FIC: Small Town 2/7 (Sports Night AU)

[ashinae]

Small Town: A Sports Night AU - chapter 2
by ashinae and linden_jay
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7


Three years ago

"Here's to the best damn rink in Nova Scotia!" Dan raised his mug high to Kim, Chris, Dave, and Will, then took a long drink of his beer.

"Uh oh... why am I already getting the feeling I'm going to be carrying you home over my shoulders, Danny?" Casey asked as he passed by, messing with Dan's hair on the way.

"He's on his fourth--no, I think fifth--beer," Dana said. "He's having a very, very good time."

"You're damn right I am!" Dan shouted, even though Dana was sitting at the same table. "Did you see that game? It was amazing! I've never seen better."

"You let him have five beers?" Casey said. "Tell me he's not mixing."

"No, no... he's definitely not mixing," Jeremy assured him. "Except for the rounds of Jack Daniels that he bought everyone before you got here."

Casey sighed.

"Best damn game ever played," said Dan, stepping over and around Natalie to get at Casey, flinging his arms around him. "Did you see it, Casey? You saw it, didn't you?"

"I saw it, Danny," Casey said, grinning at overly-handsy, boozy Dan. "I was sitting right next to you, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Dan beamed at him. "It was the best damn game ever. You're pretty. Come drink!" He manhandled Casey over to the table.

Natalie hid her giggle behind her beer, and looked at Jeremy. "Welcome to Port Bowmore," she said. "How are you enjoying it so far?"

"It's nice," Jeremy said, looking a little wide eyed. "It's really nice... very friendly. That guy there, I think he grabbed my butt."

"Jeremy," Dan said, loudly, as he leaned across the table, "don't you think Natalie's cute?"

"Yes," Jeremy said immediately, before his eyes went very, very wide. "I mean, no. I mean... in a purely... professional and... co-workerly..."

Casey hid his face behind his hand and tried not to laugh too obviously.

"You don't think our girl's cute?" Dan demanded. "Do I have to take you outside and show you that she's cute?"

"No, Dan," Natalie said.

"I could. I could protect your virtue!"

"She doesn't need you to protect her virtue," Dana said with a heavy sigh, patting Dan's hand.

"No?" said Dan. "Casey, do I need to protect Natalie's virtue? New guy doesn't think she's cute."

Jeremy started babbling so quickly that there was nothing coherent coming from him at all.

"I think Natalie's perfectly capable of defending her own virtue, Danny," Casey told him, pushing Dan's beer closer to him. "But if she needs any help, I'm sure you're the first person she'll ask."

"Ooh, beer," said Dan, making grabby hands before he took the beer and another long drink. "But Jeremy better ask Natalie out soon. It's all she's talked about."

"Dan!" Natalie exclaimed, and kicked him under the table the same time Dana did.

"Ow!" Dan spilled his beer all over the table. "Oh no. My beer."

"I'll get you another one," Jeremy said, before he fled the table.

"You know, Natalie, it is the twenty-first century," Casey told her, grabbing all the available napkins and mopping at the beer. "You could ask Jeremy out yourself. I hear women do that nowadays."

"I was going to do that tomorrow," she said.

"We thought it would be good to at least give the poor boy a full month in town," Dana added.

"See how clever we are?" Natalie said.

"There's a thirty-day rule?" Casey said, swatting at Dan's hands when he tried to help clean up the beer.

"He's barely even settled," said Dana.

"Has Sam threatened to kill him yet?" Casey asked.

"Only the once," Dana said. "I'm proud of him."

"Yeah, but he's threatened to kill him," Casey said. "He's officially settled. Stop patronising the boy just 'cause Natalie wants to jump his bones."

"And she's got a chance, 'cause he looked nervous when I grabbed his butt," Dan said.

"Yes, Dan. You helped," Casey told him, patting his shoulder. "I think the boy sweeps for team heterosexual."

Dan smiled at Casey. "You made a curling joke."

"It felt appropriate," Casey said.

Dan gave him a very noisy kiss to the cheek. "You're funny," he said. "Have I told you that? Pretty and funny."

"Seriously, Dana, I wasn't gone that long," Casey said. "Five beers?"

"Casey?" Dan rested his head on Casey's shoulder.

Dana gave Casey a little smile from behind her beer.

"Casey." Dan tugged on Casey's sleeve.

Casey sighed, then smiled. "Yeah, Danny?"

