Fairly Slashy pt 5 - Kate Reed/Lauren Reed - Fairly Legal
Title: Fairly Slashy - Part 5 (of 9)
Fandom: Fairly Legal
Pairing: Kate Reed/Lauren Reed
Rating: M (not through all of it but definitely at some points)
Spoilers: References to season 2 eps 1, 3, and 5.
Disclaimer: They aren’t mine, otherwise not-actual-incest would be a definite future for Fairly Legal..
A/N: Thank you to my lovely live-in beta (i.e. wife)
starbucks_pen (who took time away from her epic Swan Queen fic to beta this and then cursed me for it drawing her in…)
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
Part 5
Lauren couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in bed for hours before getting up at one and heading into the study to clear her head, curling up in the armchair. She had been so determined to put the other night out of her head that she had almost forgotten about Kate. She had convinced herself that Kate wouldn't respond, that she would be content to bury it but she now realized what a preposterous assumption that was to make about Kate Reed. Her stomach fluttered as she remembered Kate in the bathroom, pulling her in...
She exhaled suddenly, standing up and pacing the room. What was this? More importantly what was she going to do about it?
She turned her thoughts over in her head, trying to understand while fighting against the understanding. She finally collapsed against the door, remembering too late her own indiscretion. The feeling of her own desire welled up inside her, creating a lump in her throat and try as she would she couldn't deny it.
* * *
Kate was showered, her office was clean and she was at her desk at 8. She was reviewing the file Judge Nicastro had given her when Lauren came in, shutting the blinds to Kate’s office and seating herself on the opposite side of Kate’s desk, crossing her legs.
"Come home," Lauren said.
"Home?" Kate asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Lauren rolled her eyes, holding her tongue to the roof of her mouth as she tried to stop the blush rising to her cheeks.
"It is ridiculous you staying here when I have multiple bedrooms not being used, come back to the house," Lauren clarified.
"And?" Kate gestured between them, "What do we do about this?" she asked.
Lauren sighed, staring purposefully at Kate and making it quite clear she didn't want to discuss this here or now.
Kate smiled and leaned forward, waiting for her response.
"Can we agree to give each other space until we figure out whatever, 'this' is?" Lauren replied making air quotation marks around 'this.'
Kate leaned back in her chair and smiled, watching Lauren’s obvious discomfort with more than a little satisfaction.
"How about…" Kate began, "We talk about 'this' tonight over dinner in my office, your food choice, and then we'll decide if I'm coming 'home'," Kate challenged, a gleam in her eye.
Lauren paused for a moment, her lips pressed together.
She leaned forward staring evenly into Kate’s eyes, "My food choice, my office," she countered, for no reason other than needing to keep a small piece of the upper hand.
"Deal," Kate agreed. "See? Mediation. Everyone wins," Kate said smiling expansively.
Lauren just raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking in a half smile. She stood, folding her hands in her lap nervously. "I also want to say I'm sorry for slapping you yesterday, I could've handled that better," she added.
Kate nodded, “Apology accepted,” she said evenly, “I could’ve handled that better too,” she admitted.
Lauren nodded and walked out without a further word.
As soon as the door shut Kate's nerves, which had been held at bay by professional competence, flooded her. A dozen questions rattled inside her brain ranging from 'Is this a good idea?' to 'What does one wear when having a date with your stepmother/partner for whom you have undeniable sexual attraction?' She buried her face in her hands, taking deep breaths to push Lauren out of her mind and mentally prepare herself for what would be an intense mediation.
* * *
The day went by slowly, hampered by the uncomfortable butterflies that occurred any time she saw Lauren, or any blonde around her height.
About mid-morning Leo changed her coffee to decaf and she pretended not to notice, knowing she had enough nerves to keep herself internally caffeinated.
The mediation was tedious but Kate had made significant progress by the end of the day. She scheduled to see them the following day to iron out the remaining issues, shaking their hands and escorting them to the elevator before heading to her office. Leo followed her in surreptitiously.
"Lauren is working late at her desk, looking as nervous as you have all day," Leo pointed out, "Is there something I should know?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
Kate raised an eyebrow, "There isn't anything to say," she said almost evenly enough for belief, almost.
"Ok then," Leo said narrowing his eyes, knowing Kate would tell him when she wanted to, "Have a good night then," he said, “Whatever you’re doing,” he added, watching her closely as he exited her office backwards, making the sign to let her know he was watching her.
Kate smirked at him as he shut the door.
