SN Wip: Three Days
Oct. 11th, 2006 08:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
out_thereContinued from here...
"Figures." Casey took a deep breath and seemed to suddenly realise that they'd had the whole conversation while standing barely a foot from each other. He took a jerky step back.
"Uh-uh." Dan grabbed at the first thing available -- which happened to be Casey's tie -- and pulled. Casey made an uncomfortable gurgling sound as he stumbled closer, and Dan reached up to loosen the tie, saying, "Not quite what I meant to do there. Next time, I'll grab for the sweater. And why are you wearing a tie with a sweater? Are you trying to dress like someone's grandfather?"
"Monica won't let me wear the suit jackets home. Not since the blue margarita incident."
"Ah," Dan said knowledgably, remembering the spill and the stain and the three days of Casey being dressed in shades of brown, brown and more brown. He kept fingering today's tie -- a deep green -- thinking that despite the new jacket rules, Casey had clearly been forgiven. When Casey was apologetic, it could be nearly impossible to maintain righteous outrage against his inherent idiotness.
Dan left his fingers hooked under the knot, so when Casey swallowed, he felt it. "Um, Dan?"
"Yeah?"
"Going to let go any time soon?"
Dan glanced at his fingers. They looked pale against Casey's flushed skin. "Not planning on it."
Rare as it was, Casey seemed lost for words.
Dan started undoing Casey's tie, the actions familiar in a back-to-front, inside-out way. When he finished, he finally looked away from his hands and met Casey's nervous, embarrassed expression. "Speechless is a good look on you."
Casey nearly smiled but abandoned the movement at the last minute. For a moment, Dan felt unbelievably stupid, standing against the door of their office, holding onto the hanging ends of Casey's tie. The knitted wool of Casey's sweater was soft against Dan's knuckles, shifting as Casey breathed.
Casey cleared his throat. "Isn't this the point where you say you're flattered, but--"
"You're an idiot."
"Hey, what happened to being flattered? Since when did unwanted attention become insulting--"
"Three and a half years? Three and a half years, and you couldn't say anything sooner?"
Lifting his chin up, Casey glared down -- using that whole inch of height difference as much as he could. "Excuse me for wanting to avoid a conversation as awkward and ultimately humiliating as this. Clearly your gossipy need to pry into my personal life should have been my highest concern."
"You really think that's what's going on here?"
"Isn't it?"
Dan tightened his hold on Casey's tie, and tugged at it until Casey glanced down. "I know you can be oblivious, but the fact that I'm not letting go should tell you something. Even you should be able to read that sign."
If it had been football, Casey would have recognised the play and already been speculating on the quarterback's likelihood of a touchdown. If it had been basketball or baseball -- or, hell, even soccer -- Casey would have seen it coming. But it wasn't.
So instead of leaning forward when Dan did, instead of tilting his head, Casey stood there, stunned, as Dan kissed it. To Casey's credit, it only took him a moment to get with the program, wrap his arms around Dan's shoulders, and kiss back.
It ended, in Dan's opinion, far too quickly.
"Huh," he heard Casey say dazedly.
That probably meant that Dan was supposed to be the articulate one. He started with a sigh. "Three and a half years, Casey."
"I was married."
Snorting, Dan finally let go of Casey's tie -- to lightly punch him in the shoulder. "You got divorced."
"I didn't want you to think this was some crazy divorce rebound thing." Casey shrugged. "Because it isn't."
Dan rolled his eyes. "A rebound happens after the end of a relationship, not before."
"I didn't know if you'd know that."
"I do."
"Well," Casey said, not quite annoyed, "now I know."
***
The sad thing is that I still can't find the start to this story. I have two scenes missing. *pouts*
"Figures." Casey took a deep breath and seemed to suddenly realise that they'd had the whole conversation while standing barely a foot from each other. He took a jerky step back.
