RP LOG with seeuincourt | No evidence needed

[legalambition]

When Vee dropped the little bombshell about Stuart, all Jess could do was stand in her office and just gape. She realised she must have looked like a complete wanker, and by the time her brain kicked in again through the shock to think of words to say, Vee had taken a business call and was veering back out into the hall of Hunt & Associates to get a better reception on her mobile before she lost her caller. Jess didn't have a chance to protest, not that protesting to Vee would have made any difference. It's not like the American ex-detective would have any bearing over what Stuart did. She had no idea what to do, and in the end, she just grabbed up her bag and keys, and bolted out of the law firm. She seemed to be making a habit of that lately.


Notting Hill was her first stop, but it was pointless. After banging on the door and simultaneously ringing the doorbell, no answer came, and that was when the panic started setting in. She didn't know when everything was going to go down, but she figured the more time she wasted, the more likely it was that she would be too late. It was like a court case. The longer you let it sit, the harder it got to make the case, plead why it had taken so long to act on. She realised then that she had no idea where Tom was, but maybe Sophie or Ethan would? First stop was Sophie's work, only to be told her big sister was in a case conference and was unable to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. Jess figured it was, only she couldn't bear to have Sophie pissed off at her when it felt like everyone else already was. A trip up the Ivory Tower to Williamson Kent also came up fruitless. Her billionaire brother-in-law was 'out of the office' and also not damn well answering his mobile phone. For a moment, Jess just paced back and forth in front of Ethan's office door, helpless, and her brain feeling like it had hit a brick wall with options. The only place she had left to try was Ethan and Sophie's home... someone had to know where Tom was. Lawyers adorned in Dior didn't just drop off the face of the earth, did they?

She was back again to ringing buzzers and banging on doors, hoping Ethan being 'out of the office' meant he was at home. She tried to see through the peeky hole of the door, knowing it was stupid, considering they were only made to look out of, but by now she felt like she was going mental in frustration. If Tom didn't hear this, how would he know to try and fix it?

Tom had been hiding in his cocoon again, wishing like hell he was allowed to drink. Even after his little chat with Liam, and the fact that he had texted Stuart, he wasn't feeling anymore inclined to act. He had been trying to pull his head together, but his head was shattered just like his heart was. He had never known what it was like to love someone so completely that they got in under your skin and into your heart. It meant that when they were gone, whole pieces of you were gone as well.

He wasn't dressed in Dior at the moment. He was dressed in a tight white t-shirt and nothing but his boxer briefs. CK, not Dior. As the banging and the ringing started, he was sure it was the end of the world. He was also sure that Liam didn't want to put up with it anymore than he did. If Liam was even in the place. He hadn't seen anyone since Sophie and Ethan had left, the youngest Morgan taking to his own cocoon of solace.

Tom dragged himself off the sofa and picked up his glasses on the way to the door. He scratched at his balls and adjusted himself. Just because he was gay, and into appearences still didn't mean he stopped being a bloke. He loved a ball scratch and a good fart as much as the next guy. "What the fu--Jess?" Tom reeled as he stared at the enthusiastic knocker. She was the last person he'd expected, and just opened the door wider for her in case she wanted to come in. Assuming she could stand being near him. "Liam's... I... We're not... It wasn't..."

Jess balked. She couldn't help it. Sure, Tom was Ethan's best mate, and family in that sense, but he was also her boss and her boss in his underwear. Oh jeez, her boss in his underwear! She squeaked and whipped a hand up to shield her eyes from the view, figuring that despite having vivid and interesting dreams about him and Stuart in some even more interesting positions, she shouldn't actually be getting an up close and personal view of him like this. For professional purposes. "Pants!" she shrieked inelegantly, that really being the last thing she wanted to actually come out of her mouth, but her brain had other ideas. "Shit! I mean... I... I... please tell me you don't have company! And I'm asking this time. No assumptions, okay? Just... you have no pants on!"

