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Entry tags:
Fic: Some Do - Sports Night
Title: Some Do
Fandom: Sports Night
Genre: gen
Characters: Dan, Natalie
Spoilers for: Mary Pat Shelby
Words: ~650
Summary: "It's just that men aren't usually... sensitive to these issues, most of them just don't understand what it's like."
Beta: yami_tai *smooch*
Notes: Ha, found this hiding on my HDD - since January :P
"Thank you for coming with me," Natalie said with a quiet smile as she hugged her jumbo mug of hot, sweet coffee tightly with her hands, looking down at the dark liquid steaming invitingly.
Danny shrugged turning his half-empty cup in his hands and looking out of the slightly grimy window of the small bistro. They were down the street from the precinct where Natalie just brought a charge of attempted sexual assault against one Christian Patrick. "You're welcome," he said simply. "I told you, that's what friends are for."
"Yeah, you did," Natalie agreed, ducking her head so that her dark hair hid the exhausted lines on her face. "It's just that men aren't usually… sensitive to these issues, most of them just don't understand what it's like." She sighed.
Swallowing hard, Dan sipped his coffee. "Some do," he said so quietly that she barely heard him.
Breath catching in her throat, Natalie jerked her head up, her dark eyes huge and round in her pale face. "Danny…" she whispered hoarsely. "It's… Did something…?" She couldn't finish. She had to have misunderstood him.
Shifting uncomfortably, Dan turned back to the window, shrugging again. "It's no big deal."
Taking in a ragged breath, Natalie leaned closer over the table. "No big deal? Such a thing… an assault, it is a big thing. A huge thing!" Reaching over she covered his hand with hers and felt him twitch, as if he wanted to jerk away from her but she held fast. "When did it happen? Did you tell somebody?"
Squirming slightly, Dan answered reluctantly. "I was in high school. And no, I didn't. Nobody knows. Nobody," he added softly.
She blinked in disbelief. "Nobody? Not your parents? Not even Casey?"
Dan turned away from the window and looked at her sharply. "Especially not him. You must not tell him. I don't want him to know. I don't want him to…" His voice faltered. "To look at me differently."
"Why would he?" Natalie shook her head in confusion. "He's your friend. Do you regard me differently? After what happened with that football jerk?"
"That's different," Dan said quietly, obviously uncomfortable.
Natalie snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Why? Because I'm a woman? Should I kick your ass or maybe knock some sense into you? Things like that don't just happen to girls, no matter what some macho guys might think."
Dan shifted some more, trying again to pull his hand away, unsuccessfully though. "I know that," he answered irritably.
Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Do you? Really?"
"Of course!" His answer was too quick, too clipped and they both noticed. Dan cringed slightly under her searching gaze.
When she spoke again, her voice was strangely gentle. "Was that the reason why you started drinking and smoking pot?"
Dan shrugged once more, going for a dismissive gesture and failing.
"Danny…"
Frowning, Dan muttered, angry with himself: "Should’ve kept my mouth shut!"
Natalie didn't take offense though, knowing perfectly well how her friend felt. "No, you shouldn't, Danny. You shouldn't need to. No, listen to me!" she cut him short when he tried to say something. "What did you tell me back there, at the studio? This is the kind of situation that friends gear up for."
Dan looked away guiltily. He didn't like having his words turned against him in the slightest.
Squeezing his hand, Natalie smiled encouragingly. "I’ll understand if you don't feel like talking about it, okay? If you don't feel like talking to Casey or anyone else. But if you do want to talk, I'm here and I will listen. And for once, will keep it to myself," she added self-deprecatingly.
Dan snorted and Natalie grinned mischievously, then grew serious again. "Just… know that I'm here, okay?" She moved her head to catch his eyes. "Okay?"
Danny looked at her for the longest time, just looked, then he swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay."
Grinning again, Natalie patted his hand. "Good. Because this friendship thing? It goes both ways!"
The End
Fandom: Sports Night
Genre: gen
Characters: Dan, Natalie
Spoilers for: Mary Pat Shelby
Words: ~650
Summary: "It's just that men aren't usually... sensitive to these issues, most of them just don't understand what it's like."
Beta: yami_tai *smooch*
Notes: Ha, found this hiding on my HDD - since January :P
"Thank you for coming with me," Natalie said with a quiet smile as she hugged her jumbo mug of hot, sweet coffee tightly with her hands, looking down at the dark liquid steaming invitingly.
Danny shrugged turning his half-empty cup in his hands and looking out of the slightly grimy window of the small bistro. They were down the street from the precinct where Natalie just brought a charge of attempted sexual assault against one Christian Patrick. "You're welcome," he said simply. "I told you, that's what friends are for."
"Yeah, you did," Natalie agreed, ducking her head so that her dark hair hid the exhausted lines on her face. "It's just that men aren't usually… sensitive to these issues, most of them just don't understand what it's like." She sighed.
Swallowing hard, Dan sipped his coffee. "Some do," he said so quietly that she barely heard him.
Breath catching in her throat, Natalie jerked her head up, her dark eyes huge and round in her pale face. "Danny…" she whispered hoarsely. "It's… Did something…?" She couldn't finish. She had to have misunderstood him.
Shifting uncomfortably, Dan turned back to the window, shrugging again. "It's no big deal."
Taking in a ragged breath, Natalie leaned closer over the table. "No big deal? Such a thing… an assault, it is a big thing. A huge thing!" Reaching over she covered his hand with hers and felt him twitch, as if he wanted to jerk away from her but she held fast. "When did it happen? Did you tell somebody?"
Squirming slightly, Dan answered reluctantly. "I was in high school. And no, I didn't. Nobody knows. Nobody," he added softly.
She blinked in disbelief. "Nobody? Not your parents? Not even Casey?"
Dan turned away from the window and looked at her sharply. "Especially not him. You must not tell him. I don't want him to know. I don't want him to…" His voice faltered. "To look at me differently."
"Why would he?" Natalie shook her head in confusion. "He's your friend. Do you regard me differently? After what happened with that football jerk?"
"That's different," Dan said quietly, obviously uncomfortable.
Natalie snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Why? Because I'm a woman? Should I kick your ass or maybe knock some sense into you? Things like that don't just happen to girls, no matter what some macho guys might think."
Dan shifted some more, trying again to pull his hand away, unsuccessfully though. "I know that," he answered irritably.
Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Do you? Really?"
"Of course!" His answer was too quick, too clipped and they both noticed. Dan cringed slightly under her searching gaze.
When she spoke again, her voice was strangely gentle. "Was that the reason why you started drinking and smoking pot?"
Dan shrugged once more, going for a dismissive gesture and failing.
"Danny…"
Frowning, Dan muttered, angry with himself: "Should’ve kept my mouth shut!"
Natalie didn't take offense though, knowing perfectly well how her friend felt. "No, you shouldn't, Danny. You shouldn't need to. No, listen to me!" she cut him short when he tried to say something. "What did you tell me back there, at the studio? This is the kind of situation that friends gear up for."
Dan looked away guiltily. He didn't like having his words turned against him in the slightest.
Squeezing his hand, Natalie smiled encouragingly. "I’ll understand if you don't feel like talking about it, okay? If you don't feel like talking to Casey or anyone else. But if you do want to talk, I'm here and I will listen. And for once, will keep it to myself," she added self-deprecatingly.
Dan snorted and Natalie grinned mischievously, then grew serious again. "Just… know that I'm here, okay?" She moved her head to catch his eyes. "Okay?"
Danny looked at her for the longest time, just looked, then he swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay."
Grinning again, Natalie patted his hand. "Good. Because this friendship thing? It goes both ways!"
The End