"You smell nice, Casey."

"Thank you, Dan. You smell like beer and pretzels."

Dan laughed.

"Who bought him this much beer?"

Nobody looked ready to answer that question. Dan snuggled in closer to Casey.

"I know, man," Casey said. "I love you too."

Dan beamed up at Jeremy when he returned. "Casey loves me," he announced, making grabby hands for his new beer.

"That's good, Dan," Jeremy said, looking over at Natalie. "Right?"

Natalie and Dana exchanged glances, and then Natalie smiled up at Jeremy. "Right," she said, and patted his seat. "You're taking me on a date tomorrow night, by the way."

He blinked. "I am?"

"Yes," she said, "you are. Dinner?"

"Dinner... yes. Yes, dinner," Jeremy said, trying to sound slightly more assertive. "When am I picking you up?" he asked, sitting down.

"Six-thirty," she replied.

"Okay... all right." Jeremy looked incredibly pleased. "Hey, Natalie?"

"Yeah, Jeremy?"

"Would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow? Say, six-thirty? I'll pick you up."

"Yes, I think I would like that very much."

"Then I'll be there," he said, giving Dan a brilliant smile.

Dan smiled back at him. "If you hurt her I'll come after you with an axe," he said, brightly.

"I understand," Jeremy said. "It's only fair."

"Good," said Dan, and finished off his sixth beer. "And that's nothing compared with what Isaac'll do to you."

"And Sam, and Dana, and me," Casey listed.

Jeremy looked concerned.

"Welcome to Port Bowmore," Natalie said, patting Jeremy's hand. "Where people are over protective and Dan needs to go home to bed."

"Do not," said Dan.

"Yeah, you do," Casey said, pushing his beer away from him and toward Dana. "Come on, Danny, I'll get you home."

"I'm not sleepy," Dan protested, though he let Casey and Dana get him up to his feet.

"No, but when beers four and five hit, you're going to end up curled under the table making fun of Natalie's socks," Casey pointed out.

"Natalie wears socks with bears on them," Dan said, overly loud. He thought he felt something peanut-like hit the back of his neck as Casey helped him out through the pub. "Casey?"

"Yes, Danny?" Casey stopped Dan and helped him into his jacket.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going home. It's where your bed lives. And your garbage can."

"I like my bed," said Dan, taking Casey's arm in his as if they were lovers out on a stroll.

"I know you do. I've heard it's very popular," Casey said.

Dan laughed. "Sailors like it."

"I know. Do you know how many times a day I have to resist the urge to make a 'seamen' joke, Dan?"

"Lots?" Dan frowned. "Is this your car?"

"No, that's a mailbox. We're walking," Casey said.

"Oh," said Dan. He held Casey's arm a little tighter. He was quiet for a little while and then he said, "I broke up with Gordon."

"What?" Casey stopped and turned to face Dan. "Did you just say you broke up with Gordon?"

Dan almost fell over. "That's what I said." He grabbed Casey's arm tighter.

"Danny..." Casey started, then hesitated.

"He was no good for me, all right?" said Dan. "I wasn't gonna keep pretending I wasn't sleeping with him. So I called it off. Quits. Done. It's over. No more Gordon-lawyer-face."

"I was going to say good," Casey said. "And I was also going to say all those things you just said, and that you've put up with his crap for way too long," he added. "And then I was going to say I'm sorry."

Dan looked at Casey for a moment, then started staggering off down the sidewalk again. "Never liked him anyway."

"Yeah... you did," Casey called after him, catching up and giving Dan his arm again. "That's why you're so pissed off."

"I didn't want to keep hiding," said Dan. "I haven't been hiding since I was sixteen. Over that, thank you. No more separate entrances and secret meetings and if he wants ass he'd better find someone else's."

Casey was not saying he told him so. Nope. No way. Not out loud, anyway. "You're better than that, Danny. Better than him."

"That's right! And it's not my fault he's a coward or he's whatever he is with his stupid lawyer-face and I'm gonna find someone who wants me for me. Like that guy in Kansas. What's-his-name. You know. With the socks."

"I didn't meet what's-his-name with the socks, you just told me about him," Casey reminded Dan. "Rob? Rob. The redhead with the glasses who you ditched me for while you two shacked up in a twenty dollar a night hotel room for three days."

"Yeah!" said Dan. "Yeah, Rob." He pointed. "Is that home?"

