Partisan by Maverick [pg]
Title: Partisan
Author: Maverick
Rating: PG
Summary: The first time Donald meets Senator Glassman
Spoiler: Alludes to info in Third Man Out
Warning: None
Thanks as always to pollitt for beta and brainstorming.
Partisan
~*~*~*~*~
Donald made an effort to be a considerate partner, he really did. He remembered and marked his and Timmy’s anniversaries--all three of them. (Their first date, the day they moved in together and the day of their “official” commitment ceremony.) He brought Timmy flowers and specialty olives for their martinis just to see him smile. He went to art house -- subtitled -- movies without complaint. Okay, maybe with a little complaint, but he always went because Timmy loved them. Donald had learned long ago that there was very little he wouldn’t do where Timothy Callahan was concerned. And most days, he was all right with that, more than all right.
Today wasn’t one of those days.
Timmy had been trying to get Donald to meet his new boss for weeks now, but his -- for once -- busy case schedule had made it almost impossible to meet up with Timmy during normal work hours. And while steady income was a good thing as they were now actively house hunting, it meant that Timmy wanted Donald to attend the bipartisan fundraiser at the Press Club that night. It wasn’t that Donald didn’t want to meet Senator Glassman. She was, after all, smart enough to fight for and hire Timmy away from the other side. It was just that political fundraisers gave Donald hives -- Timmy would say it had been the crab puffs, but Donald knew otherwise. Timmy bustling into the bedroom took Donald out of his reverie.
“Donald, while I admire the unbuttoned shirt and boxer shorts look, I do believe that pants will be required tonight. Hurry up, we’re going to be late”.
Donald sat down on the bed and pulled Timmy to him until he was standing between his legs. He looked up and pouted. “Sweetheart. I love you, but I really don’t want to go tonight. Can’t I meet the Senator some other time?”
Timmy shook his head. “No, you promised. I told her you would be coming with me. She’s looking forward to meeting you.” He pulled Donald to his feet and kissed his shoulder. "Finish getting dressed. And I’ll help you with your tie."
Donald sighed, but took his tuxedo pants off the hanger and stepped into them. “You do remember the last time I went to one of these things, everyone kept asking me to fill their water glasses. You look like you belong there. I apparently look like a waiter.”
“That was only because the tuxedo you rented had a white jacket. The one that my mother had custom-made for you for our wedding is much too nice for you to be mistaken for the caterer.”
“I don’t think it was the tux. I’m a fish out of water at these things. I don’t want to be a liability to you tonight.”
“Donald, darling, you could never be a liability to me. And moreover, I really need you there. You know my father is attending and with the way things are with him at the moment, I really don’t want to face him alone.”
Donald wanted to punch Timmy’s father for the way he’d been treating Timmy since he took the job with the senator. He knew how much his father’s disapproval hurt him. Donald pulled Timmy into his arms and hugged him tight. He whispered against his ear. "You don't play fair."
Timmy pulled back to look into Donald’s eyes. "I learned how to leverage from the best."
Donald snorted. “Yes, your mother’s good at that.”
"So you’ll come?”
Donald hated the doubt in Timmy’s voice. “Yes, I’ll come, but the first person who asks me for water is going home with wet pants.”
Timmy laughed. “Just as long as it’s not the senator.”
~*~*~*~*~
Donald’s tie felt like it was strangling him from the minute they walked into the ball room. The entire area was filled with politicians schmoozing each other. While he knew that Timmy felt at home in this world, Donald often wondered how Timmy survived in it. Timmy was the most forthright and honest person that Donald had ever met, and honesty and politics didn’t seem to mix. But somehow Timmy managed to stay above it all.
Donald knew the moment that Timmy had spotted his father across the room. He could feel the tension radiating off of him. He put a comforting hand at the small of Timmy’s back and steered him in the opposite direction. “Let’s find that boss of yours before I spill something down the front of me and make her think your husband’s a slob.”
“Honey.”
Timmy didn’t even have to complete the sentence. Donald knew he was a slob and that Timmy loved him anyway. “Yes, I know. You promised to love and honor me even with my rumpled clothes and messy car.”
