Fic: At His Best (FNFF, J/S, PG)
Title: At His Best
Series: TDS, TCR
Pairing: Jon/Stephen, Jon/Tracey, Stephen/Evie
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1000
Author: ntjnke
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. .
A/N: This is completely un-beta’d. My apologies in advance for any mistakes.
Summary: “This version. His best friend.”
At His Best
Stephen loved to watch Jon at a cookout.
Stephen had sat in hazy nightclubs, watching Jon grip the microphone as he polished a standup routine. He’d traveled in vans and crowded buses, helping the crew as Jon gave comedy shows to sold-out crowds on college campuses. For over ten years, Stephen had watched this man become one of the most well-known comedians in the country. Along the way he’d learned to appreciate how skillfully Jon could blend his own personality with his character’s, and how true comedy could be hilarious and unique.
But Stephen liked Jon best at a cookout.
From the grill on the patio, Stephen could see Jon on one of the benches he and Evie had put out for the barbeque. Jon held Maggie on his lap, tickling her into peals of laughter while he kissed her on the head. Stephen knew that, to others, Jon seemed to only have eyes for his daughter. Stephen saw more clearly. Beside Jon, Nate was working on the hotdog his dad had made for him. With quick glances and smiles, Jon would check to make sure Nate was eating, that he was having fun.
In the sunshine of his backyard, Stephen saw Trace lean toward her husband, an indulgent smile on her face as she watched her husband play with their daughter. Among friends, Tracey always gushed joyfully about her wonderful husband. “Jon’s a truly good man who loves his family. He works hard for us and his dreams and is just far, far too kind.” Jon, in response, would just look into his cup or at his beer and blush until she finished.
Stephen liked Jon best at cookouts because, for just a few hours, he was so happy. The fury of creativity he knew from the studio melted away and all that remained is the man who'd rescheduled a meeting with multimillion dollar producers because he hadn’t seen his friend in weeks. In his backyard in New Jersey, Stephen saw the best version of Jon Stewart. His best friend. And, for a few seconds, Stephen realized how much he missed him. And how good it was to see him.
As Stephen turned back to the grill to flip the burgers, Evie wrapped her arms around her husband. She stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, whispered in his ear that today was wonderful idea, and that she was going inside to help Maddie finish the brownies.
As she walked into the house, Stephen watched the sway of Evie’s hips and how the light reflected off the hair of the woman he loved. To her left, he saw the blush in Jon’s cheeks and the look of contentment on the face of the only man he’d ever loved.
Stephen reached for a plate to put the finished burgers on, and mused that, in many ways, today was a perfect day.
*****
Jon smiled as he watched Stephen move across the room.
The man was born to work a crowd.
Jon had joked about it back when Stephen was at The Daily Show. The exact date was long forgotten, but Jon remembered that it had been late, and he’d decided to join the rest of the crew in leaving The Work until the morning. On his way to the studio’s garage, a solitary light from the breakroom caught his attention. Habit alone forced him to head down the hallway to turn it off.
It took nearly half an hour for Stephen to realize that Jon stood at the breakroom door, watching Stephen write and rewrite a bit, trying to get the delivery just right. Jon, with a smirk, finally had to turn off the light to get him to stop. “It’s time”, he said, “for all good little comedians to go to bed.” Stephen, turning the lights back on, replied that it was time for all good comedians to write a funny joke.
In the end, Jon had taken off his coat and pulled out a notepad to help. “Heaven forbid that Stephen Colbert doesn’t get the thunderous applause he craves.” God, Jon quipped, had made Stephen the very last Colbert because it took the attention of at least 10 people to keep him happy. Stephen, not to be outdone, countered that it took 10 people kept him mollified. It took a tiny Jew to make him happy.
It took hours, but together they’d morphed Jon’s quip into This Week in God.
Ten years later, Jon took a sip from his beer and chuckled to himself. To this day, Stephen shamelessly used that night as circumstantial evidence as to why Jon needed to help him with a segment. Even if it was late. And the script was due tomorrow.
From his patch of wall near the bar, Jon could see Stephen speaking earnestly with tonight’s Honoree. He had his arm around Evie’s waist, and his smile, as he listened to the playwright speak, was infectious. His laughter bubbled up and touched the rafters. When strangers heard it, they would turn to look at him, sip from their champagne, and smile. Jon loved how Stephen could always make people smile. Jon himself had been crying with laughter the first time he’d told Stephen he loved him.
Jon watched as Stephen gave the playwright a brotherly nod, a respectful handshake, and steered Evie and himself towards the next conversation. Evie, tucked into her husband’s side, whispered something to Stephen as they walked. Jon knew that, to others, it looked like Stephen was at his best, dressed in a tuxedo with his wife at his side. Jon saw more clearly. At Evie’s words, Stephen held his wife more tightly, took the time to shut out the world, and gave his attention only to her. With small gestures, Stephen was chivalrous and attentive, and Evie, in turn, was elated.
Though he would never admit it out loud, Jon liked Stephen best at a celebration. Parties allowed Stephen to use his gifts without worrying whether his approach equaled expectations, or whether his performance was impressive enough to pay the bills. Instead he could move from person to person, bringing childlike joy to strangers. Tonight more people saw this version of Stephen Colbert. His best friend. And it made him sad that, with things as they were, their time together wasn’t what it used to be.
As Jon paid the waiter for Tracey’s drink, he saw Stephen and Evie move towards a table where a young woman waved them enthusiastically over. Tracey was on the opposite side of the room, talking to a woman he had seen her hug when she and Jon had arrived.
As Jon moved away from his wall towards the table where Tracey was sitting, he realized that all his misgivings were wrong. Tonight was turning out to be a wonderful night.