These characters and their environs on Sports Night belong to ABC and Aaron Sorkin. No infringement is intended. This is just for fun, no money is being made from this. This story involves a relationship between two men, aka: slash. If that is *not* your cup of tea, sweet as it is, then don't read it! (simple, ain't it??) Feedback is *very* much appreciated, and always answered. Flames will be passed around to friends and chuckled over. :) Sequel to 'Cleveland', 'Treasure', 'Creaming', 'Things', 'Consideration', 'Elevated', 'Frustration', 'Non-problems', 'Plans', and 'Buzzing'. More to come... Sleep by Amirin #132 *********************** They staggered into the room, checked to make sure they had two beds, and sighed with relief. Danny grabbed both ends of his bag and heaved it onto the bed nearest the window with a groan. Casey frowned. "I was planning on sleeping there." "No, you're not," Danny murmured, looking out the window to get a look at Cleveland. Not entirely terrible for being the City of Death. Not at all. "I'm not sleeping there." "That's what I said. You're not," Danny yawned and headed into the bathroom. "I'm sleeping with you?" "Why does that sound like a question?" Danny called back through the open door as he took care of business. "Because it was a question." "Then the answer would be 'fuck, *yes*'. You are sleeping with me." "I am." "The answer was 'fuck, *yes*, if you remember." "I remember." "Good for you, Case." "You're exhausted. I'm exhausted." "The fact that it's four-thirty in the morning just *might* have something to do with that. Not to mention the five little bottles of high-octane happy-landing juice we got from the flight attendant in first class." "He was very nice." "He was checking you out." "He was *not*." "He was flirting with you." "He was?" "He was indeed." "Dammit, I missed it again. You need to tell me these things, Danny." "I'm supposed to tell you when another man is flirting with you? I don't *think* so, Case." "Fine. Whatever. But, my point was..." "What point?" "My earlier point." "You had a point?" Danny asked as he came back into the room and started emptying his pockets onto the dresser. "...which I'm getting to, was that I didn't think we were ready to sleep together, right now." "We are, trust me." "Danny..." "Case, all I want to do is sleep, for the simple reason that it's a necessary first step to what I *really* want to do with you." "Is this where the sex comes in?" Casey arched his eyebrow and grinned at Danny's glare before heading into the bathroom. "No. There is where the 'waking up with you in the morning' part comes in," Danny corrected him. "It is morning," Casey called out to him. "I'm aware of that. Fine. *Later* in the morning. I want to wake up with you *later* in the morning, and in order to accomplish that objective..." "We have to sleep together." "You catch on quick." "Not much gets by me." "Except other men flirting with you." "Except that," Casey came back into the room grinning. "No flies on you, my friend. Now, toss your stuff onto the horizontal closet and come to bed." "Which side do you sleep on?" "At home, the right side. But it honestly makes no difference. I could sleep in the bathtub right now and not give a damn." "No, that's good. I'm usually on the left." "Match made in heaven." "Or wherever sports-type stuff comes from." "Heaven," Danny sighed then kicked his shoes next to the horizontal closet, otherwise known as the bed, and toed off his socks. "You okay?" "I'm buzzing." "You're *still* buzzing?" "I'm still a little drunk. I'm still a lot tired. And I'm still flying." "We landed half an hour ago." "Have you totally forgotten that kiss on landing? Casey, believe me when I tell you, I'm still flying." "Then you're still buzzing." "Damned right I am." Danny took off his jeans, not much caring that they ended up inside-out, and tossed his shirt next to his suitcase. Still wearing his boxer-briefs and t-shirt, he fell into the bed with an ecstatic-exhausted sigh. "Are those comfortable to sleep in?" Casey nodded at Danny's shorts as he neatly folded his jeans and shirt and placed them on top of his suitcase. He rolled up his socks, stuffed them into the toes of his shoes and slid them under the bed, out of the way. At that time, it occurred to him that Danny hadn't answered him yet so he turned around. The amused grin on his friend's face really wasn't an answer. "Are you sleeping in those?" he asked again. "I don't have to. If you'd prefer, I can sleep in nothing," Danny replied with a smirk, then ruined it by yawning. "Umm, how would you be the most comfortable?" "Asleep." "Danny..." Dan just sighed then stripped off his t-shirt, wriggled out of his underwear, wadded them up together, and threw them at the other bed. "Do *not* fold them," he ordered as Casey turned off the lights. "I wasn't planning on it," Casey grinned and got out of the rest of his clothes. He quickly slid into bed, not really knowing why he was suddenly so damned shy about Danny seeing him naked. And now that he was in the bed, right next to his best friend, he didn't know what to do. Hell, for the last few years of his marriage, he'd gotten used to coming to bed then rolling away from the person he'd been sharing it with. Something told him that that might not go over too well at the moment. "What's the problem?" Danny's slurred murmur came from just inches away. "Nothing." "Okay, now try the truth this time. It usually works better for you." "I haven't got a clue what to do, right now." "I have a suggestion." "Yeah?" "Try sleeping." "Danny..." "Just go to sleep, Case. It's not a big deal, here. Just two guys, two very tired guys, sharing a bed together." "Two very tired, *naked* guys," Casey muttered, but not quietly enough. Danny rolled toward him and sighed. "Case? Sleep." "Just sleep." "I was thinking about trying it, myself." "I don't know if I can." "Is it because I'm here?" "No. Maybe. I don't know." "I've got to tell ya." "What?" Casey sighed. "Decisive men really turn me on." "Go to sleep, Danny." "God knows, I'm trying," Dan yawned again. "Sorry," Casey said quietly and was about to roll over, it was habit after anything resembling an argument in bed, and stopped himself. What the hell had he and Lisa *done* before things had turned to shit? "Now, what?" Danny moved close enough for Casey to feel the heat coming off his body. "I'm trying to remember." "You didn't leave the iron on, I guarantee it." "Shut up." "Go. To. Sleep." "Danny?" Danny sighed and took a noisy, martyred, deep breath. "*Yes*, Casey?" "Can I hold you?" There was a moment of silence. "I can be such a jerk," Danny muttered and leaned his forehead against Casey's shoulder. "You're not a jerk. This is my fault. I just can't remember the last time I wanted to be in bed with someone." "What about The Freak?" "That was sex. Just sex. It had nothing to do with anything. Sally and I could have had sex in the kitchen sink; it wouldn't have made any difference in how I felt, or didn't feel, about her." "God, that's so..." "Pathetic, I know." "No, *sad*. That's just sad, Case." "Yeah." "Case?" "What?" "Do you want to hold me, 'hold me', or just curl up around me, 'hold me'?" "I want to hold you, 'hold you'. Is that...?" "Fine. It's fine." "And you're not a jerk." "I can be such a jerk." "Who can't?" "True," Danny slid to Casey's side, only to have the man tug on his arm until he was half on top of him. Casey's arms went around Danny, Danny's maneuvered around Casey, and they both stilled, each taking silent inventory of where everything was. After an odd moment or two, they relaxed. "Better?" Danny asked quietly, his head on the man's chest. "Much." "Good. That's good." "You?" "I'm good." "Good. Still buzzing?" "Slightly. Flying higher than ever, though." Casey smiled. "Good. God, you feel good," he murmured, rubbing his cheek on Danny's hair. "You, too." "Good." "We'll talk tomorrow?" "We'll do a lot of things tomorrow." "Okay." "And one of those might even be our jobs." "Your job," Casey yawned. "I'm on vacation." "Right. Can you sleep, now?" "Bet on it." "Good." "'Night, Danny." "'Night, Case." ~~~end