"That's another mailbox, Danny." He took Dan's hand and pointed. "That's home."

Dan held his breath as he felt the warmth of Casey's hand on his. "Okay. Hey, Casey?"

"Yeah, Danny?" Casey stayed right next to him, since Dan was getting a little more unsteady on his feet.

"I don't feel so hot," Dan said.

"You gonna throw up?"

"Yep."

Casey hustled him over to the nearest bush as fast as he could.

A few moments, and one very startled cat, later, and Dan stood straight, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. "I wanna go to bed now."

"That's where we're going now," Casey assured him, starting to lead him toward the house again.

"Okay," said Dan, leaning heavily on Casey until they got up their front walk and through their front door and into the foyer. And then he looked around a little, frowning. "Casey, have I gone blind from beer? I can't see anything."

Casey reached out and flicked the light on.

"I can see!"

"Thank Thomas Edison."

"Thank you, Thomas Edison." Dan took Casey's arm as they made their way through the house and to Dan's bedroom. He sat down on the side of the bed and looked up at Casey without a word.

It was automatic, the way Casey dropped down and helped Dan out of his boots, then knelt up to help him with his pants. Dan'd done it for him when he'd been the one who got blasted, and he'd done it for Dan a few dozen times or so too. "You gonna be okay, Danny?"

"You're my best friend, Casey."

"You're my best friend too, Dan," Casey said, standing up and sitting next to him on the bed. "And Gordon is now, has always been, and will forever be a total jackass. Okay?"

Dan leaned heavily against him. "Okay," he agreed. "I love you."

"I love you too, Danny," Casey said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, then getting up and starting to manhandle Dan under the covers.

Dan grabbed Casey's hands, but then let go, tugging on the covers. "Always will," he said, curling up on his side. "Love you."

"I know," Casey told him, pushing at Dan's hair. "Throw up in the garbage, not on the floor, okay?" he said, moving it closer.

"Okay," Dan agreed, closing his eyes. "Casey?"

"Uh huh?" Casey murmured, turning the light beside the bed out.

"I broke up with Gordon today. Before the bonspiel."

"And that's how come you managed to have five beers before I got to the pub?" Casey absently petted Dan's hair again.

"Isaac makes good beer," Dan said.

"Isaac does make good beer," Casey agreed. "Gordon's not worth the hangover you're going to have tomorrow, you lightweight," he said, teasing gently.

"Probably not. But the beer was good. And the bonspiel was good. And I grabbed Jeremy's butt and the look on his face was priceless."

"Poor Jeremy," Casey shook his head and smiled. "He and Natalie are going to go out, you know."

"Yep." Dan closed his eyes and curled up a bit more. "I'm gonna feel like shit in the morning, aren't I?"

"Yeah, Danny, you are," Casey murmured. "I'll make you breakfast and everything."

"Whatever I say about your parents tomorrow morning, just remember it's the hangover talking."

"I'll remember," Casey said, standing up and stretching. "I know you love me."

"Yeah," said Dan, sleepily. "I love you."

"Go to sleep, Danny."

"Okay, Casey."

"Don't puke on the floor."

"No promises."

"I'm getting a towel...."

*

"So do I need to call Josh?" Dan parked himself on the edge of Casey's desk.

"No... he was sounding progressively more freaked out with each message, and you were taking your time getting back, so I answered your phone and pretended to be you," Casey said. "He's solved the backorder problem, imagine that."

"That is incredible, my friend." Dan paused. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Ask me where I've been."

"I know where you've been. You smell like fish 'n chips, so you've been to the pub."

"But don't you want to know why?"

"Well," Casey said, not looking up from his desk, "it's either because it's lunch time and it was your turn to leave the store, or because you've been to Missouri."

"Because I've been to Missouri," Dan said with a broad grin. "Remember Rob?"

"Rob... Rob... wasn't he the guy with the weird socks? The one who you said was a bottle redhead, kind of goofy looking?"

"He turned out to be hot."

"Didn't you ditch me for him for like, three days back when he wasn't hot?" Casey said.

"I did. Be thankful I don't run away with him for a week."

"If it had been a week, I would have abandoned you in Kansas City."

"No, Casey, I mean now. When I say he got hot, I say he got hot. Just... out of the blue."

"You mean run away with him for a week now?" Casey said, raising an eyebrow, then shaking his head. "Longshoreman?"

"Human resources for SportChek," said Dan.

