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g3r_ysgrifennuTitle: Memoirs Of A Sports Anchor
Fandom: Sports Night
Rating: PG
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Summary: How honest should you be in an autobiography?
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of Aaron Sorkin
“So, what’s happened that you couldn’t keep to your regular appointment time?” Abby asked as Dan walked into her very comfortable office.
“Good afternoon to you too,” he grinned, but Abby could see he was pretty shaken up. “I just thought you’d appreciate me not trying to barge in on someone else’s session this time.”
“You need to talk about something specific?” she looked him over carefully, “You look too calm to be having trouble with your pronunciation again.”
Dan laughed, “Oh, I assure you this is much more important than Kafelnikov – I was just having a really bad day that day. No, this is pretty life-changing, but also potentially very good. It all started about two hours ago – I was walking through the newsroom on the way back to our office…”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hey Dan! Have you heard?"
"I have heard a great many things, Natalie." Dan grinned as Natalie practically skipped towards him, hugging her clipboard to her chest, "To what in particular are you referring?"
"About Casey." she elaborated helpfully. Dan rolled his eyes.
"I've known him for ten years, I've heard a lot. I've even told others some of it. Get to the point, Natalie."
"He's been approached to write his autobiography!" she grinned, "Isn't that exciting?"
Dan gave a pleased smile. "You'd better make sure there's nothing embarrassing he can say about you, then." he teased. Natalie's smile wavered for a moment, making him chuckle, "I'm joking! He'd never say anything bad about you."
Natalie nodded gratefully, before heading back to whatever tasks she had with a "See ya later!"
"So." Dan said as he entered the office he shared with Casey, who was sat on the couch reading.
"So." Casey agreed, turning the page of his magazine.
"I hear someone offered to pay you to write your life story. That'll take all of...what, ten pages?"
"Funny guy." Casey scowled, though his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Wait till you see what I write about you, Danny-boy."
Dan settled next to him on the couch, "What are you going to write about me?" he asked.
Casey studied him for a moment, thoughtfully chewing on his lower lip. "Well, obviously I'd start with how we met, and you'd feature heavily in the parts about Lone Star. Sports Night too, of course."
Dan nodded, "Of course."
"The rest, I guess, is up to you."
"Me?" Dan blinked, "Why would it be up to me?"
"Because." Casey shrugged, "There are things about you - about us - that it's not solely my choice to make public."
“You mean you’d write about us?” Dan stared at him, stunned.
Casey laughed, “I think I could get at least a page out of this conversation alone. How cute you look when you’re shocked is worth a couple of paragraphs.”
“I’m serious, Casey! I mean, we haven’t even told the guys here yet and you’re contemplating outing us in your autobiography?”
“Not without your consent,” Casey insisted earnestly, putting his magazine aside, “You’re not some guilty secret, Danny. You know that, don’t you?”
Dan swallowed, finding himself at a loss for what to say – which was frustrating as hell for a writer. It was both wonderful and terrifying to know Casey loved him that much.
“Danny?” Casey’s expression turned to one of real concern, maybe a little fear mixed in.
“Yeah,” Dan managed, “I do know that. I – I love you too Casey. Always have, always will.”
“Good.” Said Casey, visibly relieved, “But even if I do write this book, it’s still up to you whether I include that part. Right up till the final draft goes to the printers. Hell, I wouldn’t even show the editors that part until the end.”
“Wow.” Dan exhaled, still blown away by the conversation. “Talk about pressure.”
Casey squeezed his thigh briefly, “You can handle it.”
“We’ll have to tell everyone here first.” He pointed out. Casey nodded, “Have they given you any idea of a deadline?”
“About eighteen months. I work long hours after all. As long as I show them some new material every month or so, they’ll be happy.”
He still expected them to be together in eighteen months? Dan felt the need to get out of the room. Now. It was all just too much to take in.
“That…sounds great, Casey.” He said when he finally got his tongue back. “You should definitely give it some thought. I…gotta go look at some tape.”
“You okay, Danny?” Casey asked, worried.
