Title: Sports Fan
Author: Jessica
Pairing: Harry Stone/Dan Fielding (Night Court)
Rating: FRT
Song/Quote: Just a plot point from the episode "Bull Gets A Kid" (Season 2, Episode 6)
Summary: What is the 'sports fan' Dan wanted the tickets for wasn't a woman, but Judge Harry Stone?
Spoilers: Not really…I haven't actually seen this episode. (If I have, it was a long, long time ago.)
Disclaimer: I don't own…Boy, do I wish…
Warnings: Cuteness. May be a little OOC.
A/N: Unbetaed. This proves my insanity. I swear. I was looking for funny quotes and I saw the episode description and remembered from an earlier episode that Harry asked Dan about a football game. If you see any mistakes, just let me know.
A/N 2: The football stats I list are correct (I looked it up.) Also in the episode, the tickets are for baseball, but I changed it to football, just because I think it makes more sense. The episode aired Nov 8, 1984, so I made the date Nov. 12, 1984 in the story.
"Mac, please!" Dan Fielding followed Mac Robinson through the court room with puppy dog eyes and a protruding lower lip.
Mac rolled his eyes. "No Dan. I am not giving up those tickets so you can chase another poor girl."
"But, it's not…" Dan cut himself off as the side door opened and Judge Harry Stone stumbled through.
"Evening all." Harry waved to the two men and flopped into his chair at the bench. The rest of the team followed behind Harry and gathered around him. "Anybody got any plans for later tonight?"
As Billie started rambling about a date, Mac glanced at Dan. Dan stared at Harry. It wasn't the expected "you are insane and how did you ever become a judge" stare. It was different. It wasn't even the normal "drooling over body parts" leer the Mac had come to associate with Dan. (Although if Mac looked close enough, there was definitely sexual interest.) No, this stare was completely different.
"Dan…Dan…Danny Boy…"
Mac elbowed Dan in the side. Dan turned to glare at Mac. "What?" Mac tilted his head toward Harry. Harry was looking at him curiously; everyone but Mac had left to do last minute preparations before session. "Oh, sorry Harry. Spaced out for a second."
"I see that." Harry tilted his head at Dan. "I asked if you saw the Colts/Jets game last night. Can you believe the score? 9 to 5? That's just as bad as last week against Miami." As the two talked about the rapidly declining season for the Jets, Mac started laughing as everything clicked into place.
Dan was clearly upset. He had done everything he could to convince Mac to give him those tickets, short of telling him the real reason he wanted them. Sure, the game was still three weeks away, it was the next home game, but all the decent tickets were gone and he figured that if Harry wasn't interested in him (fat chance he was), he could pass it off as two co-workers just having fun.
He let his head fall to the desk. Now what? This was plan Z on a list of horrible ideas. He picked up his head and let it drop again. And again. Once more please. He stopped when he heard laughter and lifted his head to glare at Mac. Mac continued to laugh as he dropped an envelope on the desk and turned to walk out.
"What's this?" Dan opened the envelope and pulled out two tickets to the December 2 Giants/Jets game. Dan looked up, confused.
Mac chuckled again. "Better hurry up. Harry's getting ready to leave for the night."
Dan let his head hit the desk once again as Mac's laughter drifted down the hallway.
Five minutes later, Dan stood outside Harry's office, listening to the man hum loudly through the closed door. "Okay Dan, you can do this. Just one question." And he knocked.
"Come on in." Dan opened the door and peeked inside. "Hey Dan. What's up?"
Dan took a deep breath and walked all the way into the room. "I just wanted to ask you a question. You know, if you had a minute."
"For you Dan, always." Harry smiled and slouched into a chair. "Have a seat."
Dan stumbled over his feet as he moved to sit. "Well, I have two tickets to the next Jets home game and I was wondering if you might like to go. With me."
Harry's smile grew bigger. "Like a date? Would I be treated to a patented Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding Date?"
"No! I mean, yes. I mean, if you wanted." Dan's hands were wrapped around his briefcase so hard, they were white.
"Well, I don't want a patented Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding Date." Harry pried the briefcase from Dan's fingers and set it on the ground. "I would, however, like a date with Dan."
Dan finally looked up and smiled back. "I can do that."
Three weeks later, Dan and Harry walked into the cafeteria looking exhausted but happy. They found the others at a table and sat with them, listening to the conversation about whether computers were going to be so popular in the future. Ten minutes later, Bull noticed that the two weren't talking about football, as had become the norm before the first session.
Billie agreed. "Didn't either of you watch the game last night?"
Harry stood up to get a cup of coffee and answered before Dan got the chance. "We talked about it this afternoon." He smiled. "After we woke up." He placed a cup in front of Dan and grinned. Billie and Selma stared in shock. Bull stared in confusion. Dan blushed and dropped his head to the table. Mac laughed.
The End