Fic: "Circus People" Sports Night, Dan/Casey, PG
This is my first Sports Night fic, so bear with me. Thanks to endless_fever, as always.
Circus People
by Meixia bionic
Rating: PG
Summary: Casey hates the circus.
Circus People
Danny came into their office with his face between the pages of the newspaper. “There’s a traveling circus in town from Siberia.” He announced.
Casey was working hard at his desk, a pen shoved hastily behind his ear, eyes intent on the screen. “Really. And this has to do with sports how…?”
“It doesn’t. That’s the point.”
“Huh.” Casey said, obviously not paying much attention.
“Just thought you might be interested.” Danny said and shrugged once, towering over Casey’s desk.
“In a traveling circus from Siberia?”
“Yes. Why is that such a hard concept to grasp?”
“I just don’t find it interesting, at all.”
“You should come with me.” Danny said and tossed the paper on Casey’s desk. Casey ignored it.
“To see the circus.”
“Yes, the circus from Siberia.” Casey was still typing away, and Danny was starting to feel neglected.
“Why would I go to the circus?”
“Because I’m going and therefore you must go.”
“Contrary to popular belief, Danny, we are not joined at the hip.”
Sticking his hands in his pockets, Dan nodded. “That we are not, Casey. But you still have to go.”
“Take Rebecca, or Natalie. Natalie would enjoy seeing the circus people.”
“They’re not freaks, Casey.”
“I never said they were.” Casey’s eyes had not left the screen yet, not once.
“You implied it.”
“Uh-huh, sure.”
“Please, Casey, please? I won’t beg you, but if that’s what it takes.” Danny felt like stamping his foot and demanding Casey’s attention, much like a petulant child. Didn’t mean he was going to do it, though.
Casey finally raised his eyes to him. “Stop. I’m not going to go.” Firm and decisive, but Danny knew he could shake him. Casey was apprehensive about something.
“Why not? Why are you afraid of the circus, Case?”
“I’m not afraid.” Casey was quick on the defense, proving that he was in fact afraid.
“You implied it.”
“Take Charlie.”
Danny looked at him incredulously. “You’d let me take Charlie? You’re desperate enough to get out of it that you’d let me take your son away for one day.”
“He’d want to go.” Casey said, still typing, but backtracking to correct a typo.
“What happened at the circus, Casey?”
“Nothing.”
“Bull.” Dan was going to get to the bottom of this.
Casey sighed and turned to face him, giving up the noble fight to keep his pride intact.
“Fine. I was scared of the clowns when I was little, okay? They did their juggling act and blew up animal shaped balloons and popped them in my face. I hated their little red noses and their painted faces, okay?”
“You have clown-phobia.” Dan admired the bold move, but he couldn’t help but tease.
“No such thing, Danny.”
“I don’t think so. I’m looking at a victim right in front of me.” Dan said and smiled, smugly.
Casey gave him a stern look. “Face it, Dan. I’m not going to see the traveling circus from Siberia. But by all means, you should go.”
“Clowns are harmless, Case. There’s more to a circus than just clowns.”
“I know that. I’m not going. Period.”
“Fine.” Dan shrugged and parked his hip on Casey’s desk, crossing his arms. He stared at Casey typing diligently away at the computer with bored interest.
Mere seconds passed before Casey threw up his hands and leaned back in his swivel chair, regarding his partner with an exasperated look. “What?”
“Go to the circus with me. I won’t ask again, promise.”
“If I say yes, you won’t ask again?”
“Generally, that’s how it works. I ask, you agree, I shut up.”
“Fine. Yes.”
“Yes?”
Casey raised his hands. “What’d I say?”
“Okay, okay. Great.” Dan was mentally congratulating himself in his head, a pat on the back and everything.
“When is this circus coming to town?” Casey asked.
“Next week. I reserved tickets already.” He also reserved the right to gloat.
“How could you be so sure I was going to go?”
“I wasn’t.” Dan shrugged. “But if you didn’t go, I was going to take Natalie.”
Casey sighed and rolled his eyes. “You are impossible.”
“I know. I’m really glad you’re going.”
“Yeah. I’m not.”
“Clowns are harmless, my friend. I’ll protect you.”
Casey gave him a disbelieving look.
“Scouts honor.” Dan said, grinning.
“They work hard, you know. Those Siberian folk, traveling all the way from Siberia, abandoning their little huts for a bigger hut.”
“Technically,” Casey corrected, “they pitch tents, not huts, at the circus.”
“Why not huts?”
“If you look in the dictionary under the definition for hut and tent, I’m sure you’ll see why.”
Dan feigned a hurt look. “Please, Casey, I find that offensive.”
“Uh-huh.” Casey gave up all pretense of working and finally focused every fiber in his being on Dan. Dan felt very much exulted and far from neglected now.
“Hey. You’re going to love the circus, I swear.” Danny leaned down and Casey leaned forward. A small smile was creeping into Casey’s face and turning up his lips.
“I am?”
“Yes.”
Casey stared at him for an inordinately long period of time, and Dan stared right back, taking the challenge.
“Sounds good.” Casey said before breaking eye contact and moving to turn away. Danny felt the moment slipping and hastened to hold onto it.
“It’s a date.” The words tumbled out of his mouth more eagerly than he’d expected them to, and he grabbed Casey by the collar quickly to brush a kiss across his lips.
