharply.
Even though Isaac was sitting down, even though Casey was objectively taller than him, he somehow managed to tower over the desk. Isaac Jaffee was a formidable man. "And you think being rude is the way to ask for it?"
"No, sir."
"Dan can have the time off," Isaac said, relaxing into his chair, "but I don't want you blowing a fuse because you're exhausted while he's working on his tan. Understood?"
"Loud and clear." Casey stood up and tried to manfully slink out of Isaac's office. At the doorway, he paused. "Made the impossible possible, huh?"
Isaac smiled faintly and Casey was suddenly glad Isaac was in his corner. "That's something we should all try to do."
***
***
One day blurred into the next, and half of the Olympics passed in a haze of sporting enthusiasm, misdirected lust and constant tiredness. He was pretty sure that Danny wasn't suffering from the misdirected lust but he was certainly feeling the tiredness.
"I'm exhausted," Dan announced after yet another Olympics-flavored rundown.
"Then it's just as well it's your naptime."
"Really, Casey, I'm exhausted." Dan yawned and Casey found himself yawning in sympathy. "Even with naptime, even with going home straight after the show and not getting until I absolutely have to, I'm so tired I could sleep for a week."
Casey nodded, grabbing his jacket and making sure his wallet was in the pocket. "That could be because it's naptime," he suggested helpfully.
"Sleep. For a week." Dan dropped his head to the back of the couch, blinking as he kicked off his sneakers. That, in and of itself, was a sign of how tired Dan was these days. Dan was a big believer in undoing the laces first. "That's what I'm going to do after the Olympics."
"Sleep for a week?"
"Uh-huh." Casey found himself watching Dan's legs as he stretched out on the couch, and then pulled half-heartedly at the blanket.
Casey leaned back against the desk, mainly to make sure he didn't walk across the room and tuck Danny in. "Didn't Isaac say three days?"
"That's a general policy," Dan muttered, resting his head on the pillow. "I'm a special case."
Casey snickered. "I'm not denying that. But Isaac made it pretty clear that we take turns at taking three days off." Apparently, it was new network policy, and it made enough sense that Casey didn't even have the heart to begrudge it.
"Me and Isaac have a special bond," Dan replied sluggishly, and Casey knew Danny was fighting sleep. "He'll let me..." Dan tailed off and Casey allowed himself a moment of watching Dan's eyelashes shadow his cheek, his slightly parted lips; the curve of Dan's jaw, half-hidden by the blanket drawn up to his neck.
When the urge to touch was almost overwhelming, Casey pushed himself off the desk, tightly wrapped both hands around his jacket and walked purposefully out the door. Dana was meeting the tech crew until six, so he headed off to Isaac's office.
Isaac was sitting at his desk, reading over some report. He looked up as Casey came in and said, "Roger Bannister."
Casey blinked and sat down opposite Isaac. "Roger Bannister?"
Isaac nodded. "A man who proved the impossible was possible."
"Roger Bannister," Casey said again, trying to place the name. "The first man to break the four minute mile?"
Sighing, Isaac leaned back in his chair. "Did you know that back then, we believed that the human body couldn't run that fast? That your heart would literally explode in your chest?"
Casey tried not to snigger at the mental image of track runners exploding with a cartoon-like 'kablam!' "Now we know better."
"Do you know how long it took for someone else to break the four minute mile?"
Casey shook his head. "Not a clue."
"Three weeks." Isaac smiled and tapped his pen on the report in front of him. "Three weeks later it was broken again. Nineteen people broke it in that year alone. Now, high school kids run it."
"Yeah."
"Just goes to show," Isaac said with a broad grin. "It's only impossibly the first time you do it."
"Huh." Casey smiled, liking the sound of that. "I guess that's an important thing to remember around here."
Isaac chuckled. "It gives me hope that one day the lot of you will do something impossible – like making sense." Isaac closed the report and pushed it away. "So what did you want to see me about?"
"Vacation time."
"You were there when I explained how it's going to work."
Casey took a deep breath through his nose, and then stated optimistically, "Dan wants a week off."
"And again I say, you were there when I explained how it's going to work," Isaac said firmly. "Why am I repeating myself?"
Casey shrugged. "Early onset of senility?"