“I’m fine.” Dan smiled, “Better than fine.” He scanned the newsroom through the glass partition and decided he couldn’t risk giving his partner a kiss, so instead he whispered “And I’ll prove it to you tonight, after the show.”
Casey closed his eyes with a groan, “Danny…”
Now he really had to get out of there. “I’ll see you later.” He said, ruffling Casey’s hair as he stood and left their office.
Once away from Casey, he hid himself in an editing bay and pulled out his cell phone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So that’s when you called me.” Abby nodded, “How much of that was the truth?”
“You mean was I lying to Casey, to spare his feelings?” Dan shook his head, “No, it was all true. I’m not upset, not at all. I just…if he takes it, he wants to talk about us. Full disclosure.”
“And that’s a problem for you?”
Dan shrugged a little, “I’ve never been all that concerned about whether people know about my orientation, I just don’t think it’s anyone’s business but my own. As you know, I like women a lot – I tend to prefer men, that’s all. One man in particular.”
“But Casey doesn’t feel the same way.” Abby observed, “Or didn’t, anyway. What’s changed?”
“I’m not sure. I think he’s tired of having to hide it – when we were discussing the book today he told me that I’m not some guilty secret to him.” Dan was up and pacing now, his arms flailing of their own free will. “He wants to tell the world how he feels about me.”
Abby nodded, “And how do you feel about that?”
He stopped and looked at her, “It’s…frightening. Wonderful but scary all at the same time. The book would be due in eighteen months, and he expects us to still be together then. He’s serious about me, Abby.” His eyes were wide as he sat back down on the couch.
“That sounds like a good thing to me, Dan.” She smiled at him softly
“It is. It’s incredible.”
“So why are you freaking out?”
“Because…” Dan exhaled, “I’ve never had anything this good, Abby. I’m head over heels in love with my best friend, and he’s just as crazy about me. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“You think something’s going to go wrong?”
“I always screw up in the end. I’ve never thought I deserved to be this happy.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that afternoon, Isaac looked up at the sound of a knock on his door. Casey was stood there, looking slightly anxious.
“Come on in, Casey! What can I do for you?” he asked, ushering him in with a smile.
“You’ve heard about my book deal, I presume?”
The older man nodded, “Congratulations. Are you going to accept?”
“I think so,” Casey nodded, “I’m still giving it some thought. That’s why I came to see you.”
“What’s the problem?” Isaac frowned
“Well…” Casey sighed, “I have to think about just how honest I’m prepared to be. There are some things I could say about me that would seriously affect other people’s lives.”
Isaac blinked at him, “I assume this is something more serious than your momentary insanity with Sally?” Casey nodded “Well Casey, you’ll forgive me if I can’t imagine anything you’ll be unable to say-“
“I’m in love with Danny.” Casey blurted out.
Isaac stared at him for a long moment. Then he pulled himself out of his chair and made the trek across to his liquor cabinet.
“So you’ve finally realised?” he asked, pouring them both a drink.
“Realised?” Casey echoed, puzzled.
“I’m an observant man, Casey. I didn’t get where I am today by not paying attention to those around me. I knew from the moment I first saw you two together, and quite frankly I was surprised to learn you were married.”
“But not that I ended up divorced.” Said Casey, wryly.
Isaac chuckled, handing him a glass of scotch, “That’s right. So, how long have you and Dan been seeing each other?”
“About eight months now.”
“Is that all? What took you so long?”
Casey grimaced, slightly embarrassed, “I’m a coward?”
“Evidently. But back to the point of this conversation – you want to tell everyone you’re in love with your partner.” Casey nodded, “Have you talked this through with him?”
“Yeah, I did.” Casey sighed, “He was shocked, naturally, and then he seemed thrilled about it. But he hightailed it out of our office and went to see Abby early.”
Isaac’s brow furrowed, remembering the last time Dan had run out to see his therapist.
“Exactly,” Casey nodded again, “Do you think I’d be doing the right thing, Isaac? Sure, it would be a relief not to have to hide anymore, but there are also our careers to consider.”
