A Hallmark Day by quiesce, Dan/Casey, rated: PG
Title: A Hallmark Day
Author: quiesce
Author's website: fix index post
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Rating: PG
Category: Slash
Notes: For catwalksalone and lordessrenegade... a day late and a dollar short, but let's pretend it was intentional for fic-a-day purposes.
It was Dan's own fault, really. He started the running gag, giving Casey a "Happy Birthday, Grandpa!" card. Casey had given him an unimpressed glare and Dan had wondered if maybe he had misjudged his new friend's sense of humour. Then for Dan's birthday, Casey had grinningly presented him with a card declaring him to be a big boy, now that he was four. With that, the game was on.
In the years since, there'd been "Dear Sister" and "To a Special Stepdad" and "For a Wonderful Aunt" ones before they'd moved out of the birthday card section altogether and started in on cards declaring the other to be the World's Best Boss or #1 Teacher. There were several birthdays in a row where they exchanged congratulations cards -- for retiring, for graduating high school, for a baby on the way, for learning how to drive, for a new home.
He'd had to plan it well in advance but for Casey's last birthday, Dan had found a hole in the wall gift shop in Chinatown and bought him a card celebrating the Chinese New Year. At least, that's what they told him the card said; the quiet snickering as he'd headed out the door suggested otherwise, but it's not like Casey knew the difference either.
The point was, it was a long standing joke between them, Dan had been the one that started it, and, really, he should have prepared himself for this eventuality. He blinked at the card in his hands, but it didn't change. Still a Valentine's card, still addressed "For My Husband," still containing a mushy platitude of a poem, still signed "Love, Casey," in chicken scrawl at the bottom. Still mocking him. The card, not Casey. At least, not intentionally. For all the years they'd known each other, for all the subtle and not-so-subtle hints Dan had thrown him, Casey managed to remain completely clueless.
Dan blinked again and forced a wide grin on his face. He clapped Casey on the arm. "Thanks, that's a great one. I'm gonna have my work cut out for me, trying to top this."
He started to turn so he could place the card on the table, but was stopped when Casey grabbed his shoulders. Casey leaned in and brushed his lips against Dan's, close-mouthed and tentative.
"Uh..." Dan managed to say when Casey took a half step back. Then Casey pressed in again, harder and less unsure. He still kept his lips tightly together -- baby steps, said the tiny portion of Dan's brain that was able to process this new turn of events and wasn't trying to convince Dan that the appropriate response was to throw Casey to the floor and tear his clothes off -- but one of Casey's hands slid up to the back of Dan's neck and the other moved down and rested at Dan's hip.
When he stopped this time, Casey moved only his head back, keeping a firm grip on his partner. "Happy Birthday, Danny."
Author: quiesce
Author's website: fix index post
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Rating: PG
Category: Slash
Notes: For catwalksalone and lordessrenegade... a day late and a dollar short, but let's pretend it was intentional for fic-a-day purposes.
It was Dan's own fault, really. He started the running gag, giving Casey a "Happy Birthday, Grandpa!" card. Casey had given him an unimpressed glare and Dan had wondered if maybe he had misjudged his new friend's sense of humour. Then for Dan's birthday, Casey had grinningly presented him with a card declaring him to be a big boy, now that he was four. With that, the game was on.
In the years since, there'd been "Dear Sister" and "To a Special Stepdad" and "For a Wonderful Aunt" ones before they'd moved out of the birthday card section altogether and started in on cards declaring the other to be the World's Best Boss or #1 Teacher. There were several birthdays in a row where they exchanged congratulations cards -- for retiring, for graduating high school, for a baby on the way, for learning how to drive, for a new home.
He'd had to plan it well in advance but for Casey's last birthday, Dan had found a hole in the wall gift shop in Chinatown and bought him a card celebrating the Chinese New Year. At least, that's what they told him the card said; the quiet snickering as he'd headed out the door suggested otherwise, but it's not like Casey knew the difference either.
The point was, it was a long standing joke between them, Dan had been the one that started it, and, really, he should have prepared himself for this eventuality. He blinked at the card in his hands, but it didn't change. Still a Valentine's card, still addressed "For My Husband," still containing a mushy platitude of a poem, still signed "Love, Casey," in chicken scrawl at the bottom. Still mocking him. The card, not Casey. At least, not intentionally. For all the years they'd known each other, for all the subtle and not-so-subtle hints Dan had thrown him, Casey managed to remain completely clueless.
Dan blinked again and forced a wide grin on his face. He clapped Casey on the arm. "Thanks, that's a great one. I'm gonna have my work cut out for me, trying to top this."
He started to turn so he could place the card on the table, but was stopped when Casey grabbed his shoulders. Casey leaned in and brushed his lips against Dan's, close-mouthed and tentative.
"Uh..." Dan managed to say when Casey took a half step back. Then Casey pressed in again, harder and less unsure. He still kept his lips tightly together -- baby steps, said the tiny portion of Dan's brain that was able to process this new turn of events and wasn't trying to convince Dan that the appropriate response was to throw Casey to the floor and tear his clothes off -- but one of Casey's hands slid up to the back of Dan's neck and the other moved down and rested at Dan's hip.
When he stopped this time, Casey moved only his head back, keeping a firm grip on his partner. "Happy Birthday, Danny."