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Fairly Legal fic
Pairing: Justin/Lauren
Summary: Justin wants to thank Lauren for her help
Written for the kissing meme, for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lostinapapercup. No, I have no idea why this one was first. The muse works in mysterious ways. this takes place in earlier S.2. Title from Omar in The Wire and what prompted yesterday's Fairly Legal/GoT mashup. lol.
Lauren glanced up at the knock on the door frame to see Justin standing there in the open doorway. She smiled. "Kate's already gone," she said. "Meeting. Or something. I don't know."
"I came to talk to you, actually," he said. "Have a minute?"
He seemed a little uncertain, which made her curious. "Sure. I'm headed out, but you want to get a drink?"
"Someplace a little less public would be better."
Then she knew what this was about. "Oh. Of course. Here?" She closed the door, even though everyone else was gone for the night. When he didn't talk right away, she went to the credenza and poured them both a little Scotch from the bottle in the cabinet.
He took it and inhaled a deep breath. "Kate told me that you - uh, fixed the problem with Davidson's leaking the ... gossip. I wanted to thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I realize you didn't do it for me - " he started, but she cut him off.
"I did. Well, for Kate, and the firm, too," she corrected, "None of us need that son of a bitch dragging us all through the mud. But mostly for you."
He glanced up, frowning in puzzlement. "Really? I thought you'd be ... upset." He glanced down at his untouched drink and turned his glass in his fingers. "You're not defensive on Kate's behalf."
She chuckled a little dryly. "I think, of everyone in this city, Justin, I understand how infuriating she can be."
He smiled a little at the truth of that but the quirk of his lips faded. "We had a fight. I don't even remember what it was about, but she threw a vase and I stomped out. Went to Luxe in the Sheraton and got drunk enough I didn't give a shit anymore," he said and shook his head. "I don't even remember her name. But I guess she knew mine, or someone saw us. God, it was so stupid." He threw back the whiskey in a single swallow and shuddered as it went down.
"I refuse to let that sleaze of a DA ruin you just for one stupid mistake, when he wouldn't know goodness if it came up and hit him in the face."
Justin chuckled. "The last three years, it's gotten worse and worse. And then, suddenly he was trying to strong-arm me into his publicity stunt and I was done with his crap. It was quite a shock to hear those words coming out of my mouth, but I knew I couldn't take them back."
"No," she agreed and gestured him to the couch. She grabbed the bottle and offered him a refill which he accepted, holding out his glass. "If you're going to run, you can't go in halfway. And in fact," his impetuous decision to run was rubbing off on her, because she found herself saying, "in fact, if you want, I'll be your legal counsel."
He glanced at her. "Hate Davidson that much, do you?"
"I never want to see his smug face on my t.v. again after November. So what do you say?"
He chuckled and shook his head, not taking her seriously. "Thanks for the offer, but I can't afford your retainer. I haven't raised that much money."
"Completely pro bono," she offered.
He sat back, regarding her in surprise. "Kate's gonna be pissed."
"No, I don't think so. She'll get over being angry with you- she always does. But in any case, I'm used to her being angry at me, so I don't care. I want to support you and since all my cash is tied up in the firm, this is what I can do."
He didn't answer right away, mulling it over, and then nodded. "All right. Thank you." He held up his glass and they toasted to his victory. He added, after, "You've always been in my corner. Even when I was less friendly than I really wanted to be."
"You had to take Kate's side, I knew that," Lauren answered. "But Teddy always liked you. He thought you could be a steadying influence on her, if you two lasted."
His lips twisted with wry regret. "Not so much. But it's for the best; we finally got the papers signed and it's done and over." He drained the second glass, setting it down on the sidetable. He shook himself a little and got to his feet, trying to be more business-like. "Anyway, you were leaving and here I'm blathering on, when all I wanted to do was thank you for the save with Davidson. And I hope you didn't call in any favors to do it that'll cost you down the road."
"Nope, not a one," she answered. It wasn't exactly true, but that was her problem, not his. She wasn't doing him a favor she intended to cash in, not when she knew he would help her if she asked, regardless. That was why she wanted him to win. She walked him to her office door. "Your business stays your own, Justin."
"Thanks." His smile was really rather extraordinary and she wondered what the hell Kate had been thinking to let one of the good ones slip away. Their eyes met and she felt suddenly light-headed - it must be the drink.
They were standing very close and he reached behind her head, pulling out the main pin so her hair uncoiled and fell to her shoulders. She let him, pleased and flattered when he stared. "I know why you do it, but you look beautiful with it down," he murmured and combed his fingers through her hair to loosen it more.
In her heels they were close in height and when she took a step nearer, he didn't retreat. "This is how you got in trouble," she warned right before his mouth found hers. It was sweet and hot, and he tasted of the same Scotch she'd had, and he was a good enough kisser that she shivered a little before pulling away. "You need to be more careful."
"There's no one here, except us," he said and his eyes didn't leave hers. "I --"
She put a hand up and across his lips. "No. Not now. Maybe not ever. But certainly not while you're still on the rebound after Kate. And not before the election. Business only."
He took a step back, and nodded. "Fair enough. I just wanted you to know I've thought about it."
Her voice was barely a whisper. "So have I."
He finally tore his eyes away, glancing out at the outer office area and toward the portrait of Teddy down the way, or maybe toward Kate's office. "Thank you again, Lauren. Good night."
He opened the door and went out into the dim foyer, and her eyes followed him, as she wondered...
(onward to another one! *G* They are of course longer than comments because I fail at those)
Pairing: Justin/Lauren
Summary: Justin wants to thank Lauren for her help
Written for the kissing meme, for
lostinapapercup. No, I have no idea why this one was first. The muse works in mysterious ways. this takes place in earlier S.2. Title from Omar in The Wire and what prompted yesterday's Fairly Legal/GoT mashup. lol.Lauren glanced up at the knock on the door frame to see Justin standing there in the open doorway. She smiled. "Kate's already gone," she said. "Meeting. Or something. I don't know."