“Messy?”
Okay, so Donald’s car should probably be condemned, but Timmy knew what he was getting from their very first date. “Hey now, be nice. I came to this shindig with you. There’s no reason to point out all my faults.”
“You brought up the car.”
Donald kissed Timmy’s cheek. “Yes, I did. And now I’m dropping it. Isn’t that Senator Glassman over there?”
“Yes, it is.” Timmy wrapped his arm around Donald’s waist and walked toward the Senator.
“Senator Glassman, I’d like you to meet my partner, Donald Strachey.”
The senator shook Donald’s hand, and looked directly into his eyes. Donald liked her already.
“Ah, so you’re the infamous private eye Tim keeps talking about. I was beginning to wonder if you were a figment of his imagination.”
Donald would never admit it, but he loved that Timmy talked about him at work. “Some days it feels that way. It’s nice to meet you Senator.”
“I was beginning to think you were avoiding me. Every time Tim said you’d be stopping by the office, instead I would hear about some mystery you were trying to solve.”
Donald looked from Timmy to the senator. “Well the last two times I tried to make it for lunch, I ended up digging through a dumpster. I figured that was probably not the best impression I could make.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes, they say the main goal of a politician is to make garbage smell sweet.”
Donald put his hand on the small of Timmy’s back again. “Yes, but Tim Callahan would never work for someone with that agenda. He’s much too honorable for that.”
The senator nodded in agreement. “That’s why I wanted him heading up my team.”
Donald smiled as he watched the blush spread across Timmy’s face.
“Thank you Senator.”
“I’m only speaking the truth, Tim. It’s why I campaigned so hard to get you to take the job.”
Donald stroked Timmy’s nape, knowing such praise made Timmy happy but nervous.
Donald could see that the senator sensed Timmy’s unease as well. She looked conspiratorially at Donald. “So tell me Donald, does he keep you on as tight schedule at home as he does me at work?”
“Well I’m here if that’s any indication,” Donald said with a wink.
Timmy gave what Donald knew was his nervous laugh.
“Do you have any tricks you can share to make him ease up on occasion?”
Donald smiled wide and winked again. “None that would work at the office, I’m afraid.”
The senator smiled back. “Oh well, that’s why I hired him, I suppose.” She looked at Timmy. “Isn’t this where you tell me I need to go mingle?”
“Yes, Senator. I saw Congressman Tipton talking with the tobacco lobbyist. You might want to start there.”
The senator reached out her hand to Donald once more and Donald took hers in both of his. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you Senator.”
“Likewise, Mr. Strachey. Do me a favor and make sure he at least has a little fun tonight,” she said with a tilt of her head toward Timmy. “One of us should anyway. And do stop by the office when you get the chance. I’d love to have that lunch.”
“I will. Have a good night.”
“You too. And Tim, don’t feel like you need to stay the whole evening, I’ll manage without you. Go home and spend some time with this private eye of yours.”
“Thank you Senator,” Donald and Timmy said at the exact same time.
The senator turned and walked toward a short stocky man. “Richard, tell me you weren’t just making a deal with the devil.”
Donald turned to Timmy. “I like her. She’s a good match for you, professionally speaking that is.”
“Thank you sweetheart. Let’s see if we can go say hello to my mother and then go home. I don’t know about you, but these things make me crave take-out Chinese.”
“Ohhh, good idea. And hey, no one asked me for water even once.”
“Never fear. I’ll make you wait on me at home.”
“There it’ll be my pleasure.”
“So no wet pants for me?”
Donald winked and stroked his thumb against Timmy’s chin. “Well I didn’t say that.”
“You have the dirtiest mind.”
“That’s why you love me.”
“One of the many reasons anyway. I couldn’t have made it through tonight without you.”
“You could have, but you won’t ever have to.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome sweetheart. Now let’s find your Mom and get the hell out of Dodge.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
The night hadn't been nearly as bad as Donald had feared. And now he had Chinese food and a happy Timmy to look forward to. You'd figure that after all this time, he'd learn that doing what Timmy wanted usually ended up with both of them on the winning end of the bargain.
