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lj_snarchiveTitle: Second Thoughts
Author: timberwolf63
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Rating: PG
Category: Ficlet; Dan/Casey; pre-slash
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Sorkin.
Note: This takes place after “The Local Weather” (the line quoted is from that ep), but sort of pretends that the “Draft Day” fiasco never happened.
Dan was thinking about something he’d said to Abby. If you’re good enough to come in second place, then you’re good enough to be disappointed in it.
He picked up the copy of The Sports Report that listed the Top 100 Most Influential People in Sports. The only reason the magazine was in the office was because Dan had bought it. Casey may very well have a copy, but he never would have brought it to the office.
“Ninety-two, Casey,” he said, thumbing through the article. “That’s not too shabby.”
“Danny, don’t,” Casey said, typing away at his PC.
“Seriously, Casey. You should be flattered. Hell of a lot of impressive people on this list, and there you are, among them, at number 92. Quite an honor.”
Casey’s fingers stopped moving and he turned to look at Dan, his mouth a thin line. “Stop that.”
“Just giving you props, Case.” He began to pace a little, still paging through the magazine as he did. “I’m happy for you. There’s John Madden at 53… Shaquille O'Neal at 31… and there sits Casey McCall at 92. I’m telling ya, you should be very proud, my friend.” More pacing, more turning of pages. “But you know, it does make me wonder a little…” He paused, but Casey said nothing. “Just makes me wonder when I became invisible, that’s all.”
“Danny, you’re not—”
Dan cut him off, tossing the magazine onto the table. “Why do I always come in second, huh? That’s all I really want to know. It seems to be this recurring theme in my life. I came in second to Sam. I come in second to you. Maybe that’s why I desperately want every woman I meet to like me. I’m constantly looking for that one person who’ll put me at the top of their list. The person who’ll make me first in their life.”
Casey moved fast, like a pouncing cat. He bolted out of his chair and strode across the room in long, purposeful steps. He reached Danny, grabbed him by the arms and pushed him roughly against the wall, holding him there. “Stop it, Danny. Just stop,” he said, his eyes flashing with anger. “You’ve always been first to me. Always. Even when I was married to Lisa, you were still first in my life. What the hell does that say to you?”
Dan, his arms pinned at his sides, could only stare back, struck speechless. What that hell did it say to him?
His anger gone as quickly as it had surfaced, Casey looked just as stunned at the revelation as Dan was. Confusion clouded his features and his eyes kept searching Dan’s, as if he’d find answers there. Dan wanted nothing more at that moment than to lean forward and kiss him, but Casey already seemed halfway to mind-blown; Dan didn’t want to be responsible for sending him over the edge.
Gradually, Casey seemed to pull himself together, and finally he let go of Dan’s arms, took a baby step backward. “Please, Danny, don’t ever let anyone make you feel inadequate or inferior or like you come in second,” Casey said. “I’ve never had a better friend. I’ve never known a better man.”
Danny nodded a little, blinking back tears. “You too, Case,” he said, his voice unsteady.
Casey cast his eyes downward as his cheeks colored with belated embarrassment. He made his way back to the desk and said, “C’mon, let’s get back to work.”
“OK, Case.”
Dan sat down on the couch, took a deep breath, and tried to get his head in the game. Back to work. He looked over at Casey, who had apparently picked up his train of thought right where he’d left off. He watched his partner typing and mouthing the occasional word, trying it on for size, and he couldn’t help smiling. Someday, he thought, I’ll get that kiss. But for the moment, the only thing that mattered was the blissful knowledge that he came in first on the list of the person who mattered the most.
Author: timberwolf63
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Rating: PG
Category: Ficlet; Dan/Casey; pre-slash
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Sorkin.
Note: This takes place after “The Local Weather” (the line quoted is from that ep), but sort of pretends that the “Draft Day” fiasco never happened.
Dan was thinking about something he’d said to Abby. If you’re good enough to come in second place, then you’re good enough to be disappointed in it.
He picked up the copy of The Sports Report that listed the Top 100 Most Influential People in Sports. The only reason the magazine was in the office was because Dan had bought it. Casey may very well have a copy, but he never would have brought it to the office.
“Ninety-two, Casey,” he said, thumbing through the article. “That’s not too shabby.”
“Danny, don’t,” Casey said, typing away at his PC.
“Seriously, Casey. You should be flattered. Hell of a lot of impressive people on this list, and there you are, among them, at number 92. Quite an honor.”
Casey’s fingers stopped moving and he turned to look at Dan, his mouth a thin line. “Stop that.”
“Just giving you props, Case.” He began to pace a little, still paging through the magazine as he did. “I’m happy for you. There’s John Madden at 53… Shaquille O'Neal at 31… and there sits Casey McCall at 92. I’m telling ya, you should be very proud, my friend.” More pacing, more turning of pages. “But you know, it does make me wonder a little…” He paused, but Casey said nothing. “Just makes me wonder when I became invisible, that’s all.”
“Danny, you’re not—”
Dan cut him off, tossing the magazine onto the table. “Why do I always come in second, huh? That’s all I really want to know. It seems to be this recurring theme in my life. I came in second to Sam. I come in second to you. Maybe that’s why I desperately want every woman I meet to like me. I’m constantly looking for that one person who’ll put me at the top of their list. The person who’ll make me first in their life.”
Casey moved fast, like a pouncing cat. He bolted out of his chair and strode across the room in long, purposeful steps. He reached Danny, grabbed him by the arms and pushed him roughly against the wall, holding him there. “Stop it, Danny. Just stop,” he said, his eyes flashing with anger. “You’ve always been first to me. Always. Even when I was married to Lisa, you were still first in my life. What the hell does that say to you?”
Dan, his arms pinned at his sides, could only stare back, struck speechless. What that hell did it say to him?
His anger gone as quickly as it had surfaced, Casey looked just as stunned at the revelation as Dan was. Confusion clouded his features and his eyes kept searching Dan’s, as if he’d find answers there. Dan wanted nothing more at that moment than to lean forward and kiss him, but Casey already seemed halfway to mind-blown; Dan didn’t want to be responsible for sending him over the edge.
Gradually, Casey seemed to pull himself together, and finally he let go of Dan’s arms, took a baby step backward. “Please, Danny, don’t ever let anyone make you feel inadequate or inferior or like you come in second,” Casey said. “I’ve never had a better friend. I’ve never known a better man.”
Danny nodded a little, blinking back tears. “You too, Case,” he said, his voice unsteady.
Casey cast his eyes downward as his cheeks colored with belated embarrassment. He made his way back to the desk and said, “C’mon, let’s get back to work.”
“OK, Case.”
Dan sat down on the couch, took a deep breath, and tried to get his head in the game. Back to work. He looked over at Casey, who had apparently picked up his train of thought right where he’d left off. He watched his partner typing and mouthing the occasional word, trying it on for size, and he couldn’t help smiling. Someday, he thought, I’ll get that kiss. But for the moment, the only thing that mattered was the blissful knowledge that he came in first on the list of the person who mattered the most.
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