THE MINDY PROJECT: When I'm Landed (Mindy/Casey, Mindy/Danny)
Written for yuletide 2013. tvconnoisseur requested a fic about The Mindy Project and Mindy, Casey, and Danny.
Title: When I'm Landed
Author: voleuse
Fandom: The Mindy Project
Pairings: Mindy/Casey, Mindy/Danny
Rating: PG
Summary: You said I'm sorry to the vines. It hurts to talk about wanting.
Notes: Spoilers through The Mindy Project 2.03, "Music Festival." Title and summary taken from The National's "I Need My Girl."
Nobody ever went with Mindy to Casey's church, except for Betsy, once. Casey had been preaching about humility or something, and somebody in the choir started beatboxing while Casey recited JT lyrics. Naturally, Mindy had started dancing, along with everyone else, and it was awesome.
The next day, Betsy blushed when Mindy came in. "Thanks for inviting me, Dr. L, but I don't know if it's really the kind of church for me."
"What do you mean?" Mindy asked. "It's got, like, stained glass windows and those uncomfortable benches."
"The music was kind of, you know," Betsy fidged, "suggestive."
"And by suggestive, you mean awesome, right?" Mindy paused. "Oh, I see."
Danny paused next to the desk, a doughnut in hand. "How was the, uh, church stuff?"
"Well." Mindy tilted her head. "Betsy is attracted to Casey, who is, after all, very, very attractive."
"Right," Danny said.
"I don't know if I'd say--"
Mindy held up a hand. "It's okay, Betsy. I understand." She reached over and broke off half of Danny's doughnut. "I, too, am torn between the needs of the flesh and the Lord."
Danny laughed.
Mindy took a bite of the doughnut. "God, Danny, is this whole wheat? Gross."
*
After Haiti, after Casey's last church service, Mindy dragged him out to the bar to meet up with everybody, because if he spent ten more minutes with those stupid headphones on, she would probably scream. Lovingly, of course, but still.
Beverly and Morgan were arguing by the jukebox, so Mindy slammed three shots in a row then dragged Casey onto the dance floor.
"Babe," Casey protested, "Bon Jovi isn't really my kind of jam."
"Babe." Mindy gestured to Danny, who had paused mid-grind to give proper tribute to and I've rocked them all. "If Danny can dance to this, you absolutely can dance to this."
"Hey." His previous dance partner wandered off, so Danny swayed up to them. "Finally, music that doesn't suck."
Casey raised his eyebrows.
Danny handed him his beer. "Drink this."
"Yeah, I see your point," Casey said, taking the glass.
The beat changed. "Thank god, a real classic."
Casey frowned. "This is Lady Gaga."
"Exactly," Mindy said, and she grabbed both Casey's and Danny's arms before they could escape.
*
Casey wanted to go to a club, "To get some jamspiration," so Mindy told Danny they were going to a documentary film about the many ways Don McLean's "American Pie" had changed the face of modern culture. She was especially proud that Danny didn't catch on until they were past the coat check.
"I can't believe you lied to me," Danny griped, side-stepping around a couple of confused hipster tourists.
"Oh, please," Mindy said. "You're a highly-respected OB/GYN in a successful practice, which indicates you are well-educated and relatively observant. I was obviously lying to you and you deserve your fate."
Casey kissed the top of Mindy's head. "You are so the best."
"Obviously," Mindy said. "So why are we here?"
Then the music started and the crowd surged. Mindy waved Casey on, mouthing, Go ahead.
Casey grinned and started to wend his way up to the DJ table. Mindy leaned back against Danny's arm. "I will never hear again!" she shouted.
"Why do I go anywhere with you?" Danny responded.
Mindy waved her arms. "I can't hear anything you're saying!"
Danny looked at everyone around them, dancing, and shook his head. "Come on," he said, and tugged at her elbow. They retreated back to the bar. The music was less intense, which meant Mindy could kind of hear the melody over the thump of the bass.
She ordered a sake and it arrived in a martini glass. "Okay, weird."
Danny ordered a beer, then spent four minutes arguing with the bartender about prices and the worthlessness of fancy import beers. Finally, they settled on Tecate, and Danny took three long gulps before he looked at Mindy. She looked down, then away. "Hey," he said, nudging her shoulder, "you okay?"
"Yes." Mindy looked up. "No. Danny, I'm really scared." She ducked her head and sipped her drink, and hoped maybe he would think she meant about, like, sharks or something.
