RENT/SPORTS NIGHT: Compare and Contrast
Title: Compare and Contrast
Characters/Pairing: Dan/Roger, mention of one-sided Mark/Roger and (also one-sided) Dan/Casey
Word Count: 1136
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sometimes they don't know why they're together... and then they remember.
Notes: Sequel to Addicts.
Disclaimer: Sports Night belongs to Aaron Sorkin, Rent to Jonathan Larson. I am neither of these people. Thank you, that is all.
Dan wonders why he's with him, why he called him back after that first night they met at the club, why Roger's here now, shirtless and sprawled out on his couch, the beautiful rock star from the East Village looking entirely out of place here in Dan's midtown apartment. Dan wonders what it is about Roger that makes him want to keep him around, that made him want him in the first place. It doesn't make sense, and yet...
Roger notices him watching and raises an eyebrow, cocky smile playing over his lips. He's got his hands behind his head, fingers laced as he leans back against one arm of the couch, and in that position Dan can see the insides of his bare arms and the track marks there. They don't bother them like they should, those marks - it's closer to fascination, maybe even envy. Roger's addiction and weakness is right there for the world to see, and he never bothers hiding it. Dan's... no one ever sees that, and it doesn't leave marks.
"What?" Roger asks, grinning over at him.
Dan blinks and shakes his head to clear it, jolted out of his thoughts. "Huh?"
"What are you looking at?" Roger elaborates. He still hasn't moved from that relaxed, perfectly at ease position on the couch - even if he's out of place here, he's still absolutely confident here, as he is everywhere, with the sort of cool arrogance only possessed by cats and rock stars.
"Oh, nothing, I just..." Dan shakes his head again. "Nothing." He turns and walks back into his bedroom.
"Where're you going?"
Sighing, Dan searches through his dresser, pulling out a shirt, sweater and a pair of pants. "I'm getting dressed, Roger. I have to go to work pretty soon now."
He doesn't notice Roger coming up behind him until Roger's arms are around his waist, his bare skin warm against Dan's back, lips pressed to the place where Dan's neck meets his shoulder. "You don't have to," he answers lightly, voice low and soft, and Dan smiles a little despite himself, trying not to shiver or let Roger know just how good it feels to have his lips right there, and his arms around him...
"I have a national television show to write, Roger," he answers, pulling lightly away from Roger so that he can pull on the shirt. "They kind of expect me to be there." He pauses and glances over his shoulder at the younger man. "You want to come by the studio later tonight to watch?"
Roger smirks with a little shake of my head. "No thanks. Not really my thing."
There's a pause as Dan looks at him, eyebrows raised skeptically. "Have you ever actually seen the show?"
That prompts a sardonic snort from Roger. "You seriously think I have cable?"
Another pause, and then Dan shrugs. "Guess not. Anyway, regardless of your opinion of my show, I've got to go to work and write it, so-"
He stops as Roger steps forward again, hands on his arms turning him to face him, his lips on Dan's and suddenly Dan's drowning in the beautiful blue, green, hungry, needing eyes of an addict, the same eyes that had initially captured his attention when he first met Roger. "Roger-"
"You don't have to go right this minute, do you?" Roger asks, smiling at him, warm undercurrent of amusement running through his voice, and Dan completely melts against him.
"No..."
Now he remembers why he's with Roger and why Roger's here, because Roger reminds him of Casey - a younger Casey, before Lisa got to him and broke him, bright and vibrant and brilliant. Warm and loving, and he wants it to be Casey. It's not - for one thing, unlike Roger, Casey is completely uncool, and there are a thousand other little differences - but Roger's close enough that Dan can cling to him and pretend, because he's got the same energy and life in him that Casey used to have in him, that Dan wishes he'd have again. Because he's nothing like Casey now, and everything like Dan's memory of Casey two, three years ago.
*
Roger doesn't know why he's with him, why he stayed with him past that first night when they met at the club where he was playing, why he's standing here now at eleven o'clock on the dot, in the Sports Night studio, a bit behind the cameras and camera men, watching as everything comes to life, film rolls and at the anchor desk Dan smiles at the camera.
"Good evening, from New York City I'm Dan Rydell alongside Casey McCall..."
Roger smiles a little, not quite sure why, arms folded over his chest as he watches Dan and his co-anchor, though most of his attention isn't really on what they're actually saying, almost all of Roger's focus on his own thoughts. He's not even sure what made him really decide to come here at all - he hadn't been planning on it, but Dan had asked, and seemed to want him, so... Here he is. It's an odd experience for Roger; even if he is impulsive, usually he can trace all the reasons behind his decisions. But with Dan, he's got that charm, that easy way with people... Roger's used to being the one with the charm and charisma, not being talked into things like this...
As Casey starts speaking, the focus on him, Dan turns away from the camera to glance over at Roger - charming, confident, playful smile, a smile that somehow reminds Roger of himself, albeit toned down, less obvious in its arrogance. And suddenly it hits him, why he's with Dan, why he's here now.
Suddenly, he knows. It's because Dan does remind him of himself, it's because he's all charisma and charm. It's because he doesn't remind him of Mark, because he's in front of the camera while Mark's behind it, it's because he gives him something to think of other than Mark.
He supposes that knowing ought to bother him, and he supposes it might not be particularly right to be with someone just because they seem to be the opposite of what he wants, but it doesn't seem too terribly relevant. Can't be any worse than the reason Dan's with him - a reason he knows, even if Dan thinks he doesn't - so he's got nothing to feel guilty about. He's what Dan wants, but not who he wants, while Dan's neither what he wants nor who he wants. He flashes Dan a smile in return, just as cocky and charming, and just as hollow.