"You've been spending far too much time around Dana," Isaac replied evenly, but Casey could hear the smile in his tone.
"I get bored during naptime."
Isaac stared at him for a moment. "I don't want to know."
"Naptime was Danny's--"
Isaac held up a hand. "I really don't want to know. I think there are some things about this office I'm better off not knowing."
Casey felt his brows rise. "Plausible deniability?"
"Something like that. Give me one good reason why I should give you two a week off."
"Not both of us," Casey replied quickly. "Just Danny."
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"He's exhausted, Isaac. And three days is barely enough to get our sleeping patterns back to normal, let alone actually catch up on the two weeks of sleep deprivation."
"So I give him a week, and then you take a week?"
Casey shrugged. "Three days'll be fine." When Isaac just kept watching him, Casey quickly explained, "Danny sleeps more than I do."
"Am I about to find out he's booked a week's holiday in Bermuda?"
Casey laughed. "Dan's far too superstitious to go anywhere near the Bermuda Triangle. It makes the inner-sailor in him want to start tying things down to the hull."
"You've never been sailing, have you?"
"It shows?"
Leaning closer, Isaac whispered conspiratorially, "Stay away from the boating metaphors, son."
Casey raised his hand in a mock-salute. "Aye, aye, Captain."
Isaac chuckled warmly. "Why are you in here asking for Dan's time off?"
"Because Danny needs it."
Isaac narrowed his eyes, and Casey wondered what he suspected. "Does Daniel know you're in here?"
"Danny's asleep," Casey replied casually. It was true.
Isaac kept watching him. "Hmmm."
"So can Danny have the time off?"
"You know that thing about telling people how much you care for them...?" Isaac asked casually and Casey willed himself not to flush; willed himself not to think about Danny, and to just concentrate on the fact that he was sitting here talking to his boss. His boss's boss, technically. "That still applies, Casey."
"I'm asking for an extra few days off. I'm not asking for his hand in marriage," Casey bit back, just a little too sharply.
Even though Isaac was sitting down, even though Casey was objectively taller than him, he somehow managed to tower over the desk. Isaac Jaffee was a formidable man. "And you think being rude is the way to ask for it?"
"No, sir."
"Dan can have the time off," Isaac said, relaxing into his chair, "but I don't want you blowing a fuse because you're exhausted while he's working on his tan. Understood?"
"Loud and clear." Casey stood up and tried to manfully slink out of Isaac's office. At the doorway, he paused. "Made the impossible possible, huh?"
Isaac smiled faintly and Casey was suddenly glad Isaac was in his corner. "That's something we should all try to do."
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-07-25 09:41 pm (UTC)And Casey's so cool. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-25 10:09 pm (UTC)*loves Isaac*
And Casey's so cool. :)
Hee! You know my inner-Casey is just bouncing around at that comment.
(Casey: She called me cool! See? *points*
Dan: She didn't mean it.
Casey: *gives Dan a pointed look* I don't see her saying you're cool.
Dan: You also don't see her saying the sky is blue. That's because there are some facts that don't need to be stated.
Casey: Hmmph.)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 12:06 am (UTC)(Casey: She called me cool! See? *points*
Dan: She didn't mean it.
Casey: *gives Dan a pointed look* I don't see her saying you're cool.
Dan: You also don't see her saying the sky is blue. That's because there are some facts that don't need to be stated.
Casey: Hmmph.)
...made me snort!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 12:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 02:21 pm (UTC)"You've never been sailing, have you?"
"It shows?"
*g*
I love that there's all this humour and snark and sports talk, but also all the feelings that they can't quite talk about, and there are moments like this: Casey allowed himself a moment of watching Dan's eyelashes shadow his cheek, his slightly parted lips; the curve of Dan's jaw, half-hidden by the blanket drawn up to his neck. *melts*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 02:56 pm (UTC)Indeed he is!
I love that there's all this humour and snark and sports talk, but also all the feelings that they can't quite talk about, and there are moments like this: Casey allowed himself a moment of watching Dan's eyelashes shadow his cheek, his slightly parted lips; the curve of Dan's jaw, half-hidden by the blanket drawn up to his neck. *melts*
*beams* I'm glad you liked it. I sometimes have trouble with the visuals when writing, so I have to concentrate sometimes on physically describing a scene.