Casey snorted. "No, seriously, what does he do?"

"He's human resources for SportChek."

"Huh," Casey said, looking up at Dan. "So why is he here? We don't exactly have a SportChek. Don't tell me JJ's going to franchise us."

"No, JJ wouldn't sell. We're good competition for them." Dan got up and casually went to sit behind his own desk. "He's headhunting."

"Headhunting?" Casey took that in for a moment, then shook his head. "No way. I'm not moving."

"I might."

This time, Casey laughed.

"What?" Dan demanded.

"You move? Come on, Danny... you grew up here. You were born here, it's your home. You wrote 'wish you were here' postcards to Isaac's bar while we were in university, and we weren't even legal yet."

Dan shrugged a little. "It's money, Casey, and opportunity."

"Since when do you care about money? You don't own a car, and you only spend money on vintage sports memorabilia," Casey said. "Danny, you're not gonna leave."

Dan frowned a bit and stared at his computer. "Well."

Casey pushed his monitor aside. "Danny. You're not serious. Come on, for some guy who you don't even remember?"

"Well, I remember him now. I just didn't recognise him. And he's called Bobby now, apparently."

"Oh, well then, if he's called Bobby you should run away from home and join SportChek," Casey said sarcastically. "What about buying the store, Dan?"

"We're still a couple years away. I could send money back to you."

"Send money back to me? What does that even mean?"

"Well, I'd make a lot more money as the GM of a SportChek than I do here."

"He's offering you the GM of a SportChek?" Not me? Casey pushed that thought away as quickly as possible. "And how am I supposed to run this place on my own?"

"Steal Natalie from Dana and Sam?"

"I like my balls attached, Dan. I find them useful."

"Promote Alyson, hire a new cashier."

"Wow, you've got it all figured out, don't you?" Casey said, tossing his stapler onto the other side of his desk, just because he could. "That must have been some lunch."

"Who said I had it all figured out? I'm just thinking about it."

"I'm sorry, forgive me if I'm finding this ironic, Dan."

"Ironic."

"After how pissed off you got that I hadn't told you I was thinking of buying the store, because I didn't think you'd want to. Because people always think you're about to leave town. Remember?"

"Casey, I wasn't pissed off," Dan said. "And who says I'm going to do it, and who says it has to be forever?"

"So you're going to go off with Bobby and rake in the SportChek GM dollars, and then come back here after all of that?" Casey said, sounding very doubtful.

"Sure, why not?"

"Because no one who leaves like that comes back, and you know it."

"Oh come on. Why wouldn't I come back?"

"Because if I was you, and I had the chance to be a GM of a SportChek in Halifax or Charlottetown, I wouldn't come back either," Casey shot back.

"I guess it's a good thing you're not me, Casey."

Casey stood up abruptly, then looked like he wasn't sure why he was standing.

Dan stared up at him, but whatever he might have said was interrupted by the intercom on his phone. "Dan?" said Alyson, "I need change."

Dan lifted the receiver. "I'll be right there, Alyson." He got to his feet, stared at Casey for a long, long moment, then got to his feet. "You'll probably need to call and tell Natalie the news," he said, "unless Monica already has."

And then he hurried up to the front of the store.

Casey watched Dan go, then sat back down at his desk and sighed, reaching for the phone so he could call Natalie. This was going to be a long day.

*

Three years ago

"Jeremy didn't know that Dan's gay." Natalie set the basket of wings down in the middle of the table.

"Jeremy didn't know that Dan's gay? Everyone knows Dan's gay," Casey said.

"Jeremy didn't know."

"How did Jeremy not know?" Casey asked.

"I'm standing right here, you know," Jeremy said. "Just in case you hadn't noticed."

Casey waved absently at him to hush and addressed Natalie again. "Seriously, there are people who step inside the village limits and don't know? I thought there was a sign."

"There should be a sign. Think we could convince Luther Sachs to put one up? We should ask Isaac."

"No." That came from over at the bar.

"Apparently not, Natalie," Casey told her.

"Just think about it, Isaac," said Natalie. She spread her hands as if imagining a large banner. "Welcome to Port Bowmore, population seven hundred, by the way, Dan Rydell is gay."

"Stop making fun of me, Natalie!" Dan called from over by the dartboard with Dana.

"I don't think 'by the way' works very well on a highway sign, Natalie," Casey told her. "And she's not making fun of you, she's making fun of Jeremy."