Characters/Pairing: Dan/Roger, mention of one-sided Mark/Roger and (also one-sided) Dan/Casey
Word Count: 1136
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sometimes they don't know why they're together... and then they remember.
Notes: Sequel to Addicts.
Disclaimer: Sports Night belongs to Aaron Sorkin, Rent to Jonathan Larson. I am neither of these people. Thank you, that is all.
Dan wonders why he's with him, why he called him back after that first night they met at the club, why Roger's here now, shirtless and sprawled out on his couch, the beautiful rock star from the East Village looking entirely out of place here in Dan's midtown apartment. Dan wonders what it is about Roger that makes him want to keep him around, that made him want him in the first place. It doesn't make sense, and yet...
Roger notices him watching and raises an eyebrow, cocky smile playing over his lips. He's got his hands behind his head, fingers laced as he leans back against one arm of the couch, and in that position Dan can see the insides of his bare arms and the track marks there. They don't bother them like they should, those marks - it's closer to fascination, maybe even envy. Roger's addiction and weakness is right there for the world to see, and he never bothers hiding it. Dan's... no one ever sees that, and it doesn't leave marks.
"What?" Roger asks, grinning over at him.
Dan blinks and shakes his head to clear it, jolted out of his thoughts. "Huh?"
"What are you looking at?" Roger elaborates. He still hasn't moved from that relaxed, perfectly at ease position on the couch - even if he's out of place here, he's still absolutely confident here, as he is everywhere, with the sort of cool arrogance only possessed by cats and rock stars.
"Oh, nothing, I just..." Dan shakes his head again. "Nothing." He turns and walks back into his bedroom.
"Where're you going?"
Sighing, Dan searches through his dresser, pulling out a shirt, sweater and a pair of pants. "I'm getting dressed, Roger. I have to go to work pretty soon now."
He doesn't notice Roger coming up behind him until Roger's arms are around his waist, his bare skin warm against Dan's back, lips pressed to the place where Dan's neck meets his shoulder. "You don't have to," he answers lightly, voice low and soft, and Dan smiles a little despite himself, trying not to shiver or let Roger know just how good it feels to have his lips right there, and his arms around him...
"I have a national television show to write, Roger," he answers, pulling lightly away from Roger so that he can pull on the shirt. "They kind of expect me to be there." He pauses and glances over his shoulder at the younger man. "You want to come by the studio later tonight to watch?"
Roger smirks with a little shake of my head. "No thanks. Not really my thing."
There's a pause as Dan looks at him, eyebrows raised skeptically. "Have you ever actually seen the show?"
That prompts a sardonic snort from Roger. "You seriously think I have cable?"
Another pause, and then Dan shrugs. "Guess not. Anyway, regardless of your opinion of my show, I've got to go to work and write it, so-"
He stops as Roger steps forward again, hands on his arms turning him to face him, his lips on Dan's and suddenly Dan's drowning in the beautiful blue, green, hungry, needing eyes of an addict, the same eyes that had initially captured his attention when he first met Roger. "Roger-"
"You don't have to go right this minute, do you?" Roger asks, smiling at him, warm undercurrent of amusement running through his voice, and Dan completely melts against him.
"No..."
Now he remembers why he's with Roger and why Roger's here, because Roger reminds him of Casey - a younger Casey, before Lisa got to him and broke him, bright and vibrant and brilliant. Warm and loving, and he wants it to be Casey. It's not - for one thing, unlike Roger, Casey is completely uncool, and there are a thousand other little differences - but Roger's close enough that Dan can cling to him and pretend, because he's got the same energy and life in him that Casey used to have in him, that Dan wishes he'd have again. Because he's nothing like Casey now, and everything like Dan's memory of Casey two, three years ago.
*
Roger doesn't know why he's with him, why he stayed with him past that first night when they met at the club where he was playing, why he's standing here now at eleven o'clock on the dot, in the Sports Night studio, a bit behind the cameras and camera men, watching as everything comes to life, film rolls and at the anchor desk Dan smiles at the camera.
"Good evening, from New York City I'm Dan Rydell alongside Casey McCall..."
Roger smiles a little, not quite sure why, arms folded over his chest as he watches Dan and his co-anchor, though most of his attention isn't really on what they're actually saying, almost all of Roger's focus on his own thoughts. He's not even sure what made him really decide to come here at all - he hadn't been planning on it, but Dan had asked, and seemed to want him, so... Here he is. It's an odd experience for Roger; even if he is impulsive, usually he can trace all the reasons behind his decisions. But with Dan, he's got that charm, that easy way with people... Roger's used to being the one with the charm and charisma, not being talked into things like this...
As Casey starts speaking, the focus on him, Dan turns away from the camera to glance over at Roger - charming, confident, playful smile, a smile that somehow reminds Roger of himself, albeit toned down, less obvious in its arrogance. And suddenly it hits him, why he's with Dan, why he's here now.
Suddenly, he knows. It's because Dan does remind him of himself, it's because he's all charisma and charm. It's because he doesn't remind him of Mark, because he's in front of the camera while Mark's behind it, it's because he gives him something to think of other than Mark.
He supposes that knowing ought to bother him, and he supposes it might not be particularly right to be with someone just because they seem to be the opposite of what he wants, but it doesn't seem too terribly relevant. Can't be any worse than the reason Dan's with him - a reason he knows, even if Dan thinks he doesn't - so he's got nothing to feel guilty about. He's what Dan wants, but not who he wants, while Dan's neither what he wants nor who he wants. He flashes Dan a smile in return, just as cocky and charming, and just as hollow.