"I came to talk to you, actually," he said. "Have a minute?"
He seemed a little uncertain, which made her curious. "Sure. I'm headed out, but you want to get a drink?"
"Someplace a little less public would be better."
Then she knew what this was about. "Oh. Of course. Here?" She closed the door, even though everyone else was gone for the night. When he didn't talk right away, she went to the credenza and poured them both a little Scotch from the bottle in the cabinet.
He took it and inhaled a deep breath. "Kate told me that you - uh, fixed the problem with Davidson's leaking the ... gossip. I wanted to thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I realize you didn't do it for me - " he started, but she cut him off.
"I did. Well, for Kate, and the firm, too," she corrected, "None of us need that son of a bitch dragging us all through the mud. But mostly for you."
He glanced up, frowning in puzzlement. "Really? I thought you'd be ... upset." He glanced down at his untouched drink and turned his glass in his fingers. "You're not defensive on Kate's behalf."
She chuckled a little dryly. "I think, of everyone in this city, Justin, I understand how infuriating she can be."
He smiled a little at the truth of that but the quirk of his lips faded. "We had a fight. I don't even remember what it was about, but she threw a vase and I stomped out. Went to Luxe in the Sheraton and got drunk enough I didn't give a shit anymore," he said and shook his head. "I don't even remember her name. But I guess she knew mine, or someone saw us. God, it was so stupid." He threw back the whiskey in a single swallow and shuddered as it went down.
"I refuse to let that sleaze of a DA ruin you just for one stupid mistake, when he wouldn't know goodness if it came up and hit him in the face."
Justin chuckled. "The last three years, it's gotten worse and worse. And then, suddenly he was trying to strong-arm me into his publicity stunt and I was done with his crap. It was quite a shock to hear those words coming out of my mouth, but I knew I couldn't take them back."
"No," she agreed and gestured him to the couch. She grabbed the bottle and offered him a refill which he accepted, holding out his glass. "If you're going to run, you can't go in halfway. And in fact," his impetuous decision to run was rubbing off on her, because she found herself saying, "in fact, if you want, I'll be your legal counsel."
He glanced at her. "Hate Davidson that much, do you?"
"I never want to see his smug face on my t.v. again after November. So what do you say?"
He chuckled and shook his head, not taking her seriously. "Thanks for the offer, but I can't afford your retainer. I haven't raised that much money."
"Completely pro bono," she offered.
He sat back, regarding her in surprise. "Kate's gonna be pissed."
"No, I don't think so. She'll get over being angry with you- she always does. But in any case, I'm used to her being angry at me, so I don't care. I want to support you and since all my cash is tied up in the firm, this is what I can do."
He didn't answer right away, mulling it over, and then nodded. "All right. Thank you." He held up his glass and they toasted to his victory. He added, after, "You've always been in my corner. Even when I was less friendly than I really wanted to be."
"You had to take Kate's side, I knew that," Lauren answered. "But Teddy always liked you. He thought you could be a steadying influence on her, if you two lasted."
His lips twisted with wry regret. "Not so much. But it's for the best; we finally got the papers signed and it's done and over." He drained the second glass, setting it down on the sidetable. He shook himself a little and got to his feet, trying to be more business-like. "Anyway, you were leaving and here I'm blathering on, when all I wanted to do was thank you for the save with Davidson. And I hope you didn't call in any favors to do it that'll cost you down the road."
"Nope, not a one," she answered. It wasn't exactly true, but that was her problem, not his. She wasn't doing him a favor she intended to cash in, not when she knew he would help her if she asked, regardless. That was why she wanted him to win. She walked him to her office door. "Your business stays your own, Justin."
"Thanks." His smile was really rather extraordinary and she wondered what the hell Kate had been thinking to let one of the good ones slip away. Their eyes met and she felt suddenly light-headed - it must be the drink.
They were standing very close and he reached behind her head, pulling out the main pin so her hair uncoiled and fell to her shoulders. She let him, pleased and flattered when he stared. "I know why you do it, but you look beautiful with it down," he murmured and combed his fingers through her hair to loosen it more.
In her heels they were close in height and when she took a step nearer, he didn't retreat. "This is how you got in trouble," she warned right before his mouth found hers. It was sweet and hot, and he tasted of the same Scotch she'd had, and he was a good enough kisser that she shivered a little before pulling away. "You need to be more careful."
"There's no one here, except us," he said and his eyes didn't leave hers. "I --"
She put a hand up and across his lips. "No. Not now. Maybe not ever. But certainly not while you're still on the rebound after Kate. And not before the election. Business only."
He took a step back, and nodded. "Fair enough. I just wanted you to know I've thought about it."
Her voice was barely a whisper. "So have I."
He finally tore his eyes away, glancing out at the outer office area and toward the portrait of Teddy down the way, or maybe toward Kate's office. "Thank you again, Lauren. Good night."
He opened the door and went out into the dim foyer, and her eyes followed him, as she wondered...
(onward to another one! *G* They are of course longer than comments because I fail at those)
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I can just see it! Him all admiring and her, hair down, giving him some mild admonishment... but mostly after the kiss, of course.
Let's run off and rewrite Fairly Legal.
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Thanks!
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"This is how you got in trouble," she warned right before his mouth found hers.
I could see this. SO Lauren. Get it, gurl.
Can you imagine if J/L got together? They would be UNSTOPPABLE. I'm not usually into baby fic, but I kind of want to write it for J/L because their kids would probably be President of the World before they got to middle school.
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thank you