fic: the end of the line (sports night, dan/natalie)
Title: the end of the line
Disclaimer: Not mine in any way, shape, or form.
Fandom/Characters: Sports Night, Dan/Natalie
Word Count: 645
Requested By: tidbit2008
It has been said that in desperate times, people do things that they wouldn't otherwise do. It has been said that in desperate times, people drink too much. It has been said that in desperate times, people sleep with each other.
This could be a story about any one of those things. This is a story about all three.
*
Anthony's was crowded with the Sports Night crew as it had been every night for the last six nights, ever since Continental Corp went on the market. There had been a lot of debate about whether or not they should keep coming there, with Dana rambling on about not changing the luck and Jeremy insisting that they needed to change the luck, but Dan didn't really care about any of that. Anthony's had beer. It was pretty much the only thing he did care about.
And it was with beer in hand that Dan approached the booth where Natalie sat alone, with just her pineapple pina colada for company.
(Later, he'd blame the beer. It wasn't because of the beer.)
"Do you know what it's been said that people do in times like these?" Dan asked, taking the seat next to Natalie. "In the last days of war, before going off to war, days like these."
"They sleep together." Natalie looked up from stirring her straw through her drink. "I'm not going to sleep with you, Danny."
"I'm hurt," Dan said, clutching at his chest. He went big with the gesture, because well, he sort of was hurt and he didn't really want her to know that.
Right on cue, Natalie rolled her eyes. "You're not."
"I could be," he countered. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Why haven't we ever slept together?"
Natalie leaned away from his arm and tilted her head back to look up at him. "You're choosing to have this conversation now?"
"If not now, when?"
"Never?"
Dan shook his head, his eyes intent on hers. He suddenly wanted to have this conversation very badly. "Nope," he said. "Now."
"Danny," Natalie said on a sigh. She looked away.
He waited.
She looked back. She looked sad. "Because we didn't. Because we waited too long and became friends. Because when you met me I was an intern and you're not the kind of guy that takes advantage of that. There are a lot of reasons."
"Were a lot of reasons," he corrected, moving closer to her in the booth. He dropped his gaze to her mouth "It's the end of the world, or hadn't you heard?"
Natalie started to say his name again, but he he kissed her before she could get past the first two letters. He kissed her and she kissed him back, and it was better than he'd ever imagined it would be and Dan had imagined quite a lot over the years.
When he pulled back, he was breathing heavy and so was she. Her lips were swollen and he went back to staring at her mouth. He wanted to do that again. He needed to do that again.
"Want to get out of here?" Dan asked.
Natalie nodded yes.
Hand in hand, they left the bar and got into a cab. Whether anyone saw them, Dan wasn't sure. He didn't really care. It was really hard to care about things that weren't Natalie's tongue on his neck and his hand on her ass. Caring was for later.
Natalie's hand dipped into his pants.
Or never. Caring was for never.
Dan kissed her again and prayed for the cabbie to drive faster.
*
The next morning, Casey met him at the elevator with the news that Continental Corp had been sold. Without even thinking about it, Dan found Natalie standing across the room. Their eyes met.
That was the moment that Dan started to blame the beer.
Disclaimer: Not mine in any way, shape, or form.
Fandom/Characters: Sports Night, Dan/Natalie
Word Count: 645
Requested By: tidbit2008
It has been said that in desperate times, people do things that they wouldn't otherwise do. It has been said that in desperate times, people drink too much. It has been said that in desperate times, people sleep with each other.
This could be a story about any one of those things. This is a story about all three.
*
Anthony's was crowded with the Sports Night crew as it had been every night for the last six nights, ever since Continental Corp went on the market. There had been a lot of debate about whether or not they should keep coming there, with Dana rambling on about not changing the luck and Jeremy insisting that they needed to change the luck, but Dan didn't really care about any of that. Anthony's had beer. It was pretty much the only thing he did care about.
And it was with beer in hand that Dan approached the booth where Natalie sat alone, with just her pineapple pina colada for company.
(Later, he'd blame the beer. It wasn't because of the beer.)
"Do you know what it's been said that people do in times like these?" Dan asked, taking the seat next to Natalie. "In the last days of war, before going off to war, days like these."
"They sleep together." Natalie looked up from stirring her straw through her drink. "I'm not going to sleep with you, Danny."
"I'm hurt," Dan said, clutching at his chest. He went big with the gesture, because well, he sort of was hurt and he didn't really want her to know that.
Right on cue, Natalie rolled her eyes. "You're not."
"I could be," he countered. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Why haven't we ever slept together?"
Natalie leaned away from his arm and tilted her head back to look up at him. "You're choosing to have this conversation now?"
"If not now, when?"
"Never?"
Dan shook his head, his eyes intent on hers. He suddenly wanted to have this conversation very badly. "Nope," he said. "Now."
"Danny," Natalie said on a sigh. She looked away.
He waited.
She looked back. She looked sad. "Because we didn't. Because we waited too long and became friends. Because when you met me I was an intern and you're not the kind of guy that takes advantage of that. There are a lot of reasons."
"Were a lot of reasons," he corrected, moving closer to her in the booth. He dropped his gaze to her mouth "It's the end of the world, or hadn't you heard?"
Natalie started to say his name again, but he he kissed her before she could get past the first two letters. He kissed her and she kissed him back, and it was better than he'd ever imagined it would be and Dan had imagined quite a lot over the years.
When he pulled back, he was breathing heavy and so was she. Her lips were swollen and he went back to staring at her mouth. He wanted to do that again. He needed to do that again.
"Want to get out of here?" Dan asked.
Natalie nodded yes.
Hand in hand, they left the bar and got into a cab. Whether anyone saw them, Dan wasn't sure. He didn't really care. It was really hard to care about things that weren't Natalie's tongue on his neck and his hand on her ass. Caring was for later.
Natalie's hand dipped into his pants.
Or never. Caring was for never.
Dan kissed her again and prayed for the cabbie to drive faster.
*
The next morning, Casey met him at the elevator with the news that Continental Corp had been sold. Without even thinking about it, Dan found Natalie standing across the room. Their eyes met.
That was the moment that Dan started to blame the beer.