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raysgalTitle: Because of the Times
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
raysgal
Fandom: RPF - Pundits
Pairing/characters: Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, Steve Carell, John Oliver, Jason Jones, Keith Olbermann, Denis Leary, Rachel Maddow and a cavalcade of others
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Prompt: #1672 RPF - Pundits, Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert, Established relationship (either wifeless AU or post-divorce). Jon and Stephen decide to come out and announce they're getting married/having a commitment ceremony during an episode of The Daily Show (either pre-TCR or a special crossover episode of TDS). Everyone assumes it's a joke until they actually go through with it. How do they deal with the reactions of their friends, co-workers, and the media? How does the new media scrutiny affect their personal and professional lives, and how does it impact their show(s)?
Summary: Coming out involved more than they were prepared for.
Warning:Some chapters contain sexual content, language, angst
Author's Notes: References to this and this TDS clip and this Olbermann clip.
Super awesome thank yous tokick_back_80s, anais_rhys, rikimae and rehime who all contributed to making this fic work.
I also apologize for the length, but once I started writing there was almost no stopping.
Stephen waited as the phone on the other end rang. He was tempted to hang up after the fourth ring when it stopped and the person he was looking for picked up.
“This is Jon.”
“Did you see it?” Stephen asked.
“Stephen, I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Did you see it?”
“Of course I did.”
“Did you hear what he said?”
“Yes, but Stephen…”
“You don’t think Rachel said anything to him?”
“I’m sure he was thinking more about her than us. He’s also passionate about whatever he doesn’t like. It’s Olbermann.”
“What do you think he’ll say about us?”
“I don’t know. I can’t predict that. If I knew the future, Stephen, I would have some better choices in my life. I can’t look into my crystal ball though and give you the answer. I want to, but I just can’t.”
“Okay,” Stephen murmured.
“We’ll talk some more later, okay? I’ve got a few things to finish up here and I’m sure you’ve got some stuff too. I’ll come by with a cab around nine.”
“Okay,” Stephen repeated.
“Stephen, if you’re really that upset then maybe you should just go home. Let Allison finish things up and I’ll see you at home. I’ll even pick you up some ice cream.”
“My ice cream?”
“Of course. Everything else is inferior.”
“I have taught you well, Padawan.”
“I’m always willing to learn from my favorite teacher.”
“You see me more as Obi-Wan than Yoda, right?”
“Considering you aren’t green and you don’t mix up your sentence structure then it’s a definite yes.” Stephen heard Jon sigh. “You know I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Now, go home. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“Okay.”
“Bye, Stephen.”
“Bye, Jon.”
Stephen slowly hung up his phone then sat quietly at his desk for a while. He took a look at the hand that now sported the engagement band Jon had given him. It had felt weird to no longer be wearing the one he’d been using as a prop over the years. It had just made more sense for his character to be in the closet and be “happily” married than for him to be the gayer version he’d been playing on The Daily Show. Jon could say whatever he wanted about his personal life, which often hinted towards wild nights with some unknown person who was occasionally male, while Stephen’s character was trying to hide his homosexuality and therefore had to be married to reinforce the idea.
That would change though. They would have to figure out how to address that after everything happened. He couldn’t just start warning people now. Well, maybe Allison. She would definitely need to know. He was going to have to talk to Jon about that.
“Stephen?”
He looked up to see the woman in question standing in his office.
“Allison, what can I do for you?”
“I just got a call from Jon saying that you should go home.”
“I hate when he does that,” Stephen said.
“No, you don’t. You love it when he does that. It reminds you that he worries about you even when you think he isn’t.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Stephen muttered. He got up from his chair and went to grab his jacket lying on the couch. He shrugged it on then turned around to find Allison staring at him with a curious expression. “Something wrong?”
“You changed the ring,” she stated.
“What?”
“The ring. It’s different. I didn’t think about it earlier, but now that I’m kinda looking at it I definitely notice the difference. Why’d you change it?”
“The other one was turning my skin green.”
“Liar,” Allison replied. She quickly grabbed his hand and he tried to pull it away, but the woman’s grip was strong. Why were so many women in his life stronger than him? “This is brand new, Stephen. Why did you change the ring?”
“I didn’t change it so much as replace it with something that had a little more meaning,” Stephen told her. She focused on his face for a moment and he gave her a sheepish smile.
“He didn’t, did he?”
“Well, it depends on who you’re referring to by he and what he did or didn’t do,” Stephen responded.
“Stephen, did Jon give you this ring?”
“When you mean give, do you really mean…?”
“Stephen, did you and Jon get married?”
“What? No.” Stephen was finally able to get his hand back. “Not yet anyway.”
“Not yet?” Allison repeated. “What does that mean?”
“It means that it hasn’t happened yet.”
“When is this supposed to happen?”