"Uh-uh." Dan grabbed at the first thing available -- which happened to be Casey's tie -- and pulled. Casey made an uncomfortable gurgling sound as he stumbled closer, and Dan reached up to loosen the tie, saying, "Not quite what I meant to do there. Next time, I'll grab for the sweater. And why are you wearing a tie with a sweater? Are you trying to dress like someone's grandfather?"
"Monica won't let me wear the suit jackets home. Not since the blue margarita incident."
"Ah," Dan said knowledgably, remembering the spill and the stain and the three days of Casey being dressed in shades of brown, brown and more brown. He kept fingering today's tie -- a deep green -- thinking that despite the new jacket rules, Casey had clearly been forgiven. When Casey was apologetic, it could be nearly impossible to maintain righteous outrage against his inherent idiotness.
Dan left his fingers hooked under the knot, so when Casey swallowed, he felt it. "Um, Dan?"
"Yeah?"
"Going to let go any time soon?"
Dan glanced at his fingers. They looked pale against Casey's flushed skin. "Not planning on it."
Rare as it was, Casey seemed lost for words.
Dan started undoing Casey's tie, the actions familiar in a back-to-front, inside-out way. When he finished, he finally looked away from his hands and met Casey's nervous, embarrassed expression. "Speechless is a good look on you."
Casey nearly smiled but abandoned the movement at the last minute. For a moment, Dan felt unbelievably stupid, standing against the door of their office, holding onto the hanging ends of Casey's tie. The knitted wool of Casey's sweater was soft against Dan's knuckles, shifting as Casey breathed.
Casey cleared his throat. "Isn't this the point where you say you're flattered, but--"
"You're an idiot."
"Hey, what happened to being flattered? Since when did unwanted attention become insulting--"
"Three and a half years? Three and a half years, and you couldn't say anything sooner?"
Lifting his chin up, Casey glared down -- using that whole inch of height difference as much as he could. "Excuse me for wanting to avoid a conversation as awkward and ultimately humiliating as this. Clearly your gossipy need to pry into my personal life should have been my highest concern."
"You really think that's what's going on here?"
"Isn't it?"
Dan tightened his hold on Casey's tie, and tugged at it until Casey glanced down. "I know you can be oblivious, but the fact that I'm not letting go should tell you something. Even you should be able to read that sign."
If it had been football, Casey would have recognised the play and already been speculating on the quarterback's likelihood of a touchdown. If it had been basketball or baseball -- or, hell, even soccer -- Casey would have seen it coming. But it wasn't.
So instead of leaning forward when Dan did, instead of tilting his head, Casey stood there, stunned, as Dan kissed it. To Casey's credit, it only took him a moment to get with the program, wrap his arms around Dan's shoulders, and kiss back.
It ended, in Dan's opinion, far too quickly.
"Huh," he heard Casey say dazedly.
That probably meant that Dan was supposed to be the articulate one. He started with a sigh. "Three and a half years, Casey."
"I was married."
Snorting, Dan finally let go of Casey's tie -- to lightly punch him in the shoulder. "You got divorced."
"I didn't want you to think this was some crazy divorce rebound thing." Casey shrugged. "Because it isn't."
Dan rolled his eyes. "A rebound happens after the end of a relationship, not before."
"I didn't know if you'd know that."
"I do."
"Well," Casey said, not quite annoyed, "now I know."
***
The sad thing is that I still can't find the start to this story. I have two scenes missing. *pouts*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 05:14 pm (UTC)And why are you wearing a tie with a sweater? Are you trying to dress like someone's grandfather?"
Hee! This is great! Dan would totally notice that.
When Casey was apologetic, it could be nearly impossible to maintain righteous outrage against his inherent idiotness.
*sigh* It's so totally true. Yay, more Sports Night!
no subject
Date: 2006-10-12 06:09 am (UTC)Thank you. It's always great to hear that the wip that you're wary of (and I am, but I'm going to finish this because I haven't written Dan and Casey in forever) is working for other people.