Tom looked down and swore loudly and colourfully as he glanced around. It wasn't like Ethan was just going to have a pair of pants hanging casually by the front door was it? "I'm sorry," he mumbled before his features darkened and he clenched his jaw tightly as he fought back an angry growl in response to her question. It was reflex, the fact that people had so readily assumed he'd cheat on Stuart still cutting him deep. "No, no company," he eventually replied in a strained voice. "I wasn't really feeling in a trouser mood this morning. Figured I didn't need them if there was no one around. Just give me a moment. I'll meet you in lounge."

Jess had already taken a step back in response to the growl, her arms hugging around herself just to be on the safe side. She had frozen now and just stood there, watching him uncertainly. The panic of a few moments earlier had being pulled away. She wasn't going to apologise for her comment. If anyone answered a door in fucking underwear, she would have asked the same thing. If the rest of her career was going to be walking on eggshells around him, she wasn't sure her future was at Hunt & Associates anymore. "Sure," she replied shortly and pushed in past him to go into her sister's home, finding a spot in the livingroom to stand there feeling and probably looking akward. Maybe she just shouldn't be here sticking her nose in anymore? She had just reacted, wanting to help him in some way. Now she wasn't so sure.

Tom had honestly thought he'd bitten back the growl, but maybe it had slipped out without him realising. He watched her demenour change, and instantly kicked himself mentally for being such a fucked up twat. He really was an arsehole right now, but he couldn't pretend that heartbroken was a good look on him. Grumpy seemed to be a shitty coping mechanism, and one he was desperate to shake. He turned down the hallway to dart into one of the rooms and grabbed up a pair of trackpants that he pulled on before coming back out to Jess. "I'm sorry, Jess. For everything. Especially just now. To know that I've destroyed any trust you had in me gets me just as deep as losing Stuart."

"Stuart's moving back to Scotland!" Jess blurted out, shoving her own issues well to the side. She couldn't try and make small talk when his only chance of fixing things could be boarding a plane at Heathrow as they spoke. She had no information, but it was more than enough right now.

Tom instantly looked like he'd just been smacked in the face. For a moment he was sure his heart stopped, and he'd lost the ability to breath. In fact, he couldn't for the life of him remember what came after you breathed out. There was something important... He gasped in a breath as he eventually remembered the next step. "What?!"

Jess grabbed Tom's arm, forgetting any tension that was between them and squeezed him sharply. "He's going home, and you have to stop him! It was Vee... she said that her Irish friend, he was approached to step back into Stuart's job. He's put in for a transfer back to Scotland. I-I don't know anything else! But he's going. You can't let him go, alright? If he goes, he won't come back!" She hesitated, fighting an urge to bounce on the spot anxiously. "Transfers take ages to go through, right? You'll have time! You will!" She really had no idea who she was trying to convince more now.

Tom looked at her at her for a moment before he just sprung into action, his hand gripping hers as he moved to first get his shoes, and then grab a coat. He had to let go of her hand long enough to put it on before he grabbed it again and started moving towards the door. They were out of it and moving down the street at a rapid pace while Tom kept an eye out for cabs. Then he stopped and looked at her. "Did you drive?"

Jess grabbed his arm and gave him a firm tug. "Look, stop," she said firmly with a frown and then searched over his face with her eyes. She had no further information, how was he supposed to know? Mindreading? It had still just been a passing comment by Vee, something about it being a shame how things had turned out, but homesickness was homesickness. "Does it matter if I drove? Where are you going? You don't know where he is. You don't know when he's going. He... might've already left. Just stop, okay? You need to try and be rational. Trust me, there is nothing fucking nice about irrationality."

"But I can't lose him!" Tom argued as he looked down at her. "I'm not missing my chance. Not like this. I'll go to his brother's. Then I'll go to Gee's. I'll go to the fucking airport if I have to. I'll find him. I can't call anyone because I know they won't answer! Regardless of the truth coming out, I'm the ex now. No one tells me anything. Except for you, and I am forever grateful but we need to act now. You need to take me to Iain's. I'm not being irrational, I'm being impulsive. If I can't use my fight now, then when?"