“Allison, I can’t…”
“Stephen, if this is going to effect the show then I need to know everything. I’m not going to tell anyone. Just tell me. You can trust me.”
“Shut the door,” Stephen said. The executive producer did so then looked at Stephen. “Have a seat.” He gestured at the couch. She gave him a small glare before doing so. Stephen paced a few steps then focused on the woman. “Jon did propose to me over the weekend.”
“Oh, Stephen…”
“And we’ve decided to incorporate our commitment on the show,” Stephen continued.
“What?” Allison asked the question sharply.
“I know it sounds crazy, but the logic behind it really isn’t.”
“How is it not crazy?” Allison inquired as she stood. “I mean it’s great, but you two have tried to keep your personal lives to yourself. You’ve never officially come out and nobody has really outed you. Most people just go with your gay antics because they see them as just that. You’ve managed to do a better job at keeping the relationship a secret than compared to, well, practically anything. The only people who really know are your friends and a majority of the people who work on the shows. To suddenly just come out on one show is too much at one time.”
“That’s what I said.”
“Then why are you doing it?”
“Because it has to be done.”
“Who said that? You or Jon?”
“It was Jon’s idea, but…”
“Stephen, if you’re not on board with this idea then you need to tell him you can’t do it. I don’t want to see you get hurt in any way. This isn’t Jon’s decision alone to make.”
“I think he has a point though. It’s about more than us, Allison. It’s about every other couple out there who were effected by Proposition 8 and every state that hasn’t seen it fit to allow gay couples to marry because it says it’s not right in the Bible. Or to adopt kids because they think it’ll rub off on them. It’s not a disease. It’s just who people are.” Stephen ran a hand through his hair and pointed to himself for a moment. “It’s just who I am. This is the person I’ve always been. I’ve always been comfortable with it and sometimes it really bothers me to find someone who thinks it’s wrong just because they don’t understand. It upsets me to read in the paper or on the internet of another gay related hate crime. Its people that can’t accept others no matter of their race, creed, religion, gender or anything that makes them slightly different that hurts me. I’m only doing what I believe is right for me. And for Jon.”
“Stephen, I wasn’t saying you’re wrong,” Allison responded. She placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I found out what’s going on. You have to give me a chance to process it.”
“I’ve known for nearly a month and I’m still processing it,” Stephen admitted. “This is why I didn’t just immediately tell you. I wasn’t sure how to say it or how’d you react.”
“I’m surprised,” Allison told him. “I’m also happy for you. You and Jon have been together for six years. You two deserve whatever happiness you can get from this life.”
“I just hope everyone else sees it that way too.”
“They may not, Stephen.”
“That is a fact I haven’t quite figured out how to deal with.”
“Well, you’ve got time,” Allison said.
“Depends if everything coming together on Inauguration Day can be construed as time,” Stephen replied.
“Stephen, that’s only two months away.”
“I realize that.”
“And you intend to get married on the show?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be legal in New York. We’re having a commitment ceremony. Jon is talking the network into giving us another live show where we intend to start with talking about the day before going into the ceremony.”
“How exactly is that going to work? If you’re going to be him then it’s not going to make a lot of sense for him to suddenly be gay.”
“We’ve kinda figured that out. He’ll declare it’s the end of the world so anything can happen.”
“That’s not exactly a safe declaration. That could cause even more trouble than just the ceremony itself. You could really be looking at legal actions, possible cancellation and being blackballed for the rest of your life should you go through with all of this.”
“Fuck,” Stephen murmured as he fell on to the couch. “I didn’t think about all that.”
“Sorry,” Allison said. “I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
“No. You’re right. Those are all valid points,” Stephen told her. “They just never occurred to me. I know we’d piss off a few people, but getting sued for it?” Stephen removed his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose then put them back on. He chewed on the fingernail of his right index finger for a moment then looked at Allison. “If you knew something was wrong, but you had to do it anyway because it was the right thing, would you?”
“I think it really depends on what it was,” Allison responded quietly as she sat down next to her boss. “I know you’re asking if going through with the ceremony on live television is the right thing to do. I can’t give you the answer, Stephen. It’s something you and Jon have to figure out together. Whatever decision you come to I’ll support. I’ve seen too many wrongs in this world and most of the time I just make jokes about them. You’re trying to make a change and I want to stand behind that.”
“I hope you’re not the only one.”
“Look, I’ll talk to the writers here and over at Jon’s studio. I’ll also get the correspondents involved. I will inform them of what you and Jon intend to do. If for some reason they don’t like it then they can go find jobs elsewhere. Those who want to get behind it can start writing and coming up with ideas for that show.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Think of it as your wedding present.”
“You’re just too cheap to buy anything good.”
“Stephen, you don’t pay me enough to even consider buying anything good.”
Stephen let out a watery chuckle as Allison wrapped her arms around him.