~*fin*~
Author: Maverick
Rating: PG
Summary: The first time Donald meets Senator Glassman
Spoiler: Alludes to info in Third Man Out
Warning: None
Thanks as always to pollitt for beta and brainstorming.
Partisan
~*~*~*~*~
Donald made an effort to be a considerate partner, he really did. He remembered and marked his and Timmy’s anniversaries--all three of them. (Their first date, the day they moved in together and the day of their “official” commitment ceremony.) He brought Timmy flowers and specialty olives for their martinis just to see him smile. He went to art house -- subtitled -- movies without complaint. Okay, maybe with a little complaint, but he always went because Timmy loved them. Donald had learned long ago that there was very little he wouldn’t do where Timothy Callahan was concerned. And most days, he was all right with that, more than all right.
Today wasn’t one of those days.
Timmy had been trying to get Donald to meet his new boss for weeks now, but his -- for once -- busy case schedule had made it almost impossible to meet up with Timmy during normal work hours. And while steady income was a good thing as they were now actively house hunting, it meant that Timmy wanted Donald to attend the bipartisan fundraiser at the Press Club that night. It wasn’t that Donald didn’t want to meet Senator Glassman. She was, after all, smart enough to fight for and hire Timmy away from the other side. It was just that political fundraisers gave Donald hives -- Timmy would say it had been the crab puffs, but Donald knew otherwise. Timmy bustling into the bedroom took Donald out of his reverie.
“Donald, while I admire the unbuttoned shirt and boxer shorts look, I do believe that pants will be required tonight. Hurry up, we’re going to be late”.
Donald sat down on the bed and pulled Timmy to him until he was standing between his legs. He looked up and pouted. “Sweetheart. I love you, but I really don’t want to go tonight. Can’t I meet the Senator some other time?”
Timmy shook his head. “No, you promised. I told her you would be coming with me. She’s looking forward to meeting you.” He pulled Donald to his feet and kissed his shoulder. "Finish getting dressed. And I’ll help you with your tie."
Donald sighed, but took his tuxedo pants off the hanger and stepped into them. “You do remember the last time I went to one of these things, everyone kept asking me to fill their water glasses. You look like you belong there. I apparently look like a waiter.”
“That was only because the tuxedo you rented had a white jacket. The one that my mother had custom-made for you for our wedding is much too nice for you to be mistaken for the caterer.”
“I don’t think it was the tux. I’m a fish out of water at these things. I don’t want to be a liability to you tonight.”
“Donald, darling, you could never be a liability to me. And moreover, I really need you there. You know my father is attending and with the way things are with him at the moment, I really don’t want to face him alone.”
Donald wanted to punch Timmy’s father for the way he’d been treating Timmy since he took the job with the senator. He knew how much his father’s disapproval hurt him. Donald pulled Timmy into his arms and hugged him tight. He whispered against his ear. "You don't play fair."
Timmy pulled back to look into Donald’s eyes. "I learned how to leverage from the best."
Donald snorted. “Yes, your mother’s good at that.”
"So you’ll come?”
Donald hated the doubt in Timmy’s voice. “Yes, I’ll come, but the first person who asks me for water is going home with wet pants.”
Timmy laughed. “Just as long as it’s not the senator.”
~*~*~*~*~
Donald’s tie felt like it was strangling him from the minute they walked into the ball room. The entire area was filled with politicians schmoozing each other. While he knew that Timmy felt at home in this world, Donald often wondered how Timmy survived in it. Timmy was the most forthright and honest person that Donald had ever met, and honesty and politics didn’t seem to mix. But somehow Timmy managed to stay above it all.
Donald knew the moment that Timmy had spotted his father across the room. He could feel the tension radiating off of him. He put a comforting hand at the small of Timmy’s back and steered him in the opposite direction. “Let’s find that boss of yours before I spill something down the front of me and make her think your husband’s a slob.”
“Honey.”
Timmy didn’t even have to complete the sentence. Donald knew he was a slob and that Timmy loved him anyway. “Yes, I know. You promised to love and honor me even with my rumpled clothes and messy car.”
