Work Text:
Title: It's Not Like They Carry Signs
Author: Tayla
Fandom: Invisible Man
Pairing: Darien/Bobby friendship
Rating: FRT13
Category: Drama, Challenge
Status: Completed July 28, 2002
Archive: Please ask
Feedback: Yes, please. All constructive criticism will be graciously accepted
Email: tayla36@aol.com
Authors Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/tayla36/index.html
Series/Sequel: This was SUPPOSED to be a stand-alone. Just a little ramble to answer the challenge. But, now I have a damn serial bunny perched on my shoulder whispering in my ear about how it's an excellent start, but I must write a sequel. Maybe someday.
Disclaimers: The Invisible Man and its characters belong to Stu Segall productions. No copyright infringement is intended. The author makes no profit and exists solely on the accolades from fellow fans
Authors Notes: Written in response to Catlover's "Gay Pride Challenge". It takes place sometime toward the end of the first season, after the episode where Darien steals the money from Arnaud's casino and The Official gets mad and withholds his counter agent. (Obviously, I don't remember the name of the episode.)
I also apologize for the title. I couldn't come up with a good one, and I was anxious to post the story, so I just went with one of the lines of dialogue
Summary: Darien and Bobby watch the Gay Pride Parade from The Official's office.
Warnings: This story features an intolerant and outspoken Official. I apologize in advance for his rude comments.
Darien was alone in The Official's office Bobby walked in, late for their morning briefing.
"Where is everybody today? I thought I was late, but The Official's not even here yet."
"They're probably stuck in traffic. The parade has everything tied up today." Darien answered from his perch on the windowsill. Bobby came over to join him.
"How'd you beat me here? You're usually the one running late." Hobbes asked his partner.
"I wanted to get here early. This window has a perfect view."
"Didn't know you were such a big fan of parades, partner. What holiday is it anyway? Those guys in leather don't look much like Veterans."
"Well some of them might be, but that's not what the parade's about. It's a Gay Pride parade."
"Oh? I haven't been in town for one of these. The last couple of years I was deep under cover in Mexico."
Darien tried to study his partner unobtrusively out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't really tell how the older man was reacting to the display out on the street. "Does it bother you?"
"Gay people making a spectacle of themselves?"
Darien nodded,
Bobby watched out the window for a moment as a motorcycle club roared by, before he answered. "No it doesn't bother me. But it's not something I've really thought about. I never saw the parade before. I don?t know any gay people."
"How do you know?"
"Huh?" Bobby looked startled. "What do you mean?"
"How do you know you don't know any gay people. It's not like they carry signs." Darien grinned as a group of young men danced by carrying a sign that said 'We're here, We're Queer, Get used to it!' "Well not on any other day but today, that is."
Bobby stared at his partner, openmouthed, as the implications of that statement sunk in. Darien wouldn't meet his eye, but continued to look out the window. Darien seemed . . . different somehow today. He was happy, grinning and laughing at the antics of the people on the street. But at the same time he seemed a bit tense. Bobby was about to ask him what was bothering him, when Darien suddenly got more excited.
"Oh look! Here come the drag queens! This is my favorite part!"
Both partners looked out the window as a float came into view with people wearing the most outrageous costumes. Bobby could see evening gowns, and miniskirts, and leotards and even a few ballerina outfits. There were people dressed as Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, and quite a few Dorothy's complete with little black dogs.
Darien almost jumped up and down in his enthusiasm. "Oh man, that is a fantastic Marilyn." Darien opened the window and leaned out. He let out a long, loud wolf whistle and called out "MAR-I-LYN" in a singsong voice.
The drag queen in question turned and waved up at Darien, who proceeded to blow her a kiss, just as an artfully placed air jet in the floor of the float blew up the skirt of her white dress.
Bobby was still staring at his partner in slack-jawed amazement when the office door was flung open and The Official stormed in with Eberts at his heels.
"Stupid faggots." The Official exclaimed as he collapsed into his chair.
"That's not really politically correct, sir."
"Shut up, Eberts. I haven't been late for work in twenty years. But because these . . . perverts have to have their parade, traffic is tied up all over the city. I wish we could just line them all up and shoot them. Fawkes shut that damn window. I don't even want to hear the disgusting, deviant Homo's."
Hobbes watched as his partner shuttered away the emotions that he so recently displayed. Darien straightened up slowly and firmly latched the window, before turning towards his boss with no expression on his face.
"Do you have an assignment for us sir?" Darien politely asked their boss.
Hobbes and Eberts both looked at Darien in surprise. Fawkes was never polite to The Official, and he was never eager to work. Hobbes suspected that it was neither eagerness, nor politeness, but an effort to change the subject.
The Official didn't notice the change in his agent's demeanor. "What? Oh an assignment. Well I did have a surveillance detail for you boys today, but you're not going to be able to get through all of this 'Gay Pride' bullshit going on today," the Fat Man said, getting angry again.
Bobby spoke up. "Just give us the file and the address, boss. I'll find a way to get us there."
"Good man, Hobbes." The Official said as he handed over the file. "And if you have to run over a couple of those fairy boys to do it, don't worry about it. I can fix that sort of thing, you know." He laughed at his own witticism.
**************************
Bobby could see his partner trembling with emotion. He kept a close eye on his partner as they got into the van. The younger man seemed to shrink in on himself, sitting in the passenger seat, staring out the window.
"Hey partner are you okay?"
"Yeah Bobby, I'm fine."
"Now why do I think you're lying?"
Darien didn't answer. Bobby started the van and began driving. They rode in silence as Bobby made his way down side streets and back alleys to get around the parade. They finally made it to the address that The Official had given them. Bobby skimmed through the file as Darien kept an eye on the house. Bobby climbed into the back of the van and set up the direction microphone, listening for any signs of movement in the house. After about ten minutes he said, "No one's home."
In response, Darien just grunted.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Darien grunted again and continued to stare out the window.
Bobby let him alone for a while, but the silence from his partner got to be too much and he finally had to ask him.
"Darien are you gay?"
Darien let out a short bark of laughter and turned to his partner. "Would it matter if I was?"
Bobby considered his next words carefully before answering. "Yes. Yes it would matter. It would matter because if you are gay, then all of that stuff The Official said must have upset you. Hell, it upset me and I'm not gay. It would matter because if you are gay, you've obviously felt like you couldn't tell me, and that bothers me. You're my partner and my best friend. You can tell me anything. It would matter because nobody should have to put up with the kind of abuse that The Official just dished out."
Darien blinked. He looked at his partner with an unreadable expression. "I can tell you anything, huh."
"Absolutely, partner."
"And it wouldn't get back to The Official, or anyone else at The Agency?"
"Of course not. Darien, you're my partner. And I've already decided that you're more important to me than The Agency."
Darien's grin was like the sun coming out. "Thanks partner. That makes me feel a whole lot better."