"I really don't see how I was supposed to just know that," Jeremy protested.

"Everybody knows that," said Natalie. "Everybody. His very Jewish grandma knows."

"The Catholic priest in town gave Dan the phone number for his nephew once," Kim reminded everyone, hanging her arms around Dan's shoulders and watching Dana shoot.

"See? See that right there?" Jeremy pointed at Kim, who was--seriously--nibbling on Dan's neck. "That's why I didn't think he was gay!"

"Kim is the first woman I would take home and make mad, passionate love to, were I not quite so gay," said Dan, reaching back awkwardly to pat her hair.

"There's a list," Casey told Jeremy.

"There's a list?"

"There's a list," said Natalie. "I've seen it and approved it."

"Where do you fall on that list?" Jeremy asked her.

"Number two," said Natalie, beaming.

"But we're quite sure that Dan is gay, so this is a metaphorical list, yes?" Jeremy checked.

"Oh, I'd say it's pretty damned metaphorical," Casey said, snorting into his beer.

The game of darts over (and Dana, once again, victorious), Dan sat down at the table next to Casey, pulling Kim onto his lap. "Dana's number three," Dan said, "and Eliza Dushku and Michelle Yeoh round out the top five. Apparently I'm hypothetically turned on by women who could kick my ass."

"So... three real people, and two people who you have absolutely no hope in hell of being in the same room with?" Jeremy said.

"I don't think it really matters, Jeremy," Casey pointed out. "See above re: really damned gay."

"I pine for George Clooney," said Dan, with a very sad sigh, resting his chin on Kim's shoulder. "He never calls. Never writes, except to threaten me with restraining orders."

"Really? He sent me a signed photograph," Kim teased him, wrapping Dan's arms around her waist.

"It must be because you have boobs."

"I'm sorry, don't you mean I have amazing boobs?"

"I'm sorry. I forget these things. They are amazing. Look at them! They're just right there. On your chest. Being amazing."

"And you couldn't give the slightest damn, could you, Danny?" Kim grinned.

"Not in the least. I'm sure in theory they're very nice."

"Looks good from here," Casey said, then raised his hands defensively. "Speaking from a purely aesthetic sense, not from any carnal knowledge."

Dan peered at him a moment, then cuddled Kim a little tighter. "Good. She's my girl, not yours."

"Despite the fact that you wouldn't know what to do with her if you were both naked and there was a gun to your head?" Casey said, while Kim laughed and snuggled back against Dan.

"Despite that, yes." And then Dan looked at Jeremy. "You didn't know I'm gay?"

Jeremy let his hands fall to the side and let out a huge sigh. "No, I didn't. Why do you think I introduced you to my sister last week and kept encouraging her to sit next to you?"

Casey ducked behind Natalie (not easy) and started laughing.

"You thought I'd be a good match for Louise?" Dan asked, smiling brightly. "That's the nicest thing you've ever done for me, Jeremy. Completely wrong gender, but nice." He paused. "Do you have a brother?"

"Sadly, no, I don't have a brother. Louise always wanted someone younger than her, but it didn't happen, and if there was someone younger than Louise, I'm not sure that I could condone that," Jeremy admitted.

"You have a good point," Dan said. "I'd hate for you to have to beat me up." Largely because if it came to that, he might never stop laughing.

"Hey, how come you introduced your sister to Dan, and not to me, as a potential suitor," Casey asked, poking Jeremy in the shoulder, who suddenly looked rather deer in headlights and started stammering.

"Don't make fun of my Jeremy," Natalie said, taking Jeremy's hand. "That's my job."

"I wasn't making fun, I was being sincere!" Casey said.

"Dan's more Louise's type," Jeremy tried.

"Gay men are more your sister's type?" Casey shot back, looking offended... and trying not to laugh. "I'll have you know I'm an extremely handsome man, Jeremy."

"Well... considering the fact that you're not my type, I don't know that I'm in a position to comment on that, Casey," Jeremy said delicately.

"Casey is an extremely handsome man," Dan said, looking across at Casey--and hoping that he didn't look too longing.

"See? Thank you, Danny," Casey said, slapping his hands on the table. "A little love, that's all I'm asking for."

"You... are well put together, and appear to be proportional," Jeremy offered.

"Proportional?" Casey repeated.