"Yeah." But Danny looked out at the dance floor, at Casey, at the lights flickering green, purple, blue against his face as he shouted conversation with the DJ on the stage. "Maybe, I don't know."
Mindy poked him, her drink sloshing against his elbow. "What?"
Danny shrugged. "Maybe he's scared, too."
Mindy blinked slowly, four times. She shook her head. "Yeah."
And Casey looked back at them and waved, and she waved back and smiled, because he looked so happy.
*
She got back from work, and Casey was sprawled on the floor, the speakers of his laptop thrumming. "Hey, babe," he said, plugging his headphones into the laptop, silencing the beat. Mindy opened her arms, and he struggled to his feet, took two steps, and swept her into his arms.
"Hey," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. She pulled back. "What is that smell?"
Casey grinned. "I made some mac and cheese."
"Be more specific," Mindy said. "How fancy?"
"Not from scratch fancy," Casey clarified, "but out of the box, and not the microwave stuff."
Mindy rose on her tiptoes and kissed Casey's chin. "The perfect amount of fancy," she affirmed.
"Just like you are, babe," Casey said.
"God, you're sweet," Mindy replied. "Wine?"
"On the counter, next to the cupcakes."
Mindy paused. "Flavor?"
"Caramel apple."
"Okay," she said, "kiss me right now."
His arms tightened around her, and he laughed as she pulled his head down.
*
After Casey left for Austin, Danny found her in her office, lying in the middle of the rug.
He sank down next to her, criss-crossing his legs awkwardly before he spoke. "Hey."
"Ugh," Mindy said.
"So you're not okay."
"Ughhhhhh."
Danny squinted. "Is that a voodoo doll?"
She waved it around, the little cut-out picture of Casey flapping as she gestured. "Ugh."
"Well, that's kind of offensive." Danny leaned back. "I'm pretty sure."
Mindy rolled onto her side. "He made it for me."
"Right." Danny looked away. "So everybody's gone. Do you need to, like, cry or something?"
"Mandy Kim has been having contractions for three hours," Mindy said. "Stupid babies."
"Yeah." Danny reached out, his hand stroking once over her shoulder before he pulled away. "Want me to stay?"
Mindy pulled her Casey-doll closer to her. "Yeah."
"Okay." Danny nodded. "I will."
###
Originally archived on AO3.
Title: When I'm Landed
Author: voleuse
Fandom: The Mindy Project
Pairings: Mindy/Casey, Mindy/Danny
Rating: PG
Summary: You said I'm sorry to the vines. It hurts to talk about wanting.
Notes: Spoilers through The Mindy Project 2.03, "Music Festival." Title and summary taken from The National's "I Need My Girl."
Nobody ever went with Mindy to Casey's church, except for Betsy, once. Casey had been preaching about humility or something, and somebody in the choir started beatboxing while Casey recited JT lyrics. Naturally, Mindy had started dancing, along with everyone else, and it was awesome.
The next day, Betsy blushed when Mindy came in. "Thanks for inviting me, Dr. L, but I don't know if it's really the kind of church for me."
"What do you mean?" Mindy asked. "It's got, like, stained glass windows and those uncomfortable benches."
"The music was kind of, you know," Betsy fidged, "suggestive."
"And by suggestive, you mean awesome, right?" Mindy paused. "Oh, I see."
Danny paused next to the desk, a doughnut in hand. "How was the, uh, church stuff?"
"Well." Mindy tilted her head. "Betsy is attracted to Casey, who is, after all, very, very attractive."
"Right," Danny said.
"I don't know if I'd say--"
Mindy held up a hand. "It's okay, Betsy. I understand." She reached over and broke off half of Danny's doughnut. "I, too, am torn between the needs of the flesh and the Lord."
Danny laughed.
Mindy took a bite of the doughnut. "God, Danny, is this whole wheat? Gross."
*
After Haiti, after Casey's last church service, Mindy dragged him out to the bar to meet up with everybody, because if he spent ten more minutes with those stupid headphones on, she would probably scream. Lovingly, of course, but still.
Beverly and Morgan were arguing by the jukebox, so Mindy slammed three shots in a row then dragged Casey onto the dance floor.
"Babe," Casey protested, "Bon Jovi isn't really my kind of jam."
"Babe." Mindy gestured to Danny, who had paused mid-grind to give proper tribute to and I've rocked them all. "If Danny can dance to this, you absolutely can dance to this."