“If this network was still run by Luther Sachs, I’d tell you no. Unequivocally no.” Isaac studied his glass, “The man would have made your lives hell until you both quit, and most of the production team would probably have left with you. Myself included.”
Casey gaped at him, touched beyond words.
“But Calvin Traeger, he’s an unknown element,” he continued, “He seems an open-minded man, but you never know for sure until the time comes.”
“You think we should tell him? Or just stay quiet?”
“I can’t tell you what to do, Casey. It’s up to you and Danny to do what feels right.”
“I won’t ruin Dan’s career on a selfish whim, Isaac. I can’t do that to him. No matter how pleased he thinks he is at the idea of us being out in the open, he’d come to resent me sooner or later.”
“No I wouldn’t.”
Casey turned to see Dan leaning against the doorframe, watching him calmly.
“Didn’t I close that door?” he asked Isaac.
The old man nodded, “You did.”
“And how long has he been standing there?”
“For most of the conversation, and I’m still here.” Dan scowled lightly as he entered the room fully and closed the door again, disliking being ignored. Casey sighed.
“Take a seat, Daniel.” Isaac waved him in, “Your partner seems to need reassurance.”
Dan grinned at the double meaning behind ‘partner’ as he sat down next to Casey. “I told him it’ll be fine, Isaac,” he said, “All the people who matter will be cool about it. Charlie’s happy, and everyone here will be pleased we finally admitted it.”
Isaac chuckled in agreement, but Casey stared at him in surprise.
“When did you discuss us with my son?” Casey demanded, suddenly a little angry. Dan held his hands up in submission.
“Whoa there, it’s alright. He’s not going to say anything. He just walked in on us the other week, when I didn’t wake up in time to go doze on the couch. We talked about it a little, and he basically told me he was cool with it. He’s glad you’re happy, and he likes me.” Dan grinned, “I think he’s glad I’m finally an official member of the family.”
Casey had to chuckle at that, “You always were, Dan. But why didn’t you tell me you’d talked about it with him?”
“He asked me not to. Said you’d freak out.” Dan gave him a pointed look, to which Casey sighed.
“Alright, point taken. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You actually took it better than we’d expected. Maybe it’s because you’ve had some time to think about not keeping us a secret anymore.”
“True. But Lisa isn’t who I’m worried about. Or Charlie, now.”
“Who then? The guys here? I think they’ll be fine too.”
Casey shook his head, “No. It’s you, Danny.”
Dan stared at him in surprise, “Me?”
“Well yeah. When I told you what I was thinking, you looked completely shocked but said you were happy about it. Then you rescheduled your appointment with Abby and ran out of here like a bat out of hell. That got me thinking maybe you’re not as cool with it as you’re letting me believe.”
Dan sighed, frustrated they were having this conversation in the office – and in front of Isaac. Casey looked like he desperately needed a hug. “Man, I’m sorry Casey. I didn’t realise I’d worried you. I just…it was a lot to take in and I was kinda freaked out. Abby helped me get my thoughts together.”
“But you are cool with this, right?”
“Of course I am! Tell me something, how would you feel if our positions were reversed?”
“If you were writing the book, and were going to talk about us? I guess I’d be pretty freaked out too. It’s a big step, potentially career destroying in this particular industry.”
“Exactly!” Dan smiled triumphantly, knowing he was getting through to his partner, “We’ve spent so long keeping everything quiet that I wasn’t prepared for you to be so willing to tell the world all about us in a book. But you said yourself you’re gonna keep that part back from the editors till the last minute anyway. We can tell the people here first, see how that goes.”
“That’s a good idea, Casey.” Isaac nodded, “Sounds to me like you have it covered.”
“So we tell the others?” Casey asked
“We tell the others.” Agreed Dan, and they grinned at each other.
“Just do it at the end of the rundown please, not the start.” Isaac requested, smiling softly at them, “The meetings are chaotic enough as it is. Now go write your script and stop bothering me!” His smile widened into a grin.