Jess pursed her lips and sighed heavily, huffing out a breath through her nose as she started digging around in her handbag. She pulled out a lunch pack of Oreos and shoved them in his hand. "Eat," she ordered sharply and then next pulled out a hair brush, reaching up to start trying to at least get him looking like something that wouldn't give a cab driver a heart attack. She gave him a bottle of water, too, then a strip of Aspirin, figuring if her head was hurting, his probably was too. No way was she just going to let him out there and have him end up the same as Liam. Things might have been tense, but she worried if she just let him out to run blindly around London searching for a certain Scotsman without any sort of strength or energy, he was going to hurt himself again. "At least call Vee, try and get more details."

Tom was already eating the cookies as he just let her groom him, juggling the water and the pills so he could try and swallow those as well without choking. He blinked as he looked at her, his nose scrunching up before he swallowed and smiled sheepishly. "My phone's back inside. Bollocks... I can't do this. Not without at least shaving and putting on undies I haven't worn three days straight. But this all takes time! I've already lost enough of it."

Jess bit down on her lower lip, watching him for a moment. "If he's already gone, then you just fucking get on a plane to Scotland. Alright? You have a best friend with a private jet, for bollocking sake! What's it going to do to wreck yourself all over? I don't know the ins and outs, I don't know where he is. She didn't say. I can only assume that the fact Euan's been called on the job that it's a done deal, or in the process of being a done deal. Maybe he's not going for a few weeks? Undies for three days? Seriously?" she finally added, unable to avoid a glance downwards as if they might suddenly grow fangs and bite her.

Tom shrugged a shoulder. "My world was ripped apart and shoved in a blender then spat all over me. Excuse me for being a bloke. Changing undies didn't exactly come high up on my priority list." He started to walk back to Ethan's, trying to formulate a plan. "I'll need some clothes. I really should just go back to my place and grab some. I just haven't wanted to face it being so... empty. I need to look my best. Or maybe I just should at least shower. What do you think? Do you want someone that's looking immaculate, or something showing you just how much of a truly pathetic mess they are without you?" Tom took another sip of water and another bite of Oreo. "You need to talk to Liam."

"Just so long as everything is still... cleansed properly," Jess added, unable to stop a smirk slipping to her lips. "Declan and Neil will say you get a good four days out of a pair of jocks, anyway, if you keep turning them inside out on a regular basis. You seriously haven't showered in three days, either? No wonder your hair is as easy to control as the Energizer Bunny on crack. I'd wonder why the pathetic, post-accident, post-operative mess wasn't looking after himself, and it would take all my effort not to slap him for it. Which could well be a reason why I shouldn't talk to Liam."

"He thinks he's lost his sister for good," Tom urged quietly. "A slap might at least break the tension. I'm not used to moping, okay? I kind of dived into the deep end. We're going back, and I'll cleanse and purify myself. I might just have to steal some things from your brother-in-law's wardrobe so I don't look like an escaped mental patient." He managed a smirk of his own and risked a slapping by reaching out to hook his arm around her shoulders as he hugged her briefly and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you."

Jess reflexively wrapped her arm around him and squeezed his elbow, the first part of him she could grab onto. "I'm sorry I screwed everything up... a-and doubted you. It was just a shock. I'll help you however I can to try and fix this."

Tom glanced down at her before offering her one of her own biscuits. "I know, love. I know. It was just one big ball of shit. Stu finding those movies didn't help, and then there was the whole no one knew about me and Liam thing. It was going to happen regardless of what you saw. I just hope you realise that your brother would never be the sort to cross that line, and I would die rather than cheat on Stuart. That's what hurt me the most... Everyone readily jumping to that conclusion. Again, not your fault. Just my own history fucking me over."

Jess' face and nose scrunched up a little with a small whimper of frustration. "To be fair to me - and you - in this this whole thing, Liam was on his knees on the floor between your legs. It wasn't exactly jumping to conclusions. What would you think if you walked in on me in my office with my hand up my skirt moaning? I doubt your first thought would be that I was scratching an itch, would it?" she said pointedly. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Stop and realise why Stu took this so hard. Probably because he was terrfied Liam was about to steal you off him."