"Well, yes, mathematically speaking," Jeremy said, gesturing to Casey's hands. "If we measure the length of your fingers, and compare it to the ratio of--"

"Okay, okay, okay, Natalie, get your man to ease off on the ratios, m'kay?" Casey said, hiding his hands in his pockets.

Dan laughed helplessly into Kim's shoulder.

"He likes ratios, Casey," Natalie said, patiently, squeezing Jeremy's hand. "It's cute and nerdy."

"Not when he's ratioing my... proportionalness!" Casey protested. Loudly.

"Statistically speaking, there's a--"

"JEREMY!"

There were tears streaming down Dan's face. He peered past Kim's shoulder to Dana, to find her with an elbow on the table, her hand hiding her face, and her shoulders shaking. She glanced up, met Dan's gaze, and they both fell into helpless laughter.

Casey tried to glare at Jeremy, who was looking slightly wounded.

"There's no reason to be so adversarial about mathematics, Casey," he told him. "And the ratios were potentially very flattering. Statistically speaking."

"I need a lot of alcohol, please. Doesn't someone at this table work here?" Casey said plaintively.

"Go get it yourself," Natalie said.

Casey pushed up and fled the table of laughing people.

*

"No." Natalie paused. "No. You are lying to me. You are telling me dirty lies and I will not stand for it. Oh my God. Oh my God, I have to tell Dana. No, I have to tell Dana right now. I'll call you again later. I have to tell Dana." She put the phone down and yelled, "Dana!"

"I'm right behind you."

Natalie whirled around and grabbed Dana's wrist with one hand, Jeremy's hand with the other, and dragged them over to the quiet, cold dairy section. "Casey went home with Sally Sasser."

Jeremy looked at her. "Okay..." he said, waiting for a follow up. "She's the lawyer, right? The..." He gestured with his free hand, indicating Sally's height and relative endowments.

"That one," said Natalie. Then she added, "Twice."

"Twice?" Dana echoed.

"He took her home twice now. Two nights in a row. I have a very reliable source."

"Monica?" asked Dana.

"Monica. She closed up last night and the night before--the night before when Dan left with Malcolm the longshoreman. And then last night? Dan scored himself a hottie--had lunch with him--then met him at Isaac's for dinner and a drink and then they left together. Dan left first both nights and then Casey left with Sally."

"Well... isn't that more like Casey?" Jeremy said. "He usually sticks to the same person, at least for a little while, and Dan takes home cute longshoreman. I mean, he thinks they're cute. I don't think they're cute. Except in an empirical and... I'm not helping. I'm going to stop talking now."

"Probably a good idea," Dana said. Then she turned back to Natalie. "You're reading too much into this."

"Dan's in love with Casey, Dana," Natalie said.

Dana took in an audible breath and held it a moment. Her expression clearly said, Here we go again.

"Natalie... Dan's kind of gay, and Casey's kind of not. Doesn't that make your hypothesis sort of... unlikely?" Jeremy said.

"No. And Dana agrees with me."

"Natalie..." Dana shook her head. "They're grown men and they're allowed to spend the night with whomever they please."

Natalie looked at Jeremy for support.

"I think I'm going to make a trip back over to Switzerland. Wait. Damn. That doesn't work when it's you."

"No, it doesn't." Natalie hugged her clipboard tighter to her chest. "Sally. Sasser."

"This isn't the apocalypse, Natalie," Dana said with a little sigh.

"I don't understand why you're saying her name so emphatically," Jeremy admitted. "I mean, she's a lawyer, but it happens to some of the best of us."

"She's very tall," said Natalie.

"Uh huh." Jeremy nodded, trying to look like an understanding and sympathetic boyfriend.

"When she wears heels, she's taller than Casey," Natalie added. "Doesn't anyone think this is significant?"

"I think that wearing heels when you're as tall as she is might be considered unwise, particularly for her back, unless she enjoys making boat payments for a chiropractor, but I'm not sure in what other ways it's significant," Jeremy admitted.

"I should go talk to Sam," Natalie announced to no one in particular.

"You do that," said Dana.

Jeremy looked slightly alarmed at that. Maybe there was something wrong. If Natalie felt it was worthy of talking to Sam about...

"Good," said Natalie, rocking forward on her feet a bit, then starting to head to the back. "I'm going to talk to Sam!" she called back over her shoulder.

"You do that," Dana repeated, shaking her head, and then heading back to the front. There might be a customer somewhere.