“Thank you, Isaac.” Casey said gratefully, rising to his feet. Dan nodded in agreement, before hustling his partner out into the corridor. Isaac stared after them for a moment, a pleased smile still on his face.
*~*~*~*~*~*
The revelation went surprisingly well in the end. Most people took it quite calmly, if a little surprised. Kim apparently had a bet on with Elliot about whether Casey and Dan would ever ‘come out of the closet’ – judging by the glee on Kim’s face and Elliot’s despairing groan, presumably Kim won.
Natalie gave a resigned little smile at Dana, who tried her best to look happy for them. Casey caught up with her after the meeting ended.
“Dana? Are you okay?”
She sighed, “I will be, Casey. I will be.” She watched as Dan, who was talking to a grinning Jeremy, glanced over his shoulder at them with a pensive expression, “You’re really happy?”
Casey’s answering smile was almost beatific, “More than I ever thought possible.”
“Then I’m pleased for you.”
“You’re not just saying that?” He pressed, concerned.
“Oh come on, Casey!” Dana rolled her eyes, her calm façade finally showing signs of cracking, “You spent a long time acting like you were crazy about me, now suddenly you’re head over heels in love with Dan? You’ll forgive me if it takes a little while to process but, ultimately? Yes, I’m pleased for you. You both deserve to be happy.”
Casey leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, “So do you.”
She smiled sadly up at him before patting his arm and walking away. Casey stared after her until he felt a familiar hand squeeze his shoulder.
“She okay?” Dan asked softly. Casey placed his hand atop his lover’s, taking a second to enjoy the fact they could do this at work now. Within reason.
“She will be.”
They headed back into their office, settling down to finish up their rather neglected script. From behind the desk, Casey observed Dan for a long moment, watching his long fingers tapping away at the keys on the laptop.
“Hey Danny…”
“Yeah, Casey.” Dan didn’t turn back to look at him as he checked his notes on the story he needed to write.
“It’s a good thing, right? This book?”
Dan threw him a grin over his shoulder, “With you writing it? It’s bound to be.”
Fandom: Sports Night
Rating: PG
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Summary: How honest should you be in an autobiography?
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of Aaron Sorkin
“So, what’s happened that you couldn’t keep to your regular appointment time?” Abby asked as Dan walked into her very comfortable office.
“Good afternoon to you too,” he grinned, but Abby could see he was pretty shaken up. “I just thought you’d appreciate me not trying to barge in on someone else’s session this time.”
“You need to talk about something specific?” she looked him over carefully, “You look too calm to be having trouble with your pronunciation again.”
Dan laughed, “Oh, I assure you this is much more important than Kafelnikov – I was just having a really bad day that day. No, this is pretty life-changing, but also potentially very good. It all started about two hours ago – I was walking through the newsroom on the way back to our office…”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hey Dan! Have you heard?"
"I have heard a great many things, Natalie." Dan grinned as Natalie practically skipped towards him, hugging her clipboard to her chest, "To what in particular are you referring?"
"About Casey." she elaborated helpfully. Dan rolled his eyes.
"I've known him for ten years, I've heard a lot. I've even told others some of it. Get to the point, Natalie."
"He's been approached to write his autobiography!" she grinned, "Isn't that exciting?"
Dan gave a pleased smile. "You'd better make sure there's nothing embarrassing he can say about you, then." he teased. Natalie's smile wavered for a moment, making him chuckle, "I'm joking! He'd never say anything bad about you."
Natalie nodded gratefully, before heading back to whatever tasks she had with a "See ya later!"
"So." Dan said as he entered the office he shared with Casey, who was sat on the couch reading.
"So." Casey agreed, turning the page of his magazine.
"I hear someone offered to pay you to write your life story. That'll take all of...what, ten pages?"
"Funny guy." Casey scowled, though his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Wait till you see what I write about you, Danny-boy."
Dan settled next to him on the couch, "What are you going to write about me?" he asked.