"Hey." His previous dance partner wandered off, so Danny swayed up to them. "Finally, music that doesn't suck."
Casey raised his eyebrows.
Danny handed him his beer. "Drink this."
"Yeah, I see your point," Casey said, taking the glass.
The beat changed. "Thank god, a real classic."
Casey frowned. "This is Lady Gaga."
"Exactly," Mindy said, and she grabbed both Casey's and Danny's arms before they could escape.
*
Casey wanted to go to a club, "To get some jamspiration," so Mindy told Danny they were going to a documentary film about the many ways Don McLean's "American Pie" had changed the face of modern culture. She was especially proud that Danny didn't catch on until they were past the coat check.
"I can't believe you lied to me," Danny griped, side-stepping around a couple of confused hipster tourists.
"Oh, please," Mindy said. "You're a highly-respected OB/GYN in a successful practice, which indicates you are well-educated and relatively observant. I was obviously lying to you and you deserve your fate."
Casey kissed the top of Mindy's head. "You are so the best."
"Obviously," Mindy said. "So why are we here?"
Then the music started and the crowd surged. Mindy waved Casey on, mouthing, Go ahead.
Casey grinned and started to wend his way up to the DJ table. Mindy leaned back against Danny's arm. "I will never hear again!" she shouted.
"Why do I go anywhere with you?" Danny responded.
Mindy waved her arms. "I can't hear anything you're saying!"
Danny looked at everyone around them, dancing, and shook his head. "Come on," he said, and tugged at her elbow. They retreated back to the bar. The music was less intense, which meant Mindy could kind of hear the melody over the thump of the bass.
She ordered a sake and it arrived in a martini glass. "Okay, weird."
Danny ordered a beer, then spent four minutes arguing with the bartender about prices and the worthlessness of fancy import beers. Finally, they settled on Tecate, and Danny took three long gulps before he looked at Mindy. She looked down, then away. "Hey," he said, nudging her shoulder, "you okay?"
"Yes." Mindy looked up. "No. Danny, I'm really scared." She ducked her head and sipped her drink, and hoped maybe he would think she meant about, like, sharks or something.
"Yeah." But Danny looked out at the dance floor, at Casey, at the lights flickering green, purple, blue against his face as he shouted conversation with the DJ on the stage. "Maybe, I don't know."
Mindy poked him, her drink sloshing against his elbow. "What?"
Danny shrugged. "Maybe he's scared, too."
Mindy blinked slowly, four times. She shook her head. "Yeah."
And Casey looked back at them and waved, and she waved back and smiled, because he looked so happy.
*
She got back from work, and Casey was sprawled on the floor, the speakers of his laptop thrumming. "Hey, babe," he said, plugging his headphones into the laptop, silencing the beat. Mindy opened her arms, and he struggled to his feet, took two steps, and swept her into his arms.
"Hey," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. She pulled back. "What is that smell?"
Casey grinned. "I made some mac and cheese."
"Be more specific," Mindy said. "How fancy?"
"Not from scratch fancy," Casey clarified, "but out of the box, and not the microwave stuff."
Mindy rose on her tiptoes and kissed Casey's chin. "The perfect amount of fancy," she affirmed.
"Just like you are, babe," Casey said.
"God, you're sweet," Mindy replied. "Wine?"
"On the counter, next to the cupcakes."
Mindy paused. "Flavor?"
"Caramel apple."
"Okay," she said, "kiss me right now."
His arms tightened around her, and he laughed as she pulled his head down.
*
After Casey left for Austin, Danny found her in her office, lying in the middle of the rug.
He sank down next to her, criss-crossing his legs awkwardly before he spoke. "Hey."
"Ugh," Mindy said.
"So you're not okay."
"Ughhhhhh."
Danny squinted. "Is that a voodoo doll?"
She waved it around, the little cut-out picture of Casey flapping as she gestured. "Ugh."
"Well, that's kind of offensive." Danny leaned back. "I'm pretty sure."
Mindy rolled onto her side. "He made it for me."
"Right." Danny looked away. "So everybody's gone. Do you need to, like, cry or something?"
"Mandy Kim has been having contractions for three hours," Mindy said. "Stupid babies."
"Yeah." Danny reached out, his hand stroking once over her shoulder before he pulled away. "Want me to stay?"
Mindy pulled her Casey-doll closer to her. "Yeah."
"Okay." Danny nodded. "I will."
###
Originally archived on AO3.