Author:
raysgalFandom: RPF - Pundits
Pairing/characters: Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, Steve Carell, John Oliver, Jason Jones, Keith Olbermann, Denis Leary, Rachel Maddow and a cavalcade of others
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Prompt: #1672 RPF - Pundits, Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert, Established relationship (either wifeless AU or post-divorce). Jon and Stephen decide to come out and announce they're getting married/having a commitment ceremony during an episode of The Daily Show (either pre-TCR or a special crossover episode of TDS). Everyone assumes it's a joke until they actually go through with it. How do they deal with the reactions of their friends, co-workers, and the media? How does the new media scrutiny affect their personal and professional lives, and how does it impact their show(s)?
Summary: Coming out involved more than they were prepared for.
Warning:Some chapters contain sexual content, language, angst
Author's Notes: References to this and this TDS clip and this Olbermann clip.
Super awesome thank yous to
kick_back_80s, anais_rhys, rikimae and rehime who all contributed to making this fic work.I also apologize for the length, but once I started writing there was almost no stopping.
Stephen waited as the phone on the other end rang. He was tempted to hang up after the fourth ring when it stopped and the person he was looking for picked up.
“This is Jon.”
“Did you see it?” Stephen asked.
“Stephen, I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Did you see it?”
“Of course I did.”
“Did you hear what he said?”
“Yes, but Stephen…”
“You don’t think Rachel said anything to him?”
“I’m sure he was thinking more about her than us. He’s also passionate about whatever he doesn’t like. It’s Olbermann.”
“What do you think he’ll say about us?”
“I don’t know. I can’t predict that. If I knew the future, Stephen, I would have some better choices in my life. I can’t look into my crystal ball though and give you the answer. I want to, but I just can’t.”
“Okay,” Stephen murmured.
“We’ll talk some more later, okay? I’ve got a few things to finish up here and I’m sure you’ve got some stuff too. I’ll come by with a cab around nine.”
“Okay,” Stephen repeated.
“Stephen, if you’re really that upset then maybe you should just go home. Let Allison finish things up and I’ll see you at home. I’ll even pick you up some ice cream.”
“My ice cream?”
“Of course. Everything else is inferior.”
“I have taught you well, Padawan.”
“I’m always willing to learn from my favorite teacher.”
“You see me more as Obi-Wan than Yoda, right?”
“Considering you aren’t green and you don’t mix up your sentence structure then it’s a definite yes.” Stephen heard Jon sigh. “You know I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Now, go home. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“Okay.”
“Bye, Stephen.”
“Bye, Jon.”
Stephen slowly hung up his phone then sat quietly at his desk for a while. He took a look at the hand that now sported the engagement band Jon had given him. It had felt weird to no longer be wearing the one he’d been using as a prop over the years. It had just made more sense for his character to be in the closet and be “happily” married than for him to be the gayer version he’d been playing on The Daily Show. Jon could say whatever he wanted about his personal life, which often hinted towards wild nights with some unknown person who was occasionally male, while Stephen’s character was trying to hide his homosexuality and therefore had to be married to reinforce the idea.
That would change though. They would have to figure out how to address that after everything happened. He couldn’t just start warning people now. Well, maybe Allison. She would definitely need to know. He was going to have to talk to Jon about that.
“Stephen?”
He looked up to see the woman in question standing in his office.
“Allison, what can I do for you?”
“I just got a call from Jon saying that you should go home.”
“I hate when he does that,” Stephen said.
“No, you don’t. You love it when he does that. It reminds you that he worries about you even when you think he isn’t.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Stephen muttered. He got up from his chair and went to grab his jacket lying on the couch. He shrugged it on then turned around to find Allison staring at him with a curious expression. “Something wrong?”
“You changed the ring,” she stated.
“What?”
“The ring. It’s different. I didn’t think about it earlier, but now that I’m kinda looking at it I definitely notice the difference. Why’d you change it?”
“The other one was turning my skin green.”
“Liar,” Allison replied. She quickly grabbed his hand and he tried to pull it away, but the woman’s grip was strong. Why were so many women in his life stronger than him? “This is brand new, Stephen. Why did you change the ring?”
“I didn’t change it so much as replace it with something that had a little more meaning,” Stephen told her. She focused on his face for a moment and he gave her a sheepish smile.
“He didn’t, did he?”
“Well, it depends on who you’re referring to by he and what he did or didn’t do,” Stephen responded.
“Stephen, did Jon give you this ring?”
“When you mean give, do you really mean…?”
“Stephen, did you and Jon get married?”
“What? No.” Stephen was finally able to get his hand back. “Not yet anyway.”
“Not yet?” Allison repeated. “What does that mean?”
“It means that it hasn’t happened yet.”
“When is this supposed to happen?”