“Messy?”
Okay, so Donald’s car should probably be condemned, but Timmy knew what he was getting from their very first date. “Hey now, be nice. I came to this shindig with you. There’s no reason to point out all my faults.”
“You brought up the car.”
Donald kissed Timmy’s cheek. “Yes, I did. And now I’m dropping it. Isn’t that Senator Glassman over there?”
“Yes, it is.” Timmy wrapped his arm around Donald’s waist and walked toward the Senator.
“Senator Glassman, I’d like you to meet my partner, Donald Strachey.”
The senator shook Donald’s hand, and looked directly into his eyes. Donald liked her already.
“Ah, so you’re the infamous private eye Tim keeps talking about. I was beginning to wonder if you were a figment of his imagination.”
Donald would never admit it, but he loved that Timmy talked about him at work. “Some days it feels that way. It’s nice to meet you Senator.”
“I was beginning to think you were avoiding me. Every time Tim said you’d be stopping by the office, instead I would hear about some mystery you were trying to solve.”
Donald looked from Timmy to the senator. “Well the last two times I tried to make it for lunch, I ended up digging through a dumpster. I figured that was probably not the best impression I could make.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes, they say the main goal of a politician is to make garbage smell sweet.”
Donald put his hand on the small of Timmy’s back again. “Yes, but Tim Callahan would never work for someone with that agenda. He’s much too honorable for that.”
The senator nodded in agreement. “That’s why I wanted him heading up my team.”
Donald smiled as he watched the blush spread across Timmy’s face.
“Thank you Senator.”
“I’m only speaking the truth, Tim. It’s why I campaigned so hard to get you to take the job.”
Donald stroked Timmy’s nape, knowing such praise made Timmy happy but nervous.
Donald could see that the senator sensed Timmy’s unease as well. She looked conspiratorially at Donald. “So tell me Donald, does he keep you on as tight schedule at home as he does me at work?”
“Well I’m here if that’s any indication,” Donald said with a wink.
Timmy gave what Donald knew was his nervous laugh.
“Do you have any tricks you can share to make him ease up on occasion?”
Donald smiled wide and winked again. “None that would work at the office, I’m afraid.”
The senator smiled back. “Oh well, that’s why I hired him, I suppose.” She looked at Timmy. “Isn’t this where you tell me I need to go mingle?”
“Yes, Senator. I saw Congressman Tipton talking with the tobacco lobbyist. You might want to start there.”
The senator reached out her hand to Donald once more and Donald took hers in both of his. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you Senator.”
“Likewise, Mr. Strachey. Do me a favor and make sure he at least has a little fun tonight,” she said with a tilt of her head toward Timmy. “One of us should anyway. And do stop by the office when you get the chance. I’d love to have that lunch.”
“I will. Have a good night.”
“You too. And Tim, don’t feel like you need to stay the whole evening, I’ll manage without you. Go home and spend some time with this private eye of yours.”
“Thank you Senator,” Donald and Timmy said at the exact same time.
The senator turned and walked toward a short stocky man. “Richard, tell me you weren’t just making a deal with the devil.”
Donald turned to Timmy. “I like her. She’s a good match for you, professionally speaking that is.”
“Thank you sweetheart. Let’s see if we can go say hello to my mother and then go home. I don’t know about you, but these things make me crave take-out Chinese.”
“Ohhh, good idea. And hey, no one asked me for water even once.”
“Never fear. I’ll make you wait on me at home.”
“There it’ll be my pleasure.”
“So no wet pants for me?”
Donald winked and stroked his thumb against Timmy’s chin. “Well I didn’t say that.”
“You have the dirtiest mind.”
“That’s why you love me.”
“One of the many reasons anyway. I couldn’t have made it through tonight without you.”
“You could have, but you won’t ever have to.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome sweetheart. Now let’s find your Mom and get the hell out of Dodge.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
The night hadn't been nearly as bad as Donald had feared. And now he had Chinese food and a happy Timmy to look forward to. You'd figure that after all this time, he'd learn that doing what Timmy wanted usually ended up with both of them on the winning end of the bargain.
~*fin*~