Casey studied him for a moment, thoughtfully chewing on his lower lip. "Well, obviously I'd start with how we met, and you'd feature heavily in the parts about Lone Star. Sports Night too, of course."
Dan nodded, "Of course."
"The rest, I guess, is up to you."
"Me?" Dan blinked, "Why would it be up to me?"
"Because." Casey shrugged, "There are things about you - about us - that it's not solely my choice to make public."
“You mean you’d write about us?” Dan stared at him, stunned.
Casey laughed, “I think I could get at least a page out of this conversation alone. How cute you look when you’re shocked is worth a couple of paragraphs.”
“I’m serious, Casey! I mean, we haven’t even told the guys here yet and you’re contemplating outing us in your autobiography?”
“Not without your consent,” Casey insisted earnestly, putting his magazine aside, “You’re not some guilty secret, Danny. You know that, don’t you?”
Dan swallowed, finding himself at a loss for what to say – which was frustrating as hell for a writer. It was both wonderful and terrifying to know Casey loved him that much.
“Danny?” Casey’s expression turned to one of real concern, maybe a little fear mixed in.
“Yeah,” Dan managed, “I do know that. I – I love you too Casey. Always have, always will.”
“Good.” Said Casey, visibly relieved, “But even if I do write this book, it’s still up to you whether I include that part. Right up till the final draft goes to the printers. Hell, I wouldn’t even show the editors that part until the end.”
“Wow.” Dan exhaled, still blown away by the conversation. “Talk about pressure.”
Casey squeezed his thigh briefly, “You can handle it.”
“We’ll have to tell everyone here first.” He pointed out. Casey nodded, “Have they given you any idea of a deadline?”
“About eighteen months. I work long hours after all. As long as I show them some new material every month or so, they’ll be happy.”
He still expected them to be together in eighteen months? Dan felt the need to get out of the room. Now. It was all just too much to take in.
“That…sounds great, Casey.” He said when he finally got his tongue back. “You should definitely give it some thought. I…gotta go look at some tape.”
“You okay, Danny?” Casey asked, worried.
“I’m fine.” Dan smiled, “Better than fine.” He scanned the newsroom through the glass partition and decided he couldn’t risk giving his partner a kiss, so instead he whispered “And I’ll prove it to you tonight, after the show.”
Casey closed his eyes with a groan, “Danny…”
Now he really had to get out of there. “I’ll see you later.” He said, ruffling Casey’s hair as he stood and left their office.
Once away from Casey, he hid himself in an editing bay and pulled out his cell phone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So that’s when you called me.” Abby nodded, “How much of that was the truth?”
“You mean was I lying to Casey, to spare his feelings?” Dan shook his head, “No, it was all true. I’m not upset, not at all. I just…if he takes it, he wants to talk about us. Full disclosure.”
“And that’s a problem for you?”
Dan shrugged a little, “I’ve never been all that concerned about whether people know about my orientation, I just don’t think it’s anyone’s business but my own. As you know, I like women a lot – I tend to prefer men, that’s all. One man in particular.”
“But Casey doesn’t feel the same way.” Abby observed, “Or didn’t, anyway. What’s changed?”
“I’m not sure. I think he’s tired of having to hide it – when we were discussing the book today he told me that I’m not some guilty secret to him.” Dan was up and pacing now, his arms flailing of their own free will. “He wants to tell the world how he feels about me.”
Abby nodded, “And how do you feel about that?”
He stopped and looked at her, “It’s…frightening. Wonderful but scary all at the same time. The book would be due in eighteen months, and he expects us to still be together then. He’s serious about me, Abby.” His eyes were wide as he sat back down on the couch.
“That sounds like a good thing to me, Dan.” She smiled at him softly
“It is. It’s incredible.”
“So why are you freaking out?”
“Because…” Dan exhaled, “I’ve never had anything this good, Abby. I’m head over heels in love with my best friend, and he’s just as crazy about me. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“You think something’s going to go wrong?”
“I always screw up in the end. I’ve never thought I deserved to be this happy.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that afternoon, Isaac looked up at the sound of a knock on his door. Casey was stood there, looking slightly anxious.