“Allison, I can’t…”
“Stephen, if this is going to effect the show then I need to know everything. I’m not going to tell anyone. Just tell me. You can trust me.”
“Shut the door,” Stephen said. The executive producer did so then looked at Stephen. “Have a seat.” He gestured at the couch. She gave him a small glare before doing so. Stephen paced a few steps then focused on the woman. “Jon did propose to me over the weekend.”
“Oh, Stephen…”
“And we’ve decided to incorporate our commitment on the show,” Stephen continued.
“What?” Allison asked the question sharply.
“I know it sounds crazy, but the logic behind it really isn’t.”
“How is it not crazy?” Allison inquired as she stood. “I mean it’s great, but you two have tried to keep your personal lives to yourself. You’ve never officially come out and nobody has really outed you. Most people just go with your gay antics because they see them as just that. You’ve managed to do a better job at keeping the relationship a secret than compared to, well, practically anything. The only people who really know are your friends and a majority of the people who work on the shows. To suddenly just come out on one show is too much at one time.”
“That’s what I said.”
“Then why are you doing it?”
“Because it has to be done.”
“Who said that? You or Jon?”
“It was Jon’s idea, but…”
“Stephen, if you’re not on board with this idea then you need to tell him you can’t do it. I don’t want to see you get hurt in any way. This isn’t Jon’s decision alone to make.”
“I think he has a point though. It’s about more than us, Allison. It’s about every other couple out there who were effected by Proposition 8 and every state that hasn’t seen it fit to allow gay couples to marry because it says it’s not right in the Bible. Or to adopt kids because they think it’ll rub off on them. It’s not a disease. It’s just who people are.” Stephen ran a hand through his hair and pointed to himself for a moment. “It’s just who I am. This is the person I’ve always been. I’ve always been comfortable with it and sometimes it really bothers me to find someone who thinks it’s wrong just because they don’t understand. It upsets me to read in the paper or on the internet of another gay related hate crime. Its people that can’t accept others no matter of their race, creed, religion, gender or anything that makes them slightly different that hurts me. I’m only doing what I believe is right for me. And for Jon.”
“Stephen, I wasn’t saying you’re wrong,” Allison responded. She placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I found out what’s going on. You have to give me a chance to process it.”
“I’ve known for nearly a month and I’m still processing it,” Stephen admitted. “This is why I didn’t just immediately tell you. I wasn’t sure how to say it or how’d you react.”
“I’m surprised,” Allison told him. “I’m also happy for you. You and Jon have been together for six years. You two deserve whatever happiness you can get from this life.”
“I just hope everyone else sees it that way too.”
“They may not, Stephen.”
“That is a fact I haven’t quite figured out how to deal with.”
“Well, you’ve got time,” Allison said.
“Depends if everything coming together on Inauguration Day can be construed as time,” Stephen replied.
“Stephen, that’s only two months away.”
“I realize that.”
“And you intend to get married on the show?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be legal in New York. We’re having a commitment ceremony. Jon is talking the network into giving us another live show where we intend to start with talking about the day before going into the ceremony.”
“How exactly is that going to work? If you’re going to be him then it’s not going to make a lot of sense for him to suddenly be gay.”
“We’ve kinda figured that out. He’ll declare it’s the end of the world so anything can happen.”
“That’s not exactly a safe declaration. That could cause even more trouble than just the ceremony itself. You could really be looking at legal actions, possible cancellation and being blackballed for the rest of your life should you go through with all of this.”
“Fuck,” Stephen murmured as he fell on to the couch. “I didn’t think about all that.”
“Sorry,” Allison said. “I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
“No. You’re right. Those are all valid points,” Stephen told her. “They just never occurred to me. I know we’d piss off a few people, but getting sued for it?” Stephen removed his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose then put them back on. He chewed on the fingernail of his right index finger for a moment then looked at Allison. “If you knew something was wrong, but you had to do it anyway because it was the right thing, would you?”
“I think it really depends on what it was,” Allison responded quietly as she sat down next to her boss. “I know you’re asking if going through with the ceremony on live television is the right thing to do. I can’t give you the answer, Stephen. It’s something you and Jon have to figure out together. Whatever decision you come to I’ll support. I’ve seen too many wrongs in this world and most of the time I just make jokes about them. You’re trying to make a change and I want to stand behind that.”
“I hope you’re not the only one.”
“Look, I’ll talk to the writers here and over at Jon’s studio. I’ll also get the correspondents involved. I will inform them of what you and Jon intend to do. If for some reason they don’t like it then they can go find jobs elsewhere. Those who want to get behind it can start writing and coming up with ideas for that show.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Think of it as your wedding present.”
“You’re just too cheap to buy anything good.”
“Stephen, you don’t pay me enough to even consider buying anything good.”
Stephen let out a watery chuckle as Allison wrapped her arms around him.