Taking a deep breath she peeked out of her office. Most of the other staff had left but Lauren was indeed still in her office, hand to her forehead, pouring over documents in front of her while clicking her pen against the surface of her desk.
Kate tried to sneak past Lauren's office to the bathroom to see just how ruined she looked after the stressors of the day. She had just made it past Lauren's door when she heard her name being called from within.
She peeked her head around the corner. Lauren waved her in and gestured for her to shut the door.
Kate's stomach rose to her throat and she took a deep breath before turning from the door and seating herself in front if Lauren.
Lauren came out from behind her desk and leaned against the front of it, folding her arms, her feet next to Kate's.
"I'm going to have to take a rain check on tonight, we got called into court on this case a few days earlier than expected," Lauren explained, apology lacing her voice.
Kate's heart fell, she had not realized how much, despite all her nerves, she had been looking forward to tonight.
She stood up, "I can fix this," she said, trying not to notice that by standing up she had decreased the distance between them, "Stay here and I'll be back in an hour with food," she finished, carefully stepping over Lauren's feet and running from the room.
Lauren watched her leave, a small smile quirking at the corners of her mouth as she went back to her desk.
Kate rushed back to her office and dialed Leo.
"Hey best assistant ever? Do you know Lauren’s favorite meal/restaurant?” she asked, hoping the time he had spent being Lauren’s assistant would pay off.
“It’s the roast duck at Locale,” he replied, “I’ll text you the number.”
"Thank you so much Leo, I owe you!" Kate answered energetically.
"Times a million," Leo answered before Kate hung up.
As soon as the text came through Kate called the restaurant, asking for two roast duck, herb potatoes and a double side of green beans. The waiter who answered clarified that Locale did not offer take-out meals but Kate pleaded and cajoled, eventually speaking to the host who knew her father. Thus, after a fifteen-minute telephone call Kate had dinner being prepared.
Kate ran out of her office and to the lift, grabbing a cab back to their house. At the house she grabbed herself and Lauren a change of clothes (knowing first hand how uncomfortable it was pulling all nighters in work clothes), packed a bottle of wine and two glasses and headed over to Locale. The dinner wasn’t ready when she arrived and she looked at the clock anxiously, it had been an hour since she left Lauren. After a few moments of pacing, being asked to sit, sitting, getting up because she couldn’t sit anymore, and a few more moments of pacing the dinner was brought out in two paper carrier bags.
She thanked the host profusely and sped back to the office.
* * *
Although the rest of the office was dark, the lights in Lauren's office blazed on.
Lauren looked up as Kate entered, breaking into a genuine smile as she smelled the food coming from the bags Kate carried.
“How did you swing that?” Lauren asked standing from her desk and following Kate to the coffee table to one side of Lauren’s office as Kate put out the plates she had taken from the kitchen.
“I could tell you but I’d rather have you be impressed,” Kate replied as she took out the dinner and served it between them.
Lauren sat on the couch, awkwardly aware that the coffee table was too short to eat off of. Kate sat beside her, realizing the same thing before getting up again and running to the bag she had left at Lauren’s desk. She pulled out a light blue fitted T-shirt and black jogging pants for Lauren and a baggy T-shirt advertising a film festival and black pants for her.
“I brought a change of clothes,” Kate offered as Lauren got up off the couch, relief painting her face as she took the clothes and walked to the bathroom.
Kate nipped down to her office and, pulling the shade part way, changed into her more comfortable clothes, getting back to the dinner before Lauren.
She sat down on the floor to one side of the coffee table and arranged Lauren’s plate for the other side. She was just pouring the wine she had stolen from Lauren’s cupboard when she returned. Not only had Lauren changed her clothes but she had unpinned her hair and it cascaded down past her shoulders in soft blonde waves.
“I will never get over how beautiful you are with your hair down,” Kate blurted out, nearly knocking over her glass with the wine bottle. She turned back quickly to catch the glass, completely missing the blush rising to Lauren’s cheeks. She put the bottle down carefully and returned to watch Lauren as she sat on the floor opposite Kate.
“The food is amazing and the clothes are a lifesaver,” Lauren said appreciatively as she picked up her fork.
Kate took her glass, “To fresh starts,” she offered looking pointedly at Lauren.
Lauren put her fork down and took her own glass, tapping Kate’s, “to fresh starts,” she echoed nervously before taking a sip.
“So what is this case about?” Kate asked picking up her fork and beginning to eat.