Dan breezed out of the office before Casey had even opened his eyes.
end. So, what'd you think?
Circus People
by Meixia bionic
Rating: PG
Summary: Casey hates the circus.
Circus People
Danny came into their office with his face between the pages of the newspaper. “There’s a traveling circus in town from Siberia.” He announced.
Casey was working hard at his desk, a pen shoved hastily behind his ear, eyes intent on the screen. “Really. And this has to do with sports how…?”
“It doesn’t. That’s the point.”
“Huh.” Casey said, obviously not paying much attention.
“Just thought you might be interested.” Danny said and shrugged once, towering over Casey’s desk.
“In a traveling circus from Siberia?”
“Yes. Why is that such a hard concept to grasp?”
“I just don’t find it interesting, at all.”
“You should come with me.” Danny said and tossed the paper on Casey’s desk. Casey ignored it.
“To see the circus.”
“Yes, the circus from Siberia.” Casey was still typing away, and Danny was starting to feel neglected.
“Why would I go to the circus?”
“Because I’m going and therefore you must go.”
“Contrary to popular belief, Danny, we are not joined at the hip.”
Sticking his hands in his pockets, Dan nodded. “That we are not, Casey. But you still have to go.”
“Take Rebecca, or Natalie. Natalie would enjoy seeing the circus people.”
“They’re not freaks, Casey.”
“I never said they were.” Casey’s eyes had not left the screen yet, not once.
“You implied it.”
“Uh-huh, sure.”
“Please, Casey, please? I won’t beg you, but if that’s what it takes.” Danny felt like stamping his foot and demanding Casey’s attention, much like a petulant child. Didn’t mean he was going to do it, though.
Casey finally raised his eyes to him. “Stop. I’m not going to go.” Firm and decisive, but Danny knew he could shake him. Casey was apprehensive about something.
“Why not? Why are you afraid of the circus, Case?”
“I’m not afraid.” Casey was quick on the defense, proving that he was in fact afraid.
“You implied it.”
“Take Charlie.”
Danny looked at him incredulously. “You’d let me take Charlie? You’re desperate enough to get out of it that you’d let me take your son away for one day.”
“He’d want to go.” Casey said, still typing, but backtracking to correct a typo.
“What happened at the circus, Casey?”
“Nothing.”
“Bull.” Dan was going to get to the bottom of this.
Casey sighed and turned to face him, giving up the noble fight to keep his pride intact.
“Fine. I was scared of the clowns when I was little, okay? They did their juggling act and blew up animal shaped balloons and popped them in my face. I hated their little red noses and their painted faces, okay?”
“You have clown-phobia.” Dan admired the bold move, but he couldn’t help but tease.
“No such thing, Danny.”
“I don’t think so. I’m looking at a victim right in front of me.” Dan said and smiled, smugly.
Casey gave him a stern look. “Face it, Dan. I’m not going to see the traveling circus from Siberia. But by all means, you should go.”
“Clowns are harmless, Case. There’s more to a circus than just clowns.”
“I know that. I’m not going. Period.”
“Fine.” Dan shrugged and parked his hip on Casey’s desk, crossing his arms. He stared at Casey typing diligently away at the computer with bored interest.
Mere seconds passed before Casey threw up his hands and leaned back in his swivel chair, regarding his partner with an exasperated look. “What?”
“Go to the circus with me. I won’t ask again, promise.”
“If I say yes, you won’t ask again?”
“Generally, that’s how it works. I ask, you agree, I shut up.”
“Fine. Yes.”
“Yes?”
Casey raised his hands. “What’d I say?”
“Okay, okay. Great.” Dan was mentally congratulating himself in his head, a pat on the back and everything.
“When is this circus coming to town?” Casey asked.
“Next week. I reserved tickets already.” He also reserved the right to gloat.
“How could you be so sure I was going to go?”
“I wasn’t.” Dan shrugged. “But if you didn’t go, I was going to take Natalie.”
Casey sighed and rolled his eyes. “You are impossible.”
“I know. I’m really glad you’re going.”
“Yeah. I’m not.”
“Clowns are harmless, my friend. I’ll protect you.”
Casey gave him a disbelieving look.
“Scouts honor.” Dan said, grinning.
“They work hard, you know. Those Siberian folk, traveling all the way from Siberia, abandoning their little huts for a bigger hut.”
“Technically,” Casey corrected, “they pitch tents, not huts, at the circus.”
“Why not huts?”
“If you look in the dictionary under the definition for hut and tent, I’m sure you’ll see why.”
Dan feigned a hurt look. “Please, Casey, I find that offensive.”
“Uh-huh.” Casey gave up all pretense of working and finally focused every fiber in his being on Dan. Dan felt very much exulted and far from neglected now.
“Hey. You’re going to love the circus, I swear.” Danny leaned down and Casey leaned forward. A small smile was creeping into Casey’s face and turning up his lips.
“I am?”
“Yes.”
Casey stared at him for an inordinately long period of time, and Dan stared right back, taking the challenge.
“Sounds good.” Casey said before breaking eye contact and moving to turn away. Danny felt the moment slipping and hastened to hold onto it.
“It’s a date.” The words tumbled out of his mouth more eagerly than he’d expected them to, and he grabbed Casey by the collar quickly to brush a kiss across his lips.
Dan breezed out of the office before Casey had even opened his eyes.
end. So, what'd you think?