"Dana?" Jeremy looked at her. "Is it all right that sometimes I think everyone in this town has completely lost their minds?"

"There are times when I agree with you," she said.

Natalie's shoes heralded her arrival before the little knock on the door. "Sam?"

There was an indistinct noise from inside the room. It might even be described as a grunt.

"Casey went home with Sally Sasser," Natalie told him. "Twice. I just finished talking to Monica. You remember Monica, right? She works at Isaac's. Well, she told me that Casey left with Sally Sasser, two nights in a row. The first night was the night that Dan went home with Monty the longshoreman and the second night, Dan left with someone he had dinner and lunch with that day." She fell quiet.

Sam looked up from his computer screen and blinked at Natalie. Twice.

"Dan's in love with Casey."

"Uh huh."

"And Casey's sleeping with Sally Sasser."

Sam blinked again. "Yes."

"I think there needs to be an intervention."

"Natalie?"

"Yeah, Sam?"

"Does this have anything to do with the store? The running of the store... the upkeep, the finances, the inventory... anything at all?"

"No."

"And you're telling me about it because..."

"This is bad."

"For the store?"

"For everyone."

"I'm not seeing how it impacts me at the moment, Natalie."

"Okay. Well. I just thought you should know."

"Then consider me informed," Sam said, looking back at the computer. "Natalie?"

"Yes?"

"Go with your gut," he said, looking up at her and winking. "And I never said anything."

She looked at him for a moment, and then a great big smile lit her face. "You mean it?"

"She's unnaturally tall."

If it was at all possible, her smile got even bigger. "I won't let you down on this one."

"That's my girl. But remember--I said nothing." If word got out that he was some kind of 'Dear Abby', his gruff, stern reputation would be ruined.

There was a spring in Natalie's step when she turned to leave the office, but she carefully schooled herself into a demeanour of thoughtfulness by the time she reached Jeremy and Dana at the front again, hopped on till to check out Mrs Bradbury and her groceries, then went to organise a peanut butter display.

Dana watched her carefully. "So how did that go?"

Natalie merely shrugged a shoulder.

"I hate to tell you I told you so."

"No, you really don't."

Jeremy was back to being Switzerland again. Switzerland with a lot of peanut butter instead of chocolate.

*

Six months ago

Dan flopped down on the couch next to Casey, slung an arm around his shoulders, and handed him a beer. "What kind of name is Pixley anyway?"

Casey took the beer and flopped his head onto Dan's shoulder. "A stupid one. You were right. All along, you kept saying 'what kind of name is Pixley anyway?' and if I'd listened to you..." He trailed off and took a long drink of beer.

"You learned some life lessons and maybe you got your heart broken, but they were important life lessons," said Dan, running his fingers very gently over the back of Casey's neck.

"I think I'm done with life lessons," Casey murmured. "And dating. Maybe ever." That might be the beer talking. "She couldn't even give me a reason. She just said I should know why. But I don't! I don't know why!"

"Neither do I," said Dan. "You're a great catch and any woman should know that." He rested his cheek against the top of Casey's head. "Want me to get you a bowl of ice cream?"

"No... yes. Maybe in a bit," Casey said, leaning a bit more against Dan. "I just feel like an idiot. Here I am completely falling for her, and she can just turn around and say that it's not working, sorry, bye, Casey."

"You're not the idiot," Dan said, "she is. And one day she'll wake up and realise what she's lost and you'll have moved on to someone amazing and she'll just be shit out of luck."

"Most of the women I've dated seem to be more of Pixley's opinion than yours," Casey said morosely into his beer. "I just..." He sighed. "Do you ever start wondering if maybe there isn't someone out there for you? That you're the one person that doesn't have a 'someone' out there waiting for them to find them?"

"No," said Dan, truthfully. He just didn't have to say who he thought that someone was.

"I just... maybe I should stop trying for relationships. Maybe that's my problem. No more relationships. Just sex. I'm sure that's better." He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. Dan smelled nice. He should ask him what his cologne was. Or just go check.

"I'm not sure that it's better, Casey," Dan said. "I mean, do you want a reputation like mine?"

"There's nothing wrong with your reputation," Casey insisted, sounding angry at the very idea. "Anyone says there is, you just send them to me."

Dan smiled. "You always take care of me, Casey. I like that about you. Remember when you beat up Eric Massey in grade eleven and got suspended for a week, so I skipped class till I got suspended too, in solidarity?"