In between bites and occasionally referring to the extensive notes she brought over to the coffee table Lauren explained the basic case, the opposing counsel’s case (as far as she knew it) and the issues she was having formulating a proper strategy. Kate interrupted occasionally to explore an avenue or clarify a point but usually just listened intently. When Lauren was done outlining the case they talked through a few possible strategies and the pros and cons of each before Lauren realized something she had been forgetting. As the piece fell into place Lauren’s face, which had been furrowed with concentration, brightened. She picked up her glass and took another sip.
“Job done!,” Kate said, “See? I told you I could fix it,” she offered cockily.
Lauren shook her head in amazement, “You did indeed,” she said putting her glass back down.
They had moved to the chair and couch respectively after they had finished dinner and Kate, who had been using the distance to keep on track, now cursed it.
Lauren rose, picking up her dishes but Kate jumped from her seat and took them from her, “You go organize the papers for tomorrow, I’ll get these,” she said.
Lauren nodded, giving her the plates and collecting the papers spread around the coffee table before bringing the file back to her desk.
Kate made several trips to the kitchen but when she was done Lauren’s room looked as tidy as ever. When she came back from her last trip she found Lauren behind her desk, shuffling around papers in her briefcase.
She looked up as Kate came back, “Do you want me to drive you home?” she asked, careful for it not to sound like a proposition or a way of getting Kate out of sleeping at the office without having the discussion she was dreading.
Kate hesitated before nodding, “I suppose I can deal with the commute tomorrow morning if it means sleeping in a real bed,” she joked.
Lauren did a last tidy of her desk and left her office, shutting the lights off behind her.
Kate followed her to the car, feeling the tension increase with every moment of silence. Lauren slid into the driver’s side as Kate sat in the seat opposite.
“Nice car,” Kate said absently, the silence driving her absolutely mad.
“Thanks, Teddy…,” she paused, “…your father…,” she corrected herself, “…got it for me,” she finished.
The awkwardness of the silence increased as she stopped talking.
“Is it just me or is it really disconcerting that you used to sleep with my dad?” Kate asked, driven by some sort of desperate courage.
Lauren glanced over to Kate, laughing nervously before focusing back on the road. “Is this what you meant by talking about ‘this’?” Lauren asked raising an eyebrow.
“I’m serious Lauren, you kissed me, I kissed you, I can’t survive an encounter with you without my innards fluttering about like I’m a teenager but you used to sleep with my father,” Kate said, punctuating her quandary by lying back in her seat, pressing her head into the headrest.
Lauren blushed at Kate's words, nervously pulling a strand of hair behind her ear as the thought sat between them, creating an ocean of silence that neither was willing to break.
The traffic lights and lights of other cars went by and Lauren basked in the repetition of the drive, allowing her mind to wander. The knot in her stomach had made itself very apparent as they left the office but it was now tinged with a sadness that pulled at that knot and twisted it inside her. She didn’t want to think about Teddy, had been successfully living without thinking about him these past few days, but Kate blatantly made the connection she had been avoiding with all the will power she possessed. She sighed as she pulled into the driveway, wishing she had more time to think, unsure if it would help. She turned the ignition off, unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Kate, reaching out and taking her hand between both of hers, hoping the warmth of the contact would pull her out of the sadness threatening to envelope her.
“I miss your father, I love your father,” Lauren began. Tears stubbornly pricked in the corner of her eyes at the very possibility that her feelings for Kate could be a betrayal of the man she loved. She paused and tried to compose herself enough to continue. “And I…” she started again before the tears came to the surface, pushed forward by her grief. Lauren put one of her hands to her face, willing them away without success.
Kate had never seen Lauren cry. She had seen her with baggy eyes at her father’s funeral but she had never seen her cry and even this modest display of her grief pulled at Kate’s heart.
Lauren took her other hand away, leaving the words unsaid and wiping at her face as she exited the car. Kate followed suit, trailing Lauren as she made a beeline for the house. They dropped their bags at the entrance and Kate put her hand on Lauren’s back.
“It’s okay,” she said softly, wishing she had more to say and hating that she was so useless against Lauren’s grief.
Lauren tried to shrug off Kate's hand, pushing the tears away long enough to speak.
"I should be getting to bed," Lauren said, emotion choking her voice as she extricated herself awkwardly from Kate’s hand and turned, looking at Kate's questioning expression without reference.
"Thank you for tonight," she said honestly, her eyes still red with tears as she hastily exited.
Kate was left standing in the hall staring at the air that was formerly Lauren's departing form, shock painting her features.
* * *
Part 6