Work Text:
Casey found Dan scowling at a plate of donuts on the buffet table.
"No jelly?" he asked, reaching out to grab an apple.
"No jelly," Dan confirmed with a sulky twist to his mouth.
Casey bit into his apple and chewed. "Well then, you're just going to have to put up with glazed."
Making a face, Dan reached for a blueberry muffin instead and started trailing Casey back to their office.
"So…" he began.
"My flight leaves at two, Danny, and I'm not changing it," Casey said firmly.
"I'm just saying…"
"No you're not, you're whining."
"Casey, one word does not constitute whining."
"No, last night constituted whining; today, I'm just heading you off at the pass."
"Two days," Dan groused as he flopped onto the couch. "I have to do the show with Tina for two days while you go swanning off to Seattle. Tina hates me, Casey. She hates me with a passion."
"I'm sure she doesn't hate you, Danny," Casey said placidly as he sorted through a stack of papers on the desk. "She just thinks you're a little insane. Although I can't imagine why."
Dan snorted in reply and started picking at his muffin.
"Two days, Casey," he said quietly, watching Casey as separate the papers into two piles.
"Yeah, you said that already," Casey replied without looking up.
"And one night."
That made Casey pause. "Yeah."
Dan popped another bit of muffin into his mouth, chewed and swallowed.
"We're gonna have to get better at this, man."
"I know."
"This can't be healthy."
"Probably not."
"I mean, what did we do before… well, just, before?"
Casey shook his head. "I really have no idea."
Letting go a deep sigh, Dan levered himself off the couch and threw the remainder of the muffin into the trash. He moved to stand beside Casey, stuffing his hands into his pockets as his shoulder pressed against that of his partner, his eyes focused on some undetermined spot in the newsroom.
"You take care, okay?"
Casey leaned into him, just a little. "Whatever you say, Danny," he murmured softly then pulled away.
Satisfied, Dan nodded and went back to work.
~*~*~
Pushing the door to his hotel room shut with his foot, Casey staggered over to the bed and collapsed on top of it with an exhausted sigh. It had been a long, tiring flight and instead of getting a chance to rest at the hotel like he hoped he would, he'd had to spend the remainder of the day and most of the night following various members of the Seattle Seahawks around. Tired didn't even begin to cover how he felt and if he had his way, he would never move again.
Except he really needed to pee and some vaguely rational part of his sleep deprived mind was telling him that he'd be a whole lot more comfortable if he changed out of his suit and put on the t-shirt and sweatpants he'd packed that morning.
"I'm too old for this," Casey muttered at the ceiling before he pushed himself off the bed and staggered toward the bathroom.
Having taken care of business, Casey wandered back into bedroom, shedding his clothes as he went, too tired to care about how they landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.
Stripped down to his boxers and undershirt, Casey checked his watch and wondered if it was too early to call Dan. His watch told him it was a quarter past eleven, but it was working on Seattle time and since New York was around three hours ahead…
Pursing his lips as he forced his tired mind to do the math, Casey absently opened his overnight bag and reached inside for his sweatpants.
With his mind preoccupied as it was (or really, just plumb tuckered out) it took him a few moments to realise that it wasn't his sweats that he'd pulled from his bag. Because last time he checked, his sweats didn't go 'baa'.
"What are you doing in there?" he asked Ceazar.
The llama looked at him with his big llama eyes and Casey saw that there was a note tucked under a piece of ribbon tied around his neck.
Wondering what the hell Dan was up to this time, Casey pulled out the note and sat down on the bed with Ceazar to read it.
Dear Casey
Thought you'd need someone to keep an eye on you, but if further services are required, you know whom to call.
Don't let the turkey's (or Seahawks, as it were) get you down.
XX Danny
Smiling stupidly, Casey flopped back on the bed and reread the note, bringing the llama up to inhale the lingering aroma of Dan's cologne from Ceazar's fur as he did.
Not caring that he was probably rousing Dan from a peaceful sleep, Casey grabbed the phone and dialled
"Hey."
"Hey." Dan's voice was warm and not in the least annoyed that Casey hand called so late at night. Or early in the morning, depending on which side of the country you were located. "How goes it?"
"It goes well, my friend. Very well indeed. How goes it with you?"
"Tina still thinks I'm a freak, but that's okay."
"Like that's news to anyone."
"Did you call me for some specific reason, Casey, or just to disparage me in general?"
"Why is there a llama in my bag?" Casey asked, and Dan started laughing. "Did you think I'd needed protection from the big bad football players, mommy?"
Laughing some more, Dan said, "No, I just thought you'd want something to remind you."
"Remind me of what?"
"What's waiting for you back home. Naked. In your bed."
Dan's voice was low and husky, vibrating down the phone and sending sparks through Casey's entire being. Groaning at the sudden spike of arousal, Casey rolled onto his side, the llama with Danny's distinctive scent still clutched in his hand.
"Jesus, Danny…"
"Hey Casey?"
"What?"
"We're gonna have phone sex now, right?"
FIN