"Eric Massey was a jerk. And your dad's never forgiven me for that," Casey reminded Dan, smiling against his t-shirt.

"I kind of think that he thought if Eric Massey beat me up, it would scare the gay out of me."

"Yeah, well, sometimes parents can be stupid that way. I don't think there's anything that exists that could scare the gay out of you, Danny." Casey smiled. "And good. Because you're just... you're just how you're supposed to be," he murmured, his beer drifting from side to side as his hand swayed.

Dan reached out and carefully took the beer from him to set it on the coffee table. "So are you, Casey," he said, gently. "And anybody who doesn't see that is insane."

"Lot of insane girls here in town," he said, closing his eyes. "I might have had too much beer, Danny."

"You gonna puke on me?"

Casey hesitated, thinking about it. "No... I don't think so. But I might pass out on you. If you want to be able to get up, you might want to move. Otherwise you'll end up pinned here."

"We should get you to bed. It's a much better place to pass out." Dan wriggled his way out from under Casey, then held out both hands to him. "Up you get, Casey."

He let Dan help him up off the couch, then clung to him, swaying in place. "Danny?"

"Yeah, Casey?" Dan got both arms around him, and started to lead him off to his bedroom.

"I don't want to be alone. I don't want to spend my life alone either. But I don't want to be alone," he muttered.

"You're not alone," Dan said. "I'll stay with you if you want. I just have to get my pillow."

"Don't think I can stand if you let go."

"Then we'll go get my pillow together," said Dan, and helped Casey along down the hallway to his own room. He grabbed his pillow, gave it to Casey, then started to make their way back to Casey's room. "You're never alone, Casey," he said as he helped him down onto the edge of the bed. "You've got me."

Casey was still holding onto Dan's pillow tightly, feeling like all the alcohol he'd drank that evening was hitting him all at once. "You're my best friend. You always have been, Danny. I love you, man."

"I love you too, Casey," said Dan, as he reached for the pillow. "Gotta give me that. We'll want to get you out of your shirt in case there's an unfortunate vomit mishap."

"Nope... not gonna happen," Casey said, although he did give up the pillow. "I don't throw up. I haven't thrown up since the unfortunate peach cooler incident in college."

"There's a first--second--time for everything, but if you're sure you're not going to whine about being wrinkled in the morning..."

Casey sighed and started tugging his shirt up over his head.

"I know you too well." Dan took the shirt, and carefully hung it in the closet--at the back, so Casey would know he'd worn it--then he dropped his own shirt to the floor, wriggled out of his jeans, and returned to the side of the bed in just his boxers. "Bedtime," he said, gently, and leaned down without a thought to kiss Casey's forehead. "I'll be here until you kick me out. Promise."

"Not gonna kick you out," Casey mumbled, eyes already closed. "Danny?"

"Yeah, Casey?" Dan turned off the lights, then crawled up into the bed.

"You were right about her. I know that later I'll be all me, and I won't admit it, but you were right. She wasn't the girl for me. I just wanted to say that."

"You should listen to me," Dan said. "I know these things."

"I know. And you know me," Casey murmured, almost asleep. "I wish you were a girl. Or I was a boy... I mean... you know what I mean," he mumbled.

Dan closed his eyes. His voice was a bit tight when he said, "I know what you mean, Casey." He wished the same thing. He shifted just a little closer, as much as he could, until he could feel how warm Casey was, and stretched out a hand to touch his shoulder. "You're--" Everything. The sun. The universe. "You're not alone."

Casey's hand slowly drifted up to rest against Dan's. "I know," he murmured. "I've got you."


| Chapter 3 |

Comments

[travelinthedark.livejournal.com]

omfg i love this so frickin' much.

this:

"Lots?" Dan frowned. "Is this your car?"
"No, that's a mailbox. We're walking," Casey said.

and

"Casey, have I gone blind from beer? I can't see anything."

and

"I'm sorry. I forget these things. They are amazing. Look at them! They're just right there. On your chest. Being amazing."

??? MADE OF WIN.

[linden-jay.livejournal.com]

Oh look at you with the pull quotes!

One of the best things of writing the way that ashinae and I do, where we cowrite and each of us has several characters, is that you get to glee over the cool things your writing partner says. And here, you've picked out some of my very favourite lines that she wrote. (Plus one of mine that I'm kinda fond of).

So thank you--so glad you think it's made of win!