“Come on in, Casey! What can I do for you?” he asked, ushering him in with a smile.
“You’ve heard about my book deal, I presume?”
The older man nodded, “Congratulations. Are you going to accept?”
“I think so,” Casey nodded, “I’m still giving it some thought. That’s why I came to see you.”
“What’s the problem?” Isaac frowned
“Well…” Casey sighed, “I have to think about just how honest I’m prepared to be. There are some things I could say about me that would seriously affect other people’s lives.”
Isaac blinked at him, “I assume this is something more serious than your momentary insanity with Sally?” Casey nodded “Well Casey, you’ll forgive me if I can’t imagine anything you’ll be unable to say-“
“I’m in love with Danny.” Casey blurted out.
Isaac stared at him for a long moment. Then he pulled himself out of his chair and made the trek across to his liquor cabinet.
“So you’ve finally realised?” he asked, pouring them both a drink.
“Realised?” Casey echoed, puzzled.
“I’m an observant man, Casey. I didn’t get where I am today by not paying attention to those around me. I knew from the moment I first saw you two together, and quite frankly I was surprised to learn you were married.”
“But not that I ended up divorced.” Said Casey, wryly.
Isaac chuckled, handing him a glass of scotch, “That’s right. So, how long have you and Dan been seeing each other?”
“About eight months now.”
“Is that all? What took you so long?”
Casey grimaced, slightly embarrassed, “I’m a coward?”
“Evidently. But back to the point of this conversation – you want to tell everyone you’re in love with your partner.” Casey nodded, “Have you talked this through with him?”
“Yeah, I did.” Casey sighed, “He was shocked, naturally, and then he seemed thrilled about it. But he hightailed it out of our office and went to see Abby early.”
Isaac’s brow furrowed, remembering the last time Dan had run out to see his therapist.
“Exactly,” Casey nodded again, “Do you think I’d be doing the right thing, Isaac? Sure, it would be a relief not to have to hide anymore, but there are also our careers to consider.”
“If this network was still run by Luther Sachs, I’d tell you no. Unequivocally no.” Isaac studied his glass, “The man would have made your lives hell until you both quit, and most of the production team would probably have left with you. Myself included.”
Casey gaped at him, touched beyond words.
“But Calvin Traeger, he’s an unknown element,” he continued, “He seems an open-minded man, but you never know for sure until the time comes.”
“You think we should tell him? Or just stay quiet?”
“I can’t tell you what to do, Casey. It’s up to you and Danny to do what feels right.”
“I won’t ruin Dan’s career on a selfish whim, Isaac. I can’t do that to him. No matter how pleased he thinks he is at the idea of us being out in the open, he’d come to resent me sooner or later.”
“No I wouldn’t.”
Casey turned to see Dan leaning against the doorframe, watching him calmly.
“Didn’t I close that door?” he asked Isaac.
The old man nodded, “You did.”
“And how long has he been standing there?”
“For most of the conversation, and I’m still here.” Dan scowled lightly as he entered the room fully and closed the door again, disliking being ignored. Casey sighed.
“Take a seat, Daniel.” Isaac waved him in, “Your partner seems to need reassurance.”
Dan grinned at the double meaning behind ‘partner’ as he sat down next to Casey. “I told him it’ll be fine, Isaac,” he said, “All the people who matter will be cool about it. Charlie’s happy, and everyone here will be pleased we finally admitted it.”
Isaac chuckled in agreement, but Casey stared at him in surprise.
“When did you discuss us with my son?” Casey demanded, suddenly a little angry. Dan held his hands up in submission.
“Whoa there, it’s alright. He’s not going to say anything. He just walked in on us the other week, when I didn’t wake up in time to go doze on the couch. We talked about it a little, and he basically told me he was cool with it. He’s glad you’re happy, and he likes me.” Dan grinned, “I think he’s glad I’m finally an official member of the family.”
Casey had to chuckle at that, “You always were, Dan. But why didn’t you tell me you’d talked about it with him?”