Tom stuck his tongue out as he groaned. "Can we please not talk about you with your hand up your skirt? Besides, I feel like I'd be much more likely to walk in with Phillipe begging to help you with that scratch. How is that all going by the way? Don't think I've forgotten. I still name you as my fag hag even after everything. What's a friendship if it can't survive some insanity? I know Liam was in an awkward spot, but he really was just trying to help. I've made an appointment with a doctor. Stuart would never have to worry about that... I love him, and only him. I don't want to be stolen - I'm not looking to be stolen."

Jess immediately looked guilty and a soft red flush crept across her cheeks. She patted his arms with her hands. "Let's keep talking about you," she said hastily. "I know all that now, but I had no clue about you and Liam. I just panicked. It looked like he was blowing you! I had no other explanation for why he was there with you. And yeah, but surfer isn't looking to have his leg chomped off by a shark, either, but look how that can all go down. You've seen Jaws. Once you've seen that, you see things sticking up out of the water, and you immediately think shark. That DVD and the whole other mess was Stuart's sticky up in the water thing. It was enough to scare the shit out of him, even if it wasn't Jaws at the end of the day. Now he's just terrified of getting in the water anyway."

Tom had let them back in the house and he arched his eyebrow at Jess' evasive maneouvers when it came to the Frenchmen. She was usually so ready to reef him a new one that it seemed strange that she wasn't doing it now. He gazed at her intently, managing to follow along with her rambling metaphor all the while. "You shagged him! You shagged the French shark. He's been in your water!"

"Well, you're having a bad hair day!" Jess shrieked back indignantly, pointing at his head for emphasis. "And you have three day old undies!" she added, as if it really had any bearing on anything at all. But she soon slapped a hand over her mouth and looked at him with wide, blue eyes. "Hey, that's my Jaws metaphor! You can't just steal it! You have to go show the love of your life that Jaws isn't going to dive under his kilt and chomp his balls off if he dips them back into your waters!"

Tom gave a shake of his head in amusement, the shriek more than confirming his suspicions. It wasn't like he could fault Jess. If Phillipe had been gay, Tom definitely would have dipped more than his toes into that water a long time ago. "You definitely jumped the Frenchman. So was his Eiffel Tower everything you wanted it to be? Jaws will have a very angry gay man to deal with if he does try and chomp of Stu's cock. I've become very attached to his member."

Jess folded her arms across her chest and pressed her lips together. "It wasn't like that. I had no one else to go to, and he was there. He didn't make me feel like I was a stupid cow for how I reacted, either. I know it sucks, alright? To have people just assume that you did something wrong because it's something you might have done in the past... not that you've had serious relationships in the past, but you know what I mean. But I was really terrified that you had... I don't know, let me down? I know that's not fair, too. But you with your career, and then what you did to change for Stuart, you're like... something I'd give anything to live up to. I just panicked, I got upset, and I screwed up. After everything, and trying to work to even just get to where I am now, you were the one person who never failed in confidence for my professional abilities. And I know you keep saying it's not my fault, but I'm just sorry it all happened like it did. You and Stuart were amazing together."

Tom wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, and rubbed her back as he rest his chin on the top of her head. It was true that he had always admired Jess. She had a spark like Sophie's that was hard to find, and a clear determination to succeed that every young lawyer. He didn't just hire her because of the family connections. He hired her on her own merits. Her results in law school spoke for themselves. She had so much potential that she had yet to even realise. "I'm just hoping we're not going to be a past tense for much longer. I just want you to trust me again, Jess. I need you back at the firm. I need you to be able to respect me again so you can keep working under me. This would be why you never put someone on a pedastal. It's so easy for them to get knocked off, even by accident." He gave her another squeeze before he pulled back to look at her. "Seriously though, what was he like? I've had a distinct lack of sex for days now. I need to live through someone vicariously."

Jess didn't say anything about the pedestal comment. She didn't think that was what she was doing at all, and if it was, it made her feel like she was just being some sort of stupid fangirl, and again, her professional standing would be at risk of going down the shitter. Professional respect wasn't anything to do with a pedestal. "It was just... I needed comfort. It wasn't anything spectacular. It just happened."