“He asked me not to. Said you’d freak out.” Dan gave him a pointed look, to which Casey sighed.
“Alright, point taken. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You actually took it better than we’d expected. Maybe it’s because you’ve had some time to think about not keeping us a secret anymore.”
“True. But Lisa isn’t who I’m worried about. Or Charlie, now.”
“Who then? The guys here? I think they’ll be fine too.”
Casey shook his head, “No. It’s you, Danny.”
Dan stared at him in surprise, “Me?”
“Well yeah. When I told you what I was thinking, you looked completely shocked but said you were happy about it. Then you rescheduled your appointment with Abby and ran out of here like a bat out of hell. That got me thinking maybe you’re not as cool with it as you’re letting me believe.”
Dan sighed, frustrated they were having this conversation in the office – and in front of Isaac. Casey looked like he desperately needed a hug. “Man, I’m sorry Casey. I didn’t realise I’d worried you. I just…it was a lot to take in and I was kinda freaked out. Abby helped me get my thoughts together.”
“But you are cool with this, right?”
“Of course I am! Tell me something, how would you feel if our positions were reversed?”
“If you were writing the book, and were going to talk about us? I guess I’d be pretty freaked out too. It’s a big step, potentially career destroying in this particular industry.”
“Exactly!” Dan smiled triumphantly, knowing he was getting through to his partner, “We’ve spent so long keeping everything quiet that I wasn’t prepared for you to be so willing to tell the world all about us in a book. But you said yourself you’re gonna keep that part back from the editors till the last minute anyway. We can tell the people here first, see how that goes.”
“That’s a good idea, Casey.” Isaac nodded, “Sounds to me like you have it covered.”
“So we tell the others?” Casey asked
“We tell the others.” Agreed Dan, and they grinned at each other.
“Just do it at the end of the rundown please, not the start.” Isaac requested, smiling softly at them, “The meetings are chaotic enough as it is. Now go write your script and stop bothering me!” His smile widened into a grin.
“Thank you, Isaac.” Casey said gratefully, rising to his feet. Dan nodded in agreement, before hustling his partner out into the corridor. Isaac stared after them for a moment, a pleased smile still on his face.
*~*~*~*~*~*
The revelation went surprisingly well in the end. Most people took it quite calmly, if a little surprised. Kim apparently had a bet on with Elliot about whether Casey and Dan would ever ‘come out of the closet’ – judging by the glee on Kim’s face and Elliot’s despairing groan, presumably Kim won.
Natalie gave a resigned little smile at Dana, who tried her best to look happy for them. Casey caught up with her after the meeting ended.
“Dana? Are you okay?”
She sighed, “I will be, Casey. I will be.” She watched as Dan, who was talking to a grinning Jeremy, glanced over his shoulder at them with a pensive expression, “You’re really happy?”
Casey’s answering smile was almost beatific, “More than I ever thought possible.”
“Then I’m pleased for you.”
“You’re not just saying that?” He pressed, concerned.
“Oh come on, Casey!” Dana rolled her eyes, her calm façade finally showing signs of cracking, “You spent a long time acting like you were crazy about me, now suddenly you’re head over heels in love with Dan? You’ll forgive me if it takes a little while to process but, ultimately? Yes, I’m pleased for you. You both deserve to be happy.”
Casey leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, “So do you.”
She smiled sadly up at him before patting his arm and walking away. Casey stared after her until he felt a familiar hand squeeze his shoulder.
“She okay?” Dan asked softly. Casey placed his hand atop his lover’s, taking a second to enjoy the fact they could do this at work now. Within reason.
“She will be.”
They headed back into their office, settling down to finish up their rather neglected script. From behind the desk, Casey observed Dan for a long moment, watching his long fingers tapping away at the keys on the laptop.
“Hey Danny…”
“Yeah, Casey.” Dan didn’t turn back to look at him as he checked his notes on the story he needed to write.
“It’s a good thing, right? This book?”
Dan threw him a grin over his shoulder, “With you writing it? It’s bound to be.”