"Comfort sex is still a huge deal. It might not be spectacular but it's a staple of a real connection. It wasn't like I was capable of fantastic sex after the op, but me and Stuart had comfort sex down pat." He rubbed Jess' arm as he looked at her, still not sure if they were alright or not. He had this feeling like he kept fucking up, but in all honesty he'd never been anyone's mentor before.

Jess shrugged a little and then pushed her hair back off her face. "I don't know what it all means. I've never experienced anything like this before. He feels... out of my league," she admitted softly.

Tom crouched so he was more in line with her gaze, and also so she had no choice but to look at him. "Listen to me, Jessica Morgan," he started softly. "No one is out of your league, and I mean no one. You have no idea just how much of an amazing young woman you are, and how much you are truly capable of. Blokes are fucked in the head for not falling over themselves to get to you. Now, I know I Phillipe was a tosser when you first met him, but at least he's realised one thing - you're worth chasing, you're worth being persistent with, and you are worthy of being adored. He's out of your league until you decide to let him in. Not the other way around."

Jess reached up, cupping her hands behind her neck with a small, helpless moan. "It's just... I just... what if he ends up getting bored? He's like some sort of genius person, who makes it look like he doesn't even need to think about his work to pull it off. Plus, he's like... like... Ethan! Sort of, just French. I buy Asda brand bread, and go home after work to sit in my jammies eating toast and watch Coronation Street in my fluffy socks. I lived on Pot Noodle through uni so I could still afford fuel money. I'm not judging him, I'm not. I realised I fucked up there, too, but this is all new, and it's bloody scary!"

Tom smiled at her. "New things always are, love, no matter what side of the fence you are. I'm hardly in Ethan's league of wealth but even I shat myself in regards to Stuart. I worried about him thinking I was too vain, too materialistic, too... anything that wasn't what he wanted. It's hard to have a relationship that deals with a class gap no matter how much we want to kid ourselves into thinking class doesn't exist anymore. But let me just tell you this... In the time I've known Phillipe he's rarely actively chased anyone outside of a little flirting for sex. You can more than match him in the intellectual stakes, and you can still keep your indepence. He's not untouchable. He wears his PJs and eats toast, and for all I know probably does watch Coronation Street. I think he'll want whatever you can give him, and he'll wait for every little morsel you feed him. Trust me, I know how he feels."

Jess couldn't help it. An image of Phillipe watching Coronation Street jumped into her head and she literally laughed out loud, it falling from her mouth before she could stop it and sending her putting her hand up to her lips once it did. But she was still sniggering behind it, shaking her head a little. "He gave me a fish," she reminded him. "I still don't get that. But then, it's not like I could just get rid of it, was it? It was a living thing! I just want someone to be my equal. Is that stupid? Is there even such a thing as being able to be someone's equal? Someone who just... completes me."

Tom snorted in amusement at her reaction before he shook his head. "No, love, there isn't. I think you just need to be prepared for the fact that an equal doesn't always mean in every sense. Sometimes the person that completes you is someone that just compliments you so you're a unit. Not just someone that is the same."

Jess was listening closely, her blue eyes not leaving him as he spoke. She looped her hand through his arm and gave it a soft pat. "You would've been London's prettiest bride," she joked gently and held his left hand up so they could both see it. "It was there long enough to give you a tanline. As far as I'm concerned, that's a forever deal. He just needs to be reminded why."

"I was going to be nude," Tom revealed with a mock wistful sigh. "My glorious body in all its glory, and Stuart in just a kilt. No suit would have ever shown my package off to the degree it deserves to be showcased on my wedding day." His smile faltered a little as he looked down at the tanline on his finger, the sadness welling up inside him again. "I'll get him back."

Jess pointed at him with a small smile. "Might want to reconsider that naked front, though. He doesn't seem so fond of you being naked in the presence of other human beings. Hell, replace every single DVD in your collection with copies of your homemade porn with him. You did make some, right? You know, if you ever want to sell that commercial..." she added and gave him another small squeeze.

"You'll be the first to know," Tom murmured as he kissed the top of her head. He really was just glad Jess had come to find him. She might have been the one to inadvertantly start a destructive ball rolling, but now she was giving him the chance to get back the one man that meant more to him than anything else.

Word Count | 4,775